The Mistake

By JalendaviLady

Timeline: Beginning a few days before Halloween 1981.

Summary: One single mistake can change history forever. The change does not have to be for the worse, however...

Characters: Severus Snape, Lily Potter, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, and assorted others

Pairings: James/Lily (story is not pairing-focused)

Warning: Deathly Hallows spoilers, including things that will be revealed in the Part 2 movie.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Epilogue

She stepped into the passageway and took a deep breath.

"Good morning, Lily."

"Good morning, sir."

"Someone is nervous this morning," he observed.

"Someone is about to face Double Potions with the Gryffindor and Slytherin third-years."

"Ah, your first day teaching. And what knowledge will you be trying to cram into their skulls?"

"I'm giving them their first introduction to the theory behind lunar brewing influences."

"Mmm. I remember when you first studied that." He flashed her a rare warm smile. "You were so happy you were skipping."

"Sev's mum had already told me they existed."

"But not the theory, child. And when you started talking to me about them, you could barely slow down to breathe."

"This is different."

"You will do fine," he assured her. "Just remember, no matter what anyone else says..."

"I belong here."

"Exactly."

Days had passed.

Before, he had been consumed by the need to remove the threat of the Potter child.

Now, he was consumed by the need for vengeance on the child's father.

And he was strong enough at last to maintain his dignity in front of his Death Eaters.

Glamour charms.

He hadn't needed glamour charms since he had left Hogwarts and lost the need to hide the physical side-effects of his first two Horcruxes from that superannuated meddler of a headmaster - then only a professor, and still his greatest headache.

Word had reached him of that damn traitor's flight and destination before he'd left for Godric's Hollow, but he had presumed the other Death Eaters had kept their very special contact's identity from him as they had carefully been ordered to do.

He hadn't the strength for the number of cruciations punishing that would require. Let them fear the future, for now.

There was scrabbling near his feet, and he looked down at the tiny cage.

It could have been any Muggle child's pet rat in any Muggle child's rat cage, except for the thirteen layers of structural charms insuring none of the wires could be bent even a hairwidth, the seven sets of charms binding the door to open at his intentional touch only, and the fact the rodent alternately running laps and trembling with fear inside it was far too ugly for any Muggle mother to allow it inside her home.

Or him, more accurately.

He still had hopes for a sixth Horcrux, the one that would complete the magical number and truly ensure his immortality.

He still wanted it to be Nagini, who was currently curled up at the side of his chair.

She would need a feeding after the ritual. His research showed that becoming a living Horcrux could be just as energy draining as creating one. A fattened-up rat animagus forced back into human form at the last moment would make a fine feast for her.

Only now, he did not merely want to create it with the murder of the Potter babe.

No, things had always gone better the more deaths he had recently caused and the more anticipation had occurred on the part of his victims.

The child first, if I can manage it, he thought to himself. Then the mudblood woman, so her end can distress both the wizards.

It would take time to consider how to kill the men, how to properly have his vengeance on both of them.

It would take time to get to them. He would have time to plot, and plan, and dream about that misbegotten spy screaming at his feet again.

Bellatrix Lestrange entered the room and knelt. "My lord, I felt your summons. What do you require of me?"

"I have heard of the strike against the Longbottom Aurors."

"We intended it to be a Halloween trick, nothing more, my lord. The Crouch lad cast your Mark even as he was Stunned."

There were tears in her voice, which intrigued him. She had never seemed particularly close to her spouse, except on the battlefield. "And is it true your husband and his brother are also lost to my service?"

She lifted her head just enough to nod it. "The Weasleys were there. I personally destroyed their home but there was no one there. I did not leave your Mark, I knew it was not my place, but now I hear it appeared and I know not..."

"It was raised on my orders, that the night contain a victory of a kind." Which was true, if something that grated.

An arson with no deaths, their only victory on what was supposed to be his night of final triumph.

"I am honored that my lord would accept the work of my wand in such a manner."

Her voice was still trembling. Given recent events, his mind went to even more paranoid places than it usually did. "What troubles your voice, Bellatrix?"

"My husband and I were delaying having children until your reign was established, my lord, so that we might better serve you in the field."

"This you have told me before." He honestly hadn't thought she was interested in children, except as a means to ensure the Black bloodline went on in his service after he gained control of Britain at the very least. Given Regulus' unexplained absence in recent weeks, that left Bellatrix and Narcissa the only remaining Blacks loyal to his cause.

"My husband and his brother are slain, and the last of the Lestranges grows within me, my lord. The potion brews in my cauldron, what would my lord have me do?"

The urge to tell her to do what she would have done anyway had the battle gone differently was strong. He needed every active Death Eater he could.

But no, the line would die out. The brothers had been such good fighters for his cause, surely something of them should be permitted to remain. And so had Bellatrix.

He would need good fighters, and his Horcruxes, his wonderful Horcruxes, meant he had to think in terms of multiple generations.

He would need a Bellatrix Lestrange after Bellatrix herself had grown old and died. Perhaps her line and her husband's might breed true.

"Bear the pureblood heir of the Lestrange line," he told her, "and train it up into my service."

"Thank you, my lord."

"Now go, and see to the preservation of your line. Tell Lucius to come in next."

He would be very interested to learn how the slippery Malfoy who had all but gift-wrapped the young potioneer had completely missed the man's treachery. And had likewise completely missed the impulsiveness of young Mr. Crouch.

Very interested indeed.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone from a surprisingly diverse list of nations for reading!

And if you thought this epilogue was a sequel hook, yes it is a sequel hook. The sequel is named "The Hidden War", and I'll be posting the first chapter a few minutes after I post this so anyone who has this story on Story Alert can go ahead and set it up there if they so chose to keep reading. I'll also be sticking some side-stories set in the same alternate timeline up.