Harry Potter and the Spirits Within

Chapter 1: Prologue

Summary: The night Lily and James Potter died is well known. What no one suspected, or even imagined, was that their spirits remained with their son.

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to own (or live in, magic rocks) the 'Potterverse' … I do not.

A/N: Based on a plot line I found (and lost) on this site long ago. There will be Dumbles, Dursley (duh!), and Ron, Molly, and mild Ginny bashing. This will have eventual shipping, not sure who yet (suggestions welcome). It will keep with basic cannon info (i.e. Snapes' reasoning in HP7 before/after his death.)

This is written under the assumption that readers have already read the seven canon books. There will be references to spells and abilities without their definitions (i.e. Occlumency) as well as spoilers for all books throughout. You have been warned. I am doing my best, as an American, writing a British based fic to keep the words, spellings, and phrases accurate. However, any brit-picking is much appreciated.

A/N II: Newly revamped chapters going up thanks to my new beta Eristarisis.

The muggle village of Godric's Hollow was and has for over a thousand years had a notable wizarding history that quite possibly included the birth of Hogwarts founder Gordric Gryffindor. Just another village to muggles, its magical residents included Ignotus Peverell and Bowman Wright; inventor of the Golden Snitch in the 1300s.

At the heart of the community was the village square with a post office, a pub, and a church with a graveyard behind it. On the outskirts of this village was the residence of the Potter family. There was a low wall with a kissing gate surrounding the garden and the cottage itself. The cottage was a two-story brick building and home of James, Lily and fifteen-month-old Harry Potter.

James Potter smiled as his wand emitted puff after puff of multi-colored smoke to the delight of his infant son. Harry burbled and squealed as he tried to catch the miniature clouds. Lily Potter came in from the kitchen, "Alright you two, bedtime." James stood, scooping Harry off the floor, and handing him to Lily. Tossing his wand to the couch, he stretched and turned to follow his family upstairs.

A loud blast suddenly echoed from the front hall. Without a thought, James bolted to the entryway. There, framed in the broken doorway, stood Lord Voldemort. James' blood ran cold. None who had stood against this wizard had won, let alone fought him, or perhaps "it" would be a more accurate description. He stood his ground, "Lily! Take Harry and go!" he yelled, "It's him! Run! I'll hold him off!"

It was then he remembered tossing his wand to the couch, secure in the thought that the Fidelius and Peter would keep them safe. He picked up a lamp from the side table in the foyer and threw it with all the strength and accuracy being a professional Quidditch Chaser had given him. But it was shattered in midair along with any hope of living to see November.

The spell had a green hue, a sound like wind rushing down a tunnel. There is no known counter-curse or blocking spell. It is an unforgivable, and use of it against another human is punishable by a life sentence in the wizarding prison of Azkaban. His last thoughts were of his wife and son, and how much he loved them; and he promised, in his final moment of life, that he would always be with them, to watch over, and to protect them both.

{O.o}

Lily raced up the stairs, cradling Harry to her chest, as she bolted in to the nursery and placed Harry in his crib. Prophecy or not, maternal instinct still reared its head. She reached in to her pocket, only to remember that her wand was in the kitchen… downstairs. She rubbed his cheek tenderly, and smiled. Tears ran down her cheeks, and splashed, scattering Harry's face and pillow with diamond like droplets.

She had barricaded the door with everything she could lay her hands on. However, it was not enough to slow, let alone stop, arguably the darkest of the dark wizards to exist in the last half century. A single blast of magic obliterated not only the door, but also her impromptu barricade leaving her standing defenseless against the Dark Lord. There was no choice; there is no choice for any mother who loves their child. She stood in his path, and did the only thing she could do: Beg for his life, "Not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl … stand aside." His voice held something that simply radiated evil, malice and hatred, "Now."

She refused to budge, "Not Harry, Please no, take me, kill me instead!" She bargained desperately.

"This is my last warning." It was not so much a spell, but a blast of pure magic that burned a furrow across the floor and in to the wall.

"Not Harry! Please … have mercy … have mercy … not Harry! Not Harry! Please – I'll do anything!" She cried desperately.

"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!" He laughed finally. Her mind worked frantically, she needed to protect Harry, no matter what. As the horrid spell sped towards her, she glanced over her shoulder, locking matching emerald eyes for the briefest of moments with her baby boy. With her dying thought, she promised him she would always be with him.

The spirit of James Potter stood helplessly as the mortal remains of his wife crumpled to the floor. All he could do was stand and watch, unable to render any assistance or help. He cursed Voldemort, Peter, and most of all himself for failing to protect that which mattered most: His family.

Lily's spirit rose from her body, invisible to those of the living, including her son. She met James' gaze, and tears blossomed in their eyes as Voldemort closed the distance and raised his Yew wand, taking aim at Harry. Both Potters charged on parental instinct and overlapped, together forming a protective cocoon. For the third time that fateful evening, a jet of green light leapt from the wand's tip.

Suddenly there was hellish chaos. Deafening screams, jumbled images, and wild emotions slammed, struck and pummeled the guardian spirits from all sides. Occlumency and Legillimency are not common or even widely known branches of magic, but the two members of the Order of the Phoenix had learned any and all magic to protect themselves both upon and beyond the battlefield. As the love and bond that united them in life, united them in death, shielding their minds from the overwhelming onslaught. Their protective shield could only stand so long against the unending attack until, finally overpowered; both mother and father succumbed to the comforting embrace of unconscious darkness and blessed silence.

{O.o}

James awoke to a sky full of dancing colors. They reminded him, oddly, of the puffs of smoke he had been creating for Harry. Dazed and confused, the world seemed to shudder and skip around him, until everything came in to focus, and more importantly, the memories flooded back. Lily! Harry! The Killing Curse! Looking around, he saw that the swirling colors made up the ceiling and floor of a square room. The walls, however, reminded him of his own occlumency barriers… but with something different; with new, unfamiliar colors oddly blended.

He spotted Lily across the 'room' and rushed over to her. Her emerald green eyes opened as he knelt beside her. She sat up slowly, taking in their surroundings. She looked sadly at James, "We're not dreaming, are we?"

James shook his head sorrowfully, "No Lily, we died. Last I remember we were trying to shield Harry from Voldemort."

She nodded slowly, "So where are we now? The walls remind me somewhat of my occlumency barriers, but what are all these colors?"

James' face suddenly brightened in revelation, "These walls are our barriers; they've joined together. I remember putting up shields from an onslaught of sound and memories." He placed a hand on the floor, "The ceiling and floor remind me of the smoke balls I was making for Harry."

Lily's eyes lit with her own revelation, "We're inside Harry's mind?" She stood and went to a wall, placing her own hand upon it, "So what happens if we lower our shields?"

James shrugged, "Judging from what we heard and saw before the shields went up, I'm guessing we'll hear and see what Harry does. He's too young for complex thought yet, so we can't really talk with him, but I imagine we can send emotions to him, basic feelings of love, joy, happiness, and peace."

Lily nodded, "So if he's still upset we can calm him." She took her hand off the wall and laced her fingers through those of her husband. "Ok, let's do it on three." She said nervously.

They braced themselves and counted down, dropping the barriers together, ready for the assault on their senses. The walls faded, the colors brightened, and there was ... nothing. Then they noticed a low pitched rumbling permeating their surroundings.

"He must be asleep," said James thoughtfully, "That's why we don't see anything; the colors must be his dream, and the rumbling must be part of his surroundings." He cocked his head to the side listening intently, "It sounds like Padfoot's motorbike."

A mix of relief and worry passed over Lily's face, "So Sirius has him. Although I'd prefer he not take Harry on that bike, Harry's too young to hold on, especially while sleeping, and Sirius needs both hands to steer."

James patted Lily's hand in his, "They'll be alright, and Padfoot could always conjure a sling or side car for him."

Lily smiled then jumped as the rumbling stopped. She opened her mouth, wondering where they were, when they heard a voice they were not expecting, saying a name they were not happy with: "Hagrid, at last. And where did you get that motorcycle?" came the unmistakable voice of Albus Dumbledore.

"WHAT!" Lily and James yelled, drowning out part of Hagrid's response. Asleep as he was, Harry still jerked, almost as if in sympathetic pain to what his parents were feeling. Despite everything, his parents were barely able to calm themselves, to wait, to see just what was unfolding about them.

"... Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."

"No problems were there?" Dumbledore asked.

"No sir," Hagrid replied, "house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."

There was silence for a moment and James looked at Lily in confusion, "Bristol? Where would they be going to need to fly over Bristol?"

As Lily was pondering this a new voice spoke in a whisper, "Is that where -?"Lily and James gaped at each other, recognizing the short, clipped tones of Professor McGonagall, and wondering what in Merlin's name was going on.

Albus spoke again, "Yes, he'll have that scar forever."

Their faces drained of color, scar?

"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?" McGonagall asked, echoed by the nods of Harry's ghostly parents.

"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy ..." he stated as James and Lily's faces reddened, looking livid, "I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well – give him here, Hagrid – we'd better get this over with."

"Get what over with?" Lily asked dangerously.

James was saved from answering by Hagrid speaking again, "Could I – could I say good-bye to him, sir?"

There was no answer until there came a howl like a wounded dog, and both spirits jumped in surprise.

"Shhh! You'll wake the muggles," said Professor McGonagall.

"Muggles?" James asked, completely bewildered. Lily's face, however, had once again drained of color. She did not need to see out of her son's eyes to know where they where: A street with identical cookie cutter houses, and pristine "golf course" cut lawns.

"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, "But I c-c-can't stand it – Lily an' James dead – an' poor little Harry off ter live with muggles."

Trapped within the confines of his son's mind, James went from confused to enraged in a split second as tears started streaming down Lily's face, "Oh, James!" she cried, "They're leaving him with my sister!"

James pulled her into an embrace, knowing he could do nothing besides hold his wife in his arms, and rage in silence. Damn Voldemort! Damn the Order! Damn the Ministry for its cowardice! Above all else however, thought James Potter savagely, Damn Dumbledore for his blasted interference!

A/N: Thank you so much to my wonderful beta Eristarisis again for your fine work. He and I will be revamping all of the current chapters before posting any new ones, sorry for the delay but it seems silly to post a new chapter only to take it down in a few days.

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