Britain was in the midst of war with some of the greatest wizards and witches of the century facing off in a battle of blood— magical blood. Lord Voldemort was the darkest wizard around and he aspired to hold that title forever despite the seer's prophecy. He highly doubted that any child would ever have the power to vanquish him, but he wasn't taking any chances. The boy would die at his hand, he was sure of it.

James and Lily Potter were madly in love, and had been since their final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They were among the best in their year, earning the respect of their fellow peers and their professors as they left the schools hallowed grounds. Together they stood on the light side of the war as members of the elusive Order of the Phoenix, which was started by their Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He was the wizard that the Dark Lord feared the most, but even knowing that the Order was always on their guard. The Potters and their friends, Sirius, Remus and Peter were some of the youngest members but this did not by any means give them the titles of the weakest links, not all of them at least.

James had fancied Lily his entire Hogwarts career, and sought to gain her affection year after year. For the longest time Lily kept her distance, turning down all his date invitations time after time. She was a strong and bright girl, top of the class, but despite her fiery personality she had a heart of gold, always able to find the best in people even though they could not often see it in themselves. To James, getting Lily started off as a game but over time it was all he could think about, especially after he learned of her kindness to his friend Remus, whose "furry little problem" kept him from being a normal wizard by any means. Lily came to James after he earned her trust in sixth year when he saved her childhood best friend from a cruel prank. From then on they were inseparable, never to be torn apart, unless of course Remus and Sirius called on James for one of their "harmless" pranks. Lily couldn't help but laugh. James and Lily had married shortly after their graduation. It was at this point they began fighting alongside Dumbledore and the Order. They were trained by non other than Mad-Eye Moody a superior Dark Wizard Catcher, who trained them to think as Dark Wizards do.

The Potters had their fun though and less than a year after their marriage began they found themselves at St. Mungo's, the Wizard Hospital with their new son, Harry James Potter. Harry brought light to their world amidst the darkness. He kept them busier than their jobs ever could, but not once did that ever bother the young Potters. Lily adored her son, and took every opportunity she could to capture his every moment, afraid that if she didn't her son would never know how truly remarkable he is. James spent his every moment with his two favourite people, and he longed for the day that he and his son could go flying together, when they could talk about their favourite school adventures and his son would actually understand what he was saying. He was the happiest little kid around, and those near to him could not help but smile in his presence.

Lily and James were terrified though. Months before Harry's birth, they were told of a prophecy concerning the Dark Lord and a boy born at the end of July. The same time, Harry was expected to make his way into the world. They feared for their son, they were determined to do everything they could to protect him, to keep him safe. Voldemort would not touch him they would not let him. For a while they spent time trying to convince themselves that it was all a terrible, terrible dream, that it wasn't true. When July came around though, they had no choice but to except their fate, as when the month came to an end Harry was born, just a day too soon for it to have not been him. The Potters shamefully hoped that the prophecy would turn out in their favor. They had hoped that the other boy whom the prophecy could have related to, their friend's son, Neville, would be the one who would be marked as the Dark Lord's equal, the one who the Dark Lord would be after. Their hopes though were dashed, and they had to face their fears. They had a son who brightened their day every day, but who had the weight of their world on his tiny shoulders, without a clue of what all of it would mean.

"James? James?" Lily called while ruffling through the baby bag, "James!"

"I'm here, I'm here. What did you need?"

"Where is Harry's soother? I can't find it in here, or in his room, or in the kitchen, or the living room, or anywhere. And we are late. She's going to kill me. We are so late. Oh she hates when we're late. Where is it?!" she was panicking, trying to think of the last place she saw it to no avail.

James smiled a little as he watched her search, waiting for just the right moment. "Lily," he began slowly, drawing out her name on his tongue, as if it was the last time he would ever get to say it, "you need to breathe. No one's going to kill you, especially not over something as little as being late."

"James, have you met her before, or have you had your mind obliverated since the last time?"

"Lils…breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. 5 times."

She followed his movements, closing her eyes. Opening them she saw in front of her husband holding her son, who evidently had his soother in his mouth the whole time. She laughed and Harry, following her lead spit his soother out, gurgling spit and clapping his hands."Harry, your mummy is going crazy," she said, giggling as she sat down on the front hall bench with her head in her hands, "she is going crazy."

James, balancing Harry on one knee, began rubbing Lily's back in small circles. "You my dear, are not going crazy. Even Harry agrees, right Harry?" they both looked to the small child who was smiling as drool dripped off his chin and onto his new shirt.

"Oh Harry, I just washed that," Lily began as she picked up her little boy and nuzzled her nose against his, "whatever am I going to do with my little monster?". The little boy laughed as she tickled him aimlessly. James just sighed with contentment as he picked up his young son's soother and brought it into the kitchen to run it under the tap. He came back into the hallway and admired the scene- his wife laughing recklessly as his son smiled and squirmed beneath the tips of his wife's fingers. Lily stopped after she began seeing her son's face go a little too red. She pulled him from her lap and held him against her chest, nuzzling his little head into the crane of her neck so she could feel his small breaths against her skin.

"Well we best be going, shouldn't we James?"

"Yes, yes. Two quick minutes and I'll be ready to go!"

"What do you need to do now?"

He pecked her on the cheek, "just two minutes. I promise."

"Alright then, I'll pull Harry's costume on."

James chuckled as he jogged up the stairs, picturing his son in the little lion costume they had picked out for him. The image was just too cute.

Lily had just finished putting the finishing touches on Harry's costume, making sure he was all bundled up when she heard the faintest of cracks from just outside the front door. She squinted her eyes, not able to make anything out in the darkness of the night. She turned back around, figuring it was just an animal that had stepped on one of the many branches or leaves scattered around the front yard.

"Please, no. Not Harry, Please not Harry"

"Step aside silly girl, I just want the boy."

"Not Harry, please not Harry. Please don't kill him, kill me"

The scene surrounding Lily was one from her worst nightmares. The Dark Lord had found them in their sanctuary from the war. He wanted her son. Her husband was unconscious near her feet, having fallen after being hit by a powerful curse and toppling over the railing on the stairs. She was all that stood between the ones she loved most and the one she most feared. He was getting impatient, she could tell, but he was hesitant to kill her and she had no clue why. She wasn't looking at him, she was trying to shield Harry.

Harry though, being the little lion that he was, refused to cry or even whimper. No, he wanted to see who was causing all of this. He wanted to know who had made his dad fall and end up on the ground looking funny.
The Dark Lord took this opportunity and used it to his advantage. Little Harry peaked his head over his mother's shoulder, and looked right into the red eyes of Voldemort. "Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort screamed, raising his wand and aiming at the young boys forehead.

Lily, who hadn't realized her son had moved his head, as she had gone somewhat numb in fear, accepted her fate of death as she heard the words leave his lips. She was ok with dying, but only because she believed that her death would give Harry life. That he would survive. She loved him and that was all she allowed to run through her mind in her last few seconds.
They weren't her last though. She heard a scream that she had never heard before, and turned around only then to see what the cause might have been. In her front hall laid a pile of dark robes, that looked to be decades old. She looked around the room more, searching for a face she was certain was still there. She continued to hold Harry protectively against her chest, for his comfort and for hers. If it wasn't for the front door being off of its hinges and the spell marks on the wall from where Voldemort's and James' had sparked off, she wouldn't have guessed that the Dark Lord had made an appearance at all. Quickly she picked up her wand from a top the couch in the next room, where she had left it just before she had lost Harry's soother nearly a half hour ago. She tapped her wands on James and made him levitate. She made few sudden movements as she floated her husband out towards the back of the house and into the woods, just outside the wards. Holding Harry tightly and laying James' arm atop her own she apparated them to the only place she believed that Voldemort or any of his followers would go, her old muggle home.

*Disclaimer: all the recognizable J.K. Rowling Harry Potter series content is fully hers and I take no credit for it. The rest is my own imagination, and if you have time I would love to hear what you think. Thank so much, there will be more soon!