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An-ok, tell me if this is bad, but I had the idea and I was thinking about it for ages, so I thought I'd write it…review?

James ducked the curse and heard something shatter behind him but didn't look round - it didn't matter now, whatever it was - one second's lapse in concentration and he was a dead man.

Harry and Lily...

Fumbling in his pocket with one hand he shot his own curse at his opponent with the other - which he deflected, the rebounded jet of light hit the window, sending shards exploding outwards in a glittering shower of razor sharp, jagged debris. He tried again but Voldemort flicked his wand almost lazily and the fresh jet of light, rather than rebounding, turned into a snake which reared towards James, jaws open wide, long fangs dangerously close to its would-be prey – James whirled his wand and it vanished with a whip-crack and a mocking laugh from his opponent,

'You need not fight, Potter, you will not win...' James ignored Voldemort's taunting and finally succeeded in extracting the mirror from his pocket,

'SIRIUS!' He yelled into it, 'SIRIUS!' He dodged another of Voldemort's killing curses and glanced at it frantically -

'What? James - what's going on?' A man with elegant black hair and concerned grey eyes appeared in the mirror, evidently terrified and trying desperately to see what was going on beyond the parameters the mirror allowed him...Voldemort couldn't have, could he? He couldn't have…Peter wouldn't…he wouldn't betray them; Lily and James had trusted him with their lives, their son's life. He would never…it was impossible; he must have found another way…no, no...

It took barely a second for his fears to be realised as James shouted a panicked answer to his question, then -

'I'm on my w –' The jet of green light didn't let him complete his sentence. It hit James, and he was thrown back against the wall with earth shattering force, the mirror bursting into a thousand tiny pieces. James Potter knew no more.

8-8-8

James blinked blurrily and sat up…what had happened? He rubbed his head and felt a small trickle of blood seeping out from under his hair, frowning in confusion but stopping when he figured out it hurt to do so. He looked around at the wreckage of the room, the shattered window, the broken wardrobe, the tiny bits of mirror scattered around like dust over everything…

What had happened? Wh – he shot to his feet as fleeting memories of the battle returned to him – Voldemort – the attack – Harry and Lily!

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his head he scrambled to his unsteady feet and tore out of the room in search of his wife and son, lurching around corners and banging into walls as he went, no caring, as long as they were ok...they had to be ok...please please, let them have escaped, let them by some miracle have got out...he'd give anything...

Bursting through a door – he had lost track of which in his frantic search, his heart stopped. Beating fit to burst in his chest just seconds before, it seemed to have frozen in shock as much as the rest of his body – it could not be happening, this could not be real – no, no...

'Lily...' He stepped forwards as if in a trance, his throat closing up and salty tears rising into his eyes; he made no attempt to stop them, falling to his knees beside her head, beautiful even in death, though her green eyes no longer shone with the power and light they once had. Numbly, fighting paralysing nausea, he reached out and gripped her wrist, unsure whether he was checking for a pulse or merely trying desperately to gain some comfort from contact with her, any contact...she could not be dead, it didn't make sense...if Lily was dead...if she...no – no – Harry – his son – his son – no, no no no, not him too, please...

He whipped around, hardly daring to believe it when he heard the tiny sound – holding his breath – he was there. Harry was alive. James reached out as if uncertain his hands could really make contact with this miracle, his son, his son...he scooped him up, wrapping his arms around Harry's small body protectively, feeling like he would never let go...

How? Was all he could think, how was he alive, how was Harry alive? Sudden terrible realisation spread across his face and he almost swore aloud, no, not him too, it couldn't be…he felt as though he would suffocate with the lump rising in his throat, felt like he would die with the pain in his chest...he couldn't stand it...

How long he sat there, he didn't know, but his legs had gone numb beneath him by the time anything moved within that house.

'James? Lily?' Jerking around to face the door, he heard Hagrid's familiar voice ringing through the house but, though he wanted to move, wanted to stand, found he couldn't. It was as if he had been turned to lead, he felt so heavy and so light headed at the same time, his lungs felt like they were being ripped out and for a moment he wished he had died.

The half-giant pushed the door open and peered in, his own face wracked with fear and already settled grief.

'Hagrid…Voldemort…I…but Lily…and…' He stammered. Hagrid didn't speak…he couldn't. Then, coming to a sudden decision, he stumbled to his feet – he needed to do this before he lost his nerve, he couldn't leave Harry – but he couldn't stand not knowing, he had to find out...he felt sick...

'Hagrid…will…I need you to – to look after –can you look after Harry – I need to…it's a long story but…I need you to look after Harry while I go to Sirius' – don't let him out of your sight, I swear Hagrid, please, I need – just keep him safe.' He screwed up his face at the expression on Harry's face as he pressed the baby into the half giant's arms; it was almost like betrayal. But he had to, he had to know...he tore his eyes away from Harry's – Lily's – and refused to look back. He couldn't have left if he had, and couldn't have waited for someone else to find out...

'Yeah, bu' James – '

'I haven't got time Hagrid. S – Stay here, look after him…I - I'll be back as soon – as soon as I can.'