Chapter Text
In a village in England there was a house. In that house lived a family, not just any family, this one was quite special. This was the house of the Potters, James, Lily and their infant, Holly.
Lily was reading the latest letter from Sirius, one of James’s childhood friends. He and Remus, another friend, had recently been engaged in a duel to secure Gringotts, the wizarding bank. Other than minor cuts and bruises, he and Remus were fine. They were in fact planning to stop by at the next best opportunity. James was conjuring bubbles, which he would send whizzing around the living room, much to Holly’s amusement, who giggled at each one she popped. Lily smiled ruefully, James was insistent Holly would make the next great Seeker.
A perfectly ordinary family evening, if one ignores the conjured bubbles, and that beside the occupants and a very select group of friends, Lloegr, Godric’s Hollow, did not strictly speaking exist. You see, the Potters, were a family of wizards, belonging to the hidden magical world coexisting beside our own, that of the Muggles.
The reason for the house not being visible: the Fidelius Charm, a complex piece of magic that allowed only the location’s Secret Keeper to know its whereabouts unless he willingly divulged his secret to another. The wizarding world was experiencing something of a civil war, on one side the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix, on the other, the Dark Lord Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters and dark creatures. Lily and James had recently been active participants in the Order of the Phoenix,, but information had suggested that Voldemort would try to target them directly. So they had gone into hiding in Godric’s Hollow.
“James, it’s getting late, we should put her to bed.” Lily groaned, rubbing her eyes.
“Oh come on love, one last bubble.” James wheedled, prompting giggles from Holly. Lily rolled her eyes, just because her daughter shared hair and eyes didn’t mean she would be completely sensible. A giant bubble shrrwpmefed its way out of his wandtip, only for Holly to throw herself against it. With a resounding bang it burst, leaving Holly blinking rapidly in confusion.
Seeing a tantrum approaching, Lily rushed to scoop up he daughter. She crooned as she rocked her back and forth. Holly gave James a glare.
“Honestly James.” Lily admonished. “Night you.” She pecked his cheek and strode to the hallway to climb the stairs to Holly’s room.
Lily was just finished changing Holly’s nappy when James’s voice called out.
“Sirius, is that you?” She froze, Sirius wasn’t due for another week.
A high, cold laugh that would send shivers down any sane person’s spine echoed up to her. Lily shook her head.
No, no, no, how could he have possibly found us? Lily’s thoughts swam dizzyingly in her head.
“Lily,” James shouted. “get Holly upstairs, he’s here!”
Lily scrambled for her wand before realising it was still in the kitchen, how could she have been so sort-sighted? Now she was regretting not listening to Mad-Eye’s cries of “Constant vigilance!”.
She jumped to slam the door shut as she heard the him call, “Avada kedavra!”. A thump told her that James was dead. Now footsteps could be heard approaching the door.
“Bombarda!”
The door crashed open, revealing a Lily standing protectively over Holly’s crib.
“No, not Holly, please, have mercy!” She begged.
“Stand aside woman, you need not be harmed!” Voldemort replied coldly.
“Take me, anything but Holly!”
Voldemort answered by lifting his wand once more. The green light once again flashed and struck Lily in the chest, knocking her off her feet.
Her body crumpled by the wall. And in the crib a Holly began crying softly, somehow understanding what was happening around her.
Voldemort looked down at the girl, raising his wand a third time, he hesitated, as if following through would far reaching consequences he had just thought of. Waving them aside he said
“Avada kedavra!”