Chapter Text
Prologue: I
Lily Evans Potter sat alone in a small clearing surrounded by trees in the dead of night. A simple circle had been drawn in front of her kneeling form imbued with a touch of her magic. The spell she found required her intent to be the true force behind it. The circle was glowing with a blue light bathing her face in its cold glare. Only the sound of the wind softly moving through the leaves could be heard. Lily steeled herself taking a deep breath before speaking to the empty night.
"Winter Queen hear my call. As you are a protector of your realm and the magic it holds I am the protector of my family. Please hear me and treat with me and I will offer anything to save my son." She had started strong with her last words barely a whisper.
Her heart ached for her son the prophecy still fresh in her mind. "And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives" Tears ran down her cheeks glistening in the light of the moon. Harry was only a baby how could he survive against that monster? Quiet sobs began to rack through her body while nothing happened the spell must have failed. Lily quickly shook herself out of her despair the best she could. She would just have to find another way. Standing to her full height red hair falling down her back emerald green eyes hardening with resolve. She would not break. She must be strong for Harry. She was Lily Evans Potter muggle born head girl potions and charms prodigy no one was going to take her son.
As that thought had finished the magical circle flared a bright blinding blue light. Magic rippled around a figure that had appeared in the center of the circle. Once the light began to fade Lily was able to make out a woman who seemed unnaturally beautiful. Hair the color of freshly fallen snow flowed all the way down her back. Her skin was pale almost luminescent in the bright light of the moon. The woman then looked at Lily with the brightest of green eyes that looked as if they belonged to a cat. The look made Lily shiver involuntarily.
"Are you the Winter Queen" Lily stammered awed by the magical pressure she could feel radiating from the being before her.
With a slight tilt of her head she responded "That is one of my names." Studying Lily with a predatory glare her pale blue lips thinning as she took her measure.
"Thank you for answering my call. I did not think this would work. No one has seen one of the Fae in centuries" Babbled the red-head unsure if she was in danger
Quietly the Winter Queen stood there a statue of beauty and power. "I have been called many times as have all of the Fae for one reason or another. We have not answered a as we do not care for the mortal realm." she paused thoughtful before continuing "It is rare a child of prophecy is born and even more rare for that child to be part of more than one prophecy."
At this Lily was taken back not knowing what that meant. Was their another prophecy that Albus had not told her about? "Another prophecy? How can that be? We would have heard..." She trailed off as the Queens hand was held up to silence her.
"You would not have heard of it as it was only ever spoken of in the Nevernever. There was Sidhe who spoke of a boy who would save both the mortal and magical realm. Some believe your son to be that boy. Now ask what you want of me? I can feel your need to protect and will provide what I can in case he is the one to save us all." The words spoken held no emotion spoken as simple fact.
"He needs protected and I do not know how. Help me protect him from those that wish him harm." Her voice was surprisingly strong while inside Lily was weeping trying not to break.
"There is not much I can do in this realm without significant repercussions, but there is a spell I can teach you that can give him the ultimate protection. There is something that I want from you before I give you this knowledge." The mask that she wore broke slightly as an eyebrow lifted in question.
"Anything. You can have anything so that I can protect my son." The words came out almost to fast to be words at all.
"When your son is strong enough he will become my Knight. Even if he is not part of the prophecy I am in need of a mortal who can be my sword."
Lily was unable to speak as the request settled into her mind. A Fae was asking for a contract and they were not to be taken lightly. She would be promising her son, her only son to be given, sold she didn't even know to the Queen of the Fae. Did she have a choice though? If she could not protect him he would die. Lily knew when she started the spell that a contract was a possibility, but she thought it would be her that would pay for the knowledge not her son. With a sigh she knew there was no other choice but to accept. As the choice was made in her mind Lily wished for forgiveness from her future son.
"It is a deal." Once the words passed her lips there was a surge of magic she felt inside her forcing her eyes closed. The sudden knowledge of a blood magic spell flooded into her mind and she knew that it was what she needed to protect her little boy. "Thank you." She whispered opening her eyes and seeing nothing but the dark night and the trees surrounding her. With tears running down her cheeks Lily turned and with a pop she vanished into the night.
******
Inside a large ornate throne room the silence is broken by a soft rushing of wind as a swirl of snow and ice spin around the newly arrived Winter Queen. The room itself is empty except for the throne that sits against the back wall of the room. Made of ice imbued with her magic so that none other than her may sit there. Simple in its design despite the spikes of ice that jut out from all sides the throne has sat unused for a long time. Mab does not remember the last time she held court inside these walls as the Fae are no longer united as they once were. Gliding through the room towards the throne her gown made of elven silk clings to her form just before it flares out at the waist bellowing behind her as if it had its own personal wind moving it. The walls of the room are made of large slabs of marble the color of frosted ice and lead up to a beautiful domed ceiling. Pausing for a moment she looks up always happy to appreciate the spellwork that created the scene above her. The blocks of marble that ran along the ceiling were spelled to be translucent so the sky could be seen as if there was nothing there at all. As the moon above Arctis Tor lit up the room Mab gave a sigh before walking past her throne to once again read the words etched into the wall by magic from long before the was the Winter Queen.
"One champion for the Fae shall be born as an avatar for the Outsiders is created"
"The walkers shall mark their avatar and name him as their own"
"Each shall know pain before Each will have to choose"
Mab had read these words more times than she cared to remember. She has always prided herself on her logical mind and ability to think through any situation yet still it made no sense. The Outer Gates have been sealed for time beyond measure. Her court tasked with the protection of those very same gates. How could a walker touch this plane without coming through the gates? Was there another way? Lost in thought she had not heard the soft sound of footsteps behind her. So when the hand touched her shoulder it caused her to jump before turning to glare at her daughter.
Standing just shy of her own 6 foot frame Maeve was almost an exact replica of her own looks. The same snow white hair that her daughter preferred to wear hanging off one side of her face showing off the shaved portion underneath. Her eyes were the only true difference between the two. Where Mab had the glowing green eyes of a cat Maeve had eyes the color of ice solid blue throughout almost frightening to look at with no pupils to focus on. Another sigh escaped her lips as she noticed what her daughter was wearing. Dressed in what she believes humans called a tank top and some kind of rough blue material for pants. Though how you could call something pants that did not even cover most of her bottom Mab did not know.
"When did you return mother?" Maeve asked in what she thought was a proper voice.
"Just now my daughter. I had not thought to see you in Arctis Tor. Do you not have more humans to play with?" Unable to keep the bite out of her words as she questioned her daughter. It was rare for her to come this far into the Nevernever anymore and rarer still for her to speak to her mother.
"Oh mother!! You wonder why I do not ever come home. Don't worry I have not broken any of your precious rules when I interact with the mortal realm. I am back because I heard rumors that you had accepted a call. Is it true?" She almost vibrated with energy and excitement at the thought that her mother Mab the Winter Queen had spoken to a human. Maeve was unsure but could not remember her mother leaving Arctis Tor in almost 100 years let alone going so far as to enter the mortal realm.
"Yes child it is why I stand here reading these words again after so long. I believe we may have found the child this speaks of." There was silence then as neither woman truly knew what to say. Only time would tell if he was the one and if he was then Mab had a lot of work to do. The Fae would need to be united if there was a battle on the horizon and right now they were far from that. Again lost in thought Mab did not notice the way her daughters eyes hardened or the smirk that appeared on her face as she slowly exited the throne room with her own plans bouncing around in her head.
*****
It was Halloween now or Samhain to all the wizarding families of Britain. All along the streets you could hear the screams and laughter of the children as they rushed around from home to home gathering candy to be split amongst friends once the trick or treating ended. In Godrics Hollow there was one house that sat alone unnoticed by any who passed it. Hidden behind a magic spell said to be only as weak as the people trusted with its secret. Sadly the family who was relying on this spell had chosen the weakest among them to keep the secret. Lights shone out the windows of the quaint little home as the laughter of a young boy could be heard inside. Seated on the couch in the small living room was a tall man with messy black hair and glasses wearing a smile on his age weathered face. Zooming around just above the floor was the light of his world Harry. On the broom Sirius had bought him the young boy barely old enough to talk looked like he was born to fly. Zipping around as fast as the toy would let him a laugh that could brighten any dark day echoing through the room.
"Dinners ready" Came the voice of Lily Potter as she stepped into the living room deftly snatching the young boy from his broom smothering him in kisses before he could complain about not flying anymore. The giggles that escaped him proving that Lily had accomplished her goal. Her eyes fell on the man that was her other half and she felt the love that had bonded them through all the years and battles. It was that moment that they both felt it. The wards screamed inside their heads. They had been found. Before the thought had even finished forming the door blew inward and there he was. Standing with wand stretched out towards James the inhuman face locked in a permanent look of hate his red eyes glinting in the fire light was more than a twinge of madness.
"Run!! Take Harry and Go!!" And that's all it took to snap her out of it. She wrenched herself from the spot she had been frozen in and ran up the stairs. As she hit the top she heard the words that tore into her heart knowing she would never see the smile she fell in love with again. "Avada Kedavra!!"
Lily placed Harry in his crib quickly pulling the ritual knife that she always kept on her since that fateful meeting months ago. Cutting her palm open she began to chant the words that had embedded themselves into her mind. She could feel the magic around her begin to flare up more and more with each word she chanted. Quickly Lily used her blood to draw the rune for love over her heart. As her finger finished the last stroke the blood began to glow bright red with her magic. Reaching down she could her the footsteps of her husbands murderer as they slowly climbed the stairs. Lily then drew the same rune over Harrys heart finishing the last of the chant as a figure darkened the room. There he stood in the doorway pitch black robe swirling around him as if it was itself alive.
"Not Harry, Not Harry, please not Harry!" Lily pleaded as she stood in front of her son
"Stand aside silly girl ... stand aside now" The words were hissed as the man before her attempted to leash his rage
Still she pleaded with him to take her instead. "Not Harry! Please...Have Mercy...Have mercy" As the last word left her lifts a blinding green light streaked from Voldemorts wand as Lily screamed before falling in a lump lifeless.
The room filled with the cries of Harry as he hear his mother scream before there was silence. A shadow loomed over his crib as Harry looked up into horrible red eyes a wand pointed directly at his head. Words he did not understand we spoken softly as a flash of green shot towards him and then there was darkness for the young boy.
As the spell connecting with the boy the rune over his heart flashed pushing the magic of the killing curse back splitting it in half. One half rested itself inside the now lightning bolt scar on the childs head. Black blood oozing out of the fresh wound. The other half shot back to Voldemort slamming into his chest pushing the small piece of soul left out of his physical form. As the robed figure slumped to the floor in the same way that Lily had not moments before a cloud of blackness floated in the room. Quickly the cloud vanished through the open window leaving behind only the death and destruction of the once great Potter family.
*******
Feeling the pull of Fae magic Mab let her instincts guide her body to the source. Opening her eyes she was now in a small room with a crib to her left and two bodies laying on the floor in front of her. See the red hair of the woman who had called her Mab understood now what that pull had been. Kneeling to close the eyes of the woman who had wished for anything to protect her family Mab could only feel respect for a woman strong enough to make that decision. While standing Mab suddenly heard a quite cry come from the crib next to her. Leaning over she could know see him. Was this the boy of prophecy to save the Fae? She could feel a darkness clinging to the boy trying desperately to burrow into him and overtake him.
'We can't be having that now can we?' Was the immediate thought that ran through her mind. Reaching down to pluck the magic from the boy as if it were just a loose piece of fuzz she suddenly pulled back with a hiss of pain. She knew that magic and it was not Fae or Human. That was Outsider magic. Frowning Mab was even more concerned with this piece of magic which she now knew was a piece of soul trying to attach itself to the boy. There was one way to heal the boy and that would be to share her blood with him. Not many knew but not all Sidhe were born in the Nevernever. Long ago longer than Mab could remember she was once a mortal just like this boy here before the Mother Winter at that time had shared her blood. The only question was could a boy this young survive the change? He would no longer be fully human were it to work. Could she really take the chance not to do everything she could? If he was the child she thought he was and she let him die then that would be the end of everything.
With the logic part of her mind made up Mab creates a needle of ice and pricks the tip of her finger. A small droplet of blood appears and she lowers it to the boy. As her finger brushes his lips his eyes shoot open locking onto hers. Big emerald green eyes now glowing with a sickly green magic halo behind them stare at her as he begins to suckle. The boy drinks as if it were just another bottle. His body begins to shiver slightly his tiny fingers gripping down with strength that should not belong to one so small. Veins begin to become visible under the skin turning a dark purplish color as they spread throughout the boys body. Harry does not cry or pull away he only clings to Mab harder draining every bit he can. The wound on his forward begins to change color as more blackness is pushed out of it. A tiny pinprick at the center of the scare begins to turn blue and slowly spreads. Mab realizes what she is seeing the scare is being frozen by magic from the inside as it pushes the soul out of his body. She notices that at some point Harrys eyes had closed and his grip had loosened on her finger. Slowly she pulled her hand back as the boy slipped into sleep.
"You survived the change and much better than I if my memory serves. You will be strong one day. I must go and prepare for what is to come. Do not worry I will send one to watch over you in time." With that Mab placed a kiss upon the sleeping boys head before vanishing in a flurry of snow.
******
As the last bit of snow melted away to nothingness a distraught man burst into the room tears running down his face frantically searching for something. As he made it to the crib and saw the sleeping boy he cried harder than he ever thought he could. Sirius slowly scooped up the child who would forever be known as the Boy Who Lived and made his way outside the house of the only people he ever truly thought of as family...