Harry Potter & The Wizarding World

Book I – Dark Arts

Written By Username: Seprith Li Castia

Attention: Series Warning: I make no claim to any of the rights and responsibilities for the characters, creations or other such things featured in this story. I humbly recognize and accept that all forms of ownership for this series and its character, places, and things belong to their owner(s). I am merely presenting a non-profit form of entertainment based on their original content. I implore any and all readers of this fan made material to purchase the works in which this is based on to not only support the rights owners, but to avoid spoilers caused from this work. I thank you.

Author's Notes:

Reviews are welcomed and you are all free to send me a private message on your theories regarding the story. I do, however, ask that you not, in any form, post your advice or theories along with the review; simply send them in a message. I do not wish for the idea, if I decide to use it, being spoiled. One last note before the story begins; to reference characters, weapons, events, items or anything else you may need to remember, I advise you use the Harry Potter wikia. It is what I am using for the little details I cannot recall from memory.

With that, I would like to thank you for reading. Now, allow us to begin.

Chapter One: A Potter Family Tragedy

James Potter had never much cared for Ministry of Magic politics. He cared for the politics of the International Confederation of Wizards even less. Politics in general, James believed, was best avoided whenever possible. With this belief in mind, he would later find it ironic that he had been there to witness what was easily going to go down in history as one of the most shocking things ever said by a politician because whatever might be said of his personality, James Potter was not dim. He could see the signs and the Minister Bagnold was one good dirty look away from hexing someone. The reason for this, as far as James was concerned, was entirely ridiculous.

Not even forty-eight hour ago one of the most terrible ordeals in modern history – rivaled only by Gellert Grindelwald's reign of terror in years now long past – had come to an end. Ever since the rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers, his "Death Eaters", wizarding Britain had been the site of horrific atrocities: attacks on the non-magical Muggle population, strange disappearances and murders; sometimes of whole families, children and all. However, after nearly a decade of fear and terror and war, it all came to a sudden end. On the 31st of October, 1981, You-Know-Who personally targeted a single wizarding family. Intent on killing them all, he traveled alone and murdered the parents first. Then, as he turned his wand on the child and cast the unblockable Killing Curse against the family's one-year old baby boy, he died. The most powerful dark wizard in history had been killed by a simple babe.

With their leader gone, the Death Eaters fell into disarray; their movement shattered. All of magical Britain celebrated and hailed the now orphaned child as their hero; Neville Longbottom, the "Boy-Who-Lived." Such was their joy and happiness that the celebrating communities had taken to the streets and greeted their Muggle neighbors as old friends and recounted the story of the wizarding world's savior, complete with elaborate displays of magic to emphasize and aggrandize the tale.

This celebrating – not the miracle that caused it – was the source of James Potter's current predicament. Acting as an escort for the British Minister for Magic, James stood as an Auror guard by one of the I.C.W.'s courtroom doors, his eyes traveling along rows-and-rows of witches and wizards wearing formal dress-robes as their assessing eyes bore down on the two people standing below them.

With the stern and "no nonsense" posture that was his custom, Bartemius Crouch bore the judgmental gazes with practiced ease as he looked up at the raised platform where the formal-dressed judges sat in their comfortable, lush chairs while he idly brushed away imaginary dust from his immaculate crimson colored Auror robes that denoted his position as the Head for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of Britain.

Standing beside him and with a notably less composed stance was the British Minster for Magic, Millicent Bagnold. She was short when compared to Crouch's rigidity-induced height, her hair was frazzled where his was combed and well-tended to, and the lines on her not-so-old face were scrunched into a glare that could have cast a Killing Curse themselves had they not been brown in color.

Clank! Clank!

Pulled from his observations by the swift strikes of a gavel coming from the upper platforms, James turned his focus onto the only standing judge and the one holding said instrument.

Albus Percival Brian Wulfric Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School, stood in his usual fashion of long wizard robes of a garish color – this time a bright orange that clashed mightily with the dark and dank courtroom. "If we may begin," said Dumbledore in his grandfatherly tone often used for his students. "I, Albus P.B.W. Dumbledore, acting in my office as Supreme Mugwump, do bring to order this court hearing. With charges having been levied by the International Confederation of Wizards against the Ministry for Magic of Britain, I-"

"With respect, Dumbledore," interrupted one irate Minister Bagnold. "What charges would that be!?"

"As I was about to say before being so politely interrupted, Millicent," chided Dumbledore as if Bagnold was once again another of his students. "I thus present the charges: numerous infractions, by a multitude of wizarding Britain residents, under the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, Clause Seventy-Three-"

"How, may I ask, is such a breech worth calling the Minster for Magic and Head of the D.M.L.E. half way across the world?" inquired the clipped tones of Barty Crouch. "If such a breach were, indeed, made I would think you would bring forth the accused, not their Ministry."

"Why, I'm so glad you asked!" exclaimed Dumbledore with apparent joy. "Clause Seventy-Three, as I am sure you know, states that each 'wizarding governing body' – that is to say, the Ministries of Magic – will be responsible for their charges. Since there are indeed so many infractions recorded here we cannot feasibly call forth each infractor."

A thoughtful look then crossed his face and James knew whatever Dumbledore would next say would definitely be hilarious. He was not disappointed: "If we do take such a course of action, I advise we start with a Mister Dedalus Diggle – it says here that he has been charged with causing a downpour of shooting-stars near Kent." Dumbledore waved a piece of parchment around before staring reminiscently at the moving photograph of a tiny, excitable wizard before saying, "Why, I remember a time when young Mr. Diggle performed a similar feat of magic at Hogwarts. Sadly, the house banners in the Great Hall did not survive the fire. I don't believe Minerva has really quite forgiven the man, but one may hardly admonish the boy for End of the Year enthusiasm. Top marks in Charms that year, too."

Pointedly ignoring the muffled snickers of the young Auror by the doors, Bagnold gave a rough "Herm-Herm" before saying, "Unless you intend I arrest every single witch and wizard in all of Britain, I would think these instances may be excused."

"Excused!" shouted a plump French witch with graying hair seated on the platform. "Preposterous! Your people have made a mockery of th's court and should be punish'd!"

Before Dumbledore could say anything – and he did try – Bagnold exploded, "We are preposterous!? In the course of a single night, the worst Dark Lord in recent history dies – slain by a baby, no less – and his followers are routed. This all after nearly a decade of war and terror, and you expect me to punish them for being happy about it ending!" By the end of those impassioned words, her voice had gone shrill and sounded more mermish than witch. Without waiting for a reply and with a huff of anger that sounded positively feral, Millicent Bagnold stormed off towards the exit. In his rush to open the door for the stampeding witch, James nearly tripped over his own feat. Bagnold was nearly out the door – Crouch just two steps behind her – when a voice stopped the:

"A statement, if you would," said Dumbledore as his eyes twinkled with mirth. "For the court records, you understand…"

Millicent Bagnold turned on her heels with a grace more suited to a trained ministry Hit-wizard than its minister and fixed the kindly old wizard with a heated glare. "Fine!" she roared through clenched teeth.

Summoning up all the wit and intelligence befitting her school days as a student of Ravenclaw House, she boldly proclaimed, "As the Minster for Magic of Britain, and in defiance of the I.C.W., I assert our inalienable right to party in the face of this miracle and would like to personally thank Neville Longbottom, the boy who lived when others did not, for giving it to us." She took in the shocked looks of the judges and the broadly smiling face of Albus Dumbledore before adding, "Now, if you will excuse me, we have actual work that needs doing and there are still Death Eaters that need to be captured. Good day."

With that departing remark, Bagnold stormed out of the courtroom followed by a stoic Barty Crouch and her chortling Auror escort, James Potter. The courtroom watched in mute silence as Dumbledore waved them off with twinkling eyes.

"She hasn't changed in the slightest," the elderly wizard quietly remarked to himself.

Lily Potter née Evans made soft cooing noises into a bundle of blankets as she laid them down into the crib. Quiet giggles met her efforts in reply as the small baby boy's eyes drifted closed. "You're such a sweet boy, Harry," gushed the red-haired mother, Lily. "You're going to grow up to be such a wonderful man. I can see it now; 'Outstandings' on all your tests, a Prefect; maybe even Head Boy!"

"Lily, I think you're going to ruin the boy with ambitions like that," commented Sirius Black, who was leaning against the nursery room's doorframe. "You also forgot the most important role he'll play: Quidditch prodigy and future star Seeker for Puddlemere United!"

"Sirius Black," yelled Lily as loud as she could without waking the sleeping baby, all the while glaring at him with her green colored eyes. "It will be a long time after I'm gone and buried before the most my son will make of himself is as a human practice dummy for Bludgers!"

Sirius' only reaction – far from quaking in fear as the irate mother had hoped – was a deep laugh. Wiping his moist eyes, Sirius said, "I'm sure, with a mother like you, I'll be the god-father to the next Minister for Magic."

"I don't know about Harry being minister," admitted Lily as she gazed lovingly at the quietly sleeping boy. "But he could certainly be a teacher. Professor Harry Potter; that has a nice ring to it, doesn't, Harry?" The baby gave no reply, but Lily seemed to take his silence as an affirmation all the same.

"How about 'Auror Harry Potter,' like his daddy," Sirius suggested as he looked over the edge of the crib down at the baby boy. "How does that sound, huh?"

The baby slept and gave no reply. Lily, however, hissed a denial, "Absolutely not! There has been enough fighting done. After what happened to Frank and Alice, I think all Potters have had enough of dark wizards to last a life time." She paused then and gave Sirius a measured look before asking, "Where is James, anyway? Crouch can't need him this much; he hasn't been home in three days!"

His gray eyes clouding behind curtains of loosely hanging dark hair, Sirius answered plainly, "Work. Crouch is still running his Death Eater tribunals and all the Aurors are busy either hunting or playing security guard. Be glad he's doing the latter; this morning I heard ol' Mad-eye lost a bit of himself taking down Evan Rosier. James is guarding a Karklof – or something like that – right now; his trial is tomorrow."

"So that's it," murmured Lily before looking down at her son again. "I guess it's just us and Uncle Sirius again tonight, Harry." Glancing back at Sirius, she said, "What about you, Sirius? Dumbledore already dissolved the Order of the Phoenix so your 'I'm working for the Order' excuse is gone. When are you going to get a job?"

Scratching the forming stubble of his black beard, Sirius awkwardly replied, "I'm looking- Now don't give me that look, Lily! I am! Things are just a little crazy right now. Diagon Alley is still in such a buzz; I don't think they've opened their shops in the week since You-Know-Who was defeated."

Lily gave a haughty "Humph" that fully conveyed her opinion on his excuse before her eyes took on a saddened glaze and she said, "Did you hear about Severus' trial?"

It took a second before Sirius realized who and what she was talking about. "Snivellus," he began before correcting himself at Lily's glare. "Severus Snape? Well, eh, yeah, I heard. Crouch pulled him up on trial for being a Death Eater, but Dumbledore stepped in and said he was a spy for the Order." Sirius stopped there because he knew if he continued anymore he was likely to say something he would regret. Estranged friendship or not, Lily still didn't like it when James or Sirius insulted their old Slytherin house rival.

"He was spying for Dumbledore, against You-Know-Who, even though he-" Lily trailed off there, no doubt remembering when her former best-friend called her a "Mudblood." "He was spying for us and I didn't even know."

"He was still a Death Eater," pointed out Sirius, more than a little disturbed by his best friend's wife's apparent sympathy for Snape. "Who knows how long he was actually a spy." Or if he ever really was, he quietly added to himself.

"I know, I know," she said with a wave of her hand. Lily traced the edges of her sleeping son's face with her soft fingers, wiping a strand of black hair from his face and focused on his closed eyelids, where she knew a match to her own emerald eyes rested. "How are Remus and Peter?" she changed the subject.

More than a little relieved to not be talking about Severus Snape, Sirius answered with a smile, "They're both perfectly fine. Remus is laying low; worried about people trying to take revenge on any werewolves, I suspect. Peter is- well I don't know where Peter is. I don't think I've seen him since the Order meeting right after the Longbottoms…" he trailed off there, leaving out the "were killed" he was about to add.

"Neither have I," admitted Lily as a frown formed on her lips. "He was so scared then, too. I didn't notice much, I was so worried about poor little Neville then, but he was… twitching, I guess you could say. Like he was afraid someone would attack him."

"Maybe that was just his way of showing relief?" Sirius offered. "He was your Secret-Keeper, after all. Even if everyone thought it was me, he might have still been afraid somebody would target him if they found out. Maybe you should take down the Fidelius Charm; it might make him feel better. You don't really need it now, anyway."

"Maybe," the mother of Harry Potter muttered. "But what if-"

Whatever she would have said was drowned out as an explosion sounded from the front door of the Potter's home in Godric's Hollow. Quickly pulling out their wands, Lily took a defensive position next to the baby's crib as Sirius rushed to the window to get a look outside. "Bellatrix!" he exclaimed, recognizing his cousin as the cackling face of the dark haired woman pointing her smoking wand at the house. "How did she get here? What about the Fidelius? What happened to Peter!?"

Lily Potter gave no reply, but her narrowed eyes showed her resolve. Her family had survived the war; He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was gone. She would not let her son be killed by one of his followers.

James Potter was exhausted. After working almost non-stop for nearly three days at the Ministry, he wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed with his lovely Lily-flower and listen as she sang softly to their baby boy – James' son, and it was still so new and wonderful to say he had a son – while James drifted off into peaceful slumber. It was with that happy thought in mind that James appeared on the road leading into Godric's Hollow with the tell-tale pop! of an experienced Apparition. Straightening his crumbled up red Auror robes and hoping there were no Muggles still awake to see his wizarding styled clothes, James started off down the road.

The street was dark, even for a Muggle town at this time of night. The street lights were out and the houses were only visible because of the half-moon lighting up the night sky high above. Either because of his Auror training or because of his work for the Order, James immediately felt an intense feeling of worry. Picking up his pace, James rushed down the street. When at last his home came into view, James felt a rushing sense of relief. The house was fine; he was just overreacting. Too much work.

However, just as he was about to admonish himself for his paranoid thoughts, he noticed something. All the lights inside were off, but there was a brief flash of light from inside; green first, then red, and lastly blue. Just as the blue light lit up the house, James heard a contained explosion from inside – one that went unnoticed by the Muggle neighbors. 'The Reductor Curse!' James realized as he slipped his wand from the inner folds of his robe.

Before he was able to storm his home, however, there was a flash of green from the door. Instinctively side-stepping the green streak of light, James had just enough time to recognize it before having his fears confirmed as a male voice shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

Rushing out of the infamous Killing Curse's path, James raised his wand and countered, "Petrificus Totalus!" Moving away from the door, a dark-robed figure wearing an ornate silver mask – a Death Eater, James knew - batted the invisible Fully Body-Bind Curse away before answering with another sickly green Killing Curse.

James narrowly avoided the spell before casting a desperate Confingo. The Blasting Curse missed the agile Death Eater, but managed to hit the stone wall behind him. Showered with concrete splinters from the destroyed wall, the Death Easter had little time to react. "Stupefy!" shouted James. With no time to react, the silver-masked dark wizard was struck with the red colored Stunning Spell before falling backwards, unconscious. James rushed towards the fallen Death Eater, who had collapsed on a rose bush. Wand leveled with the silver mask, James tore off the mask and froze at what he saw beneath it.

Taken as is, the shockingly thin man with a sharp nose and brown colored hair was unremarkable, but, knowing who he was, James was terrified. The face of Rabastan Lestrange, one of the now fallen Dark Lord's most loyal followers, greeted James beneath the mask. While not the fiercest of opponents, Rabastan and his older brother, Rodolphus, had gained a reputation for brutality and sadism. Even worse, however, was Bellatrix – Rabastan's sister-in-law and Rodolphus' wife – who was said to be You-Know-Who's most ferocious and dangerous follower. Worse still, they always fought together; which meant that if Rabastan was here, so were…

"Lily! Harry!" Overcome with fear for his wife and infant son, James rushed into the house. The door had already been blown open and the living area was in ruins, a small fire burning in the corner. Not wasting time with his destroyed home, James rushed up the nearby stair-case. Before even reaching the top, however, James heard, "Sectumsempra!" followed by the sound of tearing flesh. Finally reaching the top, James saw the forms of two black robed wizards standing over a crouched form James easily recognized as Sirius Black, who had a deep gash in his wand-arm that was heavily bleeding.

With a deep laugh, the taller of the two Death Eaters aimed their wand at Sirius' face. The Killing Curse no doubt on his lips, the Death Eater suddenly arched on his feet as Sirius raised his bleeding arm and shouted, "Locomotor Wibbly!" The tall Death Eater was struck by the Jelly-Legs Curse and instantly his legs seemed buckle under the weight of his own body, the dark wizard falling to his knees. Wasting no time, James cast a quick Stunning Spell at his back, sending him crashing face first into the carpet. The shorter Death Eater quickly turned on his heel, wand raised and aiming for James, before meeting a like fate by the same red spell cast at his back by Sirius.

With both Death Eaters unconscious on the ground, Sirius collapsed onto both his knees with an exhausted sigh. James eyed the two Death Eater's faces – their masks having fallen off either earlier or as they fell. One was clearly the thick-set Rodolphus Lestrange, but James failed to recognize the young, pale Death Eater with straw-colored hair and freckles beside him. Casting his eyes around the room for anymore fallen Death Eaters and finding none, James turned his attention back to Sirius and shouted, "Sirius, where's-!"

"Down the hall!" grunted the dark haired man as he held his wand over the cut on his arm. "Bellatrix rushed past me and went after Lily. Go, James! Lily needs you!"

Without even a nod in reply, James stormed off down the hall towards Harry's nursery – where he knew Lily would make her last stand of defense. As he came upon the slightly ajar door, however, James heard something that sent his blood freezing. Screaming. Lily's screams. Rushing into the room with haste unknown even to him, James had just enough time to see the dark form of Bellatrix Lestrange, silhouetted by moonlight, with her wand aimed towards the floor at the prone Lily before hissing out, "Crucio!" and Lily's haggard breathes were replaced by a blood curdling scream as Harry gave a wailing cry from his crib in the corner. Bellatrix cackled gleefully at the scene of horror.

With a rage never before known to him, James Potter lifted his want and roared, "Reducto!" Bellatrix had just enough time to throw up a hasty Shield Charm – Protego! - seconds before the blue wave of the over-powered Reductor Curse crashed against the transparent, bright blue of her Charm. Reducto versus Protego; the Reductor won as Bellatrix was sent off her feet and across the room where she crashed with a sickening slam! against the wall before sliding down to the floor, bleeding and unconscious. A Stunning Spell met her when she landed for good measure.

Not even sparing the fallen Death Eater another glance or thought, James rushed across the room towards the downed Lily. Crouching down next to her, James yelled, "Lily! Lily, can you hear me!? Answer me, Lily!"

"Harry… Where's Harry?" the exhausted Lily Potter wheezed as her dimly colored green eyes – that had once been so vibrant – flew from side-to-side, as if searching for her son.

James looked up towards the crib, where Harry had still not stopped crying. As he saw the tearful and struggling, but otherwise fine baby boy through the crib bars, James replied, "He's fine, Lily! You protected him; he's safe." Looking back down at his now crying wife, her eyes sliding closed, James pleaded, "Stay with me! You're such a good mother, Lily. Now stay with me, the Healers will be here soon. You and Harry are going to be fine."

Despite his words, James could not stop the crack in his voice that erupted when he saw the dribble of blood the seeped from the red-haired mother's lips. With a gurgled moan of "Harry," Lily Potter's eyes drifted closed as James called out to his wife, "Lily! Stay with me, Lily!"

Like that, in the arms of her sobbing husband, Lily Potter's world went dark.

Emerald colored eyes opened up to greet the bright world before immediately closing shut in pain. The light was too bright. Moving slower this time, Lily Potter's eyes gently opened. The light was still bright, but her pupils gradually adjusted to the world around her as the room came into view.

First and foremost, Lily realized she was laid out on a bed. Not her's and James' bed inside their home at Godric's Hollow, she realized. The room around her was not even familiar; the bed was fairly plain and the walls were a neutral light-blue color. The light that so blinded her before was shining through a small window to her left. Worst of all, though, was the smell. A thick scent of clean hovered in the air that reminded her a great deal of the Muggle hospitals she had been to in her youth for vaccinations. Strangely, that scent was mixed with what she recognized as the after effects of someone having used a potion.

Lily Evans had not been known as the "brightest witch of her age" for nothing. Hospital smell plus magical potion smells could mean only one thing: Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The where now solved, Lily turned towards the why. Almost as soon as the question came to mind, the answer soon followed. 'Death Eaters attacked me,' thought Lily with an exhausted sense of detachment.

Before there was time for any other thoughts, the door directly across from her bed slowly opened. Expecting James to come in holding a perfectly safe Harry, the red-haired mother tried to sit up. Instantly she regretted the motion. Pain shot up her spine and every one of her bones felt as if they were on fire; like every nerve in her body was being sawed at with a rusty blade, all at the same time.

"Easy there, Mrs Potter," urged the white robed man who had just walked into the room. "I'm afraid you're suffering through the after-effects of a rather lengthy bit of time under the Cruciatus Curse. Nasty spell, that one." The presumed healer made a slight "tisk-tisk" sound as he crossed the room.

Trying not to move as much as possible, Lily asked needlessly, "Where am I?"

"St. Mungos," the apparent wizard healer answered. "Your husband brought you and another man in. I had to threaten him with the Stunning Spell to keep him out of this room while the Healers worked on you. Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Hippocrates Smethwyck," he introduced with a charming smile on his – Lily now noticed – fairly young face. "I'm the apprentice Healer assigned to your recovery." With introductions out of the way, Smethwyck pulled out his wand. As soon as it appeared in front of Lily's face a small green light appeared. "Follow the light with your eyes, Mrs Potter."

Doing as she was told, Lily followed the see-saw movement of the light; left to right, left to right. "Harry! Where's Harry?" asked Lily as the light was pulled away.

"Harry?" apprentice Healer Smethwyck blinked confusedly before he seemed to realize who she meant. "The baby, you mean? The last time I saw him he was with your husband; the poor man seemed almost afraid to put the young tyke down. After what you've all been through, though, I can certainly understand why."

"Can I see him?" There was no mistaking the pleading tone in Lily's voice and it seemed Smethwyck noticed it as well.

Smethwyck's eyes traced the sorrowful expression on her face before hesitantly stowing his wand back into his white robes. "I suppose," he began hesitantly. "Just be careful now. Your body cannot take much stress now. I've been working here for more than a year now; you're not my first Cruciatus victim, but you are the worst case I've ever heard of, especially with the side-effect."

"Side-effect?" asked Lily with a little panic seeping into her voice. "What side effect?"

Suddenly very nervous, Smethwyck quickly began to back away towards the still open door. "I think it might be best if I let your husband explain." Just like that he was gone; the open door swaying in his wake.

Lily was not left alone for long as, less than a minute after the Healer left, James came storming into the room. With his right arm wrapped around a bundle Lily knew must have Harry in it, James' left hand worked its way to his wife's face; as if only touch could prove she still lived.

"I'm fine, James," assured Lily as she clasped her hand around James' much larger one – ignoring the ache such contact caused. "How's Harry doing? Sirius? He was in the house, too."

Still obviously shaken from seeing his still living wife, James answered distractedly, "Sirius is in the room down the hall. He's fine, but a spell the Death Eaters used split open his arm. The Healer said he didn't recognize the spell, but it was clearly Dark Magic. It'll heal, but there'll be a scar. Padfoot doesn't mind; says it's a 'man's scar' or something like that."

Chuckling lightly at the antics of her husband's best friend, Lily shifted her eyes to the bundle in James' arms. Catching the glance, James smiled happily before continuing, "Harry's fine, Lily-flower. He's sleeping now. You did wonderful protecting him. Not a scratch on him; no scar, not even a bruise."

Lily gave a relieved smile before flinching as even that made her whole body ache. Breathing sharply and steadfastly ignoring the pain, she said, "I'm so glad. When Bellatrix caught me off guard and disarmed me, I was so afraid she was going to hurt Harry, but she just asked about the Longbottoms and what happened to You-Know-Who."

The mention of the female Death Eater instantly wiped away any trace of the kind husband and caring father Lily had come to love. In his place was the rising-star in the Auror department. "She won't be troubling anyone for a long while. I sent my Patronus Charm to the Ministry of Magic right after I called the Healers. Captain Bones – Amelia, that is; she's Edgar's sister – came in and took them all away. With Crouch up-and-about they'll be seeing the Dementors any day now." Briefly, James considered explaining Peter Pettigrew's betrayal and escape, but that could wait for now.

Oblivious to her husband's thoughts and wanting nothing more than a change of subject, Lily held out her hand and waved at the small baby in James' arms. Lily's emerald eyes met ones so much like her own in the baby and she smiled. Her son was safe, she was safe, and James was safe. All was well. "I'm so glad everyone's fine, " breathed Lily in relief. "Everything's fine, little Harry. Your mummies here; so is your daddy." Baby Harry giggled happily in response, but James seemed oddly quiet. Suddenly concerned and belatedly remembering Healer Smethwyck's speedy exit, Lily asked, "James, what happened? What's wrong?"

If Lily was concerned before, she was down-right terrified when she saw the frightened expression on James' face; it was haunted, as though something was missing inside him; something that could never be replaced. He was quiet for a few minutes, but when he finally answered his voice was calm, unnaturally so. "I got to you as fast as I could, Lily. At least I tried to. Rabastan slowed me down, and then there was Rodolphus…"

"James, what happened!?" shouted Lily. She was not angry; she realized what James was doing: he was stalling. He was afraid of how she would react to whatever had happened. "I can take it, James. What happened?"

"The healers say you might be barren." The words came out in a rush, and if Lily had not been focused solely on him she might not have even heard them. However, she had heard him and whatever she might have thought James would say, that was not it. She was barren? She could not have any more children?

"H-how?" her voice was cracking, Lily realized.

"Bellatrix," hissed James was so much hate it could have powered the darkest of magics. "She cast the Cruciatus Cruse on you; the 'Torture Curse.' Normally it would just be a few seconds of unbearable pain, but she seemed to have been very angry and held you under for minutes. I didn't really understand much of what the healer said – you could, I bet – but they told me that much. The spell damage destroyed portions of your nervous system; your healer was a muggle-born, otherwise they wouldn't even have known what happened."

Lily was quiet. Her eyes followed every little movement of Harry's with a surreal sort of awe. He was so beautiful, and he would be so handsome when he grew up. James' looks with her eyes; her brains with James' brawns. Now James was telling her she could never have any more like him. Taking his wife's silence as a urging to continue, James spoke softly, "You can still get pregnant, they said, but the shock of actually giving birth could kill you. The baby might survive, but you'd…" James went silent there, unable to think about Lily ever dying; especially not after what happened.

Lily, however, heard not a word of it. She was young, even when she gave birth to Harry she knew she was very young, so she had never really thought about having more children. The option was always there, though. She wondered what a little girl with her hair and James' caramel eyes would look like.

An arm circled her shoulders and it was only then did she realize she was crying. James was silent, holding a confused looking Harry in one arm and his quietly sobbing wife in another.

It was there, in that embrace, two very hurt parents made two different promises.

Lily Potter promised her baby boy she would protect him, nurture him. He would be the best boy in the whole world; smart, funny, powerful, charming, happy, great; everything and anything he could ever want to be: that was her promise.

James Potter's promise was to his family. He had failed to protect his wife, his son could have been killed, and now he would never have any more children. He would protect his family; above and beyond anything else, that he swore.

Looking at the two from in between them was little baby Harry James Potter. He saw everything around him with the eyes of a baby. To him, all was well; even if it was not really, but it could be. One day.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Notes: This is the introductory chapter.

Regarding this chapter itself; Has anyone noticed a trend in stories were James and Lily live that they always have more children? In some of them Lily is a second Molly Weasley and has six children while in others she only has two. My decision to not allow anymore Potters is the result of a number of factors: a dislike of original characters, plot purposes, personal interest in an "only-child-Harry" and so on. That said, I hope everyone enjoyed this. Introductions have never been my specialty, but this one has suited its purpose.

Regarding the series as a whole; This is going to be a massive undertaking with a story that covers Hogwarts and beyond. I can only hope you will all be joining me on this journey. That being said, I have already written several chapters already, but I will only be posting them once a week; on Sunday, Eastern Standard Time.