Chapter 1 - Halloween 1981

The house held a quiet tense atmosphere. It had been months since they'd been forced into hiding after the prophecy was revealed to them, and weeks since they'd seen or heard from anyone outside these walls. Yet Frank was content at the moment as he watched his lovely wife nursing their sleeping child. All of this was for Neville's sake and he would gladly give up anything he had to ensure it.

These thoughts were rudely interrupted by the wall opposite him exploding inwards with the force of a bomb and a horrid cackling laughter filling the room. Frank was dazed, but years of training had his body searching for the wand he knew was still safely holstered on his waist. Alice had her hands full with the boy, so their defence fell to him until she could safely join him.

"Lestrange, how'd you find us?" He asked, attempting to draw the attention of the attackers.

He fired a volley of stunners in the direction of the damage as he worked his way around the scattered furniture. Always making sure there was some cover between himself and the continued cackling of the mad witch who had invaded his home.

"Come on Franky boy. Come out where I can see you." She retorted, as the couch he was hiding behind erupted in another fierce explosion. "I want to have some fun."

Finding his feet once more, Frank launched up and trained his wand on the vicious cow responsible for so much destruction during this war. But it was only as he felt the magic surging through his fingers that he noticed the cold red eyes and dangerous voice to his immediate right.

"Crucio."

It was less than a whisper, but it hit with the force of the Hogwarts Express as Frank's body collapsed in agony, his wand clattering away as he fell. The only thing he could comprehend beyond the pain itself was the screaming of his wife somewhere nearby.

Almost as quickly as the pain had struck, it was gone, but his body twitched and ached as he lay in a pool of his own sick. Frank didn't even remember vomiting all over himself. Never had he felt a pain that intense. He had seen his fair share of the Unforgivable Curses during the war, even felt their touch once or twice, but the sheer evil and power of what just ran through him were so far beyond anything he'd contemplated before.

"Bella, my sweet. Have your fun. The boy is mine."

The cold voice of the enemy roused Frank from his agony. "No, not Neville. Leave my boy alone you monster."

"Crucio." The pain started again, but less intense this time. His mind was able to tell this was one of Voldemort's sycophants rather than the man himself.

"Stop, Rabastan." Bellatrix's bubbly voice urged. "We can't have him passing out just yet."

He could feel her lurid body pressing against his own as she ran her filthy fingers through his matted hair. Had he not just voided his stomach moments earlier, Frank was certain he would have done so now. This evil harridan had been responsible for as much carnage and death as her depraved mentor.

His only comfort came from the dull pulsing in the back of his mind. The signal had been tripped and was going out strong. The Aurors are coming. Just hold on long enough for them to arrive. Frank turned and saw Alice laying a few metres away, her eyes locked on the ceiling, whispering under her breath. He knew she was watching the room where they had secured Neville. All their preparations would be for naught if Voldemort found the boy.

A dull shaking roar from above sounded as he realized Voldemort had entered the room. Even Bellatrix Lestrange whispering depraved words in his ear while she worked her blades over his chest could not distract him from the sorrow pulling at his soul at that moment. Help would arrive too late. The Dark Lord now stood above his baby boy.

The whole world shook as an explosion ripped through the upper floor. Bella was thrown from his body until he struck Alice and the pair were pelted by debris falling from above. A loud crying the only sound that could be heard above the rending of building materials as the entire upper floor seemed to dissolve.

Frank watched helplessly as three bodies extricated themselves from the piles of rubble. All three he recognised, but only one turned his blood to ice. Bartemius Crouch Junior stood side by side with Rabastan and Rudolphus Lestrange, staring at him with cold fury. The son of his boss. A long-time friend of his family. Their Secret Keeper. He understood now, they had been betrayed from within.

"You sneaky bastard." Bella's voice penetrated his darkening thoughts once more. "What kind of trap did you set up that destroyed half the damned house?" Her crazed eyes were above him once more and her wand tip glowed with a dark mustardy glow. "You'll pay dearly for your treachery."

The glow intensified as she danced her wand in a complicated pattern above him. Frank watched helplessly as the wand was turned at the last to point to his right and saw the horrid looking spell strike his wife. She went limp as the spell connected and her head fell to the side, staring back at his own. He could still see her breathing, but the brilliant mind of his wife was nowhere to be found in Alice's eyes.

Anger rose within him as he felt small hands gripping at his legs. One of the sycophants hit him again with the torture curse, blocking his recognition of the world around him. The pain of the curse was not as strong now, not compared to the loss of his family. That pain would haunt him until his dying breath, not just while someone held a wand on him.

As the pain momentarily lessened, his eyes refocused on the glowing wand tip above his own face, and he knew he was about to suffer the same fate as Alice. The only comfort he took was the sound of thirty pops echoing about the ruins of the house as the spell connected with his face. Help had arrived.

Too late.

ϟ

Amelia was stunned.

The house was a ruin. Whatever had caused the explosion had gone off in the exact middle of the home and had devastated the entire structure. How anyone could have lived through it was beyond her comprehension. But live they had. The thirty Aurors who had apparated in with her had cast the standard Stunner net across the ruin and struck all four of the standing figures.

As she carefully picked her way through the rubble to their prone forms, she remembered the last time she had stood in this very home, discussing these emergency protocols with Frank and Alice. They had known somehow that You-Know-Who was coming after them and secured the home but being Aurors that had not been enough. They had set an alarm to alert the entire force if those security charms were breached.

It had taken the combined efforts of Alice Longbottom and Lily Potter to figure out how to tie the charms through the Fidelius charm she now recalled had been used. It was the only way to share the Secret with everyone who would need to mobilize if it tripped. But as she reached the centre of the ruined sitting room, she realized it had all been in vain.

Both the adult Longbottoms were staring up into space, not reacting to any of the many figures walking about the room. They had been too late to stop the attack. Amelia was about to move on when she spotted the small hand gripping Franks robes. She gently levitated the plaster off the body tucked underneath and gasped.

"I NEED A HEALER OVER HERE NOW!"

Neville Longbottom looked back up at her tears clutching at his cheeks and blood flowing freely from a deep cut in his forehead. She attempted to stiffly levitate the boy as well, but he would not loosen his grip on his parent's clothing.

"Let go, Neville. We need to get you looked at sweetie."

He just looked back at her with doleful eyes full of tears, still refusing to let go of his parents. Amelia heard the Healer gasp behind her as they took in the chaos she was crouched amid.

"Bones! Get yer ass over here now."

"In a minute, Moody." She shouted back.

"NOW Girl!"

"Fine," she called, turning to the Healer. "MedEvac the three of them."

Amelia relinquished the young boy to the treatment of the Healer, mumbling under her breath at the annoying man who was her training officer.

"What you miserable goat?" She growled stepping up beside him.

"Need secondary confirmation from a Senior Auror. Yer the only other one we got here tonight."

"Confirmation of what, Moody?"

The grizzled Auror just pointed into the pile of rubble in front of him. She followed his hand and saw another body. This one was twisted and broken as it lay cast across several smouldering beams that had once supported the upper floor. The tattered black cloak barely concealed the emaciated pale flesh beneath, and more than she cared for was visible underneath. Whoever it was hadn't bothered with undergarments this evening. Swallowing the bile that threatened to burst forth at the sight, her eyes raked up the form coming to rest on the most hated face in the wizarding world.

"Merlin's beard. How?"

"Don't know, don't care, but you make it official. Voldemort is dead."

Amelia shuddered as her mentor said the hated name. She never understood how he could do that. But if this was true, it meant a huge turning point in the war. Without their leader, the Death Eaters would crumble. Another figure stepped up behind them as the pair turned back to the Aurors combing the scene.

"Got four marked Deaters. Three Lestranges and you'll never believe who the fourth is."

"Barty Jnr," Moody growled one eye fixed on the junior Auror.

"How'd you know?" The young officer asked, stunned.

Moody didn't reply, just stomped over to where the Aurors were securing the Death Eaters for transport to holding. Amelia knew he was going to escort them to ensure the boy didn't disappear between now and his trial. None of them thought Senior would be capable of something of the sort, but Moody was too paranoid to leave things to trust.

"Finish clean up. The Longbottoms have been evac'd and Moody is handling prisoner transfer. I need to go inform the boss."

And with one last glance at the crumpled body of their adversary, Amelia disapparated away.

ϟ

"JAMES! Get the bag!"

A million questions shot through James Potter's mind as he heard the frantic tone of his wife, but he voiced none of them. They had been prepared for a quick exit for weeks now. Ever since Lily had identified the benefits Voldemort would receive by attacking on a magickly strong date. He had prepared the bags and she would grab Harry. He wasn't sure what had spooked Lily, as he could feel the wards pulsing normally about him. There was no one attacking them at the moment.

"Ready!" he shouted up the stairs.

"Then go, damn it," she screamed at him as she shot out of the nursery carrying a bundle in her arms. "The Longbottoms are down and I'm not waiting here for our turn."

James had no idea how she knew that Frank and Alice had been attacked, but he trusted his wife. He grabbed the pre-set Portkeys from the bag and threw one to Lily as she arrived at the base of the stairs. Before she could say another word, his eyes locked on her own and he tapped the small toy car, sending her spiralling away, before gripping his own tightly and disappearing as well.