Disclaimer: I don't think I need to shout it off roof tops but even then, I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously.

A Ford LTD crown Victoria screeched to halt in the parking of Horton Hospital, Surrey. A tall, bespectacled man hurriedly got of the driver's seat and held the door open for his wife. He smiled at her mischievously, as the young couple made their way to the hospital, rather slowly.

"Told you we'd get here alive." He said.

"Barely." His wife said, rolling her eyes.

Her husband smiled at her and lovingly caressed her six month old baby bump before pecking her on her cheek.

"Would I ever risk you both." He said, his eyes gleaming with pride and love as he looked at her and the unborn child that she carried.

Lily Potter smiled. No, she knew he wouldn't ever risk either of them. James Potter was already in love with his six month old baby boy that his wife carried. He had sworn to not go off on life risking missions while Lily was pregnant, although it was his job as an Auror to put the lives of others before his. And with Voldemort's cruel and metaphorical ascend to the throne, there had been more deaths than either of them would like to count. Lily had always supported James in his profession, as she herself was an Auror, but she never tolerated his recklessness. She had been scared out of her wits on numerous occasions to see him risking his life when there were other approaches to deal with the situation. Even James's best friends, Sirius and Remus, didn't like it when he 'had his way' on the battle field. Lily had once threatened him that she won't allow him to touch her ever again if he continued to put his life in danger without a proper thought to it. That seemed to have gotten through to him. And a year later, she was pregnant with his child.

James lead his wife through the hospital doors and stepped up to the reception. The receptionist, an old woman, smiled fondly at Lily and asked them their reason to visit.

"We have come to visit Petunia Dursely." He told her. James wasn't excessively fond of either Petunia, Lily's sister, or her husband. But then again, it was mutual. The amount of energy Lily had to put to convince James to accompany was too much to even mention.

"Are you her family?" the elderly woman asked.

"I am." Lily said. "She is my sister. This is my husband." She added nodding towards James.

"Your name, dear?" the woman asked.

"Lily Potter." The younger woman answered.

The receptionist smiled again.

"Ah, you and your sister have beautiful names Lily." She said.

Lily smiled at her politely as the woman told them where to find Petunia.

"Use the elevator on your right dear." she added "It's quite a climb."

The young couple thanked her and made their way to the elevator.

"What is an elevator?" James asked his wife who merely chuckled and gestured him to follow her.

As they stepped inside the elevator, James began panicking.

"Lily." He said cautiously. Lily just shook her head and pressed the button of the floor they wanted to go too. As the door began closing, James tried to stop it but his wife just pushed him back gently.

"It's okay." She said. "It's safe." James scowled at the elevator door but kept quiet. Lily just rolled her eyes and subconsciously caressed her baby bump. James's constant muttering and musing about taking the stairs fell to deaf ears as his wife just told him to stop fretting. About a minute later Lily and James reached the fifth, maternity, floor much to James's relief. As soon as they stepped out they felt the air sizzle with something familiar. James and Lily frowned.

"Do you feel that?" James asked his wife. She nodded as they made their way to her sister's ward.

"It's powerful." She muttered and James agreed. The magic in the air was indeed powerful. They could practically see it. Lily gently lifted her hand to feel the currents and frowned again. Her heart leapt.

"James, its-"she started.

"Raw." He completed for her, his eyes wide. A new-born witch or wizard was in the vicinity. James and Lily shared a look. Lily's eyes watered in joy. She looked at her husband, who was smiling gently. He stroked his wife's cheek.

"Oh, James" Lily whispered, her voice choked with emotion "could it be..."

"There is a possibility," he said, smiling himself. He was sure to have a field day were his niece to turn out a witch. The look on Vernon and Petunia Dursely's face would be worth millions of galleons. But that wasn't it. The reason behind his excitement was also to see the joy on his wife's face. James knew she was already picturing their unborn baby and Petunia's girl becoming best friends. He just hoped they were right and it indeed was Petunia's daughter that was the source of the powerful raw magic.

Lily squealed in excitement clutching her husband's hand and moving quicker.

"The magic is powerful! Oh she will be a remarkable witch, James! I'm already proud of her." His wife kept rambling as he laughed and followed her.

"What was the ward number again?" she asked him, slowing down slightly. "We should be near."

James looked around, thinking that they were already there. Raw magic, even in new born babies was raw, but not at its height to be detected from far away unless an extremely powerful witch or wizard was born. But then again, there have only been four instances of raw magic that powerful.

The smile dropped from James's face and he suddenly stopped walking as he noticed the ward number. Lily's turned to look at her husband and frowned.

"James..."

James Potter audibly gulped and turned to look at his wife.

"Lily the ward number is sixteen." He whispered, fear evident in his eyes. Lily still didn't understand. So what if the ward number was- then the realization dawned on her and she gasped. The ward they were standing in front of was number 1. Which meant that ward number sixteen was somewhere by the end of the floor. That could mean two things. Their niece wasn't the new born witch the raw magic belonged to, or she was and…

Without another word, Lily and James rushed down the corridor constantly feeling the magic growing stronger and stronger with ever step they took. They soon reached ward sixteen and stood in front of its door. They saw Petunia and Vernon cooing over their new born daughter as she slept, unaware, across her mother's chest. James and Lily shared another look. This was the strongest raw magic they had ever felt and there was no doubt it belonged to their new born niece.

"Go." James nudged his wife. She slowly nodded, her forehead beaded with sweat, and it had nothing to do with her run to the ward. She tried to put up a smile and knocked on the door. Vernon walked to the door and attempted to smile at her through the small glass window. He told Petunia who it was and her sister stiffly nodded to permit her in. Lily braved her way inside and James tagged along. Vernon didn't even attempt to smile and openly grimaced at Lily's husband. James, quite unusually, didn't return the gesture, his eyes solely fixed on the baby girl Petunia was holding.

Lily greeted Vernon and then looked at her sister. They both smiled at each other and Lily, with an effort managed to sit on the stool by the edge of her bed. Her sister looked tired, but even then, was practically glowing with happiness as she held her new born.

"Congratulations Niya." She wished her sister, trying not to show her worry.

"To you too, I suppose." He sister said, giving her a tentative smile.

Lily chuckled and touched her sister's arm, her eyes falling to her niece. She was absolutely gorgeous. She had her mother's blonde hair and her small nose. Her pink and pouty lips looked so adorable on her, that even James had a hard time hiding his smile, no matter how much he didn't want to be there.

"Oh she is so, so beautiful, Niya." Lily choked out, her heart flowing with joy but also dread.

Petunia gave her a wide smile and she distinctly noticed Vernon's chest puff with pride.

"I know." Petunia whispered as she stroked the baby's hair. Perhaps it was her mother's touch, or the fact that there were four pair of eyes on her that the little girl gave a small, adorable cry and opened her eyes. Lily gasped and noticed Petunia was grinning at her.

"She has Mum's eyes." Lily said proudly. James came to stand beside his wife and looked at the baby girl. He saw emerald green eyes staring back at him and he instantly fell in love with his niece.

"Your eyes." He whispered and she nodded.

Petunia's smile wasn't ready to leave her face and neither was Vernon's. But then of course, the occasion called for it. There had been palpable tension between the sisters since Lily had gotten her Hogwarts letter when she was eleven. Petunia, out of jealousy, had since started degrading magic every chance she had gotten. Although they were grown up and were having children of their own, it was truly never the same. Lily had tried many times to come to terms with her sister but their childhood bond was gone and she knew no matter how much she tried, it wouldn't ever go back to what it was. Lily wanted to hold her niece in her arms, desperately, but she didn't want to push her luck. This was the first time they had met after three years, and Petunia allowing her to see her niece was more than she could have asked for.

Lily wiped the tears from her face and smiled at her sister.

"I hope I will be able to get to know your daughter and spoil her rotten. I've got only one niece after all." She said.

Petunia and Vernon shared a look. Her sister's smile flattered a little. Lily looked at Vernon and sighed. He didn't look really happy at the prospect.

"We will not impose your hospitality." She said, after a few minutes of tense silence, as James helped her up.

"What are you going to name her?" Lily asked.

"Rose Vernon Evans." Her sister replied fondly. Lily smiled on hearing her maiden name.

"Just know this ,Niya, " she said, "I love her already and… I'll always be there for you and your family." And then without looking back, she fled the ward, James behind her.

After Lily reached a safe distance, she couldn't help it and broke down into insistent sobs. Her niece's well-being, Petunia and her strained relationship and her pregnancy hormones all working together. The nurses around her looked at her with worry as she sobbed unabashedly. James took his wife in his arms and she cried in his chest. He didn't try to calm her down or tell her that everything was going to fine because something was definitely wrong. The baby girl's magical signature had been all over the floor. They could feel it everywhere. And it wouldn't be wrong to say that not many witches and wizards had that strong raw magic when they are born. There had been only four recorded incidents of a new born's magic that strong: Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore himself. These were the only once recorded. Others, were either left out or not recorded at all.

Lily's sobs resided after a few minutes and she looked at her husband.

"I've never experienced something that powerful, James." She said, her fear for her niece evident. "If he ever came to know about her…" she trailed off, the realisation too painful to voice.

But she didn't need to continue. He already knew. If Voldemort ever came to know a magical signature as powerful as Dumbledore's existed, he would consider it as a threat and will either try to eliminate her or take her away and try to sculpt her as one of his own, vile death eaters. The chances of any other witch or wizard being in the vicinity of a muggle hospital were very low but there all the same. But if someone had felt what James and Lily had, the word would spread, of a muggleborn girl with raw magic powerful enough to spread throughout an entire floor. And he would come after her. Both the scenarios of the girl's fate, should Voldemort ever find out, were all too painful to even think about. The baby's raw magic would disappear without a trace after twenty four hours of her birth, but until then there was a constant fear that some witch or wizard would feel her and make a public statement about it. But even after her birth magic disappeared, she would still be a powerful witch and her powers wouldn't be hidden for long from the Dark Lord. He would one day know about a witch as powerful as him, if not more, and he would be after her. In every foreseeable future, he would know about her and try to kill her. She would have to be kept safe until she would be ready to fight for herself. And when she will be, maybe just maybe, she would end Voldemort's cruelty. But Lily would never allow anyone to put that burden on her niece since a young age. She deserved to have a happy and safe childhood. But right now, Rose Vernon Evans needed to be kept safe and only one man could do that.

"Albus needs to know Lils. He is the only one who can help us." James whispered, stroking his wife's hair affectionately. Lily nodded in determination.

"Do you think we should tell them?" Lily asked, nodding towards he sister's ward.

"I don't think so, no." he said. Lily frowned, not understanding his reasoning.

"Well they won't believe you even if you do tell them, and," he added before his wife could interrupt "they need to discover it in time. You can't just go in and tell them that their daughter is a witch. They are muggles, Lily. There is a reason the Statue of Secrecy still stands. They know about us, but it's not easy for them to accept us. They need to watch their daughter grow. Over time, they will notice her accidental bursts of magic and they'll join the dots themselves."

Lily shook her head.

"You don't know Petunia." She sighed.

"I know that she loves her daughter." He said.

Lily looked at her husband and smiled, this might be the first time James had said something good about her sister. It took four years, a Dark Lord and a powerful witch as a niece to make that happen but, better late than never.

Lily held his hands.

"No one else but Dumbledore can know." She said.

James nodded in agreement and they made their way out of the hospital.

The headmaster's office hadn't changed a bit over James and Lily's graduation from Hogwarts. All those odd silver instruments still gleamed just as brightly as they had five years ago. Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, stood majestically on his stand watching the young couple as they sat in comfortable armchairs, in front of the headmaster's desk. Dumbledore sat across them behind his desk, his eyes wary, as the pale blue orbs stared at his wand on the desk.

"Are you both absolutely certain?" after a long silence, Dumbledore asked.

"Positive." James said.

"She has a signature unlike anything I've seen before." Lily whispered.

James and Lily had decided to talk to Dumbledore a day after they met their niece, checking all the facts and records available before they took it up to him.

"We could feel the power on our fingertips even when she was at least a hundred feet away." James said, clutching his wife's hand under the table.

Dumbledore stroked his beard, and looked at Lily.

"I know what you are worried about, Lily." He said and she looked at him. "The birth of a powerful witch is not a matter to be handled lightly, especially in dark times like these. And I trust you both, but I need to make sure for myself. I need to see her."

James and Lily shared a panicked look.

"Petunia won't be very happy." Lily said.

"Then she mustn't know." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

James and Lily's eyes widened in realization.

"When?" James asked his former headmaster.

"I will let you know." He said, smiling at them, and then looked at Lily. "Until then, I ask you not to worry too much. Your little one needs you to stay happy and healthy. I assure you, I will protect your niece with the best of my ability."

Lily nodded and caressed her swollen belly.

'Harry James Potter, you come out soon.' She thought and smiled.

(2 moths later)

There was a loud crack and an old wizened man apparated directly outside, Number 4 privet drive. It was nearly one in the morning, and all the occupants of the house were fast asleep. Albus Dumbledore straightened his midnight blue hat and gently opened the door of the house. Silent as a shadow, he walked up the stairs of and opened the first door to his right. As predicted, Vernon and Petunia Dursely were asleep. Dumbledore gently closed the door and made his way to the room on his left. Dumbledore smiled as soon as he touched the door knob. With a touch on the door of her nursery, he knew that James and Lily were right. This little girl had a more powerful magical core at two months of age than a full grown wizard with an experience in battle. He turned the door knob and wasn't disappointed as the air shone with faint traces of her magic. He waved his wand over the baby monitor, modifying it for a few minutes.

The nursery was beautifully decorated in the shades of pale pink and white, the child's toys lined up on shelves and her crib in the middle of the room. The Durselys were a well to do family and had left no stone unturned to care for their daughter. Dumbledore made his way over to the crib and smiled at what he saw. Rose Evans was very much awake and was quietly staring up at the ceiling.

She was a very quiet baby, hardly ever troubling her parents, unless she was hungry. She looked up at the bearded man and smiled slightly, all the while making those sweet, baby sounds. Dumbledore chuckled at her antics as she lifted her fists in the air, her emerald green eyes fixed unmovingly on the old man. Dumbledore bent down and placed a single finger in her small palm. She instantly grabbed hold of it and Dumbledore felt a jolt as her magic rushed to meet his. The old man's eyes shined with emotion as he remembered his own little sister. He gently stroked the baby's hair and chuckled when she wouldn't let go off his finger. There was no doubt. This child was special, more so than other witches and wizards. He knew she had a role to play in future of the Wizarding world. She would write history with her power and would bring back the joy that Voldemort had taken away. But he had no intentions to make her aware of it and burden the poor child or her parents anytime soon. She would live a happy and safe childhood away from talks of war. She would attend Hogwarts, eleven years from now and learn to control her extraordinary magic, make friends, live, laugh, fall in love maybe and then when the time comes, she will fight for what's right. Until then, Albus Dumbledore swore to protect her from every single threat.

He took out his wand and gently placed it on her temple. Rose tried to reach for it with her tiny hands but Dumbledore took both her hands in his long, wrinkled fingers and held them down.

"In time little one," he said "you will own one of these, and you will show the world what a wonderful witch you are."

With that he said a long incantation that made a bubble of blue light appear all over the little girl's body. She tried to put her legs through it but they couldn't reach it. Dumbledore smiled yet again.

"You are safe for now, dear one," he said. "I shall see you at Hogwarts."

And with a silent whiz of air, he was gone. Rose, feeling his absence, began wailing loudly, making the baby monitor in her parent's room cackle.

(4 months later)

" 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...'"

Lily Potter sat on a couch in her home, holding her three month old son, tears furiously streaming down her face as Dumbledore quoted the prophecy. 'This couldn't be happening.' She thought 'this is not happening'. James sat numb beside her, his hands shaking slightly. The prophecy perfectly fit with Harry. He was born on July 31st, to Lily and James Potter, Head Aurors who had defied Voldemort exactly thrice.

"It could be referring to anyone else." She choked, lying to herself. "It could be anyone. You-You can't be certain."

James simply stared at his son, his eyes glassy.

"Lily..." Dumbledore attempted.

"No!" she cried, holding her sleeping son tight against her chest. "Don't say it…don't…please…"

Harry stirred a little as his mother rocked his back and forth, silent tears flowing down her face.

"He is coming after Harry." Dumbledore said, his eyes lacking their usual twinkle.

That seemed to have brought James out of his trance.

"How do you know?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"The prophecy refers to Harry or Alice and Frank's son, Neville." He said, the sleeping boy's parents looked at him in horror. As much as they didn't want Harry to die, they didn't want their friends to mourn over their child either.

"Then how can you…" Lily began.

"He could have chosen either of them, but he chose to come after Harry. I do not why." Albus said.

"But how do you know it's Harry?" James insisted.

Dumbledore hesitated. He had sworn the identity of his source would remain hidden. His source had been adamant to keep it from Lily because he was sure she would loathe him even more should his identity be revealed.

"One of his own came to me after he realized who Voldemort was after." He finally said.

James's face contorted in anger.

"One of his own? Is it the same man who told that bastard about the prophecy?" he asked venomously.

"It is." Dumbledore answered reluctantly.

James growled. Lily clutched his hand, her emerald eyes boring into his.

"He saw his mistake, James." She whispered "We have a second chance. And we are not going to waste it."

She looked at her child lovingly as he slept, unaware of the threat looming on him. Lily kissed her son's temple. Wiping her tears, she stared determinedly at her mentor. It was no time to be weak and just give up. She would be strong. For her family, for her little boy.

"I want my son to live, Albus." She said, her voice steadier. She looked at her husband as he held Harry's tiny hand and placed a light kiss on it. "Do what you have to."

(A year later)

Petunia looked at her daughter as she played with her soft toys, muttering the small phrases she was still learning. She picked up the letter, she had already read a thousand times, with trembling hands. Lily was dead. Her sister was dead. Her only sister, who had been nothing but kind to her, was dead. Her sweet little Lily. She remembered the day as if it were yesterday when she had held her sister for the first time. She was three, when Lily was born. Green eyes, red hair and a small nose and her adorable pouty lips. Petunia had at that moment realized what love truly was. And now her first definition of love was dead. She looked at her husband, holding her sister's son in distaste. She wanted to snap at him for looking at that precious boy like that, hit for ever calling him a brat. He had her eyes! Eyes just like their daughter's! How could he. But she just sat there, looking at the little baby, just three months younger to Rose. Her heart ached as she saw the painful scar on his forehead. What kind of monster would do that to a little boy. But then again, it was a monster who had killed her little sister and her husband. A stray tear ventured down her cheek as she looked at her sister's son. The boy had been mercilessly orphaned. But that does not mean that he

The little boy, probably missing his mother's touch, started crying. Petunia, on instinct reached for him and gently pulled him out of Vernon's arms and began rocking him in her own. The boy had been through a lot in a single night and goodness knew he needed rest. Petunia refrained from thinking about how much pain he must've been in. She kept rocking him gently and soon the child stopped crying and stared at petunia with those big green eyes. Petunia choked a little but stopped herself in time. Harry didn't need to see another crying face. She looked at him and the boy giggled and tried to catch one of her hair strands. Petunia smiled. She stroked his messy hair, he had inherited from his father, and started singing Rose's favorite lullaby to him.

Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine

Little one when you play
Don't you mind what they say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine

If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
All those same people who hurt you
What they'd give just for

The right to hold you
From your head to your toes
You're so sweet, goodness knows
You are so precious to me
Sweet as can be, baby of mine

By the time she stopped singing tears were freely flowing down her face as Vernon attempted to soothe her. Her sister was dead. She was gone and she was never going to come back. Petunia remembered the day Lily had come to visit her in the hospital, the day Rose was born. Lily wanted a chance to know Rose, to spoil her only niece. And Petunia had not given her that chance, the one thing she could have given her sister before she died and she didn't. She didn't even go see her when she gave birth to Harry, she didn't even bother go see her new born nephew. She was selfish, and arrogant and a pathetic excuse for a big sister, had always been. She sobbed harder when she realized she would never get to apologize to her sister. She was so consumed by her pain that she didn't even notice her daughter come up to her.

"Mama?" she said timidly, as she looked at the sleeping boy in her mother's arms.
Petunia looked at her daughter and a fresh set of tears were ready in her eyes. Rose looked more and more like Lily every single day. Her blonde hair were already toning down to auburn, just like her grandmother's but other than that, she was a complete replica of Lily. She wished her sister could have seen her.

"Yes sweetie?" she said, attempting to smile.

"You cry?" she asked.

"Oh it's nothing." She said, lying. She pulled her daughter towards herself and placed a kiss on her temple. Rose looked at Harry and then back at her mother.

"Who's that?" she said, pointing at Harry.

Petunia looked at Vernon. The letter clearly said that Dumbledore had done some kind of magic to keep Harry safe from further attacks from that monster and the magic would work only if he stayed close to her. Something about Lily dying to protect her son and her blood flowing in Petunia's veins. Harry had to stay with them. She wanted him to stay with them. She had done her sister great injustice since she was a kid. The least she could do was love and cherish her son like, she knew, Lily would have her Rose.

Vernon nodded reluctantly. Petunia turned to her daughter.

"That, honey, is your cousin brother." She said and chuckled as her daughter's ears perked up.

"Brother?" Rose asked, bouncing on her toes in joy.

"Yes." Petunia replied and looked at Vernon. "He's going to stay with us and we all are going to love him."

Vernon scowled but didn't dare argue with his wife.

Their daughter jumped up and down in excitement, bouncing around the room. Vernon cracked a smile. If his daughter was happy, maybe he could tolerate the Potter boy for her. So busy were her parents watching Rose that, both of them missed the dried flowers in the vase right in front of them, bloom to life.

I suppose putting the Durselys in good light isn't so bad..? Also I'd like to brief you where this is going. The next chapter is going to be about the major incidents that occurred as Rose and Harry grew up, starting from when they were two and ending somewhere near the start of sixth year. I can't cover their entire journey since the end is going to be long enough. So let me know if I should keep this up? Major hearts