It was an unassuming cottage, nestled on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow, no one passing by it would spare it more than a second thought. It was in that simplicity, that unintelligible factor, that the protections began. To those hiding from one of the worst Dark Lords in recent history, anonymity was essential.

The fidelius was the other crucial part, as the secret of their existence was hidden within the very soul of the Secret Keeper, preventing anyone from ever seeing them even if they were close enough to touch.

However it had a single flaw in that it required someone that you could trust absolutely.

And as the inhabitants of the cottage were about to learn that was fatal.

With nary but a small pop a man appeared at the perimeter, cloaked in black and brandishing a small wooden stick. Stepping towards the wrought iron fence, he extended his hand feeling ancient magics that had been erected to protect the people within.

They were so close, the one who could bring about his downfall, and the bitch who had evaded him for so long.

With a sinister smile on his reptilian face he shattered the Fidelius, reveling in the screams of fear that his presence brought.

A crackling fire, the gentle warmth of the inferno served to drive away the early cold that October brought. To her though it was a pale reminder of the warmth that once embraced her. Calloused hands wrapped around her waist as her husband drew her into his arms. "What are you thinking about?" He asked, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Past mistakes." She answered, removing his hand, not seeing the frown that marred his face.

"Look I know that being cooped up here doesn't exactly fit with what you want to be doing right now." He started.

She snorted, "Understatement of the millenia, James, but as you and Dumbledore keep insisting that I stay, ignoring my feelings on the matter I have little choice but to remain. A caged bird in a gilded nest."

"You're not trapped here Lily." James said patiently. "These wards are here to protect us from the Dark Lord."

"Yet here I am unable to step foot outside the perimeter lest the wards activate and draw more attention to us." She drawled. "I don't know about you James but that sounds like I'm trapped."

"What do you want Lily?" He sighed tiredly. "We've tried to make everything as comfortable as we could."

"Now you're asking my feelings, when you've done all but ignore them since we graduated? You've so blindly allowed Dumbledore to lead you by the nose, even believing in that blasted prophecy of his."

"What do you want me to do Lily?" He all but screamed. "He's the leader of the light, has more than a century of experience, and is the greatest sorcerer since Merlin."

She broke out in laughter wondering how Merlin would see the comparison not to mention the sorcerers of old whose powers were said to rival minor gods.

Before their argument could escalate any further a sudden pressure bore down on them driving them to their knees. Eyes widening Lily ran to the window paling as she saw the cloaked figure steadily making its way towards their home.

Two sets of eyes met as all anger melted away replaced with cold determination to protect their most valuable thing in the world. They both opened their mouth but Lily was faster. "Go James! I'll hold him off!"

"But-" He started only to freeze at the glacial look his wife shot him. Gripping his wand tightly he turned and ran up the stairs as he methodically shot off every protection spell he knew in an attempt to buy them some time. He looked back wondering if this would be the last time he saw his wife, he didn't want their last conversation to be an argument. "I lov-"

"Go James." She cut him off, the commanding aura she gave off prompting him to shut up and run. She didn't spare him a fleeting glance as she strode towards the door determined to seize the initiative, her mind mentally reviewing every fight that she had with the Dark Lord, every trick and feint that he had fallen for and spell that he favored. Touching the brooch on her shoulder she canceled the illusion, her plain house clothes replaced with a double layered dragon hide vest, comfortable shoes and pants. Eschewing protection for anything that was non-vital she hoped that the speed would give her an edge against the heavy hitting Dark Lord.

With a negligent wave of her wand she blasted the front door outwards, transfiguring the flying splinters into iron spikes that would resist transformation. A second flick hurled a lightning bolt that arced between the spikes, while a swish and flick sent the brass chandelier from the foyer hurtling towards her foe. Stepping to the side she dodged the iron spikes that the Dark Lord had sent back her way his reaction just as quick as she expected. Stabbing her wand forward she let loose a vicious curse one that would've seen her lounging in Azkaban if used on any other foe. Pestilence and disease flew from the tip of her wand, rotting and decaying anything caught in its path. Swinging her wand she blanketed the area where her foe was, uncaring of casualties so long as she took him down. It was only then she caught sight of him, clad in his distinct black robes, his handsome face still bearing a youthfulness that belied the horrifying amounts of dark rituals he had conducted and his age. His counterattack was exactly what she expected lacking finesse as he shot forth terrible fel magics that cursed the land when they hit. Parrying his spells, swatting them to and fro, she could feel the invasive presence of the dark magic within each, trying to invade the core of her wand and pervert it. Frowning she began to dodge, using her own agility to sidestep, crouch, and jump over the spells, only countering when he tried to unleash his more devastating magics that carpeted the entire area. Twirling her wand like a conductor does their baton she mass transfigured everything around her into iron chains which she used to bind him in place.

Before the Dark Lord had a chance to counter she created a dome around him, trapping him within its confines as she summoned a cloud of dust to fill the dome. A second spell filled the dome with wind, whipping the fine dust particles around before her final spell a simple flame charm ignited the entire dome as a dust explosion occurred. "Quite a warm welcome, my dear." Cultured and refined, the Dark Lord's voice sounded from within the dome.

"Clearly not warm enough." She muttered fanning the winds within the dome increase the temperature of the fire until it was an eye searing white. Of all the stupid things I've ever needed to do this is definitely up there. She thought grimly, wondering if after all these years they would answer her call. Uriel, help me shine brightly with highest truth, reflect now with the fires in my breast and illuminate the world with the Divine Light. Flow now through me so that I may embody the light of the Divine, and let no evil touch upon my presence. Finishing her invocation she could feel a small sliver of power reaching into her, connecting her with the greater world as the strength of her spells surged in response to the threat she was confronting. "Thank you." She muttered, hoping that the wards she had hidden herself behind were still up enough so that they thought her just another believer calling upon them.

Still that tiny sliver of power that she had been granted was euphoric, her body overflowing with power that she hadn't felt in a long time, as a savage smile blossomed on her face. With a bellow like a vengeful war goddess she unleashed magics that would've killed any other magician due to their power requirements. Cutting her hand she sent her blood soaring in the sky. "Heavenly fires stolen from the hands of gods rain down upon the enemy before me and smite them with thine righteous fury. Fires of destruction reduce all creation to nothing, deny him the bliss of death as the flames of Prometheus bestowed upon man show me thy Blaze of Glory."

Blood hung in the air, sizzling and crackling before they fell to the ground in a veritable torrent, as flames more ravenous then even fiendfyre roared to life. If you stared into those flames you would've seen your end as foul images of death and destruction assailed your mind. A weak willed person would've succumbed at a glance as their entire psych shattered before the titanic forces of the inferno, yet the Dark Lord took it head on, screaming his defiance as the flames washed over him.

She stood there resolutely wand at the ready as she waited with baited breath to see if her foe was finally finished. What she saw could scarcely be believed as the body of the Dark Lord lying in so small a pile of ash began to swirl in unseen winds.

"Kukuku. HAHAHA!" The demented laugh that echoed through the night a stark contrast to the poised and confident image from before.

"You?!" She stated in disbelief. "You're not even human anymore are you?"

"Humans, frail creatures filled with naught but weakness, such concepts are not applicable to one such as I." He boasted. "I have walked down paths long since forgotten and gone further down the road of immortality than any has dared before. Tremble, and be in awe for before you stands the greatest wizard to have ever lived."

A small part of her wondered what exactly the sorcerers of old would think of this young upstart. The more realistic part of her mind said that the sudden and painful smiting would convey the idea aptly. Faster than she thought the Dark Lord's ashes began to swirl reconstituting into a body. "It's useless Lilith." He taunted. "Nothing you can do can harm me, I have become what even Koschei failed to do. I AM IMMORTAL."

"Everything dies, even Gods." Lily responded, letting loose with a dozen spectral blades effective against the undead.

"Yet here I stand your greatest magics falling to even harm me. Take my hand, Lilith, you need not die tonight, only your son." Extending his hand the Dark Lord beckoned her forward. "I know of the darkness you hide, of the tomes that you eagerly devour when no one is looking. How you hate being forced into casting stunners when every instinct is telling you to let loose, war and death are in you battle causes your blood to sing. I do not expect an answer right away."

A searing pain erupted across her chest as a savage cut appeared. "One of Severus' originals. I know you know the counterspell but this will keep you occupied for the time being." Turning his back on her the Dark Lord walked towards the house intent on finishing his mission.

Now that, that's over with. He thought slowly entering the home, only to be availed as the entire floor and surrounding walls lit up in runic traps. For the second time in less than a half hour the Dark Lord was reduced to nothing more than ashes as his body was assaulted by dozens of elemental spells, curses and other nasties that would've made Egyptian sorcerers, renowned for their mastery of the dark arts, blanch in fear.

Ridiculous. As soon as his body had finished reforming he was assaulted once more, his wand ablaze with emerald spellfire as he hastily shielded, sidestepped, and literally threw himself to the floor, rolling and scurrying back and forth to dodge all the spells coming his way. Eventually though the runic spellfire died down, having exhausted all their stored power and he was thankful that the house had not been built on a leyline lest it continue forever. Maybe I should finish her off.

Lilith Evans.

The name burned in his mind as she was responsible for killing him no less than a half dozen times tonight, each death slightly more creative and sadistic than the last, not to mention incredibly painful. Poking at one of the runic arrays with his wand he was happy for his hooded robe as it his his worried expression. The arrays were quickly recharging, drawing power from the leylines that ran through the air, and while they were weaker they were more plentiful than the ones that ran through the earth. A quick analysis told him that the part created to shunt excess power from the storage matrix had been purposefully removed, burned out after the initial attack. It seemed like Lilith was not happy just reducing a person to ash but set up the entire thing to go atomic to make sure that the job was finished as completely as possible.

The urge to kill that infernal woman was growing more and more, as he all but sprinted up the stairs shielding himself under the power of an Aegis shield. A wand and head peeked from the top of the flight of stairs as James took the moment to fight back, the entire corridor awash with transfigured creatures and summoned weapons. Thankfully he had none of the deviousness that his wife had and the Dark Lord barreled right through them, bombardment spells flying so fast from his wand that it looked like a solid beam of red energy. He had almost made it up the stairs when a large hand grabbed his legs and dragged him down into the basement.

"Ooof." The air was knocked out of him as he was bodily picked up and smashed into the walls and floor. His mind almost shutting down as pain from being used as a human wrecking ball coursed through him. "Of course she had to have a bloody golem."

Outlawed by the Ministry for centuries the deadly mobile siege weapon was unlike its mud or stone counterparts, rather ensorcelled steel and fury. Shaped in the vague parody of a knight the 4 meter tall death machine wielded a morningstar whose head was larger than his torso. It was only through liberal use of magical reinforcement did the house not come tumbling down as the his back met the steel of a support pillar and bent it. Helplessly he watched as the Golem raised the morningstar and crushed his head with all the effort it takes to pop a grape. Moments later, with a new head the Dark Lord let loose with a furious curse, hoping to melt the ensorcelled beast only to die once more as it flung its morning star at him like a spear, piercing his body in a dozen different places and turning him into a paste against the wall.

Reforming was getting more and more painful, as he summoned a stream of fiendfyre to destroy the golem, which was surprisingly quick on its feet as it dodged, reached over to one side of the basement and picked up a warhammer and kite shield. The deadly siege weapon, meant to destroy castles and fortifications let loose a bellowing war cry as it charged him, intent on ending his existence. Rather than fight the Dark Lord showed the belligerent engine a clean pair of heels as he cast a flight spell and zoomed back up the hole he had come through, hoping that the weapon was too heavy to be able to move on the regular floors. With a wave of his wand he conjured a boulder and dropped it back down the hole hoping to have crushed the golem.

Knowing he had to be quick about it, lest the golem get out from under the crushing weight of the boulder and the surrounding area became the first ever magical rendition of the Trinity Site, he sprinted for the door, a siege engine class spell leaving his wand destroying any protections in his way.

Well bollocks. She swore, grimacing in a parody of a smile as she thought that the British were finally getting to her. Who knew Edward's descendent would finish what the Black Prince started all those years ago.

The wound while definitely bad was as the Dark Lord said not enough to kill her especially since she had seen him use it to cut entire groups of Aurors in half yet this one would only leave her with a nasty scar for a while.

She could hear the sound of spell fire being exchanged within the house as James fought desperately against the Dark Lord. One thought dominated her mind though as she struggled futilely to make her body move.

Harry!

Harry!

Her mind screamed as her own regeneration kicked in, slowly overpowering and absorbing the malignant energies in her wound.

Yet it wasn't fast enough as she heard the din of spellfire slowly fading.

Desperately grasping at the meager remains of her own power she attempted to speed up the process but it was to no avail as she was lacking the spark to truly get back on her feet.

What's more important? Pride? Or my son?

To most it would've been a no brainer as they threw away their pride to save their family, but to her whose entire remembered existence was caused because of pride it was not an easy thing.

Still the maternal instincts that she didn't really know she had until her son was born flared into existence immolating her pride as she choose to do something that she had sworn never to do again.

Heaven.

Home of the Angels, of the Heavenly Host and all good souls to have passed to their eternal reward. Divided into the Seven Heavens it was a thing of beauty of perfection, as its gilded streets and marbles arches stood proudly throughout. Yet for all its beauty one couldn't help but notice the melancholic atmosphere that seemed to pervade every level, growing stronger as one rose to the seat of the Lord Almighty himself, in the Seventh Heaven. Here the Throne of the Lord stood empty dust, and age beginning to show on the marbled seat as behind it the clockwork gears of the powerful System groaned and toiled. A system designed to be used by the Lord himself, now suffered neglect and decay even with the effort that Michael put in to hold it altogether.

After all a system designed to be utilized by a God could be used by no other and Michael was no God.Without their Lord it was only a matter of time until the entire System failed and the consequences would be damning.

"Oh Dad?" Lily inquired, her breathing coming more steadily as the gaping hole in her chest healed.

Deep within the bowels of the System, close to the heart of the entire machine that oversaw and helped to guide and strengthen the Faith of Man, a spark arced.

"Dad are you listening?"

Ancient gears and cogs untouched for millennia began to turn as subsystems began to awaken after their long sleep.The groaning and screeching as rust began to fall off them, pulses from within the heart restoring them to perfection.

"I don't know if this is all part of that Great Plan of yours, or if you can even hear me. But if you are up there I could really use a favor right about now."

Faster and faster they turn, arcing electricity as more and more systems awoke. And in the heart of it all a set of golden doors stood resolutely shut.

"I know I haven't been the daughter that you wanted me to be. What with the smiting, and death and judgment but I could really use your help right now."

The golden doors stood silent and barred.

"I'll be the daughter that you wanted me to be."

With agonizing slowness the doors began to open, just enough for a person to peek their head through, revealing a simple yet comfortable room. Well made wooden furniture, an armoire and desk with a plush high backed chair, though the room was dominated by a dead hearth and a large bed. lying within it a man slept sound dreaming of his children's happiness even as the world continued without him, unaware of the masses crying out for salvation.

"I'll do as you ask, go where you command once more."

And yet the cries of his treasured daughter, of the wailing of his grandchild as Death approached was enough to stir him for the briefest moment.

And in the briefest of moments, in that infinitesimally small moment, the world shook as he LEARNED.

"In exchange all I ask is that you protect my son."

Ancient forces, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient awoke. In that moment he was connected to every living creature from the smallest of cells to the mightiest. The previously dead hearth roared to life at what his creations had wrought, at what life had become, as eyes like spiraling galaxies opened, and with a voice raspy from millennia of disuse he spoke a single word, the name of his will made manifest, of his judgment and vengeance.

A Divine Name.

"Raguel."