Harry Potter and the Sealed Gateway
Chapter 1: Godric's Hollow
The silvery numbers on the ceiling told James Potter that it was 11:30 at night when he was awakened by a loud squeal from outside his two-story cottage. He got out of bed without awakening his wife, slipped on some shoes and an illuminating flash of blue light from outside the window accompanied another series of loud squeals. His wife, Lily, stirred in bed. He pulled back the curtain from the window that overlooked the front drive in time to see a second blue flash aimed into the ivy on the side of the drive; and, worse, the cloaked and masked figure holding the wand that conjured the spell. Something rattled the ivory as it ran from the drive.
"Lily!" James shook his sleeping wife, "He's here!"
Lily jumped out of bed and threw on her robe. "In Godric's Hollow…but James, how-"
"It doesn't matter how- stay with Harry, I'll head him off."
"But James-"
"Lily- I love you," James said with a short kiss, and then he pulled himself away and crept downstairs.
James saw another blue flash, accompanied by more squeals as he crept downstairs into the closet next to the front door. He heard a unnatural, high-pitched voice from the drive.
"You have nearly cost me the element of surprise, Wormtail. For that, you will not go unpunished," the cold voice said angrily.
James absorbed what he heard, and he now, too late, had a very good idea of how Voldemort had come to Godric's Hollow. But there was no time to ponder the foolishness of his decisions.
"Alohamora," the Dark Lord commanded.
The lock turned and James clutched his wand, sweating nervously. He heard two steps and felt the dark presence on the other side of his closet door. Stay still, he thought. Wait until he's at the stairwell. James heard more steps, but they were not headed toward the stairwell…Voldemort was going into the study. James heard the door open, and the footsteps gradually faded into the study. He pointed his wand at his shoes-- "Silencio!" he whispered inaudibly. He crept until he was behind the study door, and could see through the crack. Lord Voldemort was searching for something. James knew that now was the time to strike. He let his thoughts lay for a moment on Lily, then Harry, then Sirius and Remus before he jumped to the other side of the door.
"Locomotor Mortis!"
But Lord Voldemort was too fast. "Stupefy!" He cried. The two spells hit each other and rebounded, breaking a window and knocking over a desk.
"Avada-" But Lord Voldemort was stopped short by a book that was flung into his face, full force.
James was enchanting all the books in the study to hover around and shoot themselves at the Dark Lord.
"Charms always were your strong point Potter. Foolish branch--"
"Stupefy!"
Lord Voldemort disapparated and apparated again feet from James. "--if you ask me. I always focused my learning on hexes and curses."
"Expelliarmus!"
"Crucio!"
The two spells collided with each and disappeared with a small ball of green fire.
Lord Voldemort shot a red flame at an approaching book, and it burst in a fire on the plywood floor. His cold voice rang out, "Petrificus Totalus!" James's arms and legs snapped together against his body and he fell to the floor with a thud. Sobbing could be heard from upstairs.
"Well, Potter, we meet again."
James eyes followed Voldemort as he spoke.
"I see that you haven't discontinued your studies after you left the ministry. Of course, this could have all been avoided if your futile nobility hadn't stopped you from surrendering your research to me." Voldemort's red eyes flickered towards another door in the study. "But it will be mine, soon. After I dispose of you, I'll likely torture and kill your wife and son…and then I'll take what I came for and utilize its power before the sun rises…So, good-bye, James Potter. Avada Kedavra!"
A green flash of light hit James Potter's immobile body. His eyes closed and relaxed. He was dead.
Albus Dumbledore was at the Potter's house by 12:30, after midnight. He apparated at the front of the drive to find the house aflame "But no mark…" he said to himself. "Hydrendio!" and as he spoke, water erupted from his wand that put out the flame. He ran into the house, tears streaming down his cheeks. His eyes had fallen upon the corpse of James potter, which was partially obstructed from sight by charred timbers that had fallen from the ceiling. A book was still burning in the corner. "Hydrendio." He opened a door in the study and what he saw must have both pleased him and befuddled him. "Curious, indeed. But how…" And then he heard a baby crying from upstairs.
Albus Dumbledore muttered something to himself, and with a flick of his wand, set the fire place alight, before hurrying upstairs with a loud crack. "
He first saw the corpse of Lily Potter lying at the foot of her bed, in front of a baby's cot. He then saw that the crying was, indeed, coming from the baby's cot. "Calm, down, Harry," Dumbledore whispered gently. And with another flick of his wand, the baby was asleep and calm. He took another look around the room. He seemed to be searching for someone that he knew wasn't there. "Tom?" No answer. It was then that a Dumbledore saw a wand at Harry's feet. "It couldn't be…But yes…it seems…" and he continued mumbling to himself as he gathered Harry and went down stairs to the fireplace. "The Hut of Mr. Rebeus Hagrid." He bellowed into the flames, sticking his head into them. "Hagrid! Hagrid!" He yelled urgently, and as he did, a very large man awoke with a start, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Er…Professor Dumbledore, sir? Wha's the matter?"
"Hagrid. There has been an attack. Lily and James have been killed. You must come to Godric's Hollow at once and collect their baby, Harry from the remains of their house."
"Oh, dear. I'll do jus that, Professor. You can coun' on me."
And Albus Dumbledore waited with Harry until Hagrid arrived, weeping. "Is it true, Professor?"
"Yes, Hagrid, I'm afraid so. Now, Hagrid, you must take this baby somewhere safe for the day, away from all wizards. Meet me at the residence of Mr. Vernon Dursley, #4 Privet Drive, at midnight tonight. Go now."
"All righ', Pr-Professor. It's a--a darn shame tha'…."
"Yes, Hagrid, it is. Please, take Harry."
And Rebeus Hagrid walked out the door. Dumbledore watched him go down the drive before heading to the door in the study, opening it, and surveying the stone archway within it. Its veil had been tattered and its pillars had been crumbled. "Portus," he said, touching it. And with a swirling flash of light he was gone.
And nearly fifteen years later, Albus Dumbledore pulled a silvery thread out of his hair and put it back into his pensieve.
Chapter 1: Godric's Hollow
The silvery numbers on the ceiling told James Potter that it was 11:30 at night when he was awakened by a loud squeal from outside his two-story cottage. He got out of bed without awakening his wife, slipped on some shoes and an illuminating flash of blue light from outside the window accompanied another series of loud squeals. His wife, Lily, stirred in bed. He pulled back the curtain from the window that overlooked the front drive in time to see a second blue flash aimed into the ivy on the side of the drive; and, worse, the cloaked and masked figure holding the wand that conjured the spell. Something rattled the ivory as it ran from the drive.
"Lily!" James shook his sleeping wife, "He's here!"
Lily jumped out of bed and threw on her robe. "In Godric's Hollow…but James, how-"
"It doesn't matter how- stay with Harry, I'll head him off."
"But James-"
"Lily- I love you," James said with a short kiss, and then he pulled himself away and crept downstairs.
James saw another blue flash, accompanied by more squeals as he crept downstairs into the closet next to the front door. He heard a unnatural, high-pitched voice from the drive.
"You have nearly cost me the element of surprise, Wormtail. For that, you will not go unpunished," the cold voice said angrily.
James absorbed what he heard, and he now, too late, had a very good idea of how Voldemort had come to Godric's Hollow. But there was no time to ponder the foolishness of his decisions.
"Alohamora," the Dark Lord commanded.
The lock turned and James clutched his wand, sweating nervously. He heard two steps and felt the dark presence on the other side of his closet door. Stay still, he thought. Wait until he's at the stairwell. James heard more steps, but they were not headed toward the stairwell…Voldemort was going into the study. James heard the door open, and the footsteps gradually faded into the study. He pointed his wand at his shoes-- "Silencio!" he whispered inaudibly. He crept until he was behind the study door, and could see through the crack. Lord Voldemort was searching for something. James knew that now was the time to strike. He let his thoughts lay for a moment on Lily, then Harry, then Sirius and Remus before he jumped to the other side of the door.
"Locomotor Mortis!"
But Lord Voldemort was too fast. "Stupefy!" He cried. The two spells hit each other and rebounded, breaking a window and knocking over a desk.
"Avada-" But Lord Voldemort was stopped short by a book that was flung into his face, full force.
James was enchanting all the books in the study to hover around and shoot themselves at the Dark Lord.
"Charms always were your strong point Potter. Foolish branch--"
"Stupefy!"
Lord Voldemort disapparated and apparated again feet from James. "--if you ask me. I always focused my learning on hexes and curses."
"Expelliarmus!"
"Crucio!"
The two spells collided with each and disappeared with a small ball of green fire.
Lord Voldemort shot a red flame at an approaching book, and it burst in a fire on the plywood floor. His cold voice rang out, "Petrificus Totalus!" James's arms and legs snapped together against his body and he fell to the floor with a thud. Sobbing could be heard from upstairs.
"Well, Potter, we meet again."
James eyes followed Voldemort as he spoke.
"I see that you haven't discontinued your studies after you left the ministry. Of course, this could have all been avoided if your futile nobility hadn't stopped you from surrendering your research to me." Voldemort's red eyes flickered towards another door in the study. "But it will be mine, soon. After I dispose of you, I'll likely torture and kill your wife and son…and then I'll take what I came for and utilize its power before the sun rises…So, good-bye, James Potter. Avada Kedavra!"
A green flash of light hit James Potter's immobile body. His eyes closed and relaxed. He was dead.
Albus Dumbledore was at the Potter's house by 12:30, after midnight. He apparated at the front of the drive to find the house aflame "But no mark…" he said to himself. "Hydrendio!" and as he spoke, water erupted from his wand that put out the flame. He ran into the house, tears streaming down his cheeks. His eyes had fallen upon the corpse of James potter, which was partially obstructed from sight by charred timbers that had fallen from the ceiling. A book was still burning in the corner. "Hydrendio." He opened a door in the study and what he saw must have both pleased him and befuddled him. "Curious, indeed. But how…" And then he heard a baby crying from upstairs.
Albus Dumbledore muttered something to himself, and with a flick of his wand, set the fire place alight, before hurrying upstairs with a loud crack. "
He first saw the corpse of Lily Potter lying at the foot of her bed, in front of a baby's cot. He then saw that the crying was, indeed, coming from the baby's cot. "Calm, down, Harry," Dumbledore whispered gently. And with another flick of his wand, the baby was asleep and calm. He took another look around the room. He seemed to be searching for someone that he knew wasn't there. "Tom?" No answer. It was then that a Dumbledore saw a wand at Harry's feet. "It couldn't be…But yes…it seems…" and he continued mumbling to himself as he gathered Harry and went down stairs to the fireplace. "The Hut of Mr. Rebeus Hagrid." He bellowed into the flames, sticking his head into them. "Hagrid! Hagrid!" He yelled urgently, and as he did, a very large man awoke with a start, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Er…Professor Dumbledore, sir? Wha's the matter?"
"Hagrid. There has been an attack. Lily and James have been killed. You must come to Godric's Hollow at once and collect their baby, Harry from the remains of their house."
"Oh, dear. I'll do jus that, Professor. You can coun' on me."
And Albus Dumbledore waited with Harry until Hagrid arrived, weeping. "Is it true, Professor?"
"Yes, Hagrid, I'm afraid so. Now, Hagrid, you must take this baby somewhere safe for the day, away from all wizards. Meet me at the residence of Mr. Vernon Dursley, #4 Privet Drive, at midnight tonight. Go now."
"All righ', Pr-Professor. It's a--a darn shame tha'…."
"Yes, Hagrid, it is. Please, take Harry."
And Rebeus Hagrid walked out the door. Dumbledore watched him go down the drive before heading to the door in the study, opening it, and surveying the stone archway within it. Its veil had been tattered and its pillars had been crumbled. "Portus," he said, touching it. And with a swirling flash of light he was gone.
And nearly fifteen years later, Albus Dumbledore pulled a silvery thread out of his hair and put it back into his pensieve.