Harry Potter is copyright, J.K. Rowling. Characters and situations are used without permission, no infringement is intended. Anything not created by Rowling in this story is mine, mine, …mine!

"Deer in Headlights"

I clutch my wand nervously, my palms are sweating, but I still have a firm grip. I know he is approaching, Voldemort likes to inspire fear in melodramatic entrances. I suppose he feels pretty darn near invincible now: he's faced some of the best Aurors around, sometimes more than one at a time, and he is still undefeated. To date no one has been able to so much as check him much less stop him.

I know I'm pretty good at dueling, in my work as an Auror I have faced Death Eaters many times, but I don't delude myself into thinking I can succeed where everyone else has not. Both Voldemort and I know that I can't defeat him in a duel. To defeat Voldemort, I would have to fight fire with fire and I have sworn that never to use one of the Unforgivable curses. My goal is not to defeat Voldemort, however, just to stall him. All I need to do is buy Lily enough time to take Harry past the limits of the anti-apparition spell. It seems ironic now that the very spell we used to safeguard us from unwanted visitors now traps us.

Just as the friend we choose as our secret keeper betrayed us.

The front door bursts open and I have to grip the edge of the hall table to keep from being bowled over. Upstairs I can hear Lily in Harry's room. I need to draw this out.

"Lumos," I whisper.

A figure appears, visible only in the dim wandlight. Voldemort is somewhat shorter than I had expected, but much of what I know of him personally is distorted. I suspect Dumbledore knows a good deal more of his history than he lets on. He has dark hair, red eyes and the flattened face of a poisonous snake. If he had a forked tongue, I honestly would not have been terribly surprised.

"Voldemort." I said. My voice comes across louder than I expected, or maybe it just seems that way to me. Every sound from the swish of Voldemort's robes to the sound of my own heartbeat seems strangely magnified.

"James Potter." Voldemort says with a laugh. "I'm glad you know my name. I am so pleased to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you my dear Prongs. How good of you to see to it that Wormtail could tell me where to find you and your charming little family."

"Expelliaramus!" I shout suddenly. Voldemort's wand jerks out of his hand but he catches it before it flies out of reach.

"Really, Prongs, is this any way to treat a guest? Where is your lovely wife and your son? I was so looking forward to meeting Harry. You have terrible manners, Crucio!"

I collapse to the floor, too surprised by the pain to scream. Even the feeling of my clothing against my skin is agony. In that moment I understand how people can be driven insane by this curse.

Voldemort lifts the curse and regards me curiously for a moment. An expression I cannot read flits across his face and his red eyes gleam like hot coals. "That hurt, yes?"

I stare at him and carefully rise to my feet. It's all I can do to remind myself that I need to buy Lily as much time as possible. I hear her on the stairs.

Voldemort smiles at me. "Such nobility, Prongs. You know you cannot win. Why prolong the inevitable." He inclines his head in the direction of the back staircase. "The lovely Mrs. Potter, I presume. I believe I have toyed with you enough. Avada Kedavra!"

Time slows to a crawl and I feel as though the wind has been knocked out of me. I hear Voldemort's laughter and then everything fades away.

FIN