Hello and welcome to read the prologue of MS! A few warnings before you start reading, please: I don't speak English. Prepare for grammar mistakes. And, err, this sort of thing might have been done before, but since I haven't yet seen a plot like this one, I'm carrying on with a hopeful heart, that you won't get bored with this like: "Oh, yeah, I've seen at least nineteen stories like this one!" But… this is just too delicious to pass, you know?

So. Yeah. The prologue. Here you go.

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A colourful toy-ball rolled across the living room, over the carpet and onward, determinedly making its way towards a quiet figure sitting on a green sofa. The man didn't notice the approaching toy, as he was currently too deep in his thoughts. He was twirling a mahogany wand in his hand, looking at it with a stern expression. Then he finally sighed and put the wand down on the coffee table, still glancing at it thoughtfully.

He gave a start, when the ball bumped softly into his leg and heard a baby's happy squeal pierce through the smooth, even sound of his wife washing the dishes in the kitchen.

James looked down at the rainbow-coloured plaything and then lifted his head to look into the clear green eyes of a small child with a tuft of black hair and a confused face. The baby boy suddenly smiled widely and tumbled forwards, then halting just as abruptly and resuming to stare at his father again.

James chuckled. The boy's mood swings were quite funny, when you got used to them.

His smile turned into a grin as he grabbed the ball and rose from the sofa and settled down on the floor in front of his son.

"Hey there, buddy. Were you the one who kicked this at me?" he drew out the ball and the one-year-old let out a sharp noise, extending his hands. James merely shook his head.

"No, Harry. It's very rude to disturb someone, when they're occupied. But if you say: please´ and my dad's the best wizard in the world´ I might consider giving this back," he teased and waved the ball in front of Harry.

The boy pouted, but then opened his mouth almost haughtily and said: "A-aa!"

James laughed and gave the toy back to his son, ruffling his hair.

"Maybe James Potter rocks my socks´ would have worked better for you, huh," he murmured, watching Harry play. "Although I can't deny, that I'm a little concerned about how much you like that thing. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're starting to become attached to that muggle sport rather than Quidditch. What's that game's name again? Oh, yeah: Football."

Suddenly his wife appeared at the kitchen door, waving a wet plate threateningly.

"James, I'll have you know, that football is a perfectly fine game! And at least I wouldn't mind a bit if Harry takes interest in it. In fact, even I played soccer, when I still went to a muggle school," she proudly declared. James rolled his eyes and winked at Harry, who was watching his parents in curiosity.

"Yes, Lily, I know. You usually tell that to every person you meet after shaking their hands," he replied and turned to his wife, looking at her in disapproval. "I still can't understand why you're bothering to do the dishes on your own. You're a witch, woman, take advantage of it!"

"In case you have forgotten, we're supposed to be living here as muggles, therefore we must act like ones. What if somebody saw us doing magic?"

"I doubt anyone will notice. C'mon, Lily, just a little charm—Nobody's going to see!"

Lily groaned and took her wand out the pocket of her jeans. She pointed it towards the sink and all at once the dishes began to wash themselves clean. She turned around, her hands on her hips and her eyebrow arched.

"Happy now?" she questioned and walked forward. James nodded with a smile. She crouched next to her husband. Harry instantly reached out to her, calling her: "Mama!" Lily practically shone.

"My sweet little boy! Do you want to come into mommy's lap? Do you?" she babbled and gave his son an Eskimo-kiss as she took him into her arms. Harry laughed. James pouted.

"Aw, can I have a hug too?" he asked and flung his arms around Lily.

"Ah, James! Watch it!" she yelped and frowned, but leaned into his embrace. "Seriously, I could have dropped Harry."

"Don't be like that. He's fine. Aren't you, little guy?"

Harry smiled like he knew exactly what his father was asking, looking up at him coyly.

Suddenly the kitchen window, which had been open to let some fresh air in the house, snapped shut. The whole family started hastily, nobody said anything. The dishes were still washing themselves, and Lily slowly drew out her wand. A second later the plates and glasses fell back into the sink, lifeless as ever. There was a complete silence in the room, but one could almost smell the tension.

Everyone's eyes turned upwards, when the windows in the upstairs also closed loudly, one after another. It was like someone invisible was inside the house, confining them in. However, Lily and James had something far worse in mind although both of them desperately hoped to be wrong.

James gasped, when he felt a horrible surge of power from the outside creep in and clung around his heart. He looked at Lily whose eyes widened in terror. They both jumped to their feet, away from each other. As James made a dash to the windows and to the front door, Lily clutched Harry against her chest, nervously petting his head. James struggled to get them open, even attempting to break the glass, but in vain. He slowly turned around, his eyes ghastly and all the blood from his face disappeared.

"Lily, it's- it's him. He's locked all the windows and the door. He's trapped us in here," he said, looking like he himself just realized what he was saying. Lily gasped, looking very faint. James continued: "He must have found Peter. Tortured the secret out of him—Oh, God, he's probably killed Sirius and Remus too…!"

James was in panic. He ran to the coffee table, where his wand still lay. He breathed heavily and looked at his wand. His eyes rose to meet his wife's: They were full of tears and fear. She was scared for her family.

Slowly, submitting determination filled him, and he gripped his wand tightly. He may be lost, but maybe, maybe he could buy some time for Lily and Harry to escape. Run, apparate—anything! As long as they wouldn't die, they couldn't die…

"Lily, take Harry away from here. I'm going to fight him, I'll hold him off…"

Lily shook her head madly. Harry whined in her arms.

"No! You can't, James! I won't leave you!" she cried. James looked at her sharply, though inside he was breaking apart.

"It's the only way. I think I can detain him for some time, and in that time you have to leave this house. Understand? You have to keep Harry safe, no matter what," his voice cracked and he cursed himself for that. Lily sobbed and lowered her head, her dark red hair cascading over her shoulders. James gulped, but didn't let the tears come.

"I understand!" Lily wept and brushed her tears aside. James kissed her hastily, careful not to crush Harry.

"I love you," she whispered, when they broke apart. James cupped her face.

"And I love you. I love you so much…" he stroked her cheek with his thumb. Then he turned to face the door, his wand out and pointing at the entry. "Now, GO!"

Lily rushed up the stairs. James heard Harry crying quietly, and felt something inside of him break. He'd never thought, that all their fighting to live at least a fairly normal life would come to this.

He heard steps from the outside, and straightened his position, his eyes flaring with anger. He was ready. He'd make the bastard pay. He would fight him.

It was then the door blew up. It flew of off its hinges and then burst into countless wooden pieces on the floor. James quickly took cover behind a near bookshelf and stayed there until he presumed it was safe to come out. He left his hiding place, trying his best to look calm and keep his heart from bursting like the front door had just done. He assumed to be faced with the intruder, the housebreaker, and the murderer…

But there was no one.

He didn't see anybody at the door. James' chest hurt, his heart was beating hard. What was going on? His hazel coloured eyes were round as he searched for—a sign, a person, anything— everywhere around him. The hallway was empty. Where was he? Was he wearing an Invisible Cloak or something?

Then, a baby's crying: Harry's crying. Followed by Lily's pleading screams and laughter of Lord Voldemort.

He was upstairs. He was with Lily and Harry. He had deceived him and you fell for it you bloody IDIOT!

He saw no stairs under his feet as he sped up. He didn't realize the door, which led to Harry's room, had also been blasted. At first he didn't even note the black, intimidating figure in front of him, only the pale woman and the frightened baby in her arms, still alive, and for a second he had time to be relieved until his sense kicked in.

Voldemort turned around. He was dressed in his dark robes, only his head and skeleton-like hands visible. His slit nostrils flared, when he saw James staring at him at the door. A sneer made its way to his pale face and his thin hand was gripping his wand, anticipating the moment he could finally kill his enemy after so frustratingly many failed tries.

James felt fear and panic swelling in his stomach. It wasn't the first time he had seen him, he and Lily had narrowly escaped from him three times already, but now he was against him alone. The mere thought sounded absurd. He was really here, here. But what horrified him the most was that Lily and Harry were still here, too. They hadn't had time to get away. And then all his thoughts left him, as Voldemort spoke.

"Good evening, Mister Potter… James," he said. His voice was surprisingly light. "Such a… pleasure to see you again, here, in your own home. Oh, and happy Halloween."

James seethed as he watched Voldemort touch the wall of his home, the spot right beside Lily's head. She was shaking. The Dark Wizard was truly enjoying himself. He growled.

"Get the hell away—"

He didn't manage to end his sentence, when he was already thrown against the wall. Lily shrieked. He dropped on the floor, moaning and tried to get to his feet, though his back ached from pain. Voldemort stepped forward.

"You should really control that dirty mouth of yours. I have a very low tolerance for such language," his red eyes flashed. James rose and straightened his wand-arm.

"Stupefy!" he shouted, but Voldemort blocked it with a swish of his wand, and used his own curse.

"Avada Kedavra!"

James quickly hopped away from the Killing Curse's way. Voldemort was looking at him in pity and amusement.

"Leap on, little frog. I will get you anyway—Crucio!"

"Protego!" James voice was hoarse. However, the shield only held for a few seconds until it broke. James felt like he and every cell in his body were scorched, stabbed and stamped on. And it only got worse. James screamed. It hurt so much…

After what felt like an eternity, it stopped. James was gasping for breath. He cried out, when Voldemort treaded on his hand.

"Poor James. Thought you and your mudblood wife thought you could be safe in here. What a shame—Don't struggle, Potter. Petrificus Totalus. You're completely under my mercy now. I think, that I might let you live a while longer. What do you say about that, hmm? I'll make your wife scream, so that you'll hear her last moments. And your son—maybe I'll feed his corpse to my snake."

"You killed my friends, didn't you? That's how you found us," James gulped angrily, fighting back the tears. He turned to glare at the man with the snake like face, yelling: "YOU KILLED PETER, REMUS AND SIRIUS, DIDN'T YOU!"

I'm so sorry, Lily, I failed. Please, get away.

"…Sirius Black?" Voldemort repeated incredulously and burst out in laughter, it was high-pitched and cold. "Yes… It seems he did have a major part in all of this, after all. And… yes… I guess I did kill´ someone you considered as a friend."

James felt dizzy. The words: "kill," and "friend" echoed in his head and it was hard to understand that two such different words could be connected.

"No. No, no, no…"

"…Friend. That makes the betrayal twice as painful, doesn't it?" Voldemort sneered. James' eyes widened.

Betrayal?

"Time to die! Avada Ked—"

"NO! Please, spare James and my son! Kill me instead!" Lily ran forward threw herself on the still body of her husband, sobbing. James' insides froze. Harry, whom Lily had hidden in the corner of the room, watched the happenings before him in scare.

"Lily, what are you doing?" James whispered in shock.

"I'm sorry! I can't live without you, I'm sorry!" she cried brokenly. She turned to Voldemort, as if offering herself to him.

"Take me, please! Don't kill them, I beg of you. Kill me. Kill me and spare James and Harry. Have mercy, please!" she pleaded, only to be hit by a harsh slap on her face.

"Move, you foolish woman. If you give me the boy and the man, I'll let you live. Move," Voldemort hissed, but Lily shook her head furiously.

"No, take me! Take my life instead of my son and James, please—"

"I've had enough of your persistence, idiotic mudblood! Avada Kedavra!"

There was a bright flash of green light. James shouted out Lily's name. He was sure the time stopped, that everything stilled to watch as his wife's eyes suddenly emptied and rolled to the back of her head, her body falling on the floor beside him with a: "thump." Her other hand landed next to her face, which was facing away from James, and the other arm rested on her stomach. She didn't move. Her chest ceased to rise and fall in the pace of her breath. James could almost see the blood in her veins halt. She was just so still, and he couldn't but watch.

"Lily—Lily, no," he stuttered in disbelief. "Wake up, Lily. LILY! LILY, PLEASE!"

Harry burst out in tears. James gasped and his head snapped towards the baby. Voldemort turned.

James couldn't let it happen. He suddenly realized that he had his wand still in his hand. He managed to fight the paralysing curse back enough to turn the wand towards his son with his fingertips.

"Accio, Harry James Potter," he said and the boy flew past the astonished Dark Lord and to him. He wished more than anything at the moment, that he could cover Harry with his body, but this was as far as he could protect him. At least he wouldn't let him die alone.

"Yes, Potter. Bring him to him and I kill you both with one curse," smiled Voldemort cruelly. James looked at him, stooping, and turned his head so that his forehead touched his son's. He closed his eyes, thinking of his family and Lily.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The curse hit him; it was ripping him apart! It bore through his skin and burned his face, hurting like hundred knifes and blades and axes were slashing him. Was this…death? Had Lily felt the same?

What happened next was blurry to him. James was bathing in green light and losing consciousness, when all of sudden something… exploded. A wave of force and energy swept over him, and he heard the ceiling crack, furniture getting ripped into pieces, the walls collapse... before passing out, James thought he heard a weak moan and a cool wind flying past him.

But after that, the great James Potter, now a widower and beaten, lay unconscious in the ruins of his home, oblivious to the fact, that his, and his son's lives had just changed forever.

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I'm so sorry James. Well, that's end. Next is the first chapter in which (dun, dun, dun) James wakes up very much alive, and so does Harry… but not Lily. James won't be happy, I can tell you that.

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