Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, obviously, yada yada yada.

Full summary: Twelve years ago, Peter Pettigrew kidnapped Harry Potter and brought him to Lord Voldemort to be killed. To this day, Lily and James Potter grieve over the death of their son and have trouble coming to terms with what happened. They never got closure because no one ever found Harry's body. The war against Voldemort died down for a couple of years. There was a long period of time where Voldemort and his Death Eaters didn't come out into the open, leading some people to believe the war was over. But now the war is back again in full force, and James is determined to avenge his son and kill Voldemort, once and for all.

But complications arise when three very young Death Eaters help the Aurors during a battle. Who are these three young Death Eaters and why are they helping the Aurors?

I didn't get around to kiss you
Goodbye on the hand
I wish that I could see you again
I know that I can't

They say June 21st is the longest day of the year. James Potter disagreed. For him, July 31st was the longest day of the year.

James Potter came home from a long day at the Auror office feeling like there was a heavy weight sitting on his chest. That heavy weight had been sitting there since he woke up in the morning and looked at the calendar. Today was July 31st. When he went downstairs for breakfast he found Lily making waffles with a too-cheerful smile pinned on her face. But James saw right through that smile. There was nothing genuine about it. The smile made her look fragile, like if you touched her she'd shatter. Neither of them acknowledged what day it was. Neither wanted to be the first to bring it up. The first one to bring it up was usually the first one to break down in tears.

Work was always terrible for him on July 31st. Half the people at work didn't know what was so significant about July 31st and went about their day as usual, and the other half of people who did know talked to James in the same tone of voice you'd use at a funeral: soft, quiet, and full of pity. There was no balance between the two. So the hours dragged on by before James could go home.

When he finally came home to Potter Manor, the weight still sitting on his chest, he didn't quite know what to do with himself. Lily was a Healer at Saint Mungo's and wasn't expected to be home for another hour. The silence in the empty house was deafening. Every footstep across the foyer, every tick of the grandfather clock on the wall, every pained breath and every lonely moment was roaring with the sound of What Ifs.

What if Harry hadn't been killed? What if he was alive right now? What if I woke up this morning and came downstairs to find Harry sitting at the kitchen table, and discovered the last twelve years of my life had been just a nightmare?

What if? What if? What if?

If Harry hadn't been killed, the house wouldn't be so silent. Harry's footsteps would be pounding up and down the stairs, Lily would be laughing and trying to make a birthday cake, Harry would be noisily banging around up in his room while he waited for us to wrap his presents, people would be swarming in and out of the fireplace, coming to visit him on his 13th birthday.

But Harry had been killed. And the house was silent.

James sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands. He was only 33 years old but at the moment he felt like he'd lived for centuries. July 31st itself always held a century inside of it. The minutes passed much slower on that day than on any other day.

"Happy birthday, Harry." James whispered to someone who wasn't there.

He sat like that for a few moments, drowning in an ocean of What Ifs and letting his regrets eat him alive. Until he heard a crash from upstairs.

Without missing a beat, James had pulled his wand from the pocket of his robes and raced upstairs. His heart was racing in fear and anxiety; could a Death Eater have broken in-?

But then he heard sobbing. Jagged, heart-wrenching sobs coming from the room at the end of the hall. James put his away his wand and walked into Harry's room to find Lily curled up on the floor, weeping. A broken picture frame was shattered on the floor. James assumed that had been what made the crash. He picked the picture up off the floor; it was one of Peter holding Harry. Anger boiled up inside of him and he understood why Lily had thrown it across the room.

"J-J-James," She stuttered through her sobs when she saw he had come in. "Oh, G-G-God, I c-couldn't go to work today. It h-hurts so bad, I feel like I'm g-going to d-d-die."

The tears James had been holding back all day finally escaped when he heard her say that. And suddenly he was on the floor, wrapping his arms around Lily, burying his face in her hair and crying with her.

"He'd b-b-be thirteen years old today, James, he's be thirteen b-b-b-but he's gone -"

"Lily Flower," James said, his voice thick with tears. "We received a tip that there's going to be a Death Eater meeting at a warehouse in London next week. Remus, Sirius and I were selected, among a few others, to raid the building and arrest the Death Eaters. If we arrest these Death Eaters then this can bring us closer to Voldemort's downfall. And I swear, Lily, I swear on my soul that I will fucking kill Voldemort some day. I'll kill him, and I'll kill Peter too. I swear."

"Oh, James." Lily sobbed, throwing her arms around him.

"My Lord, the trap has been set. The Aurors will arrive at the warehouse next week." A Death Eater said from the floor where he bowed, practically kissing Lord Voldemort's robes. "It is all going according to plan."

"Excellent, Macnair. I am pleased with you." Voldemort said in a delighted tone, much to Macnair's relief. "Do you know which Aurors should be there?"

"I don't know all of them, but I know Scrimgeour, Shacklebolt, Lupin, Black, McNaughton, Flaherty and Potter will be there. There will probably be many others, as well." Macnair said in a trembling voice.

"Scrimgeour, Shacklebolt, Black and Potter...those are the best Aurors the Ministry has to offer. I must admit that they are worthy opponents for my Death Eaters. Scrimgeour has always been a tough one, Shacklebolt is naturally gifted. Potter, as young as he may be, is quite a challenging opponent. His power impresses even me. And after I 'killed' his son twelve years ago" Voldemort grinned cruelly. "he has been fighting against me with more determination than ever. The same goes for Sirius Black, James Potter's closest friend and godfather of his child. Yes, this could be quite a challenge tomorrow. But I have faith that my Death Eaters will succeed."

"Yes, yes, yes, we will succeed, my Lord!" Macnair said hurriedly. "We will not let you down!"

"You had better not." Voldemort said sternly.

Reviews are GREATLY appreciated! I'll update sooner and more often if I get reviews. Sorry if I sound like a review-whore. XD