I'm BACK! Did you guys miss me? Yes? Maybe? No? Oh well, I tried. Anyways, I know that this story is a little late coming, but hey, it's finally here now! Before we start I'd just like to say this ahead of time so there is no confusion later. I cannot stress enough that this is NOT a retelling. I will not be following the original plot line. Of course, I'll stick to the important things, but other than that, it's fair game. Positive criticism is always welcome, but please don't comment or PM me just to say that my story isn't cannon. I'm aware of this already. So, without further adieu, it's great to have you all back, I hope you like this story as much as you liked the last one, and again, please review! :)

The wonderful Cover Art is done by Lacy. Likes. Pie Isn't she great?

From Every End Comes a New Beginning

Harry groaned into his pillow as he awoke to the sound of his son crying in his bassinet across the room. He sat up and reached across to the end table to grab his glasses. The clock came into focus. It read 2:34 in the morning. He stretched and stood up, yawning.

"Thank you," Ginny mumbled, grateful for the help, as it was technically her turn to attend to him.

"It's no problem," he said groggily as he dragged his feet over to his son's cot. "Hey there little guy," he said, rubbing his eyes under his glasses before leaning down to pick James up. He cradled the infant in his arms and rocked him slightly. "What wrong bud, wet nappy?" He lifted the infant up slightly and checked his nappy for soakage. Completely dry. "Probably just hungry," Harry said with a yawn.

"Bring him over here, I'll feed him," Ginny called, though her voice was muffled by the pillow she was speaking into. Harry obliged, carrying the small boy over to his mother, who lay half asleep in her bed, her blankets all askew from nights of restless sleep. Harry crawled into the bed and laid the baby down in between him and Ginny. He pulled the sheets back up over them and turned the light off. "Good night love," he said.

Ginny exhaustedly pulled her son against her and yawned. "Good night."

The three Potters all drifted back to sleep.

It had been just one week since James' birth, and sleep for Harry and Ginny had proved itself to be hard to come by. Ginny's mother had spoken to her many times about the difficulties and time consumption of raising a child, but nothing could have prepared the young couple for this. At only one week of age, James had used up his entire supply of nappies, spat up on three separate people (Ron twice), peed on his father whilst he was trying to change his nappy, and somehow managed to spend almost none of his time sleeping. In fact, Ginny nearly worried for his health, considering his sleeping habits, or rather, lack thereof. Yes, it was clear to Harry and Ginny already that this boy was going to be just as much of a troublemaker as his uncles.

When, at around six in the morning, James awoke for the fifth time since he'd originally been put to sleep, Harry and Ginny rolled out of bed and decided to take on the day. "You know," Ginny said as she bent down over James and bundled him up in a tight swaddle. He kept kicking his feet out. "Since he's been born, I've gained so much respect for my mum."

"I know," Harry said, pulling a jumper over his head. "I can't imagine how she managed seven of you."

"Practice, I suppose," Ginny mused. Once James had been successfully swaddled, Ginny lifted her son into her arms and smiled at him. "Hey there sweetheart," she said, adoringly. As hard as it was trying to live without sleep, Ginny found herself to really be loving motherhood. One week, and she already couldn't imagine her life without James in it. He was a lot of work, but he brought her more than enough happiness to make up for it. James in tow, Harry and Ginny headed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Morning," Harry said with a yawn.

"Morning," Molly Weasley called from her place at the table, where she sipped tea and stared at the open newspaper in her husband's hands. She looked up and smiled. "There's my favourite grandson," she said, standing up. She hurried over to take the boy from Ginny's arms. "Well hello," she said in a silly tone. She bounced him lightly and made silly faces. "Who's the cutest little boy?" She cooed. James gurgled and stared up at his grandmother.

Ginny yawned and summoned a glass of pumpkin juice from the cold cupboard.

Harry poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Get any sleep last night?" Arthur called to his daughter and son-in-law, Molly still the cooing their grandson beside him. Ginny shook her head and abandoned her pumpkin juice to pour herself a coffee as well.

"He's been waking up every hour or so. Sometimes more often."

Molly nodded and patted the baby on the back to burp him. "Percy was like that," she reminisced. The room fell quiet but for James' light hiccoughs. "Anyway," Molly said, breaking the silence. "It'll get better eventually. He'll be sleeping through the night in a few months."

"A few months?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"It will fly by faster than you think," Molly said, handing the baby off to Harry, who cradled him against his chest.

"School starts today," Arthur commented from behind his paper. Molly gave him a pointed look from across the table, still very sour about her children's abandonment of their education to do mysterious work that she wasn't to know about. Arthur cringed. "They've announced Severus Snape as headmaster."

"What?" Harry and Ginny exclaimed furiously at once, causing James to give a scared whimper.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Hermione calling to them from the first landing. "Harry, Ginny, could I see you for a moment?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look. "We'll just be a moment," Harry said as he propped James against his shoulder and stood up. He and Ginny hurried from the kitchen.

As they headed for the stairs Ginny spoke nervously. "They wouldn't have made Snape headmaster unless..."

"Voldemort's taken over the ministry," Harry said seriously.

Ginny gulped. "Do you really think-?"

"I'm positive," Harry said as they reached the second floor and headed to the room that Hermione was using.

"There you are," Hermione said as they approached, tugging the couple into the room, James drooling innocently on his father's shirt all the while. As they entered, Ginny looked around, taking in her surroundings. Ron sat in a low chair at the back of the room, sorting through clothes, and there were two large piles of books next to the chair that Hermione had obviously been sitting on. The room (Once belonging to Bill but now usually used by Hermione, as she spent more time here than at her own home) had been turned upside down in what appeared to be a frantic search for something important. "What happened in here?" Ginny asked, taking a seat on the bed. Harry did the same.

"We're packing," Ron said, giving a quick goofy smile to his nephew before quickly returning to his work.

"Packing?" Ginny asked.

"We can't be sure as to when we'll be leaving, but it'll have to be soon. Have you seen this yet?" Hermione tossed a copy of the Prophet over to Harry and Ginny. They stared down at the paper, where the hook nose and greasy black hair of Severus Snape stared back up at them.

"We know," Harry said.

"You don't reckon-" Ron started.

"Yes," Harry said flatly. "Professor McGonagall was runner up for headmistress if Dumbledore was to," he paused, suppressing a lump which was beginning to form in his throat. "...step down. But if the ministry has appointed someone else, they must have ulterior motives, and the only way that the ministry would appoint a known 'ex-' Death Eater as headmaster would be if-"

"The ministry has fallen," Hermione said in a small, almost breathless voice.

Harry nodded. "And Voldemort's in charge."

"It'll make things difficult, having the ministry on his side," Ron commented.

"Yes," Harry said. "Guess I'll be public enemy number one again." He looked around at Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and James. "And you're all sure that there's no way I could possibly talk you all out of being dragged down into this with me."

Almost in unison, they shook their heads. "Alright," Harry said with a sigh. "Then I guess that's what's happening."

Ron stood up and spoke in an ambitious manner. "So what's the plan? What do we do first?"

"We need to leave."

"Now?" Ginny asked, looking quickly from Harry, then to the rather less shocked Ron and Hermione.

"If Voldemort's taken over, I'm surprised he hasn't already come for us."

"He's right," Hermione agreed. "Merlin knows why we haven;t already heard of this. He must have already done more damage than we thought."

"Exactly," Harry said. "And we can't expect him to wait around much longer. We need to hide."

"When do we leave?" Ginny asked, looking down at James.

"Tomorrow?" Ron suggested.

"Tonight would be better," Hermione said.

"She's right," Harry said.

"Sounds like a plan, then," said Hermione, crossing her arms over her chest.

James, just then, began to wail in an ungodly high volume, causing Ron to cringe.

"Pass him to me," Ginny said, reaching for her son. Harry obliged.

"You know," Ron said as he smiled at Ginny soothing his nephew. "Having James with us is going to make things...interesting."

"In a good way I think," Ginny said. "He'll be one happy, good thing to keep us going as our world gets darker." "Exactly," Harry agreed. Ginny, rocking James softly in her arms in an attempt to soothe him, smiled down at her precious boy. She knew that his birth- along with this war and her marriage to Harry- marked the end of her childhood, but she finally felt ready to embrace what was coming. A new life was beginning.