Chapter Three: Godrics Hollow
The three appeared in front of a hill. It was a small hill in the middle of nowhere. Nothing. Harry looked around, hoping to catch sight of the building that he was born in. But still, as he looked around there was nothing on all sides. Swaying grass, and birds chirping in the nearby trees. Harry understood the fact that his parents had wanted to live out in the middle of nowhere, but they were really out there. They had been told where to go, but they had expected to find something here.
"Where is your house mate?" Ron asked, aptly assessing the situation.
"I really don't know. I assume that it is like headquarters…but how do we know what the password is?" Hermione stated in a matter of fact tone.
Harry nodded, and what she said made a little clicking noise inside his brain. He did know what the password was.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry said quietly.
Sure enough, within seconds of the words dropping from his mouth, the house appeared as if by nothing. A small front yard popped up around them. A white picket fence, sprouted out of the ground surrounding the quaint yard. A two story house with white walls and a small porch was in front of them. It was beautiful in the simplicity. Harry took a deep breath and felt the loss of his parents more than ever. But at the same time, he felt their presence. He could feel them almost as if they were here beside him.
"Well, let's go in." Harry mumbled, not wanting to show the fact that he was sorely missing his parents right then. Of course, Hermione caught his eye, and gave him a withering look. She knew his too well.
They marched ahead, and walked up to the front door. Of course, it wouldn't open when Harry tugged on it.
"I forgot my mum was a charms master." Harry said taking out his wand. He tried all the different spells that he knew for unlocking doors, but nothing happened. Of course, Hermione pushed past him and within a few waves, the door was open. That was Hermione for you. She just does things. Doesn't wait for anyone, just goes ahead and does things.
The living room, was the first room that they walked into. It was like the outside, beautiful in the simplicity. Or at least, it would have been beautiful if it was practically destroyed. The couch was overturned and there was stuffing coming out of it on all sides. The fireplace looked as if it had been blown to bits in several places, and ashes were all over the room. The wall was cracked in one spot, as if someone had been thrown into it. Another wall had a hole blown clear through it. Spell markings were all over, and Harry lost count of them. James must have put up one hell of a fight.
Thanks Dad… Harry thought to himself. He shuffled into the room, and cast his glance around. He knew that his friends were still at the doorway, afraid to come in. As well they should be for the moment.
On the counter there was a small bowl, and a note. Harry tried to ignore the bowl, he knew what it was, and he was terrified to even think what it might contain.
Dear Harry,
I have left the house in the condition that it was in when your parents were murdered. I assumed that you would want it that way, as a final memory to them.
In the bowl, there is a memory. The memory is of your parents last night alive. Halloween night.
After you have done that, I encourage you to go into the back yard. There is something I want you to see there.
Albus Dumbledore
Harry read the paper, and couldn't stop tears from falling on the beautiful script. Not only was he crying for his parents, but he was also crying for his mentor. The only man who he had truly trusted.
With a shock, Harry realized that Hermione and Ron were right behind him, and they each had a hand on his shoulder.
"Everyone, touch the surface of the memory at the same time. I want you two to be there with me while I watch this." Harry said hollowly.
They all leaned a hand down, and with a snap-tug, they were all drawn into memory.
The trio landed in the same spot that they had started in. Right next to the table. But the house was very much in tact, and it was very much inhabited.
"James, I just put Harry to bed. Is there anything you want from the kitchen, now that I am able to actually cook?" Lilly said, with a light tinkling laugh.
"No dear, I actually have begun to enjoy cooking for myself." James said from the couch in front of the fire. He chuckled a minute later when Lilly threw herself down on the couch too, right on top of him. "Dear, must you do that every time I sit here?" He asked smiling.
"Of course, I like annoying you and you know it!" Lilly said, again laughing with that tinkling laugh.
Harry watched his parents interact, and he felt the tears slide down his face. This was the last time he would see them. This was the last time that they would actually have a night of calm. He couldn't help but watch them, as if an invisible force was forcing him to watch ever second.
A crash sounded outside, and Harry knew that it was time. James jumped up, and ran to the door. For some unknown reason, he seemed to know what was happening.
"Lilly, he's here. Get the boy." James called to his stunned wife. James pulled out his wand, and got in a prepared stance. "NOW!" he yelled. She dashed upstairs right as the front door was blasted to pieces.
"James…James…do you really want to fight me?" Voldemort hissed.
Harry had tears pouring off of him as he watched his father determined face.
"You will have to kill me first Tom!" James yelled, and then he spat at him. The defiance that James was showing was something that Harry couldn't help but be proud of.
"Just for that I am going to kill you slowly!" Voldemort screeched.
Before anyone could see it, his wand was out and he had blasted James backwards into the wall. The sickening crunch that sounded was proof that more than the wall had just been broken. Harry cried out. He couldn't stand to watch this.
James rose from the floor, bloodied and slightly broken, but not dead yet, and he surly hadn't given up yet. A curse flew from James's wand, but it was easily deflected away.
The yellow beam that Harry knew very well flashed out of Voldemort's wand and James started to scream and writhe on the ground. But in an act of pure bravery, James stood up while the curse was still locked on him. Even though he was in terrible pain he stood to face his enemy. In the moment of surprise, James flashed a curse at Voldemort, and it sliced open a nice amount of flesh on Voldemort's chest. Harry recognized the curse; it was the one he had used on Malfoy the previous year. James of course, had not opened his mouth once.
Then, with a final look of pure hatred, James took the green curse in the chest. The killing blast threw him against the fireplace. His final word had been screamed. "Lilly!" And then he was gone.
With a swish, Voldemort was up the stairs, and was moving towards Harry's room, and undoubtedly where Lilly was still hiding.
The Harry that was standing there transfixed by what he was seeing was having trouble following along, but when a tear stained Hermione, and Ron ran up the stairs to follow, Harry did too.
"Step aside girl." Voldemort said hollowly. He had given her the choice.
"NO! You killed James!!!" And once again, Voldemort got spit upon.
She huddled over Harry's body, and with another green blast, she was gone. But what the trio saw was something that Voldemort didn't. A blue glow had covered Harry's body at the second his mother died. He was protected. When the wand turned on Harry, the curse rebounded and fired back at the monster. And with a blast that made the house shake, he was gone. Harry could feel the memory ending, and he quickly grabbed onto the sobbing forms of Hermione and Ron. They were pulled out, and were left standing in the living room area of Harry's home.
Harry sunk to his knees, letting the tears fall in rivers down his face. What he had just witnessed was the most painful thing he had seen in his life. He had never expected to see his parents die in such a way. He had never expected to see such a vile destruction of people. And more importantly, his family.
"Harry," Hermione managed to hiccup between sobs. "I never knew…" she trailed off, not really needing to go any farther. Ron stood there, letting the tears fall.
"Now do you understand?" Harry asked them both, "Now do you understand why I want to kill him? Why I want to destroy him for good?" He sputtered.
"Yeah, and we are going to be there with you every moment of it." Ron growled in agitation. For some reason, it seemed that Ron wasn't taking it very good either. Worse than could be expected. Maybe Ron finally realized that Harry's fame had come at a higher price. A price that he would never want to pay himself.
Harry nodded, wiping the tears from his face, and stood.
"The note said something in the back yard." Harry walked out, not wanting to meet their gazes. Not wanting to see the pity there. He walked out into the back yard and was greeted with a nice sight. It was small, and enclosed in trees. Ideal for a small child to play in. The grass was low for some reason, it was most likely charmed to stay that way, and there was a small swing set where Harry must have played as a child. He wished more than anything that he could remember some of it. Anything. Just a glimpse of his past life. But nothing came.
What was supposed to be out here? There wasn't anything note worth, nothing Harry wanted to see at the moment. Right now, he just wanted to curl into a ball and fall asleep. He didn't want to think about what he had just seen, nor did he want to see further reminders of a life shattered. A life that he would never have.
"Harry." A female voice called. Harry turned around, what did Hermione want?
"What Hermione?" Harry replied. But she had her mouth closed, and she was looking around as intently as he was. She had obviously never said anything.
A tinkling laugh sounded. One that he had just heard a moment before.
"Mum?!" Harry called, spinning around.
"I'm here." She said, as the Ghost formed. The ghost of Lilly Potter was as beautiful as she had been in the memory. Full of life, and vivacious.
"Harry, I don't have long. These ghost forms are only allowed to us so that we could give you one last push of encouragement. And hopefully to cheer you up after watching that memory…." She trailed off, frowning slightly. "I told Albus that he shouldn't have done something like that. But he always did what he wanted too…" She smiled all the same.
"Mum…all I can think to say right now is this. I'll get him. I'll get him back, I'll rip him out of his invincible body and kill him where he stands." Harry said fiercely.
Tears sprung to her sparkling ghost eyes. "Your just like your father…brave to a point…" She said with absolute pride. "He should be along in a moment." She turned and looked back as if she was looking down a long hallway.
"James!" She called, and within a moment, he had appeared by here side.
"Sorry dear! Sirius was telling me this hilarious joke!" James said still smiling.
"Dad," Harry mumbled. Still moved by his father's act of courage and bravery.
"Ahhh, Harry my son!" James said with a grin that made Harry feel like he was staring in a mirror. "So good to see you again! You have grown. Even since your fourth year when we met briefly…" He trailed off as if remembering that time.
"Dad…thanks. For what you did. I saw the memory…it was amazing…." Harry said, trying not to cry again.
"Don't worry about it Harry, I had to do what I had to do. I just wish I had known it was Peter. I wouldn't have spent all that time angry with Sirius. Oh well, we are getting along fine now!" He said jovially.
"Mr. Potter…I'm Hermione Granger, and I just also wanted to say how moved I was by your act of selflessness." Hermione pipped up from behind Harry. He had forgotten they were there.
"Oh right! These are my best friends. Hermione, and Ron Weasley. They are going to help me find the other Horcruxes, and finish off that old windbag!" Harry said, feeding off of his father's happiness.
"We've been watching Harry dear." His mother put in. "We know how many times they have saved you. And you them. We are proud of all three of you. I just know that you will do what you're meant to do." Lilly said with a joyous smile. "You three make a wonderful pair, and I am sure that James is proud to say that the Marauder name was carried on well." Again the tinkling laugh sounded, and Harry knew that he would remember that noise for the rest of his life.
"Thanks mum, dad. It means everything to me. And I never got to know you…and I never got to say goodbye…" Harry said, trying to find the words for what he was trying to say.
"Don't worry about it Harry, just give him hell for us!" Harry was strongly reminded of Fred and Georges farewell from Hogwarts when James said this.
"We will." The three chimed together.
"And it is time for us to go." Lilly said somberly. "Good luck my son, I know you will do well, and do what you need to. Hopefully we won't see you again for a long time. And not until I have grandkids." She then gave Hermione a small wink which Harry found strange, and she blushed.
"Goodbye Dad, bye mum…I'll never forget what you did for me."
Lilly looked at him with tears in her eyes. "We are more proud of you than you can imagine Harry." James said as he placed a hand on Lilly's shoulder, and they were gone.
Harry nodded. He didn't cry. He didn't fall apart. He had been given direction today. He knew what he needed to do. And he knew that he wouldn't throw away the gift that his parents had given him. He would be as brave as them, and he would give good ol' Tom hell too.
-->