Switch of Life

Rosali

Rating: G
Genres: Drama
Relationships: Lily & James
Book: Lily & James, Books 1 - 5
Published: 17/05/2006
Last Updated: 17/05/2006
Status: completed

What if... what if James had picked differently? A one-shot of October 31st 1981.

Chapters

1. Switch of Life

1. Switch of Life

A/N: This is something I wrote a long time ago and thought it owuld be nice to fix it and post it, just so you know I’m still alive, lol. Happy reading and ´plese R&R.

Switch of Life

"Bloody hell, James! would you please listen to me!"

"Sirius..." he put an arm on his shoulder and looked into his grey eyes "...you'll be my secret keeper... it's all the same. If they go after you and you don't have it, they'll go after Remus next, and eventually after Peter, and we both know he's not that good in defending himself as you, me or Moony are. I know I can trust you, and Dumbledore will do all he can to protect you, you know that," the man said with a smile to his best friend.

Sirius sighed and nodded. "You're right, let's do it then," he said; he knew he would have a very hard time escaping Voldemort, IF he escaped. James knew that too and he looked as if he was already blaming himself for everything. Sirius came to him, "I'll be alright,” he calmed the unexpressed feeling sof his friend. “Besides, Harry is my godson, so I have to protect him too," he said and James finally gave a weak smile.

They met Dumbledore in his office, probably the safest place in these times. Sirius and James were face to face and the Headmaster was standing in front of the two. He looked way older than usual; it had been a very rough journey for all of them. His blue eyes twinkled as he smiled at both young men. "Now, Sirius, James this is very dangerous, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked and looked at Sirius first, for he was the one who would carry the most danger.

He nodded.

"Dumbledore, I'd do anything for James and Harry... and Lily too." Although Sirius and Lily ajd never gotten along, he loved her too, very much. "They're my real family and I won't abbandon them now."

James looked at Sirius, he would do the same for him.

Dumbledore looked at James next, who nodded "This means the world to me, brother. If he agrees, then I do too," he said to their former professor.

He nodded to the two young, brave men in front of him and smiled, putting a hand on each one's shoulder. "Then so be it. Sirius, James, come closer and you have to tell him your hiding spot three times as I recite the spell." They obeyed and Dumbledore's deep voice echoed in the big, round office. "Secreto Fidelius protegere est juventus."

A white light surrounded the three and then Sirius absorbed it. He flinched and then slowly opened his eyes to see James's worried face. "I'm ok, and you're safe. Now, go!" he just said. James hesitated for a second and then ran out of the office towards the Shrieking Shack, where Lily and baby Harry were waiting. They dissaparated to Godric's Hollow, where they would be safe, pr at least they thought so.

After James left, Dumbledore turned to Sirius, his gaze heavy with guilt and helplessness; this was the first time Sirius had seen him so vulnerable. "Sirius, you do know they'll come after you, don’t you?" he said with a sigh. He wished he could be the Secret Keeper but he didn't know how well he could do it. He was old and Voldemort's biggest challenge until Harry grew older, so he was pretty much the only one that could actually protect them, shall the moment arise.

Sirius sighed, looking older than his 21 years. "Yes, Headmaster, I know what this means. But as the prophecy said, Harry is the only way Voldemort will be destroyed, but to accomplish that, we must keep him alive until he's old enough... and he has to learn all he can so the prophecy doesn't go the other way," he said, remembering that the prophecy said one of them would kill the other.

Dumbledore nodded, he felt so awful that they had to be forced into facing all this at such an early age, but there was no choice. "You should go now, find Remus, it'll be better if you can protect each other, and remember you hold the key to them," he finished and Sirius nodded, walking out of the castle, far enough where he could apparate.

He was rematerializing in Remus's flat, in the outskirts of London, when suddenly he felt a binding force and saw his friend beaten up, tied to a wall. "Remus!" he shouted and tried to free himself with little success. He turned around to face no less than a tall, thin figure with slits as pupils. "You bastard!" he growled and then his sight landed on the figure next to him, kneeling, fearful. He gasped "No... NO! how could you... filthy rat!" he roared and Wormtail started laughing, a rat-like laugh as he came closer to him.

"You think your little godson is going to be the Dark Lord's doom?" he asked, "I'd rather keep my life and interests than fight for a lost cause," he whispered in Sirius’ ear and hit him in the stomach.

Voldemort stood to his full height and threw a spell at Wormtail. "Who told you you could do that, Wormtail?" he hissed as painful screeches came out of Wormatail's mouth.

"I—I'm sorry M'Lord" he crawled to his master.

Sirius, standing back up smirked, "always crawling behind someone, aye Pettigrew? I can't believe you did this to James..." he finished, pain in his voice.

Voldemort raised his wand and threw a lavender spark at Sirius, who screamed as he felt his stomach being ripped from his body. "Enough of reunions! Now, I know your friend, here, isn't the Secret Keeper, I would've got to you first but you were under that old hag's protection at school. But now you're mine!" he hissed and made a gesture with his hand that immediately came to Sirius's falling to the floor, rolling in more pain.

"Sirius, no!" you could hear a weak cry in the back of the room.

"You—you'll never get anything from me!" Sirius yelled with all the strength he had. Voldemort looked at him with disgust and laughed.

"Oh, friendship... isn't it the most wonderful... AND STUPID THING!" he screamed and made Sirius cry in agony. The Dark Lord kneeled next to him. "Now, Mr. Black... will you please tell me where your dear friend is?" he asked in his most calm, terrible voice.

Sirius looked up at him with despise. "Keep dreaming... snake!" he said barely audibly.

Voldemort slapped across the face him with his long, white hands, leaving traces like claws along his jawline and stood up again "Then you leave me no choice. I can't use Veritaserum in you; I assume it won't work in you just as it didn't work with Mr. Werewolf, here..." Sirius smirked at the compliment and was met by Voldemort furious glare. He walked around "But I won’t be as gentle with your friend,” he said softly..

“It's no use to kill either of you, but you'll be of help. You see, that is one of the tings of friendship I won’t ever understand. You suffer more when seeing your friend in pain than when you are experiencing it yourself,” he stared at his long fingers, “ah, the mysteries of life...” Voldemort commented and finally looked up at Sirius or a second, closing his eyes a moment later and projecting an image of both his friends in the dungeon, suffering. The image made it to James's and Lily's head with no trouble.

James was pacing up and down as Lily was putting little Harry to sleep. She came to him. "James dear, you can't do anything by worrying..." she just said although she felt exactly the same.

“I know, Lily, and I can't bare to think of them in danger with me stuck here!" he screamed.

Lily looked at him with tears in her eyes "James! We have the only salvation of the world here! the price you have to pay is staying here!" she screamed back.

Suddenly they both stopped as the image hit them. Lily gasped and James stood, hitting the table under his fist "That's it! I'm going, you stay here and remember I love you both" he said and gave Lily a kiss, stroking Harry’s already untidy hair next and kissing him in the forehead too. He apparated out.

James appeared in a dark corridor, lots of doors around. He had just apparated where his mind thought made connection with the sender of the image. The man looked around and took out his wand "Lumos!" he muttered and the tip ignited. He walked, unknowing of which door to go into, when he heard a scream. The voice seemed to be Sirius's.

"I won't tell you!" he could make out between the yells of pain.

He hurried towards the sound and opened the door. "Stop it, you filthy snake!" he said pointng his wand at him.

Voldemort let go off Sirius with a wave of his wand and turned to him "Mr. Potter... we meet again... three times wasn't enough, was it? You're a hard bone, you know that?"

James smiled, never putting his wand down "I guess you could say that..." he said with a defiant smirk.

Suddenly Sirius pulled himself back together "No James, don't get close he's..." He was interrupted by a "Stupefy!" from Peter.

James looked at him "Peter what are you doing!?" he asked in shock.

Wormatail didn't say a thing. Remus woke up and saw James "He'll get to the Hollow,

he'll use you as a portkey!" he screamed, trying to warn his friend.

Voldemort turned to him "Avada Kedavra!" he yelled but the spell missed when James jumped on his arm.

As soon as he grabbed Voldemort's arm,The Dark Lord started laughing. "Tar kildo porta opela!" he screamed and they both dematerialized, appearing in Godric's Hollow.

Lily turned with a smile, thinking it was James who had made the crack sound. Her eyes widened and she gasped whne he saw her husband accompained by The Dark Lord himself. She ran to Harry's room and grabbed him with one hand and her wand with the other.

James stood up and ran after Voldemort, who was already gliding towards his wife "Stupefy!" he yelled but Voldemort ducked the spell turned around. "I'm your oponent, Voldemort!" he defied, giving Lily time to run.

Voldemort looked at him with cold, pale, red eyes "You are no oponent for me Potter!" he hissed "Sepelium!" he yelled and green-blue sparks came from his wand. This was a spell that would kill the victim slowly and painfully.

James had time to get his chest out of the way, but his leg didn't make it and he was hit, falling to the ground with enormous pain screams.

Lily stopped when she heard her husband scream and turned around to help him. She stood still for one second and then, with a deep sigh,she kept on running. But it was too late, Voldemort had just appeared before her and Harry "No please! not Harry! not Harry!" she yelled, but Voldemort didn't care.

He raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" he pronouned and the spell reached Harry at the exact same time a blue force field came out from Harry and Lily together. The force field expanded and hit The Dark Lord, who screamed in pain and dissappeared.

Lily sighed and then let herself fall into darkness. James, made the biggest effort and crawled to where his wife and son lay unconsicous. He could see both their chests rising slowly. Sighing in relieve, he cast a portkey, the only way out right now, for none of them could apparate. Grabbing his wife, who was still holding little Harry, James touched the portkey. The room vanished and they apeared in Dumboldore's office, where the old man was pacing up and down, knowing something was wrong.

He saw James appear, holding the portkey, and gasped "Great Merlin! James!" he exclaimed and immediately called upon Madame Pomfrey to take care of them. It was a long process but managed to counterspell James and she checked on Lily and Harry. They were both

alive but little Harry had a scar in his forehead, a scar that no matter what spell or potion she used, it wouldn't mend. She looked at the family and sighed heavilly, looking away. Dumbledore was at the door and hugged her.

"Yes Poppy, I know this is hard... it is not fair but neither them or we have a choice in here... it's destiny, all we can do is our best to give them the most normal life possible..." he said with pain in his voice.

After two nights in the Hospital Wing, James woke with a start. "Sirius... Remus...!" he screamed said and the Headmaster came to him, to calm him down.

"Easy there, James, you already told us where they are, and we found them, though we couldn't find Peter... I'm sorry..." he said.

James looked at him "Peter... that little rat betrayed us! I'm going to kill him!" he yelled and tried to stand but couldn't, he was still very weak. The man looked around. "Lily and Harry? Are they all right? they were alive when I brought them..." he said with worry.

Dumbledore smiled warmly "They will be, but now you need some rest..." he said and cast a spell to put him to sleep, disregarding James’ protests. They were looking towards some very hard years to come... but they would be there... to protect Harry and the world.