A World So Cold
By
Alexus Dracius
Lover's, soul mates and best friends James and Lily Potter's last moments of life.
Dusk engulfed the small street of Godrics Hollow. A cool breeze swept over the towering silver oaks, gently brushing across the autumn leaves, allowing for a soft and calm rustle to glide upon the open air. The serene wind flowed throughout the surrounding blacked out houses, humming an un-whispered hymn.
Down on the cobblestone paving below, a small mouse crawled out from its home in the gutter, and scurried along the path towards a litter of fallen acorns beside a tall oak tree. It reached an acorn and nibbled cautiously upon it, as though expecting it to retaliate. After a minutes' contemplation, the tiny mouse finally decided that it was safe to consume and slowly manoeuvred it back to its nest.
The mouse rolled the acorn with difficulty and with a hint of awareness and caution, that many living things were so used to feeling when outside their homes. So near its warm nesting place, it froze instantly.
The calm evening air had suddenly become cold, bitter and dry; the quiet melody of Heaven's cool breath ceased almost instantly; all of the enclosing trees became as motionless as the stone houses they swallow up in their impenetrable orchestra of solitude…even the fine, ivory mist that entrapped the forests sense of enchantment abruptly lay static.
From the small mouse's mouth came a pearly vapour, as it began to shudder slightly and sniff the air around it. The miniscule black pupil of the little mouse dilated as it settled upon a point nearby, just on the edge of the forest.
It gazed unblinkingly at the mist only several metres away, as the stationary haze slowly began to part, until something sinister pierced the innocence of the night. Gradually, a black figure emerged from the pale mist that veiled the surrounding woodland and made its way down the path.
The dark silhouette seemingly floated upon the ground on which it should have been stepping. Its charcoal robes waved lightly only inches above the cobble-strewn floor; its matching hood hung low over the face beneath it, hiding its features.
Still gliding with an air of utmost patience the figure made its way closer and closer towards the frozen mouse.
Watching the approaching enrobed form, the mouse gave an involuntary jerk and emitted a high pitched squeak. The squeal, though quiet, rang throughout the houses like a church bells reminder of the current hour. This fearful noise travelled to the ears of the hooded figure and it came to an alert halt.
The veiled creature raised its head and, although still masked behind a shadowy screen, caught sight of the mouse ahead and a low, soft hiss punctured the silent ambience, continuing to sound in an ominous echo around the street.
Then, slowly but surely, the figure raised its right arm and pointed at the silently quivering mouse below. With a whispered word, a flash of bright green light erupted from the tip on the figures hand, and the streak of light was absorbed by the terrified mouse, before it's tiny frame fell limp to the ground and the acorn rolled into the gutter and down into the hole from which the mouse had crawled.
Lowering its arm and then its head, the shadowy form continued its journey along the stony path, leaving the little mouse to lay unmoving on the ground in its wake.
As the mouse lay to rest upon the dry pathway, a droplet of water splashed next to its inert body, and trickled down to the point of the mouse's chest; right where its heart used to beat rapidly and excitedly at the sign of food. Again, another droplet of water fell from the night's sky and spattered on the ground some few feet away from the deceased mouse. With in seconds, the heavens above had opened up and the street had suddenly become a river of rain water, rapidly flowing down the gutter.
To add to the down pour, a heavenly orchestral bass erupted loudly above and every living thing that had been temporarily frozen had begun to flow back into motion. The tree's persisted in their unruly rustling; the previously soft breeze sped up and started to ensue more ferociously than before; the once heavenly hymn had broken out into an aggressive riff, occasionally pierced by a flash of lightening and an explosion of thunder's entrancingly lethargic beat.
Mother Nature's orchestra had begun its unwaveringly incomparable symphony of ultimate force.
Another squeak suddenly interrupted the storm's assertive tune and out of the hole the unfortunate mouse came from, appeared another mouse, it's small watery eyes searching frantically for it's mate.
Spotting a lifeless and sodden rodent-like form only a few metres away, the mouse gave another weak squeal and scuttled along the flooding floor towards its departed partner.
Once the distressed mouse reached its mate, it lowered its head and gave it a careful nudge with the tip of its nose. It repeated the same process several times until it sufficed to realise that its life long mate was no longer moving.
Seemingly unbelieving of the fact, the mouse persevered, and carried on nudging the other, as though screaming for it to wake up and come inside. Although it met no response, the mouse pursued its futile attempts, squeaking as loudly as it could into the rumbling and gushing night air.
It squeaked, it nudged and it squeaked again…and again…and again…to no prevail…
~*~
Godly tears sailed down from the murky night's sky and on to the window ledge of the home of Mr and Mrs Potter. The water beads dripped down off the gutter above and glided down the large window panes, caressing and glistening hauntingly in the dim light of the street lamps outside. These rain droplets slid slowly down the panes of glass, seemingly watching the occupants inside the room of which the solid transparent barrier shielded nature's forces from.
Though, as one dweller of this room lay in bed next to her husband and gazed at the slippery trail of slinking rain drops, she couldn't help but think that they expressed her mood in their entirety - it was as though they were the tears of which she had shed so many times in the past year; as though these rain drops knew exactly how she felt. She also couldn't help but wonder why it was suddenly raining when it hadn't rained in months. As the thought crossed her mind, the rain drops seemed to blink grievingly.
Little did she know, that these mere rain drops and expressive weather currents were not thereby in response of her overwhelming depressed emotions…they were something much more…
Sighing sadly, Lily Potter diverted her gaze from the weather outside - that seemed to know so much - and turned to look at her sleeping husband next to her. Smiling weakly she just watched him rest peacefully; inhaling his scent and bathing in his calm aura while he slept silently, not a care in the world while in a therapeutic slumber. Dreamless Sleep Potions did wonders for warding off disturbing dreams.
After listening to his serenely soft breathing for a while and staring admirably at him, Lily placed a light kiss on his forehead and carefully pulled the duvet from around her body. Quietly, she climbed out of bed and stretched, then crept lethargically towards the crib at the end of the four-poster bed.
Tip-toeing silently she stepped up to the edge of the crib and looked down fondly upon the small baby breathing deeply, a pale blue teddy bear clutched tightly in his arms. Smiling, Lily bent over the crib and reached out, lifting the baby boy from under his blanket and cradling him in her arms.
He began to stir uncomfortably, his unruly jet black hair sticking up in all directions. Noticing this, Lily gently swayed side to side, singing a soft lullaby to make sure he didn't awake.
Hush little Harry, don't you cry
Mummy and Daddy are by your side
To wash away all of your fears
To kiss and wipe away your tears.
Do not fret precious we are here
To love and care for you my dear
We'll always be with you, day and night
So hush little Harry, it'll be alright.
As Lily carried on humming her calming tune to baby Harry, her husband remained in bed, but just watched her silently, smiling affectionately at both his wife and son. He had always loved the way Lily could set anyone at ease with only her voice, and the gentle hum issuing from her mouth was making him feel even sleepier and more content than he already was.
Not even the prophecy about his, now year old, baby boy being destined to vanquish the Dark Lord Voldemort could dampen his spirits at that point. He knew he and his wife had been fretting over the prediction since they heard it over a year ago and since then, nothing had been quite the same. Tears and depression were all that seemed to be apparent in their lives from that time and onwards.
Sighing wearily, James Potter shifted his position in bed and sat up a little.
"You always did have the most beautiful voice I've ever heard, you know," he whispered warmly to his wife. Lily jumped in surprise and stopped humming instantly. Looking over at her husband she smiled coyly and noticeably blushed in the shallow light emitting from the street below.
"You haven't heard too many female singers, I assume?" she laughed quietly and returned her eyes upon the sleeping baby in her arms and smiling.
Grinning weakly, James pushed the duvet to the side and got up out of bed. He walked around the edge of it and approached Lily, all the while keeping his eyes plastered on her graceful, yet stunningly gorgeous emerald eyes as she continued to watch Harry sleep peacefully.
Walking up behind her, he wrapped his strong arms around her petite waist and rested his chin on his shoulder so that he could join in on the gazing of his son.
"I've heard plenty of them," he whispered into her ear and placed a tender kiss to her temple. Lily grinned and flushed prettily. "Mmm…he's definitely got his mothers looks…he's gorgeous," James muttered into Lily's ear. Lily chuckled heartedly at his new-found modesty.
"Well, I wouldn't say that's entirely true, dear. After all, he does have your stubbornly unruly hair…and you know how much I love that…however, it matches your personality…oh dear…" she murmured playfully and James attempted to glare at her, as though highly offended.
"Hey!" he uttered sharply, "You fell in love with me - it's too late now. You're stuck with me forever," Lily rolled her eyes amusedly, "And besides ... you know you wouldn't have me any other way." he added defiantly and Lily just turned her head to face him and placed a comforting kiss on his lips.
"You're too right I wouldn't." she whispered and James just smiled and winked slyly. Lily just laughed and turned back to Harry, leaning closer into her husband.
"Oh I can't wait to see it - the second generation of Marauders. Think of the things Sirius and I could teach him-" he began but Lily gave him a daring look and raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked innocently.
"No son of mine is going to turn out like the younger generation of his father and his troublemaking friends, Mr Potter." She said reproachfully, though she couldn't help but grin as she remembered their Hogwarts days…James' love for her when she hated him…when they became Head Boy and Head Girl in their seventh year and she was furious about it…until she got to know the real James Potter, that is, and saw the side of him that she absolutely couldn't resist. Their first kiss under the mistletoe at the Christmas Ball…
"Mrs Potter," James breathed into her ear, his warm breath tickling her earlobe softly, and disturbing her from her thoughts.
"Yes, James?" she asked quietly, shuddering involuntarily as she closed her eyes. James still had an overwhelming effect on her and judging by the satisfied smile on his lips, he knew only too well…and he loved every minute of it.
"I love you," he whispered, gently kissing her slender neck. Lily tensed up and inhaled sharply, before answering.
"I love you too," she purred, and twisted slightly to look up at him and nibbled his bottom lip before kissing him tenderly. James, too, tensed up and Lily smiled, also satisfied that she could deliver the same effect as he had on her.
"I'm going downstairs to get a drink, baby. Is there anything you need?" James asked; his voice slightly muffled as he buried his face in her long, shiny auburn hair.
"Oh, no thank you. I'm just going to lay Harry back down, then try and get some sleep." She responded as James pulled away from her and moved around to get a better look at his son.
"Ok then," he said and leaned in to his baby boy and placed a soft kiss upon the middle of his forehead. "Good night, Harry, love you. I'll be back in a moment, Lils." He muttered and walked out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen.
Lily just watched him leave and sighed.
What would she do without him?
Turning her attention back on to Harry, she carefully lowered him back into his crib. After tucking him back in and placing a warm kiss in the same place as James had done upon his forehead, she looked over at the clock on the wall: 11:15pm.
Yawning widely, Lily spotted a book on her bedside table and decided against going to bed just yet. She crept around the bed and picked up the book. Opening it up, she had just found the page she was previously on and was about to start reading when there came a loud knock on the front door.
Lily jumped suddenly and held her heart, breathing quickly.
"Who on earth is calling round here at this time…" she wondered agitatedly to herself as she placed the book back in its place and walked out over to the bedroom door.
"James?" she called, though not too loudly as to wake up Harry.
All was silent for few seconds, until she heard James response, his tone firm, curious and anxious all at once.
"Stay with Harry, Lily, I'll see who it is." He called back. As to who would be calling at this time of night, Lily knew it could only be someone who had permission from them and had gotten the location from their secret keeper, Peter Pettigrew.
Lily's heart began to beat at an unusually rapid pace and a feeling of foreboding swept over her that she certainly did not like. Beginning to worry now, Lily wasn't sure wanted to know who was calling this late at night. She didn't want to know at all.
There was another knock on the door, slightly more impatient this time, and she heard James call out to the visitor, "Alright, Alright! I'm coming, just a second." He said with an unusual air of patience. His nerves were taking over his usually flaring temper.
Lily glanced one more time back at Harry lying in his crib and hesitated, before stepping nervously over to the top of the stairs where she got a better view of the front door. James was just about to turn the door handle when she placed her hand upon the wooden banister.
As James swung open the door, and the two of them saw what was standing in the doorway, time seemed to slow down. Lily gasped in horror as she took in the person's appearance.
The figure was tall, thin and was donned in long black robes, its face covered by a drooping dark hood. That's when she felt it. She shuddered violently as an immense wave of cold, dry air engulfed her senses; the clock on the wall opposite her actually froze instantly; all sound seemed to have been muted and the only thing she heard was her own ragged breathing.
The question was: who was this character?
She had no time to wonder as a horrified cry and a loud slam of a door knocked her back to her senses and a frantic and panicked voice entered her ears.
"LILY, TAKE HARRY AND GO! IT'S HIM!" her husband yelled, his face pearly white. Lily looked confused for a second until James screamed, "GO! TAKE HARRY AND RUN! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!"
At these words Lily's insides froze and her mind went blank; her skin turned as white as James' and she felt instantly sick. It wasn't until James turned and looked up the stairs, his wand drawn, hand quivering in terror and determination, and yelled up to her.
"LILY! GO! NOW! I CANT HOLD HIM OFF FOR-" he didn't manage to finish, as the front door and some of the supporting wall was suddenly blown clean off its hinges and sent across the hall. Lily screamed and James held his wand poised, ready to attack.
As predicted, the haunting, black hooded figure of Lord Voldemort emerged from the cloud of dust, his wand held high and ready to remove anything in his way of his primary target - Harry Potter.
Lily couldn't move. She was still in shock. How had he found them? How did he know?
Again, she didn't have time to ponder this, as a cruel, high-pitched, hissing voice pierced the magically crackling air around them.
"I shall give you one chance, Potter. Move aside and I make your death quick and painless. If you choose otherwise-" he started but James cut him off.
"You're too bloody right I choose otherwise! Leave my family alone! If you so desperately need a Potter, take me! You wanted me before, here I am!" he snarled viciously. He knew his offer was a futile attempt, so he took the chance as Voldemort laughed callously at his desperate bargaining, to fire a stunning spell directly at him. To his dismay, the spell rebounded off of his cloak and shot off into the living room, shattering a large Victorian mirror hanging above the fireplace.
Voldemort cackled even harder and took a step forward, sliding his concealing hood off of his head to reveal his face.
This time, both James and Lily gasped, as a serpent-like face with blood red eyes, slits for nostrils and pale thin lips stared coldly back at James. He laughed again.
"You always were a pathetic fool…just like that Muggle-loving fool, Dumbledore," hissed Voldemort, as he raised his wand and pointed it directly at James' chest. James quickly raised his wand to defend himself, but he wasn't fast enough.
"Crucio!" Voldemort bellowed and in an instant, James began writhing on the floor, screaming in absolute pain and agony. Lily's eyes widened and tear slowly flowed down her face as she witnessed her beloved husband being tortured mercilessly. So she took action.
She reached for her wand inside her pyjama pocket and aimed it at Voldemort. Voldemort let out another high-pitched cackle and Lily's courage boiled to its highest point…
"Expelliarmus!" she cried and this time Voldemort didn't react in time. He was knocked back ward slightly by the spell and his curse on James had been lifted - yet he still held onto his wand. Voldemort's gaze instantly shot up to the top of the stairs where a now terrified Lily Potter stood with her wand out stretched and shaking.
An evil grin contorted upon Voldemort's face and he quickly made his way to the stairs. However, James had recovered from the pain inducing curse and had let out a ferocious cry and charged at Voldemort, his wand outstretched.
Lily screamed and that is when it happened. Voldemort spun round quickly and recited the deadliest words known to wizard-kind, just as James bellowed Lily's name out in desperate frustration.
"LIIIIIILLLLLLLYYYY-"
"Avada Kedavra!"
James' screaming came to an abrupt silence as his eyes grew wide in shock. To Lily, he seemed to take an age to sail through air, their eyes locked for the last time, before dropping limply to the ground, his wide eyes gazing lazily up at her.
"JAAAMMMMEEESSSS, NOOOO!" she cried, but had no time to think as she stared at his lifeless form, tears of anguish shed freely. Knowing that he was gone, however, she turned around and threw herself into her and James' bedroom and slammed the door behind her.
She had to save her little baby - her world.
Breathing heavily, sobs wracking her body, she knew that Voldemort would be there at any moment, so she scurried over to her baby boy's crib and just as she reached in to pick him up, the door behind her gave a painstakingly slow ominous creak.
"Ahhh Mrs Potter…I've found you!" Voldemort hissed dangerously.
Lily spun around and saw him gradually coming towards her, so she squared her shoulders, raised her wand and was about to scream an incantation, when Voldemort beat her to it.
"Expelliarmus!" he announced and Lily's wand few out of her hand and across the room. Voldemort's lips twisted into a sadistic grin as he took another step towards her. "Stand aside!" he said in his most dangerous voice.
Lily shook her head, tears pouring down her face and backed up to Harry's crib, protecting him.
"Please, not Harry! Not Harry! Please - I'll do anything-"
Voldemort was growing impatient now and took another step forward.
"Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside, now…"
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead! Please, just not Harry-"
"I'll give you one last chance! Stand aside! NOW!" Voldemort now bellowed.
"Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…kill me instead!" she screamed, but this time it was joined by another high-pitched wailing. Harry had woken up.
"It seems you leave me no choice!" he hissed in a dangerously quiet voice, just as Harry stood up in his crib and saw the back of his mother; shaking, moaning and crying as she tried to persuade Voldemort otherwise.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort screamed in frustration. Lily's uncontrollable sobs stopped abruptly. She crumpled to the ground. Her deadened eyes reflecting as her loving husbands. Now she had joined him.
Harry let out a petrified cry and began to scream, while bouncing up and down in his crib.
Voldemort just sneered and aimed his wand at Harry.
"At last! You are mine, young Potter! Time to silence the last of the Potter's!" and with those last words he cried the curse that he had used already three times that night.
Except this time, it failed.
Voldemort's curse made contact with Harry's small forehead and rebounded off of him, as a flash of lightening lit up the room and then knocking the baby Harry out cold. Voldemort's eyes widened in horror and surprise as the curse hit him squarely in the chest. With a scream of fearful anguish, Voldemort's arms flew back behind him and he hollered, throwing his head back in indescribable pain.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH! NOOOO!"
With a final strangled yell, his body ignited and combusted into an array of green flames.
~*~
Dust, rubble, bricks, rain, thunder, howling winds and screams filled the night air as the Potter residence collapsed to the ground in a pile of stone and debris.
Only one cry, however, was the most distinguishable.
A small baby of one year old lay upon his still mother's chest, his head rested on her heart; his tiny fist beating desperately on her arm to try and wake her.
In vain he attempted to wake his mother from her eternal sleep. He still had his fathers jet black hair and his mother's brilliant emerald eyes, but a new addition had been left on him.
A lightening bolt shaped scar. A cursed scar; a fate scar.
He became, 'The Boy Who Lived'.
Harry cried and screamed as the rain poured down upon him and his parents.
Then, with a small rustle, came a tiny mouse from under a photograph of the Potter family; Harry with his finger inside his mouth, being held by two happy, smiling, waving parents, James and Lily Potter.
Sniffing the night air, the tiny mouse ran to the crying form of Harry Potter and rested itself upon his mother's chest. Following the mouse, came a small stream of water, as it flowed through the debris and rubble.
This heavenly tear, that had seemingly stared at Lily in pity, as she while their in her bed only an hour ago, travelled towards Lily, and came to rest in the place of her heart. Breaking off, the tears made their way to a crumpled up form of James Potter, and covered his lifeless heart.
The mouse climbed down from Lily's body and picked up an acorn in its mouth. It then claimed its resting place back on Lily's chest and placed the acorn next to Harry, as his muffled cries began to die down into a steady breathing, snuggled up to his mothers chest, and fell into a deep sleep amidst a world so dark…a world so cruel…
A world so cold.