Chosen

The Dark Lord

The Potter's house was the only house awake in Godric's Hollow. The orange glow of streetlamps illuminated the pavements slicked with rain, and streaks of incandescent light shot across the caliginous night's sky. A baby boy with his father's wild, jet black hair and his mother's bright green green eyes sat in the window of the Potter's house, staring up at the sky that growled and exploded now and then. His mother sat beside him, her long red hair tied back so that he couldn't tug or chew on it, her wand tucked behind her ear. She didn't look old enough to be a mother, having only just turned twenty.
"Harry," His father came in, equally as young as the woman, ducking his head under the door frame that was too low for his height, "Its bath and bed time."

"James," The young woman whispered, "Look at this."

"Lils, you were the one who told me to be a more reasonable parent, now you're depriving Harry of his sleep?" He shook his head in confusion as he sat down on the other side of Harry.

"Just shush and look." She rolled her eyes, but slid her hand into his anyway.

He tore his eyes from the shining green of his wife's and stared up into the sky. He pushed his glasses up his nose and his eyes widened. At first, the streaks of light had seemed like lightning, but only now did he realize there was something darker about the streaks. They had a green tinge surrounding them, and the shape they seemed to form reminded him of- "The dark mark." He murmured aloud.

"You don't think-" Lily was cut off by a sharp rapping on the front door and James met Lily's fearful eyes with his own.

"Lily, take Harry. Take Harry, and run." Her eyes filled with realization and she snatched Harry from the sofa, running up the stairs as the rapping of the door continued.

James' head spun as he stood up, forcing down his fear and swallowing his nerves as he walked to the door. He gripped the door handle, feeling for his wand with his empty hand only to remember he had left it in the kitchen. He cursed himself silently then, without another moments thought, he ripped the door open, ready to fight The Dark Lord with his fists.
Only to find he wasn't there.

"Wormtail?" He frowned in confusion, but breathed a breath of relief that he had been wrong. And then he saw Peter's face.

He was skinnier than he'd been the last time James had seen him, with purplish bags that stretched under his eyes. His jacket hung off his thin body, his too-long sodden hair clinging to his face.

"Prongs!" Peter's eyes filled with desperation, "You need to hurry!"

"Peter, calm down! What's going on?" He tried to sound calm himself, but fear crept into every syllable.

"He's coming. I'm so sorry, I couldn't take it anymore! He tortured me until I told him! You need to leave, James!" Peter cried, and James stared wide eyed at one of his longest friends who had just betrayed him.

"Get in." He said and when Peter shot him a confused look, he shouted again and Peter dashed in, James slamming the door behind him.

"Lily!" James called and she appeared at the top of the stairs, Harry in a jumper and warm trousers, "We've gotta go."

She nodded once, and James had a second to admire her strength; her ability to just get it done, pushing her emotions aside long enough to do what had to be done. James raced to the kitchen, grabbing his wand off the unit before taking the stairs two at a time to see Lily shoving clothes and other necessities into her enchanted bag, that held more than it should. Peter sat on the floor, holding a sleepy Harry. James grabbed his invisibility cloak from the top of the wardrobe and turned to face Lily, who had the bag slung over her shoulder and was taking Harry from Peter.

"Thank you, Wormtail." He nodded at Peter who got to his feet slowly; he hadn't stopped sobbing since he had got there, "But you cannot come with us now. We get out, and we part ways. You understand we can no longer trust you."
Peter nodded solemnly. James couldn't bare it, seeing his friend like this - even if he had just betrayed them. He pulled Peter into a fierce hug, patting his back, "Take care old friend."

Suddenly, there was a booming from the street below and all three of their heads jerked in the direction the sound came from.

"Go! I'll be right behind you!" Peter yelled as James grabbed Lily, and they tore through the house to the back door.

They ripped the door open and darted out into an alley just as they heard a smash from their house. Lily turned her face to the house, just as a flash of green spilled out of the upstairs windows.

James tugged on her arm; "Lily, we have to go!"

"He didn't make it out." She whispered as she turned around, her eyes glistening with tears.

James swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat; it was his turn to be strong, "I know, Lil. But we've got to go. He would want us to go."

She nodded, a single tear running down her cheek but her lips curved into the tiniest of smiles as she looked down at Harry, who slept peacefully against her chest. Her family was safe.

"What will we do now?" She asked, meeting his eyes again.

James offered a warm smile, "Don't worry, Lils. Dumbledore will know what to do."

James put his arm around Lily, draping the invisibility cloak over the three of them before they began to walk away from Death and into the night.