“Lily, take Harry and go! It’s him! Go! Run! I’ll hold him off””
The sounds of someone stumbling from a room”a door bursting open”a cackle of high-pitched laughter”
“Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!”
“Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside, now….”
“Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead””
That’s when Harry Potter woke up from his nightmare. The terrified man bolted straight up, breathing heavily as he remembered his dream. Sweat poured off of his stricken face as he took another shuddering breath. It had been years since Harry had had that particular nightmare. Four years to be exact. It was the nightmare that showed his parents’ murder. Harry shuddered again, trying to forget the reason why he had woken up, but try as he might, he couldn’t help but perceive the nightmare as a warning. The now-wide awake man looked to his left and saw a flash of red. Relief seeped through him as Harry saw his wife Ginny curled up, sleeping peacefully. At least, she was sleeping calmly. Harry watched the love of his life breathe deeply, and couldn’t help but feel better. It was just a dream. A very realistic dream, but a dream none-the-less.
Harry looked at his sleeping wife and smiled. Ginny was the one person who always made him feel safe and complete. Harry had married her not even a year after Voldemort’s defeat. It has been four years since that terrible last battle. Four years since he has seen those terrible red eyes. Harry’s mind was transported back to the battle. He remembered the duel between Lucius Malfoy and Tonks. How Tonks had narrowly defeated him with a stunning spell. He remembered Mad-Eye lying on the ground dead. But most of all, he remembered Snape both murderer and victim. It had been Snape who had saved Harry that night. To this day, Harry couldn’t stand to admit that Dumbledore’s murderer had sacrificed himself. In his mind’s eye, Harry remembered how wide Voldemort’s eyes had been when Snape had suddenly flung himself in front of Harry to protect him. Snape had taken the blow of the Avada Kedavra curse. That split second was all Harry had needed to finish the deal. He had sent the curse of love that had sealed Voldemort’s fate and the prophecy. Voldemort had been killed…at last. Harry though still didn’t understand why Severus Snape would murder Dumbledore, and then sacrifice himself to save one of his least favorite people, Harry himself.
Harry was lost in his thoughts when a hand gently touched his arm. He jumped.
“Harry, what’s wrong?” asked Ginny in a concerned voice, though she was clearly still half-asleep.
“Nothing, just thinking.” replied Harry softly. “Go back to bed, sweetheart.”
Ginny shook her head, yawning slightly. “I think I’ll check on James first.”
Harry couldn’t help but laugh. “You know, James hasn’t learned how to Apparate yet. Plus, if he was up, I think we would definitely know…he inherited his mum’s big mouth.” Ginny threw a pillow at her teasing husband who just ducked, smirking.
“Well, now you can come with me to check on him since you can’t keep your own mouth shut,” Ginny glared at him.
“G-iii-nnn-yyy,” Harry whined.
“Harry James Potter, get your butt out of this bed this instant or you can sleep on the couch for the rest of the week!”
Harry shrunk away from his wife’s menacing glower. “Fine, Fine, but I don’t think I will be able to restrain myself from saying ‘I told you so’ if our little one-year old hasn’t moved. Most people are usually sleeping at this hour, Gin.”
“You were the one originally awake! Don’t you dare blame me for waking up your much-needed beauty sleep,” Ginny said, moving out of bed. Harry watched her before she suddenly turned back. “First of all, come on already and second, why were you awake in the first place?”
Harry’s face darkened for the briefest of seconds before hastily replying, “I just woke up; there was no particular reason why.”
Ginny stared at him for a few seconds as Harry followed her out of bed. “You always were a bad liar.”
Harry just ducked his head, shuffling his feet nervously.
“I’ll tell you why later, but for now, let’s go see James Sirius.”
Ginny laughed. They had not been able to decide on a middle name for their son for the longest time. Finally, after much discussion, they had decided on Sirius.
Both Ginny and Harry crept down the hallway, finally stopping at the nursery’s door. Harry went to open the door, but Ginny quickly pulled him back.
“Ginny, why did”” Harry turned to see Ginny’s horror struck face.
“The door,” she whispered. The same look of terror passed Harry’s face upon seeing it. His nightmare flashed back to him The sounds of someone stumbling from a room”a door bursting open”a cackle of high-pitched laughter” Ginny was standing pale, looking at the closed door in shock. The Dark Mark, engraved into it, was staring innocently at them. Alarm appeared on Ginny’s face as realization hit her. James. Her baby was in there!
Harry pulled out his wand from his pajama pocket and barged through the door. There was no one in sight. No masked men, no more Dark Marks, no Voldemort. He’s dead. Harry told himself firmly as Ginny rushed past him to the cradle. I killed him. Dreading what he would find (or not find) in the cradle, Harry followed his wife. He peered down into the little bed. There was James, fast asleep. Relief hit him with a full blast. Never had he feared this much in his life”not even when he had to face Voldemort.
Ginny’s expression seemed to mirror his relived face. She gently lifted James out of the cradle and rocked him, tears slowly running down her face. Harry watched James gently stir from his dreams and lift his tiny fists. Ginny started to gently talk to him while rocking him back and forth. More tears appeared as the worst possible events whirled through her mind.
Harry watched the scene as his mind whirled back into action. Someone had been in their house. Someone could still be in their house.
Harry started to look for traces of magic around the room just as Dumbledore had that fateful night in the cave. After months of searching for the horcruxes, Harry had mastered finding the outlines of magic. While Ginny cried, holding James tightly, Harry continued to search. Finally, he found it. A sense of hatred burst right above the crib where James had originally lain. Spells finding certain barriers also seem to have been cast. Harry once again looked at his one year old son to make sure he was alright. Nothing seemed to have harmed him. Ginny was looking at him closely to make sure no ill-performed spell had been placed upon him. As Harry paused, thinking, Ginny looked up.
“I know who did this.” She whispered quietly, her eyes glistening.
Harry looked at her, the anger evident in his eyes. Someone wanted to hurt his family. That someone would pay. “Who?” he asked in a cold voice.
“Only one person could have broken through all of the enchantments guarding our home. This Death Eater must have been taught by Voldemort himself to break our protection barriers.” Ginny looked up at him, her own determination and anger evident, “Harry; only one Death Eater escaped that battle.”
Harry widened his eyes as he finally realized who could have broken into their house. Every prominent Death Eater, except one, had been killed, injured, or arrested that fateful day. Some had just given up while others proclaimed to be under the Imperius curse. Harry had known from that day that the Death Eater must be vanquished once and for all. He had become an Auror just for that reason. Harry glanced down at James again. His son’s safety was the most important thing to Harry. Harry would sacrifice himself to save James if need be. Lily Potter’s words once again echoed in Harry’s mind. “Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead”” Harry now knew what his mother had felt that horrifying day when she sacrificed herself to save him. Harry watched as Ginny leaned toward him to say something. A whispered phrase was all that was needed.
“Bellatrix Lestrange will not get James.”
***
A lone figure scurried away. Her lidded eyes held triumph. She had done it. She had finally been able to ward off the enchantments. A smirk crossed her face as her revenge plan continued to form. Harry Potter will pay. He will pay for the destruction of her life as she had known it. He will pay for her family’s imprisonment. Most of all he will pay for her master’s defeat and the loneliness he has placed on her. She watched from afar as lights were turned on in the Potter house. Nothing had occurred tonight though the unforgivable curses were itching to be used. She couldn’t wait to see Harry Potter’s pain. A smile that had not appeared in months lit her face. She knew all about Harry’s heroic streak and his unconditional love. She had all of the information that she needed since she had crept into the Potter house. Now, all she needed was the one thing that would make Harry hurt the most.
Let the fun begin. Bellatrix thought. Taking one last look at the house, she Apparated.
A/N: Harry’s nightmare is from page 179 and 204 in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, so Jo made the words up. I just used them in a different context.
A/N: Reviews are appreciated so much! I love hearing what I can improve on and what I am doing well on. I am sure most of you are sick of hearing this, but Please review.
A Death Eater’s Revenge by Phenioxsong22
Chapter Notes: Disclaimer: JK Rowling created this entire magical world.