Beautiful Boy

BEAUTIFUL BOY

The noise was deafening, a cacophony of deep thumps, shrill shrieks and unrelenting heavy breathing. The sky had been overcome by a thick fog, leaving the area surrounding them in an ebony cusp- the moon and stars not strong enough to pierce cloudy walls. He screamed for the others to get down and hide, just to get away. He looked around, waiting for the enemy to strike again. Yet wondering and hoping that it would just go away. He couldn't take it anymore, the total horror that it was back and that it was targeting them. He was exhausted, he had run out of spells, hexes and charms. He had nothing left to give and because of that he wept, he couldn't do anymore to save his family.

The noise suddenly stopped, the fogged cleared and he thought, "Is it over? It must be. I've saved them...."

Close your eyes
Have no fear
The monster's gone
He's on the run and your daddy's here

James Potter sighed and looked at the two anxious facing that were peering up at him. The two faces that he looked at everyday that made him who he was. The first was his wife's Lily. Lily with the flaming red hair that glistened in sun, Lily with the penetrating emerald eyes that seemed to speak for her when she couldn't find the words to express herself, Lily whom he fell in love with back at Hogwarts, Lily who he married and now Lily the mother of his son Harry.

Harry was the second of the faces that was looking up at him. In only his first few months with them, Harry had brought so much love into the Potter's lives. His smiling face his funny little ways, his eyes emerald like his mothers and his hair black and never neat like his fathers.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

James crawled over to where Lily was crouching, cradling Harry in her arms, barely able move he reached out with his shaking and bloodied arms and gently took her face in them.

"He's back, Lily and he is after us...." gasped James, unable to conclude what he initially set out to.

"I..I..I..know, but why? What have we done? Well, especially in the last few months, we've got Harry to worry about now," Lily whispered.

"I know," replied James, feeling stronger now. "I thought he was loosing power, finally breaking up, life was looking so much better. I wanted Harry to never ever see that hate and destruction that Voldemort has brought to the magical community," he added.

Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better

James looked once again at his son, with so much love in his eyes. He let a single solitary tear escape from his depths and bent down and kissed him on the forehead, leaving his lips to linger on his perfect smooth skin and to take in his sweet powdery smell.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

He had only known his son for a few months and he wanted to continue to get to know his little boy. Life had been extremely trying for both him and Lily. They had been committed to destroying Voldemort and his Death Eaters after they graduated from Hogwarts and because of that, they had witnessed and experienced first hand the utter terror and revulsion that this creature could generate. The birth of Harry allowed them to let their guard down for a moment, and to enjoy the happiness that this small infant could produce. Lily and James often just sat quietly chatting and sipping their tea, while they marveled at their son and wondered what he would be like as he got older. Who he would be more like, what he would think of Hogwarts, and if he would display the same sporting prowess as James did on the quidditch pitch?

Out on the ocean sailing away
I can hardly wait
To see you come of age
But I guess we'll both just have to be patient
'Cause it's a long way to go
A hard row to hoe
Yes it's a long way to go
But in the meantime...

James took Harry off Lily, and held him to his chest, feeling him breathing and watching his small and fragile chest rise and fall. He then took his wife in his other arm and held her too while they rocked together on the cold and stony ground taking in the sudden the calm that had engulfed them.

James kissed the top of Lily's head that was nestled into his chest and kissed Harry again, wanting to take in their tastes and smells. They were the tastes and smells who made James who he was, they were part of him and he couldn't bear to think what might become of him if Voldemort returned and tried to take them from him.

They were going to have a wonderful and blissful life. Christmas this year was to be spent with Lily's family, a family affair. It would be full of crackers, roaring fires, presents and magnificently decorated trees. And then the following year, as Lily and James had already discussed there would be, hopefully, another little Potter on the way. Life was going well. Why did it have to disrupted?

Before you cross the street
Take my hand
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans

The calmness that had surrounded them suddenly seemed to disappear and the cacophony and fog was back. The noise got louder and louder and a piercing voice infiltrated the surroundings.

"Thought I was gone didn't you James?" hissed Voldemort.

Lily screamed, James became rigged and numb.

"Make him stop. Go away. Leave us alone!!" yelled Lily, totally overcome by shock, fear and horror.

James lept up, coming to his senses once more, but cried out in agony realising his body was totally wrecked and he was utterly exhausted. He remembered he had Harry in his arms, and turned to Lily, handing over his exquisite son.

"I love you Lily," he said, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her eyes.

"Oh James, I love you too, please don't go to him, stay here. Don't go," she pleaded.

He looked at his son and then at his wife once more and quietly said, "Take care of Harry for me. Make me proud. I will always be with you, even if it is only in here," touching his heart.

"Go to Dumbledore, he will help you. He will keep you safe. I love you both," he said, now with a sense of urgency.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy

"James!" hollered Lily

"Behind you..." the look in her eyes was of disbelief and of pure love, for her husband and as she looked down to the small bundle in her arms, her son.

A figure was appearing from the fog, mangled, deformed but uttering things in that unmistakable wail. It was Voldemort and he was here to get rid of all the Potters for once and for all.

James focused on the figure and its slit like eyes. He pulled out his wand from his robes and stood facing the evil figure ready for what ever it had.

"Once this is over, it will be over for all time," thought James to himself. "There cannot be anything below this...Just one more spell...Enough to break him...Be back with Lily and Harry...Be happy again..."

Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day in every way
It's getting better and better

Voldemort seemed to disappear, becoming one with the fog and the noise. James spun around, to see Lily racing towards him with Harry in her arms.

"Get down Lily!" he screamed.

"You've got to protect Harry!"

Voldemort appeared again, this time behind Lily. He lifted his wand slowly and deliberately and cackled an evil, sadistic laugh.

James mouth dropped, his tongue grew dry and when he tried to yell out to Lily, the only noise that came out was a garbled groan.

A bright white light shot out of the end of Voldemort's wand and pierced Lily's back. Her eyes shone wide, staring straight into James. She lifted off the ground for a moment, still cradling her son, whom she loved with her entire being, in her arms. The light was radiating from within her and shooting sparks everywhere. Both Voldemort and James ducked to avoid the falling flames of white. She then fell back down with a sickening thud, still shielding Harry in her grip and lay there silent and still as if sleeping.

James watched in horror as the thin beam of light moved from Lily towards him, still trying to avoid the falling flames. He looked into the eyes of Voldemort and saw nothing but blackness and pure evil. Evil that had destroyed the loves of his life. He then looked at his small son, who until that time had appeared still like his mother, and saw his tiny hand move ever so slightly to the left.

The flames were falling faster and James was abruptly drenched into a paralysing pain that consumed from inside out. He was shaking and screaming. It was as if someone was trying to remove his skin from his body. His eyes were now locked on Voldemort who appeared to enduring the same pain. A deafening crack filled the air as Lily's body was once more hit with white light. James used his entire will to focus his attention on his son for he knew it would be the last time he ever saw him.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy
Darling, darling, darling
Darling Harry