Harriet--Year One

Prologue

July 31, 1980

9:16 A.M.

James Potter nervously ran a hand through his already messy hair. Only one thought was running through his head: Has she had the baby yet?

He and his wife, Lily, were at St. Mungo's. Lily, who had gone into labor nearly twelve hours ago, was in the maternity ward, struggling to give birth. James had been unceremoniously thrown from the room when he had insisted that he hold Lily in his arms while she gave birth.

The Healer had been shocked and immediately flew into a rage.

"Mr. Potter, this is a hospital! We cannot allow you to do that while she is giving birth!" she had exclaimed, her face red.

"Then can I hold her hand and make out with her?" James asked cheekily.

Which caused the Healer to become even angrier at poor James and pushed him out of the room, ignoring Lily's cry of, "Healer, let him stay here!"

Presently, James had stood up and paced the waiting room of the maternity ward, his palms sweating. He was going to be a father soon, a father. They had already found out the baby's sex; it was going to be a boy. A boy! James could barely suppress a cry of joy. He could hardly wait to teach the young boy, which would be named Harry James, how to play Quidditch, or take him off to Hogwarts after he turned eleven.

"Mr. Potter?"

James turned and saw a young Healer walking toward him; she looked barely a day over eighteen. "Yeah?" he asked quickly. "Is it my wife? Is she okay? How's the baby? Where is he?"

The Healer laughed and smiled. "It's a girl, Mr. Potter."

James nearly fell down.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "But...but the Healers checked....They said it would be a boy, not a girl! We had a name picked out and everything?" To himself he murmured, "How could this happen?"

The Healer was no longer smiling. "I...I'm sorry, sir! But the Healers do make mistakes, sometimes, too! Don't worry; she and your wife are both all right. Would you like to see them?"

"Hell, yes!"

"James," Lily scolded a few minutes later when James arrived in her room, "why did you say that to that young Healer?" She looked exhausted, but James still thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world; even though her cheeks were bright red and her long red hair was frizzy and messy, her almond shaped eyes were shining with happiness.

James shrugged. "I dunno. I really wanted to see you and the baby, Lil."

Lily sighed. "Yes, it's a girl, and not a boy. Why are you so disappointed?"

James didn't voice his thoughts; what he really, really wanted was to play with the boy; teach him everything he knew, play Quidditch with him, play chess with him, read to him, listen to the WWN with him, and, most of all, take him to Hogwarts. "No reason," he grunted.

"Hmmm." Lily pursed her lips but didn't press the subject. She looked anxiously at the door. "I...I can't wait to see her..."

"You mean you didn't see her?" James asked, astonished.

Lily shook her head. "No, I just closed my eyes and sank back into the sheets."

"Why didn't you look?" James asked grumpily.

"You try giving birth to a baby sometime, and see how you feel afterwards," Lily said tartly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh Lil, I didn't mean that...it's just that...I really want to see the baby. Our baby," he added, taking Lily's hand and stroking it.

Lily smiled faintly. "Oh James..." she murmured happily.

The door open suddenly and the same young Healer came in, carrying a bundle in her arms. "Hello," she said shyly. "I have your baby here!"

"Oooh," Lily squealed.

"Here she is!" the Healer said, quickly crossing the room and extending the bundle to Lily. "I'll leave you two--er, three--alone." She exited the room, smiling.

"Oh James," Lily breathed, "she's beautiful!" Gently she placed one hand on the baby's forehead and rubbed it lightly.

James leaned over and nearly fell off his seat; his baby--their baby--was beautiful. Dark locks framed a perfectly heart-shaped face; her tiny hands with perfectly shaped fingernails were curled into fists as she slept soundly. Though her eyes were closed, James was positive that they were bright green and almond-shaped. Her tiny body was wrapped in a blanket, and she was wearing a small baby-sized T-shirt and tiny pants.

"God...my God...thank you, Lord..." James prayed silently. "Thank you for keeping Lily and our baby safe." He looked into Lily's beautiful eyes and gasped, "She's beautiful. So tiny. So perfect. Like her mother," he added playfully.

"And her father."

"How so?"

"Look at her hair, James! It's the exact copy of yours! See how dark and messy it is?" Lily smiled.

"So?" James asked, embarrassed. It was true; the little girl's hair was sticking up in every direction possible.

"So, what I'm saying is, she's like both of us, honey. She's part you, and part me."

"Yes." James paused for a second, then said, "What will we name her?"

"Well...since the Healers made a mistake, and she really is a girl"--James chuckled--"we'll name her...Harriet, the female version of Harry, and..."

"Lily!" James burst out, grinning broadly. "We'll use your middle name, instead!"

"Harriet Lily Potter. It does have a nice ring to it....At least it sounds a lot better than Harriet James Potter!"

James laughed and hugged his wife, staring lovingly at his daughter; he had no idea what would become of the family; no idea that, mere months later, their family would be torn apart at the seams, and poor Harriet would be left alone with two absolutely horrible Muggles.

She would be alone.

Horribly, utterly alone.

Months past. There was no word of Voldemort anywhere. Only when James confirmed this by reading the Daily Prophet several times over did he breathe freely. Lily would fuss over the paper, also, but she never voiced her fears to James; nor did he to her. They both knew that discussing it would only make it worse, only confirm their terrors.

Meanwhile, Harriet grew--her hair, which had been bushy and straight when she was born, was now wavy and beautiful. She often jabbered on, occasionally saying, "Mama" or "Dada" or "wand" and the like. She crawled around and knocked over vases and tables while chasing the family dog, Daisy, who would yelp and run away, her tail between her legs. James and Lily would watch, amused, as Harriet crawled toward the dog curiously, raised a hand to touch the dog's nose, and immediately recoiled when she felt the cool, wetness against her hand; she would let out a cry and Lily hastily came to her side, scooped her up, and cooed words of comfort to the baby while James grinned.

After Harriet's diaper was changed, her tummy filled, and her small little self fast asleep in bed, James and Lily would quickly creep past her room and get into their own bed, where they would quietly make love. Half an hour later, they would retreat to the couch downstairs and cuddle, talking in soft voices about their future plans. If all went well, Lily would be pregnant again by the end of July, around Harriet's first birthday. It would be the best present in the world for Harriet to find out that she would be a big sister.

~*~

"James...this is it," Lily whispered, grabbing James' hand and squeezing it. The Healer had just entered the room, her expression unreadable. "Please...God, please..."

"Shh, Lil, don't worry," James said soothingly.

"It's hard not to!" Lily shot back, her eyes shining with anxiety.

Once again, James and Lily were in the maternity ward, Lily having just taken a pregnancy test. She hadn't vomited at all, but she had been having strange, sudden cravings and slight nausea. James crossed the fingers of his left hand, the one that Lily wasn't hanging onto for dear life, and held his breath.

"Well..." the Healer began, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and looking at James and Lily through the top of her glasses, "I have some good news--or bad news, depending on which way you look at it. It depends on if you, Mrs. Potter, want to be pregnant or not."

Beside him, James heard Lily suck in her breath and clamp her fingers around his hand more tightly. He put his left arm around her shoulders and prayed silently, Let it be...let her be pregnant...oh God, please...

"Mrs. Potter," the Healer said--James thought that he would burst from curiosity and anxiety--"you are pregnant."

Lily let out her breath and gasped, "Oh...oh thank God....Oh James..." She turned to him and hugged him tightly. "We did it," she whispered in his ear. "We did it."

~*~

When they arrived at home, little year-old Harriet toddled out to meet them, calling, "Mammy! Dada!" followed closely by Jackie, James' eighteen-year-old niece.

"She was very good," Jackie remarked, smiling.

"Great," James said, grinning as he picked Harriet up and cuddled her in his arms. She squealed and giggled.

"Here you go, Jackie," Lily said, digging a few coins out of her purse; she had taken a liking to Jackie ever since she had first met her, eighteen years ago, when Lily was eighteen herself.

"Thanks, Lily," Jackie said, pocketing the two Galleons.

"We've got some news for you," James said, his voice muffled by the fact that Harriet had put her tiny fist in his mouth. Chuckling, he gently pushed her hand away and continued, "Lily's expecting!"

"Oh wow!" Jackie exclaimed. Lily rubbed her stomach and smiled, saying, "We didn't find out its sex--we want to wait until Baby Potter the Second is born." She grinned at James, who tried to grin but couldn't--once again, Harriet had her hand in his mouth.

"Congratulations!" said Jackie, smiling broadly. "I love little kids!"

"Yes, that means more cousins for you," James said, setting Harriet on the floor. He ignored her as she squatted down and played with his shoe laces.

"Yeah, it does. Well, I'd better get going--my boyfriend's expecting me. We're having dinner tonight." Jackie brushed her golden-red bangs out of her eyes and crossed the room. "'Bye James! 'Bye Lily! Good luck!"

"Thanks!" James called back. Jackie waved good-bye and exited.

"I love her," Lily sighed, taking off her robes and hanging then up in the closet. She picked Harriet up and tickled her belly; Harriet let out a squeak and doubled over, grinning, so that her mother couldn't get to her belly.

"Who, Harriet or Jackie?" James muttered, grinning as he took off his robes and put them away also--his wife was pregnant, and Harriet was getting bigger and prettier.

All is right with the world.

October 31, 1981

8:49 P.M.

Lily was staring out the window nervously. James was watching her out of the corner of his eye as he flipped through Quidditch Today, his favorite magazine. He was just reading an article about Alexandria Deans, Chaser for the Chudley Cannons, when he heard Lily breath, "James!"

"What is it?" he asked absently.

"It's...James...it's...it's Him," Lily stammered, turning away from the window; her face was chalk-white and she was staring at James as if he had grown four eye-less heads.

"What?" James said sharply, looking up from his magazine, his heart pounding. You-Know-Who? Certainly not...

"I said...oh James...it's Him! You-Know-Who!" Lily's voice shook so badly that James wouldn't be surprised if she could no longer talk.

"You're...you're sure?" James demanded, panic gripping him. Forcing himself to remain calm, he asked, "Are you positive?"

"Yes!" Lily's voice rose to a shrill shriek, and her eyes filled with tears; she looked down at her belly, which had begun to grow a bit. "Oh God...please...no...he can't know...he can't know we're here...the Secret Keeper...Peter wouldn't have--"

"Oh yes he would have," James spat bitterly. He looked at his wife; silent tears were spilling down her cheeks. And then he remembered--Harriet! And their unborn baby! That's what she was so worried about--not herself, not even James himself, but their children; it was most important for Harriet to stay alive.

"James..." Lily sobbed, glancing out the window. "Oh...oh no...he's coming closer...James..."

James grabbed Lily by the shoulders and said, "Lily, take Harriet and run! I'll hold him off!"

Lily nodded, shaking from head to foot, and sprinted up the stairs. James grabbed his wand from the cupboard where it was, so that Harriet wouldn't play with it, and gripped it tightly, despite his sweating hands. He slowly backed away from the door and hid within the shadows of the staircase, cursing himself for giving Dumbledore his Invisibility Cloak for Order business; through the window he saw a dark shape approaching the house, mere feet from the door--Voldemort!

There was a muttered, "Alohamora!" from outside the door, and it burst open. Lightning crackled outside and illuminated the figure just inside the doorway; intricate lines of scars wound their way around his ugly pale face. Pale gray eyes stared coldly around the room, and, as he pulled off his hood, a mat of brown hair flecked with gray was revealed. He took a few steps closer to the stairs, and once James saw him look directly at his hiding spot. Heart pounding, he raised his wand and stepped out from behind the stairs. "Cru--" he began.

But he was too late.

Voldemort wildly waved his wand and snarled, in a voice that sounded so much to James like claws on a chalkboard, "Advada Kedevra!!"

James' eyes widened in surprise as the Dark Lord waved his wand. A jet of green light shot toward him; he didn't even have time to cry out. A rushing sound filled his ears as the light connected with his chest--he felt the life escape from him, and he croaked weakly, "Lily!" before falling to the floor.

James Potter was dead.

~*~

Lily heard the solid thump of James' body as it hit the hard wood floor, and she bit back a sob. Quickly, she bundled Harriet into a small pair of robes and her own things into a small bag--she and Harriet were in Harriet's room. Only one thought ran through her mind: Run, Lily. Take Harriet and run. His last words....Lily's chest tightened and hurried despite the nausea that gnawed greedily at her stomach. Harriet stood by the window, oblivious to her surroundings, totally unaware of the horrible tragedy that had just occurred.

The steps creaked suddenly, and Lily whirled around to face the doorway; He was coming!

"Harriet...Harriet honey...I love you," Lily whispered as she opened the window so she and Lily could escape.

"Love you too Mummy," Harriet giggled, holding on tight to a small stuffed bunny. Daisy whimpered in the corner, her eyes brown full-moons of fear.

Lily double-checked her bag as fast as she could; a set of her own robes, diapers, Harriet's robes, Harriet's bottle, Harriet's--

Lily stopped digging through the bag and listened; the stairs were still creaking, but it sounded as though Voldemort were only halfway up the stairs. Quickly, Lily finished checking the bag; Harriet's favorite books, her medical supplies, and Lily's own medications and other cosmetics.

"Right," she murmured aloud. She glanced around nervously; she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was forgetting something. "Right," she repeated. "Er...Harriet...it's time to go..."

"Go where, Mummy?"

"Somewhere...somewhere safe!" Lily invented quickly. The stairs were still creaking; Voldemort had to be getting closer...Lily's heart caught in her throat; what if both James and she were killed? She couldn't bear to think of what would happen to poor Harriet...

"Yay!" Harriet exclaimed loudly. Terrified, Lily clapped a hand over her daughter's mouth to silence her.

"Right. Let's go," Lily said, her palms sweating and her stomach churning. She wrenched open the window and looked down at the roof; it wasn't too far a drop, maybe five feet at the most. How could she do this without getting hurt? And how could she do this without hurting Harriet?

The stairs had stopped creaking. Horrified, Lily grabbed Harriet around the waist and lifted her up, prepared to jump out the window onto the roof when she remembered what she forgot--her wand!

Half paralyzed with fear, Lily gently placed Harriet on the window sill; she giggled and began playing with her bunny's ribbon. Lily looked around the room for her wand; God, please...don't let him be up here yet, please let him be looking somewhere else, anywhere...she prayed desperately. Then--she spotted it on top of Harriet's changing table. Quickly and silently, she made her way across the room, tip-toeing cautiously over the oak floorboards and hoping that Voldemort wouldn't hear her. As she neared the changing table, she looked back over her shoulder at her daughter; thankfully, Harriet was contentedly on her bunny's ear. Stifling a sigh of relief, Lily continued to watch Harriet as she stretched her hand out, groping blindly for her wand. She was within mere inches when her foot connected with a doll of Albus Dumbledore. Lily lost her balance and tumbled to the floor, managing to stop herself from falling flat on her face by throwing her hands out to break her fall. Harriet let out a squeal as she saw her doll fly across the room and let out a wail. Horror-struck, Lily jumped up, hitting her elbow on the changing table and causing her wand to clatter to the floor. She let out a screech of pain and, suddenly, heard footsteps outside the door.

"Oh...oh my God..." Lily whispered. "Harriet! Harriet!"

The little girl was staring at the door as she sat on the window seat, her small purple robes floating around her gently as the feeble wind tugged at them. "Mummy? Is that Daddy?"

"No!" Lily hissed, feeling tears prick her eyes. She blinked them back and sprinted across the room and threw her body in front of Harriet, forgetting all about her wand, which was lying on the floor, rolling around.

Suddenly the door burst open, and Voldemort entered, his cold eyes glancing around the room. When he noticed Harriet peeking around Lily's arm, he laughed icily; Lily felt her blood chill.

"Stand aside, silly girl," he growled.

"No!" Lily quaked, her knees shaking. Stay calm...don't show any fear...stay strong, Lily...don't give in....She felt as if James were whispering words of comfort into her ear.

"Stand aside!" Voldemort hissed, drawing his wand to Lily's chest level. "Stand aside, or you will die, just like your dear husband did."

Stay...strong...Lily thought, her hands shaking.

"Mummy, who's that?" Harriet squealed, pointing at Voldemort.

"Shush, Harriet," Lily said. "Stay b-behind me."

Harriet must have sensed her mother's tense, worried, fearful mood, and immediately fell silent.

"Stand aside!!" Voldemort growled. "If you stand aside, then you live."

"No!" Lily shouted. "Never!" With one of her hands she found Harriet's small body and pushed it behind her own, hiding the smaller girl from view.

"Very well then," Voldemort said cruelly. He raised his wand and exclaimed, "Advada Kedevra!"

"Harriet!!" Lily cried, before she felt the life rush out of her. Her body crumpled to the floor, motionless forever.

Voldemort laughed brutally and took a step toward Harriet, who was shaking. He raised his wand and growled, "Advada Kedevra!"

But when the curse was mere centimeters from Harriet, it suddenly altered its direction and was flying at Voldemort, whose eyes widened in surprise and raised his arms; the curse hit him full in the chest and he screeched in pain, writhing and twisting in midair. Then, all was still; all that remained of Voldemort was a smoking pile of robes.

Harriet stared at the unmoving body of her mother, then at Voldemort's robes, and began to wail; the pain in her head was building, and her mother wasn't arousing. Harriet, being a young girl of nearly one year, couldn't fully comprehend the seriousness of the situation, but she knew that there was no one, alive, in that room, except for herself.

She was alone.

Completely, utterly alone.

A/N: I personally think that this was the most powerful fic I've written so far. My mum is interested and (of course) thinks it's wonderful. Thanks to Mel and Les--you know who you are and what you did. Also....Please review--I love reviews! *hands out cinnamon rolls*