The Good Times End So Soon

DISCLAIMER: The characters all belong to J.K. Rowling, the greatest woman in the world, and the song belongs to Bryan Adams. It was originally "Summer of '69," but I have changed some of the words to fit the fic. I really recommend looking up the lyrics to the original song, or listening to it if you have it - it's a touching piece. It's true, the good times really do end too soon...

"SUMMER OF MAGIC TIMES"

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I got my first magic wand
At Ollivander's Shop, that's right
Used it every day and night
Was the summer of magic times

Me and some guys from school
Had some dreams and we tried real hard
Peter quit, Sirius got framed
Should've known we'd never get far

Oh, but when I look back now
That summer seemed to last forever
And if I had the choice
Yeah, I'd always wanna be there
Those were the best days of my life

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Yes, those were the best days of living.

James Potter could recall no time better than the summer he spent dreaming up ways to improve the world with his three best friends, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. They were young, had just been out of school for a year or so, and each of them was into their own career and business. Remus was studying werewolves, trying to find a way to lessen the severity of his condition; Sirius was busy with the Ministry; Peter was scheming to get rich with business partners he had met in his various travels. James himself was employed as an Auror for the Ministry of Magic, and found himself busy beyond busy with their work.

But each of them had dreams of ridding the world of You-Know-Who's Darkness and making it safer for the day-to-day existing of other witches and wizards. It was a whole crowd of them working together for the good of the people, the four boys and Mundungus Fletcher, Arabella Figg, both of the Longbottoms, the famous Alastor Moody, and several others. They were heroes of a sort to those who knew them.

If James had looked back, he would have seen the incredible naiveté he and his friends suffered from during those days: not seeing the evil plans ahead, not noticing the immense danger they were constantly in as they laughed and joked and enjoyed their work against the Dark Arts.

But when they were young, they were invincible, each of them. They never saw the terrible plans the future had in store for them. The memories were bittersweet, but during the time, they lived those lives, the world and all its bright wonders were open for them, and everything was wonderful.

If only it was so now.

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There ain't no use in complaining
When you got a job to do
Spent my days working at the Ministry
But I still loved you, yeah

Standing on your mama's porch
You told me that we'd love forever
And when you held my hand
I knew that it was now or never
Those were the best days of my life

Oh yeah,
Back in the summer of magic times
Uh-huh

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But there was Lily...Lily, the best part of his life. His young wife, his school sweetheart and true love. They were pledged to each other for all times now. They had been in love since they were children...

He remembered exactly when he knew they were going to get married. They were just sweet sixteen, staying at Lily's house for a month during the summer when her sister Petunia was away at some kind of girls' camp. Mr. and Mrs. Evans were Muggles, but the best kind: they appreciated magic in a special way, and were immensely proud of their daughter's special, if unusual, gifts. Petunia, however, was a different story.

But James had stayed with them for the month, since he and Lily had been a couple throughout their fourth and fifth years. Their love would only continue to grow with time. But that warm July night had held magic in the very air. They had invited over some other friends from school, including Sirius, Remus, Peter, and some of Lily's girl friends, nearly all of the Gryffindors who were entering their sixth year with them in the fall. There had been a cookout, and lots of joking and laughing, and they had even put on some Muggle records and danced to them. He and Lily had slowdanced to some soft, soaring song about love that lasts forever. Just the feel of her in his arms made him feel as though the world was perfect and beautiful, and even though You-Know-Who was alive, their love was untouchable... When he opened his eyes at the end of the song, he realized that they were the only couple dancing, and all their friends had stepped back to watch them dance together.

And the stars were out that night, once everyone had finally gone home. It was late, they were pleasantly sleepy, and there was a warm glow all around the porch. He had stood behind Lily, wrapping his arms around her, humming the love song they had danced to... And she turned around and kissed him gently on his lips. When she pulled back, he looked into her sparkling green eyes and whispered, "I love you, Lily Evans."

"And I love you, James Potter," she replied. "We will love each other forever."

'I'm going to marry this girl,' he thought, amazed that she could ever love someone like him. But she did, and he loved her, and less than three years later they were wed.

Those were the best times of his life - they were young and together, and Lily was pregnant with their first son. Harry, they were going to name him. And life was going to be perfect. Lily was beautiful when expecting, simply glowing, radiant. And when Harry was born... It was the most incredible moment of his life, James knew it. To hold his wife and their son in his arms. His heart was simply filled to bursting with love for them both.

The future stretched wide before them. There would be years with more children, each with a magic all their own. They would raise them in their happy little house with pets and charms and quirks all their own. The children would attend Hogwarts, like their parents, and Lily and James would grow old together. His life would be defined by loving Lily. It was the most perfect existence James could ever dream of - and he would live it. They would live it.

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Man, they were dangerous times
When the world was restless
The Darkness and the Light
I guess nothing can last forever,
Forever, no...

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But nothing could last forever...

James's work at the Ministry grew more dangerous; there were more injuries and deaths in the Aurors' Department than ever before. The Dark witches and wizards they chased and brought to justice grew more cunning and deadly with each passing day. There were threats to those fighting against You- Know-Who everywhere - nothing was totally safe. Especially not for James, the Ministry's best Auror. And so they took on a Secret-Keeper...

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And now the time is over
And our lives have come and gone
And with the wand and the memories
I think about you and what went wrong

Standing on your mama's porch
You told me that we'd love forever
But when we kissed our son goodbye
We knew that it was now or never
Those were the best days of our lives

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They were not caught totally unaware by Lord Voldemort. Both James and Lily had felt a strange presence, a bad feeling in the pits of their stomachs, all day long. Even poor little Harry was irritable that evening. But they kept telling themselves that it simply couldn't be happening - they had even switched their Secret Keeper to little Peter Pettigrew the day before the ceremony, just so no one would be able to find them.

They were together, all three of them. In their living room, they sat together, James deep in thought on the loveseat beside Lily. She was holding Harry, who watched them with concern in his big green eyes. He had inherited his mother's eyes and his father's untidy black hair. The love James felt for him was beyond imagining...

When the door fell open, blasted off its hinges, and a strange green light began to shine into their house, James instantly knew who it was. He and Lily jumped to their feet, and Harry began wailing in fright. Lily's face was pale as James whispered, "I love you, Lily..."

"Oh, James," she protested, tears beginning to well up in her huge green eyes.

"Go. You have to save Harry." He glanced towards the front door, where Death Eaters were slowly entering, their joyful menace radiating from beneath the robes and masks they disguised themselves with. But the back door seemed safe...

"James..." she began again.

"Run, Lily!" he shouted, pushing her towards the back door. "Save Harry!" She took off, crossing the living room quickly, just out of reach of the Death Eaters.

Then Lord Voldemort entered. Just the sight of him was enough to freeze the blood in James's veins, but he stood tall and proud, refusing to show any sign or fear or, worse, ever give in...

Voldemort smiled maliciously. "James Potter...at last...I've waited a long time for this night..." His voice was a vicious hiss, and he was clearly savoring each moment. "Your Secret-Keeper was a great asset to me, I might add..."

James glanced over at the back door and saw the Death Eaters entering it at that moment. Lily saw them as well, and clutching the crying baby to her chest, she jumped out of their way and ran up the stairs. It broke his heart to see them have to flee for their lives, and he knew deep inside that she would never make it out now that she was trapped upstairs...her only chance was if she could Apparate in time...

He turned to face Voldemort, brandishing his wand without further fear. "You'll never take me alive, Voldemort," he spat out at the Dark Lord.

"I don't intend to..."

James scarcely heard the words 'AVADA KEDAVRA', saw only the briefest flash of green light, and then the magnificent young man was gone. Auror, friend, husband, and father - he was murdered in less than a second.

He did not see Voldemort corner Lily in young Harry's nursery room, did not hear her heroic attempts to save their son. He did not have to see his wife murdered in the same fashion that he was. But he never saw his son survive, either...

James and Lily Potter would never see their old friend Sirius framed for their betrayal and the supposed murder of the treacherous Peter Pettigrew, nor see Lord Voldemort's descent, second rise to power, and finally his ultimate destruction. But perhaps the saddest of all was that the two beautiful people, loved by so many, would never see their son Harry grow to serve the world in the same fashion they did - with all their heart.

The good times, they ended so fast...but it was better that they had happened, and then ended, than they had never happened at all...

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Oh yeah,
It was the summer of magic times
Uh-huh
The summer, the summer of magic times
Oh yeah,
Me and my baby in magic times
Oh...

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