The Fall of Darkness

Chapter 1: Darkness Descending

As the sun rose over a small white cottage in Godric's Hollow, its rays fell upon a young man of sixteen, with untidy black hair, as he lay tossing and turning on his bed.

"Nooo...," he moaned. "Mum...Dad...Lily...No, leave them alone...NO!" Albus Potter screamed, his emerald green eyes flying open with alarm as he jerked to a sitting position, sweat pouring down his face.

"Everything okay, Al?" called the muffled voice of his older brother James from across the hall.

"Yeah, James, I'm fine. I just had a nightmare, that's all, I'm all right," he called back as he went into the adjoining bathroom and splashed some cold water onto his sweaty face. What in the hell...

Harry Potter stifled a huge yawn as he came down the stairs a few hours later. As Chief Auror, his day didn't end until well past what the Muggles called "the witching hour," and last night was no different. At least I have a few days off now, he thought to himself.

He paused as he passed the hallway mirror and caught sight of his reflection. Creases were beginning to form at the corners of his eyes, and there was an inch or so of gray at his temples. As well there should be, he thought, grimly. I'm damn well over forty years old.

"You'll always be young to me, dear," his wife Ginny said as she came down the stairs behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

How is it you can always tell what I'm thinking, love? I am after all, an extremely accomplished Occlumens," he said with a bemused grin.

"That's what happens when you're married twenty-odd years. Besides, you're always thinking that lately."

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny," he replied. "I should probably jump in the shower. I promised the kids we'd go to Diagon Alley today."

"Okay, I'll go put the coffeepot on."

"Yeah, I'll be down in a bit."

Steam followed Albus out of the bathroom as he stepped into his bedroom. He pulled on the outfit for the day: faded blue jeans and a black T-shirt emblazoned with the Gryffindor house crest on the back and a cartoon-style basilisk on the front along with the words "I'm a Gryffindor...I'll take care of it." He picked up his wand from the bedside table (oak and a phoenix feather, fourteen inches) and slid it into the hold-out wand sheath he carried at the small of his back. He grabbed his cell phone off the dresser and dropped it into his pocket along with his wallet, and slipped the matte-black combat knife that his father had taught him to use and insisted that he carry with him into his boot. A black leather bomber jacket completed the ensemble, and he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, following the smell of newly, roasted coffee.

By the time Harry made it down to the kitchen, the rest of the family had already finished breakfast. Lily was working on some practical Charms homework, while James, ever the troublemaker, was silently counter-charming the thimble she was supposed to be enlarging to the size of a bowler.

"Dad, make him stop, please!" Lily shouted.

"What?" James exclaimed. "I'm innocent!"

"Cut it out, James. Merlin, if it wasn't for the repeal of that stupid Underage Sorcery law, you lot would probably be in Azkaban by now."

"All right, all right," James sighed. "So when are we leaving for Diagon Alley?"

"Just as soon as I clear a few things with you mother," Harry told him, motioning Ginny into the sitting room.

"Nice job on your O.W.L.'s by the way, Al," James said. "I saw you tied Dad's old record for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Yeah, I was pretty shocked," Al replied, laughing. "You know, I think the only reason Aunt Hermione didn't beat him was because she could never handle the Dark Creatures."

"So, Al," Harry said, returning to the kitchen, "do you want to try your first long-distance solo Apparition today?"

"Are you sure, Dad?" Albus asked.

"Of course I'm sure. Just remember, if you end up splinching yourself, just stay calm and you mother or I will take care of it okay?"

"Yeah, sure thing, Dad. Well, here goes nothing."

Albus concentrated hard on his destination, envisioning himself there, and focused thus, he stepped forward into oblivion, and felt a familiar squeezing sensation, like being sucked through a straw, and then it was over. Al looked up to see the pristine, white marble walls of Gringott's Wizarding Bank standing tall and proud amongst the buildings of Diagon Alley.

With a pair of muted POP's and a much louder CRACK, Harry, Ginny, James, and Lily appeared next to him.

"Good job, Albus," Harry told his son, who was beaming with pride. "Another one like that and you ought to be good on your own,"

"Thanks, Dad," he replied. "Aren't Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione meeting us here today?"

"Yeah," he said. "In fact, they should be here already. Wait, there they are. OY! RON! HERMIONE!"

Harry's two best friends since the age of eleven looked up, saw the Potters, and fought their way to them through the tide of pedestrians.

"Hi, Harry!" Hermione said brightly.

"Hi, Hermione, hi Ron," he said.

"What's up, mate?" Ron asked him.

"Oh, not much," Harry said grinning. "How've you been?"

"We've been well. That last case you gave me, the Surrey murders, was hell." Ron, like a good portion of the students who had graduated with them, was an Auror as well.

"Yeah, sorry about that, but you're one of the best. How're preparations for next term going, Hermione?"

"Well, McGonagall's finally retiring at the end of next year, and seeing as I've been second-in-command for about eight years now, I may be getting a promotion. Of course that's great and all, but I really like teaching." Hermione taught Arithmancy and Transfiguration at Hogwarts, while serving as both Deputy Headmistress and Gryffindor Head of House. In her spare time, she dabbled in the integration of Muggle technology, and magic, one result of which was the shielding which allowed his cell phone to work in places like Diagon Alley and Hogwarts. "Besides, I'm getting your hellion of a son for N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration."

Harry chuckled at the thought of his best friend calling his son a hellion, when she had, in their second year, both proposed the thought of and brewed Polyjuice Potion in a run-down girls' lavatory.

"So where're Rose and Hugo," Ginny asked. "I thought they were coming with you today."

"So did we," Ron said, "but Hugo went over to Teddy and Victoire's, and apparently Rose and Scorpius had already made plans to go see the Cannons get crushed for what feels like the millionth time."

"Hmm...Who would've thought that a Malfoy and a Weasley would end up dating?" Harry grinned.

"Well, I don't know, who would've thought the Potter and Weasley would end up married?" a drawling voice echoed behind Harry's left ear.

"Only our entire graduating Hogwarts class, Malfoy," Harry said, his grin widening as he turned to face Draco. "How're you doing?"

"Well, under the circumstances, not bad. That last assignment was..."

But Harry didn't get to hear what that last assignment was, as the remainder of Draco's statement was drowned out by the roar of Jaggers & Jukes Apothecary and Potioneers down the way exploded with the force of a small rocket.

Swearing, Harry dove for cover behind an overturned cart. So much for a few days off!