The Mystic Rises

Summary: How will things be different in the Wizarding World if Harry was raised by his grandfather? Charlus Potter knew something was wrong when his son and daughter in-law went into hiding at the insistence of Albus Dumbledore. Figuring he have some hidden agenda he hatches a plan to ensure Harry knows how to protect himself, see through the lies and deceptions of those who'd wish to use him. Will it be enough? Grey/Dark Harry.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; this is property of J.K Rowling's

Pairing: Harry and Tonks

Genres: Adventure/Romance

Sub-Genres: Action, Family, and Fantasy

By the time this chapter is posted on fanfic. There will be 3 tiers made available on for this story.

Chapter 1: A Different Route

The night before Halloween, a lone figure Charlus Potter, Head of the House of Potter, sat alone in the Lord's study of Potter manor with a glass of Firewhiskey in his hand. For a man in his early 70s, no one would consider him a threat. However, that is where they would be wrong. Despite his advanced age, he was still capable of putting the fear of Merlin in people. Charlus had been through many things in life. He fought in the Great War with his best friend and brother-in-law, Arcturus Black. Although the two may have come from different factions and had a rivalry, they respected each other. They fought and won many battles together and laid waste to their enemies. After countless days of war, they finally managed to force Grindelwald to reveal himself, and a fierce battle erupted between them. They would have won the war if that madman didn't retreat to his headquarters in Nuremberg.

During the final days of war, the two were prepared to take him down once and for all, but the task had been accomplished by Albus Dumbledore.

He never once trusted the old warlock as he often suspected him of hiding something. Years later, he married the love of his life Dorea Andromeda Black. She was Arcturus's little sister whom he met at several Ministry balls and at school. Despite being a member of the House of Black, she wasn't as cold as the other people from her family. She was caring, intelligent, ambitious, ruthless, and dangerous with a wand when angered or pushed too far. Boy, did he love her. Together they had a son, James.

Charlus loved his son dearly but was never blind to his faults and shortcomings. James was like every Potter male: Stubborn, Brave, Loyal, and Selfless. However, he was known to be quite arrogant, a troublemaker who took pranking others into what some might consider bullying and being shortsighted, among other things. But overall, he was proud of his son as he matured at the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts. By the time he pulled his head out of his ass, Lily had given him a chance. Later after leaving school, the two married and got jobs. James became an Auror with his best friend Sirius; they apprenticed under Alastor Moody, his former pupil. Lily got to apprentice under Filius Flitwick for her mastery in charms and got a job working as a spell creator.

While he loved them both very dearly, he disagreed with how they chose to align themselves with Dumbledore, especially since they have an infant son. Harry Potter. Charlus was one of the first few people to meet the newest addition to the Potter family. The boy looked exactly like James did when he was a baby but had his mother's bottle-green eyes. He could tell he'd be great from the day the child was born! However, the times' Dumbledore would drop by for a visit never sat right with him as his eyes would instantly sparkle with that annoying twinkle whenever he got near the boy. It was like he was planning something, and Harry was the key.

His concern only intensified when James said he, Lily, and Harry would be going into hiding. Apparently, a prophecy was made regarding them and Voldemort. Divination is considered a useless branch of magic that can only be performed by seers. In the past, there were many, but now they are few and far between.

He was brought out of his thoughts when a well-dressed house elf popped into the room. "Lord Arcturus Black and Mr. Saul Croaker have arrived, sir."

"Thank you, Bucky. Send them in," he replied.

Bucky was the head elf at Potter manor, meaning he was in charge of the other seventeen house elves that served him. When the door opened, he was greeted by the sight of his two oldest friends.

"Were you able to find anything?" The question was directed at Saul—the Head of the Department of Mysteries.

The old man gave a curt nod, "this was not easy to procure, and I will likely need a vacation. Were if this was for anyone else, I'd have them sitting in a Ministry holding cell… But having known you for a long time, I was able to bend some rules." Reaching into the pocket of his robe, he pulled out a small chest, flourished his wand to add the resizing charm to make it grow, and snapped it open.

"Before I open this, you should know that this will not be easy for you to hear," looking at his old friend with sadness.

"I don't care," Charlus replied with a determined expression. "The only thing that matters is the safety of my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson."

Giving another nod, Saul opened the chest to pull out a small, dusty glass orb. Normally, prophecies can only be removed by who created them, who they were made for, or who already heard them. That was known. But he was the Director of the Department of Mysteries and had a special disposition within the department.

Charlus accepted the prophecy, took his wand out to add a low-powered sonorous charm, and tapped it. Soon the face of someone he hadn't expected to see appeared—Sybil Trelawney's face came into view, and she recited:

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. . . Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. . . and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. . .and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. . . The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies. . ."

Charlus would have dropped the orb had it not been for Arcturus, who managed to catch his hand before removing the prophecy from him. Arcturus might not be the kindest person, but he did care for his family and best friend more than anything in the world.

"Who else knows about the existence of this prophecy?" Like Charlus, he shared the same view about Divination, albeit he had a more severe opinion of it. However, he learned that whenever his friend was concerned about something, it was usually worth looking into and should be treated cautiously.

"To my knowledge, only two others: Albus himself and an unknown person," Saul explained.

"Damn it," Arcturus growled. He knows how the old meddling goat likes to interfere in matters that do not concern him and has more secrets than the number of classrooms in that castle of his. It's what mainly got people killed. They put their trust in him, and how does he reward them? By sending them on thankless and life-threatening missions with little to no information. His secret society—the Order of the Phoenix—was not as secretive as Dumbledore made it out to be, as he'd been keeping a watchful eye on their activities for some time now. Sneering as his thoughts drifted to his oldest grandson. Sirius had been a disappointment and disinherited. He spent all his life rebelling against the family, and after running away at sixteen, thanks to that banshee bitch he called a mother was removed.

What really made his blood boil was that the fool was far too trusting and blindly followed Dumbledore without question.

Closing his eyes and taking a breath. "I have a feeling death is approaching." After years of fighting in the Great War against Grindelwald and his forces, he learned to be more perceptive and cautious, as not everything is as it seemed. "If Dumbledore was somehow involved in this, it cannot be good. Meddling bastard will never learn," massaging his temples as he felt a headache coming on.

"To protect what remains of our families, we must prepare. Still can't believe I'm going through so much trouble for people I barely know," grumbling the last part but relented after receiving a scornful look from Charlus. "Where are they now?"

"I don't know," Charlus sighed in annoyance. "I am not the secret keeper, nor did I set the wards."

"This just keeps getting better and better," his cantankerous response at how not even Charlus knew where his family was. "How are we going to help them if we don't even know where the fuck they are?"

"I may have an idea, though cannot be sure that it will work," Saul said, getting their attention. "It involves an old piece of magic that can potentially be dangerous."

"Considering the circumstances, I'll take the risk," Charlus answered in a determined, unwavering voice.

"I will have to consult with a couple of people abroad first," Saul warned.

"Do what you have to do." Taking that as his cue, the Unspeakable left the room as Charlus slumped back into his chair.

Arcturus placed a hand on Charlus's shoulder, "have patience, my friend. We have to believe in Saul."

"It's not that I do not trust Saul. It's the fact of feeling helpless. I mean, what kind of man cannot protect his family," he dejectedly said.

Offering a little compassion, "you and I have known each other for years. We have seen more than our fair share of battles and have lost people we cared about. Dorea, Melanie, Orion, Cygnus, and so many others. But the day will never come when we forsake each other. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help protect your family."

"Thank you."

(0^0)

The next day a young 21-year-old Lily Potter walked through the town of Cokeworth, England. This was actually the town where she grew up and where her magical abilities first blossomed. It was also the place where she met her first best friend. Lily did not know what compelled her to walk down the streets of Spinner's End, but Severus, despite not talking to him after an incident at the end of their fifth year, said he had something important to tell her. She knew he never believed in that pureblood garbage, but the people he hung around with at school and what he said to her were too much, so she ended their friendship. Even though it hurt to say goodbye, they had chosen different paths.

Arriving at the house, she knocked on the door. "Password?"

"Potion pioneers," she responded. Opening the door was the person she had not seen in years.

Severus gave her a quick nod before moving aside so she could come in. Seeing no one else around, he closed the door, flicked his wand into his hand, and cast a series of wards. "Were you followed?"

She responded in a neutral voice, "why am I here, Severus?" Then, quickly noticed he was deprived of sleep as the bags under his eyes were noticeable. "What happened to you?"

"I'll be fine," his only reply as he led her to the sitting room. They took seats from one another. "Lily, I wouldn't have asked you to come if it weren't urgent. However, I feel that your family will soon be betrayed."

"If you only want to patronize me, then…"

"I am being serious," he cut her off. "The Dark Lord means to have you, Potter, and your son dead soon."

"You told him about some prophecy about a child being born at the end of July," Lily said as a matter of fact. That was why her family and the Longbottoms went into hiding under the fidelius charm.

"And I immediately regretted telling him," looking down in shame. "I know I do not deserve forgiveness, and I'm not expecting any. But right now, I need you to listen," pleading with her to at least hear him out.

Lily had to reject the idea as her brain told her to leave, but the expression on his face and her heart said otherwise. Severus would never say anything important without good reason. So, inclining her head, she let him continue.

"After I told the Dark Lord what happened at the Hog's Head with Albus and Sybil, I immediately contacted Dumbledore and begged him to hide you and your family. In return, I agreed to be his spy for the Order," his voice was lifeless. "However, I believe he has an ulterior motive for hiding you and the Longbottoms."

"I'm inclined to agree with you," unlike James, she was becoming concerned with the number of times Dumbledore would come over. He would say she was being paranoid, but she trusted her instincts. "Originally, we wanted Sirius to be our secret keeper, but he convinced us to name Peter instead as it would be too much of a coincidence as he and James are close."

"That is concerning…" Severus rubbed his chin. "The Dark Lord says he has a spy within the Order, though he has failed to reveal a name. All we know is that it is a male. Since there are more males than females, that puts a serious breach in security. Also, why would he recommend Pettigrew of all people? In terms of magical abilities, he's weak and mediocre at best."

Lily shot him a look before responding, "I shared the same opinion with him; however, he insisted nonetheless that no one would think someone like Peter would be our keeper."

A sneer tugged against his lips, "that will do little against someone like him. He is far from stupid and knows you'd use a cheap trick. For all of his psychopathic tendencies, he is highly resourceful, with spies lurking in the shadows. Dumbledore knows what he is capable of," stating the obvious as Albus always seems to know about more information than he lets on. "In the times he's visited, has he made himself indispensable? Do his eyes twinkle whenever he sees your son?"

"Well, yeah," she hesitantly replied as she noticed it.

"That is why people from school, mainly in Slytherin, never fully trusted him…aside from always protecting his precious lions in Gryffindor, he almost always has an agenda." His tone became slightly dark.

"Be warned. He is not to be trusted."

Lily giggled, "ever the pessimist, Severus. Never truly trusting anyone." He had always been wary of people; that's just how he's been. "Let's say you're right about him. What would you do?"

Snape's face twisted into anger, knowing he would not make this suggestion lightly. On the contrary, the mere thought of it made his blood boil. "Does your arrogant swine of a husband have any other relatives?"

Thinning her lips at how she described James, while it was true he was arrogant, and some remained, it mostly died down. "Charlus. James's father lives in Potter manor."

"Can you contact him?"

Shaking her head, "the manor is under lockdown, and only blood relatives or those with express permission from the Lord or Heir can enter."

With a loud groan, he ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh, I'm gonna hate myself for this," looking like he swallowed a sour lemon. "Get your husband and son here. As much as I loathe him, he doesn't deserve death."

"Thank you," standing up, she flicked her wand from its holster to cast her patronus. The doe galloped from her wand and rested next to her, where she whispered into it before sending it off. Leaving the house, the doe went to deliver the message. Turning back to Severus, "you may pretend to be cold and unfeeling, but I know you're a good man, Sev."

"Do not go spoiling my reputation. I worked hard for it," a small smile tugged at his lips.

Soon a knock on the main door was heard, and the smile disappeared, "let's get this over with," leading her to the door where they saw James holding an infant baby. Giving Lily a quick nod, he removed the wards so she could open the door.

"Lily, are you okay? Did Snape attack you?" Shifting between looking at his wife with concern and sending a dark glare toward his old rival.

"I'm fine, James. Hello, sweetheart," taking her son from his father to hold him close. "How is mummy's special baby boy?" Holding him with one hand while closing the door behind her husband so Severus could reapply the wards.

A large smile grew on his face as his emerald eyes twinkled with happiness. "Mummy," he squealed, his tiny hands running across her face. Harry looked exactly like his father but inherited his mum's eyes. Looking over her shoulder, he noticed Severus standing a few inches away, "mummy, who's he?"

Pulling away, she turned around to see who he was pointing to. The glare on Severus's face scared him though it quickly changed into a smile upon receiving a look from Lily that said change it now.

"This is an old friend of mine, Severus," introduced him.

"Sev' 'rus?" he tried to say. The expression on his face was of pure delight, "Sev' 'rus," wiggling out of his mum's arms, he ran over to the tall man. "Sev' 'rus up," holding his tiny hands up.

Severus cast a look at Lily, wondering what the child wanted. "He wants you to pick him up." His eyes immediately went wide as he looked at the 15-month-old child. Reaching down, he slowly picked the energetic boy up. Where he immediately grabbed his nose.

"Big nose, Sev' 'rus." James momentarily snickered, though he stopped when Lily twisted his right ear making him wince in pain.

"It is mean to make fun of someone's appearance, Harry. Apologize now," chastising her son. James was the fun parent and would play with Harry every chance he got. In some ways, he was like a child himself. Lily, however, was the more strict parent as she did not want their son to grow into an arrogant snob with no morals. She'd seen several students who came from money and prestige act like they could do whatever they wanted without being punished. By Merlin's magic, she would not have Harry be like them.

"Sowry, Sev' 'rus," apologizing while putting his thumb in his mouth.

Meanwhile, Severus let out a breath from the corner of his mouth. Part of him wanted to bite the boy's fingers off, while the other part wanted to laugh. "You are your father's son," he said before shifting his attention to the boy's parents. "All right, you two follow me."

Leading them out of the living room to a staircase leading to the basement.

"Where are you taking us?" James's fingers were inching towards his pocket where his wand was.

"Relax, Potter, this is the way to my lab. I need to run a few diagnostics on the three of you." He would have put more bite or sneered, but a child was currently in his arms. The boy may look like his father, but he had a feeling the child inherited his mum's infamous temper.

Lily placed a hand on her husband's right arm giving it a gentle squeeze, "Severus is trying to help. We have to trust him."

Grumbling incoherently, he followed as Snape led them to his lab. Opening the door to reveal a spacious underground workplace filled with shelves of potion ingredients, a set of ancient and modern potion books, and two workbenches. "This is my personal lab. Try not to ruin anything, Potter. It's organized the way I like it!" Shooting James a glare which was returned, and putting his son on one of the work benches.

"For me to begin, I will need to analyze each of your bloods to ensure they're no foreign spells or potions in your systems," pulling out three syringes which made the older Potter pale. "Don't tell me the big bad lion is scared of needles," he lightly teased.

"I'm not scared of anything," James retorted sharply.

"Enough, you two," putting her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes. "This is a matter of life and death, so I need the two of you to cooperate." Giving them both menacing glares to make them comply.

"Fine," they said in unison.

Holding her hand out, "I'll get the samples." Complying, Severus handed her the syringes as he pulled out three containers. One by one, she took blood samples from herself, James, and Harry.

Once the syringes were filled with blood samples, she gave them back to Severus, who he poured them into their containers. The baby's blood was first, then came Lily's, and finally, James's.

Fifteen minutes after analyzing their blood samples, he gave the results. "Lily, you and your son are clean. However, Potter is…"

"What?" James snapped but quickly recoiled after seeing the terrified look on Harry's face. "What did you find?"

Curling his lips, "it appears someone has fed you a powerful loyalty potion and put you under a strong compulsion charm." Severus answered.

"Are you sure? If this is some kind of trick, then—"

"Can you remove them?" Lily interrupted while picking Harry up. "More importantly, who placed them?"

Moving away from the table, he went to his supply cabinet, rummaging through the drawers looking for the antidotes. It took a minute, but he eventually found what he was looking for in the bottom left drawer. "Drink these… they'll purge the potion and charm from your body."

Reluctantly accepting the potions, he downed them one by one. "You could have made them taste better."

"You should be lucky; I at least have potions already made," he returned hotly, adding a sneer, then returning to the table so he could determine the unique mixture of the potion.

A questionable look appeared on his face as he navigated through the ingredients used, "this is concerning…"

"What is it?" Lily became nervous as she involuntarily gripped her husband's hand.

"The potion I extracted carries a high-level mixture of rare ingredients that could only be brewed by accomplished Potion Masters and Mistresses." He explained. "There are only a handful of people in Britain capable of creating something of this caliber."

"Do you know who?"

"You, me, the Dark Lord, Albus Dumbledore, Horace Slughorn, and Alastor Moody."

Lily's fiery temper started to boil, "I knew it! I knew he couldn't be trusted!" She ranted, turning to her husband. "Still think I am wrong about not trusting him?"

James knew when his wife was pissed, things would not go well. He'd been on the receiving end of her temper numerous times and knew she was a force to be reckoned with when angered. The hexes and curses she would use were powerful and hurt like hell. "Not anymore," shrinking under gaze. "But what is certain is that we must plan to leave. It is too dangerous, and we no longer know who to trust."

Right now, the only thing on his mind was keeping his wife and son safe. The only question is what he should do? Several ideas ran through his mind; his face became dark when an idea popped into his head. As much as he hated and tried to dismiss the idea, a nagging feeling told him that drastic times call for drastic measures. Oh, how he hated this idea with every fiber of his being. Coming face to face with his school rival, he swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Snape…" he struggled to find the right words. "You and I may not like each other, and I doubt we will ever be friends."

Severus grunted. "Understatement of the century."

"But in these troubled times…as much as it kills me to do this…" reluctantly swallowing his pride, he continued. "I must ask for your help."

Severus's eyes became wide as he was shocked. James Potter was asking for his help. His help. Hell must be freezing over, as that was the last thing he wanted to do, feeling like he had already done more than enough. He was about to say no, but a quick look at Lily and her son made him hold his tongue. He did not want him dead despite everything Potter put him through as a child. If anything, maimed or, at the very least, badly injured or in a coma. Coming to a decision, he sucked in a breath.

"What do you need?" He did not know why he was doing this.

"Should anything happen to Lily or me. Then I need you to take Harry to my father. If we end up dead, then I will at least be able to rest in peace knowing our son is being cared for by a blood relative." James explained.

Severus knew more than enough about Lord Potter since he and Lord Black were responsible for the deaths of over a hundred Death Eaters. Not that he had any love for his colleagues. If anything, he greatly detested them (especially some of the males), and what they would do to the people they captured. Both magical and non-magical people. At best, they tortured their victims until they begged for death. At worse, they'd rape the woman and force their husbands and children to watch before executing them or placing the men under the imperius curse and have them do what they did to the children. Multiple times he had bared witness to what they'd do, and he would be disgusted each time. Truth to tell, after a week of being inducted into their ranks, he immediately regretted it. He only joined because he wanted to feel important, like he belonged with people who understood him. However, you can't just quit being a Death Eater.

The minute you pledge loyalty to the Dark Lord, your life belongs to him. Any attempt to run or leave would be suicide, as he did not tolerate desertion or disloyalty. Those foolish enough to try would end with a very gruesome death. Turning to the child, he saw a bright smile that melted his heart. For some unfathomable reason, he felt obligated to protect the child.

"You have my word," he said. "But I need to know where he is if I am to take your son to him. We also have to move quickly. Dumbledore and the Dark Lord are relentless; they won't give up so easily."

"Agreed." A crossed Lily picked up her son from the table and held him close. Green eyes met green eyes, "no matter how hard things may seem. Never forget who you are."

Harry cooed, reaching up with his little hands to her face.

The ice in Severus's heart melted as his old friend interacted with her son. A mother's love for their child should never be underestimated, something he knew all too well as he remembered how his was there for him. She protected him from his abusive father, who hated him fiercely and wanted nothing to do with him. Sometimes, when his father came home drunk, he would physically and verbally abuse them. His mum would shield him the best way she could, and when the time came for him to leave for Hogwarts, he couldn't get on the train fast enough. One of the main reasons he was so desperate to go was to escape the troubles of home.

"As touching as this is. . ." beginning in a silk voice. "It will amount to nothing if either the Dark Lord or Albus have their way. To save the child and yourselves, you three must leave the country. And be quick about it. Tell no one where you've gone, and keep a low profile at all times. They might have spies outside the country, so your best bet would be to leave by morning."

James grunted. "Hell must be freezing, as I agree with you," giving a long look at his wife and son. "Do you have any parchment. . ." Severus motioned him to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment, ink, and quill. Then grabbing the quill, he dipped it in the bottle of ink and quickly wrote down the location of Potter manor.

"I am entrusting you with my greatest treasure," sending Severus a hard look, which he understood all too well.

Nodding his head, he took out his wand. "I, Severus Tobias Snape, do hereby swear on my magic that I will take the child known as Harry Potter to his grandfather's home should both his parents end up dead. So mote it be." A blinding white light enveloped him, signaling the vow had been made and accepted.

"That was my insurance." Shifting his gaze between the two older Potters. "You have my promise and word that should anything happen, your son will be taken to his grandfather."

"Thank you," James said.

Spying a glance at the bookshelf, his eyes widened upon seeing books fly off the shelf and near the table Harry sat. A big smile on the infant's lips as different objects landed next to him.

"He's powerful, your son," Severus replied. "Fifteen months?" Lily nodded. "One day, he will become more powerful than any other wizard or witch in history."

James could only laugh as this was not the first time his son had started performing magic. He remembered how Harry switched his toy for Remus's wand, how he would apparate out of his crib into his parents' bed and levitate his blocks.

"What do you mean, Sev?" She asked.

"Children who can perform magic during their infancy like him will have greater control over their magic. Hence that will make him a force to be reckoned with, which is probably why the Dark Lord wants him out of the way. He fears what your son might become. Someone who will rival or surpass him," Severus explained.

"That is both great and concerning news," James looked bewildered. While he was happy to learn that his infant son would one day become more powerful than several others. He hoped with every fiber of his being that he wouldn't become a weapon. Yet, deep down, he wanted more than anything for Harry to grow up alongside people who would see him as a person.

Watching how Potter looked at his son, he sucked in a breath as no words needed to be spoken. He could tell what the man was thinking. . .like all fathers, they should want the best for their children. Unlike his own, who was a complete arsehole to him during his youth. Eileen Snape, née Prince, loved him unconditionally and would have given anything to make his life better.

"I have done everything I can," he replied coolly. "Remember what we discussed, trust no one, and come tomorrow. The three of you must leave immediately. No one must know what you're planning, not even the Order members, as we have yet to uncover who the spy is."

"Thank you, Sni—I mean Severus," extending his hand, offering a friendly handshake.

Reluctantly accepting, Severus took the hand into his own and shook it. "Good luck, Potter," not an ounce of venom nor sarcasm could be heard in his voice. "Watch yourself out there."

Lily came over holding her son, "thank you, Sev," giving him a hug that he returned. "What do you say, Harry?"

"Thank you, Sev' 'rus," Harry sucked his thumb. Severus playfully rubbed his head, making him laugh.

"Be good to your parents, little one."

He then escorted them back upstairs to see them out. When they apparated away, he reapplied the wards to his house and silently prayed they'd be all right. The boy, especially as no child, should be forced to live in fear nor be hunted like some animal. Yet, for some unexplained reason, he felt drawn to the child. Almost like something inside him said he had a responsibility to ensure the boy had a future. While unable to shake that feeling, he was sure of two things. One: The war will soon be over, but at a price. Two: He will not be getting any sleep tonight.

(0^0)

Later that day, at the Potter family cottage, James sat on the floor in the living room, entertaining his son by performing several spells. Harry laughingly clapped his hands at the different spell colors emerging from his father's wand. "You like that, don't you," smiling as he watched his son get up and waddle over to him. Putting his wand down, he carefully picked the boy up and walked to the staircase where Lily was descending.

"I got everything packed. We should be ready to leave by sunrise," she announced as James handed their son to her. "It's time for bed," that made Harry pout as he wanted to play some more.

Lily rolled her eyes at his expression. The pouting expression with his eyes becoming big would have fooled anyone else. The few times he used it on his father, James would let him play longer, making him the fun parent. On the other hand, Lily was not so easily swayed as she'd seen James do it multiple times. Much to her amusement and annoyance, their son inherited that gene, though if he was going to be the fun parent, she would be the opposite. Having witnessed how some of the heirs and heiresses at school acted, there was no way she would have her son act like them or the same way James did when he was younger.

The good mood quickly disappeared as the charm alerted James and Lily that someone shouldn't be. Voldemort had arrived. Their friend Peter had been the spy feeding Voldemort intel for the past couple of months; he gave away their location.

"Lily! Peter gave us up! Take Harry and go," ushering them out of the room. "It's him!" He dodged a piece of flying debris. "Run! Get out of here! I'll hold him off as long as I can." There was no bravery in his voice, only fear. Absolute fear.

His mind went to his pocket where he thought his wand was, but he quickly remembered what had happened in the living room. Thankfully, he had the foresight to purchase an extra wand and quickly flicked it out from his left pocket as Voldemort entered the house.

"You have been most difficult to find, Potter," Voldemort's cold voice sent shivers down James's back. He batted the incoming blasting curse with ease, and before his opponent could cast another spell, he was hit with an organ-liquefying curse. James fell to the floor screaming as his organ burned, dead in seconds.

Placing some charms on the door, Lily knew it wouldn't do much; she heard her husband scream and immediately knew he had been killed. Tears fell down her cheeks as she held her crying son close to her chest; when she tried to apparate or use a portkey, she found it impossible to leave. That was when she figured that Dumbledore had something to do with it. He must have put up some anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards around the property. "Damn, you, Dumbledore!"

Both anger and fear filled her entire being. The only thing on her mind was protecting her son any way she could. Placing him in his crib. "Harry. Harry, you are loved. So loved."

Tears ran down her face. "Harry, mama loves you. Dada loves you. Harry, be safe. Be strong."

Any other words that would have been spoken were cut off when the door was blown off its hinges into several pieces. Immediately she hopped to her feet and started casting whatever spells she could, all of which were in vain as Voldemort deflected them with ease. Quickly losing his patience, he sent a powerful banishing charm that sent her flying to the wall, breaking some of her bones in the process. He watched as she hit the wall with a thud as her son cried in fear. Then with a flick of his wand, he sent an incendio spell that turned hers to ash.

If there was something Voldemort took great joy in, it was watching his victims struggle. Making others suffer directly or indirectly made him happy, as he loved watching his enemies squirm and beg for mercy before ending their worthless lives. His red eyes burned with amusement as the mudblood struggled to her feet to stand protectively over her son, tears coming from her eyes.

"No! Please, not my son," she begged. Overcome with fear and desperation.

"Stand aside, you silly girl. . .it is the boy I want. . . You do not have to die tonight." It was a lie, as he would kill her the minute the boy was dead.

"Not my Harry, please no, take me, kill me." No matter how scared she was, she was determined to protect her son, even at the cost of her life.

"This is my final warning to you, you filthy mudblood. Step away!" By the end of the day, they both would end up dead.

"Never! You must kill me before I ever let you near my son." Though her words were bold, it was all the incentive Voldemort needed. She burned the last bit of patience he had and. . .

"Avada Kedavra!" He roared as the sickly green spell left his wand racing towards its target, and once it hit her dead in the chest, she screamed in indescribable agony, falling on the floor dead.

"Worthless mudblood," sneering as he walked closer to the crying infant. A cruel sickening smile tugged his lips as he directed his wand at the boy's head. "So ends the last line of the House of Potter! Avada Kedavra!"

The green spell that took Lily's life left his wand and would have hit the baby had it not been for a blinding white light of long forgotten ancient magic. . .

(0^0)

True to what he felt, Severus apparated to the cottage where the Potters were supposed to be. The moment he landed and saw the destruction of the house, he raced forward, hoping with all his heart that they had made it out alright. But, despite the high chance of knowing they would be dead, he had to make sure for himself. Entering the ruined place, he mentally cursed the Dark Lord and Dumbledore to the depths of hell when he saw James Potter lying dead near the staircase. "I thought there would be more time," kneeling at the side of the now deceased man. Removing his glasses, he closed his eyelids. "I'm sorry, Potter. For everything."

Rising back up, Severus carefully stepped around him, his heart beating rapidly with overwhelming remorse. Slowly proceeding upstairs to the second floor, splinters of wood from the door spread around a room he assumed was where Lily and her son were. Fresh tears came down his eyes as he walked into a dead Lily lying on the floor. All the strength in his legs gave out as he collapsed on the ground beside her. His worst nightmare had come true. Lily. The woman he loved was gone. He sobbed his heart out as he held her close. Repeatedly he asked himself what he had done. He will never be able to forget this or how he played a part in her death. Then, remembering his promise earlier, he put her down, closing her eyes like he did to James Potter. Turning his head, he saw her son crying in his crib, trying to reach for his mummy. To his immense surprise, the boy was still alive but had a lightning scar on his forehead. Completely grief-stricken, he summoned what little strength he could muster to get upand went over to pick up the sobbing child.

"I will take you somewhere safe and do my best to look after you," he promised the boy. Pulling a piece of parchment from his pocket. He quickly read it and then apparated away.

The ancestral home of the Potters was located deep within the Hainault Forest, appearing on the opposite side of the gate. Severus waved his hand over the baby to put the little tyke under a sleeping charm. Just as the boy closed his eyes, a few well-dressed house elves opened the fate.

"State your name and business," the one in front commanded.

"My name is Severus Snape, and this is Harry Potter. The boy's parents were murdered by the Dark Lord. Please take me to see Lord Potter at once." Severus steeled himself.

The elves gasped at what he said. Young Master James and Mistress Lily were killed. The head elf ushered him to follow him inside and told the others to bring the two to the manor. Severus ran to the door with the elf hot on his heels, then opened the door. Algernon Croaker, Lord Arcturus Black. . .and Lord Charlus Potter sat in the living room on the couches. All three men were on their feet and had their wands trained on him.

"Who are you, and why are you in my house? Who's the toddler?" Charlus demanded. Charlus regarded the tears stains on the man's eyes as he held the black-haired child. Immediately his eyebrows disappeared as his eyes widened when he looked at the child in the man's arms. "Harry. My grandson. I swear if you've done anything to him, I will tear—"

"Your son and daughter-in-law are dead," Severus talked over him, shocking everyone in the room. "I swore a magical vow to deliver their child to you if the Dark Lord came after them before they could leave the country. The boy was hit with the killing curse and now has a scar on his forehead."

"Bring him to me," he said in a broken voice. Complying, Severus handed the child to his grandfather as Arcturus took his wand from his pocket, and Saul waved his wand over to see if he had any other weapons on him. "He's still breathing but won't open his eyes," several emotions were running through him as tears ran down his face. But, feeling the baby's pulse, he concluded he was only asleep. "What happened? What happened?!"

The house elves who left for the cottage returned with the dead bodies of James and Lily. But another guest was with them. A very distraught Sirius Black, he too was crying over the loss of his best friends. He immediately saw red when he laid eyes on Snape. "What the hell are you doing here, Snivellus," whipping his wand out. Far from his rational mind, he would have cursed the defenseless sobbing man had it not been for the timely intervention of his grandfather. The older man disarmed and bound him in rope.

"Don't you know who he is? Let me go! I need to hunt and kill Peter for selling James and Lily to Voldemort!" Struggling in his bonds.

"Shut it!" Arcturus roared. "We need to get some information before we do anything reckless." His voice was cold and filled with anger and sadness.

Saul looked at the elves, "take these two to the dungeon and keep them separated. The last thing there needs to be is more bloodshed tonight."

"Yes, Mr. Croaker," the elves took Sirius and Severus to the dungeon.

Saul knelt down to his friend, "Charlus, I need to analyze him to see what else has happened. . ."

Very reluctantly, Charlus put the child on the couch so Saul could do his job. The Head of the DoM waved his wand over the sleeping child a couple of times, running some diagnostic spells. When the results came back, "Okay, the good news is that he's suffered no long-term effects from the killing curse and should recover with some rest. Already his magical core is healing him, but it's been depleted and is running on fumes. I strongly recommend you get a healer here fast."

"I'll take care of that," waving his wand in the air, Arcturus summoned his anaconda patronus, and while he did not want to contact this person. Nevertheless, the situation was of extreme importance not only to himself but to Charlus. After whispering his message, he sent the thing off. "They should be here soon."

"Good," Saul's voice was grave mixed with shock and disgust. "The bad news is that he is now a Horcrux."

Charlus's red eyes burned, hoping he was wrong. "Are you sure? Did you double-check?"

"The results don't lie," regrettably admitting. "That scar on his forehead contains a piece of Voldemort's soul."

"Can you remove it?" Charlus asked.

Shaking his head, "too risky right now. In his current state, if I attempted to remove the splinter, it might kill him. So we will have to wait until he is older. . .say when he's five."

A familiar voice enveloped the area. "Grandfather, Uncle. What do you—No, it can't be," the person known as Andromeda Cassiopeia Tonks was born into the Black family as the middle child. While she strongly resembled her older sister Bellatrix, her hair was light brown instead of black, and she was a lot nicer. After falling in love with a muggleborn and eloping with him, she was banished from the family. Yet, despite that, she and her husband made a decent amount of money to live on. Ted worked as a lawyer while she went to become a healer for the ICW.

Sadness overtook her when she saw the dead body of her cousin and his wife. Arcturus stopped her before she could say anymore, "a lot has happened, Andromeda. . .but right now, the child needs you. Hurry!" Pointing to a sleeping Harry.

Collecting herself, she took out a shrunken trunk from the pocket of her robes and resized it with a quick wave of her wand. The procedure for every ICW healer was to carry a trunk of potions and other healing items when they had to be called to different locations across the country.

"What's happened to him?" Narrowing her eyes.

Algernon told her everything there was regarding the boy's condition. Instantly she got to work. The first potion pulled from the trunk would help restore his magic. Say what you want about the woman, but she knew her stuff about the art of healing. This was her area of expertise. "He will be out for a day or two," she said after administering the last potion.

"Thank you, Andromeda," came her grandfather. "We will require your oath as a healer. Under no circumstances is anyone to learn about this."

Andromeda gave the oath as her uncle took Harry upstairs. When he was out of sight, she straightened up, "what happened tonight?" Adjusting her eyes to James and Lily.

"That murdering bastard happened," cringing his teeth in anger. "Snape showed up a few minutes before Sirius and told us that Voldemort attacked the Potters. . . We don't know the full story, but the mutt spluttered about wanting to seek revenge against Peter Pettigrew." The magic in his silver eyes burned with anger and vengeance. "Apparently, he was the secret keeper."

"How is that possible? I thought Sirius was the secret keeper?" Andromeda voiced. She wasn't part of the Order of Phoenix, but that didn't stop James and Sirius from telling her what was happening.

"That is what we're going to find out," he declared. "Sirius may have been a disappointment, but he loved James and his wife. . . He would have died before ever giving them up."

Charlus returned with an expressionless mask visage, though that could not be said for his magic as it flowed off him in waves. While his face harbored no emotions, the magic coming from him presented a lot of fury and rage. Turning his attention to the two remaining house elves, "take James and Lily to the Potter family grave site and prepare them to be buried."

"Yes, sir," they all said. Grabbing ahold of the deceased Potters, they apparated with a 'pop' to carry out their instructions.

"Come along. We have to get some answers," tossing two bottles of veritaserum to Arcturus and Saul.

A/N: So it begins. To start let me say that this is my version of how the Harry Potter series should have gone. I own none of this as it is property of J.K Rowling's. In this fanfic Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black are alive and will be crucial in this story. There are not that many fanfiction stories that involve Arcturus or Charlus nor are there as many Harry x Tonks.

Back to the point now. Severus and Lily have reconciled after not speaking to one another for a couple of years. From my own analysis Severus was never a bad man. He's just been through a lot. His desire to help Lily protect her son and husband speaks volumes. Even though he and James are still bitter rivals he didn't want the man dead, and thus decided to relieve him of the compulsion charm and loyalty potion. Lily was right not to trust Dumbledore, obviously she is not as closed minded as her husband which says a lot. I mean come on now the old man has been in politics for years, and politicians know how circumvent information and mix truth with lies. I also think he knows who the traitor is and is only waiting for the right time to implement his plans.

Think about it, he put Harry with Lily's sister family, where the child spent most of his life as a slave. Something he knew all too well thanks to his spy Figg's. When the opportunity for Harry to the magical world he sent Hagrid of all people to deliver the boy's letter. Hagrid may have a big heart, but the man is naïve and reckless. A man-child who never completed his education was given an important task. After arriving at Kings Cross Harry immediately met the Weasley family, and by extension Molly and Ron. Molly has had seven kids with five of them already enrolled no way she would have forgotten the entrance to the Hogwarts express. This was planned from the beginning. Well not in this story.

With the child's parents gone, Severus honored the vow he made by delivering Harry to his grandfather, and will have a new life than the one described in the movie and in books. Also, yes there will be bashing in this story. I'll let your minds wonder who will be doing the bashings. LOL.

Next Chapter: Answers and promises