Severus apparted down the street from Godric's Hollow and heard the spine chilling scream pierce the air. "Lily!" he screamed as he took off running towards the house. When he got there, he saw many dark figures apparating away and the remains of the house in shambles.

Fire was quickly trying to consume the house, and Severus, uncaring for his own safety, ran through the front door. Inside he found James lying on the floor, wand still in his hand. All his years of bitter rivalry melted against him. Now he only saw a good father who had died trying to protect his family.

Severus remembered what he came for and ran into Harry's room. He looked where the crib once was, but now only broken shards remained. Looking down at his feet he saw the wisp of red hair, and his body collapsed, sending him to his knees. Lily, his Lily, lay there with her eyes frozen in shock, but Severus did not miss the tears still fresh on her face. Taking the blanket he had brought for Harry, Severus wiped away her tears and then kissed her once more on her cheek.

"Goodbye, my love," Severus said as he pulled his knees up and sat cradling her in his arms. The same man Severus had once vowed to serve had just taken his whole reason for living from him. No longer wishing to live, Severus lay down beside Lily and waited for fate to take him to her waiting arms. All the tears he had never shed fell forth in torrents from his eyes, his body heaving with the sobs.

"Why!" he screamed out. This is punishment for all the things I have done, he thought, and a just punishment it is. I have killed on a whim, watched as people begged for their lives, and I did nothing. Severus' curled into a ball, but as he gave up his will to live a tiny wail was caught by his ears.

"Harry?" Severus asked himself. "Surely I must be wishing, or dreaming." But the sound of more wailing and sobbing made him rise off the floor. When he scanned the room, his eyes caught a bright green jumper.

"Harry!" Severus screamed, running over to the corner where the child was. Picking him up, he looked him up and down for any signs of injury, but the boy seemed to have none except for the lightning bolt scar on his head that was bleeding. Walking back over, Severus picked up the blanket and wiped at the blood on his forehead.

Harry quieted down immediately in Severus' arms. It was almost as if he knew Severus was not there to hurt him. He still whimpered as Severus wiped up the blood, but the crying had stopped.

Severus wanted to access him more, to check for other injuries, but he heard the pop of many people apparating outside. Not knowing if the Dark Lord had returned, Severus threw the blanket down and ran out the back door. As soon as he made it to the treeline of the woods, he apparated to his home.

Albus Dumbledore, followed by ten other Aurors, stormed through the house. Inside the sitting room they, too, found James, and Dumbledore had him taken out. Dumbledore was looking for someone, the same someone he knew was destined to do great things since the day he was born, and that was Harry.

When he opened the door to the nursery, he spotted the carnage left behind in the wake of the Death Eaters, and Voldemort. The room was in shambles, furniture broken, walls bearing black scorch marks and, on the floor, Lily Potter, dead. Kneeling down next to her, Dumbledore let out the deafening wail.

"It seems you put up a good fight, Lily," he said to the still body. Then lifting her up in his arms, he handed her to one of the Aurors.

"Take special care with her, she was a wonderful woman."

Albus and Minerva searched the whole house from top to bottom, but found no sign of Harry. When they were about to give up the pop of someone apparating had them turning, wands drawn, to see who it was. Staring back at them was Remus Lupin.

His eyes were misted over, his mouth hanging open in horror, but Remus was determined that if Harry were inside, he would find him. Stepping in he sensed Harry right away and was drawn to his room. He first went to where the crib had been and saw a bottle broken in two pieces, the milk splattered on the wall, but that was not what Remus smelled.

Walking back over to where Lily had lain only minutes before, Remus spotted something else -- a blue blanket with the name "Harry" on it, but when he picked it up he saw the blood smeared across it. His features paled, his stomach heaving all its contents onto the floor. His friends were gone, dead, and they had killed Harry. Nothing else could be heard for miles as Remus let out the heart stopping howl.

The Aurors were about to go, leaving Dumbledore alone with his thoughts.What will the wizarding world do without Harry Potter? The prophecy said he was going to live and defeat the Dark Lord, but it was wrong, for nothing that remained in the house lived, and all that was left of Harry Potter was the blood stained blanket clutched in his hand.