Lily is nervous nowadays, when taking Harry outside — or really just going outside at all. She really shouldn’t be though, because there’s nothing to be nervous about…not anymore, at least.
They’ve been at peace for almost a year now and, finally, most of Voldemort’s followers have been found and incarcerated.
Unfortunately though, some of his deatheaters have had the advantage of their social status to lean on, like Lucius Malfoy for example. His importance as a highly regarded employee of the Ministry of Magic probably saved him from a lifetime in Azkaban.
Not to mention his undeservingly clever imply that, whilst doing Voldemort’s bidding, he‘d been under the constant influence of the Imperius curse.
The most unbelievable part of it is, that they had actually believed his lie.
At least his crazy sister in law, Bellatrix Lestrange, has not been so lucky. She’d gotten a one-way ticket to the dementor trap.
Lily still can’t imagine the pain she’d caused upon Frank and Alice Longbottom.
Tortured to insanity the report had read.
Lily knows they have a child too, a little boy Harry’s age — Neville, who’s much too young to already have lost so much.
She promised herself she’d tell him one day, how bravely his parents had fought for him — for all of them.
Sometimes she still forgets, mostly just in those first few minutes after waking up, that they no longer have to hide, that Voldemort’s no longer after them…because of that failed curse — the curse that should’ve ended her son‘s life.
Love protection Dumbledore explained. Harry was spared because of James’s and her own readiness to sacrifice themselves, in the blind hope to somehow protect him.
The public now sees that as some sort of tragically beautiful story — two young parents ready to give their lives for their baby…and a boy who, at merely fifteen months, saved them all from Voldemort’s wrath.
It agitates her every time she’s out in public, walking by a witch or wizard who‘d turn around to stare at them — at Harry. They‘d whisper and point him out…like a sort of saviour.
It makes it undeniable, despite of how much Lily would like to hope that people might get over it at some point.
Harry‘s going to have to grow up as a celebrity of sorts — a boy every child will have heard of by the time he is old enough to even remotely understand…with the expectation of greatness already sitting heavily on his shoulders.
And no matter how much she’ll want to shield him, she knows she can’t ever completely lift that burden off him.
The burden of being the boy who lived.
Merlin, she bloody hates that title. Sounds just about ready to be printed onto a chocolate frog card, that one. Which, by the way, would better not happen, hence one wanted to see her get really mad.
Which, if James‘s word is anything to go by, one might want to avoid. Of course, James can be a bit dramatic at times, Lily reckons — but he’s right about one thing…nobody in their right mind should dare to mess with her son.
She’d been ready to die for him. She wouldn’t hesitate to fight for him either, no matter her opponent.
One should never underestimate a Mother‘s love.