Euphemia and Fleamont Potter had always wanted to be parents. But their journey to parenthood had been long and arduous, filled with many years of hope and disappointment. After years of trying with no luck, Euphemia was ready to give up, but Fleamont had said “Though the stars seem distant, remember, they shine the brightest just before dawn”. That stirred something deep inside Euphemia that she couldn’t quite place.
//When she thinks back at what her husband had said then, she remembers Sirius showing up on Christmas morning, just before the sun started to rise, smeared in blood and with deep cuts all over his body, and without the usual light in his eyes. His appearance a stark contrast to the vibrant, confident young man she had gotten to know through James. In that moment, she made a promise to herself. Her son's best friend, Sirius, was now a part of their family. She saw in him a boy who most of all needed love and Euphemia had an abundance of it to share.//
Then on a radiant June morning, the world seemed to sparkle. The sun warm and welcoming, bathing everything in a golden glow. Birds sang joyfully from the trees, and a soft breeze carried the scent of blooming lilies.
Euphemia stood in the quiet of her bathroom, clutching the test tube containing the pregnancy potion with trembling hands. When she saw the result, a big smile spread across her face, and tears of joy willed up in her eyes. The test was unmistakably positive, confirming the most beautiful news she could ever hope for. With the test clutched tightly in her hand, she rushed out of the bathroom, her excitement bubbling over. She found Fleamont in his lab, working on a potion to tame “wild” hair. She entered the room with a smile that lit up her face like the sun itself. She showed him the positive test, her hands trembling with emotions. Fleemont's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the test and lifted his wife up, saying, “We’re having a baby!”.
As they stood there, bathed in the golden light of the morning sun, they were truly over the moon. It felt like a miracle, and their lives were forever changed for the better.
James Fleamont Potter was born on March 27th 1960, a beautiful and sunny afternoon.
They had waited so long to have a child, and when their son finally came into their lives, he was greeted with an abundance of love and gratitude. James was showered with love and praise throughout his childhood. They had always wanted more than one child, but complications during James' birth had left Euphemia unable to carry another child.
So maybe James was a spoiled child (he was most definitely spoiled). But Fleamont and Euphemia’s hearts were brimming with the love they had always yearned to share. They showered James with affection, not out of indulgence, but with a profound sense of responsibility. They had waited so long for this precious gift, and in their nurturing embrace, James had become a remarkable individual. Rather than becoming a spoiled brat, he became a beacon of kindness and compassion. They had succeeded in instilling a set of values, teaching him the importance of empathy, humility, and generosity. As a result, he grew into a person who touched the lives of others with his genuine warmth and goodness.
“Confidence as grand as an ocean, yet a heart brimming with love even deeper”
“In a world where you can have anything, have compassion”, Euphemia had said to James when he came back from his first year at Hogwarts. Nervous about his new friend, Sirius Black going back to his evil family. James had embraced his mother’s wisdom, becoming a testament of the power of love. Through the ups and downs of Sirius life, James had consistently cared for and stood by him.
(This had led to quite a few messages from Professor McGonagall throughout the boy’s years at Hogwarts).
James and Sirius shared a bond that transcended the ordinary; it was as if they had always been each other’s missing piece, like brothers separated by fate but reunited by destiny.
What James had told his mother about Sirius home life, particularly the way his mother treated Sirius and his younger brother Regulus, deeply burdened Euphemia’s maternal heart. Prior to Sirius arrival on the Potters doorstep, Euphemia and Fleamont had tried everything to free the Black brothers from the clutches of Walburga and Orion Black. Despite their intentions, no evidence of their parents’ abuse was found, leaving them powerless to intervene. Euphemia and Fleamont had to wait for a breakthrough, hoping the Black brothers would escape Grimmauld place someday.
When Sirius finally managed to break free at the age of sixteen, the Potters adopted him, and he became an integral part of the Potter family, filling the role of the sibling James had never had and the additional son that Fleamont and Euphemia had always longed for. She didn’t think her life could get better but when Sirius moved in with them. It felt like they had found the missing piece to the Potter family puzzle.
Regulus, on the other hand, claimed he had no desire to escape the Blacks. However, Euphemia remained unconvinced and continued her efforts, knowing that Regulus was trapped in the Black dynasty’s web.
Tragically, this path led Regulus to join the Death Eaters at the age of 16, but Euphemia held onto the hope that his life could still take a different turn. She cared deeply for him, her maternal heart aching at the thought of the darkness that had engulfed him, and she continued to hope and pray for his redemption and a brighter future.
Early August, 1979.
Dragon pox is a decease that progresses rapidly upon initial contraction and as Euphemia lays in a bed in the dragon pox isolation ward at St. Mungo’s with her husband, who had just taken his last breath, she reflected on her life and the joyous gift that James was and still is. She couldn’t believe it had only been two weeks since they celebrated James' wedding to the lovely Lily. Euphemia’s heart swelled with appreciation and love for her daughter-in-law. She admired Lily's strength and kindness, as well as her unwavering support and friendship for both of her sons. Lily had seamlessly become an integral part of their family, and Euphemia treasured her presence.
At times, James could indeed be a whirlwind of enthusiasm, with his boundless energy often spilling over. Yet, Lily, with her patience and grace, effortlessly balanced his exuberance. Euphemia was grateful for Lily´s ability to bring calm to the occasional storm that James and Sirius sometimes stirred in their lives. In Lily, Euphemia had not only welcomed a daughter-in-law but had also found a steadfast source of stability and love, a role that she herself had been the primary provider of in James’s life, until now.
When her sons learned of their parents’ illness, their reactions were very different. James, in his typical enthusiastic manner, sought to maximize their time together. He initiated countless conversations, delving into the uncharted territories of his parents’ life. Despite the contagious nature of dragon pox, James remained undeterred in his quest for connection to his parents before it was too late. James had given Euphemia his pair of the two-way mirror, which Euphemia and Fleamont had initially given James so he could stay in touch with Sirius when he still lived at Grimmauld Place. In the past 2 weeks they had used it so James could speak to his parents through the mirror Sirius had almost every day.
In contrast, Sirius withdrew considerably. Perhaps it was the fear of losing the very people who had, from the moment he stepped into their lives, provided him with unconditional love and support. His distancing was a testament to the depths of his emotional attachment to Euphemia and Fleamont, who had become more than just his best friend parents. Euphemia and Fleamont were steadfast anchors in their son’s turbulent life, and Euphemia thinks that the prospect of their impending departure had left him dealing with a complex web of emotions. She felt a sense of relief knowing that, like James had Lily, Sirius also had someone special in his life. Remus had become the guiding light in Sirius’s life when his own had flickered out. Despite his struggles as a werewolf, Remus stood by Sirius side, coming to his defense, and helping him through the darkest nights. The love shared between the two of them was truly remarkable and profoundly beautiful. Sirius also had the support of James, Lily, and a tight-knit group of friends from their Hogwarts days. Euphemia was comforted by the knowledge that Sirius would not be left alone when she passed, and she held hope that he would continue to have the love and companionship he so deeply deserved.
Euphemia found profound happiness in having fulfilled her most cherished role of being a mother. Her heart swelled with pride for James and Sirius, and she wished that the war would come to an end soon. She yearned for the day when her beloved sons could fully embrace life’s many opportunities and chase their dreams without the threat of the wizarding world collapsing beneath their feet.
In the solitude of her room within the dragon pox isolation ward at St. Mungo’s, Euphemia Potter closed her eyes for the final time, next to her beloved Husband. The sterile, antiseptic air could not erase the radiant warmth of their shared love. As she took her last breath, a tranquil sense of reunion enveloped the room, as if her husbands’ spirit had returned to hold her hand once more. Together, their souls soared, leaving behind a profound silence that echoed the memory of a love story that had triumphed even the most formidable of challenges.