Lion Rampant

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

The chilly October air had caused many parents to bring their children home early from a fun night of trick or treating. Lily Potter stood beside her son's crib smiling and absent mindedly staring outside his window remembering the fun they had had earlier that evening. Her young son Harry slept a bit fitfully, missing his older brother Dudley who normally slept in the same crib as he did. Lily rubbed Harry's cheek the skin contact soothing him slightly in his brothers' absence.

Her sister Petunia had taken Dudley to visit with their parents after a bit of trick or treating but Lily had decided to keep Harry home after discovering his slightly elevated temperature. She smiled fondly as she began to think on all the strange and hilarious things that had happened for her and her sister to end up sharing a mate. The memory of the night their poor friend James had discovered that the sisters had come into their demonic lion heritage still made her giggle.

James Potter was a good strong wizard and had easily taken up the challenge of mating to both of them. His power had called to them and the sweet feeling of his magic brushing against them had made up their minds very easily on just what the sisters wanted. A loud crash from downstairs pulled her from her day dream and she was immediately on alert.

"Lily! Take Harry and run!"

A sinister voice hissed out the killing curse and Lily knew her mate was gone. She turned to her young son and gently lifted him from his crib, hoping not to wake him. Lily grunted in pain as she tried aparating but was forced back by wards not belonging to her family. She cursed and placed the baby back in his bed hoping she could at least injure the intruder enough to get them to retreat. Her pupils dilated as she allowed her demonic side to come forth.

Lily's normally bright red hair took on a golden shine as her nails turned into deadly looking claws, she inhaled deeply and scented something putrid standing outside the nursery. Crouching into a defensive position she waited for her husband's murderer to enter.

Her eyes widened in fear as the Dark Lord Voldemort slowly entered the nursery, Lily lunged at him hoping to distract him from her son. Voldemort set up a shield just as her claws raked across his chest. The sudden appearance of a shield sent Lily flying into the side of the crib. She rushed to cover her son hoping to shield him from the worst and in her panicked state lightly nicked baby Harry with her claws. The blood of the Dark lord on her claws seeped into the tiny cut mingling inside the baby causing his pupils to become snake like before quickly returning to normal. Lily prayed her sister would be able to sense the danger they were in and summon the baby but she knew in her heart that Petunia was too far to summon the boy.

Voldemort raised his wand the killing curse leaving his lips easily almost lazily when he realized something was wrong. Instead of the green light leaving his wand to murder yet another helpless victim his entire wand began to glow and vibrate.

Earlier that week all three mates had put the finishing touches on a complicated network of rune based wards. It was only now with death approaching that Lily was grateful for her sister pushing for the nursery wards to be completed first. The once invisible runes in the room began to glow killing curse green, seeming to suck the light from the tip of Voldemort's wand. Harry and Dudley's crib glowed as well as the Dark Lord's spell triggered the protective runes carved into it. Voldemort screamed in rage as the glow of his spell grew to engulf him. The light steadily swallowed the room and when nothing but the deep emerald green of the Killing Curse could be seen a muffled explosion rocked the nursery.

--------------------------------Evan's House----------------------------

Petunia Potter laughed quietly at her father's latest crazy story, her mother grinned while cooing down at Dudley. Halloween had been a success with both young boys, their excited laughter with each new piece of candy. Dudley and Harry had been the cutest pair of miniature lions in the neighborhood. Unfortunately the night had gone a bit sour when both James and little Harry had begun to heat up.

Petunia had volunteered to reschedule the late dinner with their parents to stay home and take care of them but Lily and James would not hear of it. With the Evans' hectic work schedule they rarely had a chance to visit, James had insisted that at least seeing one grandchild rather than neither would be perfectly fine for the grandparents.

Pain tore through Petunia worse than anything she had ever felt before. Her body began shaking as she felt the bonds that once connected her to James snap and disappear. Her father rushed towards her trying to soothe the pain she was in. Mrs. Evans took Dudley upstairs away from his distraught mother so he wouldn't have to witness her pain.

"Petunia, darling what's wrong?"

She sobbed into her father's shoulder letting him comfort her when a fear not her own gripped her heart. Petunia stood up quickly leaving her confused father on the couch.

"Take care of Dudley for me daddy."

She ran out the door and headed for the car James had given her for her birthday last year. Her tears rolled silently down her face as she drove towards the house they had turned into a home. Petunia was prepared this time when the bond she had to Lily snapped. She pushed down on the gas pedal praying she could reach their home in time to save at least Harry.

Not for the first time Petunia's jealousy over Lily's magical abilities reared its ugly head. If only she was magical as well then she could have apparated straight to them.

She could have saved her sister.

The car screeched to a halt as she pulled up beside the house. Leaving the car running Petunia ran to the front door her breath catching in her throat as she took in the splintered door barely hanging on to its frame. Carefully she made her way into the house allowing her demonic blood to come forward and enhance her senses. Tears pricked her eyes as she noticed Lily's wand on the floor beside what used to be their entrance table.

A baby's cry came from upstairs and Petunia hurried forward hope blossoming in her chest once again. Harry was alive and right now getting him out of their destroyed home was her main concern. She passed James' body at the bottom of the staircase and whispered a silent prayer knowing he would want her to save the baby.

The sight of the blown out nursery was almost too much for Petunia. Lily's scorched body lay by the crib with a pile of ash just inches from the doorway. Paint burnt off the walls and the windows had all been shattered, yet in all the destruction the crib their sons' shared was untouched. Petunia smiled sadly down at Harry, the poor boy had lost both his mother and father within minutes of each other. Gently lifting him into her arms she vowed that nothing would ever hurt the Potter boys again. She grabbed a diaper bag from the hall closet and quickly filled it with a few essential items and then hurried out of their once beautiful home.

The wind whipped her flaming red hair behind her, the one feature she shared with her now deceased sister, as she ran to her car. She placed Harry in one of the infant car seats and kissed the now sleeping baby. As they left the scene of so much destruction Petunia knew one thing, you never mess with a momma lion.