You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 47

The air in Godric's Hollow was crisp, carrying the scent of damp leaves and the faint, lingering trail of woodsmoke from nearby chimneys. Inside the Potter cottage, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the darkness pressing against the windows. Warm light spilled from the kitchen, where the soft pop of magical bubbles provided the soundtrack to a quiet Halloween night.

James Potter leaned against the counter, watching his son with a mixture of exhaustion and adoration. Harry was perched in his high chair, his small hands batting at the shimmering spheres that James had conjured. Each time a bubble burst against Harry's nose, the toddler let out a high-pitched giggle that made James's heart ache with a protective ferocity.

Across the table, Lily was focused on a piece of parchment. The scratch of her quill was rhythmic and steady. She was finishing a letter to Remus, a task that felt more like a lifeline these days. With the war raging outside their protected walls, every word written to a friend felt like a small victory against the silence. They hadn't seen Sirius or Remus in what felt like a lifetime. The risk was simply too high. But the physical distance wasn't the only thing weighing on them; it was the empty space where Mira  should have been. Her disappearance months ago had left a jagged hole in their lives, a mystery they spent every waking hour trying to solve while tucked away in hiding.

The clock on the wall ticked toward midnight. It was 11:57 p.m. when the peace was shattered.

A heavy, muffled thud echoed from the front garden, followed by the sound of voices strained with effort. It wasn't the sharp crack of Apparition they were used to; it sounded like a collision.

James was moving before the sound had even faded. He reached for his wand on the table, his face hardening into the expression of a man ready to defend his home. Lily didn't hesitate either. She scooped Harry out of his high chair, tucking his head against her shoulder, and followed James into the hallway.

"Stay back, Lily" James whispered, his hand hovering over the door handle.

He didn't open it. Instead, he peeled back the edge of the curtain on the narrow window beside the door. His breath hitched. On the lawn, illuminated by the pale moonlight and the glow from the house, four figures were collapsed in a heap. They looked as though they had fallen from a great height. They were clinging to one another, a tangle of dark cloaks and pale limbs.

James's eyes widened. He recognized the messy dark hair of the boy at the center, and the way the smallest figure was being cradled with such desperate care.

"James, what is it?" Lily asked, her voice trembling as she shifted Harry's weight.

James didn't answer with words. He threw back the deadbolt and lunged out into the cold night air. Lily cried out, terrified that this was a trap, but she followed him anyway, her heart hammering against her ribs.

James skidded to a halt on the grass. The figure looking up at him was pale, bloodied, and exhausted beyond belief. It was Regulus Black. He was shivering, his arms wrapped tightly around a girl who looked like a ghost.

"Rosie..." James whispered. The name felt like a prayer.

Mira's eyes fluttered open for a fraction of a second. She looked at her brother, her face gaunt and her skin sallow, but she managed a tiny, fragile smile. "Jamie, it's over" she breathed. Her strength gave out completely then, and her head fell back against Regulus's shoulder as she slipped into unconsciousness.

"She's alive. She's alive" James kept repeating, dropping to his knees. He grabbed her hand, searching for a pulse. When he felt the faint, steady thrum against his thumb, he let out a sob of pure relief. He looked at the other three boys—Regulus and two others who looked equally battered. "What happened? Where have you been?"