The Last Protection: Harriett Potter's Legacy

Prolog

Prologue: The Death of the Potters and Harriett's Protection

It was a cold night in October, the kind of night when even the bravest of wizards could feel the weight of the darkness closing in. In Godric’s Hollow, James and Lily Potter were preparing for the worst, knowing the prophecy had marked them as the targets of Lord Voldemort. Their daughter, Harriett, was just a baby, but the world was shifting around them in ways no one could have imagined.

James, ever the protective father, kept watch over his wife and daughter, his wand at the ready. Lily, looking out the window, whispered softly, “We can’t stay here much longer. It’s too dangerous.” Her voice was filled with fear, but also an unwavering love for the family they had built.

But it was too late. The door to their home burst open with a violent force, and the Dark Lord himself stepped into the room, his eyes burning with malice. The Potters had always known this day might come, but it didn't make it any easier to face.

James stepped forward, attempting to hold his ground, but Voldemort was too powerful. With a wave of his wand, James fell, lifeless on the ground. Lily screamed, trying to shield her daughter, but the curse that followed her was even faster. A flash of green light marked the end of her life, and in that same instant, Harriett's cries were the only sound left in the house.

Voldemort turned toward the child, a sneer forming on his lips. "This one will be no trouble," he muttered, raising his wand to cast the fatal curse.

But then something strange happened. A barrier of magic, pure and undiluted, rose around Harriett. The curse rebounded, striking Voldemort instead. The force of the blast shattered the walls of the house, but Harriett was unharmed, her tiny body cradled in the protection of her parents' love and sacrifice.

Sirius Black arrived moments later, the sound of his footsteps heavy in the air as he rushed into the ruins of the Potters' home. He’d been close, too close to the action, and the devastating scene before him left him breathless. His best friends—James and Lily—were dead. His goddaughter was alone. But Harriett was alive.

He knelt beside her, trembling as he scooped her up, feeling the weight of their loss in the depths of his heart. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be the godfather, the one who protected her, the one who watched her grow.

But as he held her, something deep inside him stirred. A fierce, burning need to protect her at all costs. She was the last piece of his friends left, and he would not fail them.

He heard the sounds of approaching footsteps and saw the dark figures of the Aurors, led by Albus Dumbledore, arrive. But Sirius couldn’t let them take her. Not yet.

“You can’t have her,” Sirius said firmly, standing tall, his grip on Harriett tightening. "She stays with me. I will raise her."

Dumbledore, his expression solemn, approached slowly. His voice was calm, yet there was an air of finality to it. “Sirius, I understand your grief, but she needs to be with Hagrid. It is safer for her.”

“No,” Sirius snapped, his voice cracking with emotion. “I’m not letting her go with him, Albus. I’m not. Not after everything.”

Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, but it was clear the Headmaster had already made his mind up. “We will discuss this later. For now, we need to inform the Ministry and the public. The Potters are dead, and Voldemort is gone. The Dark Lord is finished.”

Sirius felt a surge of anger. “You don’t understand. It wasn’t just Voldemort. There was a traitor among us. Pettigrew. He’s the one who betrayed them.”

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “Pettigrew? Are you certain of this, Sirius?”

“I’m positive,” Sirius said, his eyes hardening. “He’s the one who gave them up. It wasn’t me. I swear it. I would never do that to James and Lily.”

Dumbledore, ever the skeptic, didn’t seem to believe him right away. “But Peter—”

“No,” Sirius interrupted. “It was Peter. I’ve seen the signs. I know it in my heart. He’s the one who faked his death.”

The Aurors were skeptical, but something in Sirius's eyes made them pause. They knew him well enough to understand he wasn’t the type to lie about something so serious.

After a long silence, Dumbledore finally spoke. "If you’re telling the truth, then we must act quickly. The Ministry needs to know, and we must find Peter."

The room was tense, filled with the weight of decisions to come. But in the end, Dumbledore knew Sirius was right. Peter Pettigrew had been the one who betrayed the Potters. The wizarding world, for all its wisdom, had missed the signs. And now, the consequences of their negligence were clear.

The Aurors agreed to give Sirius a chance to prove his innocence, though they remained watchful. For the time being, they allowed him to take Harriett with him, knowing that the truth would come to light soon enough.

Sirius had no intention of waiting. With Harriett in his arms, he left the ruins of the Potters’ home behind. He would raise her, and he would make sure she knew the truth—about her parents, about the betrayal, and about the family who had loved her from the moment she was born.

And while Dumbledore and the Ministry worked to uncover the rest of the mystery, Sirius Black would raise Harriett as his own, determined to protect her from the dangers that lurked in the shadows.