Title: The Strength of Love

Author: Domino

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Summary: A different Harry comes to stay at the Burrow after the events of the Tri-ward Championship, and no one knows quite what to do. H/G, R/H. Covers Harry's 5th year. Surviving Voldemort, prophecies, girls, growing up…

Disclaimer: Not mine…

A/N: I was springcleaning my computer and found this chapter. It's a flashback scene from the story relating the prophecy, and I realised that I never posted it. A little late, but hope you enjoy.

Chapter 7

A Trip to the Past

14 years ago

Godric Hollow

October

The scream had him running into the room in a panic, his son held tightly in one arm, the wand extended in readiness in the other. The fear was replaced by laughter at the sight that met him. Twirling round the room, his wife, was laughing and smiling – celebrating.

"I found it, James. I found the way to complete the translation," she said, taking Harry from his arms, and dancing with him. Harry gurgled, his baby laugh infectious, as his mother spun them both around. James smiled at the sight of them.

He headed over to her desk, covered in books and papers, as it had been for months, as Lily had researched the prophecy. Right in the centre was the scroll, Lily's small neat writing scrawled all over, as bit by bit she had worked on the prophecy that had them stumped for months – the reason for their hiding.

He read the final version, and looked up to see his wife watching him carefully.

"You were right, Lily – its not us," he said as he took in the meaning.

"Yes," but Lily had stopped smiling, "But if its not us, then…" her green eyes turned to another set of matching ones, still smiling, his tiny hands entangled in her long red hair.

"Then, its about Harry," James finished the thought for her.

"It has to be, to fall in the timeline Cassandra described. Oh, James. Our poor baby."

James moved towards them, and pulled them both into a tight embrace. A small sound of complaint from his son who was being crushed between the two had him releasing them slightly.

Lily smiled suddenly, "Well at least I know he'll find true love."

James laughed, "He's only one, Lils, give him some time before you have him married off."

"James, I've been thinking about this. We need to let Dumbledore know immediately. And we need to make sure she's protected."

"Did you send the owl off already?"

"A few minutes ago. But I worry, James. Dumbledore is in the middle of those meetings. What if he can't come immediately."

"Lily, I know this is important. But its been centuries, a little more time isn't going to make that much difference," James reassured his wife.

"I just have a bad feeling about this. Like…" she trailed off, looking uncertain.

"Lils?"

"I hope we see him meet her, James."

"We will, Lils. We will."

"So, who do you think she is?" Lily said looking at her husband, the worry of a few minutes ago replaced with curiosity.

"Let's see," James leaned over the scroll again reading aloud the relevant parts…"Red hair, one of seven…who does that remind you of?"

Lily watched her husband in bemusement as he worked it out.

"The Weasleys," it was a triumphant shout. James smiled at Lily.

"It makes sense. They all have red hair, and I remember Dumbledore mentioning a few months ago that they had their first girl," Lily answered his unspoken question.

"She's the perfect age. They're a good family. Bill and Charlie were great kids," James said. He looked quite happy at the discovery.

"Let's go, James. Let's go and see for ourselves," Lily said, looking hopefully at him, "We can go to Hogwarts and see Dumbledore, and give him the prophecy, make sure that she is protected as well."

"Lily, I…"

"Please, James. We'll be careful. I need to get out. Need to see for myself."

"Okay," James said. He never could refuse her anything and both of them were going stir crazy stuck here.

"The Weasleys live in Ottery St Chatpole. We'll go there first. Make a portkey, while I get Harry ready."

James was already heading for the laundry basket to get a few pair of socks. He began the procedure and made three portkeys one leading to the Weasley's, one to take them to Hogwarts, and one to bring them back to Godric Hollow. Apparition would have been easier, but neither of them did it when they travelled with Harry, not unless it was an emergency. And beside Hogwarts, and many places these days had wards preventing apparating in.

"All set, Lils," he called through the door.

"Ready," Lily reached for the bright green socks (one of Harry's), while James took Harry's baby bag. Within seconds the three of them had disappeared, reappearing in a small wooded area, a few metres from a lopsided house, that looked like it only stood up by the power of magic.

Harry was crying, rather unusually, as Harry was pretty well-behaved. He rarely cried, and almost always slept through the night.

"Doesn't look like he likes portkeys either," Lily said, rubbing her son on his back, reassuringly. Both of them smiled when their son stopped crying and began looking around curiously.

The second Harry spotted the Burrow, he tried to jump out his mother's arms. She put him on the ground and immediately Harry began waddling towards the house. He fell twice, but each time struggled to his feet determinedly.

"Looks like he knows where he's going," James commented to Lily.

"Do you think he can…you know, feel her, or something?" Lily asked.

"I wish I knew. This prophecy business is going to complicate things."

"Should we tell him, and her?"

James looked pensive, "No," he replied finally, "Love shouldn't be something you force. It has to happen naturally."

"I agree. We'll wait," Lily said. They both fell silent, as they got closer, recognising the importance of the moment. James scooped Harry up in his arms, and carried him the rest of the way.

"Well, we're here," James said as they reached the door.

Lily gave the men in her life a nervous smile, and reached for the knocker on the door, before releasing it. The sound was loud, and from the door they could hear running footsteps.

"Who's there?" a young boy's voice called, rather nervously. Fear was prevalent in these times. They were few who could afford to be trusting.

"The Potters," James answered, and the door opened slightly to see a familiar face peeking out. Immediately they remembered that in an unprecedented move – Hogwarts had shut for the Halloween half-term, and most of the its residents had gone home.

"James. Lily," the boy said excitedly, "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Bill," Lily greeted. And the boy went red with pleasure that she remembered his name.

"We're here to see your parents," James answered the question, "Can we come in?"

"Of course," Bill moved away from the door and the three entered.

James and Lily looked around curiously. The house was a warm one. It welcomed all who entered it, and love was evident in the well-kept, though slightly worn furniture. Harry struggled to be put down, and crawled away when James set him down.

"Mum took Ron and Percy to St Mungo's. He broke his arm when the twins accidentally pushed him off the swing. And dad is…" Bill's face fell slightly, and James and Lily knew that meant Arthur Weasley was off fighting.

"It's just me, Charlie, Ginny and the twins," Bill continued, leading the way in, "Me and Charlie are baby-sitting."

James and Lily followed the young boy, smiling at his exuberance. And then stopped in amazement at the entrance, where Harry was already halfway to the group of red-headed children playing in the corner of the room. In the centre was a little girl, laughing, her red curls bouncing with each giggle.

"James, Lily," Charlie stood up in shock, where he was keeping a careful eye on the twins, making sure they didn't do anything to their new baby sister.

"Hello, Charlie, " James said, and Charlie's reaction was similar to Bill's.

"Is that Ginny?" Lily asked, leaning over the pretty baby, who was sitting up, her tiny hands reaching out for Harry, one hand curled around in a fist over a small toy figure.

"James," Lily called, as she saw what the figure was, "Its a unicorn."

Harry, in the meantime crawled over to Ginny, and touched her face, almost reverently. Ginny gurgled happily when Harry reached her, her head bouncing in excitement. Harry, moved his small hands to grab her red curls. He smiled, "Mine!" he said. It was one of the few words he knew, and he used it often.

Lily swallowed. They were just babies. How could the fate of the world rest on their hands. She turned to James, to see a tear in his eye.

"I figure it's the red hair, Lils," James said, "We Potters are partial to red-heads."

Lily smiled.

"Mum should be home soon, " Charlie said, looking confusedly between the two. And then, in a practised move, Bill grabbed one twin, and Charlie took the other, just in time before the two dived over the sofa and hurt themselves.

"That's okay, Charlie. We can't stay long. Maybe we can take a few pictures of Ginny."

"Sure, we take pictures of her all the time. She's pretty, isn't she?" Bill said proudly.

"Yes, she is. Beautiful," Lily replied.

James was already snapping pictures, unnoticed by the two children who seemed totally absorbed in each other, despite the age difference of about 9 months.

"We need to go, Lils," he said finally, looking as reluctant as his wife.

"I know."

"We can't let them know her identity," James said.

"What are you saying, James?" Lily said. They could talk, since the boys had taken the twins into the kitchen to get them some food, as their mother had taught them.

"We're going to have to obliviate them, Lily. We can't let this get out. If someone even knew we came here, when we're supposed to be in hiding, they might figure it out."

"And her parents?

"We'll let Dumbledore tell them. We know he trusts them. We just can't let anyone else find out about the prophecy."

Lily didn't look happy. "I know, James. This would be so much easier if we knew the identity of the traitor," Lily said sadly.

James expression hardened. He didn't like thinking about them having a traitor in their midst, thinking that a friend of theirs could betray them.

The next few minutes happened quickly, and with an efficiency that spoke volumes for the team the Potters made and the powerful wizard and witch that they were. James obliviated one of the twins and Charlie, while Lily did the same to Bill and the other twin.

"What about Ginny?" James asked, as he reprogrammed the children's memories.

"No, not her. She's just a baby. Even if she does remember, it won't be a bad thing."

"You ready, Lils," James said, taking out a pair of red socks, to portkey them to Hogwarts. Lily picked up Harry, and immediately he started crying, and trying to climb back down to Ginny. He cries were increased as Ginny joined him, her face scrunched up. She didn't look happy that they had separated them.

"Oh boy, we didn't think of this, before we came up with this plan," Lily said, trying to make her son stop crying, while Charlie picked Ginny up to quiet her down.

"We have to go, Lils. Now. You know we can't stay here for much longer. Its dangerous."

"I know. I know. I'm coming," Lily walked away, her son struggling in her arms, looking mournfully over his mother's shoulder at the pretty red-head baby who was screaming her head off, showing her displeasure at her loss.

Lily grabbed the portkey, and within a second they had reappeared in an office – Dumbledore's. They were at Hogwarts.

Neither of them noticed the Harry's little green socks, rolled up in a ball fall out the bag on to the ground. They missed Charlie and Bill, in desperation to stop their sister crying, hand her every toy in the box spilled out nearby. None of that worked. Gripping her unicorn tightly, Ginny screamed her head off, in the middle of a full blown temper tantrum. Finally, as a last resort, Charlie gave Ginny the pair of socks lying on floor next to him. Ginny looked at the green ball for a second, then stopped crying and grabbed the socks. Still making snuffling sounds, she put her head on the pillow, and holding the socks closed her eyes and went to sleep, much to the relief of her brothers who didn't know quite what to do with the normally docile child.

In the meantime, Harry was still crying. And he didn't seem to be showing any signs of stopping soon.

James was struggling with the camera. He pulled out a picture, and muttering a quick spell developed it, before waving it front of Harry, "Here, son. Look, Harry," he said, making sure Harry saw the picture. Ginny was smiling happily, offering her unicorn to Harry.

Harry stopped crying and took the picture, running his tiny hand over the moving picture.

"That was smart," Lily complimented her husband.

He smirked back at her, "Well, I am a Marauder. We're pretty smart," James said proudly.

"I don't think he's going to let go of the picture any time soon," Lily said, in amusement, watching her son, trying to make the picture Ginny laugh.

"I hope Ginny stopped crying," James said, looking a little worried.

"Me, too. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go and see her, James."

"It's too late for that now. Let's find Dumbledore and give him the information," James said, walking towards the door.

Lily followed, "What happens if he's not here?"

"I guess we could hide it, someplace only he could find it," James answered.

"I have the perfect place. Here, take Harry for a second," Lily said, and in a practised move handed her son to her husband before scrabbling for a quill in the baby bag, and stealing a scroll from Dumbledore's desk. She began writing while James watched.

"What are you writing, Lils?"

"Just a few clues, for Dumbledore to find the prophecy. We'll leave him the note, and hopefully he'll find it, in case something happens." She scribbled a few more words, before signing it with a flourish, and standing back up, "All set. Good," she said, when James nodded.

"So where we're off to?" James asked, holding a still entranced Harry, who was now shaking the picture to make Ginny's hair shake. The three of them climbed out the hole. With a quick kiss to Harry's forehead, Lily ran towards the library with the translation clutched tightly in her hand.

"I'll meet you at the entrance," she said over her shoulder. James nodded and headed toward the front doors, thinking for the first time, he was glad that the school had sent everyone home for the Halloween half-term – a rather unusual circumstance. A minute later, Lily joined him at the front. With a fond glance back the Potters left Hogwarts, James and Lily not knowing that for them - it would be the last time they would ever see their old school again.

TBC