It was a very still Halloween night. The streets of the little village had been quiet for some time. It was odd, since children had flooded the area earlier with their laughter and brightly-colored costumes, going from door to door to gather their sweet treats. Now, the evening was filled with silence as the moon cast its light over the little hollow.
In a cottage, a mother stood watch over her sleeping child. She had stood by his crib and sung him a lullaby as he’d cooed himself to sleep. Time was at a standstill for her as she lovingly looked over her son. She carefully touched the scar on his head his round little cheeks, and then the outline of his little jaw. She traced his little features over and over as if to memorize every inch of her baby. He woke for a moment to smile at his mother, then lazily fell asleep again. She felt she could do this for all eternity, but she knew she only had a moment left with her son.
“Are things in order, dear?” said a kind voice.
Lilly Potter looked up to see an older woman in white robes standing in her nursery. She smiled as she nodded at her, then looked back to her son.
“I couldn’t leave him. Not just yet. James already said his goodbyes. I told him that I would be along shortly,” Lily said.
“I understand, child. But help is on the way. He won’t be alone for long,” the woman said as she looked at the little one with her. “And … he will never be alone. ” They smiled together as they watched the baby sleep.
“Strange. I thought when this moment came I would feel so distraught to leave him behind. But somehow, I’m at peace with it. Does that make me a bad mother?” Lily asked.
“Heavens no, child! Of course it doesn’t. The reason you so feel comfortable is because you know he is in good hands! Plus, you were blessed to have a better life this time around. You had a family that loved you, a devoted husband who adores you, and this beautiful child. That is why you don’t feel so torn as you did before. You lived a good life this time. It’s just a shame it had to end this way.”
“I know you’re right, Cassandra. But still, I’ve never left him before. Even when I was alive, he was always with me. As much as I feel OK with this, I still feel a little nervous for my son,” Lily continued as she looked at her baby.
“It’s only natural, dear. Remember, it’s all a part of your bond with him. You did a good thing back there. And he will be well protected for it when the time comes,” said Cassandra.
Lily looked around the room. The little animals on the walls seemed to look less cheerful than when she’d first decorated the space. The baby’s room was in a shambles from the confrontation earlier. She had done her best to fend off the attack. But when it had come down to it, she’d known what she’d had to do to protect young Harry. She looked over the crib to see her body still laid out on the floor. “He will be back, won’t he? Voldemort will return. Somehow I can still feel his power on this earth.”
“You are correct. His life force is still cemented in this world. It’s only a matter of time before he rises up and unleashes his vengeance once more,” said Cassandra.
“Then our efforts were in vain,” Lily said sadly.
“Of course not, dear! Yours and James’ sacrifices today were the foundation for his inevitable downfall. The next time he rears his head, there will be others standing ready to fight. And your son will be key in the next struggle against Voldemort. Everything will be put into balance as nature intended,” Cassandra chimed in. But as she looked to Lily, she could see that her words were less than comforting to her. “Dear, I sense there is something else that’s troubling you.”
“I can tell that you have a knack for sensing things. Strange how I can pick up on it just now,” said Lily.
“The afterlife is a strange and wondrous state of being. As you see your life pass, you start to see much more ahead of you,” Cassandra said.
“You know, just when Voldemort entered the room, just before he killed me … I couldn’t help but feel this strange sense of compassion for him.” Lily pondered this for a moment.
“Compassion?” Cassandra asked.
“Yes. After all the terrible things that he’s done, all the unspeakable acts, I felt compassion for the man. When I look back now, I see that I’ve always felt a little sympathy towards him. I didn’t quite despise him like the others did, especially James. And even as I fought against him, there was some part of me that couldn’t help but feel … sorry for him. Something tells me that he senses that too. Just tonight, I tried to get him to turn back from what he was doing. He could have killed me sooner, but he hesitated. He told me he wanted my son, not me. I begged him not to do it. But not so much for what he was about to do to Harry, because I knew I had Harry protected. There was that part of me that feared what would become of Voldemort if he continued. Like I was afraid for him. Isn’t that odd? ” asked Lily.
“In your case, not really. It’s just your maternal instincts kicking in, that’s all,” Cassandra said matter-of-factly.
“Maternal instincts for Voldemort? I find that hard to believe,” Lily said with a slight laugh.
“Dear, I find it hard to believe that you are still thinking like you have an actual brain, instead of going with your spirit, such as you are,” Cassandra laughed with her. “What your mortal mind is limited to understand, your immortal soul will soon comprehend in due time. Speaking of time, dear, I hear the cavalry coming. We must depart now.”
Lily gave a long and loving kiss to her baby. He woke up again to give her a smile goodbye, then nodded off to sleep. “I love you, my boy. My sweet Harry Potter.”
“He has your eyes, you know. And you and James have imparted your strengths to him. Both will be useful when the time comes,” Cassandra said.
“Cassandra, how is it that I know you when I’ve never met you before until now?” Lily asked as she left her son’s side.
“Oh, Lily. You and I never met in this life. And when we did meet before, I did not know you as Lily Potter,” Cassandra smiled as she took Lily’s hand.
“When you and I first met, I knew you as Merope.”
