To my readers:
It has been exactly 9 months since I began this fic; we have reached 18 pages, 43 chapters, and 435 posts! It’s been fun, hasn’t it? Now as promised, the final post to The Traitor

Chapter 43: The End

“James, darling, where’s your wand?” Lily asked.

James took it out from his back pocket, and handed it to Lily. “Why do you need it?” he asked.

“Well, I feel bad,” Lily said. “It’s Halloween and we don’t have any candy for the children.”

Lily waved the wand and conjured up a few small, hard candies. “Here,” she said, handing James the candy. “Go give these to Harry and Hannah.”

James smiled, kissed Lily, and walked out to the living room. He paused to watch the children momentarily. Hannah looked longingly at Harry’s small teddy bear, and when Harry realized she wanted to play with it, he handed the bear to his baby sister; and then Hannah let Harry play with her rattle in return.

James patted them each on the head, and when handed them the candy they giggled.

“James, I’m going to start dinner now,” Lily called from the kitchen. “Do you have any preferences?”

“I’ll just have some of the left over chicken, from last night, Lils,” James called back. “Do you need any help?”

“No,” Lily replied. “You can just watch the children, if you want. Oh I know,” Lily said. “Why don’t you read that book I got for you on house-cleaning potions?”

James smiled, and mumbled, “Oh yes, that should be quite a read!”

Lily smiled as well, and called, “I heard that!”

James sat down, reading the ‘fascinating’ book potions, when he heard the front door open. At that moment, he knew; he just knew what was going to happen.

James stood up, and grabbed his wand from the table. When he looked up, Voldemort was standing there, smirking in his face.

“Hello Potter,” Voldemort said, “You don’t look happy to see me. I’m dreadfully sorry for just dropping in; perhaps I should have called first.”

James did not reply; he simply stood there, glaring at Voldemort. “Well, aren’t you going to run, or hide?” he asked. When James did not reply, he said, “Fine, have it your way.”

With a simple wave of his wand, Voldemort flung James across the room; he landed on top of the coffee table, smashing it. His head was bleeding, and he couldn’t move, all he could feel was pain.

Voldemort walked over to the playpen; and James slowly started to stand. Voldemort took one look at Harry, and said, “You are the one who is supposed to bring about my demise? I don’t think so. Avada Kedavra!”

“NOOO!” James shouted.

Hannah had blinked and transported herself directly in front of Harry. James hit Voldemort with a spell, and propelled him into the next room. Tears began freely falling down James’s face as he looked down on his baby girl; he placed her on the couch and walked in the other room to battle Voldemort.

Lily, who had been upstairs at the time, came running down, shouting, “James I heard a crash! Is everything all right?”

Lily ran in, and saw her baby lying motionless on the floor, she began to weep hysterically. James could hear her, he wanted desperately to hold her, but he had to stay and fight.

James yelled. “Lily, take Harry and go! It’s him! Go! Run! I’ll hold him off-”

Lily grabbed the crying Harry and ran up the stairs. She ran into the nursery, locked the door, and set Harry down in his crib.

All of a sudden there was a loud bang, and a thud; Lily knew exactly what that meant. “Oh James!” she cried, silent tears running down her lightly freckled cheeks.

Harry started to wail. “Shush, Harry, shush,” Lily said. “Mummy’s here, it’s all going to be all right.”

Suddenly the door burst open, and there was a high pitched cackle of laughter.

Voldemort slowly advanced towards them; Lily knew she didn’t have a chance, especially without her wand.

“Not Harry!” she cried. “Not Harry! Please- I’ll do anything-”

“Stand aside!” Voldemort commanded. “Stand aside, you silly girl!”

An eerie green light shot from Voldemort’s wand, and everything went black.