(31st October 1981)
I woke up to the sound of Harry's torturous cries like normal. He was practically our family's alarm clock: always waking up at 6:30am every morning. However, this time it was different. It was still dark outside, the stars taking over the sky. Harry would never wake up at this time of a night. You could hear my parents groan from the bedroom next door to mine. My parents have always had trouble sleeping on a night. But whenever I ask them what's wrong they tell me the same thing.
" We can't sleep honey because we have to keep an eye out for someone."
However, when I asked who the person was they would get agitated and annoyed. My parents left their room and went over to Harry's. You could hear my mother trying to calm down Harry with her loving comforting words.
" It's okay Harry nothing is here, you just go back to sleep my little Angel." But that didn't work, Harry still continued to let out torturous screams .
I swung my legs over the side of my bed and walked over to my bedroom door and opened it slightly so I could hear them more. My mother picked up Harry from his crib and walked over to the window before leaning down and pressing her lips onto Harry's forehead tenderly as she cradled him in her arms. My father then entered the room and approached her and kissed her lovingly on the side of her head.
" I'll go downstairs and get this little one a bottle."
My mother turned around and smiled at him. " Thank you, Love."
My father returned her smile before leaving the room to make Harry's milk. I took this as my advantage and left my bedroom and walked over to Harry's across the hall. My mother must've heard me because she turned around and looked at me with empathy in her eyes.
" Did we wake you, dear?"
Rubbing my eyes, I shook my head demonstrating a simple 'no'. She walked over to me and knelt down with Harry in her arms. She wrapped her free arm around me, embracing me in and hug. I felt loved and protected in her arms. She sighed and pressed her lips on my forehead lightly before pulling away.
"Come on, let's go see what your father is up to."
She stood up and offered me her hand. Which I gladly accepted. We both left Harry's room and started making our way downstairs. A loud bang caused my movements to become somewhat paralysed . My mother let go of my hand and made her way to the bottom of the stairs. She then began to call out to my father. "James, is everything okay in there?"
My mother received no response. She turned around and made a gesture with her hand, telling me to stay where I was. She continued to take a few more steps forward before repeating herself.
" James, is everything okay in there?"
The back door swung open, and my mother was faced with my father that had a worried look on his face. His hands trembling and a wave of worry and anxiousness washes over him. He ran up my mother and placed his hands on her shoulders.
" Lily, go upstairs and make sure Harry and Iris are with you."
"Why? James what's wrong?"
My father looked my mother straight in the eyes. " He's here, Lily. The Dark Lord is here. Go upstairs now!"
My dad pushed my mum in my direction before he turned back around and looked at the back door. My mother came running over to me and grabbed my hand and she dragged me up the stairs in a hurry. We made our way to the nursery, Harry's room. She pushed me inside before she entered herself. She quickly locked the door then took a deep breath in before looking at Harry and I.
" My poor babies," a loud sob escaped my mother's mouth, tears falling freely down her face.
" Mummy what's wrong?"
My Mum looked at me and walked over. She placed Harry in his crib before bending down and picking me up and placing me inside the crib alongside my little brother.
" Iris, darling you have to promise me something. Okay?"I nodded my head in response. My Mum put her hand on my cheek.
"Look after Harry okay, protect him with all you heart. Be the big sister you're suppose to be okay. You have to promise me, Iris."
I grabbed my Mum's hand off my cheek and held it." I promise, Mummy. "
More tears fell down my mother's face. She placed her forehead against mine and smiled.
"Thank you, Baby. Thank you so much."
Downstairs, I heard my father scream.
"Leave my family alone!"
A loud thud could be heard and a wicked laugh was heard right afterwards. You could hear someone coming up the stairs.
" Mummy, what's happening?"
Mum leaned down and quickly kissed Harry and I on our foreheads.
" Don't worry, Darling. Everything will be fine."
The laughter of the man continued to grow louder. Quickly, my Mum looked at Harry and I with panic in her eyes.
" Mummy loves you, Daddy loves you. We love you both so much," more tears fell down my mother's face. All I wanted to know what was happening. I wanted to know why my mother was crying right in front of me. I wanted to make her happy. To see her smile and laugh. She placed her hand over her mouth as she heard a click on the nursery door. A shaft of light illuminated the nursery as the door was pushed open, and my mother, now standing herself up on shaking knees, turned up to face her fate.
She looked up and looked directly at the tall, skeletally thin man. He had a chalk white face resembling a skull, vivid red eyes with vertical cat-like pupils. His nose was flat with slits for nostrils, and he had long thin hands along with no sign of any hair. My mother whispered the man's name under her breath.
" Voldemort."
The man took a step into the room, as my mother raised her arms protectively over the crib: covering Harry and I. His thin lips rose into a devilish looking smirk as he hissed at in contempt at her feeble protection.
" Not my children. Not Harry and Iris," my mother pleaded, her voice breaking in the process."Please not my children," she repeated once more.
The man walked closer into the room and pointed at my mother." Stand aside, you silly girl," he jeered. " Stand aside now!" He pointed his wand towards Harry and I in the crib.
My mother looked back at my brother and I then back at the man and repeated once more. " Not my children. Take me instead, just please.... not my children."
The man took another step towards my mother, clearly studying her fierce expression as he stood over her, her defiant eyes looking up at him.
" Please, not my children...have mercy." She begged. "Have mercy."
Voldemort raised his hand with a sudden swiftness as he brought it down wordlessly, a blinding flash of green light enveloped the room, as Harry and I closed our eyes due to the brightness. A dull thud was confirmed.
My mother was dead.
A cold wicked laugh left the man's mouth as he stood over the crib, aiming is wand in the dead centre of my brother's head. I then remembered what my mother said. She wanted me to protect my brother. I looked over at Harry and his face was covered in tears.
I took a deep breath before looking at the man." No leave!"
The man looked at me with a wicked smile, I knew he meant trouble . He leaned forward and examined my face.
" Ah you look so much like you mother," he lifted his hand and pulled a strand of my fiery hair and let it fall in between his fingers.
" Iris Potter...I don't know if I want to kill you.." He looked at my brother.
"It's mainly him I want.. but I guess I can have the both of you ."He laughed, as if he found himself funny. He then pointed his wand at Harry's head.
" Avada Kedavra!"
I screamed out. I didn't know what to do. I didn't even think before doing this act. But what choice did I have? My promise to Mum was to keep Harry safe. Therefore, I grabbed to wand and faced it towards my cheek.
" No! Stupid child I swear I will-"
He didn't have time to finish because there was another green flash that illuminated the room, panic took over his blood red eyes. His body went back a few steps before the green light enveloped him causing him to vanish in thin air.
That night a curse was placed upon Harry and I. When Voldemort killed my mother his soul left his body and a part went into Harry and another part went into me. The Dark Lord could still control us, but that is something we never knew until further on.
Due to this, Harry was left with a scar that almost resembles a lightning bolt on his forehead. His could easily be covered.
However, mine couldn't. Mine was placed directly on my cheek.
When parents told me and evil man was out to kill a family.
I didn't know that the family he wanted to kill would be mine.