Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The only character I own is Erica Lily Potter. And on with the story... this is gonna be sad. Also, bold things are quotes from the books, italics are spells, and underline is for emphasis.

October 31st, 1981

Third Person POV:

As night draws ever nearer, Lily Evans Potter and James Potter entertain their two young children. Erica Lily Potter, a bright girl even though only three years of age, and Harry James Potter, an infant only one year old, are siblings that get along together like two peas in a pod.

"James, Erica and Harry need to go to bed," Lily says laughing, brushing her fiery red hair out of her face. Lily bends down to pick up Harry and puts him on her hip, staring at her husband who is making puffs of colored smoke erupt out of his wand to the delight of his children. Erica runs around, giggling, as she tries to catch the smoke in her chubby fist.

"Again Daddy again!!" she cries, exhilarated.

"Mummy says no," James says softly, grinning at his wife. "What a fun-sucker, that one." Lily smacks him on the back of the head as James yelps. "Bloody hell woman!"

"James! Erica is right here, you know."

"Bloody hell!" Erica chirps, looking between her mum and her dad happily. James cringes as he throws his wand down upon the sofa and stretches, yawning. The gate creaks, disrupting the happy family. Lily's face draws white with fear and anxiety as the parents make eye contact over their children's drowsy heads, fiery red and jet black like their parents'. The door bursts open as James sprints into the hallway.

"Lily, take Erica and Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" James shouts, fearless until the end. Lily, panicking, grabs onto Erica's hand and runs up the stairs, almost pulling little Erica off her feet.

"Mummy what's going on?" Erica asks, lower lip trembling. Lily stares into her daughter's hazel eyes, so much like her husband's. Lily starts to answer but then hears a high, cold voice casting the dreaded curse.

"Avada Kedavra." If Lily had more time to ponder, she would have laughed at the thought that the most feared curse in the magical world sounds like a messed-up version of the common Muggle 'spell' adabra cadabra. Lily, knowing she has very little time left, picks Erica up and places both Erica and Harry inside his cradle.

"Baby, Mummy has a game for you. Would you like to play?" Lily says softly, trying to hide the tremors in her voice. Erica nods her little head, grinning. "I'm going to put you under this blanket with your brother and you aren't going to move or say anything. Even if someone tells you to come out, don't. Mummy will come back for you. I promise." Lily covers Erica up with a little blanket and steps away from the crib.

Then, the door bursts open and the tall, thin form of Lord Voldemort steps into the room, his cold, pale skin and red, gleaming eyes shining.

"Not my children, not my children, please not Harry and Erica!!" Lily begs the snake-like man desperately.

"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside, now," the figure commands. Erica shudders at his cold voice, sucking her thumb. Even though she's a 'big girl' now that she's three, this mysterious man terrifies her.

"Not my children! Please... have mercy... have mercy... Not Harry and Erica! Not my children! Please, I'll do anything..." Lily pleads once more.

"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!" the man shouts. Lily doesn't. She stands strong, not moving from her protective stance over Harry's crib. The man points his yew wand at her and says the two dreaded words that he already said once today. The green light flashes around the room and she drops to the floor, dead. The man steps forward, advancing towards the cradle with a dangerous gleam in his snake-like pupils.

"Erica Potter," he hisses with a malicious undertone. "Come out, come out wherever you are." The little children's tune turns dark and vicious in a mere second. "No?" Erica stays where she is, listening to her mother's last wish, even though his voice sends chills down her tiny spine. Unknowingly to Erica, the man points his yew wand once more at her brother and her, deliberately aiming towards the middle of them. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouts, and then knows nothing but pain. Erica, after not hearing anyone for the next few minutes, peeks her head out of the blanket.

There's nobody there. Nobody.

She immediately turns towards her brother, seeing that he has a strange lightning-shaped scar on his forehead that is bleeding. Remembering what her mother taught her, she takes the blanket and puts it up against the cut, pressing gently.

"Mummy? Daddy?" Erica cries, the call echoing throughout the broken house. She hears a motorcycle roaring to a halt in front of the driveway. "MUMMY!! DADDY!!" Erica shouts, hearing nothing in return. "Mooy? Pafoo? Womy?"

Silence.

Erica sits in the crib with her younger brother, holding him close to her. Even though she doesn't know it, the two toddlers are the last surviving Potters.

Then, a tall, dark-haired, handsome man steps into the nursery. This man is also known as Sirius Black, James Potter's best friend and brother-in-all-but-blood. His eyes are immediately drawn to Lily's corpse laying at the head of the cradle. Then, his eyes flick up to the children clinging to each other in the crib.

"Erica? Harry?" Sirius whispers, as if disbelieving.

"Pafoo!!" she grins up at him, who attempts a smile back in return. It doesn't look right. "Mummy, where Mummy? Where Daddy?" Sirius chokes back a sob as he steps forward to pick up Erica and Harry, cradling them in his arms.

"Lily? James?" a shout is heard from downstairs, and Sirius turns quickly, setting Erica down on the floor and reaching into his jacket pocket for his wand. He pulls it out and aims it at the broken-down door, ready to defend Harry and Erica. An incredibly tall man, who has to be half-giant, steps through the threshold. "Sirius? What are you doin' here?"

"Hagrid?" Sirius questions. "What was the first creature you showed Remus, Peter-" his voice grows dark and falters at the next name - "James, and I in detention?"

"Why, a hippogriff of course! And what did you suggest for the name of my boarhound Fang?"

Sirius smirks, looking like his proper twenty one years of age instead of older. "Elvendork. It's unisex!" The handsome man lowers his wand, still cradling Harry in one arm with his leg protecting Erica.

"Pafoo," Erica repeats, tugging on Sirius's pant leg. Sirius looks down at the miniature Lily and feels as if he's just been punched in the gut. Repeatedly.

"Yes, Erica?"

"Mummy? Daddy?" Erica questions in a hopeful tone, breaking Sirius's heart neatly into two.

"Mummy and Daddy had to go, sweetheart," Sirius says softly. He turns to Hagrid. "Please, let me take them. I'll go to Remus; he's Erica's godfather." Hagrid shakes his head.

"Dumbledore's orders: he's to live with his aunt and uncle along with Erica." Sirius stares at Hagrid, disbelieving.

"No, he can't. She can't. They can't go and live with Lily's wizard-hating sister and her fat whale of a husband." Sirius pleads with Hagrid, but the half-giant stays unmoving.

"Dumbledore's orders."

"Please, Hagrid. James and Lily wouldn't want their children to live with Tuna and Vermin."

Hagrid, frowning, responds with, "Dumbledore said so. Great man, that one." Sirius sighs.

"At least take my motorbike," Sirius offers quietly and defeatedly. Hagrid accepts the offer and walks over to Harry, picking him up.

"Pafoo?" Erica questions.

"I have to go away now," Sirius says softly to Erica. "Be good for your aunt and uncle. But if they annoy you, give 'em hell. I need to go rat hunting, but remember that I love both you and your brother. Moony does too." Sirius kisses Erica's forehead and places her tiny hand in Hagrid's, the pale fingers disappearing in the pure vastness of Hagrid's hand. "Keep them safe, Hagrid. Please."

"I will, Sirius," Hagrid responds, "I will." Sirius and Hagrid both exit the house, and Sirius transforms into a large, black dog, barking once at the two tiny children dwarfed in Hagrid's arms and then vanishing into the night. That is the last time that Erica ever saw Sirius for thirteen long years.

Word Count: 1,371