Chapter Text
"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."
"Lily, you have been repeating that girl Granger's sentence all week - "
"Hermione Granger is my spirit animal don't you dare to speak of her that way."
"Lilypad, I swear to Merlin - "
"Drammy."
"I'm giving up."
"Good luck, Drammy."
"I don't like that Granger girl." James huffed. "I'm team Ron."
Lily smirked, "I'm team Hermione."
James narrowed his eyes "Watch out, Granger."
"Mind your way, Weasley," Lily replied with a sly smirk.
"What do you mean by tha- " James found out by himself when he fell facefirst on the floor. He tripped on the broomstick, which he pretty sure wasn't there a moment ago.
"GRANGER!"
Lily laughed and flopped down the bed. She turned on the screen and started sipping her tea.
It was another morning in Hogwarts, and Harry and Ron were chatting casually, and still not on a speaking term with Hermione when James sat down next to Lily grumpily with folded arms.
"Team Ron."
Lily rolled her eyes and was about to reply when the owls arrived, and in their surprise, an owl dropped harry a package and then a letter. Harry looked as confused as the Potter, and he decided to check out the letter first. Inside said:
DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.
It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.
Professor McGonagall
James gasped loudly as he finished the letter. And before Lily could stop him, he had already leapt onto the bed and did his happy dance.
"I know Minnie loves Harry! He's a Potter, that's too obvious! I LOVE YOU, MINNIE!"
Lily laughed and shook her head. She was happy too, of course.
Harry seemed to have difficulty hiding his glee, too (which made James proud) as he handed the note to Ron to read.
"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."
They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall, they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.
"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."
"Blonde bastard - " James was about to pull out a series of profanities when Ron spoke.
"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."
James grinned proudly "Team Ron."
"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."
Before Ron could answer or James could use his profanities, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.
"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.
"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.
"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"
"A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Harry, as the Potters fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.
Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. James and Lily looked more satisfied than ever, and James cackled louder.
"My son got my sass!"
"Not trying to hurt you, Drammy," said Lily, chuckling "But the person Harry inherited his sass from is probably me."
James stopped cheering and turned around to look at his wife.
"Team Ron."
"Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team..."
"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them.
James sighed "Ah shit, here we go again."
And as James had predicted, Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand. Lily brightened at the arrival of the girl.
"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry. James nodded his head crossly.
"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good." James sniggered at that and received a light smack in the head by Lily.
Hermione marched away with her nose in the air. James scoffed again, receiving yet another glare from Lily.
"James, you are literally a grown man and an eleven-year-old girl has more common sense and logic than you." Lily retorted, which James took full offence for.
"So I guess my maturity died with me." James huffed. Lily seemed like she was gonna say something back but decided that it was not worth her time.
James' day went by more slowly than it should, and he could see it on his son's face as well. Harry looked more impatient and annoyed than usual in class, and James couldn't blame him. Lily knew something was up when James didn't finish his lunch, which rarely happened. The last time James left something behind on his plate for lunch was when was waiting for the Quidditch World cup finale of 1991 to air.
"Honestly, I know you're impatient but we can't really do anything about it but wait, Drammy." Lily sighed as she took the dishes away. James nodded half-heartedly, his eyes still on the screen. Lily rolled her eyes.
Finally, the time arrived and James, in Lily's words, "looked like a hyperactive baboon on a sugar rush". He couldn't remain on his seat as Harry and Ron rushed to their room and unwrapped the parcel.
"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread.
James was in awe with the broomstick, and apparently, so did Harry. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top. It was every Quidditch player's sweetest dream.
"I am so happy." James sighed, with a foolish smile on his face.
Lily shook her head and laughed. "Sometimes I think you love Quidditch more than you love me, Drammy."
As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. James, again, didn't pay much attention to his food and his attention were for Harry instead. His eyes glimmer as Harry stepped his foot into the all too familiar field. The surge of nostalgia flooded James again as he remembered his glorious time as the star of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Of course, this was not the first time he saw the field after he died, he had observed every Hogwarts match from the screen. He even had some favourites (Charlie Weasley of Gryffindor and Rhonda Harper of Ravenclaw, for example). But this time, seeing the Quidditch field with Harry made James feel like the first time he saw it again. The magic seemed to double and his love for Quidditch grew even more. He made a mental note to come over to the Prewetts' for a match later.
James saw Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground. His heart grew prouder as he saw his son swooped in and out of the goalposts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted at his lightest touch. James wondered if they sell this broomstick model in the Afterlife.
"Hey, Potter, come down!"
Oliver Wood had arrived. James smiled at the Quidditch team captain. He was quite impressed with Wood's passion for Quidditch. Some would say Wood was more of a Quidditch fanatic than James, and that really said something.
Oliver Wood was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm as he approached the field. Harry landed next to him.
"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. James grinned proudly. "I see what McGonagall meant... you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."
Lily entered the room and put down a tray of biscuits and tea. James looked up gratefully.
"You're the best, Lily." He pulled her down onto the couch and kissed her. "Harry is having his first Quidditch lesson, it's interesting so far."
Lily smiled as she sipped her tea. "Ooh, I wonder if he would turn out better than you. I bet he would, honestly."
"I would not even be mad." James grinned.
Oliver Wood opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.
"Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."
"That's me!" James said proudly.
"Three Chasers," Harry repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball.
"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"
"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited. "So - that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"
"What's basketball?" said Wood curiously.
"Never mind," said Harry quickly. Lily chuckled.
Oliver Wood quickly explained the positions of Keeper (which was himself), Beaters (with the demonstrations of the Bludgers), and finally, it came to Harry's position.
"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages - I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep.
"Well, that's it, any questions?"
Harry shook his head. James smiled at his son. He really was a fast learner.
"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."
He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch.
Harry didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted. James and Lily cheered each time Harry caught the ball, and James was drowned in pride. He murmured to Lily about something like 'the Potter gene'. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.
"That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily and James nodded in agreement as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."
For the following two months, James made sure to be present on every Quidditch practice, while Lily kept track closely of Harry's academic lessons. Both of them were highly proud of their son. Although, James still insulted Snape on a daily basis.
On Halloween morning, James woke up to the smell of pumpkin pie and he drifted down the stairs in excitement. Hugging Lily from the back, James pecked Lily's cheeks softly and grinned broadly at his wife.
"You're literally the best chef ever, Lil."
Lily chuckled, "Of course I am, James."
Harry also had a good morning at Hogwarts. In Charms, Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan. Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived. James frowned at the tension.
"Geez, they're still mad at each other, for some reason, huh?"
Professor Flitwick proceeded to explain the levitating charm.
"Swish and flick!" Lily said in sync with Flitwick. "I still remember this lesson til this very day."
However, it was very difficult for the kids. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it - Harry had to put it out with his hat.
Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.
"You're saying it wrong," James and Lily heard Hermione snap. James heaved out a sigh "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."
"I can't believe an eleven-year-old can be so pretentious." James huffed.
"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.
Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads. Lily clapped her hands while James gave the screen a look.
"I still don't really like her manners, though."
"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"
Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class, James noted.
"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."
Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. James and Lily - and was startled to see that she was in tears. They eyed each other worriedly.
"I think she heard you," Harry said and Lily nodded.
"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."
Lily frowned, "That's not nice, Ron."
James scratched his neck. "Yeah, Ron, I like you but I gotta agree with Lily this time."
Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds. Though fascinated by the decorations, James and Lily were still concerned with Hermione. So they checked, and indeed, she was crying in the bathroom.
"Ron ought to apologise soon, honestly," Lily said disapprovingly.
A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.
Lily waved her wand and the food appeared in front of James. To him, it was as good as Hogwarts' feast. He beamed at his wife and gave her a kiss. He looked down at the pumpkin pie that he helped Lily with baking. Fortunately, it looked decent. He beamed in pride.
Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. James was too busy eating to notice but Lily tapped him on the shoulder to look up. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know."
He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.
There was an uproar. James and Lily looked at each other in panic. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.
"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"
"Yeah, that is necessary." Lily sighed, still shocked.
"Follow me! Stick together, first years!" Shouted Percy Weasley, Gryffindor's prefect. "No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"
"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.
"I wonder that, too, son," James said, looking shaken up.
"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."
"Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if that's actually the case," James admitted.
Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm as the passed a group of Hufflepuffs. James and Lily looked at each other in confusion.
"I've just thought - Hermione."
Lily gasped as she remembered, "The girl is still in the bathroom!"
"What about her?" Ron asked
"She doesn't know about the troll."
Ron bit his lip.
"Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us."
Lily swallowed, "This is not gonna end well. He's becoming more like you, James."
"Oh, he really is," James smirked.
Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.
"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin.
Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view. James and Lily grimaced.
"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"
"Search me."
Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps. Lily held her breath and clutched James' hands in anticipation.
"He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.
"Can you smell something?"
Harry sniffed around. And then they heard it - a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed - at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.
It was a horrible sight, James decided. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. Lily tensed up at the creature and winced as the troll dragged his gigantic club with it.
"Oh, Merlin, I don't wanna watch this." Lily yelped, tightening her grip on James' hands. He swallowed hard, his throat went dry.
The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.
"The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."
"Good thinking, Harry - " Lily frowned, " wait - isn't that the bathroom Hermione was in?"
"Good idea," said Ron nervously.
James and Lily looked at each other in fear.
"Call an adult, Harry!" Lily groaned desperately, "He's impulsive like you, James."
James swallowed hard, "Not a good thing right now."
They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.
"Yes!"
"Oh no…" Lily muttered hopelessly.
Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage (James tried to shoult at them to return), but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop - a high, petrified scream - and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.
"Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.
"It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped.
"Hermione!" they said together.
"Thank god they realized," Lily sighed, "Not sure if it's too late or not, hopefully not."
It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside.
Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.
James' hands got sweaty and he felt himself trembling. He saw Lily crossing her fingers.
"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.
Lily winced but she nodded. "Yes, good thinking."
The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.
Lily tensed up and hugged James. James swallowed breathlessly.
"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.
Lily heaved a sigh but the stress was not over.
"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.
The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.
Harry then did something that James decided was both very brave and very stupid: He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind.
"HARRY!" Lily yelped in terror, "What is our son doing?"
The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped - it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.
James and Lily both flinched when Harry's wand was jabbed straight up the troll's nostril. James let out a groan of disgust.
"Even I wouldn't have done that," James shuddered, "He has more guts than I do."
"I'm still not sure if it's a good thing or not." Lily frowned.
Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.
Lily winced visibly, "Oh Merlin please no," She swallowed, "Please Merlin keep my son safe."
Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand - not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Lily looked up with a hopeful gaze. The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over - and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.
Lily and James both visibly heaved out a sigh of relief. Lily finally managed to release James' trembling hands.
Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.
It was Hermione who spoke first.
"Is it - dead?"
"Oh dear, I sure hope it is," James grimaced.
"I don't think so," said Harry, I think it's just been knocked out."
James frowned, "What are you even waiting for? Getting out of that place before you guys get caught! Remember the Potters' rule? Don't get caught!"
Lily shot him a look but said nothing, apparently still shaken up by the event.
Harry bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue.
"Urgh - troll boogers." James grimaced.
He wiped it on the troll's trousers. Lily scrunched up her nose in disgust.
A sudden slamming and loud footsteps got their attention. James groaned, since he knew they were sure to be caught. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape (with James' distaste), with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.
Lily rolled her eyes, "What did Dumbledore think, hiring this man. He doesn't even look qualified for the job."
Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Harry. James flinched at the fury in her face. James had seen that look before and it never ended in anything good.
"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"
Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look. James gave Snape the same look. Harry looked at the floor.
Then a small voice came out of the shadows.
"Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me."
James looked surprised, "Okay this is quite unexpected."
"Miss Granger!"
Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.
"I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them."
Ron dropped his wand. James and Lily's eyes widened. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?
"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."
Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them. Lily raised a brow disapprovingly.
"Well - in that case... " said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"
Hermione hung her head. James was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.
"Perhaps," James said slowly, "Granger has rights after all."
Lily shot him an I-told-you-so look, "Team Hermione."
"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."
Hermione left.
Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.
"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."
James grumbled, "Yikes, I thought they have successfully lost points. Guess Minnie has other ideas."
Lily gave him a look, "I kinda have to disagree with McGonagall here, they have put themselves in extreme danger and it's not something to celebrate."
Harry and Ron hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.
"We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled. Lily rolled her eyes.
"Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's."
"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."
"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him. Lily snorted at Harry's brutal honesty.
They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Pig snout," they said and entered.
The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.
James raised his eyebrows, "I sense something brewing here."
But from that moment on, James and Lily witnessed Hermione Granger becoming Harry and Ron's friend. The Potters agreed that there are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.
--------------------------------------------------
Lily rushed into the kitchen that afternoon, her eyes widened in fear. James looked up in confusion, a feeling of dread growing inside him.
"Lily, what's wrong?" He asked, his voice terrified.
She swallowed, her voice trembling. "I found out something. Our son is in danger."