A/N: Hello all! "I have come back to life!" (anyone that can name the movie from that gets extra brownie points and possibly their name in the author note of the next chapter!) I'm back with the Sequel to HOW THE WORLD CHANGES. I'm super excited for this one, and I'm going to try and make it even better than the first. I've written like five hundred different prologues for this fic, but this is the one that just seemed perfect ya know? I know that it's no where near perfect, but I think I'm gonna stick with it. :) I'm not quite sure yet how long this fic will be, but it won't be any longer than HTWC for sure. In fact it will probably be shorter... but c'est la vie.

Thank you for all of you who have been waiting patiently for this fic... you are amazing. I'm going to try and update every two weeks because things are getting a little crazy with college stuff and holidays and I don't want to be a hermit in my room writing through all of Christmas break so...yeah. Anyways, sorry I talk so much, I promise not to do this every chapter. ;) Please read and review! -TheFreckledKangaroo

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Prologue

A woman crouched on the frozen ground, pale white flakes falling peacefully around her; completely contrasting the catastrophic phenomenon happening precisely at the same moment. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she steadied her husband who was leaning heavily against her shoulder; her salty tears mingling with the crimson liquid quickly staining the front of his shirt. She turned briefly to look behind her for a moment, her throat closing as she took in the sight of the building behind her completely engulfed in flames; parts of the giant edifice already falling, some already collapsed and crumbled. The sounds of screams surrounded her on all sides; people running to and from the building trying to evacuate. Her breath coming in short, sporadic gasps, she turned back around and pressed the fine linen of her cloak to her husband's chest, attempting futilely to delay what she knew was bound to happen.

"You have to go," he managed to choke out, wincing as she pressed her cloak against his chest.

She shook her head, tears still trailing down her pale face. "I can't leave you."

"I know," he whispered, gently brushing his thumb over her cheek. "But you need to. We can't make our children orphans."

"They need you. I need you," she cried. "I can't do this by myself."

"Yes you can," he smiled, a flash of pain crossing his face.

She cried out in agony, her heart torn as tiny hands wrapped around her arm.

"Mummy," a small voice sounded next to her.

The woman turned to the young child, picking her up in a tight embrace; clenching her teeth in pain as the wound in her side screamed. She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself and her daughter, attempting to block out the chill of the winter storm and the sight of the child's dying father.

"Mummy!" the child cried again, tears pouring down her small face. "Daddy hurt…"

"Shhh," the woman soothed, attempting to wipe her daughter's tears away; choking back a scream as she realized her hands left bloody streaks across the young girl's face. "Daddy's going to be fine okay?" she choked out, hoping the child believed her.

"Daddy," the girl repeated.

The woman turned back to her husband; her eyes full of pain as she clutched her daughter to her chest. "Okay," she whispered, setting the young girl down.

The toddler wobbled on unsteady feet, falling against her father. "Daddy hurwt."

Her father nodded, holding his daughter's hand lightly in his. "Yes love. But daddy's going to be alright."

"Really?" she asked, her brown eyes turning bright with hope.

"Really," he replied, tears pricking the edges of his vision. "Can you do something for me?"

His daughter nodded, her brown hair bouncing around her small face. He smiled, wincing as another wave of pain coursed through his body. "Perfect," he whispered.

"What my hafta do?" the girl smiled, seeming excited about doing something for her father.

"You have to go with your mum alright?" he said, looking into his daughter's bright eyes. "Your mum is going to take you and your brothers and sister's far away from here...where it's safe."

The young girl smiled, but her brow quickly furrowed in confusion. "Daddy come with us?"

He shook his head, glancing over at his wife whose face was clouded with pain. "I can't come with you right now. I'm sorry sweetheart."

"Comes later?" she questioned.

The woman held her hand to her mouth to muffle her choked sob; not wanting her daughter to know about her father's impending death. She looked at her husband, their eyes meeting over their child's head before he turned down to look at the young girl.

"Sweetheart….if you go with your mum now, I promise that you'll see me again someday," he said softly. "Can you promise me that?"

His daughter nodded, the light coming back into her eyes. "I pwromise daddy," she smiled, wrapping her small arms around his neck.

"That's my good girl," her father smiled, holding her softly for a moment before pulling away. "You've got to go with your mum now. It isn't safe here."

She nodded, turning back to her mother and walking unsteadily a few steps away to plop down on the grass; seemingly oblivious to the roaring flames and destruction all around her. "Loves you daddy," she smiled, waving her small hand toward him before turning to play with a stray dandelion.

"I love you too sweetheart," he replied, turning away from his daughter to look at his wife.

The woman wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, her shoulders shaking slightly. "I'll tell her one day," she whispered. "She'll know what her father died for."

He wrapped his arm tighter around her; his other held on the ground, supporting him. "She'll have you, and her siblings...she'll grow up to be an amazing witch," he responded.

"I'll come back for you. Once I get our children to safety, I'll come back. I'm not going to leave you here to die," she said softly, placing her hand on the side of his face as she looked into his eyes.

"Don't come back," he said firmly. "It's too dangerous. Stay with our children… they need you."

"They need you too," she whispered, tears still streaming down her face.

"We'll all see each other again. I promise," he smiled, kissing her softly.

They pulled apart as an explosion from the castle rattled the ground around them. More of the large edifice crumbled and the noise of all the people around them became more chaotic. He turned to look at the large building, his brow furrowed with worry. "You have to go. Now," he said, his voice firm. "Find our children and get them out. Please go, or this will all be for nothing."

The woman nodded, pulling away from her husband; her heart jumping in her chest as multiple clouds of dark smoke surrounded them. She grabbed her daughter, clutching her tightly to her chest as the smoke dispersed, leaving masked Death Eaters in its wake. Her daughter turned slightly in her arms; her small face twisting in fear as she saw the cloaked figures.

"Mummy?" she whispered, turning her fearful face to her mother.

"It's okay sweetheart," the woman replied softly, letting her daughter bury her small face into her shoulder.

The Death Eaters raised their wands, aiming them at the mother and daughter. "Now might be a nice time to surrender," one of them voiced as they all took a step closer.

The woman opened her mouth to respond, but before she could her husband rose somewhat unsteadily, his wand pointed firmly at the Death Eaters. "Not likely."

"You really think you can fight us in your condition?" they laughed in unison. "You might as well already be dead."

"Maybe," he snarled. "But I can probably take a few of you down with me."

The Death Eaters laughed again, and he glanced back at his wife. "Go. Now," he said firmly, his eyes flashing. "I'll hold them off as long as I can."

She nodded, giving him one last look before turning and running for the forest; holding her daughter tightly in her arms. Her husband watched her for only a moment before turning back to the Death Eaters, his gaze firm and stone cold.

"What a brave front," a Death Eater rasped. "Too bad it will all be for nothing." The Death Eater fired a spell at him; but he threw up a shield quickly, effectively blocking the curse. "Too bad to. It seems like you have quite the nice little family there."

The man's face contorted with rage as he fired back relentlessly. "You stay the hell away from them."

The Death Eater grinned cruelly; his eyes flashing as he returned the man's attacks. "Can't make any promises."

...

"Mummy, we left daddy," the girl cried, clinging tightly to her mother's neck.

"I know. Daddy is going to meet us soon," the woman answered breathlessly, pausing behind a tree to catch her breath.

The little girl nodded, a small smile appearing on her face, before turning into a look of horror as she screamed in fright.

The woman turned at the girl's outcry and a popping sound behind her. She stifled a scream as she whipped out her wand and fired a spell at the masked figure, knocking them off of their feet.

"Hold on tightly love," she whispered to her daughter.

The girl tightened her hold around her mother's neck as the woman continued sprinting towards the woods, away from the burning wreckage of the building behind her; trying not to think about her most likely dead husband.. She ducked as a bright burst of green flew past her shoulder, setting the tree to her right on fire.

"Mummy!" the girl screamed, burying her small face once again in her mother's shoulder as the pursuer shot another jet of green flame towards the running woman.

She quickened her pace; throwing a quick hex behind her, knocking over a tree in a futile attempt to block the masked assailant. The tree did nothing however, as the man dissolved into a cloud of black smoke before reaching the fallen wood. The woman kept running, her feet crunching against the frozen ground littered with fallen snowflakes. She and the child screamed in unison as the man reappeared directly in front of them, promptly disarming the woman in her second of confused alarm. The woman stood facing the masked man, unable to move; literally, as he had cast a freezing spell, holding her firmly in place.

"Mummy?" the girl whispered, looking up into her mother's eyes.

"Yes dear?" her mother replied, clutching her daughter close to her chest.

"Daddy coming now?" her daughter asked, small tears forming in her eyes. "He prwomised ifs I went 'way."

"Yes love," her mother replied, her own eyes filling with tears. "We're going to see daddy again real soon."

The girl smiled, reaching out to touch the curls cascading over her mother's shoulders, her head turning slightly towards the masked man standing behind her, holding her mother's wand.

"Keep your eyes on me sweetheart," the woman whispered, taking her daughters chin in her hands again and drawing her gaze back towards her.

The girl nodded, keeping her grey eyes locked on her mother's. "Loves you mummy," she smiled, pulling on one of the brown curls and watching it bounce. timid voice as the masked man raised his wand.

The woman tearfully nodded as the man laughed evilly from behind them. "What's love going to do for you now?" he growled in a low, dark voice.

"Mummy?" the girl asked.

The woman smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked at her young daughter. "I love you too darling," she whispered. "I love you so much."

Her voice trailed off as the girl's small head fell lightly against her shoulder; the soft brown curls mingling with her own. She lovingly stroked her daughter's head as the masked man fired his final spell; the mother and child falling to the ground as the jet of green light hit them. The masked man laughed cruelly into the night and disappeared once more in a billowing cloud of black smoke.