Prologue

-separater-

I stood next to my desk in my study. Bellatrix Lestrange had just proposed an idea that never occurred to me before.

"My lord, what if you had a child of your own …" the woman had said.

"Child? Why would I want that?"

"If anything happened to you …"

"I get your point. How do you propose I do that Bella?"

"You ... I …"

"Are you suggesting you carry the child Bella?"

"… I-if you would permit it my lord."

"It is either that or Narcissa, and I think Rodolphus would understand a bit better than Lucius. He is unable to give you a child correct?"

"Yes my lord …"

"Very well then. I will need some time to myself Bella. I shall call for you when I have made a definite decision. You are dismissed."

"Yes my lord …" she said. AS she made it to the door she turned around and looked straight into my red eyes.

"… my lord?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you …"

I blinked, having been staring into space. A knock at my door shifted my attention from my train of thought.

"Yes?"

"It is Lucius my lord."

"Come in," I said, opening the door with a flick of my wrist.

There stood the Malfoy, and he looked a bit nervous.

"Bellatrix has discussed the 'child' with Rodolphus." He informed me.

"And?"

"He has agreed to let you do it. He would surely treat any child his wife bore as his own."

"Thankk you for telling me Lucius. You may go now."

-separater-

Nine and a half months later the child was born. I called him Shinku, which is the Japanese word for Crimson. His appearance mirrored both myself and Bella's. It was really quite remarkable what the fusion of the Black line and the Riddle line could produce.

The child had black hair, gunmetal grey eyes, and moderately tanned skin. That part came from Bellatrix surely, my skin was very pale. There was something about his eyes … it was almost as if there was a sort of fire in them ...

Bella told me that his eyes reminded her of my own. The way they mirrored my own and how she was sure crimson would suit him. How he would grow up to be one of the most bloodthirsty of my followers. I had crucio'd her when she'd said that. My child was not to be a follower, and I would let him choose what he wished.

-separater-

It was after only three short months of his existence I was forced to leave him in the hands of the lestranges. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan promised to take care of my child. We traveled to Japan shortly before his birth so that it would not be noticed by Dumbledore or any others of the light. I wanted my child to live, and this seemed to be the only safe way to accomplish that.

When I was finally able to see him again I found a sight I thought I'd never see. Bella was crying and her husband and brother-in-law were trying to comfort her. I took in her visage and then let my eyes roam the rest of the house.

"What happened here?" I hissed, my eyes alighting on blood that was in a trail from Shinku's room.

"T-they … they … damnit!" the woman said, more tears falling from her eyes. I blinked, not expecting this.

"My lord," said Rodolphus as he cradled her against his chest.

"Do I have permission to take her into another room? Maybe she'll calm down better …" the elder Lestrange asked.

"Go," I said, turning to Rabastan, my eyes boring into his own.

"… my lord?"

"Tell me what happened Lestrange." I hissed. He pulled on his shirt lightly and then turned to me.

"We went to buy some things from the store. Bella needed more fabric to make clothing for Shinku, and she had also wanted to pick up a few other things. We left Shinku here with a woman Bella found a few months ago who could watch him. When we came back the woman was dead and he was …"

"He was what?"

"HE WAS GONE MY LORD. Bella thinks he might have been killed, but my brother and I suspect kidnapping. There were signs of forced entry, none of the blood is his, and there was a note written in red ink …" he said, pulling out a piece of parchment and handing it to me.

I read:

'dear parents of the child,

I was very disappointed to notice that a dark witch and two dark wizards have ben taking care of your child. I thought I would inform you of this. It is of great concern.

I would like to make things right. I am going to raise the child with better protection. This was something that my and my colleagues decided. I hope that this is not of any insult to you personally.'

There was no signature.

"… I can't believe this!" I found myself yelling. This wasn't happening …

If that wasn't bad enough, Severus Snape told me of a prophecy a few weeks later. A prophecy that said a boy would kill me. A mere baby no less …

Something had to be done to stop this. The child would need to be killed, and possibly the parents as well.

After I killed Lily and James Potter, the boy was all that was left. The Potter child was called Harry, and he was nothing special. I pointed my wand at him and cast the killing curse without a second thought. What I had not anticipated was my curse backfiring on me …

-separater-

A/N:

This is the prologue. Harry's first year will start in the next chapter. AT least that's the plan. There will be a lot of time skipping in this story. I will try to explain the differences between the canon and this story but they will not be important enough to re-write the Hogwarts years, at least through book 6.

R and R