A/N: I have not abandoned "Conflict Within", that is still my pride and joy. However, I am participating in NaNoWriMo so it will be put on hold for the moment. This is my NaNoWriMo story. Normally I would wait to upload the whole thing once it is finished an edited, however I am a short story writer and this must be 50,000 words and I will need all the feedback I can get. I apologize for any grammar or POV errors. I plan to fix those when all this madness is through. For now my goal is to reach 50,000 words. Lord help me lol. Your feedback on this will help alot with further continuing the story. I have somewhat of a plot in my head, but any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance : )

Enjoy!

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The clock struck twelve midnight, and at present, I happened to be the unlucky soul asigned to corridor patrol. It seemed the student's had figured out the teacher's night guard schedule, and no one dared be out tonight for fear of a rather unpleasant meeting with the schools sardonic potion's master. I smirked to myself. The children really made it too easy to enjoy a pleasant midnight stroll with nothing but my memories to keep myself company. Pleasant I snorted, as if. My past was filled with everything but. I couldn't even escape into a pensieve like any other normal wizard serching for a break from reality- or immediate reality at least.

"By the powers of Merlin please let this patrol go by quickly" I murmed out loud. Sleep was hard to come by these days. Either I didn't have time for such trivial actions, or my mind could not stop reeling and kept me wide-awake, staring at the ceiling. But bleariness began to overtake me for the first time in several days. Naturally, I welcomed it but unwillingly pushed it aside until the appropriate time. Unfortunately, with lack of sleep, came lack of alertness. I felt my occlumency shields slip gradually away and I felt myself fall into one of my most loathed flashbacks.

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"Rise" I commanded. The muggle girl at my feet whimpered and curled further in on herself.

"Rise!" I spoke more firmly. Still she gave no sign of recognition. Disgusted, I grabbed onto the collar of her dress and yanked her upwards. My face drew in close to hers nearly touching nose to nose. "You will obey when spoken to" I whispred dangerously. No doubt the gleam in my eye hinted at what would happen should she be insolent enough as to further incur my wrath. As soon as I released my grip from her, she swayed and fell back down to the floor with as little grace as one could have. I pinched the bridge of my nose. Avery and Nott had been foolish enough to kill the snivelling child's parents, so where exactly did they expect to get the information we sought? Perhaps the child might have some insight I thought to myself. I delved into her mind, ripping at the feeble barriers most likely placed there by her now ashen skinned parents. At closer inspection I came upon another barrier, tougher and much stronger than before. Way to point out the obvious. I tore my way through those barriers as well and knew I had come upon the information we'd been sent to receive/ take. The parents sat on the bed talking about a family heirloom, something of substantial value. " We must take precautions Alan" the wife said to her husband, " Should it fall into the wrong hands-" The women broke down into sobs as her husband layed a soothing hand on her back. "It will be Heather's." was all the man said before the memory abrutbtly faded to black.

I blinked, severing the connection between the girls mind and my own. Whatever the Dark Lord intended to do with this so-called "vital" tidbit was his buisness. Tough I could see no use of this knowledge, who was I to object? The girl was usless now. I raised my wand to deliver the final, deathly blow, but stopped mid- incantation. A Carmel colored teddy bear was cluthed tightly to the girl's chest. I bent over and seized the threadbare teddy. She looked up at me puzzled, her glazed over eyes betraying a flicker of hope. In the second she found some hope, I destroyed it with one clean tear down her beloved bear's midsection. I laughed curelly. It would be far worse for her to live than for me to give her the sweet escape of death. With no parents, no living relatives, and not even the ability to fend for herself, she had no chance of leading a satisfiying life. Yes, far better for her to live. I turned sharply to my heel and exited the room, my robes rustling against the carpeted floor. At one last glace back, the girl was scrambling on the floor frantically trying to piece back her broken teddy. I smiled.

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My occlumency shields flews back up. I found myself thinking in the present, yet breathly harshly from what I had just experienced from the past. Apparently I wandered onto the seventh floor without so much as noticing where my feet were carrying me. It took a few moments to calm my erradically beating heart so I leaned wearily against the wall. Footsteps echoed from around the corner. Preparing to scare the whits out of some unassuming first year, I whipped out my wand. Lo and behold not a first year, but Albus Dumbledore peered in from around the corner.

"Albus?" I inquired for he appeared not to have noticed me.

"Albus?" I stepped closer to him and he finally looked up. "Severus lad. I was just looking for you down in your quarters"

" Minerva and I traded corridor duties. What do you require of me?" At second glance, Dumbledore look distraight and even older than he had several hours ago.

" I have called an emergency Order meeting-" I opened my mouth to question about the nature of the meeting but Albus held up his hand motioning to let him continue.

" I fear dark forces have finally infiltrated Howarts. A student has been taken."

" By whom" I pushed, though I half knew the answer already.

"By Death Eaters." He replied, "The more troubling bit though, is why didn't you know?"