AN: Okay, I know I should be working on my other stories but I couldn't get this out of my head. I have indeed started a prequel to my Time To Heal story. I have started the next chapter to both Another World and New Marauder; they will continue to be my priority. I have also gotten through seven chapters of revision in Time to Heal, but I want to post that all at once so I ask for your patience.

Thanks for reading. Please review, it makes me feel motivated to write faster.

Aria

A Beginning to a Finished Story

You won't cry for my absence, I know 


You forgot me long ago.


Am I that unimportant...?


Am I so insignificant...? 


Isn't something missing?


Isn't someone missing me?

-Evanescence "Missing"

Everyone knows the story of Halloween 1981; Lily and James Potter sacrificed their lives in order to protect their children from Lord Voldemort. The story continues with the survival of Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, and his twin bond with his sister Arianna Potter that allowed him to focus his power on survival. If you expect this book to worship these people, or make them out to be anything other than normal, then please put it down, for you will be extremely disappointed.

The purpose of this book is to tell the real story. Whether this makes for an interesting read or a story that will please the masses is not my concern. I offer nothing more here than the truth of the lives of two famous people, who most often would give anything to be able to shrink back into obscurity, to be normal.

In this book, pure, cold, hard facts will be presented, and nothing will be made flowery or get glossed over. There will be parts that I recommend that those with weaker constitutions skip over. Lord Voldemort was a terrifying figure, he was cruel and callous; he took pleasure in other people's pain, my pain, and Harry's pain.

Most of the wizarding world had preconceived notions of what our life was like, and how Voldemort was defeated. If this book does its job then every one of those notions should be shattered and impossible to put back together.

Most people think that the story of the Potters begins on October 31st, 1981. I hold that the story begins much earlier, as early as September 1st, 1971, when Lily Evans, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew met and were sorted into Gryffindor. Maybe the story starts even as far back as the birth of Tom Riddle, and the subsequent misfortunes he was to suffer.

For ten years these people, now famous, lived normal lives full of normal worries. They worried about grades and family, about what prank to pull and who to ask to the next school dance. Sure they realized Voldemort was rising, but at the time they were nothing but children. Not ready to fight in any war.

This book will hopefully tell the other side of the now famous story. It will strive to tell people of the humanity of the hero's of the war, and how they overcame the odds and defeated the darkest wizard of the age.

This serves as an introduction to the true story; a story that will not be published in my lifetime or Harry's. Hopefully when we are gone and forgotten this book will remain, if nothing else, as a fairytale for the coming generations to read, learn from, and enjoy.

Happy readings.

Sincerely,

Arianna Lillian Potter-Lupin

"Ria, baby, what're you doing?"

Ria raised her head from the journal she was bent over and turned toward her husband, who was standing in the doorway. His presence still brought a smile to her face, even after all these years. They both had seen better and younger days, but Ria was happy with her lot in life.

"Oh, um, well 'Mione asked me to write down the story of my life and Harry's. She promised not to publish them until both of us have passed on, but she thinks it would be good to have for posterity's sake. At least this way, I know all the facts to be as true as I can make them. There will be very little conjecture about the truth if I write it."

Remus came up behind her and stroked his fingers through her hair, "So how far have you gotten?"

She sighed in contentment, "Not very, I managed to write our first few years at the Dursley's. It was harder than I thought to get those events out on paper, and I never realized how bad it actually was."

"Oh Ria, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It's been in the past for decades Rem. I just never thought that anyone would be interested in my life story. It's weird to write about a time when I truly thought I was nothing special, and to know that the minute this book is published millions will buy it to read about me and my brother, mostly my brother though."

Remus shrugged, "It sounds very interesting. Do you mind if I read it?"

"I guess not."

Remus picked up the first chapter and began to read…