Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter

Chapter 1: The Beginning

In what seemed like a cottage, but actually was a tent, a boy in his early teens awoke suddenly in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. This wasn't uncommon for this boy as he had spent many nights wide awake in fear of having the nightmares again. Nightmares about the night that the rat had escaped. When the boy's mind wandered to thinking about the rat, his face shifted into a deep scowl. The boy's eyes flashed brightly, almost glowing in the darkness. When the boy's eyes flashed brightly, you could catch a glimpse of the scar on his forehead that made people recognize him for who he was. The scar was wrought from a failed Killing Curse. This boy, named Harry James Potter, was known throughout the wizarding world as the Boy-Who-Lived. The person whom gave him the scar was named Lord Voldemort. Almost all of the British magical population was scared of that name. Thus, most people called him He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who. However, before becoming the Dark Lord, Voldemort was known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. A Slytherin who was the brightest and most promising of his generation. But, he, unfortunately, used his powers for evil instead of good.

Harry went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the most prestigious magical school in all of Britain. At this school, he had faced many dangerous trials. His first year, he faced down his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher whom had Lord Voldemort on the back of his head. His second year, Harry battled an incarnation of Voldemort from his younger years, when he was still known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. Also, he battled and killed the King of Serpents, the Basilisk, in Salazar Slytherin's infamous and elusive Chamber of Secrets. A single look into its eyes can kill someone and Basilisk venom is the most poisonous venom. Harry actually got bitten by the Basilisk while he was stabbing it with the legendary Sword of Gryffindor. Fortunately, Albus Dumbledore's Phoenix, Fawkes, used his magical tears to save Harry by crying on the wound and healing it. During Harry's third year at Hogwarts, he saved his Godfather, Sirius Orion Black, from receiving the Dementor's Kiss. And now, it was the summer before fourth year.

Harry took a deep breath and, reluctantly, got up knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. He grabbed his trusty Holly and Phoenix feather wand and left the tent to go to the tap to get some water in hopes of relieving his dry mouth. He reached the tap and put the cup that he had brought with him under it until it was full. After gulping it down, he went to fill it up again when he noticed a suspicious group of three people gathering together in the shadow of a rather large tree. They were all wearing dark cloaks and silver masks, bar one, presumably the leader. In the centre of the circle, was a grey cloaked man that seemed to be groveling. Harry got into a crouch and moved forward quietly as possible. One of the cloaked figures kicked the groveling man out of the circle. The groveling man proceeded to put up his hands as if to say that he was surrendering. The man who kicked him brandished his wand and sent a violet colored curse at him. Boils appeared on the man and he moved his hands to scratch at them, thus making more appear. The kicking man raised his wand to send another curse at the boils-covered man, but his arm was grabbed by another individual who gave him a look as to command him to stop. Reluctantly, the kicking man put his wand away. The supposed leader knelt down and slowly began to remedy the man of his boils. By this time, Harry had moved close enough to hear what they were saying.

"You see, Mr. Klinger, I am a merciful wizard. My colleague, however, is not. I suggest you give us the location of the artifact before he gets too brash." said the leader.

"Never! It's hidden from the likes of you and your Master!" spat Klinger.

"It's times like these that really test my patience," said the leader and, with a sigh, he said "Avada Kedavra." The Killing Curse erupted from his wand and snubbed the life out of Mr. Klinger. "Let's go back to Headquarters."

A piece of parchment was passed between each affiliate and as each member read it, they nodded their heads. Eventually, the paper was burned when it was passed to the member who seemed to be the leader due to his golden mask. They began to walk off gracefully until one of the robed figures noticed Harry watching them. Harry hastily looked down in hopes that the figure would overlook him, but his luck did not seem to grant him such a luxury. The figure who spotted him pointed him out to his leader and his leader turned towards Harry. A glint from a foreign light reflected off of the leaders golden mask making it seem as if it was liquid gold. He stretched his arm out to Harry and waved him over. And so Harry ran in the opposite direction.

Spells rained past Harry as he sprinted through the forest. His pursuers were shouting at him to stop running away. Harry quickly hid behind a tree to catch his breath. He wasn't used to running so much since the days of "Harry-Hunting" ended with him getting his Hogwarts letter.

"Kid! Come back from behind the tree! We only wish to talk!" Yelled one of the pursuers.

"I need to get away and fast!" Thought Harry, "But how?"

Looking around, he noticed little splinters of wood around him from the trees. Grinning to himself, he transfigured them into matches and banished them in the direction of the voice. A cry of pain erupted one second later illustrating that fact that Harry had indeed hit his mark.

"One down, two to go" He thought. Then another curse came its way and almost hit him in the skull. "Time to go!" And with that, he took off running again.

The tree that he just ran by exploded into a shower of bark and splinters. Some of the slivers of wood pierced into Harry's leg making him stumble. Harry went to grab for a nearby tree with his left arm, but as he reached his hand out, a curse hit his wrist. His hand and wrist were blown off in a shower of blood and gore. Harry stared at it in shock.

"My… my hand?" He said almost questioning the fact that he didn't have a hand anymore. Blood poured out from his arm at an uncontrollable rate. The humerus was barely visible at the end.

Unable to comprehend what had happened, Harry's body and magic went into full defensive mode. As Harry started to blackout, a shockwave erupted from his body that knocked the pursuing wizards over, knocking a few of them out. Several trees cracked fell, too. The last thing that Harry heard was someone yelling his name.