A/N: All right, so here's the first chapter! This is the sequel to Let It Be, but don't worry if you haven't read Let It Be; I think everything in the second chapter will make it clear as to what's going on. Of course, if you want to know why Voldemort's dead and such, you should probably go read Let It Be. It's only eleven chapters long—about 13000 words.

Disclaimer: I am not JKR—her plot is much more fascinating than mine. As such, only the plot in this story is mine.

Chapter 1: Caution, or Lack Thereof

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It is strange when the sun manages to beat coldly down upon something, especially when it is almost summer, but this was precisely what the sun proceeded to do. For after all, not even a huge, burning sphere of gas can quite extinguish that chill which turns one's insides to prickly ice at a dementor's mere approach; thus, when one remains in a dementor's company for prolonged periods, the sun's starkly-bright vigil, by reminding you of that unattainable warmth, does indeed manage to increase the cold one seems to feel.

So the sun beat coldly down upon Azkaban, and the witches and wizards locked tightly within the prison's walls flinched away from the sun's freezing warmth and light and cowered into the deepest, darkest shadows of their cells. There was one prisoner, there for so long that his identity was lost even to himself, who called the sun The Light Creature and spoke the title with a fear far surpassing that which is inspired when one considers the usual Dark creatures. And indeed, many of Azkaban's prisoners came to fear the sun more even than they feared their guards, those terrible dementors. Many wizards, upon viewing this phenomenon, have suggested that the terror stems from the blackness of the prisoners' souls—that a soul such as those jailed within Azkaban shrivels at the touch of the sun's rays of pure, good Light. Pragmatic sorts have often countered that idea, arguing that if such a thing were true, our souls would all shrivel, at least a bit, in the sun's presence; these wizards have then begun wondering about the possible spiritual ramifications of sunburn.

Meanwhile, the prisoners of Azkaban spend their days screaming, crying, laughing, and plotting as they slowly, torturously, inevitably lose their sanity.

But we mustn't forget the other prisoners, trapped in discomforting living situations, whose alleged sins, ineptitude, or misfortune are punished in manners entirely separate from the legal system. View the unemployed reporter, whose hair is frazzled, messy, and filthy, whose glasses are in sore need of repair, whose nails are chipped and filled with dirt. She huddles in a pub, hiding her face in shadows in the fear that someone might recognize her and how far she has fallen. Her hand itches to take up her quill and write revenge on the people who have done this to her, but she is trapped in a glass jar, so to speak, and cannot get out without risking getting squashed.

See also the woman who itches for power, only to have it snatched from her stubby grasp without warning, leaving her leaping at the sides of a deep trench, only to find her efforts futile: her enemies walk right past her and laugh at her pitiful attempts to discipline them.

Finally, watch the uncertain step of a boy whose father has been locked away, leaving the son all alone in a world terribly harsh toward supporters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. How dare they lock his father away merely for his all-too-true belief that Muggle blood tainted the wizarding race? How is he supposed to calmly continue schoolwork while remaining in the near vicinity of those credited for destroying the Dark Lord and capturing his followers? But how also could he stand against those people—the supposedly-untouchable contemporary heroes of the wizarding world?

These are just three examples of prisoners who would do anything to regain their place in the world. Should one fear them? Or, at the very least, be on his guard in case they should escape?

Harry Potter certainly should. But he has never been known for caution, has he?

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A/N: Ahhh! This is scary; I've never started publishing a story before I've finished it.

I'm hoping to publish a chapter every one or two weeks. I'll still be writing one-shots while I write Come Together. Hopefully life will be kind to me and allow me lots of time and energy and creativity to write...

Suggestions are always welcome! I'll try my darnedest to keep this story from turning into one of those poor, lonely fanfics that are abandoned halfway through. You, dear reader, can help me by reviewing, for the more I know that people care about what's happening, the more motivated I'll be to keep writing! ; )