-PROLOGUE-

An alarm blared in the early hours of the morning of June 1stof the year 2022. James Potter shot straight up in his bed, grimacing as his dream drifted away from him and sluggishly he attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes. It wasn't any orthodox alarm either, James and the boys he shared his dormitory with were awoken to the shrill squawks of the Potter family owl, Athena.

Pushing away the Montrose Magpies themed covers, he drew apart the aged burgundy curtains which surrounded his rickety four poster bed. It and everything else in James' dormitory had been standing for, honestly James and the boys would often joke that only Merlin could answer the question, but it had belonged to James for seven years now and today would be the last time he would hear the familiar squeak of the bed springs protesting under his weight as he slid out of bed to shoo Athena away. Today, in just a matter of hours James Potter would graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"James, shut that bloody bird up!" came an outraged cry from the far side of the dormitory. Evan Snow, messy brown hair, build of a quidditch player, muggleborn and best friend of James Potter was not a morning person and the same could be said about the still snoozing bronze haired, perfectly tanned but slightly lankier Fred Weasley.

"She's gone already! Get up you lazy git," James playful replied, knowing full well that if it were any other time of the day Evan would have him in a headlock by now. They would be graduating in just a few hours and that thought made James feel like a little kid at Christmas time, except for the butterflies in his stomach. As much as he had been looking forward to this day, he had also been silently dreading it at the same time. Of course he knew exactly what he wanted to do already and he was always up for a new challenge, but leaving behind the routines and his peers at Hogwarts, it would still be difficult to say goodbye to it all.

Deep within the dark and cold manor that the Lestranges' called home, Joelle Lestrange, five years out of Hogwarts was refining her potion making skills. "Three more clockwise stirs and we will be one step closer to getting daddy back," she said softly, talking to the photograph of her late mother.

Her mother had been killed by a group of five drunken muggles and it had broken Joelle's heart. She had been inconsolable for days, but her father had said he would put things right, but not in the way she had expected. A week had passed before anything happened, the day she had lost her father as well.

"Kyle! Everyone! Look who I found!" A man in his mid-thirties, one of the drunks who killed Maryanne Lestrange, hollered out to his gang. He had just found Joelle's father and thought him to be an easy target, all he had was a wooden stick in his hands.

Frederick Lestrange had his wand clutched so tightly in his hand, he was sure it would leave a mark. He stumbled forward as one of the men, Kyle he thought, shoved him from behind. He had a look of pure rage on his face, these muggles had killed his wife in cold blood and now they would face the same fate. "Avada Kedavra!" he bellowed at them. In a flash of green light the first man who had spoken, dropped to the ground, he was dead. It took a moment for Kyle and the other muggles to realise what had happened and that was enough time to bring fear into their eyes, but not enough time for them to run. Within two minutes the rest of the muggle gang could be found dead on the deserted street corner on the end of Park Street, looks of terror etched onto their unmoving faces.

Joelle shook her head, shaking away the memory. Her father had never known, but she had followed him that night and had watched the whole scene unfold before her very own eyes. She had thought that he had been justified in what he had done, they had killed her mother. Her mother was gone and was never coming back. They deserved to be dead. Aurors had converged at the scene, Joelle remained hidden and watched in horror as her father was charged with the murder of five supposedly innocent muggles and breaking the statue of secrecy. His wand had been snapped on the spot and he had been taken straight to Azkaban without a fair trial.

That had been a year ago and the potion she was creating was a part of the plan she had to spring her father from Azkaban. It had taken a full year for Joelle to console herself and begin to execute her well thought out plan. It was fool proof, nothing could go wrong and in a mere few hours she could be reunited with her father.

"Mistress Lestrange, Pippa brings The Daily Prophet for you." The tiny Lestrange house elf had scurried into the dungeon, quickly dropping off a copy of the morning Prophet. Bowing so low her nose touched the ground, she departed just as soon as she had arrived, as if afraid of how her master would react to something.

Opening up the newspaper, Joelle read over the headline on the front page of the paper. She blinked furiously and re-read it, making sure she had read it right. 'Muggle killing, Frederick Lestrange, dies in Azkaban.' Joelle let out a screech that echoed throughout the empty manor, it was the most emotion she had shown since her mother's passing. Her father, who she was to be reunited with just later that day, had died. She did not cry, she was beyond tears, she was beyond everything. Those infuriating muggles and aurors who had been responsible for taking her mother and her father away from her would pay the ultimate price. It was not about saving herself any more, it was about how many of them she could take down with her.

"James Sirius Potter!" Professor Longbottom's booming voice called out his name from the long scroll which he held in his hands. Neville had a proud smile on his face. He had watched James grow through his years at Hogwarts.

James strode up the stairs confidently. He had a sort of arrogance about the way he walked. He appeared to be so sure of himself and that it came out even in the way he carried himself. Crossing the podium, he reached Headmistress McGonagall and firmly grasped her hand in a handshake. He could swear even McGonagall had the slightest of proud smiles on her face. Despite all the trouble he had caused during his time at Hogwarts, all the professors were proud of the person he had become. Cheers erupted from the crowd that had gathered for his graduation. His entire family had come to see him graduate and just before he hopped off the podium he signalled to his brother, Albus, in the crowd.

Firecrackers set off, filling the air above them with an impressive fireworks display. Saluting the Headmistress, James leapt off the podium and into a throng of friends and family. He had just graduated and nothing could hold him back now. His future was wide open for the taking and he was going to do exactly that.

"I'm proud of you son," Harry Potter had a tear in his eyes as he congratulated his first born child.

"Dad, are you crying? You know I'm not going anywhere." James was pulled into a hug by his mother who was openly sobbing. James rolled his eyes, snaking his way out of her arms. "Mum, really? I graduated, I didn't die," he chuckled, watching his father gently patting her back, while wiping a few tears from his own eyes. James was happy, the huge grin on his face refused to fade away and he did not want it to. All his insecurities from earlier that morning had disappeared and he knew he was ready for anything.