"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

"Abraham Lincoln"

- 11:32pm 29th January 2000 -

It was a cold winter's night and a mini snowstorm blew across the valley, where a lone straggler was making a slow and arduous journey to the bright light and noise, emanating from the lone building on the hill.

The stranger, a mid to tallish person was covered in a tall, dark cloak with the hood up.

If anyone were to look outside, they would find it difficult to spot this stranger as they blended well into the dark and forlorn background.

Of course, the question is, why was there a lone building; a tavern or pub, judging from the frantically swinging sign above the door, situated so far from other buildings?

However...this was not a normal tavern.

This tavern had a reputation across the whole of Europe as being a dark and perilous destination, where those who had willingly given up their souls, if they had them to begin with, to master dark and dangerous magic congregated.

This was a magic tavern. So skilfully hidden and protected with enchantments and wards that all persons at said tavern knew this.

Anyone who had not yet given up their weak and fragile bonds to humanity was better of dying by their own hand, than falling into the hands of the patrons.

The security trolls at the front were at the point of dozing off, as most of the regulars had already entered the premise and were cavorting with fellow patrons as tales of dark magic, murder, rape and pillage; the usual's, were swapped by boastful patrons eager to impress others of their prowess and skill.

But suddenly the lead troll perked its head up as it spotted the stranger nearing the premise. Lifting his club threateningly and grunting loudly at his two helpers to wake up. They stood ready to combat this stranger, who had become stock still at the three trolls who were on alert.

Suddenly the lead troll was struggling for breath and dropped his club gasping for air. His two fellow helpers were in a similar situation as all three of them floated a foot or two above the ground clubs discarded as their hands all grasped their air deprived throats.

The last conscious though by the lead troll was the stranger slowly opening the door to the tavern, then darkness overtook him.

It was apparent to many of the patrons; two dozen humans, 7 werewolves, 4 vampires, 3 leprechauns and a jovial looking bartender, that this new tall and thin stranger was not one to be trifled with.

The stranger made his way over to the far wall where a man with dark graying hair could be seen drinking alone and quietly, unusual as most patron were usually causing a great amount of ruckus, obviously waiting for a person to arrive.

The man looked up and saw the stranger directly ahead of him and jumped slightly in surprise at the man's lack of speech at greeting his supplier.

The man was sweating slightly, although this could be contributed to the warm tavern, which had the heating charm placed around the premise to keep out the snowstorm, but this however didn't explain the look of fear in his black eyes as he looked at the stranger, fearing any movement that the stranger seemed to make.

"Do you have what I asked for Sebastian?" spoke the stranger, now identified to be male, as he spoke with a smooth voice, belying his apparent older age, for a young adult.

The sweating, if possible, was now profusely dripping down Sebastian's face as he looked at the other man in near terror. "M-my l-lord I...I was...was unable to-" spoke Sebastian, now terrified at the man's reaction, which was to clench his left fist and draw his wand, rising as he did so.

"How many times must I tell you not to refer to my heritage Sebastian?" spoke the wizard in a whisper that carried to four corners of the tavern as people stopped talking and glanced at the confrontation about to occur at the far both at the back.

"I-I'm sorry please don't hurt me" squealed Sebastian, the smell of ammonia emanating from his trouser front as he pissed his pants in front of the wizard, who smiled a grim smile at the sight of a reputedly "dark" warlock pissing himself, at his mere displeasure.

"Refer to my real name, if you dare, Sebastian."

"I-I can't.."

"Yes you can, Sebastian. Show the people around the tavern that you have the balls to speak my name."

"H-Harry Potter. Please-"

That was as far as he got as the flash of green light took the man full in the chest.

There were loud screeches for every patron in the bar took two involuntary steps away from the back of the tavern.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Harry walked passed members of the bar, who cringed and wept at how close the terror, that was Harry Potter, was to them.

"You don't look so tough, I can take you with a single spell" shouted a young patron to the back of Harry. Posturing and grinning to his fellow patrons, who were now hurriedly edging away from the patron who had spoken.

Harry paused and the members of the tavern all cringed as Harry Potter started to chuckle, which confused the young patron, who was now reddening in anger, livid at being laughed at.

"Don't you mock me!" shouted the patron as he performed complex spells, sending a mixture of red, yellow and blue flashes of light toward the back of Harry James Potter. Two of which he deflected and another merely turned his head to the side as it whizzed past his left cheek.

The patron, now looking terrified at his big mouth and how close he was to death, frantically sent spell, hex, jinx and curse towards Harry, who was drawing ever closer towards him, dodging, weaving and block spell after spell.

Finally exhausted the patron slumped down the side of the bar awaiting his execution.

"You've obviously not been down the dark path to far..yet" spoke Harry in a low voice which carried to the people around the bar.

"It's not too late to make a better life for yourself"

The young Patron gaped at Harry Potter. Was he letting me off the hook? Showing a dark wizard mercy?

Harry at this point turned away from the wizard and walked calmly towards the door.

HOW DARE HE? Thought the patron as he aimed his wand at the back of the Harry Potter and spoke the killing curse.

The curse headed towards Harry, who had now paused and stood rock still, almost...waiting for the curse to hit him, to take the life from him.

The curse hit Harry's back full in the middle which sent him falling face first into the floor.

There was a moment of silence, and then a leprechaun timidly spoke "Is he...dead?"

Cheers of success exploded from the room as people went to hug the young patron and thank him profusely for his overcoming the naive, but powerful, opponent, who had trusted in the goodness from a dark wizard. Foolishness.

Then a deadly, deathly silence broke out as they heard a sigh emanating from the corpse on the floor.

Harry Potter was standing up after taking a hit from the Killing curse.

"I tried to warn you, for you were not a dark wizard yet. Now..." spoke Harry softly, causing the patrons to scream in terror, eyes bulging. "What's your name?"

"Alexander...Thesper" whimpered the the youthful patron, whose eyes filled with tears.

The whole crowd went still as he spoke his name.

He's made it onto the list, thought every patron in the tavern.

The young patron was weeping openly as Harry' wand aimed directly at his face. Staring blankly at the green light coming towards him, and then...nothing.

As Harry left the subdued tavern, he conjured his parchment and quill, after shielding himself from the snowstorm, which had evidently gotten worse since his arrival, he wrote down the name Alexander Thesper and disapparated from the tavern.

Many patrons of said tavern were wondering how lucky they were, that Harry Potter had spared their lives.

At least...for the moment.