A/n:

Hi readers! I hope you enjoy this prologue. It is only the beginning, but please tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is welcomed.

Just a warning, in later chapters, this story will contain abuse, rape and strong language so if you don't like that, I wouldn't read that part.

I have done some changes hence the story being put up again.

Enjoy!

"lah means snakespeak

'lah for thoughts

Prologue: The Betrayer

The man walked quickly down a dark alley, his boots clicking on the hard packed earth. He could feel the wind biting at his face, whipping his black robe, and he could see the trash lining the walls, but he ignored it all. His sites were set on the back stone wall. As he got closer, he drew out a thin wand.

Reaching the plane wall, he tapped his wand in a precise manner.

"Serpensia," he said. As the man watched, the wall melted away, leaving a dark space ahead. He stared long and hard into it before taking three deep breaths and stepping in.

Staring around, he could see a light up ahead, beckoning him onward, and not allowing him to turn back. Looking back, the man could see that the wall had reappeared and there was now no escape. He had come here to do one thing and he would not be allowed to leave until that thing was done, Even if he might be having second thoughts.

As he walked, the man noted the paintings of serpents all along both walls. He could swear that they hissed at him and it made him shiver involuntarily. He kept his eyes straight ahead, his back ramrod straight. He would not enter the presence of his lord looking weak.

000

Voldemort sat regally upon his old wooden chair. It wasn't a fancy chair by any means, the back was scratched up and the once pristinely smooth paint had long ago pealed away. Material things did not matter to him however. All he cared about was domination, power and eradicating those too weak to seek it.

His serpent, Nagini slithered to his side and hissed quietly. He reached over and touched her smooth scales as he listened to what she had to say.

"Massssssster, the betrayer comesssssss. He issssss sssssssssscared, but he walkssssssssss as though he issssssss not."

"Thank you Nagini. If I am dissssssspleasssssed with what he bringsssss, then I will permit you to play with him, possibly even eat him," Nagini gave a hiss that was unmistakably a laugh, and slithered to the corner.

Finally, the man reached the light. His insides quivered as he went, but he held his head high. Entering the next room, the man dropped to his belly and crawled forward, his face pressed to the old and rotting carpet.

When he reached the chair, upon which his lord and master was sitting, he cautiously raised his head and kissed the hem of his robes as a sign of loyalty and respect.

"Master, I come before you baring news that I am sure you will enjoy hearing," he said, bowing his head. Before he could say more, a wand pointed at him, making him hold his breath in fright. He knew what was coming. He had been too presumptuous.

"Do not presume to judge what I would or would not like to hear," he hissed in a low dangerous voice. "For your cheek, crucio!""

The man fell backwards and writhed on the floor in pain. His screams made Voldemort smile, but he lifted the curse before it could have any lasting damage. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed this man, this betrayer of his former friends. He would just have to make sure that he did not betray him. That, he knew, would not be a hard thing to do. He sensed that this man was weak. He wanted power, but he wanted protection as well.

"Get up Wormtail!" Voldemort spat. Wormtail rose slowly to his feet, but was knocked back down. "On your knees! I do not trust that you are loyal to me. Therefore you shall speak to me on your knees until I deem it the time to let you stand in the circle." Wormtail nodded and got onto his knees.

Voldemort looked down at Wormtail as he looked up. Yes, he would have the pleasure in breaking this man. The only problem was that it would not take that long.

"Now! Tell me what you came to tell me. If I think it is a good secret, I shall let you live and join my ranks. If it is not good then…" In the corner, Nagini hissed menacingly and Wormtail shivered in fright. Then he took a breath, and gambled for his life.

"My lord, I know where the Potters are hiding." Voldemort looked at him, and then a smile turned up the corners of his mouth. The smile was pure evil and it scared Wormtail to his boots.

"Well, Wormtail. I believe you have earned a place in my ranks. I have been looking for the Potters for a year now and you have handed them to me on a silver platter. You shall be greatly rewarded. Now, give me your arm and receive the mark of power."

Peter Pettigrew, once a marauder and best friend to the Potters, held out his arm and received Voldemort's mark. He would be forever a slave and he now had no escape. If he were caught, he would go to Azkaban.

He screamed as Voldemort pressed his wand to his forearm. The pain was excruciating and he almost passed out from the sheer magnitude of it. Then, it was over. Looking down, Peter saw a skull with a snake protruding from the mouth. It seemed to leer at him and he quickly looked away and back at his master.

"Now, tell me where they are Wormtail."

"They are in Godric's Hollow, in the red house."

"Alright Wormtail. You have done a good thing by telling me where they are. As I said before, you shall be greatly rewarded. Now, I need to call the others and tell them what has come up. You will now have a place in the inner circle." Voldemort roughly grabbed Peter's arm and touched the still painful mark. He screamed as the pain escalated, but then stopped as he heard several pops, announcing the arrival of the inner circle.

"My faithful servants! A wonderful thing has happened tonight! This man, Peter Pettigrew, has given me the Potters location. I am going over there on Halloween alone. You will wait for my call, which I will do after the Potters are dead." Everyone shifted, and waited for the Dark Lord to finish.

"Now, you may all go and I shall see you when I next call." They all bowed low and left the room.

000

After everyone was gone, Nagini slid up beside him once again.

"Massssssster, one of them wassss misssssssing," she said softly.

"Yesssss, you are right. My loyal potionssssss massssster issss not so loyal I think. I sssssshal have to deal with him after the Pottersssss are dealt with." The snake hissed in agreement and curled up on the rug. Voldemort went over the plans in his head. The Potters would die, and nothing, not that old fool Albus, or Merlin, would save them.