Introduction: A time before the darkness
The forest was blanketed with the bellowing darkness of night. The soft sounds of their footsteps and the gentle whispers through the trees were all that were heard. Scarlet Orion gripped her wand tightly as the wind whipped through the trees and her Hogwarts uniform. She tucked her long auburn hair behind her ears only to have it slap her in the face once more. Scarlet gritted her teeth with frustration. She strained her green eyes to see in front of her. "Lumos!" she whispered as her wand flickered….flickered….and died. She cursed all the people she could think of that had anything do with Cornelius Fudge and his counsel of bird-brains. Everyday her wand was growing weaker, and Scarlet knew Fudge was behind it all.
Faith Evans stepped over what she hoped was nothing more than a broken tree branch. Although her boots landed in something that was prayed to be only mud, which it probably wasn't. Faith looked around surveying the forest that surrounded them. As her blue eyes scanned the area, she felt a strong tug on her arm and she flew to the ground. Her short blond hair matted in her face. "What was that for, woman?" Faith hissed at Scarlet who put a finger to her lips. Faith followed Scarlet eyes to see a lantern weaving in and out of the trees. "You don't think it's the Ministry do you?" Faith asked in a hushed voice. Scarlet shook her head, "It's got to be one of the others."
Their ears picked up the sounds of the crunching leaves. Faith held her breath as a figure began to show from the lantern. She shakily looked at her friend. Scarlet's face looked set in deep concentration or confusion. Scarlet's hand slipped down to a handle on her belt. She quietly pulled her silver sword from it's sheath. The small amount of moonlight out bounced off the blade. "What are you going to do?" Faith whispered watching, her mouth dry.
But Scarlet wasn't listening. Her heart was pounding in her head, and her thoughts were moving too quickly for her to even speak a word to Faith. "We move on three." Scarlet said watching the lantern get even nearer. "Move where?"
"We run back to Hogwarts you daft girl. One-Two-" Scarlet waited till the light was pointed away, "Three!" She and Faith sprang up from behind the large tree root. Faith ran as fast as she had ever run before. She didn't have a chance to notice Scarlet bash the person on the back of the head with her sword and take off. By the time Faith looked back she was already at the castle doors and Scarlet was still running back getting her sword into the sheath as it disappeared.
Scarlet pushed Faith inside the castle breathing heavily. Scarlet's insides were burning for oxygen. Faith relaxed a bit when Harry and Ron showed up under the invisibility cloak. Both of them looked terrified at Scarlet. "You were the one who wanted to go out in the middle of the night and-" Ron began to snap as Scarlet held up her hand, "Later-Weasley." She managed. Harry tossed Faith another cloak from Scarlet's father. The four made their way up to Gryffindor Tower.
Scarlet threw her robe on the couch before hearing a shriek and groan from Faith. "You're hurt!" Scarlet removed her hand from her side where blood was staining her white blouse. "No duh." Scarlet cringed as the air touched it. "You should go to the nurse, Scarlet." Faith commented. "It's just a scratch." Scarlet said pressing the cloth from her shirt on the open wound. "Why were you out there anyways?" Harry asked turning a little pale. Scarlet reached into her pocket, "For this." She pulled out a simmering purple crystal. "A bloody rock?" Ron said loudly. "It's not a rock, Ron. This crystal holds the only way to defeat Voldemort you twit." Scarlet snapped. Ron looked taken a back by this comment. Scarlet tenderly sat down. "By smashing it against his head I suppose." Ron mumbled crossing his arms. "Voldemort wants this crystal for his own uses. We can't let him have it." Faith pointed out. Harry rubbed his scar, "We better hide it somewhere safe." They decided to hide it on the mantel of the common room's fireplace until they could find a better one. The four dispersed for the night.
Harry put his cloak back into his trunk and sat on his bed as did Ron. "Do you think she's right?" Harry asked his scar burning slightly. Ron shrugged, "I think she's ruddy mad." Ron laid down on his bed and yawned, "Always been mad."
"She's right about the Ministry though and look at what their doing. Ron they might even try to kill her." Harry said hushed trying not to wake the snoring boys of the dormitory. "You know they'd get someone else to do it. Like Percy or somebody." Ron commented before drifting off into sleep, leaving Harry to stare up at the ceiling all night.
"Master I said I tried!" Wormtail sniveled on his knees before Voldemort who had him by the throat. "Trying isn't expectable, Wormtail. Not when the Ministry is within my grasp and a seventeen year old girl snatches it from my hands. Trying doesn't cut it!" Voldemort threw Wormtail against a wall. His glowing red eyes filling with hate, "Please, master! I'm-I'm s-s-sure the Orion girl won't get far! The Ministry is probably going to send her to Azkaban and then we can k-kill Potter!" Wormtail stuttered cowering against the wall to protect himself as Voldemort paced the dark room. He gazed into the fire as Wormtail began to get to his feet, "We know where her and Potter are headed after Hogwarts, mas-"
"I want them dead before the war begins, Wormtail." Voldemort turned to Wormtail, the side of his scarred face lit by the glowing flames, "I want this finished and the crystal found."