Ok, a word of warning to all cynics, I enjoy reading FLAMES…

XxPeridoMercuryxX

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Prologue

It was as he hung in the air - clutching the ever-loosening, ever-fraying rope and staring into the fiery depths that surged, unfurling streams of thick, black smoke -

- that he realised -

- his attempts at doing what was right read like an obituary list… what sort of pain and bloodshed would be unleashed if he pursued this thirst..?

What was right?

He knew what was wrong… that was easy…

They were gone…

… the people he loved were gone…

… he struggled to loosen his hand from the bind, closing his eyes, a small moan of resolute fear escaping him…

… even now his weakness failed him…

His world was dead, was it so hard for his heart not to die with it? Relieve him of the burning pain inside…

…the stench of scorched flesh invaded his senses and the rope swung with sickening intent, threatening to release him into the burning pit, his vision blurred in a streak of scarlet, stomach twisting with the swaying motion … but then… strong arms clamped around him, dragging him backwards -

- the shock of hard ground beneath his blistered feet was almost overwhelming -

'No! This is not the way… I won't let you do this'

'Let go! Let go off me!' he tried to see through the intense wave of nausea and fight the restraining embrace.

Hatred exploded in his chest as he twisted to catch a glimpse of -

A glowering, intense gaze… framed by a dark halo of flailing hair, robes rippling in the hailing wind -

It was too much…

He shoved hard and twisted himself free of the pincer-like grip, abandoning any shards of rationality in a heave of grief-induced rage, lunging toward older man -

But something collided painfully with him mid-way through the adrenaline rush -

- someone, rather -

In a whirl of robes, the girl fell backward in agonized surprise, but not before managing to clutch a handful of his robes and drag in down with her -

They tumbled and crashed against solid stone, enduring a vicious fight as both struggled to overpower the other -

'NO HARRY!' Hermione's scream ripped into his mind, he froze with jolt of panic and the girl took the opportunity to clamp her hands on his shoulders and force him back against the ground -

'NO YOU CAN'T! HARRY! HE'S YOUR FATHER!'

The words did not register, they could not register with him -

His hands slackened, releasing her wrists and ripping at his shirt as though his pounding heart would burst through it…

I think it is time to backtrack a little, perhaps a few months… back to how this revelation started…