Blood Wolf

Prologue

Burn

The sky was dark grey, the heavy clouds threatening to dump their loads at any minutes. The late afternoon sun tried peaking through, lighting up a small area in the clouds. It was unnatural, the way we've suddenly jumped from drought to near flooding in the space of three days.

I let my quill drift down to the desk and placed my head in my hands. I hadn't received any letters from my friends. Not one. Ron and Hermione had remained silent for the whole week. Remus and Sirius had at least made an effort to write, even if all they wrote was a repeated stream of Be careful and Keep your eyes open. It's the thought that counts, right? Right?

My fingers tightened their grip on my hair. Sirius, of all people, should know how it feels to be locked away. Abandoned. Forgotten. Alone in a small, confined room with barely anything to do. And yet, he condemns me to Privet Drive for the summer.

Well, it's not completely his fault. He hasn't exactly got a choice in the matter. If he did, he would have me with him, wouldn't he? Would he? I'm not really sure. I feel rather awkward around him. But that probably has something to do with the fact that I was locked in a small cupboard for the first ten years of my life!

I slammed my fist down on the table, before taking a deep, calming breath. All I received in response was the worsening of my essay-induced headache. But it can't be essay-induced reminded the small, annoying voice in my head I like calling the 'intelligent Harry'. You've had this headache for five days.

It was true. The headache had started one steaming hot afternoon (the last hot day of the summer) while I was tending to the garden. At first I thought it was a bee sting, but it grew worse. Now I'm stuck with a pounding headache that no amounts of sleep can cure.

Then, just to make my headache worse, Hedwig came back, tapping on the window with her beak. I growled slightly but let her in, wincing as the windows creaked piercingly.

Hedwig hooted to alert me to the letter on her leg. I grimaced at the throb that went through my head before attending to the letter. She fluttered over to her perch, glared at me reproachfully before ducking a head under her wing.

I sighed before giving her an apologetic look she could not see. Slitting open the letter, I narrowed my eyes at the familiar scrawl of the Headmaster.

Pack your things. I am coming.

I was angry, no mistaking it. No information at all, no matter how many letters I sent, for a whole week and all I get is this? And a pounding headache along with it! I'm half tempted to sit here until he arrives, completely unpacked, but the small, fearful part of my mind (the one I usually lock away) whispered what if there's going to be an attack?

That got my body moving as a small amount of fear crept through me. I immediately rushed through my room, pulling open the trunk and shoving all my stuff in. I started panicking when I couldn't find Charms for Beginners, but squashed my panic down as I pulled it from where it was jammed under the bed. Panic doesn't do anything I reminded myself.

I took a deep breath and slipped my hand into my jacket, fingering my wand. Below me I heard footsteps and hushed whispering. Gritting my teeth, I quickly slid out of my open door. My headache peaked as I peeked over the railing, trying to catch a glimpse of who was here. A few shadowy shapes moved below, but it was too dark to see much at all. I clutched my head and squinted through the pain.

All the sudden, light and heat exploded around me. It was so quick I froze in shock. All around me, flames were rising higher and higher, the shadowy shapes of fiery creatures jumping around. I sprung into action, running to the only open window. My window. As soon as I entered my trunk, I threw it outside and onto the muddy grass below. I opened my floorboards and withdrew my invisibility cloak, the Marauders Map, Hagrid's photo album and the wooden flute Hagrid had given me in first year.

My door had suddenly been enfolded with the mysterious flame, burning it to ash. Panicked, I threw myself out the window. Just as I had hit the ground below, I heard a drawn out scream. I froze, once again, in shock and horror. I had forgotten something: the Dursley's.

Page Break

I was too late. I had failed. They were counting on me, or at least hoping I would save them, but I failed. How could I let this happen!

I felt a hand on my burnt shoulder. It stung but I didn't care. I didn't hear the soft voices calling my name. I didn't hear the medi-wizards and witches fussing over me. I had failed them, like I had failed Cedric. I let them die. How could I do that?

'Harry.' Came a murmured voice to my right. A woman walked up beside me, eyes downcast. She looked oddly familiar, but it was hard to register that fact. Until she introduced herself. 'I shouldn't have to do this, but my name is Alex. Alex – '

' – Jenkins.' I finished. It was then that I realized I was shin deep in floodwaters, staring at what was once the place where I grew up. The house didn't mean much, but the lives lost did.

'I'm surprised you remember me. You were only a year old when I last saw you.' She spoke quietly. I looked around. Nearly everyone was gone, save me, Alex, Remus, a blonde-haired woman, Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley and a shaggy black dog who goes by the name of Padfoot. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

'I believe we should be going now. We have nothing more to do here.' He spoke quite clearly, leaving no room for arguments. That is until I saw a shifting black lump lying on the ground. My eyes widened.

'Look!' I breathed in shock, my arm raising shakily to point at the figure.

End Prologue

AN: Sorry. I'm getting the second chapter done soon. Now, even though this is just over a thousand words, it's your turn to review.

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