AN: This first chapter is very short, I know. It's a prologue. Please don't discount this because of it's length. They get longer.
We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise
if we have waited in the darkness
***
It is the middle of the night, and despite the icy chill in the air, sweat coats Harry's entire body. He knows he is casting spells as fast as he can, but his shouts are so lost in the cacophony of voices that he can no longer tell which spells he is firing. His whole world has been reduced to action: Cast. Block. Run.
Survive.
Jets of red light shooting past his head. Somewhere, he hears Hermione cry out. He trips over a body, and does not know whether it is the body of a friend or an enemy. He has no time to check. Point wand, cast spell, dodge.
This happened so fast. Less than an hour ago, they were at the Burrow about to travel to Hogwarts by portkey. They never suspected...
Harry stumbles again, and hits the ground. He can taste blood in his mouth. A red light sails by a foot above where he lays. Lucky fall. He rolls to the side and jumps to his feet again, shooting spells at anyone in a mask. One of his spells catches a death eater in the chest, and the man falls. Harry isn't sure what he cast, but the man isn't moving and Harry feels sick. Long, pale hair spills out from under the hood. Harry runs.
He hears the high, cold laughter and his heart clenches in his chest. He is running still, but he can't see. His glasses are gone. Then ahead he sees a figure with red hair... is it Ron? Harry squints.
"Ron!?" he shouts, and his voice is hoarse. "Ron!?"
The figure spins toward him, but Harry's vision is too blurry.
"Harry! I'm over here! Where's Hermi-"
A jet of red light, Ron falls. Harry has to calm himself down; Ron is not dead, just stupefied.
"Harry," A voice calls from behind him. He doesn't turn around, doesn't need his glasses. He would know that voice anywhere.
He freezes, listening. He hears the wand cut through the air, though no spell is uttered. He hears the wand cut through the air and then everything goes black.
