Prologue
A barn owl had just flown through the window, a newspaper in its beak. Nathan Potter, resident of Number 8, Evergreen Terrace, did not shoo it off or chase it out of the house. Instead, he got out of bed, reached over to his dresser, and took a handful of little bronze coins from atop it. The owl had landed on his nightstand. Its feathers were ruffled, and it stood watching Nathan as if it expected him do something. Nathan did. He untied the coin purse from the owl's leg and dumped the bronze coins inside. The owl dropped the paper onto his bed, nipped his finger in thanks, and flew out the open window. A gentle breeze was coming in, and the curtains were waving rhythmically as Nathan sat down on his bed, put on his glasses, and began to read the paper. Most people who lived on Evergreen Terrace, in London, England, would not be accustomed to the newspaper arriving by owl. Nathan, though, was hardly most people. He was a wizard. He wasn't the only one, either. Every country is bound to have a magical community. It's just that Muggles (non-magical persons) wouldn't exactly feel secure if they knew that their next-door neighbor could turn them into a fruitbat. Nathan, an adult now, was a graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had married and had a son at the age of 24, but his wife had died when he was thirty, leaving him and his son, James, to live by themselves. Today, as Nathan read the Daily Prophet, newspaper of the wizarding world, he noticed a headline that was quite disturbing.
Wizarding World Threatened After Cruciatus Curse Attempt
L ast Tuesday Ministry of Magic Officials arrested a struggling
Walter Avery after he, according to witnesses present at the
scene, attempted to perform the Cruciatus Curse on two children.
When Daily Prophet reporters questioned him, he threatened
viewers with following:
"Mudblood or pureblood, all who stand up to the Dark Messiah
will meet the same fate as those filthy children met had those
damned Aurors not interfered. No one can defeat the Twelfth and
Greatest member of the Circle of Darkness! Let his reign begin!
Join him if you are wise, lose your life if you dare to fight!
His power is awesome, mighty Prince of Darkness! He will crush
you foolish pacifists! The Ministry will crumble-all who cross
his path will wish they'd never been born! You will learn to
fear his name, you-"
Avery his been sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical
Maladies and Injuries, where healers are questioning his sanity.
If
he is fit to stand trial, a hearing will occur on September 8 to
determine the length of his Azkaban sentence.
Nathan sighed. Ever since Albus Dumbledore had defeated Grindelwald, a member of the prophecied group of indivuals known as the Circle of Darkness, things had been peaceful. Now, unrest grew as Dark supporters began warning the coming of the twelfth and, as they claimed, greatest, member of the Circle.
But people were not without hope. The seer who prophecied the Circle of Darkness also told about the Circle of Light. This was a ring of wizards destined to protect what is good and remove the current Circle of Darkness member from existence. It was told that when each circle's twelfth member arose, the battle that occured would extinguish one Circle or the other. This was why the Dark wizard community tried to detect future members of the the Circle of Light and try to trick them into practicing the Dark Arts. There were only ten Circle of Light members currently, so Nathan prayed they would hurry up and uncover the eleventh and twelfth, because they were two people behind the Circle of Darkness, and Albus Dumbledore, the tenth member, could not do everything for them.
Another owl flew in. This time it dropped an envelope on Nathan's bed and departed without waiting for coins. Nathan picked it up.
James Potter
The Bedroom on the Right
Number 8, Evergreen Terrace
London, England
Nathan saw that this was his son's letter of acceptance into Hogwarts. Nathan stopped worrying, knowing that his son would be safe with the headmaster of the school as the tenth Circle of Light member. All he could do now was wait.
A barn owl had just flown through the window, a newspaper in its beak. Nathan Potter, resident of Number 8, Evergreen Terrace, did not shoo it off or chase it out of the house. Instead, he got out of bed, reached over to his dresser, and took a handful of little bronze coins from atop it. The owl had landed on his nightstand. Its feathers were ruffled, and it stood watching Nathan as if it expected him do something. Nathan did. He untied the coin purse from the owl's leg and dumped the bronze coins inside. The owl dropped the paper onto his bed, nipped his finger in thanks, and flew out the open window. A gentle breeze was coming in, and the curtains were waving rhythmically as Nathan sat down on his bed, put on his glasses, and began to read the paper. Most people who lived on Evergreen Terrace, in London, England, would not be accustomed to the newspaper arriving by owl. Nathan, though, was hardly most people. He was a wizard. He wasn't the only one, either. Every country is bound to have a magical community. It's just that Muggles (non-magical persons) wouldn't exactly feel secure if they knew that their next-door neighbor could turn them into a fruitbat. Nathan, an adult now, was a graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had married and had a son at the age of 24, but his wife had died when he was thirty, leaving him and his son, James, to live by themselves. Today, as Nathan read the Daily Prophet, newspaper of the wizarding world, he noticed a headline that was quite disturbing.
Wizarding World Threatened After Cruciatus Curse Attempt
L ast Tuesday Ministry of Magic Officials arrested a struggling
Walter Avery after he, according to witnesses present at the
scene, attempted to perform the Cruciatus Curse on two children.
When Daily Prophet reporters questioned him, he threatened
viewers with following:
"Mudblood or pureblood, all who stand up to the Dark Messiah
will meet the same fate as those filthy children met had those
damned Aurors not interfered. No one can defeat the Twelfth and
Greatest member of the Circle of Darkness! Let his reign begin!
Join him if you are wise, lose your life if you dare to fight!
His power is awesome, mighty Prince of Darkness! He will crush
you foolish pacifists! The Ministry will crumble-all who cross
his path will wish they'd never been born! You will learn to
fear his name, you-"
Avery his been sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical
Maladies and Injuries, where healers are questioning his sanity.
If
he is fit to stand trial, a hearing will occur on September 8 to
determine the length of his Azkaban sentence.
Nathan sighed. Ever since Albus Dumbledore had defeated Grindelwald, a member of the prophecied group of indivuals known as the Circle of Darkness, things had been peaceful. Now, unrest grew as Dark supporters began warning the coming of the twelfth and, as they claimed, greatest, member of the Circle.
But people were not without hope. The seer who prophecied the Circle of Darkness also told about the Circle of Light. This was a ring of wizards destined to protect what is good and remove the current Circle of Darkness member from existence. It was told that when each circle's twelfth member arose, the battle that occured would extinguish one Circle or the other. This was why the Dark wizard community tried to detect future members of the the Circle of Light and try to trick them into practicing the Dark Arts. There were only ten Circle of Light members currently, so Nathan prayed they would hurry up and uncover the eleventh and twelfth, because they were two people behind the Circle of Darkness, and Albus Dumbledore, the tenth member, could not do everything for them.
Another owl flew in. This time it dropped an envelope on Nathan's bed and departed without waiting for coins. Nathan picked it up.
James Potter
The Bedroom on the Right
Number 8, Evergreen Terrace
London, England
Nathan saw that this was his son's letter of acceptance into Hogwarts. Nathan stopped worrying, knowing that his son would be safe with the headmaster of the school as the tenth Circle of Light member. All he could do now was wait.