Hey y'all, I'm finally doing what I have been dying to do for years and have never actually gotten off my metaphorical ass to do! I'm starting a HP fic!

I do not own HP or any of J.K. Rowling's works.

Prologue

I'd always been afraid of heights. Not that I'd ever admit it to anyone. My pride simply wouldn't allow it. They could guess, though, because what other reason did I have to constantly hate on Quidditch?

Who could enjoy that feeling? The drop in your stomach that made you feel empty inside, the inevitable sense of vertigo. For those that knew the truth though, I'd always played it off. I'd make jokes about how it wasn't the height that scared me, it was the fall. And it wasn't even really the fall that scared me, but the splat at the end of it.

And here I was now, falling, and I wasn't afraid. It was peaceful here, even though I'd seen the rocks I'd soon meet. It was as if time had slowed down the moment I had tumbled backwards off the cliff top that now stretched far above me. My hands reached out towards it, but my mind was moving slowly too, and the cold air that blew past me had turned my brain to mush. I was not afraid of this. I had been ready for weeks. I had nothing left to live for.

What an unpleasant thought. But even that didn't remain in my mind long. As the ground approached, and I saw the faces peering over the edge at me, heard the distant screams in my ears, I closed my eyes. And suddenly, I was in a better place for just a few moments. Memories flickered past my eyes, all the good things I'd seen and felt in my life. It was true what they said, that your life flashes past your eyes at the end.

Tears welled in my eyes at the things I saw. I'd lived a life of such darkness, and so much beauty. A hug from my best friends, the triumph of a spell done right, the praise of my parents and teachers. And even more, the moments only he knew of. Stolen kisses that took my breath away, romantic dates that not even Shakespeare could have dreamt up. Passionate nights that made all other nights pale in comparison.

I had lived a beautiful life, and in that moment, I realized that I didn't want to be here, falling through time and space towards the end. I wanted to keep living.

But Fate does not care what we want.