PROLOGUE

The sky seemed to be having a temper tantrum. Thunder boomed, lightning struck, and rain was coming down painfully. The world was as dark as it could be, and the power had gone out in the small neighborhood, except for on the other side of the Mist Forest. The Mist Forest was a place that everyone avoided, and those who got up the courage and the foolishness to enter, lost it as soon as they set foot inside.
On the other side of this forest was a small town, a town that the people never knew about. This town was full of witches and wizards, living here and distracting the muggles away from their home. This was a town where muggles were not seen in any light, and they were seen as a nuisance. Evidently, this is where most of Voldemort's old followers had come from, and where they retreated at his defeat.

One man walked through the streets, not at all wet due to his the charm he had set before leaving his home. He walked at a slightly-more than normal pace, occasionally casting glares over his shoulders to see if anyone followed him. He stepped up the porch of a large mansion, looking at the snake door knockers, and check again. Satisfied that no one was watching, he knocked on the door.

A small window opened on the door, and eyes peered out of it. The window closed and the door was thrown open. The light came out of the house, and it lit up the dark streets. The man had dark hair, and brown eyes that were closer to black. He held himself against the door, with a pained expression on his face, and looking down at the visitor. He clearly had no want to see him, but knew that it would be necessary.

"What do I owe the… pleasure... of seeing you on this horrible day, Toran?" he spat out the word pleasure, and Toran pretended not to notice this less than hospitable greeting, he was used to a greeting such as this whenever he came.

"Business as usual, Selast, business as usual. I hear you have another son. What is he like, what's his name… eh?" He watched him with a fake smile on his face, watching Selast's impatience grow.

"It's Nick, Toran. Now can we get down to what you want or did you come to my door just to bother me?" He sat down onto his couch and continued to look at Toran. He hated the man with every part of him, and he wanted to get this over with sooner than later.

"Well it is just that I have brought a letter from the master," he gave the letter to Selast and he looked up, a question on his face that Toran got to before he did. "He told me not to read it, and did not tell me what was in it. You know as much as I do about its contents."

Selast opened the letter and a roll of parchment fell from it, blotched with scratches and ink marks at mistakes and drips from the quill. He looked to Toran, and then read the letter.

Selast Alton,

It has come to my attention that you wished to abandon your post. This will not be allowed. But, since I am a generous man, I will allow you to live as long as you continue with your work. I will not allow traitors, not at this stage when things are about to come into play. I think, to get my point across to you, I will have you deliver me your wife. You are to kill her and bring her to me. The more power I can get the better. And, Selast, don't think of abandoning me. There is no need for you and your son to die.

The letter ended without a signature, as he expected. He stared at the parchment; rereading it constantly to make sure he read it right all of his previous times. He looked to Toran, who had read over his shoulder, and grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"Get out of my house, Toran!" He yelled into his face, and without a further word, dragged him from the room, threw the door open, and slammed it after Toran, now flying through the air. Selast looked up the stairs, to where his wife lay asleep. Why did it have to be his wife? Why not his son? But he knew that it must be his wife if he wanted to save himself. He had told himself this when they married, that he would never value his life lower than hers.

He climbed the stairs and looked into the room. Nick was staring out of the crib at the end of the hall, watching his father. Selast entered the room, and Nick heard a spell cast and a green flash of light. Then the light faded and his father ran from the room, his mother over his shoulders. He heard the door open and close, and his father run with heavy footsteps through the puddles. By morning, he had forgotten everything he saw.