Harry Potter and the Crimson King

Prologue – The Green Flame

Authors Note – This is my first serious attempt at a story. I do not own Harry Potter or any character in the Harry Potter world, that's all JK Rowling's stuff; I'm just borrowing it for a while. Next chapter will be out next week and will be considerably longer. Enjoy.

Harry shivered despite the sun blaring down on him; a chill ran down his spine as he gazed down on the students below. The Beaubatons carriages were being dragged by the elegant horses, whose wings reflected the sun high above. Harry watched the students fly off into the distance, and immediately felt a deep jealousy. At least they could go back to France and forget this horrible tournament. They could go to sleep forgetting the little island they were leaving, which was about to be covered in darkness.

"He's back. He's fucking back…" Harry said in almost disbelief. It still felt like it hadn't really kicked in. How could Voldemort be back? How could Cedric Diggory be dead? And how could Mad Eye Moody be a crazed Death Eater?!

Harry looked down on the Quidditch pitch. He thanked the stars that the Maze was gone. It was horrible to be reminded of the last night of the tournament. He sighed, and decided it was probably time to start heading down to get the Hogwarts Express. He had enjoyed his last peaceful moment in Hogwarts, even if it was overshadowed by the past events.

"Well, until next year…"

Harry turned from the balcony and started towards the stairs, when a cloaked figure ascended the stairs and raised his wand at Harry. Harry began to reach for his wand, but it was soon banished from him. He watched it spin over the balcony and fall towards the grassy lawns far below. Harry turned to face his attacker, who pulled off the hood of his cloak to reveal his identity.

"Krum?!"

"Not who you where expecting Harry?" He smirked, confident in the current situation, whereas Harry felt completely hopeless.

"You assumed I was possessed in the maze," Krum began, "but that's what I wanted you think. I was helping Crouch, we were a squad sent by Voldemort to help with the resurrection, but we failed in the most crucial part, which I am now going to correct."

Harry started towards Krum "Victor, if you think you're getting away with this…"

"Of course I am Harry, I'm Victor Krum, the world's greatest seeker, the world at my finger tips!" He grinned and leaned back "Well with the help of a certain Dark lord…"

He then cast a curse that crushed all the wind out of his lungs. Harry dropped to the floor, gasping much to Krum's pleasure.

"It's not enough is it Harry? You must know what I mean, the fame, it doesn't quite satisfy. I am expected to just play quidditch for the rest of my life, but that is a fucking insult to my father and those before him. I am a Krum, a warrior. I am not a fucking quidditch playboy and I demand respect."

Harry winced, he was a psychopath, absolutely out of his mind, and Harry knew that psychopaths holding you at wand point rarely ended well. He needed to reason with him.

"But what about Hermione, you really liked…" I started but I was cut off sharply.

"That mudblood! Don't make me laugh Potter, I wouldn't touch her, but it provided a good cover, don't you think? The lovesick foreign boy, it played into my role. I was the one showing Durmstrang wasn't full of dark wizards, quite Ironic. Karakoff thought so, and so did everyone else. You are all so easy to prodict, it's a joke really."

Harry took this moment to charge at Krum, full speed, no holding back. But the Bulgarian is too quick, he knocks Potter onto the ground and spits at him.

"Did you really think you had a chance, you half-blood scum. The Dark Lord will destroy your school, your friends and your entire world!" He said this as spittle flew it out of his mouth, scaring Harry. He looked rabid, with hatred in his eyes that scared Harry to his core. Krum then wiped the spit off his face and straightened his robes.

He's prepared in ways you cannot imagine, I've seen it, his army, and his plans. You have no idea, none of you do. Unfortunately you will never get the chance to see The Dark Lord's full army descending onto Hogwarts." He stood directly in front Harry now, who stood up defiantly.

"Goodbye Potter," Krum said his face twisted in a psychotic sneer "Avada Kedavra!"

The curse flew towards Harry and he knew that this was it, no Hogwarts, no graduation, no wife, no children, no life at all. It was all over, and the green light hit him.

At first Harry thought nothing had happened, he staggered back slightly, but was still there. His hands scrambled over his body, making sure this was real. His hands confirmed he was still alive. He looked up at Krum who also looked in shock, as both wizards' couldn't understand what had happened. Then it hit him.

Fire. All Harry knew where flames, as they licked his entire body. As green as the killing curse, Harry's body began to twist and wretch in pain. He could feel the layers of skin burn as if they where simply paper. It was consuming all of him, his nails scratched at his skin, leaving deep wounds. His erratic movements slowed down as the heat brought Potter to his knees. Unholy screams escaped his burning throat, smoke was pouring off him and even out of his mouth. His clothes were ashes now as he looked up and gave one last shout, one inhuman wretch of pain towards the sky. He then fell to the hard, stone floor. Body smouldering

Krum stepped back in horror, he had no clue what had happened. What had he done?

The body still had flames over it, but Potter was clearly dead. His body had undergone some horrible demon like transformation. As the flames stopped and smoke slowly poured off the body, Krum could see it had changed. The skin was a dark blue colour, and all the muscle and fat that seemed to have burned away.

Krum moved towards the corpse, weary of the rotten deformed …. Thing the 'boy-who-lived' had become. He accidentally breathed in some of the smoke and proceeded to hurl his stomach out, the smell was disgusting. Knowing someone would of heard Harry's scream's, Krum decided it was time to leave, and began towards the spiral staircase, shaking from the incident. He turned to look at the body one last time, despite himself, but found the corpse standing up and looking at him. The blue skin was dragged over rips and his stomach pulled in as if he was holding his breath. Every bone was evident, every joint poked out. But it was the eyes that stopped him; they literally sparked with that killing curse green. He grinned and flew at Krum at an incredible speed. The corpse grabbed the arm and twisted sharply, sending Krum's wand flying and bones erupting from his wrist. He then grabbed Krum's head and smashed it off the battlements of Hogwarts tower until blood and brain began to pour form Krum's smashed open. The burnt face of Potter leaned in towards Krum's, and proceeded to suck a green essence from the body, controlling an unstoppable hunger that had taken over him.

Voices and footsteps could be heard coming from the stairs. The corpse of Potter then chucked itself of the tower, landing on the floor below without any apparent injury, despite such a long fall. He then took off over the grounds with an agility no human possessed and into the covering blackness of the forbidden forest.

This is the beginning of Harry Potter and the story of the Crimson King.

Authors Notes: This is a rewrite of the opening chapter, it wasn't good enough in its first version. This story had previously gone not properly planned and was rushed as I wanted it out as soon as possible.

With some help I have realised the error in my ways and have properly planned this story, which will be quite long. This story will not take place in Hogwarts, it is planned out and a sequel will follow it. The next chapter will also be re-written this week, with a large section added on, I apologize for this chapter being small, but it is only the prologue, all other chapters will be 2 K minimum. I also plan to have a beta at some point.

Thanks again – Xanatos.