Summary: A mass murderer is walking the streets once again. He wants revenge and justice, he wants freedom and power, he wants Harry Potter and Alexandria Ratcliff. And he will stop at nothing until he finds them…

Alex is in her third year of Hogwarts and, having survived being petrified the year before, just wants a smooth year for a change. However, when the news of Sirius Black's escape becomes public, it is obvious that Alex and her friends are in for another crazy, mystery-filled year. For reasons unbeknownst to Alex, Sirius Black wants her and Harry Potter dead. And when a man from her mother's past is thrown into the mix, mysteries unravel and nothing will ever be the same again. Join Alexandria Ratcliff, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger as they face monsters, arguments, and the secret that no one expected.

Disclaimer: I only own Alex and the stuff you don't recognize. Sorry to disappoint!

Warnings: This story is AU, more so than the first two. If you don't like AU, don't read. Simple really. Rated K+ for minor language. This will be the last book with this rating, the others will be T. I will post a note in the beginning of the chapter whenever there is language so you're prepared.

Prologue

A little girl cried with glee as she rose high into the air, dropped down, and rose up again.

"Higher, higher Mommy!" she squealed as her mother pushed her on the swing while keeping an eye on the other little girl who was playing on the monkey bars.

"Now sweetheart, it's almost time for dinner. Aren't you hungry? I'm making your guys favorite tonight," the mother said, grabbing the chains and stopping the swing. The girl on the swing spun left to right as she giggled.

"Yay, macaroni and cheese!" the little girl said happily as she hopped off the swing, "Come on Emily!"

"Coming 'Ria!" the other girl said, hopping off the bars and running to her sister and mother. The two sisters held hands as they skipped off a little ahead of their mother, who watched them closely with a loving smile.

"Did you see me, Maria? I made it all the way across and back again!" the younger sister said hopefully.

"Of course I did, Emsy! You were amazing!" the older said, hugging her sister tightly.

"You were going so high, it was as if you were flying," Emily said in a whispery voice full of awe.

Maria was about to speak when she heard whimpering. She stopped and gripped her sister's hand tightly. The sound was coming from over by the trees.

"Stay here," said Maria and began walking, but her sister held her back.

"Don't go 'Ria! There m-might be a m-monster in there," said Emily, shaking with fear.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," Maria said with a reassuring smile before she took a step forward.

"Maria! What are you doing?" their mother said, walking over.

"There's something in the forest, Mommy!" Emily whispered with fright, "It's whimpering."

"I think it's hurt," added Maria. Their mother stepped into the trees and squinted before gasping and backing away, pushing her children along.

"Come along sweeties, we should be going home."

"What was it Mommy?"

"Was it a monster? I told you it was, I knew it!"

"It was a very sick doggie and we shouldn't disturb it, all right?" their mother said gently and her children nodded in compliance.

Mother and daughters continued their walk back to the house so they didn't see the dog they were just discussing emerge from the woods. It was a very dirty, very skinny, very large black mutt. It stumbled over its four paws as it attempted to stay upright. The dog shivered, even though it was a warm summer's day, and raised its head to the blue sky. Its storm-cloud grey eyes were misty and unfocused as it continued its laborious journey. It didn't know where it was going, so long as it continued moving. Finally, unable to take another step, the dog collapsed behind a dumpster and knew it could not move an inch more. Curling up into a ball, the dog waited for Death to lower its cold hands upon it and take it away, wherever the dog deserved to go.

Author's Note: Welcome to Book 3! I have to say, this is my favorite in the series so far. I haven't finished Book 7 yet so I can't say anything about that, but I really love this book and hope you all do too. I'll be posting Chapter 1 with this as well so go on and enjoy! :D