Walls of black flanked Xander's side as he sauntered down the rubble covered street with his head held high and his face void of emotion. There was no time to feel pity or remorse. There was only time to choke back the lump in his throat and become the leader he was meant to be. A cold, heartless leader sending his troops off to the hell they called war.

His eyes scanned the expanse of Hogsmeade, taking in mixture of green and red that flashed in the icy cold air. Housemates fighting housemates, friends fending off friends, family turned against family: all carrying out his orders, bringing the knife down to sink in their loved ones' backs. He'd started this, been the reason so many laid their bodies down on the battlefield, silent for the rest of time. He'd done this to them all and yet it seemed none of it fazed him, not in the slightest.

Pausing in the midst of the crowd, curses whizzing past his head as they searched for their rightful targets, his blue eyes met Hogwarts and the Astronomy Tower that looked down upon the fight. Time stood still and the blackened heart in his chest pumped faster, images of a certain girl painting in his mind. Images of his one true weakness.

Clenching his jaw and trying to rid himself the feeling that slowly crept its way into his soul Xander shook his head side to side. A great leader wasn't meant to feel the way he did. Loving, caring, all it would do was hold him back, stand in the way of the destiny his father had laid out before him. Emotions weren't meant to be had in the heart of war. Yet, despite what he told himself, how hard he fought against it, his thoughts couldn't stop flickering back to the girl atop of the tower.

A scream pierced the air, capturing Xander's attention. His head whipped to the side, his eyes lying upon a woman sprawled across the ground. Her body contorted underneath her as a tall dark figure loomed over her, his wand crooked down at her as a bright red light streamed from the tip. Taking a few steps closer, his head cocked to the side in wonder as he studied her face. Victoria Clearwater. The red hair was enough to trigger his memory, to bring his mind back to that night in his dormitory.

"Aside from you, there are six people I care about, Xander. Six."

His fingers curled tighter around his wand, lifting it up for a moment as his feet carried him just a few yards closer. He saw fear flash in the healer's eyes as she gazed up at her attacker. One look at the cloaked man, the way he drew his wand back, and the smirk that snaked across his unmasked face and Xander had been prepared for what was to come.

"I refuse to let anything happen to any of you, much less have one of you hurt the other."

A green flash soared through the air, shooting forward to hit its victim square in the chest. Slowly Xander lowered his arm, watching as one of his own crumpled to the ground, taken down by a curse emitted from the wand he clutched tightly in his hand. For brief second he shifted his blue eyes to witness the shock and relief wash over the innocent woman's face.

"Don't you dare go near them. I do not care about whatever past we had, if you hurt any of them, Pucey, I will kill you."

He had let her do it again. Let her warm his heart, let her soften his cold exterior and replace the man he was supposed to be with the man she deserved to have. Bowing his head, Xander turned his back on the scene, wanting to walk away not only from his actions but from his past. From her and from what she could do to him.

"No promises."