CHAPTER TWO- AZKABAN
Miles away, in a small abandoned castle, a cloaked wizard awoke screaming in pain. This wizard was Voldemort. The door to his chamber burst open as Bellatrix Lestrange ran into the room. "Master? Are you okay?"
Voldemort propped himself up against a wall made of cold hard stone, still gripping his wand in his hand. Slowly, he drew in a shuddering breath and spoke, "Prepare the dementors, the times has come for us to-"- he went suddenly rigid as green blood began to ooze from his mouth-"-begin our plans. Unfortunately, I must remain here. He has awakened from his sleep and I must prepare for it to-"-he paused for a moment as he wiped green blood from his mouth- "begin properly."
Bellatrix wheeled around and stormed out of the room. Voldemort watched as she went and then began to cough more blood.
Harry Potter sat in front of his window, waiting for his owl, Hedwig to return from her midnight flight for food. As soon as the bird returned, Harry would give her the letters he had written for his two best friends, Ron and Hermione. He had also included another letter for Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Down on Privet Drive, one of Mrs. Figg's pet tabby cats cleaned itself on top of his Uncle Vernon's car. The cat was undoubtedly spying on Harry, making sure that he was safe for the time being.
His mind flooded with thought, Harry picked a book up from beneath his loose floor board and began to read it. This was how he had spent most of his time at Privet Drive reading or thinking. The other bulk of his time was spent doing household chores fore his atrocious Aunt and Uncle, the Dursleys. In the next room over, his cousin Dudley snorted in his sleep. At least one thing was different, Harry had thought one day, I'm not isolated from the wizarding world.
By the time he was called downstairs to clean the dishes from the Dursley's breakfast, Harry was halfway done with the book. Silently, he scrubbed the gunk from the plates as the Dursleys watched the television. Then, as he finished washing the last of the cutlery, someone rapped on the door.
"Harry, get that," Uncle Vernon grumbled from the living room. Leaving the dishes, he scrambled to the door. Then, just as Harry was reaching for the door, it unlatched itself and creaked open.
"Harry Potter, I presume. I must ask you to come with me." The voice issued from a tall man dressed in a set of tan robes. His hair was tidy and brown, and he had on a face mask that blocked most of the facial features of the man. "I must also ask you to bring your wand with you. This is a most dire situation that we are in."
Moments later, Harry found himself rushing upstairs for his wand, followed by the man. "Okay have every thing? Good,-"- the man pulled an old rusty hammer from beneath his robes and gestured for Harry to move closer to him-"-this is a portkey, now on the count of three-"-Harry grabbed the wrench-"one-two-three-"
Harry felt himself get yanked from his feet as the room around him disappeared in a swirl of motion. He was flying across space, in a record time. Desperately, he gasped for breath and found none. Then, just as quickly as he had been taken off the ground, he felt his knees buckle as he smashed into the ground.
Harry teetered on his feet dizzily for a few moments and fell to the ground uselessly. Slowly, he got to his feet as the world around came into view. He was standing on a floating platform, and all around him, he could see other platforms like his surrounding a broken fortress on a bare island. It was then that he saw who he was standing with. By his side Dumbledore stood watching the castle intently. On his other side was the entire Order of the Phoenix. Behind him stood the man who had taken him from the home of his only living relatives.
Harry gaped at the scene; thousands of wizards surrounded the lone castle, which emitted darkness from it. Finally, Dumbledore spoke, "Hello, Harry. Welcome to Azkaban Wizarding Prison."
It took Harry some time to respond to one of the greatest wizards who ever lived, "What are we doing here?"
But it was not Dumbledore who answered his question but it was Remus Lupin, "It's terrible Harry, it really is but as strange as it seems the dementors of Azkaban are starving."
"So what's the problem then?"
"Harry, you've seen the power of the dementors before, but imagine something a thousand times worse. This is it Harry. Starving, the dementors abandon all reason and precautions and will do anything, eat anything as long as they can stop the hunger for souls."
"What?"
"Don't you get it yet? In their current state the dementors are killing machines! They will stop at nothing Harry. If they aren't stopped, they'll devour every single soul in the world until their hunger is filled up. They must be stopped before they begin their spree of terror."
Harry looked at his former professor in horror. The truth of the mission had finally hit him. He looked at his fists. They must be stopped before they spread around the world, and Harry knew that he would have to give everything that he had to stop the dementors. He knew that he would not die here, he knew that he would either die fighting Voldemort, or live by killing him.
He would dive into battle, risk his life go against endless odds and prevail. He knew that that was what would happen today. He knew that this would be his toughest battle yet. And yet somehow instead of cringing in fear, he was standing straight prepared for battle. He knew in his heart that the game had begun.
Miles away, in a small abandoned castle, a cloaked wizard awoke screaming in pain. This wizard was Voldemort. The door to his chamber burst open as Bellatrix Lestrange ran into the room. "Master? Are you okay?"
Voldemort propped himself up against a wall made of cold hard stone, still gripping his wand in his hand. Slowly, he drew in a shuddering breath and spoke, "Prepare the dementors, the times has come for us to-"- he went suddenly rigid as green blood began to ooze from his mouth-"-begin our plans. Unfortunately, I must remain here. He has awakened from his sleep and I must prepare for it to-"-he paused for a moment as he wiped green blood from his mouth- "begin properly."
Bellatrix wheeled around and stormed out of the room. Voldemort watched as she went and then began to cough more blood.
Harry Potter sat in front of his window, waiting for his owl, Hedwig to return from her midnight flight for food. As soon as the bird returned, Harry would give her the letters he had written for his two best friends, Ron and Hermione. He had also included another letter for Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Down on Privet Drive, one of Mrs. Figg's pet tabby cats cleaned itself on top of his Uncle Vernon's car. The cat was undoubtedly spying on Harry, making sure that he was safe for the time being.
His mind flooded with thought, Harry picked a book up from beneath his loose floor board and began to read it. This was how he had spent most of his time at Privet Drive reading or thinking. The other bulk of his time was spent doing household chores fore his atrocious Aunt and Uncle, the Dursleys. In the next room over, his cousin Dudley snorted in his sleep. At least one thing was different, Harry had thought one day, I'm not isolated from the wizarding world.
By the time he was called downstairs to clean the dishes from the Dursley's breakfast, Harry was halfway done with the book. Silently, he scrubbed the gunk from the plates as the Dursleys watched the television. Then, as he finished washing the last of the cutlery, someone rapped on the door.
"Harry, get that," Uncle Vernon grumbled from the living room. Leaving the dishes, he scrambled to the door. Then, just as Harry was reaching for the door, it unlatched itself and creaked open.
"Harry Potter, I presume. I must ask you to come with me." The voice issued from a tall man dressed in a set of tan robes. His hair was tidy and brown, and he had on a face mask that blocked most of the facial features of the man. "I must also ask you to bring your wand with you. This is a most dire situation that we are in."
Moments later, Harry found himself rushing upstairs for his wand, followed by the man. "Okay have every thing? Good,-"- the man pulled an old rusty hammer from beneath his robes and gestured for Harry to move closer to him-"-this is a portkey, now on the count of three-"-Harry grabbed the wrench-"one-two-three-"
Harry felt himself get yanked from his feet as the room around him disappeared in a swirl of motion. He was flying across space, in a record time. Desperately, he gasped for breath and found none. Then, just as quickly as he had been taken off the ground, he felt his knees buckle as he smashed into the ground.
Harry teetered on his feet dizzily for a few moments and fell to the ground uselessly. Slowly, he got to his feet as the world around came into view. He was standing on a floating platform, and all around him, he could see other platforms like his surrounding a broken fortress on a bare island. It was then that he saw who he was standing with. By his side Dumbledore stood watching the castle intently. On his other side was the entire Order of the Phoenix. Behind him stood the man who had taken him from the home of his only living relatives.
Harry gaped at the scene; thousands of wizards surrounded the lone castle, which emitted darkness from it. Finally, Dumbledore spoke, "Hello, Harry. Welcome to Azkaban Wizarding Prison."
It took Harry some time to respond to one of the greatest wizards who ever lived, "What are we doing here?"
But it was not Dumbledore who answered his question but it was Remus Lupin, "It's terrible Harry, it really is but as strange as it seems the dementors of Azkaban are starving."
"So what's the problem then?"
"Harry, you've seen the power of the dementors before, but imagine something a thousand times worse. This is it Harry. Starving, the dementors abandon all reason and precautions and will do anything, eat anything as long as they can stop the hunger for souls."
"What?"
"Don't you get it yet? In their current state the dementors are killing machines! They will stop at nothing Harry. If they aren't stopped, they'll devour every single soul in the world until their hunger is filled up. They must be stopped before they begin their spree of terror."
Harry looked at his former professor in horror. The truth of the mission had finally hit him. He looked at his fists. They must be stopped before they spread around the world, and Harry knew that he would have to give everything that he had to stop the dementors. He knew that he would not die here, he knew that he would either die fighting Voldemort, or live by killing him.
He would dive into battle, risk his life go against endless odds and prevail. He knew that that was what would happen today. He knew that this would be his toughest battle yet. And yet somehow instead of cringing in fear, he was standing straight prepared for battle. He knew in his heart that the game had begun.