Prologue

The Sin of Betrayal

In a tiny, cold dungeon, deep beneath the newly built Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a young man walks in on his older brother standing over a muggleborn student, wand raised and killing curse on his lips.

He stepped between the student and man, wand raised and a look of disgusted fury on his face. "Brother. You need to get help." A tall young man stood in front of a spitting image of himself in 10 years. "You can't continue doing these things." The student runs up the stairs of the dungeon towards the light.

"On the contrary, Solarus. I can do whatever I bloody well want," Salazar Slytherin hissed back. "Even though you are the youngest, you have always had the spotlight. But it's my light and I shall do whatever it takes to have it shine brightly on me!" Salazar stepped forward, menacingly and Solarus took a corresponding step back.

"I fear that the light that you seek is the darkest of them all," Solarus said, his eyes downcast and his expression one of sorrow.

Salazar growled and lunged at him, but he was too late. Solarus had already apparated away. "You have betrayed our family's trust by saving that mud blood. You shall pay for going against the head of the Slytherin family!" he screamed into the space previously occupied by his brother.

40 Years Later

In a large mansion on an unplottable bit of land in the moors of Ireland, a wedding was taking place. It was a joyous occasion for all involved. Solarus Slytherin sat in the front row of the ceremony of his only child, Seren Slytherin was married to the French wizard, Julius Jardin. As the sprightly black-haired green-eyed girl and stony-faced blond-hair blue-eyed man sealed their vows an uproar came from back of the gathering.

Solarus pushed his way through the crowd only to be taken down with the Cruciatus Curse. Looking up he saw many wizards dressed in shifting grey colored cloaks. "What do you want here?" he asked angrily, knowing there was a war going on in England, but not thinking for a second it would make it all the way out here to the moors of Ireland.

"Do you remember that day…," a familiar voice hissed. It was much more reptilian than the last time he had heard it and it sent shivers up his spine. "I told you I would get the light that had been shining on you since you were born. I swore it as a matter of the fact. And today is the day I fulfill my vow!" From behind Salazar Slytherin an unearthly howl arose.

"No…," Solarus said, backing away. "They can't survive in daylight. This cannot be." He continued to back up, wand raised as a vampire stepped out from behind Salazar, lowering the cowl of its cloak and baring its fangs. "Get out of here!" he screamed at everyone. "Go!"

Loud pops were heard as the conglomeration apparated away. The only three remaining now were Julius, who was enraged at this interruption of the ceremony and busy trying to get his wand away from his new wife, Seren who was busy trying to talk him into just going while casting worried looks around at the circle that was closing in on them, and Solarus who stood steady in his attempt to keep them from his daughter and son-in law.

Suddenly, from Seren back, a shape shifter fired the Stupefy hex at Julius, who went down in a heap. At the same time, the Cruciatus curse was once again fired at her father, who also went down, which left only her.

She began to shake as the vampire walked steadily towards her.

"Stop!" Slytherin's voice rang out. "You may drink of the other's but the girl has other uses." Even with his face shadowed by the hood, she could feel the smirk that crossed his lips like an icy spike rammed up her spine. All the happiness drained out of the air and she could barely raise her head to look at her cloaked uncle. "Seren, darling. I'm sorry I have to do this to you, but it's for your own good, kitten."

The last thing that Seren heard before everything went black was the single word "Imperious."

An undefinable amount of time later (Some where around 5 years)

A cold and nearly unconscious Seren landed on shore. She had been adrift for 2 days and was nearly dead from dehydration. She was also pretty sure her water had broken and that she was going to have the baby any minute now. She couldn't figure out where she was or even who she was. She didn't know anything at all of what had happened during the last bit of time. All she remembered was that her Uncle Salazar had arrived at her wedding and then…

A sudden pain caused to double over and scream in pain. A blonde haired man heard and came running. "Miss are you alright?" he asked.

"The baby. It's coming!" she screamed, gripping his arm in a razor tight grip. She opened her eyes just long enough to notice how much like Julius this guy looked and then blacked out again.

When she awoke, she heard a shrill scream. It was her baby, her son. She just knew it. She opened her eyes a little.

"Oh look! She's finally come around." A sprightly old lady with blue gray hair and a nurses outfit said. "You've been though quite a spot these last few days, so you have."

"Where's my baby?" she asked immediately, holding her hands out for the infant.

"He's right here. And a healthy little fellow he is. Might I ask what his name's to be?" she said, handing him over.

"Lazarus Draconis Jardin," se said cradling him in her arms and not noticing the strange look on the old woman's face as she had been taken over by The Sight.

A vision of her uncle murdering her father and her husband, then... Uncle Salazar? No! No! He couldn't have done that! This is Julius' child! It is!

She opened her unseeing eyes wide and jumped out of bed, ignoring the squalling child and the warning to stay in bed if she knew what was good for her. She practically threw her newborn at the nurse and ran for the window which looked over the sea. Her unseeing eyes, filled with tears gazed down on the sharp rocks at the end of a long fall, and she jumped.

3 hours later

A knock on the seaside mansions door. An elderly butler answered the door to find a very distressed looking mediwitch at the doorstep. "May I help you?" he asked, eyeballing the bundle that the nurse had in her arms.

"Yes. Get me Justinius Jardin down here right now!" she answered hellfire and brimstone in her eyes.

"Of course." The servant bowed and invited her into the foyer. A few minutes later, a tall blonde young man enters.

"Ah! Hello Emily! How's that woman I found fairing?"

"She killed herself. And this is her baby."

"And what does that have to do with me and my family?" he asked, becoming quite bored.

"The baby's name is Lazarus Draconis JARDIN. The woman you found has been positively I.D.'d as your missing brother's wife." She held out the baby for him to take.

"Justin's… wife…," He took the baby and looked at his solemn face which just stared back up into his. "It doesn't look anything like him…"

"It looks a lot like the mother. Almost too much, in fact. In any case, he's your responsibility now." She turned and apparated away before he could even think to protest.