Disclaimer: I in no way, shape, or form own Harry Potter. Trust me, you should be glad I don't, it would be completely ruined if I did. Anyway, don't sue, I don't have any money and I'm certainly not making any, so you wouldn't get a whole lot.

Warning: This is a Draco/Harry fic. This story will be slash. see that? SLASH, as in the main pairing is two guys. If you don'tlike it, fine.Then don't read this fic. I refuse to put upwith peoplewho are idiotically prejudiced. I'm not tolerant. If you don't want to hear about homosexuality then leave.

AN: the rating on this may change. I've not exactly got it all written out.You know as much as I do what will happen in later chapters. Just so you know.


Prologue

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was known to be one of the safest, most peaceful, and most comforting places during the dark times that so often plagued the wizarding world. All but those who served the current, reigning evil power knew that they would be welcome at the castle when they were no longer safe in their own homes. Nothing could ever seem to taint the serenity of the lake at sunset, watching the giant squid as it lazily drifted its tentacles across the surface. The sheer joy that could be found among the students, an enheartening defiance of the fear that the impending war drove into the majority of the magical society. It had always been so.

In June of 1996 the British Ministry of Magic, located in London, England, made the formal announcement that Lord Voldemort, an evil entity who had seemingly perished nearly 15 years before, had once again returned to power. It was clear to many that the year in which the ministry had denied Voldemort's presence, in opposition to the claims of two of the most trusted wizards on the planet, had cost them dearly in terms of tactical advantage. The dark lord had had more than enough time to regenerate, reassemble his ranks of Deatheaters, and begin planning his world domination. When the news had made it out, the lord had deemed it unnecessary to continue hiding his returned presence. His attacks had started immediately while the ministry attempted to recuperate. The aurors and unspeakables and all other forces opposing his deatheaters had been as much in the dark as the rest of the community. They weren't ready to go out in large-scale combat.

The results were devastating. Every openly muggleborn witch or wizard currently in Hogwarts attendance, their family, and their neighborhood was attacked. The aurors only managed to reach a few of the homes in time. Some managed to hold their own in some bizarre way or another. Others were able to hide. Hundreds of muggles were killed, though, and most of the students didn't make it. One week later, as the ministry tried to get a hold on the situation, the half bloods were attacked as well. There was a difference the second time, though. A secret organization that had come to be known as the Order of the Phoenix had anticipated the move after the quick and catastrophic attack on the muggleborns. Their numbers were too few to be able to protect all, but they were able to set wards that gave them a slight advantage. The wards would automatically alert them when the opposing party apparated into the area, and they would temporarily freeze the offenders in an attempt to give the order enough time to group and warn the aurors. The mortalities were less, but over one hundred people, muggle and magical alike, were killed.

The ministry and the order walked on eggshells for the next month, preparing for another attack. An attack that never came. In the meanwhile they tried to sort through the aftermath of the massacres. In the last war with Voldemort they had been ready. They had known that he was rising to power, gathering minions, and plotting the destruction of non-magical humanity. They had been able to prepare. They had not had that luxury this time around and it was made obvious by the numbers that appeared in newspapers all over the world. The Daily Prophet gave out the statistics: 637 muggles killed, 128 witches and wizards killed (including muggleborns, aurors, and deatheaters), 69 attacked muggles survived, 21 attacked witches and wizards survived, approximately 412 deaths averted by the actions of the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix, approximately 502 muggles gained knowledge of the magical community, 0 muggles have been obliviated.

Only a select few muggle families had had their memories erased, at their own request. The others had been asked to keep it quiet, but it was highly unlikely that magic would remain a secret for long. The governments of the world had been contacted and informed by their country's corresponding magical government. A true world war was on the verge of eruption and if it came to that then no one would be safe. It wasn't fair to the muggles to lay this upon them without letting them know what 'this' was. It seemed that one man really was enough to force two worlds together. He was determined to make "pure" blood the only remaining force in the world. All others would have to go. The attacks continued on a smaller, more seemingly random scale.

By the end of August, 26 refugee families took sanctuary in Hogwarts, a total of 117 people. 4 families were completely magical, 7 had 1-3 magical members among an otherwise muggle family. They had gone to seek safety in a place where so many had before, where they were sometimes reminded of the war, but they didn't have to worry about being attacked again. They were seeking a place with at least some semblance of peace and happiness.

September second taught the new residents that they hadn't fled from the fighting. They'd walked into the heart of it.