Hello, and happy Thanksgiving! This is going to be a long AN, just to take some time to explain some things. Sorry to psyche all of you, but the next chapter is coming soon, I promise. The term ended recently, and on top of that I had a large part in the school play, so I had to put all my focus on those things for a while. But it's half done, and it will be here.

I want to address concerns some things with the last chapter I recently posted created. You all know what it was. The scene after Harry and Tom came back to the orphanage. The reactions I got were varied, but everyone were quite shocked. I had expected this to some measure, but some of the reactions worried me, so I thought that before I finish the next chapter, I should take some time out to put some things out there.

First off, I want to explain what I plan to do with Lightning, and what I've been planning. I have the warning of it being dark for a reason, and when I write something dark, I will write something dark. I like to say that when I'm a writer, I don't have morals, I have standards. My Tom, as many of you may have noticed, is, yes, sadistic. He's possessive of Harry, frankly near obsessed but not quite at this point, but that doesn't mean he loves him. Throughout the entire thing, I have remembered that Tom Riddle is incapable of love. Just because he's possessive, does not mean he loves Harry. In fact, it's the opposite.

Another thing that people have seemed a little confused on is that what I'm writing is going to be an "S&M" fic. I wish to dash these thoughts. With all seriousness, I want to clear up something. Something that I think may backfire on me if I don't manage to explain properly, so please try to understand where I'm coming from. Tom is sadistic, yes. I stated that that's how I see him, based on my own interpretations of LV's mind in the books. But I cannot for the life of me see Harry as a masochist. Maybe he has some masochistic tendencies, but he doesn't register pain as pleasure. Just look at the scene in the fourth book for evidence. Besides, even with my extremely limited knowledge on the subject, I know that S&M is based on trust and consent... and it's a sexual activity preference. We really don't need another 50 Shades of Grey. Admittedly, knowing Tom, that when the boys do get around that age for some "hanky panky," some elements may come into play... and I'm getting off track. What I'm trying to say is that right now, at this very moment in the story, Tom abuses Harry, and Harry puts up with it because it never goes on for more than a couple moments. Yes, their relationship is abusive. That is a fact I'm willing to admit. That's a part of where the "dark" warning comes from. And the whole thing will get worse before it gets better.

What I want Lightning to be, for all its faults, is the dark story that I wish someone else would write so I could read it. I've always been drawn to stories that aren't all fluffy and rainbows and sparkles. I enjoy reading about the darker side of humanity. It fascinates me. That's what I'm trying to do. Tom is essentially all the darkness of humanity wrapped up into a devious, insidious little ball, Harry's the innocent caught up in the malicious storm, everyone else are the sheep sent to the slaughter, and I love them all for that. I try to get that across in the way I write Tom, his interactions with other people, how he treats Harry, etc. Every chapter, something in our two favorite wizards' relationship changes. Even if it's something small, there's going to be a constant shift.

I probably could have eased people more into the apparent jump in their dynamic, I admit that. I had attempted to hint at what had been going on behind the scenes with the way Harry spoke to Tom, and how Tom treated Harry, but I realize now that I didn't do a well enough job of it. I apologize for that. Someday, when Lightning's finally finished and I've grown enough in skill to feel it worthwhile, I will edit the crap out of it and polish it off so that some day, I might be able to omit this long author's note. I'm even considering changing the genre category soon, and I'm sure that at some point, the rating will go up to M.

What I'm getting at is that this is a warning. This is the point at the story that I'm laying it all out there. For my readers today at the time I post this, and any future readers who pick Lightning up when it's finished. This is the kind of story Lightning will be, and now is the time to make your decision whether to continue reading or not. To sum up, in this fic, basic human decency will be tested. I only wish to ask of the people reading this is that you have faith in me. Faith that I will try my hardest to not cross the line so far that Lightning is soiled, and faith that by the end I will slowly but surely leave you in a place of peace, and hopefully, contentedness.

To those that decide that they would rather stay away, know that I understand. For those that decide to continue on with me, I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart, and hope you enjoy.

-Benevolence Black