romeo and juliet | harry potter

Prologue

"No one here."

Orion Black apparated outside of 12 Grimmauld place, a remote side lane in London, along with some of his colleagues: Lloyd Lestrange, Regulus Black, Edward Black and Walburga Black. Lloyd sat on the edge of the pavement and tried to slow his breathing whilst Edward paced with his wand clutched tightly in the palm of his hand.

"How can you be so sure, father?" Regulus said.

He too was out of breath. His forehead was dripping with sweat and his black, polished shoes were specked with mud. He took a grey handkerchief out of his pocket and cleaned his forehead.

"Don't talk back to your father," Walburga snapped although she too wasn't sure whether she could take her husband's word on the situation

"Yes, Regulus. Don't answer back to your joke of a father," a voice whispered, cutting sharply through the darkness..

Everyone was caught aback. They all held out their wands and Orion went red in the face, fuming. He looked around at one of the nearest people to him and grabbed them. He took hold of Edward by the collar of his shirt and got right in his face.

"Did you say that?" Orion trembled with anger.

"Looking for someone?" the voice whispered once more.

Orion looked at Edward and dropped him onto the floor. Edward grabbed his neck, gasping for air and stood up as straight as he could. Everyone held out their wands, stepping cautiously forward. The night pressed down against them and all could be heard by each and every one of them was the sound of their hearts pounding in their ears.

"Hello, friends," someone spoke and without warning, a spark of blue light shot at Orion Black's jaw. He fell to the floor with a cry, clutching his face. The scenery around him shook and he could barely support himself as the darkness weighed down on him more and more.

He glanced up and squinted to see a very blurred figure smirking maliciously. He covered his nose that was bleeding and frowned.

"What do you want, White?" Orion said.

"You know what I want or are you as dim-witted as you look?"

Orion spat blood and tried to stand up, pushing himself up on the pavement. He let go of his face and wiped his bloody hand on his trousers coming face to face with his enemy. He looked into his vile, green eyes and laughed.

"Pretty smart, aren't you? Someone the dark Lord would definitely want on his side, wouldn't you say? Beside the fact that you aren't truly loyal to him and that he doesn't need you at all," Orion said.

"The dark Lord will just dispose of you like a piece of muggle filth. You're unworthy of the reputation you get. You sicken me, Black," William White said.

"Expelliarmus!" Edward yelled.

The wand that William had been holding flew out of his hand and was caught by Edward.

"You weasel! What would have happened if a muggle had walked past then? A good time away in Azkaban for violating the stature of secrecy," William White laughed.

Someone apparated beside William. It was his wife, Mayfair White.

"Need extra support, do you?" Orion said in a baby voice.

"Crucio!" Mayfair yelled at him.

Orion fell to the floor once again with blood stains now on his clean, black shirt and black robes. He clutched at his head and screamed, dropping his wand and it rolling to William's feet. William grabbed the wand off Mayfair and ended the unforgivable curse.

"We're both wandless now, Black. Get up." William commanded.

Orion tried to get up but fell back onto the cobbled street, leaving a blood mark. He got onto his hands and knees and stood up with Walburga at his side trying to help him up but Orion pushing her aside.

"What ' do 'ou sugges'?" Orion said, his speech slurring.

"Fiendfyre!" Edward shouted and fire erupted from his wand.

"You idiot!" Orion yelled and wiped his face on his robe sleeve.

He ran to Edward, snatched his wand and threw it at William and Mayfair White. William shouted out in pain as the fire caught his robes and started burning his legs and arms. It reached his face and burned. William cried out and the Black's escaped into 12 Grimmauld place leaving a roaring fire outside their front door. William Apparated away with Mayfair at his side and the street fell silent apart from the crackling of the fire.