Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Seriously. Ask my wife.

This is my first fanfic…so be nice : )

Chapter 1

A pair of slate-grey eyes surveyed the light coming into the small window. These eyes were once bright and full of life. Now they just looked defeated.

The man in the cell sighed to himself. Tomorrow marked five years since he had been thrown into the hell that was Azkaban. Although, it could have been much worse. At least the dementors are gone. He couldn't help but grin with pride. 'I did that. I destroyed the dementors. I saved hundreds of lives that day. But let ONE person die..."

Voldemort had sent his dementors into Diagon Alley. The bastard had even come to watch. I peeked out of Fortescue's Ice Cream shop to see the carnage. People were screaming and running for the 'safety' of the shops. Poor idiots. Walls won't stop a dementor.

I took a deep breath, and walked out into the middle of the street. Just in time to face the Dark Bastard himself. And to hear him chuckle...'a schoolboy is all that dares to face me?'.

Admittedly, it WAS my first attempt in spell creation. But what the hell, it was worth a try. 'Lumos Magnificus' I screamed. A shockwave of light energy erupted from my wand. Voldemort took the brunt of it...and he's down and out. I hold the wand up, and all the dementors within range are torn to shreds. I cancel the spell and look down at the most evil person in existence, just in time to see Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange running to help their fallen master. Two reductos later, and poor Lucius has fallen to pieces. Literally. Bella had enough time to notice who I was before I gave her brains a new exit from her head through judicious use of a muggle baseball bat I conjured. Wow did that feel good. But damn did that light spell take a lot out of me. I notice my friends running towards me, and tell them 'Take care of the dark bastard for me' before I pass out from magical exhaustion.

I was ennervated to find myself in a rather familiar courtroom. The charge? Murder by complacency. Apparently Undersecretary Umbridge was in the midst of being kissed by a dementor when I cast the light spell. But since I didn't cast it fast enough, they're trying to blame me for her death. And of course since Scrimgeour needs a scapegoat, a life imprisonment in Azkaban is my fate.

At least I'm not alone...

The guards in Azkaban can be persuaded to, shall we say, obtain a few things for the prisoners. I get my pack of smokes out from under the mattress, and head over to the hole in the wall separating me from the next cell.

"Hey Harry, gimme a light, would ya?"

A hand comes through the hole, a small tongue of flame coming from one finger. Nevile Longbottom lights his cigarette, and sits back, reminiscing on times past...and what the future may bring.