Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, the awful thing that happened on Page 661, paragraph five would never have happened. . . .

However, I do own the Lark family and any other OC's I introduce in this story. Enjoy!

Distorted Reflections

Prologue: Six Hundred and Sixty-One

July 21, 2007 - 3:00 AM

Parker Ave. was a good place to live, by all accounts. The neighbors were always courteous to one another; the lawns were neat and well-manicured, littered though they were with roller blades and bicycles. At night, no rowdy teenagers raced up the streets and smoking was - unofficially - prohibited by all residents.

This was why, sixteen years ago, the Larks had moved in. To raise a family, Mrs. Lark had said. To get some peace and quiet, the law-abiding Mr. Lark had stated.

And it was certainly peaceful. However tonight, the silence in the Lark household was pervaded by a sense of expectancy. Mr. and Mrs. Lark were asleep in their bed, oblivious to it while the family dog, Snuffles, reclined on the floor next to them. Next door, eight-year-old Amy was sound asleep, dreaming of ice cream and unicorns.

Across the hall was the Larks' oldest daughter, Diana. The sixteen-year-old sat in bed, knees drawn up to her chest, a large book open on her lap. Though her green eyes were bloodshot, she continued to focus on the words before her; next to her was a pile of wadded tissues. Now and then, Diana would let out a small sniffle and quickly grab another tissue, dabbing at her eyes and nose. The only other sounds were those of the flipping of pages and the steady hum of the computer as it downloaded episodes of Mugglecast. All was silent.

Then, a shrill scream split the still night air, part rage and part unbearable loss. Always alert for any sign of danger, Snuffles bounded into Diana's room, barking madly, closely followed by Mr. and Mrs. Lark.

"What's wrong?" Alan Lark asked his daughter, searching the room for any intruder or other disturbance. "Di, honey, what's the matter?" Diana's screams had subsided and she now sat, face buried in her hands, shuddering with sobs.

Rachel Lark laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Diana, dear, what's wrong?" She could only point wordlessly at the book that lay open on the bedspread next to her. "Six h-hundred and sixty-one," she choked out. "P-paragraph five."

Worriedly, Rachel took the book - the book that Diana had been counting down to since Christmas - and thumbed through it. With a concerned Alan leaning over her shoulder, the two read. . . .

Without a word to Harry, Ron and Hermione walked away. Harry saw Hermione

approach Ginny, whose face was swollen and blotchy, and hug her. Ron joined Bill,

Fleur, and Percy, who flung an arm around Ron's shoulders. As Ginny and Hermione

moved closer to the rest of the family, Harry had a clear view of the bodies lying next to

Fred: Remus and Tonks, pale and still and peaceful-looking, apparently asleep beneath

the dark enchanted ceiling.

Alan was the first to speak. "Erm . . . Diana, honey. . . ." He stopped mid-speech, realizing he had no idea what he had just read. Half the characters' names were unfamiliar to him - Harry, Ron, and Hermo . . . no, Hermie . . . well the girl he knew. Rachel saved him.

"Was it Fred, sweetheart?" she asked, rubbing her daughter's shoulder tenderly. Diana shook her head, hiccups now interspersed with her soft sobs.

Fred . . . Fred, that was one of that Ron kid's brothers, wasn't it? Alan wondered. He glanced down at the book again. He had never heard of this Tonks person but Remus. That was semi-familiar from the many impromptu lessons in Harry Potter lore Diana had given him. Wait a second. . . .

"The werewolf!" he cried suddenly, pointing triumphantly at the book. His daughter turned bloodshot eyes to face him. "It's him, isn't it? The guy who worked at Hogwarts, right? Padfoot . . . no wait, Moony . . . the werewolf?" He stopped again as he realized what he was saying. If Di really was upset about this guy, then. . . .

"Remus!" Diana howled, her sobbing increased tenfold. "He's dead, Dad, he's dead! She killed him, Jo killed him! How could she? How could she? Remus!" Whimpering, Snuffles licked her hand. Sobbing still louder, Diana buried her swollen face in the Labrador's fur.

Alan and Rachel could only watch as their daughter broke. . . .

Note: Diana's reaction is based roughly on my reaction to Remus Lupin's death, though mine wasn't as drastic, nor was it as drastic as what you will see next chapter. I did have a memorial service though!

Alan is also based on my dad and how little he knows about Harry Potter but he still attempted to comfort me when I'm upset about something in Harry Potter (including Remus's death).

Coming Soon: Chapter One: Two Weeks Later. After two weeks have passed, Diana isn't showing any signs of getting over the death of Remus so her parents make a decision. . . .

Please review and tell me what you thought!