Hello! Thanks for checking out this NextGen fic. A little info: It starts with a flashforward and then the second chapter will start from first year. There will be one chapter for each of the early years until we get to the main story. Enjoy! - Alex

The man smelled like tuna and something sour. It wasn't the most unpleasant thing Rose had ever smelt, but it made her nose tingle and certainly didn't the help situation. Rose spat blood out of her mouth, still feeling dizzy from being hit over the head. She most likely had a concussion and the irrational part of her was worried about losing some brain function right before end of year exams.

Rose nearly laughed to herself, but her ribs ached and she worried that they were broken. Laughing equals bad when you have cracked ribs. It was so stupid of her to be worried about exams at a time like this, but it helped take her mind off of the fact that she might not survive. If she worried about her brain capacity for exams that meant that she would be alive to take them. At least they're only sixth year exams and not N.E.W.T.s, Rose consoled herself.

She shifted, trying to get herself upright so that she might be able to see more and figure out where her captor was holding her. Bad idea! Her head screamed as her vision dimmed when she tried to sit up. Rose let out a choked noise and blinked rapidly, trying to think of anything but the pains and aches all over her body.

So far she had only seen one man. She was sure he had to be one of the radicals from Eastern Europe. They had made their way through Europe and to Great Britain so it couldn't be a coincidence that just a few months after those radicals arrived in England, Rose had been kidnapped from Hogwarts. Rose's eyes pooled with tears are she thought of Hogwarts.

The last thing she remembered was fighting with Scorpius. She sniffled and tried to take even breathes, knowing that crying would only make her headache worse. Scorpius. Rose wiggled her toes as she thought about the blonde prat. Of course she was upset about the Slytherins bullying Hufflepuffs and she didn't see how easily he could cast it aside. She shouldn't have been surprised that he didn't care about what happened to other houses.

I wonder if anyone's noticed. Rose thought wistfully. She didn't even know how long she had been unconscious for. After she had stormed into the night had Scorpius come after her? Had he realized that she had just disappeared into thin air? That scenario was unlikely as she had just finished reaming him out and she doubted he would care about her whereabouts.

CRACK!

Rose jumped as a door slammed somewhere in the structure. She tried to contain her heavy breathing. Maybe if she pretended to be unconscious he wouldn't touch her. Or maybe he'll hurt you because you are unconscious. Rose squeezed her eyes shut as the man's footsteps thundered nearer.

When the footsteps were no more than five feet away, she heard him say in a gravelly voice, "Right where I left you." His rough voice passed over her like a whip. She was right: his voice had a distinct Eastern European accent, but she couldn't tell if he was from Russia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic… she knew it wasn't German. He took a few steps closer until his boots were next to her face. Rose tried not to let out a sob. She kept her eyes closed. He chuckled and the sound made Rose want to puke. "I know you're awake." He sounded pleased.

Rose slowly opened her eyes and let out a shriek when she saw his boots hovering over her face. Her immediate response was to thrash away from having her face smashed in, but her body protested as soon as she made a sudden move. She was too slow to escape his boot and as soon as she tried to move away, the bottom of his shoe came down on her throat.

"Please," she coughed as he pressed on her throat, not hard enough to crush her windpipes, but enough to make it difficult to breathe. "What do you want?" Her voice cracked.

He bent over and rested his arm on the leg that was pinning Rose down. He sneered, bearing his yellow teeth. "I just wanna have some fun." Tears leaked out of the corner of Rose's eyes as she squeezed them shut and tried to pushed his foot off of her throat. "Do you wanna play with me?"

Rose gasped as he put more pressure on her throat. "Let me go!" She tried to yell, but it came out as more of a gasp.

"Why would I do that?" He chuckled as Rose continued to grab at his ankle. "You seem like a good time."

"What do you want?" She repeated.

He raised an oily brow, "Sorry, I couldn't quite make that out."

He was playing with her and Rose realized that there was nothing she could say to make him let her go. "Are you with the radicals?" She choked out, avoiding his soulless eyes.

"What a silly name," he shook his head. "We are the Masters."

Rose glared at his forehead, still avoiding his eyes. "You are master of nothing." Admittedly, taunting the man who could kill her with one step wasn't the best idea.

But he didn't seem angry. Instead, he laughed her off. "Little girl, you know nothing of life. You think that school keeps you safe… but I caught you like plucking a fish out of a stream." Rose couldn't stop the tears from flowing at the sound of his slimy voice. She was afraid, but she was also frustrated that she couldn't seem to do anything.

"They'll come for me." Rose promised weakly.

He stared at her with his unfeeling eyes for a moment and then took his foot off of her throat. She immediately gasped for air and rolled away from him, ignoring the sharp pain in her side. She crawled away from him as fast as she could. She saw him pull out his wand. Rose tried to get behind the scattered items on the floor—a wooden table that had some muggle tools on it, bales of hay…

Rose came to the realization that they were in a shed or a barn of some sort.

"They do not even realize that you are gone," the man said in a way that sounded like a pleased snarl. "And even when they realize, how will they find you?" Rose breathed heavily and pressed against the wooden wall.

"What are you going to do to me?" Rose asked, putting all of her strength into her voice.

The man shrugged carelessly, "Maybe I will take you back to the Masters. Maybe I'll keep you for myself. Maybe I'll see how much Rose Weasley is worth to the Ministry." Rose hated the idea of her parents being blackmailed with her life. She didn't want anyone to worry about her which was silly because of course they were going to worry.

"How long…" Rose couldn't finish. How long ago did you take me?

"Only about twelve hours."

Rose's bottom lip trembled. Had they realized that she was gone yet? Would Scorpius feel guilty about making her run off into the night alone? For once, Rose couldn't find it in herself to blame Scorpius. She wasn't sure if it was because she thought she was going to die but Rose felt guilty about the years of fighting with Scorpius. There were times when they fought just to enjoy a good argument and other times when they had simply pushed each other too far.

All of that seemed trivial now.

"How long are you going to keep me alive?" Rose asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"That depends on you." He raised his wand slowly until it was leveled at Rose.

Rose knew there was no point in shrinking away but she couldn't help but flinch as he pointed his wand at her. There was nowhere to hide. "What do I have to do?"

The man laughed evilly, sounding thoroughly amused. "Endure."

"CRUCIO!"

And then all Rose felt, heard, and tasted was unimaginable pain.