There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a man in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. He looked at me and made a threatening gesture, now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw Death standing in the crowd and he came to Death and said, why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, Death said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.

Flames licked the sky lighting up the quiet street with a gentle orange glow providing a warmth on the cold october night.

An old man slowly trudged unseen up the street his face showing no emotion yet somehow exhibiting a welcoming and kind aura. Heading towards a beautiful little cottage from which the flames danced he made his way inside ignoring the body lying in the living room, that would be dealt with later. Up the stairs he went and into a child's bedroom,

"Tom Riddle. It is time for your appointment."

His eyes widened in shock, the man who he had come to see was not there. Eyes blackened allowing his to see that which escaped the attention of a normal person, he scanned the room looking for any sign of the missing man. A golden glimmer in the corner caught his attention, making his way over to what he now realised was the form of an unconscious small boy he knelt down pushing away debris that littered the boy. The child's bright golden aura waved and flickered caressing the air around him yet something was off. A black oily substance was intruding on the golden aura, Seeping into it slowly darkening the gold.

"Oh no you don't" the man hissed in anger. Reaching out with his own essence he wrapped the black putrid corruption containing the spread but unable to remove leaving a lightning bolt mark on the child's forehead. Tired from the exertion needed his form began to shimmer and melt,

"You have been marked now, Harry Potter. And you Tom Riddle. We shall meet again because nobody misses their appointment with Death."

A loud roar filled the night air, different from from the now familiar creaking of burning wood as a young man astride a huge black motorcycle appeared in the middle of the street from out the sky. His eyes full of mischief hiding a tired weariness behind them. His eyes turned to the burning building,

"Lily, James," He whispered.

A solitary tear rolling down his face.

"Harry"

Breaking into a sprint the he ran toward the house, past the front door hanging of its hinges collapsing to his knees as he saw his friend lying on the floor eyes the once sparkled with a smile staring him in the face yet seeing nothing.

"James no please no," he pleaded. Hoping that this was just another elaborate prank, sick maybe but still just a prank. A cry met his ears shifting his attention to the stairs, he made his way towards the second room on the right of the second where he knew his godson would be. He burst into the room wand in hand seeing nothing but a pile of robes and ash in one corner of the room, a great gaping hole in the roof through which the wind howled and flames danced. A crib lay in the opposite corner lying on its side, its content thrown across the body of a woman he once called his sister. Swallowing back a sob in his throat.

"Harry, come here harry."

Big green eyes swimming with tears turned towards him. A loud crunch from behind caused the him to spin wand drawn a spell on his lips,

"Hagrid," he cried, "it's you, I thought its was him come back"

A huge man filled the doorway. Ducking down he just about managed to squeeze his bulk into the room.

"Merlin's beard sirius what happened here,"

"I don"t know hagrid. But james and lily are gone and harry here needs me now,"

"Fraid not sirius, dumbledore sent me for little harry, he is to go to his aunt now,"

"No hagid, I can't let you do that," Sirius said, "I am his godfather. He needs me" a tear dripped down his face and into his beard.

"I am sorry sirius dumbledore's orders at least for now. Maybe you can go see him later" Hagrid said reaching out to take harry from the broken man in front of him.

Sirius squared his shoulder allowing harry to be taken from his hands.

"Fine hagrid take him, and take my bike too i won't be needing it I have someone i have to see"

Turning on the spot the man disappeared with the same crack as before leaving the giant man and little boy.

"Come on then you little tyke we best be off." Straddling the large black bike revving the engine he took of down the street before launching suddenly into the sky leaving nothing but a gently smouldering building and a once again peaceful little village full of sleeping neighbours who knew nothing of the night's activities.