So I am back on the horse, as it were. This is a little idea that came to me awhile back.

This story is a bit on the short side, and unlike my first multi-chaptered story, fully written before publishing. So that means regular updates!

Expect a chapter every week. They will be around twenty-two chapters, and they will be short.

Now I would put a disclaimer, but then there are no rules that make it compulsory ... and I am the last person to go above and beyond when I don't really need to. Besides, it is obvious that this is fan fiction (it's in the site's name!).

Anyway, this is the prologue. The first chapter will be up the next week!

Again, don't expect long chapters at all. The length may pick up later, though.

Enjoy!

A man entered a shadowy room containing four individuals as heavily cloaked and disguised as he was. Closing the door behind him, he came to stand in front of the table.

'Report,' said one of the seated figures.

'Sir, our source indicates that the target has indeed faced a form of The Nemesis.'

A collective breath was taken at this announcement.

'How sure is your source?'

'As sure as can be, sir. A cursory scan of the minds of the target's friends have given our inside-man enough reason to sneak in and perform light Legilimency on the target himself. The results more than confirm the rumours that have been flying around.'

Unseen eyebrows were raised.

'Legilimency?' said the second seated shadowy figure. 'Performed by someone so young? That too on a person as young as the target? That is a tad risky…'

'I will have you know that while our operative may have just reached majority, he is a highly talented student. His skills in the mind arts are second to few.' The first seated figure said stiffly.

'I am just saying that we should-'

'That is quite enough,' the third seated figure interjected, averting what would have been a tedious oft-repeated and pointless argument. 'Everybody here knows how skilled the young man is, after all, we did hire the lad! And we did it after rigorously testing him. Then we trained him till his brain was about to come out of his ears. We all also share the same concerns about the skills being put into play. So how about we focus on what's important right now?'

'As I was saying,' said the standing figure. 'The rumours have been confirmed. The Nemesis was defeated by the target.'

'How did that happen?' the third figure said curiously.

In response, the standing figure took out a phial of an ethereal substance.

Without further ceremony, a Pensieve was produced and the memory was poured into it. The four individuals dived into it. A moment later they sat back.

'That is … interesting.' The second seated individual said.

'I think this is enough to give The Project a go?'

At once, the three seated people turned to look at their colleague, the fourth figure who had yet to say a thing.

The figure in question seemed to ponder this for a long moment before nodding silently.

'Proceed.'

So that's the prologue. It is short. I know. If you want a long prologue, I suggest reading Lord of the Rings. That prologue is more than a hundred pages long.