Title: From the Ashes

Fandom: Harry Potter

Rating: M, over all.

Chapters: 00/??

Pairing(s): Harry/Draco(main), other's to be announced (I haven't gotten quite that far ahead yet)

Spoilers: Everything up through OotP.

Please be aware that while this does/will contain spoilers up through OotP, I have made major changes to Harrys summer before 5th year and to the year itself. Ashes starts about 2 weeks after the end of 5th year, so that would be end of June, pos. beginning of July.

Warnings: Slash, creature!fic, character death, Dumbledore bashing. More to come as plot develops further, I'm sure.

Summary: He's had enough. Enough of fighter, enough of war, of death of manipulative old fools and of hiding. He's going to do what should have been done a long time ago. He's going to bring the Wizarding World to its knees and make it remember.

Misc. Notes: All major and pertinent information regarding this story can be found on my profile page. Links to photo albums and playlists, should I ever make them, will be linked to from there as well. Future chapters will not be headed as this one, and therefore will not contain the warnings and such. If you didn't read them the first time through on the first chapter, you probably won't read them at all.

This story is the first thing I've written and deemed post worthy in a very long time, and is the first thing I'll be posting under the 'Unfocused-Muse' user name. Please do not ask for the name I've posted under previously, as the account has since been deleted and all the stories that were on it have been archived for my own nostalgia. Sorry. This chapter will, as the story progresses, be updated with additional warnings and notes as needed. I apologize in advance to those of you who may put this on your favorites list and get update notices and yet no new chapters are posted. I feel that updating this section, as the story grows and accumulates more notes, will allow new readers access to all pertinent information without having to search for it. I do not yet know how long "From the Ashes" will be, so I ask that you all please bear with me. As mentioned on my profile I am a rather slow writer, and would like to keep myself with a buffer of one to two chapters before posting anything new. Slow and/or infrequent updates are, sadly, something I've always had issues with.

Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, or form associated with J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, and/or Warner Bros. and own no part in the Harry Potter franchise. I am merely borrowing her world and characters for the time being, claiming nothing, short of characters you don't recognize and the plot of this work of fanfiction, as my own.

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From the Ashes

written by Unfocused Muse

:: Prelude ::

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If this letter has found its way to you then I've passed on. It's earlier than we'd anticipated, I'm sure, but the plans we made over the Christmas holidays should have been set in motion. The solicitor will get everything sorted and squared away, and help you get everything started; don't worry, you'll be just fine. I'm counting on you to bring the wizarding world to its senses, if not its knees, just like we talked about.

While I don't know any of the specifics concerning my death, I do know that you're probably blaming yourself so stop it. Blame whatever curse or sickness that took me. Blame the caster, brewer or conspirator responsible. Don't ever blame yourself.

Do not doubt yourself, or your new standing. Your family is with you, always.

Do not wavier in your beliefs.

Do not fight instinct- I've found it's normally always right.

Do not be afraid to let others see you cry- it's not a weakness, Harry. It takes a strong man to know when he needs to lean on others.

Do not be afraid to take a chance on love- if you can find it, grab it, and never let it go.

Do not let Hogwarts forget that you are a Marauder, through and through, up to no good and full of mischief just waiting to be managed.

You are a Gryffindor.

You are the Boy-Who-Lived.

You are not just a boy with a scar, or part of a prophecy.

You are Harry Potter, the only son of Lily and James.

You are a Slytherin.

You are a force to be reckoned with.

You are Lord of one of the most noble and ancient houses.

You are Harry Black.

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To Be Continued

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