Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own any of the characters, plots, etc. of the Harry Potter series. They belong to the incredibly brilliant J. K. Rowling. This is simply my attempt to exercise my imagination.

Building Barriers

Prologue

Some put them up at once, in response to a singular, great offense committed by another. But these are the weakest, formed quickly and often broken easily.

Some hold them from childhood, and as they grow and mature, so too does the wall separating them from the rest of the world. These take years to overcome.

But the final kind—the strongest—are built slowly, brick by brick. The bricks go up unnoticed, forming an almost unbreakable wall, until but one stone remains.--one last hole, allowing little to pass through but oxygen. Until one day, that brick is shoved in, too, helped along by both sides, and no air mingles. There is no way to go back, to take it down. The mortar has long hardened, and the wall crumbles slowly, weakening only after a lifetime—and sometimes, not at all.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I should mention that the images for this prologue were inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." While waiting for an update, you could read it. It's amazing.