Darkness Not Light 1

Darkness Not Light: The Beginning is the first episode in the Darkness Not Light series. The episode focuses on the developing abilities of protagonists Isabella Riddle, then known as Gina Loiacono, and Maurice Edison. The episode also charts Nuggets Dolohov’s betrayal of the Death Eaters, becoming an ally to the teenage prodigies. The episode also shows Jimmy Ackle and Gina Loiacono’s journey from Death Eaters to outcasts. A young Alexei Levchenko is presented in his younger days, posing as Voldemort’s personal assassin despite really being a spy for the Ministry of Magic. The episode also touches on Commander Parak’s decision to start a third attempt at making a stable Prism under Ministry orders whilst contending with the rise of the cloaked being. The episode was originally wrote in 2007 and later revised in late-2008.

Part One
The episode opens when pretty but shy girl Isabella Riddle (then known as Gina Loiacono) narrowly avoids death at the hands of Nuggets Dolohov, a Death Eater who is ordered to kill her. The callous Dolohov is only prevented by secondary target Maurice who uses his elemental and supernatural abilities. A surprised and wounded Dolohov flees back to Voldemort, revealing the information. As a result, Voldemort orders Jimmy Ackle and Gina Loiacono (then known as Isabella Summers) to aid Dolohov in capturing the teenagers.

The next day, Dolohov brandishes Maurice with the Dark Mark and Gina successfully captures Isabella, holding her in a Malfoy Manor cell. However, an unconscious Isabella is released and returned back to Hogwarts by Alexei Levchenko, a young Ministry spy who is posing as Voldemort’s protégé.

An angry Voldemort launches an assault on Hogwarts, sending a team of Death Eaters including Ackle, Dolohov and Gina to cause chaos. Dolohov, under the influence of his triangular Prism, prevents Gina from capturing Isabella. Maurice uses his vial of sand to attack Ackle. As the tide turns against his Death Eaters, Voldemort calls a retreat and publicly berates Ackle, Dolohov and Gina for failing to capture the teenagers once again. As a result, Ackle is stripped of his Elite ranking, Dolohov is reassigned and Gina is placed on probation.

Ackle and Gina betray the Death Eaters, fleeing the Manor. They prepare to capture the teenagers their own way while also plotting revenge on Dolohov. But Ackle then schemes to destroy the emerging elemental race. They stumble across a future Elemental base used in Darkness Not Light 2. There, Ackle and Gina meet Commander Parak, an aging scientist who created the Prisms and is the guardian of Dolohov’s step-son Demetrius. Parak is about to tell Gina about her murky history with the Prisms until General Frear and his squad, who are tasked with capturing Ackle and Gina, intervene, however, Ackle and Gina Apparate from danger. Levchenko, who joined the squad, receives orders to abduct Parak from his superiors at the Ministry of Magic. Levchenko manages to do this. However, rather than questioning Parak, Mr. Blunt, who works for the Ministry, orders Parak to restart his Prism project despite two previous attempts that resulted in many deaths. Parak reluctantly agrees.

Part Two
Isabella and Maurice begin a relationship that gradually becomes more intimate. She begins to have dreams concerning a necklace that is part of the Loiacono heirloom. Meanwhile Dolohov meets Levchenko for the first time in the Manor, but the Russian goes by the name Harold Travis and has disguised his face under orders from Voldemort, who wants the Russian to be an enigmatic presence.

Meanwhile, Ackle and Gina find themselves in a human stronghold that is defending itself from an attack from strange creatures. Creeping inside, the stronghold is actually a former location where Prism experiments happened. In one room, they are assaulted by a mysterious cloaked being leading a deformed army of mutants, the failed results of various Prism tests.

After being saved by the humans and blackmailed into fighting alongside them, the resistance’s opposition is revealed to be the same mutants and cloaked being encountered earlier. Gina is approached by the cloaked being and promises to give her answers to her past if she helps him find and kill Parak, the old man partly responsible for the state of the mutants. Gina agrees and informs Ackle. They both turn on the human resistance, killing them all.

It is revealed that Maurice has been seeing another girl before his meeting with Isabella and is struggling to tell Isabella because of his growing attraction to her. Sean and Sophia Loiacono meet with Isabella under the guise of old family friends. An appearance from Dolohov soon changes that after he is tasked with stealing the Loiacono necklace. After beating Maurice to the verge of death, Dolohov is confronted by Isabella, now under the power of the necklace. Dolohov is unable to use his Prism, which begins melting in the necklace’s presence. However, Dolohov manages to stun Sean and take the necklace, teleporting back to Voldemort and successfully hands over the necklace. Sean reveals to Isabella that he is her brother and Sophia is her sister. In reality they are half related.

In the wake of the recent attack, Isabella and Maurice lose faith in Hogwarts, realising it is unable to protect them. Dolohov continues to have doubts about the Death Eaters. He believes the Death Eaters are nearing its defeat and begins to develop feelings for Isabella.

Part Three
Ackle and Gina, gripped by a desire for revenge, launch a surprise attack on Malfoy Manor. Gina kills many Death Eaters as Ackle battles Frear, eventually subduing and capturing him. After a successful Apparition, Ackle persuades Frear to create a rebellion in the Death Eater community, considering he is a popular member of the group. Voldemort launches in a tirade against his humiliated organisation and strips Dolohov of his Elite ranking.

Isabella and Maurice attempt to track down Sean, refusing to waste time in Hogwarts and after finding Sean and Sophia, Isabella learns partly about her complicated past. She is informed her parents are dead and that Sean wiped parts of her mind so she could forget about her harsh upbringing. The reality is harsher, but this is unknown to Sean at the time. In the meantime, Levchenko meets with Mr. Blunt and is given an accomplice, Detralus the Vampire who becomes Levchenko’s loyal right-hand man.

Parak’s attempts on creating a safer Prism are proving to be difficult after Mr. Blunt demands different designs. Despite the Ministry cloaking Parak’s house, Ackle and Gina invade the house. There, they find blueprints to the Prism; as a result they understand the extent of Dolohov’s power. Parak is interrogated to the point where he reveals part of the history behind the Prisms, but does not go into specifics about Dolohov or Gina. He promises to tell more if they kill the cloaked being. Ackle and Gina reluctantly agree to kill the cloaked being, knowing Parak has more information.

Isabella leaves Sean, Sophia and Maurice and arrives in the Hogwarts grounds but is confronted by Dolohov who demands her to lead him to Maurice’s dorm. Cloaking them in invisibility through the Prism, they arrive at Maurice’s dorm only for Isabella to see him sleeping with another girl. An emotional Isabella leaves and Dolohov Apparates remorsefully as he had planned on helping the two teenagers, not driving a wedge between them.

The following morning, Maurice confronts Isabella about her avoidance of him. She reveals she saw him sleeping with another girl but Maurice vows it was nothing and announced his love for Isabella. She reciprocates the feelings. Meanwhile Ackle and Gina confront the cloaked being who easily defends himself from their attacks. Instead of fighting back, the cloaked being gives a mask and a twisted black Prism to give to Parak, if they deliver the items to the Prism creator, the cloaked being promises to tell Gina about her past.

Part Four
Plagued by doubt and with his loyalty to the Death Eaters hanging by a thread, Dolohov approaches Voldemort and demands he resurrect his former girlfriend Emerald Peace, something the Dark Lord promised he would do years ago. Voldemort refuses, stating he does not yet supply the means. Dolohov leaves angrily. Elsewhere, Ackle and Gina give the items to Parak who collapses. Believing him to be dead, the duo returns to the cloaked being, informing him of Parak’s supposed death. The cloaked being decides not to tell Gina about her past, completing his successful manipulation.

Isabella and Maurice, along with Sean and Sophia, plan an ambitious attack on the Death Eater headquarters in order to take back their necklace. At the same time, Frear initiates his Death Eater rebellion, leading a sizable force. However, Levchenko and Detralus confront the rebel leader. Levchenko displays his abilities for the first time as he severely injures Frear but the Russian refuses to kill him. Instead he commends Frear on his decision to rebel.

Frear led his rebel army to the Great Hall where he announced his opposition to the Dark Lord (who was absent from the Manor) and invited Death Eaters to his rebellion. A deadly battle erupted and Dolohov used the moment to attack several Death Eaters, pledging his support for the rebel cause. A Death Eater attempted to kill Dolohov but a watching Levchenko, still known as Harold Travis to the Death Eaters, intervened and saved Dolohov. However, Maurice knocked Levchenko out and prepared to kill Dolohov. Maurice used the vial of sand which surrounded Dolohov. The former Death Eater quickly revealed the location of the necklace before being engulfed by the sand and carried away.

After securing the necklace, Frear attempted to kill Isabella and Maurice. He successfully wounded both in battle but a surprising intrusion from Dolohov resulted in a fierce duel where a Prism-inspired Dolohov killed Frear. Closing the Prism, Dolohov revealed his doubts over the Death Eaters and pledged to help protect the teenagers from harm. He revealed to Maurice that his father was a good friend of Dolohov’s and, because of the power the man possessed, was driven to suicide. Dolohov vowed to mentor Maurice, fulfilling a promise he had made Maurice senior.

With the rebel Death Eater cause quashed, Voldemort focused his attention on the treacherous Dolohov and the two teenagers. The Dark Lord also set forces against Ackle and Gina, who were both driven into exile. Levchenko disappeared from the Manor, leaving Voldemort before returning to the Ministry for another assignment. Parak continued work on the Ministry-approved Prism project and began to use Demetrius as the first test subject.

Meanwhile, Dolohov, Isabella, Maurice and the two Loiaconos made their last stand against the reinvigorated Death Eaters. Despite battling with Voldemort, Dolohov was unable to kill the Dark Lord. Realising they were over-run the quintet retreated despite inflicting death on several Death Eaters. Voldemort calls a truce, agreeing not to hunt down Maurice or Isabella, instead opting to focus on Harry Potter. Sean and Sophia leave with the necklace. Dolohov instructs Isabella to keep an eye on Maurice, announcing he was going elsewhere for important business.

Aftermath
Maurice admits his concern about Dolohov, believing the former Death Eater wants his power. Dolohov, who is tempted to steal Maurice’s powers, instead undergoes a dangerous experimentation with his Prism. It leaves him with elemental powers and bolsters his evolution, however he claims to have been granted the powers by an “elemental God” to cover up using the Prism. He then sets out to kill Death Eaters in secretive ways without revealing his identity. This leaves Isabella alone at Hogwarts.