Harry walked down the street, reviling in the bright warm sunshine, Ron at his side. They had been working hard all year, relishing this Hogsmeade weekend as a time to relax. Unfortunately, Hermione had not had the same feeling as them.
She had been harping on and on about how their N.E.W.T.s were coming and that they needed to revise for it. This had played no small part in the stress that they were feeling. The teachers had not been lenient either, they seemed to want to make the memory of their last year in Hogwarts a nightmare of test, homework and books.
Of course Harry understood that after this year, he would come of age and that he still had plenty of things to learn before then. But until then, he was still a student and entitled to some enjoyment.
"Too bad that Hermione would not come with us," Ron said glumly, kicking a pebble out of his way. "I mean it is still ten more weeks to the N.E.W.T.s, what is she getting so worked up for?" Their departure from Hogwarts had not been smooth at all.
Hermione had insisted on staying in Hogwarts for the duration of the Hogsmeade weekend, wanting to get as much revision as she could humanly cram in. Ron had insisted on going down to Hogsmeade, because he had enough of studies, of assessments, of revisions. Since neither of them were willing to give way on the matter, it had turned into a full blown yelling match. Which had resulted in an upset Hermione running back up to the girls dormitory.
"N.E.W.T.s are important, you need a good grade if you want to become an auror," Harry replied. "But it is not as if we have not been studying, all we have been doing since the start of the year is studying," Ron retorted. "And snogging," Harry said under his breath.
Harry was not exactly happy with the morning's events either. But this was more from the fact that Ginny had gone after Hermione to make sure that she was okay. It was not that he did not care for his friends, it was just that Ron and Hermione's relationship was definitely not the smoothest in Hogwarts. In fact, with their vastly different attitudes, it was a wonder that they could get along so well in the first place. He took solace in the fact that Ginny would be meeting up with them later in Hogsmeade.
They had just emerged from Honeydukes, when Ron said "Hey isn't that Ginny?" True enough, Harry managed to catch sight of the familiar red haired witch just as she ducked into an alleyway. A foreboding sense of dread struck Harry, 'what was she doing?'
He darted after her, Ron following closely behind him. It was only after a few passages that Harry stopped and took stock of the situation. By now, they were all alone, the noise from the busy main street was distant and faint. What if that was not Ginny, but another one of Voldemort's plots?
He pulled out his wand, motioning for Ron to do the same. "Go back to the school, if I am not back in an hour, get help." Ron started to argue but Harry fixed him with his eyes. "Go Ron, I will get Ginny. Trust me." Ron nodded, then turned back the way he came.
Satisfied that he had done everything he could, he continued along the passage. Thankfully, there were no forks in which he would be unsure of his direction. He had just turned a corner when he came upon a body. The bright red hair spilling out from under the cloak left Harry with no illusions about who it was.
His wand at the ready, he scanned the area. He approached Ginny carefully, his senses straining to detect any presence. Finally he was next to her, his progress unimpeded. He tucked his wand into his pocket, then reached to Ginny to turn her around. Thankfully she looked uninjured, merely stunned.
As he pulled her upright, the cloak moved away, revealing a black book clutched in her hands. A shiver went down Harry's back, the first time he had met Ginny, it was saving her from Riddle's Diary. He tried to pry her hands away, wanting to get a better look. The moment he touched the book, he felt the familiar tug under his navel from a portkey.
Harry jumped back as the body that he had been touching rose to its feet. 'This must be some bad dream,' Harry hoped, as he saw Ginny walk over to Lord Voldemort. Ginny could not have betrayed him to the dark lord, he absolutely refused to believe it.
He stared open-mouthed as Ginny bowed at Voldemort's feet, kissing the hems of his robes reverently. But what she did next was beyond even Harry's imagination, she pulled out Harry's wand from her robes, handing them over to Voldemort.
Harry's hand immediately shot to his pocket, where he had placed his wand just before coming upon Ginny. It was empty, she must have taken it sometime during the portkey trip. He had been so concern over Ginny's wellbeing that he had not even noticed that it was gone.
"Well we meet again Harry." Harry steadfastly refused to answer him, preferring to just glare at Ginny. How could he have been so blind that she would betray him. Voldemort followed Harry's stare, then laughed.
"What do you want?" Harry said finally. Ron had gone for help, he could only hope that help would arrive on time. The only thing that he could do now was talk, hoping to delay his end as long as possible. Without his wand, there was no way that he could escape.
"Don't worry Harry, I am not going to hurt you. At least until our other guest arrives." Voldemort said mockingly. "Other guest?" Harry said, his stomach sinking at the thought. If they had gotten Ron… The consequences were too horrible to think about.
He forced himself to study the surroundings, determined that if the chance to escape presented itself, he would take it. The room looked ancient, a layer of dust covering most of the furniture. A grand fireplace stood lit, its flickering flames casting ghastly shadows around them. Harry remembered this room, he had seen it before. Then he recalled, he had been here before, in his dream way back during his fourth year. This had been where Voldemort had killed the muggle caretaker. This was the Riddle House.
Harry heard the steady thump of footsteps, slow as if who ever was walking was carrying a heavy load. Harry tried to see past the open door, but the angle was all wrong. The sound got louder, as the curiosity in Harry grew. But he was unwillingly to close with Voldemort, even if it was to see what was coming.
"Master I got the boy," Wormtail said, his silver hand pulling someone through the door. The flash of red hair confirmed Harry's worse fear, they had gotten Ron. He dragged Ron's inert body over to the other corner of the room and dumped it unceremoniously. Wormtail stared at Harry, as he whipped Ron's wand out. With malicious glee, he twisted, snapping 14 inches of willow in a burst of bright sparks. He dropped the fragments over Ron's body, then stepped over him towards his master.
Voldemort smiled, everything had happened as planned, an altogether rare occasion. "Enervate." Ron jerked back to life, his unfocused eyes slowly beginning to take in his surroundings. The way he sat there frozen told Harry that he knew what kind of situation he was in.
On Ron's part, he did not know what was more shocking, suddenly being in the presence of the dark lord, or that his sister was standing next to him. Ginny seemed to take some perverse pleasure in this, rubbing her body suggestively against Voldemort.
'This could not be Ginny, not his Ginny,' Harry told himself, 'Must be the Imperious Curse, some mind control.' Apparently Ron did not think so, his reply was one word. "GINNY!"
All three laughed, devouring the way Ron looked so alarmed, his concern evident on his face. "Enough Bellatrix, leave us. You too Wormtail." Voldemort said finally. Harry looked as 'Ginny' and Wormtail left the room, closing the door behind them, relief pouring into his being. At least Ginny was safe.
"You have been very busy haven't you Potter. Don't try to deny it, I know what you have been doing to my Horcruxes." Harry continued to remain silent, it did not matter that Voldemort knew about the Horcruxes, there was nothing he could do about them anyway. Furthermore his soul had already been split too many times, anything more would render him not even vaguely human.
"Do you remember that night? When I finally returned with a body worthy of my power? When you gave your blood up to resurrect what you had destroyed?" Harry closed his eyes, the painful memories returning as clearly as the day that it had happened.
"I believe you do. And do you remember what happened after that?" The memory of duelling with Voldemort and then seeing his parents for the first time flooded into his mind. Harry clenched his fist, trying to remain as calm as possible.
"Perhaps we should try it again." Harry opened his eyes in amazement, was Voldemort suggesting that they duel again? Voldemort stood absolutely still, Harry's wand outstretch in his hand.
"Come on Potter, perhaps if you entertain me enough, I will let your friend leave." He eyed Ron significantly. Harry still refused to move, he knew exactly what would happen if their wands duelled. Exactly what was Voldemort trying to do?
"Perhaps you are in need of some persuasion. Crucio!" Ron's screams filled the air. Voldemort continued to hold out Harry's wand. "Why are you so stubborn, do you enjoy seeing your friend like this? Just take the wand and you can stop his pain.
Harry's eyes flew from Ron, doubled over in pain, to Voldemort, his hand still outstretched. Harry could hear his heartbeat loudly in his ears, at least with a wand he had a fighting chance. He advanced towards Voldemort, alert for any sign of betrayal. Voldemort did not even look at Harry, all his attention focused on Ron.
Harry advanced until he was an arms length away from Voldemort, then with the reflexes born from seven years of quidditch, he grabbed for his wand. Wand in hand he was reciting a spell, when with snake like quickness, Voldemort grabbed his arm.
His scar exploded with pain, the sudden shock of it sending him to his knees. Voldemort shifted his hand, grabbing Harry firmly by the chin, forcing him to watch Ron, now lying on the floor, his body twitching with pain.
"You can save him, a simple spell. Two words to end his pain." Voldemort said, stroking Harry's cheek almost gently. Tears leaked from Harry's eyes, his body was trembling from the effort of keeping himself upright. The pain was something that Harry had not encountered before, an ominous blackness began to cloud around his view. He tried desperately to push the pain aside, focusing his entire being on Ron. His hand came up unsteadily, his wand barely held in his palm.
"Yes Harry, you know what you must do. End it." Voldemort's icy cold finger brushed over Harry's scar. Harry screamed in pain, his vision blacking out for a moment. "End it, end it while you still can. End it!"
Harry tried desperately to focus, his vision shifting erratically from darkness to grey. Voldemort's hand came to rest on Harry's scar. Harry's world vanished, exploding in a kaleidoscope of pain. Then amidst the flashes of colours, he saw Ron, his face delirious in pain. And he heard a voice, almost calming in its repetition. "End it, end it, end it…" it intoned, the only sound in a voiceless world. And Harry knew what he had to do.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The colours were replaced, a flash of green, almost blinding in its brightness. And Harry heard the voice again, "Diripio Animus!" The pain ended for the briefest of moments, then it was replaced by something so much worst.
An agony that tore at his body, until even his soul felt as if it was being split into two. Everything vanished, Harry, Ron, Voldemort. Pain was his one companion, his one true friend. For one moment, Harry had the unnerving sensation that he was in two places at the same time. One was this world of pain, another was staring at his body, lying on the floor, Voldemort standing over him, his wand out.
Then the sensation was gone, replaced by a numbness that Harry had never know before. He felt oddly incomplete, as though a part of him was missing in someway. Then with a supreme effort, he opened his eyes.
Voldemort was standing over him, a look of happiness almost obscene on his snake like face. "I knew you could do it," Voldemort said proudly, as if Harry had done something worthy of him finally.
"What have I done?" Harry asked, his voice unrecognisable even to himself. In his heart, Harry knew what he had done, what he done in the moments of pain, goaded by the voice. Behind Voldemort he saw a pair of legs, still in their lifelessness.
Voldemort kneeled besides Harry's body, filling his view. "Now you know what you have taken from me, you know what I have gone though," said Voldemort almost gently. Harry did not speak, he did not want to. The monstrosity of what he had done came crushing down onto him.
Voldemort pulled himself back to his full height, towering over Harry's fallen body. "And now Harry, I own you mind, body and soul." He jingled the Horcrux mockingly in front of Harry's face, as he uttered those two words that Harry had said not long ago.
"Avada Kedavra!"