Hello, everyone, and welcome to the next installment in my series, HP: The Path of Trials! My apologies for the prolonged release. I wanted to try and complete all the chapters in this installment, but since July 9th is my birthday, and there have been some requests for the release, I've decided to break from my plan and post it anyway! Also, I have some arts ideas that I want to use as book covers, so if anyone is interested, let me know! So, before this gets started...
Disclaimer: Once again, I must claim no ownership of the Harry Potter series. I can, however, claim ownership of all OCs that appear in this fanfiction, so no stealing!
Now, here is...
Chapter 1: Rising In The Darkness
Let's get started!
Somewhere in the U.S...
Lifting weights, rep after rep, a man with straight black hair and a slight curl to his bangs, with red eyes, wearing black workout clothes and shoes, a man greatly feared by the Wizarding World, known widely by his horrendous deeds in the First Wizarding War, the man known as the Dark Prince.
As he finished his workout, he knew he had a long ways to go. Spending all that time in Azkaban had deteriorated most of his muscle strength, but he knew it was inevitable. He could've only maintained so much of it with magic, after all. But, he welcomed the challenge of regaining his former physical strength. Even more so that he only had a limited time to do it...
As he took his shower, washing away the sweat from his rigorous training, he reflected on the time he'd spent in Azkaban as well as the short time since he set himself free. Of course, it wasn't surprising. The different Wizarding nations were already ablaze with determination to stop him. But, they were full of fear, as well. He scoffed at the new implementations currently setting in place, knowing they were about as useful as an army of Squibs. He knew none could stop his plans...none, except one...
He was just making his way out of the establishment when he heard an annoying, squeaking voice say in his head, "My Prince, are you there? My Prince, come in."
His brief satisfaction gave way to sheer annoyance as he pressed his left shoulder with his right index finger and thought, "What do you want, Wormtail?"
"My Prince, it's the Dark Lord. He's requesting your presence immediately."
The Dark Prince merely sighed and thought, "Can't you be useful and hold him off for a few minutes? I've still to change in my proper attire and I'm surrounded by Muggles."
"I'm afraid not, my Prince. He's growing more irate as we speak."
He emitted a growl and thought, "Well, too bad, Wormtail, because that's exactly what you're going to do. A few minutes, that's all."
"But-"
He then released his finger off of the crown symbol resting on his left shoulder, unable to stand his voice any longer. He found himself an alleyway suitable enough to hurry and change into his proper attire and, upon pocketing his wand, apparated on the spot...
Riddle Residence...
He arrived on the doorstep of the decrepit, shamed form that was once the Riddle residence. He could only imagine how grand it used to be, before it got to be in the horrible condition it was now.
He stepped inside and heard Wormtail trying to stall Voldemort. Making his way up the stairs, he formed a rather humored smirk at the thought of such a ridiculous name bringing fear to magic folk across the UK. It was, at the very least, amusing. If only they knew who he really was...
He opened the door, saw Wormtail, and said, "Ah, Wormtail. Go stand in the corner or something, and don't talk."
Wormtail immediately scampered into the furthest corner possible.
The Dark Prince then stood in front of Voldemort, as frail and sorry-looking he was, gave a slight bow and said in a serious tone, "I'm sorry for my late appearance, My Lord. You caught me in the middle of one of my workouts."
"Indeed," the high, cold pitch of Voldemort said. "Why waste your time with those petty exercises, my Prince? Surely, with your magical power -"
"If I'm to regain my former self and all that it entails, it is vital to ensure I work my way back to where I used to be. All that time in Azkaban doesn't exactly do a body good."
"I'm sure," Voldemort replied with an indifferent tone. "Regardless, I wanted your presence to go over what we have planned."
"Ah, of course."
Suddenly, he heard Wormtail say, "There is a little more in the bottle, My Lord, if you are still hungry."
"Later," said Voldemort, once again in the same indifferent tone. "Move me closer to the fire, Wormtail."
As he was doing so, The Dark Prince felt that his time here was being wasted, especially when it could be spent elsewhere. Surely, he didn't have to be here, acting like a servant like Wormtail was.
"Where is Nagini?" asked Voldemort.
"I - I don't know, My Lord," said Wormtail nervously. "She set out to explore the house, I think..."
"You think?" said the Dark Prince, anger seeping through his words. "Surely, it's not that hard to -"
"That will do," said Voldemort, and he silenced himself. Voldemort then said, "You will milk her before we retire, Wormtail. I will need feeding in the night. The journey has tired me greatly."
"Indeed," said the Dark Prince. "As long as you get nourishment from Nagini every night, we should be able to move again if we have to."
"My Lord, may I ask how long we are going to stay here?"
"Why don't you answer that question for me, my Prince?" said Voldemort.
The Dark Prince sighed and said, "At least a week, perhaps even longer than that. This place, despite its appearance, is acceptingly comfortable, and the plan cannot proceed at this time. At the very least, it would be foolish to act before the Quidditch World Cup is over."
In that moment, the Dark Prince heard an almost mute sound from the door. He surmised that it was that Muggle caretaker that lived on the property, but decided not to do anything.
"The - the Quidditch World Cup? Forgive me, but - I do not understand - why should we wait until the World Cup is over?"
"Because, fool, at this very moment wizards are pouring into the country from all over the world, and every meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be on duty, on the watch for signs of unusual activity, checking with security, lest the Muggles notice anything. So we wait."
The Dark Prince took a note of how true his statement was. While it would be mere child's play to bombard the event, muscle atrophied or not, he knew better than to try and get around Michael Williams, who would most certainly expect something from him.
"Your Lordship is still determined, then?" Wormtail said quietly.
"Of course he's still determined, Wormtail," the Dark Prince said with more hatred in his voice.
It was quiet for a couple of seconds before Wormtail said, "It could be done without Harry Potter, My Lord."
The Dark Prince glanced at Wormtail, suprised by such a statement from the peon. Surely, he wasn't going to deliberately mess up his own plan, would he?
"Without Harry Potter?" breathed Voldemort. "I see..."
"My Lord, I do not say this out of concern for the boy!" said Wormtail, his voice rising squeakily. "The boy is nothing to me, nothing at all! It is merely that if we were to use another witch or wizard - any wizard - the thing could be done so much more quickly! If you allowed me to leave you for a short while - you know that I can disguise myself most effectively - I could be be back here in as little as two days with a suitable person -"
"I could use another wizard," said Voldemort softly, "that is true..."
"My Lord, it makes sense," said Wormtail, sounding thoroughly relieved. "Laying hands on Harry Potter would be so difficult, he is so well protected...we could try another person... say, M -"
The Dark Prince, knowing who he was going to suggest, abruptly said, "And so you volunteer to go and fetch your master a substitute? I wonder, Wormtail...perhaps the task of nursing your master has become wearisome for you? Could this suggestion of abandoning the plan be nothing more than an attempt to desert him?"
"No! I - I have no wish to leave my master, none at all -"
"Do not lie, Wormtail!" hissed Voldemort. "I can always tell! You are regretting that you ever returned to me. I revolt you. I see you flinch when you look at me, feel you shudder when you touch me..."
"No! My devotion to Your Lordship -"
"Your devotion?" asked the Dark Prince rhetorically. "Your devotion is simply nothing more than cowardice, you pathetic sack of flesh. If you had anywhere else you could go, I am more than confident you wouldn't be here."
He then gestured to Voldemort and continued, "How is the Dark Lord to survive without you, when he needs to feed every few hours? Who would be the one to milk Nagini?"
"But, My Lord -" Wormtail turned his head to look at Voldemort - "you seem so much stronger -"
"Liar," he breathed. "I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of the little health I have regained under your clumsy care. Silence!"
Wormtail, who was sputtering incoherent nonsense, fell silent at once.
"I have my reasons for using the boy, as I have already explained to you, and I will use no other. I have waited thirteen years. A few more months will make no difference. As for the protection surrounding the boy, I believe my plan will be effective, as will the Dark Prince's. All that is needed is a little courage from you, Wormtail - courage you will find, unless you wish to feel the full extent of Lord Voldemort's wrath -"
"My Lord, I must speak!" said Wormtail, his panic quite evident. "All through our journey I have gone over the plan in my head - My Lord, Bertha Jorkins's disappearance will not go unnoticed for long, and if we proceed, if I murder -"
"If?" whispered Voldemort. "If? If you follow the plan, Wormtail, the Ministry need never know that anyone else has died. You will do it quietly and without fuss; I only wish that I could do it myself, but in my present condition...Come, Wormtail, one more death and our path to Harry Potter is clear. I am not asking you to do it alone. By that time, my other faithful servant will have rejoined us -"
"I am a faithful servant," said Wormtail, the merest trace of sullenness in his voice.
"Wormtail, wake up," said the Dark Prince in a nasty tone. "Your master needs somebody else with brains, somebody who has never wavered, like myself. You, peon, fulfill neither requirement."
"I found you, My Lord," said Wormtail, and there was no mistaking the sulkinness in his voice now. "I was the one who found you. I brought you Bertha Jorkins."
"We found the Dark Lord together, you piece of trash!" the Dark Prince growled. He then turned to the Dark Lord and said, "Although he is worthless, My Lord, he does bring up a reasonable argument: He is the one who brought forth Bertha Jorkins."
"Yes, quite," said Voldemort, amused by the thought. "A stroke of brilliance I would not have thought possible from you, Wormtail - though, if truth be told, you were not aware how useful she would be when you caught her, were you?"
"I - I thought she might be useful, My Lord -"
"Liar," said Voldemort, his cruel amusement more pronounced than before. "However, I do not deny that her information was invaluable. Without it, I could never have formed our plan, and for that, you will have your reward, Wormtail. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform..."
There was no denying the smirk that formed on The Dark Prince's face, knowing full well what Riddle was implying. The pathetic fool, Wormtail, must've felt the same implication, for he stuttered in a terrifying way, "R-really, My Lord? What -?"
"Ah, Wormtail, surely you wouldn't want to ruin the surprise?" The Dark Prince said, making sure to keep the peon in the dark. After all, he thought, it would do no one any good to keep a vital part of the plan, useless as he was, to go scampering off.
Wormtail adamently shook his head, to which Riddle stated, "After all, Wormtail, your part will come at the very end... but I promise you, you will have the honor of being just as useful as Bertha Jorkins."
"You...you..." Wormtail's voice had gone hoarse, sounding very parched, devoid of any moisture. "You...are going...to kill me too?"
"Wormtail, Wormtail," said Riddle's cold voice silkily. "why would I kill you? I killed Bertha becuase I had to. She was fit for nothing after my questioning, quite useless. In any case, awkward questions would have been asked if she had gone back to the Ministry with the news that she had met you on her holidays. Wizards who are supposed to be dead would do well not to run into Ministry of Magic witches at wayside inns..."
The Dark Prince's eyebrows grew furrowed, bothered by the events that transpired in that part of the Albanian forest. If it were not for his quick thinking and even quicker actions, who knows what would've happened.
"We..." Wormtail spoke in a little more than a subtle squeak, "We could've modified her memory."
"Modify her memory?" The Dark Prince scorned, insulted by such a suggestion. "You idiot! Memory charms can be broken by powerful magic folk, as The Dark Lord demonstrated against Bertha Jorkins."
"Besides, Wormtail," said Riddle with a trace of amusement, "it would be an insult to her memory not to use the information I extracted from her."
"One more murder," Riddle stated. "My faithful servant at Hogwarts...Harry Potter is as good as mine, Wormtail. It is decided. There will be no more argument. But quiet... I think I hear Nagini..."
Immediately, Riddle began to speak in what was no doubt Parseltongue. What sounded like nothing more than hissing and spitting made for great communication with snakes. Even though he considered himself well-versed in many things, The Dark Prince found himself grateful that Parseltongue was not one of them.
Sure enough, Riddle's faithful pet snake, Nagini, came slithering into the room, all twelve feet of her winding body approaching Riddle, communicating back with her master. Though he could not speak Parseltongue, The Dark Prince was willing to bet that she was telling Riddle of the presence standing outside the door, the same presence he felt when their meeting first began.
"Nagini has interesting news, Wormtail," Riddle told his worthless servant.
"In-indeed, My Lord?" said Wormtail.
"Indeed, yes," said Riddle. "According to Nagini, there is an old Muggle standing right outside this room, listening to every word we say."
"Finally!" thought The Dark Prince as he brought his left hand to the right side of his body and, very suddenly, thrusted it back across, using wandless magic causing the door to be violently swung open - so much so that it was torn off of its hinges with utter ease.
Caught off guard was an old man of average features, save for the fact that the old man put more emphasis on one leg than he did the other. No doubt this habit originated from a great event, perhaps even from a fight or a war.
He paid his perception of the man no mind as Riddle said, "Invite him inside, Wormtail. Where are your manners?"
Wormtail beckoned the old man into the room, his attention fixated on the armchair, the back of it facing him. The old man, though not entirely together, took a firmer grasp of the walking stick and limped his way into the room.
"You heard everything, Muggle?" said Riddle.
"What's that you're calling me?" said Frank in a surprisingly defiant voice. No doubt, the Dark Prince thought, this man was involved in some war. Only hardened, battle fighting men could muster such bravery in the face of such bleak odds.
"He called you a muggle," said The Dark Prince in an even tone. "It means that you are not a wizard."
"I don't know what you mean by wizard," said the old man, his voice growing steadier by the second. "All I know is I've heard enough to interest the police tonight, I have. You -" the old man pointed to the armchair, "-You've done murder and you're planning more! And I'll tell you this too: my wife knows I'm up here, and if I don't come back -"
"You have no wife," said the cold voice, very quietly. "Nobody knows you are here. You told nobody that you were coming. Do not lie to Lord Voldemort, Muggle, for he knows...he always knows..."
"Is that right?" said the old man in a rough tone. "Lord, is it? Well, I don't think much of your manners, My Lord. Turn 'round and face me like a man, why don't you?"
The Dark Prince, tolerate as he was of the old man's behavior, grew weary of his misplaced attitude. He made a reach for his wand when he saw the feeble right hand of Riddles' raise, to stop him.
The Dark Prince halted his action and stood in place as Riddle stated in a little more than a whisper, "But I am not a man, Muggle. I am much, much more than a man. However...why not? I will face you...Wormtail, come turn my chair around."
A whimper echoed throughout the room, to which the Dark Prince gave Wormtail his deathstare and growled, "You heard him, Wormtail."
Slowly, with his screwed up face, as though he would rather be anywhere but where he was at, Wormtail moved to the chair, beginning to turn the chair, only hesitating when Nagini hissed at its legs when it got caught on the rug it was on.
Finally, Riddle was facing the old man, who was so shocked by the sight that he dropped his walking stick. He then screamed - a scream so loudly that the poor fool never heard the words Riddle spoke as he raised his wand.
But The Dark Prince did.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
A flash of green burst forth from the wand, rushing forth, toward the old man. The green light collided with the old man, who went to the floor, crumpled. The old man was dead before he even hit the ground, no longer a nuisance to him.
"I just remembered," said Riddle, unfazed by his act of murder. "How goes your own plans, My Prince?"
"Very smoothly," said the Dark Prince, also unfazed by the dead body lurking in their midst. "But, perhaps it is too early to make such remarks. Many things have yet to fall in place before I can be satisfied."
"Do not forget," said Riddle, "What you must do."
"Of course, My Lord," said the Dark Prince, who made his way out of the room, wondering what was taking place elsewhere...
And this concludes the first chapter of the new installment, HP: The Path of Trials! More updates will take place in the future, all depending on when I'm available to work on the remaining chapters and when I can post the updates. Feel free to leave a review to let me know about what you think of the installment. Also, if you have any questions you want to ask me, feel free to leave me a PM and I will answer them to the best of my abilities. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter of HP: The Path of Trials!