I woke up to the most disgusting odor I'd ever smelled. I tried to open my eyes to look around in disgust, but I couldn't for some reason. After hyperventilating for a few moments (I was so sure I had gone blind), I realized that someone had put a blindfold over my eyes.

This only increased my confusion. There was something stuffed into my mouth so I couldn't talk, and I was bound tightly in a chair. After trying and failing to escape, I tried to locate my surroundings. Somewhere old probably… and smelly. There was water dripping from somewhere… probably a leak in the ceiling.

I sat there for Merlin knows how long. I couldn't tell how time was passing, but it felt like a pretty long time to me.

My back was aching very badly when finally, I heard a door open somewhere, and I saw light flood in from under the blindfold. The gross material was ripped from my mouth, and I realized how bone- dry my tongue was.

"Water," I croaked. "Please."

I heard a cruel laugh. "No no no, Potter. There'll be no water for you right now. Not until you've obeyed the Dark Lord's commands."

"Sorry, I don't do religion," I said shortly. "Why am I tied up? Let me go."

I felt a hard blow on my cheek and I jerked my head back in shock.

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you, Potter," he spat out my name as if it were some disgusting word, "you filthy blood traitor. The Dark Lord won't be as tolerable as I am."

"I'd pay to say you intolerable," I shot back.

Another blow to my cheek and I tasted blood in my mouth. It occurred to me to be a little bit respectful to the person who had tied me up and was trying to hurt me.

"Lucius, don't hurt the boy," another voice came from farther away. "You heard the Dark Lord. He's to be preserved for his questioning."

I sensed this 'Lucius' person hesitate and then step back. "I was merely teaching him a lesson, Ravier. Henry Potter's son, you know? That meddlesome old fool that heads the Auror Department. What I would pay to see the pain in his eyes when he sees the remains of his dead son…"

His voice was fading as if he was walking away, but I perked up at my father's name. The remains of his dead son? What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean?

The door slammed shut again and the room fell into darkness once more. The drip of water was strangely tantalizing now. My mouth was dry and I was craving water badly.

I was starting to get worried. Where were the Marauders? Where was I? Who were these people? What did they want with me, of all people? And who the hell was this Dark Lord person?

And then it hit me. Lucius… Ravier… Dark Lord… I'd heard all these names several times. My father had come home complaining to my mother about a new dangerous group of people, including a Lucius and a Ravier, under the command of one they referred to as' The Dark Lord'. They'd been all over the papers recently, killing mercilessly, gathering information… slowly getting stronger…

I frantically tried to remove the binds from around my hands, but there was no hope. The knots were tied fast. I tried every method of escape I'd learned over the years, but none of them worked. I even tried wandless magic, since I didn't have my wand and it worked for me every once in a while… nothing.

I gave up, slumping in my seat, my back aching dully. Maybe we were still near Hogwarts… maybe the Marauders would come to help me… unless they still thought I was in a huff… which they probably did… shit.

What the hell did they even want from me anyways? If it was something about my dad, he never told me anything from work because apparently, it was "dangerous information."

I fell into a kind of doze. You know, the kind of sleep where you're not completely asleep, but you're still aware of your surroundings. I don't know how long it was, before the door opened and light flooded through the room again, waking me up.

"James Potter," came a cold, quiet voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," I said mock- brightly, then mentally kicked myself. Where the hell did that come from? This was so not the time, or the person to take the mickey out of. I just couldn't help it. Damn Marauder blood.

He laughed softly. And no not a laugh like Evans', that just makes you want to laugh too. No, his laugh was the kind of laugh that just screamed, "You're about to die, RUN!"

I gulped and tensed as I sensed him get closer to me. My cheek still hurt from that previous punch.

"Ah, good," he took a deep breath in, "I smell fear James. Good. You should fear me."

"I'm not scared of you," I lied, quite bravely if I do say so myself. "How can I fear what I don't see?"

The man made an amused sound. "A fool's way of thinking. Yet, you are young, and so it is understandable. The wisest men fear what is unknown, James. They fear what is unforeseen and invisible… because you cannot fight the unseen, nor can you defend yourself from it. It is why the dark is many a man's greatest fear. However, you're not here for that. I need you to see me, so we can work together."

The blindfold disappeared from my eyes, and it took me a moment for my eyes to readjust to the lighting. I wish they didn't though, because when I saw this Dark Lord, I almost yelled out in shock. He didn't look like any normal human being. In fact… he looked more like a snake, with his slit-red eyes and his flat nose.

He smiled a lipless smile. "Now do you fear me?"

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I," he said, caressing his wand, "am Lord Voldemort. But I look forward to the day you will refer to me as the "Dark Lord".

I scoffed, all traces of fear gone. "Not bloody likely. Who do you think you are anyways, bringing me here and tying me up? Is there something you want from me?"

I saw his eyes flash for a moment, but a second later it was gone. "I have it with good knowledge that the man you call Professor Dumbledore, has passed on to you some information that would be useful to me."

"No, you have it with bad knowledge," I pointed out, "because Dumbledore didn't tell me anything."

He walked towards me and leaned forward, bringing his terrible face into even sharper relief. "Ah, but you're lying, Mr. Potter. You're lying."

"No, I'm not," I said shortly. "He told me nothing, and I would like to go now."

At that moment, something caught my eye from the slightly open window high on the opposite wall from me, so to Voldemort's back. It was a large shaggy dog that looked dreadfully familiar, and another person that made my heart skip a beat and sink at the same time. The pale, scared face of Lily Evans stared down at me through the window.

"Potter," Voldemort leaned his face closer towards mine, obstructing my view of Evans and Sirius, and I could smell his putrid breath. "You must understand… if you don't let me know this information, I will kill you."

"No, what will kill me is your unfortunate ignorance of the words breath mint."

I don't know why I said it. I don't know why. Maybe it was just Evans' presence. It just kind of blurted out of me. I regretted it the moment it came out of my mouth, knowing I had crossed the line. Someone like Sirius would've found it bloody hilarious but Voldemort… he didn't have much of a sense of humor.

"Stand up, Potter," he snapped, walking away from me. The ropes vanished from my legs and arms and I stood up, stretching. My back was screaming in protest.

Voldemort turned back to me, and pointed his wand right at my chest. "You have five seconds to tell me the information you possess, or you will deeply regret it."

"Woah!" I said, holding up my arms. "I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Five."

"Don't you think you're being a teensy bit ridic-"

"Four."

"Dumbledore didn't tell me anything-"

"Three."

"I swear it, why would he even -"

"I'm warning you Potter. Two."

"And I'm telling you -"

"One." he whispered, with a cold smile. "I gave you your chance… CRUCIO!"

The pain that hit me was unlike anything I had ever felt. Every single pore on my body was being pierced by a white-hot knife. It felt like my very molecules had burst into flame. I fell to the ground, trying very hard to scream. I would not give him the satisfaction. My teeth were clamped so hard down on my tongue, I tasted blood.

Without warning, it stopped. I fell back to the ground, panting and shaking. No wonder the damn curse was illegal.

"I will ask you again," Voldemort said. "What is Dumbledore planning?"

I scrambled to my knees. "I can't tell you what he's planning," I said, breathing heavily.

He raised his wand again. "Crucio!"

The pain came again. This time I wanted to die. I just wanted to die. I didn't know where I was, who I was, all I knew was the pain. Death seemed so sweet then, to just not feel anything…

It stopped again.

"What is he planning Potter?" Voldemort asked loudly, his cool, calculating exterior seeming to vanish a little. "Or perhaps another dose of pain?"

"No," I gasped. "Please -"

"Crucio!"

This time, I couldn't hold back the scream that ripped from my throat. The loudest I'd ever screamed in my life. I didn't even care that Evans and Sirius were there, watching me. I didn't care about anything, except when the pain was going to end.

When it did, it took me forever to get to my feet. I was exhausted. Mentally and physically. I hadn't eaten or drank in who knew how long, and it was definitely taking a toll on me now.

"Tired, James?" he asked cruelly. As I looked to glance at him, my eye caught the window where Lily and Sirius were watching, and saw that Evans had covered her eyes with her hands and Sirius was pawing softly at the window. I tried to send a message to them with my eyes, without Voldemort noticing. "Get out of here! Please, he'll kill you!"

"Let me refresh your memory," Voldemort said icily. "It has to do with that Mudblood Evans."

"Lily?" I asked hoarsely, making sure to keep my eyes away from the window. "Leave her out of this. She didn't do anything."

He let out a cold laugh. "So there is something there. I knew it. Love makes you weak, James, and the weak are so predictable, you see."

"If you touch her," I said, my voice hard, "I will kill you."

"Oh, but dear boy, I'll be the one to kill you… Crucio!"

It was completely unexpected. Again I fell to the ground. When it ended, he didn't even wait for me to finish getting up, he cursed me again… and again… and again…

After the eighth curse, I was a crumpled mess on the ground. I was dripping with sweat and I couldn't stop trembling. My vision was fading at the sides, and the room was spinning slowly. My throat hurt from all the screaming. Lily and Sirius weren't at the window anymore, and I was glad. At least he couldn't get to them. But I was scared now. They're scared faces were at least some comfort. I could tell Voldemort was furious that I wasn't releasing any information. Even though, you know, I had no information to release. He looked ready to murder me. Literally.

"I give you another day to think about this," he said quietly. "If you're still holding back, I will kill you."

With that he turned and strode out of the room, his robes billowing behind him. He slammed the door behind him and the room plunged into darkness. I was definitely scared now. Was this really how I was going to die? What about my mum? My dad? They would be devastated. I couldn't do that to them. What about the Marauders? Hogwarts? Lily? I'd never even kissed her before.

I was only seventeen years old. I had so much to live for…

With that thought rattling around in my head, I slipped into unconsciousness.

A/N: Review please :)