Redemption

Chapter 2: He's Back

A/N Hello Again! I know I said updates once a week but all the hits I got so fast made me want to update as soon as possible. Thanks for all my alert adders and my reviewers. You Guys rock!

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns this, not me.

Dumbledore walked out of the dungeon with Hermione beside him and Ron floating along behind them. Worries for Harry floated freely through his mind, and he tried to calculate every possible outcome of what could have happened to the boy. Quirell was gone with Voldemort, and Harry was missing. There were scorch marks along the walls of the chamber where the mirror of Erised was kept, but no other signs to indicate a struggle had taken place. He knew that Harry would never join Voldemort, but why would he be missing? The magic protection his mother placed on him should have burned Quirell to death the moment he touched him, or at least after prolonged exposure. He hoped he was all right. He had begun to become rather fond of that young man.

They came to the doors of the hospital wing, and Dumbledore rapped his knuckles three times on the door. After a few seconds, the sound of scuffling could be heard inside and the door opened to revel a stunned madam Pomfrey in her nightgown.

"Dumbledore," she exclaimed, "what are you doing here at nearly three in the morning?"

"I have two injured students and some grave news, Poppy."

She looked over his shoulder, noticing the two students there, and beckoned them inside. She put them both on beds and examined Ron first.

"Will he be ok?" Hermione asked in a worried, quavering voice. She already felt responsible for Harry's disappearance, and didn't want anything to happen to Ron too.

"He will be out for a while and will be in some pain, but he only has a few minor fractures," she said as she finished her examination, "now lets look at you, my dear."

She checked her over, and satisfied that she was going to be all right, healed the few cuts and bruises that she had.

"Now," she said as she turned towards Dumbledore, "What happened? And what do you mean by grave news?"

Dumbledore's face morphed into one of deep sorrow.

"I am sorry to say that a certain mister Harry Potter was either captured by Lord Voldemort or dead."

Madam Pomfrey was shocked, sad, and terrified at the same time. How could he-who-must-not-be-named take that poor boy?

"C-c-captured?" Poppy repeated, "by you-know-who? How is that possible?"

"Voldemort," he said, emphasizing the word, "was apparently residing in our own dear professor Quirell."

"I always knew there was something funny about him… But Albus, what about Harry? We need to go find him!"

"Indeed. First, we must gather the old order members. With the stone, Voldemort will surly return."

Voldemort stood over the boy's body and told his followers to come in.

"Start planting the fake memories in his mind. By the end of today I want him conscience and serving me."

"Of course, my master."

The weaklings. Useful only for the most basic of tasks, but at least they got the job done. Potter will be very good servant indeed. Once they got the memories in of course, as he would be of no use if he was unwilling to serve him. He walked out of the room as the death eaters started to implant the memories with their wands and the pensive with all the false memories Voldemort had made.

He walked slowly back his current throne room, with all the death eaters he passed making deep bows. He walked in the room with his entire inner circle still there. At least they obeyed orders well.

"The boy is getting his memory wiped as we speak," he said to the assembled crowd, "soon he will be as noble and powerful as all of us standing in this room."

Whispering and muttering broke out as he spoke.

"If you have objections, please step forward."

Nobody moved. It would have been suicidal. Nobody disagrees openly with the Dark Lord and lives.

"The boy will not turn on me, the memories I am planting in his head will make him worship me," Voldemort said with a hint of pride, "I will be his idol, his savior, and his tutor. He will be mine."

They were all assembled in the great hall, perhaps 50 people in total.

At the head of the tables sat Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Order of the Phoenix. There was noisy chatting going on around the table, as nobody had any idea what was going on and were wondering why they had been summoned to this meeting. Many people were catching up with old friends, or sharing jokes. Nobody knew the grave circumstances that had brought them here. Finally, Dumbledore thought the meeting should start and loudly cleared his throat. Everybody quieted down.

"Hello everybody," he started in a loud voice, "and welcome to our first official meeting for the new Order of the Phoenix."

He saw quizzical looks in the crowd, as the people obviously didn't know what he was talking about.

"I have some very unfortunate and sad news to share with you all today," people started to look at him with interest so he continued on, "Eighteen hours ago at this time three young students went into the chambers, which held the sorcerers stone, to stop a very evil man from getting it."

In a solemn voice, he said, " They didn't succeed, that man was Lord Voldemort."

Panic broke out. People started talking in hushed tones and everybody had a scarred look on their face.

"But Dumbledore," a man with a magic eye and multiple scars on his face said, "I was under the impression that Voldemort was gone."

"Alastor, it appears that he had taken up residence in professor Quirell's body, and was after the stone to get back a true human form," he explained, "but alas, I have more terrible news that I must share."

Everybody was in anticipation of what he would say next. What could be as serious as Voldemort getting a body again?

"After passing through the challenges in that dungeon, only one student was able to face Quirell. A mister Harry Potter."

Again, more hushed conversations. Dumbledore waited for the conversations to die down and then continued on.

"When I got down there, I found the stone and Voldemort gone and Harry missing."

Silence. You could of heard a feather hit a floor with how quite that hall had gotten.

Alastor stood up again, "He's really back?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, he's back."

A/N-So how do you like it? Sorry if the POV seems to be jumping around a lot. This is just so you can see what is going on everywhere and will not happen much as the story really kicks off. And would you guys like shorter (1,000 words or so) chapters that I update a lot or longer (2000-3000) ones that I don't update as often? Leave the answer in your review. The next chapter will be up by Friday. Thanks for reading!