Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter universe and I get no money for writing this story.
Warnings for this chapter: cruciatus curse (no drastic descriptions)
The idea for this story has been ghosting through my mind for some time now and I decided to write it down. Let's see how this will develop...
Have fun reading and leave a review to let me know what you think.
A tall man with silvery blond hair flowing down his broad shoulders stepped out from under the trees and advanced on them with firm steps. He fixed his steel-grey eyes on Harry and gave a tiny smile.
"It is a pleasure to meet you here, Mr. Potter." He said in a dangerously low voice and bowed mockingly.
Harry promptly recognized the man who spoke. The resemblance between the father and son was striking. The younger Malfoy clearly inherited the hair and the steel-grey eyes from his father. Draco's eyes were the same color, but Malfoy senior had a hardness in them which Harry knew solely from Snape.
Those eyes looked not very kind. A stab of fear rushed through Harry as a smile appeared on the stern face. Malfoy Senior grinned broadly at the two children in front of him.
"He will be delighted when he receives the present we bring him." The scary woman shrieked. Next, she aimed her wand at Hermione and without an incantation heard, Hermione's wand flew out of her hand. Hermione gasped in surprise as her wand was swiped out of her hand seemingly without effort.
The force of the disarming spell made Hermione stumble backward a few steps. Harry saw that and yelled: "Stupefy!" A glowing spark flew at the woman, but she blocked the curse easily and reflected it back where it hit Hermione square in the chest. The girl instantly fell, and Harry tried grabbing her arm to lighten her fall. The dead weight of his friend hauled him down as well and he landed heavily next to Ron and Hermione. Promptly, Harry felt his fear rising inside him fully. Those people had stunned his friends and would no doubt kill them all without hesitation.
"What do you want?" Harry asked. His voice was shaking from fear and his gaze darted back and forth between Ron and Hermione and the two adults in front of him.
Malfoy senior smiled at him and said: "It is you that we want, Potter. It is time the Dark Lord gets his revenge."
"But Voldemort is gone!" Harry tried and stood from the ground. He brushed the snow from his trousers as the cold seeped through the fabric. He could not tell if he shivered from the cold or Malfoy's nasty smile.
"Is he? You really think your intervention two years ago killed the greatest wizard of all time, made him disappear again?" Malfoy looked at Harry in disgust.
"How stupid are you, boy? The Dark Lord would never take over a body as weak as Quirrel's without any backup plan. He has gained strength since you 'beat' him in your first year."
Harry's jaw dropped. That couldn't be possible. Dumbledore had told him, that Voldemort was too weak to come back after he didn't get the philosopher's stone and lost Quirrel as his body. How could that be even possible? Dumbledore had told him not to worry. That the events of the chamber of secrets were an unlucky mishap. There was nothing to be afraid of and that Harry will be protected too well for Voldemort to get him again. Yeah, right Harry suddenly thought about his trip to Hogsmeade. Perhaps that had not been really clever?
Suddenly mighty hands dropped on Harry's shoulders and made his knees buckle under the force. Harry yelped in surprise and fear and tried to see who held him but couldn't see his captor. He had been lost in his thoughts and hadn't noticed the huge man come up behind him. The boy tried to get away but the hands held onto him in a death grip. He wasn't capable of turning around. The young Gryffindor tried struggling free from the man but the hands only squeezed his shoulders tightly and a cry of pain escaped Harry's lips.
"Oh, Avery, don't crush our fragile parcel. The Dark Lord won't be delighted if we deliver him the boy with fractured bones." Malfoy told the man gripping Harry. The grip loosened a bit, but it still hurt. Harry gulped at those words. So they were indeed taking him away. All of a sudden he felt the seriousness of the situation crush down on him. He tried to struggle free once again and glared daggers at Malfoy.
"Let me go! Malfoy, you're insane! Voldemort is gone!" Harry shouted desperately and tried to break free from Avery. Those unyielding hands on his shoulders didn't allow that, though.
"Oh, no, Potter I am absolutely fine. Bellatrix is the one you should fear in this regard." He smiled at the woman knowingly. Then he looked at Ron and Hermione both stunned and lying on the ground.
"Time to get going. Wake the mudblood!" he commanded and Bellatrix hurried forward, grabbed Hermione by the hair and whispered: "Enervate!" Hermione stirred and opened her eyes only to look straight into the insane eyes of Bellatrix.
Hermione tried to use her hands to push the woman away but a quick spell bound her arms to her sides. Hermione whimpered in fear and desperation but that had no effect on the crazy woman. The girl tried to get away from her but Bella held her back.
"Look at your friend, the Boy-Who-Lived!"
Avery hauled Harry over to where Malfoy stood. As the boy caught sight of Hermione in the claws of the woman, he struggled even more and shouted: "Hermione!"
"Be the hell quiet, boy!" Avery snarled and placed one of his massive hands over Harry's quick enough, though. Harry dug his teeth into the fleshy hand before it could get to its destination.
"Oww!" Avery howled. Quick as a flash he turned Harry around and backhanded the boy so hard that he fell to the ground.
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked but was quickly quieted by a silencing spell from Malfoy.
Harry hit the ground hard. Avery had let him go while striking him. The rim of Harry's vision darkened, and he blinked fast to stay conscious. The pain on the whole right side of his head shot through his mind and he groaned. He felt a hand clutch the collar of his jacket and then he was hauled back to his feet. Harry's head lolled to his front, he was still fighting for consciousness.
"Don't do that again!" Avery growled in his ear and shock Harry a bit.
"You, girl! Tell Dumbledore what happened. Tell him his golden boy is gone. Tell him he lost!" With that Malfoy turned on his heel and apparated with a crack.
The next moment Bellatrix did the same. Avery seized Harry's collar tighter and seized a handful of hair, then he apparated and both were gone.
The last thing Harry saw was Hermione sitting on the ground next to Ron. She was crying.
Before Harry could consider anything else his feet hit the ground again. He found himself in a grand room with black parquet and no windows. An enormous, black table stood in the middle of the room and on the far side there was a man sitting on a chair. He was pale like parchment, his eyes and nose were only slits in his face. The black robes stressed the pale color of his skin even more which let the red eyes stand out terribly.
Then Harry's world was pain. He clutched his hands at his forehead and closed his eyes. The pain was nearly unbearable. He couldn't think about anything else. Even the fear he had felt seconds ago was gone. All existing was the excruciating pain in his scar. He cried out in pain while his knees gave away under him. Avery held him upright by his hair and upper arm so Harry hung in the rough grip like a doll.
After a while, the pain faded a bit, and Harry could open his eyes again. Avery jerked him towards Voldemort and forced him to the floor before he sank to his knees like Malfoy and Bellatrix next to him.
"We bring you the boy, My Lord." Malfoy said and waited for Voldemort's response.
"Harry Potter." Voldemort's voice was quiet and dangerous. He tasted the name like a delicious food he hadn't had for a long time. The Dark Lord stared at the four people in front of him and got up from his throne.
Harry was on hands and knees trying to get the pain under control but it was extremely difficult. A shiver ran down his back as Voldemort spoke. The man managed to stress his name in a manner Harry didn't want to hear ever again. Cold, cruel and somehow lovingly at the same time.
The other three in the room were silent. If Harry hadn't felt Avery's hand still resting warningly at his neck, he would have thought they were gone. The room was nearly silent except the quiet rustling of Voldemort's robes brushing against the floorboards as he walked.
The Dark Lord strode down to his servants and the boy who lived slowly. This was the moment he wanted to savor forever. The Boy-Who-Lived finally at his mercy. Dumbledore's greatest weapon at his feet. Death in the disguise of a boy. Fate was a nasty, unfair thing...
Suddenly Harry felt cold fingers gripping his jaw and forcing his head up. Harry struggled, but Voldemort was stronger and directed his head up until he met those crimson-red eyes.
The moment their eyes locked, the pain in Harry's scar flared up again and he cried out in pain once more. But soon after, the torture ended and the pain faded completely. The pressure on his jaw increased abruptly. He opened his eyes again, staring directly at Voldemort, who smiled at him in satisfaction.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Harry. You have got no manners. We will adjust that soon, believe me." He let Harry's head go and stood up straight again. "I am pleased to see you here finally, Harry. It's been a long time." Voldemort said pensively.
Then he walked over to Malfoy who knelt a few feet away, head bowed. Voldemort traced a slender pale finger over the man's exposed neck which made the blond shiver slightly.
"Legilimens." Voldemort whispered and pushed into Lucius' mind. There was resistance but Malfoy lowered his shields as soon as he felt his Lord's presence. The Malfoy patriarch showed his memories willingly and fully aware of his Lord's presence in his mind.
Malfoy, Bella, and Avery landed right behind the tree line. Potter and his friends were laughing and all alone. When the teens turned to leave, Malfoy shot a stunning hex at the redhead.
"Let me go! Malfoy you're insane! Voldemort is gone!"
Avery dragged the boy forward. Potter shouted something and Avery tried to cover his mouth with his hand. But Potter bit down on it and Avery howled in pain. Then he spun the boy around and struck him across the cheek. The boy landed on the ground and seemed to fight for consciousness.
Malfoy knelt down in front of his master.
The Dark Lord withdrew from Lucius' mind and placed a cold hand on his shoulder. The man did not dare to move.
"You did well, Lucius." Voldemort said and moved in front of his servant, keeping his hand on Malfoy's shoulder. Then he let his finger ghost along Lucius' jawline and stopped under his chin where he pushed slightly to allow the blonde to look up.
Lucius swallowed with difficulty and lifted his head: "Thank you, My Lord." he said, his voice a bit hoarse. He looked up when Voldemort pushed more under his chin. He met the eyes of his master and was directly captured with the red stare.
"You proved yourself once again, Lucius. You will be rewarded. Stand!" Voldemort spoke and dropped his hand from Lucius' jaw.
The blonde aristocrat hastily complied and bowed deeply: "Thank you, My Lord."
Harry had just witnessed how Draco's father, the arrogant blonde, behaved in front of Voldemort. There had been nothing from the man's typical pride, just admiration, and obedience. That was disgusting. Harry looked around and saw Voldemort striding towards Bellatrix. The woman was wiggling on her knees and her breathing was quick. Harry wondered what he would see from her. Maybe when he occupied his mind otherwise the cold fear would not be so terrible?
When Voldemort wanted to display the power he had over those people then Harry could watch as well. It distracted him from the thoughts swirling through his head. What did Voldemort mean with ' We will adjust that soon?' The picture of Hermione sitting in the snow crying and Ron unconscious next to her. 'Dumbledore would rescue me, won't he? What if he doesn't?' Harry abandoned this line of thought and paid attention to Bellatrix and Voldemort.
The Dark Lord walked over to Bellatrix Lestrange, slowly. She wasn't able to kneel at his feet and not move as Lucius did. Like he preferred. This woman has craved for his attention since the first day. As soon as he stopped in front of her, she threw herself forward and kissed the hem of his robe.
"My Lord." she whispered. Voldemort didn't allow her to look up, yet. He loved her submissive, unconditional loyalty and enjoyed watching her at his feet. Although she tended to exaggerate her submission, he was somehow fascinated by it. Voldemort smiled to himself because no one else could see it. Then he extended his hand and placed it lightly on the side of her head. Instantly she leaned into the touch like a cat and Voldemort let her.
"As Always, Bella, your service was flawless. You'll find a team of my Death Eaters outside the doors. Take them and prove to the old fool how long Lord Voldemort's arm is.
"Yes, My Lord, I am yours to command." Bellatrix tried hard not to moan when the Dark Lord's hand made contact with her head. His touches were raw and meant only for those who pleased him, who followed his directions and proved themselves worthy. And Bellatrix Lestrange certainly was worthy, she knew it.
"The Village will do, I think." Voldemort said deep in thought. Then he withdrew his hand again and waved for her to stand. She complied instantly and stood in front of him, head respectfully bowed as Lucius did at the moment.
Harry looked in disgust at Bellatrix and wanted to vomit. The young Gryffindor was wondering what Voldemort wanted to do. He hadn't allowed his servants to move before he told them to, but he seemed to be oblivious to Harry sitting on the floor and watching. That was why Harry decided to challenge his boundaries.
Avery's hand had slipped from his shoulder as soon as Voldemort began to talk. Silently Harry got to his feet and straightened up slowly. Lucius Malfoy chanced a glance to him and his eyes got wide. Then he lowered his head again to not attract the wrath of his master.
Harry stood there and still, Voldemort hadn't done anything to hinder him. He looked at Bellatrix who still fixed the floor. Giving in to his fear, Harry started sprinting towards the doors. Or better he tried to. As soon as he made a step, he fell to the ground. His left foot was sticking to the floor and wouldn't move. With a loud 'thumb' Harry hit the floor lengthwise. He groaned as his head connected ruggedly with the ground.
"Harry, Harry, Harry. Your manners have to improve. You can't escape me, therefore do not try to. It will save you a lot of pain." Voldemort's voice was cool as always but there could be heard something like a chuckling in it.
Harry looked up and found his body except his head and arms were stuck to the floorboards now. He now was forced to look at Voldemort from his lying position on the floor. Sitting or standing would have been a lot less embarrassing. Voldemort hadn't even turned around. He still stood in front of Bellatrix. Frustration mixed with Harry's fear and he felt his breathing quicken as Voldemort came over and stopped in front of Avery.
Before Harry could think about something else, he heard Voldemort whisper: "Crucio!"
And then Avery was writhing on the floor, thrashing around and screaming. The massive man shrieked and screamed like a wounded animal. Voldemort lifted the curse after a few seconds and looked at Harry. The shock was all too evident on Harry's face. His features displayed utter horror.
"That, Harry, happens to people who do not follow my orders or lay their hands on something that is mine. Keep that in mind, my boy!"
Harry let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. And watched in horror as Voldemort stepped next to Avery's head.
The man on the ground was panting heavily, and his eyes were closed. He lay there completely limp and he didn't move. Voldemort tsked and placed his bare foot on Avery's left cheek to shift his head. When Avery's face looked towards Voldemort he ordered:
"Look at me!" Avery complied promptly and looked up at his master. Harry saw tears leaking out of Avery's eyes. There was nothing but pure agony in the hazel orbs.
"I am sorry, My Lord! Please have mercy!" the pleading tone in his voice didn't fit for a man of his height and body. A man like Avery shouldn't grovel at someone's feet. It looked somehow wrong.
Avery didn't dare to move and waited for the Dark Lord's response. Hoping to escape further punishment. The icy voice of his master reached his ears, and Avery instantly knew what would follow.
"I said:' Do not harm the boy!'. Striking him nearly unconscious is not the definition of no harm, Avery. Crucio!" Voldemort aimed his wand back at the man to his feet and watched him thrashing around and screaming anew.
Finally, after five long minutes, he lifted the curse and left Avery shaking and panting on the floor. The screaming had died down towards the end. Not because the curse lacked power but because Avery's voice was gone, he had screamed and shrieked himself hoarse.
"Now, that all our conversations succeeded, you three are free to go. Wait until I summon you again. Harry and I have much to discuss." Voldemort waved his hand dismissively and Bellatrix and Lucius bowed, grabbed Avery and dragged him out of the room.
The massive oak doors closed, and Harry was alone with Voldemort. The man walked to Harry and aimed his wand at the young Gryffindor.
"Now, my boy, we will discuss your respectless behavior."
TBC...