Disclaimer- I don't own anything. Even my friend is asking me to return his notes.
Chapter 3:- Let's continue where we left off.
"Oh Mr. Potter and his wenches you are awake, so rude of you to leave before the party was over. Now that you all are here we shall continue."
That was it. Voldemort was there now, without his wand there was no way he could delay him forget fighting. The girls knew so too. Harry had hoped against hope that they would get some time where they could formulate some escape plan, if not him than Hermione and Daphne. If something happened to them he would lose himself. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to them. It was not fair, not fair at all; he had just gained some resemblance of family and love with them. He was not ready to lose them. He then noticed that he was hyperventilating. He had to collect himself. If Voldemort wanted him, he was ready to bargain.
"What do you want Tom?" He asked with more confidence than he was feeling at the moment. When the Dark Lord focused his gaze on him, he thought if he should have kept his mouth shut. It was after all how he was taught at the Dursely's. But then he saw the looks on the girl's face. They had worked hard on him; he couldn't revert back to old Harry that he was before meeting them. They were absolutely terrified. Anyone would be if the Darkest Lord of all the time was standing before them. He wouldn't blame them. He could do it. He had to do it. For them he was ready to erase his very existence. He had to get this right even if it was the last thing he would do.
"Ah Harry, we must be patient. I know you are not interested in my plans, being so deep in Dumbledore's pocket. But you should hear some outside opinions too."
"Why? I know that you plan to kill me. Why should it matter if I listened to you or not. It's not as if you'll ask for my opinion or my permission just like certain old coot. I don't listen to anybody Tom 'cos I'm no one's puppet. You wanted me, you got me. Do whatever you want with me, kill me if you will but let them go. They are of no use to you aside from baiting me. Please let them go. They hadn't done anything to you."
"HARRY!" "NO!" was the two simultaneous cries from the two captive witches.
"No, you two have nothing got to do with this. This is about my life and I'm not simply going to give it away, I am not going to simply give you two away." He then turned to Voldemort who was looking amused by his declaration. "So, what do you say? Let them go, I'm here. Please they didn't do anything to deserve this. I beg you."
"Potter! If for a single moment you bear the thought of us leaving you then you are more brain dead than I thought you to be. So don't dare to beg." Daphne was not going to roll over. It was her life being decided and she would be damned if Harry thought or a single moment that she and Hermione would just leave.
"Do you see Harry? Even if I let them go, there is no guarantee that they would just leave. But we are deviating from the topic in our hand. Do you know why I targeted you family? Do you know why I'm obsessed over you? Why is Dumbledore hell bent on keeping you under his thumb, though on a positive note it seems that you ditched the Headmaster." Harry was confused; sure he brainstormed these questions, but thought them about some political power and wealth that came with the Potter title. But now he was rethinking about those above.
When he remained silent, Voldemort decided to answer those questions.
"You know Harry, when I was at the height of my power, the strongest wizard alive, a prophecy was spoken. One of my recent recruits, you may know him as Severus Snape, heard a part of it. Before he could hear the whole prophecy he was caught. He came up to me with this information in hope of reward.
'The one with the power to vanquish Dark lord approaches… born to those thrice defied him… born as the seventh month dies…'
Now there were two candidates, son of Alice Longbottom and the son of Lily Potter. Did you know that, that man was quite obsessed with your mother? He also informed me that you were a likely candidate of the prophecy and asked me spare your mother. You know, at the height of my power I was so near to get my goals that I feared about the future and in that moment of my weakness I made the biggest mistake, I blindly targeted your family thus leading to my exile. It was the result of my brashness and short-sightedness that I forgot a very important point, 'little knowledge is very dangerous.'
This year, I got my spy to correct that mistake. I sent my agent to Hogwarts to kidnap you, also to gain the full knowledge of the prophecy. That night when the Prophecy was spoken there was a fourth person there, Aberforth Dumbledore, brother of Albus Dumbledore, owner of the pub where the prophecy was spoken. So I sent Barty Crouch Jr., who by the way was impersonating Moody, to investigate there. Fortunately he heard the second part of the prophecy which Severus has failed to acquire.
'he will have the power the dark lord knows not… he will mark him as his equal… and either must die at the hand of the other… for neither can live… the one with the power to vanquish dark lord approaches…'
Now I began to think how foolish it was for me to barge like a Gryffindor, I myself had initiated the fate. This past year I have been thinking about my previous plans and then I noticed The Grand Manipulator, Albus Dumbledore. It was then I noticed that we both had been victims, pawns in his game. Believe it or not but in all sense and actuality Albus Dumbledore is the real Dark Lord and now I have decided that neither of us has to kill each other, I can fundamentally work according to the wordings of prophecy rendering it useless."
Harry, Daphne and Hermione were stunned, while they had pegged him for something of a manipulator with ulterior motives they never thought of him as a dark lord. They still didn't understand why he had done so. So, they waited Tom to continue. No one was about to interrupt him.
"As Harry here knows, I had a muggle father and a squib mother. I was abused as a child and hence the hatred towards muggles. What was important to me was the magic and all that comes with magic. He showed me the way of magical and the hatred in the muggles, very subtly, if I have to add. In a way I became the thing that I wanted to protect the Wizarding world from, its annihilation. In my quest I unknowingly and single handedly spilled more magical blood than what muggles had spilled in the past century and then I knew I had to change my ways. When I looked back I realized I was cleverly maneuvered into doing so by potions, compulsions and rumors, a feat worthy of Salazar Slytherine."
The trio was stunned by what they were hearing. This was not what they expected to hear.
Conquering world? Sure.
Genocide?
…Most probably.
Joining his cause?
…Somewhat.
But hearing that the Dark Lord was also pawn in Dumbledore's chess game and changing his goals and ways was not something anybody would ever be ready to hear let alone believe. At seeing their astonishing looks he chuckled.
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm still the homicidal bastard you know and fear me to be but we are getting off the topic here. Now when the prophecy was uttered Dumbledore planned to use you, Harry Potter, as a lamb to be slaughtered. Contrary to popular belief he never has anyone's best intention in his heart if you are not him. Did you know that only headmaster has the power to apparate through the wards and create a Portkey capable to pass through the wards of Hogwarts? So you can see that he was aware of my plan to kidnap you and helped me by enchanting the cup, which I was counting on, from there it was easier to replicate the magical signature to create another one in case of emergency.
Though I don't know his original plans but if I ever got right about him then I'm sure he was planning to pit you against me, weaken ourselves, then intervening at the right moment to put a finishing blow on me and by some accident you too. Lo and behold, Albus Dumbledore, the protector of Wizarding world, Vanquisher of two Dark Lords, the only one worthy enough to guide the magical world towards its zenith. Let's put him on a throne. After more than seventy years of careful planning he would certainly rule our world. Quite ingenious, don't you think?"
Whatever may be the reason, someone was not given the title of Dark Lord by being a misguided fool, and they had to have done things no sane man could justify. But that was a topic to be discussed later. Harry needed to know where Voldemort was going with this.
"What are you coming to Tom? Why should we believe you? It's no better to trade one puppeteer to another." Harry needed to know so he could bargain a deal. Previously he saw no way to free the girls but now if he played his cards right he could get them out of there. If he had not killed them now then he might have something to offer to Harry.
"What I'm coming to is that you will help me strengthen my power. You don't have to believe me and as for trading one puppeteer for another, you don't have the choice."
"Fine, I'll do it. But the girls have to go."
"Harry, Harry, Harry, contrary to popular belief everything is not about you or people around you, sure being in your vicinity helps them being recognized. Let's take your ex-friend Ronald for example, he has excellent strategic thinking but lacks subtlety and lets the jealousy overtake him but if properly motivated could become best strategist. Alas, that is not possible now because of your Headmaster, I would have gladly recruited him. Your girlfriend Granger here is rumored to be the most brilliant witch since Rowena herself, surpassing your mother Lily Potter. Your other girlfriend Greengrass is the most cunning witch that Salazar would have prized at the level Dumbledore could never dream of and then there is you, more raw power than any other being since last century, curtsey of your mother's sacrifice. You see since last year I've been planning to get them and you for my cause." Seeing them about to protest he raised his hand. "As I said earlier you have no choice. Even dying is not an option to you." He chuckled coldly.
"Oh and how would that be Tom because we are certainly not going to co-operate. Even if you somehow coerced us to do your bidding, you can bet that we will do everything in our power to bring your downfall." Harry knew he was gambling here, Hermione and Daphne were not immune to Imperious, Voldemort could very well ask them to do anything by threatening the other two. But he had to goad him to reveal his plan. As they say knowledge is power and if they could get to know his plan they could devise a way to get out.
"Don't worry about it Harry. I am planning a ritual in which the three of you are cordially invited to participate. But that will have to wait after all we all have to prepare you for the ritual Harry, also I don't think my charming personality is visible in this body so I have some minor rituals to go through myself before the major one." That was the axe that he was waiting to fall. He knew a normal life was farthest thing that he could achieve with his life, forget peaceful, but now… he didn't want to think about it. After all this time he along with his girlfriends were going to be sacrificed in a ritual, but he said he'll have to wait a month maybe in a month the light side could whip up some plan to rescue them or by some miracle they could escape. But the immediate danger was the ritual and its preparations.
"What kind of ritual are you talking about?" It was Daphne that broke the silence. It was good to know that they have at least a month before their doom and it was a known fact that the sacrifices should be in their best condition at the moment of ritual. It gave her a confidence boost that for the time they were safe.
"A high level bonding ritual with you, you three, the three faces of magic. The old magic of old blood, which is you Ms. Greengrass, the power of new blood, which is you Ms. Granger and finally the perfect blend to be used as catalyst, you Mr. Potter. It's actually my own creation, just imagine the power we all will gain from that, obviously I'll be most benefitted. Don't worry we have a month to get to know each other and I believe in that time you will co-operate if not outright support me, but for now sweet dreams."
With that the Dark Lord left them leaving them in their individual cells in complete darkness. Even if they had no way of knowing time they were all too exhausted with the recent events and no one was ready to speak loud about the danger they were obviously in but they had to. It was Hermione that broke the silence.
"What can we deduce from the information we got?"
"Well, we are sort of sacrificial lambs for Tom's twisted ritual that revolves around soul and blood magic that will bond at least our magic to him."
"How can you say that Daphne, for all we know he could want to rip our magical core out of us?"
"That is a distinct possibility Harry but I don't think it's his motto. He clearly said we all will be benefitted by this and he wants our support. What's makes us special is our core. Think for a moment, Hermione being a muggleborne witch, has a magical core that has a lot of potential to develop. Due to this it can be molded in a very powerful capability because of her core capacity-"
"But I'm never powerful with my spells." Daphne gave her 'I was getting there' look.
"You are a muggleborne witch so your core is like an unrefined raw material, a total waste for practical purpose. When you learn to use a wand you core gradually refines itself. It takes time but after some time the effectiveness of your spells will increase.
Now my blood being old blood has a core that learnt to mould itself according to the previous knowledge about the cores of my parents before me and their parents before them, thus familial magic the purebloods brag about. It's an evolution, the older the family, the more evolved core, just as the muggle Darwin said. My family managed to bond with other magical families all over the world over the centuries, avoiding inbreeding and marrying mugglebornes and even half-bloods that it gave my family a unique core, the most developed ones you can find out there aside from Potters, of course. It is us that can truly claim to be purebloods in front of all those bigots.
And last is you Harry, your old blood from your father and the new blood from your mother gave you a power boost that the whole Hogwarts talk about and we saw its capability in the tournament. Though we don't know why but only the child can be benefitted by combining the old and new blood of the participants. That must be the reason why Tom is using your blood as catalyst."
"Are you sure Daphne and how do know about these things?"
"My grandfather was an unspeakable. He died when I was 8. Last year when father mentioned the tournament in our upcoming school year, I just knew somehow Harry was going to be roped in. While going through my grandfather's journal, I found out about the research works going on about the cores. That's where I found about the difference between mugglebornes and purebloods. There's a high probability that he'll be performing some slave bonding or perhaps locking our consciousness inside our own mind and using our body as shells for his purpose, maybe even posses us to forward his so called New World Order."
"But about preparing Harry's body in coming month?"
"Sorry about it in advance Harry, but do you think anybody much less a dark lord would want to possess a scrawny and underfed body. I believe he's going to mould Harry's body according to his purpose." Harry blushed, hearing the comment about his body. He knew about it and embraced it but hearing it from someone else's mouth was still embarrassing.
"There's nothing to feel sorry about it Daph, it's the truth. At least I can enjoy a more muscular and healthy body for a short amount of time." He gave a dry chuckle at that.
"It's not a matter of joke Harry! We are talking about the possibility of certain Dark Lord using our bodies as robes for special occasion and myself for one am not able to see joke here!" It was too much for Hermione to bear and it certainly showed. Harry was trying to come up with something wise to say so as to not incur the wrath. He was glad that Daphne was there with them.
"It was certainly the most active day of our life and we certainly don't want to stay awake to see what more it could bring. I, for one, am going to pretend that it's just a bad dream and am going to close my eyes to protect my sanity. I suggest you two do the same."
Seeing that it was true they decided to follow the advice if not out of exhaustion then to save their sanity. As far as they knew, they were going to need it along with each other's support. Harry was contemplating about their future when he heard Hermione sobbingly whisper.
"Sorry Harry, I didn't know what came over me."
"Shh… there is nothing to feel sorry about. If not for you two I would have been gone insane this year. I promise I'll always be there for you. You can count on it." He cursed the fact that he could not hold her to comfort her. Daphne saw the same thing and reached from her bars to hold Hermione's. She gave her a watery smile in return. At least they have each other.
He was sure that it would be just like the previous school year. They just had to wait for the tests to begin. With that last thought he closed his eyes but the sleep was nowhere near.
Author's note-
(Random Rambling- …can't believe I forgot about the story.)
Actually this chapter was easily done and sooner than I expected. For some reason I forgot to publish it.
Also due to my exams coming up next few chapters will be delayed so please be patient with me.
…my heartfelt thanks to those who followed, favourited (is that even a word?) and most importantly reviewed.
On that note if you convince me to update sooner rather than later by posting enough reviews I may be motivated enough to do so.
So… review, review and also review and don't forget to review. The option is just on the bottom of this page. ^_^
…Inu signing off.