The Two Equals Face To Face

Harry woke up to a very big headache, a sore head and a very blurry vision. He sat up holding his head in his hand trying to remember what had happened before he had been knocked unconscious. Then it hit him. Death Eaters had caught him, James and Sirius captive.

"Harry, are you awake?" said a shaky voice that made Harry jump.

It was his dad.

"Dad?" Harry said, "Where are you?" he added.

"I'm right here Harry."

"Where? I can't see you," Harry said and, he heard a few chuckles.

"What is so funny?"

"You haven't got your glasses on Harry," James said happily, "Here."

Harry's eyesight became clear again. Harry saw that his dad was smiling but the smile he was wearing didn't match his condition.

He was heavily scared and bruised.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked worriedly.

"You're just lucky the Death Eaters haven't come back yet."

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, looking around and then he spotted Sirius in another cell.

"I'm right here Harry," Sirius replied glumly.

He was in the shadows and it was difficult to see him.

"The Death Eaters have come in here about three times to see if you were awake," James said.

Then without warning, Harry's forehead began to sear with pain. He clapped his hands over his scar.

"What is it Harry?" James added worriedly, "What's wrong with him Sirius?" he added, turning to his best friend but Sirius didn't have any time to say anything.

The door burst open and in came Lord Voldemort with two Death Eaters. Harry looked through his fingers with watery, emerald eyes into the man's livid red, slitted ones. "Harry, you're awake! I wondered what took you so long to wake up," Voldemort said with his usual evil snarl.

James moved in front of Harry.

"You'll have to go through me to get to Harry," he said strongly.

"Ahh! James Potter, so the rumour is true, is it?" Voldemort said.

James did not answer but he only glared at Voldemort.

"Now James, you know perfectly well that all I want are answers to my questions and frankly Harry is the only one who can answer them."

"If you're talking about the prophecy then Harry is not the only one," James said.

"Dad, don't!" Harry whispered pleadingly for he knew what Voldemort would do. Voldemort smiled even more.

"Change of plan boys. Bring both of them," Voldemort said happily before leaving the dungeon swiftly and quickly. The two Death Eaters entered the cell and each steered one Potter out.

"Finally, you got here just on time," Voldemort said, smiling at the two Potter's in front of him.

"Do James first, he seems to be feeling a bit lucky today," he added. Two Death Eaters grabbed hold of Harry while another two grabbed hold of James.

"No Harry, don't worry about me," James said, struggling against the two Death Eaters restraining him. Harry got shoved into a cell in a corner of the room furthest away from James. Voldemort kept his eyes on Harry. He only parted the gaze when James was securely chained to the wall.

"Its hard work isn't it Harry," Voldemort said standing up, "Keeping the family together."

He started walking into the middle of the room.

"Of course you two are alike in many ways. Not only by your features but in your behaviour and character," he added, walking towards James.

"You both love being the hero and having attention and fame," he added, touching James's side which caused James to moan in pain. Harry couldn't guess why and how though.

"Isn't that right James-I heard from Severus and Wormtail that you loved all of it when you were at school. Of course I heard the same thing with you Harry," he added, now moving towards Harry; who backed away against the wall. At the mention of Wormtail, James's face went all cold and the usual happy and cheerful glint in his eyes was gone but replaced by an angry glint.

"Or would you rather me call you The-Boy-Who-Lived?"

This caused James to become confused.

"Half of the Wizarding world wouldn't know who that is," Harry said.

"Oh! I'm sure they all know you now," Voldemort said, showing the front page of the Daily Prophet.

It had a picture of him, Sirius and James on it. It read:

Harry Potter, James Potter & Sirius Black Missing

Harry Potter (The-Boy-Who-Lived), his father and godfather have gone missing. They went on a journey to Little Hangleton, the Gaunt Hut and never returned. Ministry Aurors searched the house that has been abandoned for several decades now and have not found a trace of the three. Though they have reported there are a few sets of foot prints, hoof prints and two sets of paw prints leading off into a forest where it is known to hold werewolves who possibly work for You-Know-Who.

Written by Hermione Granger.

For more information see page 3.

"This article is published in every Wizarding newspaper and magazine in the wizarding world," Voldemort said, "How can anyone expect you to be my downfall?" he asked, shaking his head.

He turned back around to face James.

"Now back to the fun," he added, moving back towards James. He pointed his wand directly at James's chest.

"Crucio."

James was writhing and moaning in pain, trying to break free of the chains that were forcing him to stay standing. To Harry it felt like he was watching himself being tortured. Then Voldemort lifted the curse with a jerk of his wand. James's back was up against the wall, his hazel eyes were very watery and showed signs of him being terrible pain.

"Yes, that hurt, didn't it James?" he added.

James did not answer because he was trying to get oxygen back into his lungs and was gasping heavily trying to catch his breath.

Voldemort moved off towards the crowd of Death Eaters and whispered something to one of them. The Death Eater, who Voldemort had spoken to, left the room.

"Unlock James and put him in with Harry," Voldemort said with a sigh as though he had given up. A Death Eater did so and James kneeled down next to Harry. He wrapped his arms around his son, holding him to his chest while Harry snuggled up into James's chest. After a while the Death Eater that had left came back with Lily, who seemed to be confused and scared. Then when she saw Harry and James she settled down because they had obviously not been harmed in any way.

"Get James out."

James suspected something but left the cell anyway. A Death Eater handed Lily and James their wands back.

"I hope you two remember how to duel," Voldemort asked.

"I am not duelling anyone," James said through gritted teeth.

Harry was amazed at how his father would refuse to duel against the darkest wizard for a century because Sirius had told him that his father never refused a duel.

"And why would that be?"

"I'm not a show off like I used to be when I was at Hogwarts," James said, turning his back on Voldemort with his arms folded across his chest.

"Are you afraid that you might be killed again if you duel me James?" Voldemort asked in amusement and all the Death Eaters started laughing.

Harry could feel James's face change from anger to fury and it felt strange. James whipped around and pointed his wand at Voldemort's chest.

"James," Lily said sternly, placing a hand on his arm.

James looked into Lily's eyes and lowered his wand slowly, calming down.

"If you won't duel, then Harry of course will," Voldemort said, "Won't you Harry?"

He turned to face Harry.

"I don't care," Harry said, "I'm not afraid of you."

"Okay then," Voldemort said.

The door opened and Harry walked out freely.

"You can be really silly sometimes Harry," Voldemort said, bowing when Harry had his wand in his hand. Harry bowed back and they stood up straight.

"I highly doubt that," Harry said.

Voldemort sent the killing curse at Harry and it was blocked by a Patronus from Harry.

"That's impossible," Voldemort said, "No ones been able to block that curse."

"Well I think I just made a record then," Harry said in amusement, sending a disarming charm at Voldemort, who jumped it.

"You know what?" Harry asked "You'd make a good Auror," he added sarcastically, jumping up onto the railings that were holding the roof up.

"Get back down here Potter," Voldemort yelled.

"Not in a million centuries," Harry said, flicking his wand and the cell door banged opened. Voldemort clicked his fingers and a few Death Eaters circled Lily and James. While the rest circled around the area of the floor underneath Harry. They were all pointing their wands at the three Potter's.

"Come down Harry," Voldemort said, entering the circle under Harry.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Harry asked as one of the Death Eaters in the circle underneath him shot a curse at Harry that almost made Harry unstable.

"Wow! Watch it!" Harry said starting to sway a little.

"Enough Draco," Voldemort ordered.

"Wow! Malfoy, I haven't seen you since-like-sixth year," Harry said as Malfoy took his hood off to reveal his now untidy white blond hair.

"I'm not even the slightest bit happy to see you Potter," Malfoy said in his sly voice.

"Well, just to tell yah, you have been really hard to find for us Aurors," Harry said, "Frankly, you're doing a way more better job at hiding then I thought you would be." Malfoy stepped into the circle and pointed his wand at Harry, looking up at him viscously.

"Now Malfoy, why don't you just point that thing the other way and be a good little Death Eater," Harry suggested sarcastically, "Just because I wouldn't be your friend when you asked me to in our first year, which I didn't want to, you don't have to hold this grudge against me for the rest of your miserable life," he added.

Malfoy sent a curse at Harry, who jumped down from the roof railings, landing on the cold hard stone floor like a cat. The circle closed in around him and Voldemort.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Come on, I can easily jump over one of you," Harry said, "Man! You guys can be dumber than I thought you could get."

"So what rating would you give yourself in being an Auror?" Voldemort asked, "Perhaps 10?"

"Oh come off it, I'm not that good," Harry said, "Though Mad Eye did say that I would probably finish training by the end of the year."

"So, would 9 be a better rating?"

"No, I'd say 9 ½," Harry said, "I know what yours would be though – 0, because you're a dark wizard yourself," he joked.

"Hmm, yes but I'm good at catching Aurors," Voldemort said.

"What?"

"Well! I caught your father, you, Black, Mad Eye and I killed a few others," Voldemort said.

Harry frowned.

"No, actually that would be your Death Eaters because they do all the work for you," Harry said, "I haven't seen you come after me once by yourself."

"Very smart Harry," Voldemort said, suddenly sending the killing curse at Harry.

It hit Harry square in the chest and he was sent into a wall before sliding down it and landing flat on his stomach. Harry groaned and got up with pain surging through him like poison. Harry was on his hands and knees and was breathing hard.

"The famous Harry Potter down in one blow," Voldemort added, moving towards Harry. Harry gritted his teeth in anger and pain as he mustered all his strength to stand up.

"Have you still got some stamina left, Harry?" Voldemort added. Harry looked over at his parents who looked scared but relieved at the same time. Voldemort started to circle Harry, waiting for him to strike. He was obviously wanting Harry to get frustrated and angry, which was working.

"Make your move Harry and I swear it will be your last," he added.

Then Harry realised that the anger and frustration he was feeling wasn't his own at all.

"If you think entering my mind and trying to make me think that the anger and frustration I am feeling is my own," Harry said, "Think again!" he added, blocking his mind completely. Voldemort flew backwards into the wall of Death Eaters from Harry's sudden magical mind block. Harry faced Voldemort and saw the Death Eaters uttering words of worry as they helped Voldemort back to his feet. The two equals glared at each other. Voldemort's teeth were gritted together tightly and he was breathing heavily.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait but I've just been extremely distracted lately but hopefully you will love this chapter.

Messers Prongs/Lily/Prongs