Beta: spinkavampire

Nr words in this chapter: 2,537

"Talking"

'Thinking'

{Talking on the fireplace, phone}

–Parseltongue–

Thinking in 3rd person POV/Dream/Memory/Flashback/Others

Letter/Journal/Book/Newspaper

Time change/Date of time

Change of POV

Chapter XI

–The End of Innocence–

Saturday, 8 June 1996

HJP's POV

None other but Bellatrix Lestrange was there. Harry had heard from Sirius how the Witch was one of the most dangerous followers that Voldemort had ever had. How she had even cursed Neville's parents into insanity just because she liked the sound. Shit! Why was Voldemort's best woman in Hogsmeade? Wha…?

Ron fell into the ground screaming. Harry put himself immediately between his friend and the Witch. His right hand was burning. Harry noticed how Bellatrix was looking at Ron puzzled, as if she couldn't understand why he had cried. Harry frowned. Wait, was the curse meant for him?

Harry looked at his hand, towards the golden ring that was burning hot. A protection spell! So that had been why Ron had been target off all those potions and hex and not even once Harry had been touched…

'It is now or never… Voldemort did say to ask for help if needed.' Harry raised his hand to his face and whispered in Parseltongue towards the ring. –Voldemort, help!–

After that Harry sent a Bombarda at Bellatrix before he turned around and forced his two friends to run.

"We can't outrun her." Hermione argued as Harry avoided being used as target and Hermione and Ron deflected any curse going their way.

"No, but this ring is making any curse she'll send me to be sent to one of you!" Harry argued, raising his hand and showing the ring.

Ron and Hermione looked at the ring as Harry ducked to avoid a curse.

"Wait… if the curse hits you… it will be deflected to one of us?" Ron asked and Harry nodded. "Bloody Hell! So we have to protect ourselves and you as we run? That is one hell of an escape tactic, Harry."

"Sorry." Harry mumbled, knowing from experience how painful to be hit with a Cruciatus Curse really was and the teen still had to run and defend himself from any curse Bella might throw at them.

And then Harry felt a hitch on his forehead, making him stumble on the floor. Hermione stopped at once to help him run, Ron on his other side.

"Oh no…" Hermione mumbled and at Ron's inquisitive look, she pointed at the reason Harry was being unable to run on his own. One of his hands was grabbing into his forehead and trying to scratch it like mad. "Harry…"

"It hurts… make it stop!"

Hermione glanced at Ron who threw a Bombarda spell at Bellatrix before pushing them into a side road, hiding them. The three hid against the wall. Harry knew they couldn't stay there. Bellatrix would locate them and… but the pain was so strong that he couldn't even keep standing without help. And it was getting worse, Voldemort was angry. He was beyond angry, he was mad angry.

"There you are." The woman's voice stated.

The trio tensed. Ron and Hermione knew that Harry was in no capacity to run and they couldn't carry him, not with the woman after them. Showing more courage than he probably felt Ron stood between Bellatrix and the other two, letting Hermione help to keep Harry standing. It wasn't like Harry could use himself as a shield to protect his friends, as much as he wanted to, otherwise they would get hurt anyway. Harry tried to take the ring away but didn't manage it. Probably only Voldemort would be able to do it.

"Bellatrix." A voice hissed coming from the other side of the alley that made the trio win goosebumps and shiver.

Bellatrix immediately smiled and bowed towards the man that was quickly approaching.

"My Lord, I cornered Potter especially for you." The woman stated like a dog who just met her owner.

Voldemort glanced at the trio, his eyes staying on Harry, whom was trying to keep the pain in his scar from being too perceptive. Voldemort turned again towards Bellatrix.

"Who authorized this outing?" He asked in a very low harsh voice, as if talking to a child.

Immediately the happy face in Bellatrix's face disappeared.

"My Lord, I…"

"I asked you a question."

"I did." The woman answered barely a sound.

"I'm sorry, I fear that I didn't hear you. Actually I think that not even they heard you. Can you say it louder? Because I thought I heard that someone besides me thought that he could order My men to attack, when I specially said that Hogwarts and Hogsmeade was off limits."

Bellatrix shivered.

"I'm sorry, my Lord." The woman stated, throwing herself at his feet.

Voldemort sneered and kicked her away, before turning towards the trio. Ron shivered but kept his wand high and ready. Hermione grabbed her wand with her left hand and Harry grabbed his with his right hand, still leaning against the girl to keep standing. He could be in pain but he wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Bellatrix, do you want to know the reason why I made it forbidden to touch Hogwarts and it's students?" He asked and the woman shivered at his feet.

"Yes, my Lord."

"You may have heard of Potter's newly found cousins." Voldemort stated, talking directly towards the trio. "They are Parselmouths like apparently Harry is. An inheritance Harry got from his dead mother, who got from one of her ancestor. This ancestor was a Slytherin. So that means, Bellatrix, that way along the line me and Harry are family. Until Harry becomes of age he will stay an heir, but on the moment he'll become 17 he'll be Lord Slytherin as his two younger cousins will be his heirs." Voldemort sneered down at Bellatrix. "So you see Bellatrix, as the actual Lord of the Slytherin house I can't claim any of the three as my heirs because our inheritance is way back in our family trees, but I still can't kill a heir of my house. This means, Bella, that Harry will take my Lord inheritance as Lord Slytherin and if anyone dares to hurt him until he becomes of age it will be a direct hit to me as the actual Lord of Slytherin. and after Harry becomes of age and wins the inheritance I can't claim the lordship back, even if I kill Harry."

"But, my Lord…" the Witch started. "That will only happen if the children's Father gave Potter full control over them and…" she started but Voldemort stopped her and pointed his arm at Harry, Ron trying to stay in the way but Harry's arm still rose up on it's own. The arm with the wand.

"Harry has the Gaunt Ring on his ring finger, Bellatrix. The children's Father may be a Muggle… but he knew what he was doing." The man stated with a smirk at the corner of his mouth. "He is courting Harry, Bellatrix. And has already gave him the claiming ring."

Harry's eyes grew, looking directly at Voldemort's eyes. Was Voldemort saying what he thought was saying? Ron and Hermione turned towards Harry with just as big widen eyes as Harry's.

"What?" Ron asked, turning towards Voldemort. He had probably forgot the danger they were in. "Evans gave Harry a family ring… not in a… marriage type of ring." The teen argued, glancing at Harry just to make certain.

"Besides he is Harry's uncle… and they are both male!" Hermione added.

Voldemort glanced at Hermione as if amused at her rationality.

"Wizardry World isn't the Muggle World, Miss." Voldemort stated before turning again towards a quickly palling Bellatrix. "What did you do to him, Bellatrix?"

"Nothing, my Lord." The Witch stated at once in fear.

Voldemort hit her with a mild Cruciatus Curse, making the trio shiver at her screams.

"Potter can't even stand still by himself, Bellatrix."

"I hit him with the Cruciatus Curse, but it was repelled into the blood-traitor boy. I didn't touch him, my Lord."

Voldemort glanced at the trio who shivered and tried to walk away from him. But in Harry's condition and the fact that Hermione and Harry were against the wall it made the job a little more difficult.

"Were you hit?" Voldemort asked. Harry shook his head and the pain only grew worse, making him be unable to hold back a whimper. "Care to elaborate how that is possible?" Voldemort hissed.

"It's the scar!" Hermione stated in barely a scream. "The scar you made him. It hurts him when you are close by and when your emotions are strong… Sir." Hermione added scared, before glancing at Harry mumbling 'sorry'.

Voldemort frowned and then Harry gasped at the emptiness. Harry took several deep breaths to control his laboured breath and then stood on his own.

"I can't attack Harry, that doesn't mean I can't touch neither of you two." Ron and Hermione tensed. "Disappear before I'll change my mind." The man added.

Ron grabbed Harry and Hermione's hand and run away towards Hogwarts. Harry looked behind as he run to see Voldemort sneering at a quickly paling and shivering woman at his feet, before the man side-apparated away with her.

Voldemort was courting him… Voldemort had given him an engaging ring. SHIT! Voldemort wanted to marry him! What about the children's Mother? What about…?

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked as soon as they managed to get inside Hogwarts' grounds.

Ron stopped and looked at Harry as well.

"Yeah, Mate. You look pale."

"Try to find out your Uncle has been courting you for the past year and then tell me how you would've look!" Harry snapped before taking a hand towards his face. "Shit!" Harry approached a tree at once and holding onto it with one arm the other on his belly he found himself puking the containing's of his stomach.

Hermione approached and hold him from behind as Harry's legs started to shiver.

"Ron, go get someone."

"What? Run to the school and came back?" Ron asked and Harry glanced at him realizing that his own legs were shaking, probably from the after-effects of the curse he had been under.

"Is either that or hold Harry." Hermione argued behind Harry.

There was a moment of silence – as the only thing that made a sound was Harry throwing up – and then the body behind him changed to a male, before he heard someone running.

"I'm sorry." Harry mumbled, barely managing to keep standing.

"Don't worry, Mate. We're here for you… always."

Harry whimpered, feeling another wave of vomit coming up when he nodded to his friend behind him. It didn't take long for Harry to ear steps coming his way and, not long later, a potion was forced down his mouth. Harry coughed at the taste and looked up though his fogged glasses to see a black figure before him, which could only be Snape. A brown-haired by the side picked his glasses only to return them cleaned. Harry nodded thankfully at Hermione and then to Snape, still leaning on Ron who Snape was also forcing to drink a potion.

"What happened?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange, Sir." Harry mumbled.

Snape sneered.

"Can you two walk?"

Harry tried to give a step but his legs still weren't working and if it wasn't for Ron he would have fallen on the vomit. Snape sneered and approached, putting himself on one side of Harry, with Ron on the other side and the two helped him walk towards the castle. As they approached the doors a massive black bear-sized dog come running with two twins behind him.

"Harry? What happened?" Miley asked at once as Sirius sniffed Harry and his face made a disgusted look at something he had smelled… probably the vomit Harry had just thrown up.

"Voldemort." Harry answered, making the two twins' eyes grew while they paled.

Harry knew that they weren't reacting like that out of fear, but surprised that their Father would put Harry in this state. If they even knew what was going on…

"Didn't you said that it was Bellatrix Lestrange, Potter?" Snape hissed as they entered the castle.

"You Know Who appeared to stop the attack, Sir." Hermione answered, Snape turned towards her at once. "Something about he didn't order this attack and that Hogwarts was out of limits… and that Harry is the Heir and future Lord of Vol… Voldemort's family, Sir."

Snape narrowed his eyes and turned towards the dog.

"Mutt!" Sirius' head turned towards him, having put himself on Ron's place at helping Harry keep standing, while at the same time helping Ron. Sirius being the size of a bear helped to keep the teens leaning on him. "Run to the Headmaster office and warn him to come into the Infirmary wing at once." Sirius' head turned towards Ron, who immediately stopped leaning on Sirius and took his place helping Harry, both leaning on each other. Harry could tell that the Cruciatus curse was finally taking it's stroll on his friend. Sirius run up the stairs. Harry supposed that the fact that he had been hurt was the only reason why Sirius didn't argue about the way Snape treated him. "Evans!" The two twins looked at the Professor. "Mr Evans." The man added. "Warn Madam Pomfrey that a boy under the torturing curse's effect and a boy who can't even stay standing and even threw up are coming her way. And that I already gave them potions to keep the throwing up and the torturing curse's after-effects at bay." Stanley nodded and run up the stairs. "You two can go get Potter and Weasley their sleeping robes from the Gryffindor dormitories." Snape added towards Miley and Hermione to give them something to do, who nodded and run up the stairs.

Harry found it hard to climb stairs and, from Ron's reactions, he wasn't being the only one who was having a hard time. Not long later someone came running down the stairs. Harry looked up to see Madam Pomfrey with Stanley fast behind her. The woman looked at the two, grabbed Harry's face looking directly towards his eyes and then did the same with Ron.

"It had to be you two, didn't it?"

"With the Death Eaters in the Hogsmeade, it would be lucky if we were the only ones affected." Ron retorted.

"What?" The woman asked and turned towards Snape, whom nodded. "Is anyone else hurt?"

"Some villagers, luckily McGonagall managed to take all the students away before it was too late… except these two and Granger that is. I had just finished giving them all calming draughts when Granger came running that Weasley had been cursed by the Cruciatus Curse and that Potter was throwing up against a tree just inside the front gates."

Madam Pomfrey nodded and grabbing her wand she waved it around both Ron and Harry, before everything went black.

(TBC)

So Voldy finally spells out to Harry that he is being courted. I'd say he reacts well… or not

Next Chapter: Twins' Mother

~Isys