Disclaimer: I don't own TT or HP. Also there is an excerpt from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I don't own that.

Chapter 14: Distraction

Harry awoke sometime later. He opened his eyes slowly, waiting a moment for his eyes to become accustomed to the dim light of the room. When they did, he observed his surroundings. The floor and walls were wooden and covered with blotches. Harry shuddered to think of what had made those stains. There was a tiny window in the corner with dusty, dirty glass. It was dark outside; he could tell that. The room stank of dust and some mold Harry couldn't identify. Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust and tried breathing through his mouth.

Beneath him Harry could feel the hard wood of a chair. He tried to move his hands but found that they were tied to the arms of the chair with thick ropes. Harry attempted to slide his hands free but they were bound tightly and the ropes rubbed away the skin on his wrists. Harry flinched from the pain and stopped moving his hands. Harry then tried to move his feet but found that his ankles were bound to the legs of the chair with rope as well. Harry grimaced at his situation.

Harry turned quickly as the door to the tiny shack opened. In the doorway, Harry saw a tall man dressed in a long black robe. His face was covered in shadow, but Harry immediately recognized the man when he stepped into the light of the shack. Two snake-like eyes turned their terrifying gaze upon Harry. Harry gasped. "Voldemort," he said glaring at the tall man or better called creature.

Voldemort stepped closer to Harry. "Harry Potter," Voldemort said in his high-pitched hissing voice. He smirked slightly as Death Eaters entered through the door as well.

"You!" Harry yelled. "You're the one who created that damned disease!" Harry ground his teeth.

One Death Eater stepped forward and brandished his wand, but he quickly put it away with a wave of Voldemort's hand. "Yes, Harry, I created the disease."

"Why? It's attacking Slytherins as well as everyone else."

Voldemort laughed. It was a high-pitched laugh that sounded like the hissing of snakes mixed with a terrifying maniacal laughter. "None that are the children of my Death Eaters," Voldemort said in his hissing voice while gesturing to the many black-robed figures behind him.

"But why?"

"As a distraction of course. With all of the sickness and excitement in the castle no one is going to notice that the famous Harry Potter is missing until it is too late."

Anger flowed through Harry. "Raven's going to die because of you!"

"Ah yes, Raven the daemon. How odd it is that one who is supposed to be so pure is attracted to the daughter of the incarnation of evil."

"Funny," said Harry, "I would have thought you were the incarnation of evil."

Voldemort smirked. "I desire power, Harry, not Hell on earth."

"Could've fooled me." A Death Eater behind standing near the wall growled.

Voldemort laughed again. "Calm yourself, Lucius." Voldemort turned back to Harry. "So, how is that girlfriend of yours?" Harry would have wrung Voldemort's neck if he hadn't been tied to the chair. "Ironic, isn't it? You had the cure with you the entire time."

Harry looked at Voldemort suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"

Voldemort snickered. "It just shows how dim-witted you are that you never figured it out."

"Tell me the cure!" Harry yelled angrily. The Death Eaters stepped protectively towards their master.

"Tsk, tsk. Patience, Harry. Patience. The cure is the pure ingredient."

"What the hell is the pure ingredient!"

"Harry," Voldemort began using a slow, calm tone like one would use on a small child. "The disease is created from tainted blood, so obviously pure, untainted blood is the cure. It is my tainted blood that was used to create it. Now, do you remember whose blood runs through my veins?"

---Flashback (excerpt from book 4)---

"B-blood of the enemy…forcibly taken…you will…resurrect your foe."

…Wormtail, still panting with pain, fumbled in his pocket for a glass vial and held it to Harry's cut, so that a dribble of blood fell into it.

He staggered back to the cauldron with Harry's blood. He poured it inside.

---Flashback ended---

Harry gasped. "M-m-" Harry stuttered, "my b-blood is the cure!"

Voldemort laughed heartily. "Yes, Harry. All this time the cure has been flowing through you veins. A tiny cut, a drop in the mouth; that is all it would have taken. Every person that died could have been saved by you. Every person that will die could have been saved by you."

Voldemort laughed heartily at the blank hopeless look upon Harry's face. The unearthly sound broke Harry from his trance. "I-I didn't know."

"Do you really think that matters, Harry?"

Harry's eyes filled with tears. Dean died. Raven is going to die. And he could have stopped it all. Voldemort approached Harry. "Don't worry, my dear boy. You won't have to worry about your guilt much longer." Voldemort then pulled his wand from his robes. He raised it and pointed it right at the lightning-bolt shaped scar upon Harry's forehead. "Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yelled, causing a bright green light to shoot from his wand. Harry's eyes widened as the green light approached him. It was about to reach him when a swirling pool of black energy appeared and intercepted the spell. The pool absorbed the green light before fading away.

"What the hell?" Voldemort yelled. "How did you-" A bright flash of black energy came out of nowhere and blasted Voldemort into the wall. The Death Eaters began to panic. Before they could say or do anything though, cawing as if from crows or ravens was heard outside. It became louder and louder as Voldemort stood. The putrid stench of sulfur filled the room as another swirling pool of energy appeared in the floor. A figure rose from the pool. The person was completely covered with a red cloak.

Harry recognized the energy. "Raven?" The figure turned around. Four glowing red eyes glanced at the bound boy before turning back to the dark wizard.

"Time for some fun," the figure said in a deep, grating, daemonic voice.

Voldemort glared at the figure. "Avada Kedavra!" he yelled creating another blast of green light. Another swirl of energy swallowed this green light as well. The figure gestured with a pale hand, and shards of black energy flew toward Voldemort. Voldemort deflected the shards easily sending them of in all directions. A few hit the Death Eaters causing them to cry out in pain. Voldemort tried another spell. "Crucio!" This spell the figure let overtake her.

The red-robed figure smirked showing two rows of sharp fang-like teeth. "Pain is a state of mind," the daemonic voice stated. With another gesture of her hand, large flames appeared around the area where Voldemort and the Death Eaters stood. The flames rose from the floor and took a slightly humanoid shape. The fire daemons opened their eyes and approached the Dark Lord and his followers.

"Aguamenti!" Voldemort said causing water to gush from his wand in a hard spray. The fire daemons became smoke in the water, but the figure merely called them back. The death eaters stepped forward and began to fight the daemons away from the Dark Lord.

Harry watched the fight commence in silence. The figure seemed capable of taking on Voldemort and the Death Eaters and seemed to be enjoying herself immensely. He sat with wide eyes until a hand covered his mouth. He turned and saw the Raven he knew, though she seemed lighter, more ethereal. She put her finger to her lips to tell him to be silent. Harry nodded in understanding and she removed her hand. Raven waved her hand over the ropes binding Harry causing them to fall away. It was then that he noticed with surprise that she was translucent. He could see the broken ropes beneath her hand and the wall through her face. She was like a wraith. The only thing substantial was the gothic mirror that hung from her belt. Harry stared at her. Is she dead? he thought. Is this her ghost?

"Raven," Harry said as she finished destroying the cords. "Are you a ghost?" he asked quietly.

Raven smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm just not all here," she answered pointing to the red-cloaked figure. "Come on," she said as she stood. Harry nodded and followed her. Silently, they slipped out through the open doorway. Outside was a dense forest.

Harry and Raven made their way through the myriad of ravens that were sitting outside of the shack. Raven sat down behind a tree. She was breathing heavily and wincing in pain. Her head was spinning slightly from the fever that still plagued her body. Harry didn't notice. He could hear the fight going on inside the shack.

"She's you?" Harry asked turning to Raven. Raven immediately hid her pain and nodded.

"She's anger."

"Anger?"

"One of my emotions." Raven patted the mirror hanging at her side. Harry nodded, though he had no idea what she was talking about. "Hold on, Harry. I have to call her back."

Raven sat in the lotus position and began chanting her mantra. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" This continued for about a minute before the sounds of the fight inside ceased and a burst of red light illuminated the shack. The light became focused into a single shaft of light which traveled into Raven's mirror. As the light disappeared into the mirror, Harry could see Raven becoming more opaque and corporeal. When the light had completely flown into Raven's mirror, she was completely substantial again.

Raven then grabbed hold of Harry. "Hold on," she said, and they were enveloped by a large ball of black energy.

Just outside of Hogwarts, a large ball of black energy appeared. The energy evanesced leaving a bruised Harry and a very weak Raven, who collapsed to the ground. "Raven!" Harry yelled kneeling at the ground beside her. Harry held her in his arms. He had forgotten momentarily that she was ill. Harry pulled out his wand and used a simple spell to prick his finger. Then he held open Raven's mouth and let a tiny drop of blood drip into Raven's mouth. He closed her mouth and said, "Everything's going to be alright, Raven. I've got the cure. Everything's going to be alright."