Chapter Twenty
He looked away from us, examining his new body, flexing his fingers and feeling the grass beneath his feet. Meditated breathing sounded across the graveyard. Wormtail reappeared, eyes amazed at what he has succeeded.
"My wand, Wormtail." He said as he approached the withering man.
He dipped into a fearful bow as he presented the boned wand to him. His large, spidery hands gripped it and he breathed a chortle.
"Hold out your arm," he instructed.
"Master," Wormtail happily presented his bleeding stump.
"The other arm." He snapped, and Wormtail hesitantly did, disappointed.
My vision was obscured by his body as he did something to it. I shuffled against the grave behind me, thinking hard about how I could escape. He was distracted now, it was my chance. I tried to shimmy my wand out of my pocket, but the ropes were too tight. So, I rubbed my back against the stone, attempting to loosen them to no avail. "Harry," I whispered sharply.
He continued to moan in pain as Voldemort was busying himself with Wormtail. Most likely too distressed to hear me. Raising my voice would alert them, so I continued to work on escaping silently. I closed my eyes, trying to pull all my focus on the ropes binding me. I had not mastered non-verbal magic. In fact, I had not even attempted wandless magic. Trying them together was senseless, but I had to try. Desperation had made me do amazing things in the past and I was as close to death now as I was in the lake.
Yet my thoughts made me pause. Was I close to death? Not only did the Dark Lord, one of the most powerful and dangerous Dark wizards of all time, stand before me. But so did the man who created me. My - dare I say it - father. My heart hammered at the thought and I opened my eyes to see him in the distance, starting to pace impatiently. I had considered it many times before, late night musings before I managed to will myself to sleep. What would be his perception of me? Would he care for me? Would I mean anything to him? Perhaps my death wasn't assured tonight, perhaps a lifetime of servitude did. Dread raked through me again.
Even if the Dark Lord accepted me, would I want to be under his supervision? His guidance? Never. I would rather die. Following him would be following everything I was against in this world. I didn't believe in blood superiority. I didn't believe in division against witches and wizards. I didn't want to submerse myself into a life of dark magic that I would never see the light again. It was a living nightmare I did not want to face if I survived this. If that's what was my destiny, Merlin take me now.
The sky was suddenly crowded with swishing black cloaks. Wizards were apparating all around. I was mortified by the revelation of Death Eaters, no; there was no escaping now. They circled the Dark Lord, stood proudly in their black robes.
"Welcome, my friends." Voldemort said as he paced. "Thirteen years it has been. I confess myself... disappointed." He hissed. "United under the Dark Mark, or are we?" He pulled back his white face and breathed in, his nostrils widening. "I smell guilt. I see you all, whole and healthy, with power intact. Yet none of you tried to find me!" He growled.
"Crabbe!" He pulled his masked off with magic. "Macnair!" The men fell to their knees in agony. He continued around all the Death Eaters until he reached the last two. "Not even you, Lucius."
"My Lord," he started. I wasn't shocked at all to see Malfoy's father there, I had always had my suspicions about their family allegiance, his taunting before the Yule Ball had almost confirmed it for me. A shiver still travelled down my back, like a spider trailing its web. "Had I detected any sign of your whereabouts, a whisper-"
"There were signs my slippery friend, there were whispers." He spat.
"I assure you, My Lord. I have never renounced the old ways. The face I have been obliged to present each day since your absence, that is my true mask."
He turned from Malfoy and surveyed his followers. "I do not forgive. I do not forget." He spoke to them. "I want 13 years repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has already paid some of that debt. Though, not out of loyalty, but fear."
Wormtail sobbed on the ground at his feet.
"Yet, you returned me to my body." He said. Effortlessly, he waved his hand and a molten silver hand began to form where his hand was missing. He held it up into the moonlight and admired it, twitching his fingers and testing his movement.
Merlin help me, he was more powerful than I had ever believed.
Voldemort's serpent face then twisted into a snarl and he looked back at the one lone Death Eater left standing. "And you," he growled. "Once one of my most faithful allies, not only kept to the shadows, but delivered me the greatest disappointment of them all." He swept off his mask like he had the others. "Ezra." He announced.
Everything stopped. Suddenly the cold night air was hot. Very hot. Scalding fire- hot. Harry's struggling whines slowly faded. The clear vision of my surroundings blurring and my rapidly beating heart fell and bowled to the floor. Any inner peace that was left within me shattered. The betrayal was excruciating. I felt my body reject the sight before me. My adoptive father. The man I had looked up to for the entirety of my life. He was one of them. He followed him. I could no longer feel now, sitting here was a ghost of myself. All spirit had evacuated.
"My Lord," he croaked. "I assure you I only ever had her best interests in heart."
"A failure to my ancestry." Voldemort simply said and then looked over at me. It was the first time in my entire life we had ever locked eyes. His scarlet beads examining every inch of me. My hair was dishevelled from my efforts in the maze. Sweat covered my body, dirt rubbed into my skin. Blood drenched my right arm and cuts adorned my face. "Poisoned by the likes of others." He spoke, turning back to Ezra. "Coinciding with Mudbloods. Compassionate with them. Protected by our beloved Order." He spat.
You're only in Slytherin because you are a Slytherin.
The Death Eaters started to stand again. "The Lestrange's should be here, but they went to Azkaban rather than renounce me." He then turned again to a larger gap between his followers. "And here we have six missing Death Eaters. Three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return. One, who I believe has left me forever. And one, who remains my most faithful servant and has already re-entered my service."
I watched as the Death Eaters shared looks with one another.
"He is at Hogwarts, my faithful servant, and it is due to his efforts that our young guests are here tonight." A grin curled on Voldemort's lipless mouth as he looked over at us again. "Yes, Harry Potter."
Silence carried through the cemetery until Lucius broke his thoughts. "Master, we crave to know how you achieved this... miracle."
"Ah, what a story it is, Lucius." He said. "And it begins here," he looked at Harry and then to me, "and ends here." Bumps raised on my skin again at the knowledge. "Standing on the bones of my father." He began walking to us, "I would introduce you, but word has it you're as famous as me these days."
He then walked to stand right in front of Harry, "the boy who lived. How lies have fed your legend Harry. Shall I reveal to you what truly happened that night? How I truly lost my powers?" He started pacing again. "It was love. You see, when dear sweet Lily Potter gave her life for her only son she provided the ultimate protection. I could not touch him. It was old magic, something I should have foreseen. I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the foolish sacrifice and it rebounded upon myself. Pain beyond pain, my friends," he explained. "I was ripped from my body, less than a spirt or ghost, but alive."
He walked back towards us. "I remember forcing myself, sleeplessly, endlessly, second by second to exist. I settled in a faraway place in a forest and waited. Surely, one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me," an awkward silence followed, "or even my successor, my daughter."
Something in my chest thumped at the words. At the acknowledgement.
"But I waited in vain," he returned to pacing. "For as none of you whom I placed my faith in returned. I inhabited animals, snakes preferably, but they were ill adapted to perform magic. Then, four years ago, a teacher from Hogwarts wandered across my path in the forest. I possessed his body and planned to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. But I was thwarted, thwarted by Harry Potter."
"He died when I left his body and I returned to hiding, it was the weakest I had ever been. It was my darkest hours," he explained solemnly and then glanced over at me. "Then, not even a year ago, Wormtail returned to me. He delivered Bertha Jorkins to me who informed me of the Triwizard Tournament and a faithful servant that would assist me. Needing, not only my descendants blood, but also Harry Potter's blood for my resurrection, I instructed for you to be brought to me tonight." He breathed, "I instructed you to be entered into the Triwizard Tournament."
My mind absorbed all the information as he explained.
"And for the first time in my knowledge," he began, "I was almost… proud of how far you had come." He spoke solely to me now, I was unable to meet his red eyes. "Not only your triumph through each task, but your intuition to turn to dark magic when you needed power." I barely allowed myself to breathe as I held back sobs, unwilling to listen. "Perhaps there is still promise." He said thoughtfully.
His eyes then flickered to Harry, listening intently by everything that was happening. "But no matter, no matter. Here is what everyone believed to be my downfall. Things have changed." He dismissed and then moved in front of him in an instant. "I can touch you... now."
His finger pressed into what I assumed was Harry's scar and intensifying screams howled from him. I tightly closed my eyes, trying to displace myself from this cruel reality. I wanted nothing more than to help him. His wails died as soon as Voldemort let go and stepped back, peering at both of us.
"Amazing what a few drops of your blood will do, hmmm?"
With another wave of his hand, Harry fell out of the gravestones grip and onto his knees. "Pick up your wand, Potter." He called and walked across the grass. "I said pick it up! Get up! Get up!" I silently urged Harry to obey him in my mind so he wouldn't get hurt. He crawled over to his wand and glanced at me, it was the first time we had seen each other in what felt like forever; both trying to survive this torment we were in.
"You have been taught how to duel, I presume, yes? First, we bow to each other." Harry stood opposite him, fumbling his wand and shakily standing. The Death Eaters all moved to one side to watch. "Come on now Harry, the niceties must be observed. Dumbledore wouldn't want you to forget your manners now, would he?" He practically seethed at him. "I said bow," he repeated and then flicked his wand and Harry forcefully bowed. The awkward stiffness of him translated to me that he was being imperiused. He then knocked him to the ground and delightfully shouted, "Crucio!"
"No!" I pleaded loudly as Harry twisted and turned on the ground, moans of pain ricocheting off him.
"Shut up, you stupid girl." Voldemort shouted at me as he continued to cast the curse on him. "Crucio!"
The sobs eventually broke surface and I was openly wailing until he stopped, and Harry laid limp on the ground.
"Attaboy, Harry. Your parents would be proud. Especially your filthy Muggle mother."
In anger, Harry tried to cast a spell back at him, but he easily evaded it. "It's foolish to suppose that this boy could ever be stronger than me." He said. "But I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind. He escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all. When there is no Dumbledore to help him and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance."
He crouched down by Harry, "after tonight, no one will ever question my powers again." He stood and raced back over to the other side. Harry took his chance and rushed behind a nearby large grave. I closed my eyes again, afraid to watch what would unfold. There was no escaping this. All I could think about was how I would beg for death after Harry, not wanting to live the rest of my life having had this traumatic experience.
Angrily, Voldemort cast a green spell towards the grave. "Don't you turn your back on me, Harry Potter! I want you to look at me when I kill you! I want to see the light leave your eyes!"
The Death Eater's began to murmur between themselves, distracted by the entire ordeal. Maybe this was my time to escape. Was I truly that selfish; that I would use the time in which Voldemort would kill Harry as a distraction for my own escape? The Triwizard trophy glowed blue in the distance, if I broke free I could summon it. I shimmied my body again, testing the ropes bound to me.
Harry returned from his spot behind the grave. Defiantly glaring at the Dark Lord. "Have it your way," he spoke clearly. "Expelliarmus!" He shouted.
"Avada Kadavra!" Voldemort called back.
A flash of green and red blinded me briefly and then their wands connected in a single stream of magic. I had no idea what it was or what was happening, but this was my opportunity. The light was blatant and the magic of the wands connecting was deafening; it would cover my means of escape. I pushed off the grass with all my strength and continued wiggling my arms - I just needed my wand. Once I had that I had a chance.
It was beginning to look hopeless, my remaining strength was not enough to combat the binding spell Wormtail had used. I looked up at the Death Eater's watching the duel to see familiar brown eyes gazing at me. Betrayal swelled inside me again, the shattered parts of my heart thinning into fine dust. Within his dirt coloured eyes, something familiar swirled and I could see the internal battle. He would be my only hope now. Ezra.
I pleaded with my eyes, begging for his help. My eyes travelled down his arm to see his hand make a movement, and I felt the ropes around me give way. They didn't completely fall off, but enough for me to move. My beaten heart blossomed as I successfully manoeuvred my wand into my hand without the attention of any other Death Eater. Thankful now that I was in the tournament and was forced to learn spells; I casted the Disillusionment Charm. Glancing down, I blended easily into my grandfather's headstone, especially with how dark the night was. Using my legs, I scurried quietly around the back of the large headstone, the ropes loosening more and more as I moved. The ground was thundering from the magic coming off Harry and Voldemort's wands.
I considered summoning the portkey to me longer than I cared to admit. That strong Slytherin self-preservation streak within me again. I despised it. Yet I welcomed it. It was my survival. Could I live with myself if I abandoned Harry here? I was reeling from the internal battle within my mind, two sides screaming at each other. I had to do something soon. The Death Eater's would see I'm missing soon. I tilted my head around the gravestone, squinting from the overpowering blasts of red and green.
"Do nothing!" Voldemort's voice shrieked. "He's mine!"
All of us, including the Death Eater's, were taken aback by the struggle of power Harry was causing Voldemort; I thought surely, he could have taken him. A golden thread grew in the electric current between their wands, exploding into a magical glow around the two duellers. A glowing beam of white then spiralled from the connection, entrancing everyone. My fear was displaced as the magic mesmerized me. A ghost of Cedric grew from it and into the air. My heart leapt, and I didn't realise I was crawling from my cowering spot behind the Grim Reaper, pulling the ropes off me.
More bodies exploded in the brightness that I didn't recognise, two ushering their selves beside Harry.
"Yes!" Harry cried out, as if he was answering someone. His head bobbed into several torn nods. The spirits were speaking to him and he was responding. "I will," he choked out to someone. "Melody!" His voice scratched, and I started rushing to my feet, unknowing what course of action I was to take.
"Harry!" I called back desperately, regaining the attention of the Death Eaters who were just as disordered.
"Now!" He screamed, and I didn't know what to do, but he broke the connection and all the souls flew to Voldemort, clouding him and several of his follower's in a bloom of blue. "Cedric!" He called, and I started running toward our fallen comrade.
Curses flew into the air, all stilted from the soul's efforts. I kept pelting for Cedric, not even chancing a look back.
"Impedimenta!" Harry shouted somewhere behind me.
"Don't let her get away!" Voldemort bellowed.
I flew into a desperate dive onto Cedric, the grass grazing my side.
"He is mine! Let me kill him!"
A wet body smacked into mine and a quick glimpse showed it was Harry, but I also caught Voldemort approaching nearby. I squealed as I felt Harry's hand grip my wrist and I shut my eyes so tight it hurt. I was bracing myself for death, but instead, a force pulled behind my navel. Voldemort's wrathful cry started to drown out by the sound of whooshing and opening my eyes revealed the comforting swirls of colours that had taken us to the graveyard. Harry had summoned the portkey to us and Cedric, we were going back.
We had escaped.
We had survived.
Woo! We made it through. Thank you for your patience as we had to have two Malfoy-less chapters, I promise our favourite blonde boo returns next chapter!