Okay I know some of you were disappointed in how Susan did the first task. All will be explained later, however this is not the chapter for that. But all will be explained later don't worry!
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Chapter Twenty One: The Graveyard:
Harry woke slowly and nearly groaned as he tried to move. Every part of his body ached and he opened his eyes careful not to move. He saw he was in the hospital wing and with a jolt of terror he realized what had happened. Voldemort was back and it was his fault, if he had listened to the nagging voice in the back of his head and not taken the letter to heart he would not have been captured. He looked up to see his mother sitting by him with his father right by her side. They both looked worried and Harry just wanted to crawl under the castle and stay there for the rest of his life.
"I am sorry." Harry said looking very unhappy. "I did not mean to get captured like that."
"It is not your fault Harry." James said, "you cannot blame yourself."
"But I went off and thought that letter was real!" Harry protested. "if I had not done that…"
"Harry hush it's not your fault he is back." Lily said, " you know the prophecy and knew there was a chance he would come back and he did."
"Now lots will die because of him." Harry said as Poppy came up and handed a potion to Lily to give to Harry.
"It's not your fault, now drink this." Lily said helping Harry sit up and drink down the potion, instantly his body warmed up and his pain left him.
He remembered back to the day before and the aftermath with painful clarity and he wanted to just forget it. Yet he could not and both his parents looked at him with concern. They had wanted to protect him from this yet even they could not. Harry lay back down and remembered back fully to what had happened to him the day before.
Harry was in Hogsmeade the letter clutched in his hands, he looked up and saw a figure charging him. It was a death eater and he charged. Harry fought and struggled but the death eater took out an object and whisked them away. The hue and cry went up as there had been at least fifty witnesses to this appalling act. In the meantime Harry found himself unable to move as he was zooming along via portkey. He forced himself to relax enough to keep his wits about him and when the ride was over he managed to get out of the death eater's hands and turned wand out to fight back. He may have been brave and well trained but he did not stand a chance as the death eater before him was stronger, older and fully trained.
"Get the hell away from me!" Harry shouted at the hooded creature before him.
"Disarm the brat!" Came a high cold voice Harry knew from his dreams to be that of Voldemort.
"Hold still you!" The death eater snarled, he managed to get Harry's wand but Harry was not going down that quickly.
Harry looked around quickly and saw he was in an ancient graveyard with large old tombstones. He could see a decaying pile of stones that had once been a grand manor house but no houses other than that for a long way around. He ducked behind a headstone as the death eater swore and tried to fight back the best he could. In the end he was immobilized, drug to a tombstone and bound roughly to it. He tried to curse and shout but could only glare in defiance at the man before him. He watched helpless as the man drug a cauldron to the grave and put it over it. He lit a fire under it and went and grabbed a bundle that he carried lovingly over to the cauldron. He removed the robes and Harry gasped in shock at the thing in the robes. It was shaped like a human child but was red and raw, much as he would have expected a demon to look.
Harry watched as another figure came up and threw back her hood, the hated face of Bellatrix Lestrange came to view and he would have swore at her if he was able to. Harry watched and listened as the evil ceremony was conducted. When Bellatrix cut his arm he wanted to spit and curse her, when Harry saw Bellatrix cut off her own hand and let it drop in the cauldron where Voldemort was now resting Harry hoped she would bleed to death. There was a bright light, a flash then slowly a tall thin pure white man completely hairless emerged from the cauldron. At once the man was there to robe his master and help him from the cauldron.
"Master I am sorry it took so long." A weakened Bellatrix said.
"Yes you are loyal, and the only one here so far, ah aside from Walden." Voldemort said. "Let me see your arm Bellatrix."
"Here master." Bellatrix said holding out his left arm.
"No reward first, you have done so much for me." Voldemort said creating a new silver hand for Bellatrix and attaching it to her wrist. He then pressed his finger against Bellatrix's mark which began to glow red. "I wonder how many will show up now they know I am back, besides Walden?"
Harry could not do anything, he had been bound too tightly to the headstone, he knew there was a very good chance he was going to die but he did not plan on going out without a fight. He still could not speak, if he could he would curse out Voldemort for what he was doing now. He watched as one by one death eaters arrived with a pop and one by one went up to Voldemort and fell before him and kissed the hem of his robe. They got up and stood in a half circle around Voldemort. He looked as if he expected more and was about to speak to his death eaters when there was one more lone figure that came up. He was unmasked and Harry saw it was Karkaroff coming forward. He knelt before Voldemort who looked at him with barely contained fury.
"You dare come here?" Voldemort hissed at him. "You betrayed me!"
"I know master, I did not come for forgiveness." Karkaroff said. "Severus is still loyal master."
"I should believe you of all people?" Voldemort said coldly.
"I have proof of his loyalty, he spoke to Lucius in the forest, I heard them talk. Severus is frantic to come to you master." Karkaroff said.
"Why does he not come?" Voldemort asked.
"He has a plan master." Karkaroff said and seeing Harry he paused for a moment. "Is it wise for me to speak in that brat's presence?"
"Yes, he will be dead soon enough." Voldemort said coldly. "Go on."
"Severus treads a thin line with the headmaster of Hogwarts master." Karkaroff said. "He knows he will for a short time more needs the protection of Dumbledore. He will come master."
"I see, yes there is truth in your mind of these words." Voldemort said. "You were wise to come to me, I will show mercy this time only. Your death with be painless."
"I am not worthy of your mercy." Karkaroff said. "I do not deserve a painless death."
"Yes well Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort said.
Harry watched the green light he had seen in so many of his nightmares hit Karkaroff in his chest. Then he fell to the ground dead and the other death eaters moved away from his body. Harry was scared and angry at the same time, and he was focusing hard on getting away as Voldemort droned on and on about himself and how he had escaped death. He should have paid better attention to Harry as Harry was concentrating on using wand-less magic to get out of the ropes. Finally he managed to get out of them and threw the filthy rag MacNair had shoved in his mouth. To say Harry was ticked off would not do it justice, he had a very good idea he was going to die here but it would be on his terms. He made a show of brushing off his robes as Voldemort turned to him to see instead of a scared tied up teen a ticked off untied teen brushing off his robes.
"Clever little boy aren't you Harry?" Voldemort hissed.
"Put a sock in it Voldemort." Harry said feeling very scared and brave at the same time.
"How dare you…"
"You killed my gran, tried to kill me and you dare to say how dare you?" Harry said, death was for some reason looking funny right now. "You know for coming back you came back really ugly."
"You insolent brat!" Lucius said storming up his cane raised to hit Harry. He was waved off by Voldemort who was circling Harry.
"Ah so foolish to stand up to me Harry, I now share the same power that once protected you from my touch." Here he reached out to touch Harry who shoved his arm away. "Ah I see you need to be taught a lesson before I kill you."
Harry knew what was coming, he knew there was not much to brace himself for what Voldemort was going to do. Still he was going to stay defiant even as he was tortured. Voldemort raised his wand and shot a Crucio curse at Harry who fell to his knees and clenched his jaw shut so hard so that he would not scream in pain. He wanted to scream the pain was so bad but his pride and anger would not let him. Voldemort was beside himself with rage, how dare this insolent boy not cry out! He knew he had to finish this boy off and he would give the brat a chance to stand and face him. He could not let it be said he did not let the brat-who-lived defend himself. He left off the curse and threw Harry's wand at him. Harry grabbed it and stood up his green eyes blazing with rage.
"That hurt less than looking at your ugly face." Harry snarled. "No wonder your mother died after you were born."
"How dare you!" Voldemort hissed his rage was boiling over.
"Yea well you were stupid enough to kill my gran snake-face." Harry snarled.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"…
"Harry, Harry come back to us." Lily said and Harry felt her shaking him gently.
Harry came back to the room and shuddered as he had been back in the graveyard and could still hear Voldemort and his laughter. He had managed to get to his emergency portkey around his neck and got away and now he was here. He clung to his mother and let the tears fall as he was so scared and afraid of what was to come. Yet he knew for the moment he was safe with his parents and they would do all they could to protect him. After a time he wondered what had happened to Severus who he knew had gone back to spy for the light. By the worry on his parents face he knew Severus had not come back as of yet and he wondered just what had happened to Severus Snape and if he was still alive.
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The day before Severus had felt his mark burn and knew his dreaded "master" was back. When Harry came back and under Veritaserum told of the rising of the dark lord and his meeting with him Severus knew he had to go back. Lily had slipped a charm on a necklace over his head, one that once around his neck and under his robes would allow him to escape if Voldemort did not believe he was on his side. Lily would not allow him to die, not if she could help prevent that. Still Severus knew there was little chance of him getting to use that means of escape as Voldemort could just use the killing curse on him at once.
Two hours after Voldemort had summoned his followers Severus came to the ancient graveyard. With fear he looked around for his lord and turned when he saw Voldemort appear from behind a tombstone. Severus trembled and did his best to not show fear even though his mask covered his face. He fell to his knees before Voldemort and crawled to Voldemort to kiss the hem of his robes. He lay on the ground waiting for whatever Voldemort had planned for him not daring to move. Voldemort crouched by him and drank in the fear of his death eater before him.
"Ah my shadow you came." Voldemort said to the prone figure, "I was not sure you would."
"I am sorry I am late master, the old fool thinks I am still on his side." Severus replied, "I had thought you dead my lord and despaired."
"Clearly I am not, stand Severus face me." Voldemort said and Severus stood and faced Voldemort, "I am alive, Karkaroff vouched for you. But shall I take you back my pet?"
"I do not deserve such an honor." Severus said playing his part well bowing his head not daring to look at the dark lord. "I failed in getting you the stone and failed in helping you return by the diary. I mourned master when I thought you would not return."
"Did you?" Voldemort said, "Executioner come here!"
The tall stocky form of Walden MacNair clad as Severus in his black death eater robes, hood and white mask came up and knelt before his master. Severus knew this man and hated and feared him, he had been alone with him a few times and if not for his high rank would have had to deal with the humiliation that MacNair loved to dish out to the lower ranks. He was under his mask a handsome man with chiseled features, small mustache and short curly black hair. His eyes were a deep sharp violet and he had a powerful frame under his robes and had several tattoos besides the dark mark on his left arm.
"Have you your whip?" Voldemort said getting Severus to tremble, he was expecting a round of the Cruciatus curse but then again Voldemort did like to see blood, mostly of his prisoners and rarely that of his inner circle.
"Yes master, you want me to work this one over?" MacNair asked.
"Let me ask and see if that will be necessary." Voldemort said turning to Severus. "Do you think you need to be punished?"
"Yes master, I deserve whatever you wish to do to me." Severus said head bowed, to say anything else would be suicidal at best.
"You are much wiser than even Lucius was, he did try so hard to get out of his punishment, if I did not need him he would have been torn apart, now as for you remove your clothing."
Severus had no choice but to comply, he had been tortured just a few years earlier by Voldemort and expected him to be just as vicious now. He stripped down to his undershorts and shivered in the cold air as Voldemort looked him over. He nodded to MacNair who threw off his own robes to reveal his Scots highland garb underneath. He was clad in kilt, heavy black buckled dragonskin boots, a white shirt under a black woolen vest and coat. He stripped to the waist showing off his powerful frame with a few scars over his chest arms and quite a few on his back. He grinned as he grabbed Severus and threw him against a tombstone and bound him fast there with his wand.
"Eh not been a good boy have you?" MacNair sneered at the old scars from the last beating which was from Voldemort. "Need to be taught to behave?"
"Now, now Walden do not taunt my shadow." Voldemort said, "give him a taste of the lash."
"Yes master." MacNair said bowing.
Severus did his best to not cry out but MacNair was far stronger and more vicious than Voldemort had been. Severus was hit with the Cruciatus curse and he did cry out in pain and was left trembling and if not for the ropes he would not have stayed standing. MacNair finished the whipping of Severus who's nerves were so raw he cried out in agony as he was tortured. Finally MacNair was done and Severus was unbound falling to his knees before Voldemort. I was then he realized that he was not alone with Voldemort or MacNair. He dared not look up as the other death eaters looked on at the torture of one of their own. Voldemort drug Severus up by his hair, forced him to the center of the circle and to his knees.
"If any of you dare fail me again I will do far worse to you." Voldemort said coldly, "consider what I did to Severus as warning!"
"Master must we have him back?" Bellatrix said walking up, her new silver hand glinting in the moonlight, she was allowed to take such liberties as she had brought her master back, "he is of no worth and I do not trust him."
"I see no reason not to, but I will see just how loyal he is." Voldemort said forcing Severus to look him in the eye casting the Legilimens spell on the hapless potions master. "Ah seems he is loyal, such a dark mind my shadow."
"A-always m-my l-lord." Severus stammered.
"You will all leave now, I will call you in a few days, Severus stay where you are." Voldemort said as his death eaters left leaving only Bellatrix, MacNair and Voldemort. "I expect you to continue gaining the trust of Harry Potter and report to me."
"Yes master, do you wish me to bring him to you?" Severus asked and was hit with a Cruciatus curse causing him to scream in agony again.
"In time, but for now go back to that old fool and wait for me to call you." Voldemort said coldly.
In pain and dizzy from the curses and the lash he managed to dress quickly however he was too weak to Apparate back to Hogwarts. Voldemort simply sent him back himself to the edge of the grounds right by the gates. Severus forced himself to his feet and made his way up to the castle. Once there he reported to Dumbledore and told him he was back with Voldemort. With Severus's permission Dumbledore went through his mind. Finding he had been tortured and badly he took Severus through the floo himself to the hospital wing and tried his best make Severus promise not to go back and be a spy for them. It was no use and Dumbledore could only look at his boy sadly as Poppy and Lily worked on healing him up.
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Yes Voldemort is back well before the end of the Tri-wizard tournament. With him killing the headmaster of Durmstrang and the testimony of Harry things are just not going to look good for him. Even his followers are not too happy about him being back but that will come out later. Yes Voldemort is evil to torture Severus like this but Severus is not the first to get hit with several curses that night. But he is the first to be whipped as Voldemort loves to torture him that way it seems.
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