As he got into the circle that Voldemort had jury-rigged using his followers, Harry asked, "Surely you won't let me fight with a bleeding arm and with blood dripping into my eyes."
Voldemort looked down his nonexistent nose at Harry for a moment before chuckling. "I know you merely say that to try and gain an advantage... but I assure you, being able to see better will not help you. Very well, I will grant you this. A last request fulfilled."
The hair on the back of Harry's neck stood on end as Voldemort lazily waved his wand. But the blood had been cleaned from around Harry's eyes and his right arm wasn't hurting as much anymore.
'Heh. Egotistical bastard. I didn't ask to see YOU easier' Harry thought as he rubbed at his forehead. "...Better."
"Now then. Duel me, Potter." Voldemort said, raising his wand.
"Before I do... I want to know who disarmed me." Harry said, glancing around at the crowd of Death Eaters.
"Ah yes. I had almost forgotten. Step forward!"
One of the robed minions stepped away from the crowd and bowed low before Voldemort. "Yes, Master?"
"You may show Potter your face."
"Yes, Master."
The man stood and turned, facing Harry. The hand not clasping his wand moved up to the white mask covering his face. He took hold of it and pulled it away. Harry's breath felt like it had abandoned him. Lucius Malfoy smirked over at Harry, his silky hair pulled back and hidden by the hood still covering his head. "Potter."
"You!" Harry cried.
"Me." Said Lucius, nodding at Harry.
"That will be all, Lucius." Said Voldemort, bringing up a hand.
"Yes, My Lord." Said Lucius, turning and walking back to stand among the others, slipping his mask in place once more as he walked.
'Not surprising but still unexpected. Malfoy's old man actually being here to see his lord get resurrected.' Harry thought. 'I'm gonna hafta move fast.'
"One last thing." Harry said. "...Will I be able to use both wands?"
"One, both, whichever you please." Said Voldemort patiently.
"...Fine. Let's get this over with." Harry said, bringing both wands up and crossing them, nodding his head only slightly.
Addressing the Death Eaters, Voldemort said, "None of you may interfere with this! Those that do will suffer a fate worse than death." And then, turning to Harry, he continued, "Now, let us begin, Potter. Look, I am even generous enough to give you the first strike!"
The Dark Lord extended his arms out to his sides, an evil smile on his face.
'Tsk. Show-off.' Harry thought. 'Cedric, I hope you'll lend me your strength on this. It's going to need to be big.'
Harry aimed both wands forward at Voldemort, both arms a bit higher than they should have been for an attack. Voldemort seemed to notice this, smirking. But what Harry was planning was not an attack. It wasn't even to bring up a shield first. Nor was it to summon anything.
"Smile." Harry hissed in Parseltongue. A split second later, a blinding flash of light erupted from both of the wands in his hands. Voldemort, whose newborn eyes were still very sensitive, let out a howl of pain and staggered back. The Death Eaters weren't expecting a mere light spell either. And though their masks helped keep them from getting the full brunt of the brightness, they had been instructed not to interfere.
The minute the spell went off, Harry turned and took off running back towards the tombstone where Cedric's lifeless body still hung. He was now hanging lopsided, as one arm lie on the ground, and the tombstone itself was coated in blood.
Harry noted that Voldemort was screaming at his Death Eaters to do something, but Harry knew there would be a moment's hesitation on their part. That was all he needed. Diving for the body, he spun and summoned the Triwizard Cup. As he grabbed hold of Cedric's good arm with one hand, the Cup flew into his other.
The last thing Harry heard was Voldemort letting out a hellish scream.
He had escaped.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
When Harry landed, more screams filled the air. He was on the pitch, that much he knew. But that was all he could work out. The pitch was now devoid of the maze. The stands above were in chaos. Harry, whose robes were slightly torn up and coated in blood, was kneeling next to the prone body of Cedric Diggory, who was coated in even more blood and missing an arm.
It took mere seconds for everything to sink in. Harry felt the rush leave his body, the feeling of danger draining out of him. He had escaped... but at what price? If he had just grabbed the stupid Cup by himself, none of this would have happened! Cedric would still be alive...
Harry's hand, shaking violently, still clutched Cedric's arm even as Dumbledore quickly walked up to him.
"Harry?" Asked the old man gently. "Harry, what has happened?"
Harry turned his head jerkily to look up at the headmaster. "...He's back." Were the only words that would come from his mouth.
Dumbledore almost seemed to search his eyes for a moment before nodding gravely. "I see."
"Albus!" Growled the voice of Mad-Eye Moody, who was quickly making his way over. "We've got problems! The whole damn place is going mad! People are trying to get onto the field and the Diggorys have started their way here!"
Dumbledore nodded. "Get Harry inside, Alastor. I will see to the Diggorys."
"Right. Come on then, Potter. To your feet." Said Moody, his voice taking a softer tone.
But it still took a bit of persuading for Harry to finally release Cedric's arm and follow Moody from the pitch. The grizzled old man kept a hand on the center of Harry's back as he led him up towards Hogwarts, sending a death glare at anyone who dared get close to them. "Come on. Let's get you somewhere quiet."
Harry allowed himself to be led up a few flights of stairs and into an empty classroom. Moody showed Harry to a seat, which he slumped down into. Moving up towards the dusty desk at the front of the room, Moody watched Harry for a few moments. He was shaking almost as if chilled and his eyes were focusing and unfocusing at a steady rate. He hadn't blinked in minutes.
"Potter. What happened?" Asked Moody finally.
"He's back." Was all Harry said again. "He's... he's back."
"Who, Potter? Who is back?" Asked Moody.
"Voldemort." Croaked Harry.
"What? Are you sure?"
"I saw him... I saw... Pettigrew was there and... and he had this thing in a blanket. He... he cut my arm and took my blood... threw it into a cauldron. There... he came out of it and summoned the Death Eaters. I... I blinded him. Got away." Harry said.
His brain felt detached. He had never quite felt like this in his entire life. Now that he was in no danger of being slaughtered, Harry's body was catching up to him. He had been pushing himself harder than he had thought. He couldn't focus on anything and he brain wouldn't let him concentrate. He couldn't speak properly and it was only by the grace of some higher power than he was even still awake and capable of sitting up.
"Are you positive?" Asked Moody. "Are you sure you actually saw him?"
"Course I did." Harry said. "He killed Cedric... he..."
"Shh. Try not to think about it." Moody said, walking back towards Harry. "I only have one important question for you now, Potter. I want you to think hard before answering, alright?"
"'Kay."
"Did he do anything to the Death Eaters that came?"
Harry glanced up at Moody, frowning. "What?"
Moody fixed Harry with a hard look and repeated, "Did he do anything to the Death Eaters that came?"
"No. No, not that I can remember..." Harry said, brow creased. "Told them to stay out of our fight..."
"You... fought the Dark Lord?" Asked Moody.
"Yeah. Kinda. Like I said - blinded him to get away." Harry said, making a vague gesture with a shaking hand.
"That is excellent news, Potter." Said Moody.
"What is?" Asked Harry. Why the hell was Moody asking so damn many questions, anyway? Harry couldn't make his brain fire properly.
"Merely curious." Said Moody, who reached back and drew out his wand. "Was wondering if it was safe to return. That's all."
"What?" Harry asked, his voice quiet.
Moody smiled. "Didn't hear me clearly, Potter? I said I was wondering if it was safe to return! Now I know I can go back to him without risk of death."
"You..." Harry began. Something in his chest tightened. "YOU... You did put my name into the Goblet of Fire!"
Moody let out a barking laugh. "Very good, Potter! Ten points to Ravenclaw! Yes, you stupid boy, of course I did. I'd heard talk of you. I knew you'd be foolish enough to go along with whatever Albus told you to do! There was nothing preventing you from sitting put in your little hole in the ground and not coming to any of the Tasks."
"But... it was... and wait, you knew about...?"
"A magically binding contract? Hah. No more binding than giving a man your word on something." Gruffed Moody, aiming his wand at Harry. "And yes, I saw you and your little friends coming and going from that so-called secret chamber of yours. Shame I never got to do anything to any of them. But that would have been too risky. I needed to stay alive and keep my secret guarded long enough to get that Cup rigged."
"I knew it..." Harry whispered. "I knew you had to be able to see in. I knew you put my name in the Goblet! I KNEW IT!"
"And yet you didn't discuss it with Albus. Or, at least, you didn't in a way that made him have one of his insipid little talks with me over it." Moody said, grinning crookedly.
"Why?" Asked Harry, staring at Moody's wand.
"Why? Because I was a spy. I gave the Dark Lord information from Dumbledore's stupid Order of the Phoenix. In return, My Lord allowed me to 'capture' several of our lower-ranked members. One has to make sacrifices, after all." Said Moody.
"Order of the Phoenix?" Harry repeated.
"Yes. A silly little band of do-gooders that Albus decided to put together in the last war. Fat lot of good it did him. You ended up dispatching our Lord and sending us scurrying for alibies. Thankfully, I had remained free from suspicion the whole time. Oh, the men and women I brought in would often try accusing me. But Albus was always there to stand up for me. Said I was no more a Death Eater than he was. People follow those with power, Potter. Surely you know that."
Harry just stared. This was too much to take in. Too much for one day. Harry's brain was already working overtime trying to sort out what he had just been through. But having all of this told to him? He looked back up at Moody and asked, "Aren't you worried about me telling someone else?"
Moody laughed again. "Telling someone else?! You're going to die here, Potter. Oh, my spying days will be done with, sure. But it will be worth it."
Harry was silent as Moody continued to speak, telling Harry about how he had gotten his name put in the Goblet. How he had been the one to convince Dumbledore to give Harry Snape's precious, tattered potions book. How he had rigged the Cup exactly as he had been instructed to.
Harry's mind had almost shut down. He couldn't take the overload of information. It was all too much, even for him. When he found himself capable of coherent speech again, however, he interrupted Moody's ongoing explaining.
"It's your fault." He whispered.
"Of course it's my fault, idiot boy. Pay attention!" Moody barked.
"It's your fault he's dead..." Harry continued, ignoring Moody.
"Who?"
"Cedric's!" Harry hissed, teeth clamped tightly. "It's your fault Cedric's dead!"
"Who cares if he's dead? More will be now that my Lord has returned to us." Said Moody, his face twisting into an evil smile.
The air around Harry crackled. Before Moody could react, Harry's wild magic had triggered again, throwing the old man across the room and into the wall. Harry could hear the CRACK as his head bounced off of it. Shakily getting to his feet and still clutching both his own wand as well as Cedric's, Harry aimed at his Defense Professor.
"It's your fault..."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Tonks had her face buried against George Weasley's chest. The twins had met up with Solieyu, Luna, and Tonks midway up to the school after seeing that Harry had been moved. When they reached the doors, it was to find McGonagall stating that they weren't allowed to enter and go after him.
The group had moved off to the side and Tonks had immediately broken down. George had offered to let the girl cry on him if she needed a place to. He now patted the girl's back as he talked with his brother about what they had seen.
"What do you think happened?" George asked.
"Portkey, from the look of it." Fred answered, staring back towards the pitch, which was still in chaos. "You can't apparate on Hogwarts grounds."
"Must have been the Cup." George said. "Only thing it could have been."
"We need to get to Harry somehow." Solieyu said, hands balled up. "Moody's the last person I want him to be around right now. You know how he feels about him."
"Yeah, we know." Fred said. "No way past McGonagall though."
"Only viable option is going through the tunnel at the Willow and somehow getting into the school through the Hogsmeade tunnel. And that would take too long." George said.
Luna clung to Solieyu, shaking slightly. She hadn't quite fully processed everything she had seen, but it was enough to unnerve her. Solieyu glanced down at her and wrapped an arm around her eventually.
"We have to get to him." Came Tonks' quiet voice as she pulled away from George, rubbing her eyes. "I need to get to him..."
"Look." Solieyu said. "Dumbledore's coming up. Maybe we can get in when he does."
"Worth a shot." Fred said. "Let's go."
"And if Moody tries anything..." George began.
"We'll make him wish he never existed." Fred finished, nodding.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
It took much doing, but Dumbledore agreed to let Harry's friends accompany himself, Snape, and McGonagall. The school almost seemed to shift as the group made their way through it. No one talked as they traveled, as Dumbledore had said that something in the school didn't feel right. No one wanted to think too hard on what that might mean.
"Up there." Said Dumbledore quietly, pointing out a room down the hall.
Solieyu drew in a sharp breath as they got closer. "Faster!" He suddenly yelled. "Something's wrong with Harry!"
The group broke into a run. Tonks felt as though she couldn't breathe. The twins had long since drawn their wands and looked to have been cycling through every nasty thing they could possibly think of. Only Solieyu knew what was happening. He was the only one who knew that Harry himself was in no danger. It was...something worse than that.
Dumbledore threw open the door with his hand as they drew near. But no one save the vampire were expecting to see what they did.
Moody was pinned against the far wall of the room with large railroad spikes driven through his hands. Blood was dripping from the wounds to the floor. His face was a bleeding mess and he looked to almost be hanging limp. Dumbledore was quick to realize what Harry was going to do and took aim. Just as Harry's arm spiraled forward to connect with the Invidia Eximo, Dumbledore's unspoken spell hit.
The spell's delayed trigger took effect as Harry was sent flying. As a result, 'only' Moody's right arm was blown apart. Harry crashed into a table and toppled over it to the floor as the headmaster rushed in. "Severus, stun him and follow us. Minerva, keep the children out of the hospital wing when we arrive."
Snape and McGonagall nodded. The Potions Master petrified the one-armed Moody and levitated him into the air. Across the room, Dumbledore was doing similar with Harry, minus the petrifying bit. Harry was quite clearly out cold all on his own.
Harry's friends hadn't made a noise the whole time, but all of them had seen the look on Harry's face as he flew forward with the Eximo. None of them had ever seen a look of sheer hatred like that on him in their lives.
In silence once more, the group headed towards the hospital wing in haste. Dumbledore was quick to set Harry gently on a bed before taking control of Moody's body and floating back out of the room. McGonagall stood outside the hospital doors to do as she had been instructed, while Snape remained inside long enough to help Madam Pomfrey out with inspecting Harry. Once his wounds were taken care of and Madam Pomfrey had assured Snape that she could handle things, he had nodded and taken his leave.
"What am I going to do with you?" Asked Madam Pomfrey with a sigh.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Harry scowled.
He was back in his magical core, apparently.
"You know, this is a very boring place to be!" He yelled.
"It's your own fault if it is."
Harry started, jerking his head around. That wasn't the usual voice that spoke to him. No, this sounded like...
"You broke out again, did you?" Harry asked.
"No. What remains has been restored. I have been active since he has." Came the second, softer voice. "I helped you to escape."
Harry nodded slowly. "You really don't want to return to him, do you?"
"No. I don't. What remains is even further tainted from when I was a part of it." Said the voice. "It is twisted through necromancy."
"I was under the impression that necromancers couldn't do that. Not like what I saw." Harry said. "He wasn't one of the inferi!"
"It is an old and obscure branch of necromancy. You wouldn't know of it."
"So now what?"
"Now I am free. My integration into your core has already begun. It is, I think, the only reason you are still alive."
"What happens when the merge is complete?"
"You will feel stronger. That is all."
"That's it? No... no Darkness, right?"
"Terrible word, that." Said the voice. "No. What you have done tonight was survive."
"But... I was going to kill Moody."
"Yes. You were."
"Isn't that Dark, though?! My emotions certainly felt Dark! I wanted him to die! I wanted him to suffer like Cedric suffered!" Harry screamed.
"I understand that. But you must understand that those feelings are natural. When someone close to you is murdered, you naturally want vengeance on the guilty. And what options were there? To let him live is to give him a chance at escape. If he escapes, more innocents would die. Laying waste to the guilty is nothing to be ashamed of."
"It is, though! I don't want to feel the urge to kill!"
"You will need to eliminate what remains. You realize he will hunt you, do you not?"
Harry was silent at that. Slowly, he stretched out on the ground, the grass feeling cool and refreshing. "I just want it to be over. I want to live a normal life. Is that so wrong?"
"No. Unfortunately, you will have to continue fighting. He is weak still, but he will grow stronger." The voice said in what sounded like an apologetic tone.
"Let someone else fight." Harry whispered, closing his eyes.
"No one else is strong enough."
"Dumbledore's strong enough! Plenty of others are strong enough!"
"And they will, no doubt, go to war again. But you can surpass them with the proper training." Said the voice.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then the war will extend even longer than it is sure to as is."
"I have no choice, then."
"You do have a choice."
"No. I don't. I'm not evil. I won't just sit back and watch as Voldemort and the Death Eaters start to kill people again!" Harry yelled.
"Even if it means having to kill?" Asked the voice.
"...Even if it means having to kill." Said Harry.
The second voice went silent that. But soon the first, more familiar voice echoed in Harry's ears. "We will be whole soon. When it is completed, it will be time for you to wake up."
"How long will it take?"
"Six days, barring any incidents."
Harry nodded slowly, staring up at the clouds that were passing by overhead. There was little to do in his core's landscape unless he wanted to take a swim. Settling to just lay there in an attempt to ensure that his nerves weren't completely shattered, Harry let his eyes slip shut as he wondered how one could go to sleep when one was already passed out in the real world.
It was going to be a long six days.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Author's Notes: Short chapter, but it's both a followup and transitional.
And some of you may have noticed I sort of fused two more chapters together. Thankfully, only the first little bit of what I had in Chapter 24's summary ended up here. I was able to salvage things with a trip into Harry's core.
So there you have it. Moody actually was Moody and was a backstabbing dickweed! No bigger subplot. No confusing stuff to keep track of. And before you ask, yes, Moody was at the World Cup.
Goblet's looking to finish up in 23 or 24 at this rate. The Chapter Guide lists 26 chapters for Goblet, but you guys know me. I fuse chapters from my guides regularly. So it'll be a few short. But I'm betting I'll still beat Philosopher's Stone's word count.
I hope you like the double update. I sat down and did both in one sitting. Unfortunately, I admit to being hell of sleepy and I'm hoping to catch any mistakes or stupidity when formatting for FFN. Later, kids.