A/N) This chapter was shorter than I thought it would be. But I had a good place to stop, so I did. I am also finding it difficult to get chapters up on time. As I was working yesterday evening I couldn't update but it may be likely I will take a few weeks break from posting just to try and belt out a few chapters so I can get ahead of myself without feeling pressured to update on a regular basis. We'll see about that though. As of now I intend to update next week either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Twisting Time
Chapter 29
Saturday 4th April 1992
Sirius landed with a loud groan on the dusty and dirty floor. Peaks of grass and stone surrounded him. He glanced around, wondering where he was. His hand had fallen open and the stone he had been holding had rolled out into the rocky and stony floor… It had been a Portkey and now he didn't know which stone in front of him was the one that had transported him there. A Portkey meant for him and he had been stupid enough to fall for it. A horrible feeling erupted in his stomach and he thought he knew where he was. A brisk chill washed through him.
Fumbling for his wand which had fallen from his hand when he landed, Sirius reached out for it, but a cold, cruel and recognisable voice stopped him.
"Don't you dare, Black."
Sirius ignored the order. His fingers found the hard wood straight ahead of him and as he clenched his fingers around it, pain wracked his body as the Cruciatus Curse hit.
"Crucio!"
Pain echoed through his body and he writhed on the floor, his limbs jerking in all directions. A scream was torn from his throat before he could stop it. As the curse remained trained on him, someone grabbed him by his arms, wrenching them behind his back. The curse was lifted and ropes were wound round his arms, tying first his wrists together and then his upper arms, firmly holding them in place so he could not move either arm.
Fingers grasped into his hair and his head was pulled back sharply, stretching his neck. He found himself staring up into the cold, grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy.
Before Sirius could say an insulting word, a rag was stuffed into his mouth. Dragged by his collar to a piece of rough earth, he was placed against a tombstone. Then he heard a mutter and ropes shot out of the end of Malfoy's wand, tying around his knees and ankles, further preventing Sirius from escaping.
"There," said the sly voice of Lucius Malfoy. "You are here to stay."
Sirius ignored the smirk and instead focused on looking closer at his surroundings. It was dark and chilly but as his eyes focused upon the house on the hill overlooking the Graveyard, Sirius had a horrible sensation in his stomach as he realised where exactly he was.
Shit! This is the Graveyard!
And he knew what was going to happen here.
Instead of Harry he's using me…
In the shadows of a tall statue, another man stepped forward, levitating a cauldron in front him and setting it down in the centre of the Graveyard.
Sirius' eyes widened as he recognised the man.
It was Quirrell. In one of his other hands, something was being held, covered by a blanket but it was loosely moving.
A memory screened into Sirius' mind as he recalled his Harry telling him about the night of Voldemort's return. His spirit had taken the body of a human child and then used that body to regenerate his own, using some of Harry's blood as part of the potion. It seemed that Sirius had taken Harry's place in the ritual. What worried him at that moment was he couldn't stop it from happening. He was too well secured. Though he needed Voldemort to return eventually so he could be killed, Sirius hadn't wanted that to happen until after he had destroyed all the Horcruxes. They still had two to go. Sirius had yet to see a snake in the area, so perhaps one Horcrux did not exist just yet, which would make his job infinitely easier. However he didn't know where the other Horcrux was or what it could be either.
And now he was stuck, trussed up like a rag-doll, waiting to be used in a ritual that he hadn't wanted to happen just yet.
Unfortunately, Voldemort was one step ahead.
And he had been clever to work with his first Horcrux to ensure Sirius was brought to him.
Quirrell unravelled the blanket, dropping a small, curled up body inside the cauldron.
Sirius' heart began to beat fast in his chest as flames erupted up around the cauldron, sparks issuing forth from the liquid inside.
They'd all been tricked, led into complacency by Voldemort. Voldemort had arranged for Harry to gain possession of his diary, had used it in cahoots with the Malfoy family. Dumbledore had warned them to be careful about objects in the Chamber. Sirius had thought it had been strange for Harry's hand to be curled up despite the rest of his body being slack… He should never have let his curiosity get the better of him. He had fallen into a well-crafted trap which he had not forseen.
Quirrell was now in front of the cauldron as Lucius Malfoy stood to the side, dressed in full black robes, slipping a mask over his face to hide his features.
Quirrell's lips began to move and he began to chant the words to a very old ritual which Sirius knew Harry had survived originally. He had been correct in his assumption he was here for this. Sirius was Voldemort's enemy and fit the criteria of the ritual better than any other witch and wizard currently.
He watched with sick fascination as the grave next to him opened up and little sprinkles of dust were levitated from it. The body of Tom Riddle had already turned to dust.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" chanted Quirrell, dropping the specs of dust of decomposed bone into the cauldron. The colour turned a poisonous blue. The former Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor rolled his left sleeve back, exposing his flesh underneath. With his other hand, he placed a knife high above where the joint to the hand and wrist resided. "Flesh of the servant willingly given, you will revive your Master!"
The knife came down and Sirius squeezed his eyes shut. He heard a loud plop and knew Quirrell's hand had been taken by the potion. Looking through the slit of his eyes, he saw a smoky red bursting from the cauldron and witnessed Quirrell, with a pained look on his face holding his hand in his robes which were rapidly staining red.
Quirrell had taken Pettigrew's place in the ritual. His betrayer still resided in Azkaban to this day.
Then Quirrell's eyes turned towards Sirius.
Knowing what was coming next, Sirius began to struggle, as much as his bonds allowed him to. He couldn't escape but it didn't stop him from trying. He would have tried Apparating but he could sense the strong magic in the air. Voldemort had constructed Apparition wards. There was no getting in or out.
Fuck.
Quirrell knelt in front of him, a feral look on his face as he lifted his right hand, keeping his left hugged tightly against his body.
Malfoy was behind Sirius and pushed him forward, grabbing his sleeve of his right arm and lifting it up to his elbow.
A knife glinted in Quirrell's hand and slashed down into Sirius' exposed forearm.
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe!"
Sirius bit down on his lips in pain as the knife slit into his cephalic vein. Blood poured from the wound, he could feel it running down his arm and onto his fingers. The pressure on his back lifted and he turned his head slightly to see Quirrell walking back to the cauldron.
Raising the knife above the cauldron, Quirrell taped the knife's edge and several droplets of Sirius' blood fell into the cauldron. There was a flash of blinding light, rapidly becoming steam as the final ingredient was added.
Sirius could feel his heart hammering hard in his chest. He didn't want to look. He didn't want to see. Sickness welled in his stomach. Eyes screwed shut he chose to ignore the noises coming from around him.
Then, all was silent, save for the flap of robes and the clutter of feet on the ground.
Sirius chanced a look.
In front of him, with his back to him, was the resurrected Lord Voldemort.
He finally had his body back. After years of waiting, his plans had come to fruition. He could finish what he had started years ago. Pulling on his black robes, Voldemort looked directly at Quirrell. "My wand, Quirrell."
The younger man reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin wand. "Here you go, Master."
Voldemort took the wand into his fingers, examining it carefully. He clenched it lovingly.
Months had gone into planning this moment. There had been the worry it wouldn't plan out the way he would have wanted but every piece was falling right in to place. At this very moment his Horcrux should be in the process of destroying the other fools, who had dared to stand up to him, with the Basilisk. They wouldn't be able to survive that attack, especially when they wouldn't be expecting its existence.
Slowly he moved, testing out his new feet, padding along the ground barefoot. Voldemort caught Quirrell's eye, noticing that his loyal servant was holding his left arm close to his chest. He would be rewarded for his dedicated service later.
He turned towards Lucius Malfoy, the man who had deserted him for years but had gladly agreed to serve his Master once again. What had occurred tonight would have been impossible without him. After his failure to obtain the Philosopher's Stone, Quirrell and Voldemort had fled. Voldemort had taken a risk to visit his former Death Eater, using Quirrell to learn whether Malfoy was truly loyal to him or not. When Malfoy had announced he would always serve the Dark Lord, Voldemort had revealed himself to Lucius, and the three of them had begun to plot to find a way to ensure Voldemort returned to his body as well as obtain Sirius Black.
Both objectives had been successful.
He had considered summoning his other followers here but first he had a duty to take care of.
Voldemort turned to face Sirius Black.
The cold red eyes pierced his own. Sirius shuddered. He hated those red eyes. They imbued evil. There was a slight curl of Voldemort's mouth as he studied Sirius.
"Remove the gag, Lucius," the cold voice said. "He requires the ability to speak." Voldemort strode slowly forward.
Malfoy approached Sirius, hauling him up so he now lay against the tombstone. Fingers pulled the gag from his mouth, dropping the fabric to the earth.
Sirius spat. The spit landed on Malfoy's cheek. The Death Eater responded by slapping him on the cheek. Sirius glared but his eyes quickly refocused upon Voldemort. When he said his name, Sirius shuddered.
"Sirius Black: the one member of his family who did not follow me on the path to greatness. Why is that?" Voldemort sounded genuinely curious.
Sirius hesitated. Should he answer? He knew this situation could get ugly quite fast, especially if he didn't comply, but he also didn't want to just simply give in. He couldn't see why he shouldn't reply. There were some questions he would answer, others he would not. "Because I'm different from the rest of my family. I always was."
"A pity. You would have made an excellent ally in my noble quest."
Sirius laughed. He couldn't help it. "It's not a noble quest when you slaughter anyone who disagrees with you!"
"Those who betray the pureblood ways deserve death."
"Then you might as well kill me," stated Sirius, already knowing full well that Voldemort would do no such thing.
Voldemort smiled and it chilled Sirius to the bone. "Unfortunately for you, that will not be your fate. Not just yet at least."
"I'm not telling you anything," grated Sirius. He wondered if Quirrell and Lucius Malfoy were aware of his status as a time traveller. If they weren't then they were about to find out.
"I have numerous ways of forcing you to talk."
"Really?" Sirius asked complacently.
"Do not test me, Black. You will be the one who will suffer the consequences," snapped Voldemort.
Sirius grinned. It was dangerous to bait Voldemort but he didn't really care. He knew he was likely to die here unless he could think of a way to get out of his predicament.
"You have knowledge that I require. You will give it to me."
"No." He was not going to tell Voldemort anything about the time he came from.
"Why not? It would be less painful for you."
Sirius snorted. "But not as fun for you, I'm sure."
"Crucio!"
The curse hit Sirius directly in the chest, He writhed, biting on his lower lip to stop himself from screaming. He would not give Voldemort the satisfaction of seeing him scream.
"We both know I know your secret. What is the harm in telling me if you have changed everything?" asked Voldemort, keeping the curse on Sirius. He lifted the wand when he stopped speaking.
Sirius panted for breath, his chest heaving with deep breaths. He wasn't going to answer. He could feel blood still trickling down his forearm from the deep gash Quirrell had made from extracting Sirius' blood.
"My Lord…." The voice of Lucius Malfoy hesitantly interrupted. "What do you mean?"
Sirius had the distinct impression this conversation was rehearsed however he felt sure Lucius Malfoy did not know the full truth.
"Ah, yes." Voldemort slowly turned to face his loyal servant. "I promised you if you aided in my return that I would reveal the truth behind my confrontation with Black the night I was defeated." Voldemort returned to look at Sirius. "I never considered I would be defeated by a Black. It was only the Potter and Longbottom boys that were the threat to me. Until you changed it all."
Sirius swallowed. Here it came. The long exposition. However he took pleasure in learning that Voldemort seemed to consider Harry and Neville to be a threat to him in the past tense rather than the present.
"I went to face Black to obtain the location of the Potters however it was a trap. Black was not the Secret Keeper for them. He had tricked Pettigrew into believing so, who then informed me. I went to the cottage where Black was hiding. I took his defences down easily. The traps he hoped to catch me in I knew about. I disarmed quickly. But he fought back, managing to elude me several times. Using wandless magic weakened the barriers he had set up in his mind."
Sirius swallowed. He had always known he had overcompensated that evening.
"I read his mind. I was surprised to learn he was not Secret Keeper for the Potters but Albus Dumbledore was. But there was something different about Black. And then I saw a memory that should have been impossible. A much older Sirius Black with a teenaged boy with glasses and a scar on his forehead. I knew then Black was a time-traveller. His reaction to my statement proved my theory was correct."
Sirius had never know what had made Voldemort assume he was a time-traveller. He must have seen a memory in the brief moments he had been able to look into Sirius' mind but he had not known which memory. All Voldemort had seen was himself and a teenaged Harry…
"How he has come back in time I do not know and this is what I intend to find out." Voldemort continued. "Black was lucky to succeed in setting me on fire, a curse I was unable to defend against. It destroyed my body but not my spirit. I tried to kill Black but he avoided my curse. The house exploded. Black should have died but a shield suddenly appeared around him: protecting him from harm, saving his life."
Harry. Sirius remembered. Harry had saved his life. The young boy still didn't know he had aided in keeping Sirius alive. Wait. Our bond. Could I? But he was distracted from his thoughts by Voldemort's next words.
"Reduced to spirit form, I fled. I swore revenge on Black for what he had done to me. I need to know what he changed. I can only presume from the memory I saw that Harry Potter became the one prophesised to defeat me. Whether he is still a threat now thanks to Black's meddling… But it doesn't matter. The boy will be dead soon. As will his foolish parents and the werewolf."
It was tempting to reveal that it would be unlikely but Sirius wasn't stupid enough to do so.
"I fled far away, friendless and weak. I spent a decade barely living an existence until my path crossed with Quirrell." Voldemort was now focusing on Sirius. "Quirrell told me he was a teacher at Dumbledore's school and that Nicholas Flamel had asked him to protect the Philosopher's Stone. I knew if I could obtain the Philosopher's Stone then I could become immortal. However Black outwitted me. He knew already that I would be going after it. Didn't you?"
Sirius declined to answer.
Voldemort continued. "I fled quite quickly, taking possession of Quirrell's body to aid my escape. I knew I had to take a risk, try to outwit Black. I decided to visit Lucius Malfoy. Quirrell talked to him before I revealed myself. I had to know how true he was to the old ways before I recruited him. Lucius greatly aided me in my plan for tonight. Without his help this would have been impossible. I used my old school diary and told Lucius to use his house elf to plant it in Harry Potter's Christmas presents. The diary knew exactly what it needed to do. It had to take possession of Harry Potter and by a certain point had to lure you to the Chamber of Secrets. It was my idea to use a stone Portkey to bring you here. Lucius was the one who Apparated it to the Chamber and left it there for Harry Potter to pick up. We have been waiting four days for you to arrive here, Black. And here you are…" Voldemort raised his wand again, pointing it directly at Sirius' head.
He could guess what was coming but he would not yield. I will not betray my past or my friends. He would stand strong on that.
"So, tell me, Black, was Harry Potter the 'Boy-Who-Lived'?"
Sirius stared up into the cold red eyes, refusing to answer. He clamped his mouth shut.
Voldemort's red eyes burned angrily.
He said one simple word which set Sirius' world on fire.
"Carnificius!"
To be continued...
Please let me know what you think!
The spell at the end of this chapter is a spell created by Robin4 who gave me permission to use her spells a long time ago! Carnificius is an early dark torture spell, more painful than the Cruciatus.
Ok, so we got some answers in this chapter... Mainly it was Voldemort's idea to use Dobby the House Elf to plant the diary in Harry's Christmas Presents. Since Voldemort used Kreacher before I think it is likely he would use a house elf again. I view Quirrell's possession by Voldemort as something he can survive as I think it was only Harry's protection that killed Quirrell originally. I wanted Quirrell to remain a part of this story so he and Voldemort have separated and he is still a loyal servant to him.
Voldemort has now returned and Sirius is in deep trouble. What is the consequence of Voldemort using Sirius' blood? Will there be one? Voldemort has also guessed Harry was the one who defeated him... simply by the one memory he saw in Sirius' head years ago.
The next chapter will switch between Sirius and Voldemort and the others. I would like it to be a longer chapter but I cannot promise anything at this stage. I hope to post again next week, either the Tuesday or the Wednesday as at the moment there is a chance I could be working Tuesday night again. I can't say for sure!
Until next time,
the-writer1988
