A/N: Well, this is it guys. This is the big chapter, the one where Voldemort returns and all goes to hell. The one where everything is finally explained. I hope that I don't disappoint. I especially want to thank the crew at DLP for their help- this chapter wouldn't be half of what it is without their careful critique and commentary. Cheers everybody.
Harry and Krum reappeared, both managing to keep their footing as the Triwizard Cup dropped to their feet. Krum looked surprised but Harry looked murderous as his eyes darted around at their surroundings. They were standing in a dark graveyard, marble statues and headstones rising out around them. The air seemed thick with magic here, a dark and oppressive aura that battered at Krum and slightly strengthened Harry. Both champions whirled around and Harry wordlessly hissed out in anger. They were surrounded by a mixture of robed men. Some wore white masks and looked to be every bit as menacing as they had been described in the history books- Death Eaters- while others were unmasked. Harry could sense black magic radiating from the very pores of the unmasked wizards- true Magic, not wand-magic, and he raised his wand, Hellfire roaring in his veins.
'This is it! This is the trap!' Meciel snarled angrily.
"Secure the boy," came a cold, barking order from one of the True Wizards.
Before the man's words had even died on his lips, Harry moved as quick as a blur and lashed out. His wand flew up, flicking sharply towards the ground around him, and a shower of brown sparks sprayed from his wand, settling on the ground. A loud shudder roared through the dirt and the very ground rumbled beneath Harry's feet, threatening to throw him to the side. Death Eater's and True Wizards gave out surprised and startled yells, several falling to the ground while others clutched at tombstones to steady them. Harry managed to keep his balance and his eyes burned with fury but he twirled on his feet, attempting to apparate and flee from the ambush. He didn't even make it halfway before a strong barrier tugged at him and hurled him backwards, into reality again.
"Rotundus ictus!" Krum bellowed, his heavily accented voice thick with a mixture of fear and anger. A spinning orb of crackling yellow bolts burst from his wand with a loud screeching noise and zoomed at one of the Death Eater's. The more experienced wizard had not trouble in deflecting the spell, his wand whipping up and parrying it to the side.
Defensive magic sparkled around Harry as he easily ducked a barrage of both visible and invisible spells. Curses flew past his head, some singing his hair, and a blood-red curse struck Krum in the leg and caused the older boy to scream in pain as he collapsed to the ground, clutching his shattered and mangled leg with trembling hands. Harry stood up, his eyes glinting angrily, and glided forward, jumping over a thunderous bolt of sapphire energy. His wand flew up and for a moment he resembled a striking serpent as he lashed out. One of the Death Eater's staggered underneath the force of Harry's curse, clutching his chest with bulging eyes. Blood burst from his nose and ears and the masked man managed to twirl on is feet, disappearing from the graveyard with a soft crack of apparition.
"No! He needs to be alive!" Somebody yelled and Harry whirled around, jumping back and tilting to the side as a flash of eerie green light roared past him- the Killing curse- striking and chipping off a large chunk of a marble headstone. "Stun him! Do not kill him!"
Harry had no such reservations and defensive magic's sparkled around him, a sleet of crimson and sapphire hues forming around him. The dome of magical energy easily deflected a barrage of scarlet streaks of magic and the Stunning charms ricocheted away from Harry, striking the ground, headstones and even a surprised True Wizard, who collapsed to the ground. When one of the Death Eater's moved to revive the man, Harry struck out with blazing anger twisting over his face.
"Effodio!" He snarled, jutting his wand towards the masked and robed man. The Death Eater whirled around as a blast of silver light and a loud, roaring pop filled the air and he parried the curse into one of the headstones, which exploded in a shower of marble splinters.
"Surround him! Do not harm him!"
Harry glanced around, seeing that the Death Eaters and True Wizards around him were advancing in a tight circle. Dark power roared in his veins and with a wordless snarl, Harry levelled his wand towards the sky and summoned Hellfire. The tip of his wand glowed with crimson light and dark fire burst out in a fiery lasso of scarlet and purple flames. They circled both him and Krum, the latter looking scared, and a barrier of searing flames pushed at the circle of enemies that surrounded him. Some of the Death Eaters flinched while one True Wizard broke the line, batting away at the fire with hasty movements, but the rest merely stood still. Suddenly the barrier of fire vanished in a puff of mist and Harry flinched at the backlash, stumbling on his feet.
It was at this moment that the Death Eaters and True Wizards moved as one. Several blasts of magic struck at Harry and broke apart upon the shielding spell. But some of the True Wizards and Death Eaters had power behind them and Harry's shield shattered under the strain of simultaneous blows. Harry gave a cry of pain as something struck at him, feeling like a dozen lashes of a whip across his entire body, and he was slammed aside. He landed on the ground, dazed. His mind stretched out to Hellfire, to his demonic form, but suddenly there was somebody in front of him. Something cold was clamped on his wrists, binding them together, and suddenly there was a cold barrier around him.
All of the blazing heat seemed to rush out of him and Meciel's presence, her essence and fury, vanished from his mind, locked away behind an impenetrable wall. Try as he might, Harry couldn't reach his magic or Meciel and true panic settled over him, his eyes widening with fear. His eyes darted down to the cuffs around him and he snarled, seeing a dark metallic material bound together by a thick chain of what looked like pure titanium. A howl of anger escaped his throat and he lashed out with his foot, striking soft flesh. One of the True Wizards grunted in anger, throwing Harry back down to the ground, while a Death Eater stepped forward.
'Avada Kedavra!' One of the Death Eaters cried. Harry flinched and scrambled across the dirt, his eyes widening and fear settling in his veins. Without his magic, there would no way he could escape. But the spell had not been levelled at him and Harry watched with a certain sense of relief as Krum sailed backwards, his body sagging underneath the destructive weight of the Killing Curse, the eerie green light seeping into his body. Krum thumped on the ground, his wand sailing through the air and clattering against a tombstone. Viktor Krum was dead.
Harry eyed Krum's body for a single second and then tried to stagger up to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury. Suddenly, something clamped down on his neck and he gagged, flaying uselessly at the powerful force that had gripped him. With a strangled yell and a spat curse, Harry was yanked to his feet and carried forward by an invisible force. He lashed out at anybody he could reach, rage plastered over his face and rushing through his veins, but without his magic he was truly powerless.
"What an animal," one of the Death Eaters muttered to his partner as Harry floated past them.
Harry was led to a very elaborate ritual circle, past a pack of crimson-eyed dogs- similar to the ones that had tried to assassinate both him and Molly at Hogwarts. Within the circle stood a bubbling cauldron of what seemed like pure gold. A soft simmering steam drifted from the contents, sparkling in an odd silver hue as it rose up in the night sky. Beyond the circle Harry could see more Death Eater's prowling the grounds, their cloaks flapping in the soft breeze. More people stood around the circle, watching Harry behind white masks or hooded cloaks.
"We have the necessary sacrifice?" One of the Death Eaters called out, his cultured voice crisp.
"We do," One of the True Wizards growled and gestured with his hand. Harry gasped with relief as he was released and he collapsed to the ground, gasping, peering up beneath his lashes with burning emerald eyes. "The effort to retrieve him was great on our part. I still don't think that..."
"You're not here to think," The Death Eater interrupted coldly. "You're here to serve, both your master and mine. So keep quiet."
"You can't order me around," The True Wizard hissed, rage bubbling on his face. He took a step forward, his brown eyes narrowing and his lips twisting into a mocking sneer. "You hold no power over me..."
"But I do..." Came a high-pitched hiss.
On the ground, Harry stared as a balding and watery-eyed man moved from the shadows, carrying a small bundle in his arms. It was no larger than a small child but its reddish-black hairless, scaly body was far from human. Its arms and legs were feeble and its face was flat and snake-light, with gleaming red eyes. It looked weak and helpless, seemingly totally dependent on the wizard that carried it. Yet it seemed to possess an aura of darkness that made it seem much more powerful than it probably was.
The Death Eater immediately bowed his head, subservience replacing authority in his posture. The True Wizard, however, stared at the creature with disdain- although Harry saw a flicker of unease cross his face.
"My Lord," He said slowly, carefully. "I serve you because you serve my Master..."
"I serve no being," The small baby-like creature snarled and a deep tremble of anger pierced the air, so potent that Harry could sense it even with the magic-restraining cuffs on him. "The Dark Lord is, and always will be, his own Master. Your master needs my assistance, and it is within my power to grant it. It is also within my power to retain it."
"My master is more powerful than you are," The True Wizard said, but he was looking decidedly uncomfortable and he fidgeted underneath the small scaly being's crimson glare.
"Your master is nothing without me," The being said chillingly. "And you are nothing without your Master. Do not forget that."
"Of course, Lord Voldemort," The True Wizard said, gritting his teeth with anger. He gave a short, sharp nod of his head and backed into the circle while Harry watched the proceedings with poorly-concealed shock. Voldemort? The same Voldemort that had blown himself to bits years ago trying to kill Harry? He was still alive?
"You're behind all of this," He distantly heard himself say, his emerald eyes glinting angrily as he glared at Voldemort. A hatred that Harry had not felt since he had killed the Dursleys rose up in his mind and he wordlessly hissed at Voldemort, his lip curling in disgust. "Look at you. You're pathetic. No wonder you couldn't kill me."
"We will talk later, Potter," Voldemort hissed menacingly. His crimson eyes locked onto Harry's and Harry gave Voldemort a challenging smirk, almost daring the banished Dark Lord to invade his mind. Despite the fact that he couldn't reach Meciel at the moment, Harry knew that the Fallen was still within him, protecting his mind like she usually did.
However, Voldemort didn't take the bait and glanced away, gesturing towards the golden cauldron. The wizard that was carrying him flinched and seemed to tremble but he reluctantly obeyed and moved towards the cauldron. The soft muttering and chatter instantly died down and all was silent within the graveyard as Voldemort stared down at the cauldron.
"Begin the ritual," The weakened Dark Lord whispered coldly.
Harry squirmed underneath his bindings, glaring coldly at the wizards surrounding him. He had been strapped down to a large angel made of the purest marble. In another time and place, Harry would have laughed at the irony but now he just silently raged at his predicament, desperately trying to overcome the binding's enchantments, but both his magic and Meciel remained out of reach. Growling with anger, Harry focused his eyes back on the scene in front of him, powerless to do anything to stop it.
"I am going to kill you all," Harry snarled loudly, his green eyes flashing as tugged at his bindings one more time. "I swear, I will make you pay for this!"
Some of the Death Eater's shifted under his burning gaze but most of them remained silent, their wands clasped against their chests like swords. An eerie silver light was glowing from the tip of each wand as they turned their gaze towards their master, who had just sunken under the surface of the cauldron. The True Wizards were chanting something on the other side of the ritual circle, spitting out harsh words with great hatred. Hatred and rage poured from them and the mixture of the cauldron bubbled underneath the oppressive black magic, a dark stain on the solemn graveyard.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" The pudgy wizard cried out, his voice ringing into the air. The ground cracked and shuddered and a stream of white dust rose into the air, seeping into the cauldron. The surface of the liquid hissed and sparks of pure dark magic flew in all directions. A vivid, poisonous blue mist rose off the surface and crackled with energy as the True Wizards chant intensified.
"Omnis aveo Ater Dominus! All hail the Dark Lord!" One of the Death Eaters cried out and the silver light emanating from his wand darkened into a shade of murky grey.
"All hail the Dark Lord!" The rest of the Death Eater's chorused, their wand light dimming as well.
"The power of the gods, given in trust, you will resurrect your new servant!" The pudgy wizard cried out again. His watery blue gaze flickered over towards Harry's crisp emerald glare and he flinched, hurriedly darting his eyes away. This time the very air shimmered with darkness, shadows warping out from silver light like a thick liquid. The True Wizards increased their chant, spitting away with words of ancient black magic, and the darkness fell into the cauldron. The diamond-sheen surface of the cauldron turned pitch black as the shadows poured in and a crack of thunder filled the air.
Harry glanced up and his eyes widened. The bright moon and the twinkling stars were being blotted out as thick, stormy clouds loomed above. There was a flash of lightning and another loud rumble of thunder filled the air, strangely fitting into the True Wizards chant. The cauldron bubbled, a thick and oily splatter of liquid dripping to the ground. It spread through the dirt like a poison and the grass around the cauldron shrivelled up and died in a matter of moments.
"Omnis aveo, unus et verus! All hail the One and True!" A True Wizard chanted loudly, his eyes glittering with madness as he spread out his arms. The darkness converged on him until it seemed as if he were cloaked in shadow.
"All hail the One and True!" The rest of the True Wizard chanted. "All hail..." and here they pronounced a name so distorted and raspy that Harry could barely understand it. It was as if somebody else was speaking from within them, a voice that had not been designed for human vocal cords or ears. The closest approxmiation Harry could get was "Azzeh."
Harry curled his lip up in hatred but uneasiness was pounding through his veins. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. The very air around him was screaming in protest of what was happening in front of him. A great hatred, rage and calculating evil was beginning to settle down on the graveyard. Harry was no stranger to these emotions, but the presence he could sense was far greater that anything he had encountered before. Even Meciel, in all her terrifying glory, could not have competed against what he could sense.
"F-Flesh of a servant, w-willingly given..." The pudgy wizard stuttered, fear rampant on his face as he lifted a curved blade to his left elbow. Tears glistened in his eyes as he took in a deep breath. "You will revive your master!" The wizard pressed down on the blade and Harry watched with surprise and a dry mouth as blood splattered on the ground. A loud scream pierced the night and something splashed into the cauldron as the wizard sobbed in agony, falling to the ground and shaking his head in a futile attempt of denial.
"Istuc calator, fidus et merus! We are your servants, loyal and pure!" The Death Eaters chanted loudly, bathing the entire area in a flare of darkening grey light. A soft, bright green hue of light was slowly coming into the grey light and if Harry looked closely enough, he could see a faint serpent-shaped mist forming in the background.
"Istuc chiliasta, divus et verus! We are your believers, blessed and true!" The True Wizards chanted loudly, and the shadows around them pulsed with an ancient evil, malevolence and hatred pouring into the clearing.
The storms above them rumbled with great fury as another clap of thunder boomed through the sky. Lightning flashed and a bitter sheet of rain swept down from the heavens. Harry felt it strike his exposed head and winced as one touched his lips, the smell of rotten food and dead flesh filling his mouth. Lightning flashed once, then twice, and illuminated the sky as another clap of thunder filled the air. Black Magic crackled in the storm clouds, just waiting to be unleashed and Harry watched, a glint of true fear shining in his eyes as he watched the ritual come to a close.
"Hearts of heathens, torn assunder, you will strengthen our god!" One of the True Wizards chanted. His brethren intensified their chant- it was a yell now- and Harry watched as an ornate urn rose from the ground and hovered over the cauldron. Slowly, it tipped to its side and a stream of thick, crimson blood poured into the cauldron. An instant later Harry saw small, dark lumps fall into the cauldron with soft plopping noise and he shuddered. There were some things that not even he had delved into yet. The darkness of the liquid seemed to lighten as a burst of unholy crimson veins spread throughout the thick liquid.
"Sacrifice," Harry muttered to himself, his eyes wide. Fear had clamped down on his heart, just as tightly as the manacles had clamped down on his wrists. He was alone in all of this, his one constant ally blocked from his mind, and there was nobody who could- or wanted to- save him. Horror dawned on him as he recalled the words of the Death Eater. He was a sacrifice- he was next.
"B-Blood of t-the enemy, f-forcibly...taken," The injured wizard gasped, his face a picture of agony and pain as he raised his wand with quivering hands. Harry flinched but stared the wand down, hatred surging through his veins. So, this was it- this was where he would die. "Y-You will resurrect y-your foe!"
Harry grunted as something sliced into his cheek from jaw to brow. Hot blood splattered down on his coat and shirt and a crimson curtain enveloped his left eye as blood pooled into the socket. Still, Harry had suffered through worse pain before and he merely set his jaw and watched with anger as a stream of blood- his blood- flew towards the cauldron. The golden cauldron shuddered the instant that Harry's blood seeped into the surface of the liquid and the clouds rumbled with thunder once more. Lightning flashed, silhouetting the looming figures in the summoning circle and suddenly everything was silent. The chanting had stopped and the flaring lights emanating from the wands of the Death Eaters had dimmed, until only darkness shrouded the area.
Harry strained to see past it, anger and fear tugging at his heart as he furiously struggled against his bonds. The occasional flash of lightning allowed him to see the Death Eaters and the True Wizards prostrating on the ground, their heads bowed in subservience, while the man who had cut off his arm was sobbing by the cauldron. Suddenly a flash of silver vapour burst form the cauldron and a bright, white steam billowed into the air. The lightning flashed again and thunder rumbled in the clouds as powerful black magic gathered above the cauldron, forming into a swirling vortex. The vortex was of no colour that Harry could comprehend, no colour that existed on this world. It flittered at his mind, as bright as the sun and as dark as the ocean depths, and a strange sense of wrongness filled him, followed by a burst of true fear.
It could not be.
They would not dare.
But it was.
And they had dared.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as, before the pouring rain and the prostrating wizards, a skeletal-white humanoid figure arose from the skeleton. Crimson eyes glittered with power and wrinkled white skin smoothed over with dark magic. Slit snake-like nostrils flared as the newly reborn Lord Voldemort spread out his arms, oblivious to his nakedness, and let out a chilling, high-pitched laugh. The Death Eaters quivered with fear and even the True Wizards shuddered at the figure before them, who continued to laugh as he bathed in the hatred and anger generated by the ritual.
Then a bolt of lightning struck him.
Voldemort's laugh cut off as he let out a howling screech of pain, his arms coming forward to clasp at his chest. The vortex of black magic swirled with sentient hunger as lightning flashed again and again, striking Lord Voldemort over and over. A continuous roll of thunder filled the air, a deafening racket that made the very ground shudder as Voldemort collapsed into his cauldron, his high-pitched screams piercing the air. Something burst out of the vortex, a presence of ancient malevolence, and it streamed down into the cauldron. Cracks shattered through the priceless gold and the vortex howled as Voldemort's began to laugh once more.
The Dark Lord's high-pitched voice started to lower and the cauldron shattered and broke apart, sending a rush of dark oily liquid all over the ground, seeping into the decaying ground. Voldemort's voice continued to drop and something ancient rang deep within the newly reborn Dark Lord. Harry listened with horror as the most malevolent and disturbing laugh he had ever heard filled his ears. Goosebumps popped over his skin and real blinding terror filled his heart as Voldemort stood up from the broken remains of the cauldron. It seemed as if nothing in Voldemort had changed but when the Dark Lord turned towards Harry, the Denarian Renegade's breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of two burning crimson orbs, shining like torches in the dark and stormy night.
"Faithful Death Eaters and devoted Believers," Voldemort- or whoever he was now- hissed out, a mixture of tenor and bass as he raised his arms. The shadows rushed towards him and enveloped his form, clothing his naked body in liquid darkness. "I have returned!"
The graveyard was completely silent- even the twisted hounds put their heads between the oversized paws and eyed the Dark Lord with nothing short of subservience. The respectful silence was shattered as Harry slammed his bindings down on the marble angel behind him, his fear easily surging into hatred as he eyed crimson-eyed being with a hateful glare.
"Who the fuck are you?" He snarled, slamming his bindings down again to no avail. "And what the fuck is going on!"
"You will not break those bonds, Potter," said Voldemort, or was it? A malicious smile curved his thin lips and his crimson eyes gleamed in satisfaction as he watched Harry struggle before him. "They have been designed specifically to restrain you, my little Denarian friend. It is Faerie magic that stops you from drawing in your magic and it is the blood woven into the enchantments, your blood, that stops you from seeking out the assistance of that pathetic bitch."
"My blood?" Harry asked furiously, breathing in deeply as he eyed the newly reborn Dark Lord. "Where the hell would you get my blood?"
"Do you not remember, Potter?" Voldemort asked softly, his voice as menacing as a snake's hiss. He moved forward and ran a slow finger down Harry's bloodied cheek. A sinister smile crossed his face as he put his finger in his mouth, his eyes fluttering as he tasted Harry's blood. "You have given the ground your lifeblood many times over, largely due to the efforts of my warriors. It did not take much effort for a loyal servant acquire the bloodied rags used during your healing."
"The traitor," Harry snarled to himself, both with anger and dawning horror.
"As for my name," Voldemort continued, drawing himself up and allowed the shadows to flicker and warp around him. "I am Lord Voldemort and I am the Great Azzeh! I am one and I am two! Banished from this world long ago, I have returned to reap my vengeance and..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Harry spat out, eyeing Voldemort- or was it Azzeh now?- with gleaming eyes. "I get it, alright? You're big, bad and powerful. You're going to bring darkness to his world and all that crap."
There was a sudden intake of breath from the bowed heads of the Dark Lord's servants. The being in question blinked his luminous red eyes and stared at Harry with an alien expression, devoid of all recognisable human emotion. The wind howled as it swept through the graveyard and a light drizzle of foul-tasting rain swept through the silent circle. Voldemort's crimson eyes burned into Harry's orbs and the young Denarian shifted, ducking his head just in case the being in front of him could force his way into his mind. Suddenly a soft, sinister chuckle escaped from Voldemort's lips and he motioned for his servants to rise.
"Rise my priests, rise my faithful," He chortled. The Death Eater's and True Wizards hesitantly stood up, watching Voldemort with wary eyes as the Dark Lord. "Rise and watch as I triumph over the obstacle that brought upon my fall. You, Harry Potter, will suffer greatly for what happened that night. However, in a way, I must thank you- for Azzeh never would have been freed if not for you."
He paused and tilted his head as he stared at the quietly-sobbing wizard on the ground. It was the same man that had lead the ritual and had cut off his hand, and he gazed at Voldemort with tearful eyes.
"My Lord...you promised...please, my lord, please..." The wizard sobbed, holding out the bloodied stump of an arm.
"You deserve this pain, Wormtail," Voldemort said softly. "However, of all my servants, you have been, to this very moment, loyal!' The last word was hissed out and the Death Eater's in the circle shuddered, swaying on their feet and looking as if they wished to back away- but did not dare to.
Voldemort raised his wand and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten rock hung shining in the wand's wake, hissing as a gentle spray of rain fell on it, and then soared downwards. The Death Eater, Wormtail, shrieked in agony as molten rock attached itself to the bloodied stump. A loud sizzling sound filled the air and the Death Eater's remained still as the brightly glowing lump of molten rock stretched out into an arm-shaped object. The brightness glaring from the spell diminished as the glowing lava hardened into a glittering black substance, attached seamlessly to Wormtail's arm.
The Death Eater's sobbing abruptly ended as he stared at his new arm with wide eyes, still shining with unshed tears. Slowly, he raised his arm and slammed it down onto a nearby headstone. A loud crack filled the air as the marble headstone- at least five centimetres thick- cracked into several pieces and fell to the ground.
"Master...it is...wonderful!" Wormtail whispered and scuttled forward, placing adoring kisses along the Dark Lord's foot. Voldemort let a satisfactory smile cross his face and with a blur of movement, kicked Wormtail away from him. Wormtail squealed but scrambled backwards.
"May your loyalty never waver again," Voldemort said softly. Wormtail nodded his head frantically and stood up, taking his place within the circle as he clenched his new arm, his eyes glittering with devotion.
"Milord..." A Death Eater began but Voldemort raised his hand. The man screamed in agony as the shadows leapt from Voldemort and into his body, something dark and powerful searing into flesh. It was both similar and different to the Cruciatus Curse and the others cringed as the man's scream rose up into the night, blood beginning to drip out of his ears as he collapsed to the ground.
"This is the price of your sins, Lucius," Voldemort hissed softly, unclenching his white, spindly fingers. The man abruptly relaxed and lay panting on the ground. "You, of all my Death Eater's, were expected to obey my instructions. I was displeased to hear of how foolishly you handed away one of the items I entrusted to you."
"Master..." The Death Eater groaned, attempting to stand but failing miserably. "I...merely wanted...to...to...show that the Heir...of Slytherin..."
"Enough," Voldemort cut in sharply. His eyes glittered with anger as he regarded his fallen Death Eater. "You have proven loyal to me in the past, Lucius, so I will grant you the privilege of serving me once more. Perhaps you can atone for your past mistakes."
"You...are merciful, my lord," The Death Eater, Lucius, groaned and crawled his way back into the circle. He remained on the ground, shivering as the aftereffects of the spell caused his body to shudder.
"Yes," Voldemort breathed in, his eyes flittering in pleasure. "Am I not merciful, brothers?"
"Yes, my lord," The respective Death Eater's muttered, bowing their heads.
"And my Priest," Voldemort added, turning his crimson gaze on the other side of the circle. The True Wizard, who had also performed in the ritual, bowed his head reverently. "Do you think I am merciful?"
"I am your true servant, Revered One," The priest answered humbly, his rough voice echoing out into the night. "It is not my place to judge the qualities of your nature. I am here only to serve you."
"Yes, that is your only task," Voldemort said musingly. "However, I reward those who serve me well. You will come to me after we are done here and I will grant you a boon of unimaginable power. The world will fear you, priest, the world will fear you."
"Your generosity overwhelms me, Revered One,' the dark priest mumbled and filed back into the circle. "My god was right to choose you."
"How, Master?" One of the Death Eater's asked softly, his voice hitched with awe and fear. Voldemort let his lips curve up into a smile and he swung his gaze back onto his Death Eater's. "How has this came to be?"
"Is this where you start your bad-guy monologue and boast about how wonderful your plans were and why absolutely nothing went wrong?" Harry asked with a snarling growl and Voldemort's smile disappeared. Rage flashed behind the Dark Lord's two crimson eyes and Harry instinctively flinched, feeling the dark power coursing before the man's body before him.
"I could torture and kill you right now if you prefer," Voldemort said softly, reaching out and caressing Harry's hair. Harry shuddered with disgust at the touch but fear wracked through his body. He did not want to die. Voldemort's eyes gleamed as if knew exactly what Harry was thinking and he withdrew his hand.
"There are some who know the story of Lord Voldemort and some who know the story of the Great Azzeh," Voldemort continued, prowling around the circle. The shadows followed him, like a eager dog all too willing to serve his master, and he stretched out his hands, idly examining his new body. "I will begin at the defeat of Lord Voldemort."
Some of the Death Eater's shuddered at the words and drew their robes around them, as if the very mention of the incident that occurred thirteen years ago was blasphemous.
"I, Lord Voldemort, set out to destroy the Potter family. You, my faithful Death Eater's, know of my hatred for those meddlesome Aurors- cocky and arrogant fools who dared to defy me," Voldemort begun softly. "Having learned the location of the Potter family from my faithful servant, I took my wand and went to destroy them-once and for all. James Potter was easily crushed- he had skill but lacked the true power to stand up to my abilities. Lily Potter did not even attempt to fight and pleaded for your life, begging me to spare you and take her instead."
A low chuckle filled the air but Voldemort let out a single, menacing hiss, his eyes burning with fury.
"Yes, Death Eater's, I also laughed," Voldemort continued coldly, his glare making even the most imposing Death Eater tremble. "I laughed when I killed her. I laughed when I turned my wand against her child. I did not laugh when her sacrifice brought forward old magic. I did not laugh when my own curse rebounded back upon me. I did not laugh when the very power I wielded crippled and destroyed me. Aah, pain, my friends, pain beyond what you could imagine. My body destroyed, my powers broken- I was little more than a spirit, less than a ghost. I was forced to flee and I settled in a faraway place...surely, my loyal Death Eater's would find me, to perform that magic that I could not and restore me to my former glory. But they did not come and I was alone."
A shiver ran through the listening circle of Death Eater's and Voldemort paused, letting his gaze run over the masked wand-wizards. Harry let out a loud snort, interrupting the silence and staring at Voldemort with a derisive scowl on his face.
"It's a bitch when ancient magic comes back and kicks you in the arse, isn't it?" He said viciously. Voldemort spared him a brief glance and ignored him, going back to his story, and Harry, despite himself, settled down to listen.
"However, my powers may have been broken and my body reduced to ash, but other avenues remained open to me. You all know of how I strove for immortality, of how I pushed the boundaries from one world to the next. My human body, as powerful as I was, hindered my attempts but now, as a spirit, I was able to bridge the distance between realms...in a limited fashion, at least."
"Near-death and without allies, I spent my lonely years attempting to push forward from this realm to another. I could feel the power behind the walls, I could sense the magic that would make me whole again. The forest that I inhabited became my place of sacrifice. Creatures of all sorts- pathetic muggles when I could gather them- became my sacrifices as I sought to push past the boundaries. My quest was interrupted by a wizard and I took control of him. Through him I learned of the Philosopher's stone and I thought, perhaps there is another way, perhaps I could restore myself to my natural form."
"Yet that failed. Once again, Dumbledore strove to defy me. Once again, I was torn assunder out of me new host. Once again, I was forced to flee into the deepest, darkest parts of the world. As my Death Eater's dined in their homes and enjoyed their unbroken powers, I submerged myself into my research and at last, years later, I succeeded. I bridged the distance between the life, death and magic to...somewhere else. At last, I thought, I could restore myself to power!"
"But the Outside was not what I had expected. Powerful beings, more powerful than I, even, resided there. Most were dormant, forced into exiles by powers we can not comprehend, but there were some who aware of my presence. They latched onto me, hungry and wild, and attempted to destroy me- to make me one of them. But I prevailed over them and sought out sentient contact, confident that there was somebody there that I could use. It was here that I struck a bargain with a...King, of sorts."
"His master dormant, Azzeh lusted for power. Fearful of the old ones awakening, he sought to stretch his influence over to our realm. He had already gained the services of a group of powerful wizards, different from our kind, but powerful all the same. Although he could not directly restore my body, for his realm is not ours and the attempt would have destroyed me, he did know of a way. Together, we plotted. In exchange for his servants and power- power I needed to crush that old muggle-loving fool- I would accept a part of him within me. I would become his avatar on Earth, spreading his darkness to the four corners of the globe. When I had conquered all, we would bridge the gap between our worlds and I would ascend as his equal. Together, we would rule."
Voldemort paused and a sinister smile crossed his face. The Death Eater's remained perfectly still and Harry sensed that many of them were horrified at what they were hearing. It seemed as if they hadn't been aware of the full details of the ritual before they had participated in it.
"An Outsider," Harry said flatly, breaking the silence and staring at Voldemort with a mixture of stunned horror, disbelief and fury. "You've taken on the power of an Outsider."
"Yes," Voldemort hissed softly and flexed his arms. The shadows that clothed him writhed and boiled and he smiled, his crimson eyes flaring with power. "I am more powerful than any mere wizard now! I am more powerful than Dumbledore, I am more powerful than the White Council, and I am more powerful than you, Harry Potter."
"But..." Harry said slowly, his mind racing as everything began to fit into place. "There was somebody who could stop you. Somebody who, despite their lack of magic, possessed a weapon that could slice, dice and split you in half. Somebody who you feared."
"The Knights of the Cross," Voldemort finished and nodded. "I had encountered them before in my youth and I knew that although they did not possess magic, they were formidable warriors. I managed to defeat one in Hungary but I was sorely wounded afterwards. Azzeh advised caution and I agreed. Luckily for us, there were only two out of the maximum three Knights alive at the present moment. The third sword had not chosen a new master since the death of its former Knight. My task was made easier and was very simple. The Knights needed to be destroyed, or at the very least, distracted."
"Nicodemus," Harry breathed softly, his eyes wide. "You, what? Set it up?"
"In a way," Voldemort answered, looking pleased as Harry began to grasp the full scope of his plans. He paced around the circle, idly twirling a wand in his left hand as he focused his entire attention on Harry. "Nicodemus' daughter was killed by the Knights, however, it was due to my actions that she was ambushed. However, her father was not as upset as I had previously thought. It took careful planning and much of Azzeh's power to twist Nicodemus' revenge into an insatiable lust."
"However, I found myself with two problems. Nicodemus was unstable- he was hard to control and his desire for revenge consumed him completely. I admit freely that I did not account for the human desire to cause pain. In his mind, the worst thing that he could do to the Knights was destroy the very thing they sought to protect- their families. Because of this, his focus shifted from the Knights towards their families. Despite this, I believed that Nicodemus would succeed. Should he destroy the family, the Knights morale and ability to fight would be weakened. In here came my second problem. You."
Voldemort paced restlessly as his eyes burned into Harry's. Anger and hatred seemed to fly between the two and for them, it was just the two of them in this graveyard. Harry gave a tight, icy smile and allowed a flash of arrogance to wash over his face.
"I must have really pissed you off," He said victoriously, his lip curling up as he stared at Voldemort with burning eyes. "Here you are, all ready to set yourself up as a great dark lord, and a little boy kept getting in your way, stopping your plans."
"Indeed," Voldemort said coldly, his hand clenching his wand tightly as dark power flashed behind his crimson eyes. "You were a most unexpected variable- one that neither I nor Azzeh had accounted for. At the eve of their destruction, you saved the Carpenter family. You killed the last of Nicodemus' men in Chicago, you evaded my Death Eaters at Salem and you destroyed the last pack of darkhounds within the very ground of Hogwarts. The Carpenter family evaded capture and went into hiding, hidden from even my powers, and the last two members sought refuge at Hogwarts, behind Dumbledore's wards and your wand. For a moment, it seemed as if we were at a stalemate."
"Then the Knights struck at a band of loyal priests. Yes, the attack was far from here but the message and intent behind the attack was clear. They were onto us," Voldemort said and gave Harry a tight smile, his nostrils flaring as he took a deep breath. "I needed to destroy them or remove them from the arena. The second would prove much easier than the first. Especially since my loyal Death Eater had entered you into the Triwizard Tournament."
"Why?" Harry interrupted, a puzzled frown on his face. "That's the one thing I don't get. Why the hell did you enter me into that stupid tournament? What did the tournament have to do with the Knight's death?"
"Everything, Potter, and nothing," Voldemort answered softly. "My servant had been dispatched to Hogwarts under the most unlikely of guises in order to acquire me a sacrifice. I needed a youth powerful in both magic and mind. What better way to determine the most likely candidate than through the Triwizard tournament? The champion who prevailed would have shown that they possessed the power I needed to renew myself. However, a day before the goblet of fire was to activate, you showed yourself and my servant had to improvise. Not knowing what I know, I can understand the logic behind his decision. Here you were, the boy-who-lived, the one who had defeated me, the one who must have some deep, hidden power within him. My servant saw the perfect opportunity and confounded the goblet into accepting your name. This gave me the perfect opportunity to destroy you."
"The first task," Harry said with a groan. He heaved a great sigh and glared at the Dark Lord. "You controlled the Drakon that tried to kill me."
"I did," Voldemort answered softly and smiled viciously as Harry groaned again. "It was not easy, subduing that ancient beast. It required promises of revenge- for the Knight had slayed its brother- and many large quantities of gold to ensure that the Drakon would bend to our will. In the end, Azzeh succeeded and I gave it three tasks. It's first task was to kill you. It's second, kill Dumbledore- a man I knew would oppose me when I rose back to power. It's third task, reap as much destruction on Hogwarts as possible. However, it failed."
"I kicked it's arse from him to Russia," Harry sneered and Voldemort merely nodded, looking displeased.
"It had not occurred to me that you would have contacts in the other world of magic," Voldemort said softly, hissing at Harry's grinning face. His wand trembled with dark power, as if he wanted nothing more than to destroy Harry then and there, but he restrained himself. "It was only afterwards that I discovered your true nature. Imagine my surprise when Nicodemus informed me of who you really were. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, had submersed himself into the darkest magic's of hell. The hero of the Wizarding World had...Fallen...from grace."
"Oh, love the pun," Harry muttered. Suddenly he was struck across the face and he winced, his head slamming back into the marble angel. He could taste the coppery tang of blood on his lips and he looked up, eyes blazing as Voldemort lowered his wand.
"However, the incident was not a total failure," Voldemort continued, pacing around the marble angel with gleaming red eyes. "One of the Knights was dispatched to Hogwarts and suddenly, I saw an opportunity. My servant gave Nicodemus access to Hogwarts during the Yule Ball. However, once again, Nicodemus proved to be unreliable and instead of slaying the Knight, he hunted down the family. Both you and the Knight raced to defend the mudblood and in the struggle, Nicodemus was killed."
"Without a wand, even," Harry said, a dark gleam in his eyes as he glared at Voldemort. "I wrapped my hands around his throat and strangled him to death."
"My time was looming closer and closer," Voldemort continued silkily, ignoring Harry's words. "The ritual was almost ready and I had no choice but to leave the Knights alive. I dispatched agents around the world to lure them away from England and away they went. I had failed to kill them but they were distracted. It would have to be enough. It was then that I finally received a message from my servant. He saw the need to warn me about your prowess and suggested that I display caution when I received you."
"Let me tell you, Potter, it had not occurred to me to use you for the ritual. You were an unknown entity that needed to be destroyed. But my servant opened up a new path for me. Not only could I use you to restore myself, a irony that I found my satisfying, but I could negate the ancient magic your mother left upon as well. Azzeh agreed with me- he did not want such a weakness to exist in his new avatar's body. You will be surprised to learn that I was relieved to hear that you survived the events of the Second Task. You were no use to me dead."
"I'm touched," Harry muttered, giving a tug at his bonds. He could see that Voldemort's speech was coming to an end and knew that his death would soon follow. The fear and panic that Harry had buried under his mind threatened to rise up but Harry ruthlessly suppressed it, forcing it back down and keeping his mind on the task at hand. "Remind me to put you on my Christmas Card list."
"And now we come to his place," Voldemort finished, throwing his arms out and gesturing to the surroundings. "On the night of the Third Task, my servant enchanted the Triwizard Cup to bring you here. Foolishly, you fell into my trap and now I have arisen, more powerful than ever before. The world will know fear once more..."
"Bullshit!" Harry snarled, interrupting Voldemort. A loud titter went around the circle of Death Eater's and True Wizards as Voldemort whirled to face Harry, his eyes blazing with fury. "Tell me, Voldemort, who the hell is going to fear you? You got you're arse kicked by a baby! You're a joke to society! People laugh at you Voldemort, they say that you must have been a pathetic and incompetent Dark Lord to lose a duel with a baby! Tell me, can you name one other person- just one- who lost to a one-and-a-half year old child?"
"Are you challenging me, Potter?" Voldemort hissed dangerously, his wand trailing over Harry's cheek resting at the hollow of Harry's neck. "Be warned. No wizard has ever escaped my wrath."
"I have," Harry stated coldly, his burning eyes boring into Voldemort's without fear. Distantly, some part of him wondered if this was such a good idea but Harry shrugged the thought off. Hatred and fury roared in his veins, he didn't need Hellfire to feel such immense hatred for the figure in front of him.
"Very well," Voldemort said after a pause and smiled coldly, backing away from Harry. "Let us match the powers of Lord Voldemort, the most feared Dark Lord of all time, avatar of Azzeh, against the powers of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, Denarian Renegade!"
He whipped his wand and suddenly Harry felt his cuffs fall off. Heat scorched into his mind and suddenly Meciel rushed for him, her blazing presence wrapping around him and washing away his aches and pains. Hellfire roared into him as Harry staggered up off the ground, his eyes never leaving Voldemort as one of the Death Eater's, at the behest of his master, threw Harry his wand.
'Meciel...' Harry started.
'I know, beloved,' Meciel said quietly. 'I saw it. I saw it all.'
"I presume you know how to duel?" Voldemort asked with a soft hiss. The shadows seemed to arch over him and lightning flashed in the sky, silhouetting his dark frame against the decaying and dying ground. A loud peal of thunder rumbled through the air and sheets of rain began to fall from the sky. The storm was starting again
"The first one to die, loses," Harry said crisply.
"Precisely," Voldemort answered softly and lifted up his wand, his crimson eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "I have been looking forward to this for a very long time, Potter."
Harry said nothing as he drew in vast amounts of Hellfire. Dark power flared through his wand and raindrops sizzled as they touched the glowing red runes. Hatred, rage, fury, fear, bloodlust- they all flowed through his mind as Harry immersed himself in the deepest, darkest parts of himself.
'You have done well, beloved,' Meciel whispered into his ear gently, a soothing voice that swept away his fear. 'Now you must do a little better.'
'What should I do?'
'Live, beloved, live.'
"Let us begin!" Voldemort hissed and a bolt of lightning flashed through the air, thunder rumbling after it. Beneath the raging storm, surrounded by Dark Wizards and facing the most powerful opponent he had ever known, Harry tightened the grip on his wand and lunged forward with a roar of defiance.