Chapter 38
Death of An Ally
The month, just like how Dumbledore said, seemed to fast-forward for Harry. Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Theo spent the month preparing Harry for the final task, Hermione and Ron helping occasionally as they all worked on spells that Harry would need for the maze. Harry's mind was filling to the bursting point as he and the others studied for exams too, which were finishing the day of the third task. The mood in the castle as they entered June became excited and tense again. Everyone was looking forward to the third task, which would take place a week before the end of term. Harry was practicing hexes at every available moment. He felt more confident about this task than either of the others. Professor Snape, tired of seeing Harry, Draco, Theo, and Blaise practicing spells in the common room, had given them use of a dungeon during their lunch breaks, which they used greedily. Harry had soon mastered the Impediment Curse, a spell to slow down and obstruct attackers, the Reductor Curse, which would enable him to blast solid objects out of his way; and the Four-Point Spell, a useful discovery of Theo's that would make his wand point due north. Harry was still having trouble with the Shield Charm, however, but though Draco made him practice till he could shield off minor jinxes and hexes.
The morning of the Final task came with a noisy clatter as the castle seemed to be excited for the finale of the Triwizard Tournament. Harry and Draco were sitting together at the Slytherin Table as Professor Snape walked up to them. "Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast," he said.
"But the task's not till tonight!" Harry said, afraid he had mistaken the time.
"I am currently aware of that Potter," Professor Snape said. "The champion's families are invited to watch the final task. This is simply a chance for you to greet them." He moved away, Harry gaped after him.
"He does not expect those muggles to show, does he?" Draco asked, sneering at the thought of Harry's relatives.
"I don't think so," Harry said. "The less of the muggles I see, the better."
"You're right, I doubt the muggles will show. Well, I better hurry to class," Draco said kissing Harry's cheek. "I will see you later love."
Harry finished his breakfast in the emptying Great Hall. He saw Fleur get up from the Ravenclaw table and joined Cedric as he crossed to the side chamber and entered. Krum slouched off to join them shortly afterwards. Harry loitered for a minute, not wanting to see if the muggles came, but slowly made his way to the side chamber as Cedric poked his head out. "Come on Harry, they're waiting!" he said.
Harry followed Cedric into the side chamber and closed the door behind him. Cedric and his parents were just inside the door. Viktor Krum was over in a corner, conversing with his dark-haired mother and father in rapid Bulgarian, Harry could hear Krum saying "momche" several times. Fleur was jabbering away in French with her mother, Fleur's sister Gabrielle was holding her mother's hand. She waved at Harry, who waved back grinning. Then he saw Mrs. Weasley and Bill standing in front of the fireplace, beaming at him.
"Surprise!" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly as he smiled broadly and walked over to them. "Thought we'd come and watch you, Harry!" She bent down and kissed him on the cheek.
"You all right?" Bill asked grinning at Harry and shaking his hand. "Charlie wanted to come, but he couldn't get time off. He said you were incredible against the Horntail."
Fleur Delacour, Harry noticed, was eyeing Bill with great interest over her mother's shoulder. Harry could tell she had no objection whatsoever to long hair or earrings with fangs on them. "This is really nice of you," Harry said. "I thought—for a moment—that the Dursleys—"
"Hmm," Mrs. Weasley said, pursing her lips. She had always refrained from criticizing the Dursleys in front of Harry, but her eyes flashed every time they were mentioned.
"Draco doubted that they would show, but still I thought—"
"How is Draco?" Mrs. Weasley asked, trying to change the subject from the Dursleys to anything else. "I saw the articles that Skeeter were writing about you two," she added.
"We're fine," Harry smiled. "Those articles were total rubbish."
"See? I told you mother," Bill said. He looked around the chamber and said "It's great being back here. Fancy giving us a tour, Harry?"
"Sure," Harry said, and they made their way back toward the door into the Great Hall. They passed Amos Diggory, he looked around and Mrs. Weasley noticed Cedric.
"Cedric, dear! I didn't see you!" She said, "How are you and Fred doing? I hope you're keeping my boy out of trouble!"
"I am Mrs. Weasley, we're doing very well." Cedric smiled at his boyfriend's mother.
"That's good. I expect to see you around during the summer of course," Mrs. Weasley said.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Cedric smiled.
"Good, Amos I'm sure we can work out a date for Arthur to bring Cedric over?"
"Of course Molly, of course. Ah, Harry," Amos Diggory said, looking Harry up and down, "bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedric's caught you up on points are you?" he chuckled.
"What/"
"Ignore him," Cedric said in a low voice, frowning at his father. "He's been angry ever since Rita Skeeter's article about the Triwizard Tournament—you know, when she made out you were the only Hogwarts champion."
"Didn't bother to correct her, though, did he?" Amos Diggory said loudly enough for Harry to hear as he started to walk out of the door. "Still…you'll show him, Ced. Beaten him once before, haven't you?"
"Rita Skeeter goes out of her way to cause trouble, Amos!" Mrs. Weasley said angrily. "I would have thought you would have known that, working in the Ministry!"
Mr. Diggory looked as though he was going to say something angry, but his wife laid a hand on his arm, and he merely shrugged and turned away. Mrs. Weasley smiled once more at Cedric and his mother and walked out with Harry and Bill.
Harry had a very enjoyable morning walking over the sunny grounds with Bill and Mrs. Weasley, showing them the Beauxbatons carriage and the Durmstrang ship. He told them of his practices with Viktor Krum, which Bill was very interested in and insisted that Harry showed him what he learned during the summer.
"I'm very happy that you're making more friends, Harry." Mrs. Weasley said as they were returning to the Great Hall for lunch, walking across the courtyard. "Sirius and Remus would have been proud to be here and watch you."
"Do you know how they are?" Harry asked.
"I would if the damn men would write Arthur and me a letter every once in a while," Mrs. Weasley said. "The last time we heard from them was some nonsense saying that Remus was pregnant or something. Arthur and I thought it was a Christmas joke."
"It wasn't a joke," Harry said. "A couple of housemates of mine actually made a potion that's able to get men pregnant. There was supposed to be an article about it in the Daily Prophet."
"Well, if it was there I didn't see it," Mrs. Weasley said frowning slightly. "It was most likely pushed to the side for a Skeeter article, but if Remus and Sirius are having a baby, then good for them I suppose. God knows that man needs something to make him more mature."
Bill and Mrs. Weasley lunched at the Gryffindor table, talking with their family members and Hermione while Harry ate with Draco, Theo, and Blaise. After lunch, Harry, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill whiled away the afternoon with a long walk around the castle, and then they returned to the Great Hall for the evening feast.
Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge, who according to Bill had replaced the still missing Barty Crouch, joined the staff table. Bagman looked quite cheerful, but Fudge looked stern and wasn't talking. After the feast, Dumbledore stood up and silence fell. "Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."
Harry got up. The Slytherins near him were applauding him, as well as the whole Gryffindor Table. This earned the clapping in the Slytherin Table to taper off until it was only his friends and Quidditch teammates. He and Viktor headed off out of the Great Hall.
"So, Neville and I have been…dating for the last month," Viktor said.
"Really?" Harry said smiling softly for his friend. "How is it?"
"Nice, very nice. He is a very sweet boy, in more ways than one," Viktor chuckled. "I have told my parents about him this morning, and after the tournament they want to meet him properly."
"Well, good luck with that and the final task tren'or." Harry said.
"You too momche, I will not go easy on you," Viktor said.
"Good," Harry smirked, a feeling of confidence filling him, "it'll make it better when I win."
Viktor laughed as they crossed the courtyard, the champions growing quiet as they entered the Quidditch Field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.
When the stands were full ten minutes later, Professor McGonagall, Professor Moody, Hagrid, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest.
"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," Professor McGonagall said to the champions. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?"
The champions nodded.
"Off you go, then!" Bagman said brightly to the four patrollers.
"Good luck, Harry," Hagrid whispered and the four of them walked away in different directions, to station themselves around the maze. Bagman now pointed his wand at his throat, muttered, "Sonorus," and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.
"Ladies and gentleman, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each—Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points—Mr. Viktor Krum of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause, Neville even standing with the rest of the Durmstrang students. "And in third place—Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy!"
"So…at the fire of the cannon, Harry and Cedric!" Bagman said. "Three—two—" The cannon fired off, and Harry and Cedric hurried forward into the maze.
Harry Potter, age 37, walked into a quiet graveyard in the quiet village of Little Hangleton with a dying Lucius Malfoy. "A graveyard Potter?" Lucius whispered, "I am not dead yet."
"Quiet!" Harry said, putting a finger to his mouth, "Surely you remember this place… Cedric died here after all."
Lucius looked around the graveyard and nodded, "This does indeed seem familiar. I take it this is where the Dark Lord was resurrected?"
"It is," Harry hissed. "But we are going to stop it."
"And how is that Potter?" Lucius asked. Harry took out a watch he carried and said "The Third Task had just started, so in about an hour or so Cedric and I will be transport here by a portkey. Then, Wormtail will kill Cedric and leave me trapped there," he pointed to a rather large tombstone with a statue of an angel with a scythe, "as he proceeds with the resurrection potion."
"Then we are to kill Wormtail and the Dark Lord before you and this Cedric gets here?" Lucius asked.
"No, that is too much of a change. There needs to be a confrontation here," Harry said. "When Voldemort is revived, I will fight him."
"Here, master. Potter will be here soon," a cowardly voice interrupted Harry. Harry and Lucius had to hide behind a couple of tombstones as Wormtail walked forward into the clear space. He was holding a blanket that covered the deformed Voldemort. "He will make sure of it my lord, do not worry." Wormtail said.
"Good, get the cauldron ready." Voldemort's inhumanly voice said from the blankets. Wormtail nodded and whimpered the spells as he walked around the clear space of the cemetery. Harry bit his lip and looked at Lucius. They couldn't be caught now, so Harry breathed "We'll wait outside the cemetery, follow me."
Crouched low, Harry and Lucius slowly made their way out of the cemetery, Wormtail's whimpers fading as they reached the iron gated entrance. Harry pointed his wand at the gate and it silently swung open, closing, but not locking, behind Harry and Lucius. They sat down against the brick wall on the sidewalk and Harry looked at Lucius. Harry took out the Time Turner from his pocket and looked at it. "It's too dangerous to use the Time-Turner, I don't know the exact minute Cedric and I will appear. We will wait until then. Use the time to sleep, Lucius. You look tired." Harry said, bringing his legs up and placing his arms on them.
"You will not mock me of my age, Potter," Lucius said, "and I will not lower myself to sleep on the ground like a homeless muggle."
Harry just shrugged and looked up at the clear night sky, wanting all of this to be over so he could finally be in Draco's arms.
Harry cursed Hagrid for the Blast-Ended Skrewts. After encountering boggarts, giant spiders, and endless hallways of hedges, Harry had run into the revolting monstrosity that Hagrid had had his class raise. Ten feet long, it looked more like a giant scorpion than anything. Its long sting was curled over its back. Its thick armor glinted in the light from Harry's wand, which he pointed at it. "Stupefy!"
The spell hit the skrewt's armor and rebounded; Harry ducked just in time, but could smell burning hair; it had singed the top of his head. The skrewt issued a blast of fire from its end and flew forward toward him.
"IMPEDIMENTA!" Harry yelled. The skrewt was inches from him as it froze. Panting, Harry pushed himself away from it and ran, hard, in the opposite direction—the Impediment Curse wasn't permanent.
He took a new path when he heard a scream. "What are you doing!?" Cedric's voice yelled. "What the hell d'you think you're doing?"
Then Harry heard Viktor's voice. "Crucio!"
The air was suddenly filled of Cedric's yells. Horrified, Harry began sprinting up his path, trying to find a way into Cedric's. When none was found, Harry tried the Reductor Curse and had to kick open a small hole that the curse had made. Harry crawled through it and ran towards Cedric's screaming. He found Viktor Krum with a dazed look in his eyes, his arm ridged. "Stupefy!" Harry yelled. The spell hit Krum in the chest and he fell to the floor, next to Cedric. Harry ran to Cedric and helped him up, he was panting heavily and twitching slightly.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked roughly.
"Yeah…yeah I don't believe it," Cedric panted. "He crept up behind me…I heard him, I turned around and he had his wand on me…"
"I don't think he was himself," Harry said looking at Viktor. Cedric looked at him and Harry shook his head, "I'll explain later, but for now I think we should get him out of here before Hagrid's skewts find him."
"Even though he deserves it," Cedric muttered as both he and Harry raised their wands and sent red sparks up. They then started running down the pathway slowly as Cedric gained his breath. "So, just us now I guess," he said. "I saw red sparks about ten minutes ago then heard Bagman's voice about Fleur."
"I was too busy dealing with a sphinx to notice," Harry said. "Kept asking me questions."
Cedric laughed at this and said "Guess it's a Hogwarts victory than, no matter who touches it." Harry nodded and they turned a corner, the hedges seemed to be moving on their own, a breeze slowly growing as they walked down the path. Harry looked up and smiled. "Finally," he said. He pointed towards the end of the path, the Triwizard Cup was gleaming on a plinth at the end of the path.
Cedric smirked at Harry and said "Come on Potter, let's end this." Harry nodded and both friends helped each other down the pathway, running as the wind picked up, becoming a constant force that pushed them forward, billowing against the hedges of the maze as it forced the boys to reach the end quicker. When they reached the center of the maze, the wind magically stopped, an eerie calm falling onto the maze as both boys stared at the cup. They both held a hand out over one of the cup's gleaming handles.
"On three, right?" Harry said, "One—two—three—"
He and Cedric both grasped a handle.
Instantly, Harry felt a jerk somewhere behind his navel. His feet had left the ground. He could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling him onward in a howl of wind and swirling color, Cedric at his side.
Harry felt his feet slam into the ground; his leg gave way and he fell forward; his hand let go of the Cup at last. He raised his head. "Where are we?" he asked.
Cedric shook his head. He got up, pulled Harry to his feet, and they looked around. They had left Hogwarts grounds completely, instead they were standing in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right.
Cedric looked down at the Triwizard Cup and then up at Harry. "Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?" he asked.
"Nope," Harry said. He was looking around the graveyard. "Is this supposed to be part of the task, you reckon?"
"I dunno," Cedric said. He sounded slightly nervous. "Wands out, d'you reckon?"
They pulled their wands out. Harry kept looking around him. Harry looked at the largest headstone, which had a stone stature of the Angle of Death. He brought his wand to towards the stone and read the inscription.
TOM RIDDLE
"GET TO THE PORTKEY!" Harry yelled.
Then, without warning, Harry's scar exploded with pain. It was agony such as he had never felt in all his life; his wand slipped from his fingers as he put his hands over his face; his knees buckled; he was on the ground and he could see nothing at all; his head was about to split open.
From far away, about his head, he heard a high, cold voice say "Kill the spare!"
A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night: "Avada Kedavra!"
A blast of green light blazed through Harry's eyelids, and he heard something heavy fell to the ground beside him; the pain in his scar reached such a pitch that he retched, and then it diminished; terrified of what he was about to see, he opened his stinging eyes.
Cedric was laying several feet away from him, his body mostly hidden from a gravestone. Harry could only see Cedric's chest and legs, but they weren't moving at all. Harry feared the worst that Cedric was dead.
He wanted to go and check, to make sure that his friend wasn't dead, but the short man in a cloak had put down his bundle that he was holding, lit his wand, and dragged Harry to the large statue with the scythe, which came to life and held Harry in place, the stone scythe underneath Harry's head, pushing against his throat. The cloaked man took off his cloak and looked at Harry.
"You!" Harry said.
Wormtail ignored him. Instead he focused on the swaddle in his arms and the huge black cauldron in the graveyard. He heard noises at his feet. He looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the tombstone where Harry was trapped. Wormtail's fast, wheezy breathing was growing louder again, and Harry saw Wormtail was pushing the stone cauldron closer to Harry, it seemed to be full of water. Wormtail pulled up the swaddle and the blankets fell, revealing something truly monstrous, Harry's scar burning as he watched Wormtail drop it into the cauldron. Let it drown, let it drown, please let it drown, Harry thought.
Wormtail was speaking. His voice shook; he seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke. "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"
The surface of the grave below Harry's feet cracked. Horrified, Harry watched as a fine trickle of dust rose into the air at Wormtail's command and fell softly into the cauldron. The diamond surface of the water broke and hissed; it sent sparks in all directions and turned a vivid, poisonous-looking blue.
And now Wormtail was whimpering. He pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs. "Flesh — of the servant — w-willingly given — you will — revive — your master."
He stretched his right hand out in front of him—the hand with the missing finger. He gripped the dagger very tightly in his left and swung it upward. Harry realized what Wormtail was about to do a second before it happened—he closed his eyes as tightly as he could, but he could not block the scream that pierced the night, that went through Harry as though he had been stabbed with the dagger too.
He heard something fell into the cauldron, giving a sickening splash. Harry couldn't stand to look…but the potion had turned a burning red; the light of it shone through Harry's closed eyelids.
Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony. Not until Harry felt Wormtail's anguished breath on his face did he realize that Wormtail was right in front of him.
"Blood of the enemy…forcibly taken…you will…resurrect your foe."
Harry couldn't do anything to prevent it, he was held too tightly. Wormtail brought up the knife to Harry's exposed right arm and brought it down. Harry felt the point penetrate and opened his eyes screaming as blood swept down the sleeve of his torn robes. Wormtail, still in pain, fumbled in his pocket for a glass vial, holding it to the cut as blood dripped into it.
He staggered back to the cauldron with Harry's blood. He poured it inside. The liquid within turned instantly, a blinding white. Wormtail, his job done, dropped to his knees beside the cauldron, then slumped sideways and lay on the ground, cradling the bleeding stump of his arm, gasping and sobbing.
The cauldron was simmering, sending its diamond sparks in all directions. Nothing happened…
Let it have drowned, Harry thought, let it have gone wrong…
But then, a hand appeared from the cauldron. A man, tall and skeletally thin, rose slowly from inside the cauldron. An icy surge of terror filled Harry as the high, cold voice said "Robe me."
Wormtail scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground, got to his feet, reached up and pulled them one-handed over his masters' head. The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry …and Harry stared back into the face that had haunted his nightmares for three years. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils…
Lord Voldemort had risen again.
Voldemort looked away from Harry and examined his own body. He slipped an unnaturally long-fingered hand into a deep pocket and drew out a wand. He caressed it gently, and then raised it and pointed it at Wormtail, who was lifted off the ground and thrown against a headstone.
"My Lord…" Wormtail choked, "My Lord…you promised…you did promise…"
"Hold out your arm Wormtail." Voldemort said.
"Thank you master," Wormtail choked, holding out his stumped arm.
"Your other arm."
"M-Master…" Wormtail said, lifting his left arm. Voldemort forced Wormtail's robes up past his elbow, and Harry saw something upon the skin there, something like a vivid red tattoo—a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth—the image that had appeared in the sky at the Quidditch World Cup: the Dark Mark. Voldemort examined it carefully, ignoring Wormtail's uncontrollable weeping.
"It is back," he said softly, "they will all have noticed it…and now, we shall see…we shall know…"
He pressed his long white forefinger to the brand on Wormtail's arm. The scar on Harry's forehead seared with a sharp pain again, and Wormtail let out a fresh howl; Voldemort removed his fingers from Wormtail's mark, and Harry saw that it had turned jet black.
Voldemort straightened up, a looked of cruel satisfaction on his face, threw his head up and stared around at the dark graveyard. "How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" he whispered, his gleaming red eyes fixed upon the stars. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?"
The air filled with the swishing of cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked. And one by one they moved forward…slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes. Voldemort stood in silence, waiting for them. The Death Eaters encircled the gravestones, leaving no way for Harry to run, the Triwizard Cup laying near Cedric's body.
There were gaps between some of the Death Eaters and Voldemort moved around the circle. "The Lestranges should stand here," Voldemort said quietly. "But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me. …When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us…they are our natural allies …we will recall the banished giants…I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear…"
He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but he paused before others and spoke to them. "Malfoy should be here…" Voldemort said. "It appears he too have betrayed me. He will pay, naturally."
Harry felt the statue moved and he fell to the ground. He immediately scrambled for his wand and stumbled to his feet. Voldemort turned around and looked at Harry slightly confused. "Harry, it seems you were freed earlier than expected," he looked at his followers and asked "Who freed Harry Potter?"
"I'm afraid that would be me, my Lord," an old, but familiar voice said. Harry looked behind him and almost gasped as he saw Lucius Malfoy standing behind him, yet he looked different, much older from the last time he saw the man this summer.
"Ahh, Lucius, you have returned," Voldemort said smirking coldly. He chuckled and said "Although, you appeared much older than I thought you were."
"Oh, that could be easily explained," Lucius Malfoy said as he stepped forward. He looked at Harry and said "Watch closely Harry, there are things you must see here." He pointed his wand at Wormtail and said "Avada Kedavra!" The same green light that hit Cedric sparked from Lucius Malfoy's wand and hit Wormtail dead center in his chest, the small man flying back in the air and landing dead in front of Voldemort, his beady eyes looking surprised at his Lord.
Voldemort simply laughed an icy laugh and said "All of this, just to make Wormtail die? May I ask why Lucius?"
"Harry Potter needs to see a death tonight," Lucius said calmly. Harry looked confused at the man and noticed that he was holding his wand in his left hand, instead of his right. His right hand, instead was hidden in his traveling cloak.
"Harry Potter needs to see a death tonight," Voldemort repeated before chuckling. "How specific Lucius, after all, Potter here will see a death tonight." The Death Eaters stepped forward but Voldemort stopped them, "Do not move," he said. "Potter and Malfoy are mine to deal with."
Harry heard movement and looked towards Cedric's body. There was a man bent over Cedric's body. He could only see the outline of the man, and his arm as he placed his hand on Cedric's chest. The man stood up and turned towards the crowd of Death Eaters. Harry still couldn't see his face.
"I hope you are ready Potter," Voldemort said. "As this will be your final duel."
"Stupefy!" a man's voice yelled. The nearest Death Eaters to Cedric's body fell unconscious as the man ran through them, pointing his wand at Voldemort. If Voldemort was surprised or caught off guard, he didn't show it as he stared curiously at the new comer. "Hello, Tom." The man said. He looked at Harry and Harry gasped. The man had the same green eyes and messy black hair as he did, although the man had stubble and a different pair of glasses, looking much older. "Get to Cedric and get the Portkey Harry!" the man commanded.
"What—you are you?" Harry asked the man.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort said slowly. Both the man and Harry looked at Voldemort, who started to laugh madly as realization hit him. "Is that you Potter? You've grown old Potter."
"I am older Tom," the man said. "But with that age came experience. I've already defeated you when I was seventeen. Now I will do it again."
Harry saw a necklace on the man's neck, and hanging from it was a silver Time-Turner. Confused, Harry tried to focus on Voldemort. He raised his wand and glared at Voldemort. Voldemort looked at the two Potters and whipped his wand, "Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!" Harry and the man said at the same time, the two red jets of light hit Voldemort's Killing Curse and they stopped each other, the three spells colliding, a ball of golden light appearing where the spells met, flares of red and green shooting out. The golden light turned into a golden tread that lashed out, thousands of beams arching high over Harry, the man, and Voldemort, crisscrossing all around them, until they were enclosed in a golden, dome-shaped web, a cage of light that the Death Eaters or Mr. Malfoy couldn't reach.
The Death Eaters instead decided to go after Mr. Malfoy. Harry couldn't see what the Death Eaters and Mr. Malfoy were doing behind him, as he and the man had to concentrate on keeping their spells on Voldemort. The man flicked his wrist and their spell pushed against Voldemort's curse. Harry imitated the man and the spell pushed back even more until their Stunning Curse reached Voldemort's wand and pushed him back against the golden cage. Voldemort screamed and pointed his wand against the man, the Killing Curse overtaking their Stunning Spell until they were back where they started.
"It's no use Tom," the man said. "There are no Horcruxes left."
"How did you find them Potter?" Voldemort asked. Harry looked at the man even more confused as ever. Why was he calling him by his name?
Voldemort gave one final yell as he pushed the spell. The Killing Curse easily pushed their Stunner back and broke the connection, the light cage dissipating as both Harry fell to the ground. The fighting around them stopped as the Death Eaters and Lucius looked at what happened. Around Lucius were several unconscious Death Eaters. "Potter!" he yelled as he turned towards the two Harrys.
The older Potter stood up and helped Harry to his feet. The older man looked at Lucius for a moment before there was a cry, "Avada Kedavra!"
A pale green light jetted from a Death Eater's wand and hit Lucius Malfoy in the back. The old man fell to the ground like a ragdoll, dead.
"NO!" The man screamed as he lashed out his wand, "Impedimenta!" he yelled. The random Death Eater froze as if he was a frozen statue, his arm still held out and wand in hand. "Reducto!" He yelled again, the frozen Death Eater shattering.
Voldemort took this moment while both Harrys were distracted to cast another Killing Curse, aiming for the younger Harry. "Look out!" the older Harry yelled. He pushed the younger away just as the Killing Curse hit him. But instead of hitting his chest, the curse miraculously hit the Time Turner that Lucius had made special for him and Harry. The Time Turner shattered with a loud bang, the sands falling out of the Time Turner and a golden light enwrapping both Harrys. They both screamed as the force pushed everyone back, Harry couldn't see what was going on, but felt a piercing sensation, as if something, or someone was trying to get into his body and brain. The older Potter's voice died out while Harry's increased, the piercing and intruding sensation causing Harry to scream. It felt as if his brain, his bones, and every organ in his body wanted to push out at all sides, his skin trying to constrict and keep them together. As soon as the feeling started, it was gone, as well as the golden light. Harry fell to the ground and groaned as he looked around. The man was gone, as well as the body of the older Lucius Malfoy. Time Turner, he thought, figuring something out before it fled away to the back of his brain.
Harry stumbled to his feet and looked around. The headstones were broken, the Death Eaters on the ground unconscious, as well as Voldemort. Harry took his chance and ran towards Cedric's body as Voldemort awoke and slowly got up again. Harry grabbed Cedric's body and pointed his wand at the Cup. "Accio!" he yelled.
Voldemort's red eyes flamed in the darkness as the Cup flew into the air and soared toward him. Harry caught it by the handle—
He heard Voldemort's scream of fury at the same moment that he felt the jerk behind his navel that meant the Portkey had worked—it was speeding him away in a whirl of wind and color, and Cedric along with him. …They were going back.
A/N: Welp, that happened. Don't expect an update for awhile! Busy, I am.
Kigen Dawn: Yes, everyone gets action, except Snape. And maybe.
Okiniiri-Hime: Big bro?...okay… weird. And nope. And why queen of Uke? Why not King? Queen means something feminine, which they are not. What was I late for again?
BrotherofBasilisks: Hi Love! I hope you really, really, really liked the chapters you missed! Probably won't make a new one until you catch up!
Theednamo: Okay, any other suggestions?
Yukino76: Yes it is, and what's next is off-screen sex.
Guest: Yes, that rascal! And why so violent against Rita? She's just doing her job.
Ern: All the happiness for Viktor! And thanks for your support!
Ronelia Delgrange: I never said that Cedric won't die. I was just being an a-hole to my readers by teasing the option lol. And I guess, if you think of it…the people you knocked off your list did die. We'll just have to wait till next time to see if Cedric is still alive. Thanks for the replying, and please make some more theories and observations! It's fun replying to them!
WinterShield13: Huh… you ship those two only after two chapters? Interesting… honestly I just pulled it out of a hat. Baby updates will be more in the background, we don't care about them in the plot, they're just happening. And they do not have random 2am screw sessions, they just sleep naked, like any other normal young couples lol. And no, Blaise and Theo are falling into the background a bit, but they'll be back, don't you worry. And wow, where did I say specifically that Cedric won't die? It's still up in the air at this point. As for the end of the tournament… hmm yeah, I think I will do that. And they're done with their Subject.
FanficLover577: Happy Endings are preserved for fairy tales and this isn't a Fairy tale unfortunately lol. But don't worry, there'll be happy-ish endings.
Kiera Jones: Yes and who knows.
Animesaki: …fangirls are certainly violence-loving against women they don't like… that scares me.