Hey guys as promised here is the next chapter of this little Saga of mine, within the week as promised :)
Chapter 18: Come Again
The hour had just struck 12 on the eve of a fortuitous day.
After much waiting, planning and scheming.
The Dark Lord would come back once more.
They'd anxiously waited many a night for the Dark Lord's return. Taking careful consideration to remember those that had betrayed them.
Yes. They remembered.
Those that denied their Lord when brought before the Wizengamont for trial. Those who had betrayed their cause.
Who had gone against the Dark Lord and his wise teachings, his cause.
The cause of all purebloods alike.
To make the world a better place for all purebloods alike. From smallest babe to gentlest woman to tallest man. A place safe for all purebloods. Free of misuse at the hands of muggleborns.
Those who did not truly understand the ways of the wizard and witch. Those who were ignorant of their way of life. Of their culture. Who had slandered and brought the very nature of their ways to its very knees.
Their way of life was dying out. With each passing generation. Purebloods were becoming less and less numerous. And in time would cease to exist all together. Would be nothing more than a distant memory. Lost in the sands of time.
But not anymore. Their Lord would return soon. Would right all the wrongs. Would turn the world on its belly and bring it into submission. Would put purebloods back in their proper place.
As the betters of the Wizarding World.
As those that had been given the divine right to rule. But that had been usurped by the usurpers. The vile mudbloods!
In this new world. All the injustices would not go unpunished. All the wrongs would be righted.
A place safe for all pureblooded children alike.
- x -
"Hello, gentlemen. I take it your end of things went well?" Rebastian Lestrange spoke as he made his presence known to his elder brother and Lucius Malfoy. He had just arrived at the Lestrange Manor to inform his brother of his success in finalizing the deal he'd been trying to broker for close to 4 years. Giants. 'Stubborn half-wits'
The two men turned to face the younger man. They'd been discussing the successful infiltration of the ministry when the younger man had walked in.
"No more than usual," Rodolphus responded, taking in the slightly disheveled look about his brother.
A simple nod from the younger man.
"Did the giant's take kindly to our offerings?" Lucius inquired as he watched the younger man take a seat in a nearby plush chair and begin to pour himself a bit of brandy from a bottle he and Rodolphus had partook from earlier in the day.
"As good Giant's take most things," the younger man said, taking a swig of his drink.
"Good," the blonde replied, all the pieces were falling into place for the Dark Lord's return.
They'd just have to play their cards carefully.
"How is Hermione?" Rabastian asked after downing the last of his drink.
"She is well, having a successful fourth year, she sends her love," Rodolphus replied, his younger brother and his only child were rather close. Rabastian and he had a 5 year age gap, and after their mother had passed from a complicated pregnancy when they'd been boys, that had left an inability for further siblings as their father had refused to remarry. When he'd married Bellatrix and they'd had Hermione his younger brother had formed an instant attachment.
'Like the little sister he never had,' Rodolphus chuckled to himself as he watched his younger brother smile at his words.
"Good, is that half-breed treating her right?" Rabastian asked a moment later. He'd been a tad surprised when his Brother and good-sister had chosen the french part veela over the Pureblooded Bulgarian seeker, but had decided to respect their decision. He'd never been one for politics. Absolutely loathed the intricacies that it entailed. So he trusted his brother, who'd been groomed to be the head of the Lestrange family. He'd leave that to him. He'd gladly take Giants over politics any day.
"Draco doesn't let them out of his sight," Lucius replied, his son had been writing to him about the happenings about the castle. And how he'd been making sure to protect Hermione from untoward actions. In particular an altercation with the eldest McNair son.
Yes. He'd have to have a talk with Walden about that. Lest he leave Bellatrix to deal with the matter and have to explain to his Lordship why he was a death eater short.
"Very good," Rebastian replied, satisfied with the answer. Draco was a good boy. A proper pureblooded gentleman, he'd keep his precious niece safe from unsavory characters.
"Have you heard anything else from Barty?" Rabastian asked once more.
"As a matter of fact we have," Rodolphus replied, they'd been discussing the very man when his younger brother had walked in.
"The Dark Lord has provided the day of his return," Lucius stated. The younger man looking at him expectantly in turn.
"Well then? What's it to be?" Rabastian asked, 'finally after all this time.'
"On the eve of the Third Task of the TriWizard Tournament"
- x -
"Reducto!"
A dodge.
"Protego!"
A fumble.
"Inpulsa-incantatum!"
A shockwave and a thud.
"You couldn't have been kinder to me?" Suzette's groan, as Fleur loomed over the brunette.
Claude on the opposite end groaning at the angle he'd fallen on his arse.
"Non, Madame stated that I am to take no prisoners as the english say," Fleur replied, extending her hand to help the other girl up.
"Right," the other girl continued to groan as her friend helped her up.
They'd been tasked by their Headmistress to help train Fleur for the looming Third Task.
So far their friend had managed to score first in the first two tasks of the tournament and their Headmistress did not want to leave the results of the Third Task to chance.
So here they were.
Getting thrown on their asses repeatedly as their friend trounced them over and over again.
'Really shouldn't have skipped dueling lessons back home so often,'
Suzette groaned, rubbing her backside.
"At this rate you'll be holding that cup before the other champions have a chance to start," Claude commented coming up to the two girls.
His pride was a bit bruised at having landed on his ass repeatedly but he was happy it was at least for a good cause.
"Merci," Fleur replied, she was very appreciative that her two friends had been willing to help her train.
Hopefully they could wrap this up soon so that she could find her beloved for a few moments alone.
The day was still young.
And Hermione was waiting somewhere about the grounds.
- x -
Harry was having a bit of an off day.
Having to deal with a tournament that could potentially kill him.
Was the least of his problems.
His scar had been hurting at an alarming rate as of late.
And he was trying to find out why he'd seen a man named Barty Crouch Jr on the marauder's map the other night.
The pensive Dumbledore had shown him a week ago had revealed to him whom the man was. However he'd learned the young man had perished in Azkaban not long afterwards.
The man's father Barty Crouch Sr. had turned up dead not long after the 2nd task. And he'd be lying if he didn't admit that it didn't unsettle him.
Something was going on and he needed to find out what it was before the beginning of the Third Task.
Before this man made an attempt on his life.
Could he have been the one that had entered his name into the cup?
He hoped asking Hermione Lestrange about him again would help put him at ease.
Or at least give him a better understanding about the man's potential actions.
- x -
She'd been having a lovely read about the properties of dragon blood, when Harry Potter had decided to grace her with his presence.
Reluctantly closing her book she looked up to look at the messy haired boy.
"Can I help you?" Hermione asked, the young man before her looked a tad haggard if she was being honest.
Looking around to make sure no one was within the vicinity, the young man turned back to look at the young lady and spoke "I know I've asked you this before, but is there anything else you can recall about Barty Crouch Jr?"
Hermione could only look on with an incredulous look on her face.
"This again?"
"I know, but it's important that I know so I know if the man is walking about the grounds trying to kill me," Harry said in a hushed whisper. The slytherin girl across from him having gone slightly wide eyed at his words.
"That's not possible, he passed away in azkaban," She surmised. She remembered the day. Her mother and father had been upset and they'd hexed a house elf that'd been unlucky to bring their afternoon tea that day. Much to her displeasure as the creature had not done anything to deserve such a punishment. But she had kept that last part to herself and had made sure to give her personal elf some healing salve later that evening to apply to the over elve's wounds.
"You're sure?" Harry asked again.
"I wouldn't lie about that," Hermione replied sternly.
Giving a big sigh Harry took a seat across from the girl.
"I don't think he died," Harry quietly muttered the girl in turn giving him a strange look.
"What do you-
"I have a map, it allows me to see everyone on Hogwarts grounds, and a couple of nights ago I noticed someone with the name Barty Crouch Jr appear on it," Harry whispered.
"How?" Hermione asked, heart rate speeding up at the boy's words.
"I'm not sure what kind of magic went into its creation, but one thing I am certain of is that the map never lies," Harry replied with certainty.
"How is that possible? No one's escaped Azkaban," Hermione tried to reason.
"Sirius did," Harry said, the girl in turn giving him an appreciative look before asking.
"Do you think he put your name in the cup?,"
"He might have,"
The two sit in stunned silence for a few tense minutes.
"I need to let Sirius know," Harry said after a moment.
"And just what will he be able to do?" Hermione replied, the man was a wanted fugitive. He'd be able to do nothing about it, telling him would only serve to unnecessarily agitate the man.
"Maybe he can help," Harry tried to reason. He felt scared, and helpless and he needed someone to assure him he'd be safe. Or that they'd at least try to help him in the event that this Barty Crouch Jr made an attempt on his life.
"How? He'd just expose himself if he tried," Hermione countered back. She'd be lying if she didn't admit that this was one of Harry Potter's traits that annoyed her to no end. His lack of self-sufficiency.
"Well what would you recommend then?" Harry asked, he was running out of ideas and fast.
"Let me see what I can find out," Hermione replied as she got up and started gathering her things.
"When will I-
"I'll let you know," she replied, cutting the young man off, slung her shoulder bag over her shoulder and walked out of the library.
What Potter had told her had unnerved her. Not necessarily for her own safety. But for those of the other students at the school.
Since before the start of Term her parents had been ramping up her dueling lessons. Getting rougher with her, not so much so that they'd harm her but enough to where she could probably best a few of the 6th years.
She'd started to notice that her father had taken an increasing amount of meetings before she'd left for school.
And it hadn't gone unnoticed by Draco that her uncle Lucius had been spending more time at the Ministry.
Not to mention her uncle Rebastian's absence from their family home.
He usually spent a considerable amount of time at the manor before her term started.
But he'd been occupied with a few 'business matters' or so her father had said.
Her uncle hated politics.
He wouldn't willingly engage in them if something wasn't afoot.
And she'd find out just what before the year ended.
Of that she was certain.
- x -
It was the day of the tournament.
On this particular day the clouds had decided to take over the majority of the sky obscuring the warm rays of the sun.
A few loose strands however had managed to break free and had in an ironic twist of fate, decided to shine over the arena of the Third Task.
The Hogwarts students that were inclined to a musical instrument had been asked to play for this final task.
A joyous way to end the Tournament with a bit of pomp.
Since her conversation with Harry a few days prior, Hermione had been unable to gather much information on Barty Crouch Jr.
She'd inquired with her uncle Rebastian via letter but that had been unfortuitous as he'd dodged the question all together and had in turn shifted the focus onto a magical tree he had come across during his travels, he had inquired if she'd be up to doing a bit of investigative work with him after the terms end. Something about the tree's properties and potentially being able to extract some wood to fashion a wand.
She hadn't paid much attention to the rest of the letter.
She'd let Harry Potter know that she'd been unsuccessful the day prior much to the boy's chagrin.
He had regardless thanked her for her troubles and she'd in turn suggested a few spells he could try during the task.
Something to try to ease his nerves as she'd noticed his state of disarray had gotten worse as the days grew closer and closer to the Third Task.
She only hoped they helped him as he went into this maze-like structure she saw before her eyes.
He was after all just a boy of 14 going up against three of age Wizards and Witch. Whom each were advanced in their knowledge of spellwork and dueling capabilities in their own right.
Not too far away from where she was seated with her housemates where her future inlaws.
Their little group of Slytherins had opted to take a seat near the Beauxbaton students.
Not much of a surprise as she was betrothed to their champion.
She'd been pleasantly surprised to see Fleur's parents and little sister as they'd made their way into the stands. No doubt having had seen Fleur earlier in the day.
Gabrielle had zeroed in on her in an instant and had all but launched herself at her person. She in turn had hugged the younger girl in turn. Wouldn't do to shy away from the child's affection, as she'd grown to learn during her brief stay in France the summer before.
'A pleasure to see 'ou 'ere Miss Lestrange,' Clement Delacour had greeted, taking her hand and planting a simple kiss on it. Fleur's mother had in turn kissed both of her cheeks in greeting.
They had exchanged pleasantries and after much sulking on Gabrielle's part at being seperated from Hermione they had all taken their respective seats.
Her parents it had seemed had opted not to come to the finale of the tournament.
Which shouldn't have sent chills up her spine.
But something about the day felt very foreboding and Hermione didn't like the way it made her feel one bit.
The arrival of the champions took her away from her thoughts as she shifted focus onto the object of her affections.
Fleur looked resplendent in her powder blue tracksuit as she made her way onto the center of the arena. Harry followed not too far behind. It seemed he had managed to clean up a bit before the start of this task.
"Silannnnceeee!" the booming voice of the Headmaster spoke aloud as the excited shouts of joy from the students and visitors alike quieted down.
"Earlier today Professor Moody placed the TriWizard Cup deep within the maze, only he knows its exact position," the headmaster went on as the audience listened on.
Now as Miss Delacour currently has the most amount of points she will be the first to enter the maze, followed by Mr. Diggory and Mr. Potter who are tied for 2nd, and Mr. Krum will follow," the Headmaster explained as the champions looked on as the maze opened up and Professor Moody walked out.
At the professor's entrance, the hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stood on edge. Something didn't feel right about this professor. But she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
The students around her had started to clap rather loudly; each school cheering for their respective champion.
Not wanting to look odd, Hermione in turn cheered for Fleur. She was a tad biased in her desire to have the French witch win the tournament.
However she couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness she felt and hoped to all that was just that Fleur made it out of this task unscathed.
"First person to touch the cup will be the winner!" The Headmaster went on.
"I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter, if at any point a contestant wishes to withdraw from the task, he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands," the Headmaster informed, turning to face the Champions. Motioning for them to gather around him.
"Champions gather round quickly!" The Headmaster instructed as the four champions gathered around him. He spoke a few hushed words to the four before motioning for them to get in position before their respective entrances.
"Champions prepare yourselves!"
The excited cheers from the students became deafening as they all cheered on their respective champions.
The sudden sound of a cannon going off prematurely startling all as the Hogwarts Headmaster shook his head and motioned for Fleur to enter the maze.
The other three champions followed soon after.
- x -
'It never ends,' Fleur thought to herself as she ran down a deserted path.
She'd been the first allowed within the massive maze due to her previous winnings.
And thus far she had encountered blast ended skrewts, a sphinx and a bogart. All foes she had managed to overcome. Albeit the last one had been a tad tricky. She could only wonder a guess how that 14 year old Harry Potter was faring.
The sudden sound of a set of footsteps catches her attention and she quickly turns around to face the upcoming foe.
The tall bulky form of Viktor Krum stands before her.
He looks her head on, not wavering eye contact with her.
She knew this would be a possibility going into this tournament. Champion pitted against Champion.
She just never imagined going up against the man who'd almost been her beloved's betrothed.
Wand at the ready Fleur looked the young man head on. He should have shot a spell her way by now. But he hadn't. 'So why hasn't he,' Fleur thought to herself as the young man held his wand at her. Face unmoving.
He looked. 'Strange,'
The pupils of his eyes had gone a milky color and his stance was not one normally seen about the young man.
Almost foreign.
There was something odd about his manner.
"Expelliarmus!" Viktor shouted, firing off the first shot at the french witch.
Thinking quick Fleur shifts her body to the right avoiding the spell.
The spell shoots past her and hits the encasing shrubbery.
"Incendio," Fleur counters.
Fire spills forth from her wand in a straight stream.
"Protego," Viktor counters, causing the stream of fire to bounce off and blast up into the sky.
Deciding to use the brief moment of distraction. Fleur shouts "Inpulsa-incantatum!"
A shockwave erupts and the young man's feet are swept out from under him.
Taking this moment Fleur makes a run for it.
An attempt to get away from the young man.
She needed to find the cup.
The sudden feel of something cold encasing her feet brings her to the ground however.
Pulling herself up on her elbows she turns over on her side to see what's grabbed ahold of her feet only to see a block of ice encasing her feet.
She looks up to see Viktor Krum approach her.
Eyes still the odd milky hue.
Coming up to loom over the french witch, the Bulgarian smirks.
'Merde,' Fleur thinks to herself before a split second later turning her head to the side as the young man makes to stomp on her.
She takes a hold of his leg and twists, causing the young man to tumble to the ground.
A split second later Viktor is upon her, hands attempting to grip her neck.
"I didn't think 'ou were capable of such dishonor," Fleur grits out as the young man struggles against her strength. Teeth clenched and eyes still eerily off.
The young man says nothing in turn and continues to use his strength to try to grip Fleur's neck.
The two skrimigde on the ground for a few minutes. Each not backing down.
The sound of something cracking catches the Bulgarian's attention for a split second.
Taking that split second Fleur splits the young man's hands apart and surges forward headbutting the man.
Starting him and giving her the opportunity to roll over.
She mutters a quick counter spell to dispel the ice and gets to her feet. Wand pointed at the Bulgarian.
Viktor grunts in frustration but quickly recovers and gets to his feet as well. The two face each other.
Both panting from their tussle.
"Bombarda!" the two shout at the same time, only to quickly follow up with a "Protego"
An explosion is heard and Harry Potter dashes towards the sound.
He'd been struggling to find the end of the maze before hearing the explosion.
Rounding the corner he sees two prone bodies lying on their sides.
Fear grips the young Gryfindor and he pushes his legs to go faster.
He realizes that he's come across the bodies of Fleur Dealcour and Viktor Krum.
'Oh god'
Not wasting any time he first rushes over to crouch beside the body of the french witch. Fingers touching the side of her neck for a pulse.
'Feint,' he thinks to himself, gets up and walks over to the Bulgarian.
Repeating the same action, he feels the light beat of a heartbeat and sighs to himself in relief.
'Alive,' he greatfully thinks to himself before pointing his wand in the air and shooting red sparks.
"Periculum!"
Hermione would have to thank him later for this.
A sudden gust of wind startles the young man and he makes a run for it.
He doesn't know how long the wind will last.
It makes a sudden stop as he trips on a loose vine.
Tumbling to the ground, Harry has a brief moment to try to gather himself before he hears someone shout "Expelliarmus!"
He shoots a "protego!" of his own, shielding himself from the spell before quickly getting up and making a run for it.
He sees the cup in the distance.
Cedric Diggory makes quick work of closing the gap between the two and is upon him in an instant. Pushing him out of the way in an effort to get to the cup before him.
Harry does not allow that to deter him as he grips the older boy back and attempts to push him away in turn.
Both push the other while attempting to run towards the cup.
This goes on for several minutes as the two struggle to make their way towards the cup in the distance.
A set of vines shoots out suddenly and grips the older boy's legs dragging him to the ground and dragging him into the shrubbery.
Harry turns to look behind him as he watches the older wizard struggle to get up.
"Harry!" Cedric shouts as the vines increase their grip on his body.
Harry looks at him for a moment more before shouting "Reducto!" weakening the vines and helping the older boy to his feet.
Cedric takes a few moments to catch his breath.
"T-Thank you, you know for a moment there...I thought you were going to let it get me,"
"For a moment there so did I," Harry responds in turn.
"Some game huh,"
"Some game,"
A sudden gust of wind hits them in force and the two make a run for the cup once more.
Standing before the cup Cedric instructs "Go on take it! You saved me take it!,"
Harry shakes his head as the wind picks up.
"Together!"
"one"
"two"
"three"
The two young men grip the cup.
A pulling feeling ensues.
- x -
The two young men land in a heap.
"Are you ok?" Cedric asks getting up on his feet.
They'd portkey'd in what looked to be a cemetary.
But this was unlike any wizarding cemetery he'd been to before.
This one felt off.
"Yeah you?" Harry replies, gathering himself.
He'd seen this place before.
In one of his dreams.
An unsettling feeling came over him.
They needed to leave this place.
"Where are we?" the older boy wonders aloud crouching beside the discarded TriWizard Cup.
"It's a portkey, Harry the cup is a portkey-
"I've been here before, in a dream," Harry cuts the boy off.
"Cedric we have to get back to the cup, Now!" Harry instructs the older boy looking at him questionative.
"What are you talking about?" he asks before a creaking sound is heard and a heavy set man walks out of a tomb.
Harry's scar shoots a piercing pain through him and he stumbles to his knees, he screams out in pain.
"Harry, what is it?" Cedric asks, rushing over to the younger boy.
"Get back to the cup!," Harry shouts. He looks up to see Peter Pettigrew.
The man that betrayed his parents.
In his arms he holds a bundle.
A pair of snake like eyes stare back at him.
Eyes he's only ever seen in his nightmares.
'Voldemort'
Cedric does not heed Harry's words and gets up wand pointed at Wormtail.
The shriveled creature orders "Kill the spare!"
- x -
She comes too to the face of her mother and father looming over her.
Concern on each of their faces.
Just what had happened?
The last she remembered was firing off a disarming spell at Krum and the next nothing.
"Ma petite fille," Apolline Dealcour says in relief.
When they'd seen red sparks shoot off in the distance of the maze they'd feared the worst.
Hoping against all odds that it was not Fleur.
They'd been horrified to see that it was indeed Fleur when they saw her slung over the shoulder of the Hogwarts Game Keeper.
The Durmstrang champion on the other shoulder.
They'd both been knocked unconscious.
Making their way out of the stands, they walked up to the half-giant and thanked the man before taking their daughter from him.
Their eldest girl had a few scratches, but nothing a little healing salve and a pepper up potion wouldn't cure.
They'd both taken a sigh in relief at that.
Too preoccupied with seeing too their daughter's well being were they that they had not noticed the Lestrange girl behind them until Apolline heard a shuffle over her husband's shoulder.
Extending a hand out for the girl to take. The half veela moved over slightly to give the english witch a bit of space to Fleur's side.
"Thank you," Hermione muttered, taking the older girl's hands on hers.
Apolline knew the feeling.
Knew it all too well as she looked up to give her husband a small smile.
Clement returned his wife's smile.
The three had moved to lay their daughter on a nearby cot provided by the Hogwarts Medi-witch. There if any of the champions should need immediate medical attention.
They'd sat on either side of the girl for a few minutes before she opened her eyes, consciousness returning.
The girl's groans were a welcome sound as the three moved slightly back to give the girl a bit of breathing room.
"Where am I?"
Using her forearms to sit herself up she carefully sat up, muscles sore from her previous altercation.
"K-Krum, he's bewitched," Fleur bit out, guess she'd bruised more than her muscles.
Gathering more courage about her, she made to stand up. Her Father beside her helped her to stand as she pushed back against her Mother's silent plea to stay down.
Hermione's hand never left hers.
Looking over at the still prone form of Viktor Krum she noticed an older witch and wizard on either side of the boy, most likely his parents, as the man looked like an older version of the seeker. The only other distinction however being a thick beard.
"What do you mean Fleur?" Hermione asked, grabbing the older girl's attention.
Taking a breath to steady herself Fleur looked back into pools of brown.
"In ze maze, zere was somezing off about 'im, h-he tried to strangle me,"
This elicited shocked gasps from both of her parents and the girl before her to go white.
Her father beside her cursing in their native tongue at the dishonor of the still unconscious young man.
"I need to tell ze 'eadmaster," Fleur stated as she shook off her parents and made to walk for the Hogwarts Headmaster, where he stood at the center of the pitch. Madame Maxime and Igor Karkaroff beside him.
Hermione never once let go of her hand, lending her elbow for support.
- x -
"Thirteen years its been," the tall imposing form of Voldemort spoke as his Death Eaters gathered around him.
After many years of waiting.
Their Lord had finally returned.
"And yet here you stand before me as though it were only yesterday," he walked about staring at each one of his faithful Death Eaters.
Yes he was finally here.
To take his rightful place.
"Although I confess myself disappointed!" he bit out, passively staring each of them down.
Two forms immediately knelt to the ground.
Their Lord noticing this immediately glided over to their submissive forms.
He stared at two of his most faithful.
Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange.
"With the exception of these two, none of you tried to find me,"
The Dark Lord stated whirling around to pass the rest of his Death Eaters.
Pulling their masks as he went about shaming them for their lack of faith.
"Crabbe!"
"McNair!"
"Goyle!"
"Yaxly,"
"Travers,"
One by one he pulled their masks off.
And one by one they each knelt.
Stopping only when he was before Lucius Malfoy.
"Lucius," he all but sneered.
"My Lord, if I detected any sign or whisper of your whereabouts," the man tried to explain.
"There were signs," The Dark Lord cut off staring the blonde man down.
Staring him down for a few seconds before whirling around to face the rest of his followers.
"You did have a hand in tonight going smoothly, so I will excuse your cowardice,"
Lucius Malfoy in turn kneeling in gratitude.
"I-I returned!" Wormtail confidently tried to state. The Dark Lord in turn glides over to him.
"Out of fear! Not loyalty!"
The man cowers in fear.
"You have however proved yourself quite useful these past few months,"
With a swish of his wand a silver metalic like hand appears to replace the one Wormtail had willingly sacrificed in his resurrection.
He turns to look at Harry, the prone form of Cedric Diggory however catches his attention.
"What a pity, such a handsome boy," he says, turning the deceased boy's face with his foot.
"D-Don't touch him!" Harry Potter angrily bites out. His body being held back by a stone statue.
"Harry! My boy I had almost forgotten you were here," the Dark Lord says in glee.
"Look at you, standing over the bones of my father,"
The young man struggles against his restraint as the Dark Lord moves to stand before him.
"I'd introduce you, but word has it you're almost as famous as me these days,"
The boy continues to struggle.
"The boy who lived, how lies have fed your legend Harry, shall I reveal what really happened that night thirteen years ago, shall I divulge how I truly lost my powers?" the Dark Lord gleefully says.
The fear radiating off the boy giving him a thrill.
He turns away from the struggling young man to walk about his followers.
"It was love, you see when sweet dear Lily Potter gave her life for her only son, she provided the ultimate protection, I could not touch him! It was old magic, something I could not have foreseen... but no matter! Things have changed!" the Dark Lord states gliding with unnatural speed at the boy. Hand raised.
"I can touch you now"
This elicits screams of agony from the young boy.
The Dark Lord mocks his pain.
"Astonishing what a few drops of your blood will do ey Harry," He says, removing his hand from the young man.
The young man struggles to catch his breath.
"Pick up your wand Harry!" the Dark Lord instructs as he removes himself from the. Releasing him from his confines.
The boy drops to the ground unceremoniously. Struggling to catch his breath. Wand gripped tight.
The Death Eaters move to give the two room.
"I said pick it up! Get up!," The Dark Lord all but shouts at the boy.
"You've been taught how to duel yes?"
Harry doesn't say anything in turn, as he gets to his feet.
"First we bow," the Dark Lord instructs bowing and then forcing the boy to bow in turn with a flick of his wand.
"Harry the niceties must be observed, Dumbledore wouldn't want you to forget your manners would he?" Voldemort says with a snake-like grin.
"Thats better!" the Dark Lord says rushing at the boy.
"And now, crucio!"
The young man falls to the ground, writhing from the pain.
He flicks his wand once more ending the spell.
The young man rolls onto his side, trying to breathe.
Was this how he died?
In a graveyard with Voldemort returning to power?
"Atta boy Harry! Your parents would be proud, especially your filthy muggle mother,"
The young man with the last bit of strength within him responds, "Expelliarmus!"
This does nothing as the Dark Lord simply flicks the spell away.
"I'm going to kill you Harry Potter," the Dark Lord mocks, looming over the boy.
"I'm going to destroy you," his death eaters cackle in the background.
"No one will ever again question my powers," he states, the boy looks up at him in fear.
"After tonight if they speak of you, they'll speak only of how you begged for death and I the merciful Lord obliged," he says before levitating the boy into a standing position.
Turning his back on him for a few moments.
The boy in turn using those few moments to run behind a crumbling statue.
"Don't you turn your back on me! I want you to look at me when I kill you!" the Dark Lord shouts, throwing a spell at the structure.
Harry runs behind another, heart beating wildly.
"I want to see the light leave your eyes!" The Dark Lord shouts.
Harry struggles for a few seconds before making up his mind and walking out of his hiding spot.
"Have it your way," he bites out wand raised.
In a split second the two shoot spells at the other.
"Avadakedavra!,"
"Expelliarmus!"
The spells clashing in a blinding light.
They struggle for several moments, the spells fighting for dominance.
The Death Eaters make to surround the boy, before their master halts them.
"Do nothing! He's mine!" he commands as his followers stay put.
More beams of light spring forth from the spells clashing and surround the Potter boy.
"Harry, when the connection is broken you must get to the Porkey! We can hold it some time but only for a moment! Do you understand!," the spectral voice of James Potter instructs his son. The boy vigorously nods.
"Harry, take my body back will you, take my body back to my father," the spectral Cedric pleads.
"Let go, sweetheart, you're ready, let go," his mother instructs on his other side.
He breaks the connection a moment later, the specters rush at the Dark Lord and Harry takes this moment to run for the prone body of Cedric. Taking ahold of him and accioing the cup to him.
A split second later he's gone.
The Dark Lord's indignant screams are a memory.
- x -
Cedric Diggory had died.
The Castle was lost in mourning.
A life had been taken.
Cedric who'd been an upstanding student.
A gifted young man.
A son. A friend. A boyfriend.
Dead.
At the hands, if Harry Potter was to be believed.
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
All were in a state of shock and fear.
It could not be possible.
But it was.
Hermione could not help but a slight pang of sadness at the thought.
A student had lost his life.
There was more someone should have done.
Could this have been prevented?
If only someone had known.
As it had been made known.
That Professor Moody had been in fact Barty Crouch Jr using polyjuice potion.
He'd used the disguise to put Harry Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire.
Had helped orchestrate the TriWizard cup into a Portkey.
A Portkey that had resulted in the death of Cedric Diggory.
And the near death of Harry Potter.
Barty.
The man that Harry had seen on his map.
That Harry had warned her about.
She felt a stab of guilt even now.
They could have done something more to prevent Cedric's death.
Barty had not long after been sentenced to a Dementor's kiss.
However much to the horror of the populace.
He had been spirited away.
As they'd found the Auror's deceased bodies slumped over the entrance of the room he'd been meant to be held in.
Hermione had only seen Potter once about the grounds.
They'd stared at each other both with a sad look.
Each not knowing what to say.
But understanding the grief they each felt.
They should have done something more.
Fleur had been by her side much more often than before.
After the conclusion of the tournament.
The other two schools had decided to stay for a couple weeks more to pay their respects to the fallen champion.
Cedric had been a kind lad.
A pureblood.
"A pity," Draco had muttered one night as they shared some chocolate frogs in their common room.
He as much as she knew what this meant.
But they had not wanted to acknowledge it.
Not yet.
Or else the reality became ever more real.
It wasn't until the day before the other two schools were set to leave that Fleur had pulled Hermione into an empty classroom.
Cupped her cheeks and pulled her in for a chaste kiss.
"I am 'ere for 'ou," the older witch spoke into her hair as she pulled her close.
Hermione in turn gripped the older girl's uniform.
"I promise we will only be separated for a moment, I'll come back," Fleur promised, holding Hermione closer.
Hermione's response, a capture of the taller girl's lips in hers.
In all this chaos.
In this new world to be.
Fleur was the only thing that made sense.
- x -
She'd just arrived at her family's manor.
Her aunt Narcissa had picked her and Draco up from the train station.
And had apparated the three of them to the Lestrange manor.
Draco beside her had been quizzical at the destination.
As he had given her a quizzical look when they'd arrived in her family home.
Her parents and uncle Lucius appeared a moment later.
"We've been bestowed a great honor," her uncle Lucius was the first to speak.
"What honor father?" Draco asked. His mother beside her tensing slightly.
Walking up to his son, Lucius put a hand on his shoulder.
Her parents likewise doing the same as they'd walked to stand beside her.
"Come," was his only response as he'd apparated his family.
Her parents likewise doing the same for her.
They appeared in the parlor of the Crabbe family estate a moment later.
The parlor it seemed had been changed since they'd been there last.
It'd been remodelled to resemble a court of old. A throne room of sorts.
At the center of a wall where a portrait of a long since passed Crabbe patriarch had stood. Now stood a throne like chair.
In it sat a man.
Or was it a man.
For they looked almost snake like.
With red eyes.
And slights for nostrils.
"My Lord, my son Draco," her Uncle Lucius spoke with reverence in his voice.
He pushed Draco forward.
Who in turn bowed before the imposing figure.
He was frightened.
For Hermione could see the slight tremble in his fingers.
"He looks just like you did as a boy Lucius," the Dark Lord commented as he looked down at Draco for a moment before moving his gaze to Hermione.
Her mother and father gently nudging her forward.
"Our daughter Hermione My Lord," Her father announced as Hermione in turn curtsied.
"The spitting image of you Bellatrix," The Dark Lord spoke with a smirk gracing his features.
"Does she duel with your ferocity?" a question.
Her mother nodded beside her.
"All that and more my Lord, she is the brightest witch of her age, and will vanquish your foes," Bellatrix praised.
Hermione could feel her heart hammer against her chest.
Taking only a moment to glance over at Draco who glanced back in turn.
The Dark Lord looked on with mild amusement.
"Good," his only response as he looked at the two children before him.
"I heard that you've promised her hand to a half breed," the Dark Lord questioned a moment later.
Rodolphus Lestrange took a knee and looked up into the eyes of his Lord.
"To gather allies for his Lordship,"
The Dark Lord looks at the man pensively.
"The Delacour Family of France have been purebloods only until the most current generation, their influence will give his Lordship the entirety of the support of France," Lucius intons a moment later.
The Dark Lord looks at them with a contemplative look for a few moments, before a grin appears on his features.
"You've done well," he speaks sitting up from his chair.
He glides down the steps his throne sits upon.
Coming to stand before Draco and Hermione.
He extends his hands tilting their chins up to look upon them.
"My next generation of Death Eaters,"
He grins.
Hermione can only look into the eyes of this snake like man.
The Dark Lord.
- x -
Hello all! I hope you guys are having a lovely time indoors.
Hope you are all safe.
In the meantime I come bringing you a new chapter of Parlay in Reverse.
Hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :D
We are finally getting into the thick of it so stay tuned for the next chapter.
Up next on my list of things to do, is the next chapter of Un Deux Trois.
So I will see you guys there :D
As always please feel free to leave me a review on what you thought of the chapter. Reviews give me life and encourage me to update quicker :D
-CatSnidget009
