He Has Risen Above
Chapter 33
PikaGurl332: I am very confused by your review. I've looked back and I don't think I've mentioned anywhere about my plan for Daniel, and I'm really not sure why you're so apprehensive for this chapter.
RyanMK666: Yeah I know the feeling. :)
TReXD: That's the slight problem with writing HP fanfiction- there's over a million fics of FFN and AO3 combined, and at this point nearly everything has been done before, unless it's something ridiculous.
Hank1967: That was quite a few reviews, and I feel I should give you a response after that many. I'm glad you're enjoying the story though.
FlamingDrongoFan: 1. Generally reviews with questions, or long reviews. Also reviewers that tend to review on every single chapter as a way of saying thanks.
2. Quite a few though I don't remember all of them. JustBored21 is one I have read quite a few stories from.
3. In the UK so I tend to upload a chapter around 10-11 AM.
4. It takes me a while to write a full chapter, so that's why you're not getting the Wednesday chapters.
"What's going on?" shouted Charlus angrily as he saw his grandchildren disappear.
"Where are they?" demanded James.
"Harry!" screamed Lily and Dorea in anguish. "Daniel!"
"Wait!" shouted Sirius as the mirrors following the champions that had been temporarily silenced began to play. "Look!" The mirrors focused showing the 2 boys tied to an intricate grave.
"Where are they?" asked James worriedly.
"It's not good," replied Dumbledore worried for the first time that day. He had an inkling as to what was going to happen and he was not liking it one bit. "I know where they are."
"Well!" shouted Remus. "Send the aurors there!"
"Cornelius," nodded Dumbledore and the fat man sprang to his feet in a hurry, knowing this wasn't the time to protest. "Send the aurors to Little Hangleton Graveyard, and pray they arrive there in time."
"We're ex-aurors, and we're going there as well," said Sirius and Remus standing up.
"And I'm coming with you," said James getting up as well. "What?" he asked when the two stopped to look at him. "I'm an ex-auror as well, and they're my fucking sons."
Daniel's head lolled forwards and he slowly opened his eyes, coming to see the graveyard in front of him. He was tied to an intricate Muggle grave with the words Tom Riddle carved at his feet, Harry beside him. His brother was the worse out of the two, still unconscious with a cut down the side of his head.
There was a short, stout man he recognised as Wormtail holding a bundle of robes with one hand and stirring a large stone cauldron with another. He briefly remembered a tugging sensation at his navel, and then his feet landing on solid ground followed by 2 flashes of bright red. And then he'd woken up, tied to a grave.
"Harry!" whispered Daniel furiously, nudging his brother with his foot as discreetly as he could after he'd tried to get out. Perhaps his brother's knowledge of wandless magic could help them. "Wake up!" But Harry didn't wake and the icy tendrils of fear creeped further into Daniel's heart.
Wormtail turned towards Daniel who instantly lolled his head back and snapped his eyes shut in fear of being caught. The rat-like man's eyes passed over Daniel and onto Harry, whom he noted happily was still knocked out. He unfurled the bundle of robes to reveal a baby-like shape, but instead of beind adorable the creature was slimy grey with scaly skin, red eyes and a permanent scowl etched across its face. Wormtail gently hung the robes on the end of another nearby grave and dropped the creature into the cauldron and Daniel heard it hit the bottom with a dull thunk.
"Let it drown," though Daniel urgently. "Please for the love of Merlin let it drown."
But it appeared his wished were for nought as nothing spectacular happened and Wormtail turned to Daniel, who instantly snapped his eyes shut again.
Wormtail was speaking, his voice shaking; he seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night. "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" The surface of the grave at Daniel's feet cracked. Horrified, Daniel 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 hand and swung it upward.
Daniel almost looked away but he forced himself to, in case it would be needed in the future and Wormtail's hand came apart from his wrist. It dropped into the cauldron with a dull thunk and the potion turned a burning red.
Wormtail clenched his teeth, Daniel happy that the traitor was suffering, and brought himself face to face with Harry, slapping the Slytherin across the face with his uninjured hand. Harry woke instantly, fear flashing through his eyes but his mouth had been muffled by a gag Wormtail had just cast upon him. Harry looked sideways at Daniel who was just as scared and confused as him and struggled with no effect against the ropes.
"B-blood of the enemy . . . forcibly taken . . . you will . . . resurrect your foe." The dagger in Wormtail's hand slashed across Harry's arm and Wormtail flicked the blood into the cauldron, which turned a blinding white.
Mist surged from the cauldron and Harry and Daniel looked each other in the eyes, both desparately hoping that it had gone wrong, but a high cold voice penetrated the air. "Robe me," said the voice softly and Wormtail complied, and a thin figure with pale skin and red eyes stepped from the shadows, staring at the 2 brothers. Lord Voldemort had risen once again.
"Dumbledore," said Lily shaking slightly. "What is going on?"
"He's back," said Dumbledore. He knew it would happen one day, but he hadn't realised it would have been on the day of the 3rd task- he should have known this. "Voldemort's back."
"My lord," gasped Wormtail, falling to his knees and holding out the stump of his hand.
"Your hand," said Voldemort softly, and Wormtail extended the bloodied limb. "Your other hand, Wormtail," he chided kneeling down and grabbing Wormtail's left arm. He pulled back the sleeve and examined the dark mark that writhed on the rat's forearm, and pressed a long, pale finger to it and the mark turned to ash black and Wormtail screamed in pain.
"They must have all felt it by now," said Voldemort getting up. "They'll come crawling back, at least some of them. How many will be brave enough to return?" laughed Voldemort gazing up at the might sky. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay?"
The air was suddenly full of swishing clothes and several figures in black robes and a white bone mask appeared, instantly falling to their knees before their Lord. One death eater approached hesitantly, kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes and the rest followed suit and then formed a circle, though with a few gaps.
"Welcome, Death Eaters," said Voldemort quietly. "Thirteen years . . . thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday. . . . We are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?" He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening. "I smell guilt," he said. "There is a stench of guilt upon the air." A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare, to step back from him.
"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact — such prompt appearances! — and I ask myself . . . why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?" No one spoke. No one moved except Wormtail, who was upon the ground, still sobbing over his bleeding arm. "And I answer myself," whispered Voldemort, "they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment. . . ."
"And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living? And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort . . . perhaps they now pay allegiance to another . . . perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?"
At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the members of the circle stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads. Voldemort ignored them."It is a disappointment to me . . . I confess myself disappointed. . . ."
One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Voldemort's feet."Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!"
Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand. "Crucio!" The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked. Voldemort raised his wand again. The tortured Death Eater lay flat upon the ground, gasping.
"Get up, Avery," said Voldemort softly. "Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years . . . I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?" He looked down at Wormtail, who continued to sob. "You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes, Master," moaned Wormtail, "please, Master . . . please . . ."
"Yet you helped return me to my body," said Voldemort coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ground. "Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me . . . and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers. . . ."
Voldemort raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand's wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon Wormtail's bleeding wrist.
Wormtail's gasping instantly stopped and he examined his new hand. "Thank you master," he gasped. "It is far better than what I deserve."
"That we can agree," snarled Voldemort turning away from Wormtail. "Now, I could spend the precious time we have lamenting about our brothers and sisters locked in Azkaban, but I should introduce you to a special someone that has joined us for my ressurection. It wouldn't be far-fetched to call him my guest of honour."
"Who is this person, my lord?" asked the voice of a death-eater Harry couldn't identify.
"Why Harry Potter of course," smiled Voldemort gesturing towards the 2 boys that had been tied up, the gags from their mouths removed with a flick of Voldemort's hand. "The boy-who-lived."
"What?" asked Lily, very confused. "Daniel's the boy-who-lived, isn't he?"
"He is," nodded Dumbledore.
"Then why-"
"I don't know Lily," placated Dumbledore, hoping he hadn't made a grave error. "We can only wait and see."
"My sons are face to face with Voldemort right now!" Lily shouted. "I don't want to wait and see! Telll those aurors to fucking hurry up!"
"What!" said Daniel, stupified. "B-But I'm the boy-who-lived!" he cried.
"You are nothing," said Voldemort. "I remember vividly that night, 13 years ago when I visited the Potter home on Halloween," he said to his death-eaters who were similarly surprised, not having realised there were 2 small mirrors hovering around Harry and Daniel's heads. "I brushed aside the blood traitor James Potter, and then the mudblood. Before me were 2 babies and I could sense one was much more powerful than the other. I did what had to be done- I threw a curse onto Hadrian Potter but through old, arcane magic the curse deflected and struck me instead."
Voldemort paused for dramatic effect as his death-eaters ooooed at the right time. "I was defeated, nothing more than a wraith and I fled. But after 13 long years I have returned, more powerful than ever before. But you already knew this, didn't you Hadrian Potter?"
All eyes snapped to Harry who was still struggling against the ropes. "What?" asked Daniel. "You knew you were the boy-who-lived and you didn't tell me?" he said, feeling betrayed.
"Now is not the time," gritted out Harry.
"I can't believe you," said Daniel. "I thought you-"
"And now," said Voldemort turning away. "I shall be ending this how it all started! Myself against the boy-who-lived."
"We will talk about this later if we survive," snapped Daniel turning his attention to Voldemort.
"My lord," interrupted a death-eater. "Please do tell us how you managed to capture the boy!"
"If you say so Crabbe," smiled Voldemort as if he had been wishing for an opportunity to say so. "There was but one flaw in my plan. How to get at Harry Potter? He was instrumental to my rise, but he was so well protected that I doubt I could have captured him in my weakened state."
"There was of course the Quidditch World Cup. . . . I thought his protection might be weaker there, away from his relations and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of Ministry wizards. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take him?"
"Why . . . by using Bertha Jorkins's information, of course. Use my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure that the boy's name was entered into the Goblet of Fire. Use my Death Eater to ensure that the boy won the tournament — that he touched the Triwizard Cup first — the cup which my Death Eater had turned into a Portkey, which would bring him here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore's help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here he is . . . the boy you all believed had been my downfall. . . ."
The gears in Harry's brain spun furiously, trying to piece everything he could together but it was futile. There was a missing piece here or there and he just didn't know where it had gone.
"Crucio!" yelled Voldemort all of a sudden. A jet of red light hit Harry, who screamed his throat dry. It felt as it white hot knives were digging into every inch of his skin and as if he would soon succumb to the curse but all of a sudden the pain stopped, and Harry's breathing eased.
"Merlin," breathed Harry panting
"That was just a little taste," said Voldemort. "But I am a sporting man and it would be unfair to not give you a chance. Wormtail, untie him!"
"But-" protested Wormtail.
"Do it," said Voldemort adamantly. "And give him his wand."
Wormtail gently untied Harry and handed him his wand obediently, and Harry took a shaky step forward. "You're not letting me go, are you?" he asked hopefully, knowing it was futile.
"I'm giving you a chance. Duel me Potter, and if you manage to beat me you can go. Or are you already giving up?" asked Voldemort.
"Confringo!" yelled Harry not giving Voldemort any favours. A pale blue light shot out of his wand but was flicked aside by Voldemort almost instantly, hitting some decrepit gravestone to his right.
"My lord!" gasped the death-eaters but were stopped by a thin hand.
"He is mine!" yelled Voldemort. "Interfere and I will flay the skin from your bones!" He turned his attention to Harry with a gleam in his eyes. "Didn't anyone teach how to duel, boy?" asked Voldemort throwing a couple of crucios that Harry ducked under. "You're not meant to start early!"
"Didn't get put into Slytherin for no reason," gritted out Harry bringing up a stone wall to defend against the killing curse Voldemort had sent at him. The spell hit his wall and turned it to several pieces of sharp rubble, all of which were banished at Voldemort. The pieces of rubble were absorbed by the shimmering shield Voldemort brought up, turning them to dust.
Voldemort threw a barrage of hexes and curses onto Harry, a few of them connecting onto various parts of his body. A gash appeared on his right arm, and he heard a snap from lower down his leg which was followed by what felt like a sucker punch to his stomach. Harry quickly cast numbing charms onto the points of pain and muttered a few spells from under his breath.
A gravestone ripped itself out of the ground and flung itself at Voldemort, along with 3 more, and they were followed by a shield-shatterer and a bone-breaker. Voldemort simply sidestepped the first 3 gravestones and raised a shield to block the last one, not realising there were 2 spells behind it.
The first spell broke apart Voldemort's shield with a loud bang and the second hit the Dark Lord straight on the collar bone, resulting in a spray of blood and a loud crack. Voldemort bellowed in pain and crouched down, bringing up a silent shield against the brutal onslaught of spells that followed from Harry. He made a fist with his free hand and snapped it open, and the ground erupted at Harry's feet sending him flying into the air and hitting his back on a grave.
Voldemort slowly stood up and mended his collarbone with a swirl of his wand and advanced towards Harry who was curled onto the ground. "You actually hurt me," gasped Voldemort, shocked. "Well done," he said softly. "Too bad you won't be able to finish the job."
Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at a slowly recovering Harry, and yelled, "Crucio!" The red light hit Harry once again, this time fuelled by even more anger and hate, and Harry thrashed on the ground in pain. He screamed until he could scream no more and blood began to come out from his nose. Voldemort sadistically smiled and lifted the spell to see his enemy's face before he ended. "AVADA-" He was suddenly sent flying far into the graveyard.
Daniel watched Harry fly back and hit his back on a grave, wincing as hoped his older brother wasn't too badly injured. He redoubled his efforts, furiously working to get himself out of the ropes in which he had been tied. Wormtail and the rest of the death-eaters were focused on the duel, paying no attention to him. Daniel got one arm free, and then another and managed to slip his way out from the ropes, landing gently on his feet.
He could see his wand poking out from Wormtail's pocket, the little rat too focused on the duel to notice Daniel carefully sneak it out of it. Daniel's looked back upon the duel and saw Voldemort raise his wand triumphantly, the tip of it glowing green and Daniel knew what was about to happen. He pointed his wand from behind Wormtail, making sure not to draw attention to himself and muttered the banishing charm under his breath.
The spell caught Voldemort on the chest just as he was about to finish the killing curse and the Dark Lord flew backwards. The death-eaters' head furiously snapped around trying to identify where the spell had come from but it was too late. Daniel had already charged into the midst throwing about banishing charms and hitting a death-eater every couple of spells. He put his arms around Harry once he reached him and summoned the cup to them, sheathing his wand and grabbing it, and the 2 brothers disappeared from the graveyard.
Harry and Daniel appeared in front of the crowd which had been watching fearfully, the older of them collapsed onto the ground while the younger tried to stem the blood flowing from his brother's nose. "Voldemort," breathed out Daniel amidst the deathly silence. "Voldemort's back," he managed to say though it wasn't required- everyone had just seen the Dark Lord's return.
AN/ That seems like an appropriate place to end this chapter, does it not? I'm sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but things came up. Namely, exams, exams and more exams. Oh, did I forget to mention exams?
I got the idea of the mirrors from JustBored21's Silver King, which if you haven't read go check it out. I hope he won't mind me borrowing this idea from his fic. I saw them as the best way to show that Harry's the BWL and the fact that Voldemort's back to the public.
I hope I did the duel between Harry and Voldemort justice, since it was always going to one-sided against Harry (he's simply not powerful enough yet) but I hope I've showed some signs of his potential without giving him an easy win. I don't think I've made Daniel overpowered for where he's at in the story considering the summoning and banishing charms are 4th year spells, and he has been training with Harry throughout the tournament.
The next chapter will be the aftermath and possibly the start of the 5th year summer, which I've been waiting to write since I started this story. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, please don't curse me not updating for so long and feel free to leave a review.