The Time Travel Crew
Chapter 25: The Crew's worst nightmare
Warning: Violence
Harry had been on edge for so long, he was sure he wouldn't feel right once everything was back to normal. His paranoia was not based on the pain he suffered from in the Battle of Hogwarts of his time, but the safety of those he loved. Their deaths had indeed affected him deeply, but Harry wasn't about to admit it to anyone.
He knew he should be enjoying his new life, but everything Harry did, he did it half-heartedly. It was, however, the third Sunday of March, that Harry followed the advice of his dratted conscience and relaxed his mind away from all the atrocities that could happen if he wasn't careful.
The biggest mistake of his life.
Harry spent his day with a magically disabled leg and the effects of it, now in the afternoon, hadn't altogether passed off, leaving him with a limp that affected his movements. And inspite of that, Harry decided to leave Neville - whom Susan Bones had asked for help regarding some Herbology project - and head up to Gryffindor Tower alone - another stupid mistake - his left arm clasped around the mirror watching Pettigrew.
It was a good thing Flitwick had it charmed to prevent others from seeing it's unusual ability. To the nosy and curious, the mirror was just what it was supposed to be... A mirror. He however, hadn't had the opportunity to watch Pettigrew as thoroughly as he should have, and when he did Pettigrew was simply writing on bits of parchment.
Yet another mistake.
Harry had just reached the Fat Lady's portrait when he heard the voice of Draco call his name.
He turned around found Draco hurrying towards him. Draco winked just once at Harry and the latter let himself relax, believing that he had missed the first wink. He moved towards Draco who seemed to be looking rather nervous.
"Draco?" Harry said.
"Hush! Not so loud!"
"What?" Harry said, now confused. Why was Draco behaving so strangely? Was someone following him?
Draco approached Harry and said, "Neville and I had a bet. Don't ask me what it was, but I lost and I need to give both you and him and a couple of others a galleon each."
"Draco?" Harry said feeling uneasy.
But he was distracted by a very familiar fox patronus that rushed his way.
It spoke in Draco's mature thirty year old voice, "It has happened -"
That was all Harry heard when he felt the pull of a portkey and as soon as he realised that the Draco who approached him wasn't the real Draco, Harry's feet hit the ground hard, sending him sprawling to the floor. But Harry's worry for his well-being overcame the pain someone would have felt had he been pulled up with the help of a rough hand that grabbed hold of his hair.
"Harry Potter." stated a familiar high cold voice from an armchair.
"Voldy." Harry stated coldly without thinking.
"How dare you!" the fake Draco, no, the true Barty Crouch Junior hissed. He felt a wand tip poke his back and -
"Crucio!"
Harry couldn't help... He screamed in agony and writhed around only supported by Crouch's hand in his hair.
It seemed like the pain lasted for eternity when it was finally lifted and Harry, inspite of his body trembling unaccustomed to the pain, shielded his mind, grateful to the fact that he carried those two vials of Snape's and Sprout's improvised poison with him.
"That's enough, Barty." Creature Voldemort said and Harry was glad he had destroyed that Horcrux at Godric's Hollow then. There was no scar to emit out any pain now.
"The boy has learnt his lesson. I want to speak with him, though and I need silence."
With sickening glee Crouch poked him with his wand and said, "silencio."
Another spell had ropes appear out of thin air and coil itself around his twelve year old frame, constraining him with such stiffness, Harry was sure his wand in his pocket would break, but to his horror, he realised as he fell to the floor, that he didn't have his wand.
"Looking for this, Harry?" Voldemort indicated a familiar wand in his hands with an ugly expression on his raw skinned face.
A little alarmed at Voldemort's accuracy, Harry strengthened his shields and that prevented him from reacting when Voldemort snapped his faithful holly and phoenix wand in two, but Harry -who couldn't muster the strength one required to panic - felt his insides shrivel.
Voldemort wasn't happy with Harry's lack of reaction. He scowled and said, "You must wonder what is to happen to you now...Not now Wormtail!"
Voldemort's irritated tone made Harry turn his head to the door to see Peter Pettigrew entering the room and moving straight to Voldemort's armchair with a leviated tank behind him. Nagini was happily snoozing in the tank.
"I do not want her around us today, Wormtail." Voldemort said scathingly. "Return her back to the room at once and leave her to rest in peace."
Oh, she would rest in peace alright, Harry thought happily. With two fluid wandless charms, he placed a silencing charm on Nagini's tank and a disillusionment charm that would let everyone save for Harry believe Nagini to be asleep. They wouldn't even hear the soul piece scream once it was destroyed... Only Harry would.
The last spell had the poison from one of the vials materialize directly into the giant snakes bloodstream... And as Pettigrew turned to scurry out of the room to avoid anymore of Voldemort's wrath, Harry heard that unearthly scream and he saw Nagini writhe furiously from the white hot pain Harry knew she would feel and then, she moved no more.
The others in the room had no clue.
Voldemort let out an irritated sound and waited for Pettigrew to finish his chore and return.
"Do it now!" Voldemort bit out harshly.
And Pettigrew raised his hand to Junior who handed him the galleon with which he and Harry travelled to the Crouch residence. Pettigrew brought the coin to Voldemort who touched his wand to the galleon. Six cracks later, Voldemort was greeted by six other Death Eaters - Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Alecto and Amycus Carrow.
"You know what to do?" Voldemort said and they and Pettigrew nodded.
"Good." he said and he summoned that stupid glowing globe and map and flicked his wand. The globe turned green and immediately, Harry felt a surge of magic leave the globe like a rush of strong wind...and then...it was gone.
"Go, then." Voldemort instructed. "Do not disappoint me."
As one they said, "Yes, my Lord." and they disapperated.
Voldemort turned to look at Harry gleefully.
"You know, Potter? I will be making the most dramatic return in history and I shall jar the Wizarding World in the process... The people who will die in my new reign will be many, but the first person I shall kill will be you - but not to worry, Potter, your death will be as dramatic as my return...You will die in front of many English Wizards and Witches, all who I have summoned to watch your downfall."
Crouch cackled madly and Voldemort smiled, took off the silencing charm and hit Harry with his first, but Harry's second cruciatus, giving Harry no time to prepare his young body for the new bout of pain and not allowing Harry to ponder over what he said either.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Neville felt his heart rate speeding up as he headed to the only logical place he could think of... The DADA office. He knew he had to begin somewhere and since he couldn't find Harry anywhere, Neville had to believe that it really had happened. And now he needed to be careful.
On his way, he disillusioned himself and stealthily opened the door to Crouch's office once he reached there only to find Draco on the floor crying, "It's my fault! Oh, it's all my fault!"
Besides him were thick heavy ropes and Neville found his pounding heart sinking right down to his shoes.
"Draco! Draco!" Neville yelled running to him and shaking him more roughly than he intended.
"N-N-Neville?"
"Yes, Draco. It's me." Neville said urgently. "Come on! Snap out of it. Tell me what's happened?"
"Yes, Draco, what happened?"
Neville whirled around to see Snape, McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick and just behind them were Justin and Luna.
Draco controlled himself with an effort and Neville helped him sit up.
"Crouch locked my magic and took my wand... He dragged me here... Plucked my hair... Used it in polyjuice... Took a galleon portkey and went to find Harry... We didn't pay attention to the mail... I was tied, I couldn't move. Oh, it's my -"
"No, it isn't!" Neville said firmly, believing himself with conviction. "Harry knew it would happen someday. He was prepared for it and he will survive!"
"Do you have the mirror with you, Draco?" Luna said sounding more urgent than she ever did.
"Y-yes." Draco said fishing out the mirror.
Flitwick enlarged it in time to hear Voldemort say, "You know, Potter? I will be making the most dramatic return in history and I shall jar the Wizarding World in the process... The people who will die in my new reign will be many, but the first person I shall kill will be you - but not to worry, Potter, your death will be as dramatic as my return...You will die in front of many English Wizards and Witches, all who I have summoned to watch your downfall."
Crouch, Voldemort and Harry, who lay trussed up on the floor, seemed to be the only ones in the room and Harry's face wore no fear whatsoever... Neville got the impression that his friend actually seemed rather victorious over something.
But then the weak pathetic form of Voldemort just pointed his at Harry and said, "Crucio."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Pomona forced back a scream as she watched the young form of Harry scream in agony as he struggled under those restraining ropes. And she watched and she watched until she couldn't watch anymore.
Besides her, Minerva, Draco and Neville were sobbing and besides Harry, Crouch was cackling. Pomona turned her head away from the mirror. She was going to be sick. Harry was there all alone, a single step away from death... It was his second go at it. A second go that seemed much worse for him than the first.
The screaming stopped and Pomona turned to look back only to see Voldemort smiling savagely.
"Ah, it hurts doesn't it, Harry?"
Harry stayed silent, shivering on the floor.
Voldemort sent a cutting hex on Harry's face, leaving two deep gashes on his cheek only just missing Harry's right eye. Harry screamed in pain again.
"I said," Voldemort repeated. "It hurts, doesn't it? Answer when your spoken to. Hasn't your foolish mother taught you that? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?"
"Y-y-yes." Harry whispered and Voldemort and Junior laughed, cruel, long and hearty and Harry painfully whispered three words over their laughter, that they didn't hear, but the crew did.
"Nagini. Dead. Poison."
"Oh, Harry." Pomona cried in despair. He knew they were watching him. He knew it. He knew he would die at any moment. He knew it. And yet he did half of the remaining job.
Voldemort and Crouch however, didn't hear what happened. While they were still busy laughing, Harry whispered again, "I'll kill. Trust me."
"And that's what we'll do, Harry" Severus whispered firmly, knowing fully well that Harry wouldn't have heard him.
Voldemort stopped laughing just then and sneered, "That's not half of how I felt, Potter, when you and your mother teamed up against me. I would have shown you, right now, exactly what I had gone through, but I need to demonstrate to my viewers my power in the near future and alas, it will have to wait for then.
"I had one of my faithful servants unknowingly make a special type of portkey that would summon as many as the portkey saw fit...those who will bow down to me once I'm done with you...Not forgetting the most important witness, your mother. Oh yes, Lily Potter will watch the painful death of her son...her screams will mingle with the jeers of all my faithful Death Eaters.
"Not to mention your friends and their families...I shall let them watch and they will follow me...Mudbloods shall die, squibs will wish they were never born, blood traitors shall suffer under my reign...a new regime for those who belong to this world...Take him, Barty."
Junior used his foot to turn Harry onto his stomach and Pomona let out a sob as Harry groaned in pain. Junior used Harry's hair to pull him upright and, with a hand still painfully clutching at the poor groaning boy's head, he turned on his heel and disapperated.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Filius knew it was his fault. He was the one to drag them here after all. He had envisioned a graceful dance through time with everything under their thumbs, without thinking of the ultimate consequence - Harry. The boy in the midst of everything. Filius suddenly regretted doing it all. Was there anyway he could reverse the mess he made?
"I'm sorry, Harry." he whispered as he witnessed the boy, still bound in rope, side-long apparate with Junior right in the department of mysteries.
The place was dead quiet. Not a soul could be seen... And Junior didn't seem perturbed in the least. He simply pulled Harry straight into the Hall of Prophecies right to the orb that contained Harry's prophecy... or rather, Harry's fake orb and freed Harry's right hand, levitating him off the floor at the same time, "Take it."
Harry shook his head breathing hard, blood flowing down his face from those cuts.
Junior growled and gave him another gash on his back and Harry whimpered but shook his head again.
"Why is he refusing?" Justin growled in frustration. "It isn't like it's that important. It's the fake one, isn't it?"
"He's trying to make an impression, Justin." Severus said sadly. "It has to look real...Junior isn't stupid." He sighed, "Harry's doing his job a little too well."
Even Junior seemed to acknowledge this.
"You really are a Gryffindor." he admitted grudgingly. "And I can't injure you more, or the Dark Lord will have my hide instead of yours...so how about we change tactics... Oh yes, your pretty little sister will be a perfect toy for me to practice my crucio's on."
Harry let out a sob and picked up the orb and handed it to Junior. Filius couldn't stand it. He wanted to make things as they were before they left to reverse what had happened.
You do realize, Filius, that there could be many other things that can go wrong once you begin to right the currently past wrongs? Severus's words of warning hit him in the stomach now. In the previous time, sitting at the table in the dungeons, he felt nothing.
"Good boy." Junior said vindictively as he took off the charm and let Harry fall onto the floor. He waved his wand and the orb vanished and then scooped down to pull Harry off the floor by his hair again and disapperated with him.
What happened after that, Filius would never know, for he felt a strong gush of wind surround him and the colours began to converge into each other around him and his feet just lifted off the floor and Filius found himself being carried away by that powerful force.
To be continued...