A/N

If you've read my fan fictions before you'll know it's been years since I wrote anything!

Over the Christmas break I started reading Harry Potter again, something I had been wanting to do after years of not reading anything at all. I really enjoyed the story, but reading OoTP from the perspective of an adult frustrated me.

There was no doubt in my mind that Harry had suffered a major trauma after Voldemort's resurrection, and though the adults in his life sympathised, they all failed him abysmally. I had the writing bug again, so wanted to redo the OoTP with small variations of things that could have been different for Harry.

I also wanted to explore a different Ministry sub-plot - the idea that someone like Scrimgeour or Amelia Bones simply accepted Fudge's assurances didn't sit well with me during my re-read (though I understand the purpose for JKR's plot). So there will be variations and new ideas for the Ministry reaction too.

I've also never found many AU fan fictions where Harry did not manage to escape Voldemort's resurrection, so I wanted to include that in my story too.

There will be angst, this is not a light hearted and fluffy story, but I don't think it's going to be too dark and gloomy. It also won't be "super powerful and amazing Harry" (a common fanfic trope).

At times I will use one-liners or short excerpts from the books or movies because they're either perfect, or there's no point in re-writing the scene just for the sake it rewriting it. I'm okay with that, I'm not making any profit. I'm an amateur writer without a lot of free time, so I do my best to craft a cool story that I hope people will enjoy.

'NOW!' Harry yelled; he didn't think he could have held on for another moment anyway – he pulled his wand upwards with an almighty wrench, and the golden thread broke; the case of light vanished, the phoenix song died – but the shadowing figures of Voldemort's victims did not disappear – they were closing in upon Voldemort, shielding Harry from his gaze –

And Harry ran as he had never run in his life, knocking two stunned Death Eaters aside as he passed; he zig-zagged behind headstones, feeling their curses following him, hearing them hit the headstones – he was dodging curses and graves, pelting towards Cedric's body, no longer aware of the pain in his leg, his whole being concentrated on what he had to do –

'Stun him!' he heard Voldemort scream.

Ten feet from Cedric, Harry dived behind a marble angel to avoid the jets of light and saw the tip of its wing shatter as the spells hit it. Gripping his wand more tightly, he dashed out from behind the angel –

'Impedimenta!' he bellowed, pointing his wand wildly over his shoulder at the Death Eaters running at him.

From a muffled yell, he thought he had stopped at least one of them, but there was no time to turn and look; he jumped over the Cup and dived as he heard more wand blasts behind him; more jets of light flew over his head as he fell, stretching out his hand to grab Cedric's arm –

'Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!' shrieked Voldemort.

Harry's hand closed on Cedric's wrist, one tombstone stood between him and Voldemort, but Cedric was too heavy to carry, and the Cup was out of reach –

Voldemort's red eyes flamed in the darkness. Harry saw his mouth curl into a smile, saw him raise his wand, and Harry did the same, but it wasn't their voices than rang out through the night ending it all.

'Expelliarmus!'

In one cruel instant, it was over.

Before Harry could comprehend what was happening his wand was wrenched from his hand, and in a split second of horror he watched as it spun through the air and landed a mere ten feet away – but it might have well been ten miles away for all the difference it made. On the other side of the tombstone that separated them Voldemort's red eyes gleamed in triumph, and he lowered his wand as the Killing Curse fell silent on his lips.

Without needing to think about it Harry reacted. Releasing Cedric's wrist he made a break for his wand, but it was already too late. A cloaked figure picked up his wand before he could even get close to it. Still he lunged again in sheer desperation, but the reward for his determination was a swift kick in the face, one that sent him sprawling back to the rocky and unkempt ground.

Tasting blood in his mouth Harry pushed himself up to his knees, watching on in despair as the Death Eaters reformed the circle around him. The one holding his wand taunted him, holding it out and twirling it through their fingers as they laughed gleefully.

The renewed silence was deafening, Harry conscious of every sound he made as he staggered back to his feet, every shuddered breath. No one said a word, not even Voldemort who simply looked at Harry, watching him in interest. Trembling Harry cast his eyes around, sick to his stomach as he saw that once again he was trapped.

He had failed.

In sheer desperation he looked past the circle of Death Eaters, waiting to see the shadowy figures of his parents, seeking their protection, their advice. But they were completely gone, and he was alone once again. Harry turned back to the Death Eater who had taken his wand, wondering if maybe they'd give it back, if they'd let him defend himself in a fair fight just as Voldemort had permitted earlier.

'Harry,' Voldemort whispered, moving around the tombstone so they were separated by nothing.

Voldemort peered at him with what seemed like interest…curiosity. But Harry didn't spare a single thought for these implications. His heart was racing, body trembling as adrenaline surged within him, telling him to do something…do something!

Holding Voldemort's gaze he daringly took a step to his right, towards the Cup. From here he could reach it if he was quick enough. Cedric would understand that he had tried to reach his body, that he just couldn't make it, he couldn't take him home. He had to save his own life now. He had to try.

Still watching in great interest, Harry could feel Voldemort sizing him up, likely knowing what he was about to do. Before he could think about it too much Harry lunged for the Cup, discarding all thought of Cedric. Before he even got close Voldemort flicked his wand and sent the Cup tumbling a few feet further away, just out of Harry's desperate reach.

'Courageous,' Voldemort commented softly, just audible over the Death Eater's laughter. 'A Gryffindor, of course.'

Harry felt only sheer, unadulterated panic. He looked at the Cup desperately, his only salvation from death, his only hope. Knowing he had to try he ran for the Cup a second time, his hand reaching out for it – and for a moment he thought he saw it move of its own accord, lifting up from the ground and moving a few inches towards him.

Hope erupted inside him as the Cup came soaring, certain that he was going to make it – that he would reach the Portkey. It was barely half a foot from his fingertips before it suddenly changed course, knocked backwards by a flash of light.

The Cup clanged loudly as it hit a nearby tombstone and fell to the ground. Harry cried out in disappointment, crushed by another failure. Yet he refused to give up, he was still reaching for it when a hooded figure seized him from behind and wrenched him away.

'No!' he pleaded, an involuntary shout. He struggled as the Death Eater wrenched his arms behind his back, desperate to free himself. If he could just free one arm he could make it, he could reach the Cup. 'No, let me go!'

He fell silent as Voldemort came towards him, struck dumb by the pain that was building in his scar, pain he had forgotten about. Panting for breath he struggled to stay upright, his mind foggy with panic. This was it. Voldemort was going to kill him now. It was over.

'Harry. I'm impressed.'

Voldemort praise came ever so softly, but those present hung on to his every word, not missing a single thing. Beginning to feel as though he might be sick Harry tried to look Voldemort in the eye, to hold his gaze and face him. But his eyes kept darting away, looking to the Cup where it lay on the ground, still wondering if he could make it.

An involuntary movement struck him, he jerked forward as if making another break for it only to be yanked back by the Death Eater holding him. Soft laughter echoed around the circle again, and it became harder and harder to hold himself together. He suddenly felt old and weary beyond his years, his heart aching as the pit in his stomach opened up further…there was no hope. There was nothing he could do.

'Unarmed, and yet you persist in trying to save yourself.' Coming closer again Voldemort studied Harry close, and this time it was impossible for him to look away. 'And wandless magic, too.'

There was a long pause, Harry holding his breath as he looked Voldemort in the eye and waited for the fatal curse to end it all. And then –

'I've underestimated you, Harry Potter. Perhaps tonight is not your time.'

Harry's gaze turned towards the Cup yet again, wondering if Voldemort was going to let him go free. But he was sorely mistaken.

'No, Harry. Perhaps you'll have other uses beyond the restoration of my body.' Turning away he looked around at the Death Eaters, seeking out one in particular. 'Lucius. Can I entrust to you the usual arrangements?'

Everyone seemed to collectively hold their breaths, each of them staring at Lucius Malfoy who held Voldemort's unnerving gaze. Malfoy looked at him with a strange expression, the upward tilt of his head suggesting it was pride.

'My Lord,' he said shortly. 'It would be the highest honour.'

'No!' Harry shouted loudly, wishing he didn't sound so frightened. 'Let me go!' he demanded, pushing back at the Death Eater holding him, fighting their grip. 'Let me go!'

Voldemort ignored his shouts entirely. Satisfied with Malfoy's response he rounded the circle of Death Eaters as he thanked them at large, congratulating them on being there to witness his rebirth. When he passed Harry he didn't even glance at him, either ignoring or oblivious to him…and then he was gone, disappearing into the night with a whirl of black smoke.

The moment Voldemort disappeared the atmosphere changed so dramatically Harry fell silent in shock. The circular ranks broke as the witches and wizards stepped out of formation, some removing their hoods. A hurried conversation broke out, Harry startled to realised they sounded shocked…some even panicked. One who had removed her hood was a long haired witch, and she seized another Death Eater by their robes, shouting angrily at them.

There wasn't time to watch the spectacle unfold, for not all of the Death Eaters immediately succumbed to their shock. Lucius Malfoy had a pained expression on his face, but he did not fail to act on the agreement he had made with his master. Striding over to Harry he roughly pulled him away from the other Death Eater, making him stumble over his own feet. Looking back Harry wondered for one last moment if perhaps there was still hope, if his parents would come back for him now, if anyone would come for him.

The Death Eaters began to disperse, and from the corner of his eye he witnessed one of them stepping over Cedric's body. The hem of their cloak dragged leaves and dirt over his face, but they ignored his body completely, simply walking over him as they began to disappear into the night.

'Let me go!' Harry demanded, knowing that it was useless, that he stood not a chance of saving himself anymore.

Nevertheless he persisted. When the opportunity presented itself he dug his heels into the ground, kicking out from a nearby tombstone to make Malfoy stumble. Malfoy gave an angry snarl and wrenched his arms tighter behind his back. Something that felt like an electric shock startled him, the painful jolt only accelerating his panic, making him more desperate to do anything he could.

'Stop,' Malfoy growled impatiently. 'Be still.'

'Let me go!'

'Be still, unless you wish to lose a limb.'

Too panicked to listen Harry couldn't stop. Every fibre of his being told him to keep fighting, to break free of Malfoy's grip and make a run for it – to the Cup, into the darkness. It didn't matter where he would go, but he had to try.

The opportunity never presented itself, for the next thing he knew he was overcome by agony once again, the Cruciatus curse taking hold as his entire being seemingly was set on fire. When it was over he found himself bent over double, kneeling on the ground with his arms twisted up behind him. He gasped for breath, feeling as though he might be sick.

Still holding him still, Lucius Malfoy was impatient with his charge. 'Be still,' he repeated.

This time Harry was too shocked to do anything but listen. He closed his eyes, wishing for this to be over already, for them to simply kill him. Anything would be better than having to go through that again, even death. But it wasn't over yet, and in the next instant he felt an entirely new curse, one he'd never even heard of before.

His entire body was under pressure, some invisible force squeezing him tighter and tighter until he could no longer breathe. He couldn't scream, though he wanted to, he couldn't move an inch…when it was finally over he cried out in relief and gasped for air.

When he breathed in he knew something had changed. He tentatively opened his eyes as Malfoy wrenched him back to his feet, finding himself somewhere else entirely. There wasn't much time to look around, for Malfoy was already leading him towards the large wrought-iron gate that loomed ahead, one flanked by tall green hedges on either side.

They strode straight through it as though nothing there, other Death Eaters appearing out of thin air and following them. As they walked Harry looked down a long driveway at the end of which stood a grand manor house, the light shining from only a few windows giving it an eerie feeling.

It was only a glimpse he got, for a moment later his head was pushed down by Malfoy, forcing him to look only at the white gravel over which they walked. Focused on keeping himself together he concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, for it was taking everything he had to keep going.

Finally they reached the manor, Harry's foot catching a little as Malfoy led him up a series of low stone steps. And then the atmosphere changed as they stepped inside, the sounds of conversation and footsteps echoing to suggest a large entrance room. Not daring to lift his head Harry cooperated, crossing the hall and then finding himself being pushed into a corner of the room.

With Malfoy pressing his face in the corner Harry could only listen, hearing the sound of hurried footsteps and worried conversations. When Malfoy released him to swap places with another Harry didn't even consider trying to fight. His mentality now was absolute cooperation…and listening. It was astounding to him, but he couldn't help but think that the Death Eaters sounded as panicked as he felt. At the very least they were disorganised and chaotic until Malfoy stepped up, addressing them all and calling for quiet.

Malfoy was speaking to them in a low voice, and trying to hear Harry turned his head, but the moment he did the Death Eater seized him by the hair and shoved his face back into the corner. His glasses knocked askew Harry cooperated, and he stopped trying to listen. Instead he closed his eyes, and though he didn't believe in any muggle God he started praying, just as he had when he hoped for it to down in the cauldron. He prayed for something to happen, to hear the swish of a cloak as Dumbledore arrived to save him, for someone like Sirius to come rushing in and pull this Death Eater off him, to rip him limb from limb.

'What happened to your leg?' the Death Eater asked, prodding Harry with the tip of his wand and repeating his question.

He tried to answer, struggling around the whispered word, 'Acromantula.'

'Speak!' they said loudly, and this time they shocked him with their wand, sending a painful jolt through his body.

'Acromantula!' Harry answered, desperately wishing he sounded stronger, braver.

The Death Eater chuckled under his breath. 'If you're not paralysed by now, you'll live. As long as gangrene doesn't set in.'

Without further preamble the Death Eater set to work on him. His school robes were roughly yanked off his shoulders and tossed aside, hands reaching around his neck to unravel the knot in his tie, discarding that too. He patted Harry down, his arms, lower back and stomach, his legs and ankles.

Left only in his trousers and white school shirt, Harry looked from the corner of his eye at his discarded robes and tie. He had hated wearing that tie every day, a dislike impossible not to develop after hearing Ron complain about it for four years straight. The things were a damn nuisance, but right now he'd give anything to have it back…how on earth were his school robes and tie going to help him? But why did they have to take them away? Why did they have to strip him of his Hogwarts uniform, of his Gryffindor house colours?

In a final blow to whatever confidence he had left, the Death Eater took away his glasses, leaving anything more than a foot or so away a blurry mass. The loss made him feel even more vulnerable and scared. He was blinded now, stripped of everything and anything that gave him a small element of power, even the power to see.

Minutes passed without incident, Harry remaining silent and still as the Death Eater held him in the corner. The only thing he could do was listen to what little he could hear of what was going on, making out only the sounds of distant conversations…something was going on, something that had occupied more than a few of the Death Eaters had followed them here.

Summoning up the nerve, Harry stole a look at the face of the Death Eater holding him captive. It was an older man, his hair greyed and face lined with age, and he looked as stressed as Malfoy had seemed. The Death Eater was paying him very little attention, but when he moved a little Harry quickly averted his gaze, not wanting to be caught looking.

But a few moments later he got the nerve again, and he stole another look - longer this time. He'd never seen this man before, but his features were distinct and easy to make out, even without his glasses.

What would they do to him next? What was going to happen to him?

Blessedly the question was answered only a few more minutes later. The Death Eater who had been standing guard now swapped places with Lucius Malfoy, who took Harry by the arm and pulled him away from the corner. Following his lead he began walking, trying his best to look around blindly. But all he could see was the proportions of a grand room, large paintings that adorned the walls, a shape that might have been a grand piano…and then darkness.

Malfoy led him through an open door, and the light from his wand illuminated the small corridor in which they had entered. Harry's heart still skipped a beat when the floor disappeared beneath his foot, stomach jolting when he unexpectedly took a step down onto a steep staircase. As they descended it was deathly quiet but for the sound of his own breathing and footsteps, the silence unnerving him as he waited to see what was coming for him down there.

Upon reaching flat ground again Malfoy gave him a rough shove in the back, making him stumble forward unceremoniously. His arms were released now, allowing him to catch himself when his injured leg gave way. Landing hard on his knee he hastened to get back up, whirling around and quickly taking in the vague shape of a cavernous room, and he turned around to Malfoy again. He was determined to put on a brave face, to say something, but Malfoy was gone.

Harry saw only the hem of his robes disappearing around the edge of the heavy door before it slammed shut, the clock clicking ominously. The moment it closed Harry found himself plunged into darkness, and he remained very still exactly where he stood. Petrified with fear he stood waiting.

The silence down here was overwhelming. It pressed in on him from all around until he could hear the sound of his own heart, the blood rushing through his head as he tried in vain to steady his breathing. But it was no use, for the more he tried to breathe the harder it became, his struggle only worsened by the dust that filled his throat. It made him cough, settling in his mouth and on his lips.

The situation hit him all at once, and suddenly he could take it no more. In a moment of panic his legs carried him backwards until he crashed into something. He stood there trembling, hands over his mouth as he held back screams – screams of horror, screams for help…he held them back with everything he had.

This wasn't happening, it couldn't be. None of this was real.

Thinking hard, Harry tried to rationalise with himself. This was only a dream…that's all this was. Finding the Tri-Wizard Cup in the centre of that maze had been too easy, that alone couldn't be enough to win the tournament. This was just a cruel and inhumane test from the Third Task, a sick final challenge in which he proved himself worthy of being the winner. Somewhere else Cedric too was enduring this test, had witnessed his worst fear while Harry lay seemingly dead.

Yes…that's all this was. He was still in the Third Task. None of this was real.

Unable to help it he gave a low, mournful cry, stifled by his hands across his mouth. None of this was real, none of this was really happening, it couldn't be. But how could he possibly put an end to it?

Harry sank down to the floor, still trembling as he held himself in one piece. He pulled his knees up to his chest, unconsciously keeping himself small and unthreatening to whoever was to come down here next. Convincing himself that all he needed to do now was wait, he bent his elbow and applied pressure to the cut on the crook of his arm, trying to stop the renewed bleeding. His shirt sleeve was damp with streaks of blood, making it cling to his forearm.

Incapable of anything else, Harry resigned himself to sit and wait in the dark silence. Soon this would be nothing more than a horrible memory that would never be spoken of, not to anyone. Soon, it would be over.

A/N

Please do leave a review to let me know what you think, and if you're excited about this story. You have no idea the value reviews give to amateur writers. They are our source of encouragement and our inspiration to keep writing this story!

Intention is to post every 1-2 weeks.