Chapter TWENTY

The Dark Lord Rises

…

The Week of Exams had finally come to an end. The students having taken them a week early due to the third task falling in the middle of what would have been Exam week, and the Board of Directors thought the distraction could be detrimental to those students sitting their OWL, and NEWTS. Thus, the decision to move them ahead was made.

Now every student slowly gathered their belongings, retrieving borrowed clothing or books from friends and roommates. Relaxed in the sun outdoors, or when it got too hot, dived into the lake for a swim.

One thing that they didn't get to do however, was fly around the Quidditch pitch. Why' you ask? Well, it became clear rather quickly that the Pitch would be the location of the upcoming and most anticipated third task. A Maze was placed on the grounds of the pitch the month before, and slowly began to grow as the days went on. Now sitting at a near 60 feet tall. The rows that could be seen by the students who risked a peak were dark and let off an eerie glow from a constant fog that could be found within.

Harrison and his friends spent their days relaxing, while planning to get together over the summer, most specifically around Harrison's 15th birthday. While normally the important birthday for young Witches and Wizards is their 17th. However, Harrison being the last member of his Family, and Heir, he will be expected to step in as Lord Potter upon his 15th birthday, making him emancipated and an Adult in the eyes of Magic and the Law. So, for his birthday this year, his Dad wanted to do something bigger than they had the four birthdays previously. Something his friends were fully on board with and were speaking out ideas, they thought would be good to celebrate.

In the evenings Harrison Still spent time speaking with his Dad over the Enchanted Mirrors. Their lesson having increased, with Harrison's birthday getting closer and closer.

On one such call Sirius had informed his son, that while doing an audit on Bellatrix' accounts, to finally recall all Black family Heirlooms-of which she was no longer privy too having been disowned, the Goblins had come across another Horcrux while searching her Vault. This one a Goblet once belonging to Helga Hufflepuff.

It had been immediately removed, the Horcruxes transferred to another object and destroyed. The Cup, and the Locket now sat in display cases, along side the Sword of Godric Gryffindor in the Entry hall near the House Hourglasses.

HPSBHP

The Day of the third task had finally arrived. Harrison who would be ending his relationship with Dexter in a matter of days, laced his fingers between the shorter boy, as they made their way to the stands to sit with his friends and await for the task to begin. Both wishing to spend as much time together as they could before they parted as friends, when the other two schools left for home.

The excitement in the pitch as you can imagine was palpable. It was like the very air was buzzing with magic. Every seat in the stands surrounding the pitch was filled with excited students, and staff. But also, family members of the champions were mixed in amongst the rows. All showing support for their respective champion.

Finally, the time had arrived, and the three champions stepped onto the pitch beside their respective Headmaster or Headmistress to screams of their names. There supporters yelling louder and louder trying to be the only ones heard.

As Ludo Bagman pointed his wand to his throat, casting a 'sonorous' a hush fell upon the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome, Welcome to the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament."

As cheers erupted once more, Ludo smiled and hushed them, before speaking, "Now Each champion will be going into the Maze one by one. Mr. Diggory in first place with a score of 90points will enter first, Followed by Mr. Krum 5 minutes later. Miss Delacour will enter 10 minutes after that as the third and final champion.

'Mr. Diggory if you would enter the Maze in….3….2….1. BEGIN!"

With that Bagman removed the sonorous, as they are watched Cedric enter the dark maze and Disappear.

Even up as high as they were, it was difficult to see what was going on in the Maze as dark as it was. Every once in a while, a spell would light up the area and they would get a glimpse of one of the champions facing off against the creatures that lied within its walls.

At one point Harrison caught sight of an odd creature that he was sure Hagrid had bred himself. As he had never come across it in any of his CoMC classes or textbooks. It was giant, had pinchers at the front and a nasty looking stinger at the other end.

About 2 hours into the task, and the last few lit up area from spells showing Victor and Fleur slowly getting closer to the center where a cup sat, and Cedric was working out a puzzle from a Sphynx; Harrison stiffened as he felt someone cast a spell near him. He couldn't tell by whom, or where exactly it was. But he knew that something has happened. So, he discreetly glanced around in search of the culprit.

When he still hadn't seen anything except some of the professors roaming the outer rim of the Maze, incase they were needed to retrieve a champion, -one of them he noticed being Professor Moody who was hanging out near the side closest to where Harrison and his friends sat. – He leaned back in his seat, appearing relaxed to the untrained eye, while he held his wand up his sleeve prepared for anything.

HPSBHP

A tap on Harrisons arm 20 minutes later had him looking over with a smile, as Dexter leaned into him to be heard. The boy was requesting they go and grab some refreshments at the stands that were set up by the Houseelves in case the task ran long.

Nodding, he grasped the boy's hand and led him down the stairs around the stands to the back where the stalls were kept. As they approached the first stall, the crowd above seemed to be getting more and more excited. A Champion must be getting close to the center, Harrison assumed.

Not wanting to miss who won, Harrison sped up their steps slightly, and as the round the edge of the stalls where they would conveniently be unseen by others, he felt a spell hit him in the back. He had just enough time to see Dexter shake off a spell of his own, his eyes clouding slightly before clearing, when he hit the ground, the world going black.

Unknown to Harrison, Dexter who was about to yell for help, too was hit with a stunner falling to the ground beside him.

Never noticed by the those in attendance the third task, as all had jumped to their feet, eyes glued to the center of the Maze and both Victor and Cedric fought an Acromantula. Everyone desperate to see which champion would talk the win.

So, a man who had been in disguise for the entire year, levitated the Durmstrang boy under the stands into the shadows, and he cast a disillusionment charm onto The Potter-Black Heir, and made his way to the center of the Maze. Making it there just intime for Cedric Diggory, to touch the Cup, never knowing that another's hand was also grasping the handle on the other side.

And to the shock of everyone….and Harrison as he was coming to; the Cup that had been made portkey activated, take the two teenagers with them.

HPSBHP

Harrison groaned quietly as they hit the ground. Knowing something was most definitely not right, he stood up immediately despite his disorientation, at being knocked out and the soreness from the landing and gazed around him wand raised.

Noticing Cedric to his left, also standing and looking around confused, "Where are we?" he asked. Harrison moved to his side at once. "Cedric, you need to get out of here." He spoke to him quietly.

"No, I'm not leaving you here by yourself Harrison", The seventeen-year-old stated firmly.

But Harrison having heard movement behind him and knowing there wasn't any way he was going to get out of there himself; just looked at the boy and summoned the cup silently. "Sorry," was all he said as The cup hit Cedric from behind and was immediately hit with a semi-permanent sticking charm. Giving him no choice by to leave as the portkey was activated once more.

Now that Harrison was alone, and didn't have any other distraction, he turned and faced the approaching figure.

Noticing who it was Harrisons eyes narrowed and his anger grew. Peter Pettigrew, the man who betrayed his parents, sent his dad to Azkaban, and ultimately played a part in his being sent to his abusive muggle relatives was walking towards him carrying a bundle in his arms.

Trying to keep his temper in check, Harrison's mind raced. While he knew that Voldemort needed to gain his body back in order to for them to kill him once and for all. There were still 2 Horcruxes left to be found and destroyed.

"What to do...What to do?" Harrison thought to himself, as Pettigrew's wand raised, and the bundle in his arms smoke in a cold voice. "Seize him!"

Dodging the spell, Harrison ducked behind a tomb stone, putting something solid between himself and the death eater and Dark Lord.

Deciding he wasn't going to hide like a coward, but more importantly wait to be cornered with the Headstone at his back and nowhere to go. Harrison stood from his spot, wand raised and faced off with Pettigrew who had placed the robes that held his Lord on the ground near a large cauldron leaving him free to capture the boy.

Harrison flicked off spell after spell, dueling his parent's betrayer, trying to buy himself some time. He knew based on the wrist cuff his dad had given him for his 13th birthday, the man would come for him, a crew of Aurors following in his wake.

So focused on keeping his opponent distracted, delaying as long as he could, Harrison didn't hear the hissing of Voldemort's snake until it was nearly on top of him. So, deciding bit by a poisonous snake was the worse of the two options, he turned his focus on Nagini, allowing Pettigrew to hit him with an Incarcerous. Green viny ropes slithered around his entire body from feet to neck, before he was stuck to the headstone, he had been hiding behind before.

What happened next was something Harrison would never forget for the rest of his life. He watched as Pettigrew, lit the fire, warming the cauldron. Before began to speak an old Ritual. A Ritual so dark, most would never dare to attempted. For it involved sacrifice. Not of just blood, but of flesh, and bone.

First the traitor, summoned the ashes from bones beneath Harrison's feet. Chanting "Bone of the father unknowingly given; you will renew your son" before placing the ashes inside the cauldron witch lit up a startling green.

Then the man proceed to raise an enchanted knife above his own wrist, holding his arm above the cauldron, and speaking once more…"Flesh of the servant willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master." The hand he had cut off himself fell into the cauldron, which lit a burning red as Pettigrew fell to the ground with a scream.

After only a few moments, the man conjured some bandages to wrap his wrist, before approaching Harrison still tied to the headstone. Take his left arm from within the vines that held him, Pettigrew sliced his arm from elbow to near his wrist and let the blood fall to the ground and into a bowl that was summoned there at the last moment.

"Blood of the enemy forcefully taken; you will resurrect your foe," was spoken as the blood was added to the cauldron as the last ingredient. Pettigrew, his job done, slumped to the ground in pain, as he awaited the rise of his master.

Finally, when the cauldron settled after turning a blinding white, Voldemort was picked up and placed inside the potion.

All was still, not even the wind made a noise as it glided through the trees nearby. Crickets didn't make a peep, and both Harrison and Pettigrew held their breaths. For two very different reasons.

As the minutes ticked by, Harrison began to hope that it didn't work. "let him die," he thought desperately. "Let him have drowned."

But alas, it was not to be, as finally the cauldron began to bumble. The Green glow it constantly emitted grew bright once more, and the bundle began to grow. Until at last, for the first time in 13 years Lord Voldemort stood in his own body once more.

HPSBHP

When Voldemort had pulled on his robe after inspecting his new body, he finally turned to Harrison. Giving him his attention at last.

Harrison couldn't take his eyes off the monster that stood in front of him. For the was no other word that could describe the creature in front of him, but a monster.

Voldemort was tall, thin, and pale white. He had no nose, only slits for nostrils. His eyes were like rubies set deep into his face. The hands that were now caressing his wand, like a long-lost friend were large with long, narrow, and skeletal thin fingers.

"Harry Potter" The monster spoke. His words hissing in an almost caress. Spoken no louder than a whisper.

He walked towards him slowly, taking no notice of Pettigrew still withering in pain on the ground.

"My Lord," Pettigrew croaked desperately. "You promised My Lord."

"Yes, your arm then Wormtail" Spoke, turning to his servant at last.

"Thank you, My Lord," Wormtail wept in gratitude raising his stump.

"Your other arm Wormtail" The Dark Lord demanded softly.

Shuddering in agony, Pettigrew raised his left arm, his dark Mark clearly visible. "Yesss….look at it, look how dark it hasssss become. They will all know, now let ussss ssssee who returns tonight." Voldemort spoke his words barely more than a hiss before pressing one long pale finger to the center of the dark mark.

While they waited, with a cruel look set upon his face The Dark Lord turned to Harrison once more.

"You stand Harry Potter, on the grave of my Muggle Father. Weak , Pathetic, not unlike your mother." He hissed softly.

"But they both had their uses in the end, did they not? Your mother died for you, and mine played a roll in my resurrection." He continued on, while his snake began to slither along the ground around them. Telling a tale, of how the house on the hill belonged to his Muggle Father and his family. How his mother lived not far. Fancied herself in love with his father. A man who despised magic and abandoned his mother and him before he was even born. Leaving his week mother to leave him to be raised in a muggle orphanage after she died in childbirth.

But I got my revenge on the fool who gave me his muggle name Tom Riddle. I killed my father, and grandparents when I was just 16 years old.

As he spoke, he paced around and around, eyes gazing the surrounding area. Waiting.

Finally black smoke appeared all around them. Between graves, behind the trees, in every shadowy space. Wizards were appearing. All of them hooded and masked.

"Look at this Harry, my true family has arrived." He hissed, in pleasure.

One by one the newcomers approached, encircling around The Dark Lord and his prisoner. But all around the circle, spaces were left open. As if they were held for people who hadn't been able to make It to the gathering.

"Master" they murmured in reverence, as they approached one by one, kissing the edge of his robes, before taking their place in the circle once more.

"Welcome Death eaters" Voldemort spoke. "Thirteen years it has been since last we were all together, yet you come as if it had only been yesterday.

It pleases me to know we are all still united under the dark mark….Or are we?" He asked as he walked slowly around the circle, gazing at his fallowers in turn.

"You all stand here, healthy, your powers intact. And not one of you tried to find me. Of course, it is possible" He breathed, "That you truly thought me gone."

Harrison watched quietly as Voldemort continued to address his followers, hoping the monster will continue to talk long enough for his father to arrive.

"Did you believe me broken? While you slipped back amongst our enemies, claiming enchantment, claiming innocence. Those of you who knew of the lengths I went long ago to guard myself against immortal death. Did you truly believe something more powerful than I had come along? One that could vanquish lord Voldemort? Do you play allegiance to another? The mudblood loving fool, perhaps; Albus Dumbledore?"

Suddenly murmurs went around the circle, denials repeated over and over. "Never My Lord."

Dismissing them, as irrelevant for the moment. For he would punish them all later. He turned to Wormtail at last. "You returned to me Wormtail. Not out of loyalty. But out of fear. Yet, you helped me, in spite of your worthlessness. And Voldemort always rewards such loyalty." With that The dark Lord waved his wand over his followers stumped right arm, and a hand began forming , it a shiny enchanting silver.

"Thank you, My Lord," Pettigrew breathed before kissing his master's robes and taking his place in the circle amongst his fellow death eaters.

Once Wormtail was stood in his spot, Voldemort went on to greet some of his Supporters by name. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, MacNair were all called forward. All begging forgiveness, trying to prove their loyalty.

As Voldemort stopped in front of the largest gap, he spoke almost fondly of those missing. Three of them dying in his service as devoted followers, the other locked up in Azkaban. Loyal even after his defeat.

HPSBHP

As Voldemort seemed to finish his inspection, he finally turned back to his father grave.

"Yes, Harry Potter, our honored guest!" He spoke mockingly, causing a scattering a laughs around the circle.

"There is one servant, who is to be thanked for getting our young friend here tonight." The death eaters' eyes could be seen glancing around at each other.

"This servant is currently at Hogwarts, in disguised, waiting to be called home once more.

A Silence settled upon the group. When a Death eater stepped forward asking how tonight was possible why potter was needed.

"Ah, yes." Voldemort spoke in a whisper. "the tale starts and ends with this boy right here. You all know the tale of what happened those thirteen years ago. Lily Potter enacted old magic. Something I should have counter for. Her sacrifice set upon the child magic so powerful, I could not touch him. But thanks to tonight, I, can touch him now!"

With that Voldemort proceeded to place one long thin finger upon the boy's forehead. Touching him with harm for the first time since the attack on Samhain of 1981.

He then went on to explain the years, and what he was forced to endure, to keep himself sane. To keep himself alive. Possession, Unicorn Blood. Using others to learn of the goings on in the Magical world. Until it all brought him to this very night. His rebirth.

"And now I will do what I was unable all those years ago. Kill Harry Potter. But first, we Duel!"

HPSBHP

Harrison staggered as he was suddenly released. Wand clutched in his right hand, left arm no longer bleeding but still aching harshly.

"You have been taught to bow, have you not Harry Potter?" Voldemort asked tauntingly, before addressing his followers. "No one is to interfere; Potter is mine to kill."

Harrison stood back straight, refusing to give the monster the pleasure if bowing.

Angry at the boy insolence, Voldemort forced his spine to bed, cause him to bow at the waist. "There, now we duel." He told him before flicking off a silent and fast Crucio.

Harrison felt like his entire body was being stabbed over and over. He felt like very nerve in his body was on fire. Never before had ever felt such pain, not even at the hands of his uncle. Still, he refused to scream, so clenched his jaw, even as his knees gave out and his body hit the ground twitching.

Laughing maniacally the dark lord lifted his spell at last.

Harrison jumped up at quickly as he could, wand raised and as Voldemort went to cast another curse. Harrison yellowed a curse of his own, the blood boiling curse.

AS each spell left their respective wands, the beams of light connected in the middle and seemed to bind together.

Harrison watched with shocked eyes as a web of light seemed to grow out of the center of their wands, creating a dome around them. Encasing them in pure magic.

Seeing the ball of light in the center trying to move towards him, Harrison who's instincts were telling him not to allow it to reach his wand, put every own of his will into commanding the magic back in the other direction, towards the monster on the other side. When it connected balls, a light seemed to grow out the Dark Lord's wand, before turning into ghostly figures when they read the end of a tether of magic.

As one after another figure appeared, there was suddenly a loud crack, and then another as the anti-aperation wards that had been enacted after the last death eater arrived broke.

With small pops, wizards began apparating into the graveyard beginning with Sirius Black, who's eyes widened when he noticed his two best friends appearing as ghost behind their fourteen-year-old son.

While Lily and James spoke to their son, telling him let go, that the spirits would surround the dork lord allowing for Harrison to hide while the Aurors tried to re-enact the anti-aperation ward and capture as many as they possibly could. Sirius shot off stunners, aiming at any death eater he passed as he made his way to his son, just as the connection between the two wands broke.

Seeing his death eaters being captured, and The spirits headed his way, Voldemort sent off one more spell, before apparating away along with more than half of his death eaters, just before the ward was in place.

HPSBHP

After the remaining Death Eaters were captured and sent to the Ministry Holding cells, Sirius took his son home, where they spent the next couple of days in talks with their mind healer.

Sirius had sent letters to Madam Bones, The Goblins, and reluctantly the Headmaster, with a memory from both himself and Harrison on what had transpired in the Graveyard.

They also learned that Harrisons boyfriend Dexter had been imperiused to get him out of the stands at a specific time, which was the magic Harrison felt but couldn't find. Moody was also caught trying to leave the castle. He was apprehended when Dumbledore noticed his features slowly changing and stopped him from drinking out of his flask. Thus, giving away his use of Polyjuice potion and once worn off; his identity was revealed. Barty Crouch Jr.

So it was with great shock, and horror that following Friday morning, Witches and Wizards across Briton read the morning issue of the Daily Profit.

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returns. Witnesses confirmed & 6 Death Eaters Captured.