Chapter 7: The Gardens
At the conclusion of breakfast, Harry stood with his father. Voldemort then escorted him out of the room. While they walked together, Harry wrung his hands together. He wanted to ask Voldemort a question but didn't know how to. Voldemort glimpsed Harry's actions out of the corner of his eye and smiled. A sad smile, but a smile none the less.
"What is it Hadrian?" he asked.
At once Harry burst out with questions.
"Why did you call me Hadrian? Who were those people? I only knew Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Who were the two men across from me?" Harry asked blushing.
Voldemort scrutinized Harry's face for a moment. He was surprised by the amount of questions Hadrian had burst forth with.
"I call you Hadrian because that is your name. it is the name I gave you upon your birth and I will not lower myself to continue calling you by some plebian name when I know you are my son." Voldemort answered withholding information about any of the individuals present during the meal.
Harry sighed. The least he could do was let Voldemort call him by his true name. Even if he had never heard it before and wasn't exactly comfortable with it, he could make this small sacrifice to please his father.
As they continued walking along the hallways, Harry was lost in thought about the two men sitting across from him earlier. He blushed as he recalled how the younger one had filled his plate with food after seeing his uncertainty. He didn't know why he was feeling this way when thinking of the two brothers but he couldn't help but smile when he pictured them.
Little did he know that Voldemort saw and sighed. He had just found his son and would lose him to the Lestrange brothers if this kept up. He plotted to keep them apart for the time being. His son was only just found and still a child.
Just then, they found themselves in the garden. Voldemort guided his oblivious son to one of the many benches along the perimeter so they could sit and get to know each other more. Once sitting down, Harry looked up in shock. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the beautiful gardens surrounding him.
At the Dursleys the only chore he had somewhat enjoyed was gardening. There was something freeing about being outside and surrounded by plants. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't very good at gardening to begin with but whenever he was outside it was as though he had a break from all the worries of his life.
After each and every problem he had faced at Hogwarts, he always found himself outside and near the Forbidden Forest where he could surround himself with nature.
As he gazed at the beautiful scenery surrounding him and breathed in the fresh air, he felt calm like never before. For once in his short life, he was completely at ease and his mind was empty of worry.
At seeing harry was preoccupied for now, Voldemort left him in the gardens to take care of his various duties. After all, Dark Lords have work to do too.
Harry stayed out there for hours just soaking up the calming presence of the garden. After awhile he heard footsteps approaching. He turned to look behind him and saw Bellatrix Lestrange.
She quickly drew closer until they were only feet away. Rage had overtaken her features. Harry had taken the spot she felt rightly belonged to her. Her was supposed to sit at her Lord's left hand. This was the customary seat of the Dark Lord's consort and Bellatrix had always believed that her and her alone was deserving of serving the Dark Lord as his queen. Now Potter had shown up and taken her rightful seat!
As anger overwhelmed her, she drew out her wand ready to curse Potter for taking her place.
"Crucio!" she yelled.
Harry screamed in terror and tried to dodge, but he wasn't expecting to be cursed and couldn't move in time. The curse hit true and Harry crumpled to the ground. This was worse than being cursed in the graveyard after the Triwizard tournament the previous year. He felt as though his insides were clawing themselves out of his body. As the curse continued, blood began to seep out of his nose and mouth.
But suddenly the curse was lifted. Harry watch through blurry eyes as two figures disarmed ad restrained Bellatrix. He watched detached as he was lifted into strong arms and carried from the gardens.
Rodolphus and Rabastan had heard his screams of terror and came running. They feared the most, but nothing could have prepared them to see Harry so obviously harmed. If left on too long, the torture curse could drive one to insanity or leave the victim with permanent nerve damage.
Rabastan, as the more emotional brother, quickly shouted "Expelliarmus" and bound Bellatrix. After she was suitably restrained, the brothers turned to Harry. They saw the blood on his pale lips and dripping from his nose. They knew that he already was in danger from nerve damage and could only hope they weren't too late.
Rodolphus scooped Harry up into his arms and ran inside yelling for their lord with Rabastan following close behind. He frantically searched for the Dark Lord so a healer could be called. If they waited too long, then nothing could be done to limit the nerve damage.
The Dark Lord threw open his study door ready with a curse on his lips for the foolish follower that obnoxiously called for him. Although he was nice to Harry and Severus, the rest of his followers did not have the such luxury.
Once he saw Rodolphus carrying an unconscious Harry, his eyes hardened.
"What happened?" he demanded to know.
"Bellatrix crucioed him in the gardens. She held the curse for a long time and we were only able to restrain her once blood was already flowing from his nose and mouth." Rabastan answered angerly.
Voldemorts lips tightened as he tried to restrain his anger. Right now he had to focus on Harry. He could deal with Bellatrix later.
He called for Severus and Narcissa Malfoy. Severus was a potion master and he needed an the anti-cruciatis potion, while Narcissa would need to assess Harry for any nerve damage. She was a gifted healer that had saved many on their side during the last Wizarding War.
The group of three men quickly traveled to Harry's bedroom. Rodolphus placed harry down in the middle of the bed and the three settled in to wait impatiently for Snape and Malfoy to arrive.
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Severus felt his mark burn. At the moment he was discussing the upcoming school year with the Headmaster. He clapped a hand onto his mark and gritted his teeth in pain. It must be urgent if he was being called so brutally. He couldn't help but think that Potter had something to do with this.
He made excuses of having to tend to an experimental potion and fled the Headmaster's office abruptly. He stalked throughout the school and past the wads to the apparation point.
With a loud crack, he was gone.
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Narcissa Malfoy was awaiting her son's return when she felt the pendent around her neck warm. Unlike other followers of Voldemort, Narcissa was gifted with a pendent instead of the Dark mark. She wrapped a dainty hand around the chain and spoke the activation word "calling". He reappeared moments later inside Riddle Manor. Her pendent was a portkey that would take her to the Dark Lord's current place of residence whenever used.
She stalked quickly through the manor, following the tracking charm implemented into the pendent in case of emergency.
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Severus Snape and Narcissa Malfoy arrived moments apart in Harry's bedroom. Upon entering, Snape immediately began casting diagnostic charms. Once he discovered the problem, he pulled out two potions and spelled them into his stomach. Only after he could see that the potions were working, did he turn to address the Dark Lord.
"My lord" Severus stated simply.
Narcissa had arrived right then and proceeded to bow shallowly to the Dark Lord and await instruction.
"Hadrian was crucioed by Bellatrix and I need you both to make sure he heals completely. Fail to do so and you will severely regret it." Voldemort ground out.
Both potion master and healer paled. Severus had never heard Voldemort sound so serious about a task. They both turned and began healing the boy under Voldemort and the Lestrange brother's watchful eyes.
A half hour later, Narcissa turned to their audience to proclaim that she had done all she could and they now had to wait and see. She knew that if she had failed, her life would be forfeit.
