A/N: As you can see, I'm changing the title. I'll do it oficially in a week, and I'll repost this chapter in a beta-ed version (sorry about the possible mistakes. My wonderful beta Lin-z has exams, and I felt that after leaving you where I did I had to post as soon as possible). It took longer than I expected, (but yes, Ravenclaw Filly, I did write at night and between my exams as I promised!)
Thanks to all who reviewed and encouraged me, and for the titles you proposed (marykmac: I'm really flattered. I have to admit I was tempted for a while...). I wanted to leave the Phoenix in the title, but it resissted and resisted till I made up something else. The meaning will be clear later.
I guess I better start to beg for forgiveness right now. You'll know why by the end of the chapter. I am not addicted to cliffhangers, I swear. There are deeper reasons for what I do. Oh well, just remember that a dead author can't finish his work!
Harry couldn't see. He couldn't hear. For an instant he feared he couldn't breath. Than suddenly all his senses came back and he felt a rough hand on his shoulder lifting him from the ground. He struggled and kicked against the man holding him but at the end found himself staring at the point of a wand.
"Harry!" He stopped struggling and turned at the sound of Sirius' voice. Malfoy's two bodyguards were holding his arms behind his back, but he didn't seem to acknowledge them anymore than he acknowledged the wand Malfoy was holding at his throat. "Harry!" Malfoy pressed some more and sparks flew out, forcing Sirius to stand still.
"I'm okay." Harry answered shakily, not because he felt that way but because he doubted even that threat was able to hold his godfather much longer. Avery prodded Harry with his wand and pushed him closer to where the others were staying, never letting go of his hand.
"Harry Potter! We didn't expect you here today, what a delightful surprise you decided to join us." Lucius Malfoy turned his attention to Harry and gave him an extremely unpleasant smile.
"It was all part of my plan!" Avery immediately jumped in. "I knew it was risky to send Snape back to that school, but getting the boy from under Dumbledore's nose was worth a try!" Malfoy's smile disappeared at that eager interruption. Avery didn't seem to notice and continued excitedly: "The Dark Lord must know that it was my work, Lucius. I don't know what kind of influence Snape was under, but it was me who realised it! I figured out how to use it to our advantage! I forced him to reveal Black's hideaway! I persuaded him to bring Harry Potter to me! When the Master hears about it…"
"And why did Snape contact you in the first place?" Malfoy asked conversationally. Avery shuddered and Harry tried once more to get free. He only succeeded in getting an inmovilising hex placed on him.
"Because they knew you were weak! They knew you never believed in our cause, and were ready to betray us at the minimal threat. Do you want Voldemort to find that out? He thinks very highly of you already." Avery's hand holding Harry shook even more at the mention of the fearful name. "You will remember your place and keep low when our Lord comes, is that clear?"
"Good. Than it's time to call our Master. After all, we have a very special company here: a traitor, a foe and a million Galleon prize…"
Malfoy touched Harry's face with his hand, forcing him to look straight at him. "You have no idea how annoyed he was when you escaped him once, twice, than again this summer." He spat out. "You have absolutely no idea how unwise it is to annoy Lord Voldemort."
"Keep your dirty hands away from him!" Sirius' eyes held a promise of a long and painful death if he ever got hold of a wand. Malfoy squeezed Harry's chin once more and let him go, turning around to Sirius.
"I don't know what my master will decide to do with you, but you and I still have something to settle. Crabbe, Goyle, hold him!"
It was hardly necessary, but the two bodyguards straightened their grip, twisting the prisoner's arms tight behind his back.
"Somebody has to teach you manners, if only right before you die." Malfoy's hand closed in a fist. "There's nothing I hate more than somebody coming to my party… without invitation."
The blow threw Sirius brutally backwards, and the two bodyguards let go of his arms, allowing him to stumble on the ground. The synchrony they displayed suggested they had practised that one routine many times. Sirius struggled to get up, receiving another blow in his ribs as he held up the hand to sweep the blood from his face. The third kick he managed to avoid, rolling away and seizing the foot coming down on him. He twisted it, causing Malfoy to loose equilibrium. Instantly, him two inseparable bodyguards appeared once more, pinning him to down until he was forced to kneel in front of Lucius Malfoy.
"You will beg to die, Black. You will weep with gratitude at being allowed to die. Nobody had ever escaped Lord Voldemort, and nobody had ever died cursing his name."
"Wrong… three times out of three." Sirius' voice was hoarse with ill contained rage. "The Potters died facing Voldemort, Harry escaped twice, and…" Goyle twisted his arm with the calmness of a professional executioner. Sirius bit his lip to avoid screaming out.
"Let him go!" Harry struggled with all his forces to break free but suddenly his arms were pulled together by some unknown force and chains closed around his wrists. The same happened with Sirius.
"Where is the third one?"
"Here somewhere. I told him to wait." Avery sounded very sure of himself. "Severus Snape! Come here!"
The figure of the Hogwarts professor came to view and obediently walked in their direction. Malfoy smiled first, but all signs of pleasure disappeared when he noticed the wand in Snape's hand. His worry didn't escape Avery's.
"He's inoffensive. He'll do whatever we say."
"Take the wand from him." Malfoy hissed. Avery smiled with superiority.
"You've got to trust me more, Lucius. Look. Snape! Are the prisoners secured?"
"Not yet." Snape's pale face turned as white as chalk. He walked toward Sirius, bent down, opened the neck of his tunic and revealed the medallion. Carefully avoiding meeting Sirius' dark gaze, Snape snapped the medallion from his neck and held it to Avery.
"The way to Hogwarts." He explained expressionlessly.
"And your wand." He handed the wand over. "Thank you so much." In a second a new pair of restraints closed around Snape's wrists.
"A priceless picture. I think it's about time we call Lord Voldemort and give him the great news." Lucius Malfoy rolled up the left sleeve of his tunic, revealing the Dark Mark. He extended the arms toward the see and kneeled on the ground. Avery and the rest stepped venemently away from him. Malfoy pointed his wand at his arm and murmured something. Just like in Harry's hallucination the image of the snake coming of the scull started to glow in red.
Please, don't let him do it. Let something go wrong, somebody come, anything. Don't let him call his master… Painful memories flowed through Harry's head. He had whispered almost the same words once before, and nobody came. Cedric died, Voldemort came to life and the dark had risen. What help did he expect there, on a lifeless island ruled by inhuman monsters? Let it be another hallucination.
It wasn't. Apparation didn't give any warning. A tall, deathly thin form of a man appeared soundlessly in front of Lucius Malfoy. He stood up and bowed deeply under the inquiring scrutiny of those piercing red eyes. Stepping aside, Malfoy motioned in Harry's direction. Once again, Harry found himself face to face with Lord Voldemort.
He forced himself to look directly at the Dark Lord. Every breath he took was suddenly a conscious effort. Help won't come. He thought resolutely. We'll have to get out of this by ourselves.
"Call up the circle." Malfoy looked at his master in surprise and nervous delight.
"I, my Lord?"
"Your service is an example for every Death Eater. I'm very proud of you, Lucius." Voldemort answered never taking his eyes off Harry's face. Harry stubbornly returned his look, as if his life depended on that firmness. Suddenly a hiss among the stones broke his trance and he jerked back at the sight of an enormous snake coming on him.
"Have patience, Nagini. We will wait for everybody before starting." The disappointed hiss repeated once more and the snake came back and encircled itself around Voldemort's leg.
It was like a nightmare replaying itself once again. Hooded figures appeared silently in front of Lucius Malfoy. Some bowed before recognizing him, than stepped back with poisonous looks of envy and turned to Voldemort and took their place in the circle. It was complete this time. Where had been empty places before now stood new members. Voldemort stood in the middle, and Harry, Sirius and Snape in front of him, surrounded and helpless. Harry felt chilly looks of curiosity all over him.
"When I first called you after my long absence from this world I promised you something, my dutiful servants. Now it's time to fulfil those promises. I promised you the death of Harry Potter, and you will witness it today. I promised you the torture and death of our enemies, and today you will participate in it. I promised you that the traitors will pay, and today is time."
If Harry was getting looks of curiosity, those reserved for Snape held the promise of long and painful torment. Nothing could have persuaded Harry that he had nothing to do with the Death Eaters than the attitude of his former colleagues.
"Severus Snape! Not only did you fail to return at the call of you master, you have spied against me for a long time before that. Will you bother to deny it?"
Snape had many unpleasant qualities, but he was no coward. His face was deathly white, but at hearing Voldemort's words some colour returned to it and he lifted his chin in desobeyance. Behind Voldemort's back, Malfoy turned to Avery with a frown.
"Answer your Master!" Avery ordered.
"He is not my master." A painful grimace crossed Snape's face, and his body shook violently. The fight against the poison in his body came painstakingly to him. Voldemort's eyes glowed with recognition of his symptoms.
"You prefer to call that old fool your master, Severus? And that lot of worthless mudblood lovers your friends? Interesting friends they are, poisoning you and than sending you to die… They knew what would happen. They let you take that risk… Nagini is hungry. Feed her, Severus. Take a step forward. Now."
Snape shuddered with the entire body, fighting the order and failing. Slowly, he stepped forward away from Harry and Sirius.
"Another step." Again he was forced to obey. Harry didn't realise that he too was trembling. Involuntary, he made a small step forward as if trying to prevent his teacher from advancing. The snake advanced at them, her head at one level with Snape's.
"Close your eyes, Harry," suddenly Voldemort's voice held a pretension of kindness. "It's a cruel show, you don't need to witness it."
Entirely against his will Harry found himself closing his eyes. His lids suddenly weighed too much, and he had no strength to keep them open.
"Another step." Harry didn't need to see Snape obeying the order. He heard the sound of it on the ground, and his imagination filled the rest of the details.
"Kneel." Another sound. The hissing of expectation grew stronger, and Harry could see snake's head flying forward in his imagination.
"Out!" Harry's eyes snapped open in time to see Snape throwing himself on the ground. He fell, rolled away and froze there, watching the monster recover after the failed attack, turn around and come after him once again. "Fight her!" Sirius shouted again. Snape stumbled shakily to his feet, ready to evade another attack.
Voldemort hissed. It was exactly like Nagini's frustrated hiss, and yet Harry understood the words, or the meaning. The snake turned its head at him and hissed disappointed insistence. Voldemort didn't even look at her. His inhuman red eyes were directed at Sirius.
He came closer to his prisoners and studied Harry's godfather with the interest of a deity that had been defied by the lowest of his servants. The kind of look that normally served to let his servants feel the immensity of their crime and start pleading for mercy.
Sirius did nothing of that. He returned the stare with a calmness Harry was positive he did not feel. For the first time since they were taken prisoners an unlogical faint hope grew inside him.
"In my circle you don't speak unless addressed to." Voldemort's voice was frightening in its infinitely patience. Sirius rolled his eyes. Harry felt his heart skip a beat. Of all the wrong things to do in presence of the Dark Lord rolling the eyes at him had to be the worst. And it wasn't all.
"You have found the perfect torture method. Educational lectures is what I dread more than anything in the world, and that was already the second one…"
"You think you are not afraid of me, right?" Voldemort's red eyes examined the man in front of him with increasing curiosity.
"I find it difficult to fear something I despise." Sirius's tone lost all of it pretended joviality. "Somebody whose truest servants are the dirt of the humanity, who wear a mask while killing defenceless people and who considers a fifteen-years-old boy to be his worst enemy."
Voldemort's face didn't change a bit. "I warned you. You weren't supposed to be the first, but as you seem to insist…"
He trailed off. Nobody moved, nothing happened, and yet suddenly every expression was gone from Sirius' eyes to be replaced with naked fear. Harry felt the emotion radiate to him. The most terrible was, he didn't understand what had produced such a sudden change.
"It's difficult to speak when you can't breath, don't you agree?"
Strangling curses didn't have to be red, green or yellow. They could be invisible, quick, and more terrible than Harry could have ever imagined. Shattered thoughts flew through his horrified mind. Unable to concentrate on any of them the only thing he could do was to watch.
"Wormtail?"
A short man stepped out of the faceless circle and hurried to his master, bowing with every step and searching for Voldemort's look with eagerness.
"Is this the man who was once your friend, Wormtail? The one who told you about the Potters?"
"Yes, My Lord." Peter Pettigrew bowed once again, this time taking one step back to the circle. He didn't look very happy at suddenly being the centre of Voldemort's attention, or staying so close to his former friend. Wormtail's cowardice had to be inborn; nothing changed now that he had almost unlimited power.
"The one you were so afraid of?" Continued Voldemort softly. He's still afraid of him, even now.. Sirius' eyes were clouded with anguish but he still held Voldemort's gaze. His old, daring self was coming back slowly and painfully through the shock of pain, fear, and approaching dizziness.
"Are you trying to think of the right answer? There are no right answers to my questions, Wormtail. There are only the truthful ones. And you don't need to decide whether to tell me it or not. You simply have no other choice… "
"Yes, My Lord."
"A Death Eater makes his enemies fear him, not the other way around, my friend. You still have a lot to learn. Luckily, it's very easy."
Pettigrew seemingly didn't think that being called "my friend" by Lord Voldemort was a good sign. His hands shook uncontrollably.
"My Lord…"
"Take out your wand, Wormtail. You have the power over him. Use it."
Pettigrew tried in vain to suppress the trembling of his hands. When he pointed his wand at Sirius it became even more evident. The two of them looked at one another, and the look Wormtail saw in the eyes of his former friend seemed to scare him even more than Voldemort's words. The only emotion written there was a silent reproach, as if he couldn't believe it was the little Peter pointing his wand directly at his chest.
"C-crucio!"
"No!"
The scream filled Harry's lungs, but the knot in his throat prevented it from coming out. He had thought before that there was nothing worse than the screams of people tortured by Cruciatus Curse. Now he knew the silence was much worse. Sirius's face was wet and ashen, his eyes shut tight against the agony that could not get worse for it was infinite already. And he wasn't even allowed to hold air to scream.
"Stop it!" This time the words managed to leave Harry's lips. Voldemort's thin smile sent waves of nausea at him. His long bony arm extended towards him and he fought the urge to step away.
"But I thought you have understood our previous lecture, Harry. You are not asking politely, and you could achieve soo much if you did. You could get very far, my boy, believe me."
"Your could be great, and Slytherin could help you…" The memory came unexpectedly to his
mind. Was that what Tom Riddle had heard during the Sorting?
What does that matter, Sirius is
dying while we speak, you are killing him, please, please stop it…
Another memory of another
time appeared in front of his eyes, and Professor Lupin looked gravely at him in the middle of
the Quidditch field. "It doesn't matter why he said yes for the first time. Once you start working
for Voldemort there is no way back…"
Harry did the only thing he could. He closed his eyes, and felt the tears he wasn't able to control running down his face.
Sirius was floating in an agonizing haze of pain and unreality, when the agony becomes so unbearable it simply ceases to exist. He had been bitterly grateful when the Cruciatus Curse hit him. Everything became so ease in that instant. Nothing but pain existed anymore. The paralysing fear of suddenly not able to breath against the wild need to fight, to hide his agony from his torturer and to deny the fear to himself. To remember the dreadful picture of Peter in the middle of the destroyed street over the childhood memories of friendship and loyality that his oxygen deprived mind traitorously offered him. The Cruciatus Curse Pettigrew put on him made everything so much easier.
"Enough."
Suddenly everything was over and oxygen was allowed back into Sirius starving lungs. He drew air and was unable to suppress a shaky, anguished moan from leaving his lips. His body refused to obey him and he simply laid there, drawing quick, tortured breaths that mixed with groans of pain that were denied him before. He was vaguely aware of the Death Eaters and their laughter but couldn't bring himself to care.
"Force yourself." He ordered himself stubbornly. "Force yourself to care. To stand up. To face them. Think of Harry." That one thought was enough to bring Sirius up from the ground and to his knees. Staying up without getting sick seemed an impossible mission. From far away he heard the same cold voice ordering mockingly.
"You may stand up."
Sirius looked up into those red unmerciful eyes, and found himself looking into the representation of the infinite and infinitely cruel power that promised the realization of his worst, hidden fears without any reason, just because it could. He found himself drawn into that darkness, afraid for Harry, and afraid for himself because for him Harry was the only one who mattered.
"Force... yourself... to... hate..." Sirius Black stood up and faced Voldemort.
"You are not afraid of me." This time it was a statement, not a question. "You are not afraid of dying. You are afraid of living. Of staying alive long enough to see the son of your best friend die. Aren't you? You see, Mr. Black, I have a special talent for sensing people's fears. Restraindo!"
The strength of the curse sent Sirius flying until his body connected with the rocks that surrounded them. Yielding under Voldemort's will the stone behind him closed itself around his wrists and ankles, pinning his arms over his head and his legs to the ground.
"Harry? I think we have something left to discuss."
"Let him alone!" Harry knew Sirius would do anything to help him, but he also knew there was nothing he could do. Once again, everything was going to be decided between him and Voldemort.
"I am really sorry for you, Harry. You were supposed to be the last, and will be the first to die. I was going to start with Severus Snape, but your godfather insisted he had to go first. I could have killed him, but you asked me to stop, if not very politely. Now it's your turn, and I doubt very much my former servant" he turned to Snape with something that could have been a smile, "will be willing to follow your example and volunteer to take your place."
Voldemort was coming closer and closer to Harry, and his words became lower, until he stood right in front of him and almost whispered in his ear. For a moment he wasn't sure if it were words or snake hiss coming from Voldemort's mouth.
"You can kill me now, but you promised a duel." Harry made a conscientious effort to speak clearly out, and was reassured at hearing his own words strong and loud.
"You want to duel? We can do that, of course. But I was thinking we could talk a little first. Why don't you tell me how you got here?" Harry was getting more and more confused with every moment. "How could it have happened that your old and wise Professor Dumbledore sent his favourite pet to spy after me, and didn't notice he was under the effects of some voluntariatum?"
All of a sudden Harry was acutely aware of Snape on his left, and Voldemort's whisper seemed louder than a thunder.
"You see, I doubt he would have sent one of his people to die. He doesn't have that many. I guess somebody else provided the potion without his knowledge. What do you think, Harry?"
Harry answered nothing. It was all his fault. He couldn't understand why he didn't realise it sooner. It didn't matter if his presence near Azkaban was a coincidence or a part of Avery's plan. Even if he hadn't come, Snape would still fall in their hands. He would still lead them to Sirius.
"They can't hear us, Harry, don't worry." The words hit Harry like the worst Cruciatus Curse. "He knows what I am afraid of." Dying wasn't the worst. "It is all my fault. Everyone kept telling me that Cedric's death wasn't my fault. Sirius and Professor Snape will die only because of me."
"But maybe we should tell them." Voldemort watched him closely and shook his head. "I know you don't want to, Harry, but think of it. He thinks he is responsible for you." He nodded in direction of Sirius. "It will be painful for him to see you die. If he knows the truth, it will be easier. He may even love you strong enough to forgive you."
It made sense. Sirius broke out of Azkaban for him. He came back from his hiding to be close to him. He left the safety of the Forbidden Forest to see him play Quidditch. It was only fair to tell him Harry wasn't his responsibility this time.
Harry searched for Sirius' look, but didn't find it. He was looking down, and his lips were moving, silently repeating the words of an incantation. Hanging low above the ground there was a faint source of light, barely visible in the coming darkness. Unfortunately he wasn't the only one to notice it.
"Do you really expect to pull this out?" Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the circle and pointed his wand at the prisoner. Sirius didn't acknowledge him in any way, only his whisper became louder. Harry stared as hypnotized at the ground in front of him. The shining became stronger, he was sure of it. Even more, now he could see that it wasn't just a light, but a diagram of thin glowing lines. And he recognized the symbol they represented.
It was a very antique and primitive form of magic, one that was used the natural forces of the nature and worked with signs that represented the charms. He never would have imagined that a History of Magic would prove useful, or that he actually had learned something in that lesson, but there was the living proof for that. He even recognized the symbol: he had seen it in Hermione's Arithmancy book many times. It was an antique symbol representing the sense of sight. It was glowing stronger and elevating over the ground, there was no doubt at that. Under it a second diagram started to appear.
"Ignitus!"
Malfoy's carefully aimed curse passed an inch away from Sirius' head, burning locks of his hair. The Death Eater watched with pleasure as he jerked away only to be stopped by the restraints. He than frowned as he realised his threat wasn't enough to interrupt the incantation.
"Oh, well." He muttered furiously. "I am not going to miss again."
Sirius' voice grew stronger, covering the Malfoy's words as he struggled to maintain the concentration. Malfoy levelled the wand. Harry watched him with infinite hatred and calculated his chances, but he was too far, and Voldemort too near. Unable to help, Harry watched Sirius grip the stone that served to restrain him in anticipation. His voice echoed through the cliffs and the symbols continued to glow stubbornly in the darkness. There were already three of them.
"Ignitus!"
"Leave him!" Malfoy froze at Voldemort's powerful order. "There are not so many enchantments that require the Incantation of the Five Senses. I know of only one that could be useful. Many considered it lost but maybe… The old fool would certainly try to use it… We'll see."
"If he manages to cast it, which I highly doubt, seeing the way he's doing it."
Harry's hatred for Malfoy grew, if possibly, yet stronger. So did hope. If only Sirius managed… A wild, irrational hope didn't need but one little push to unleash itself.
He watched the fourth sign appear from nothing. Lucius Malfoy let out a laugh. "For your information," he started to say but then just smirked.
The fourth sense didn't work. The incantation extinguished as soon as it joined the first three. The cold feeling in Harry's stomach was back, but what really pained him was Sirius' look of frustration.
"… the order in which you call the senses in the incantation is a key factor to the success. It's quite a common knowledge." Malfoy's tone was infinitely polite.
"Thanks." Sirius spat out, and suddenly the symbols started to appear back one by one. The four, that the five of them, in the right order. The lines of the five diagrams interconnected, fitting perfectly to one another.
Sirius was on the edge of his forces, but the incredulous look on Malfoy's face gave him new strength. He tried to concentrate on the beautiful red of the ready incantation in front of himself, carefully avoiding to think about anything else.
Harry's heart beat wildly in his chest. It didn't escape him that Malfoy wasn't worried at all, even if he didn't expect his godfather to be able to go so far. None of the Death Eaters seemed concerned. The only reason they allowed him to continue was because they didn't believe he could make it to the end. And with a painful sincerity Harry had to admit he didn't believe it either. The effort to simply maintain the incantation seemed to spend all Sirius' strength. His ashen face was crossed with concentration, sweaty locks of his hair falling over his forehead. Wandlessly practicing advanced magic after going through the Cruciatus Curse was just too much, even for Sirius.
The only one who gave the impression to believe in Sirius was Snape. For the first time since he stepped on the island of Azkaban something close to emotion appeared on his face. He obviously realised what kind of enchantment Sirius was doing. Harry thought he guessed it long ago.
"Fidelius!" Sirius closed his eyes to escape the looks of morbid curiosity directed at him. He could not risk opening them to check if the spell had worked. He had spent thirteen year replaying it in his mind, he had to trust his ability.
"Venite!" The light came through his closed lids, and he was able to feel the force he was holding. He wanted everything to end. He needed everything to end, he wasn't able to keep that power in check any longer. They would never ever come out of there alone. They needed help, and maybe, just maybe he was able to call for it.
Incanto Phoenix!" All the power he was holding broke free.
Sirius rested his head against the cool stone and watched as a column of fire grew in front of him, its flames reaching up into the sky and than dissolving in the darkness. A door to enter his body. A way to possess his senses. A call for them to come. He had done it. He had done the Phoenix Enchantment without knowing how it was supposed to work, without being chosen, without a wand. He didn't feel any different. The dark sky didn't offer any answers. He had no idea what was coming next.
"The Phoenix Enchantment. A powerful ancient magic. You don't need to reproach yourself it didn't work." The meaning of the words pierced Sirius' mind. Voldemort was looking back at him, and this time there was no threat in his voice. He was too tired to notice or to care. "Didn't work" echoed in his head again and again. He saw Harry, small and pale at the side of Voldemort.
"Contrary to the popular belief I do respect courage, Mr. Black. If all my supporters were miserable cowardly rats like Wormtail I would have never come so far, archived so much. But I cannot allow it to be used against me."
There was suddenly a wand in Voldemort's hand. Unconscientiously, Sirius hands closed in fists and he struggled against the stone restraints that held him tightly in place.
"I know to reward the bravery, even that of my enemies. I will allow you to die... quickly."
Harry jumped forward, trying to get Voldemort's wand from him before it was too late but found himself paralysed by the power of his opponent. He struggled in vain to overcome the curse, it was as if he were prisoner of a stone wall exactly like Sirius was. His and Sirius' looks locked. Voldemort's hand moved up, and a ray of deadly green light surged from its end.
"Avada Kedavra."
Sirius' black eyes went for an instant piercingly green, and than he shut them tightly against the blinding light. Already knowing he couldn't avoid it, he tried to break free from the stone hold, and a desperate call fought its way out of his throat.
"MOONY!"
The Killing Curse hit its new victim.
Just remember I apologised..."