A/N: I'm warning you. This isn't a happy chapter. If you want a happy chapter, please go visit some other story, because you will not be finding one here. I'm not saying this is a tear- jerker, but like the third task- an innocent person will- well…you know. Read on and review it please. But no flames. Thanks!
With affection,
Tad
James yawned. He rolled over in his bed and pulled covers up around his body. He didn't want to be awake. He wanted to fall asleep again…he was so warm.
His eyes snapped open. Warm? That was something he hadnt been in over a month. He drank in the scene around him. He was lying in a large four poster bed that had a silky down cover on it. His pillows were overstuffed with feathers. A fire was burning in the corner of the room and there was a small table in the center that had fruit and tea and crumpets laid out on it.
James cautiously stepped out of the bed. His feet landed on a red Persian rug.
*I must be dreaming. * He concluded. He walked to the table and grabbed a few grapes. He popped one into his mouth. * But what a good dream it is. *
He was just about to go explore the rest of this dream when he heard voices.
"You brought the boy, Avery?"
"Yes." Came the guard's voice. "It was hard. His old man gave a little trouble. So did the boy."
"Is he knocked out?" Voldemort inquired.
"The boy or the father, sir?"
"Either."
"The boy, he's at the end of the hallway. Nagini is watching over him at the moment. I had to gag the little bastard. He was making such a racket. And his dad- he's in this room here, knocked out. Gave him a bash to the head, I did."
"I want to see him."
"Why, sir?"
"Don't ask questions, Avery. Now, lead the way."
James froze for three whole seconds before bolting to the bed and quickly pretending to be asleep.
He heard the two enter the room. He shut his eyes tighter. They made their way over to the bed and stopped over it. James could swear that they would hear his heart beating. He tried to even out his breathing.
"Pity he's still out." Voldemort said. "I had so dearly wanted him to see this."
"I could wake him my lord-"
"No!" Voldemort cut him off. "It's his loss really. Bring in the boy."
Footsteps trailed off in the opposite direction. Voldemort grabbed the curtains around the bed and tugged them shut.
The footsteps were back again, only now it sounded like something was being dragged.
"Untie his hands and his feet." Voldemort said.
"Yes, M'lord."
"Un-gag him."
"Yes, M'-"
"You know? I think I finally see why even the dirty rats cringe when they hear your name." Harry hissed as soon as the gag was gone, cutting off Avery. "You are a filthy little coward to lowly to even be worthy of love. No wonder your father bolted. He probably saw how ugly you were and ran away. Your mother probably had a heart attack when you were put in her arms."
"I think that is the first time somebody has ever- dared - to insult me." Voldemort said slowly.
"It won't be the last, pig." Harry said briskly.
"Enough of your stupid speeches!" Voldemort said. "Crucio!"
James scrunched up his face at the sound of Harry's yells. When they stopped he let out a long careful breath. He slowly sat up in his bed and moved toward the curtains. Slowly, ever so slowly he opened them enough so that he could see the scene in front of him.
Harry, his son, his only child Harry was squirming under Voldemort's wand. James held his breath as Voldemort got ready to say a deadly curse.
But Harry regained his balance and jumped up. He shouted a curse that James didn't know at the man. Voldemort recoiled and glared at Harry once he had shaken it off.
"That dump of a school has taught you something?" He sneered. "I remember when I first dueled you… Pathetic."
Harry didn't say a word during this. It seemed to be unnerving Voldemort. "And now you are silent except to curse me."
Still silence from Harry. They were slowly circling each other now. Voldemort looked as if he was enjoying this and Harry looked like a cat. Alert and graceful, trying to avoid danger.
"Crucio!" Voldemort said. Harry threw up his hands and an emerald shield of magic sprouted up around him. The curse bounced off it and sped towards Voldemort, who jumped quickly out of the way. "Good tactics. You would almost be useful with me here. What do you say to that?"
Harry barely whispered the word but it could be heard from every corner of the room. "No."
Voldemort made a noise very much like a snarl. "Then you can die."
Harry's face remained blank as he dodged the next curse that Voldemort sent at him. He threw a curse back at Voldemort. Voldemort was hit square in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing.
Harry's small victory made James smile, even under the circumstances. "A little break, a little pause. That hurt didn't it, Tom? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"
Harry looked smug as he sent the body-bind at the already crippled man.
But Voldemort was not going to back down that quickly. At the last second he straitened up again and used the same blocking tactics Harry had, only Voldemort's wall of power was red.
Harry, thrown off guard, fell to the floor because of the momentum of the curse and could not get himself up again. Voldemort laughed, wicked pleasure sparkling in his eyes.
He circled around Harry, grinning. James's mouth had long since gone dry. He didn't realize it, but he was clenching his fists so tight that his hands were bleeding. He was in a difficult position. If he jumped out of the bed, he would surely be killed and then Harry would die. And if he didn't he would live with the guilt of knowing he let his only child die.
"So. After all these years." Voldemort said, still circling. "You've been defeated by a child's curse. I think that's the most tragic thing I've ever heard. Did you really think that you would win?"
Harry's eyes were cold, not frightened as they followed Voldemort's body around the room.
"But now, who has won?" Voldemort asked, crouching near to Harry's head. "Fool, did you think that by all this you would save your precious father? When you are dead, what is to stop me from killing him- and the rest of your lot? Understand that you have given me the magical world forever, you have lost your own life and you have not saved them." Voldemort had slowly risen to his feet again and was holding his wand pointed at him. "And in that knowledge- Avada Kedavra!"
Now will the age-old battle stop
Twixt good and evil for the top
Oh fate has seen to make it thus
The scales have tilted here to us
His loss of life will be our gain
With evil will this world remain
For good upon this day be slain.
With affection,
Tad
James yawned. He rolled over in his bed and pulled covers up around his body. He didn't want to be awake. He wanted to fall asleep again…he was so warm.
His eyes snapped open. Warm? That was something he hadnt been in over a month. He drank in the scene around him. He was lying in a large four poster bed that had a silky down cover on it. His pillows were overstuffed with feathers. A fire was burning in the corner of the room and there was a small table in the center that had fruit and tea and crumpets laid out on it.
James cautiously stepped out of the bed. His feet landed on a red Persian rug.
*I must be dreaming. * He concluded. He walked to the table and grabbed a few grapes. He popped one into his mouth. * But what a good dream it is. *
He was just about to go explore the rest of this dream when he heard voices.
"You brought the boy, Avery?"
"Yes." Came the guard's voice. "It was hard. His old man gave a little trouble. So did the boy."
"Is he knocked out?" Voldemort inquired.
"The boy or the father, sir?"
"Either."
"The boy, he's at the end of the hallway. Nagini is watching over him at the moment. I had to gag the little bastard. He was making such a racket. And his dad- he's in this room here, knocked out. Gave him a bash to the head, I did."
"I want to see him."
"Why, sir?"
"Don't ask questions, Avery. Now, lead the way."
James froze for three whole seconds before bolting to the bed and quickly pretending to be asleep.
He heard the two enter the room. He shut his eyes tighter. They made their way over to the bed and stopped over it. James could swear that they would hear his heart beating. He tried to even out his breathing.
"Pity he's still out." Voldemort said. "I had so dearly wanted him to see this."
"I could wake him my lord-"
"No!" Voldemort cut him off. "It's his loss really. Bring in the boy."
Footsteps trailed off in the opposite direction. Voldemort grabbed the curtains around the bed and tugged them shut.
The footsteps were back again, only now it sounded like something was being dragged.
"Untie his hands and his feet." Voldemort said.
"Yes, M'lord."
"Un-gag him."
"Yes, M'-"
"You know? I think I finally see why even the dirty rats cringe when they hear your name." Harry hissed as soon as the gag was gone, cutting off Avery. "You are a filthy little coward to lowly to even be worthy of love. No wonder your father bolted. He probably saw how ugly you were and ran away. Your mother probably had a heart attack when you were put in her arms."
"I think that is the first time somebody has ever- dared - to insult me." Voldemort said slowly.
"It won't be the last, pig." Harry said briskly.
"Enough of your stupid speeches!" Voldemort said. "Crucio!"
James scrunched up his face at the sound of Harry's yells. When they stopped he let out a long careful breath. He slowly sat up in his bed and moved toward the curtains. Slowly, ever so slowly he opened them enough so that he could see the scene in front of him.
Harry, his son, his only child Harry was squirming under Voldemort's wand. James held his breath as Voldemort got ready to say a deadly curse.
But Harry regained his balance and jumped up. He shouted a curse that James didn't know at the man. Voldemort recoiled and glared at Harry once he had shaken it off.
"That dump of a school has taught you something?" He sneered. "I remember when I first dueled you… Pathetic."
Harry didn't say a word during this. It seemed to be unnerving Voldemort. "And now you are silent except to curse me."
Still silence from Harry. They were slowly circling each other now. Voldemort looked as if he was enjoying this and Harry looked like a cat. Alert and graceful, trying to avoid danger.
"Crucio!" Voldemort said. Harry threw up his hands and an emerald shield of magic sprouted up around him. The curse bounced off it and sped towards Voldemort, who jumped quickly out of the way. "Good tactics. You would almost be useful with me here. What do you say to that?"
Harry barely whispered the word but it could be heard from every corner of the room. "No."
Voldemort made a noise very much like a snarl. "Then you can die."
Harry's face remained blank as he dodged the next curse that Voldemort sent at him. He threw a curse back at Voldemort. Voldemort was hit square in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing.
Harry's small victory made James smile, even under the circumstances. "A little break, a little pause. That hurt didn't it, Tom? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"
Harry looked smug as he sent the body-bind at the already crippled man.
But Voldemort was not going to back down that quickly. At the last second he straitened up again and used the same blocking tactics Harry had, only Voldemort's wall of power was red.
Harry, thrown off guard, fell to the floor because of the momentum of the curse and could not get himself up again. Voldemort laughed, wicked pleasure sparkling in his eyes.
He circled around Harry, grinning. James's mouth had long since gone dry. He didn't realize it, but he was clenching his fists so tight that his hands were bleeding. He was in a difficult position. If he jumped out of the bed, he would surely be killed and then Harry would die. And if he didn't he would live with the guilt of knowing he let his only child die.
"So. After all these years." Voldemort said, still circling. "You've been defeated by a child's curse. I think that's the most tragic thing I've ever heard. Did you really think that you would win?"
Harry's eyes were cold, not frightened as they followed Voldemort's body around the room.
"But now, who has won?" Voldemort asked, crouching near to Harry's head. "Fool, did you think that by all this you would save your precious father? When you are dead, what is to stop me from killing him- and the rest of your lot? Understand that you have given me the magical world forever, you have lost your own life and you have not saved them." Voldemort had slowly risen to his feet again and was holding his wand pointed at him. "And in that knowledge- Avada Kedavra!"
Now will the age-old battle stop
Twixt good and evil for the top
Oh fate has seen to make it thus
The scales have tilted here to us
His loss of life will be our gain
With evil will this world remain
For good upon this day be slain.
