Chapter Fourteen – Freedom

"Madelyn!" he called, causing her too look up from the ground.

"What?" she spat back, her voice hoarse from the lack of use. She tried to stand from the hard, rocky earth that she was sitting on, but her legs collapsed under her eighty-pound weight. Her eyes tried to focus on who was speaking to her.

"Can't you feel it, Maddie?" the man asked, his voice getting closer to her.

She shook her head, which just ended up exhausting her. "Feel what? What are you talking about?"

Out of nowhere, a man was standing above her—something that hadn't happened in thirteen years. Someone was with her. Someone was now sitting next to her! Was she dreaming? Was she actually in contact with another person?

"Maddie, we're free."

She looked at the man next to her. She had known him even before she was imprisoned. They were good friends, but they hadn't spoken in years. Hadn't spoken since....

"Really?" she asked, her voice quiet and trembling.

He nodded vigorously. "Yes! The dementors....they have joined our side!"

She smiled. "Too bad old Barty Crouch isn't here to see this day!" she laughed, her strength slowly coming back to her. "Of course, he wasn't true, was he?"

The man shook his head. "Don't you remember him pleading his innocence to his father the day of our trial? No, Maddie, you are the truest of all."

"Yes..." she said, lifting her sleeve until the mark on her forearm showed. It was black. Pure black, and the sensation that it sent up Maddie's spine to see it was exhilarating. A sudden feeling of warmth and happiness filled every part of her body, something which was usually sucked away by the dementors. But since the dementors were now a specialty of Voldemort....

He smiled. "I always knew we'd come back. That's why we had to keep on going...we didn't give up! And our Master...he shall reward us, Maddie. He will reward us...." his voice fell to a whisper. "You think he's still alive, Maddie?"

"Who? Frank? Of course he is. Wife too."

He stared at her. "Are you sure?"

"Frank and Genevieve...always strong, they were. I wouldn't be surprised if they're still alive. They could pull through anything."

He raised an eyebrow. "Even after what we did to them?"

Maddie laughed. "Of course. They would have survived. Son, too. Probably living with Frank's mother."

He nodded. "Yes...yes, it makes sense."

The two sat in the cell for a few more minutes. Maddie was trying to rally up some more strength, while he watched her. He hadn't seen her in so long....

Finally, Madelyn was able to stand. She looked down at the man, and said, "Well Shawn? Let's go!"

And the two of them, along with hundreds of others, left the Azkaban Prison.

^*^*^

"You have all returned to me, strong, and true. You will all be awarded, because you never gave up, like some others had. I intend to show each of you just how much your loyalty has meant to me."

All the thin, pale humans cheered. Some just whooped and hollered, others shouted, "LONG LIVE OUR LORD!" and eventually, they were all singing together: "Our Lord Forever! You can't take him away!" in one voice.

He enjoyed this. He wasn't a music love, so the singing wasn't the thing putting him in the good mood. His true followers were back! And more eager to kill then ever! And with the dementors on their side, creatures which couldn't be destroyed, he was sure to kill Potter! He was guaranteed the Hand of Midas! It was perfect!

"Yes...yes!" he shouted out, smiling at all the happy faces. He loved the fact that dementors blended in so well with all the others...their hooded cloaks looked exactly like the follower's cloaks. Someone like Dumbledore would think they were attacking a Death Eater...and it would end up being a dementor! It was better than perfect!

"Now...for those of you who do not know...we have lost a few of our followers. I shall read the names. Some were accidents, while some..." he looked at the shaking Wormtail and laughed. "While some were just necessary.

"BARTY CROUCH! He died last year. Soul sucked out by the Dementor's Kiss, and he killed himself a few days later. JOSEPH Winiarski! Died of heart disease, bless his soul. Very faithful, yes indeed....MARY MCELROY! Caught by an Auror and gave her life. Yes, her family has been rewarded. LUCIUS Malfoy! Well...I killed him. Nasty little leech he was."

The other Death Eaters in the room howled with laughter. The room became louder and louder, and soon, it was like a reunion party. Someone had summoned some Butterbeer, and real hard liquor. Others conjured biscuits, and cookies.

"Well Wormtail," Voldemort shouted over the loud noise. "I guess the capture of Azkaban has been a success?" He drank a shot of whiskey.

"I agree!" Wormtail spat, taking a shot of rum.

The Death Eater party lasted all night long.

^*^*^

The Gryffindors all sang in one voice: "Happy birthday Fred and George! Happy birthday to you!" and the two twins blew out the candles, which illuminated the large chocolate cake.

Cheers erupted, and Fred and George smiled at everyone, as they studied the cake. It said, in orange lettering, "Happy Birthday Gred and Feorge!". The twins looked at each other and smiled.

"How'd you manage to pull this off?" asked George, grinning at Harry.

Harry smiled back. "I got some help from Lee, and Ron, but most of it...well, the elves thought that they'd help out, considering you've always 'been so nice and kind' to them. At least, according to what they said."

Fred intervened. "Of course we've been nice to them! They feed us!"

Laughter swallowed the Gryffindor common room, and Harry couldn't have been more pleased with the way things were going. Fred and George deserved a day for them. He couldn't count all the times that the two had thrown parties for other people. It was their turn.

"Happy birthday, guys," said Lee Jordan. He handed each of them a tiny box, wrapped in orange paper. "Go ahead! Open 'em!"

Fred ripped the paper off, and opened the box, which reveled tiny gold name tag. It said: Hi! My name is George! How can I assist you?

Fred looked at Lee. "What are these for?"

"For your joke shop. Wear them, and people will know which of you is which!"

"Aw," George pouted. "But that's no fun!" But he grinned anyway and hugged Lee. "Thanks, man. At least someone supports our decisions."

"I'd better!" Lee said. He pulled out the same type of gold nameplate from his pocket. "I even made myself one."

George and Fred laughed.

Harry couldn't remove the smile from his face. He took a swig of Butterbeer—the liquid warmed

his inside from the crisp, mid-October air, despite being inside the castle. He grinned at Ron, who was beaming brightly.

This was the best night ever.