Voldemort stood on the field. A group of hooded death eaters had stunned
the rest of the team, and where pointing their wands at Arabella, who stood
in front of Harry defensively. But this wasn't her fight, Harry slowly
got to his feet and went to stand beside her. He felt his friends presence
behind them. Desperate thoughts came into his head. He could not be
responsible for their deaths, this was his fight, too many people had died
because of him already, too many people have had their lives ruined. Harry
would not let that happen today.
"Harry, we meet again" Voldemort's voice was like ice. "But don't worry, today is just a. test."
Harry felt his spine tingle at his words, Voldemort was teasing him.
"Just remember, you are not safe Potter, anywhere. Happy birthday"
Harry opened his mouth, but before the words came out Voldemort had disappeared. The death eaters had not however. Hardly did Harry feel Arabella grasp his shoulder when the death eaters stunned her, Ron Hermione and Penelope. Harry was alone now. He stood their defiantly, unwilling to let them see his fear.
"So he left you to do the dirty work. Couldn't handle to kill me himself."
One of the death eaters stepped forward laughing coldly.
"Don't you understand silly boy, he doesn't want to kill, not today anyway."
For a fleeting moment Harry thought he recognized the voice, but the thought was driven out of his head when the death eater lifted his wand to cast a curse. Harry was ready to dodge when his mind was suddenly, blissfully wiped of all thought.
Harry, pretend you are in pain, please
A voice yelled in his empty mind. Sirius's voice.
No, why should I Another voice answered back.
Do it Harry, fall down, pretend you are in pain, please
I don't see why I should
But Harry recognized the voice, he should do what Sirius told him to do.
PLEASE HARRY NOW
Harry did it. He fell on the ground and started shaking. After an indeterminable amount of time he heard another voice.
"Harry! Harry, stop!" It was Arabella shaking him. He opened his eyes slowly, thoughts rushed back into his head.
"What happened! Where are they!" Harry sat up quickly and looked around. There was no sign of a death eater anywhere.
Ron and Hermione looked pale.
"They just wanted to hurt you." Hermione spoke in a very small voice. "They just came to torture you."
"But they didn't torture me at all." Harry said confused
"The cruciatous curse." Penelope said gasping.
"I didn't feel that. I didn't feel that at all, Sir--" He stopped looking at Penelope "er- someone put me under the imperious curse and told me to act like I was in pain."
Everyone looked at him concerned. Except for Penelope everyone knew he had meant to say Sirius. After an empty moment Arabella helped Harry to his feet.
"Come on guys, I think that is enough for one day. Let's go home."
Penelope walked them out of the stadium. She said goodbye to them pleasantly, but gave her cousin a sharp look before heading back to the looker room.
"Sirius put the Imperious curse on you Harry?" Ron asked as soon as Penelope was out of earshot, and eyesight.
"Yeah, it was his voice in my head, I don't understand. Do you Arabella?"
Arabella jumped when Harry addressed her.
"No Harry." She said grimly "not really anyway. I suspect we will get some answers when we get home."
Harry wasn't so sure, but when he saw her face he thought they might stand a chance. Arabella's jaw was clenched as well as her fists. Her eyes were steely as she marched forward at a very fast pace. Harry recognized all the signs of a coming outburst. Whoever they met first better have earplugs with them.
***
To Harry's surprise Arabella managed to control her temper. But only barely. Remus was alone at the house when they all showed up. He looked braced for a fight, but before Arabella could start yelling he got out that they had been informed of today's attack by a spy, and that they had to let it happen or Voldemort would have known who the spy was.
This didn't seem to impress Arabella, and she was about ready to explode, when Sirius came in the door. She took one look at him and any anger she had died. When he walked through the door he stopped abruptly on the threshold, as if he was not quiet sure where to go or what to do. His face was blank all the way down to his glossed over eyes. Harry went to him quickly and walked him over to the couch. Sirius gave a lost look to Harry and then pulled him into a tight hug sobbing violently.
"Sirius, I'm okay." He said lamely.
"You could have been hurt," Sirius cried into his shoulder. "I should have never let Voldemort that close to you, no matter what. Oh god Harry, he could have killed you, he could have killed you and I wouldn't have been able to save you."
Harry looked desperately at Remus, who was looking just as desperately at Harry. Mrs. Figg walked into the room at that moment. She took one look at the situation, marched over to Sirius and pulled him to his feet roughly.
SMACK
Sirius stopped crying and looked wide eyed at Mrs. Figg, his hand covering the red print on his cheek. She had slapped him. Hard.
"Young man, I expect better of you." She said her voice was stern, but not cruel. "We all have a long night ahead of us tonight. Dumbledore is counting on you, we are all counting on you. If you think you made a mistake, fine, but learn from it and move on. Pull yourself together, I can not tolerate your failure, I need your help."
Sirius was now looking at Mrs. Figg with absolute amazement. Standing up straight, he smiled kindly at her.
"My dear, you are the most amazing woman" and smiling ever broader "besides being absolutely right."
Mrs. Figg waved him off. "enough, it's time we had a council of war."
She led a stunned Ron and Hermione into chairs and kissed her daughter on the cheek.
"What is it Remus?"
Lupin had been staring at Mrs. Figg as well. All of a sudden he strode over to her and shook her hand enthusiastically.
"If you knew how many times I have wanted to do that! Padfoot old mate, next time you need-"
"Don't even think about it," Sirius growled "Mooney, if you ever hit me I promise I will hit you back."
The tension broke and everyone settled in. Harry felt a new determination flowing from his friends. He knew from Mrs. Figg's speech that something bad was going to happened, and there was no doubt in his mind that tonight was going to be a long night, but whatever it was he knew that they could meet it head on.
***
"You did as I commanded." Said a voice like ice. Voldemort looked down on his death eater with obvious contempt. "You did not kill him?"
"Of course master, you said not to kill the boy and I would never disobey you," said the dark haired death eater. But Voldemort did not seem convinced. He made a small motion and the dark haired man was frozen where he stood, looking into the tiny red eyes of Voldemort.
"You obey me to gain my trust, but it would have been better gained had you killed him."
"But- master- I would never."
"Silence. I didn't trust you before, and I don't trust you now. The only reason I still let you live is because you are close to Dumbledore, and there may be a time when I can use you. But until then remember that I don't trust you."
He waited for the death eater to nod.
"You will not be told any useful information on the chance you have the desire to pass it on, and if we ever find that you have succumbed to that desire." Voldemort's voice dropped an octave as he stated evenly "I will kill you. And it will not be a quick death."
He relished the last part and the death eater shivered as he saw the hungry glint in Voldemort's eye. Hunger to torture him.
"I think," said Voldemort with malice in each word. "I think, that I should leave you with a small reminder of your loyalties."
The death eater's blood turned to ice.
"Wormtail!"
A small balding man came into the room. The death eater's eyes might have flashed in anger as he set eyes on the man, a fact Voldemort surely did not miss.
"Wormtail, I intend to give our guest a reminder of his visit. Will you do the honors?"
Wormtail didn't speak but went over to the death eater, bent down, and with the hand Voldemort had made him crushed the foot into a jumble of bones.
The death eater paled, but clenched his teeth.
Voldemort did not appreciate this silence. "Cruio!" he yelled as Wormtail stepped back. The quiet didn't last longer than a minute. Voldemort delighted in the desperate screams of the death eater for a little while longer than necessary before lifting the curse.
"Help him up Wormtail." He said with disgust as the death eater tried to stand up but failed. "Get him out of my sight."
Wormtail helped the death eater limp away slowly.
"Harry, we meet again" Voldemort's voice was like ice. "But don't worry, today is just a. test."
Harry felt his spine tingle at his words, Voldemort was teasing him.
"Just remember, you are not safe Potter, anywhere. Happy birthday"
Harry opened his mouth, but before the words came out Voldemort had disappeared. The death eaters had not however. Hardly did Harry feel Arabella grasp his shoulder when the death eaters stunned her, Ron Hermione and Penelope. Harry was alone now. He stood their defiantly, unwilling to let them see his fear.
"So he left you to do the dirty work. Couldn't handle to kill me himself."
One of the death eaters stepped forward laughing coldly.
"Don't you understand silly boy, he doesn't want to kill, not today anyway."
For a fleeting moment Harry thought he recognized the voice, but the thought was driven out of his head when the death eater lifted his wand to cast a curse. Harry was ready to dodge when his mind was suddenly, blissfully wiped of all thought.
Harry, pretend you are in pain, please
A voice yelled in his empty mind. Sirius's voice.
No, why should I Another voice answered back.
Do it Harry, fall down, pretend you are in pain, please
I don't see why I should
But Harry recognized the voice, he should do what Sirius told him to do.
PLEASE HARRY NOW
Harry did it. He fell on the ground and started shaking. After an indeterminable amount of time he heard another voice.
"Harry! Harry, stop!" It was Arabella shaking him. He opened his eyes slowly, thoughts rushed back into his head.
"What happened! Where are they!" Harry sat up quickly and looked around. There was no sign of a death eater anywhere.
Ron and Hermione looked pale.
"They just wanted to hurt you." Hermione spoke in a very small voice. "They just came to torture you."
"But they didn't torture me at all." Harry said confused
"The cruciatous curse." Penelope said gasping.
"I didn't feel that. I didn't feel that at all, Sir--" He stopped looking at Penelope "er- someone put me under the imperious curse and told me to act like I was in pain."
Everyone looked at him concerned. Except for Penelope everyone knew he had meant to say Sirius. After an empty moment Arabella helped Harry to his feet.
"Come on guys, I think that is enough for one day. Let's go home."
Penelope walked them out of the stadium. She said goodbye to them pleasantly, but gave her cousin a sharp look before heading back to the looker room.
"Sirius put the Imperious curse on you Harry?" Ron asked as soon as Penelope was out of earshot, and eyesight.
"Yeah, it was his voice in my head, I don't understand. Do you Arabella?"
Arabella jumped when Harry addressed her.
"No Harry." She said grimly "not really anyway. I suspect we will get some answers when we get home."
Harry wasn't so sure, but when he saw her face he thought they might stand a chance. Arabella's jaw was clenched as well as her fists. Her eyes were steely as she marched forward at a very fast pace. Harry recognized all the signs of a coming outburst. Whoever they met first better have earplugs with them.
***
To Harry's surprise Arabella managed to control her temper. But only barely. Remus was alone at the house when they all showed up. He looked braced for a fight, but before Arabella could start yelling he got out that they had been informed of today's attack by a spy, and that they had to let it happen or Voldemort would have known who the spy was.
This didn't seem to impress Arabella, and she was about ready to explode, when Sirius came in the door. She took one look at him and any anger she had died. When he walked through the door he stopped abruptly on the threshold, as if he was not quiet sure where to go or what to do. His face was blank all the way down to his glossed over eyes. Harry went to him quickly and walked him over to the couch. Sirius gave a lost look to Harry and then pulled him into a tight hug sobbing violently.
"Sirius, I'm okay." He said lamely.
"You could have been hurt," Sirius cried into his shoulder. "I should have never let Voldemort that close to you, no matter what. Oh god Harry, he could have killed you, he could have killed you and I wouldn't have been able to save you."
Harry looked desperately at Remus, who was looking just as desperately at Harry. Mrs. Figg walked into the room at that moment. She took one look at the situation, marched over to Sirius and pulled him to his feet roughly.
SMACK
Sirius stopped crying and looked wide eyed at Mrs. Figg, his hand covering the red print on his cheek. She had slapped him. Hard.
"Young man, I expect better of you." She said her voice was stern, but not cruel. "We all have a long night ahead of us tonight. Dumbledore is counting on you, we are all counting on you. If you think you made a mistake, fine, but learn from it and move on. Pull yourself together, I can not tolerate your failure, I need your help."
Sirius was now looking at Mrs. Figg with absolute amazement. Standing up straight, he smiled kindly at her.
"My dear, you are the most amazing woman" and smiling ever broader "besides being absolutely right."
Mrs. Figg waved him off. "enough, it's time we had a council of war."
She led a stunned Ron and Hermione into chairs and kissed her daughter on the cheek.
"What is it Remus?"
Lupin had been staring at Mrs. Figg as well. All of a sudden he strode over to her and shook her hand enthusiastically.
"If you knew how many times I have wanted to do that! Padfoot old mate, next time you need-"
"Don't even think about it," Sirius growled "Mooney, if you ever hit me I promise I will hit you back."
The tension broke and everyone settled in. Harry felt a new determination flowing from his friends. He knew from Mrs. Figg's speech that something bad was going to happened, and there was no doubt in his mind that tonight was going to be a long night, but whatever it was he knew that they could meet it head on.
***
"You did as I commanded." Said a voice like ice. Voldemort looked down on his death eater with obvious contempt. "You did not kill him?"
"Of course master, you said not to kill the boy and I would never disobey you," said the dark haired death eater. But Voldemort did not seem convinced. He made a small motion and the dark haired man was frozen where he stood, looking into the tiny red eyes of Voldemort.
"You obey me to gain my trust, but it would have been better gained had you killed him."
"But- master- I would never."
"Silence. I didn't trust you before, and I don't trust you now. The only reason I still let you live is because you are close to Dumbledore, and there may be a time when I can use you. But until then remember that I don't trust you."
He waited for the death eater to nod.
"You will not be told any useful information on the chance you have the desire to pass it on, and if we ever find that you have succumbed to that desire." Voldemort's voice dropped an octave as he stated evenly "I will kill you. And it will not be a quick death."
He relished the last part and the death eater shivered as he saw the hungry glint in Voldemort's eye. Hunger to torture him.
"I think," said Voldemort with malice in each word. "I think, that I should leave you with a small reminder of your loyalties."
The death eater's blood turned to ice.
"Wormtail!"
A small balding man came into the room. The death eater's eyes might have flashed in anger as he set eyes on the man, a fact Voldemort surely did not miss.
"Wormtail, I intend to give our guest a reminder of his visit. Will you do the honors?"
Wormtail didn't speak but went over to the death eater, bent down, and with the hand Voldemort had made him crushed the foot into a jumble of bones.
The death eater paled, but clenched his teeth.
Voldemort did not appreciate this silence. "Cruio!" he yelled as Wormtail stepped back. The quiet didn't last longer than a minute. Voldemort delighted in the desperate screams of the death eater for a little while longer than necessary before lifting the curse.
"Help him up Wormtail." He said with disgust as the death eater tried to stand up but failed. "Get him out of my sight."
Wormtail helped the death eater limp away slowly.