Note From Fae: Stoneheart asked me to post this chapter yesterday, and I promised him that I would, but I got caught up in school...and how much it sucks! Finals are coming up, and I've been very stressed out. But Stoneheart is helping me keep my sanity. And I've seen Chamber of Secrets three times now! And still counting...
Read, Enjoy, and Review!
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Chapter Nine:
Duel
Harry leaped into the darkness of the perimeter, far from the feeble but revealing glow of the brazier. Fumbling in his robes, he pulled out a bundle, shook it out. In an instant the Invisibility Cloak was over him. He padded stealthily ahead, spiraling his way to the center of the clearing.
"I know you are wearing your Invisibility Cloak, Harry," hissed the unseen voice of Voldemort. "You are aware, of course, that I need no cloak to become invisible. We are at a stand-off."
"I can wait," Harry said, using his wand to send his voice to every corner to lessen the potential for detection.
"Can you?" Voldemort countered. "Will your Aurors arrive first? Or will my Death Eaters? While it is true that I cannot summon them to me, they will return of their own accord in time. And they can dissolve the barrier surrounding this space as easily as can I."
Harry knew Voldemort could lower the barrier and flee at any time. But he would not do so immediately, Harry reasoned -- not while the chance remained that the Aurors would appear before his Death Eaters. But if Voldemort's followers arrived first --
Harry gripped his wand tightly, his hand quivering, his knuckles white.
He knew Voldemort spoke truly. Harry had known this possibility existed did he not subdue Voldemort quickly. Stealth was the safer route, but time limited its efficacy. Harry was no fool, nor had he a death wish. But a world ruled by Voldemort and his Death Eaters was unacceptable.
There was only one course of action.
"A duel!" Harry's challenge rebounded from the dense foliage, magnified in the Cimmerian darkness. "Face to face!"
"Agreed!"
Harry reluctantly doffed his Cloak and cast it aside. Wand out, he inched forward, eyes darting left and right.
He saw Voldemort standing before the altar, his wand pointing at the ground. Harry approached slowly, ready for treachery from any avenue.
But Voldemort merely smiled venomously.
"Wands up," he purred.
Harry lifted his wand up beside his head, following Voldemort's example, then whipped it down, rapier-like. Voldemort bowed; Harry bent his back slightly, his eyes never leaving his adversary.
Voldemort moved with the speed of a striking adder. He screamed, "Avada Kedavra!" A lance of green fire pierced the darkness.
But Harry was not there. Diving behind the edge of the altar, he cried, "Petrificus Totalus!"
Voldemort dodged the Curse with a serpentine twist, lunged sideways to flank Harry's position, and thrust his wand before him even as Harry leaped to his feet.
"Crucio!"
Harry's wand was before him, and the Curse ricocheted from the tip and careened off at an angle.
Voldemort stared in astonishent.
"Barty Crouch taught me that one," Harry mocked. "Expelliarmus!"
Voldemort's wand shot into the air. The Dark Lord hissed sibilantly as Harry held out his hand --
A streaking 'something' flashed across Harry's line of vision. It soared high, swung around and came to rest on Voldemort's shoulder.
It was a winged snake, and it held Voldemort's wand in its jaws.
'Parseltongue,' Harry thought, momentarily stunned. If he hadn't been so distracted by his own smugness --
"You are weak, Harry," Voldemort taunted. "You haven't the nerve to kill me! You even disdain the Unforgivable Curses, attacking me with schoolboy spells! Your claim to have killed Lucius is ludicrous -- though I do grant your cunning in appropriating the Dark Mark from him. No matter. He will be freed, along with the others, when Azkaban is liberated."
A malignant oath rising to his lips, Harry pointed his wand -- too late! Voldemort had melted into the darkness. Tasting bile, Harry backed away until he, too, was swathed in gloom.
"Come, Harry!" came Voldemort's inhuman cry. "I await you!"
Harry hesitated, then pointed his wand straight up and said, "Incendio!"
A bolt of fire shot from his wand, pierced the overhanging branches, and was gone.
"A signal to the Aurors, Harry?" Voldemort chided. "Do you so fear me, then? But your wisdom comes too late. I was not entirely forthcoming earlier, Harry. You see, I took the precaution of dividing my Death Eaters into two parties. One group will by now have led the Aurors on a merry chase far from here. The rest -- ah, the rest will no doubt have seen your signal and are even now surrounding this space. Indeed, this little duel was merely a...distraction, shall we say...an innocuous amusement to pass the time while I drew my snare about your unsuspecting neck.
"It would appear that terms are now mine to dictate, Harry. Surrender, and I will let you live, to serve me under the Imperius Curse. But my patience is not endless; choose now, lest I relent of my mercy! Choose, I say!"
Harry stared unblinking into the darkness. Slowly he raised his wand --
Read, Enjoy, and Review!
Chapter Nine:
Duel
Harry leaped into the darkness of the perimeter, far from the feeble but revealing glow of the brazier. Fumbling in his robes, he pulled out a bundle, shook it out. In an instant the Invisibility Cloak was over him. He padded stealthily ahead, spiraling his way to the center of the clearing.
"I know you are wearing your Invisibility Cloak, Harry," hissed the unseen voice of Voldemort. "You are aware, of course, that I need no cloak to become invisible. We are at a stand-off."
"I can wait," Harry said, using his wand to send his voice to every corner to lessen the potential for detection.
"Can you?" Voldemort countered. "Will your Aurors arrive first? Or will my Death Eaters? While it is true that I cannot summon them to me, they will return of their own accord in time. And they can dissolve the barrier surrounding this space as easily as can I."
Harry knew Voldemort could lower the barrier and flee at any time. But he would not do so immediately, Harry reasoned -- not while the chance remained that the Aurors would appear before his Death Eaters. But if Voldemort's followers arrived first --
Harry gripped his wand tightly, his hand quivering, his knuckles white.
He knew Voldemort spoke truly. Harry had known this possibility existed did he not subdue Voldemort quickly. Stealth was the safer route, but time limited its efficacy. Harry was no fool, nor had he a death wish. But a world ruled by Voldemort and his Death Eaters was unacceptable.
There was only one course of action.
"A duel!" Harry's challenge rebounded from the dense foliage, magnified in the Cimmerian darkness. "Face to face!"
"Agreed!"
Harry reluctantly doffed his Cloak and cast it aside. Wand out, he inched forward, eyes darting left and right.
He saw Voldemort standing before the altar, his wand pointing at the ground. Harry approached slowly, ready for treachery from any avenue.
But Voldemort merely smiled venomously.
"Wands up," he purred.
Harry lifted his wand up beside his head, following Voldemort's example, then whipped it down, rapier-like. Voldemort bowed; Harry bent his back slightly, his eyes never leaving his adversary.
Voldemort moved with the speed of a striking adder. He screamed, "Avada Kedavra!" A lance of green fire pierced the darkness.
But Harry was not there. Diving behind the edge of the altar, he cried, "Petrificus Totalus!"
Voldemort dodged the Curse with a serpentine twist, lunged sideways to flank Harry's position, and thrust his wand before him even as Harry leaped to his feet.
"Crucio!"
Harry's wand was before him, and the Curse ricocheted from the tip and careened off at an angle.
Voldemort stared in astonishent.
"Barty Crouch taught me that one," Harry mocked. "Expelliarmus!"
Voldemort's wand shot into the air. The Dark Lord hissed sibilantly as Harry held out his hand --
A streaking 'something' flashed across Harry's line of vision. It soared high, swung around and came to rest on Voldemort's shoulder.
It was a winged snake, and it held Voldemort's wand in its jaws.
'Parseltongue,' Harry thought, momentarily stunned. If he hadn't been so distracted by his own smugness --
"You are weak, Harry," Voldemort taunted. "You haven't the nerve to kill me! You even disdain the Unforgivable Curses, attacking me with schoolboy spells! Your claim to have killed Lucius is ludicrous -- though I do grant your cunning in appropriating the Dark Mark from him. No matter. He will be freed, along with the others, when Azkaban is liberated."
A malignant oath rising to his lips, Harry pointed his wand -- too late! Voldemort had melted into the darkness. Tasting bile, Harry backed away until he, too, was swathed in gloom.
"Come, Harry!" came Voldemort's inhuman cry. "I await you!"
Harry hesitated, then pointed his wand straight up and said, "Incendio!"
A bolt of fire shot from his wand, pierced the overhanging branches, and was gone.
"A signal to the Aurors, Harry?" Voldemort chided. "Do you so fear me, then? But your wisdom comes too late. I was not entirely forthcoming earlier, Harry. You see, I took the precaution of dividing my Death Eaters into two parties. One group will by now have led the Aurors on a merry chase far from here. The rest -- ah, the rest will no doubt have seen your signal and are even now surrounding this space. Indeed, this little duel was merely a...distraction, shall we say...an innocuous amusement to pass the time while I drew my snare about your unsuspecting neck.
"It would appear that terms are now mine to dictate, Harry. Surrender, and I will let you live, to serve me under the Imperius Curse. But my patience is not endless; choose now, lest I relent of my mercy! Choose, I say!"
Harry stared unblinking into the darkness. Slowly he raised his wand --