Amy: Yeah, darn that stupid git to hell! Don't worry, Lucius won't make it
out of this story alive. . .oops, hope that doesn't give out too much. And
I know how you feel, my family has given me many a strange look when I read
or write something I consider really funny. . .oh well. C'est la vie! As
for your questions: there are probably about 6 or 7 chapters left
(including the epilogue). I know that might seem like a lot, but trust me,
it'll go by fast! Is Harry gonna die? You'll find out within the next 2 or
3 chapters!
Katy999: So? How did ya like the costumes? Better than my pathetic attempt at describing, right? Yeah, that's what I thought. As for Lucius' hand, well, I wrote that around midnight. . .hmm. . .I guess, yeah! He's a wizard, pretend he used a spell to stop the bleeding. Thanks!
Mystic Queen: Funny? . . .Okay, if you say so. . .wasn't that the chapter where Harry finds out about his mom's past? Hmm, oh well, to each his own I suppose. . .thanks for reviewing!
Danny's Girl: I know! Sorry! I can't help it, I LOVE writing cliff hangers. . .okay, I promise to try and stop! Honest! And don't worry, I love ya! I love all my reviewers! Thanks for taking the time to review!
BloodRedSword: Oh no! Don't worry about it, I thought I said somewhere that I didn't know very much about ninjas. . .oh well, guess not. Thanks for the correction! I'll be sure to change it when I rewrite this story! And, since you didn't say, I'm gonna go ahead and presume that since you read so much already that you like the story! Gee, thanks!
Istalksiriusontheweekends: Getting good? Yay! I so happy! But will the prophecy be fulfilled? That is the question, isn't it? And Harry! Hehehe, sorry, it shall remain a secret for the next two-four chapters! But thanks for the review! Always pleased to have new reviewers!
Rachel A. Prongs: Four days? WOW. . .I'm pretty amazed that this has kept you entertained for so long, but glad at the same time! Welcome aboard! Pleased to hear that you think it's 'd* good'! Hope to see you through to the end of the story!
Ditto2001: WOW!!!!! 200 reviews!!!! I feel so special! And don't worry, I'll keep it up as long as there are more chapters to write!
Pebbles: Thanks! Here's the next chapter, hope it was worth the wait!
Sugar Quill: Thanks! I can't wait till you get time to read more too!
Leaf: Ah, I was wondering where you had gotten to. Thanks for reviewing again! Yeah, I know, I wish MY principle would cancel school for 14 days. . .then again, I AM on spring break, so it's all good! And I'm glad you found some amusement in a chapter such as that. . .the tone will be kind of serious for the next few chapters, but I'll try to throw in some random amusement. As for the AN's, sorry. I really didn't realize I did it much. . .do I? Or was it just that one chapter? ::Sighs:: I'll try to stop it anyway, thanks for pointing it out. And Harry's on a journey alright, but I'm not too sure he would classify it as "great". . .
Wanted: Love
Ch30: Enter Voldemort
A ball of white feathers suddenly flew in front of Harry, blocking his path. Harry sighed irritably and moved to the side in an attempt to bypass the road block. Hedwig didn't seem to get the hint, though, and moved accordingly to block him. Scowling, Harry tried literally pushing her aside, but this, too, didn't work too well. She actually had the audacity to snap her beak at him. He knew what she wanted, but it really wasn't the time or the place, to do so.
"I'm not tired, Hedwig. Honest," he said, once again trying to continue on his way.
The phoenix wasn't stupid; she had traveled with him the whole way. She knew he hadn't slept a wink the entire week since they had left. His eyes backed up her theory. With the bags beneath them the size of tennis balls, there was little doubt that he needed to rest. Hedwig flew gently into him. Harry, exhausted from his lack of sleep, fell to the ground.
"What'd you have to do that for?" he asked, finding it exceedingly difficult to get back up. She landed on his stomach and showed no sign of getting up soon.
"Merlin, Hedwig. You've gained a ton, what have you been eating?" Harry asked, moving her foot off his rib.
The bird looked at him indignantly before laying her head down on Harry's shoulder. The boy sighed, for an animal she certainly had quite a few human characteristics. Deciding that he wouldn't be able to evade resting, he relaxed himself to the ground which was surprisingly comfortable.
As he waited for sleep to overtake him, Harry felt his mind begin to wonder. Voldemort's place couldn't be that much farther off. He *knew* that he was close. How could he not be? For the past two days he hadn't seen any life whatsoever. Human nor animal. If *that* wasn't a hint, he didn't know what would be.
He hoped Hermione was okay. Being the bait for him, he was fairly certain that nothing too terrible would meet her, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't be tortured some. This thought had haunted him severely over the week. If she was hurt when he found her, someone was going to pay. . .of course they were going to pay anyway. Malfoy for hurting his mum, Voldemort, well, there were far too many reasons for taking him out.
Harry yawned and closed his eyes. Perhaps it was best for him to rest. It wouldn't do to fall asleep in the middle of a duel. Hedwig would keep an eye out for danger, he was sure of that.
'Hold on, 'Mione, I'm coming.'
**************
Dark shadows crept along the hall, seemingly like fish in the water. Not a single sound could be heard as they took a sharp turn. The dimly lit passageways, constant dripping of water, and occasional squeak of a rat seemed to shriek evil. The shadows picked up their pace as a frustrated yell erupted off in the distance.
Reaching a door, one stepped forward, knocked once, waited three seconds, knocked four more times and kicked once. The door opened a crack and a quick exchange of words took place before the shadows disappeared into the room, leaving the halls, once again, desolate and eerily silent.
"Perfect," Harry whispered carefully sneaking down the hallway, opposite of the door, "How am I supposed to get in there?"
There was no way of knowing how many Death Eaters were in there. Undoubtedly Hermione was being held captive there. He had heard some talk of it when he first started snooping around.
As it had turned out, he had been right. After his nap it had only been another three hours till he and Hedwig reached Voldemort's hideout. It wasn't anywhere he would have gone, had he had the choice. Built at the base of two volcanoes, of whose lava flowed down the sides to fill the moat, the fiery light gave the charcoal black stones that made the castle a sinister look.
Then of course there were the five hundred or so Death Eaters that had been patrolling the area outside the castle. It had been hell getting through all of them undetected, and, more than once, he had wished he remembered his invisibility cloak. However, after another two hours of careful deliberation and well thought out moves, Harry had managed to reach the inside of the fortress.
Surprisingly there was next to no security in the halls. Harry supposed this was because Voldemort thought it would be impossible for anyone to make it through all the outdoor security. This made him laugh. It amazed him how thick the, supposedly, greatest Dark Lord ever could make such a simple, fatal mistake.
Harry shook his head, all that was over with now. He was in and all he had to concentrate on was finding Hermione and getting out. Hedwig swooped past his ear and Harry quickly dove into the shadows again, hand on his wand.
"-secure?" asked a Death Eater.
The shorter dark wizard nodded, "Yes, sir. When Potter arrives we'll be sure to have at least a ten minute warning."
Harry rolled his eyes; it amazed him how stupid they were being. Hadn't they ever heard not to underestimate the enemy?
'Oh well, their loss,' Harry thought to himself with a smile as the two continued to pass by.
"Excellent, did you report it to Voldemort?" the first Death Eater asked.
The short one nodded again, "Of course, what do you take me f---"
Their voices faded out as they turned the corner, and Harry came out from the shadows. He *had* to get through that door! He stood there for several minutes, careful to take notice if anyone was coming. He couldn't waste much more time. He had to get to Hermione.
Hedwig gripped the front of Harry's robes and started to pull him farther away from the door. Harry resisted for a minute, but soon allowed himself to be pulled along. He trusted her, she wouldn't let him down. For nearly ten minutes she pulled him through the halls, all the time away from the door. Harry was beginning to have second thoughts about trusting her so much when they came to a stop. She pushed him forward with her beak and Harry fixed his grip on his wand before continuing.
Almost instantly he knew where he was. Rooms with bars for doors were on both of his sides and extended as far forward as he could see. Coming up to the first one, he lit his wand to get a better view. When he saw who it was he felt himself go weak in the knees.
"What are you doing here!?" he shouted, not caring who heard him.
A fat man and thin woman turned to face him. When they saw who it was they scowled.
"*You*," Petunia whispered deadly, "What are *you* doing here? Come to finish us off?"
Harry answered just as angrily, "I asked you first."
"Why would we bother to tell you anything!? You're the reason we ended up here!" Vernon bellowed, as he stood up and charged at him.
Harry quickly sent him flying into a nearby wall. As he lowered his wand he glared menacingly. He wasn't scared of these two anymore. He had faced and would soon face things far more dangerous than them. Besides, now that he had a wand there was no way they could overpower him.
"You'll answer me," he said calmly, keeping a firm grip on his wand, "Or else."
The two adults glanced at each other, realization that they no longer held any power over their nephew. Petunia scurried over to her husband and knelt down. She laid her hand over his cheeks and after she seemed satisfied that he was fine, she turned to her sister's son.
"Some freak like you took us out of that depressing castle about a day and a half after we arrived and brought us here. . .hmph, though I don't see why it should be any of your concern," she said snidely.
Harry thought for a moment when something hit him. Wormtail. Hadn't he said something about these two before he died? Harry thought hard for another moment. What had he said?
"-And most interested Master was in your aunt and uncle," laughed Wormtail.
Harry looked back to his relatives who were staring at him with utmost hatred, and yet with a hint of curiosity.
"Did Voldemort do anything to you?" he asked carefully.
"Who the hell is that?" Vernon asked gruffly.
"Er-" Harry pondered momentarily how exactly to describe the man in question, ". . .He's tall, dresses in black robes. . .he's very pale with white hair and. . .looks like he should be dead."
"Oh, him," Vernon said, leaning back against the wall.
"So you've seen him?" Harry asked and they nodded, "Did he do anything to you?"
"He just shot something at us and asked some questions," Vernon said irritably, obviously not too pleased at having to submit to someone so much smaller than him.
"Like what?"
"Like what we did to you. . .at someone seems to think we did the right thing," Vernon answered, saying the last part to himself.
Harry started pacing back in forth. What use could Voldemort possibly having with knowing what he had been through at the Dursley's? Vernon and Petunia watched him walk back and forth for a good solid ten minutes, not saying a single thing the entire time. Quite abruptly he turned and headed out of the jail cell.
"Wait!" Petunia called out after him.
Harry stopped and slowly turned around, "What do you want?"
Petunia held back for a moment than stood up, "What about us?"
"What about you?" Harry asked in a voice that clearly stated that he couldn't care less.
"Aren't you going to help us out of here?" she asked.
Harry couldn't help himself and snorted, "You? Why should I help you?"
"We're your family!" Petunia said indignantly.
Staring only for a brief moment, Harry quickly turned and left the jail cell before locking the door again.
"You," Harry said quite clearly, "never have been and never will be my family. I have a family, but all back at Hogwarts, with the exception of one. . .but soon she'll safe again."
"You're going to leave us here!?" Vernon shouted as he stood and ran over to the bars.
Harry shrugged, "You never cared for me, so why should I care what happens to you? I'm sure if you made it this far than you'll be just fine."
With that said, he headed further down the dungeon, ignoring the rants echoing out of the cell.
As he passed each cell he was surprised to see that every single one of them held at least one prisoner. Most of them were either asleep or too weak to acknowledge him. There wasn't a single one that looked to be in good health, Harry noticed with a deep sense of regret.
When he reached the last cell, he didn't find it too surprising to find someone. However, while he was quite sure that he had never met the person, he was certain who it was. Moving up to the door, Harry pointed his wand at the woman and woke her up. She sat up hastily but relaxed when she saw no Death Eaters around her.
"Who are you?" she asked, gazing at Harry.
"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy. I'm Harry."
Narcissa both scrunched her face in dislike and widened her eyes in amazement, "Harry *Potter?*"
Harry nodded and she quickly stood up and hurried to the door, "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"
"I came here to find Hermione. . .but I have a better question, why are you in the dungeon?" Harry asked inquisitively.
"Oh," she said, sitting back down on the dirt floor, "that. . . Well, it's rather quite simple. I refused to help Voldemort murder those Weasley people and he sent me down here."
Harry felt his mouth drop open in horror, "The Weasleys!?"
She looked up at him and smiled softly, "Oh that's right, you're *friends* with the poor bastards, aren't you?"
"When was this!?" Harry asked urgently.
Narcissa rolled her eyes, "Last month. . .I don't know why you're so hyped up for. He was only going to do it as a second resort if you didn't come to save your Mudblood girlfriend. . .Speaking of which, how did you managed to get all the way down here without getting caught?"
"Don't call her that! Her name's Hermione!" Harry said forcefully before breaking off into thought.
"If you don't like the Weasleys than why won't you kill them?" he asked after a minute.
Once again she rolled her eyes, as though it was the stupidest question she had ever been asked, "You probably don't know this, but before I married I was a Smit. Smit's don't kill unless in self-defense."
He was having a hard time developing an opinion of the woman. She was a Malfoy and hated the Weasleys, that was nothing new, but she refused to hurt anyone except in self-defense? Obviously she was more complex than her husband and son combined.
". . .Why is your husband letting you stay down here?"
"Him!?" she asked shrilly, "Him!? That cowardly bastard is too afraid of Voldemort and his power to do anything except obey his every word, not that he wouldn't hesitate killing anyone in good relations with you."
Silence enveloped the two, each buried within their own thoughts. Eventually Narcissa stood up and looked Harry straight in the eye, "Get me out of here."
Harry stared at her incredibly, "Why should I? Obviously you don't like me, how do I know that you won't run off and alert Voldemort?"
Narcissa raised her hands as if to hit him but thought better of it, "Potter, do try to use your head for once! Do you really think that I'm thick enough to go *looking* for anyone on their side? They'd just throw me down here again after a sound beating for getting out in the first place! Honestly, it's no wonder Draco can't stand you, dumber than a pound of lead!"
"Apparently you've never asked anyone for a favor before," Harry said, crossing his arms, "You don't go asking for something and than turn around and insult the person."
If looks could kill, Harry would be dead and buried. Narcissa glowered at him with such fury that it would put Vernon Dursley to shame, "Just get me out of here you stupid boy! I'm scheduled to die in three days!"
"Die!?" Harry asked, caught off guard.
She breathed a laugh, "You really don't know anything, do you? Everyone in the dungeons is scheduled to be killed within the next two weeks."
Harry cast a gaze back up the long hall of cells, he couldn't let all of them die. Slowly turning his attention back to the woman in front of him, Harry nodded, "If I let you out do you promise to help me get all these other people out?"
"Them!?" Narcissa cried amazingly, "That'll take forever! I don't have time to waste on them!"
How anyone could be so self-centered was beyond him.
'Than again,' he thought, 'she *is* a Malfoy.'
"It's either help the others or you're staying in there."
Narcissa muttered a chain of foul language under her breath before reluctantly nodding her head, "Fine, let's hurry up and get it over with than."
Mindful to keep a close eye on her behavior, Harry unlocked the door and let her out. Next, he turned to the hall and let out a hyped up unlocking spell which opened all the cells, with the exception of the one the Dursleys were in.
Harry turned to Narcissa, "Wake them all up and bring them to the opening over there. If they won't get up carry them."
She let out a low growl but started out none the less. She worked the right side while Harry worked the left. Within the hour they had managed to get all the prisoners into the aforementioned area. Of the few that were awake, Harry walked over to an aged man with grey hair.
"Harry Potter," he said with a bow, "It is an honor to meet you. Thank you so much!"
Harry shook his head and carefully pushed the man back into a standing position, "Please don't bow."
The man nodded and Harry continued, "I'm going to send you all to Hogwarts. When you get there you need to find Dumbledore and tell him that Voldemort is planning an attack on the Weasleys. He'll know what to do. Can you remember that?"
As Harry concluded, the man beamed, honored that he had been chosen to deliver the important message, "Of course I can, Mr. Potter."
"Good, now, everyone group together. This isn't going to be easy, and I've never done it before, so I'm not sure what it's going to be like," Harry said, raising his wand.
"Someway of keeping their faith in you up," Narcissa muttered under her breath as she passed him, "Why not have trusted me to deliver the message?"
This time Harry rolled his eyes, "Like I'd actually trust a Malfoy."
"I'm very hurt, Potter, that cut me very deep down."
"So I'm making a mistake?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Never said that, did I?" she asked as she came to a stop in front of the group, "You were right, for once. I might not kill them, but it might have slipped my mind. Perhaps you aren't as thick as Lucius and Draco portray you to be."
"Gee, I'm honored," Harry said sarcastically.
Suddenly a large group of, presumably, Death Eaters walking down the stairs to the dungeons could be heard. A panic took over those awake.
"Quick, Potter! Get me out now!" Narcissa shouted louder than she should have.
The walking had turned into a run and it was with all his concentration that Harry tried to speed up the spell. Just as the spell started to take affect, ten Death Eaters hurried upon the scene. They froze at the entrance and stared at the happenings. Then, without warning, they started firing spells at Harry who fell to the ground from the impact.
Very few spells had much of an effect on him, or if they did he didn't let it show. After he hit the ground, he pushed himself into a squatting arrangement and than back into a standing position, never once breaking eye contact with those in the center of the room. Not long after he stood, however, was he knocked back down again, though, yet again, he managed to not break the spell.
By now a bright baby blue light sat at the end of his wand. Harry continued to mutter nonsense words under his breath. Covered in sweat from the attacks being forced on him and the power it was taking to cast the spell, Harry began to waver slightly. It was taking longer than he had originally anticipated, due to the distraction of the Death Eaters and the large number of people he was trying to send to safety.
Finally the spell reached its peak and Harry sent the light shooting forward as he yelled out, "Dehors par rapport à Hogwarts!"
The light emitted was so bright that the fighting had to stop momentarily until everything became visible again. During this time Harry attempted to feel his way out of the dungeon. He succeeded in managing to find himself a Death Eater, but after a rather strong punch, no one was to know that. Sooner than he would have liked, the light died down and Harry found himself dead center of a circle of Death Eaters.
"Oh shit. . ." he muttered under his breath.
Simultaneously a large number of death curses were sent his way, and it took every last bit of agility that he had to avoid them all. Quite a few Death Eaters fell from the stray spells, however, and Harry was thankful for it. He shot a few spells himself, though, in all the smoke, he didn't know who, or even if, they were hitting.
After shooting off a stunning spell and avoiding a death curse, Harry landed in a kneeling position only to be greeted by a wave of silence. Breathing heavily, he looked up to see the bodies of nine Death Eaters strewn about. Some dead, killed by their own curses, some only stunned, but all immovable. As his eyes moved around the sight, he noticed, with little remorse, the motionless bodies of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, most likely killed by stray curses. Movement at the exit of the dungeon caught his eye and Harry turned to see a Death Eater stumbling up the stairs.
"Oh, no you don't," Harry said to himself, "The party's only just begun. . ."
With that he took off after him at a run. When he reached the top of the stairs he found the Death Eater trying to get past Hedwig who was blocking the hallway. Harry smirked and hurried up behind the black-robed man. He spun him around so quickly that the hood fell off and Harry couldn't help but blink in surprise. It wasn't a man.
"Potter," Mrs. Parkinson scowled.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked calmly with his wand out in front of him.
She snorted, "Like I'd tell you. I overtook you once and I can do it again!"
Harry remembered all too clearly earlier that year when she and two others had knocked him off his broom and nearly succeeded in bringing him to Voldemort.
"That was under unfair circumstances. I'm fully rested now and if you're smart you'll answer my question."
"Over my dead body," she growled, raising her wand.
"Have it your way, then."
He had no intent of killing her. He might be destined to kill Voldemort, but that didn't mean he was going to turn crazed murderer. No, he had a much better idea. She was only one person, transporting her would be a lot easier.
"Dehors par rapport à Azkaban!"
A more subtle light sped from his wand and hit her. Before she disappeared she managed to hit him with an attack. Knocked back several feet, he stood up with nothing more than a bit of a sore back. By the time that he made it up to where Hedwig waited for him, Azkaban had a new prisoner.
Harry and his ever faithful companion carefully made their way back towards where they had seen the door Harry presumed to hold Hermione. They must have been getting close, for well over an hour now they had been walking. Along the way, another twenty Death Eaters were sent to Azkaban. During the time when they didn't run into anyone, Harry amused himself with what the faces of the supervisors in the wizard prison must have looked like with each sudden appearance of a new prisoner.
Hedwig nudged him back into reality and Harry quickly dove into the shadows. Two more Death Eaters began to pass by, but didn't make it long before they found a bright light shooting at them. Once it died down, Harry came out of the shadows and smiled at Hedwig.
"Twenty two," he said happily, "The security's picking up, we must be getting close.
No sooner had he said this than did he turn a corner and see the door from before.
"Okay, Hedwig," he said, taking a deep breath, "This is it. 'Mione's in there. I know it. When we get in there, I want you to protect her, okay?"
In response she continued forward. Harry took another breath and followed after her. This was it. It all came down to what was going to transpire on the other side of that door. Despite his assurances to his friends, he hadn't come to grips with his fate. He still didn't want to die. Not knowing how it was going to happen didn't help much either.
By now he had reached the door. He closed his eyes and took one last deep breath. He could do it. He had to do it. Everyone was counting on him, he wouldn't let them down. His eyes shot open, determination burning like fire within them. Voldemort was going down and he was going down within the next ten minutes.
"Alohamora," he said confidently.
Even though it was a small sound, the unlocking rebounded through the air like a thousand and one cannons going off at the same time.
'Too late to turn back now,' he told himself.
Gripping his wand tighter, Harry pushed open the door. The room on the other side seemed to have endless boundaries. The ceiling was only just visible if you squinted, and it had to be at least a mile between the walls. And there she was, lying quite still in the center of the room on her back, hands folded neatly over her stomach. She was still in her Guenevere costume and, from what he could tell, she didn't look to be harmed in the least.
He took a few steps forward but stopped himself. Voldemort was too smart to just leave such an important pawn in his plan left unguarded. Besides, he had seen people enter the room earlier. Cautiously, he slowly walked forward. It killed him to have to take so long to get to his beloved, but it wouldn't do to get himself killed before he got her to safety.
Harry about had a heart attack when Hedwig came screeching into the room. He quickly turned around to see her chasing Lakowa up high, away from the two others in the room. As Harry's eyes followed them, a loud, ominous cackle broke out, and Harry knew instantly to whom it belonged.
"Where are you Voldemort!?" he asked warily as he gazed out across the lengths of the room.
Nothing answered him but the continuing of the laughter. Safe to say that Harry didn't feel at all at ease, he quickly ran the rest of the distance to Hermione. Bending next to her, he felt for her pulse and underwent a great sense of relief to find that she had a steady, strong one. The cackling was becoming quite difficult to ignore, but Harry forced himself to concentrate on waking her up. He tried every spell he could think of at least a dozen times, but nothing seemed to work.
"Dammit!" he whispered irritably under his breath, "What did he do to you, Hermione?"
He drew her into a hug, but her head just flopped to the side. Pulling back, Harry shook her gently, "Herms, Hermione, come on. Wake up."
The laughter finally stopped and Harry looked around vigilantly again as Voldemort's voice spoke, "You don't really think I would put her under something so easy to undo, do you? Really, Potter, I'm offended."
Harry glowered around, still holding Hermione protectively, "Stop being such a bloody coward and come face me!"
The voice tusked as a black portal appeared at the throne in the front of the room. Voldemort stepped out of it in all his evil glory. His midnight black robes set his skin off in an even more unnatural paleness. Strands of white hair fell carelessly over his bony features. He raised his wand in one of his unearthly hands until it was between his snake-like blood red eyes. Slowly he lowered it and the portal disappeared.
"You seem to have changed since I last saw you, Potter," he said coolly as he sat himself down.
Harry gently lowered Hermione to the ground and stood up, "What the hell did you do to her!?"
Voldemort rolled his eyes, "Relax. You bloody Potters are all the same, always in such a rush."
"What did you do to her?" Harry asked again through clenched teeth.
"Oh, stop worrying. Your Mudblood girlfriend is fine. . .for the time being anyway. She won't wake till I release her. . .or until I die, which I can assure won't be happening," Voldemort said cockily.
"Don't sound so sure of yourself, *Tom*. You do recall how Merlin says this will all end, don't you?" Harry asked.
Voldemort was up in an instant and stalking over to him, "How *dare* you call me that! If I were you I'd watch my tongue, boy! And unless I am mistaken, you are due to die after all this is over!"
"Not before I take you out first," Harry glared.
Voldemort laughed, "You honestly believe *you* have the power to beat *me?* Let me assure you, *Potter,* I have no intention of allowing that fool of a wizard Merlin decide my future. You shall die, but I will live forever!"
"You can't outwit your destiny, Tom," Harry said, continuing to use Voldemort's hated name, "We all have purposes in our lives and we can't escape them! We'll both be dead by the end of this!"
In truth, Harry didn't believe a word coming out of his mouth. He was actually a very strong believer in creating your own destiny. However, he was willing to say anything it took to undermine Voldemort's confidence.
Voldemort seemed to be in thought for several minutes. He paced back and forth as Harry watched him, awaiting his next move, ready in an instant to defend himself, and Hermione, should need be. Above, the fighting of the two phoenixes only intensified. Both had their fair share of injuries already, but neither showed any sign of backing down.
Back on the ground, Voldemort had finally stopped pacing and turned to Harry, "I've studied you, Potter. For sixteen years I've studied every last detail about you, the whole time, hoping to find some weakness of yours. And for sixteen years, I've wasted my time. You've never given so much as a hint of what it might be."
"I have no weaknesses, Tom. You, of all people, should know that," Harry said, hoping to sound convincing.
Voldemort smirked, "Ah, but you do, you do."
He snapped his fingers and in his hands appeared a large number of letters, "You let more out in your letters than you do in any other form. It would have been helpful to know that earlier."
Harry felt his mouth open. So that's what happened to all the letters he and his friends had written over the past summer.
"I had my spies intercept these all summer in hopes of finding when you might be alone. Imagine my surprise when I find something even better. I suppose I should have known, though. If you're so much like your despicable father, I should have known you'd be attracted to the same filth," Voldemort said, disgusted, as he motioned to Hermione, "Mudbloods. Out of all the women out there you had to choose a Mudblood."
"What are you talking about? I never said anything about liking Hermione in my letters!" Harry shouted, indignant.
Voldemort tossed the letters up and they disappeared, "My dear boy, don't you think I know how to read between the lines? One would think with all the hints you gave, that you *wanted* me to take the damn Mudblood."
"Hermione! Her name is Hermione!" Harry shouted, unable to take the disrespect anymore.
"Hmph, you talk as if I would care. Bait is bait, and that's all she's good for," Voldemort said callously, "And now that her purpose has been fulfilled, there's no point in keeping her around."
That said, Voldemort raised his wand at Hermione. Harry stood paralyzed for but a second before jumping in front of her and knocking the wind out of him. Voldemort stumbled back with his hand over his face. Harry straightened up, breathing heavily through his nose in anger, and shook his hand out.
Voldemort also straightened up and, after making sure that he wasn't bleeding, stared Harry square in the eye. Neither said a thing for quite a while, then, taking both by surprise, a black ball of feathers fell to the ground. Turning their attention to it, they saw Lakowa, dead and covered in blood.
A triumphant cry from above brought the two to notice Hedwig flying around gleefully. After a few flips in the air she flew down and landed on Harry's shoulder, glaring at Voldemort. Shock filled the minds of the two men for what seemed an eternity. Hedwig took off of Harry's shoulder and flew over to Hermione where she laid down calmly.
The men looked at her than at each other and then, simultaneously, they started firing spells at each other. Where exactly all Voldemort's Death Eaters were, Harry knew not. Perhaps none knew of the happenings in the room, or maybe most were still stationed outside, whatever the reason, Harry was thankful.
It made things ten times easier to only have to concentrate on one enemy rather than thirty or forty, not that fighting Voldemort was easy. The Dark Lord appeared to have bettered his fighting skills since their last duel. In fact, an hour and a half into the fighting, it appeared that they still weren't any where closer to ending it. That, however, was about to come to an end.
A burst of grey smoke zipped past Harry's ear and he turned to see a good seventy or eighty Death Eaters filing into the room. Harry supposed they had heard the fighting and come to see what was going on. From than on, it was painfully apparent that Voldemort's side was winning. How could it not? Eighty to one didn't make for good odds.
"Deserus Croxia!"
Momentarily, Harry was able to catch his breath as all the opposing forces were blasted against the wall. There was no way he would be able to win if this kept up. Already, quite a few were standing up and preparing to start a new wave of attacks. Harry weighed his chances. He could continue to fight, and most likely lose, or he could retreat back to Hogwarts and prepare for the unfair fight.
'No contest,' Harry thought to himself as he hurried over to Hermione and Hedwig.
Instantly he started the spell. Three to transport, it would take a while. Hedwig took to flight as her master reached her. She went about distracting as many Death Eaters as she could from attacking Harry who continued to utter the spell with such urgency that it sounded more like a load of gibberish rather than words.
For five minutes Harry concentrated only on the spell and avoiding the spells that were sent at him. The, by now, familiar light started glowing brighter. Hedwig flew back and laid on Hermione again, and Harry heard Voldemort bellowing at the top of his lungs for his minions to hurry and stop him, but Harry was already there.
"Dehors par rapport à Hogwarts!" he shouted.
All three of them started disappearing. The light was blinding, but Harry easily reached out and found Hermione's hand. He gripped it firmly before brining up to his face and kissing it gently. If it was the last thing he would do he would break the curse. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment.
'Then again,' he thought to himself sadly, 'It probably will be the last thing I do.'
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, at least I finally answered the question of what happened to the letters. And come on, admit it, who actually remembered about those? Tisk, tisk. I'm ashamed. Lol, don't worry about it! Let's try again, who was expecting for me to introduce Narcissa and bring back in Vernon and Petunia? Oh well, I like to surprise you guys anyway! Good news! I'm on spring break! Yay! You all know what that means don't you? There's going to be another chapter update within 14 days. Yep, that's right! But only if you review, so hop to it!
Katy999: So? How did ya like the costumes? Better than my pathetic attempt at describing, right? Yeah, that's what I thought. As for Lucius' hand, well, I wrote that around midnight. . .hmm. . .I guess, yeah! He's a wizard, pretend he used a spell to stop the bleeding. Thanks!
Mystic Queen: Funny? . . .Okay, if you say so. . .wasn't that the chapter where Harry finds out about his mom's past? Hmm, oh well, to each his own I suppose. . .thanks for reviewing!
Danny's Girl: I know! Sorry! I can't help it, I LOVE writing cliff hangers. . .okay, I promise to try and stop! Honest! And don't worry, I love ya! I love all my reviewers! Thanks for taking the time to review!
BloodRedSword: Oh no! Don't worry about it, I thought I said somewhere that I didn't know very much about ninjas. . .oh well, guess not. Thanks for the correction! I'll be sure to change it when I rewrite this story! And, since you didn't say, I'm gonna go ahead and presume that since you read so much already that you like the story! Gee, thanks!
Istalksiriusontheweekends: Getting good? Yay! I so happy! But will the prophecy be fulfilled? That is the question, isn't it? And Harry! Hehehe, sorry, it shall remain a secret for the next two-four chapters! But thanks for the review! Always pleased to have new reviewers!
Rachel A. Prongs: Four days? WOW. . .I'm pretty amazed that this has kept you entertained for so long, but glad at the same time! Welcome aboard! Pleased to hear that you think it's 'd* good'! Hope to see you through to the end of the story!
Ditto2001: WOW!!!!! 200 reviews!!!! I feel so special! And don't worry, I'll keep it up as long as there are more chapters to write!
Pebbles: Thanks! Here's the next chapter, hope it was worth the wait!
Sugar Quill: Thanks! I can't wait till you get time to read more too!
Leaf: Ah, I was wondering where you had gotten to. Thanks for reviewing again! Yeah, I know, I wish MY principle would cancel school for 14 days. . .then again, I AM on spring break, so it's all good! And I'm glad you found some amusement in a chapter such as that. . .the tone will be kind of serious for the next few chapters, but I'll try to throw in some random amusement. As for the AN's, sorry. I really didn't realize I did it much. . .do I? Or was it just that one chapter? ::Sighs:: I'll try to stop it anyway, thanks for pointing it out. And Harry's on a journey alright, but I'm not too sure he would classify it as "great". . .
Wanted: Love
Ch30: Enter Voldemort
A ball of white feathers suddenly flew in front of Harry, blocking his path. Harry sighed irritably and moved to the side in an attempt to bypass the road block. Hedwig didn't seem to get the hint, though, and moved accordingly to block him. Scowling, Harry tried literally pushing her aside, but this, too, didn't work too well. She actually had the audacity to snap her beak at him. He knew what she wanted, but it really wasn't the time or the place, to do so.
"I'm not tired, Hedwig. Honest," he said, once again trying to continue on his way.
The phoenix wasn't stupid; she had traveled with him the whole way. She knew he hadn't slept a wink the entire week since they had left. His eyes backed up her theory. With the bags beneath them the size of tennis balls, there was little doubt that he needed to rest. Hedwig flew gently into him. Harry, exhausted from his lack of sleep, fell to the ground.
"What'd you have to do that for?" he asked, finding it exceedingly difficult to get back up. She landed on his stomach and showed no sign of getting up soon.
"Merlin, Hedwig. You've gained a ton, what have you been eating?" Harry asked, moving her foot off his rib.
The bird looked at him indignantly before laying her head down on Harry's shoulder. The boy sighed, for an animal she certainly had quite a few human characteristics. Deciding that he wouldn't be able to evade resting, he relaxed himself to the ground which was surprisingly comfortable.
As he waited for sleep to overtake him, Harry felt his mind begin to wonder. Voldemort's place couldn't be that much farther off. He *knew* that he was close. How could he not be? For the past two days he hadn't seen any life whatsoever. Human nor animal. If *that* wasn't a hint, he didn't know what would be.
He hoped Hermione was okay. Being the bait for him, he was fairly certain that nothing too terrible would meet her, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't be tortured some. This thought had haunted him severely over the week. If she was hurt when he found her, someone was going to pay. . .of course they were going to pay anyway. Malfoy for hurting his mum, Voldemort, well, there were far too many reasons for taking him out.
Harry yawned and closed his eyes. Perhaps it was best for him to rest. It wouldn't do to fall asleep in the middle of a duel. Hedwig would keep an eye out for danger, he was sure of that.
'Hold on, 'Mione, I'm coming.'
**************
Dark shadows crept along the hall, seemingly like fish in the water. Not a single sound could be heard as they took a sharp turn. The dimly lit passageways, constant dripping of water, and occasional squeak of a rat seemed to shriek evil. The shadows picked up their pace as a frustrated yell erupted off in the distance.
Reaching a door, one stepped forward, knocked once, waited three seconds, knocked four more times and kicked once. The door opened a crack and a quick exchange of words took place before the shadows disappeared into the room, leaving the halls, once again, desolate and eerily silent.
"Perfect," Harry whispered carefully sneaking down the hallway, opposite of the door, "How am I supposed to get in there?"
There was no way of knowing how many Death Eaters were in there. Undoubtedly Hermione was being held captive there. He had heard some talk of it when he first started snooping around.
As it had turned out, he had been right. After his nap it had only been another three hours till he and Hedwig reached Voldemort's hideout. It wasn't anywhere he would have gone, had he had the choice. Built at the base of two volcanoes, of whose lava flowed down the sides to fill the moat, the fiery light gave the charcoal black stones that made the castle a sinister look.
Then of course there were the five hundred or so Death Eaters that had been patrolling the area outside the castle. It had been hell getting through all of them undetected, and, more than once, he had wished he remembered his invisibility cloak. However, after another two hours of careful deliberation and well thought out moves, Harry had managed to reach the inside of the fortress.
Surprisingly there was next to no security in the halls. Harry supposed this was because Voldemort thought it would be impossible for anyone to make it through all the outdoor security. This made him laugh. It amazed him how thick the, supposedly, greatest Dark Lord ever could make such a simple, fatal mistake.
Harry shook his head, all that was over with now. He was in and all he had to concentrate on was finding Hermione and getting out. Hedwig swooped past his ear and Harry quickly dove into the shadows again, hand on his wand.
"-secure?" asked a Death Eater.
The shorter dark wizard nodded, "Yes, sir. When Potter arrives we'll be sure to have at least a ten minute warning."
Harry rolled his eyes; it amazed him how stupid they were being. Hadn't they ever heard not to underestimate the enemy?
'Oh well, their loss,' Harry thought to himself with a smile as the two continued to pass by.
"Excellent, did you report it to Voldemort?" the first Death Eater asked.
The short one nodded again, "Of course, what do you take me f---"
Their voices faded out as they turned the corner, and Harry came out from the shadows. He *had* to get through that door! He stood there for several minutes, careful to take notice if anyone was coming. He couldn't waste much more time. He had to get to Hermione.
Hedwig gripped the front of Harry's robes and started to pull him farther away from the door. Harry resisted for a minute, but soon allowed himself to be pulled along. He trusted her, she wouldn't let him down. For nearly ten minutes she pulled him through the halls, all the time away from the door. Harry was beginning to have second thoughts about trusting her so much when they came to a stop. She pushed him forward with her beak and Harry fixed his grip on his wand before continuing.
Almost instantly he knew where he was. Rooms with bars for doors were on both of his sides and extended as far forward as he could see. Coming up to the first one, he lit his wand to get a better view. When he saw who it was he felt himself go weak in the knees.
"What are you doing here!?" he shouted, not caring who heard him.
A fat man and thin woman turned to face him. When they saw who it was they scowled.
"*You*," Petunia whispered deadly, "What are *you* doing here? Come to finish us off?"
Harry answered just as angrily, "I asked you first."
"Why would we bother to tell you anything!? You're the reason we ended up here!" Vernon bellowed, as he stood up and charged at him.
Harry quickly sent him flying into a nearby wall. As he lowered his wand he glared menacingly. He wasn't scared of these two anymore. He had faced and would soon face things far more dangerous than them. Besides, now that he had a wand there was no way they could overpower him.
"You'll answer me," he said calmly, keeping a firm grip on his wand, "Or else."
The two adults glanced at each other, realization that they no longer held any power over their nephew. Petunia scurried over to her husband and knelt down. She laid her hand over his cheeks and after she seemed satisfied that he was fine, she turned to her sister's son.
"Some freak like you took us out of that depressing castle about a day and a half after we arrived and brought us here. . .hmph, though I don't see why it should be any of your concern," she said snidely.
Harry thought for a moment when something hit him. Wormtail. Hadn't he said something about these two before he died? Harry thought hard for another moment. What had he said?
"-And most interested Master was in your aunt and uncle," laughed Wormtail.
Harry looked back to his relatives who were staring at him with utmost hatred, and yet with a hint of curiosity.
"Did Voldemort do anything to you?" he asked carefully.
"Who the hell is that?" Vernon asked gruffly.
"Er-" Harry pondered momentarily how exactly to describe the man in question, ". . .He's tall, dresses in black robes. . .he's very pale with white hair and. . .looks like he should be dead."
"Oh, him," Vernon said, leaning back against the wall.
"So you've seen him?" Harry asked and they nodded, "Did he do anything to you?"
"He just shot something at us and asked some questions," Vernon said irritably, obviously not too pleased at having to submit to someone so much smaller than him.
"Like what?"
"Like what we did to you. . .at someone seems to think we did the right thing," Vernon answered, saying the last part to himself.
Harry started pacing back in forth. What use could Voldemort possibly having with knowing what he had been through at the Dursley's? Vernon and Petunia watched him walk back and forth for a good solid ten minutes, not saying a single thing the entire time. Quite abruptly he turned and headed out of the jail cell.
"Wait!" Petunia called out after him.
Harry stopped and slowly turned around, "What do you want?"
Petunia held back for a moment than stood up, "What about us?"
"What about you?" Harry asked in a voice that clearly stated that he couldn't care less.
"Aren't you going to help us out of here?" she asked.
Harry couldn't help himself and snorted, "You? Why should I help you?"
"We're your family!" Petunia said indignantly.
Staring only for a brief moment, Harry quickly turned and left the jail cell before locking the door again.
"You," Harry said quite clearly, "never have been and never will be my family. I have a family, but all back at Hogwarts, with the exception of one. . .but soon she'll safe again."
"You're going to leave us here!?" Vernon shouted as he stood and ran over to the bars.
Harry shrugged, "You never cared for me, so why should I care what happens to you? I'm sure if you made it this far than you'll be just fine."
With that said, he headed further down the dungeon, ignoring the rants echoing out of the cell.
As he passed each cell he was surprised to see that every single one of them held at least one prisoner. Most of them were either asleep or too weak to acknowledge him. There wasn't a single one that looked to be in good health, Harry noticed with a deep sense of regret.
When he reached the last cell, he didn't find it too surprising to find someone. However, while he was quite sure that he had never met the person, he was certain who it was. Moving up to the door, Harry pointed his wand at the woman and woke her up. She sat up hastily but relaxed when she saw no Death Eaters around her.
"Who are you?" she asked, gazing at Harry.
"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy. I'm Harry."
Narcissa both scrunched her face in dislike and widened her eyes in amazement, "Harry *Potter?*"
Harry nodded and she quickly stood up and hurried to the door, "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"
"I came here to find Hermione. . .but I have a better question, why are you in the dungeon?" Harry asked inquisitively.
"Oh," she said, sitting back down on the dirt floor, "that. . . Well, it's rather quite simple. I refused to help Voldemort murder those Weasley people and he sent me down here."
Harry felt his mouth drop open in horror, "The Weasleys!?"
She looked up at him and smiled softly, "Oh that's right, you're *friends* with the poor bastards, aren't you?"
"When was this!?" Harry asked urgently.
Narcissa rolled her eyes, "Last month. . .I don't know why you're so hyped up for. He was only going to do it as a second resort if you didn't come to save your Mudblood girlfriend. . .Speaking of which, how did you managed to get all the way down here without getting caught?"
"Don't call her that! Her name's Hermione!" Harry said forcefully before breaking off into thought.
"If you don't like the Weasleys than why won't you kill them?" he asked after a minute.
Once again she rolled her eyes, as though it was the stupidest question she had ever been asked, "You probably don't know this, but before I married I was a Smit. Smit's don't kill unless in self-defense."
He was having a hard time developing an opinion of the woman. She was a Malfoy and hated the Weasleys, that was nothing new, but she refused to hurt anyone except in self-defense? Obviously she was more complex than her husband and son combined.
". . .Why is your husband letting you stay down here?"
"Him!?" she asked shrilly, "Him!? That cowardly bastard is too afraid of Voldemort and his power to do anything except obey his every word, not that he wouldn't hesitate killing anyone in good relations with you."
Silence enveloped the two, each buried within their own thoughts. Eventually Narcissa stood up and looked Harry straight in the eye, "Get me out of here."
Harry stared at her incredibly, "Why should I? Obviously you don't like me, how do I know that you won't run off and alert Voldemort?"
Narcissa raised her hands as if to hit him but thought better of it, "Potter, do try to use your head for once! Do you really think that I'm thick enough to go *looking* for anyone on their side? They'd just throw me down here again after a sound beating for getting out in the first place! Honestly, it's no wonder Draco can't stand you, dumber than a pound of lead!"
"Apparently you've never asked anyone for a favor before," Harry said, crossing his arms, "You don't go asking for something and than turn around and insult the person."
If looks could kill, Harry would be dead and buried. Narcissa glowered at him with such fury that it would put Vernon Dursley to shame, "Just get me out of here you stupid boy! I'm scheduled to die in three days!"
"Die!?" Harry asked, caught off guard.
She breathed a laugh, "You really don't know anything, do you? Everyone in the dungeons is scheduled to be killed within the next two weeks."
Harry cast a gaze back up the long hall of cells, he couldn't let all of them die. Slowly turning his attention back to the woman in front of him, Harry nodded, "If I let you out do you promise to help me get all these other people out?"
"Them!?" Narcissa cried amazingly, "That'll take forever! I don't have time to waste on them!"
How anyone could be so self-centered was beyond him.
'Than again,' he thought, 'she *is* a Malfoy.'
"It's either help the others or you're staying in there."
Narcissa muttered a chain of foul language under her breath before reluctantly nodding her head, "Fine, let's hurry up and get it over with than."
Mindful to keep a close eye on her behavior, Harry unlocked the door and let her out. Next, he turned to the hall and let out a hyped up unlocking spell which opened all the cells, with the exception of the one the Dursleys were in.
Harry turned to Narcissa, "Wake them all up and bring them to the opening over there. If they won't get up carry them."
She let out a low growl but started out none the less. She worked the right side while Harry worked the left. Within the hour they had managed to get all the prisoners into the aforementioned area. Of the few that were awake, Harry walked over to an aged man with grey hair.
"Harry Potter," he said with a bow, "It is an honor to meet you. Thank you so much!"
Harry shook his head and carefully pushed the man back into a standing position, "Please don't bow."
The man nodded and Harry continued, "I'm going to send you all to Hogwarts. When you get there you need to find Dumbledore and tell him that Voldemort is planning an attack on the Weasleys. He'll know what to do. Can you remember that?"
As Harry concluded, the man beamed, honored that he had been chosen to deliver the important message, "Of course I can, Mr. Potter."
"Good, now, everyone group together. This isn't going to be easy, and I've never done it before, so I'm not sure what it's going to be like," Harry said, raising his wand.
"Someway of keeping their faith in you up," Narcissa muttered under her breath as she passed him, "Why not have trusted me to deliver the message?"
This time Harry rolled his eyes, "Like I'd actually trust a Malfoy."
"I'm very hurt, Potter, that cut me very deep down."
"So I'm making a mistake?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Never said that, did I?" she asked as she came to a stop in front of the group, "You were right, for once. I might not kill them, but it might have slipped my mind. Perhaps you aren't as thick as Lucius and Draco portray you to be."
"Gee, I'm honored," Harry said sarcastically.
Suddenly a large group of, presumably, Death Eaters walking down the stairs to the dungeons could be heard. A panic took over those awake.
"Quick, Potter! Get me out now!" Narcissa shouted louder than she should have.
The walking had turned into a run and it was with all his concentration that Harry tried to speed up the spell. Just as the spell started to take affect, ten Death Eaters hurried upon the scene. They froze at the entrance and stared at the happenings. Then, without warning, they started firing spells at Harry who fell to the ground from the impact.
Very few spells had much of an effect on him, or if they did he didn't let it show. After he hit the ground, he pushed himself into a squatting arrangement and than back into a standing position, never once breaking eye contact with those in the center of the room. Not long after he stood, however, was he knocked back down again, though, yet again, he managed to not break the spell.
By now a bright baby blue light sat at the end of his wand. Harry continued to mutter nonsense words under his breath. Covered in sweat from the attacks being forced on him and the power it was taking to cast the spell, Harry began to waver slightly. It was taking longer than he had originally anticipated, due to the distraction of the Death Eaters and the large number of people he was trying to send to safety.
Finally the spell reached its peak and Harry sent the light shooting forward as he yelled out, "Dehors par rapport à Hogwarts!"
The light emitted was so bright that the fighting had to stop momentarily until everything became visible again. During this time Harry attempted to feel his way out of the dungeon. He succeeded in managing to find himself a Death Eater, but after a rather strong punch, no one was to know that. Sooner than he would have liked, the light died down and Harry found himself dead center of a circle of Death Eaters.
"Oh shit. . ." he muttered under his breath.
Simultaneously a large number of death curses were sent his way, and it took every last bit of agility that he had to avoid them all. Quite a few Death Eaters fell from the stray spells, however, and Harry was thankful for it. He shot a few spells himself, though, in all the smoke, he didn't know who, or even if, they were hitting.
After shooting off a stunning spell and avoiding a death curse, Harry landed in a kneeling position only to be greeted by a wave of silence. Breathing heavily, he looked up to see the bodies of nine Death Eaters strewn about. Some dead, killed by their own curses, some only stunned, but all immovable. As his eyes moved around the sight, he noticed, with little remorse, the motionless bodies of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, most likely killed by stray curses. Movement at the exit of the dungeon caught his eye and Harry turned to see a Death Eater stumbling up the stairs.
"Oh, no you don't," Harry said to himself, "The party's only just begun. . ."
With that he took off after him at a run. When he reached the top of the stairs he found the Death Eater trying to get past Hedwig who was blocking the hallway. Harry smirked and hurried up behind the black-robed man. He spun him around so quickly that the hood fell off and Harry couldn't help but blink in surprise. It wasn't a man.
"Potter," Mrs. Parkinson scowled.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked calmly with his wand out in front of him.
She snorted, "Like I'd tell you. I overtook you once and I can do it again!"
Harry remembered all too clearly earlier that year when she and two others had knocked him off his broom and nearly succeeded in bringing him to Voldemort.
"That was under unfair circumstances. I'm fully rested now and if you're smart you'll answer my question."
"Over my dead body," she growled, raising her wand.
"Have it your way, then."
He had no intent of killing her. He might be destined to kill Voldemort, but that didn't mean he was going to turn crazed murderer. No, he had a much better idea. She was only one person, transporting her would be a lot easier.
"Dehors par rapport à Azkaban!"
A more subtle light sped from his wand and hit her. Before she disappeared she managed to hit him with an attack. Knocked back several feet, he stood up with nothing more than a bit of a sore back. By the time that he made it up to where Hedwig waited for him, Azkaban had a new prisoner.
Harry and his ever faithful companion carefully made their way back towards where they had seen the door Harry presumed to hold Hermione. They must have been getting close, for well over an hour now they had been walking. Along the way, another twenty Death Eaters were sent to Azkaban. During the time when they didn't run into anyone, Harry amused himself with what the faces of the supervisors in the wizard prison must have looked like with each sudden appearance of a new prisoner.
Hedwig nudged him back into reality and Harry quickly dove into the shadows. Two more Death Eaters began to pass by, but didn't make it long before they found a bright light shooting at them. Once it died down, Harry came out of the shadows and smiled at Hedwig.
"Twenty two," he said happily, "The security's picking up, we must be getting close.
No sooner had he said this than did he turn a corner and see the door from before.
"Okay, Hedwig," he said, taking a deep breath, "This is it. 'Mione's in there. I know it. When we get in there, I want you to protect her, okay?"
In response she continued forward. Harry took another breath and followed after her. This was it. It all came down to what was going to transpire on the other side of that door. Despite his assurances to his friends, he hadn't come to grips with his fate. He still didn't want to die. Not knowing how it was going to happen didn't help much either.
By now he had reached the door. He closed his eyes and took one last deep breath. He could do it. He had to do it. Everyone was counting on him, he wouldn't let them down. His eyes shot open, determination burning like fire within them. Voldemort was going down and he was going down within the next ten minutes.
"Alohamora," he said confidently.
Even though it was a small sound, the unlocking rebounded through the air like a thousand and one cannons going off at the same time.
'Too late to turn back now,' he told himself.
Gripping his wand tighter, Harry pushed open the door. The room on the other side seemed to have endless boundaries. The ceiling was only just visible if you squinted, and it had to be at least a mile between the walls. And there she was, lying quite still in the center of the room on her back, hands folded neatly over her stomach. She was still in her Guenevere costume and, from what he could tell, she didn't look to be harmed in the least.
He took a few steps forward but stopped himself. Voldemort was too smart to just leave such an important pawn in his plan left unguarded. Besides, he had seen people enter the room earlier. Cautiously, he slowly walked forward. It killed him to have to take so long to get to his beloved, but it wouldn't do to get himself killed before he got her to safety.
Harry about had a heart attack when Hedwig came screeching into the room. He quickly turned around to see her chasing Lakowa up high, away from the two others in the room. As Harry's eyes followed them, a loud, ominous cackle broke out, and Harry knew instantly to whom it belonged.
"Where are you Voldemort!?" he asked warily as he gazed out across the lengths of the room.
Nothing answered him but the continuing of the laughter. Safe to say that Harry didn't feel at all at ease, he quickly ran the rest of the distance to Hermione. Bending next to her, he felt for her pulse and underwent a great sense of relief to find that she had a steady, strong one. The cackling was becoming quite difficult to ignore, but Harry forced himself to concentrate on waking her up. He tried every spell he could think of at least a dozen times, but nothing seemed to work.
"Dammit!" he whispered irritably under his breath, "What did he do to you, Hermione?"
He drew her into a hug, but her head just flopped to the side. Pulling back, Harry shook her gently, "Herms, Hermione, come on. Wake up."
The laughter finally stopped and Harry looked around vigilantly again as Voldemort's voice spoke, "You don't really think I would put her under something so easy to undo, do you? Really, Potter, I'm offended."
Harry glowered around, still holding Hermione protectively, "Stop being such a bloody coward and come face me!"
The voice tusked as a black portal appeared at the throne in the front of the room. Voldemort stepped out of it in all his evil glory. His midnight black robes set his skin off in an even more unnatural paleness. Strands of white hair fell carelessly over his bony features. He raised his wand in one of his unearthly hands until it was between his snake-like blood red eyes. Slowly he lowered it and the portal disappeared.
"You seem to have changed since I last saw you, Potter," he said coolly as he sat himself down.
Harry gently lowered Hermione to the ground and stood up, "What the hell did you do to her!?"
Voldemort rolled his eyes, "Relax. You bloody Potters are all the same, always in such a rush."
"What did you do to her?" Harry asked again through clenched teeth.
"Oh, stop worrying. Your Mudblood girlfriend is fine. . .for the time being anyway. She won't wake till I release her. . .or until I die, which I can assure won't be happening," Voldemort said cockily.
"Don't sound so sure of yourself, *Tom*. You do recall how Merlin says this will all end, don't you?" Harry asked.
Voldemort was up in an instant and stalking over to him, "How *dare* you call me that! If I were you I'd watch my tongue, boy! And unless I am mistaken, you are due to die after all this is over!"
"Not before I take you out first," Harry glared.
Voldemort laughed, "You honestly believe *you* have the power to beat *me?* Let me assure you, *Potter,* I have no intention of allowing that fool of a wizard Merlin decide my future. You shall die, but I will live forever!"
"You can't outwit your destiny, Tom," Harry said, continuing to use Voldemort's hated name, "We all have purposes in our lives and we can't escape them! We'll both be dead by the end of this!"
In truth, Harry didn't believe a word coming out of his mouth. He was actually a very strong believer in creating your own destiny. However, he was willing to say anything it took to undermine Voldemort's confidence.
Voldemort seemed to be in thought for several minutes. He paced back and forth as Harry watched him, awaiting his next move, ready in an instant to defend himself, and Hermione, should need be. Above, the fighting of the two phoenixes only intensified. Both had their fair share of injuries already, but neither showed any sign of backing down.
Back on the ground, Voldemort had finally stopped pacing and turned to Harry, "I've studied you, Potter. For sixteen years I've studied every last detail about you, the whole time, hoping to find some weakness of yours. And for sixteen years, I've wasted my time. You've never given so much as a hint of what it might be."
"I have no weaknesses, Tom. You, of all people, should know that," Harry said, hoping to sound convincing.
Voldemort smirked, "Ah, but you do, you do."
He snapped his fingers and in his hands appeared a large number of letters, "You let more out in your letters than you do in any other form. It would have been helpful to know that earlier."
Harry felt his mouth open. So that's what happened to all the letters he and his friends had written over the past summer.
"I had my spies intercept these all summer in hopes of finding when you might be alone. Imagine my surprise when I find something even better. I suppose I should have known, though. If you're so much like your despicable father, I should have known you'd be attracted to the same filth," Voldemort said, disgusted, as he motioned to Hermione, "Mudbloods. Out of all the women out there you had to choose a Mudblood."
"What are you talking about? I never said anything about liking Hermione in my letters!" Harry shouted, indignant.
Voldemort tossed the letters up and they disappeared, "My dear boy, don't you think I know how to read between the lines? One would think with all the hints you gave, that you *wanted* me to take the damn Mudblood."
"Hermione! Her name is Hermione!" Harry shouted, unable to take the disrespect anymore.
"Hmph, you talk as if I would care. Bait is bait, and that's all she's good for," Voldemort said callously, "And now that her purpose has been fulfilled, there's no point in keeping her around."
That said, Voldemort raised his wand at Hermione. Harry stood paralyzed for but a second before jumping in front of her and knocking the wind out of him. Voldemort stumbled back with his hand over his face. Harry straightened up, breathing heavily through his nose in anger, and shook his hand out.
Voldemort also straightened up and, after making sure that he wasn't bleeding, stared Harry square in the eye. Neither said a thing for quite a while, then, taking both by surprise, a black ball of feathers fell to the ground. Turning their attention to it, they saw Lakowa, dead and covered in blood.
A triumphant cry from above brought the two to notice Hedwig flying around gleefully. After a few flips in the air she flew down and landed on Harry's shoulder, glaring at Voldemort. Shock filled the minds of the two men for what seemed an eternity. Hedwig took off of Harry's shoulder and flew over to Hermione where she laid down calmly.
The men looked at her than at each other and then, simultaneously, they started firing spells at each other. Where exactly all Voldemort's Death Eaters were, Harry knew not. Perhaps none knew of the happenings in the room, or maybe most were still stationed outside, whatever the reason, Harry was thankful.
It made things ten times easier to only have to concentrate on one enemy rather than thirty or forty, not that fighting Voldemort was easy. The Dark Lord appeared to have bettered his fighting skills since their last duel. In fact, an hour and a half into the fighting, it appeared that they still weren't any where closer to ending it. That, however, was about to come to an end.
A burst of grey smoke zipped past Harry's ear and he turned to see a good seventy or eighty Death Eaters filing into the room. Harry supposed they had heard the fighting and come to see what was going on. From than on, it was painfully apparent that Voldemort's side was winning. How could it not? Eighty to one didn't make for good odds.
"Deserus Croxia!"
Momentarily, Harry was able to catch his breath as all the opposing forces were blasted against the wall. There was no way he would be able to win if this kept up. Already, quite a few were standing up and preparing to start a new wave of attacks. Harry weighed his chances. He could continue to fight, and most likely lose, or he could retreat back to Hogwarts and prepare for the unfair fight.
'No contest,' Harry thought to himself as he hurried over to Hermione and Hedwig.
Instantly he started the spell. Three to transport, it would take a while. Hedwig took to flight as her master reached her. She went about distracting as many Death Eaters as she could from attacking Harry who continued to utter the spell with such urgency that it sounded more like a load of gibberish rather than words.
For five minutes Harry concentrated only on the spell and avoiding the spells that were sent at him. The, by now, familiar light started glowing brighter. Hedwig flew back and laid on Hermione again, and Harry heard Voldemort bellowing at the top of his lungs for his minions to hurry and stop him, but Harry was already there.
"Dehors par rapport à Hogwarts!" he shouted.
All three of them started disappearing. The light was blinding, but Harry easily reached out and found Hermione's hand. He gripped it firmly before brining up to his face and kissing it gently. If it was the last thing he would do he would break the curse. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment.
'Then again,' he thought to himself sadly, 'It probably will be the last thing I do.'
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, at least I finally answered the question of what happened to the letters. And come on, admit it, who actually remembered about those? Tisk, tisk. I'm ashamed. Lol, don't worry about it! Let's try again, who was expecting for me to introduce Narcissa and bring back in Vernon and Petunia? Oh well, I like to surprise you guys anyway! Good news! I'm on spring break! Yay! You all know what that means don't you? There's going to be another chapter update within 14 days. Yep, that's right! But only if you review, so hop to it!