Chapter Twenty

Entering the Forest

When Harry arrived in the Hall, he met a rather nervous Professor Lupin.

"Hello, please follow me Harry, I have to show you something." and Harry followed.

Down the stone steps, across the grounds, and past Hargid's Hut they went until they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Are...are we going in there?" Harry questioned Lupin.

"Yes. Don't worry, you'll be perfectly safe with me. Now let's go." and Harry, yet again, followed.

They walked through the wood for a good five minutes before coming to a clearing in what appeared to be in the shape of a circle. It was pitch black, except for a dim light in the middle of the circle.

' "Excuse me, sir," Harry said in a weak voice, "but what are we doing here?"

"We are waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"Him."

"Him who?"

"He is coming."

"Who is coming?"

"He is here!"

With that there was a flash of light, and out of nowhere a group of hooded figures lined the perimeter of the circle and one stepped out into the center.

"Welcome again, my faithful," the voice of the figure said. Harry fad heard the iciness and cruelty of it before, but it was somehow unrecognizable.

"We have gathered, again, to finish what we started a year ago."

All of a sudden, Harry's thoughts organized themselves, and one word cam to his mind:

Voldemort

He wanted to finish Harry off this time, not fail like the last four times. Blood was rushing through his veins, adrenaline through his body, and he was shaking with fear.

"Reveal yourself to the others," said Voldemort, still hooded, still half hidden in the dark.

At that instant, Professor Lupin changed into none other than

___________ Karakoff.

Why didn't I listen to Hermione? Harry wondered to himself.

"At last, he is alone, you have not yet fully redeemed yourself, Karakoff, but you have done magnificently. You will be rewarded though, in due time.

"Now, Harry, seems like only yesterday that we were in a similar, meeting." He said with a sneer.

Where is Dumbledore? Why isn't he looking at the Marauder's Map? These thoughts quickly popped into Harry's head, in case Voldemort could read minds.

"Yet again, no Dumbledore to save you, no friends to help you, and no parents to die for you."

"If you're so powerful, why don't you come out of the shadows and take that hood off!" Harry said without thinking.

Sneering again, Voldemort said, "Very well," and he took two large strides forward, removed his hood, and starred straight at Harry.

Harry gasped. Never had he seen anything as evil, repulsive, or vile in his whole life. He was sure that at that moment, had he opened his mouth, the chicken and potatoes he had for dinner would have found themselves flying onto the ground.

Voldemort, looking like the epitome of evil, said, "Happy, Harry?" His voice more vile than ever. "Look at me!" He demanded, noticing that Harry was looking at the ground. "I said LOOK AT ME!" He said as he preformed the Imperius Curse.

"Look at the face which will deliver your death, Harry.

"All of you are here to bare witness to it," he said, directing his attention towards the people lining the circle. "My fellow Death Eaters, this will be the night of our liberation!"

The circle erupted with a small amount of cheering (they all knew that they could still be heard in the castle).Then, Voldemort raised his hand, and they stopped.

"Now, for the brilliance of my plan. I have set a spell upon this forest which will allow no creature whatsoever to enter it. Now, we can finish what we started 15 long years ago."

For a second time, cheers and chants broke out amongst the Death Eaters. Harry began to worry. What am I going to do? How and I going to escape? Then, he had an idea. I'll...

"Now, Harry, I have been told that you've been taught about Immorality Potions. Well, what I have done is much more powerful than that. I am, how would you say, a supernatural being."

Harry's train of thought stopped as Voldemort gave him the most wicked and sinister look he had ever seen.

Harry put his wand behind his back, pointed it toward the castle, and muttered two words.

"The time has come, for me to explain how I will, finally, kill you Harry."

The crowed hushed.

"First, I thought I would start off with a little torture, courtesy of the Imperius Curse."

Whispers started.

"Then I'll use the Cruciatus Curse."

More whispers.

"Then I'll finish you off with the Killing Curse, Avada Kadavra."

Now the crowd rejoiced. The leisurely manner in which Voldemort spoke is what bothered Harry. This thing killed so many others that it's no big deal to him?

Then Harry felt a surge of guilt. Why didn't I pick up on the signs? He thought. Why couldn't I tell Lupin was anxious? I should have know. I as good as killed myself.

Then he heard a faint whistling coming toward him.

"Let's begin, Harry. IMPERIO!"

Harry felt as though his body had been taken over. Although, somehow, he knew he would not loose total control.

"Bow to me Harry."

He didn't know.

"I said BOW!"

"I WON'T"

"Have it your way."

The whistling sound had almost reached him.

"AVADA KADAVRA!"

Right has he pointed his wand at Harry, the whistling sound stopped.

His Firebolt had finaly arrived.

Harry jumped on at, what seemed to him to be, light speed. After he got on, he flew faster than ever.

Up and up he went, but before he cleared the woods, he heard:

"NOOOOOOO!"

He didn't bother to get off his broomstick. As he reached the doors, he shouted, Alohamora!

Through the stone corridors and up stairs he flew all the way to...