A/N – Okies… I know it's been a while, but I've been struggling with this part, and also I'm moving house!!! Hope you like it… Thanks so much for the reviews!!! I luv u guys! Please give me any suggestions/comments… Anything! ……Enjoy!
Harry
had never noticed before that Snape could actually be a really good
teacher. Voldemort had put Snape in
charge of guarding Harry, as he wouldn't allow him to return to Hogwarts… And
because he knew that Severus really hated Harry…
"Not
like that! How many times? You cant just try it and hope for the best,
you've got to get more behind it, really urge it to happen."
Cried
Snape in exasperation.
Harry
tried not to smile. He knew what it
must be costing Snape to see him defying all expectations.
He
also knew that soon he would be sent for again and would have to endure
whatever punishment Voldemort had for him this time…
~~~*~~~*~~~
Voldemort
twiddled Harry's wand between his fingers and watched Harry intently with his
cold red stare.
"You
hardly need this anymore… So, I think
I'll have a little fun with it… Do you
know how much it hurts to be cursed by your own wand?"
Harry
glared back at him refusing to speak.
"Well,
you will now… Crucio!"
Harry's
first thought was that he would die. He
felt the terrible intense pain that was unleashed on him like hell's fire. He couldn't prevent the primal screams of
agony that ripped through him whilst Voldemort laughed.
"Well,
there is another lesson for you then Harry… Don't forget it." Sneered
Voldemort
Harry
stood, shakily trying to focus his vision, he felt anger coursing through him,
and he clenched his fists that were tied behind him. He wasn't sure if he could stand much more, but every part of him
though sore and weakened, cried defiance and demanded that he fight back.
"You'll
pay Voldemort. Even if you defeat me,
someone will beat you, and then you'll pay for all the suffering you've
caused." Cried Harry.
"You
still don't understand do you? I no
longer want to just kill you. I'm
simply going to conquer you. You will
serve the dark lord, and then, when I am in complete power you will die, and
there will be no one to even challenge me!"
Voldemort
ran a finger along Harry's wand and Harry's scar flared with pain.
"Take
him away." He shouted and Snape came
forward and began to drag Harry away again.
~~~*~~~*~~~
It
had been only hours that Harry had been there, but it had felt like days, he
longed for a friendly face.
Severus
Snape was hardly the most comforting person to have around, but in his
loneliness Harry found that he appreciated the potions master's company even
when he was being given the trademark sneer.
"Harry,
I know we've never seen eye to eye. But
we're on the same side this time, and I thought you should know that Professor
Inigma managed to contact me this morning, all the staff at Hogwarts know
you're alive, as well as most of your Gryffindor friends. But they will have to pretend that they
believe you are dead or else Voldemort will suspect…" Snape stopped talking.
Harry
sat shaking on the floor, still weak from the cruciatus curse and overcome with
emotion.
"Harry,
I've gotten hold of some strengthening potion, do you need some now?"
Harry
shook his head.
"No,
I'll be fine after I sleep…"
"Harry,
I don't think that will be possible."
"Why?"
"Listen
carefully, we don't have much time. The
next death eaters that come will be ordered to knock you out and take you to
Voldemort, he plans to begin his spell tonight…"
Harry
bit his lip, he had been expecting a few days of torture, at least some
time. But now he wouldn't even have
that.
"He's
worried Harry, he thinks you may be able to overpower him if he waits much
longer."
Harry
frowned. He didn't feel powerful at all
at that moment.
"Inigma
gave me this."
Said
Snape, pulling a vile out of his robes.
"It's
the Scutum Draught that you brewed. It
will mean that the death eaters wont be able to knock you out, you'll be able
to face Voldemort awake. It's your only
chance, unless…"
"What?"
"Well,
if you can fight the curse, it will buy us more time, and maybe the Order of
the Phoenix will be able to help us."
Harry
couldn't ask about this as they suddenly fell silent hearing footfalls
approaching and Snape pressed the vile into Harry's hand before taking out his
wand and muttering, "Pretend."
Harry
drank the potion quickly and handed the vile back to Snape, as the death eaters
entered Snape threw a punch at Harry which hit him straight in the stomach, it
wasn't hard, Harry made the most of it, stumbling backwards.
"Severus. We have to take him now. You can have more fun with him later." Said the drawling voice of Lucious Malfoy.
Snape
laughed emptily before shoving Harry towards the two other death eaters.
"Stupefy!" Shouted Malfoy, the red light hit Harry and
instead of being knocked unconscious Harry simply felt a small tingling
sensation, he decided to fool them into thinking he'd been knocked out and fell
to the floor.
He
felt himself being dragged a short way before Lucius Malfoy yelled,
"Crabbe! Use a spell you imbecile!"
He
was lifted and floated along behind the two Death Eaters, he heard Snape turn
and walk down the opposite corridor.
After
what felt like forever to Harry, they finally came to the room where Voldemort
was waiting.
"Bring
him to me Lucius." Said Voldemort.
Harry
wondered what on Earth he could do to stop the spell, he had no idea what Snape
had expected him to do. Thankfully his
hands were untied. He thought for a
second and decided to use the element of surprise, it was the only advantage he
had.
As
he was dropped to the floor Harry threw his arm out as quickly as he could and
sent the strongest stunning spell he could muster towards the Death
Eaters. Hearing two thuds he turned to
Voldemort, he saw the surprise in those evil red eyes, but a sneer flickered on
the dark lord's mouth and there was no fear.
"So
Harry, you wish to fight."
Harry
glared at Voldemort and sent a stunning spell at him,
Voldemort
laughed as he deflected the spell easily.
"You'll
have to try a bit harder Harry."
Harry
dodged the cruciatus curse and shouted "Petrificus Totalus" sending the spell
straight at Voldemort,
"Not
bad Harry, but you'll never beat me… Crucio!" He yelled
Harry
tried to dodge but the spell caught him on the shoulder, the pain ripped
through him and through squinted eyes Harry could see Voldemort walking towards
him, Harry fought the weakness in his legs and tried desperately to stay
standing, the pain was intensifying with every step that Voldemort came closer. Then he was thrown the floor as Voldemort
tripped him, he tried to move but his muscles were rigid with pain, his scar
was burning like hell.
Through
sheer desperation he managed to send a weak impediamenta spell at
Voldemort. It hit the evil wizard and
the pain lifted, but Harry's strength was ebbing and he knew he wouldn't last
much longer. He looked up and saw that
Voldemort had retreated to his throne,
"Harry,
you always make things difficult for yourself. But you wont be able to fight this curse."
Harry
clenched his fists and tried to gather the strength to stand.
Voldemort
seemed to be concentrating hard on a book that was resting on his chair arm, he
looked up and sneered again at Harry.
He
started muttering under his breath and was surrounded by an eerie silver smoke,
he brought the smoke together and it took a strange form of liquidity similar
to the contents of a pensieve.
Voldemort's
face shone triumphantly as he sent the spell towards Harry. Harry struggled to move but his limbs
wouldn't obey, he drew his head back but the spell twisted towards him and
struck him like a snake, Harry felt a strange dizziness overcome him and his
mind seemed to go blank, he felt the last of his strength leave him and heard
the sound of his head hitting the floor.
~~~*~~~*~~~
It
was obvious that Dumbledore and Arabella would have a job convincing the room
of shocked distraught people that Harry was indeed alive.
Sirius
in particular was beside himself.
"Sirius,
I think that you and Arabella should go with poppy to the Hospital Wing." Said Dumbledore softly,
"No! I wont leave Harry." Said Sirius with a crazed look in his eyes
clinging desperately to the arm that hung limply over the side of the bed.
"You
can take the body with you, but I'll say the same thing again it is not
Harry." Sighed Dumbledore, watching
Sirius' trembling form being prised away by Poppy Pomfrey.
"Arabella,
you explain to Sirius, I'll talk to the rest of them." Said Dumbledore running his hands through
his hair.
"Of
course Albus." Said Arabella smiling.
The
smile earned a dirty look from Minerva McGonagall who looked scandalised at
their unbelievable behaviour.
"Please
explain Albus." She said frowning. "How you can possibly have reason to believe
that Harry is alive."
"I
think everybody had better sit down." Said Dumbledore looking distracted. "Now, as some of you know, my dear friend Miss Arabella Figg was Lily
Evans' godmother. She was therefore
present the very day that Harry was born. I believe there were several incidents involving hair that day, but that
is beside the point…
Harry
was born on the anniversary of my defeat of Grindelwald. This is very important. Because there was a prophecy, it concerned a
secret that has been in the most part, extremely well kept throughout the
years."
After
a pause Dumbledore said
"The
day that I defeated Grindelwald I became one of the very few wizards to survive
an Avada Kedavra curse."
There
were several gasps from around the room, but Dumbledore motioned for quiet.
"I
later discovered that a form of ancient magic actually enables a powerful
wizard or witch to survive the Avada Kedavra, it is invoked only when the said
wizard or witch is protected by love of the purest kind, that of one who values
the life of the other person over their own and loses their life in protecting
that person. With Harry it was his
mother. For me it was my sister Amelie…
This
sort of protection is an amazing phenomenon and I believe it is the main reason
that Voldemort has been rumoured to fear me. This is unfortunately untrue, he simply fears not being able to kill me.
Anyway,
the prophecy that I am referring to states…
In
the times of darkness there shall come one born on the day of retribution.
He
shall come from a family of love but know only strife,
He
shall inherit many tools, to be used in the battle for peace.
The
bravery of mighty Gryffindor combined with the gentle spirit and peace of a
flower.
This
one alone shall encounter death and emerge victorious over the evil,
He
shall one day deliver the world from darkness and despair.
Now
what has this got to do with Arabella Figg?
The
answer is simple. Her family has had
links with the Evans family for as long back as we can know, often in such tied
families you get guardians, on the day that young Harry Potter was born only
three people knew about the prophecy. I
had told only Arabella, but somehow, we don't know how, Tomas Riddle chanced
upon this knowledge.
The
point is that Arabella witnessed newly born Harry Potter on the day of his
birth and recognised him as the one prophesised. She became his guardian. Not in an Earthly way, she was bound to him, by deep ancient magic, and
has a connection with Harry that I must admit I have exploited several times in
Harry's aid."
"So,
Harry isn't dead! He's alive, and he's
going to defeat Voldemort." Said Ron
starting to smile.
"At
this time we can be sure that he is alive, but I'm afraid we cannot know
that he will live through this encounter with Voldemort." Said Dumbledore frowning.
"Voldemort
knows that he can now safely use the killing curse on Harry after using his
blood last year in his revival. There
are several other complications. Harry
went to Voldemort voluntarily. This
means that it is much easier for him to be imprisoned and harder for him to be
rescued…"
Dumbledore
revealed sighing deeply.
Suddenly
Poppy Pomfrey ran into the room looking very shocked and confused.
"Albus! Come quickly! It's Arabella. She says
that Harry's in trouble!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hope you liked it!
A lot of thanks must go to certain specific people…
Ady, Jess, Franny, Jess P, Breezie & Kelzery
Of course, I love all my reviewers!!! You all rock! But I'm sure you don't want me to list all of you, it would be a waste of writing time as no-one ever reads author's notes…
Review… Coz you know you want to really…
Jona
xxx