Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- Chapter 32
Harry looked up slowly and saw the snake-like visage he had come to face only a year ago. His eyes connected with the burning red coals belonging to the Dark Lord. Harry's scar burned furiously. Harry heard exclamations coming from his friends. He turned his head to view Voldemort's accomplices. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Lucius Malfoy standing to Voldemort's right. His gaze tore from Lucius' twisted grin to Voldemort's left. There ha saw a boy about seventeen years old and a plump, short, man who was cowering in the boy's shadow.
"Peter." Hissed Sirius.
"Silence! Stand, all of you!" Voldemort's voice came out clear and dark. Lupin stood up, gently helping Hermione to her feet. Hermione and Ron were both pale and appeared to be in shock. Sirius stood beside Harry, who stood a little ahead of the other three. Harry glanced around. He didn't recognise the area that they were in. It was dark and foggy where they stood. Harry noticed that they were on the bottom of a hill in, apparently, the middle of nowhere. Harry glanced up the hill and saw an old, crumbling building. It was made out of stone and had no roof. The floor of the building was littered in branches, stone and cement. Dark trees surrounded them; they appeared to be in a clearing. The trees blew wildly in the wind, as though they were reaching for the group standing before Voldemort. There was a gust of icy wind and a rumble of thunder made Hermione jump. The fog rolled across their feet and Harry thought he heard chattering coming from the trees around them. The grass was dead, black and shrivelled up as though it had come in contact with a foul poison. Voldemort spoke again.
"I thought I told you to bring me the boy and the boy alone." Voldemort hissed, his eyes never leaving Harry, who felt like his head was going to split in half. The older boy to Voldemort's left stepped forward. His ice blue eyes were glaring at the group; his slick black hair was lying neatly on his head.
"I sincerely apologise, My Lord, I did not know THEY were accompanying him." Harry glanced back up to the boy. This was the person who had been haunting his dreams all year, threatening him and his friends and trying to kill him. Harry and the boy studied each other with hatred for a moment before Voldemort spoke.
"Malfoy, Wormtail, bring them up to my temple." Voldemort turned sharply and strode up the hill, followed humbly by the boy. His robes billowed about him like a storm cloud. Harry watched as Lucius and Peter moved behind the group and urged them forwards. Sirius' attention had been diverted from Harry and he was swearing at Peter about his treachery to Lily, James and now them. Ron and Hermione had stepped forward and taken Sirius' place on either side of Harry. Lupin was watching quietly, assessing the situation and trying to formulate a plan to get them all out safely and quickly. The group hurried up the hill after the Dark Lord. Harry glanced over to Ron and saw that he had snapped out of his shock. Ron had a thoughtful, scared and determined look on his face. Harry quickly looked over to Hermione and saw that she, too, had snapped out of her shock, but looked so scared that it was only with Lupin's quiet encouragement that she kept walking. As they reached the fallen building, Harry noticed a stone throne perched on a flight of crumbling stairs. On the tall throne sat Voldemort, looking over the group as a king might over his country. The boy sat at Voldemort's feet on the stairs.
"What shall we do with them, My Lord?" Lucius' oily voice questioned. Voldemort watched the group for another few minutes before he answered.
"Kill the rest. Leave the boy to me." Voldemort's piercing gaze was, once again, reserved for Harry. Harry felt the blazing fire tear across his forehead again. Lupin and Sirius both drew their wands as Wormtail and Lucius approached. Hermione timidly followed suit and Ron took his out with a resolute look on his face. Harry's fingers tightened around his wand as he glared up at Voldemort.
Lupin reacted before Wormtail had a chance to attack him and Sirius took Lucius. Voldemort looked angry that his followers hadn't managed to just simply do away with them. He was tired of playing games with the Boy-Who- Lived and wanted him, and all who interfered with his attempts to kill him, dead. Voldemort rose from his throne and floated down to where Harry, Hermione and Ron stood. The boy stood as his Lord descended the stairs and had also taken out his wand. The red eyes bore into all three of them, as though he was evaluating their strength. Harry saw Lupin to his left, sending a leg-locker curse Wormtail's way. Harry heard Sirius curse loudly as he hit his head on a stone pillar. The Dark Lord suddenly raised his wand and pointed it at Hermione.
"Expelliarmus!" He yelled. Hermione reacted too slow and was launched in the air, hitting the ground with a solid 'thunk'. Harry grabbed Ron's arm as he started towards Voldemort. Harry didn't want his friends to get in Voldemort's way in case he turned his attention on them fully and killed them. Harry glanced to the side and was relieved to see Hermione slowly lifting herself off the ground. Ron was torn between retaliating and running to Hermione's side. Voldemort's twisted mouth suddenly curved into a smile. Harry realised with a sinking feeling that he had found a use for his friends. Voldemort raised his wand again.
"Crucio!" He yelled, pointing it at Hermione. Hermione crumpled back to the ground, a whimper was the only sound that escaped her lips. She didn't seem too willing to let Voldemort see her in pain. Harry and Ron seemed to have lost any restraint they had had before. They both lunged themselves at Voldemort, forgetting about their wands. The contact from the curse was broken as Harry knocked Voldemort's wand out of the way and Ron hurdled himself into Voldemort. Hermione gasped for breath against the cool stone on the floor. Sirius had delayed Lucius slightly as he left Lucius hurt on the ground and came running over to see if Hermione was okay. After she assured him that she was fine, Sirius turned to help the boys, but Lucius stopped him again. They battled on. There were three different duels happening on top of that hill. Harry and Ron against Voldemort, Lucius and Sirius were fighting and Lupin against Wormtail. Hermione lay still for a few moments listening to the shouts and curses flying around her. She felt the pain subside and prepared to help her friends. Summoning up every ounce of strength she had Hermione stood up and began searching for her wand on the littered ground. Just as she turned to check the other side of the ruins she came face to face with the boy. He smiled at her and twirled her wand between his fingers, holding his own in his other hand.
"Beautiful wand, Hermione." He said icily. She backed away slightly.
"So light and delicate. I hope you don't mind if I hold on to it for a while. I fully intend on giving it back to you, don't worry. However, I do know better than to give it back to you while you are alive. After all, everyone knows you are the smartest girl in the class." Hermione realised what he was saying and her mind began whirling.
"How-How did you know that?" She whispered, buying time.
"I know so much, Hermione. More than you realise. It has been nice knowing you, but I can't have you disturbing my Lord while he tries to kill the One- Who-Robbed-Him. So I shall say, it's been nice knowing you, Hermione Granger, and good-bye." Hermione made her mind up a spilt second before he raised her wand. His mouth formed the words "Avada Ke-" when she hit him. She had ducked down and swung her leg underneath him, tripping the boy so he fell backwards. Both wands went flying out of his hand. Hermione scrambled to her feet and grabbed her wand, which was rolling away from them. As she turned he appeared directly behind her, clutching his own wand, a furious expression on his face.
"How dare you?" He hissed, his blue eyes flashing, "Now you will pay!"
Harry looked up slowly and saw the snake-like visage he had come to face only a year ago. His eyes connected with the burning red coals belonging to the Dark Lord. Harry's scar burned furiously. Harry heard exclamations coming from his friends. He turned his head to view Voldemort's accomplices. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Lucius Malfoy standing to Voldemort's right. His gaze tore from Lucius' twisted grin to Voldemort's left. There ha saw a boy about seventeen years old and a plump, short, man who was cowering in the boy's shadow.
"Peter." Hissed Sirius.
"Silence! Stand, all of you!" Voldemort's voice came out clear and dark. Lupin stood up, gently helping Hermione to her feet. Hermione and Ron were both pale and appeared to be in shock. Sirius stood beside Harry, who stood a little ahead of the other three. Harry glanced around. He didn't recognise the area that they were in. It was dark and foggy where they stood. Harry noticed that they were on the bottom of a hill in, apparently, the middle of nowhere. Harry glanced up the hill and saw an old, crumbling building. It was made out of stone and had no roof. The floor of the building was littered in branches, stone and cement. Dark trees surrounded them; they appeared to be in a clearing. The trees blew wildly in the wind, as though they were reaching for the group standing before Voldemort. There was a gust of icy wind and a rumble of thunder made Hermione jump. The fog rolled across their feet and Harry thought he heard chattering coming from the trees around them. The grass was dead, black and shrivelled up as though it had come in contact with a foul poison. Voldemort spoke again.
"I thought I told you to bring me the boy and the boy alone." Voldemort hissed, his eyes never leaving Harry, who felt like his head was going to split in half. The older boy to Voldemort's left stepped forward. His ice blue eyes were glaring at the group; his slick black hair was lying neatly on his head.
"I sincerely apologise, My Lord, I did not know THEY were accompanying him." Harry glanced back up to the boy. This was the person who had been haunting his dreams all year, threatening him and his friends and trying to kill him. Harry and the boy studied each other with hatred for a moment before Voldemort spoke.
"Malfoy, Wormtail, bring them up to my temple." Voldemort turned sharply and strode up the hill, followed humbly by the boy. His robes billowed about him like a storm cloud. Harry watched as Lucius and Peter moved behind the group and urged them forwards. Sirius' attention had been diverted from Harry and he was swearing at Peter about his treachery to Lily, James and now them. Ron and Hermione had stepped forward and taken Sirius' place on either side of Harry. Lupin was watching quietly, assessing the situation and trying to formulate a plan to get them all out safely and quickly. The group hurried up the hill after the Dark Lord. Harry glanced over to Ron and saw that he had snapped out of his shock. Ron had a thoughtful, scared and determined look on his face. Harry quickly looked over to Hermione and saw that she, too, had snapped out of her shock, but looked so scared that it was only with Lupin's quiet encouragement that she kept walking. As they reached the fallen building, Harry noticed a stone throne perched on a flight of crumbling stairs. On the tall throne sat Voldemort, looking over the group as a king might over his country. The boy sat at Voldemort's feet on the stairs.
"What shall we do with them, My Lord?" Lucius' oily voice questioned. Voldemort watched the group for another few minutes before he answered.
"Kill the rest. Leave the boy to me." Voldemort's piercing gaze was, once again, reserved for Harry. Harry felt the blazing fire tear across his forehead again. Lupin and Sirius both drew their wands as Wormtail and Lucius approached. Hermione timidly followed suit and Ron took his out with a resolute look on his face. Harry's fingers tightened around his wand as he glared up at Voldemort.
Lupin reacted before Wormtail had a chance to attack him and Sirius took Lucius. Voldemort looked angry that his followers hadn't managed to just simply do away with them. He was tired of playing games with the Boy-Who- Lived and wanted him, and all who interfered with his attempts to kill him, dead. Voldemort rose from his throne and floated down to where Harry, Hermione and Ron stood. The boy stood as his Lord descended the stairs and had also taken out his wand. The red eyes bore into all three of them, as though he was evaluating their strength. Harry saw Lupin to his left, sending a leg-locker curse Wormtail's way. Harry heard Sirius curse loudly as he hit his head on a stone pillar. The Dark Lord suddenly raised his wand and pointed it at Hermione.
"Expelliarmus!" He yelled. Hermione reacted too slow and was launched in the air, hitting the ground with a solid 'thunk'. Harry grabbed Ron's arm as he started towards Voldemort. Harry didn't want his friends to get in Voldemort's way in case he turned his attention on them fully and killed them. Harry glanced to the side and was relieved to see Hermione slowly lifting herself off the ground. Ron was torn between retaliating and running to Hermione's side. Voldemort's twisted mouth suddenly curved into a smile. Harry realised with a sinking feeling that he had found a use for his friends. Voldemort raised his wand again.
"Crucio!" He yelled, pointing it at Hermione. Hermione crumpled back to the ground, a whimper was the only sound that escaped her lips. She didn't seem too willing to let Voldemort see her in pain. Harry and Ron seemed to have lost any restraint they had had before. They both lunged themselves at Voldemort, forgetting about their wands. The contact from the curse was broken as Harry knocked Voldemort's wand out of the way and Ron hurdled himself into Voldemort. Hermione gasped for breath against the cool stone on the floor. Sirius had delayed Lucius slightly as he left Lucius hurt on the ground and came running over to see if Hermione was okay. After she assured him that she was fine, Sirius turned to help the boys, but Lucius stopped him again. They battled on. There were three different duels happening on top of that hill. Harry and Ron against Voldemort, Lucius and Sirius were fighting and Lupin against Wormtail. Hermione lay still for a few moments listening to the shouts and curses flying around her. She felt the pain subside and prepared to help her friends. Summoning up every ounce of strength she had Hermione stood up and began searching for her wand on the littered ground. Just as she turned to check the other side of the ruins she came face to face with the boy. He smiled at her and twirled her wand between his fingers, holding his own in his other hand.
"Beautiful wand, Hermione." He said icily. She backed away slightly.
"So light and delicate. I hope you don't mind if I hold on to it for a while. I fully intend on giving it back to you, don't worry. However, I do know better than to give it back to you while you are alive. After all, everyone knows you are the smartest girl in the class." Hermione realised what he was saying and her mind began whirling.
"How-How did you know that?" She whispered, buying time.
"I know so much, Hermione. More than you realise. It has been nice knowing you, but I can't have you disturbing my Lord while he tries to kill the One- Who-Robbed-Him. So I shall say, it's been nice knowing you, Hermione Granger, and good-bye." Hermione made her mind up a spilt second before he raised her wand. His mouth formed the words "Avada Ke-" when she hit him. She had ducked down and swung her leg underneath him, tripping the boy so he fell backwards. Both wands went flying out of his hand. Hermione scrambled to her feet and grabbed her wand, which was rolling away from them. As she turned he appeared directly behind her, clutching his own wand, a furious expression on his face.
"How dare you?" He hissed, his blue eyes flashing, "Now you will pay!"