Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, which belong to J. K Rowling. *sniffs mournfully.* Thanks!
Beta-ed by Kirbie
Harry Potter and the Torch of the Sea
The full moon rose up in the sky, ominously illuminating a dark figure advancing towards a shadowy forest.
The form wore a long black cloak and a hood that covered his face. Behind him trailed a woman with heavy-lidded, sunken eyes, silently following her master.
The cloaked person suddenly swerved around to face the female, his black cloak swishing furiously behind him. "Hurry up, woman!! The moon will soon be waning, and I do not want to be walking in broad daylight!! The next time I tell you that, it will be with you writhing on the ground, screaming for mercy! That is my vow, Bellatrix."
Bellatrix Lestrange bowed her head in admission. "Yes, my lord."
Lord Voldemort turned his eyes to the forest. "Beyond that forest is the sea, and afar from the sea is the prison of wizards, Azkaban. I need to get there before sunset today. And if you stall me from getting to Azkaban, I swear, I swear on the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, that I will murder you myself."
"Yes, my Lord."
Voldemort swung back in the direction of the forest, quickening his pace rapidly. Bellatrix did her best to follow, occasionally tripping over her robes. Then, a strange muttering could be heard. Bellatrix looked up cautiously.
"And after Azkaban, I will organize my corps, and then…"
"My lord??" Bellatrix asked warily.
"What is it, Bellatrix?" Voldemort snapped.
"What…" Bellatrix paused, considering her words carefully, "What were you murmuring about??"
They had reached the forest. Voldemort threw back his hood, reveling in the gloominess of the forest, his red slits for his eyes dancing around wickedly. "Ah yes. Yes, Bellatrix, I was thinking about the famed Torch that is alight with not fire, but flaming water." He paused, and then continued.
"It is famous for it's double-edged power. If you touch it to a wound, no matter how fatal or deep that wound is, it will cure it. But if you choose to blow the Torch out completely, then every living thing that is in it's light will be plunged into darkness, and then…and then…"
Bellatrix's eyes were bright with evil and interest. "And then?" she prompted her master.
"And then in the victim's hearts there will be a blackness. The heart will turn to stone, yet it will keep beating. The sufferers will know pain like they have never known it before…they will yearn to die with every fiber in their body, oh yes…but their heart will not let them. The whole cycle is very drawn out. In the last moments, the pain they feel will be greater than all of the previous pain added together…and then, only then, shall they die.
The Torch of the Sea is hidden from almost every mind alive, for it's power is too strong to rest in mortal hands. The gryphons, instead, guard it, with help from the Giants of the Ocean. Together, they are a formidable force to overcome."
"But it will still be easy to win over the wizarding world, my Lord. Surely a band of gryphons and Giants are easy for you??" Bellatrix said in surprise.
"There is a catch. Behind the gryphons, behind the Giants, there is another power, greater than any other on the world. It is not mortal. Even I do not know what it is. All I know is that it is peaceful…until somebody disturbs the Torch." Voldemort's eyes flashed. "But I will conquer the thing and shall be unchallenged forever. Whoever stands in my path will die. And I will go out of my own way to make sure that some…individuals will killed by my own wand. The pathetic fool, that muggle-lover, Albus Dumbledore…yes, he is a certainty."
The slits narrowed in fury. "And Potter." The wand in Voldemort's hand sent out a wrathful shower of silver and green sparks as the wizard clenched his hands into a fist; he was gritting and grinding his teeth in a rage. Unexpectedly he began to laugh. Bellatrix shrank down in terror as the fanatical laugh turned into a scream. "Harry Potter! Harry Potter!! HARRY POTTERRRR!!!"