Chapter Thirty-five: Voldemort's Plan

Summary: Thirty-fifth chapter. Fourteen to go. That about sums it up.

Pettigrew continued to keep just ahead of Harry, darting along a path that was so poorly defined that Harry wondered how Pettigrew could follow it at all.

Fearing if he lost sight of him he would never be able to find Pettigrew again in the thin pine forest, Harry struggled to keep up with him, almost tripping several times. But suddenly, gratefully, Harry saw the path lead out of the pine trees and directly to the edge of a cliff. Harry followed after Pettigrew as he ran directly at the cliffs.

Believing Pettigrew meant to jump, Harry picked up his pace as he sprinted after him.

"Pettigrew!" Harry yelled.

To Harry's utter surprise, Pettigrew stopped just at the edge of the cliffs. Harry stopped as well several yards away from him, still afraid that Pettigrew meant to jump if he thought he was cornered, rather than go to Azkaban. But Pettigrew only turned about slowly to face him, a surprisingly mischievous grin on his face.

Harry cautiously advanced on him, his wand out and pointed directly at his parents' betrayer.

"There is nowhere left for you to run, Pettigrew!" Harry stated, still breathing hard from the chase.

Pettigrew stood stone still as he watched Harry with great interest.

"Am I running?" He asked almost pleasantly.

"There's nowhere for you to go."

"Very brave of you, Harry Potter. Chasing after me all by yourself. How did you know I wasn't leading you into a trap? Or that the Deatheaters wouldn't come after you?"

Harry glanced quickly behind him.

"Oh, they're not." Pettigrew informed him quickly.

"It wouldn't matter." Harry spat. "Because long before they get here, I'll have dealt with you."

Pettigrew huffed in disbelief as he looked off to the side before turning back to Harry. "Empty threats, Potter. You wouldn't let Lupin or that mad man of a godfather of yours kill me then, and you won't do it now."

"Don't be so sure."

"Oh, but I am." Pettigrew answered smugly. "Would you like for me to tell you why, Harry Potter?"

Harry sensed a trap, but couldn't quite see the cage. "Why?" He asked flatly.

Pettigrew smiled. "Tell me something, Potter. Do you hear any Deatheaters following us? Do you hear anyone at all coming after us?"

Harry listened very hard above the wind blowing in gently from the sea, but he indeed heard nothing to indicate they were being followed.

Pettigrew laughed as he noted Harry's reaction to the discovery. "Once again you overestimate your own importance, Potter. The Deatheaters are not coming after you. They never were. For you see, you weren't their target."

Harry felt a sudden grip of panic seize him. "Not their..."

"No. You see, the Dark Lord had a plan. A very good one, especially for him. He realized that there is, in fact, a force behind you. One that feeds you, comforts you, and gives you strength. And before he could ever hope to defeat you, the Dark Lord knows he must first get rid of that force."

"Force?" Harry asked, puzzled by what Pettigrew was getting at.

"Yes, Potter. The one that goes by the name of your over-protective godfather."

"Sirius!"

"That would be the name." Pettigrew announced happily. "My part in this was to get you as far from him as possible. Lead you far from the attack so the Dark Lord could deal with him.... appropriately. And he'll be just the first. Voldemort won't stop until you have nothing left. No comfort. No support. No one. That's when he'll come for you, boy. When you're to dispirited to fight anymore." Pettigrew sighed as he casually studied his nails. "What a shame you caught up to me and forced me to tell you our plans."

Harry stood froze, dumbstruck by Pettigrew's words.

Seeing Harry's lack of understanding of the situation, Pettigrew took a step forward. "I owed you a debt, Potter." He sneered. "Consider it paid in full."

With that Pettigrew suddenly transformed into a rat and scampered over the edge of the cliff before Harry could think to react.

But suddenly Pettigrew was the last thing on Harry's mind. He had to get back to the field as fast as he could.

The apparation charm.

He had almost forgotten about it. Thinking as hard as he could about the field where he had been standing moments before, Harry spoke the spell. But when he opened his eyes he found himself standing in exactly the same spot near the cliffs, not in the field.

What was wrong?

He tried again.

Still nothing.

Harry suddenly hit himself in the forehead.

The protection charm. Arabella had said it would remain in place until he was back at Hogwarts, and he couldn't apparate as long as the spell was around him.

Harry turned and bolted back down the path as fast as he could go, heading back the way he had come. With his wand out, he was determined nothing was going to stop him from getting back to his godparents in time.

Arabella looked about desperately as she stood next to the tree where they had left Harry, trying to catch sight of him. But it was so hard to see anything in the growing clouds of smoke that were rising it seemed from everywhere. Why hadn't he stayed where she told him to? There were still deatheaters trying to fight their way out of the failed ambush. Stunning spells were still cutting through the air around her.

A hand suddenly grabbed her arm.

She spun about with her wand out, but Sirius grabbed it in time and pulled it back down.

"Where's Harry?" He asked quickly.

Arabella shook her head. "I don't know." She cried, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. "I was just trying to find him."

Sirius shoved her off in the direction of the path Harry had taken going after Pettigrew. "I thought I saw him heading that way. See if you can find him."

Arabella found she couldn't let go of his arm.

"Sirius," She asked quickly, "how did the ministry even know? You told them we were going home."

"Exactly. But before that I threatened to do something much worse if they tried to pursue their idiot plan to use Harry just as some pawn. I told them I would take you and Harry and run. They took that threat very seriously. You remember the ministry has the ability now to track me by magic?"

Arabella nodded.

"I told them we were going home. But we didn't."

Arabella's eyes widened with understanding. "They thought you were trying to take Harry and I away somewhere else."

"And they wanted to stop us before we got too far. But before they apparated, Moody told me they registered the Deatheaters apparating into the same area and realized the situation for what it was instead. An ambush."

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see them." Arabella repeated.

"Just go and find Harry." Sirius told her. "We still have some cleaning up to do here. Just make sure he's all right."

Arabella still held onto his arm. "But, Sirius...."

Sirius turned back to her, trying in the midst of the chaos to be reassuring. "'Bella, there are others here. And I'm not totally helpless. I'll manage for a few minutes without you. Go and find Harry. That was always your part in this, remember?"

Arabella paused as she stared up at him, her eyes filling with tears. She gave him a quick but loving kiss as she pulled back. "Be careful." She said to him. "Come back to me."

Sirius gave her a parting wink. "You know I'll always come back to you, 'Bella." He replied, then disappeared into the smoke.

Arabella turned back to scanning the area. Sirius had said he had seen Harry heading off into the woods. That was the best place to start looking. But why had he run in that direction? It wasn't like him to run from any fight. Even against the Deatheaters. But she didn't question his action too long. Deep inside she was glad he had. It took him away from the danger. Once she found Harry they could find Sirius and the three of them could leave this nightmare. Let the ministry sort out their own problems with the Deatheaters. Her only concern was to protect her family.

Arabella hurried towards the trees. The faster she found Harry, the faster she would find Sirius, and the faster the three of them could leave. That one thought drove her on.

But a sudden voice stopped her in her tracks. One that called her by name. Her blood froze at the sound of the voice at her back.

"Arabella Figg." A low, hissing voice stated.

Arabella turned about slowly.

Standing now before her was none other than Voldemort.

Arabella quickly raised her wand, but of what seemed it's own accord it snapped out of her hand and flew through the air, landing out of her sight.

"Surely you weren't thinking of leaving so soon?" Voldemort asked, studying her with a great deal of interest.

Arabella stood stone still, trying desperately to force down her fear.

"Or were you perhaps going to look for your charge?"

"Char...charge?" Arabella managed to asked. She congratulated herself that at least she managed not to look away.

"Potter!" Voldemort snapped at her. "Where is the boy, Figg?"

"That is the last thing I will ever tell you." Arabella spat at him, a great deal of conviction coming back into her tone at the mention of her godson.

Voldemort smiled and Arabella felt a coldness settle over her skin. "Very possible, girl."

Arabella felt herself take a step back as Voldemort raised his own wand.

But a flash of movement caused them both to turn as Sirius suddenly came sprinting across the grass towards them. Voldemort smiled slightly as he acknowledged the man charging headlong at him.

"Sirius Black." He said calmly, though his smile spread to an wide grin. Wand raised, Voldemort spoke a few quick words. A bright flash of red light flew out of it's tip and struck Sirius, still a good ten yards away from the Dark Lord.

Arabella cried out as Sirius collapsed to the ground without so much as a sound. She started to run towards him, but a small flash of light hit her and knocked her back, practically causing her to lose consciousness.

"Now this is going to be a pleasure." Voldemort stated, leaning over her. "To take you both from the boy at the same time. To leave him so completely and so suddenly without his greatest support." Voldemort grinned down at her as he traced his wand over her cheek. "Now, what part of you should I leave behind for Potter as a memento?" The wand played briefly in her hair. "A bit of your hair?" Voldemort caressed the tip of his wand back along her cheek and down her neck. "Your pretty head perhaps? Or ..." He traced the tip of his wand down until it came to rest over the center of her chest. "...maybe your heart?"

Arabella pulled back slightly.

But sudden shouts distracted Voldemort as he pulled back up. The leaders of the deatheaters were yelling to abandon the attack.

"Idiots!" He hissed. Looking about quickly, he turned suddenly to Arabella. "Well, my dear, never let it be said I wasn't a man of compromise. There isn't enough time for both of you, so I'll have to settle for one."

Oddly Arabella felt no fear at Voldemort's words. Instead they actually gave her relief and hope. He was only taking her. He was leaving Sirius with Harry. Sirius could take care of him.

But her relief turned to panic when she saw the dark robes turn away from her.

"No!"

Arabella tried to pull herself up, but her legs wouldn't obey. Frantically she clawed at the grass, pulling herself after the moving robes. But they moved faster than she could.

Soon they were far out of her reach.

Then they disappeared altogether.

But Arabella continued her frantic trek until she reached the area she saw Sirius' body fall. But all that remained at the spot was a patch of blackened earth.

Arabella threw herself over the scorched ashes, screaming her frustration and fear to the darkness around her.