A/N: Oh! I am so, so, so, sorry that I've been so late in updating. I do have about a thousand excuses - but I'm not so sure you're interested in hearing them. However it's half term now, so hopefully I'll get to update a lot sooner.

One of my reasons for the wait was that I realised a glitch in the plot - I had left something out. So I had to work it into this chapter and everything went a bit haywire. I decided to split the chapter into two. So I'm afraid you won't find out everything until No. 5 - where I'll also be responding to reviewers. YOU REVIEWERS ROCK! YOU ARE ALL FAR TOO GOOD TO ME, BUT THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU!

I have mixed opinions on this chapter myself, I'm not too happy with the beginning at all. However I think it gets a lot better around the middle.

Summary: It's not Hagrid who takes Harry back to the wizarding world. No, it's Voldemort! He wants his son back before Dumbledore gets him. Soon everyone is pursuing Harry - the Order, the Ministry, Sirius. Harry & Draco don't know who to believe...

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot! I do have some direct quotes from book 3 in this chapter. Don't sue me! I don't own anything.

Chapter 4

Dementors

"My Lord!" Avery choked, flinging the door open, "Sirius Black has-"

"-escaped..." the words died in his mouth as Lord Voldemort stood up and silenced him with a spell in one furious movement.

"Sirius Black," Draco spoke up confused, "isn't that-"

But he too shut up at the look Lord Voldemort gave him.

For a moment there was silence except for the harsh, ragged breathing of Avery. He lay bent on the floor - Voldemort had combined in a curse aswell, he was well versed in combining spells and Dark Magic - clawing wildly at his mouth. Harry could hardly bare look at him. Avery seemed terrified, his eyes darting from Harry to Voldemort, to Draco, Voldemort and then Harry again.

Meanwhile the Dark Lord stared around in fury.

Harry and Draco both jumped simultaneously when the door was flung open once again, creaking on it's hinges and Lucius Malfoy swept into the room.

"My Lord-" he caught sight of Avery and fell short. Icy grey eyes stared as he took in what must have happened. He recollected himself almost immediately, "I have urgent news, however I'm afraid Avery may have already alerted you to it, in less then likable ways."

"Indeed," Voldemort's gaze lingered on Harry for a moment, briefly brushed over Draco before he strode over to Lucius at the other side of the room. Draco and Harry made to follow him, but Voldemort raised one, long fingered hand; and neither could move.

They looked at each other, scared.

"I require a few words with Lucius," Voldemort told them, not looking round. He leaned in to Lucius. Filled with frustration Harry strained his ears as he watched Voldemort's expression. It became darker and darker, like thunderclouds forming in the sky. Finally he did something funny to Lucius's arms, Harry tried to shift into a better position. But Voldemort's magic held him still.

CRACK!

CRACK!

If Harry could have cried out, he would have. Because suddenly, with the most horrible, grating cracks, people dressed in dark robes were appearing all over the room. The air was filled with voices murmuring 'Master.' With a sharp jerk of his head Harry realised he could move again. His heart was pounding and sweat dribbled down his face, even though he hadn't been moving at all. He put a foot forward and stumbled, just as Draco did the same. Pins and needles. It made Harry shiver and feel cold.

"It seems we have... certain complications," Lord Voldemort informed the people who had just appeared, "I have no doubt that Dumbledore may try to use this to his own means. Narcissa, Barty, Bellatrix... I want you to stay and continue as was planned with Harry and the other children, but be on your guard. Take no risks."

"But, Master, Sirius Black - it is in my right," Bellatrix hissed.

"If possible I will leave him for you," Lord Voldemort nodded, "but I want the best of the best here; to protect my son. Do not let me down. If you three will take care of Harry and Draco now..."

* ~ * ~ *

A week later Lord Voldemort had still not returned. Harry had barely even said a proper good bye to him. He felt as if he'd been betrayed, again. Left and abandoned. He didn't dare say these things aloud. But Draco noticed there was something wrong, and so had been particularly sensitive towards him. He didn't badger him though, and Harry was most grateful for this.

The two spent a lot of the time playing Quidditch with Barty. In some ways Barty was still a schoolboy. Though Harry got on fairly well with Bellatrix she was always busy experimenting with magic and Narcissa was Draco's Mother and always seemed to be telling them off for something. Harry had just sort of clicked with Barty. Draco got on extremely well with him too. Sometimes the two children could persuade Barty to help with their tricks - especially when they were being played on Narcissa. If Voldemort had been there life would have been perfect. Quidditch was probably the best thing in the world, Harry had decided. He, Draco and Barty never ceased discussing it. Whether it was the latest broomstick, what they had tried out themselves that day or the professional teams. Harry had had quite a shock when he had ventured into Barty's room and found shock orange and scarlet walls among similar coloured furniture. It turned out Barty supported the Chudley Cannons, a team Draco frequently scoffed at. Barty was sure the team would be having a renaissance anytime soon, but few agreed.

As Voldemort had promised Bellatrix and Barty did start teaching Harry and the other children magic. Draco was impatient to get over the basics and learn curses and other 'cool Dark things.' It became apparent that Draco was possibly the best at things, although Harry did have a certain talent for precision and was very fast. Barty predicted that Harry would be great at Dark Magic and an excellent dueller once they got that far, so he didn't feel too bad. One thing for sure was that Draco and Harry both excelled far more than the rather the other children. Crabbe and Goyle were overtaken by everyone anyway, but even Parkinson and Nott were left behind by the two best friends. They had had no chance to buy wands, so had been doing everything wandless, with hand movements to help them instead.

Though not at the stage of 'cool Dark things' Harry and Draco found various interesting uses for the charms they had been taught. For instance after getting bored of levitating a feather they turned their attention to the feat of levitating the troll like Crabbe. The funny thing about this is that they were praised for managing to lift something so heavy instead of being reprimanded.

Unfortunately this was not always the case, such as when they tried setting Bellatrix' robes on fire. She had been so angry that if Barty had not intervened the two troublemakers would have most likely been hexed into next week.

But all in all, aside from the absence of Lord Voldemort, life was good. Far better than it had ever been with the Dursleys. If only Voldemort would come home. Harry cursed Albus Dumbledore under his breath.

That night Harry's world was thrown upside down for the second time in two weeks.

"Harry wake up!" Draco shook his friend's shoulders.

"Mmph. What?" Harry buried his face into the pillow sleepily.

"Get up, quick," Draco whispered, "I can hear something."

"Voldemort's probably returned then," Harry replied, "go back to sleep."

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Draco hissed - the bed covers fell off Harry.

"Oi!"

"Shhh! Not so loud, c'mon," Draco pulled him out of bed when the door burst

open.

It was Barty. He was in a dressing gown and his hair was a mess all over his face, he'd obviously just woken up.

"Quick," he ushered them away from the door and to the window, "the Ministry's attacked and they have dementors. We've got to get you out of here." Even as he spoke a loud, magnified voice boomed over the base.

"YOU HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC. WE HAVE DEMENTORS AND YOU ARE OUT NUMBERED. COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR AND HARRY POTTER AND THE OTHER CHILDREN IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU MAY BE GIVEN MERCY."

"I thought the dementors have us?" Narcissa whispered, suddenly appearing at the doorway. Behind her were the other children.

"Apparently not," Barty replied through gritted teeth, tapping the wall with his wand.

"But weren't the Ministry too busy trying to stop Voldemort to come here?" Draco asked in confusion, "I thought the didn't have enough members to spare?"

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"It's three diagonal not four," Narcissa hissed.

"Oh shut up you old gargoyle."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"It must have been a diversion," Harry replied to Draco, "Voldemort said something like that."

Pansy was crying onto Nott's shoulder.

"Are we going to die?"

Draco sighed.

"Don't be such an idiot, the ministry are too stupid to kill us all."

Tap. Tap. Ta-tap. Tap. Tap.

Harry jumped as he watched bricks literally pull away to reveal a dusty, smelly secret passage.

"Right!" Barty barked, "all of you gather round. Now, whatever happens the main thing is to save Harry ok? He is the Dark Lord's son. If something happens to me or Narcissa keep going through the passage ok? If you get lost ask the snakes."

"Where's Bellatrix?" Harry asked quickly before they all disappeared inside.

"She's trying to hold them off," Barty replied, "but if they have dementors-"

He let it hang there.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING BEFORE WE SEND THE DEMENTORS IN. COME OUT NOW!"

Harry heard a horribly high pitched laugh. He thought it might have been Bellatrix.

"Hurry up!" Barty grabbed hold of Harry's wrist and pulled him in. Bits of dust and dirt fell on the company making the children cough and rub their eyes. Barty drove them in, pulling Harry with him in the front and Narcissa bought up the rear, looking after the stragglers.

"Talk to the snake," Draco panted as they ran, "what do you mean talk to the snake? Only parselmouths can do that!"

"Less talking more running," Barty replied, "and - oh."

They had come to a crossroads. At first Harry thought they didn't know which way to turn. But Barty didn't seem to be worried about that. No. He was sniffing the air. Harry looked to exchange a worried glance with Draco, but realised his friend was shaking.

"They know about this passage!" Barty spat, "we must have a traitor! The dementors are coming!"

It was then that Harry realised how cold it was. He felt like his stomach had dropped through to his insides.

"Come on, we can try to out run them," Barty pushed them all towards the left passageway, "Narcissa - you take the lead, my Patronus is better, I'll try to hold off as many as I can."

She nodded, they had both forgotten their dislike of each other in the danger of the situation.

But they hadn't taken two steps when Harry saw them.

Towering down at them from one of the passageways were hundreds of cloaked figures. Harry stared, his stomach recoiling. The nearest had held out a hand - and it was inhumanely grey and glistening. It looked scabbed, like a corpse left to rot in water.

More appeared from left and right. Barty hadn't noticed the second appearance.

"Barty LOOK OUT!" Harry and Draco screamed.

"Come on, we have to run," Narcissa pulled them along.

"But there are so many of them," Harry protested, "we have to help Barty. He leapt passed Narcissa, pushing Nott over in the way he ran to Barty's defence.

"We've got you Crouch, hand over the children," wizards with their wands out had appeared from yet another tunnel.

"Harry get back," hissed Barty. But Harry shook his head. He couldn't leave Barty.

"The dementors will be set on you if you do not obey," came that same steely voice.

"Harry!" Harry jumped, then grinned. Draco had come to help too. They stood resolutely side by side. One of the dementors took a step closer.

Someone was screaming.

"Harry, Harry are you alright?" Harry could barely hear Draco's voice. He was dimly aware of Barty's concerned face.

"Will you let your dementors take Harry Potter too?" Barty yelled at their pursuers, "you had better call them off; he's going to faint."

Two sets of voices filled Harry's mind, conflicted against each other and bouncing around his head.

One was unmistakably Uncle Vernon roaring like a constipated bull, filling Harry with even more terror.

The other sound was screaming.

"Hand Potter and the other children over now, and we may be merciful," the man commanded. Harry couldn't seem him. He was having to lean heavily on Draco to

stay upright.

"What if he doesn't want to go with you?" Barty grinned.

"Draco," Harry rasped, his throat parched, "who's screaming?"

"What? No one's screaming?"

"We've no doubt that you've been feeding them all lives, but soon - no matter what you try to do - they'll be in the care of Albus Dumbledore!"

"What? No!" Draco shouted at the sound of that muggle loving fool's name. Harry would have voiced is agreement. But he could barely breath. He forced himself to speak.

"I can't breathe. Screaming."

"Can you hear Harry Potter, Dawlish?" Barty shouted at the advancing wizard, "those dementors of yours are going to kill him."

Harry felt someone lifting him up into the air. Dizzily he noticed that Narcissa and the other children had gone on ahead.

"Put Potter down!" snapped 'Dawlish.'

"Not Harry, please not Harry."

Screaming.

"It's ok Harry," Barty whispered, "just lean on me I'll carry you out and -"

Harry was suddenly plonked back on the ground again.

"Run you two, run!" Barty shouted, "catch up with Narcissa!"

The dementors were crowding around Barty. Even above the screaming of his mind Harry could see them. Amidst all the chaos he saw them charge onto his friend.

"Stand aside, you silly girl, stand aside now!" Screaming. He wanted to help them. Wanted to help Barty. What was happening?

"GET BACK HERE BOY!" That was Uncle Vernon. Was he still there? Was everything just a dream?

"Harry?" Draco slapped his face and Harry shook off the dizziness. He had to fight!

In horror he watched as one dementor bent over Barty. There was a horrible rattle, a terrible sucking noise.

His vision was going again.

"BARTY!" he screamed, "BARTY NO!"

The dementor had both hands out and Harry suddenly knew he didn't want to see what was beneath the cloak. He could barely work out Barty's figure now. What was happening?

It was so cold. Harry felt like his insides were almost burning with frost - if that was possible. The place was filled with a white fog, strangling him.

Harry had no doubt that he was dying.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"

A/N: *drum roll* DAN DAN DAAAAN!

Cliffhanger I know. Sorry! If you're lucky I'll update either today or tomorrow, the wait should be less than a week hopefully.

Hope you liked it! Can you guess what's happening to Barty? I think you can. Bought all kinds of strange ideas in this too. For instance - if what Voldemort said was correct, what's with what Harry hears when the dementors get too close?

And will the Ministry get Harry?

It'll all be in Chapter 5.

Hope to see you there.