AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those of you who are not Latin gurus, tritum is Latin
for terror...
Chapter 19
The Crystal of Tritum
Harry couldn't seem to concentrate on his exams that day. Everything he did seemed to remind him of the impending trip to the Abyss of the Enemy later that day. All through Transfiguration, Harry looked up at Professor McGonagall and saw her increasingly worried face. He knew her nerves were starting to get to her.
When the bell rang for lunch, his Transfiguration professor looked up at him and grimly nodded. Harry understood. He needed no words.
* * *
The rest of the day went by in a blur for Harry. After lunch, he, Ron, and Hermione had their Charms and Care of Magical Creatures exams.
"All righ' there, Harry?" Hagrid asked as they approached his cabin before their test.
"Yeah."
Hagrid lowered his voice. "Dumbledore told me what yer going to do later today, Harry. Going to the Abyss an' everything. Yeh nervous?"
"A little," Harry replied truthfully.
"All I can tell you is if anyone can face a confrontation with Voldemort, it's you, Harry. I can't think of a single person who would be able to handle it other than you." With that, the half-giant patted Harry's shoulder, causing his knees to buckle.
"Thanks, Hagrid."
* * *
Immediately after Care of Magical Creatures, Dumbledore caught up with Harry. "Come to my office, please, Harry. You will travel to the Abyss from there." Ron and Hermione wished him a grievous "good luck" and he followed Dumbledore towards the stone gargoyle guarding his office. "I am aware of your slight nervousness, Harry, but let me inform you of something. In all my years of teaching and as headmaster here at Hogwarts, I have never seen a student as dedicated and courageous as you. Your loyalties to me and to this school are unsurpassable. No other student could match the bravery you have shown in these last six years. While you are in the Abyss, remember that you have my full support. Chocolate frog." The gargoyle jumped away, exposing the moving staircase. Harry hopped on it for the second time that day, Dumbledore at his side.
They entered the office where Moody, Tonks, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Elphias Doge all stood. Immediately when Harry walked in the door Mrs. Weasley ran up to him and hugged him. "Are you all right, Harry?" Without waiting for an answer, she started to flatten his hair nervously. Dumbledore began to talk.
"Your Guard for tonight, Harry. There were supposed to be more, similar to your Advance Guard last year, but due to current circumstances they could not leave their posts. I believe you know everyone standing here?"
"Yes," Harry managed to choke out weakly. "How are we to get there?"
"Portkey!" Tonks replied brightly, brandishing an old fork from what looked to be the part of a set. "Sirius wouldn't have minded if we stole one of his mum's old forks, now would he?" she asked cheerily as if their mission was one of simplicity.
"It should take effect in thirty seconds, right, Tonks?" Kingsley asked.
"Yup. Everyone gather round now..." She held out the Portkey so everyone could reach it.
"Good luck to all of you," Dumbledore said as the office started to swirl and Harry felt himself spinning into the unknown, his Guard at his side...
* * *
Harry looked up as he landed uncomfortably on a rocky ground in the middle of a large chasm. There were many hidden caves and cavities around them. The sky became overcast as the Aurors started to look around and explore a few of the unknown caverns. Not knowing what to do, Harry kept close to Mr. Weasley, whose grim nod Harry returned. "I tried to keep Molly from coming here," he muttered to Harry, "but she refused. I told her it would be really dangerous here and she should stay at Grimmauld Place, but she was so worried about you she just couldn't stay at headquarters."
"So you two are Aurors, then?"
"Yes. We started taking the five-year program through the Ministry the summer before you and Ron started school. Dumbledore came to us knowing that something like this would happen eventually and he would need to rely on us. We became Aurors just before the Order of the Phoenix emerged." Mr. Weasley started to look into a nearby cave that was part of an elaborate labyrinth until he heard the chilling laughter. All of Harry's Guard immediately stopped what they had been doing and came together regrouped in the middle of the Abyss. Harry looked straight ahead and sure enough, about fifty figures clad in dark robes Apparated with small pops at various places in the cavern: the Death Eaters. They formed an arc facing the Aurors, leaving room for two people in the middle. Sure enough, the unnerving laughter came again. Harry looked around at his Guard; not one of them showed signs of emotion. Lord Voldemort's form appeared through the mist as he walked steadily forward towards the Aurors and Harry, Wormtail at his side. Wormtail stopped when he reached his place in the arc, but Voldemort continued forward to examine the Guard.
He smiled a malicious smile. "Harry Potter," he said immediately, "I knew we would meet again." He paced in front of the miniscule group of his enemies. "I knew Dumbledore would want to send his faithful servant to face me." The cat-like eyes focused on Harry for a long time, but he didn't say anything in reply nor did he show any emotion. The Dark Lord's thin mouth formed into a malevolent smile. "You have been trained in the Aurorism field well, Harry Potter. I'm glad, for this will make more of a challenge for me." Harry still said nothing, but stood at his full height to match Voldemort's height. Using the corners of his eyes, he looked at his Guard. None of them seemed phased, although Mrs. Weasley started to shift uneasily. Voldemort continued to examine the other Aurors. "Nymphadora Tonks," he said softly. "I knew we would meet too. Not this early, of course, but I'm not complaining...
"Your mother...yes, I had the pleasure of meeting her just last night." Still he paced, an evil smile plastered on his face, and his eyes focused on Tonks. "You've always hated that name, Nymphadora, isn't that correct?" Tonks didn't answer, but she was starting to look angry. "You need not worry about the woman who gave that name to you any more. I have disposed of her. Pity, though. She was beautiful..."
"NO!!" Tonks screamed and lunged forward to attack the Dark Lord. Kingsley and Moody grabbed onto her arms before she could attack. Voldemort simply chuckled. "Let me at him! LET ME GO!" she screamed.
"You won't be able to do any damage when it's only you against him," Moody said gruffly, struggling to keep hold of her. "Which is why we all came here--"
"I DON'T CARE! HE KILLED MY MOTHER!" Tonks shrieked, her hair turning a violent orange and her face became distorted. "I'll kill you!" she yelled in Voldemort's face. He only looked mildly amused. The Death Eaters behind him chuckled in the same manner their master had moments before.
"Let her go," Voldemort told Moody and Kingsley, who both held Tonks in one place with all their might. "She wishes to face me alone, and I am willing to face her. Let her go."
Kingsley looked up at Voldemort with a hardened face. "You can't control us, Voldemort. We do not fear you."
"You dare speak my name?" the Dark Lord asked quietly as the arc of Death Eaters shivered in anticipation and fear.
"Yes," Kingsley said calmly over the outbursts of Tonks. She still struggled against his and Moody's grips.
Kingsley focused his attention on the Dark Lord, and the grip on Tonks loosened. Seizing this opportunity, she lunged forward. "You'll pay for what you did to my mother!" she yelled as she ran towards him.
"Avada Kedavra," Voldemort said, almost leisurely. A bright green light burst from the end of his raised wand, straight for Tonks. She was dead before she hit the ground.
"TONKS!" Harry shouted. Mr. Weasley caught his arm to keep him from running forward to her lifeless body.
"There's nothing you can do, Harry," he said grimly.
"No! It's my fault she's dead!"
Voldemort laughed under his breath. "That hurt, didn't it, Harry Potter? She was close to you, wasn't she?"
The taunts got to him. Harry took out his wand and shot a Stunner at Voldemort. He dodged it and it was so strong that it knocked four Death Eaters behind him unconscious. Shocked, the Dark Lord turned around to see his followers sprawled on the ground. He turned back to face Harry, but the Aurors were already dueling with the Death Eaters. Elphias had managed to move Tonks' body off to the side. Harry didn't know which way to go first. "Over here, boy," Moody said gruffly as he roughly moved Harry out of the thick of the battle. "There are already seven Death Eaters down, but we need someone to keep the stragglers from escaping. You know how to make a Web of Life?" Harry nodded. "Good. Form one around yourself and stay right here. If anyone tries to escape, send out a Stunning Spell. We'll ship them off to Azkaban once this is over. I'll be at the other end." Moody dodged in and out of the pairs of dueling Death Eaters and Aurors and soon had a large Web around him. Harry grabbed his wand and formed one around himself as well.
Sure enough, a robed figure tried to escape seconds after Harry completed his Web. Quickly, he shot a Stunning Spell at them before they knew what was coming. He looked around at the duels. the Weasleys were dueling together to great effect. All around them Death Eaters fled, but Mrs. Weasley kept many of them still with her Stationary Charms. Countless Death Eaters had apparently tried to sneak away by Moody, but without success. Harry heard the brusque voice boom out over the canyon more than once yelling, "Cowards!" Kingsley was not having as much success. A group of Death Eaters cornered him against the wall. "Enervate!" Harry yelled, a Memory Charm the first on his mind. Two Death Eaters stopped their attack on Kingsley and began to walk around aimlessly.
"Nice one, Harry!" Kingsley yelled, seizing his opportunity to catch the other Death Eaters in their surprise and Stun them. Harry nodded in reply.
"Avada Kedavra!" yelled another Death Eater from somewhere to Harry's left. He turned around just in time to see Elphias Doge fall to the ground, his body limp and lifeless.
"No!" Harry yelled. "Elphias!" The remaining Death Eaters fled down the chasm in his direction, the Aurors hot on their tails. Harry didn't send out any Stunners, as he did not want to hit any of his friends in the process.
"Wormtail! Malfoy! Bellatrix! Stay here!"
"Yes, Master," they mumbled simultaneously, bowing. Harry could see the body of Elphias unceremoniously cast aside ten feet away from them.
"Take his wand," Voldemort said as he turned to face Harry. Immediately Wormtail sprang forward and grabbed Harry's wand directly from his hand. "And now, Potter, you will witness another of my rebirthings. The rebirth of my power. Your Guard is not here to protect you anymore. It is just you, my faithful servants, and me." As Voldemort gestured to himself, the Death Eaters laughed coldly.
"It was a diversion," Harry said, realizing his ignorance and stupidity. "You knew we were going to come here today and you purposely led your Death Eaters away from me knowing the Aurors would follow."
"You're quick on your feet, Potter. Of course there is always a price to pay. I have lost many loyal followers tonight, and that was necessary. There will be replacements. I lost loyal followers not just to face you, Potter, but to acquire a power beyond my highest dreams. A power that anyone would dream of possessing. A power Salazar Slytherin himself created and hid himself in this very cavern. The map, Malfoy."
The tallest Death Eater stepped forward and carefully held out an extremely old piece of parchment that looked like it hadn't been touched in centuries. "Here you are, my Lord." Malfoy bowed as he stepped back again.
"Salazar Slytherin discovered this chasm over four centuries ago. He possessed a weapon of great power and destruction." At these words, Voldemort's red eyes grew even more power-hungry. "Wanting to maintain his status of dignity and distinction, he hid the weapon here, to remain unseen by his fellow founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here, in these same rocks, Slytherin hid the Crystal of Tritum."
The Death Eaters quivered in anticipation. "Master, please, let us find it soon!" Wormtail exclaimed.
"Silence, Wormtail. Slytherin created a map plotting where exactly he hid the Crystal. That map we have here." He held up the parchment. "Bella, please help direct me to the right cavern."
A masked Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forward and carefully but earnestly took hold of the map. She examined it and walked around, inspecting each and every cave of the labyrinth in turn. Silently, Voldemort and Malfoy followed, and Wormtail shoved Harry forward. "You'll come too, Potter," he said.
Finally, she stopped in front of a smaller cavern. "It is this one, my Lord."
"Thank you, Bella," Voldemort replied, accepting the old piece of parchment from her outstretched hand. "You shall receive your reward." He turned towards Harry. "Potter, the Crystal of Tritum holds such a value that all the gold in Gringotts would not come close to matching it." The Dark Lord chuckled. "The spells of the holder of the Crystal are three times as powerful. The ignorant power-hungry human race will all bow to me before this time tomorrow." Thunder started to boom from the ominous clouds and rain soon followed. Voldemort turned into the chasm, Malfoy, Bellatrix, and Wormtail (still prodding Harry in the back) following. The passageway was tight, but Voldemort hastily shoved the boulders that had blocked his way aside. Soon, they reached a large circular room, a round pedestal with a beautiful clear crystal sitting atop it. Harry could see ancient engravings encircling the small pedestal. The Death Eater's fixated eyes opened wide as they stared open-mouthed at the stone in front of them. Wormtail reached for it...Harry could have taken his wand back if he could just reach it...
"NOT THIS TIME!" yelled a familiar voice from the entrance of the chasm. Harry looked up to see the outline of Moody's body, flanked by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's, framed in the entrance. Lightning flashed and Harry saw how impressive the outline of their figures looked. From Moody's raised wand, he froze Wormtail in place, hand almost upon the crystal.
Voldemort was frantic for a second, but soon recovered himself. "You shall not be my downfall, Harry Potter..." With three loud pops, Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange had Disapparated.
Moody stepped forward, followed by the Weasleys. He looked at Wormtail's frozen form with a look of disgust and then turned back to Harry. "You all right, Potter?" he asked as he grabbed Harry's wand and threw it at him.
"Yes," the teenager replied, catching it.
"We'd better out of here. We'll have the Azkaban guards come to collect this scum," Moody pointed with his head towards Wormtail, "and his followers. Maybe now Sirius's name can live on in peace." As all three stepped into the light, Harry noticed they all had scratches covering their faces and Mr. Weasley was limping slightly.
"What happened?"
"Kingsley's unconscious, and Elphias and Tonks are dead, as you've already seen," Mr. Weasley explained bleakly. Unable to contain herself any longer, Mrs. Weasley burst out sobbing in hysterics and flung herself on Harry.
"You could have be—been k—killed, Harry!" she exclaimed in between sobs. "You know—that I've always looked at you as—as another son, don't you?"
"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," he replied uncomfortably.
"Molly," Mr. Weasley said, gently prying his wife off of Harry, "we'll have to go back now."
"Yes—I suppose so..." she replied, drying her eyes. "Let's collect Kingsley, Tonks, and Elphias and go home."
Chapter 19
The Crystal of Tritum
Harry couldn't seem to concentrate on his exams that day. Everything he did seemed to remind him of the impending trip to the Abyss of the Enemy later that day. All through Transfiguration, Harry looked up at Professor McGonagall and saw her increasingly worried face. He knew her nerves were starting to get to her.
When the bell rang for lunch, his Transfiguration professor looked up at him and grimly nodded. Harry understood. He needed no words.
* * *
The rest of the day went by in a blur for Harry. After lunch, he, Ron, and Hermione had their Charms and Care of Magical Creatures exams.
"All righ' there, Harry?" Hagrid asked as they approached his cabin before their test.
"Yeah."
Hagrid lowered his voice. "Dumbledore told me what yer going to do later today, Harry. Going to the Abyss an' everything. Yeh nervous?"
"A little," Harry replied truthfully.
"All I can tell you is if anyone can face a confrontation with Voldemort, it's you, Harry. I can't think of a single person who would be able to handle it other than you." With that, the half-giant patted Harry's shoulder, causing his knees to buckle.
"Thanks, Hagrid."
* * *
Immediately after Care of Magical Creatures, Dumbledore caught up with Harry. "Come to my office, please, Harry. You will travel to the Abyss from there." Ron and Hermione wished him a grievous "good luck" and he followed Dumbledore towards the stone gargoyle guarding his office. "I am aware of your slight nervousness, Harry, but let me inform you of something. In all my years of teaching and as headmaster here at Hogwarts, I have never seen a student as dedicated and courageous as you. Your loyalties to me and to this school are unsurpassable. No other student could match the bravery you have shown in these last six years. While you are in the Abyss, remember that you have my full support. Chocolate frog." The gargoyle jumped away, exposing the moving staircase. Harry hopped on it for the second time that day, Dumbledore at his side.
They entered the office where Moody, Tonks, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Elphias Doge all stood. Immediately when Harry walked in the door Mrs. Weasley ran up to him and hugged him. "Are you all right, Harry?" Without waiting for an answer, she started to flatten his hair nervously. Dumbledore began to talk.
"Your Guard for tonight, Harry. There were supposed to be more, similar to your Advance Guard last year, but due to current circumstances they could not leave their posts. I believe you know everyone standing here?"
"Yes," Harry managed to choke out weakly. "How are we to get there?"
"Portkey!" Tonks replied brightly, brandishing an old fork from what looked to be the part of a set. "Sirius wouldn't have minded if we stole one of his mum's old forks, now would he?" she asked cheerily as if their mission was one of simplicity.
"It should take effect in thirty seconds, right, Tonks?" Kingsley asked.
"Yup. Everyone gather round now..." She held out the Portkey so everyone could reach it.
"Good luck to all of you," Dumbledore said as the office started to swirl and Harry felt himself spinning into the unknown, his Guard at his side...
* * *
Harry looked up as he landed uncomfortably on a rocky ground in the middle of a large chasm. There were many hidden caves and cavities around them. The sky became overcast as the Aurors started to look around and explore a few of the unknown caverns. Not knowing what to do, Harry kept close to Mr. Weasley, whose grim nod Harry returned. "I tried to keep Molly from coming here," he muttered to Harry, "but she refused. I told her it would be really dangerous here and she should stay at Grimmauld Place, but she was so worried about you she just couldn't stay at headquarters."
"So you two are Aurors, then?"
"Yes. We started taking the five-year program through the Ministry the summer before you and Ron started school. Dumbledore came to us knowing that something like this would happen eventually and he would need to rely on us. We became Aurors just before the Order of the Phoenix emerged." Mr. Weasley started to look into a nearby cave that was part of an elaborate labyrinth until he heard the chilling laughter. All of Harry's Guard immediately stopped what they had been doing and came together regrouped in the middle of the Abyss. Harry looked straight ahead and sure enough, about fifty figures clad in dark robes Apparated with small pops at various places in the cavern: the Death Eaters. They formed an arc facing the Aurors, leaving room for two people in the middle. Sure enough, the unnerving laughter came again. Harry looked around at his Guard; not one of them showed signs of emotion. Lord Voldemort's form appeared through the mist as he walked steadily forward towards the Aurors and Harry, Wormtail at his side. Wormtail stopped when he reached his place in the arc, but Voldemort continued forward to examine the Guard.
He smiled a malicious smile. "Harry Potter," he said immediately, "I knew we would meet again." He paced in front of the miniscule group of his enemies. "I knew Dumbledore would want to send his faithful servant to face me." The cat-like eyes focused on Harry for a long time, but he didn't say anything in reply nor did he show any emotion. The Dark Lord's thin mouth formed into a malevolent smile. "You have been trained in the Aurorism field well, Harry Potter. I'm glad, for this will make more of a challenge for me." Harry still said nothing, but stood at his full height to match Voldemort's height. Using the corners of his eyes, he looked at his Guard. None of them seemed phased, although Mrs. Weasley started to shift uneasily. Voldemort continued to examine the other Aurors. "Nymphadora Tonks," he said softly. "I knew we would meet too. Not this early, of course, but I'm not complaining...
"Your mother...yes, I had the pleasure of meeting her just last night." Still he paced, an evil smile plastered on his face, and his eyes focused on Tonks. "You've always hated that name, Nymphadora, isn't that correct?" Tonks didn't answer, but she was starting to look angry. "You need not worry about the woman who gave that name to you any more. I have disposed of her. Pity, though. She was beautiful..."
"NO!!" Tonks screamed and lunged forward to attack the Dark Lord. Kingsley and Moody grabbed onto her arms before she could attack. Voldemort simply chuckled. "Let me at him! LET ME GO!" she screamed.
"You won't be able to do any damage when it's only you against him," Moody said gruffly, struggling to keep hold of her. "Which is why we all came here--"
"I DON'T CARE! HE KILLED MY MOTHER!" Tonks shrieked, her hair turning a violent orange and her face became distorted. "I'll kill you!" she yelled in Voldemort's face. He only looked mildly amused. The Death Eaters behind him chuckled in the same manner their master had moments before.
"Let her go," Voldemort told Moody and Kingsley, who both held Tonks in one place with all their might. "She wishes to face me alone, and I am willing to face her. Let her go."
Kingsley looked up at Voldemort with a hardened face. "You can't control us, Voldemort. We do not fear you."
"You dare speak my name?" the Dark Lord asked quietly as the arc of Death Eaters shivered in anticipation and fear.
"Yes," Kingsley said calmly over the outbursts of Tonks. She still struggled against his and Moody's grips.
Kingsley focused his attention on the Dark Lord, and the grip on Tonks loosened. Seizing this opportunity, she lunged forward. "You'll pay for what you did to my mother!" she yelled as she ran towards him.
"Avada Kedavra," Voldemort said, almost leisurely. A bright green light burst from the end of his raised wand, straight for Tonks. She was dead before she hit the ground.
"TONKS!" Harry shouted. Mr. Weasley caught his arm to keep him from running forward to her lifeless body.
"There's nothing you can do, Harry," he said grimly.
"No! It's my fault she's dead!"
Voldemort laughed under his breath. "That hurt, didn't it, Harry Potter? She was close to you, wasn't she?"
The taunts got to him. Harry took out his wand and shot a Stunner at Voldemort. He dodged it and it was so strong that it knocked four Death Eaters behind him unconscious. Shocked, the Dark Lord turned around to see his followers sprawled on the ground. He turned back to face Harry, but the Aurors were already dueling with the Death Eaters. Elphias had managed to move Tonks' body off to the side. Harry didn't know which way to go first. "Over here, boy," Moody said gruffly as he roughly moved Harry out of the thick of the battle. "There are already seven Death Eaters down, but we need someone to keep the stragglers from escaping. You know how to make a Web of Life?" Harry nodded. "Good. Form one around yourself and stay right here. If anyone tries to escape, send out a Stunning Spell. We'll ship them off to Azkaban once this is over. I'll be at the other end." Moody dodged in and out of the pairs of dueling Death Eaters and Aurors and soon had a large Web around him. Harry grabbed his wand and formed one around himself as well.
Sure enough, a robed figure tried to escape seconds after Harry completed his Web. Quickly, he shot a Stunning Spell at them before they knew what was coming. He looked around at the duels. the Weasleys were dueling together to great effect. All around them Death Eaters fled, but Mrs. Weasley kept many of them still with her Stationary Charms. Countless Death Eaters had apparently tried to sneak away by Moody, but without success. Harry heard the brusque voice boom out over the canyon more than once yelling, "Cowards!" Kingsley was not having as much success. A group of Death Eaters cornered him against the wall. "Enervate!" Harry yelled, a Memory Charm the first on his mind. Two Death Eaters stopped their attack on Kingsley and began to walk around aimlessly.
"Nice one, Harry!" Kingsley yelled, seizing his opportunity to catch the other Death Eaters in their surprise and Stun them. Harry nodded in reply.
"Avada Kedavra!" yelled another Death Eater from somewhere to Harry's left. He turned around just in time to see Elphias Doge fall to the ground, his body limp and lifeless.
"No!" Harry yelled. "Elphias!" The remaining Death Eaters fled down the chasm in his direction, the Aurors hot on their tails. Harry didn't send out any Stunners, as he did not want to hit any of his friends in the process.
"Wormtail! Malfoy! Bellatrix! Stay here!"
"Yes, Master," they mumbled simultaneously, bowing. Harry could see the body of Elphias unceremoniously cast aside ten feet away from them.
"Take his wand," Voldemort said as he turned to face Harry. Immediately Wormtail sprang forward and grabbed Harry's wand directly from his hand. "And now, Potter, you will witness another of my rebirthings. The rebirth of my power. Your Guard is not here to protect you anymore. It is just you, my faithful servants, and me." As Voldemort gestured to himself, the Death Eaters laughed coldly.
"It was a diversion," Harry said, realizing his ignorance and stupidity. "You knew we were going to come here today and you purposely led your Death Eaters away from me knowing the Aurors would follow."
"You're quick on your feet, Potter. Of course there is always a price to pay. I have lost many loyal followers tonight, and that was necessary. There will be replacements. I lost loyal followers not just to face you, Potter, but to acquire a power beyond my highest dreams. A power that anyone would dream of possessing. A power Salazar Slytherin himself created and hid himself in this very cavern. The map, Malfoy."
The tallest Death Eater stepped forward and carefully held out an extremely old piece of parchment that looked like it hadn't been touched in centuries. "Here you are, my Lord." Malfoy bowed as he stepped back again.
"Salazar Slytherin discovered this chasm over four centuries ago. He possessed a weapon of great power and destruction." At these words, Voldemort's red eyes grew even more power-hungry. "Wanting to maintain his status of dignity and distinction, he hid the weapon here, to remain unseen by his fellow founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here, in these same rocks, Slytherin hid the Crystal of Tritum."
The Death Eaters quivered in anticipation. "Master, please, let us find it soon!" Wormtail exclaimed.
"Silence, Wormtail. Slytherin created a map plotting where exactly he hid the Crystal. That map we have here." He held up the parchment. "Bella, please help direct me to the right cavern."
A masked Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forward and carefully but earnestly took hold of the map. She examined it and walked around, inspecting each and every cave of the labyrinth in turn. Silently, Voldemort and Malfoy followed, and Wormtail shoved Harry forward. "You'll come too, Potter," he said.
Finally, she stopped in front of a smaller cavern. "It is this one, my Lord."
"Thank you, Bella," Voldemort replied, accepting the old piece of parchment from her outstretched hand. "You shall receive your reward." He turned towards Harry. "Potter, the Crystal of Tritum holds such a value that all the gold in Gringotts would not come close to matching it." The Dark Lord chuckled. "The spells of the holder of the Crystal are three times as powerful. The ignorant power-hungry human race will all bow to me before this time tomorrow." Thunder started to boom from the ominous clouds and rain soon followed. Voldemort turned into the chasm, Malfoy, Bellatrix, and Wormtail (still prodding Harry in the back) following. The passageway was tight, but Voldemort hastily shoved the boulders that had blocked his way aside. Soon, they reached a large circular room, a round pedestal with a beautiful clear crystal sitting atop it. Harry could see ancient engravings encircling the small pedestal. The Death Eater's fixated eyes opened wide as they stared open-mouthed at the stone in front of them. Wormtail reached for it...Harry could have taken his wand back if he could just reach it...
"NOT THIS TIME!" yelled a familiar voice from the entrance of the chasm. Harry looked up to see the outline of Moody's body, flanked by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's, framed in the entrance. Lightning flashed and Harry saw how impressive the outline of their figures looked. From Moody's raised wand, he froze Wormtail in place, hand almost upon the crystal.
Voldemort was frantic for a second, but soon recovered himself. "You shall not be my downfall, Harry Potter..." With three loud pops, Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange had Disapparated.
Moody stepped forward, followed by the Weasleys. He looked at Wormtail's frozen form with a look of disgust and then turned back to Harry. "You all right, Potter?" he asked as he grabbed Harry's wand and threw it at him.
"Yes," the teenager replied, catching it.
"We'd better out of here. We'll have the Azkaban guards come to collect this scum," Moody pointed with his head towards Wormtail, "and his followers. Maybe now Sirius's name can live on in peace." As all three stepped into the light, Harry noticed they all had scratches covering their faces and Mr. Weasley was limping slightly.
"What happened?"
"Kingsley's unconscious, and Elphias and Tonks are dead, as you've already seen," Mr. Weasley explained bleakly. Unable to contain herself any longer, Mrs. Weasley burst out sobbing in hysterics and flung herself on Harry.
"You could have be—been k—killed, Harry!" she exclaimed in between sobs. "You know—that I've always looked at you as—as another son, don't you?"
"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," he replied uncomfortably.
"Molly," Mr. Weasley said, gently prying his wife off of Harry, "we'll have to go back now."
"Yes—I suppose so..." she replied, drying her eyes. "Let's collect Kingsley, Tonks, and Elphias and go home."
