Disclaimer: Don't you know this already??
A/N: This chapter has actually been partially existing since when I started writing this story. So that's… 6 months? 6 MONTHS??!! Shite… That's half a year. I have been here half a year! Wooohhhh….
While I'm at it. ALL HAIL THE QUEEN OF CHEESE, IN ALL ITS CHEESY GOODNESS! You know who you are. Hopefully…
Chapter 15 – Change
"So Voldemort is going to use Harry's blood to bring him back to life?"
"Yes" Draco said.
Dumbledore turned to Snape and leaned over to whisper in his ear, attempting to dodge the curtain of greasy hair that blocked his way.
"I assume you will be Apparating shortly."
Snape nodded and whispered back. "The Dark Lord does not like to be kept waiting. Ever."
"I must ask you a favour, Severus," Dumbledore whispered even more quietly than he had done the first time. Snape's ears were sharp, so he heard no matter what volume the Headmaster was speaking at. "I know you held no love or even any consideration for Harry's father, but please, you must put it behind you. We can not let Harry die. He is a symbol of hope and without that, the Wizarding World would collapse. It would be chaotic. And with a fool like Fudge in charge of the Ministry, think what would happen."
Dumbledore straightened up and waited a short while for the effects of his words to sink in. Severus Snape may have been rude and temperamental at times, but he was no idiot. Dumbledore pulled an amulet out of his pocket. "This Portkey will activate at the words Bertie Botts." Snape took the amulet with his pale bony fingers.
"I need you to get in there and save him. After all I have done for you, can you do this for me?"
Snape's cold black eyes stared into Dumbledore's crystal blue, before diverting forecefully away. The Potions Master clenched the amulet tightly, his knuckles turning white. He raised his voice.
"And if he was not your precious hope, you would leave him to die."
The teachers at the table turned to Dumbledore in confusion as Snape strode away, while Remus stared after the dark man, deep in thought.
But there was no question or contemplation in Draco's eyes.
Only the beginnings of a stark realisation of exactly what this golden man of glory truly was.
-o-o-o-
The Imperius on Wormtail was lifted. He looked around fearfully at the Death Eaters, before the realisation of what he'd done sank in. He saw Harry. His head snapped up to face Voldemort.
"You evil bastard!" he yelled, earning him a kick in the side.
Voldemort's eyes flashed with annoyance. He did not have time to deal with insufferable fools like Peter Pettigrew. "I'll be more than an evil bastard when I'm finished, Worm," he said mockingly. He turned to his Death Eaters. "Tie him up and keep him out of my sight! Or you too will have hell to pay."
Harry closed his eyes as the Death Eaters closed around the man, kicking and punching him with all the energy they had. It was a good 5 minutes until they decided it was time to leave him be. Not that they were being merciful, but because they did not feel the need to waste their energy on Wormtail.
Harry watched them throw Wormtail off to the side in a tiny clearing. He shivered with fright when they advanced towards him, fists balled and leers on their faces.
"Do not touch him!" the sharp voice of Voldemort ordered. The Death Eaters froze in their steps.
"Lucius," he ordered, "how about you give him a little off your potion you mentioned to me the other day. I trust you brought it?"
"Yes, My Lord. How could I forget something so important."
Harry clamped his mouth shut as Malfoy took out a deep red potion and walked towards him. There was no way he was drinking that!
"Open your mouth" he ordered.
Harry simply blinked and didn't reply.
"I said, open you mouth! Or do you want the Worm to get hurt?"
Harry glanced over at Wormtail, who was bleeding heavily and panting. Malfoy pointed his wand towards him.
Wormtail shook his head using some the energy he had left in his body. "Harry, don't worry about me."
Harry came to a decision, as he saw the man roll over and groan in pain. That was a man who didn't deserve that. Harry opened his mouth.
The Death Eater smirked in triumph. "I knew you'd see it right, with a little persuasion of course."
He poured the liquid into Harry's mouth. Harry choked at the taste and the amount of potion being poured down his throat, but swallowed it as best he could. It was no Pumpkin Juice, that was for sure.
Malfoy watched in satisfaction as a strange sensation washed through Harry's body. All of a sudden his limbs felt weaker. Breathing was harder and he started to sweat.
"It is done, My Lord." Malfoy said.
"Excellent work, Lucius. Now put him with the worm," Voldemort commanded, his icy voice cutting through the fog in Harry's mind. "But do not harm him! I have plans for him."
The men grumbled, but complied, not wanting to suffer the Dark lord's wrath, and Harry was thrown as roughly as they dared, next to Wormtail.
They lay there in silence as they watched the men retreat back to their master. Harry sighed and rested his head tiredly on the cool dirt. It felt nice.
"Harry –"
Harry turned on his side to face Wormtail.
"I'm sorry," the man whispered, "I had no control – I couldn't –"
"I know," Harry replied, "its alright. I forgive you."
But Wormtail just shook his head. "How can you?" he whispered sadly, "I've ruined your life, Harry – I killed your parents!"
"I know. You told me, remember?"
"I thought I was imagining things."
"You weren't."
They lay in silence for a while, hearing nothing but Voldemort's occasional cackle of laughter.
Harry shivered. "I hate his laugh. I hate his voice. That's going to be the last thing I ever hear, isn't it?" he asked softly.
"What?" Wormtail demanded harshly.
"Aren't they going to kill me?"
Wormtail growled. "Not if I can help it. Here, give me your arms. This is something... your father taught me to do..."
Harry rolled towards Wormtail and held out his bonds. Wormtail placed his hand on them and closed his eyes. After about two seconds of waiting, a soft blue glow emitted from his hands and surrounded the bounds, dissolving them. Wormtail opened his eyes as Harry felt his arms.
"Thank you" he said.
"Give me your legs."
Harry wriggled around until Wormtail could reach ankles, and waited for the bonds to dissolve."What about you?" he asked, when they were gone.
"I have to have my entire hand around the bonds. I can't do that. You'll have to go on your own."
"No," Harry whispered fiercely, "I'm not leaving you!"
"There's nothing you can do!"
Harry glared at him and searched through his robe pockets. He was sure he had put something in there from his dad's box. He had emptied quite a bit in there before he was taken. There should be something that would – aha! Just the thing he was looking for. Wormtail's eyes widened as Harry pulled out his findings. "James' wand?"
Harry nodded happily and handed it to Wormtail. "Now you can get yourself free!"
Wormtail took the wand gratefully and dissolved his bonds too. He stood up, rubbing his wrists and ankles.
"Let's go" he whispered.
Harry and Wormtail slunk through the trees, keeping in mind to stay well out of the firelight.
"To the forest!" Wormtail commanded softly.
Harry bobbed his head to show that he understood, and they crept quietly away into the trees. Once they were concealed in the dense greenery, Wormtail stopped and turned to Harry. "I want you to run. Really fast. Go find a muggle house, and ask them to take you to King's Cross Station. Then go back to Hogwarts, alright? But make sure you are not seen!"
Harry nodded.
"Accio Wand!" Wormtail whispered, and handed Harry's father's wand back to him. "Take this – its yours." Another wand came zooming towards them and hit Wormtail between the eyes.
"Ow." He grumbled as Harry stifled a giggle. "I could never get it to come to my hand."
He picked up his wand and turned back to Harry. "Now, go. Just, if you make it, tell Remus and Sirius – tell them I'm sorry. I know that that doesn't make up for what I've done and I wont ask for forgiveness, because I know I don't deserve it." Harry nodded once again. There was nothing to say.
Wormtail opened his mouth to say something more, but then froze. Shouts were coming from the circle.
"They've discovered that we've gone! Go! Run! I'll hold them off!" Harry nodded and backed away.
"RUN!" He whirled around and stumbled further into the trees.
Wormtail clenched his wand in his hand tightly. This time, he would not be a coward. This time, he would stand against and die by the hands of those he should have six years ago. And Merlin help those bastards.
-o-o-o-
Percy was curled up in a ball in the corner of the common room. Harry was gone! Everyone said that Voldemort took him. Percy had seen Draco – he was running around the castle frantic, until Bill captured him and took him up to the head boy dormitory to make him some tea and calm him down.
'Just like mum' Percy thought with a wistful smile.
As much as he hated to admit it, he missed his mother. While Bill was off with Draco, Charlie with his friends and Fred and George together, Percy was sitting in a corner by himself. He never realised that the outside world was such a scary place, and the fact that he didn't have anyone to make it all better like his mum could, made it all worse.
He sighed.
"Hi there!" Percy looked up, startled. A Scottish boy with brown hair and soft hazel eyes was staring down at him.
"I'm Oliver Wood" he said.
Percy stood up. "Percy Weasley." They shook hands.
"First year?" Percy asked
"I surely am."
"Me too!"
"Cool! Hey, do you want to come and play a game of chess with me?"
"Of course I would."
"Well let's go then." Oliver joyfully bounded towards a free chess board and started setting up the chess board.
"Hurry up, slow poke!" he yelled to Percy, grinning.
"I'm coming!" Percy smiled. Here was a friend.
-o-o-o-
It just so happened that the first person to burst through the trees was none other than Lucius Malfoy. Wormtail smiled wickedly.
"Hello Lucius!" Malfoy whirled around, wand pointed at Wormtail. But adrenaline was coursing its way through Wormtail's veins at an incredible rate, and nothing would stop him.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Malfoy fell to the ground, dead. Wormtail grinned a sick and twisted grin as he regarded the body in front of him. "Never thought that'd feel so good!" he crowed.Someone else was crashing through the trees towards him now, and Wormtail cackled.
It was Bellatrix Lestrange.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
He did something of a victory dance around the bodies of two of his worst enemies. "If I'm going to die, might as well bring them down with me!"
-o-o-o-
Meanwhile, Harry was stumbling through the trees. His energy levels were fast running out and the sweat was pouring off him. He just felt so tired....
-o-o-o-
"And down goes Averyyyyyyy! AVADA KEDAVRA! And down goes Nooooott! AVADA KEDAVRA!" Anyone who looked at Wormtail now would back away in terror – his eyes were wide and wild and he was laughing manically. But, unfortunately for the death eaters, they didn't have time to back away before he killed them.
At the moment, there were the bodies of Malfoy, Bellatrix, Rudolphus, Rabastan, Avery and Nott scattered amongst the trees. And Wormtail was just warming up.
"And who will be next!" he screamed. "Come on, I'm having FUN!"
And then someone did come out of the shadows. Accompanied by two death eaters.
"Voldemort! Hi! How are you tonight? You know, have people ever told you how much you resemble your father?"
"Move out of my way you insolent worm!" Voldemort ordered, finding Wormtail an aggravating little twit that was ruining everything he had worked six years for.
"No. And by the way, I was wondering – does this hurt? CRUCIO!"
Normally, a Cruciatus curse performed by Wormtail would give you a mild headache, but this was no timid call. This time Wormtail wanted to see him suffer. He wanted to see Voldemort in pain. He wanted to revel in his agony. He wanted him to pay. For everything that he had put people through. For everything he had him through.
So when Voldemort fell to the ground screaming, the two Death Eaters who had come with him stopped and stared. But Wormtail was not surprised. He could feel a scary difference inside of him. Something that he had never felt before. Bravery.
"See how it feels?" he said, completely serious now. "See what you would put on your victims and your followers in a heart beat? Hurts, doesn't it, Tommy-boy?" He smiled grimly at the twitching Voldemort. "Well, maybe you're not as invincible as we all thought."
Somehow, as Wormtail's happiness weakened his hatred and the curse started to break apart, Voldemort managed to get a good grip on his wand and aim it steadily towards Wormtail.
Wormtail felt the green light wash through him, taking what was left of his miserable existence.
He fell to the ground, dead, with a smile on his face.
"Find the boy," Voldemort hissed as he regained his footing. "NOW!" The death eaters scrambled off into the woods, Voldemort following closely behind.
-o-o-o-
Harry stumbled over a tree root, and cried out in a hoarse voice. His lips were cracked and dry, his throat hurt, he felt as if he was about to collapse. And why was it so hot in here?
A noise caused Harry to whirl around. Someone was following him! He ran faster, panting, but his feet failed him, and he crawled on his hands and knees, trying with all the energy that was left to get away from his pursuers.
Pairs of hands gripped his arms, and carried him over to a small clearing in the thick forest, slamming him against the tree. Harry's vision was slightly blurred, but he could still make out the outline of Voldemort's thin body as he glided up to him
Voldemort was getting closer and closer with every second. The Death Eaters had let go of him now, and even if he had wanted to run, he wouldn't have been able to. His limbs felt heavy, and his head swirled. Droplets of sweat fell down his face as he awaited for Voldemort to finish him off.
Voldemort had now reached Harry and he had begun to speak, but Harry didn't hear. Instead, he stared into the shadows behind Voldemort's tall, skeletal figure, where other faces began to appear. Those that he was familiar with. People from his dream, the dream that was at the start of this whole mess.
His parents. 'Don't give up hope, Harry. We love you so much – please don't let go. Please live. You deserve to,'they said, the woman wiping a tear off her face.
"Mum? Dad?" Harry mumbled not entirely sure what was going on. The figures nodded and stepped aside.
Wormtail. Was he still alive? 'I'm sorry, Harry. But it's better this way. There is nothing for me here. That doesn't matter now anyway. All that matters is that you stay alive. You deserve to live, Harry,' Wormtail gave him a reassuring smile, then stood on the other side of Voldemort.
Now a crowd appeared behind Voldemort. They were faces from Hogwarts. They had all come for him. He was going to be safe. There wasMooney and Draco, who was jumping up and down, trying to be seen behind the tall figure of Voldemort. Madam Pomfrey, Hagrid, Dumbledore, the Weasleys and somebody he had not expected to be there. Padfoot.
'Come on, Harry. There's my boy. Just hang in there, right. When you get back we'll have all the fun in the world. All you have to do is hang in there. Don't let go. Don't give up.' Sirius said, smiling – something that Harry had only seen in his dreams.
Harry smiled back this time. All he had to do was hang in there, then he would be back at Hogwarts, drawing pictures, making hats, eating at the feast and best of all, playing with Sirius. He would be happy and Mooney would be happy. They could get a big place in the country and all live there. Draco could come to. He could have the life he always dreamed of. All he had to do was hold on.
The sound of Voldemort's shrill voice slowly faded back in, and the people that had been standing there a minute ago were gone. But Harry still carried a small ray of hope. All he had to do was hold on. Then he would be back at Hogwarts. All he had to do was hold on.
Finally the words that Voldemort began making some sense, not much, but enough for him to understand.
"It's time for me to finish off something that I started a long time ago," Voldemort said, his harsh voice still not penetrating the brightness that seemed to surround Harry's very soul. "Prepare to die, as you should have done that night 6 years ago."
'No,' Harry thought, 'I am not going to die. I'm going back to my friends. I'm going back to Padfoot, and we're going to have fun together. I'm going to play with Draco all day. I'm going to draw pictures for Mooney. I'm not going to let go!'
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Harry shielded his eyes as the green light washed over him.
A/N: (Gleefully rubs hands together) Mwahaha! Mwaha! MWAHAHAHAHA!
Just wait til next chapter – possibly my most favourite bit in the whole thing!
MAJOR CLIFFIES ARE A COMING!
Which reminds me…
THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU TO MY WONDERFUL BETA/SORT-OF BETA!
I present to thee, TheDarkLadyOfRavenclaw!!!
Who absolutely rocks the earth and the universe and some more! :D
This chapter (and wait, theres more) would definitely not be possible without this wonderful author's wonderfulness. Else it would be very very very crap.
Go read her story!
Thankyou! :D
- - -
Now, probably totally pointless, but I'll do them anyway – review replies…
Flight of the Wild: Am I badge-worthy this time?? Pleeaassee??
Hermione HP: Mwahahahaha!
Yana5: (grins evilly) Just you wait for next chapter. You'll see. :D
texasjeanette: Hurrah! Thankyou :D Hopefully, you got the email. If not, lets all stand on our heads and say bugger til the cows come home.
Wait, what?!
Sugar withdrawals… ignore them, please! :P
FroBoy: Thankyou, Yeah doesn't it suck, and here we are :D
Samara-Morgan-101: I really like the idea of an uncorrupted Draco Malfoy. He'd be so handy to have around. Just think – your own automatic insult machine! You wouldn't even have to think! :P
And plus, baby draco would be really cute.
LadySilvrene: No I didn't – I went to Woop Woop. Computers don't exist there. Sorry about that.
Shinigami: I present to you – OLIVER!! Thankyou – you gave me inspiration :D
Kristin: AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! Is all I have to say :P
MY SISTER: You! You foul – oh wait, wrong line. You did not review! HOW DARE YOU! (cries) OK, im over it right about now. But don't you deny that you didn't read chapter 14! I KNOW you did!
Sorry if I missed anyone!
- - -
Thanks very much for reading, feedback/comments would be great. Thanks. Til next time, good sirs and ladies!
- Tinwen