DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, he belongs to J.K Rowling and if you are reading this and think any different then St. Mungo's should be your next port of call.

THIS CHAPTER IS UNBETAD, I WILL REPLACE IT WITH THE BETAD VERSION IN A COUPLE OF DAYS TO THOSE OF YOU THAT CAN WAIT LONGER

Chapter 18: Futility

October 3rd 1991

Sirius and Remus were at the current moment in time residing in the Dark Forest, deep inside Albania. The reason, something was going to happen here tonight and Sirius and Remus didn't like the sound of it one bit.

It had been a month since Sirius and Remus had left Hide and Seek cottage in pursuit of Peter Pettigrew. Using contacts deep inside the Department of Mysteries they found out that Pettigrew had vanished into thin air just after they went into hiding though there had been some sightings of him in Eastern Europe and Asia in the past couple of years.

After hearing this Sirius and Remus decided to go underground and using disguises they managed to obtain some information that something very dark was happening in Albania at the current moment in time.

So Sirius and Remus had decided to check it out and right now they wished they never had. When they had reached Albania, they had discovered that the dark activity of late had to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as the locals called him. Apparently there have been several Death Eater sightings in the area and the consensus in the area was that it wouldn't be long before You-Know-Who was brought back to life. This scared Sirius and Remus to an extent as they had always knew there was a possibility of the Dark Lord reappearing but had continued to dismiss it. The unfortunate thing was that they knew that if they found Pettigrew, there was a good chance that they would find Pettigrew.

Apart from that, Sirius and Remus had managed to capture and interrogate one suspicious looking figure who was making an abominable attempt of silently tracking them. After they had seen the man looking at them for a third night in a row, they decided to act. Going into the back alley by the pub, Sirius made out rather loudly that he had some really important information for Remus. The man had fell for it hook line and sinker. He had followed them outside and moved a bit closer so he could hear well. In a flash, the man was stunned and bound. Grabbing the man they had taken him back to the room in a shabby muggle motel they were staying in. Apparating the man into the room with them, bypassing the anti-apparation ward they had set up among many, they had begun the interrogation.

FLASHBACK

"Enervate," Sirius muttered watching as the man jerked awoke, eyes wild. He flinched visibly when seeing Remus and Sirius stood over him holding his wand in his hand. The man then looked like he was concentrating very hard but Remus interrupted.

"I wouldn't bother trying Wandless Magic," Remus told him and watched as the last piece of hope was extinguished within the man.

"What do you want?" The man spat at Remus who just raised his eyebrow. Sirius looked like he wanted to curse the man first and ask questions later.

"Why are you following us?" Remus calmly asked.

"Go to hell!" The man shouted almost rabid.

"I'll ask once more, why were you following us. Tell us and then I'll let you go." Remus told the man calmly again although you could see the signs of frustration.

"I'd rather die so go to hell!" The man screamed at Remus who looked like he was to try once more when Sirius took the more direct approach.

"Imperio," Sirius spoke with an even voice.

The curse hit the man and for a few seconds his eyes flickered then his face went blank, a sign that the curse had worked. Ignoring Remus's disappointed face he began speaking to the man.

"What is your name?" He asked to test whether the man would respond.

"Arman Refute," The man answered speaking in a voice devoid of emotion.

"Why are you following Remus and I?" Sirius asked, this time getting straight to the point.

"I was paid to follow Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. My job was to report everything I saw. Where they went, who they spoke too. Everything." The man answered.

"What was the name of the man that paid you/" Sirius asked curiously.

"I don't know." The man replied and Sirius cursed, swinging his leg into the wall and immeadiatly regretting he didn't when a lightning bolt of pain shot through his leg. While Sirius was busy muttering healing spells, Remus asked questions of his own.

"What did this man look like?" Remus inquired, a speculative look passing across his face.

"He was a short, balding man who was quite overweight. I didn't see much of his physical features; he wore a long black hooded cloak. He also spoke in a high pitched voice" The man spoke in a monotone voice still under the effects of the Imperious.

But it didn't matter, the information made Sirius whip his head up and with a look of intense hatred on his face he snarled "Pettigrew".

The questioning went on like this for a few more minutes until the man started breaking through the Imperious curse. Sirius and Remus got what they wanted to know however, the names of other people who could provide more information. Stunning the man, they obliviated him and dumped him in an Alley.

END FLASHBACK

That interrogation had led to another then another and finally had led the pair to where they were currently situated, walking in the Dark Forest of Albania, waiting to see what was going to happen. Remus was leading the way, following noise that was too quiet for human ears to pick up, but one of the advantages of being a werewolf was having exceptional hearing. Sirius was following; wand out at the ready, hoping that they were wrong and nothing was going to happen in this forest tonight. Sirius was so deep in his musing that he didn't notice when Remus stopped consequently ploughing into the back of his friend.

"Padfoot you moron, be quiet." Remus lectured in a rushed whisper as he motioned with his hands to show Sirius the reason why he had so abruptly stopped.

About a hundred yards in front of the pair, there was a large sized clearing where something was obviously happening. There were around ten or so figures, all cloaked in what Death Eaters wore. They were situated round an object where a figure stood as well as a cloud of mist and a figure that looked like it was tied up. Not being able to see clearly, Remus and Sirius crawled through the heavy shrubbery that provided them with camouflage.

When they got to around thirty yards away they could both taste the dark magic in the air. More to their shock and horror was the person at the centre of the circle was none other than Wormtail. Sirius started to rise with his wand twitching but Remus pulled him back down before he could reveal himself. Giving Sirius a glare that said, "Do you want to die tonight?" The pair turned their attention back to the gathering and realised that a man was indeed tied up and from what Sirius could make out, it looked like someone that used to work for the Department of Mysteries though he couldn't quite place the name to the face.

By the look of it they were waiting for something. A pop then sounded signalling apparation, told Remus and Sirius that they were waiting for more Death Eaters. Before the Death Eater could pull his hood up completely, he turned and Remus and Sirius were briefly looking at the face of Severus Snape. Remus could feel Sirius physically shaking behind him, no doubt wanting to just rush in there and get Pettigrew and Snape.

"Calm down Padfoot, remember Harry. Don't do anything stupid." Remus angrily told Sirius in a whisper, desperation lacing his voice.

Hearing this Sirius clamed down, the thought of him not being there for Harry stopping him from just running in and trying to curse Wormtail and Snape.

Turning their attention back to the gathering at hand both were as silent as possible trying to listen in with Remus having much less of a problem than Sirius and as a result having to transcript what he heard to his friend.

Now that all the Death Eaters were present and accounted for, Wormtail quickly had what looked like a muttered conversation with the cloud of mist and then began to speak to the Death Eaters present.

"Finally, after years of work, sweat and toil we can finally conqueror the world and take revenge on that meddling fool Albus Dumbledore and that lucky brat Harry Potter. Tonight Lord Voldemort shall be reborn stronger than ever!" Wormtail shouted in a loud voice that drew a cheered response from the Death Eaters present.

The excitement that was in the air at this prospect made Remus and Sirius feel sick but the knowledge that there was a chance of Voldemort returning made their insides turn to ice and their breath hitch violently. Sirius and Remus had both been unlucky enough to see the Dark Lord at the height of his power and both silently made a vow to stop that from happening at all costs. The Death Eaters were beginning to quiet down so Wormtail continued:

Instead of speaking however, Wormtail moved over to where the cauldron was and withdrew a sharp looking dagger from his robes. Remus couldn't see very well from where he was but he smelt the fear Peter had easily, it was radiating off of him. When Wormtail spoke, it was so soft that even Remus had to strain his ears to make out what the traitor was saying. Raising his wand he closed his eyes and spoke:

"Bone of the Father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" After this line, Wormtail withdrew a vial from his robes, took the top off and threw the contents into the cauldron. He whimpered a bit more then continued in a petrified voice.

"Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master." With that proclamation Wormtail shocked everyone present including Sirius and Remus by grabbing the dagger in his right hand and in one motion slicing his left hand off leaving but a stump. He whimpered with pain and was drifting in and out of consciousness for a few seconds but struggling to his feet when one of the Death Eaters got bored and with a lazy flick of a wand and a muttered "Enervate". Wormtail was back on his feet quicker.

Walking over to where his stump of a hand lay, Wormtail, still in extreme pain, threw the hand into the cauldron. The potion turned a blood red and an ethereal light shone brightly making those present cover their eyes briefly.

Wormtail was now gasping and moaning in the sheer excruciating agony he was in. Still he walked over to where the person was tied up. Raising the dagger again he spoke what was to be the concluding line of the ritual:

"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe."

Remus and Sirius then watched in shock at the events that followed; events that would change the course of the world forever. Wormtail slashed the man's arm with the dagger. Collecting some of the blood in a vial, he threw it into the potion. The liquid inside turned a blinding white. Wormtail slumped to the ground, his work done, body unable to stand any more.

The potion was sending off sparks and Sirius and Remus were praying that whatever ritual was just performed, was performed wrong. The pair felt helpless, there were too many Death Eaters even for them two and they had to think of Harry. The futility of the situation was making Sirius fume. Even to the insensitive Remus, he could feel the power roll off Sirius in waves. Then it happened.

With a loud bang and a cloud of smoke it looked like the potion had gone wrong but then it happened. Out of the smoke stood the most gruesome image Sirius and Remus had ever seen. Lord Voldemort stood there, naked, as the sky was blue, looking like death re-incarnate. His blood red eyes shone with an ethereal glow and he looked inhuman with his twisted facial features and almost disfigured body but Sirius could sense the raw magic in the air and marvelled that someone who had just be re-born held that much raw power.

Wormtail quickly drew a wand from his robes with his shaking right hand and gave it to his Master who with a wave of the wand robed himself and with a flick conjured a throne to sit on. Sitting down, he surveyed his followers, not looking as happy as someone who had just been brought to life should be.

"My faithful Death Eaters, my loyal followers, where prey tell were you all when I needed your assistance the most. I was a shell of a being, less than a spirit, surviving off Unicorn blood, possessing beings for only a few days at a time before they were corrupted and were no longer of use. Now tell me, where were you all. Only Wormtail here;" A long pale finger pointed at where the whimpering man was kneeling on the floor, cradling a stump that used to have a hand on the end of it. "Sought me out and he shall be rewarded. Rise Wormtail!" Voldemort hissed in an inhuman voice.

Wormtail slowly got to his feet and closed the short gap between himself and Voldemort before dropping to his knees in front of his Master, whimpering him the whole time. Kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes he looked up at Voldemort who lazily waved his wand in the air and molten gold formed to the amazement of all those present. The gold formed a shape of a hand and once completed it attached itself to Wormtails stump.

"Thank…you…Master!" Wormtail stuttered but Voldemort made no acknowledgement, instead silencing him with a gesture. Voldemort surveyed the group in front of him as if seeing them for the first time.

"So few of you still remain, only few do I recognise from a decade past. Lucius what happened to the rest of my faithful, Wormtail told you to contact everyone." Voldemort asked the man at the far right of the group with a deadly spark in his inhuman eyes.

Lucius dropped to the floor and crawled to Voldemort, kissing the hem of his robes before backing up and answering.

"My Lord, while you were absent, the rest of your faithful decided to try and find Harry Potter. Unfortunately that blood traitor Black hid him well. Instead we took to following members of Dumbledore's pitiful Order. It seemed though that he too knew nothing. Twice we got close but the boy was too well protected. Forgive me my Lord" Lucius finished praying that the Dark Lord was more merciful this time around but it was to no avail.

"Crucio" Voldemort lazily said flicking his wand in the direction of Lucius who for two minutes screamed like his life depended on it before Voldemort finally lifted the curse and addressed the shaking man on the ground.

"Lucius, instead of chasing that Potter brat, you should have sought me out. Yet you left me and for that you will not be forgiven and does Lord Voldemort forget. Fear not though, that brat and those protectors of his will meet the grizzliest of ends. Now Lucius rise." Voldemort commanded and once Lucius was stood Voldemort rolled his sleeve up with a wave of his hand and seeing his familiar mark, Voldemort took one long pale finger of his and pressed it into Lucius's skin. His voice howled as the mark grew jet-black and every member of the circle winced in pain.

"Now all my followers shall know I'm back, we shall re-build and I shall rise greater than ever!" Voldemort exclaimed.

After that announcement Sirius and Remus stopped paying great attention to the meeting and thought of ways to get out without being detected by the Death Eaters. They could apparate but if any Death Eater heard, all they had to do was track the signal and they would know that the two of them were spying plus they would know the location they apparated too.

They finally decided on an undetectable Portkey. So picking up a twig Sirius got to work mumbling furiously under his breath trying to get the pair of them out in the quickest time possible. Turning his full attention back to the meeting Remus heard several pops signalling apparation and found out that all the Death Eaters apart from Wormtail had left.

Then too his horror he saw Voldemort look over to their direction and for the briefest of seconds he felt his eyes lock with the blood red of Voldemort's. Remus then saw Sirius tense, he must of saw. Then Remus on the edge of his magic felt it, anti-apparation were up. Sirius started speaking more quickly. Remus grabbed the stick and Sirius raised his wand.

"Portu…" Sirius never finished the incantation as the Portkey flew from his hand and towards Voldemort in a gust of magic. Sirius was beyond reasoning as Remus felt his friends' wild magic lash out and attempt to pull the Portkey back. Remus from his concealed position saw Voldemort lurch forward in surprise then fury etched his twisted features as he sent a backlash of magic at the Portkey and Sirius who nearly buckled under the sudden influx.

Sirius was pulled forward by this and became mostly visible yet this did not stop the convict. Sirius lashed out again and Remus tried to help his friend by adding his wild magic though it was a fraction of Sirius's. It looked to have helped though as Voldemort jumped to his feet when the Portkey started to move back to the pair.

Voldemort however was not finished. Raising both his hands he made a sweeping motion and Remus felt himself being dragged out of his hiding place and out into the clearing. From his position saw Sirius struggle against the magic but three more times Voldemort made the gesture and Sirius finally admitted defeat and joined his friend out in the clearing.

Both of them rose to their feet and quickly adopted defensive stances. Wormtail just sat there, shock in his eyes as he came face to face with the two people he feared the most: other than his Master obviously, it was a different league.

"Black you blood-traitor and Lupin the big bad werewolf, I've been hearing things about you two, pity you will never leave alive, unless you join me." Voldemort hissed at the pair who just looked at each other solemnly.

"Go to hell Voldemort!" Sirius roared, wand appearing in his hand.

Voldemort raised his wand and all hell broke loose.

AN

I am so VERY, VERY SORRY about the delay in updating this story. Exams, Revision, Leaving School and a new Girlfriend meant that I didn't go on the computer for ten days straight let alone write. I promise though that this story will be finished ASAP and will be plus 100,000 words. Unfortunately there might be a wait for the next chapter as I have around fifteen exams in the next month but I will try my best to get it out quicker than I did this one.

Okay readers' big chance. I'm busy putting together how his will finish and at the moment its earth shattering. So any ideas speak now or forever regret it.

Short note on how Wormtail had Voldemort's wand. The answer is I don't know just like I don't know how Wormtail had and used it in the book before Voldemort was resurrected.

A few reviewers brought up the issue of Lockhart. My answer is this. I introduced him a year early because in this story Quirrel was not needed because the Philosophers Stone is not at the school plus I like writing Lockhart. I hope that clears up any confusion.

Thanks to you all who answered what their favourite ship was. It seems that for my readers H/H was the favourite. In my opinion Nadia Greenleaf is right, H/H should never be but that's my opinion and as this story hasn't a ship it doesn't matter.

My favourite personally is H/T; I just like the combination but only well written ones. There's only a couple I have liked so far and that's a pity!

Midknight: OK you smug little git I went back and changed it. It only got past my spell checker as I added your name to my custom dictionary so it's actually your fault!

Dumbledore: I seriously hope you weren't mocking my cheers or I might have to stop writing forever. Only joking. I actually don't know why I put it in, it just sounds right and is an alternative to thank you which I think is over used.

Jeanne2: Interesting point about the friendship and I have an event in mind but Harry at Hogwarts is not the main point of my story. In reality, the only reason for Harry to go to Hogwarts was to introduce more characters and free up Sirius and Remus to go hunting!

Mr. Happy Java Man: There is only one female character that I really like and that's Tonks. Sorry if you felt dejected, I try to respond to as many reviewers as possible but I have seen a notice explaining that An's can't be overly long so I try and answer the most relevant ones to the story.

ocpawnmaster1: Hermione interaction coming next chapter maybe.

Tanydwr: What revision exactly! Yeah Bitesize is good. I use it sometimes. BTW I'm an atheist too!

Thanks to all my reviewers, whom I'm proud to say are getting more numerous by the chapter.

Cheers (to all of you except Dumbledore who gets a Thank You)

Halstead