Chapter 8
For the next few weeks Harry lay in bed unable to move because of the random assortment of kitchen utensils and pieces of clothing, holding his injured limbs in place.
His friends would spend as much time as possible talking to him so that he didn't die of boredom. While other time he just stared at the ceiling, counting the number of stones that made up the floor above him.
Harry was surprised and grateful that Voldemort hadn't come down here demanding his slave back, and that Voldemort hadn't put the silencing charm back on him. It he had had the charm on then he would have gone crazy not being able to communicate with his friends. He couldn't write because his arm was bandaged and no one would have been able to read his writing with his left hand.
Dumbledore had woken up twice, but only to eat and then he would go back to sleep after about half an hour. Really he was acting his age and just sleeping and eating.
But what Harry knew was going to happen came to soon for anyone's liking.
It was just over two weeks, since Harry had been left there and it was just after lunch. Everone was busy cleaning up after lunch and Harry had managed to convince Bill to bring Harry out into the main kitchen so that he had a change of scenery. When Mrs Weasley had seen him she had nearly had a fit but Harry had promised that he would sit in the corner and not try to move.
So Harry was sitting there watching everyone working to clean up the room, when the portrait to the room burst open revealing Voldemort. Everyone stopped what they were doing and some dropped what they had been holding. The adults and people that were meant to be in 7th year that year moved to the front of the group as a human shield for the younger children.
"Where is he?" Voldemort demanded. No one spoke for a moment till Charlie stepped forward. "Where's who?" he said pretending to be confused. "You know who." "What your looking for yourself? You must be really dumb if you can't find yourself." Fred continued for his brother. Voldemort quickly lost his temper. "Crucio" he cursed them both in quick succession. Fred and Charlie's screams echoed around the room till Harry couldn't take it any more and spoke up. "Leave them alone." He said stand up with great difficulty and leaning against the wall next to him. He spoke in Parseltongue in the hope that Voldemort didn't know that the silencing charm hadn't been reapplied.
Voldemort released them both from the curse and strode over to Harry, lifting him up by the front of his shirt. "So there you are, I knew that you couldn't cope with others being tortured because of you." Voldemort taunted. "Well not everyone is a heartless bastard like you." Harry retorted. Voldemort snarled and slapped him across the face, sending him flying into a closed cupboard on the others of the room.
Half the room tried to run over to Harry but Voldemort got their first and picked him up again. "You've forgotten you manners. I think these other slaves are a bad influence on you." "They had nothing to do with it, if you remember I was always rude when it comes to you." To emphasize the point he kicked Voldemort where it hurts, though he wasn't sure if he was human enough to still have those parts.
But he was rewarded, by Voldemort letting go of him and bending over himself. Harry took a chance and swept his leg under Voldemort's legs tripping him, but damaging his leg again that had just started to settle.
Harry grabbed Voldemort's wand from where it had been dropped and managed to crawl quickly away from him. But made sure he was away from where everyone else had grouped. Most were cheering him on, others were staring in shock that Voldemort had such a simple weakness.
Seeing a chance to get out of the castle, the bravest in the group attack Voldemort while he was down. More followed and soon everyone was trying to attack him at the same time.
When Voldemort tried to use wandless magic to fight back some of his attackers were thrown across the room but more would replace them and he couldn't stop them. The Weasleys, Hermione and Luna went over to Harry, letting everyone else fight. The small group took turns trying to use the wand to get rid of Harry's collar, but it only came off after Mr Weasley did the spell twice in a row.
When the collar was off Harry took the wand and Ron and George ran over to the portrait and looked out to make sure no one was around to see them go. From the mass in the corner Harry could here Voldemort screaming in Parseltongue. He was calling for Nagini to get the Death Eaters.
"Everyone we have to go now, backups coming to help him." When no one listened he used the wand to set of a small bang, this brought everyone's attention to him. "Voldemort is calling his snake, if we want to leave we have to go now the Death Eaters will catch us."
But his words only coursed everyone to panic and run for the door. "No! Stop we have to do this in an ordered manner." When he had everyone's attention he told them what to do.
"Bill go to the other room and get Dumbledore. Now I want everyone above the age of 16 to surround the younger children. When we get outside run as fast as you can to the forest. Get to the other side of the forest and wait there. We will all meet us again and decide was to do next. Does everyone understand?" After he got an affirmative reply he continued.
"Now everyone start leaving but I want to talk to the 5th years and Professor MacGonagall."
When they had all the people he had asked for had gathered round he spoke again. "Now 5th years I want you all to mingle with the little kids, look after them, reassure them and run with them though the forest. Just grab 2 or 3 of them each. Everyone OK with that? Good go on."
He then turned to his old Professor, " How fast can you run as a Cat?" "About twice as fast as a human." "Good, can you run ahead and find either somewhere we can all hide or some people who can make us portkeys to get us as far away as possible." "Yes, I will contact you when I find either." With that she changed into her animagus form and run out the door.
Now Harry turned to Voldemort who was still on the floor looking rather worse-for-wear. Mr Weasley and Charlie came up behind him. "What do you think we should do with him?" Harry asked. "I don't know. I would say kill him but we don't know if his spirit would escape." Mr Weasley replied. "Could we erase his memory? Make him think he's a slave too." Charlie suggested. "Maybe but what if it doesn't work? Then we could end up back here. Voldemort could call the Death Eaters to us." Mr Weasley reminded them. "Well I think we should take a chance, what else can we do?" Harry said, deciding to make the risk.
Harry walked over to Voldemort and said the spell needed to destroy his memories. The first time Harry saw Voldemort's eyes flicker blue, but returned to their normal dark red. So going on a whim Harry repeated the spell and this time his eyes stayed blue.
Harry looked over his shoulder at Mr Weasley and Charlie, both shrugged. Harry quickly turned back when he heard Voldemort groan. Harry stepped back and watched him sit up. "Who are you? Wait Who am I?" Thinking quickly Harry decided that he would use Voldemort's old name, Tom Riddle and would give them all new names. "You must have hit your head pretty hard didn't you. Your Tom and I'm Henry, this his Chris," He pointed to Charlie, "and this is Andrew." This time pointing at Mr Weasley.
"Now come on we have to go!" Harry yelled, 'Chris' took this as a que to pick 'Henry' up and they ran out the door following the last few who were leaving. "Where are we going?" Tom asked. "We'll tell you later now come on."
They all though the castle and out the front doors, just as the Death Eaters came running down the Marble Staircase. Outside the first few people had just reached the forest and could be seen disappearing into the trees.
"I think it worked," Harry said to Charlie, "Sorry 'bout the name switch, I thought if he makes a slip up on our names then we'll know that we need to Obliviate him again." "It's alright. We also need to watch his eyes if they start turning red." "Ok."
Then they disappeared into the trees.
For the next few weeks Harry lay in bed unable to move because of the random assortment of kitchen utensils and pieces of clothing, holding his injured limbs in place.
His friends would spend as much time as possible talking to him so that he didn't die of boredom. While other time he just stared at the ceiling, counting the number of stones that made up the floor above him.
Harry was surprised and grateful that Voldemort hadn't come down here demanding his slave back, and that Voldemort hadn't put the silencing charm back on him. It he had had the charm on then he would have gone crazy not being able to communicate with his friends. He couldn't write because his arm was bandaged and no one would have been able to read his writing with his left hand.
Dumbledore had woken up twice, but only to eat and then he would go back to sleep after about half an hour. Really he was acting his age and just sleeping and eating.
But what Harry knew was going to happen came to soon for anyone's liking.
It was just over two weeks, since Harry had been left there and it was just after lunch. Everone was busy cleaning up after lunch and Harry had managed to convince Bill to bring Harry out into the main kitchen so that he had a change of scenery. When Mrs Weasley had seen him she had nearly had a fit but Harry had promised that he would sit in the corner and not try to move.
So Harry was sitting there watching everyone working to clean up the room, when the portrait to the room burst open revealing Voldemort. Everyone stopped what they were doing and some dropped what they had been holding. The adults and people that were meant to be in 7th year that year moved to the front of the group as a human shield for the younger children.
"Where is he?" Voldemort demanded. No one spoke for a moment till Charlie stepped forward. "Where's who?" he said pretending to be confused. "You know who." "What your looking for yourself? You must be really dumb if you can't find yourself." Fred continued for his brother. Voldemort quickly lost his temper. "Crucio" he cursed them both in quick succession. Fred and Charlie's screams echoed around the room till Harry couldn't take it any more and spoke up. "Leave them alone." He said stand up with great difficulty and leaning against the wall next to him. He spoke in Parseltongue in the hope that Voldemort didn't know that the silencing charm hadn't been reapplied.
Voldemort released them both from the curse and strode over to Harry, lifting him up by the front of his shirt. "So there you are, I knew that you couldn't cope with others being tortured because of you." Voldemort taunted. "Well not everyone is a heartless bastard like you." Harry retorted. Voldemort snarled and slapped him across the face, sending him flying into a closed cupboard on the others of the room.
Half the room tried to run over to Harry but Voldemort got their first and picked him up again. "You've forgotten you manners. I think these other slaves are a bad influence on you." "They had nothing to do with it, if you remember I was always rude when it comes to you." To emphasize the point he kicked Voldemort where it hurts, though he wasn't sure if he was human enough to still have those parts.
But he was rewarded, by Voldemort letting go of him and bending over himself. Harry took a chance and swept his leg under Voldemort's legs tripping him, but damaging his leg again that had just started to settle.
Harry grabbed Voldemort's wand from where it had been dropped and managed to crawl quickly away from him. But made sure he was away from where everyone else had grouped. Most were cheering him on, others were staring in shock that Voldemort had such a simple weakness.
Seeing a chance to get out of the castle, the bravest in the group attack Voldemort while he was down. More followed and soon everyone was trying to attack him at the same time.
When Voldemort tried to use wandless magic to fight back some of his attackers were thrown across the room but more would replace them and he couldn't stop them. The Weasleys, Hermione and Luna went over to Harry, letting everyone else fight. The small group took turns trying to use the wand to get rid of Harry's collar, but it only came off after Mr Weasley did the spell twice in a row.
When the collar was off Harry took the wand and Ron and George ran over to the portrait and looked out to make sure no one was around to see them go. From the mass in the corner Harry could here Voldemort screaming in Parseltongue. He was calling for Nagini to get the Death Eaters.
"Everyone we have to go now, backups coming to help him." When no one listened he used the wand to set of a small bang, this brought everyone's attention to him. "Voldemort is calling his snake, if we want to leave we have to go now the Death Eaters will catch us."
But his words only coursed everyone to panic and run for the door. "No! Stop we have to do this in an ordered manner." When he had everyone's attention he told them what to do.
"Bill go to the other room and get Dumbledore. Now I want everyone above the age of 16 to surround the younger children. When we get outside run as fast as you can to the forest. Get to the other side of the forest and wait there. We will all meet us again and decide was to do next. Does everyone understand?" After he got an affirmative reply he continued.
"Now everyone start leaving but I want to talk to the 5th years and Professor MacGonagall."
When they had all the people he had asked for had gathered round he spoke again. "Now 5th years I want you all to mingle with the little kids, look after them, reassure them and run with them though the forest. Just grab 2 or 3 of them each. Everyone OK with that? Good go on."
He then turned to his old Professor, " How fast can you run as a Cat?" "About twice as fast as a human." "Good, can you run ahead and find either somewhere we can all hide or some people who can make us portkeys to get us as far away as possible." "Yes, I will contact you when I find either." With that she changed into her animagus form and run out the door.
Now Harry turned to Voldemort who was still on the floor looking rather worse-for-wear. Mr Weasley and Charlie came up behind him. "What do you think we should do with him?" Harry asked. "I don't know. I would say kill him but we don't know if his spirit would escape." Mr Weasley replied. "Could we erase his memory? Make him think he's a slave too." Charlie suggested. "Maybe but what if it doesn't work? Then we could end up back here. Voldemort could call the Death Eaters to us." Mr Weasley reminded them. "Well I think we should take a chance, what else can we do?" Harry said, deciding to make the risk.
Harry walked over to Voldemort and said the spell needed to destroy his memories. The first time Harry saw Voldemort's eyes flicker blue, but returned to their normal dark red. So going on a whim Harry repeated the spell and this time his eyes stayed blue.
Harry looked over his shoulder at Mr Weasley and Charlie, both shrugged. Harry quickly turned back when he heard Voldemort groan. Harry stepped back and watched him sit up. "Who are you? Wait Who am I?" Thinking quickly Harry decided that he would use Voldemort's old name, Tom Riddle and would give them all new names. "You must have hit your head pretty hard didn't you. Your Tom and I'm Henry, this his Chris," He pointed to Charlie, "and this is Andrew." This time pointing at Mr Weasley.
"Now come on we have to go!" Harry yelled, 'Chris' took this as a que to pick 'Henry' up and they ran out the door following the last few who were leaving. "Where are we going?" Tom asked. "We'll tell you later now come on."
They all though the castle and out the front doors, just as the Death Eaters came running down the Marble Staircase. Outside the first few people had just reached the forest and could be seen disappearing into the trees.
"I think it worked," Harry said to Charlie, "Sorry 'bout the name switch, I thought if he makes a slip up on our names then we'll know that we need to Obliviate him again." "It's alright. We also need to watch his eyes if they start turning red." "Ok."
Then they disappeared into the trees.