Trips, Wagers and Deaths
"What's in Hogsmeade?" Jamie asked as he put on his shoes. It was a warm Saturday in May and a bunch of the mutants were going to visit the local town. Harry, who had been there several times before, had been asked constantly about the place until they finally decided to just see it for themselves. So now, Ana, Moyra, Kurt, Rahne, Todd, Jamie, Neville and himself were going to the small town to put the reward money he had been given to good use. Rogue and Remy were going along to make sure everyone behaved, to act as lookouts and make sure everyone stayed together and alert.
"Lots of wizarding stores, pubs and Zonko's Joke Shop." Harry answered casually, nearly laughing as the boy's face split into a huge grin.
"Joke shop?"
"Hmm, there's also Huneydukes too, a wizarding candy shop."
"Would they have those Jelly Bellies that you used to talk about?"
"Yes they should have Berttie Bott's Every Flavor Beans." He answered.
Jamie was still cheering when Kurt ported into the room. "Vat's taking you so long? Everyone is waiting downstairs!"
"We're coming!" Harry answered with a genuine smile before grabbing his bag of galleons that he'd had Gringotts send to him. He had offered to treat everyone, much to the protests of the mutants. He told them all that he had enough money now from his compensation from the Ministry and they should consider it as their birthday presents.
Kurt put an arm around each of their shoulders and ported to the common room. The plan was that the group of mutant would meet up with Neville outside the Great Hall, which is why they were surprised to find not only Neville by the door waiting, but also Ginny Weasley.
"What's she doing here?" Jamie asked suspiciously and Harry put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"This is Ginny. She's alright." Harry assured him, giving Ana a warning look. She only crossed her arms.
Kurt was much more welcoming. "So!" He said joyfully, throwing a blue arm around the young witch's shoulders and flashing her a debonair grin. "Couldn't keep away from us hmm? I know it must be hard trying to resist someone as good looking as me- omf!"
Kurt's teasing was cut short as Rogue elbowed him in the ribs. "What happened to Amanda?"
"I vas only joking around!"
Harry rolled his eyes as the two began to argue and turned to a nervous looking Neville
"I hope it's alright, me inviting Ginny along."
Harry shrugged. "I'm glad you did." He said smiling at the girl. Besides, "we need all the help we can get with this idiot!" he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Kurt who was now porting around Rogue as she lunged out at him. "So are we going or what!"
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They spent most of the day in Hogsmeade, enjoying the day out of the castle and inspecting all of the shops. Jamie, after much convincing from Harry, had spent a small fortune in Zonko's, and had them all swear not to tell the others what he had purchased. He was planning on saving his stash until they returned to the institute and Bobby Drake's guard was down.
Huneydukes was another popular spot that they had spent a good amount of time in. Mostly just sampling the sweets. Todd had purchased a huge supply of Cockroach Clusters, much to some people's disgust.
They'd had lunch in the Three Broomsticks, where Harry introduced them to Butterbeer. Sitting around the table with his close friends, Harry found it hard to believe how happy he was. It seemed like it had been a lifetime ago that he'd been alone and waiting for death in the cold prison of Azkaban. Everything had changed.
The sun was behind them when they began their trek back up to the castle, hoisting their bags full of sweets, pranks and wizarding fashion. Moyra had been showing off her new hat when Harry felt it. It was the strange sensation that he recognized as a spell coming toward them. "Duck!" He yelled, but it was too late. The curse had hit both Remy and Kurt, knocking them both out. In a matter of seconds, Todd, Jamie and Rogue were stunned. Harry saw a flash of red before darkness filled his vision and he knew no more.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
When Harry regained consciousness, he thought he might have gone blind. All he could see was blackness. Finally, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he could see faint light coming from behind some cloth. Stumbling over, he pulled on the cloth only to find that it was thick black drapes. The fading light from the setting sun filled the room.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter." Hissed a horribly familiar voice. "Do you know where you are?"
Whirling around, he didn't see anyone. The room he was in was familiar though, but he couldn't place it. It was a large, rich looking sitting room with a few armchairs and a large empty fireplace. It was like memory from a dream; he knew he had been there before, but when?
"This house once belonged to a very old, rich muggle family until almost fifty years ago when the owners, the Riddle family, all mysteriously died."
Harry gasped at the name. Riddle. Tom Marvolo Riddle.
"Indeed, this house belonged to my disgusting muggle father. However, it serves its purpose." Stepping into the moonlight, Harry saw the pale form of Lord Voldemort. Dressed in rich black robes, he still looked like a white skull with red eyes, his nose nothing more than slits.
"Where are my friends!" Harry demanded, not even allowing himself to feel fear. 'Everyone is fine, they all got away and the Professor will find a way to find me.' He thought desperately, but his hopeful thoughts were dashed when he saw Voldemort smile cruelly.
"They are here. They fought well, but not well enough. Now they are properly subdued."
A shiver ran down Harry's spine. "What do you mean?"
"You will come to learn Potter, that muggles are a lesser race, like rats. Every now and then though, they have their uses." He held up a muggle syringe filled with a blue liquid. "A rather talented muggle has discovered this remarkable potion, which, when injected into a mutant, it renders their powers useless for a short period." He grinned at Harry's horrified face. "I shall have to thank Mr. Essex for this. Now it is just you and myself Mr. Potter. Your little pets aren't going to be springing free to rescue you."
"They're my friends. Not pets!" Harry growled out.
"Friends are useless and most unreliable Potter. I would have thought you might have learned that by now."
"Not these friends." Harry said defiantly.
"Ah, and what makes these children any different from your old friends Potter?"
"W…what?"
"The Wizarding World was quick to accept that you served me. I doubt these little creatures would be any different."
"They know me better. They know I would never serve a monster like you."
"Even if you were the one who told them the lies?"
Harry blinked. "What?"
"You will learn a lesson here tonight Potter. You cannot trust anyone." Harry only glared at the poor excuse of a man in front of him. "I will make you a wager Potter. Prove to me that your new friends would never betray you! I will allow you to see your little mutant friends, but only if you agree to appear as if you had betrayed them."
"They would never believe that!" He said fiercely.
"We will see. If you told them that you lied to them and tricked them, would they remain loyal to you?"
"I won't lie to them."
"Very well then. You should know that the youngest mutant is of no use to me. His abilities make it impossible to control him under Imperio and thus I have no need for him any longer." He gave Harry a twisted grin. "Which means he will have to be destroyed, such a pity. I do believe that you were quite close to him too."
'Jamie…' "NO! You can't. Please, just let him go."
"Perhaps." Voldemort smiled cruelly. "Prove me wrong boy. I only wish to show you the truth. I will let the boy live, if you do as I say. Go to the mutants, and when they believe you to be a traitor, you will be left friendless and alone, just as the world always does." He finished with a malicious smile.
Harry thought desperately how to get out of this. His friends were captured and without their powers. He had no idea if the professor would be able to find them, and now Voldemort wanted him to take part in some sick game. He didn't want to believe Voldemort. He was a liar and a professional at causing mistrust to spread, but the seed of doubt had settled in his mind… or had it always been there? "They won't believe me." He pleaded, hating how even he could hear the waver in his voice.
Voldemort looked almost emotionless. "Show me." He ordered and held out some black cloth. 'A Death Eater robe.' He thought as he felt his hand reach out to take it.
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With two Death Eaters escorting him, Harry was led through the halls of the Riddle Mansion. Apparently, they didn't think he was any threat without his wand. Harry wracked his brain for ways to exploit this. He knew that he could knock them both out with his mutant powers, but then his friends would still be at the mercy of Voldemort and everyone would know that he had somehow stunned two wizards without a wand. Before he could theorize a better plan, a door was opened and he was led outside to the grounds. On the shadowed back lawn of the house were the gathered Death Eaters, thirty or forty or so, their white masks glinting in the moonlight. At the center of the gathering were the bound figures of his friends. They were all there, none had managed to escape and Harry felt his heart sink even lower.
Voldemort was standing in the middle of the gathering, speaking in his sinister, snake-like voice. As they drew nearer, Harry could hear what was being said.
"-Hidden spy, placed within the mutant school in America." Voldemort cast Harry a dark, menacing look, and then turned his attention to the mutants, who were all looking at Harry in his Death Eater robes with shock and confusion clearly written on all their faces.
"My best spy, giving me all the information I needed to control your undeserved powers." Voldemort smiled cruelly at the children's looks of dawning comprehension that covered their faces as they looked from Harry in his robes to Voldemort.
"You're lying!" Yelled Jamie defiantly and Voldemort's smile only grew.
"Ask him yourself." He said evenly.
'It's for Jamie. I can't let him die.' He chanted in his head as he forced a mask of stone to cover his face. Still chanting, he turned towards the stunned figures of his friends.
"Harry?" He looked at Rogue. "What's he talkin' about?"
He glanced at Jamie who was only watching him confused, as if trying to figure something out. He quickly looked away, unable to meet the boy's innocent stare. He could do this, for him.
"Jack?" Ana whispered, her eyes wide and alarmed. "He's lying." She said as if it should have been a statement, but it came out more as a question.
Clenching a trembling hand he forced his eyes to meet the terrified ones of his best friends. "No." He said in a voice that he didn't recognize as his own. "It's true."
Silence rang in his ears as he watched the faces of the captured mutants turn from disbelief to anger. Ginny, tears of rage pouring down her face, turned her head away. He looked past Kurt, who was staring at him with a dark, hard look, to Ana, who had an unreadable expression on her face. For one precious second, his heart filled with hope, but that was dashed as soon as she spoke loud and clearly. "You're a disgusting liar."
Harry almost fell to his knees as the words hit him like a physical blow. From somewhere behind him, he heard Voldemort give a triumphant laugh, but he couldn't feel anything except the cold that was seeping into his body. They were exactly the same as Ron and Hermione. How else could they look past their friendship like that? 'They only believe it because you said it!' A part of him screamed inside his head, but he ignored it.
Voldemort turned away, leaving him to suffer in his misery. He wished that Ana had never rescued him from Azkaban. Death was preferable to this. He looked up and, almost against his will, his eyes met Ana's pale blue ones. She held his gaze as the meeting went on around them. She winked at him.
He blinked, shocked. 'What the-' She then gave him the tiniest hint of a smile. "You always were a horrible liar Jack." She whispered so not to draw the Death Eaters attention.
Harry was desperately trying to keep his face blank incase anyone was watching him as Voldemort preached to his minions. His eyes darted from face to face and he saw, to his great joy, they all gave him quick encouraging looks. Well, all except Ginny and Neville, who were both, looking very confused. Rogue was now looking furiously at Voldemort, her jaw clenched in anger, and Remy, who was beside her, was covertly scanning the crowd, probably already planning his escape. Moyra looked frightened and Jamie was doing his best to seem absolutely defiant. Rahne and Todd looked worried, and often cast looks to the others, hoping for some sign of an escape plan. Kurt looked like he was concentrating, and Harry realized that he was trying to teleport. Ana was worriedly watching her sister.
Turning his attention to Voldemort, he heard that Malfoy was to join their Death Eater ranks that night. Harry's mind went into overdrive as he tried to think of a way out of their situation. Voldemort was still keeping an eye on him, watching him with a triumphant smirk upon his lips. He needed a diversion. If the Death Eaters were distracted enough he might be able to get some of the others untied. Although they didn't have their powers, Logan had taught them all to fight without them. He himself had his own powers, which would even the odds; he just needed Voldemort to stop watching him long enough.
He was drawn out of his plotting when he saw Draco Malfoy walk forward without a mask, kneel stiffly and kiss the hem of Voldemort's robes. Harry grimaced. He felt dirty enough as it was wearing these Death Eater robes. How could the mighty and proud Malfoy possibly bow to that slime?
Glancing quickly at his friends, he saw that most were now watching the proceedings, most probably looking for an opening to escape. What confused him were the looks Ginny and Ana had on their faces. They both looked apprehensive, and Ana kept looking over to Ginny and then back to Voldemort and Draco. Before Harry could ponder more on the strangeness of the two girls, Voldemort's next words threw all thought he had from his mind.
"-properly educated, you will cast Cruciatus on her." He hissed out. With his wand, he dragged Ginny to kneel in front of Draco, who was looking down at her with an unreadable expression. Harry forced himself to remain still. He had to stop this, but how?
Ginny was looking up at Draco with a blank face before she dropped her head, waiting for the curse. This confused Harry. What had happened to the youngest Weasley that would make her surrender to Malfoy so easily?
"Oh Merlin, he can't!" Harry tuned to Ana, who had whispered the words, and saw her watching the scene in front of them with a horrified expression.
Malfoy had raised his wand, the stony expression still on his face.
Harry concentrated. He would stop the spell. He had never stopped such a powerful spell before, but he had to at least try.
Malfoy had yet to cast it. The Death Eaters in the crowd were shifting, and Voldemort was beginning to become impatient. Ana was watching the whole thing with a wide, unblinking stare.
"No." Came Malfoy's voice, leaving a deafening silence in its wake. His wand was lowering back to his side. He was still looking down at Ginny, who finally met his eyes.
"What?" Came Voldemort's dangerous voice.
"I said no!" Draco shouted defiantly, turning to face the Dark Lord. "I won't bow to you. Not you or anyone else!"
Voldemort's red eyes narrowed into slits. "Then you shall suffer the consequences." He hissed and before Draco could move, Voldemort cursed his with Cruico. He fell to the ground, writhing in agony.
Harry, who knew a good distraction when he saw one, leapt at his chance and dashed over to the closet mutant, who happened to be Remy, and pulled off the cords holding him. The nearest Death Eaters saw him and made to interfere, but Harry hit them both with a paralyzing charm. Remy was up and untying Ana before moving on to the next as Harry turned back to Voldemort, who had everyone's attention on the screaming Malfoy. He pulled magic to himself and felt it fill his body with reassuring warmth. Pushing it out to his hands, he threw both balls of raw magic right at Voldemort.
The Dark Lord nearly fell forward at the impact, but that was all. Draco fell silent as soon as the spell on him was taken off, and he lay twitching on the ground next to a horrified Ginny. Voldemort rounded on Harry, eyes searching for a wand.
Harry smirked, and filled both hands full of magic again, taking pleasure in the momentary surprise that appeared on Voldemort's face. "Look Tom, no wand!" Harry quickly threw one ball at a Death Eater who had been about to curse him and in his momentary distraction, Voldemort threw the Cruciatus at him. He fell to the ground as the familiar sensation of white-hot knives pressing in on him ravaged his nerves. He tried desperately to push the magic away, but it was too strong.
It felt like an eternity before the curse was lifted, and when it was, he scrambled to his feet, shaking from the pain. He could see why the curse had been lifted. Ana was standing to the side, a wand in her hands, probably stolen from one of the paralyzed Death Eaters, and Voldemort had his disgusted gaze on her.
"Insufferable brat!" Voldemort growled as Ana threw another curse at him. Taking aim, he shot the Killing Curse at Ana.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment as Harry watched the green flash of light streak its way towards his friend. 'No!' He thought desperately. As if something inside of him clicked, he felt his mutant senses surge and the acid green spell split in half, one part racing towards him, the other remained on course towards the frozen Ana.
The moment ended.
Harry only had a split second to scream in anguish as he saw the first half of the spell hit Ana square in the chest before the other half crashed into him as well. After that, all he knew was pain. It was as if the spell was trying to suck the life out of every living molecule in his body. He faintly heard someone shrieking before realizing that his throat was being ripped apart, because the noise was coming from him. Finally, he felt the magic surge, and as the red spots crept over his vision, he began to fall and the last image he saw was Ana's lifeless body, motionless on the ground.
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For those of you who are wondering, "Why didn't Voldemort just kill Harry when he had the chance? Whats with the stupid wager game?" My explanation is that Voldemort has already shown us that he suffers from evil overlord syndrome. In the fourth book he toyed with Harry by giving him his wand back so that they may duel…… we all know how that one turned out. Anyways, Voldie forced Harry into taking part in the wager because he is generally a sick bastard and just wanted to break Harry once and for all. So that explains that..
The part about how Jamie wouldn't be affected by Impirio is my own idea. I believed that because when Jamie multiplies, so does his consciousness. The spell would only work on one copy, so Voldemort had no use for poor Jamie…
REVIEWS!
Allison: The morlocks and Spike are still under Voldemort, …. I blame my poor writing skills for not making it more clear, I kind of forgot to talk about them. Tabitha… she's not really in the story, you can pick what ever reason you like, shes a free spirit… truth is, I never really liked her to much, and I just… blah yeah sorry. No the wizarding world does not know how Harry escaped although I'm sure Dumbledore might have guessed that the x-men had something to do with it. Yes they know Ana is a mutant and witch as they know about Moyra as well. Hope this helped!
Wizardmon92: /poke/thud/poke/thud/ LOL! That was great! Hmm, alright, a basic description of His powers is that he can 1)sense raw magic and draw it to him, like he did in Azkaban. The energy from the raw magic would be enough to knock someone out if he threw it at someone. 2)Also, instead of just tossing raw magic about, he can also cast spells without a wand, although it was very difficult in the beginning because he needed not to know the words for the spell, but HOW the spell works and then do that. It was the theory that mattered. 3) Since he can already handle raw magic, he can also handle spells that are thrown at him, but these are only minor spells, the stronger the spell, the harder it is to catch it and hold on to it. 4) If he wishes, Harry can absorb the magic from spells thrown at him, but this is dangerous as if the magic is to much it can seriously hurt Harry (as seen above when Harry attempted to take the magic from the killing curse (didn't work out that well either did it!)) Very very basicly, Harry is a Magic conductor, he can take it in and send it out, but the amount matters. Hope this helped!
And Yes! The quote that Sirius told Harry is from the Princess Diaries, a quote that I heard a lot from Te, and then it fit in the story. Sorry for not disclaiming it earlier!
Now, I am SO glad I'm not at my computer right now cause I know you all are going to kill me, cause, you know, I killed Ana. I'm a jerk, I know, but it had to happen. Anyways, I'm sorry to say that I wont be updating for at least two weeks. Not anytime before the 9th of May at the very least. /ducks the objects thrown at her/ I know! But as soon as I get back I'll post the next chapter! I Promise!
Enjoy your cliffhanger! (is laughing as she boards her plane heading west) BC! HERE I COME!