Chapter One (1/13?)

Day Two

8:00 a.m.

Voldemort's Mansion

"Wakey wakey!" Harry yelped as a well-placed blasting spell sent him tumbling head over heels into the far wall of the cell. "The Master is ready to see you now." Harry looked up.

"Well tell your Master that I don't want to see his ugly mug." He spat angrily, if not a little shaken. His arms trembled with the effort of pulling himself up, and the arm that hit the wall almost gave out. The man standing in the doorway tilted his head and watched as Harry rightened himself, sending his oily black hair flopping to the side. Harry shivered.

"Then that's too bad then innit?" He strode over to Harry, wand raised. With his free hand he grabbed the boy by the back of his neck and pinched. "Because he wants to see you. He's been quite anxious to get his hands on you."

"I'm sure he has." Harry mumbled through the light pain that was the result of the neck pinch. The man tilted his head again and shoved Harry towards the door. Harry stumbled but regained his footing as he passed the barred door. The man prodded him in the back with his wand.

"Get moving. And if you try any funny stuff you'll regret it." Harry glared at the deatheater and cradled his bruised arm to his chest He began to limp down the narrow hallway, ignoring the jeers from the other prisoners that were most certainly muggles or members of Dumbledore's Order.

Thankfully the man didn't say anything during their journey to Voldemort's chambers. The only directions he gave to Harry were jabs from his wand, either pointing him to one side or the other or telling him to pick up the pace. Thankfully there were more lefts than rights, because Harry didn't think his abused shoulder could take that much more abuse.

"Keep your eyes lowered and…..why am I even bothering? You'll just do the exact opposite." The man muttered. Harry nodded in agreement and the man scowled. He raised his hand and knocked twice on the ornately carved door that stood before them.

"Enter." Harry shivered at the snake-like hiss. The man shoved the door open and pushed Harry through. He stumbled, but before he could regain his balance a tripping jinx was cast at him and he landed painfully on his knees. His hands were jerked behind his back by a powerful spell and bound in magical lengths of rope. "So we meet again." Harry looked up and glared at the skeletal form of Lord Voldemort.

"Yes, well, that is quite unfortunate." Harry responded unhappily. "I was hoping you had crawled back under your rock."

"Crucio!" Harry bit back a scream as the curse hit him. The bindings on his hands didn't waver and he could feel his skin peeling as he writhed on the cold floor. "You've grown." Voldemort commented as he ended the curse. "Last year you would have screamed."

"Well, growing happens when time passes." Harry coughed.

"Yes, of course. How stupid of me." Voldemort said sarcastically. "So how long has it been Harry? Five months? Six?"

"Try eleven and a half." Harry corrected, struggling to his knees. It would be useless to try to get to his feet; he knew he'd just get knocked back down. Besides, it was better to slouch on his knees disrespectfully.

"That long?" Voldemort hummed. "My, I have been lax."

"No, you've been lazy and cowardly. Letting your lapdogs do everything for you." Harry spat. Voldemort frowned and twirled his wand.

"No. I've been leaving the brunt of my work to my Deatheaters because I've been retrieving something useful." It was Harry's turn to frown.

"Useful?"

"You'll see what I'm talking about later." Voldemort waved his bony hand in dismissal. "There are more important matters I wish to discuss with you." Harry scowled.

"Discussing implies that the parties involved are willing participants." Harry grumbled. He was hit with a mild cutting curse that shredded his shirt and left minor welts on his chest and torso.

"You certainly have gotten bolder." Voldemort lifted the curse. Harry let out a pained hiss and struggled to regain his balance, before falling onto his side. "Now as I was saying. Important matters must be discussed" Harry felt the magical bindings loosen. "I am offering you one last chance to join me."

"You said something similar last time you caught me. And I'll say the same thing I said then. In. Your. Dreams."

"Pity. You'd be the perfect ally." Voldemort hummed and twirled his wand again. "Then if you won't join me willingly….Crucio!" Voldemort led the pack of deatheaters with a powerful cruciatus curse that forced a scream out of Harry. He held the curse for a good twenty-five seconds before breaking it and stepping back. Harry couldn't even find it in himself to struggle to his knees as the Deatheaters closed in around him.

The cruciatus curse was followed by another cutting curse, a bone-breaking hex aimed at his legs, a gut wrenching curse that made him heave, and a spinning curse that left him dizzy.

Voldemort motioned for the curses to cease. Then he spread his arms wide and grinned evilly. "Free for all." Harry closed his eyes as the hexes and curses started again. They were soon followed by the pounding of fists and feet, forcing Harry to curl into the smallest ball he could.

He didn't notice Voldemort's cry of "Enough!", nor did he notice the whispered levitation spell. He wasn't even aware he was moving until he was blasted into a cell and landed hard on the stone floor.

"Ouch." He muttered. Using his last bit of strength he looked up and scanned the cell. His eyes locked on a huddled pair of figures shaped like men; one had dark hair and eyes and the other a light blond/two toned brown with blue eyes.

He passed out.

TBC

Next Chapter: Spike and Angel

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