Chapter 26

Harry slowly woke up. He had a blinding pain at the back of his head, and although he knew it was from where someone, maybe Percy, had hit him with something heavy, he had a tiny hope that it was just a horrible headache, and that Percy hadn't actually done anything. Harry slowly opened his eyelids, which felt like lead. He saw he was an enormous room of an old house, in an uncomfortable wooden chair. His feet and arms were bound to the chair and Harry couldn't move his arms or legs at all without the ropes cutting deep into his skin. He tried craning his neck around to survey the room and saw someone else was bound to a chair as well, but it was just out of eyesight for him to see who it was. Harry heard something rustling in a dark corner of the room and looked quickly to the corner just in time to see a snake slide out of the shadows, looked at Harry, and slither out through the open door. As soon as Harry had seen the snake, he knew where he was. Well, maybe not exactly where he was, but he knew someone had brought him to Voldermort.

'Percy brought you here.' A small voice in Harry's head said to him. Harry felt his blood boiling as he thought of Percy. 'How could he do this to me?' Harry thought to himself as he tried to struggle against the bonds.

He thought of how Percy had been his friend and confident, and if Harry could get free of these bonds before anyone came in the room, Harry would find Percy and thank him in a special way for being Harry's friend. Harry felt the bonds loosen a tiny bit, and he felt a small ray of hope until he heard footsteps along the hallway. The footsteps came nearer, but surprisingly, Harry felt perfectly calm. He sat still as Voldermort came in the room and stood in front of Harry's chair. Voldermort curled his mouth into a smile.

Harry smiled back. "Nice smile. Although, when I try to look evil, I try not to look so constipated."

Voldermort arched his eyebrow but still kept smiling. "You are quite amusing Harry. If only you didn't interfere with my plans all the time, you and I could become quite good friends."

Harry glared at him, "There's also that little matter of you murdering my parents, and then trying to kill me."

Voldemort laughed. "Ah yes, but you know why I had to do that now, don't you? The Prophecy had everything to do with that. I assume that that insufferable prat Dumbledore has told you all about the Prophecy and what it says. I would ask you what it says, but I'll kill you anyways, so I really have no threat to make against you. Of course, I could draw out your death, or just torture you into insanity. Which would you prefer?"

Harry smiled sweetly at Voldermort. "Neither actually, but if I ever feel like getting tortured, I'll drop you a line."

Voldermort flicked his wand at the bonds around Harry and they swiftly flew off. Before Harry could even move, Voldermort had flicked his wand at Harry again and muttered, "Crucio" Harry felt blinding pain running through every vein and felt as though he was being ripped apart at the seams of his body. He was in the most pain he had ever been in, and he felt as if every square inch of his body was on fire. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Harry, it stopped, and Harry lay on the ground, drawing in deep, steadying breathes. He opened his eyes to find Voldermort sitting in a chair and looking at him, still smiling.

"Well well. You're stronger than I thought you would be."

Harry did not say anything, as he knew he would most likely say something to make Voldermort use the Crucio again. Voldermort sat watching him, as if he was waiting for Harry to say something. Finally, Harry thought of something he wanted to say, that had a good chance of him not getting tortured.

"How'd you get Percy to do it?"

Voldermort smiled. "Ah, I wondered when you'd ask about that. I tracked him down and told him that I would kill him if he didn't do this little plan, but he said he didn't care and he would never do it. Well, that didn't help me, so I made him do it. I just put the Imperious Curse on him. Quite effective, although he tried to resist. But, it all paid off for me in the end."

Harry sat up, in complete shock. Somehow he found his voice, and asked, "Where is he? Can I talk to him?"

Voldermort smiled. He pointed to the other chair in the room. "You may want to say goodbye while you can Potter. I'll be killing him shortly."

Harry stood up shakily and went to the chair where Percy was. He kneeled in front of the chair and looked at Percy, who was unconscious. Percy had a few deep scratches on his face, which were still bleeding freely, and he had a bloody nose. Harry shook Percy's shoulder gently and watched as Percy's eyes opened slowly. Percy looked at Harry, and tears started sliding down his face.

"Harry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it."

Harry gave a weak smile. "I know. He told me he had you under the Imperious Curse. It's ok."

Percy smiled, although he was still crying. "Tell my family I'm sorry. Tell them I love them."

Harry shook his head. "You tell them."

It was Percy's turn to shake his head. "He's going to kill me. I'll die, but you'll survive Harry. You always do. Just tell them."

Harry was about to respond when he felt a pair of hands dragging him back away from the chair. He looked up to see a burly Death Eater smiling down wickedly at him. He struggled, but the man's hold was strong. He looked at Percy who smiled weakly at him. He saw Voldermort approach Percy with his wand clutched tightly in his hand. He smiled cruelly at Percy as he raised his wand. Percy closed his eyes tightly and Harry struggled even more and screamed out as a bright green flash filled the room. After the flash had gone, Harry knew one look at Percy would confirm that he was dead. He took one look at Percy's lifeless eyes and lost all control.

He got lose of the Death Eater holding him and started towards Voldermort. He saw out of the corner of his eye that Lestrange was heading right towards him. She put a hand on Harry's shoulder, but as soon as she did, she was blown back at least 15 feet. Harry looked at her body on the floor in surprise as he realized she was dead. He looked at the shoulder she had touched him, and was in shock to see it was glowing red, as the rest of his body was. He quickly got over his shock as he remembered who else had died this night. He looked to Voldermort, who was standing rooted to his spot, as if he was a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Harry continued to make his way to Voldemort, with Death Eaters scattering out of his way, not wanting to touch him. He reached Voldermort and lay one hand on Voldermort. Voldermort screamed out in pain as he sank to his knees.

Harry laid his other hand on him and whispered in Voldermort's ear, "You killed people that had families, that had friends. People that loved them. You killed my parents, my friend, and one of your pathetic minions killed my godfather. You have killed too many people that I loved. The prophecy said it's either you or me. And it sure as hell won't be me"

As he said these last words, he saw Voldermort's eyes close. Voldermort's body slumped over Harry. Voldermort, the most feared wizard in the world, was no more. He was gone, this time, forever.