Disclaimer: Believe it or not, no money is being made through this as all characters etc that you recognize belong to Madame Rowling. Anything else is, most obviously, property of Egyptian Flame unless stated otherwise. Egyptian Flame does not have an army of lawyers like the aforementioned literary genius but that doesn't mean to say he hasn't got an army…
AN: This chapter may contain graphic violence. You've been warned before and if you're not mature enough to read graphic violence, then don't read it.
Chapter 15: The Black Prince
Harry spent the rest of the day in his quarters meditating to keep his anger in check and think rationally instead of rushing headfirst into the rescue of his best friend, which was one of the things he learned after living with Salazar for a decade.
He still didn't believe that Voldemort could just kidnap Hermione, put two students under the Imperius curse, and get them out that easy. A feeling of guilt welled up inside him, berating him for not spending enough time with his young best friends. The war with Voldemort was showing its ugly face and he felt that it was impossible to do what was required of him all at once.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to find his girlfriend, the love of his life, Rowena looking back at him with sympathy and understanding. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into her embrace, running her hand through his black locks softly and kissing the top of his head as it laid on her shoulder in weariness.
"I can't do this, Rowena," mumbled Harry as he held Rowena tightly. She had never seen him looking so insecure and almost fragile. The war's toll was taking effect on him and the burden that he carried on his shoulder was a destiny no one should ever bear.
She knew that Hermione was one of the most important people in Harry's life, and she admired the girl who stood by her boyfriend through every obstacle in his life, helping him whenever she could. She led him to their bed and laid herself beside him carefully as he held her tightly to him, as if he was getting all his strength from her.
In the dungeons of Voldemort's hideout sat Hermione on the cold floor of the cell almost naked but untouched until now, except for a few minor scratches. She shivered from the cold and tears were falling freely in her lap, the fear of what Voldemort's servants will do played through her mind continuously.
The last thing she remembered was the Creevey brothers pointing their wands at them and a stunning spell. She wondered what had happened to Ron and her chest tightened at the thought of Ron being dead. Suddenly she heard an echo of footsteps that were getting louder until the person stopped in front of the cell door.
She looked up from her sitting place as the cell door clicked open and a cloaked Death Eater entered, closing the cell door with a wave of his wand. The worst possible scenarios played in her mind as to what the Death Eater will do to her, torturing, raping, or killing. She saw him reaching for his pocket and closed her eyes, knowing that it was not good and flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Open your eyes, girl. I have no time," said a masculine voice and Hermione found herself looking up. He handed something to her as she struggled to keep her fear down. It was a golden locket with a snake on it, gleaming brightly in the darkness of the cell.
"Give this to Potter or Dumbledore, girl. Tell them the other Horcrux in the cave is a fake one and to destroy this locket immediately. And tell him that Voldemort is attempting necromancy to contact a powerful wizard of the ancients," said the hooded figure, before sweeping out of the room, looking sideways to make sure that no one saw him.
"Don't wear it around your neck or it will kill you," said the Death Eater before closing the door after him, leaving Hermione alone in her cell again. She tucked the locket in what remained of her clothes, realizing that this was an important artifact if a Death Eater risked his life to get it to Harry, and sat waiting for the events to unfold.
The next morning before breakfast found the three founders, the headmaster, and the rest of the order sitting in the headmaster's office, trying to find a way to rescue Hermione from Voldemort's clutches. Everyone in the castle could feel its sorrow and sadness at the disappearance of one of her children and its regret that it failed to inform her masters of the situation.
The order members were talking between themselves, waiting for the headmaster to begin the meeting. The news of Hermione's kidnap traveled fast everywhere and Molly Weasley had cried herself out for her son's girlfriend. She had come to look at Harry and Hermione as her kids and seeing them injured or hurt in anyway tore her heart.
"Silence, please," said Dumbledore, causing everybody to stop speaking and turn to their leader. "I hereby begin the meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Kingsley, do you have anything to report?"
Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt stood up and addressed the rest of the order, giving of his report. After that, several order members gave reports and discussed a few nonsense discussions that made Harry angrier that the order cared about the some trivial things than saving his best friend.
"We will now discuss the kidnap of one of the students, Hermione Granger. For those who do not know, She was kidnapped from the Gryffindor common room after a couple of kids under Imperius stunned her and we assume that they took her outside the castle to where an illegal portkey was ready to deliver her to Voldemort," spoke Dumbledore gravely.
"What are you going to do to save her, Dumbledore?" asked Harry edgily, as Dumbledore finished his little speech. He was pissed off that Dumbledore would put off the kidnap of his best friend to the last issue of discussion.
"We will send search parties in known parts of the wizarding world and we will keep an eye on a few suspicious death eaters and see if they know something which would help us determine where Hermione is," said Dumbledore wearily, his true age appearing on his face. He had his hand on the side of his head, trying very hard to hold down the headache that was rapidly forming inside his head.
"That's it, Dumbledore? You are going to do nothing while Voldemort could be torturing Hermione and doing to her Merlin knows what," hissed Harry angrily, making some of the order members shiver.
"What would you have me do, Harry? I have no spy inside Voldemort's ranks after Severus was killed and I have no idea where Voldemort's hideout is. We don't have any information about where she could be held and even if we do, the ministry will not lend us enough Aurors to storm a Death Eater hideout," said Dumbledore gravely.
"So the esteemed leader of the light thinks my best friend is expendable? If I were in her shoes Dumbledore, you would have been searching every corner of this country trying to find me, as I am too valuable to lose. Is it because she is not in some stupid prophecy made by a fraud?" bellowed Harry angrily before sweeping out the room, followed by Rowena who was trying hard to calm him down.
"What crawled up his ass and died?" asked Tonks confused.
It was a huge mistake as Salazar turned around with his wand in his hand, sneering condescendingly at her while trying hard not to hex her. He marveled the stupidity of these people and the vanity of which they carried themselves.
"It's a wonder that Voldemort still hadn't killed everyone on the light side if they are as stupid as you are. What crawled up his ass is that his best friend was kidnapped and if you didn't know, Harry would kill anyone who stands in his way of saving Hermione, even you, Dumbledore," said Salazar with a sneer.
"Harry is not that aggressive, Mr. Morgan. I've known him for his whole life, he is a dear and will listen to Dumbledore's logic," said Molly Weasley disapprovingly.
"What you don't know, Mrs. Weasley, is that if you stand between Harry and those he cares about, you are as good as dead. Harry sacrificed any opportunity to have a normal life for all of you, so that you stay at home feeling safe and secure. He sacrificed his own childhood and most of his life to be what you expected him to be, a savior, and a warrior. However, when it comes to rescuing his best friend, you say that! What is wrong with you?" said Salazar, barely keeping himself from hexing her.
"We can't have him go and get himself killed, Salazar," said Dumbledore, "Harry is extremely important in this war and if he is killed then all hope for the wizarding world is lost."
"I will give you a warning, Dumbledore, and it would be wise to heed it. He is not your pawn or servant and don't you ever think of him as such or try to control him," said Salazar sneeringly, before turning to Molly Weasley.
"If it had been your daughter or one of your dear sons, you wouldn't have tried to stop him," said Salazar looking at Molly Weasley, before leaving the room in search for his best friend and brother with his cloak bellowing behind him in a Snape-like manner.
The rest of the order had thoughtful and shocked expressions on their faces, contemplating what happened in the last few minutes. After what it seemed like eternity, Moody broke the silence with a question that made Dumbledore's face pale with defeat.
"What did Harry mean 'too valuable to lose', Albus? And what about that prophecy?" asked Moody, both eyes fixed towards Dumbledore in suspicion. The other members of the order nodded their head and looked at Dumbledore, waiting for him to answer the question. Dumbledore sighed softly, wondering how the situation had ended up as complicated as it was now.
"The prophecy that I assigned most of you to protect in the Department of Mysteries, stated that Harry is the only person who has the power to vanquish Voldemort. Harry and Voldemort are the only ones capable of killing each other so neither can live while the other survives," Dumbledore said gravely, shocking the order members to silence. Molly Weasley was the first one to react as she wept on her husband's shoulder as what Dumbledore said dawned on her.
They headed down to breakfast, each one occupied with that had been said in the Headmaster's office as they concluded the meeting. They ate silently, watching the immense sadness and depressing mood among the students at the loss of their friend as they talked quietly between themselves. Ron was pushing his food around, having lost his appetite to eat since he woke up the day before. He spoke to no one and his eyes seemed blank, blaming himself for Hermione's abduction.
In another place, a figure was kneeling before Voldemort waiting for the dark lord to reply. Anyone could feel the fear rolling from said figure, but Voldemort sat on his throne with a maniacal smile on his face. Only the Inner Circle were present at this initiation meeting, as they were getting ready to receive a guest as their lord had put it.
"You wish to willingly serve me, then," hissed Voldemort in amusement.
"Yes my lord," replied the hooded figure without stuttering, although Voldemort could sense the fear.
'Now that is new,' Voldemort thought as he observed the figure in front of him. 'This is a dream come true, a spy within the light side, serving willingly.'
"Why would I allow you to serve me? How would I know that you won't betray me like others tried to and failed? After all, I killed one of your family members."
"I have important news for you, my lord. I could also supply you valuable information about the light side," said the figure determinedly.
"Why do you wish to serve me?"
"I wish to kill those who wronged me, my lord."
'Don't we all,' though Voldemort bitterly, before nodding to Andreas Nott, his right hand man after Malfoy was killed in his own Manor. The Death Eater presented the figure with a necklace with the dark mark on it, making the figure more confused.
"What about the dark mark, master?" said the figure.
"You have to earn it," hissed Voldemort. "I will know if you betrayed me and it will be your death. This is your first mission to prove to me that you indeed want to serve me. Succeed and you will be rewarded, as you well know. But fail and you will die a painful death."
"What is your command, my lord," said the quivering figure.
"Kill our dear minister Fudge," hissed Voldemort, "tonight."
After the new recruit apparated away to start the mission, Voldemort turned to his Death eaters and spoke again. "Now return to your places, for we are having an important guest tonight. Bring me the girl."
It was in the middle of the meal when a black raven flew through the window and landed in front of Harry, hissing viciously at anyone looking in his direction. Harry looked at the envelope and waved his wand at it, making the raven screech and fly away angrily. His name was written in an elegant yet unfamiliar handwriting and Harry didn't know anyone who had a raven for a pet. He checked the letter for curses but found none so he opened the folded letter and began to read.
My dear Harry,
Your dear mudblood is in my possession and I must say she looks exquisite naked. She is still untouched, though my servants are itching to have their fun with her. Please join me for a little talk at my home so we could discuss a few things and you could see your little mudblood.
A servant of mine will wait for you in front of Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley in two hours but if you are not there, I will allow my servants to have the pleasure of teaching the mudblood her place in our society.
Superiorly yours,
Lord Voldemort
PS: You know what will happen if you are accompanied, Harry.
All the students in the hall stopped talking at once as a sense of dread, fear and cold enveloped the Great Hall, making some students scream, thinking it was Dementors. However, the source was coming from the direction of the Head table, particularly from their Defense teacher.
Harry stood up as soon as he finished the letter; a dark aura surrounded him freely yet controlled so not to damage anything. His eyes turned coal black and it looked as if there was an invisible wind moving his hair. His entire body shook with rage and barely constrained energy danced on his skin, waiting for the release from its cage. He swept away from the head table and out of the hall, giving the image of a Dementor, leaving the letter behind as Dumbledore, Salazar, and Rowena reached to read it.
They had a look of horror on their faces as they finished the letter and ran out of the hall after Harry, hoping to catch him before he made anything serious. Salazar paled as he remembered the last time Harry released so many negative emotions and shuddered when he recalled the incident.
They arrived just in time to see Harry putting on his battle robes and holstering his wand. His eyes still had the black color, though it had lessened a little, he looked ready to kill, so Dumbledore thought it was wise to keep his mouth shut this time. He took a good look at Harry and wondered what had happened to Harry Potter, the little boy whose smile could light a room.
This Harry was not what he remembered from five month ago, the frail thin Harry who had the determination to prove himself in every adventure, the Harry who always have had hope and trust in him, coming to him with any Voldemort problem.
This Harry Potter looked as they portrayed him in the history of the magical world, as the terrifying Black Prince of Hogwarts, one of the most knowledgeable and dangerous wizards in the last thousand years.
Harry turned to the three other people in his room and glared at Dumbledore, making the old wizard almost flinch. He knew that they were here to stop him or at least Dumbledore was.
"Don't try and stop me, Dumbledore," hissed Harry at the headmaster, who shook his head.
"I'm not here to stop you, Harry. I just wanted to apologize," replied Dumbledore grimly.
"I will come with you, Harry," said Salazar, reaching for his battle robe, but stopped as a hand held his arm.
"No, Sal. I need to do this alone and you need to be here in case Hogwarts is attacked. Dumbledore might be the Headmaster but you are its founder and can sustain the wards, in case of an attack," said Harry firmly, stopping Salazar with a hand on his arm.
"Be safe then, my brother," said Salazar.
He looked finally at Rowena, who gave him a smile and pecked him on the lips. It was as if someone turned off light switch as Harry's aura receded and as he opened his eyes after the kiss, they were their normal color again.
"Don't go there carrying your anger on your sleeve and do something foolish. I need you back alive and in one piece. I love you," Rowena said softly, kissing Harry and holding back tears that threatened to fall.
"Take me with you, sir," said a feminine voice from the doorframe. Harry turned around and groaned as he saw Blaise standing in her dueling robes, a determined glint in her eyes.
"No Blaise, you are not ready yet and I have to do this alone," Harry said with a sigh. She was about to protest but flinched when Harry fixed her with a gaze that ended the discussion. Harry walked towards her and lifted her chin so she looked into his eyes.
"When you are ready, Blaise, I will not hold you back from any fight but this is not your fight yet," said Harry softly, patting her cheek and walking out his quarters into the entrance hall. However, fate seemed to have something for him as he found Ron waiting in the Entrance with his wand at the ready.
"I'm going with you, Harry," said Ron firmly, as Harry neared the entrance hall.
"No Ron, we had this discussion before. You are not a fully trained wizard and I don't want to worry about you being injured or killed. I'm not even taking Salazar with me," said Harry gravely.
"She is my girlfriend, Harry. I love her and I'm going to rescue her whether you like it or not," replied Ron angrily, making Harry sigh.
"Alright Ron, you will come with me. But If you are in danger, I want you to take the Portkey back," said Harry softly, regretting what he was going to do and Ron nodded in thanks. Salazar and Dumbledore looked at Harry as if he was mad but Harry just handed Ron a toothbrush.
"On the count of three, it will activate. I'm apparating there so you will have to wait for me, okay?" Ron nodded, counted to three, and disappeared as the Portkey activated.
"Hogwarts, sweetheart, if you would please lock the Headmaster's office, I would be most grateful," said Harry sweetly before heading out of the castle, leaving a chuckling headmaster, a laughing Salazar and an amused Rowena.
"He would sweet talk the castle but forget that with me," muttered Rowena as she entered the Great hall, making Salazar laugh harder.
The new Death Eater appeared at the apparation point at the ministry of magic, nervous about the mission that seemed impossible to do alone and as the time passed, the Death Eater began to have doubts about joining Voldemort. Moving along the ministry levels, having been here before, the Death Eater ascended to the level where the minister's office was located.
Two Aurors were located on either side of the door leading to the minister's office. The Death Eater silenced one of the Aurors, who was snoozing softly and hadn't realized that an intruder was in front of him.
"Avada Kedavra"
The familiar green light struck the silenced Auror squarely in the chest, killing him instantly in his place. The other Auror was about to turn around when he was also struck with the killing curse from the Death Eater.
'That was easy,' thought the Death Eater before entering the minister's office to find Cornelius Fudge drinking a glass of wine, while looking at a magazine in front of him.
"Leave the papers at the shelf, Linda," said Fudge absentmindedly, looking through the magazine, which was called 'Play Wizard'. The Death Eater almost laughed but managed to keep on to complete the required mission.
"What would the wizarding world do when they realize their Minister is reading porn magazines instead of combating the Dark wizards," taunted the figure. Fudge looked up so quickly that his head almost cracked, looking in horror at the wand pointed at him.
"YOU!"
"Avada Kedavra."
The minister died instantly from the third killing curse this day and the attacker sneered for a second before taking a Floo powder from the pot and muttering "Leaky Cauldron."
Harry appeared at the apparation point of Knockturn alley and headed towards a shop he was very familiar with, Borgin and Burkes. He arrived discreetly at the shop and noticed a hooded person waiting in front of it, twirling his wand in his fingers. Harry took out his wand from its holster and shot a stunning spell at the unsuspecting Death Eater, who threw up a weak shield charm that the spell broke upon impact, stunning and sending him to the floor.
He walked slowly towards the fallen figure and bound him with a wave of his wand, removing the mask with another wave to show the face of Marcus Flint, an ex Hogwarts Slytherin student.
"My master will kill you Potter," shouted the bound Death Eater, though no one paid him any attention.
"Of course he will, Flint," replied Harry sarcastically. "That's why I'm still standing and he needed a body surgery to get ready to fight me." The Slytherin death eater sneered at Harry but said nothing as he struggled to free himself from ropes binding him.
"You will be my special host tonight. Imperio," said Harry, the dark look returning to his eyes.
"Give me the Portkey," commanded Harry and Flint replied, presenting Harry with the portkey who destroyed it the moment Flint gave it up. Harry felt Flint resisting the imperious curse and decided to release him from it, as this particular unforgivable was not one of his best curses.
"You couldn't even hold the Imperius on me, Potter," said Flint with a sneer. Harry smirked darkly, making the death eater in front of him shiver in fear.
"I will be doing a better thing, Flint. Stupefy," said Harry with a sneer as the death eater fell stunned again. Normally, Harry wouldn't have even thought of doing what he was going to do but with Hermione in Voldemort's clutches and the taunting letter, he was willing to kill anything in order to reach her.
Harry performed an invisibility spell on himself before holstering his wand and putting both hands on the sides of Flint's head. If anyone had been watching Harry, they would have seen his eyes turn purple and Flint's face twist into an expression of extreme pain. Both of them began to glow a purple color before Harry removed his hand and stood back, closing his eyes. Flint opened his eyes and stood up, looking at Harry blankly.
Harry took a rock from the floor and pointed his wand at it for a second, waving it in a delicate series of wand movements, and muttering 'Portus'. The rock glowed blue and Harry put it in Flint's pocket as the Death Eater used the Dark Mark to Apparate to his master, disappearing from Knockturn alley.
Marcus Flint appeared inside Voldemort's throne room, where many Death Eaters were kneeling in a circle or standing in lines. Flint joined the Death Eaters standing in lines at the back of the room, his hood up, and standing stiffly.
"Where are the blasted Flint and the bloody boy," hissed Voldemort's voice as he waited for anybody to appear where the portkey was assigned. Flint took out his wand from his place, muttering a spell.
"Trucido aliquantus," he said, waving his wand in a zigzag like fashion. Several Death Eaters' heads exploded in a shower of human parts and the other Death Eaters had the right mind to sense the black beam of dark magic and dodge it. Panic spread through the Death Eaters as several bodies blew up in pieces. Voldemort's fury amplified as he watched his Death Eaters being blown up from one of their own.
Several stunners, cutting and killing curses flew from the Death Eaters' wands but Flint dodged expertly, sending a bone-breaking hex at one of the Inner Circle Death Eaters. Antonin Dolohov screamed as his leg was crushed to dust by the spell, swaying before he fell to the ground in pain. Voldemort's face twisted in anger as he saw the junior Death Eater sending unknown and dangerous curses at his fellow Death Eaters.
"Crucio," hissed Voldemort angrily but he was surprised when Flint dodged the spell and aimed the wand at the nearest Death Eaters and shouted in a familiar but not his own voice.
"Flamma aranea."
Spider webs made of fire caught five Death Eaters, burning through their skin to the bones, not stopping until the victim was dead. Voldemort's eyes widened a little as he recognized the voice casting the spell and to say he was impressed would be an understatement.
"I had thought that being a golden boy would keep you above using Dark magic, Harry, and possession no less. I see that you are on the right track of becoming a powerful dark wizard," said Voldemort clapping as Flint fell to the floor after being disarmed by the rest of the Death Eaters. Flint grinned darkly from his place on the floor at the dark lord, before replying with a hiss of Parseltongue.
"You do what you have to do, Tom. You have my friend, so I thought I would return the favor."
It took immense hate to possess someone and a strong will to keep possessing him that long. Harry was on the verge of throwing up as he left Flint's mind and possessed another weak-minded Death Eater, reminding himself that Hermione was in danger.
"Come out and play, Harry. I still have your mudblood," said Voldemort, summoning Hermione under his feet. Harry's anger flared, making Voldemort turn around to search for Harry who stood in the possessed body away from the rest of the Death Eaters smugly in the dim light that illuminated Voldemort's throne room, making all the Death Eaters point their wands at him.
"Nice place, Tom. It's a really warm house you got there," said Harry, walking slowly into the center of the room.
"Why, thank you, Harry. These were powerful and beautiful curses you threw at my Death Eaters, Harry, would you care to tell me how you came to know it?" said Voldemort gleefully, holding his wand steadily in front of him, waiting for Harry to make the first move.
"I don't think you kidnapped my best friend and invited me here just to trade knowledge of curses, Tom," said Harry scathingly.
"Too right, Harry. How about we play a little game?" said Voldemort in amusement, red eyes glinting dangerously. "There is a game that muggle filth had brilliantly invented, called First blood."
"I didn't know you were still in touch with your daddy Muggle heritage, Tom," replied Harry sarcastically, making Voldemort really pissed.
"Shall we play, Harry?"
Harry knew that even if he managed to win the sick little game of his, Hermione would be put in harms way. In addition, the possession of two different Death Eaters had him very tired and on the verge of exhaustion. He gathered some of his energy into his left hand, which was behind his back and banished the portkey in Flint's pocket towards Hermione extremely fast that she disappeared before Voldemort could comprehend what happened.
"POTTER!" yelled Voldemort angrily as his hostage disappeared in front of his eyes. To say that Voldemort was raged would be the understatement of the century.
"Sorry, Tommy boy, I have no time to play right now. Your Death Eater's body is revolting so maybe next time when I am my usual handsome self," said Harry cheekily before he left the Death Eaters body, retreated to his own body, and threw up violently on the floor. The invisibility spell had worn off at sometime and people had begun to gather around. The last thing he felt was Calidus, his phoenix 'mother' as she considered him her child, flashing him to Hogwarts.
Hermione had arrived earlier at Hogwarts in the hospital wing via Harry's portkey and Fawkes appeared in a flash of flames, hearing a wounded person loyal to his master calling to him. Arriving in a flash of flames at the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey hurried to check upon the supposedly missing person, running diagnostic spells on Hermione to determine her injuries as Fawkes began to cry on some of the injuries.
"Madam Pomfrey, I have to see Dumbledore," said Hermione weakly, barely able to keep from losing herself to unconsciousness.
"Young lady, you need your rest. You can talk to the headmaster, later," said Poppy Pomfrey fussily. In an act, which Hermione would deny later on, she held poppy close to her by her shirt and gritted through her teeth.
"My best friend is fighting Voldemort after saving me. You will get me Dumbledore, now!"
"There is no need, Poppy."
Madam Pomphery was about to turn when she found Dumbledore in front of her at the hospital wing door, concern written all over his face. He ran to Hermione's side quickly with agility that no man his age should have, relief flooding through him upon seeing Hermione fine.
"Hermione, my dear, tell me what happened. Where is Harry?" said Dumbledore quickly.
"Harry…fighting…Voldemort…portkey…," said Hermione weakly.
"Harry's fighting Voldemort and he gave you a portkey?" asked Dumbledore carefully and Hermione nodded resting her head on the pillow.
"A Death Eater gave me a locket and told me to inform you that you should destroy it immediately. That the Horcrux in the cave is a fake one and Voldemort is attempting to contact or revive someone through necromancy," Hermione said before sliding into unconsciousness from exhaustion. He stood up after patting Hermione's head and walked towards the door, lost in thought when a first year Ravenclaw ran up to him.
"Professor Dumbledore," said the first year, panting heavily. "Professor Potter…Great Hall…injured."
