Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter. The credit goes to J.K Rowling and/or New Line Cinema.
"Die? The Dark Lord cannot simply die, filth!" Lucius snapped. James's expression hardened.
"Just because he doesn't think he can die doesn't mean he won't." he said dismissively. Lucius's glare turned absolutely malicious.
"James!" Dumbledore's voice called warningly from somewhere in the darkness. Harry could feel his heart throbbing like a nervous drum against his sternum. He could hear and feel the rushing of quickened blood in his ears. From his seat, he looked up at his father. James looked down at him quickly, as if feeling his stare, and gave him a quick, assured smile. There was the sound as Sirius bounded out from under the table. After a quick, assertive bark, he turned back into a human. There were gasps as some of the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws (those near enough to the light) identified him.
"I think it's well past time that our good friend Voldemort was taught a lesson about the mortality rate in Britain." Sirius said tersely. The Death Eaters made various sounds of anger.
"You will not sully his name!" One of them called out tearfully. The hood of the person was thrown back and Harry's hands clenched into fists. Beside him, Sirius stiffened. Bellatrix Lestrange was before them, her dark hair gleaming in the light of the moon.
"You!" Harry shouted, leaping to his feet. He could just make out her eyes as her head snapped towards the sound of his voice. Her eyes glittered red as she sneered.
"Oh, is it the little Potter baby, come out to play?" she sneered. The rest of the room was in silence, shocked, scared, excited, or otherwise it was impossible to tell.
"I want you to leave my boy alone, Bella." Another voice added to the fray, this one dangerously calm. James shifted, and his wand light fell on Lily's feet as she rose from the bench.
"Why? He's so much fun! And so precious!" Bellatrix sniveled sickeningly. There was a blast of red light. Bellatrix was lifted off her feet. With a single flick of her wand, Lily slammed Bella against the wall closest to the Slytherins and let her fall to the ground. Bella rose unsteadily. James's wand light seemed pinned on her. Bella realized she was bleeding from the back of her head; a trickle of red that slid down her neck like sweat.
"Was that fun?" Lily asked, her voice harder and more sarcastic than Harry had ever heard it.
"My master will avenge me!" Bella wailed.
"Has he come out to play yet? Or is he still hiding? Does he think we're playing Hide and Seek?" Harry snarled. James put a steadying hand on Harry's shoulder. Unable to see that, Sirius clapped Harry on the back, a mix between warning and congratulations.
Suddenly, there was a hair raising laugh coming from the Slytherin table. Lily, Sirius, and Harry added their wand's light to James's. In a flash (quite literally) there was a fifth - Dumbledore's wand had lit up and found the culprit. Voldemort stood beside the Slytherin table. Harry felt a shock go through him. He almost felt ashamed as a stab of fear hit him hard in the heart. He glanced at his father and mother and felt reassured. James's face was brimming with hatred and Lily's face was as hard as stone. No, the real surprise was how different Voldemort looked yet again. He looked like a younger man. His eyes were still the horrible, awful slits of red, but his hair was jet black, and he wore a black and silver cloak. Beneath it, you could tell he was more muscular; a well defined chest and shoulders stood out prominently.
"Soooooo brave, aren't you?" his voice came out of the darkness. Everyone stare in confusion and horror as the hisses and slippery sounds slid out of Voldemort's mouth. He was speaking Parseltongue.
"I am brave. You're not even brave enough to let everyone know what you're saying." Harry said calmly. Voldemort's eyes narrowed even further.
"Why should I descend to use the common tongue, when I am," Harry snickered, not even bothering to let Voldemort finish.
"We all know. You're the last living descendant of Salazar Slytherin."
"Fool! You dare criticize me?" Voldemort shouted, his control and honeyed voice disappearing. He vanished suddenly, and reappeared at the foot of the Gryffindor table with a swirl of his cloak. There were screams as the students scrambled to get out of his way.
"But he...you can't Apparate or Disapparate inside the castle grounds!" Hermione whispered in utter distress.
"Hermione...shut up." Ron hissed back. Calm once more, Voldemort walked towards the Potters and Sirius with slow, measured steps.
"So brave, so confident, so...cocky, with your parents beside you. Do you think they'll protect you, boy? Remember how that went last time? Or shall I refresh your memory?" Voldemort hissed. Dumbledore kept him in his wand light. James, Lily, and Sirius had their wands aimed at the floor. Trying to be brave, Harry raised his wand and shone the light directly at Voldemort, who faltered, and then continued. "I killed your father first. And then your mother. I stepped over her body to you." he said calmly, with a note of eagerness underlying the voice.
"And then I defeated you. Remember that?" Harry asked coldly. Voldemort's hands clenched into fists.
"Your insolence will cost you!" his voice boomed across the Great Hall. "Last time you kept your life. I did not kill everyone close to you. I left Remus Lupin alive. I left Sirius Black alive. I left Albus Dumbledore alive," the snake eyes sought out Dumbledore's vague form in the dark, "and as long as I live it will be a regret." he said finally.
"I'm glad to hear I'm esteemed to you still, Tom." Dumbledore's voice floated imperiously down from the High Table.
"Esteemed? I loathe you above every living thing, save one." His eyes flickered back and locked with Harry's. At first, the stab of fear shocked every single one of Harry's cells. His mother's hand on his shoulder helped him to return the gaze with renewed ferocity.
"I'm touched Riddle, really." Harry noted.
"Do not call me by that name!" Voldemort bellowed. Harry smirked at the panic in his voice.
"Are you afraid?" Harry sneered. Voldemort's wand raised suddenly.
"Let's see how brave you really are!" he hissed. "Crucio!" he shouted. Pain hit Harry with the force of a boat ramming into him. Pain severed his clear thinking; it sizzled through his body. The pain consumed him, he fell to his knees and let his face hit the cold floor. That seemed to be the cue for the Death Eaters to begin firing off spells. Dumbledore leaped into action, slowing the Death Eaters.
"Expelliarmus!" Lily shouted at Voldemort.
"All Heads of Houses lead your students out to their dorms!" Dumbledore shouted. The teachers began to lead our their students, half running to lead the way. The Cruciatus finally released Harry and he got up off the floor, shaking. Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Dean, Seamus and one other student remained in the room. Sirius had launched himself at Bella, who was caught off guard (due to staring reverently at Voldemort) and aimed a hex at her head. Ron and Hermione had teamed up and were taking on one Death Eater, Neville and Ginny were against another with Luna backing them up, and Dean and Seamus were making quick work of another. Dumbledore was single handedly battling two; McGonagall was running back into the room. A few of the other teachers remained. Harry quickly scanned the room : where were Lily and James? Where was Voldemort?
"Harry, look out!" Lily called desperately. Harry whirled around, eyes widening. Voldemort was pointing his wand at him.
"Mum!" Harry shouted, too surprised to yell anything else. Sirius turned towards the sound, as did James.
"Harry!" Sirius and James shouted in unison.
"Crucio!" The spell hit Voldemort with a blast of red light, and he doubled over. The voice came from someone Harry didn't recognize at first. He looked towards the source, pointing his wand over. His jaw dropped.
Draco Malfoy stood with his wand out, pointing at Voldemort.
"Draco!" Lucius screamed as if in pain. Or horror. Probably both. "What are you doing?" A smug smile graced Draco's face.
"The right thing. I'll be greater than you, Father. How does it feel?" he asked, his voice quiet, but it was obvious that Malfoy had been wanting to say this for awhile. "Told you that you'd be thanking me more." he said suddenly to Harry.
"Blood traitor!" Lucius spat. He aimed a curse at Lucius. With grace and ease, Malfoy ducked under the blast of black light.
"What, is old age slowing you down? Maybe you need glasses." Malfoy taunted, shooting a bolt of red light that was so ferociously red it hurt Harry's eyes.
"Does your head hurt?" Sirius taunted Bella.
"Stand still!" she yelped. Her head was still bleeding, and she was moving unsteadily as she aimed her wand at him.
"Sirius, be careful!" Harry screamed, annoyed. Sirius looked back quickly and nodded.
"Ron, no, no, it's," Hermione was shouting at Ron, who was shooting green light at a Death Eater.
"Now - is not- the time Hermione!" Ron bellowed. Harry's heart nearly stopped as he scanned for Ginny's long red hair, but he was relieved to see she was holding her own. In fact, there was a fierce, triumphant smile on her lips.
"Harry, we need you!" Lily called. Harry's smile froze on his lips and he turned to see Lily and James fighting against Voldemort, whose face was contorted into a fierce snarl. Harry raised his wand, ready to jump in.
"Move!" Sirius roared from behind him. Harry looked over to see a Death Eater with his wand raised.
"Aveda Kedarva!" the man shouted. Harry's mouth widened. The beam of green light was heading straight for him, and there was nothing he could do.
Sorry for the cliff hanger! More soon! PLEASE read and review!