AN: No comment on how long this has taken. Readers would do well to remember that this story was started before the publication of Half-Blood Prince, and therefore, is firmly in the realm of alternate universe. However, that doesn't mean that I won't take advantage of certain things used in the wonderful 6th book. A few more chapters to come on this before it's finished. I'm giving no timeline for when that will happen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 16: Lord Voldemort

Harry opened his eyes.

He tried to move his arms and found he couldn't. He was magically bound to a chair. His friends were in the same condition around him. Draco, too. All were in the process of coming to consciousness.

Harry's only thought was to wonder why he wasn't dead yet.

Pettigrew was in the room, no doubt making sure they didn't manage to somehow escape. Harry heard others outside of the door of whatever room they were in.

Ron was across from Harry in his own chair. He was just waking up. Harry caught his eye. He tried to whisper as low as he could.

"What's going on?"

Ron quickly looked toward Pettigrew. But the little man was sitting in a chair, muttering to himself.

"They want Dumbledore too. You're bait, mate."

Of course. Voldemort was going to rid himself of all of his enemies at once.

"He's not coming until tomorrow. At least that's what Hermione and I overheard him say," Ron said quietly.

And Voldemort was coming tonight. Great.

Harry tried to look for some way out of his current situation, but his imagination and any spare intelligence was failing him. They were trapped and helpless. He cursed himself for getting his hopes up earlier. What a fool he was to think he could get out of here alive.

Suddenly, the door to the room creaked open. Harry shuddered involuntarily. A long, lean shadow was cast over him and his friends.

"Harry Potter. We meet again." The voice was high and cold and Harry recognized it, not only from previous encounters, but also from countless dreams. "And friends of Harry Potter. Welcome. Welcome."

"And Draco Malfoy. An interesting turn of events, I must say," Lord Voldemort walked over to him. Draco scowled, but his fear was evident. The Death Eaters came in now, stationing themselves along the outside of the room. Their excitement was palpable.

"Draco Malfoy, you are quite the enigma. Offered everything, and yet you side with no one. The coward's way. Crucio!"

There was a loud bang as Draco, still attached to his chair, fell to the floor. His body writhed while still in its restraints. Harry closed his eyes. He couldn't watch. But his lack of vision did nothing to shut out the screams.

There were a few satisfied laughs from the Death Eaters around the room as Voldemort lifted the curse and Draco was returned to his previous position, panting heavily. No doubt many of them were happy to see the smug son of Lucius Malfoy get his own.

Voldemort strode around the room slowly, his wand loosely hanging from his fingertips. He had a casual air about him, as if this was something he did every day. Which, Harry thought, he probably did.

"And you two," he came closer to Ron and Hermione whose chairs were next to each other. Ron had maneuvered himself so his chair was slightly in front of Hermione's.

"How many times have you helped Harry Potter thwart me?" He laughed. "But no matter. You can only delay Lord Voldemort. You cannot stop him."

Ron struggled to move his chair to block Hermione from view.

"Now this is admirable. Protecting the woman you love? Harry's father tried to do the same. I regret to say it didn't work out too well for either of them. But I did give his father the pleasure of dying first."

He twirled his wand in his hand.

"Crucio!"

Ron fell to the ground in the same manner as Draco. Harry imagined the pain he must be feeling. He remembered all to well. White, hot, stabbing pain. Ron roared as his body twitched and struggled. Hermione had silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

Voldemort returned his chair back to a sitting position.

"Still want to protect her?" He said mockingly.

Ron glared, but said nothing as he wriggled his chair to block Hermione once more.

Voldemort laughed again. "Admirable, as I said. Very well. You all have to go. I will do you the honor of going first."

The Death Eaters formed a tighter circle now as they moved in to watch the destruction. Harry only had despair in him. He would watch his friends die before being killed himself. They had come to save him, and now they would suffer because of it.

Voldemort raised his wand.

"I want to die first," It was a simple statement. Harry's mouth had been open to say something similarly distracting when Draco spoke first.

Voldemort turned around. The Death Eaters moved in closer still. They liked this change of events. Harry supposed they might be just as eager to see Draco die as him.

Voldemort walked towards Draco. He held out his wand. "The son of Lucius Malfoy thinks he can get anything he wants. Trust me, Draco. You will beg for death before I am done with you."

He turned back towards Ron now and raised his wand. He closed his eyes to relish the moment.

BANG!

The door to the room burst open.

Voldemort whipped around. Harry felt a surge of hope in him. The Order of the Phoenix, led by Dumbledore, were making their way into the room. There was a moment of shock on both sides before curses and spells were being thrown across the room.

Harry forced his chair to the ground and saw the others doing the same. Suddenly, his restraints were gone. Harry didn't know what member of the Order had done it, but he was free.

Still, he had no wand.

"HARRY! GET TO SAFETY!" It was Dumbledore's voice. And while Harry wished to fight with them, he had to admit, it wasn't the smartest move to fight wandless.

But he would certainly not leave without his friends.

The room was so full of dueling wizards that it was hard to find anyone in the room.

"Harry! Harry!" Harry raised his head slightly from the crawling position he had been in. It was Hermione. He made his way over to her.

"Where's Ron and…Malfoy?" He asked her.

"I don't know!" She said anxiously. "I lost sight of them when the battle began. "But here."

She handed him his wand.

"Hey, thanks! Where did you get it?"

She pointed to a lump next to her. "Someone knocked out Pettigrew. They were on him."

With no intention of leaving without Ron or Draco, Harry rose to his feet, now ready to contribute to the battle.

He saw Tonks battling two Death Eaters. He stunned one in the back as she took out the other.

Harry came face-to-face with another Death Eater. They circled each other for a second before making their moves.

"Crucio!" The Death Eater shouted.

Harry ducked the curse, at the same time yelling, "Stupefy!" The Death Eater side-stepped the spell.

They stared at each other for another moment, waiting to see who would move next.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry disarmed the Death Eater, and a Stunner came and hit the man in the back. He fell to his knees. Ron was behind him.

"Thanks, mate."

Ron nodded. Hermione was by his side. The three of them ducked and crawled away from the battle.

"Come on Harry," Ron said. "We have to get out of here. It's getting too dangerous for us."

Harry surveyed the room. Pairs were dueling all over. He saw Dumbledore and Voldemort calmly staring at each other on one side of the room.

"I can't go without him," Harry said in a low voice.

"Who? Malfoy?" Ron asked incredulously. "Look, I don't know what's going on with you and him…but he's still Malfoy. He probably already left to save his own skin."

"He tried to help you, didn't he?" Harry shot back angrily.

Ron hesitated for a moment. He seemed to be searching for a retort. Finally, he said. "Yeah…yeah he did."

"Harry there!" Hermione pointed across the room. Harry saw a flash of silver-white blonde hair. Without regard to his own safety, he made his way towards it.

Malfoy was cornered by three Death Eaters. He did not have his wand. No doubt he should have already been dead, but the Death Eaters were enjoying torturing him.

"Incendio!" One yelled. Draco's robes caught on fire. Harry could tell he struggled not to scream as the flames licked his body.

"Aguamenti!" Draco gasped. A jet of water shot out of his wand putting the flames to rest. The Death Eater's laughed at his efforts.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted. One of the Death Eaters fell.

Harry caught Draco's eye for a second before the boy yelled "Sectumsepra!"

Harry winced as the Death Eater fell, clutching a large gash in his chest. Blood seeped out onto the floor. But there wasn't time to question Draco's morality in fighting. There was still another Death Eater.

"Crucio!" The Death Eater yelled. Draco fell to the floor, writhing and screaming once more.

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled. The Death Eater was knocked unconscious. Draco struggled to his feet. The last Cruciatus Curse had taken a lot out of him.

"Harry? What are you still doing here? GET OUT!" It was Lupin who shouted this time.

Suddenly an old can appeared in Harry's hands. He stared at it confused for a moment before he realized what it was. Harry tried to meet Dumbledore's eye, but he was locked in a trance with Lord Voldemort. He hoped he had a chance to thank the headmaster.

He wished that thought quickly away.

Harry and Draco crawled across the room. It wasn't that hard not to be spotted as most everyone was caught up in the fighting.

They made their way into the hallway outside the room. Ron and Hermione were waiting for them.

"Here!" Harry shouted, holding out the old can. "Dumbledore made us a Portkey. Hold on. I don't know when it leaves."

Ron and Hermione hurried to touch the can. Draco did as well. The four waited for about half a minute before Harry felt the familiar jerking sensation.

They toppled into Dumbledore's office, safe at last.