THE POTTER TWINS AND THE TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT:
CHAPTER 21
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
'Welcome, Death Eaters,' said Voldemort quietly. 'Thirteen years … thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it was yesterday … we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?'
He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening.
'I smell guilt,' he said. 'There is a stench of guilt upon the air.'
A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare, to step back from him.
'Master!' he shrieked. 'Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!'
Voldemort circled each one, reminding, and torturing through a mere glare and stare.
'Now untie her, Wormtail, and give her back her wand.' Voldemort pointed to the weakened teenage girl who was roped up by a tombstone. "Her brother couldn't join us, a shame, and a unseen cleverness on her behalf, but she will do!"
Wormtail untied, and she scrambled back to her feet with in seconds. Wormtail shrank back a little, He was scared by the girl, but he was scared more by Voldemort. He held out his newly repaired hand, where lay Hazel's wand, a little scratched but intact. She snatched it out of his hand, and shot him a fiery glare. He moved back a little more. He remembered Lily used to do that when he spilled on the couch or dropped things when the twins were asleep. But this was not just a glare. He could see hatred, and anger, rage reflecting through her hazel eyes.
"You have been taught how to duel, Hazel Potter?" said Voldemort softly, his red eyes glinting through the darkness. "We bow to each other!"
The Death Eaters looked at them.
'Come, the niceties must be observed … Dumbledore would like you to show manners … bow to death, Hazel Potter!"
The Death Eaters were laughing again. Voldemort's lipless mouth was smiling. Hazel remained eye contact, and didn'y bow. She didn't budge at all.
"Bow!"
Hazel raised her eyebrows,
"No!"
"What did the dead meat say?" Voldemort laughed this time. "No? I said bow!"
She stood her ground, and still stared at his red eyes, occasionally sparing a few glares to Wormtail. Voldemort raised his wand – and Hazel felt her spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand was bending her ruthlessly forwards, and the Death Eaters laughed harder than ever.
"Now, come to death, proud and brave like your father, And now you face me,straight backed and proud."
Voldemort struck his wand to the fullest and aimed at her, before she could do anything. It felt as if every bone in her body was crushing, and breaking. And over and over again. She was already sore, and crashed to the ground on her knees. She wanted to scream but she couldn't give satisfaction to Voldemort that she was hurting.
Harry felt to the ground, he screamed. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was … white-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain; he was screaming more loudly than he'd ever screamed in his life.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"Harry!" Hermione felt to her knees beside him, "Harry!"
Ron to the other side, Remus and Sirius was rushing from the corner.
"Harry!?"
"AHHHHHH!"
'A little break,' said Voldemort, the slit-like nostrils dilating with excitement, 'a little pause … that hurt, didn't it, Hazel? You don't want me to do that again, do you?'
'I asked you whether you want me to do that again?' said Voldemort softly. 'Answer me! Imperio!'
She felt a bliss, but she tried to fight it. It was a good thing, Professor Moody taught about them.
"I Won't!" She yelled.
'You won't?' said Voldemort quietly, and the Death Eaters were not laughing now. 'You won't say "no"? obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die … perhaps another little dose of pain?'
Hazel took her wand, and from the side of her arm, she pointed it to Avery who was standing right next to Voldemort. Avery fell on top of Voldemort, unconscious, as she muttered a spell.
Voldemort tried to throw Avery off, Hazel ran from there, and sat behind a tombstone. Avery was thrown backwards on the ground, and Voldemort moved forward.
'We are not playing hide-and-seek, Hazel,' said Voldemort's soft, cold voice, which made the Death Eaters laugh more than ever. "Come out, I'll finish it, I'll be merciful, and I'll end it soon."
"I don't need your mercy!" Hazel came from behind the tombstone, which was little cracked, "I am not like them," She raised a finger towards the Death Eaters. "They may call you 'My Lord,' " She said taunt fully. "But I am no your servant, I don't beg, I am an enemy."
Voldemort let out a laugh at her words. Hazel raised her wand.
"Come with all you have got!"
Wormtail remembered Lily used to say that, all the time, when she was in competition. Lily was always so competitive. It was like she had inherited the gene. Hazel was almost challenging the most evil wizard of the century. He remembered James, who never accepted defeat, who gave his best, with his head high and proud.
"You?" Voldemort was still laughing.
"Yes, me, Why? scared you'll have a fall again?" Spending so much time with the Weasley Twins had certainly paid off. Her comments were now more taunting and frankly Voldemort almost burned at this one.
Voldemort's eyes were now less then the slits that they were. He stared at her. As Hazel focused on a non verbal spell, Sirius had taught her over the summer. Suddenly Mulciber was dangling upside down above Voldemort's head.
"Look!" Someone screamed. Hazel unconnected the spell, and as Voldemort turned to see who screamed, Mulciber landed on his head.