Chapter 60: Return

Return

"Behold! The servant has returned to the master and darkness shall be reborn. The Dark Lord will rise once again. The blood of his greatest enemy shall fuel his resurrection to life and return to him great power," It traveled out of his mouth in Latin, like a great gale of wind spreading out to touch those learned enough and quick enough to hear it.

Severus stood next to the headmaster, stunned, as silver blue fog rolled up to Sage's knees as a scream coming from his nephew pierced the air. As the scream faded, Sage stood still. Unnaturally, the boy's eyes flew open glowing their ethereal blue.

At that moment Severus was more frightened than the ever had been. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Uncertainty of Sage's survival ruled his thoughts as it appeared that Sage was acting more like a vessel than a real person. It was as if the powers within him were in complete domination, and Severus was unsure whether or not Sage was physically and mentally strong enough to withstand that.

His heart stopped within his chest. As his eyes zoomed in on Sage, almost as if there were nothing else there, he felt a strange tingling on his arm. Was it really happening? Was this it?

Sage staggered and then thrust one arm up in the air, clearly doing so through amazing amounts of pain and resistance.

Severus cringed as his entire body tensed to its limit.

Everything around seemed silent and non-existent as the crowd stared on, open mouthed.

Severus was certain that not everybody could see the picture that appeared in the smoke above Sage. Not everybody could see the prophecy as Sage could see it, but he was sure that he was not the only one seeing it. He had heard the sharp exhale from behind him, knowing that it could only be Dumbledore.

Moving in the smoke above Sage was a scene playing out before their very eyes. It was not entirely coherent, like a muggle moving picture would be, but it was enough.

Potter was grabbing his head in such agony that it could mean only one thing, and it was the one thing they were hoping would not happen so soon. With a blaze of green light, Cedric Diggory was dead, lying on the ground. Still holding his head, and with his eyes closed, Potter began dry heaving with pain, as yet unaware that his competitor, his friend was killed just like his parents had been.

They watched as Potter was tied helplessly to a large headstone, surrounded by a threatening mist with a large black snake slithering around his ankles. The man, who must be Pettigrew, shoved a piece of cloth in Potter's mouth so roughly that it would be surprising if Potter was not missing a few teeth, that was if Potter didn't end up with his life missing as well.

A bundle on the ground was moving, as if it contained a small animal inside that was writhing in attempts to free itself. It moved under the cloak even more as Wormtail set up a large cauldron.

Severus's nostrils flared. There was no way, no way that Pettigrew could know that piece of Dark magic, simply no way. Inhaling shallowly, because his chest was too tight to take in more air, Severus thought back to the only thing he knew of that could bring the Dark Lord back. An ancient potion that none but the desperate would attempt as it bordered on necromancy. He scowled deeply. No, it most certainly was necromancy. And Severus did something very out of character for him. He hoped, he hoped that Pettigrew was still as good a potion-maker as the current Mr. Longbottom. It could be their last hope at postponing the Dark Lord's resurrection.

When the bundle was revealed, a slimy, scaley mess of black with reddish colored veins in the shape of a hunched human toddler. The red eyes flashed as Potter came into sight.

The shape disappeared into the cauldron, and Severus found that he was breathing rapidly, his arm twinging in reminder.

Pettigrew dropping the bone in the cauldron.

"Phase two complete," Severus could not help but say in his head. "Thirty seconds..."

Then Pettigrew cutting off his own hand and letting it fall into the cauldron.

"Phase three complete," he whispered. "One minute..."

A reddish steam emanated from the cauldron.

Pettigrew sliced open Potter's arm, the scream. The red fluid that would bring back the Dark Lord was flowing into the crystal phial.

"3...2...1..."

Pettigrew said the incantation and allowed the blood to escape into the cauldron.

"No," he said, allowing the statement to actually come out of his mouth. The cauldron was now shooting diamond like sparks in all directions. He had known from watching the preparation, but now he knew for sure. As the body regenerated the cauldron shot out sparks, and the magic within the person returned.

Suddenly, he pulled his eyes from the sight and looked at Sage, cursing himself for ever having taken his eyes away from his nephew.

Sage was buckling at his knees, fighting with everything he apparently had to keep allowing them to see the vision.

"Stop!" he yelled, knowing that it would do no good at all.

Severus's limbs began to feel heavy and stiff. Dread was settling in him like lead. Sage could not continue like this. It was beyond dangerous.

The tingling in his arm drew his mind back to the scene unfolding above Sage's head.

Had there been something in his mouth at the time, Severus surely would have choked. His lungs seized up anyway.

His worst fears has materialized right before his eyes. Voldemort had returned. Sage had seen it. He had shown it to all who could see.

The red eyes seemingly glared back at him as the figure in the smoke stalked around talking to Harry, sending waves of the Cruciatus through the boy.

In no uncertain terms, Harry Potter would be no more.

As Sage watched Voldemort send the Cruciatus curse through Harry, he fell onto one knee, no longer being able to support the pain. It was as if it had doubled. He cringed and somehow maintained the moving picture above his head of exactly what he was being shown in his mind.

He knew they were seeing Voldemort rise from the cauldron, coming back to power. They were seeing Pettigrew robe him in black once more. Then they saw the wand...the infamous wand.

Sage's hand fell lifelessly to his side, and he fell over onto the ground.

Thanks so much for reading along!