Voldemort looked away from Hailey and began to look at his own body. His hands were large, like pale spiders. His long white fingers caressed his own chest, his arms, and his face. The red eyes, the pupils were slits, gleamed some more brightly through the darkness.
He held up his hands and flexed the fingers; his expression was rapt and exultant. He didn't seem to notice Pettigrew who was lying on the ground, twitching and bleeding. He didn't seem to notice the great snake which had slithered back into sight and was now circling Hailey again, hissing.
Voldemort reached in his robes pocket and drew out a wand. He caressed it gently and then raised it. Hailey closed her eyes, freeing the worst but a few seconds later, there was a thump next to her. There was a sobbing sound and Hailey opened her eyes to see that Pettigrew was next to her.
There was a high, cold, and mirthless laughter.
Pettigrew's robes were now shining with blood because he wrapped his hand in them. He choked, "My Lord….My Lord…you promised…you did promise…"
"Hold out you arm," said Voldemort in a lazy manner.
"Oh, Master…thank you, Master…" Pettigrew held out the bleeding stump.
Voldemort laughed, "The other arm, Wormtail."
"Master, please…please…" Pettigrew pleaded.
Voldemort bent down and pulled out Pettigrew's left arm. He forced down the sleeve of Pettigrew's robes past his elbow. Hailey saw something that looked like the faded picture of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth—the Dark Mark that had appeared in the sky at the Quidditch World Cup. Voldemort examined it carefully, ignoring Pettigrew's uncontrollably weeping.
"It is back," Voldemort said softly, "they will all have noticed it…and now, we shall see…now we shall know…" He pressed his finger to the brand on Pettigrew's arm.
The scar on Hailey's forehead seared with a sharp pain again and Pettigrew left out a howl. Voledmort removed his finger from the mark on Pettigrew's hand and Hailey saw that details had seemed to fill in with black magical ink. It looked like it was moving.
Voldemort straightened up, looking cruelly satisfied. He looked up around the dark graveyard. "How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" he was whispering. His eyes were fixed on the stars. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?" He began pacing before Pettigrew and Hailey, still looking at the graveyard all the while. After a minute or so, he looked down at Hailey. He was smiling cruelly.
"You stand, Hailey Potter, upon the remains of my late father." He was hissing, "A Muggle and a fool…very like your dear mother. But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child…and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death…" He laughed again and paced up and down looking around him as he walked. The snake continued to circle in the grass.
"You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was…He didn't like magic, my father…"
Despite feeling numb with terror, Hailey couldn't help but wonder why he was telling her this.
"He left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born, Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage…but I vowed to find him…I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name…Tom Riddle…" He paced, glancing at grave to grave. "Listen to me, reliving family history…" his voice had gone quiet, "Why, I am growing quite sentimental…But look, Hailey! My true family returns…"
There was the swishing of cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked. One by one, they moved forward….slowly, cautiously, as though they couldn't believe the sight. Voldemort stood in silence, waiting for them. One of the Death Eaters fell to their knees, crawled toward Voldemort, and kissed the hem of his black robes, murmuring, "Master…Master…"
The Death Eaters behind him did the same, before backing away and standing up, forming a silent circle, which enclosed the statue, Hailey, Voldemort, and the sobbing, twitching heap that was Pettigrew. They left gaps in the circle, as if waiting for more Death Eaters to show up.
Hailey looked around at the hooded faces and it seemed like a rustling ran around the circle, even though there was no wind.
"Welcome, Death Eaters," said Voldemort quietly. "Thirteen years…thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday…We are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?"
He put his terrible face back on and sniffed the air, his slit-like nostrils widening. "I smell guilt. There is a stench of guilt upon the air."
Another shiver around the circle of Death Eaters again, making it seem like each member wanted to step back from him, but didn't dare.
"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact—such prompt appearances!—and I ask myself…why did this band of wizards never come to the air of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"
No one spoke or move, except Pettigrew, who was still on the ground, sobbing over his bleeding arm.
"And I answer myself," whispered Voldemort, "They must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment…
And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living?
"And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort…perhaps they now pay allegiance to another…perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?"
At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the Death Eaters stirred. Some muttered and shook their heads. Voldemort ignored that.
"It is a disappointment to me…I confess myself disappointed…"
One Death Eater flung himself forward, breaking the circle. The Death Eater was trembling and collapsed at Voldemort's feet.
"Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!"
Voldemort laughed and raised his wand, "Crucio!"
The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked, Hailey hoped the sound carried to the surrounding houses. She hoped the police would come and hoped for anyone and anything.
Voldemort raised his wand and the tortured Death Eater was lying on the ground, gasping. In a soft voice, Voldemort said, "Get up, Avery. Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years…I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?" He looked down at Pettigrew, who just continued to sob. "You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes, Master," moaned Pettigrew. "Please, Master…please…"
"Yet, you helped return me to my body," said Voldemort coolly, watching Pettigrew sob on the ground. "Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me…and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers…" He raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. Something that looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand's wake. It was shapeless and it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which flew downward and fixed itself on Pettigrew's bleeding wrist.
Pettigrew stopped sobbing, his breathing harsh and ragged. He raised his head and stared at the silver hand, now attached seamlessly to his arm, as if he was wearing a glove. He flexed his finger, then picked up a small twig on the ground. He crushed it into powder. "My Lord," he whispered. "Master…it is beautiful…thank you…thank you…" He scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes.
"May you loyalty never waver again, Wormtail," said Voldemort.
"No, My Lord…never, my Lord…" Pettigrew stood up and took his place in the circle, staring at his powerful new hand. His face was shining with tears.
Voldemort approached the man on Pettigrew's right. He whispered, "Lucius, my slippery friend. I am told that you have no renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius…Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup, were fun, I daresay…but might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?"
"My Lord, I was constantly on the alert," said Lucius Malfoy swiftly from beneath his mask. "Had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me—"
"And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?" replied Voldemort lazily, making Lucius Malfoy stop talking. "Yes, I know all about that, Lucius…You have disappointed me…I expect more faithful service in the future."
"Of course, My Lord, of course…You are merciful, thank you…" replied Lucius.
Voldemort moved on and stopped, to staring at the space that separated Malfoy and the next man. The space was big enough for two people to fill.
"The Lestranges should stand here," said Voldemore in a quiet voice. "But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me…When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be honoured beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us…they are our natural allies…we will recall the banished giants…I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear…"
He walked on, passing some Death Eaters in silence, but pausing at others to speak to them.
"Macnair…destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic now, Wormtail tells me? You shall have better victims than that soon, Macnair. Lord Voldemort will provide…"
"Thank you, Master…thank you," murmured Macnair.
Voldemort moved on to the two largest hooded figures, "And here we have Crabbe…you will do better this time, will you not, Crabbed? And you, Goyle?"
They bowed clumsily, muttering dully. "Yes, Master…"
"We will, Master…"
"The same goes for you, Nott," said Voldemort quietly as he walked past the stooped figure that was in Mr Goyle's shadow.
Mr Nott said, "My Lord, I prostrate myself before you, I am your most faithful—"
"That will do," replied Voldemort, reaching the largest gap of all. He stood looking at it, as if he could see people standing there.
"And here we have six missing Death Eaters…three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return…he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever…he will be killed, of course...and one, who remains my faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service."
At that, the Death Eaters stirred. Hailey saw that they seemed to glance sideways at one another through their masks.
Voldemort spoke, "He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived her tonight…Yes." He was now grinning from his lipless mouth. Hailey noticed that the Death Eaters seemed to look in her direction. "Hailey Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call her my guest of honour."
There was a silence at that. Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, "Master, we crave to know…we beg you to tell us…how you have achieved this…this miracle…how you managed to return to us…"
"Ah, what a story it is, Lucius," replied Voldemort.
Oh, great, he's going to talk some more, Hailey thought.
"And it begins—and ends—with my young friend here," Voldemort continued. He walked lazily over to stand next to Hailey, so that the Death Eaters were focused on them. The snake continued to circle.
"You know, of course, that they have called this girl my downfall?" Voldemort said softly. His eyes were on Hailey, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that she almost screamed in agony. "You all know that on the night I lost powers and my body, I tried to kill her. Her mother died in the attempt to save her—and unwittingly provided her with a protection I admit I had not foreseen…I could not touch the girl." He raised one finger and put it very close to Hailey's cheek.
Hailey refrained from biting him, because it would not end well.
Voldemort continued, "Her mother left upon her the traces of her sacrifice…This is old magic. I should have remembered it. I was foolish to overlook it…but no matter. I can touch her now."
Hailey felt Voldemort touch her forehead and she thought her head would explode with pain. Voldemort laughed softly in her ear and then remove his finger and continued talking to his followers.
"I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself. Aah…pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost…but still, I was alive. What I was even I do not know…I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal—to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked…for I had not been killed, though the curse should have down it. Nevertheless, I was a powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help myself…for I had no body, and every spell that might have helped me required the use of a wand…
"I remember only forcing myself, sleeplessly, endlessly, second by second, to exist…I settled in a faraway place, in a forest, and I waited…Surely, one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me…one of them would come and perform the magic I could not…to restore me to a body…but I waited in vain…"
The shiver ran once more around the circle of the Death Eaters. Voldemort let the silence spiral horribly before continuing.
"Only one power remained to me. I could possess the bodies of others. But I dare not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me. I sometimes inhabited animals—snakes, of course, being my preference—but I was little better off inside them than as pure spirit for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic…and my possession of them shortened their lives; none of them lasted long…
"Then…four years ago…the means for my return seemed assured. A wizard—young, foolish, and gullible—wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home. Oh, he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of…for he was a teacher at Dumbledore's school…he was easy to bend to my will…he brought me back to this country, and after a while, I took possession of his body, to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders. But my plan failed. I did not manage to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. I was not to be assured immortal life. I was thwarted…thwarted, once again, by Hailey Potter…"
There was silence and it seemed like the leaves on the yew tree weren't stirring either. The Death Eaters were motionless, the glittering eyes in their masks were fixed upon Voldemort and then upon Hailey.
"The servant died when I left his body, and I was left as weak as ever I had been," Voldemort continued his story. "I returned to my hiding place far away, and I will not pretend to you that I didn't then fear that I might never regain my powers…Yes, that was perhaps my darkest hour…I could not hope that I would be sent another wizard to possess…and I had given up hope, now, that any of my Death Eaters cared what become of me…"
Hailey wondered how where they supposed to show that they cared if they had no leads to go on if he kept going into hiding. She saw two of the masked wizards move uncomfortably, but Voldemort didn't seem to notice as he continued to drone on.
"And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last…a servant returned to me. Wormtail here, who had faked his own death to escape justice, was driving out of hiding by those he had once counted friends, and decided to return to his master. He sought me in the country where it had long been rumoured I was hiding…helped, of course, by the rats he met along the way. Wormtail has a curious affinity with rats, do you now, Wormtail? His filthy little friends told him there was a place, deep in an Albanian forest, that they avoided, where small animals like themselves had met their deaths by a dark shadow that possessed them…"
Are you done wasting everyone's time by going on and on and on? Hailey thought.
"But his journey back to me was not smooth, was it, Wormtail? For, hungry one night, on the edge of the very forest where he had hoped to find me, he foolishly stopped at an inn for some food…and who should he meet there, but on Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic."
On and on and on, Hailey thought.
"Now see the way that fate favours Lord Voldemort. This might have been the end of Wormtail, and one of my last hope for regeneration. But Wormtail—displaying a presence of mind I would never have expected from him—convinced Bertha Jorkins to accompany him on a nighttime stroll. He overpowered her…he brought her to me. And Bertha Jorkins, who might have ruined all, proved instead to be a gift beyond my wildest dreams…for—with a little persuasion—she came a veritable mind of information."
Why did you do to her to get that information? Hailey thought.
"She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be played at Hogwarts this year. She told me that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help, if I could only contact him. She told me many things…but the means I used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when I had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. She had now served her purpose. I could not possess her. I disposed of her." Voldemort gave a terrible smile. His eyes were blank and pitiless.
"Wormtail's body, of course, was ill adapted for possession, as all assumed him dead, and would attract far too much attention if noticed. However, he was the able-bodied servant I needed, and poor wizard though he is, Wormtail was able to follow the instructions I gave him, which would return me to a rudimentary, weak body of my own, a body I would be able to inhabit while awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth…a spell or two of my own invention…and a little help from my dear Nagini," Voldemort's red eyes fell upon the snake was kept circling. "A potion concocted from unicorn blood, and the snake venom Nagini provided…I was soon returned to an almost human form, and strong enough to travel."
"There was no hope of stealing the Sorcerer's Stone anymore, for I knew that Dumbledore would have seen to it that it was destroyed. But I was willing to embrace mortal life again, before chasing immortality. I set my sights lower…I would settle for my old body back again, and my old strength.
"I knew that to achieve this—it is an old piece of Dark Magic, the potion that revived me tonight—I would need three powerful ingredients. Well, one of them was already at hand, was it not, Wormtail? Flesh given y a servant…
"My father's bone, naturally, meant that we would have to come here, where he was buried. But the blood of a foes…Wormtail would have had me use any wizard, would you not, wormtail? Any wizard who had hated me…as so many of them still do. But I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Hailey Potter's blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago...for the lingering protection her mother once gave her would then reside in my veins too…
"But how to get at Hailey Potter? For she has been better protected than I think even she knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the girl's future. Dumbledore invoked ancient magic, to ensure the girl's protection as long as she is in his relations' care. Not even I can touch her there…Then, of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup…I though her protection might be weaker there, away from her relations and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of Ministry wizards. And then, the girl would return to Hogwarts, where she is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take her?
"Why…by using Bertha Jorkins' information of course. Use my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure that the girl's name was entered into the Goblet of Fire. Use my Death Eater to ensure that the girl won the tournament—that she touched the Triwizard Cup first—the cup which my Death Eater had turned into a Portkey, which would bring her here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore's help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here she is…the girl you all believed had been my downfall…"
Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Hailey, raising his wand. "Crucio!"
The pain was beyond anything Hailey had ever experienced before. Her bones felt as if were on fire; her head was surely splitting right along her scar; her eyes were rolling madly in her head. She wanted it to end…to black out…to die…
The pain was gone. She was hanging limply over the scythe handle on the statue. She looked up right into the bright red eyes of Voldemort through some kind of mist. It sounded as if the Death Eaters were laughing.
"You see, I think, how foolish it was to suppose that this girl could ever have been stronger than me," said Voldemort.
Does he ever shut the hell up? Hailey thought.
"But I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind. Hailey Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am going to prove my power by killing her, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help her, and no mother to die for her. I will give him her chance. She will be allowed to fight, and you will be left in doubt which of us is the stronger. Just a little longer, Nagini," he whispered and the snake glided away through the grass to where the Death Eaters were watching.
The scythe released Hailey, dropping her on the ground. "Pick up your wand, Potter. Pick it up, get up. Get up!"
Hailey removed the wad of material from her mouth, as she scrambled for her wand and grabbed it.
