Voldemort watched as Harry collapsed onto the floor, looking pale and defeated.
Perfect, he thought, Things are slowly being put into place.
Barty and himself left the room, leaving Potter to make his way back to his room. He strode beside Barty for a while, before Barty started to talk.
"It worked well." He said.
Voldemort wanted to laugh. He knew Barty was right.
"Yes. Incredibly well. I didn't think the boy would fall for it…Things aren't always as they seem."
With that they both turned to walk inside a room, where the Death Eater that had brought Ginny upstairs had gone.
Ginny sat on the floor, smiling slightly at Voldemort before groaning and shaking. Slowly, Ginny regained her true form. Peter Pettigrew. Wormtail to many others.
Peter hurriedly stood up and bowed.
"The Polyjuice potion worked well. Did Potter fall for it?" he asked, timidly.
Voldemort nodded and Peter smiled in a nervous manner.
"Thank you Wormtail. Your service is no longer needed…for the moment. You may return to your hiding place."
Wormtail seemed to brighten for a moment, before bowing again and walking out of the room.
Voldemort smiled, which was something he rarely did.
"Tonight things will change."
Sirius, Remus and Molly walked along Knockturn Alley, walking inside every shop, asking everyone they saw if they had seen Harry. So far, nothing.
Sirius was impatient. There weren't many shops left and he didn't know what else he could do if they didn't find more information…
Remus turned to walk inside a dark shop, with a few strange looking items in the window. Sirius followed, and they both walked up to the counter, being watched curiously by the owner.
"Can I help you with anything…?" the man asked.
"Yes actually…" said Remus, "We're wondering if a few days ago you can remember a teenage boy walking down this Alley."
The man frowned as he wracked his brains for information.
"…Yes, there was one boy. He came in here. Asked to buy a cloak, he did. Dark haired, tall, green eyes. That him?"
Remus moved forward.
"Yes! That's him! Tell us, did you see which way he went afterwards!"
"He went to the left of my shop."
"Thank you!"
Sirius had already bolted out of the door, and Remus quickly followed.
Molly had already been questioning a group of witches and turned to them, looking excited.
"Harry's been spotted again! These witches saw him being chased by a young man with a wand. Apparently this 'young man' was sending stunning spells at Harry, one of which hit a witch. Unfortunately, they saw him manage to catch Harry and reach into his pocket before they both disappeared…"
Molly's face had fell when she mentioned the last part, and Sirius and Remus looked at each other.
"A portkey…" said Remus.
Sirius's shoulders drooped and so did his determination.
"We'll never find him…"
Dumbledore sat in his office, tapping his fingers on his desk whilst in careful thought. He and the rest of the group had returned, after finding out Harry had been taken by another portkey…
Truly, he didn't know what to do. The portkeys had been tampered with, meaning it was impossible to trace them.
He had already contacted Fudge who didn't seem as enthusiastic to find Harry as everyone else was. Dumbledore was confused.
Sirius and Remus had taken to their beds already in the Gryffindor Tower. He was alone with his thoughts.
A sudden movement from the fireplace snapped him back to reality.
"Albus! Albus Dumbledore!"
Dumbledore looked in surprise at the face in his fireplace. It was a wizard he had never seen before…
"Hello. My name's Kieran. I'm from the ministry. We have some news. Unfortunate news. Amos Diggory has gone missing. I am here to ask whether you know of any information that can help us find out what happened."
Dumbledore frowned and knelt down to look at this man.
"I am sorry. I have no clue. But this is strange…Amos was on duty, wasn't he?"
The man in the fireplace nodded sadly.
"He didn't appear this morning, and the last anyone saw of him was last night, just before he left the ministry. Do you know where he might be?"
Dumbledore shook his head and stroked his beard.
"Well," carried on Kieran, "I am sorry for bothering you. I am sure the ministry will get back to you if we receive any news."
The man disappeared with a small pop.
Dumbledore stood again and sighed.
Amos was not one to be late, he mused. Another missing person.
Hours had passed since Harry had given into Voldemort's command and still he hadn't moved from the floor.
He sat there, looking ahead, a dazed expression on his face.
A noise made him look round.
A Death Eater, not recognisable, entered the room, carrying a box.
Harry stood, not wanting to appear weak or vulnerable. He stared into the Death Eaters mask, trying not to appear curious, but figure out the identity of the person who sat behind it.
The Death Eater ignored the strange looks Harry gave him, and held out the box.
Harry tore his eyes away from the mask and slowly unlatched it, revealing what was inside.
A mask, almost identical to what the Death Eaters were wearing. Except this one was different. This one was silver, and gleamed at Harry, forcing him to look at it.
Harry didn't want to touch it. He backed away a few steps, not bothering to look away from the mask that attracted his attention. Unfortunately something, or someone else did.
Voldemort strode in and looked between Harry and the mask.
"Beautiful, isn't it? A mask signifying power, terror, loyalty and pride. A mask which you will wear tonight, Potter."
Harry frowned. There was no way that thing was touching his face.
Voldemort could sense Harry's uneasiness with the mask, and inwardly he smiled.
He walked over and his pale and delicate fingers closed around the mask, picking it up and bringing it over to Harry, who felt nervous.
"Look in the mirror, Harry…" coaxed Voldemort. Harry turned and stared at his dark reflection.
Voldemort raised his arms over Harry's head and brought them down again, securing the mask onto Harry's face.
Harry flinched as the cold silver made contact with his skin and looked widely at the stranger who stood before him.
That wasn't him…That wasn't Harry Potter…His reflection showed a tall, powerful looking person, clad in black robes, a black cloak, black everything…apart from the silver mask, which looked frightening.
Harry closed his eyes, willing away the image of himself.
Voldemort leaned closer to Harry, beside his left ear and whispered into it.
"Give in to it."
Harry whipped around and pulled out his wand, giving Voldemort as much of a venomous look as he could possibly muster behind the concealing mask.
Voldemort laughed coldly.
"Think about Ginny." He said, then took a step closer to Harry who immediately took a step back.
"Scared of me, Harry?" Voldemort asked mockingly, but then turned to see another Death Eater enter the room.
He turned back to Harry.
"It's time to go."
Harry was led through the house to a room, which he presumed was the cellar, lit by candles.
The Death Eaters stood in a circle and in the middle of the circle, was a crouched over man, face hidden from Harry by the shadows.
Voldemort moved away from Harry to stand behind the bent man, and smiled.
"Today, my friends, is a day we have waited for."
Death Eaters nodded in agreement and all eyes behind masks looked towards Harry, who stood there, swearing at himself, feeling the urge to grab his wand and stun every person here.
Harry didn't move, but instead, looked at the man before him. God, who was that person there…? He couldn't kill him, whoever he was…
Harry could feel himself shake at the thought of it, and he would have considered running back the way he had came, if a Death Eater with suspiciously familiar brown eyes hadn't stood in front and blocked it.
Barty. Oh god…he's here too…Harry stifled his gasp. There was no way he could do this…But Ginny…what would happen to her if he didn't?
He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. Voldemort was doing this on purpose…
Making Harry choose who lives and who dies….
A decision he didn't want left for him.
"Its time to make your decision, Harry. You kill this man and Ginny goes free. You don't, he dies anyway, and Ginny will die along with your mistake."
Harry froze, and closed his eyes.
What would Dumbledore do? What would he say..? Oh god…"Hurry up, Harry." Said Voldemort, eerily smiling.
Okay, he needed to think this out carefully. There were too many Death Eaters here to take on at once. Ginny and this mans lives were at stake here-
"Time is being wasted…"
-and he didn't know who to choose.
Tears started to well in his eyes and he was for once, glad he had the mask on. He trembled slightly.
He couldn't do this. He. Could. Not. Do. This. It was too hard. Even if he killed this man, he would have to live the rest of his life with his soul on his conscience…what would Sirius or Remus say if-
"Killing is not so hard as it may seem, Harry…"
-they found out…
Harry ignored the comments of Voldemort and his thoughts drifted to Ginny…her hair, the way her face lit up when she smiled, the expression on her face when she had first met him at The Burrow…
"You have five seconds."
No, no, no, no, no…
"Four."
If he didn't choose one of them-
"Three."
-both of them would die…
"Two."
Oh god, he couldn't do this…he couldn't let her die…not Ginny…
"One."
Harry whipped out his wand and pointed it at the mans chest.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Everything happened in slow motion…
Voldemort laughed and every Death Eater in the room smiled behind their mask.
A beam of green light shot out of the end of Harry's wand and hit the man straight in the chest. The man fell backwards and keeled over. Harry still couldn't see his face.
Oh no…what had he done…?
He dropped his wand and with trembling arms, rushed and knelt at the mans side and pulled him over, so he could see who the man was and if there was any chance he was still alive.
Harry stared into the lifeless eyes with recognition and immediate shock. Followed by a tremendous wave of guilt and sadness.
Amos Diggory…oh no…
Tears leaked out of Harry's eyes and he shook violently, holding his head in his hands.
"What have I done…? Oh my god…what have I done…?" he whispered in a strangled voice to himself.
He felt a hand on his shoulder pull him up and he looked around to see Voldemort helping him up.
"Get away from me!" Harry spat, stumbling backwards, his vision blurry and his heart heavy.
Voldemort stood in front of him, and Death Eaters started to form around him, Barty on his right hand side.
Harry knew he didn't have the strength the fight them. He found himself back against a wall, and slowly, he slid down it, falling to the floor with a thump.
He clutched his hair, not caring if he pulled it out or how much pain it caused him…
He had just killed an innocent man.
"How does it feel to finish off the Diggory family, Harry?"
Harry ignored him.
"You killed Cedric, and now you killed his father. Doesn't it feel good? To have the power to do that. Your first killing curse, and you performed it perfectly, I must say."
Other Death Eaters nodded in agreement.
Harry absorbed the words of Voldemort before looking up, rage and anger evident, even with his mask on.
"I didn't kill Cedric. You did! You and Wormtail!" he shouted, through sobs.
"Is that what Dumbledore told you to think when you reappeared?" Voldemort laughed icily, "He knew and everyone else knew, that if you hadn't asked Cedric to take the cup at the same time as you did, he wouldn't have died."
Harry shook his head, looking at the floor.
"No…no…" he whispered to himself.
Dumbledore wouldn't have lied to him…he wouldn't have, would he?"Face it Harry, love is holding you back from your true potential. Everyone you know or love is going to get hurt…sooner or later. Because of you."
Harry knew this was true…he couldn't say a word against it. His shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face behind the mask.
Voldemort knew just by looking at the broken boy that he had accomplished something. He whispered something to Barty, who then knelt down beside a defeated Harry and forced the boy to drink a sleeping potion.
I can't believe…I can't…I…I…
Harry's thoughts left him as he thankfully left reality and slipped into a dream world, feeling someone pick him up.
The last image that sprang to mind was the lifeless empty eyes of Amos Diggory, probing into his own, searching for some reason of why. Why Harry had done it.
Authors note: I hope I didnt take too long on writing that out for you guys, but I hope you enjoyed it. I wont be able to update for a day or two cause I'm staying somewhere, but I promise I will as soon as I return. (Which shouldnt be that far away.) Anyway, please review and tell me if you think that was ok. I gotta admit, I'm not particularly happy about this chapter, I think I could have done better, but oh well...I'll pick up the pace on writing for you lot!