Chapter 31

A Different Headquarters

"Snape, you have not had the chance to play with our guest. Yes, I think a nice session together will do you some good. Let out some anger from his father and mother on the boy," Voldemort said happily.

"Will you not be watching, my lord?" Severus asked. Voldemort shook his head.

"I can not today. I am having a meeting with some of my dear friends the vampires. You will be updated later from Bella. Now go. Have your fun," he ordered with a trace of a smile on his lips.

Snape nodded and pretended to smile. Truthfully, he felt sick.

He curtly bowed to the dark lord and left the room, in hot pursuit for Potter.

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione sat quietly in Dumbledore's office. They had fought hard to be able to go on the mission to save Harry but were defeated by the headmaster. So here they were, sitting in his office and waiting to find out whether Harry was still alive or not.

Ginny sat in the corner by herself crying softly. She didn't know what to do. She felt pangs of guilt whenever someone would mention the incident and attack.

"So… umm… let's talk about something good okay? You know, to get our minds off of stuff," Ron suggested trying to sound happy. He was failing miserably.

No one said anything.

"Ron do you think he's okay?" Hermione asked quietly. She looked up and saw Ron holding back some of his own tears.

He looked at Hermione, "he's bloody Harry Potter. He'd better be alright."

Snape was walking straight past every death eater in the place. He was quietly keeping count in his mind.

16, 17, 18, 19, 20…

He was in front of a steel door now. He hoped that it was Potter's holding chamber. He silently opened the door and stood stark still at what he saw.

"Potter?"

"What is taking him so long?" Lily asked fervently. She was pacing the wooded area the order was hiding in.

"Stop before you run a hole in the ground, Lils," James said with a slight smile on his face. Lily turned to him and glared.

"Oh do shut up."

Dumbledore moved forward and addressed the group;

"Severus will alert us as soon as he has Harry. He will contact me using his legillmency skills. I trust him and he will do his best to save young Mr. Potter."

Everyone nodded at the old man. Sirius decided to try and lighten the mood.

"Anyone want to play this muggle card game?" Sirius said pulling out a deck of cards from his pocket.

"What game is that Padfoot?" Remus asked him amusedly.

Sirius looked up smiling like a maniac, "WAR!"

"Merlin," Snape muttered as he walked into the dark room. He didn't take his eyes off the boy shackled to the stone wall before him.

Severus kneeled down and took in Harry's appearance. He looked much worse for wear. In the course of a little longer than a week, Harry Potter had gone from star quidditch player back to the thin helpless boy he was at the age of 11.

He had lost most of his muscle that he had achieved from quidditch games and practices, training, and his morning running sessions. His face was gaunt and pale like the rest of his body and his clothes were torn and hung off of him like a coat on a hanger. From the looks of it, his arms seemed to be dislocated and he was covered in cuts and bruises.

"Potter, I need you to wake up for me. Do it now Potter," Severus ordered him. There was no response.

"Potter open your eyes!" he ordered more forcefully. Slowly but surely, Harry's eyes came open and Snape was shocked to see the green emeralds he had as eyes dull, dead, and what shocked him most was the defeat in them.

"Another one? Don't you people get bored," Harry said hoarsely not bothering to look up.

"It's me Potter, your potions professor. I'm here to take you back to Hogwarts but I need you to be quiet, everyone is out in the forest and their ready to take you back okay? I need you to cooperate," he whispered carefully. Harry made no acknowledgment but the potions master knew he heard.

Snape took the shackles off his arms and tried his best to bring the boys arms into their sockets. He watched as the boy winced but didn't yell or complain.

The professor picked Harry up off the ground and felt sick as he felt the boy lean into him. He could hardly feel his weight and thought he may weigh less than his young girlfriend.

"Hold on now Potter, I have to contact Dumbledore," Severus said. Harry nodded and stood there with his eyes half closed.

"Albus, I have him. You need to hurry and get him out. He looks worse than we would have thought," Severus said in his mind.

"I understand Severus. We will be coming in right about… now."

Just as the headmaster said those words in Snape's mind, yells of spells and hexes could be heard from the hallway before them.

"Okay, let's go Potter. The portkey activates in eight minutes. We will have to find our group of Order members and they will come a long with us. I need you to stay low over here. I need to go put up my act," Snape told Harry. He set the boy down in a dark corner where he blended.

Snape, using his wand, changed into his death eater clothing and ran into the battle before him.

Harry was having trouble comprehending what was going on. His mind was reeling with thoughts and images that he wasn't quite sure what to do.

He was sitting in darkness. Snape had leant him against a wall and seeing as Harry had no strength left in him, he made no effort to move at all. His eyes were growing heavy and Harry could feel his heart beating slower then faster then slower.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

James was fighting furiously. He was getting worried now that he couldn't find Severus or Harry.

He could see Lily's auburn hair through the crowd of Order members and death eaters and he let out a sigh of relief as he knew she was okay.

Suddenly, someone seized James shoulder and shoved him back. He reacted quickly as he fell into another dark corner and put his wand to the death eater's throat.

"Potter, put your wand down," someone said from behind the mask. James knew the voice and brought his wand to his side.

"Snivellus, where is Harry?!" he roared. He didn't care if anyone noticed them he wanted his son back.

"I had to hide him! He's in a corner! It's dark so hopefully they won't see him," Snape whispered. James nodded and walked out of the corner and ran looking for the 16 year old boy.

"Harry Potter, this is an interesting place to meet don't you agree?" Lucius Malfoy said silkily to Harry who was looking up at him on the ground.

Harry felt a chill go up his spine as Lucius brought him up from the ground. Two other death eater's came up behind him and Harry knew from the start that Bellatrix and Dolores Umbridge.

"Potty-wotty boy got no one with him… aww. He's all alone poor baby," Bellatrix said in her baby voice. Harry felt anger run through him as she told him he was alone.

Lucius still had a firm grab on his arm and was pulling him down a hallway now. They were still close to the fight and Harry could see the Order members like Kingsley fighting vigorously against other death eater's.

"You will fight like a man Potter, face your fate," Lucius said pushing Harry forward into a room. The torches immediately flickered on and Voldemort came into view from across the room.

Harry's eyes grew wide with fear and he felt his heart beating faster once again. His breathe was shaky and ragged and he felt as if he had been punched in the chest by one of Ginny's older brothers.

Voldemort threw Harry's wand to him and smiled pulling his own out in front of him and standing in the dueling position.

"And now we duel," he said smoothly.

"LILY!" James yelled trying to get her away from dueling. She looked at him briefly and ran from the battle.

"What? Have you found him?" she asked desperately panting as she spoke.

James shook his head fearfully, "no but I did see some death eater's huddled up. We should check."

Lily nodded and followed James quietly down the halls. They could hear cackling death eaters.

James turned to his young wife and took a deep breathe.

"Okay Lily, I think Harry is behind that door where their all standing. We'll have to cut them down one by one to get to him. Be careful," James kissed her on the cheek and she smiled.

"Let's get our son back."

Harry was petrified but he didn't let Voldemort know that. His face was emotionless and he was concentrating on the task at hand.

"Crucio."

Harry dodged the spell weakly and it narrowly missed him. Spell after spell Harry tried to conserve his strength by merely moving aside and the tactic was working.

"Crucio!" Voldemort yelled exasperated.

The spell this time hit Harry on his arm he fell to the ground in excruciating pain. As soon as it started, it stopped. He was on his knees now and Harry could see the dark lords flowing robes come to a stop above him.

"There are times in life Mr. Potter where we must make a choice," Voldemort said smoothly looking at Harry, "that choice decides our future. You can choice the side of light or good where you will fight for what's right and probably die trying or you can choice the side of darkness. The side of darkness you achieve power, immortality, and you can instill fear in people. As you can see I have chosen the dark side but you, Harry Potter; you chose the light and here is what happens to those who try to betray the dark; who try to beat me at my own game. Prepare to die, Harry and be happy that it happened now rather than later."

Harry looked up at him panting for breathe and saw a gleaming sword in his hands.

"Goodbye Harry Potter," he said before plunging the sword into Harry's stomach.

He didn't quite know what hit him. It was an odd sensation he got from the bout of silver in his stomach. He felt himself gasping for breathe but he felt calmer; more content than he had in weeks.

He looked up and the green met red. Voldemort smiled his evil smile and watched as Harry fell to his side with his eyes closed.