Chapter Twenty Two: In The Graveyard:

Harry could not believe that another school year had gone by so fast. He had learned so much this year from Occulumency and advanced defense to finding out the joys of having a girlfriend. He really liked Luna, she was sweet, smart and funny all rolled into one and he liked studying with her as she was really very smart. The only thing that marred the year was Draco Malfoy dating Ginny. Though he treated Ginny like a queen Harry didn't like it at all. Bill may have given his consent but that did not mean his brothers (this did include Harry) had to like it at all. Harry could not even prank Draco as if he did he would be in serious trouble with Moody and he felt that was not fair! However he did not want a sore rear so he behaved around Draco.

It was now nearing summer and it was harder to study with the last task almost upon them and the warm June days having him longing to be outside in most of his classes. It didn't help that homework was still piled on them and they had a lot of studying to do so that their free time was limited. Harry knew it was going to get even harder next year as he was going to prepare for his OWLS. He did feel a bit better when Remus pulled him aside and said he was almost ready to take his Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL. Neville was turning out to be one of the best Herbologist in training and could be found many days with professor Sprout up to his elbows in dirt enjoying working with the various plants she let him tend with her. Ron and Hermione continued to alternately have fights and get back together once a week and Harry found this more amusing than anything.

The date of the last task finally came and Harry along with the rest of the school headed to the Quidditch field to watch the final task. Harry was not amused it was divided up into a hedge maze as it was a sacred space for him so to speak. He sat down by Luna and glared at Draco as he took a seat with Ginny a few rows in front of him. Fred and George sat down near Draco and Ginny shot them a deadly glare as if to dare them to say anything. Sirius sat down by Harry looking very content and a bit too happy. Harry knew Sirius had done something he should not have and sure enough Severus Snape stormed up and glared at Sirius.

"Sir what did he do to you?" Harry asked Snape who turned and gave Harry a look he could not read fully. "I mean I know him pretty well now, he did something didn't he?"

"He managed to slip a sweet into my afternoon tea." Snape said now glaring at the twins.

"Canary crème sir?" Fred said looking at Sirius.

"Uncle Siri mate you were not suppose to use those on professor Snape!" George replied.

"Yea he is off limits"

"He is the best"

"Most wonderful"

"Greatest potions master ever!" George finished.

"Um well that was for Minerva I swear!" Sirius said going for a winning grin.

"I will deal with you later." Snape said then to the twins. "Five points each from Gryffindor for letting him have one of your canary crèmes and a weeks detention!"

"Yes sir." The twins said as he walked away in a billow of black robes.

"Could be worse." Fred said.

"Worse?" Ron said, "you have detention with Snape!"

"Well he could have written mum, he never has before and I don't want him starting." George replied.

"What your mum would kill you?" Draco said.

"Yea, she likes Professor Snape more than us…"

"..said we ever get a letter from him…"

"…she will turn us to blackened dust…"

"Nice, real nice." Draco said smirking.

Harry saw the contestants head onto the field and to the entrance to the maze. He was too busy enjoying the third task that he did not notice a tiny bug land on his shoulder and stay there. This was Rita Skeeter in her animal form. No-one knew she was an Animagmus, as she was unregistered. She had used this form all year to get stories on staff and students alike and realized she could get a good story on Harry if she stayed here. He had refused her interview and so she was going to find something on him to make him realize she was not to be messed with. Harry sat back to watch the last task and enjoyed every minute of it. In the end Cedric came out of the maze with the cup and was declared the winner.

Harry would never make it to the celebrations that evening. As he was heading back to the school a figure was waiting for him on the edge of the forest. It was a death eater and he charged and had Harry before anyone could do anything. Harry fought and struggled but the death eater took out an object and whisked them away. The hue and cry went up as there had been at least fifty witnesses to this appalling act. In the meantime Harry found himself unable to move as he was zooming along via portkey. He forced himself to relax enough to keep his wits about him and when the ride was over he managed to get out of the death eater's hands and turned wand out to fight back. He may have been brave and well trained but he did not stand a chance as the death eater before him was stronger, older and fully trained.

"Get the hell away from me!" Harry shouted at the hooded creature before him.

"Disarm the brat!" Came a high cold voice Harry knew from his dreams to be that of Voldemort.

"Hold still you!" The death eater snarled, he managed to get Harry's wand but Harry was not going down that quickly.

Harry looked around quickly and saw he was in an ancient graveyard with large old tombstones. He could see a decaying pile of stones that had once been a grand manor house but no houses other than that for a long way around. He ducked behind a headstone as the death eater swore and tried to fight back the best he could. In the end he was immobilized, drug to a tombstone and bound roughly to it. He tried to curse and shout but could only glare in defiance at the man before him. He watched helpless as the man drug a cauldron to the grave and put it over it. He lit a fire under it and went and grabbed a bundle that he carried lovingly over to the cauldron. He removed the robes and Harry gasped in shock at the thing in the robes. It was shaped like a human child but was red and raw, much as he would have expected a demon to look.

Harry watched as the man threw back his hood and Harry saw Barty Crouch Jr. He was suppose to be dead but somehow he had survived and was here brining his master back to full strength. Harry watched and listened as the evil ceremony was conducted. When Crouch cut his arm he wanted to spit and curse him, when Harry saw Crouch cut off his own hand and let it drop in the cauldron where Voldemort was now resting Harry hoped he would bleed to death. There was a bright light, a flash then slowly a tall thin pure white man emerged from the cauldron. At once Crouch was there to robe his master and help him from the cauldron.

"Master I am sorry it took so long." Crouch said.

"Yes you are loyal, and the only one here so far." Voldemort said. "Let me see your arm Barty."

"Here master." Crouch said holding out his left arm.

"No reward first, you have done so much for me." Voldemort said creating a new silver hand for Crouch and attaching it to his wrist. He then pressed his finger against Crouch's mark which began to glow red. "I wonder how many will show up now they know I am back, besides Lucius?"

Harry could not do anything, he had been bound too tightly to the headstone, he knew there was a very good chance he was going to die but he did not plan on going out with out a fight. He still could not speak, if he could he would curse out Voldemort for what he was doing now. He watched as one by one death eaters arrived with a pop and one by one went up to Voldemort and fell before him and kissed the hem of his robe. They got up and stood in a half circle around Voldemort. He looked as if he expected more and was about to speak to his death eaters when there was one more lone figure that came up. He was unmasked and Harry saw it was Karkaroff coming forward. He knelt before Voldemort who looked at him with barely contained fury.

"You dare come here?" Voldemort hissed at him. "You betrayed me!"

"I know master, I did not come for forgiveness." Karkaroff said. "Severus is still loyal master."

"I should believe you of all people?" Voldemort said coldly.

"I have proof of his loyalty, he spoke to Lucius in the forest, I heard them talk. Severus is frantic to come to you master." Karkaroff said.

"Why does he not come?" Voldemort asked.

"He has a plan master." Karkaroff said and seeing Harry he paused for a moment. "Is it wise for me to speak in that brat's presence?"

"Yes, he will be dead soon enough." Voldemort said coldly. "Go on."

"Severus treads a thin line with the headmaster of Hogwarts master." Karkaroff said. "He knows he will for a short time more needs the protection of Dumbledore. He will come master."

"I see, yes there is truth in your mind of these words." Voldemort said. "You were wise to come to me, I will show mercy this time only. Your death with be painless."

"I am not worthy of your mercy." Karkaroff said. "I do not deserve a painless death."

"Yes well Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort said.

Harry watched the green light he had seen in so many of his nightmares hit Karkaroff in his chest. Then he fell to the ground dead and the other death eaters moved away from his body. Harry was scared and angry at the same time, and he was focusing hard on getting away as Voldemort droned on and on about himself and how he had escaped death. He should have paid better attention to Harry as Harry was concentrating on using wand-less magic to get out of the ropes. Finally he managed to get out of them and threw the filthy rag Crouch had shoved in his mouth. To say Harry was ticked off would not do it justice, he had a very good idea he was going to die here but it would be on his terms. He made a show of brushing off his robes as Voldemort turned to him to see instead of a scared tied up teen a ticked off untied teen brushing off his robes.

"Clever little boy aren't you Harry?" Voldemort hissed.

"Put a sock in it Voldemort." Harry said feeling very scared and brave at the same time.

"How dare you…"

"You killed my parents, tried to kill me and you dare to say how dare you?" Harry said, death was for some reason looking funny right now. "You know for coming back you came back really ugly."

"You insolent brat!" Lucius said storming up his cane raised to hit Harry. He was waved off by Voldemort who was circling Harry.

"Ah so foolish to stand up to me Harry, I now share the same power that once protected you from my touch." Here he reached out to touch Harry who shoved his arm away. "Ah I see you need to be taught a lesson before I kill you."

Harry knew what was coming, he knew there was not much to brace himself for what Voldemort was going to do. Still he was going to stay defiant even as he was tortured. Voldemort raised his wand and shot a Crucio curse at Harry who fell to his knees and clenched his jaw shut so hard so that he would not scream in pain. He wanted to scream the pain was so bad but his pride and anger would not let him. Voldemort was beside himself with rage, how dare this insolent boy not cry out! He knew he had to finish this boy off and he would give the brat a chance to stand and face him. He could not let it be said he did not let the brat-who-lived defend himself. He left off the curse and threw Harry's wand at him. Harry grabbed it and stood up his green eyes blazing with rage.

"That hurt less than looking at your ugly face." Harry said. "No wonder your mother died after you were born."

"How dare you!" Voldemort hissed his rage was boiling over.

"Yea well you were stupid enough to kill my parents snake-face." Harry snarled.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Both spells hit each other at the same time and something happened that neither Harry or Voldemort was expecting. The spells connected and an arc of light surrounded the duelist, they were carried away from the death eaters to land between two gravestones. Harry began to concentrate like he never had and beads of light that had been headed towards his wand headed back to Voldemort's wand. Once the first bead of light went into Voldemort's wand a ghostly figure that was Karkaroff came out of the wand. Then the new hand of Crouch and Harry knew who would be next and he was right, first his mother stepped out then his father.

"Hang on for a minute more Harry." James said.

"When we say now, let go and get the portkey and head back to Hogwarts." Lily said.

"Mum dad, I can't, have to kill him!" Harry said.

"No son, not today, you will get your chance." James said.

"Now Harry!" Lily said.

Harry broke the connection and ran from Voldemort. He aimed his wand at Crouch who gave out a shout of surprise as Harry summoned him to him. He stupefied him, took out the portkey and at once headed back to Hogwarts. He landed with a bump on the lawn of the school and strong hands helped him up, he looked up to see Moody standing over him. Moody quickly searched Crouch, bound his hands behind him and woke him up. Snape came up at that time and Harry glared at him, what he had heard from Karkaroff fresh in his mind.

"Voldemort is back." Harry said. "But I am sure you knew that sir."

"Not here Mr. Potter, inside, the headmasters office." Snape said then lower so that Harry could only hear "yes I know he is back, and you know why now, I bear the evil mark."

"I don't trust you." Harry hissed back.

"Very wise, I am very dangerous and do not want your trust." Snape said then louder, "come Potter cannot have you out here were you are clearly in danger can we?"

Harry followed Snape into the school and up to the headmasters office. His whole body ached, he had just seen his first murder and Snape was acting strange. How much stranger was his night to get?

Yea I see Harry acting this way in the graveyard. Sure he is scared, no terrified is more like it, however he decided (as I would) to go down on his own terms. To me that is true bravery in what he did.

I want to thank all who have reviewed so far: Tumshie, The Geeky Quill, graypheonix, Lady Clark-Weasley of Books, JWOHPfan, AllMightyPen, DeliaDee, Rainbow2007, Charcoal Hunter Winston, danielle72679, HarrySirius Fan, Auralia Mortimer, world peace, kloette, excessivelyperky, Blueowl, Tristan Cartier, Frost Merry Darkness Luver, miss sophie potter, Black Dragin, jabarber69, murdrax, panther73110, tlfsjs, Novice91, 808Gansta-bookworm, cyiusblack.