Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Author's Note: I got some questions about the ritual in the last chapter, so I thought I'd explain. Ok, so yes, Voldemort and Harry are now bound by what I'm calling a Blood Vow. It's an original idea, not in the books, but the idea was that it was like a stronger version of an Unbreakable Vow in which the person agreeing is somewhat enslaved to the asking person's will. Harry will still have conscious thought, and thus be a smartass, but he will still have to do Voldemort's bidding. If anyone has any further questions about that, feel free to ask.
Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Madeye Moody, Arthur Weasley, and several other members of the Order fought their way through the throng of Death Eaters. They all had one thing, and one thing only, on their minds. Find Harry. The Death Eaters seemed to be minor distractions that were easily eradicated. It was odd, Remus thought, that there weren't more Death Eaters around to protect their precious Dark Lord. For such a fearsome dark wizard he hides behind his followers a lot, Lupin thought sourly.
They were inside Malfoy Manor now. Remus wanted desperately to go ahead and look for Harry, but he knew it wouldn't be advisable. "Madeye? Where do you suppose he'd be keeping Harry? The cellar?" He asked.
"Well, let's ask someone, shall we?" Madeye said with an evil glint in his eye. He walked over to a door a little ahead of them and threw it open, dragging out a tall, thin boy with whitish blonde hair.
"Mr. Malfoy," Moody growled with a feral grin on his mutilated face. "I suppose you know where young Mr. Potter is?"
"No!" Malfoy squeaked out.
Moody frowned. "Perhaps a couple minutes as a ferret would jog your memory."
Draco paled further. "He-he's . . ." he trailed off. He wasn't sure who he was more afraid of, Madeye Moody or Voldemort?
Lupin stepped forward, putting a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Draco, let me put it this way. If you help us, you'll be much less likely to end up in Azkaban."
"He's in the cellar, but it's useless to try to get him. The Dark Lord's with him."
"Tonks, call for back-up. Get Dumbledore, we'll need him." Madeye growled.
The magenta-haired woman nodded and disapparated. The others headed for the cellar using the Point Me spell.
They were just reaching the door that led down to the cellar when there was a multitude of pops as more Order members apparated. Dumbledore appeared next to Lupin with a corresponding pop.
Together they descended the stairs into the dark room, afraid of what they might find.
What they found was a very amused looking Voldemort standing in the dimly lit room. At his feet was a black lump that after a moment Remus realized was Harry. He was still wearing his black school robes and a filthy white button-up shirt. Voldemort turned him over with his foot, a growl to erupt from Remus.
"Touch him again and I swear I'll rip your throat out."
Voldemort smirked and turned his gaze to Dumbledore.
"It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Albus." He said mockingly, repeating what Dumbledore had said at the Ministry. "It's comical, Albus, that it worked out exceptionally for me."
"Come now, Tom. Be reasonable. Do you honestly think you can fight all of us and keep us from taking Harry?"
"I have no doubt that I can, but I have no intention of fighting all of you." Voldemort replied.
Forty Death Eaters apparated into the room at that minute. The Order immediately attacked the Death Eaters, leaving a wide berth around Voldemort, Dumbledore and Harry, who was unconscious.
Dumbledore and Voldemort began circling around Harry, their eyes seeing nothing but each other.
"He hates you, you know." Voldemort taunted. "You manipulated him more than I did, and he trusts you. He broke Dumbledore. You are at fault. The Boy Who Lived is broken, not by me, but you."
"What is broken can be fixed with time."
"Not always, Dumbledore. Harry was broken by something much worse than torture. He was broken by the truth. I must admit, he lasted longer than I thought he would against the Mental Attacks."
Dumbledore paled.
"Oh, yes, Dumbledore. He couldn't hide anything from me. He hates you for not telling him about the Prophecy. I told him about it, the part I knew anyway. Though I doubt he'll remember what I told him, I had him under the Cruciatus Curse at the time."
"I'm sorry, Tom." Dumbledore said calmly.
"What?" Voldemort hissed.
"I failed you when you were my student. I am well of Harry's curiosity about the Dark Arts, I will not fail him as I failed you."
Voldemort sneered.
Dumbledore continued. "Arrogance will be the death of you, Tom. You thought it impossible to steal Harry from right under your nose, but it had been done."
And then Dumbledore and all of the Order were gone with a pop!
Remus stood in the shadowy corner. Dumbledore's instructions had been clear. Wait for an opening and get Harry to safety. He watched Voldemort insult Dumbledore but was mostly watching Harry, who had stirred slightly on the floor between them.
He prayed that Harry wasn't noticed and he wasn't. Remus saw an opening and took it. He muttered "Wingardium Leviosa!" and Harry rose a few inched off the floor and began to slowly drift toward Lupin. He knew at once Dumbledore had noticed, as his eyebrow rose slightly. Voldemort didn't notice. Remus dove the last few feet and apparated with Harry in his arms.
Remus slammed into the ground at the doorstep of the Order HQ. He quickly readjusted his hold on Harry and rushed into the house. Molly Weasley and Poppy Pomfrey were ready in Sirius' bedroom. Remus laid Harry down on the bed, worried.
Harry looked at hell.
He was white as a sheet and thin as a broomstick. He trembled and shivered as if he was freezing and he was covered in sweat. Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips as she felt his forehead and he jerked violently away from her touch. She muttered "tortured," and "fever," under her breath.
Harry refused water or food by turning his head away; he whimpered and flinched anytime someone touched him. Poppy waved her wand over Harry's head and muttered a spell. After a moment she stopped and sighed.
"Well, he's in a bad way, but if we can get him to eat and drink something, he should be all right. There doesn't seem to be any brain damage. He'll need plenty of rest and therapy—"
"Therapy?" Lupin asked.
Pomfrey sighed. "Yes, Remus. There was no brain damage but he was still tortured mercilessly for two weeks and who knows what else. He'll be needing help to get over that."
"Oh." Lupin said. "So what do we do now?"
"Now—we wait for him to wake up."
Do you hate me? Was I terrible to Harry? Well, it was necessary to the story, so oh well. Review! And as always thanks to all of you who are following my story. Over 3,000 hits since Sunday! I feel appreciated=D
Don't worry! Harry WILL recover . . . sort of. And yes, Harry is broken, but I didn't want to copy a bunch of other fanfics and have him just suddenly switch sides. I want to be a writer, so I need to have my own ideas established in my writing, not an overdone idea that everyone's already done. What's the fun in that?
Lol, if you bothered to even read up to this point than you are awesome.
I'll update tomorrow, if I can. Bye!