Chapter 9: From the Other Side

I surveyed the battle from the safety of Nagini's mind. She is the perfect spy, able to move quickly and precisely, going unnoticed on the ground, completely loyal, deadly. If only all my Death Eaters could be like her. What an optimistic thought. How unbecoming for one as powerful as I.

I knew my plan was ingenious the moment of its conception. Wormtail has been an incredible asset by giving us information. Lucky for him. If the bumbling fool hadn't proven useful, I would have killed him. Unfortunately, the old man was the Secret Keeper and Wormtail wasn't able to divulge the location of the Order of the Phoenix's base. So, I began trying to find my way around it. That's when I thought of the dementors. They could follow Wormtail's emotions straight to the Order. To be especially sure, Wormtail could be in his rat form to create more ambiguity in the charm. Ambiguity is key to breaking any spell. Once the dementors attacked, my Death Eaters would be able to step in.

And so the siege began. The dementors drew the Order into battle, drawing on all their hopeful, happy feelings. Disgusting. Then my Death Eaters joined the onslaught. How simple it was for them, especially since the dementors agreed not to prey on them. Not even the magnificent Dumbledore was able to slow the onslaught. It would take a Patronus from a young, healthy wizard that has the skill level of one such as me to drive back the dementors at that point.

My Death Eaters began moving in for the kills. The dementors reached for their hoods. I could taste the blood in the air because of my connection to Nagini.

Suddenly, a white light blinded me. It was so bright that I found myself blinking and clutching my own eyes. Quickly snarling a spell to clear the sun spots from my vision, I went back into Nagini's mind to discover what happened. Unfortunately, she did not have the luxury of eyelids and was still blinded. Cursing, I Apparated to her side.

"Don't worry, my darling," I crooned to her, gently stroking her scales, "I will heal you."

"You should not be here, master."

"I have to be here to kill whoever did this to you."

As I said this, I peered out of the dark shadows I had appeared in. To my surprise, the dementors were leaving in droves.

"What are you doing?" I screamed at them, "Get back and fight!"

In answer, one pointed its decaying hand at one of the Patronuses that still retained form. A stag. It charged at a group of nearly twenty dementors that had surrounded Dumbledore. His ocelot Patronus was weakening. Then the stag bounded in front of him. It reared and brought down its hooves, creating a massive shockwave that threw all the dementors back.

I watched in horror as the stag repeated this over and over until every last dementor had retreated. I watched as it galloped back towards the tree line, prancing in a way that seemed almost to mock the dementors it had just defeated. I watched as it stood at the side of a man with unruly black hair. I watched as a red-headed woman came to his other side and placed her hand on his shoulder. I watched his Patronus vanish as he hurtled into the battle. I watched as Death Eater after Death Eater fell by his wand. I watched as the woman slowly wandered closer to my hiding spot. I watched my chance for revenge appear.

I took it.

"Crucio!" I threw back my head and laughed in rapture from her screams. Ecstacy settled in as I lifted the curse and saw her panting on the ground, clutching her slightly rounded abdomen. I could kill two pieces of scum with one curse. My hand shook in anticipation as I tortured her again. Just killing them would not do, though, not after all the Mudblood and her blood-traitor husband did to me and my forces.

"Imperio!"

Pathetic Mudblood. I will kill you and your filthy half-blood spawn. Now, bow before me!

NO!

Something hurled me backwards and I landed indignantly on the ground, much to my own embarrassment. There he was, standing over me. The man who conjured the stag Patronus. The man who single-handedly defeated a large portion of my Death Eaters. The man whose wife I has just tortured. The man who had ruined my plans a total of three times now.

James Potter.

He charged at me much in the same way his Patronus charged at the dementors. To think that all this time, Potter had such great power. I could feel it radiating from him, strengthened by his fury. His strong Occulmency shields couldn't hide it, so great was his rage.

His wife, the Mudblood, Lily Potter, too, was strong. If only she weren't contaminated, she would make a marvelous Death Eater. She had such a powerful resistance to my curse. Surely a child such as theirs will have great power. Which is why the child must die.

So distracted was I in my musing that I presented a weakness, which Potter took advantage of by raising his wand to my chest.

"You win, for now," I growled and Disapparated.

Safe in my quarters from any prying eyes or ears, I let myself get carried away in my anger. But, once my temper was satisfied, my mind immediately buzzed with questions.

Why, now, do I recall a male voice resisting me when I was controlling the Mudblood? It couldn't have been...the child? Yes, it was, there is no other explanation. I hurled a table at the wall in my renewed frustration.

"It will do you no good to sit here and stew. You should finish what you started while you have the chance."

"How did you get here, Nagini?"

"I have my ways."

"Why are you here?"

"To comfort you so you may think clearly again,"

"That's the problem. I am thinking clearly. I've found a new, powerful enemy who fights me from the womb. Potter revealed his true power. To top it off, he and his wife escaped again. That is the third time they have defied-"

No. It couldn't be...

"Fetch me Wormtail and Snape."

The cringing fool entered, followed by Snape, the picture of calm.

"Wormtail!" I barked. His tremors increased violently as I addressed him. "When is the Potter's child due to be born?"

Snape cocked an unconcerned eyebrow while Wormtail nearly fainted in surprise and relief. "Early August or late July, m'Lord."

"Why are you concerned, master?" Snape asked in a curious tone. I gazed into him and saw that he had already pieced together my thoughts.

"You know why, Severus."

"What do you wish to do?"

"For now, we will bide our time, at least until the Potter child is born. Tell the Death Eaters to do as they wish for now, but keep it covert."

"Yes m'Lord," they murmured as they bowed out of the room.

I crossed the room to my desk where a plethora of documents lay strewn about. The top ones were profiles on Frank and Alice Longbottom. I burned them all, save for one.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..."

Too bad you will not live long, young Potter.