Thank you for reading this story and thank you for waiting so long for an update. Thank you for every review. Killinguwithumbrellas, Raine

Harry Potter and the Trip to the Past

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Chapter – 27

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Draco stepped out of the Hogwarts Express along with his Slytherins friends and saw his mother waiting for him. He had had a strange third year so far and he did not know what to make of it. His feelings towards his parents, especially his father was turbulent and he had already decided to betray any confidential information he might receive, to Harry. When ever he thought of his spy job as he called it in his mind, Draco would feel a thrill going through him, along with a good measure of fear and a sense of betrayal to his family, who he knew loved him very much. He was determined to do something, in the holidays; perhaps, he thought he may be able to even actively tackle his mother; his father, he knew, would be difficult, he would get suspicious, and he did not want his father to read his mind. That scared him more than anything.

He had been startled when Harry first spoke of Occlumency, but was sure, that his father would know it because Occlumency would give him a tremendous advantage against his opponents. His mother might be easier to deal with, he thought clutching the bag in his hand a little more tightly. If Bellatrix had contacted his mother or father… Draco's thoughts stopped at that point and he could not stop the tremble that went through his body, thinking about it, knowing the consequences they would face if the Ministry ever found out that the Malfoys were giving shelter to a witch for whom there was a man hunt on in the Wizarding World and the muggle world.

The Ministry had given information about her in some TV thing in the muggle world too, asking people to inform authority if they saw her or knew about her whereabouts. But there was nothing until now. It was as if Bellatrix was dead or simply vanished off the face of the earth. Draco very much hoped she was. That would give him a lot of relief, but walking behind his mother out of the barrier, he was not so sure.

Narcissa had not spoken a word to Draco apart from a general enquiry and Draco was feeling more and more suspicious by the minute. He was sure that his parents knew something about Bellatrix and another thrill of fear went down his spine.

They had crossed the barrier and were now walking to an expensive car that was fitted with magic. Narcissa got in behind the wheel and Draco got in beside her.

'Mother!' he asked, 'You are so quiet. Are you well?'

Narcissa smiled at him, deftly steering her car out of the parking lot and did not reply until they were out of the station and onto the roads. A few minutes later, Narcissa jumped like the Knight's Bus and was in the countryside, outside London. Then she looked at Draco, no expression on her face.

'I am well Draco. How was your School? What news do you have for me, love?' she asked, jumping once again and entering the Wiltshire County.

'Nothing mother. The whole School is still talking about Aunt Bellatrix's escape. I wonder what happened to her. Is she even alive or dead, I wonder, don't you?' Draco told her, watching her closely for her reaction. Narcissa stopped smiling and her hands tightened around the wheel and she suddenly stepped on the accelerator and the car which was already going very fast, now simply zoomed as Narcissa took a turning at an alarming pace.

'Mother!' he shouted, turning pale. 'What happened to you? Why are you driving so fast? Slow down.' He shrieked the last two words, as Narcissa took another corner of a narrow lane on two wheels. He shouted again, asking her to slow down, and Narcissa took a deep breath and slowed down marginally, suddenly jumping to the corner of their lane and Draco slowly calmed down. He could just see the Manor in the distance. He fell silent, trying to process what had happened, his heart beating very fast.

Narcissa knew something. He was sure of that. The moment he had asked about Bellatrix she had reacted very sharply and guiltily, as if she knew exactly where Bellatrix was and how she was. Draco was suddenly angry. His mother was knew something about Bellatrix. What did she know and was it because she knew something that she was scared?

Draco also realised another thing. This was a dangerous job and he also understood why Harry had told him to be cautious and why Harry had made sure that they would not be seen to be outwardly friendly with each other. He did not say another word as the beautiful car rolled into the equally beautiful and ostentatious Manor.

Narcissa brought the car to a halt with a loud screech in front of the main doors and Draco stepped out, even as a house elf popped out to them to take Draco's trunk. Draco followed his mother silently into the huge, but elegant Manor and flopped onto a comfortable sofa. Narcissa smiled at him as she sat down too in front of him and watched him with affection, softening the strain on her face.

A few minutes later after an elf brought a steaming cup of Hot Chocolate and Draco slowly sipped the hot drink, all the while racking his brains to ask something about Bellatrix that would not set his mother off again. But there was no need as Narcissa herself opened the subject of the escaped convict of his aunt.

'Draco,' she began softly, her face smooth and a small smile around her lips; she could not conceal the tension around her eyes though, and Draco noticed that his mother was trying her best to appear as normal as she usually was, but there was nevertheless something odd about her. He waited for her to continue.

'You know your aunt has escaped from Azkaban. But my love; we have nothing, nothing Draco to do with it. Bellatrix may be dead for all we know because she was convicted as a death eater and was in Azkaban for almost thirteen years before she escaped, Merlin only knows how she did and where she is now. After her escape there has been nothing; no trace of her; it is as if she disappeared into nothing Draco. My own personal opinion is that my sister is no more. She is dead.'

Narcissa finished speaking in the same even, soft tone and looked at Draco with affection and love and just a touch of anxiety on her beautiful face. Draco, on his part stared at her and tried to understand all that she said. After a moment he spoke as softly as she did his grey eyes on his mother's face.

"The Gryffindors hope she is dead. They also say father was a death eater too, and that he should be in prison.' He said abruptly. 'They talk badly of the Dark Lord and our family.'

Narcissa gasped and paled, closing her eyes and it looked to Draco that she would faint, so pale she had become, but she opened her eyes and started to speak softly, when Lucius entered the room, speaking for her. 'The Dark Lord was misunderstood, Draco. He had a glorious vision for the Wizarding World and it was the saddest day when he was defeated by Harry Potter. But the Dark Lord is not dead, Draco; he will rise once again, and then the Wizarding World will be set to rights. But no more of all this; how have you been?' he asked, sitting down next to his son, with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

'I am fine Father. It is just that everyone especially that squib Longbottom and the other Gryffindors sometimes annoy me about our Aunt.' He answered and turned to his mother, who was now looking anxiously at Lucius, 'Why don't we search for her on our own Mother? If we are able to find her and if she's alive, then it'll be nice won't it?' he added as innocently as he could and to his shock he saw his mother's startled expression and her eyes move to a point beyond him. Draco almost turned around to look behind him and it was only with great control that he desisted.

And then Draco received his answers, even though his parents did not say a word. His Aunt was in the Manor. Actually in the Manor. His parents were giving her shelter and hiding a criminal in their house. Draco suddenly wanted to run away from there. He was very scared, no terrified.

'Draco, we will indeed not find her. She was imprisoned in Azkaban and has escaped. The Ministry is watching us, because I am Aunt Bellatrix's sister and I was very close with her before her imprisonment. But today we have to take a different stance. We cannot be seen as sympathizing with your Aunt, because,' her voice dipped down into a harsh and tense whisper, her eyes once again glancing swiftly towards where the way to the dungeons were, beyond Draco, before she continued, 'of the Dark Lord. You understand?' Narcissa was now gazing intensely into Draco's eyes and he shifted uncomfortably on his seat.

'Draco, answer me!' Narcissa sounded stern, stunning Draco who had never been spoken to like that. He nodded obediently and then asked his father. 'Why did you not come to King's Cross, Father?'

'I am brewing some very rare potions; a research almost. I happened to come across an old potions book and I am experimenting. I could not leave the potion and come to the station with Mother. I have to go back now; else the potion may be ruined.' He smiled and stood up, 'Draco, I also want you to stay out of the dungeons.' Seeing Draco's startled look, Lucius said, 'The potions I am brewing are also very explosive; I am constantly working with a shield, and I have hurt myself a couple of times already. I would not wish you to venture down and get hurt. Do you understand?'

Draco understood. That was an order and he would do well to obey it. He nodded and saw his father smile at him and nodding to Narcissa, Lucius went off again, in the direction of the dungeons. Narcissa moved across and sat down with Draco, her hands slowly stroking his hair that was so like hers. Draco leaned into her touch for a moment and then turned to stare at her and then with a small smile he stood up.

'I am tired, Mother.' He said simply, just wanting to get out of there.

'Of course, you are darling.' She said indulgently. 'Go on to your room and relax. We will talk later.' Draco nodded and walked swiftly to his room, his head swimming with all that he had heard. He reached his room and slammed the door shut and flopped on the sofa that was placed near the fireplace in what was an enormous room. He simply sat there for a while and then started recollecting his thoughts which seemed to have just died, with all that he had heard today. He thought of writing to Harry but something told him that was not a good idea.

Could he try and search the house and find anything, he wondered and then shivered at the thought. But what could he find; only Bellatrix and if he saw her, she would not let him go back to school, he was sure of that. He trembled at that thought as well; the thought of staying here, a prisoner like Bellatrix had been, was simply not worth it, he concluded. He decided he would not go Bellatrix hunting. If he got caught, that would be the end of his life, and Draco did not want his life to end so quickly. But what else could he do? After some more thinking, Draco miserably concluded, he could do nothing. All he could do was to gather as much information as he could and hand it over to Harry. On that depressing note Draco got up to wash.

The whole holidays sped by without Draco finding out about anything. He did try to talk about Bellatrix as much as he could, trying to sound curious and amazed that she could escape Azkaban and still be free, but his parents did not rise to the bait. His father was seldom out of the dungeons and had placed wards at the entrance so that no one could accidentally enter. Draco had tried to tiptoe into the dungeons, but was pushed back by a powerful ward and after that did not dare try again.

He never heard the name of Bellatrix mentioned again by his mother or father, except when he did and even then, they showed no interest. Soon, it was time to leave for School and Draco had discovered nothing. They were at dinner; the three of them the night before Draco was to leave for Hogwarts and Lucius was in his most relaxed manner. Draco felt that both his parents were very eager to send him back to School and felt slightly resentful about it, but since he too, wanted to escape the atmosphere that was very normal on the outside, but with a tension beneath the surface, he did not mind it too much.

'So Draco, all set to get back to School?' asked Lucius, smiling at him.

'Yes father.' Draco replied.

'Father!' he said after a moment. 'I have hardly seen you all these holidays. You were always down in the dungeons. Could you not have allowed me to help? I am decent at Potions, you know!' he finished slightly indignantly.

Lucius Malfoy looked startled for a second and glanced quickly at Narcissa. 'Those are not Potions that you can help with Draco. You know that. Otherwise I would have let you. Now, finish your dinner. You may help me, if you like when you're grown up, though.' He finished a wealth of meaning in his voice. Draco did not understand, but he assumed it was not something his mother approved, for she was frowning, though her face smoothed out almost at once. Draco did not say another word.

The next day, Draco was seen off at Platform 9 and ¾ by his mother, who kissed him hurriedly, and apparated back almost at once, stopping only to caution him to be careful. His father had spoken to him in the morning, excusing himself from accompanying Draco to the station, saying his potions needed attention. Draco waited until his mother apparated from the platform and slowly looked around. He spotted Harry almost immediately with his guardians and turned away. He walked swiftly to the train, knowing that he must wait until that night to meet Harry.

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Harry spent the holidays restlessly. He had invited Ron, Ginny, Neville and the Twins to spend a week or so after Christmas day with him at Grimmauld place and they had all come. Sirius had been ecstatic that Harry had not invited Draco and he was making friends with Gryffindors. Remus and Sirius got together and gave Harry and his friends a wonderful holiday, filled with pranks. Even Hermione got used to her body changing shape and colour or something outrageous happening at odd times. Harry joined in the fun, but his heart was really not in it. He kept looking for letters from Draco, and every morning, when the owl post would come, he would get all tensed up. But he never received a note even.

By the time the holidays were at an end, Harry was desperate to leave and get some information about Bellatrix. He bid goodbye to Sirius and Remus quite happily and walked along with the others and spotted Draco walking quite alone a little ahead of him. Harry had not noticed him arriving and he wondered if Lucius Malfoy had come with Draco or if only his mother had dropped him off.

Harry and the others got into the train and selected a compartment and sat down. Draco did not come and Harry spent the whole journey wondering about Draco and whether he would have any news.

They reached Hogwarts and went to the Great Hall. It was bitterly cold and Harry and the others were glad to get inside. It was warm inside the Great Hall and Harry heaved a sigh of relief, when someone banged into him, slipping a small piece of parchment into his hands and going away. It was Draco, who turned and smirked at him and walked to the Slytherins tables with Crabbe and Goyle, lumbering in his wake.

Harry pocketed the paper, not noticing that Dumbledore, who was watching him, also noticed Draco's actions and so did Snape. Snape was not disturbed; he knew about Draco, but Dumbledore was puzzled and a bit worried. He frowned a bit and looked on. Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table, sat down and looked at the Head Table and smiled at Dumbledore and Snape. Dumbledore smiled back, but his eyes were cautious. Snape glared at Harry and deliberately turned his head away, towards the Slytherins tables.

In the middle of dinner, Harry slowly took out the piece of paper and saw that Draco had asked him to come to the usual classroom at night. He told Hermione and Neville and showed them the paper. Dumbledore saw that and was even more puzzled, but the worry left him, when he learned that Harry was sharing it with Hermione and Neville.

Harry had decided to go alone. If Draco had something sensitive to tell him, then he felt it would better if Neville and Hermione were not there; Draco would loosen up if they were alone.

After the meeting, Harry was glad he had gone alone. Draco had literally begged him to do nothing about the information he gave Harry and told him to tell no one, not even Hermione and Neville. Harry reluctantly promised, seeing no way out of it.

'You will not tell Black will you? Or Dumbledore?' Draco asked for the tenth time anxiously, after telling Harry everything, he knew and suspected.

'No, I won't Draco. Relax, will you?' Harry reassured him for the hundredth time and sent him off to the dungeons, before setting off to the tower himself.

Harry met with Snape later in the week, when Snape gave him a detention. Snape had no news and Harry gave him his.

'Are you quite foolish Potter? Merlin alone known what weird potions they are making. It could be something to resurrect the Dark Lord. Allow me to tell Dumbledore, you dunderhead! And Lestrange is there at the Manor. We can capture her and give her the kiss.' Snape was furious and he stood up from his chair when Harry told him all that Draco said, but told him that he could not act on that information.

'Snape, understand. No one has been to the house. Only Draco and if you or Dumbledore and the Order or the aurors go storming, Draco would be caught. Bellatrix would probably escape before we can enter the Manor. And if they have finished the potion or they are able to hide it, for they would have some protections in place against the Ministry, then not only will they escape, but Draco will be in a problem. I don't know what Bellatrix would do to him,' and Harry took a breath before he finished, looking straight at Snape, 'I would also lose Draco's trust and he could turn to their side Snape.' Snape stopped pacing the room at that and looked at Harry. Harry just looked back steadily at him. After a few minutes, Snape subsided.

'What shall we do?' he asked after a while.

'Nothing for now. Let's wait and watch. You'll soon know if Voldemort is coming back. You have the mark; that'll tell you.' And that was that. The rest of the year sped and Harry, resigned to his fate that seemed changing more and more everyday, turned his attention to his school life and Quidditch. He also advised Draco to do the same. Draco kept writing, but his mother always replied, sounding very, very normal Draco had nothing more to report to Harry. Easter came and went. Narcissa wrote to Draco, asking him to stay back at Hogwarts, because she and Lucius were travelling. It was not a request, but an order and Draco stayed back.

Third year had come and gone, without Harry knowing it. There was no news of Bellatrix, no time turners, no fights from dementors; no prophecy from Trelawney, nothing in short. And Harry was scared. He did not know what to make out of this, because he was already so far out of his depth; nothing was going the same way as it did in his old timeline. He had no other option but to wait. And wait he did, until the summer vacation.

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Once Bellatrix had fully recovered….

Bellatrix had been pacified by Lucius Malfoy for the time being. She waited impatiently for Lucius to get information from Rookwood and the Ministry, and was incensed when Lucius told her that as far as the Ministry was concerned Voldemort was a thing of the past, and Rookwood did not have a clue about how to go about finding the Dark Lord. Bellatrix had already decided to summon him; she assumed he would be in his spirit form and a summoning ritual would bring him to them.

For that Bellatrix had ordered a period of intense study of the ancient texts, both in the Malfoy library and the Lestrange library. The Ministry had been unable to find the Lestranges home and had also been unable to freeze her accounts with Gringotts.

Bellatrix had been planning to move into her own home. It was safe, because no one knew about it and she was almost fully recovered in body from her escape. In mind, though, she would never recover, but that only made her more dangerous and frightening.

After pouring over texts Bellatrix and Lucius managed to narrow down three summoning rituals and after a few days of debating which would be the best, they chose one. Lucius and Narcissa went to Diagon alley to get all the required potions and they had started the potion that would take a couple of months at least. Bellatrix had wanted to do this in her own home, where they would not be disturbed, but Lucius had to reluctantly refuse and offer his own dungeons for the task, because Draco would come home for the Yule holidays just after they had started. He could not, would not allow Draco to see Bellatrix, when he would be going back to Hogwarts. If Draco spoke of her in a loose moment, Lucius Malfoy would be ruined.

So when Draco arrived, Bellatrix shifted to the dungeons and stayed there all through Draco's visit, tending to the potions along with Lucius. Draco's holidays went smoothly and then they continued with the potion, until March of that year, when something went wrong in the potion and the whole potion exploded. Lucius and Bellatrix were saved only by the shield that Bellatrix had cast a second before the potion blew up. A couple of weeks of recuperating saw her and Lucius working on the potion to see what went wrong. They briefly considered brewing another potion, but decided against it, because the other potions took longer to brew and were more volatile than this.

Three weeks after the explosion, Bellatrix and the Malfoys shifted to Bellatrix's home and started the potion all over again, this time attending even more carefully to it. Lucius sorely missed Snape, whom he was sure, would have brewed the potion correct the first time itself, but Bellatrix was adamant that no one knew where she was. Lucius tried telling her that Snape was trustworthy a few days after they started the potion the second time, but she dismissed Lucius's words scathingly.

They were chopping the belladonna leaves and asphodel roots, to crush them together, when Lucius sighed, sick of chopping, cutting, grinding and grounding.

'What is it Lucius?' she asked, looking up from her own work.

'I keep telling you Snape's on our side, Bella. He is only acting a part there. Why will you not believe me? If only he were here,'

'You would entrust this work to him and relax.' She finished scathingly, glaring at him. 'I don't care, Lucius, if you feel that this job of trying to resurrect our Lord is too much work for you…'

'When did I say that?' Lucius retorted, stopping his chopping, relieved at the small break he got from that job, because he was arguing with his sister-in-law.

'Well, what else did you mean?' she asked, standing straight, ready for a fight.

'I only mean that I can personally vouch for Severus's loyalties, because I know having kept in touch with him all these years. And I still feel he would be of help to us. You are,' he hurried on, seeing Bellatrix open her mouth to retort, 'an expert at potions, I agree; Bella, I am too, but Snape is in a class of his own, you must admit. That was why the Dark Lord accepted him and marked him in the first place.'

'I don't want to see anyone, until the Dark Lord is resurrected Lucius. He can decide for himself who was loyal and who turned traitor.' She replied flatly. 'Either you help me, or I finish this on my own.'

Lucius did not say a word more and they worked from that day in silence until the potion was finished. They were especially careful when they reached the last stages of the potion and Bella asked Lucius to always keep the shield, while she worked. The potion entered its last stage and Lucius, Bella and Narcissa who had come to pitch in with the shield, breathed a sigh of relief. Now all they had to do was to wait until the potion cleared and then they would need to start the actual ritual, along with the spell work for the summoning.

They relaxed for the first time in many months and watched as the potion cleared over the next few days with relief. Lucius relaxed, slumping in his chair. He was terrified that the potion would not do what the book said it must, and that he would have to start chopping all over again. He was sure Bella would start the whole potion enthusiastically, a third time. But, Lucius found that he was not very enthusiastic about the Dark Lord's return. Now that he knew the Dark Lord had made a horcrux, he was frightened, because it would make Voldemort less than a man and a human. He shivered.

'Are you cold? You seem to be ah.., shivering Lucius.' Bellatrix's voice asked him amused. The potions lab was very hot, since it was in the dungeons and the fire had been burning almost continuously all the while.

Lucius shook his head, his smooth smile coming onto his face. 'No, I shivered a little thinking of all the work we would have had, had this potion gone wrong. Now, we can prepare for the summoning ritual and hope that out Lord will recognize the sincerity of our call and come.'

'He will.' Bellatrix said firmly, no doubt in her face, only determination that she would by any means reach her Lord.

The next few days went in the preparation of the summoning ritual. Lucius and Bellatrix poured over the spells, runes and calculations. They chose a new moon night, because the book said that the spells would be the strongest at that time.

The night of the new moon approached. That year the new moon day fell on the 31st of May which was a Saturday. The night approached. It was dark, so dark nothing could be seen. There was no wind or rain, and it was very pleasant for May. Bellatrix checked the wards and ensured that they were working and no one outside of them, except the person whom they were calling would know of the dark activity. The ritual was usually used for summoning sprits from the other world and was not allowed by the Ministry of Magic. Bellatrix and Lucius were planning to use the potion to summon the sprit of Voldemort from this world itself and were hoping that this would be easier to do than the other.

Bellatrix and Lucius bathed and dressed in clean robes. They went out into the garden and there Bellatrix drew a largish circle and she and Lucius started muttering the spells to give the circle power. Bellatrix carefully removed a small nail; she had that apparently belonged to Voldemort and Lucius looking at the nail, shuddered. He told himself he did not want to know, why in the name of Merlin his mad, for he had concluded by this time that Bellatrix was insane, sister-in-law hoarded a small piece of nail and why was she looking at the nail with so much adoration on her face. That look did not suit her, decided Lucius, smirking to himself, as half a dozen very unkind thoughts came into his mind.

He was recalled to his present position by her, who had placed the nail in the middle of a very small circle in the middle of the big one. She twirled her wand and sealed the nail with a shield that would protect the nail and at the same time, prevent it from flying away.

Narcissa brought the potion that would give them the necessary strength to chant the spell to summon. They needed enormous strength, for they would be going against nature, in summoning a sprit for resurrection. They needed to call the sprit of Voldemort. If he came o his own, then they would not have a lot of work to do; but if he resisted, as they were sure, he would, they would need a lot of strength.

'Can we summon the Dark Lord against his wishes Bellatrix?' Lucius asked her, just as they stepped into the circle.

'Just like you, Lucius, never to see anything positive in anything.' She sneered, raising her wand, anticipation already in her face. She was impatient to meet her lord and showed that impatience to Lucius.

'Bellatrix,' Lucius said patiently. 'I am not trying to raise doubts…;

'Oh!' Bellatrix raised her eyebrows. 'Then do tell me Lucius, why are you stalling when we should have started already to bring out Lord to us; to his rightful place as the Lord of the Wizarding World?'

'Because the Master does not know we are the ones who are summoning. He will resist. And he may have plans of his own, if we bring him by force. The spells will not allow him to retreat and if he resists or tries to attack, then can we fight him and bind him as we must?'

'The moment he sees us, he will be sure that we want to only raise him from the dead. We will also stop chanting; that will prove to him, we don't wish o bind him, merely to call him.' Bellatrix said confidently, a confidence Lucius did not share with her. He chanced a look at Narcissa and saw that she too looked troubled. He took a deep breath and took his position. He could hardly do anything else.

Bellatrix had taken the primary position facing the west while Lucius was standing his back to her, facing the east. It was from the west, where the land of the sprits lay, that Voldemort would come, even if he was roaming on the earth. The spells would work like that. Lucius would stand facing the east, in a protective position, to ensure that Voldemort's sprit would not escape. Lucius was thankful that the north and south directions did not matter for this ritual, for the sprit would come and go in a particular direction, simply because they were called in that way. Otherwise he would have had to take unbreakable vows from one other person to do the ritual. Narcissa of course would have filled in the third position.

Voldemort's sprit, where ever it was and in whichever direction it was, would come from the west to into the circle, where it would be bound. Usually such sprits were called for a specific purpose, mostly for dark purposes, for revenge and hurting. The sprit would be bound to the caller, who would bind the sprit to him or herself and give it its specific tasks. Once the specific work was over it would go back to its world.

But, Lucius mused, as he started chanting, the harm and the darkness and the evil that such a calling would infuse into the sprit's temporary master, was terrible. Traces of it never went away, and since it was a mental connection, where the caller would have to force the sprit to come, using the strength of his mind and bind the sprit that was dead for some time in a place where there were no values, to one's mind and soul, would forever taint the soul and the witch or wizard would never be their old self ever again. And more horrible the deeds performed by the sprit, greater would be the darkness in the soul of the caller. And Lucius thought grimly, Bellatrix was already insane and she was calling for a Dark Lord who had made a horcrux.

They chanted steadily for sometime and then, Lucius and Bellatrix could feel something; suddenly there was a fight in their minds even as they chanted; a fight in the form of a resistance between Voldemort's sprit and their summoning. It was a good thing they had taken the potion, for they would not have had the strength to fight against the resistance Voldemort was exhibiting.

Soon they were sweating with exhaustion, even though, they had not been chanting for very long, only a couple of hours at the most, still, they were already sweating profusely as Voldemort resisted furiously. He had been in Albania, roaming in the forests; with a piece of information from Bertha Jorkins that if only he had someone who was his, could do wonders; could actually capture Harry Potter. It was at that time when he had been suddenly pulled. He realized in a second that he was being summoned and he threw his will into resisting.

But, Voldemort, powerful he though he was, could not resist the spells forever and he came raging with anger, determined to destroy the mind of the one who dared to call him, the greatest of wizards to bind him like a muggle slave. With that in mind, Voldemort rushed to the place where he had been summoned to. He swirled into the wards, not recognizing the place in his anger and descended down on the witch or wizard, who dared to summon the Dark Lord, when suddenly the chanting stopped and Voldemort felt the summons relax.

Bellatrix was sweating profusely and she felt her Master entering the wards and a great joy overtook her. In another moment, she glimpsed his spirit swirling down and she stopped chanting and lowered the wand. She beamed at him, adoration and admiration oozing out of her and bowed low.

Lucius too stopped chanting the moment Bellatrix did and turned to see Voldemort in his sprit form rushing towards them, the red eyes gleaming malevolently and silently bowed along with Narcissa.

End of Chapter – 27

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