Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. Season 10, round 6

Team: Holyhead Harpies

Position: Keeper

Prompt: The Rains of Castamere

Word Count: 1,137

Warnings: Canon deaths

A/N: I don't do Game of Thrones, at all. So I really hope I did this prompt the justice it should have. I based it on the theme 'cost of arrogance' as provided by the mods.

Summary: A child was threatening his plans and Voldemort would not stand for that. A child. It was a nothing who could be wiped out now that the Potters had been found.

And not a soul to hear

He stared at the cottage, with its thatched roof and lights shining boldly out of the top windows. Two pumpkins with smiling faces sat on either side of the old wooden door. The bottom windows were dark, the inhabitants clearly readying themselves for bed.

The insolence of those people could almost make him lose his temper. The ego of them to think they would be able to outrun him. He has people everywhere.

Everywhere.

They were about to learn their errors.

"G'night, Will! Watch how you go!" a voice broke the silence of the night.

He didn't bother to look at the noisy Muggles, swaying as they walked to their homes after a night in the local pub. They were nothing, insignificant. Not a person, animal or insect would take his attention away from this… this nuisance that had been in his life for too many months.

One of the upstairs lights went out, but the window had not yet gone dark, like the door to the room had been left open. He stared at the window, not moving from his spot just yet. Even the air around him didn't move.

That was the room. That was where the inconvenience of the child was. He could feel its magic swirling around the room.

He could almost see the scene that was about to come; the father – the Pureblood – would no doubt try to stop him first. He did loathe to lose more Magical blood this way, but these things had to be done.

Then the silly little girl Severus didn't want him to hurt would try to stop him. He'd give her one chance to live. Something he didn't always want to do, but he honoured his promises. Especially when a follower such as Severus had been so useful to him.

And the child – no, the baby – wouldn't even know what was happening. He was of no concern. He was nothing. All he had to do was be rid of him now before he could be a concern. Simple.

It was so simple he almost wanted to hand it over to one of his followers to wipe this family out of existence, but he needed to make sure the job was done. He was the only one who wouldn't make a mistake like some of the others were always prone to doing.

He breathed in deeply through his nose. His wand gently slipped down his sleeve into his hand, the magic tingling in his fingertips as the weight of it landed in his palm. A lazy smile spread across his thin lips. He was going to enjoy removing this ridiculous notion of a hurdle from his plans.

Everything was now in place to right the Magical world again.

He strode over the road, his footsteps quiet even to the sharpest of ears. The low wooden gate opened for him, even that inanimate object knew he wasn't to be stopped. The front door obeyed too.

There wasn't a noise, but he felt it; that rush of magic that was alerting the inhabitants of his arrival. It prickled at his cool skin. Footsteps stomped above his head, the speed of them made the smile grow a little more on his face.

"Lily!" A deep voice called, muffled by a closed door. "Take Harry and go! It's him!" A door slammed open and the voice was louder. "Go! I'll hold him off!"

This time he laughed. The arrogance of these people to think they had a chance to stop him. He would barely have to break his step to get through them.

He stayed by the front door waiting for the footsteps that now stomped down the stairs. He raised his wand idly and with a flash of green light the Pureblood was gone. It really was a waste of magical blood. He continued his journey up the stairs, not bothering with a glance to the prone figure slumped at the bottom.

A voice travelled through another closed door. Shaky whispers at an attempt to soothe the now crying baby. Surely she understood that this was for the best. The baby would feel no pain. He was being merciful, which they didn't have a right to after defying him the way they had.

His silent steps continued over the carpeted hallway to the closed door. Like the gate and front door, it opened for him as well.

The girl stood up quickly at the movement, her red hair swirling around her neck like a scarf as she placed herself between him and the baby. He paused in the doorway, watching her lean back against the cot, her hands gripping tightly onto the top of the rails. The child's cries were now a snuffling whimper.

"Not Harry! Please – I'll do anything—"

"Stand aside, girl," he said calmly. He lifted his arm.

"Harry!" she cried helplessly, looking over her shoulder to the baby.

Well, he'd tried for Severus, but that was all she got.

He really did enjoy the green colour the spell emitted. There was no need to watch her fall, it was much like the rest; they were alive, then they weren't. She should be grateful her death was so peaceful.

The baby stopped its whimpering. It stared at him, almost defiantly.

He gave a single laugh.

"Do not be disappointed, Harry Potter. No one has or will succeed in defeating me. I have made sure of that."

The child continued to stare, unblinkingly. At least it had a backbone, not like some of the adults he'd dealt with in his life. It didn't even flinch when he pointed his wand straight to its face.

"Avada Kedavra," he whispered, barely using any energy. It wasn't needed.

The green lit up the room once more.

He was there.

Then he wasn't.

He was floating.

He wasn't floating.

This wasn't right. Where was the child?

No!

Where was his voice? His body?

"You were arrogant, Tom," a voice went through his thoughts. "Always so arrogant."

It was a child. It couldn't possibly know how to protect itself. No one could stop the Death Curse.

"Arrogant," the voice now said with a snide laugh.

The feeling of a creature brushed past him. He attached himself, felt him become one with the animal. It tried to fight him off, but it was pointless.

"Look at you now. All because you believe yourself so superior to all around you… including a child."

NO! It was no good, he had no voice to shout back at this one. But he would.

He may have been arrogant – he deserved to be – but he was also patient.

He would bide his time. He knew how to do that.

"Arrogant!" the voice cried as Lord Voldemort's spirit disappeared into the night, stitching his being to that of the mouse.