Chapter 32: Captive Blood

When they re-Apparated, Harry and Hermione found themselves in the overgrown courtyard of a large, old mansion. The Death Eaters pushed their captives along the untidy path to a set of heavy wooden front doors where two other Death Eaters were standing guard. Once inside the manor, they were taken down a flight of stone steps through a small passageway meagerly illuminated by torches.

The passageway opened to a dank stone dungeon and there were bars on the multiple doorways that lined the hall. One of the Death Eaters shoved Hermione forward and she fell to the floor with a cry of pain. When the man went to grab her to pull her back to her feet, Harry placed himself between Hermione and the Death Eater in protest of their treatment of her; but then he was hit him from behind and he pitched into darkness.

Now, the distant sound of someone calling his name was beginning to penetrate the fog that clouded Harry's mind. Slowly, he was becoming aware that he was lying on a hard, cold surface and there was a throbbing pain in the back of his head.

"Harry?" he recognized Ron's voice calling to him.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Ron and Hermione looking worriedly back at him through metal bars.

"Yeah?" Harry said as he slowly sat up. Then he felt pain shoot through his bruised ribs, "Ow!"

Harry's wrists were still in the metal cuffs but now each was attached to a chain anchored securely into the stone floor on either side of him. The metal collar remained around his neck although the chain that had been connected to it was gone.

"Oh, Harry, thank goodness!" Hermione said with relief. "We were getting so worried! You've been out for several hours!"

The chains clanged loudly on the stone floor as Harry's hand moved to the back of his head. He winced when he found a lump where one of the Death Eaters had hit him.

Harry looked around and saw he was in a room lit by torches and in the middle of it was a stone table. It reminded him forebodingly of where Voldemort held him during his last capture and he had to force himself to shake off the sudden wave of anxiety and feeling of panic that threatened to overwhelm him.

He finally asked thickly, "You guys okay?"

Looking around further, he noticed there was a barred cell at each end of the room and Ron and Hermione were in the one closest to him. The cell on the other side of the room was empty.

Before they could answer his first question, Harry asked anxiously, "Where's Ginny?"

He clearly heard the concern in Ron's voice as he replied, "I don't know. I haven't seen her since they grabbed us at the church. I have no idea how they got past the Aurors and the security wards around the church but someone came up behind us and hit me with a stunning hex. I woke up alone in here and a little while later they brought the two of you in."

Harry looked at his two friends huddled close together on the floor of their cell and he felt a deep sense of guilt wash over him; he was the reason they were in this situation and he had no idea if he was going to be able to get them out of it.

Ron said, "Hermione told me what happened at the cemetery… about everything they did to you and how you saved her." He pulled Hermione closer to him and continued, "Thank you."

"She would not have needed saving if I had stayed away from all of you," Harry said crossly. "I never should have agreed to let you two and Ginny get mixed up in—"

"Stop it, Harry!" Hermione snapped at him, "We've already told you it was our decision to make and so did Ginny."

Ron agreed, "Hermione's right. We need to concentrate on getting out of here and finding my sister."

Dread pooled in Harry's stomach at the thought of what they might have already done to Ginny, or what they could be doing to her at this very moment, all because Voldemort had discovered what she meant to him.

He tried to shake off those horrifying images and he replied angrily, "Well, I certainly won't be much help unless I figure out some way to not have to breathe."

Their eyes went to the collar around his neck and they could see his skin beneath it was raw and bruised.

Harry got to his feet and he found the chains attached to the cuffs were just long enough to allow him to stand. He gave them both a hard yank more in frustration and anger than because he thought he would be able to break free.

Hermione and Ron also stood up and Hermione said, "I think we're all stuck here unless we can get our hands on a wand."

"Or they let you go," Harry countered almost absentmindedly as he continued to study the chains for some weak spot he may have overlooked.

Hermione and Ron stared back at him in surprise at his ability to joke at a time like this but the expression on his face was serious.

Ron replied sarcastically, "Yeah, I bet if we ask politely, You-Know-Who will let us walk right out of here. Blimey, Harry, maybe you should sit back down because those knocks you took to the head are keeping you from thinking straight."

Harry answered, "I'm thinking straight enough."

Harry knew he was going to have to cooperate with Voldemort to some degree if there was to be any chance of saving his friends' lives. If only he could convince the Dark Wizard that he would be compliant if his friends were spared; then perhaps there was a chance, albeit a slim one, that one or more of them would be allowed to go free. Of course, this was not a very good plan but it was the only one he had at the moment.

Hermione looked at him doubtfully and said, "It doesn't sound like you are."

Harry said, "Maybe I can make Voldemort an offer he won't want to refuse."

Hermione asked apprehensively, "What kind of offer?"

Harry answered slowly, "Remember when I told you that he needed the whole tablet before he could get its dark spells to work?"

At their nods, Harry continued, "Well…er… I didn't actually tell you everything before because I didn't want to worry you, but there was more to what Mohamier told me. He also said that Voldemort would only be able to use the spells on me if I am willing to cooperate with him and that I allow him to use me—"

"Cooperate with him?" Ron interrupted in disbelief. "Don't tell me you plan to bargain with him by letting him do what he wants with to try to save us? You can't do it! You can't do anything that may help that bastard become more powerful, even to help us!"

Harry began to protest, "I can't just let—"

A sudden explosion in Harry's scar halted his words and he fell to his knees with a cry of pain.

"Harry!" Hermione cried worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Harry was clutching his scar and he gasped out, "Voldemort… he's coming…"

Ron and Hermione gaped back at him fearfully and they both jumped when the door of the larger room opened. The two Death Eaters that had held Harry at the cemetery entered, followed by Jacob Blunt, Severus Snape and then Voldemort himself.

The two Death Eaters remained by the door but Voldemort, Snape and Blunt continued forward to stand in front of Harry.

Looking down at him coldly, Voldemort said, "Welcome back, Harry. Again, you have been busy since I last saw you but you will pay dearly for all that you have cost me over the years. I plan to take great pleasure in watching you suffer.

"Although, I must confess my surprise at the loss of my faithful Bella at your hands; and now Wormtail is missing after he was last known to be following you. Could the good and noble Harry Potter have started to eliminate those who oppose him? Perhaps we are more alike than Dumbledore suspected."

Harry's scar was still throbbing but he got to his feet and spat, "I'm nothing like you!"

Voldemort continued to gaze coldly at him and said, "No, I have to agree that you are not. Which is why I shall always have the advantage.

"Your sudden departure before was disappointing. I am very interested to learn how you managed to accomplish such a feat but as you see, in addition to the collar, I have taken other precautions to guarantee you remain with us this time."

To illustrate his point, Voldemort casually waved his hand toward Ron and Hermione.

Voldemort continued, "Nor can we forget about your charming girlfriend."

Harry strained against the chains and demanded, "What have you done to Ginny? Where is she?"

Voldemort seemed amused by Harry's reaction, and he replied, "She has remained unharmed and you will see her soon enough. But her continued good health rests solely on your shoulders; as does that of your other two friends."

Praying Voldemort was speaking truthfully and that he had not hurt Ginny, Harry said, "You have me now, so you don't need them. You'll get nothing from me unless I know they are safe."

Voldemort replied, "We shall see."

Then the Dark Wizard continued in Parseltongue, "I have had time to study the tablet, and the wealth of information it contains has surpassed even my expectations! Your attempts to destroy my first Horcruxes will be of lesser consequence for I have discovered there are other means to immortality and greater power! With the magic and the power the tablet will enable me to achieve, no one will be able to stop me! And you…"

He paused and looked more intently at Harry, "…you will make it all possible! You will be the key to it all!"

"But you need me to be a completely willing key, don't you?" Harry hissed back. "You will only get what you want from me after you have released my friends— each of them— unharmed!"

Harry saw the fanatical blaze in Voldemort's red eyes turn back into cold amusement and he switched back to English, "Oh, I think you will be more than willing to provide all I need on my terms before we are done."

Voldemort directed the two Death Eaters at the door, "Remove his chains. Severus, bring the other boy out of the cell."

The Death Eaters freed Harry's wrists but they kept a tight hold on each of his arms. Harry's anxiety over what they were going to do to Ron grew as he watched Snape unlock and open the cell door.

"Come out, Weasley," Snape ordered.

Hermione clutched Ron's arm and Snape said disdainfully as he raised his wand at her, "Back away, Granger. I'm assuming you are still smart enough to realize it won't take much for me to gladly curse a know-it-all Mudblood."

Ron pushed Hermione behind him protectively and glared at Snape, "You better not hurt her!"

Snape only gave him a contemptuous look but Ron said more gently, "It's okay, Hermione."

Hermione reluctantly released Ron's arm and he stepped out of the cell. Hermione went back quickly to the closed door and clutched the bars so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Snape took Ron by the upper arm to steer him toward Voldemort but Ron angrily shook it off, "Take your filthy hand off me!"

Snape's only response was to prod Ron in the back to make him move forward.

Voldemort said to Harry, "What I first need from you does not demand your willingness but I want it all the same. Consider it a test, if you will. Give me what I require, without hesitation, and no pain will be inflicted upon your friend."

Harry asked coolly, "And what do you require?"

Voldemort stepped closer to look into Harry's eyes and he answered, "Your blood."

"My blood?" Harry asked in surprise.

Voldemort raised his hand towards Harry's face and extended his long, skeletal index finger. He traced the air along Harry's cheek, but did not touch him.

"Your blood restored my body, so only your blood will I use," he hissed. "The precious blood that will flow from your veins will provide the foundation for my new and unstoppable powers."

Voldemort's finger moved closer to Harry's face and he commanded in a softer, colder voice, "Now, willingly offer me your blood, Harry, or…"

He drew his finger, almost gently, down Harry's cheek; when it made contact, Harry felt a burst of pain so intense that it caused him to cry out. He fought to pull back from the pain but the Death Eaters maintained their steel-like grip to ensure he remained in place.

Voldemort withdrew his finger and said with mock concern, "Does my touch still hurt you? That pain was nothing compared to what your friend will feel."

Voldemort waved his wand toward the stone table in the center of the room.

The pain in his head was returning to a dull throb and Harry heard the sound of heavy stone scraping on the floor as the table began to move. One end rose into the air and it stopped when the tabletop was inclined at a forty-five degree angle. There were leather straps connected along the top of the table and they looked positioned to hold a body in place. Two shelves were carved into the outer edges of the table and Snape placed a cauldron on each.

Blunt went to stand beside the table and he unsheathed a sharp dagger that glittered in the torchlight. He eyed Harry expectantly and flashed him a menacing grin.

"Take your place on the table, Harry" Voldemort instructed. "Tell me you freely offer your blood to me; tell me you offer as much as I need."

Harry stood frozen for a moment and his eyes flicked from Voldemort's face to the knife. Unfortunately, that was what Voldemort had been waiting for.

In only a split second, he heard Voldemort's voice call out, "Crucio!" and the next moment Ron fell to the ground screaming in agony.

Hermione screamed Ron's name and Harry yelled "Stop!"

He stepped forward but the two Death Eaters continued to hold him in place.

Voldemort released Ron from the curse and he said to Harry, "I will not tolerate hesitation. I will use your blood whether it is taken by force or given willingly; it makes no difference to me. However, it is your choice as to how much pain your friend will suffer. Release him."

The two Death Eaters released their hold on Harry's arms and Voldemort continued, "Take your place on the table as I have asked or you will hear your friend's screams again."

Harry could not allow Ron to be tortured; not when there was a way he could prevent it. Trying not to think about the knife in Blunt's hand, Harry immediately walked to the table as Ron got shakily to his feet.

Still out of breath from the curse, Ron rasped, "Don't do it!"

Harry ignored him and leaned back against the table.

Voldemort commanded, "I want you to tell me."

Harry swallowed hard and stated flatly, "I offer you my blood; take what you need."

"Harry, no—" Ron began to protest again but the Death Eaters grabbed him and forcibly dragged him back to the cell.

Tears were flowing down Hermione's face and she quickly wrapped her arms around Ron. They both turned to watch fearfully as Blunt stepped closer to Harry with the knife.

Harry closed his eyes and clenched his jaw tight as he felt the painful sting of the knife sliced deep into his right wrist.

Blunt stepped to the other side of the table and Harry instinctively started to move his left arm away but he stopped himself when he heard Voldemort's voice remind him, "No hesitation, Harry."

Harry felt a second sting and warmth running over both of his wrists. When he looked down, he saw his blood begin to flow steadily into the cauldrons.

"It is encouraging to see that you can be cooperative, given proper motivation," Voldemort said with satisfaction. "Strap him to the table."

Once the two Death Eaters secured Harry, Voldemort and his entourage headed toward the door.

Voldemort said, "Now we must finish the preparations. Severus, you may return to heal his incisions but not until each cauldron has been adequately filled for my needs; the magic within the knife should ensure that it will not take long. But do take care," he added warningly. "I do not want him to bleed to death before I am ready for him tonight."

They heard Snape respond, "Yes, my lord" as the dungeon door shut, leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione alone once more.

Hating his feeling of helplessness, Harry kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling; how was he going to refuse to give Voldemort what he wanted if it meant his friends would be tortured before his eyes?

As if he was reading Harry's mind, Ron broke the silence when he said quietly, "You can't be giving in to him, no matter what he does to me."

Without looking toward the cell Harry replied matter-of-factly toward the ceiling, "I can just let him torture you."

Ron started to grow angry and said, "But he's going to use your blood in some way to become stronger! The prophecy says you are the one who can put an end to him so you are going to have to at least try!"

"Ron's right, Harry," Hermione agreed weakly. "You are going to have to do whatever it takes to fight him, no matter what he does to us."

Harry looked angrily over at Hermione, "Tell me what I should have done, then! This damn collar ensures I can't use magic! And you heard him! He didn't need me to be willing to be able to use my blood! How long would you have let him do that to Ron?"

Unable to meet Harry's eye, Hermione looked away from him.

Then his green eyes flashed at Ron, "Would you have really preferred that I refused and have him to hit you with the Cruciatus Curse again? Especially when it made no difference whether I cooperated with him or not? Trust me; he can make the pain even worse!"

Ron stared at Harry and argued stubbornly, "That monster is the reason Dad and Percy are dead! He has to be stopped and you are supposedly the only one who can do it! You are going to have to find a way to fight him and not give in to him so easily!"

Harry was beginning to feel light-headed and dizzy but he replied almost in resignation, "The next time it could be Hermione… or Ginny… will you still want me to refuse to do what he wants when they are the ones screaming?"

Ron could not answer him. He swore, turned away and started pacing the cell in agitation.

Hermione remained silent but she continued to watch Harry anxiously and what she saw worried her very much. In a very short time, his coloring had paled and he had begun to shiver. No matter what Voldemort had commanded, if Snape did not come back soon, Harry might very well bleed to death.

She finally halted Ron and whispered to him, "He's already losing too much blood. Whatever magic was in that knife is causing the incisions to bleed much faster than normal."

Ron looked back worriedly at Harry who had closed his eyes against the sickening spinning of the room.

He called, "Harry?"

When Harry did not answer, Ron called again fearfully, "Harry!"

Harry's eyes remained closed but they heard him reply, "Hmm?"

Hermione urged, "Harry! You have to try to stay awake!"

Harry mumbled, "Imawake…" but then his head slumped to the side.

They continued trying to rouse him, but Harry no longer responded to their calls. Finally, the door into the room opened. Snape entered carrying a tray containing several glass vials of potions and the same two Death Eater guards accompanied him.

Hermione cried urgently, "Professor! You have to stop it! Harry's already lost consciousness!"

Snape acted as if he had not heard her. He put the tray on the floor beside the table and then glanced inside the cauldrons collecting Harry's blood.

Hermione tried again, "Professor Snape, please!"

Snape unhurriedly removed and covered the cauldrons and then placed his fingers under the collar at Harry's throat to feel his pulse.

He said casually to the guards, "If either of them speaks to me again, hex them."

The Death Eaters grinned and trained their wands on Ron and Hermione.

Ron and Hermione remained quiet but it took a great amount of willpower since it seemed that Snape was purposely taking his time.

Snape removed the straps holding Harry's right arm. It dropped limply to his side so that the blood still flowing from the incision dribbled down his hand and then started to run down the table. Snape selected a vial containing a dark blue potion from the tray and lifted Harry's wrist before him. He slowly poured half of the vial's contents over the incision and then he let Harry's arm drop back to his side; the bleeding had stopped.

Snape repeated the process with Harry's left wrist and then turned to the Death Eaters, "Place him back in the chains."

They dragged Harry's unconscious form over to the chains, re-shackled him and then went back to stand by the door. Snape selected a larger vial containing a moss green-colored potion and knelt beside Harry. He lifted Harry's head, poured some of the liquid into his mouth, and forced him to swallow. Snape continued his ministrations until Harry stirred and began to cough.

Snape held the vial back to Harry's lips and instructed, "Drink as much and as quickly as you can."

Harry took several deep swallows but his eyes flew open when he realized Snape was the one who had spoken to him. He immediately tried to spit out the potion and he shoved Snape away causing the vial to shatter on the floor.

Snape stood and gazed loathsomely down at him.

Harry sat up weakly and asked, "Is it poisoning next then?"

Snape replied, "As much as that opportunity would please me to no end, the potion will only help you regain your strength and enable your body to quickly regenerate the blood you have lost."

Harry said heatedly, "I'm to believe a cold-blooded murderer is trying to help me?"

Anger flashed in Snape's eyes but he said, "I am merely following orders. The Dark Lord wants you strong and healthy for your participation in the next step of his plan tonight."

Snape took another vial containing the green potion from the tray and held it out to Harry.

"Drink every drop."

At Harry's defiant glare, Snape withdrew his wand and continued, "Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley will be most grateful for your decision to obey."

Harry looked beyond Snape and he saw Hermione nod to indicate she thought it would be okay to drink it. He reluctantly grabbed the vial from Snape and took a large swallow. The potion tasted slightly metallic but otherwise it was not bad; Harry actually felt both warmth and strength immediately flooding back into him.

When Harry finished the potion, he carefully got to his feet and asked, "What is Voldemort's plan then?"

Snape ignored his question and for a moment, his black eyes bored into Harry's green ones.

Only Harry heard him suddenly whisper, "Legilimens!"

Unprepared for the attack, Harry stumbled backward as he felt Snape begin to drill into his mind.

Harry heard Hermione call out his name in concern but he managed to repel Snape's attack. Snape attempted to push into his mind harder but again, Harry fought to keep the barriers to his mind up and was able to block him.

Snape ended the spell abruptly and Harry demanded angrily," What was that about?"

Ignoring Harry's question, Snape walked casually over to the Death Eaters. He was holding his wand by his hip and he nonchalantly gave it the slightest flick. The guards both swayed slightly before staring ahead with vacant expressions.

Snape then turned quickly and shot a curse toward Ron and Hermione. A blue light hit Hermione in the chest and knocked her to the other side of the cell where she hit the wall and crumbled to the floor.

"Hermione!" Ron and Harry yelled simultaneously.

Harry strained against his chains and Ron went quickly to Hermione and pulled her limp body into his arms.

Ron looked furiously up at Snape and demanded, "What did you do to her?"

Without responding, Snape aimed his wand at Ron.

Harry shouted, "Ron, look out!"

Harry's hatred and fury toward Snape soared and without thinking, he shot a wandless disarming curse at Snape. Snape's wand flew out of his hand and, fueled by Harry's anger, the force of the curse knocked him to the ground; but Harry also immediately felt the collar around his throat tightened. He fell to the floor and clawed at the collar in an attempt to find a way to take a breath even though he knew it would do no good.

Through his struggle to breathe, Harry helplessly watched Snape retrieve his wand, walk back over to the cell and hit Ron with a curse. Then Snape came back to stand unmoving over him and the expression on his face clearly told Harry that his old professor's hatred was driving him to disregard Voldemort's orders. At that moment, Harry realized that the last thing he was ever going to see was the satisfaction shining in the eyes of Dumbledore's murderer as he watched the collar choke him to death.