A/N: Thank you to every one for the wonderful reviews and comments on the last chapter. So far this story has averaged about 110 reviews per chapter – mostly positive. Some with constructive criticism but almost no flames. That is awesome. So thank you again. I went looking on other forums for comments / areas for improvement. The guys on DLP hate this story – and don't seem too fond of me either. But that is okay. To each his/her own. I appreciate those of you that enjoy this story and help me in my efforts to improve.
Grave Errors
The scene at Hogwarts was panicked with Harry's disappearance. Padma and Ron both saw Filch walk up to Harry and activate a portkey. Padma screamed "Harry!" instantly calling attention to her and drawing people in. Ron turned and ran towards where the stage for the Third Task stood. Sirius and Remus were there and would be the best people to help.
The Aurors already had a heavy presence and in minutes the area was blocked off and Ministry officials shouted orders and professors tried to calm their students.
Fudge could only see a public relations nightmare. Those blasted mirrors were relaying the entire event all over Britain and the rest of Europe. It was bad enough that his peers from the French, German, Bulgarian, and the ICW were present to see the loss of one of Britain's icons, but one of those new-fangled crystals caught the whole thing! However was controlling the mirrors was replaying it over and over again! It was maddening! He had to get control over this before his image was ruined!
Almost immediately after that thought, a squad of Aurors arrived. Floating behind them was a black bag that had been sealed up.
"It's Filch," the lead Auror reported. "He's been dead for some time but it took the old bastard some to do it. He must have been tortured for months before giving in. Died at least a month ago - definitely not our kidnapper." The Auror sounded respectful talking about what the old squib had endured.
"Are you sure?" Fudge asked. "It had to be him. Potter's girlfriend saw him take Potter away." The Auror's glower made Fudge cringe away. Fudge actually felt relieved when he saw Amelia Bones approaching followed by Black with his half-breed wife and werewolf friend.
"Amelia, what have you found?" Fudge asked.
The Head of the DMLE looked grim. "No sign of Potter. We couldn't get a trace on the portkey used by our suspect. The school wards were contracted to just cover the school due to the portkeys given to protect the champions. It made sense to do that but it is a bloody hindrance on us now. We have teams out on brooms now sweeping the immediate area in case it was a short range transport."
A sudden pop interrupted Bone's report. An elf dressing in an odd looing uniform stood now between Fudge and Bones.
"Dobby sends Broom Elves out to look for Harry Potter Sir too. Harry Potter Sir is alive but Dobby can't find him." The elf glared up at the witches and wizards. "Harry Potter Sir is in danger. He must be found NOW!" Fudge had never before seen an elf looking that angry or be that assertive before. And he wasn't the only one looking shocked. Amelia and the other Aurors look just as surprised as Fudge himself felt.
"Dobby is Harry's friend and personal elf," Sirius supplied. Even Dobby's appearance failed to lighten his mood with his godson missing.
"I've never seen such devotion in an elf before," Amelia muttered. "Do you think the elves can really find Potter?"
Fudge was made even more uncomfortable by the glitter in Black's eyes than he was by the wizard's answer. "Even if they have to take the whole island down to the bedrock to do it."
-I-
Harry slowly felt the return to consciousness. The combined effect of the portkey and the Stunning Spell left Harry with a low-grade headache that felt rather like a mild hangover. His Beast-enhanced physiology was quickly recovering and he could feel the headache lessen even as he became aware of his surroundings.
He was in a grave yard shackled to a large, granite gravestone with his back to the stone and his arms attached to either side. The heavy iron manacles that encased his wrists were too solid even for the Beast to break. Plus there was a good chance they were magically enhanced. The chains were just as solid and seemed magically bound to the granite with some type of sticking charm. Harry doubted he could free himself with physical force. Harry reached for his wand in its normal holster but was not surprised to find it missing. So no magic was going to free him right now either.
Harry took stock of the area around him. The graveyard sat down in a hollow between some large hills and he could hear the slight sounds of a brook flowing nearby. The graveyard seemed to still be in some use but based on the dates on the few stones around him that he could see, this section had filled up sometime in the 1940's. The sod over the grave on which he stood was thick but somewhat wild and overgrown like it had not seen a clipping in some time. Harry did notice that there were torches set in sconces attached to some of the tombs. These looked new and the torches fresh.
Directly across from Harry was a small 'park' area. It was an open grassy area with a pair of benches that had clearly seen better days. But what caught Harry's attention were four circles burnt into the grass. One circle, larger than the others, sat in the middle of the clearing. The three smaller circles were like small moons circling a planet but were equidistant from each other. Harry didn't know what the circles were for but it made him nervous for some reason.
Perched on a hill some distance away were the electric lights of a small Muggle village. It was still light enough that the buildings were somewhat visible but a few street lights were already on. It had been about 17.00 when the Tournament's closing ceremony ended and by now the sun was below the horizon from Harry's vantage point. Harry guessed he'd been unconscious for at least an hour.
Harry cursed under his breath. 'I should have worn one of the recording crystals,' he thought. Not only would Sirius and Remus have been able to track him and see what was going on around Harry, but they were connected to the portkeys used by the champions.
A sound behind him made Harry tense. Someone was coming up behind him.
"Ah, Mr Potter. You are awake."
A man stepped out from behind Harry. He looked to be in his mid-30's and wore the black cloak of a Death Eater with the hood thrown back. A silver mask peeked out of a pocket at his side. The man looked like a normal person but his eyes burned with fanaticism.
"I've so wanted to meet you … formally I mean. After all, I've been watching you all year. Such a fascinating person. I can see why My Lord is so interested in you."
"Who are you?" Harry asked. "Obviously you are not Filch." The Death Eater chuckled.
"Oh Morgana, no. I hated that man worse than I did my father. Worthless little squib – always scurrying about looking for scraps from his betters' table and hissing worthless threats against the students. Killing him and that damn cat of his was a beautiful thing." To Harry's disgust the man said it with an almost sexual satisfaction.
"I'd thought of going after Mad-Eye – oh the irony of that! Dear old Uncle Alastor! He was the one that arrested me you know. Taught me to fly a broom and then sent me off to Azkaban. But My Lord and I decided it was too much of a gamble. What if I failed to subdue poor uncle? Mad-eye is many things but an incompetent dueller he is not. So we decided to go for the pathetic, invisible squib. I did stop by though to set off Uncle's wards and traps. Made him look the paranoid delusional he really is when the Ministry showed up to see what the fuss was all about.
"Once at Hogwarts, no one took notice of me. Not even Uncle or Dumbledore. After all, everyone knows a squib is no danger to a wizard! And no one missed having Filch around much so there was no suspicion when I drank my Polyjuice Potion. You ruined my simple plan with your little ward, Harry. I was quite angry but forgave you after I saw you diverted my target to that spawn-of-a-coward into trouble. I really did enjoy the chaos you created. Most entertainment I've had in years. But I wanted to make you the centre of attention, not the Malfoy spawn. After all, you are the one seen as being responsible for the Master's downfall not that little twit. Oh, but I had to be oh-so-subtle! A word here about Hogwarts's poor showing in the duels, and another one here about the Third Task needing to be better. And you can through perfectly! So now here you are!"
Harry had decided halfway through the wizard's monologue that the man was completely unhinged.
"Who are you? Harry interrupted the man.
The man made to act embarrassed. "Oh, but of course. Where are my manners? I am Barty Crouch. Junior actually but since dear father was shoved from this mortal coil I am the only one remaining."
Harry vaguely remembered Padfoot mentioning the wizard in reference to his own father sentencing him to Azkaban. Most of the talk was about Crouch Sr. simply throwing Sirius into prison without a trial and the case of the man's son was simply an example of Couch Sr's fanatical behaviour. It appeared the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
"And why did you do all this?" Harry asked.
"Why to cause chaos of course." Barty answered with a grin. "The Ministry was so busy dealing with the Tri-tri Wizard Tournament that it didn't have time to worry about the little things – you know – a disappearance here, a little robbery there. I doubt they've even realized Master's wand has gone missing from their trophy case!" The man giggled in enjoyment.
"My plan was to simply put you into the Tournament as a distraction and to prove your worth as the Master's nemesis. But you took it to a whole new level! Brilliant! But since I still wanted you to prove your worth I needed to create all new challenges for you. Naughty, naughty Harry! But even Master was impressed with your stand against your entire year. Why, he as much as admitted that he would have been hard pressed to duplicate such a feat at fourteen!"
"Enough, Barty," a new voice said. Barty looked affronted at the interruption until he turned and saw what the man carried. Harry looked over to see someone he'd never expected again.
Wormtail
Peter held what looked like a small child in his arms. Peter looked much thinner than the last time Harry saw him. The former Marauder now was much thinner than during the encounter in the Shrieking Shack and wore robes that while older seemed to have been well-maintained. The 'child' in his arms glared at Harry with a green, vaguely reptilian look to its skin and features.
"Hello, Harry. It is nice to see you again."
Harry fought both to keep the Beast supressed and his voice calm. "Peter," he responded.
"Ahh, yes," Peter said with a sad smile.
"Put me down, Wormtail," the 'child' said in a sibilant voice. The man complied instantly. The small figure stepped closer to Harry.
"Hello, Harry Potter. See what you have reduced me to!"
"Tom, is that you?" Harry asked with a grin that was only half forced. Yes, he was not in a good situation but the snake-child looked ridiculous.
The 'child' glared at the hated name. "How do you know that name?" he demanded.
"Malfoy was responsible for me finding out," Harry answered. "Never trust a family named 'Bad Faith'." Tom looked furious at Harry's answer. Technically it was even true. Lucius Malfoy's planting of the diary led to Harry's knowledge.
"I shall deal with my servant later – the same time I deal with your impertinence. But first, you shall be witness to the greatest feat of magic in a thousand years! You- an infant- managed to destroy my body through a fluke of magic. So it is only fitting that you shall be both a witness to my rebirth and the first victim of my new reign!"
Harry felt an involuntary shiver at the figure's words. Now he knew how Han felt at the end of Empire Strikes Back.
The figure ignored Harry now and slowly made its way across the small park to stand in the centre of the largest circle. "Barty, call the participants now."
"Yes, master," Barty answered before moving quickly out of sight. The figure knelt down and seemed to meditate.
"Hello Harry," Wormtail said again as he approached the bound boy. "You look well. Living with Sirius seems to agree with you. Much better than your Muggle relatives, eh?"
Harry ignored the small talk. "How did you get out, traitor?" Peter smiled.
"Come now, Harry! Surely you've heard enough of the Marauders to know we all had our roles. Remus was the academic brains, Sirius the brawn, James the heart, and I … I was the eyes. Any information or item we needed, it was my job to procure. Any place Sirius could escape from I can assure you I could as well."
"They told me you were in a cell that supressed your animagus form."
"And I was. Can I tell you a little secret? The DMLE might have great warders but horrible locksmiths. A ten-year-old Muggle with a paperclip could have unlocked that cell. I simply dropped one of the long-term prisoners into my cell so it was occupied. Once out of my cell I could change to my animagus form. The Dementors and the few Aurors on the island were no real challenge to avoid on my escape. But in my short stay I learnt that my old friend wasn't the first to escape. The others told me of Barty's replacement by his father. So once I escaped it was child's play to find him." The man smiled. "In a very real way, Harry, you are responsible for today. Without you saving me to go to Azkaban I would have never learnt of Barty's escape and been able to help the Master. So thank you!"
The man laughed. This was a very different Wormtail then the cringing, scared man in the Shrieking Shack. This man fit the few stories Remus had told of the cunning and brave Gryffindor boy that joined in the Marauders' adventures. Peter seemed to follow Harry's thoughts.
"A bit different then I was a year ago, no?" The traitor laughed. "Twelve years of living almost continuously as a rat took their toll. I was depressed with losing James and Lily for no reason with the Master's defeat. So I ate and slept for more than a decade. That kind of thing takes a toll on your brain, Harry."
"Don't you say their names, traitor," Harry growled. The Beast was just under the surface now.
Wormtail stepped up to look Harry in the eye. Harry could see a burning hate and fanaticism there now. "I loved James as my brother. Lily was the big sister that would help anyone. She was an example of all that a Mudblood could be if they shed that base world off. But you … you were a threat to the Master. He needed you dead. I could have done it- saved poor James and Lily with just a few drops of poison in your juice. But the Master insisted it had to be by his hand; that you were some kind of equal to him. So it was because of you that I had to betray my brother and sister."
Harry was shocked that Pettigrew would try to blame him for the older wizard's betrayal of his friends.
"You betrayed them long before you helped kill them!" Harry growled back. "They fought against everything your Master believed in. They thought you supported them. They trusted you and you took that trust and betrayed it every day since you took his mark on your arm."
Pettigrew looked murderous now. However his response was stopped by the return of Barty Crouch. The Death Eater was followed by three other people. The first was a much older man also wearing Death Eater robes with the hood thrown back. Next, was a middle-aged witch wearing a simple grey robe. Following her was a boy Harry's age that he recognized. It was Theodore Nott.
"Potter," his Slytherin classmate sneered. "I always said you should be chained up. Now look at you." Harry held his tongue. He was more interested in ripping out Wormtail's throat then dealing with this little pimple on Hogwarts's arse.
"Soon, Potter," Nott tried to taunt in his most threatening voice. "Soon my family shall be exalted above all others! The Dark Lord has promised this to my father. You and Malfoy will be dust at my feet."
A sharp cuff to the head silenced the boy. "Hold your tongue, boy," the old wizard demanded. If you are to serve the Master, keep silent and know your place."
"Yes, father."
The man turned to Harry. "Mr Potter, Alvin Nott at your service. A long time ago I was friends and a business associate with your grandfather. You favour him as did your father. It is too bad you ended up on the losing side but it is the fate of the Wizarding World that is at stake."
"Come to me now, my oldest servant," Voldemort called in his hissing voice from his place in the centre circle. The small figure remained kneeling in the same position even as he spoke.
"Yes, Master," the eldest Nott answered instantly. He turned to comply – Harry completely forgotten. The wizard motioned to his wife and son to follow.
"Alvin Nott, you shall stand at the top of the circle." Nott moved to the smaller circle facing the small figure.
"Persephone Nott, you shall take the circle to my left hand." The witch looked nervous but instantly complied.
"Theodore Nott, you shall take the circle to my right hand." Theo strutted forward full of confidence.
"Thank you my servants. Indeed the Nott family will stand unparalleled in the ranks of my Death Eaters for all time for their commitment to the cause. Now we shall begin."
Theodore Nott took one last chance to shot Harry a smug grin as Voldemort started to chant in a rhythmic pace. Harry couldn't understand the language and something told him he was better off not knowing. Soon the three members of the Nott family were standing in the same position with their heads tilted back and arms dangling loosely at their sides. They started swaying slightly in their positions. Harry was so focused on the ritual that he barely noticed when Peter and Barty moved to positions behind some of the nearby tomb stones.
Voldemort stopped his chant but the sound of it continued to linger in the evening air. It was hard for Harry to describe but it was like the very sounds were trapped within the light breezes moving through the graveyard. The tiny figure now stood up and faced the elder Nott male. It raised its skinny arms, saying:
"Magic of the servant – you shall sustain your master!"
At Tom's final words the circle at the elder Nott's feet lit up with strange runes. As the light grew brighter, Nott Senior started to scream in agony as an odd white mist started to flow from the small circle to Voldemort's larger one. His wife and son ignored his screams and continued to sway rhythmically in their place in the circles. Alvin Nott gave a final scream and then collapsed to the ground. The white mist swirled around inside the confines of the circle.
Now the figure turned to face the Persephone Nott. Again, it raised its arms. In a much deeper voice, it said:
"Wife of the servant – you shall give life to your master!"
Now it was the witch's turn to scream. But where her husband's mist was white, now it was a green mist that glowed in the torch light. In a short time that seemed like forever, she too collapsed to the ground. Now the green mist swirled in with the white – intertwined but not mixed.
The figure now turned to Theodore Nott. Harry's classmate was still oblivious to the fate of his parents. The figure raised its arms for a third time.
"Child of the servant – you shall give flesh to your master!"
Theodore's fate was even worse than his parents. A red mist wafted off the boy wizard and as it did, his flesh decayed before the witnesses' eyes. What fell to the ground was a bare blackened skeleton.
The white, green, and red mists swirled around the small figure in an increasing vortex. But somehow Harry could clearly hear the Dark Lord's next words.
"Gifts of the servants – restore your master to the mortal plane!"
The mists emitted a bright glow each in their own colour. It was so bright for a moment it hurt to look directly at it. Then the glow subsided. Harry looked for the small figure in the circle. But that is not what he saw.
Standing in the figure's place was an adult version of the teenager Harry met in the Chamber of Secrets. The same dark hair and build – a handsome man of middle years. Harry was in shock. The man standing naked with his back to Harry looked perfectly normal from what he could see.
"Robe me, Wormtail," the man commanded. Peter scurried over to the man and wrapped a fine silk robe around his body. The man fastened up the front of the robe and then turned to Harry. Voldemort made a casual gesture and the torches all lit.
Across the now lit distance, Harry could see the face of the 16 year-old boy he'd met two years ago in the man in front of him. But his skin had a greenish caste to it and something about his features suggested a snake. But it was the eyes that were different. Even in the torch light Harry could see a red glow to the man's eyes.
"Hello, Harry Potter, it is good to finally meet again properly after so many years."
"Well, forgive me if I don't shake your hand," Harry responded sarcastically. Voldemort laughed.
"So much like your father, Harry. He would have been proud of you. Three times I offered him a place by my side. The Potters are distantly related to the Slytherin family and he would have held a position of honour in my organization. I would have even accepted his Mudblood wife. It is power and ability that matters most and I see myself as a practical man. But he threw each offer in my face much the same way you just did. Too much Dumbledore's man to see the opportunity in front of him."
"Dumbledore has nothing to do with it," Harry shot back. "Maybe it is the Potters refuse to kneel down to a want-to-be dictator looking for revenge for having been raised in a Muggle orphanage!" Voldemort hand smashed out across Harry's face, stunning him.
"What would you know of it you arrogant little wizardling! Muggles have no place interacting with the Wizarding world. They are like a virus infesting the planet – destroying everything that touch or fail to understand!"
"Thanks to you I know all too much what Muggles can be like," Harry responded. "My relatives made it all too clear what they thought of magic. Of course their hatred extended to people of other nationalities, religions, political opinion, and sexual orientation. But you are no different – you just replace magic with non-magic and nothing changes."
To Harry's surprise, Voldemort chuckled. "And there is your mother in you. How touching. But soon it won't matter. Wormtail, give me your arm."
At the Dark Lord's demand, Peter offered his bared left arm. The Dark Mark was a vivid black even in the torch light. Voldemort touched it with his wand and an instant later a magical pulse rippled out from the mark. That done, the wand disappeared up his sleeve and he turned back to Harry.
"My servants shall be here shortly and then not long after your time with us will be at an end young Potter. Until then, I suggest you try to relax and enjoy the beautiful night sky." The statement that this would be his last night went unsaid but well heard. With that he turned and walked away- Peter and Barty following close on his heels.
-II-
Over the next ten minutes the Death Eaters started to appear in the graveyard. They all Apparated in with near silent cracks in the air. All wore the black robes with silver masks. Most of the masks were plain while a few had designs that looked like Celtic runes that were unique to each mask. When he saw Barty and Peter put on their masks and saw the same types of marks, he guessed that these were Tom's inner circle or elite fighters. Harry counted upwards of twenty-five Death Eaters. Most were men but he guessed five were witches based on what he could see with the heave robes they wore. Six of them, including Wormtail and Barty, wore the marked masks.
When the Death Eaters appeared they stood motionless and waited patiently. Without a word to each other they simply moved to a position in a semi-circle around the large ritual circle but leaving the end open that faced Harry. He could feel their gazes on him but no one said anything. Harry tried to yell at them but found that some magic held his tongue.
Voldemort suddenly moved out of the shadows to stand in the centre of the clearing. The Death Eaters all dropped to kneel before their master. Harry could somehow sense the shock of the cloaked terrorists at the sight of the restored Dark Lord. Voldemort's new body looked no more than middle aged – not the eighty plus year-old body that was expected.
"My faithful servants, I have returned." The tone was quiet but powerful.
"My Lord, how is this possible?" a masked Death Eater asked. Harry suspected that it was Lucius Malfoy from the voice. A suspicion Voldemort quickly confirmed.
"Ah, Lucius, my slippery friend. How is this possible? I have journeyed further on the path of Immortality that any have before me. I made a miscalculation thirteen years ago that saw the loss of my physical form. I was left a wraith. And where were my faithful servants?" The Death Eaters all started proclaiming their faithful allegiance to their master.
"Enough." Voldemort' s quiet word brought all of their protests to a halt. "Do you take Lord Voldemort for a fool? I have seen my 'devoted' followers running to protect their own positions – declaring they were forced into my service. I may not have had a physical form but that has not stopped me from watching. Only a very few of you have shown the ultimate loyalty. The Lestranges and young Barty Crouch went to Azkaban in my name; arrested while searching for me. For the rest of you, you shall have to find some way of earning yourselves back into my good graces. Especially you, Lucius my ever-faithful servant." Harry would have felt bad about the pain coming the elder Malfoy's way but the arse deserved everything he got.
The Death Eaters now knelt even lower. Harry was surprised they hadn't protested their value but Voldemort merely nodded as if that was the reaction he'd expected.
"I give to you Alvin Nott as an example of the devotion I expect of you. Nott recognized his failure and offered all he had to restore me to my rightful place. The Nott family shall forever now be known as standing in the forefront of my servants." The Death Eaters seemed to be glancing around trying to spot where their Lord's new favourite servant was standing. Then Voldemort continued, "Nott has surrendered his life along with that of his wife and only son – the very future of the Noble family of Nott – to restore me."
Harry could see that shook the Death Eaters. The old Purebloods families placed a high value on their family history and ensuring their place in the future. To hear one of their number had destroyed their own family struck them at their core.
Voldemort turned now from his followers to glare at Harry. "Now, for our guest-of-honour. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. As the only witness of my fall, it is only right that he would be here to witness my return! "The Death Eaters murmured their agreement.
Voldemort now sported an evil grin. "As my last target, he shall have the honour of being the first in my Second Rise to fall to my wand!" The Death Eaters laughed and cheered this announcement.
"Wormtail, release Potter and give him his wand," Voldemort ordered.
Peter moved over to Harry and made a motion with his wand. The shackles instantly released. The sudden release caused Harry to wince in pain as his arms dropped down and blood started to flow freely through his arms again. Peter watched without any expression while Harry rubbed out his arms. Then he softly tossed Harry's wand at Harry's feet.
"Die well, Harry," Peter murmured. "I know you'll make your parents proud. I'm sorry." Harry ignored the traitor as he bent to pick up his wand. He felt instant warmth as his wand slipped into his hand. Peter moved away and Harry looked up towards Voldemort.
The Dark Lord had moved back a bit to a regulation duelling range. He was watching Harry with an arrogant indifference. Harry winced mentally. Of course he was arrogant. He'd beat everyone that had come against him with a wand. Even Dumbledore had only been able to hold him to a stalemate.
"Now, Harry, bow to me. Bow to your death."
"Go stuff yourself."
Voldemort lost his amused expression at Harry's rude rebuttal. "Imperio! You will now bow to me!"
Harry felt the spell slipping around in his head. A voice whispered to him to bow. It was much harder than Moody's spell. The voice was more insistent.
"Never!" Harry yelled as he broke the curse's hold.
The anger fled from Tom's face to be replaced with disappointment. "Such a waste. Time to die Harry." Without another word, the Dark Lord switched into duelling mode. A silent, yellow spell shot towards Harry. Harry managed to get a shield up that blocked the unknown spell. The shield managed to hold but the force of the impact actually managed to knock Harry back a bit. Voldemort gave a grudging nod of approval before firing off another spell.
Harry was almost entirely defensive as the spells flew fast and hot. He managed to block several and dodged the rest. He managed to fire off a Blasting Curse and a Jelly-Brain Jinx. The Blasting Curse hit at the Dark Lord's feet showing him with bits of sod, dirt, and rocks but did no real damage. The jinx was contemptuously swatted away by the Dark Lord's shield.
The Death Eaters had been cheering the fight like Hogwarts students at a Quidditch match. It was one of them in their excitement that gave Harry his chance.
Hector Depalma came from an old, but poor Pureblood family. He blamed the Muggle-born for the failure of his family's fortunes. There was nothing specific but he was sure there was a conspiracy against his House. His father was an early Death Eater and paid for Hector's Hogwarts education with plunder from raids on Muggle-born and Blood Traitors. The elder Depalma was killed by Aurors only a month before the Dark Lord's fall. The Depalma family money quickly disappeared once again. Hector blamed the Muggle-born and Harry Potter for their decline. For Hector Depalma, the Dark Lord's return meant Galleons for him and his family.
Now the Master was ready to kill the hated Harry Potter. Hector just wanted a piece of the brat before the Master finished him.
Harry dove to avoid a Killing Curse and landed to roll back up to his feet. Some instinct warned him a moment before the blow landed. Harry snatched the Death Eater's arm in a firm grip and heaved the man over his shoulder. Voldemort screamed in outrage that one of his servants interrupted his fight. Hector was in a daze as he tried to stand up but was tangled in his robe. His struggles ended as the Dark Lord's Killing Curse took him. The Death Eaters cheered again.
Harry took the opportunity and looked for a way out but he saw Peter and Barty blocking the way behind him.
"You have done well, Harry," Voldemort announced. "But the game is over now. No more tricks."
Harry had to grin. "Well, maybe one more trick." An instant later where a boy stood now stood a creature out of nightmare. It resembled a werewolf but was more wolf than man for all it walked on two legs. But Voldemort and his Death Eaters never had a chance to take in the details as the creature fell on them.
One massive clawed paw swung out to dig deeply into a Death Eater's side as the other gripped his neighbour by the neck and gave a sharp jerk. Another was bitten in the thigh and a woman's shriek joined the chorus of screams. It was mass confusion as the giant black creature moved in the darkness fighting though the one side of the ring on Death Eaters.
Voldemort was screaming orders that were ignored in the confusion. Mixed in with his Death Eaters, Tom didn't have a clear shot at the creature the Potter boy turned into. "Alive! I want him alive!" Voldemort screamed out.
Suddenly, the Potter creature was right there in front of him. Voldemort' s wand came up inhumanely fast as the tip glowed green with a Killing Curse. But the Beast was faster. The Beast swiped a paw at the Dark Lord's throat intent on ripping it out. Voldemort managed to avoid most of the swipe but the Basilisk-poison tipped claws dug in deep just nicking the carotid artery. Feeling the blood and the sudden burning sensation, Voldemort instantly Apparated away.
Seeing their Master flee, many of the Death Eaters followed him in their shock and fear.
The Beast surveyed the scene from a dark corner. His lungs were heaving as the adrenalin pumped through his body. He felt some slight pain from his 'duel' with Voldemort and he was sure he'd taken some damage as he fought through the Death Eaters but for now he could barely feel it. Instead, he looked out into the graveyard and considered his next move.
He could hear some Death Eaters moaning in their pain. A few more black lumps lay motionless on the ground. Harry knew he couldn't stay here. The Death Eaters could be back at any time.
The Beast moved stealthy through the disturbed graveyard towards the distant village. Hopefully they would have some way for him to get back to Hogwarts.
-III-
Harry was approaching the boundaries of the small village. He'd reverted to his human form so as not to be seen by the normal inhabitants of the village. He was battered and bruised. His clothing was torn in several places from his transformation and the ensuing fight. (He was rather jealous of the regular animagi that transfigured with their clothes intact.)
Harry was just up to the first house in the village when a small voice asked, "Harry Potter Sir?" Harry turned and started to raise his wand when the words and the sight in front of him caught up with Harry's brain. It was an elf on one of the brooms from the task. The elf was wearing the uniform the Marauders created for the elves in their employ. Harry instantly lowered his wand.
"Gippy is so happy to be seeing Harry Potter Sir! Harry Potters' Dobby has been very worried!" Harry had to smile as he slumped exhausted against a nearby wall.
"I'm happy to see you too, Gippy. Can you take me back to Hogwarts now?"
Gippy nodded rapidly his agreement. "Gippy be doing that now, Harry Potter Sir. Take Gippy's hand." Harry thankfully took the elf's hand and with a pop they were gone from the village of Little Hangleton.
-IV-
Gippy took Harry directly to the Hospital Ward - scaring Madam Pomfrey in the process. She was simply unprepared for a bleeding and bruised Harry to appear with an elf on a broomstick. Gippy then immediately popped away to give Dobby the news. Ten seconds later, Harry's friend had arrived.
"Dobby tell the Dogfather and Fluffy Uncle that Harry Potter Sir is safe and with Scary Healer."
"Thanks, Dobby. And thank the flying rescue squad too," Harry said as the Pomfrey settled him onto a bed. A few flicks of her wand saw Harry's clothes gone save for his shorts and she was soon shoving potions into him.
"Harry Potter Sir is welcome. Dobby will always be there to help Harry Potter Sir."
"Can you get me out of here?" Harry asked plaintively drawing a glare from the Healer.
Dobby shrugged. "Sorry Harry Potter Sir. Some things even Elf Magic can't do." Then he popped away as Harry laughed. Pomfrey snickered at Dobby's response.
"Strange elf, that one."
Harry laughed again. "Dobby is one of a kind."
Harry almost needed medical attention again when the horde of people stormed into the Hospital Ward. The Marauders were in the front followed closely by Harry's friends, school officials, and government officials of several varieties. Everyone was asking if he was okay, demanding answers to shouted questions, and otherwise just making a lot of noise.
A cannon blast silenced the room.
"Enough!" Madam Pomfrey announced in a dangerous voice. "I have other patients here than Mr Potter. Mr Potter is physically okay but did need some medical treatment. He is staying here for the night for observation. Now, I give you ten minutes before you are all out of here! Understood?!" The crowd was cowed by the Healer's display. Most of them were Hogwarts students or alumni and were intimidated by the stern woman.
"Thank you, Poppy," Dumbledore said with a sly smile. Then he turned to Harry.
"Mr Potter, what can you tell us of your ordeal? We know that it was not Mr Filch that took you from Hogwarts."
Harry nodded. "He said his name was Barty Crouch Jr."
"That is impossible!" Fudge protested. "Barty Jr died in Azkaban more than ten years ago!"
"Well, that is who he said he was," Harry shot back. "I didn't say it was him. How would I know? I will tell you one thing for sure. He was there with Peter Pettigrew!"
"Another impossibility!" Fudge howled. "There is no way that man escaped our prison!"
"I did," Sirius commented in a worried tone. "Peter was always a slippery one."
"He said he picked the lock on his cell and left another inmate inside to cover his escape," Harry supplied.
"And do you have any proof of this, Mr Potter?" a stern woman wearing a monocle asked.
"In my pants is a block of wood. Take it out and cancel the transfiguration."
Harry's directions were dutifully carried out. Seconds later, a dead body that was missing the right arm and a large part of its abdominal cavity was on the Ward floor. The left arm was bare and still showed the pitch black Dark Mark in all its horrible glory. The crowd retracted in shock and disgust.
"Is that Barty Crouch Jr?" Harry asked.
"Aye, that's 'im," Moody admitted before taking a shot from his ever-present flask.
"He called you 'Uncle Alastor," Harry told the Defence professor.
Moody took another shot before answering. "My sister's kid. Only family I had left. Well done, lad." Moody looked both saddened and satisfied at the loss of his nephew. Harry wondered if the fanaticism came just from his father's side of the family.
"What did they want Harry?" Dumbledore broke in to ask. "Why did they need to kidnap you?"
Harry heaved a deep breath before saying, "They wanted me to witness their ritual restoring Voldemort to a physical form." Harry looked up at the Headmaster with haunted eyes. "They sacrificed the entire Nott family to do it. But he's back."
"NO! That's not possible!" Fudge shouted as the crowd broke out in pandemonium. "You-Know-Who can't be back! He can't!" Anything else was drowned out as the crowd grew louder in their discussions, arguments, and fears.
None of the adults save the Marauders noticed when Ernie slipped Harry the Potter Invisibility Cloak. Harry quickly slipped out of the Hospital Ward surrounded by his friends and family while the professors and Ministry officials continued to argue.
A/N: Just a couple of items to the deviation from the canon graveyard scene.
The horcrux in Harry was destroyed fighting the lycanthropy, so no connection exists.
Since Harry has lived with Sirius for a year at this point, the blood wards would no longer exist so there is no need to design the ritual to bypass them.
Besides, Harry never touched Q-Mort his first year at Hogwarts so LV never saw a need to use Harry's blood in the ritual.
Harry is there simply as a witness since he was also the only witness to LV's fall.
I am bored of the whole flesh\bone\blood ritual!