CHAPTER 34

At The Graveyard

Harry hardly had any time to realise that he was now at a different location. He hardly had the time to even feel surprised or afraid or even for the shock to register, when a red stunner was suddenly shot at him and his world went black.

When he came to, he felt as though his scar was on fire. And he found himself tied to something that felt like stone. He was tethered to it with ropes so intricately knotted and tight, all of himself that he could move were his eyeballs. He couldn't even speak and the ropes were digging into his skin.

The eerie silence around him made him look around him, as far as his eyes could see. And he realised that he was in a cemetery and it was dark. But what caught his attention was the cowardly form of Peter Pettigrew that seemed to be tinkering with the flames under a stone cauldron.

A quiet hiss caught his attention and Harry noticed a snake, the Nagini he'd seen in his dreams, coiled up next to Pettigrew.

"Harry?" came the welcoming sound of Ethan's voice.

"Ethan?" Harry replied.

"Harry! thank goodness!"

"You're awake! We've been calling you every thirty seconds!"

"We were so worried."

"Where are you?"

"In some graveyard somewhere." Harry replied, too groggy to decipher the cascade of voices.

"You're joking?" Draco asked.

"No!" He replied indignantly more awake and worried now. "I'm tied to a stone, to a grave most likely. And I can't move! I can't even escape, because I don't have the portkey on me! I had to take it out before the task. And there's Peter Pettigrew here fiddling with a large stone cauldron. Along with Nagini, Voldemort's snake!"

"Don't panic. Aurors have been called, along with the minister." said Blaire. "Neville's relating everything you say to Prof. What else can you see?"

"There's a bundle of black cloth near the cauldron and my scar is hurting really badly. I think Voldemort is near."

"He's awake!" came a delighted cackle, and Harry caught sight of the jeering form of Moody! It was only then that Harry began feeling nervous. This wasn't good. Something definitely was wrong. If Dumbledore trusted the retired Auror just as nearly as everyone believed, what was he doing here cackling around Peter Pettigrew? Were they working together? Was Moody imperiused?

"Scared Potter?" he asked.

"Moody's here too! What's happening?" Harry asked the others almost certain that they wouldn't know the answer.

"What? But they've found him-" Ethan began only to be interrupted by Harry's panicked, "No, no! He's changing."

And true enough, Moody was changing into a man Harry had never seen in his life.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of Polyjuice potion, Potter."

"He was using Polyjuice!" Harry screamed. "It isn't Moody! The effects have worn off and he's become someone else. I don't even know him."

"Oh well," this unknown man said. "I'll humour you, as a last wish of sorts, entertain you before the actual show... You're going to die, you know that? I am Barty Crouch, the son of Barty Crouch senior. I was thought to have died in Azkaban by everyone. Ha! No one ever suspected my father of foul play."

"He says, I'm going to die." Harry said as the pain in his scar intensified and sweat began trickling down his face.

"Not going to happen." Neville relayed with conviction.

Harry just couldn't push the panic out of his mind. This was one situation that there was no way he could escape. He was essentially stuck, right within Death's cold arm's reach.

"You see," his face, now had a dreamy expression, but his voice was bitter, "my father's biggest mistake, his weakness, was that he loved my mother a tad too much. He knew she loved me and he knew that she was dying. When I was thrown into Azkaban, the dementors caused my health to deteriorate rapidly. And they knew that I had no hopes, I was going to die. Hence my parents were informed."

All the while, Harry could hear words of comfort and encouragement in his mind. Along with questions such as, the position of the moon or the kind of soil? Which he had to answer with a no for the moon was out of his sight and he couldn't distinguish soil from such a distance..

"What's else is he saying?" Draco asked as an attempt to distract him.

Heart pounding and scared stiff, Harry relayed whatever he'd heard.

"My parents came to Azkaban on the pretext of visiting me for the last time, but my mother, who happened to be carrying a secret stash of Polyjuice with my hair in it, switched places with me. To die instead of me was her last wish, and my father couldn't bring himself not to comply. He loved her too much...

"When I'd left, the dementors weren't any the wiser. This was the worsened state of my health caused a lesser intensity of emotions to be sensed by the dementors. To their knowledge, to people entered through the gates of Azkaban and two exited. One with strong state of emotions, and one with a feeble amount.

"She died in Azkaban, my mother. She was buried there, while my father had a private burial in her honour service at home with use of an empty coffin, to avoid any kind of suspicion. At home, our house-elf Winky nursed me back to health. As I kept getting stronger, all I I wanted to do, was to go in search of my Lord.

"My power hungry father, who'd already been demoted, wouldn't hear a work of it. He restrained me by placing me under the imperius curse. I was under the curse for years, until I began fighting it just recently. Then Bertha Jorkins, pushed her long nose into my father's house and caught me. But my father obliviated her.

"But my Lord got hold of her and managed to torture her until the curse broke. She told him about what she had seen, and then, my Lord killed her. So it's all thanks to him, that I am standing here today. And I could only return my gratitude by stunning Moody, and taking his place as your Professor. And while I lived in his office, he lived in one of the compartments of his own trunk."

Carefully Harry told them all he'd heard and he would have actually startled if the ropes hadn't held him down, when the cauldron let out a loud hiss.

"Can you see anything else, Harry?" Blaire asked in a trembling voice.

"I am tied to something, so tight, all I can move are my eyes. And I'm tied somewhere near the back of the place, so I can't even read the names on the stones if I have to. They're all facing the other direction. And the cauldron's started to hiss!"

"This entire thing was to be held after your third task in June, Potter. Unfortunately for you, we hadn't anticipated what Wormtail referred to as the Marauders Map to be in existence. Our little rat failed to mention it. And when he finally did the previous night, we had no option but to rush through with things.

"I had to leave Hogwarts and get here, before that werewolf caught sight of two Barty Crouches on the map this afternoon. I really wouldn't want him running up to me like he did when I asked you to come to my office yesterday. Could you imagine us getting caught all because of some gullible-"

"Let's get started." Pettigrew interrupted, straightening up.

"They're starting something." Harry said, completely panicked and frustrated, his heart pounding faster than ever, as though trying to jump right out of his chest.

Pettigrew approached the bundle of clothes by the cauldron's side and pulled aside the layers of clothing. The pain in Harry's scar flared to such a peak, he could no longer listen to anyone mindchatting in his head.

Through slitted eyes, he caught sight of Pettigrew lifting the creature body of Voldemort, a raw skinned thing, shaped like a very small child, with weak arms and legs. Pettigrew wore a look of utter revulsion on his face.

Nagini uncoiled herself began moving her large body in large circles, including the grave Harry was tied to, Crouch, Pettigrew and the Cauldron within its circumference.

"You know what to do." Voldemort's cold voice said.

"Voldemort's here! Voldemort's here!" Harry screamed. "They're trying to do some ritual with him!"

Pettigrew wordlessly placed him into the cauldron, which contained some liquid Harry was too far away to see. There was a hiss followed by some loud popping of bubbles, and then Harry heard the raw body hit the bottom with a thud. Both, Crouch and Pettigrew approached Harry.

Harry could only hope they didn't decide to dunk him in after Voldemort. He was utterly and completely powerless against them. With his heart thudding in his chest, he watched Pettigrew point his wand at the ground below harry and some dust moved up into the air from a spot below Harry.

He shuffled back to the cauldron, the dust following him as he moved.

"Bone of the father," he said. "unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"

Then he held his left hand above the cauldron. A knife, replaced his wand and as Pettigrew brought the knife down with a sob, Harry, realising what would soon happen shut his eyes. A moment later, he heard a sickening splat and a loud scream. His eyes were able to keep the scene out. His ears weren't that lucky. Harry began to feel sick.

"F-flesh of the s-s-servant", he sobbed, "willingly s-sacrificed, you w-w-will revive your ma-master."

Then the answer to his current location finally settled onto Harry, but before he could say anything, he felt a terrible stab of pain, only to find that Crouch of dug a knife deep into his left arm. It was a testimony to how firmly Harry had been tied up, when he wasn't even able to hiss at the pain. But he tried in vain to struggle, when Crouch, with a sickening cackle, collected the blood, that flowed out from that cut, in a vial . When he had enough, he carried it to the sobbing Pettigrew and handed it to him.

"I'm tied to Voldemort's father's grave!" Harry yelled over the voices calling out to him in his head, as he watched Pettigrew empty the contents of the vial into the cauldron saying, "B-blood of the enemy, f-forcibly taken, you will resurrect your f-foe."

"Just a little longer, darling." Blaire said soothingly. "Help is coming. Prof knows where it is. He's telling the Aurors."

Pettigrew then fell to the ground and moaned and cried for mercy.

The cauldron emanated a dense smoke through which, Harry caught sight of a tall figure straightening out.

"Clothe me, Barty." he said.

Crouch, readily lifted the black cloth that the raw body had first been wrapped in, unfolded it unraveling a long robe, and covered the figure with it. Then the figure stepped out of the cauldron, away from the smoke, the red eyes emerging from his skull-like face had slits for pupils and awfully resembled that of a snake just like his nose and lipless mouth. He looked over himself, at Harry and his surroundings and laughed mockingly.

Lord Voldemort had returned.

"He's back!" Harry said in horror and the voices in his head sending back assurances and sending him encouragements ceased. "He's back! Voldemort's back!"

"Oh, Harry!" Blaire cried desparately. "Please be okay!"

Voldemort turned to Crouch who was now laying by his feet and said, "Get up, Barty. Show me your arm."

"B-but master." Pettigrew sobbled out from a distance away. "P-p-please."

Voldemort ingnored him, lifted Crouch's left hand, pulled the sleeve up, exposing the dark mark similar to the one Prof had under his sleeve. Placed his wand to the mark and began to laugh with glee.

Then he turned to Harry Potter and said to Crouch, "I'd rather not take a risk with him. I would have liked to display him alive and then do the necessary, but the boy has an aggravating habit of slipping out of tight situations... However, I have two witnesses to proclaim my glorious victory."

If Harry considered that his heart had been trying to leap out of his chest earlier, it was nothing compared to this. He was terrified. He really didn't want to die. The pain in his head wasn't getting any better. All he could focus on to calm himself were his siblings and friends soothing if not tearful words, words that had no meaning and promised nothing, but Harry simply chose to believe them, because it made him feel a tad better.

Then Voldemort turned to Harry and said, "You and I share the same blood, Harry Potter. Hence, we share your Moodblood mother's protection. You cannot escape me this time. You will not escape. You will die Harry Potter. And you will join your wretched parents. And you will have me to thank.

"And remember, Lord Voldemort is being merciful, inspite of everything you have put him through. Crucio!"

Pain was all Harry knew. Pain that he had never felt before burned through him, seeping into his bones as if setting them on fire. Unimaginable pain coursed through his body and he couldn't scream and he could move around, Harry wasn't sure if he would live through it... All he could hear was Barty Crouch's laughing, delighted and mad. And then, just as it struck him, the pain disappeared, leaving Harry gasping and horrified.

"Can't let the word spread around that a member of Salazar's house, no matter how undeserving of the title, had been tortured and humiliated by a true and rightful fellow Slytherin, now can we?"

Crouch howled with laughter.

And just as Harry could make sense of what the monster had just said, Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry wearing a sadistic grin. Harry was now gripped with terror. This was it. This was how he was going to die.

Voldemort's lips moved, his words drowned by the sound of pops of various apparitions all around him, and Harry saw a familiar, horrifying, bright green rush out from Voldemort's wand and shut his eyes as the light hit him.

Then the pain that arose was terrible.

No, not the pain in his scar. Infact his scar felt as though it hadn't been burning for the past twenty or so minutes... There was no pain in his scar. The pain was flaring up from Harry's chest. It seemed as though the force of the Avada Kedavra was too much. Harry hoped he hadn't broken his ribs. The ropes pressed against him wasn't helping either.

Wait a minute. Wasn't he supposed to be dead? What was going on?

Silence had filled the air now, but Harry kept his eyes shut, too afraid to see what was happening.

"Ethan?" he called tentatively. "Blaire? Neville? Draco? Are you there?"

He got no answer. Couldn't they hear him? Was he really dead?

Then he felt two fingers pressed against his neck and his eyes flew open involuntarily.

"Harry!" Prof's anguished voice filled his ears. Harry would have whimpered in relief if he could. He tried to catch sight of his beloved guardian but couldn't see him anywhere. Of course. He had to be under the disillusionment charm.

"Listen dear child," Prof continued, his voice now comforting, stroking Harry's temple gently, "Turn into Sly, slip through the ropes, and hurry to the gate of the graveyard. Wait outside, against the wall. I'll come and get you. You'll be fine."

Then he heard a high groan. Harry's eyes fell on Voldemort who lay on the floor, many masked men in black robes were surrounding him. Crouch was one of them, so was Lucius Malfoy. Harry recognise him because of his hair. Pettigrew was whimpering on the floor, now barely conscious. Nagini was still slithering around in large circles.

Harry wasted no more time. He transformed into Sly and slipped through the ropes easily enough. As he fell to the ground his chest throbbed painfully. He saw Prof's dark form appear amongst the other Death Eaters now, his mask in place. He was also looking over the monster who groaned again, but refused to help those who were making use of the diagnostic charms.

Sly then saw Nagini approaching and realised he had wasted enough of time. Assuring himself that Prof would be safe, he promptly turned tail and ran. Luckily for him, the snake hadn't seen him yet. He rushed past three or four graves until he was sure he was out of everyone's sight. Then he stopped and looked around, searching for the gate of the Graveyard.

"I am in no need of assistance!" he heard Voldemort say. "Move aside, or I'll kill you just as I killed the boy!... Severus untie the body."

Then there was a startled cry.

"The boy!" Sly heard Voldemort cry. "Where's the boy?"

"He's gone, Master!"

By now, Sly caught sight of the gate and began rushed towards it.

There were a series of loud pops of apparition and the sound of spells and explosions and bright lights filled the air.

Not sure if his small legs would take him get him out of the way before he was hit, Sly quickly dug a hole in the soil. Once his hole was sufficiently deep, Sly popped his head back to to confirm the location of the grave and then popped his head back in, narrowly missing a purple spell that wizzed past him. He then began digging a tunnel in the direction that led to the gate.

As he moved further, he heard another series of softer apparition pops, and more bangs, but soon there was no more sound. On an on Sly dug, running into two skeletons and a decomposing corpse on the way. He squeaked in distress, but moved on and on and on, until his paws hit something solid.

Tentatively, Sly resurfaced and found himself in contact with the graveyard's compound wall. His sensitive ears were again filled with bangs and whooshes and screams and yells and his eyes took in all the colours that filled the sky. He looked about and found that he was only a meter away from the gate. With a whimper, he hurried to it and slipped through the bars.

Once outside, he let himself relax against the stone structure and curled into a ball.

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Severus left behind the chaos that had ensued between the teachers, aurors and students, frustrated with the rate at which action was being taken. He had given them the location and they hadn't still moved, waiting like idiots for instructions from the minister.

His mark had burned and Severus decided that if they were going to waste time having discussions, he'd rather do something about it himself. For Merlin's sake Harry was in danger. Couldn't they understand?

So Severus rushed to the gates of Hogwarts and focused solely on Voldemort's location and disapperated to a graveyard, along with many fellow Death Eaters, just in time to see a streak of green light rush past him. Then there was a thud.

Voldemort had fallen to the floor.

Slowly, Severus turned to the direction in which the curse was cast, and his heart broke. There tied up to a gravestone was Harry Potter.

No. Severus wouldn't believe. He had to check for himself. His Harry couldn't be dead. That wonderful boy couldn't be killed just like that. It wasn't right. And so, as the other Death Eaters turned to give their attention to their fallen Lord, Severus disillusioned himself and walked up to Harry.

Ever inch of the child was held tight by ropes, preventing himself from any kind of movement. The part of the boy's face he could see, was deathly pale and his arm was bleeding profusely.

Suppressing a shuddering breath, Severus lifted his trembling hand and placed two fingers against the boy's neck. There was a frantic pulse, and the boy's terrified eyes shot open.

"Harry!" he said, trying but failing to reign his emotions.

The boy looked around wildly, but then relaxed, realising that Severus was invisible.

Severus took a deep breath and calmed down He stroked the boy's temple reassuringly and calmly told him to transform to his animagus form Sly and rush to th exit of the cemetery and hide there. A few moments later, Harry did as he was asked and rushed out of sight.

Severus moved to the crowd of Death Eaters and took off the disillusionment.

Then Voldemort awoke and shook a persistent Crouch away from him, threatening him with death. Reluctantly, Crouch moved away, and Voldemort stood up. Everyone moved to their positions.

"Severus,' he said, "Untie the body." Then he turned his eyes to his father's gravestone and the cruel smile that he sported on his face slowly vanished. He screeched in rage, his face now wearing an ugly snarl.

"The boy!" Voldemort screamed angrily. "Where's the boy?"

He glowered at the bleeding mess of Pettigrew on the floor and sent the killing curse at him.

"He's disappeared, Master!" Crouch stupidly exclaimed at the same time.

Before Voldemort could display his wrath on him, a series of apparitions sounded and Aurors came into view. Immediately, Severus cast a disillusionment on himself again and backed away from the scene.

The battle was intense, but Voldemort's side was losing. Barty Crouch Jr. and Lucius Malfoy were struck down by Voldemort's own badly aimed Avada Kedavras. Severus continued to remain out of the way. His eyes caught sight of Moody's fake eye and leg, reflecting the various colours that filled the air, and wondered what the real Moody, who'd been found imperiused in his own box would say when he found out who had tainted his precious possessions.

Next to the artifacts, was a wand broken into two, the phoenix feather exposed and devoid of any more magic. Severus sighed, Harry was going to be heartbroken. He bent down and picked up the wand pieces. Perhaps Ollivander could fix it. It was alright to hope. It had already proven itself in Harry's case. Severus had thought the boy was dead, but moved to check for himself and was rewarded with a strong pulse. Perhaps there was hope for the child's wand?

Severus pocketed the two pieces. Then he waited until Voldemort realised that he wasn't going to win. He grabbed hold of Nagini, and disappeared. Many Death Eaters followed him too, but two were captured. Severus was certain that they were Dolohov and Avery.

Peter Pettigrew, Barty Crouch and Lucius Malfoy turned out to be the only casualties, all by Voldemort's hand. An Auror had lost his arm, another was the receiver of a dark spell that rendered him unconscious and another auror and the two captured Death Eaters sported deep, profusely bleeding gashes.

Severus waited impatiently until everyone cleared out carrying all the evidence they needed, including the three dead bodies, Harry's ropes, the Cauldron and Moody's fake eye and wooden leg and then he rushed to the gates of the graveyard, made himself visible again and stepped out of the cemetery.

Luckily for them, Voldemort must have instructed either Crouch or Pettigrew to put up Muggle repelling charms around the place. Curious Muggles had stepped out of their houses because of the disturbance, but none came near the graveyard.

Severus found the trembling form of Sly curled up just besides the gate. Gently he lifted the fox and held him close. Then he disapperated into the garden of Number four, Privet Drive.

tbc...