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Regaining consciousness was a gradual process with the world swimming in and out of focus. Draco's head hurt and everything was so bright that upon opening them, he immediately shut his eyes again. He was unwilling to try again, but he could feel that he was lying on cold, muddy ground.
"It is a disappointment to me…" he could hear someone speak, but his mind had difficulty processing what was being said and by whom. "I confess myself disappointed…"
Something about that voice however made him force his eyes open. He blinked a couple of times and could vaguely make out that he was in a graveyard. After another few seconds, his vision less blurry and the world less bright, he could see Potter, tied to a headstone and several dark figures, standing around him and Draco.
Death Eaters, Draco thought. And by the looks of it, there were a lot of them. All of them masked, except for Barty Crouch, who, still looking like his father and holding on to the flask in which Draco assumed he kept the Polyjuice, was standing close to his master, his eyes glinting madly.
Draco could feel fear and panic rising within him. He had thought the worst case scenario was that Cassius Warrington would die instead of Cedric Diggory. It had never occurred to him that he might be the one to take Cedric's place.
He moved his head a little and then he saw him. Skin whiter than a skull, wide, livid, scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils - Lord Voldemort had risen again.
Draco's pulse quickened and he could feel adrenaline rush through his veins, but he forced himself to remain calm.
Somewhere next to Harry, Draco could make out Cassius. He looked pale and uncertain. Again Draco wondered how involved the boy was in all of this and whether he had known about all of it beforehand. Had he stumbled into this situation unknowingly and was scared senseless or had he been an active part of the plan?
One of the Death Eaters suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle and drawing Draco's attention back to the Dark Lord and his followers. Trembling from head to toe, he collapsed at Voldemort's feet.
"Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!"
Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand. "Crucio!"
The Death Eater writhed and shrieked. Cassius closed his eyes and Draco could see that the boy was shaking.
"Get up, Avery," said Voldemort softly. "Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years… I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you."
Voldemort walked around the still cowering Avery, looking at Pettigrew, who Draco only now noticed. Pettigrew was lying on the floor, one arm abruptly ending in a bloody mess, and crying. "Some of you," Voldemort admitted, "have already paid some of your debt." Voldemort's gaze wandered through his ranks. Those he looked at now must have been those that had known about his return, Draco assumed. Those that had helped with the tournament and recruited new followers and freed the prisoners of Azkaban.
Draco watched as Voldemort gave Pettigrew a new hand. "May your loyalty never waver again," he said, to Wormtail just as much as to the others.
Voldemort turned his head. "Lucius, my slippery friend," Draco froze, "I have been told your dear son has strayed from the right path."
Draco tensed. His hands frantically wandered up and down his body, looking for his wand, but it was not there. His eyes wandered to the figure he assumed to be his father, but he did not look his way.
"He is no longer a son of mine," Lucius's voice sounded cold and it made Draco's stomach sink. He was alone in this. He would die and his father would watch all of it and not lift a finger to protect him.
"Bellatrix, my most trusted servant," Voldemort continued. "Your own nephew. How could this happen?"
"My lord," Bellatrix hurried to say, "I've tried to capture him, my lord. We lured him and his friends out of the castle. But we were outnumbered."
"By children," spat Voldemort. "You were outnumbered by a mere handful of children."
"Bu-"
"Quiet!" he hissed.
Neither of his relatives said anything further.
"Get up!" he suddenly growled, and Draco knew he was no longer talking to his father and aunt. He meant him. Draco did as he was told.
He walked towards Draco, his eyes boring into him. Draco had to fight the urge to run. "So young, so powerful," Voldemort mused. "Not unlike myself at your age. It is not too late to join the winning side," he offered, smiling in a way that made Draco's blood freeze.
"Draco," his father said, his voice less cold now, imploring him to take the offer, "think about it."
"I have thought about it," Draco said, keeping his eyes on the Dark Lord, and knew that this was probably his end. "And the answer is no. Get lost, Riddle!"
"Crucio!" yelled Bellatrix, and Draco was hit by a wave of unimaginable pain. He fell, writhing, to the ground. Waves of agony tore through his body, each one peaking higher than the one before.
"Foolish boy," drawled the Dark Lord. "But many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time," he said, his attention back on Bellatrix and Lucius. "You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest."
"My Lord," gasped Lucius.
"Yes, my Lord," Bellatrix sounded more eager. "Scum," she spat at Draco. "I expected better of you. Crucio."
Once Draco stopped writhing from the new onslaught of pain, she sighed. "We're going to have to kill you now, I hope you know."
Suddenly, Cassius was in front of Draco, standing there protectively, shaking and sweating madly.
"You-you're not going to-to kill him, my Lord? He is a Slytherin. A pureblood," he stammered.
"A blood-traitor," the Dark Lord said, his voice even. "You dare question me? Stand in my way? Then you are no better than him."
"No! No, please, I would never-"
"Crucio!"
Draco watched the boy wring and spasm on the ground, panic growing to new heights in his chest. There was no way any of them would get out of this alive.
Voldemort let the curse linger until Cassius fell eerily silent. Draco hoped against hope that he was merely unconscious. Afterwards, there was silence. None of the Death Eaters dared to even breathe.
"Now to you," the Dark Lord said, turning his attention back to Draco. "Your fate is inevitable, but," said Voldemort, "I want to know something, first," he stepped closer to Draco, and spoke so quietly, that only Draco could hear him. "Wormtail has told me of his fight with you. You seem to have skills beyond what can be expected of a mere child."
"I don't know," Draco managed to say, fighting pain and fear alike, "what you're talking about." If he was to die then so be it, but he would not go down without a fight.
"And you were in possession of a time-turner?" he continued.
"Fuck off," Draco spat through clenched teeth.
"Crucio," Voldemort growled and Draco was again hit by waves of agony.
Once the curse was lifted, Draco struggled to collect himself. But no moment of respite was granted as he felt the Dark Lord forcing his way into his head, sorting brutally through his memories. But Draco had had years to perfect his Occlumency skills and practiced for this extensively with Dumbledore. His really important memories where hidden deeply within his mind, covered by layers and layers of other, less important memories, which he now brought to the forefront of his mind. He would not be able to withstand the torture and intrusion on his mind forever, but it would take Voldemort some time to get to what was truly important.
He could feel Voldemort retreat.
"Nice try," Draco coughed, tasting blood.
"Crucio!"
The pain was even worse now, his head feeling like it would split in two, his limbs on fire.
"How brave," rasped Draco, once he had stopped screaming. Once the pain had faded enough to think somewhat clearly, he only had one thought on his mind: He had to get his wand back. "The great Lord Voldemort facing off against a wandless teenager."
"You wish to duel me?" Voldemort whispered menacingly. "Very well…" He nodded to one of his Death Eaters.
Draco was still lying on the ground. One of the Death Eaters walked over to him. He had Draco's wand in his hands. When he was really close, he whispered, so quietly that only Draco could hear it, "The wards only cover the graveyard. If you manage to get Potter and yourself outside of the wards, the Order can find you and get you out of here."
Severus, Draco thought relieved. His smooth voice somewhat eased Draco's panic and his hands stopped trembling. He faintly nodded in Snape's direction, grabbing his wand and standing up.
He was shaky on his feet but still managed to get into a dueling stance.
"First, we bow," Voldemort instructed.
Draco reluctantly did as he was told, but as soon as he was standing straight again, he roared "Fumos Duo!"
Large clouds of thick dark red smoke burst from his wand, surrounding him and his opponents.
Draco ran to where he knew Harry was and freed him with a wave of his wand.
"Get him," he could hear Voldemort roar.
"It's me," Draco told Harry and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Accio Potter's wand," he whispered, "we need to get out of the graveyard!" He grabbed Harry's wand out of the air and shoved it into his arms.
"What about..." Harry motioned in the direction of where Cassius was still lying on the ground.
Draco knew where Cassius should be, but through the thick smoke he could not see him. If the curse had not killed him, Voldemort surely wouldn't kill him later. And if he had, carrying a dead body would not help any of them. "We can't do anything for him," Draco replied bitterly, giving him another shove.
They stumbled into the direction of the exit to the graveyard.
Draco could barely see where he was going but he knew the end of the graveyard must be close. He knew they had reached their goal when he heard several pops and they were surrounded by Aurors and Order Members.
But before Draco could reach them, he was hit by a strong Full Body-Bind Curse that sent him to the ground. Harry landed on the ground next to him, screaming in pain. A wall of fire surrounded them, so Draco and Harry were cut off from the Aurors and Order members who were by now fighting the Death Eaters. Draco could see them fight the Death Eaters through the flames. Alastor Moody was taking on several Death Eaters at once. He could see how another, rather young looking female Auror was fighting Barty Crouch. He had disarmed her, but as soon as he had her wand in hands, she threw herself on him, punching him in the face while he scratched her face and pulled her hair. He could also see Sirius. He was trying to get through the flames, but it seemed to be nigh impossible.
Which meant they were alone with Voldemort now. The cavalry, however close, would not be able to reach them fast enough.
Harry's screaming stopped and he rolled over and scrambled to his feet. He was shaking uncontrollably and staggered sideways.
Voldemort yelled "Crucio", but this time, Potter jumped aside and the spell hit a tombstone behind him, smashing it to pieces.
"Confringo!" yelled Harry and a fire-like light shot towards Voldemort, which he deflected with barely a flick of his wand.
"Silly boy," drawled Voldemort. "Expulso!"
"Protego!" yelled Harry and Draco thanked Merlin that Snape had been their Defense teacher this year or Harry would have only had Expelliarmus to defend himself with.
"Imperio," yelled Voldemort and Harry immediately stopped fighting. "Crucio."
Draco could see that Harry was in pain but under the Imperio curse he couldn't scream.
"Now," Voldemort said, "you will bow to me."
Draco could see Harry struggling and could see the beginnings of a bow, but then Harry shook the curse off and said "I WON'T!"
The words burst from Harry's mouth; they echoed through the graveyard.
"You won't?" said Voldemort quietly. "You won't? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die. . . . Perhaps another little dose of pain?" Voldemort raised his wand, but Harry was ready; with the reflexes born of his Quidditch training, he flung himself sideways onto the ground; he rolled behind a marble headstone and Draco heard it crack as the curse missed Harry.
"We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry," said Voldemort's soft, cold voice, drawing nearer. "You cannot hide from me. Come out, Harry... come out and play, then... it will be quick... it might even be painless... I would not know... I have never died..."
Before Voldemort could stick his snakelike face around the headstone, Harry stood up and faced Voldemort. Voldemort was ready.
And as Harry shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Voldemort cried, "Avada Kedavra!"
TBC
How did you like this chapter? I hope it felt like more than just a rehashing of what happened in the books. Fight scenes are still not my strong suit, but I think I'm getting better every time I write one. What did you think of it? And what do you guys think will happen next? Let me know in a review :)