Voldemort felt they were calling him. They were instructed not to do so, if they failed to kill Dumbledore. So, they must have succeeded, mustn't they? Their plan had been risky, but apparently not impossible. Yet, he couldn't really believe that they were able to accomplish this task.

He looked up at the Dark Mark, shining bright green in the sky. And then he heard; people shouting and whimpering, and an awful, long wail, piercing through the air. And above all that he heard Bellaxtrix' cackle of triumph. This told him everything to make him sure; Dumbledore was indeed dead.

He gave a soft chuckle and lifted Harry off the grounds. "It is time," he whispered. He felt extraordinary powerful; triumphant. With Dumbledore out of the way, he had free reign. Nothing could vanquish him now. He started walking, but soon realized he was dragging Harry behind him, it took a lot more effort, like carrying dead weight.

Annoyed, he turned around, ready to command Harry to walk for himself, but he saw the boy slumbering forwards, hitting the ground again.

"It seems my spell was a bit too powerful," he chuckled. "Rennervate."

Harry slowly opened his eyes, and groaned. His eyes trailed up to the person holding his arm. Where was he? And what was happening? He felt dizzy, light headed, and barely noticed the pain in his scar. It was like floating through a misty suspense. Somewhere in the distance, he heard a faint hiss.

"Stand."

It took a little longer than normal for him to understand and then slowly, he tried to rise from the ground, but succumbed under the weight of his own body; his legs refused to carry him. He heard another command, but didn't quite understand it. The person holding his arm, now let him go. And everything went dark again. He didn't realize that he was now actually floating through the air and that he and his unknown person were reaching the castle. He didn't hear shouts and gasps, as bystanders noticed them.

But he wasn't unconscious either; he heard the same faint hiss above him, more loudly now, speaking to the people gathering around them. "Dumbledore is dead!"

Harry heard someone scream, and slowly realized who he heard. The scream was the more terrible because he had never expected or dreamed that Professor McGonagall could make such a sound.

His heart skipped a beat. McGonagall! She was okay.

He heard another woman laughing nearby, and knew that Bellatrix gloried in McGonagall's despair. Their cries acted like a trigger; the crowd around them took up the cause, screaming and yelling abuse at the Death Eaters, and at Voldemort until —

"Silence!" he heard Voldemort bellow, and the roar of noise stopped at once. "It is over. Henceforth, you are all to bow to a new reign. Do you understand now, deluded ones? Dumbledore's dead! The Ministry has fallen. You are to obey me, and only me."

Suddenly, Harry felt the numbering mist around him disappear; he still felt weak, exhausted, but the shouts and Voldemort's words became more understandable and the hazy vision more sharply. The words Voldemort had shouted pierced in him, like a blunt knife and the realization hit too hard. Dumbledore was dead. The man who had kept him the dark the last past year, but nevertheless, had always been there to protect them – him – the man who he still trusted most, who advised him, with whom he could share his worst experiences, was now gone. The closest man like a parent, like Sirius had been, they were all gone now.

I'm dreaming, Harry thought desperately, this isn't true.

And then, more shouts suddenly rose in the air, taking Harry out of his miserable thoughts.

"No! Harry!"

They were shouting again… For him? He realized he was hanging in the air, next to Voldemort and people must have realized now who this floating person was, too.

"Harry! HARRY!"

Ron's, Hermione's, and Ginny's voices were worse than McGonagall's; Harry wanted nothing more than to call back, let them now he was still alive, that he had missed them so much –

"Silence!" roared Voldemort once more, and Harry felt himself getting lowered on the ground. He felt hands grab the collar of his robes and he was dragged half up again.

"Yes, the Boy Who Lived," he heard Voldemort's cold voice ring through his ears, "has already kindly joined me on my cause." There was relish in his voice for the lie, and Harry felt angry. He tried to struggle himself out of Voldemort's grip, but still felt too weak to actually achieve this. Instead, he turned towards the group and yelled, with all his might, "that's a lie! I'm not -!"

There was a loud bang, and Harry felt himself getting smacked onto the ground. Little stars twinkled before his eyes and all the air got sucked out of his lungs. He heard people shout, heard Ron's yell of rage.

"That's enough!" Voldemort bellowed. Harry looked up to him. It was clear that Harry's denial against his lies, wasn't Voldemort's intention to happen. So that's why he'd weakened him. Harry couldn't help but smile a little, he almost started to laugh when he saw how much it enraged Voldemort even further, but didn't when Voldemort was advancing him.

"You won't tell these people that you have joined me?" he said dangerously. "Are you scared of what they will think of you?"

"Well, I haven't, have I? You can lock me up, punish me every day, but it didn't work and it will never work, because I will never join you!"

Harry was careful not to mention the numerous tortures, he didn't want to increase Hermoine's sobbing or come across of some sort of hero. He felt his scar burning to no end again. Voldemort started to laugh.

"Oh, but have you forgotten all the times I made you beg?" he said and turned to face the shocking expressions of the group outside. "Yes… Your little hero is nothing more than a scared little boy, and I will make you all see."

His eyes fell upon Ron and Hermoine, who had been revealing themselves to be his friends, since they'd tried to come closer.

"I will give you a choice, Harry. Either you will join me now, or watch your friends die a painful death. Choose carefully, Harry. Their deaths will be on your hands…"

"No. No, don't do it Harry!" he heard Ron yell, as he stood up. Trembling he looked at Hermoine and Ron and then back at Voldemort, who had raised his wand.

"Silence!" a Death Eater shouted, with much eager in his eyes. Voldemort smiled again and turned his face from Harry and started "Cruc-"

"No, okay, fine!" Harry yelled quickly, "fine. Don't hurt them."

Voldemort looked up to Harry again, still raising his wand. "Beg."

"Please, don't hurt them," Harry obeyed at once. He didn't care anymore, all he wanted was for everyone to be safe. He watched in shock as Voldemort shook his head.

"No, Harry. Beg me the way I taught you."

Harry hesitated. He really didn't want to call Voldemort his lord, and especially not in front of the whole school. But he couldn't really afford to fight right now, not with Ron and Hermoine's lives at stake.

"Okay, fine. Please don't hurt them, my- my…" he scraped all his breath and whispered, "my lord."

He felt defeated. He stared to the ground, not able to bare their faces. He heard soft no's around him. Voldemort finally lowered his wand and stepped a little closer to him.

"Very good, Harry. And now… Will you take the Mark?"

"What?" It wasn't like he didn't expect this to come, but was still shocked at the question. Why would Voldemort want him in his close ranks? Was it really to show everyone that he joined him? A way to make him hurt even more? He restrained himself from shaking his head.

"I said, will you take the Mark? It is an honorable reward after all. Or do you prefer for me to end your friends lives?"

This time Harry did shake his head and said, with an almost inaudible whisper, "okay."

"Get on your knees, and hold out your arm," said Voldemort, pushing Harry towards the ground by his shoulder. Harry obeyed reluctantly, but before Voldemort could grab his arm, another shout rose through the air.

"NO!"

Harry ducked just in time when a red light flew their way. He rolled over on the ground and saw McGonagall running towards them, with the energy Harry had never seen from her, as though she'd never been hit by Umbridge's delegation a few months before. Suddenly, as though were given the signal they'd been waiting for, everyone started to whip out their wands.

Chaos reigned. Curses and jinxes flew everywhere, hitting students, teachers and Death Eaters alike. The battle forced them to move, over the terrain, towards the entrance hall. Harry looked up, but Voldemort wasn't standing next to him anymore. He saw him across the field, firing spells from his wand as he backed towards the entrance hall as well, still screaming instructions to his followers as he sent curses flying left and right.

He then saw Lupin, dueling with three Death Eaters at once, and Thonks, running to his aid. He looked back to Voldemort, who was now dueling with professor McGonagall, Shacklebolt, professor Sprout and professor Flitwick. Harry couldn't help but feeling a bit useless. An enormous brute Death Eater ran towards him, and he backed away, feeling terribly vulnerable without his wand. But then, the Death Eater crumpled, and vanished out of side. Harry turned around and saw Hermoine, running towards him.

Ron appeared behind her, and together they flung into Harry, crashing into the ground, and embracing him so hard he thought his ribs would break. He returned their hug, with a shout of relieve.

"Harry, oh Harry, we've been so worried!" Hermoine sobbed in his robes. Harry felt like crying himself. Hermoine let go of him and he saw Ron's face, grinning. He couldn't help himself, he grinned too. All the emotions he'd pushed inside himself over the summer, now broke free and he felt like laughing, crying, shouting, all at once.

Just when he tried to stand up, a curse flew their way and they were barely in time to duck.

"How very touching," Malfoy sneered, raising his wand again.

"Expelliarmus!" Hermoine cried, and Malfoy flew through the air.

"Come on, let's go," Ron shouted, hoisting Hermoine and Harry off the grounds.

"We should help," Harry started, but Ron cut him off.

"No, we have to hide. How are you going to fight? Without a wand?"

"Never mind that! We can't just leave them-!"

"No, Harry, we should hide," Hermoine agreed with Ron. "We just got you back."

"Okay, fine! Where?" Harry shouted, when another blast set through the air. Pieces of rock were falling down, and he, Ron and Hermoine ran away from the fighting crowd.

"Let's go the Hogsmeade! Get help," Ron answered. But they hadn't rain for just a few meters when another blast lifted them off their feet. They flew through the air; Harry heard Hermoine groan when she hit the ground first, followed by an awful thud as Ron crashed into a tree and Harry felt his head collide with the ground as well. A sickening, blinding pain spread through his head. He lay on the very edge of slipping into unconsciousness, but another shout brought him back to live.

"SNAPE!" someone bellowed. The ground rumbled as something very big, very large, ran past them. It was Hagrid.

"I KNOW WHAT'YER DID! YER FILTHY PIECE OF-"

"NO!" Harry screamed, when he saw more than fifty curses race towards him; a few bounced of his chest, but the remaining curses hit their target. Hagrid stumbled and then succumbed on the ground.

"No! Hagrid!" Harry stood up and tried to ran towards him, but was stopped by Hermoine, who was dragging his arm.

"No, Hermoine, let go! We have to help!"

"I know, I know," he heard her cry, "but we can't-"

Another curse hit them, and Hermoine disappeared out of sight.

"No! Hermoine!"

Harry turned around; there weren't many people outside anymore. He saw a man he'd never seen before, but clearly didn't belong at his side. The man raised his wand, but then – out of nowhere – a voice, cold and high, rang through the air and Harry jumped, for he thought the voice was coming right behind him.

"ENOUGH! Cease your futile attempts to fight."

Harry turned back to face the Death Eater, but he had lowered his wand and was listening to Voldemort's voice, too.

"It is over. There is no need to waste more precious Wizard's blood. Your warriors are outmatched; your great defenders are gone. Now is the time to hand yourself over.

"You have ten minutes to gather in the Great Hall. Every student, staff member and member of the Order will report themselves to me. Every man, woman or child who still resists, are to be executed. Ten minutes."

The voice died out. Harry looked up the bewildered faces of the people who were still standing outside. He barely noticed the Death Eater in front of him, who was now dragging him behind him as he stalked towards the castle.

"Let me go," Harry growled, but the Death Eater merely laughed.

"You heard him, Potter. Now come!"

"No, wait! Hermoine and Ron-"

But the Death Eater didn't listen. Harry struggled again and to his surprise, was able to wring himself free. He ran towards Ron, who was still lying against the tree and fell onto his knees before him.

"Wake up, Ron," he whispered pleadingly. Please, don't be dead. Please, wake up.

"Harry?" he said and moaned a little when his head touched his head. Harry let go another cry of relieve and helped Ron to stand up.

"What is happening?"

"I don't know," Harry answered and dragged Ron out of the way, before the Death Eater could seize them again. "We need to find Hermoine, Voldemort wants us inside. Come."

The crept up the hill, and found a lifeless body on the path to the entrance.

"Hermoine!" Ron yelled, and flung himself on the ground next to her. "Hermoine, Hermoine!"

She didn't move. Harry let himself fall next to them and reached for her wrist. He found her pulse. With a sigh of relieve, he turned to Ron.

"She is not dead, Ron, I can feel her pulse."

Ron stroked her hair and put his arms around her. Then, he lifted her from the ground.

"Now that you've had your lovely reunion, it is time to go. The Dark Lord awaits," spat the Death Eater behind them.

"Shut up," Harry said, as he stood up. He looked up to the castle and started to walk, with Ron next to him, who was carrying Hermoine and the Death Eater, following them from behind.

They reached the Great Hall. Nearly everyone was already present; first years looking pale from fright, sitting on the table to the near end. The others were standing two-by-two in line, facing Voldemort, who was standing on the platform where the staff normally was seated. The teachers were being held captive, in some sort of gold, lightning cage. The Death Eaters circled around the Great Hall, keeping everyone in line.

Harry felt a hard push in his back; the Death Eater forced them inside. They quickly took their position in the line. Harry looked around, trying to spot the members of the Order, but he couldn't find them. And then, the doors of the Great Hall closed and the faint whispers died out.

Voldemort strode backward and forward on his stage, taking in the view in front of him. His lips formed into a cruel smile. He walked over to the end of the stage and started to speak.

"Right. As I said before, the reign of Dumbledore is over. You will now answer to me," said Voldemort. "You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to appreciate bravery. However, the time for heroism is past. Anyone who stands in my way, will find imminent consequences. I will slay your family, your closest friends and everyone who have helped.

"You will henceforth address me as your lord. And you will show the most sincerest respect to me, and to my Death Eaters.

"Furthermore, there will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone."

Voldemort walked over to the chair where the first years were supposed to be sorted and took the Sorting Hat. With one flick of his wand, the hat was set in fire. Nobody dared to respond; they all remained silent as they watched the Sorting Hat crumble to ashes.

Voldemort turned to face the crowd again. His eyes were searching the room, and rested on Harry.

"Harry Potter," he spoke softly, "come here."

Immediately, Harry got seized from all directions by the Death Eaters. He struggled as they were dragging him forward, towards Voldemort.

"You have permitted others to fight for you. You have permitted Great Wizards, much more wiser and more powerful than you, to die for you," he said, while the Death Eaters dragged Harry upon the stage. "There is nobody to safe you now."

The Death Eaters gave him a shove and he almost crashed into Voldemort, but he managed to halt himself just in time. He wanted to tell the others not to worry, that he was extremely sorry for what had happened, that he never wanted them to go through this, that he never wanted anyone to die, but words failed him. He remained silent as Voldemort continued.

"However, Lord Voldemort is merciful. I will allow this child to live," he said, speaking to the crowd. "You have lost so many tonight. But we will build up another world together, with my wisdom and guidance. And we will rise up, stronger and more consentient than before.

And now, it is time to rest. Tomorrow, the new rules shall be explained. You will come to find out that, in order to create a better world, things will have to change. And in time, you will understand the way I see, and agree that is was foolish to reject me."

Voldemort waved his wand. The table on which the first years sat, vanished, making the eleven year olds fall to the ground. A pile of sleeping mattresses appeared. Harry heard shuffling behind him and he turned around. A dozen house-elfs were bringing food to the Staff's table.

"You will each take a meal and a mattress. You are to eat and sleep here, while my Death Eaters will create other sleeping arrangements. There will be no more separate common rooms, no more Houses," said Voldemort. "You are allowed to speak with each other, but quietly, and until lights out. You will obey every command. Any misdoings will be severely punished."

Voldemort turned his back on the students and faced the teachers, who were still imprisoned in the gold, lighting cage. With one wave of his wand, the cage moved and floated through the door. They vanished in a room next to the Great Hall.

A faint noise broke out, when students dared to talk to each other. Some were passing out mattresses, others grabbed a few plates and handed them out. They formed a line to the stage, where the food was waiting for them.

"Rowle, Ackerly. You are in charge here," Harry heard Voldemort speak, addressing the two Death Eaters behind him. "The Carrows are to remain here as well. The rest will follow me to deal with the teachers and the Order, or at least, what is left of them."

The Death Eaters bowed and turned to the waiting students, allowing them to pass so they could fill up their plates. Voldemort turned to Harry.

"I am in no need of your company right now. So, I'm giving you a choice. You either behave and I will allow you to remain here. You can speak with your friends, tell them about your summer – " he chuckled softly – "and mourn together over the loss of your Muggle loving old friend," he said and ignored Harry's disdainful stare for mentioning Dumbledore in such a contemptuous way.

"However, if you choose to offend my benignity, I will come to collect you in person and make you experience such pain that the previous punishments you received will be nothing compared to this one. I will kill one of your beloved friends, and make you watch. And I will keep going until there's no one left. Am I understood?"

Harry wanted to keep staring, but thought it was best to just give in. Reluctantly, he gave a small nod. Voldemort frowned. Harry held in a sigh.

"Yes… sir."

He wasn't going to call him "my lord" anymore. He wanted to keep his last bit of defiance, the last bit of his dignity. Voldemort would simply have to accept this form of politeness, it felt gruesome enough already to refer him as sir.

Voldemort still frowned, but then apparently, and to Harry's secret relieve, he accepted. He stalked around Harry, with the Death Eaters tailing him, towards the door and vanished out of sight. He noticed people staring at him and he quickly grabbed a plate, filled it with food and brought it over to Ron and Hermoine.

Hermoine was awake, resting against Ron. They both looked up when Harry sat down in front of them.

"How are you?" he asked Hermoine and passed the plate to Ron.

"Fine," Hermoine answered. "Never mind that. How are you?"

"Wonderful," Harry said sarcastically. He watched tears sprang in Hermoine's eyes and quickly softened his outburst. "I'm sorry, I tried for a little airiness, you know."

"Oh, Harry, you look awful. W-we were s-so w-worried. We d-didn't know w-whether y-you were still a-a-alive."

Harry tried not to tear up himself. He stuffed his emotions down, like he had been trying to do the last few months, and gave her weak smile.

"I missed you guys so much. I'm so glad you're okay."

"Well, are we?" said Ron, but he didn't seem angry with Harry. "I mean, Dumbledore's gone. And You-Know-Who has taken over."

"Yeah, well-"

"Hi Harry," interrupted Ginny, who came to sit with them. Harry turned to face her. She looked a mess; her hair was untidy and she had a bloody lip. "You look horrible."

"You should say," he answered laughingly. Ginny shrugged and returned the smile. It felt surprisingly good to see her. He was glad that she acted lightly, as though nothing had happened. It lifted the weight he felt in his stomach.

Suddenly, she dropped her smile and seemed to be fighting back tears. Harry's little moment of relieve vanished quickly.

"It is awful, though, isn't it?" she whispered. "I never expected this to happen."

Ron gave her a comforting pat on the back. "We know, we know…"

"I'm so happy that you're still alive, Harry," she said sobbingly. "We thought that you made have died after the battle at the Ministry."

"I'm relieved that you survived as well," said Harry in return, barely audible. "All of you."

"Dumbledore was searching for you. Everyone on the Order was. They seemed to think that You-Know-Who was keeping you somewhere. We thought they only said that to calm us, but they were right after all," she continued and gave a thoughtful look. "Why hasn't he, you know, killed you yet?"

Harry knew she didn't want to sound so blunt. Of course, this was something they had been wondering about.

"I don't know, well, not really anyway. Apparently, I'm some sort of vessel to Voldemort," he answered and automatically turned to Hermoine. "He thinks that there's something more to our connection. Something valuable, something he needs, but can't remove. Do you know-?"

But Hermoine's shocked stare told him that she didn't know either. Harry sighed.

"How was it, you know, being there?" Ron stammered. Harry didn't know how to answer. He didn't really feel like recalling the previous months. How he had been tortured nearly every day and humiliated by Voldemort. Carefully choosing his words, Harry began.

"I didn't see him really all that much. He gave me a room with a bed and he wanted me to have diners with him. He found out about our connection and well, he used Legilimens on me on one occasion. He found out that his diary was destroyed, he wasn't too happy about that."

Before he could help himself, he shuddered. He hoped that they wouldn't ask, that they already understood. "So, he punished me for it, and a few times when I didn't do as he told me to, and well, that's it really."

He didn't feel like telling them the extent of his punishments, nor did he feel like telling them about the whippings and the Mark in his back. Luckily, Ron took over of the conversation.

"Yeah, we heard that You-Know-Who was keeping himself busy. Infiltrating the Ministry, gaining followers, murdering a lot of people. You know Mad Eye Moody is dead?"

"What?" Harry gasped.

"Yeah. He got killed yesterday, when the Death Eaters attacked the Ministry. The new Minister was killed as well, you know, the one who replaced Fudge?"

"They replaced Fudge?" Harry asked, though it wasn't really unexpected. When he was taken by Voldemort, those people in the Atrium, they must have seen…

"Blimey, Harry, didn't you know? There's been going on a lot this summer."

"Yeah, well, I was a little preoccupied, wasn't I?" Harry said sarcastically. He heard Ron mumble a "sorry" and heard Ginny's snarl of disapproval. Harry paid no attention. He gazed on his reflection in the window and saw himself looking back, more pale than Malfoy had been, with dried blood from his nose, and dark circles around his eyes. He looked indeed horrible. As if he was wearing a mask.

"I'm wondering what he is doing now with the professors, with professor McGonagall and the others, and- and Lupin, Thonks, all the members of the Order," Harry said after a while. "Will they survive?"

"Well, you heard him," answered Hermoine softly, trying to calm him down. "He doesn't want to, using his words, waste more Wizard's blood. They will probably alright."

He knew she didn't really believe it either, but it was better than thinking of the worst. A few times, Death Eaters past them, giving them small smirks and evil glares. Harry didn't bother telling them off; he didn't dare either. If they were to run to Voldemort, he would be putting his friends lives in jeopardy. He didn't really believe that Voldemort could make him feel worse pain, hadn't he already put him through the worst? Still, he had experienced already enough to last a lifetime. It was probably best to just avoid it.

"I just hope Hagrid will be okay," he said. The other didn't answer, but he knew they were thinking it, too.

"Harry," Hermoine said weakly, after a pause. "I know this isn't the best of times, but… well… since we didn't get to do it earlier…"

"What?" Harry asked.

"Well, happy birthday. I mean, not happy, but still…"

Harry looked at her. He had totally forgotten that his birthday had passed. He didn't really know how to feel about something so mundane like birthdays. Too much had happened.

"Yeah," said Ron sheepishly, with a faint trace of a smile. "Happy birthday, mate."

"It must have been the best of birthdays," Ginny said annoyed, clearly sharing Harry's disbelieve. "I reckon you got loads of presents and shared cake with You-Know-Who."

An image flickered before Harry's eyes in which he and Voldemort were enjoying cake, having a cuppa together in Voldemort's dining room. Before he could help himself, he laughed. Ron and Hermoine gladly joined in, and after a little while Ginny giggled as well.

"Still, we shouldn't forget," Hermoine said, when they stopped laughing, just in time before a Death Eater came around to check on them. "We should cherish little moments of happiness."

"Yeah… Right."

Ginny went to get them mattresses and Harry, feeling like he needed to do something, helped her. He ignored the looks his classmates gave him and didn't pay attention when some stood up to look at him better. He set up the beds for Ron and Hermoine and then made his own. Just when he sat down, he heard a yell across the Hall.

"Don't you dare talk back to me!" shrieked a stocky little woman, Harry didn't recognize. She was standing before Neville, with her wand raised. She gave a wheezy giggle and pointed her wand at Neville.

"Crucio!"

Neville screamed, much like he'd done when he was being tortured by Bellatrix. A few students stood up, and Harry sprang to his feet. Anger flowed through him, like fire. He felt Ron getting up too.

"Stop!" he bellowed and ran towards Neville and the stocky woman, who was now lowering her wand. Neville's screams died out.

"You dare to order me around, Potter?" she cried and turned to face him.

"What is going on?" pierced an icy cold voice from behind them. Harry's insides froze. Voldemort walked into view, looking from the woman to Harry. More Death Eaters walked into the Hall, coming down to witness the commotion like vultures.

"My lord," the woman said, bowing quickly, "this boy here was being disobedient. Naturally, he had to be punished for it, until this hero" – she gestured at Harry – "came to his aid."

"I see," said Voldemort softly. He stroked his wand with his long fingers and tilted his head a little to the side, considering the boy standing before him, and a singularly mirthless smile curled the lipless mouth. He pierced his red, malicious eyes into his. Harry tried not to lose control; not to betray his fear.

"It is time for everyone to go to sleep. Lights will go out in five minutes," he said and turned towards the door. The Death Eaters who had come to look, now returned to the room next to the Great Hall. Voldemort halted by the doorpost and turned a little to the side.

"Oh and Harry, you will follow me."