Love, Lies & Loneliness

Chapter 28
(Nothing to fear but fear itself)

Harry took a deep breath in as he touched down to ground in the clump of trees beside the hunting hut, Snape had told him about. Stashing his firebolt in the bushes for collection later Harry glanced out from the trees towards the clearing that held the manor, observing the few guards who stalked the perimeter. Ensuring that he wouldn’t be see Harry moved over to the hut and in the shadows flicked his wand at his throat using a disguising charm on his voice so that he sounded like Snape. With his identity fully concealed Harry then flicked his wand again this time creating the loud crack that happened when someone or something had apperated. The sound drew the attention of the guards who stared at him momentarily before going back to their patrol undisturbed by the appearance of another death eater.

“You’re late.” As Harry approached the front steps to the manor he met another death eater exiting the house. “Watch him he’s in a foul mood tonight.” The other wizard paused briefly beside his fellow death eater to whisper his advice but then moved on swiftly to the apparition point and disappeared with a crack. Steeling his nerves Harry took a steadying breath and entered the house, pausing momentarily to glance around the dishevelled, broken down old manor. Harry spied the steps that would take him up to the second floor and hastily ascended them. The wards on the house as around the valley were strong but Harry had easily slipped through them. Having a direct line to the Dark Lord himself had its advantages and one of them was being able to search Voldomort’s memories relatively undetected for those that would help him slip the wards. Harry briefly sent Draco a prayer for having persisted with him in teaching him occlumency, cause without it Harry would still be completely clueless.

Reaching the second floor of the manor Harry avoided stepping on any of the loose and dangerous floor boards as he made his way over to the only room that had a warm glow emanating from under the closed door. Again Harry took a steadying breath as he pushed open the door and strode confidently inside just as Snape would do.

“Ahh my alchemist has arrived at last. Come Severus kneel before me and show me your loyalty.” Snape had taught Harry the inside and out of death eater culture and so the boy easily knelt at the Dark Lord’s feet and leaned forward to kiss the hem of the man’s robe. Harry stiffened a little as he felt the lord’s withered, weak and boney hand come to rest on his head. That’s when Harry felt it, the Lord trying to break into his mind and capture his secrets. The power behind the attempt at memory reading was almost blinding but Harry was stronger and pushed back, easily keeping everything locked in his mind. Harry wondered how Snape had held out for so long, Voldomort’s power was intense and it would have taken Snape twice the effort it took Harry to keep the wizard at bay from probing in his mind. Harry supposed though that, that was why Snape was so good at occlumency, after so many years of practice.

Harry felt the hand on his head push him away in disgust and Harry obediently fell backwards onto the floor. “Silent as always my bubbling little cauldron of knowledge.” Harry kept his eyes downcast behind the mask as he watched the decrepit creature rise from his throne in front of the fire. Harry took the moment of silence to glance around the room. Nagini the snake sat coiled in front of the fire, while the feral far rat Peter Pettigrew, sat on his backside on the right hand side of Voldomort’s thrown.

There were a few death eaters scattered around the room, some Harry recognised from previous encounters and others he didn’t, none seemed to pay attention to him though as Voldomort moved over to a window on the far side of the room. Voldomort was more monster than wizard. His face was peeling like snakes skin, and his eyes were mere slits on a face that looked warped and disfigured. His body was thin and weak, bones clearly visible beneath the overly large robe that buried the creature beneath them. It was a disgusting sight but Harry kept a reign on his anger knowing that any signs of retaliation would give him away. “Tell me have you brought the elixir?” Harry didn’t rise from the floor as Voldomort spoke to him, trying to remember his place.

“Yes my lord.” Harry answered confidently and was surprised at how Snape’s voice sounded in his throat.

“Bring it to me.” Harry stood up from the floor and reached into the death eater robe. Inside the hidden pocket Harry flicked open the silver box and removed the thin vial of potion inside. Moving slowly over to Voldomort Harry paused as Peter Pettigrew began crawling towards him, snivelling and scurrying like the rat he was.

“Give it to me Severus, I am sure my lord doesn’t need you to administer it.” Harry kept a tight hold of the potion as Peter sat up on his back legs and held his little hands out for the potion. Harry had two choices then, to give up the potion or continue. The decision was made when Peter attempted to reach out and touch Harry’s leg. Kicking out Harry struck Peter in the face with a fierce blow sending the little fat man screeching backwards into Nagini who reared up on him and began to coil about the man’s neck trying to strangle him. Harry took mild delight in seeing Peter thrashing about in the snake’s coils like prey. The sight seemed to amuse Voldomort too and a sick wicked chuckle left the man’s cracked and bleeding lips, his beady eyes lighting up in delight.

“Severus you amuse me with your possessiveness, no one would ever dare take credit for your successes would they?” Voldomort turned around from the window his beady eyes focused on Harry as he pointed at Peter now turning blue as Nagini cut off his air. “Take the pathetic rodent away from my sight, all of you leave us!” Almost immediately the death eaters moved out of the room, two of them dragging Peter and Nagini with them.

Voldomort returned to his throne by the fire and gestured for Harry to come and stand in front of him. “You are loyal Severus unlike many in my service. Had you not served me so well I might not have allowed you the freedom that I do. It is such a displeasure that you will not beget heirs that would follow in your footsteps, but it is a sacrifice I make if only to keep you at my side.” Harry remained silent, the less he spoke the less likely he was to be discovered before Voldomort took the potion. “Come Severus I am weakened by fighting the brat’s transition, he drains me with each passing day that he learns to control his magic, that fool Dumbledore must be teaching him for me to feel so weak. Give me the potion.” Harry smiled inwardly as he produced the small thin vial, the florescent yellow liquid inside it bubbling like acid. Gingerly Harry uncorked the stopper of the vial and handed it easily to Voldomort, who took it without hesitation in a withered boney hand.

‘… I can teach you to brew fame, bottle glory and put a stopper in death…’ The words echoed in Harry’s mind as he rolled the stopped of the vial around in the palm of his hand. ‘put a stopper in death’ the irony of the statement wasn’t lost and Harry smiled at how devious it had been for Snape to make such a daring speech, in Harry’s very first potions class.

“It smells different Severus, what have you done to it?” Harry paused his thoughts as he glanced down to see Voldomort still not having taken the potion and instead smelling the yellow vapours that were emanating from it.

“Modifications my lord.” Harry paused again getting used to the sound of Snape’s voice coming from his mouth. “They should help you counteract the draining of your power from Potter’s transition.” Voldomort paused and Harry held his breath in the hopes he’d said something that Snape might. After a horrible moment of worry Harry watched as Voldomort nodded stiffly and lifted the vial to his lips.

“Yes Severus I was right in keeping you, your loyalty is without question unwavering.” Harry watched stoically as Voldomort tipped the contents of the vial down his throat in one go. Almost immediately the potion began to take effect and Harry involuntarily took a step back as he felt the surge of power rush into his body. Voldomort screamed in pain, his body beginning to thrash in the throne as the empty vial fell from his hands to shatter on the floor. “What have you done to me?” The voice was strained and Harry smelt the putrefied flesh begin to fill the air as the acid potion began to burn its way through the wizard’s decrepit form. With each squeal of pain from the monster in the chair Harry felt his power growing as the wizard in front of him became weaker. His scar began to burn then and without thinking Harry ripped off the mask trying to breathe easier with the intense pain. “Traitor! Traitor!” Voldomort glided up from the throne as soon as his beady eyes focused on Harry’s face now revealed from beneath the mask. “You dare cross me again Potter! You will die this time!” As if in slow motion Harry watched as the monster revealed his wand.

“Avada Kedavra!” Voldomort’s voice was weak but the green light that shot from the end of his wand was still the killing curse. Harry was too quick though and having removed his own wand from his robes went to reply. The words didn’t leave Harry’s lips though and the boy braced himself as he watched the green killing curse get absorbed into his own wand. The wand felt like fire in his hands and Harry was sure it was burning into his skin but Harry held tightly on. Voldomort screamed in frustration and lunged at Harry but this time Harry spoke as he felt a wave of magic wash over him like water.

“Avada Kedavra!” The words fell from his lips just as Voldomort’s drained body came in contact with Harry’s. It was if his life was draining from the very end of his wand and Harry screamed in agony as the burn of the wand in his hand increased.

Harry found himself flying through the air plasterboard, bricks and paint caving in around him as he watched a bright purple light engulf Voldomort. Harry landed with a sickening crack in the next room the walls around him continuing to crumble. The mansion was coming down around him. Staggering Harry made it to the window and smashed his way through into the outside. It was a considerable drop to the ground but Harry had no choice. Pulling himself up onto the window ledge Harry ignored the glass that stuck in his legs and tried desperately not to cry out as he peeled his hand from the wand that had scorched his skin raw. Tucking his wand into his robes Harry clutched his burned hand to his chest and glanced one final time back at Voldomort. The sight was sickening and Harry watched as Voldomort reverted back through the stages of his life until it was Tom Riddle who knelt screaming in agony as the curse enveloped him and robbed him of what little life he had left. As Tom fell forward the last breath issuing from his lips Harry felt a blinding pain in his scar before the sight of Tom’s body bursting into flames made him jump from the window.

It was a large drop and Harry landed awkwardly in a bush and screamed in pain as he put out his burned hand to try and stop himself from rolling. Death eaters swarmed over the valley, all of them apperating with loud cracks into the clearing. Struggling to his feet Harry ran towards the cover of the trees hoping that none of the death eaters noticed him in the mayhem of the collapsing building. Blood dripped down Harry’s forehead and his vision swam, his glasses lost in the fall but he continued until he fell to his knees beside a large oak tree. Taking his wand from his robe with his good hand Harry pointed it up into the sky and with a weak smile he wrote a large HP in gold in the air and then with a flick of his wand sent it soaring into the sky like a firework.

Dropping his wand weakly Harry managed to collapse on his side beside the tree, his injured hand against his chest as he tried desperately to stay alert. Harry heard them before he saw them. 50-70 maybe even 100 Auror’s descended on the valley like a plague, their curses, hexes and charms echoing in harsh contrast to the crackling of the fire which had now engulfed the rubble of the collapsed building. There were green, red, orange and yellow flashes of light and Harry smiled at them as he saw them fly by. Harry didn’t know how long he’d been lying there until finally exhaustion took over and he collapsed into the blissful darkness.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(A/N) And another chapter to keep you happy, hope you like it and remember to feed my muse with reviews.