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Chapter 488: Felix's Death and Return (10,000 Words) (Part 1)
Chapter 488: Felix's Death and Return (10,000 Words) (Part 1)
The howling wind and swirling colors enveloped Harry, Ron, and Hermione, dragging them forward. When Harry's feet touched solid ground again, they found themselves in a completely unfamiliar place.
It was a graveyard.
The three of them sat on the ground, utterly shocked.
"Where are we?" Ron asked, "I don't recognize anything. We're in a graveyard?" The area was overgrown with tall grass, and black tombstones stood around them. Harry shook his head and looked around. He saw a tall yew tree, behind which the outline of a building could be seen.
On the left was a hill. Harry could make out a quaint old house on the hillside.
"It seems the Triwizard Cup malfunctioned", Harry said, looking around. The cup was about ten feet away from them.
"Would the Ministry of Magic make such a low-level mistake?" Ron asked, surprised.
"Oh, Harry, look over there—" Hermione pointed in a direction, her voice tense.
"Wind?" Ron guessed; the wind had picked up at night.
"It's people, get your wands ready", Harry said decisively. They squinted into the deep darkness, and three figures emerged from between the graves, approaching them step by step. Were they nearby Muggles? Harry wondered, but he quickly dismissed that thought. They were all wearing wizard cloaks.
"Stop! Who are you?" Harry shouted at the figures.
The wind carried bits of mocking laughter, a clear sign of hostility. Harry raised his wand, but they stopped about ten feet away, reaching up to remove their hoods. Harry, Ron, and Hermione relaxed slightly, but Harry noticed that the skin of the person in the middle was abnormally pale, as if afflicted by some terrible disease.
The person on the far left revealed his face. "Barty Crouch Jr.!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry was taken aback, his gaze shifting to the left, and memories from the Christmas night half a year ago flooded back. "It's really you!"
"Potter", Barty Crouch Jr. grinned, "you should call me Professor, after all, I taught you so much."
Ron tugged at his sleeve. "H-Harry—"
Harry didn't need to be told. He noticed the malicious eyes of the person in the middle. The figure had just removed his cloak, revealing a nose that was flat and snake-like, with nostrils that were mere slits. Harry found the appearance eerily familiar. The person raised pale, long hands to touch his forehead, and between the fingers, a pair of crimson eyes appeared.
There was no warmth in those eyes.
"Voldemort?" he shouted.
"How dare you speak the Dark Lord's name!" Barty Crouch Jr. drew his wand in rage, but a hand stopped him. A voice as cold as ice followed, "They are guests I have brought back with great effort, Barty. I will allow their rudeness this time." Voldemort said.
"Master, perhaps I should deal with these two nuisances?" Avery asked humbly, bowing his head. "I came out of the maze castle to contribute my share."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still reeling from the shock. The night air felt icy, a bone-chilling cold spreading from their lungs to their entire bodies.
However, Voldemort made no response to Avery's suggestion. His eyes were blood-red, making it hard to distinguish the pupils from the whites, but Harry could clearly feel the intense gaze that swept over him. It was filled with greed, hatred, and a hint of... fear?
Barty Crouch Jr., standing on the far left, resumed his charming demeanor, idly twirling his wand and casting a disdainful glance at Avery. He knew nothing, yet he was eager to replace him. Barty Crouch Jr. licked his lips, his smile twisted and unhealthy.
"So, you have returned?"
Harry took a step forward, shielding Ron and Hermione behind him, and met Voldemort's gaze bravely. He had to try to keep the other side's attention... to create an opportunity... so Hermione and Ron could escape and tell the professors, tell Headmaster Dumbledore.
But his heart sank, as if falling into an endless abyss. A voice told him the chances were slim. Barty Crouch Jr. had been stronger than the three of them combined a year ago, let alone now with the resurrected Voldemort.
Harry stared into Voldemort's eyes, trying to show his bravery. But his scar suddenly flared with intense pain, unlike anything he had ever experienced. His head felt like it was about to explode. Harry clutched his scar with one hand and held his wand tightly with the other. The pain was so severe that he fell to the ground, convulsing, his stomach churning, and he retched, almost convinced he was about to die.
He heard Ron and Hermione shouting, followed by sharp whistles and the thud of bodies hitting the ground.
Suddenly, a cool sensation washed over his mind, quickly easing his pain. It was Occlumency.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... your friends truly care for you", Voldemort said, devoid of any emotion.
Harry opened his eyes. His vision was blurred, and the pain still lingered. It took several seconds to focus on Voldemort's face, which was the color of a corpse, the color of bone. His head was bald, and his bright red eyes glowed menacingly in the darkness, the pupils reduced to slits like a snake's.
What did he just say? My friends? Harry had a terrible suspicion. No... please, no... He struggled to get up, every movement causing excruciating pain, but he didn't let go of his wand.
If Ron and Hermione... He couldn't bear to imagine it. His stomach churned, and his fingers, clenching the wand, were cut by the stones. Harry gritted his teeth, the pain giving him a slight reprieve. As he struggled to stand, he glared at Voldemort with pure hatred.
In response, Voldemort let out a cold, sharp laugh.
Harry staggered to his feet, shaking his head vigorously. Voldemort took a couple of silent steps back, still staring at him with that disgusting look.
At that moment, Harry heard a faint moan. It was Ron! Harry's heart leaped with relief. He's not dead, thank goodness! What about Hermione? He couldn't hear her, and the spot to his left was as silent as death. Harry didn't dare turn his head to check.
"You were too harsh, Avery. The girl was almost dead", Voldemort said softly. "Barty did a much better job."
"Master...?" Avery raised his head in confusion, while Barty Crouch Jr. snickered silently.
"I need all three of them", Voldemort said softly, his eyes still fixed on Harry. "The other two... are not only the best friends of the Chosen One, Harry Potter, but—according to Barty, they are also friends with Felix Hep."
"Yes, Master", Barty Crouch Jr. said respectfully. "Especially the Muggle-born girl. She became Hep's assistant in her second year."
Voldemort chuckled.
"The Pureblood Families have fallen so far, their descendants are useless, and now they let a lowly Muggle-born rise above them."
He began pacing, walking back and forth in front of Harry. Harry stood there, eyes wide, clutching his wand tightly. If he could cast a spell at Voldemort right now and use Accio to summon the Triwizard Cup... No, Barty Crouch Jr. and the other Death Eater were watching him closely.
Harry was in a panic. Voldemort hadn't killed anyone yet, but he knew it wasn't out of mercy. There was a more sinister plan. Harry's mind raced, and he was surprised to find that even in his poor physical state, Occlumency was working on its own, preventing him from falling into despair.
"I've been looking forward to this moment, meeting the 'great' Chosen One, Harry Potter..." Voldemort said softly. Harry's peripheral vision followed Voldemort's long, pale fingers, which held a wand as if it could be disarmed with a simple Disarming Charm.
Harry's hand twitched.
Voldemort was too arrogant. He was completely unguarded, thinking Harry was powerless. Could this be his weakness?
"...I had hoped to use his blood to be reborn, to break the destiny and then kill him. But my plan failed", Voldemort said regretfully, his bare feet making a rustling sound on the dirt and weeds. "Hogwarts is more dangerous than it was thirteen years ago. Besides that Mudblood and the Muggle's protector, Albus Dumbledore... there is now Felix Hep, who is more aggressive and proactive than the old Dumbledore..."
"I had to abandon the best plan—almost losing my most loyal servant", Voldemort stopped, his snake-like eyes narrowing in displeasure. Harry tried not to focus too obviously on Voldemort's hand movements—
"So I settled for a lesser option... You can't imagine how disappointed I was, Harry Potter. I tasted failure again..."
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, and Voldemort waved his wand—
"Clunk!"
The wand fell to the ground. Harry's eyes widened. He hadn't seen Voldemort's movement at all; his reaction was too quick, as if he had been prepared. Voldemort slowly turned, stared at him for a few seconds, then raised his wand and whispered, "Cruciatus Curse!"
Harry felt every bone in his body burning. His head seemed to split along his scar, his eyes bulging, ready to burst under the immense pressure. His body contorted, as if it would be folded in half. He hoped it would stop... hoped he would pass out... or die...
Then, Harry noticed the pain lessened slightly, a warm sensation coming from his thigh. It was the talisman in his pocket! Two forces were protecting him now—one was Occlumency, the other the charm knot from Nora. Although each effect was weak, they were working.
Voldemort's snake-like face twisted into a cruel, satisfied smile, his wand still pointed at Harry. After what seemed like an eternity—
The torture finally ended.
Harry collapsed, his body drenched in sweat, gasping for breath. His head still pressed against the ground, but he could feel Voldemort's elation. Why? Did torturing him bring him joy?
Harry couldn't understand such an emotion, but he was certain of one thing—he wasn't mistaken. After all, he had no trace of joy in him now.
"Bind them", Voldemort ordered softly.
Someone approached, and Harry's face was pressed into the dirt. His wand was nearby, but he couldn't reach it. A rope bound him, dragging him along the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron and Hermione receiving the same treatment. Ron's leg was twisted unnaturally, and his face was pale. Hermione looked like a corpse, her chest not rising or falling at all.
Then he was hoisted up by the rope, his back pressed against a cold, flat surface. It took him two seconds to realize it was a black tombstone. He also saw who was standing in front of him: Barty Crouch Jr., one hand wearing a silver glove.
"Did you notice, Potter?" Barty Crouch licked his lips nervously. "This is the Dark Lord's reward to me." Harry glared at him, but this powerless threat had no effect on Barty Crouch's actions. The rope wound around Harry again and again, leaving no gaps from his neck to his ankles.
Barty Crouch turned and left.
"Extend your arms", Voldemort said lazily. Avery and Barty Crouch both extended their left arms, and Harry saw a red tattoo. Voldemort pressed his long, pale index finger against Barty Crouch's arm, and the mark turned pitch black. Barty let out a slight gasp.
Voldemort straightened up, lifted his head, and scanned the dark graveyard.
"How many of you had the courage to return after feeling it? And how many of you were foolish enough not to?" he murmured.
Voldemort began pacing again, occasionally glancing around the graveyard. Harry didn't know what was happening, but he knew it couldn't be good. He racked his brain, trying to think of a way out. Apparition? No, he had lost his wand and couldn't perform wandless Apparition like Professor Hep. Besides, there were two people next to him.
He couldn't escape alone.
Wait, Professor Hep? Harry's eyes widened as he desperately chased that flicker of inspiration, thinking of anything related to Professor Hep... He finally remembered: the Ouroboros Ring.
In third year, Professor Hep told him, Ron, and Hermione that their Ouroboros Rings had been specially treated to allow them to contact the professor. This was to guard against Peter Pettigrew, who could transform into an Animagus.
But Harry was disappointed again; he hadn't brought the Ouroboros Ring with him. However, someone else might have.
He strained his head to the left, where Hermione still lay unconscious.
"Hermione..." Harry whispered. He and Hermione were separated by the gap between the tombstones, and he was bound so tightly that he couldn't even kick her with his foot. Worse, his struggling drew Voldemort's attention.
"Concerned for your friend, Potter?" Voldemort said softly, pacing over. "Even though she's just a lowly Mudblood, she has more use than you think..." His gaze swept over Hermione, Harry, and Ron, filled with malice. "Muggle-born, Half-blood, and Pureblood—what a dramatic combination!"
"Awaken!" He pointed his wand at Hermione, and she opened her eyes weakly. Seeing Voldemort so close, she widened her eyes in fear, her body recoiling, which aggravated her injuries, causing her to groan in pain.
But Voldemort paid no attention, turning to scrutinize Harry.
"I think it would be better for your two best friends to witness your death", he said with a cruel smile. "Afterward, should the Pureblood kill the Mudblood, or the Mudblood kill the Pureblood? Or perhaps let them both die at the hands of the little boy... I haven't decided yet, but I believe it will be a fine show."
"You... dream on", Ron said, his face contorted.
Voldemort looked at him and sneered. "Weasley? A disgusting family—Cruciatus Curse!"
Ron screamed in agony.
"No—"
"Don't—"
Harry and the just-awake Hermione shouted, but Voldemort's smile grew wider. "I enjoy this feeling, the feeling of holding life and death in my hands..." He continued to point his wand at Ron, making him scream in pain. This time, the torture was brief, and Voldemort soon stopped, looking around.
The air suddenly filled with the rustling of cloaks. Wizards Apparated in from every dark corner, all wearing hoods and masks. They cautiously approached, and Voldemort took a few steps, standing silently as he waited.
A Death Eater knelt down, crawling to Voldemort and kissing the hem of his black robes.
More and more Death Eaters did the same, including Barty Crouch Jr. and Avery. The only ones left standing besides Voldemort were Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Welcome, Death Eaters", Voldemort said calmly, beginning his speech of return. Harry wasn't paying attention to the details but was trying to catch Hermione's eye. He didn't dare be too obvious, and Hermione didn't notice; she was injured—
"I smell guilt... No one tried to find me... Didn't you know long ago that I had taken precautions against death? Perhaps you thought a greater power had defeated Voldemort, defeated the master you swore to serve... like the old man hiding in Hogwarts? Or the Boy Who Lived standing before me?"
The Death Eaters, kneeling on the ground, slowly lifted their heads, gasping when they saw Harry.
"Lucius, are you surprised? I heard your son is in the same year as Harry Potter?"
"Master, Master", Lucius Malfoy's voice came from the crowd of Death Eaters, "The Malfoy family has always been loyal to you. Draco and Potter are archenemies at school! He hates Muggles, hates Potter, and hates Dumbledore just like I do."
Lucius raised his head, "Master, it is wonderful that you have returned—"
"Lucius", Voldemort said lazily, "my cunning friend, hypocrisy is etched into your bones. You, like the others, never tried to find me... However, your performance at the Quidditch World Cup was quite amusing. I believe... you are still willing to lead the torture of Muggles, despite disappointing me at times... I hope you will serve me more loyally in the future."
"Of course, Master, of course... Your magnanimity, thank you..."
Next, Voldemort called out names one by one, including those who were absent. The Death Eaters kneeling on the ground waited like they were facing a judgment. Harry took the opportunity to signal Hermione with his eyes, and he succeeded. Hermione gave him a sharp look.
"Ouroboros ring", Harry muttered softly.
Hermione glared at him, not hearing clearly.
"Ouroboros ring", Harry said a bit louder this time. Hermione heard him and nodded slightly, her arm moving subtly. At that moment, Voldemort finally finished his judgment on the Death Eaters, and they regrouped under Voldemort's banner.
"Next, the climax of my return, a carefully prepared performance", Voldemort turned around, his slit-like nostrils flaring. Hermione immediately stopped her movements. Voldemort raised his wand, "Let us witness the death of Harry Potter."
All the Death Eaters raised their wands and chanted in unison, "Witness the death of Harry Potter!"
Harry felt the ropes binding him suddenly loosen. He had a sudden idea and fell toward Hermione, using his body to shield her. He tugged at the ropes on Hermione's body, and she quickly reached into her pocket.
A low murmur of laughter rose around them.
"Please forgive me, I must admit—before this, the Boy Who Lived has endured some torment", Voldemort said, holding his wand, a cruel smile curling his lips.
The crowd laughed even louder.
"Come forward and face your fate", Voldemort whispered to Harry.
Harry dragged his feet, buying time for Hermione. After so long, the school must have noticed their disappearance. No, they should have known when they held the Triwizard Cup but didn't appear outside. But the school couldn't find them... that was the effect of the Ouroboros ring.
"Oh?" Voldemort drawled, "Harry Potter seems a bit nervous. Step back a bit more. I remember, you should have learned dueling?"
The Death Eaters laughed and spread out even more. Harry limped over to his wand, picked it up, and also picked up Ron and Hermione's wands, slipping them into his pocket.
"Childish tricks", Voldemort sneered.
(End of Chapter)
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