Chapter 2 - A Familiar Place
(A/N) This chapter is a little longer, but I've got to explain why what just happened could happen, so this chapter should help do that. Yes, I know…one of the characters in this chapter likes to talk a lot. But, there's a reason for it. Upcoming chapters should fill in a few missing pieces also. Some of the details included in this chapter were obtained from an essay at www.hp-lexicon.org by 'Kendall Smiley', titled The Battle of the Department of Mysteries - An Analysis of the Chase and Battle, June 1996)
Harry was, literally and figuratively, stunned…and more than a little scared. <Wait a minute! Who just did that to me? Aren't I supposed to be protected here? I know that voice! I wish I could just move and see who it is.> But Harry could only manage to blink and breathe.
That familiar, cold voice spoke once again. "Still with us, widdle baby Potty? Good! I wouldn't want you to miss any of this by being unconscious or in too much pain to follow along." The gaunt face and hooded eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange moved in front of him, and he saw another vaguely familiar, rather large wizard standing behind her. "That's why I didn't use a Stunner or the Cruciatus Curse on you, even though I dare say I would love to give you lessons on how to cast THAT one better. Barty Jr. must be slipping - he used to be pretty good with Cruciatus, if I remember right. Or, maybe you just weren't paying attention when he was teaching you the Unforgivable Curses during your fourth year? Were you too busy thinking about snogging that mudblood wench of yours, eh, Potter? Is that why you couldn't do more than tickle me a little at the Department?" she said in a taunting voice.
Harry's eyes must have betrayed the confusion he was feeling. As Bellatrix took a quick glance at what looked like a Muggle pocket watch that she pulled from her black robes, she said, "Tell you what, Potter. I bet you're just brimming with questions right now, aren't you? We have some time before we can finish up here. If you promise to behave, I'll allow you to talk. But, if I get annoyed with your questions, or you try anything funny, I promise I WILL Crucio you, is that a deal? Blink twice if you understand."
Harry blinked twice, and Bellatrix tapped the point of his chin with her wand. He was still unable to move his body, but at least he could speak. "Wha...how did...where…" he sputtered.
"If I had known that was all you could come up with, I would have left you mute," Bellatrix laughed harshly. But, I get the general idea. You're probably wondering what is going on, how did I get here, and where is my master? That about right, Potter?"
"Yeah, you're pretty smart for an evil minion," he snarled. He had just realized the implications of Bellatrix's comment about Hermione, and he could feel a surge of anger rising in his heart. But, before he could say anything else, Bellatrix cut in again.
"Watch the attitude, Potter. The only reason you are still breathing at all is because both the Dark Lord and I are feeling a bit generous today, so you'd better hold your tongue if you know what's good for you. In fact, maybe I'd better nip this in the bud before I answer your questions. CRUCIO!"
Although he had felt this curse before, the sheer amount of pain was still quite a shock. He felt excruciating pain in every part of his body. But, since he was still bound by her earlier curse, he was unable to curl up in a ball as he would have liked.
"Enjoy that, Potter? I was pretty easy on you, you know. Actually, when you get hit with a Cruciatus Curse at a much lower power, it is actually exhilarating. As you may have suspected, you can learn to get used to it and fight it, just like Imperio. I, for example, have got to the point where I enjoy it, unless a very powerful wizard like my master uses it on me. I'll confess; when you hit me with it at the Department, it was somewhat more than a love tap, but it still wasn't anywhere near as strong as the one HE used on me after I had failed him that night when you got away from us again. Oh, yeah, that reminds me, wee little Potty. Does anyone else know you used the Cruciatus Curse on me? I seem to remember something about the weaklings at the Ministry calling that an unforgivable curse, you know! Are you ready to go to Azkaban? I'm sure the dementors - at least the ones that are still there - would be more than interested in getting you to come visit for a while, eh, Potter?"
Harry didn't know what to say. Actually, he had thought about that very thing in the days after the attack. <What was it that Professor Moody, I mean Barty Crouch Jr., said during 4th year? 'The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban.'> But, as he was thinking about this, he started realizing that he was able to feel his fingers twitching slightly.
Before he could investigate further, however, Bellatrix noticed it too. "Goyle, wrap him up!" she yelled to the wizard behind her. The man raised his wand and shot ropes out of the end, completely immobilizing him again. "Don't want to use the body-bind on you again - I need you a little bit more mobile soon and I don't want to have to drag your frozen body around. Oh, and Potter, don't worry about the Cruciatus Curse - I won't tell anyone, and where you're going, you won't have to worry about Azkaban for quite a while," she said with an unmistakable cackle.
<So, she really IS an evil minion,> Harry thought, <she's even got the evil cackle down. Not the time to be joking, even to myself, I guess. Maybe, though, I can get her mad…>
"Hey, Bellatrix, I guess your master wasn't too happy with you the last time I saw you. So, old Tommy Riddle Crucio'd you, did he? Bet that was fun," Harry said, with a little grin.
"HOW DARE YOU PROFANE THE DARK LORD BY USING THAT MUGGLE NAME TO REFER TO HIM!" Bellatrix screamed at him. "Oh, Potter, if I didn't have my orders, Goyle and I would be carrying your body out to dump it in the gutter right now. I'd Crucio you again, but that would interfere with…"
Goyle, who had been standing at her side, said dully, "Uhhh…Milady Lestrange, remember what we were told…"
Bellatrix snapped back, "Yes, you stupid oaf, I remember quite well my…instructions. Don't interrupt me again, Goyle. Honestly, if I had a choice I would have never brought you along today."
Harry, standing there quietly bound up with magical ropes, considered this last exchange. <Hmmm… first, Gregory Goyle's dad (who, he now remembered, wasn't at the Department with the rest of the Death Eaters that night,) isn't necessarily considered as an asset to Voldemort's army, at least in Bellatrix's eyes. But, this means, if he is coming with her on an important mission (Harry liked to think that anything to do with him would be an important mission to Voldemort), the Death Eater's ranks must be rather depleted. Yeah, losing 10 or so Death Eaters at once has to hurt the morale of the troops!> he thought smugly.
Also, he realized, whatever they had in store for him, repeated Cruciatus Curses would interfere with it. Possibly Petrificus Totalus would, too; since he really doubted that Goyle would have any problem carrying him, stiff or not. If only he could remember the spell interactions and combined spell side effects that he had studied! <To be honest, spell interactions with Unforgivable Curses were probably a N.E.W.T. level course of study, but Hermione would be sure to know, or at least know where to look in the library,> he thought with a laugh.
Again, Bellatrix's harsh voice interrupted him. "Never mind about that, Goyle. Potter, I still want to answer your questions. Not that it will matter for much longer, but I want you to know just exactly how powerful and intelligent the Dark Lord is, so you can fully realize how futile your Muggle-loving Dumbledore's efforts are with his pathetic Order. Yes, Potter, we know all about the Order of the Phoenix. Peter, while somewhat useless to us except as a "good right hand man", (Harry groaned at her little joke), is a great source of information even now. You know, he is still an Animagus, even with his shiny new "accessory". He's been listening in on certain conversations and reporting all the details to the Dark Lord. While we don't know where you are operating out of yet, we do know a lot of what you are up to. And, we do have other friends in the Ministry, too…" she grinned, "but, you don't need to know about that…"
Harry immediately thought of Professor Snape, but Dumbledore assured him that he trusted Severus. <But, how much CAN I trust either of them?>, he asked himself, <after all the truths that Dumbledore has been keeping from me, and what I have seen Snape do, I don't know who to believe…except for one person. Hermione.> A powerful realization swelled up in his chest at that moment. Hermione was the only one he could trust. Not Dumbledore, not Ron, only Hermione. <Hermione…I need her badly…and I need her right now! I wish that I knew how to let her know what is happening to me!> He concentrated all of his mental energy into one, desperate, powerful thought. <HERMIONE, I NEED YOU!> He doubted that it would do any good, but he didn't have too many options at the moment.
He realized that Bellatrix, who had apparently continued babbling some rot about Voldemort's superiority over Dumbledore, was finally getting to the point.
"- do you honestly think that the Dark Lord would not come up with another plan to take care of you, since he was unable to procure the Prophecy thanks to you and your clumsy friend Longbottom? Actually, it was something that happened that night in the Department of Mysteries that gave him the idea," she said, this time with an unmistakable smirk. "But, first things first. I'm sure you're most curious about how we can even BE here, Potter. I'm sure Albus has told you by now about the 'ancient magic' that was used to protect you here?" she asked.
Harry nodded. He remembered too well that entire conversation, including information that he was sure Riddle didn't have and would like to know - about a certain glass sphere. This made him feel a slight amount of hope for the first time since he had arrived at Privet Drive. He and Dumbledore still knew something that Tom didn't!
"Well, Potter… ", Lestrange continued, "…as with anything of this nature, you have to be pretty specific when using this 'ancient magic' you heard about. It's what the Muggles call a lip hole, or something. Just how much did Albus tell you?
For some reason, Harry thought of Mr. Weasley when he heard her say 'lip hole' instead of 'loophole', but then he focused on what she just asked. "If I remember right, he said 'While you can still call home the place where your mother's blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort'."
A gleam of triumph came into Bellatrix's deep-set eyes. "Yes, EXACTLY, Potter. I dare say you've studied enough spell theory in the past five years to see the problems with what you just said. Come on, Potter, even you can see where I am headed with this. Little Master Malfoy has informed us that you aren't COMPLETELY dense in your class work at Hogwarts, and, with his obvious biases against you, we take that to mean that you are not incompetent as a wizard. Think for a minute, and you tell me what went wrong."
Harry, ignoring her thinly veiled insults, reviewed what he had just remembered Dumbledore telling him. "Well," he began, "first, I have to think of wherever Petunia lives as my home…"
"And…" she prompted, "keep going."
"And…"he continued, thinking hard, "the protection…only works against Voldemort!"
"Very good, Potter. Yes, anyone but the Dark Lord could come here and touch or harm you, as long as we knew where 'here' was. If I were a Hogwarts professor, I'd have to give, say, fifty points to Gryffindor! But, when I get to be one soon, there won't BE any Gryffindor House there, now, will there!" Bellatrix's glee was evident. "So, what do you think went wrong? I'll bet those fifty points that you won't figure out the whole story."
Harry had already deduced at least part of the problem. He had thought about this in the car earlier that afternoon. "I…I… no longer think of Privet Drive as home", he muttered.
"Very good, Potter", Bellatrix said, still with a smirk on her face. "My master was pretty sure that you would start to feel that way as you were exposed to Hogwarts and other wizard families, and as he became more aware of your thoughts, it became more obvious that the protections would decay over time. But, it gets even better than that. We always try to create a sure bet, instead of waiting for you to 'dissolve family ties' on your own time. Look around the room. Do you see anything different?"
Harry, who, honestly, had been sort of distracted and busy with other things since he entered the house, took a moment and looked around. He was shocked to see that where last year there were lots of pictures of Dudley and the rest of the Dursleys, there were now nail holes and blotches where the picture frames had protected the paint from the sun. Also, none of Dudley's television sets were visible. There was still some furniture here and there, but Petunia's favorite rocking chair was missing. The telephone that was usually on the wall was obviously disconnected, as it was now broken in pieces on the floor. And, most tellingly, he realized he hadn't seen any sign of the three since he entered the house. He could only come up with one conclusion. "They've…moved?" he asked. "When…where…how?
"Well, you see, your uncle, Vernon, is it?' Bellatrix grinned. "He just got a very LARGE contract at work from a previously unknown purchaser of drills. Very…'hush-hush' as the Muggles say. Earned himself a promotion, a bonus, and a lot more Galleons each month. Hmmm…wait, Muggles don't use Galleons, do they? Well, no matter what Muggles do or don't do. He also seems to have gotten a new, what do they call them, 'automobile?' out of the deal. An item which, I assume, is pretty important to Muggles for some reason. Now, I don't know what my dear sister Narcissa is going to do with all of those drills. In fact, I'm not quite sure what they are, being Muggle items and all, but that is up to her. She'll probably use them to torture her house elves in some depraved way, or something fun like that."
"Malfoy", Harry hissed. "Lucius put up the money!"
"Close, but not quite," said Bellatrix, "if you remember, Lucius is, shall we say, a bit indisposed at the moment. You were there, you know. Honestly, young wizards these days! Can't keep track of anything. Ten points from Gryffindor," she said with a straight face. "No, Narcissa is quite capable of making financial transactions on behalf of the Malfoy family. Why do you think she married the pretty boy?" The merger of the house of Black and the house of Malfoy was an important happening in the Wizarding World. Lucius needed an adult male heir to continue his line, while my sister needed financial security for life. Narcissa 'sealed the deal', as it were, by allowing Draco to be born, but she was in it for the money all along. Why do you think she kept Draco from going to Durmstrang? She only gets full control of her share of the estate if he survives until his 18th birthday, and she couldn't keep as close an eye on him as she wanted if he were out of the country."
"Ah, but enough Black family history - besides, you won't care about any of this in a while." she sighed. "Back to the problems with your 'protection'. You didn't notice the Dursleys leave in that new vehicle just as you were bringing in your trunk. It was timed pretty closely, but they left for their new home about one second before I froze you. Of course, they couldn't completely move out until you got here - that would have attracted too much attention. They were able to move mostly small personal items before today. Since the house they are moving to happened to be fully furnished, and quite lavishly, I must say, they didn't complain too much when they heard the details of the offer. Besides, they were glad to get rid of you when we proposed it. Vernon, especially, was rather enthusiastic; but Petunia was a different story. She fought for quite a while, but we got through to her in the end. I think the holiday bungalow in Majorca and the promise to fix Dudley's weight problem magically won her over. Apparently he also has a tendency to sprout a pig's ears and nose occasionally, and she'd like it to stop. Guess she loves her status and her whale of a son more than you."
"But, wait a minute," Harry said. "How did you even find out I was staying here in the first place? I got the impression that at least some of the protections around me here included your lot not knowing exactly where I was, right?" Harry was actually getting interested in the story, now; almost forgetting that he was in the presence of someone who could kill him at any moment. And, he wasn't all that surprised that Vernon had found a way to betray him while at the same time moving up in the ranks of the Muggle world. He was a little more surprised at Petunia, but she did always want to go to Majorca like her friends.
"Funny thing, that…"Bellatrix frowned slightly. "You're right, Potter. Up until last August, we had no idea exactly where you were. Of course, I was still in Azkaban at the time, but the Death Eaters have been trying to find you ever since you survived the Dark Lord's curse that terrible Halloween. We knew the general area, but we could never identify which house you were staying at. Through our sources at the Ministry, we knew that this house, wherever it was, had been connected to the Floo Network for a very short period of time before the last Quidditch World Cup, and we thought that we had you then. However, that was before the Dark Lord was restored so we couldn't move at that time. By the time he was powerful enough to act, all records of the connection had been destroyed. Probably the blood traitor, Arthur Weasley, took care of that for you."
Harry's stomach did a flip-flop. <So, using the Floo network to allow me to go to the World Cup wasn't such a good idea…but then, Dudley never would have found out about ton-tongue toffees, though. You know, maybe it was worth it after all!> he grinned.
"But, it all changed the evening of August 6th last year," she continued, not noticing the smile that had come to Harry's face when he remembered Dudley's predicament. "One of our sources saw the Dursleys driving home late that night from somewhere. Their faces were already known to us, since they picked you up at Platform 9 3/4 each year. Since there are standing orders for the Death Eaters and our associates to track them whenever they are spotted, our source kept close behind them. Each time previously, whoever was following them would lose sight of them or be distracted at a critical moment. That night, though, it didn't happen. The informant was able to watch them pull into the driveway here at number four, Privet Drive and walk right in the front door. Vernon was in a foul mood. Something about a joke of some kind being played on him, and a …lawn contest, whatever that means, and that he would get to the bottom of it, according to the report I read later. Anyway, Potter, the result was that we knew EXACTLY where you had been living all this time. We kept a close watch on the home all night. The next morning when the Dursleys had all left, our people went in. No, not my master. The remnants of the protection charms kept him from coming anywhere near this place, even then. But, Lucius and Avery entered and searched the house from top to bottom. They found the room you had been staying in, but it was obvious you were no longer there. I assume you had already left?" she asked, as innocently as possible while looking deeply into his eyes.
At that very moment, Harry knew what Bellatrix was fishing for, and that she had at least some Legilimens training. And, at the same time, he realized that he no longer knew where Order Headquarters was. Frantically, he searched his mind, but it was as if a focused memory charm had been cast on him. He remembered all the times he had been there, but nothing about the location. Most importantly, he realized that the Fidelius Charm cast by Albus Dumbledore to protect that information had worked perfectly. <I guess I'll have to ask someone where it is again if I ever get out of this mess.>
"Yes, I had left before then," was all Harry would say.
Bellatrix looked slightly disappointed, and checked her pocket watch once again. "Well, no matter. We now knew your address, but we didn't do anything with this information since we were focusing our efforts on the prophecy. You were safely packed away, getting ready to go to Hogwarts, so we did nothing, yet. You probably figured out some of our attempts to obtain the sphere, didn't you?"
"Well, you tried to get Sturgis to break in, but he got caught and sent to Azkaban, and then Bode actually must have succeeded in touching it, at least", he said.
She nodded. "Then, the Dark Lord found out from Rookwood that we would not be successful in our attempts to remove it by any means other than by your hand. So, my master focused his energies on getting you to do the job for him by means of your unique 'connection', she said, brushing his scar with her wand. Strangely enough, he felt a slight tingle when her wand touched the mark on his forehead.
"Ah, Potter, he really enjoyed planting those false images in your head, and when he realized that you were going to get caught in the trap he had so carefully laid for you, using my dear cousin as bait, he could scarcely contain his pleasure. And, even though it didn't work out, I'll admit we all shared some pleasure in eliminating Sirius. What have you learned from your chess playing Weasley friend? Sometimes, when you are unsuccessful in forcing a checkmate during a single attack, you can have some success in removing pieces from your opponent's forces, and the more important the removed pieces are the better. I REALLY enjoyed that duel, Potter…"
Harry's temper, which had been under control for a while, now, was back in full force by the time Bellatrix was done. "I KNOW! YOU KILLED HIM! YOU FOUL, EVIL…"
"Oh, spare me the melodramatics, Potter," she stated in a no-nonsense voice, while pointing her wand back at his chin. "Shut up and listen for a minute. You bet I killed him. Best thing I did during that whole fiasco. That fact alone probably kept the Dark Lord from killing me after he found out I lost the prophecy. Besides, if I didn't kill him, one of the other Death Eaters or my master would have done so; most likely in a more painful manner than knocking him through the Death Chamber veil, I'd wager."
As he relived that painful scene, Harry's anger began to rise again, but Bella ignored him while she checked the time once more.
"It was our plan all along to eliminate him as soon as possible," she continued. "We actually had a number of plans set up to draw him out of hiding even if he hadn't come to the ministry that night. He would have died the next time he was spotted by our people, either as himself or in his Animagus form. Wormtail, again, was very helpful in telling us how we could recognize him. Death Eaters could have killed him when he went with you to the train station at the beginning of the school year, but we still had our uses for him, as you now know. By the time he came to 'rescue' you, he had outlived his usefulness and there were some old debts that needed repaying."
She noticed the confused look on Harry's face, and then she realized something. "Oh, did you think that YOU were the cause of his death? That since he came to save you, you killed him? You DARE to try to take any credit for that victory from ME! How pathetic! Hate to break it to you, Potter, but it's not always about you. Yes, you were helpful in getting him moving, but he always was a bit reckless, don't you think? Eventually, we knew he would turn up, either to save you or for some other equally noble reason. And then, he would have died. I know my cousin quite well. He would risk his life to save you, or anyone he thought was in danger for that matter. But, it would have been his choice to do so. Foolish boy! No wonder he ended up in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. With a few exceptions, the rest of the Black Family was so ashamed when we heard the results of his Sorting."
Harry, on the other hand, was again stunned by what he had heard. His thoughts were quite confused. <So, I might not have been completely responsible for Sirius' death? Of course, this information WAS coming from the same Death Eater that killed Sirius, but, still, she sounded like she was being straightforward with me. If she had wanted to hurt me, all she had to do was say just the opposite and tell me I WAS responsible for his death, right? But, they were planning to kill him all along…>. As realization came to him, it was as if a weight had lifted from his soul. Suddenly, he felt something different than he had the past few weeks when he thought of Sirius. Not guilt at his godfather's death, but pride… pride in how Sirius exemplified the very basis of what makes a Gryffindor - bravery. <But, why couldn't Dumbledore have told me more bef…>
Bellatrix checked her watch one more time, then put it away, smiling a cruel smile. "Well, Potter, enough chit-chat. I've talked long enough, and you probably think I've given you more information than I should have and you'll be working out some way to let Albus know about all of this. In fact, Goyle here is probably ready to wet himself with worry, if I know him. But, as you'll see soon, it won't really matter what I have told you, because, very soon, you won't remember any of it. No, I'm not going to kill you, as much as I'd like that. The Dark Lord has better, more fitting, plans for you. He has faced you many times, and each time he has been unable to eliminate you. So, he has a plan to turn you to be an asset, not a hindrance, any more. Even if this plan fails, you'll be out of the picture anyway, so to speak. Would you like to hear about it?" she said as she again tried looking deep into his eyes.
Harry's face remained blank, and he immediately put up the shields he had learned during his Occlumency training with Snape. <Glad she's not a good Legilimens, or maybe it's because she's not using her wand and the incantation.> He was glad he could keep Bellatrix's probe out of his mind, but he was both curious and scared to death about what would happen next. <Turn towards the Dark Lord? Me? If I didn't know better, I'd think Tom and Bellatrix have been watching those Star Wars movies! I swear, if he ever says, 'Harry, I AM your father,' I'll probably hex him into next week, just for spite.>
To her, he said, "Sure, Bella. I can call you Bella, can't I? I'd love to hear what your buddy TOMMY RIDDLE has planned for me this time. Funny, he's been trying to kill me just about every year for five years now, not to mention when I was just a little tyke, and he STILL can't get the job done. And they call him a "powerful" wizard! I'm sure this new plan of his will just be spiffing!" As Harry watched her reaction to his calculated attempt at rattling her, he thought by the end that, just maybe, he had overdone it a bit. <Maybe not such a good idea to provoke her…> he thought as he saw the rage rising in her eyes.
"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT USING THAT…THAT…NAME IN MY PRESENCE", she screamed, even louder than before. And, before he knew it, she yelled "CRUCIO" again.
**********
Harry slowly regained consciousness some unknown time later. He almost thought he heard a voice calling his name, but after what seemed like an eternity of pain and torture he wasn't sure of anything. As his faculties returned, he said to himself, <No, definitely not a good idea…Note to self: Self, Don't Do That Again. Hopefully, I won't have to, though. If my guess was right, I may have just changed something important…>
Lestrange had calmed down somewhat, but there was still anger smoldering in her eyes as she said, "Oh, back with us again, Potter? You were out for a bit longer this time. I didn't think I hit you that hard…hmm, must be out of practice controlling my Cruciatus Curses. Potter, you are either the stupidest or the bravest wizard I have seen in a while. But, no matter, let's get back to my little tale, okay?" as she pointed her wand at him again.
Harry, with the pain of the last Cruciatus Curse still fresh, decided to keep his mouth shut and just nodded. He noticed Goyle opening his mouth as if to say something, then he closed it, obviously not pleased with what had happened. Then, without warning, Harry immediately thought of Hermione, or at least the calming feeling that he had felt a few times in the past year when he was with her. Before he was able to concentrate on what he thought he felt, Bellatrix's harsh voice rudely interrupted him.
"Honestly, Potter, you are sure dragging this whole thing out way too long," Bellatrix growled. "Time is getting a bit short, and I still haven't told you what we are going to do to you. Well, let's get to it. Do you remember the Time Room in the Department of Mysteries? And, do you remember what happened to Crabbe when he got tangled up with the bell jar and his head turned into that of a baby?"
Of course, Harry could not forget that strange event. He had seen the Death Eater fall into the bell jar and watched as his head changed from a baby to a man and back again. <So, that was Vincent's dad, huh? I never knew. That'll be fun to bring up with Crabbe with when I get back to Hogwarts!> he thought to himself. <Boy, I am full of myself. Here I am, wrapped up tightly in ropes, still recovering from a rather painful Cruciatus Curse, being threatened by evil minions of the most evil wizard known presently, and I'm thinking about how to take the mickey out of Crabbe the next time I see him. Guess there's that Gryffindor bravery, or maybe it is stupidity, coming through.> He again nodded his head, answering her question.
"Well, that bell jar effect can, of course, be controlled. Crabbe got introduced to the time reverser effect without a knowledgeable wizard nearby, and it was only a partial exposure, besides. Took a while for the healers in St. Mungo's prison ward to sort that out, and from what I understand, he still hasn't really recovered. Not that he was all that sharp anyway, but he keeps on asking for his mummy and crying to have his nappies changed," Bellatrix sneered.
Goyle laughed trollishly at this last, and Harry realized just how much his son was like him.
"But, Potter," Lestrange continued, checking her pocket watch one more time, "since we've had access to this house for a while now, we've done a little bit more preparation for this glorious moment. We have established a time reverser effect in this house, and we have calculated precisely what it will do to anyone that enters it. Would you like to know what it will do to you, since you have obviously realized that you are the intended victim? Well, I'll tell you, since our time here is almost done. The time reverser effect will send a person back in time, not as themselves, but as they would have been at the time where they are sent. If we miscalculate and send a person back before they were born, they will immediately cease to exist in any time. Don't you worry, Potter, we're quite confident we have not made such a mistake. Besides, there is 11 years or so to play with in your case, so it's not like you have to worry us missing things by a hair."
Harry, still a bit groggy from the Cruciatus Curse, was starting to put things together. "So…you're going to make me eleven years old again? Why?"
"Very good, Potter. You are sharper than some give you credit. Another fifty points to Gryffindor!" she chortled. "As to why, I'll tell you. We want you to go back and start your Hogwarts career over again, but this time with a slight change. No, Potter, I'm not going to tell you what has changed. That would ruin the surprise. Besides, you'll never even know the difference. Yes, before you go, I'm going to have to do a rather thorough memory charm on you. It wouldn't do to have you remember ANYTHING that has happened to you in the past five years, now, would it? GOYLE!", she shouted, her eyes focused closely on her watch. "Come here and do your job! Quickly, you oaf!"
Goyle lumbered over and picked Harry up roughly. Even though he was still bound tightly by the magical ropes, he started to struggle as he found himself slung over Goyle's massive shoulder. Goyle walked slowly towards the stairs, and Harry immediately recognized where he was headed. <No, no!> he thought, <Not in there again…I can't go back in there.> His face must have revealed his thoughts, because Bellatrix, coming up behind them, saw him and said, "Yes, Potter, since the time reverser effect is, of necessity, rather small in volume, and requires something to contain it for maximum control, we thought it only fitting that it be established in your old 'bedroom'. Vernon thought this was especially apropos, which is probably why he suggested it. In you go!"
Goyle opened the door to the cupboard under the stairs, and tossed him bodily onto his old, worn-out mattress. Harry had grown quite a bit since the last time he was here, so there wasn't much room for him to move. He started panicking as he realized what was going to happen. <NO! … NO! HERMIONE!>
The last thing he heard was a loud "OBLIVIATE", and then there was darkness.