DISCLAIMER : I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT!
Hello readers... I do hope you enjoy this chapter!
Sorry for posting so late, but I have been having some internet problems, so I apologize. But, this is the latest chapter that I have written, so I do not know how long it will be before my next chapter.
Now on Fanfiction.net I usually post every seven days or so……. Give or take a few days! But, it is common for me to update a little slower as well, but please, don't worry, I don't abandon my fics and the longest transition between updated chapters since September has been 2.5 weeks……… so I'm not like some people who don't update for MONTHS!!
So I apologize in advance for any late updates… you reviewers have been great! And I know it was a plus that I updated so frequently, but now that I am going from chapter to chapter in-between life and school, it wont be as frequent! Sorry…
Also, I have to give a HUGE THANKS to Alayneni for helping me get over my HUGE writer's block!!!
To my fellow reviewers.........
--- THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS GUYS!!!
Oh and I also wanted to add, that I am going to use some references from the Books in this fic as well.
Just FYI, like I used Bill and the attack of Greyback, and the Troll on Halloween. But I am also twisting them as well, but I thought it would be nice to use some of the original fiction added into the AU fanfiction. I hope you like what I have in store!
NOTE : THIS STORY WAS NOT BASED OFF OF THE CHALLENGE ON PORTKEY! I just wanted to clear that up that this story was written far before that challenge was written, back in March of 2005. I don't know about the similarities or the coincidences, but this story was not based off of the challenge. :P I just wanted to clear that up….
Now on with the story...
XXXXXXXXXX
Chapter Twenty-One : Evil Stirs…
XXX
Harry dodged blows as he rolled his body against the cool earth. The Death Eaters were everywhere, as he shot attacks at the cloaked monsters. Harry locked onto the mongrels of Voldemort, his attention never straying, that was until a certain voice called out his name.
"Harry!"
Immediately, Harry turned his gaze to where the voice was coming from. It seemed to have been coming from the woods, to the north-east. Without a second thought, Harry rounded his path and took off for the forest.
The deeper he got, the closer the screams of the woman seemed to get.
"Harry! Please, help!" it cried. "Let go of me!" Just then a 'swoosh' was heard, as if magic being casted, before a loud SMACK echoed throughout the trees.
The soft grunting of a hit woman filled the forest and Harry immediately took off in hopes of reaching her in time...
As he reached the small patch of moss the girl was now laying face down upon, Harry quickly ran over, grasping hold of her shoulders as he turned her body around. Then he immediately froze. 'Is it ... really?' he thought, but his thoughts were interrupted by another worried voice from behind.
"Cho!"
xxx
A cold chill swept its way across the large stony hall as a tall figure knelt gracefully within the center of a large elaborate circular design upon the floor. His black cloak flared out gracefully behind as he bowed his head in submission to his Lord before him.
The Hall was cast in an eerie darkness, as torches dimly lit the stone walls. Cloaked figures filled the large hall as far as the eye could see, as they watched in interest what was about to happen. They circled around the decorative design upon the floor, gazing intently at the kneeling figure before them.
"You have brought on a great deal of disappointment, young Prince." sneered a cold, squeaky voice. Before the kneeling body, a large elaborate throne was set in darkness. A pair of blood-red eyes gazed back; slits of red engulfed in black.
The young prince in whom the voice was addressing flinched, as he knelt, with one fist pressed into the stony floor. How humiliating...
He could hear soft snickers floating throughout the crowd as he was reprimanded. This was entirely humiliating.
"You have disappointed your Lord." the voice sneered once more. "This is unacceptable. I send you out to fulfill a simple task, and yet you return to me empty-handed and a failure." the voice went on. "You have greatly disappointed me, Draco."
The young Prince, Draco Malfoy, knelt before his Lord, bloody and tired. His task had not gone well, and he was now subject to punishment...
"Forgive me my Lord, but the Castle was heavily guarded by a large band of Aur-"
"Silence!!" the voice spat. Draco immediately hushed, bowing his head lower in submission. He gripped his fist so tight in fear and humiliation that he could feel his shorter fingernails dig into his calloused palms, but the pain did not register. His fear for his life was heightened, and the pain in his body from the ambush had left him weakened. "I asked of you a simple task. A task I believed you could take on. It appears my expectations of you have been faulty."
The voice paused, and Draco knew the worst was yet to come.
"Now," the voice sneered, "Lucius."
Draco raised his eyes from the stone below him as he heard his Lord call his father.
"Yes, my Lord?" he asked in duty. He sounded as cold and as indifferent as ever, but to Draco, there was also a sense of apprehension. Draco kept his head bent, and his eyes to the stone, but his sharp ears caught everything.
"Step forward." the voice commanded. His father stood tall in the darkness, his black cloak blending him into his surroundings, but as he stepped forward in to the eerie light, he pulled down the hood of his black cloak, showing his platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes.
"What is it you wish of me, my Lord?" he asked as he knelt beside his son on the stone floor in obedience. The narrow blood-red eyes squinted evilly as he regarded the care-taker of his Kingdom.
"Where is the Prophecy, Lucius?" Draco could sense the hesitation in his father as he knelt in the cold, unwelcoming hall beside him. His father's back tensed as and his breathing seemed to hitch for a second.
"The Prophecy, my Lord, has been destroyed," he hesitantly answered. Draco winced.
"It What?" called out the voice. A murmur swept the hall as the other Death Eaters gossiped on about the so-called King. Their Lord's voice grew with disgust, yet it remained eerily calm. Draco knew, this was Not Good. "Lucius, like your son, I am quite disappointed. I was wrong to think you worthy of this task. When here I thought I had placed my confidence in my best Death Eater to retrieve the very important, very crucial prophecy and to bring it back here, but alas, you tell me this?"
"Forgive me my Lord! But is was those Aurors from Gryffin-"
"Silence!" boomed the outraged Lord. "I will deal with you two later. Leave from my sight."
Lucius could hear the cynical murmurs of the other Death Eaters, as they verbally bashed both he and his son. They had both failed, miserably, and it was shameful and humiliating. How was he to gain the respect of his court after this?
As the two stood up, Lucius's head still held high, in spite of his humiliation, whilst his son held his head low, unwilling to look into those red eyes once more. They both turned, and the former King swiftly made his way to the large iron doors, anger and irritation flowing from his every step.
xxx
"Cho!"
Harry knelt in the moss-covered ground of the forest, clutching the unconscious Cho Chang in his arms as he spun his head around to the voice from behind.
…. Cedric?
Immediately Cedric Diggory, Prince of Hufflepuff, ran up to the fallen Ravenclaw as he skidded to his knees, rounding around Harry.
"Cho! Cho…is she alright?" he panted as he ran his worried eyes up and down her form. Harry examined the terrified look upon the Prince's face, and knew the worry for which he felt…
"I… I think she's alright," he said breathlessly as he clutched her to his chest. Cedric reached out to grab her hand as he knelt over her.
"Cho…" he said softly, pulling a few stray strands of hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear. Harry watched all of this closely, but didn't dwell on it as there were more important matters at hand.
"How did this happen?" Harry asked suddenly, urgency laced heavily in his voice. Cedric didn't once take his eyes off of the woman before him as he checked her for injuries. "How did Cho get here? How did she get hurt?"
Cedric threw his gaze up at Harry as he said that. Harry's eyes burned with fear and question as he regarded the Prince before him.
"Well?" he asked him once more. Cedric sighed as he turned his gaze back onto the Ravenclaw.
"She was kidnapped."
"What? By whom?" he asked in rage. "I thought you were supposed to be protecting her, Cedric!" Harry couldn't understand it, but seeing Cho again stirred new emotions within him, but to his surprise, they were nothing as to what he thought they would be.
Had this been a few months back, Harry would have found himself utterly, and hopelessly enamored by the woman in his arms, but now…. He felt relatively nothing romantic towards the woman. This was weird… he felt ….nothing….nothing but sheer care for a dear friend, as he would Serenity or Ginny.
Cedric suddenly shot a heated glance at Harry for a moment before lowering his gaze in shame.
"You are right, I was supposed to be protecting her…" he murmured to himself. "This is my entire fault. If I had only been more protective of her… if I would have just-"
"Stop it! It doesn't matter, now. What matters is that she is returned safely back to Hufflepuff!"
said Harry urgently. "This is no place for her to be!"
Cedric nodded hastily as he reached to scoop the girl into his arms. "Ill take her back… she will be safe." Harry hesitantly handed her over as gently as he could, but before he completely handed her over, a shiny golden locket caught his eye. 'What... is that?'
Reaching his arm out, he gently bent over Cho as he made to grab the locket. It seemed that Cedric had seen it also, for he too reached to grab it. Immediately, as both Princes touched their fingers to the golden charm, Harry immediately felt a hook behind his navel, as he was jerked forward, lifted off of his feet, propelling through whirls of wind and colors.
He could feel Cedric beside him, his shoulders pressed against his own, and his fingers glued tightly to the golden locket before them. Cho, Harry could feel was still cradled within the crook of Cedric's arm as she two had been whisked into this whirl.
Then, as soon as he had been lifted, Harry felt his feet slam into hard stone, and he stumbled forward, landing harshly on one knee. Cedric had landed beside him, Cho still cradled gently against him as he too landed on his knees.
Harry felt the locket he had been attached to leave his finger as a soft clink resonated off of the high stone ceilings as it fell. Harry took that moment to survey his surroundings. Tall ceilings with no windows, this hall was cold and stony. Decorated in naught but silver and green, Harry noticed the large circular design upon the ground in which he was kneeling upon. It was of a snake, large and green, as it circled around an image of the four kingdoms. Harry knew immediately then just exactly where he and Cedric had been taken. Slytherin.
Harry quickly grasped his wand tight, as he looked up again, taking in the large darkened iron throne before him, and the empty hall. He immediately glanced around to see Cedric and Cho, but before he was able to turn his head, a cold voice filled the room.
"Get rid of the others."
Harry's eyes widened as he shot a quick look over to Cedric, only to see a flash of green light shoot Cedric's chest dead on. Harry watched in horror as the Prince's body arched gracefully across the hall, Cho still clutched against him, as he slammed into the stone wall behind. Cedric's head lolled over to the side, as a dribble of blood escaped his lips. Cho, on the other hand, had been cushioned against Cedric, and was safe from any harm.
Harry immediately made to move in Cedric's direction when a small, chubby hand clasped down upon his shoulder violently. Harry felt his body being jerked forward by the cloaked figure, and then rammed roughly against a stone …. Tombstone?
Harry did a double-take as he realized he had been thrown against a tombstone-like surface that protruded from the middle of the elaborate snake design on the floor. Instantaneously, large green leather-like binds wrapped themselves tightly around Harry's wrists and abdomen, as Harry struggled desperately to break them. The binds, however, refused to give, as they got tighter with every movement he made. What was he going to do?
Harry then looked up at the man who had bound him with disgust and hatred as he continued to struggle.
"Who are you? What the hell is going on?" he yelled. The cloaked man ignored his yells as he fumbled over the binds, making sure each and every bind held the Prince, and they did. Harry couldn't move an inch, as he was tied to the stone.
The man before him then stood, and in doing so, his black hood fell off, revealing his face. Harry immediately froze.
"You!" he cried. It was none other than Peter Pettigrew… Wormtail. Wormtail ignored his exclamation as he turned to the iron throne.
Harry continued to struggle as he tried in vain to release his wrist from the binds. But then, Harry froze, as a cold and sinister laugh echoed throughout the hall. Harry's head shot in the direction of the laugh, only to feel his scar burst with a wave of intense pain.
Harry choked down a howl of pain as he squeezed his eyes shut. The pain was unbearable as it pierced his skull it seemed. The laugh grew louder, and Harry forced an eye open as suddenly a large cauldron appeared before him. Wormtail knelt beneath the cauldron, as he stoked the growing flames.
Harry watched in agony and fear as the cauldron began to bubble, and Wormtail stood up. He reached over for the throne, and Harry was surprised to see him carrying a bundle of wrapped cloth. At first, Harry thought it to have been that of a baby, but was immediately proven wrong as Wormtail began to speak.
"It… it is re-ready, M-my Lord!" he stuttered and squeaked. Harry rolled his eyes at the pathetic behavior of his father's former friend. Disgust and loathing coursed through his veins as he looked onto his father's traitorous friend.
A cold laugh once again filled the hall, and another fresh course of pain shot through Harry.
"Finally…" rang the evil voice. "It is time."
xxx
Within a large, stony, room of the Slytherin Castle, a young Prince stood before a roaring fire with in a stony hearth. He peered deeply within the scarlet-golden ambers as they licked at the stone.
He was going to be receiving his punishment for his failure any moment now. He was sure of it.
Barely seconds after his mind had formed the thoughts, did a figure charge through the doors of his chambers. The Prince turned from the flames to gaze into the face of the intruder. The King.
"Father," he said curtly. Lucius Malfoy sneered angrily at the man before him as if he were a disease. Fortunately so, this didn't seem to bother the young Draco, for he was far used to his father's treatment and temper.
"You have greatly humiliated me tonight, Draco," he said as he charged in. "Dishonored me before my court subjects! You have brought me great shame!" he boomed. Draco regarded him coolly as he turned his attention to his father, as he shoulders boxed and his gaze pointed.
"You bring the shame upon your own self, Father." Draco retorted. His father looked irate as he took in the comment of his own son. "Do not blame me for your mistakes."
"My only mistake here was fathering a worthless son!" he shot back. Draco turned his attention back onto the fire, as a burning fire inflamed his insides as well. "Look at me when I am addressing you, boy!"
But Draco refused to comply.
"I said look at me! I am your King!" At this Draco sneered.
"King? Ha!" he spat. "You can hardly call yourself a King! And after our Lord is through, you are going to be stripped of all that you hold, for payment of your mistakes!" came Draco's cold reply. "You are no more a King than I am a Gryffindor!"
Lucius Malfoy's livid eyes burned with intense danger as he pulled his hand back, striking his son hard across the face. Draco's eyes widened as his cheek burned with heat from the slap. He slowly turned his head onto his father as he stared into the coldest blue he'd ever seen.
"Your orders are to join the battle of the Aurors in the North." Lucius told him coldly. "You are to see to it that each and every one of those Aurors are dead. Is that clear?"
Draco glared at his father, before nodding the slightest nod. Lucius, seemingly satisfied, though still fuming, spun on his heals as his cloak trailed behind him, as he made to leave the chambers.
"And if you attempt to fail," he added, "don't bother to return." And with that, he disappeared.
xxx
Back at Gryffindor Castle, Hermione and Serenity sped through the halls as they attempted to aid in calming the children of Hogwarts.
As the two women rounded a corridor, Hermione suddenly collapsed to her knees, her palms pressed tightly against her forehead as she let out a painful cry. Serenity quickly ran to her, kneeling at her side.
"Hermione! Are you ok?" Hermione nodded weakly as her eyes squinted tightly in pain. Serenity watched her, worried.
"Ye-yes. I'm alright, it's just-"
"Just what?" Serenity pressed on.
"It's just that my forehead is really burning me. I don't know why." Hermione told her. "It's never hurt like this before," she said before whimpering in pain once more. Serenity pulled Hermione's hands off of her forehead as she replaced them with her own.
Closing her eyes, Serenity tried to heal the pain, but after a few moments, she opened her eyes again revealing confusion clouds swimming within her orbs.
"That's… weird." Serenity said. Hermione raised an eyebrow. What? "There seems to be nothing wrong with you at all."
Hermione was taken aback, but didn't have time to ponder on this, as another wave of pain coursed through her. She ducked her head low as Serenity tired to aid her the best she could.
Then suddenly, a spark went off in Hermione's head, as she suddenly knew what was wrong. She quickly shot to her feet, pressing her palm to the wall to steady her swaying body.
"Hermione!"
"I know what it is…" she said softly. "It's Harry… he's in trouble!"
XXX
Ok, here it is...
First off, I would like to apologize for yet another cliffy! Yes I know, they are cruel tricks of writing that we authors are intent on using, but I truly feel that the points in which I stop is the better part to stop…. Had I stopped anywhere else, the story wouldn't seem as effective.
Again, sorry… but I hope you enjoyed!!
I am also sorry that the last chapter held no elaborated fight scenes, but I only did that because those scenes weren't as important to my plot. I had no intention of elaborating on them, but I will elaborate on the future, more important, scenes!
I hope you liked this chapter!
Thanks again all!
SM131