Chapter 18: The past, present and future.
Harry fell to the ground with a hard thud before he pushed himself up by his arms and looked around, confused.
He was in a graveyard. The thick fog clung to the ground. Next to him, Cedric stirred and looked around.
"Where are we?" Cedric asked.
"In a graveyard," Harry replied.
"Is this part of the task?" Cedric asked but got a head shake in return.
"No. Otherwise Dumbledore wouldn't have said that we needed to bring the cup back to him. Plus, Viktor was under the imperious - that means this was all set up," Harry explained as both men got up and moved closer to the tombstones to get a better idea of where they were when Cedric noticed a large cauldron bubbling away near the edge of the woods.
"What would a cauldron be doing here?" Cedric asked, mostly to himself.
Harry found himself staring at a large tombstone that was slightly further away from the cauldron. He read the inscription on the tombstone and paled. The Tombstone was a large statue that looked like the reaper was guarding over the grave.
"Here lays Tom Riddle," Harry whispered. "Shit!" Cedric looked up, alarmed.
"Harry?" he questioned but Harry couldn't tear his eyes from the stone as fear started to coil in his body.
"We need to leave," Harry told him.
"What? Why?" Cedric asked.
"This isn't a safe place to be - let's go!" Harry told him. Cedric moved forward toward Harry as Harry moved closer to the trophy but a raspy voice stopped them in their tracks and sent chills down their spine.
"Kill the spare," the voice ordered.
"NO!" Harry shouted when he heard the familiar incantation and the green light shot toward Cedric as he turned to face the voice, striking him dead.
Cedric fell to the ground with a soft thud. His eyes were open and his mouth was slightly open in shock.
Harry fell to his knees as he stared at the dead body for a short moment before he raised dark eyes.
"Wormtail," Harry whispered and took pleasure in seeing Peter shaking with fear.
Harry was about to rush over to Wormtail when Wormtail flicked his wand and Harry was flung backward into the statue above Tom Riddle's grave and the statue wrapped its arms around Harry, trapping him.
Wormtail walked over toward the cauldron with a black bundle in his arm and Harry could, instinctively, tell that it was Voldemort. Wormtail opened the black robes and an unnatural white baby fell into the cauldron with a splash.
"Flesh of a servant," Wormtail cut off his own hand with a hiss. With a soft splash, his hand went into the cauldron and Wormtail pointed his wand toward the grave underneath Harry's feet. "Bone of a flesh," Voldemort's father bone rose out of the grave and floated over to the cauldron and was dropped in.
Wormtail moved forward toward Harry, raising the dagger and he tore it down Harry's arm, drawing blood which dripped into the goblet just beneath Harry's hand.
"Blood of an unwilling rival," Harry just gritted his teeth from the pain as he watched Wormtail moved back over to the cauldron and tipped the goblet, pouring the blood into the water.
"Raise my lord; take your place among the world today!" Wormtail shouted and a figure rose out of the cauldron, naked.
"Voldemort," Harry whispered. Voldemort stood there in his glory while Wormtail walked over with a black robe and slipped it over his master's shoulders. Voldemort stepped out of the cauldron before he looked around and saw Wormtail standing there.
Harry could see that Voldemort wasn't human anymore. His face was drawn and pale while he had no nose but slits for nostrils. It gave Harry the impression of seeing a human snake.
"Give me your hand," Voldemort held out his arm.
"Oh my lord…thank you my lord," Peter rasped out as he held out his bloodied stump.
"Your other hand!" Voldemort snapped. Peter looked at him, confused before he lifted his other hand and Voldemort pressed the tip of his wand to the dark mark, causing it to go pure black.
"Oh hell - more people to the party," Harry muttered as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. Voldemort just turned dark red eyes toward him.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort spat out and got a glare in return.
"Voldie - not looking very good are you?" Harry asked sarcastically and got a growl in return before he turned to look at Wormtail once more and held out his hand for Wormtail's blooded stump.
Wormtail handed him his stump and Voldemort waved a wand. A hand grew out from the stump but it wasn't was a normal looking hand, no, it was a hand made out of pure silver and Harry couldn't help but feel his stomach clench at the thought of Remus Lupin being in danger from Wormtail.
Figures appeared blurry from the apparating, surrounding themselves around Voldemort, who turned around in a circle to face his loyal followers only to snarl.
"13 years I have lingered about on this plane. 13 years I have waited for someone to come forward and brought me back. Only one person came forward and managed to bring me back and not all of you are here!" Voldemort snarled at them before waving his hand, divesting the death eaters of their masks and exposing them to Harry.
"I know that my most loyal followers are in Azkaban, serving their time for following me. One person has fled from the nest - I wouldn't worry about him as he will be dealt with," Voldemort informed them and Harry knew that he was talking about Igor. "One of my followers - my most loyal follower is hidden safely in a place, awaiting for my word that I have return - when he finally arrives, he will be rewarded remarkably well but for the rest of you…I should curse you to hell!" Voldemort snarled at them.
"Master…" Lucius started as he bowed down. "We have searched long and hard for a way to bring you back…"
"Lucius - spare me of your tears," Voldemort snapped before he turned to Harry. "I have a more…pressing problem to deal with."
"Not really my problem is it?" Harry remarked before smirking. "Any one would say that you are scared of me."
"Voldemort glared at Harry that usually had his followers cowering in fear but it only served Harry's amusement.
"Mia and Hermione are scarier than you," Harry informed him. "I get those glares on a daily basis."
"Shut up Potter - I'm the boss here tonight," Voldemort informed him before he flicked his wand and Harry fell to the ground with a thud as he was released from the trap.
Shaking his head, Harry stood up and brushed the dirt and grass off his clothes before he looked at Voldemort, who was still holding his wand, trained on Harry.
"And just what are you going to do?" Harry remarked only to bring up his hand as a yellow curse was shot his way and smirked at Voldemort as his green eyes flared up with fire.
"You are going to die Potter and that mudblood of yours too - but not before my death eaters have fun with her," Voldemort promised.
"You gotta get past me and Mia first," Harry informed him before smirking. "And if I don't kill you - you can bet that Mia will dismantle you."
"She is nothing but a pain in the ass," Lucius remarked. "I'll easily strike her down and have my fun with both of them - they would be a fabulous addition to the whores."
"Mia?" Voldemort asked, curiously.
"Callie and Sirius Black's daughter," Lucius spoke up and Voldemort nodded as Callie came back to him.
"Yeah - I remember her. She was remarkable standing up to me," Voldemort stated before he looked at Harry. "Before I finally took her life from her."
"Mia is a replicate of Aunt Callie - except she has black hair and has been trained to kill your kind," Harry said.
"Seems like she'll be a fabulous addition to my death eaters," Voldemort stated before he looked at Harry once more. "I ask you again, will you join me and help me to rule the world?"
"For every man who wants to rule the world - there's a man who just wants to be free," Harry remarked to Voldemort. "I'll take the freedom route."
The smile slipped from Voldemort's face as he turned to face Harry fully before he lifted his wand.
"Then you shall die," Voldemort snarled before waving his wand and a red light shot out toward Harry, causing him to duck off to the side before flinging a spell back at Voldemort, who waved his wand, creating a shield to reflect the spell.
Harry raised his wand once more and the red light shot out and hit Voldemort squarely on the chest, sending him flying backward.
The Death Eaters gasped as they watched as a fourteen year old boy send their feared leader flying.
"Don't know why you are so shocked," Harry taunted. "I did kick his ass off this plane before."
Voldemort rose back up to his feet, his red eyes flashing angrily as he raised his wand and sent a dark blue spell which hit Harry across the chest and enveloped him in a bright blue light. Harry let out a scream as wracking pain filled his veins. It was like the crucio spell but a thousand times worse.
Voldemort laughed, causing his death eaters to laugh but Wormtail trailed off as he watched Harry with fear in his eyes.
Voldemort felt the air getting cooler and his laughers slowly died down as he looked toward Harry and watched in morbid fascination as Harry brought down the sword and his green eyes came into view.
Harry summoned the sword using his elemental abilities and it helped him to deflect the spell, breaking the torture.
The death eaters couldn't help the fear that started to rise in their blood at the sight of Harry Potter. The sight of the flames burning in Harry's eyes weren't the sight that had them shaking in fear.
It was the sight of his twisted evil smirk that adored his face - one they had never seen before.
"Face it Voldemort - you don't know what you are messing with," Harry informed Voldemort.
"How…" Voldemort whispered and got a furthered twisted grin.
"I'm the boy who lived," Harry stated, enraging Voldemort once more.
"Avada Kavara!" Voldemort shouted as he swung his wand toward Harry and a green light shot out.
"Reducto!" Harry shouted back as the red light shot out and both light merged in the middle. A large gold transparent dome appeared and surrounded Harry and Voldemort as the wands created a gold link that had the wands vibrating under their hands.
The Death Eaters were whispering together, confused and worried about what was happening.
"Master…what should we do?" Lucius called out.
"Nothing! Do nothing! Potter is mine to deal with!" Voldemort shouted as he kept his red eyes locked on Harry.
Soon, the middle of the link started to grew brighter as Voldemort and Harry's wands battled to come out on tope till the majority of the spell hit Voldemort's wands, releasing the shadows of his victims. A smoky form stepped through. Harry felt his breath caught when he recognised that it was Cedric.
Cedric nodded before he moved to the side and another man stepped through.
"You hold on tight - you hear me boy?" The male demanded. Harry nodded his understanding when a female stepped out this time but Harry didn't recognise her until he remembered about a female going missing over the summer.
"He's evil - just hold on, we're nearly there," she told Harry, who nodded again.
Harry turned back to the link only to for his breath to get caught in his throat when he saw Mia step out of the glaring light only to realise that Mia didn't have blonde hair.
"Aunt Callie?" Harry whispered, hoarsely. She looked like Mia except with wavy blonde hair. She smiled at him as she moved closer to him.
"Its okay sweetie, just hold on a little bit longer," Callie soothed him and Harry nodded as Callie moved closer to him.
Harry turned back to the link only to see an older version of himself with brown eyes.
"Dad?" Harry asked and James smiled.
"Just a little bit longer son - your mother wants to see you," James whispered to his son as he moved closer and Harry looked back to the linked wands once more and felt his heart stop when his mother came out.
"Mum," Harry whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears. Lily smiled sadly at her son.
"It's okay honey eyes, I'm here," Lily promised as she kissed his forehead. Harry closed his eyes, wanting to feel her lips on his forehead but was disappointed when it never came.
"Harry…" James said and Harry turned to face his father. "When I say go, I want you to break the link and run back to the cup as fast as you can. You need to let everyone know that Voldemort is back." Harry nodded in understanding.
"Harry…" Cedric called out and Harry turned to face him. "Can you take my body back to my parents so they can bury me and tell them that I love them?" Harry nodded.
"Harry," Harry turned to look at his parents. "We are so proud of you - you have grown up so much and we're just sorry that we weren't there with you but Sirius has grown you the way we wanted him to - can you tell him thank you?" James asked and Harry nodded as tears filled his eyes.
"We love you so much honey eyes," Lily whispered as she touched the side of her son's face, stroking her thumb over his cheek. The name Honey eyes came from when Harry was born - he wasn't born with normal baby blue eyes but brown eyes that looked liked honey to his parents but it slowly changed to its current green colour.
"Harry," Cedric called out once more and Harry looked at him. "Can you tell Mia that I'm sorry and that I understand?" Harry looked at him, confused but he nodded.
"Sure. Should I say why?" Harry asked but Cedric shook his head.
"No, she'll understand," Cedric, told him, sadly.
"Are you ready sweetheart?" Lily asked and Harry nodded but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see his Aunt Callie standing next to him. She reached over and kissed his forehead.
"Tell Sirius and Mia I love them so much and tell Mia that it's okay to be scared but she doesn't need to run," Callie told him and Harry nodded.
"I love you guys," Harry whispered and James patted his son's back.
"And we love you too," he promised. "Get ready."
Harry straightened his back and gripped his wand tightly as he waited for the command to break the link.
"GO!" James shouted and Harry thrusted his wand up into the air as hard as he could, breaking the link and dropping the dome. The spirits of Voldemort's victims lingered as Harry ran toward where Cedric's body had fallen from the killing curse.
"NO!" Voldemort shouted. "STOP HIM!" Red lights shot over to Harry just before he ducked down and rolled over to Cedric's body before he lifted his wand.
"Accio Portkey!" Harry shouted and the cup shot over to Harry's hand and they both disappeared, leaving Voldemort screaming his name in rage.
TBC
Okay - I know that you all would have noticed that the battle scene was short and wasn't as fun how a battle scene could have been - due to Harry's training but I can tell you this - all the battle scenes from now on will have more action.
Word of a warning - be careful for what you wish for.