Voldemort's Offer
He hated this bitch. She had just killed Sirius, his godfather, his parents' friend, someone who loved him, and he couldn’t help but feel a burning desire to punish her for it. But the crucio hadn’t worked, and she was cackling at him. Yes, cackling, she was just like the witches in the muggle stories that he grew up knowing. A heartless witch.
He was about to try the spell again when his scar flared up in pain, and he screamed gripping on to his wand as hard as he could so he wouldn’t drop it. He turned around in time to see Voldemort appear from swirling black smoke.
Through his pain he lifted his wand and sent a weak expelliarmus, but the dark lord batted it away easily. He continued walking toward Harry at a leisurely pace, a cruel smirk on his face as he swept away every single one of the spells Harry sent his way. Harry continuously stumbled backwards, ignoring the few tears that were still making their way down his face.
When Voldemort was only a few feet away he sent a disarming spell, and Harry's wand was ripped from his fingers. He caught it deftly in his hand examining it for a moment before focusing back on Harry.
Harry stiffened, when he realized he was defenseless. He was going to die, there was no way Voldemort wouldn’t kill him. Refusing to die a coward he straightened his shoulders and glared at the dark lord in the eyes, ignoring his still tear damp face. He would be able to be with Sirius now, he would get to meet his parents, maybe he could even get to apologize to Cedric.
But Voldemort didn’t aim his or Harry’s wand at him. He slowly walked up to him till he was right in front of him and Harry had to look up at his red eyes as he fought the urge to back away. Voldemort just smiled creepily as he lifted a finger to stroke down his cheek. Harry flinched away from both the touch and because of the pain that erupted in his head, and Voldemort's smile grew even more till his teeth were showing before he stepped to the side of Harry to address Bellatrix.
“Tell me Bella, what did you do to make Harry so upset?” He asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, which Bellatrix returned with an eager grin, bowing down and looking up at her Lord with adoration.
“I killed the mutt Sirius Black.” She answered obediently, looking up at Voldemort like a puppy expecting praise.
“Hmm, did you now?” Voldemort said slowly.
“Yes, I stunned him and he fell through the veil.”
“The veil?” He repeated, not really expecting an answer but Bellatrix answered anyway. Voldemort turned his focus back to Harry whose anger was flowing through his trembling body as he listened to the sick way Bellatrix was speaking of his godfather's death. Voldemort looked at him curiously for a moment taking in his expression before a sly smile made its way up his face.
“I’m sure you loved him very much, didn't you, Harry?” He asked, making Harry turn his glare back to him. He didn’t reply but that in itself was an answer. “I bet you would do anything to get him back. Fortunately, when he fell through he was still alive.” He added almost off-handedly, making eye contact with him shrewdly.
Harry didn’t want to give in, to react the way he knew Voldemort wanted him too, but he had to know, so he found himself asking “What do you mean?”
“Well I happened to have studied the veil before, I know of a way to bring back those that fall through while still alive.”
Harry could only stare at him incredulously, hoping to fill him up, before remembering he was talking to a master manipulator. “You just happen to know how to bring him back?” He spat out.
“Oh, don’t be that way Harry. Of course I know how, so do the unspeakables that study it, though unfortunately the ritual will only work within at least the first hour that the person is within the veil. If not, the body is separated from the soul and it moves on.”
Harry listened to him, and even though he didn’t want to believe something Voldemort said, he felt a painful hope start to grow in him. The dark lord shook his head sadly as he walked back up to Harry, completely ignoring Bellatrix who was looking at the exchange in confusion from where she still kneeled on the floor.
“Too bad no unspeakable will be here within an hour,” He finished with a shrug, making Bellatrix cackle again. With that Harry’s new found hope flickered out like someone blowing out a flame. He knew what Voldemort was trying to do, and judging by the gleam in the Dark Lord's eyes he knew that he knew as well.
“So you are the only one that could bring him back.” He said monotonously, Voldemort’s smile returned at full force then.
“That would be correct.”
They stood staring at each other wordlessly when Dumbledore arrived in a flash of white light.
“Step away from the boy Tom.” Dumbledore commanded in a calm tone, following it up with a spell.
The dark wizard blocked the spell, and though he tried to hide it it was clearly taking a bit of effort. “Dumbledore won’t do it for you, it’s considered a dark spell. I’m your only choice. So what’s your decision Harry Potter?”
Harry looked to the Headmaster who’d spent the past year ignoring him and had left him to fend for himself, then to the half-man who’s offer clearly came with a steep price.
In the end he didn’t have to voice his decision. The second he made eye contact there was a familiar painful probing in his mind before a sickly gleeful smirk grew on Voldemort's face.