The Return of Voldemort
His leg was killing him, the pain radiating through his whole body, and he could feel the blood pouring out of it and dripping down his trousers. He struggled to sit up, feeling a bit winded from his harsh landing, and saw Cedric had already got up and was heading over to him.
“Where are we? Is this another part of the tournament?” The older boy asked before catching sight of his leg and dropping next to him. “Merlin, that looks painful. We are going to have to wrap that to stop it bleeding.” Cedric then ripped a large chunk of his top off and wrapped the yellow and black fabric tightly around the wound.
“Thanks.” He breathed out. “Can you help me up so we can have a look around and figure out what this is?”
Cedric grabbed his arms and pulled him up, wrapping an arm around his shoulder to give him some extra support. “Why would the cup bring us to a graveyard, I thought touching the cup meant it was the end of the tournament.”
“I don’t know, but I’m getting a bad feeling about this. Whenever something unexpected happens to me it normally isn’t a barrel of laughs.”
They were standing in the centre of a huge graveyard with an old worn house sitting above it. The gravestones here looked old, but they were all large and intricate, so he reckoned wherever they were was rich, or at least used to be. He startled at a distant voice coming from their left and then his scar started burning fiercely, dread filling him.
“We need to get out of here, where is the cup, we need to get to the cup immediately?” He said urgently, a hand pressed over his scar which was getting worse by the second.
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”
“My scar, its burning which has only happened whenever...”
“There is two of them master, what do I do with the second one.” He was cut off by a voice he would recognise anywhere sounding loud and clear. Peter Pettigrew emerged from behind a gravestone carrying a frail baby-like body wrapped in cloth.
“Kill the spare.” A voice hissed, the pain in his scar becoming blinding.
“Down, get down.” He called but it was too late, a bright green light arced from Peters wand and hit Cedric square in the chest, and he was dragged to the ground as Cedric collapsed. “No, no Cedric, don’t be dead, you can’t be dead?” He cried shakingly coming to kneel next to the older boy’s lifeless body. The eyes that had been so full of life now staring blankly up at the sky.
“Restrain him.”
“Yes master.”
It took him a moment to register the words exchanged behind him, but it was too late by the time he realised what was going to happen hands were roughly dragging him up and making him stumble on his injured leg over to the largest gravestone in the area. Peter lifted him up with a flick of a wand, his own wand was taken from him, and then the stone moved, and he was being held of the ground restrained by the long staff the gravestone was holding.
“Haven’t you already done enough to me, to your friends?” He spat at Peter, fighting against the stone. Peter just ignored him and went over to a large cauldron he had somehow missed earlier, the wrapped baby lying next to it.
Peter cast flames under the cauldron and the dark liquid inside started bubbling. Peter then walked back over to where he was confined, but without looking at him bent down and picked up old bone that had been laying on the stone below his feet then headed back to the cauldron.
“Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will revive your son!” The bone was dropped into the cauldron. “Flesh of the servant, willingly given.” He watched horrified as Peter brought up a knife and sliced of his whole left hand with a pained scream. Still whimpering, Peter came back to stand right in front of him, the knife stretched out. “Blood of the enemy, forcefully taken, you will resurrect your foe.” Peter brought the knife to his own arm, and he realised with a sick feeling what this potion would do. He desperately fought against the knife, but he knew it was useless so instead he kept thinking – I willingly give it, I willingly give you my blood. Take it, I willingly give my blood to you – as the knife pierced his arm and drew a long line down. He kept his mouth shut not wanting to give Peter the satisfaction of knowing it hurt and watched as the drops were added to the cauldron and then Peter picked up the ‘baby’ and unwrapped the cloth. The body underneath was the furthest thing from a baby as possible with white scaly skin that was stretched so tightly that it looked like the bone’s underneath would pierce through. The body was placed into the cauldron, and he prayed his efforts had worked, that his blood wouldn’t work, that Voldemort wouldn’t return.
Steam poured out the cauldron as a bright flash blinded him and then his heart dropped, a tall thin figure stood up out of the cauldron framed by the steam. Its bony hands were stroking over its head before a loud sigh sounded and then it spoke as it stepped out onto the grass.
“Robe me.” The voice hissed out.
“Right away master.” Peter whimpered, having to release the tight grip on the bloody stump of an arm to pick up a pile of black fabric which was draped over the figure.
Once the robe was fastened, the figure stepped forward out the steam and he managed to get a clear look at what was now Lord Voldemort. The man’s face was thin with hollow cheeks, bright red eyes and slits for nostrils, the skin still had a scaly look to it, and it was paler than anything he had seen before. The man in front of him was in no way like the memory he had met in the chamber two years ago.
“Well done, Wormtail, you have shown me great loyalty and you shall be rewarded but first, I think we should call back those that have not shown me the same respect.” Voldemort raised the sleeve of Wormtail’s uninjured arm revealing the skull and snake tattoo that was the dark mark. When the man pressed a finger to it, it moved slightly, and he watched Wormtail whimper nearly collapsing from the pain the interaction was causing, which he guessed was mirroring the pain in his scar, but he kept his mouth shut not wanting to draw attention to himself.
Within the next few minutes, the death eaters appeared in the clearing around the cauldron, dressed in the black robes and mask they are associated with. They stood in a circle, empty places between people as if they have a specific formation and people were missing. Eventually Voldemort spoke once more.
“Even after all these years you come at my call, you believe me to be alive now but why not before.” Voldemort’s tone was icy. “I am very disappointed in all of you, none of you tried to find me, most of you lied about your loyalty to me in order to be free instead of going to prison in my honour. You will all receive some sort of punishment, but as you have all returned to me now, you will be let off easy. As you can see we are missing a large portion of our ranks, 3 are dead, 10 are serving time in Azkaban in my name, my most loyal follower is currently positioned in Hogwarts carrying out an important task, 1 was too much of a coward and will pay dearly and the last 2 have betrayed our side for good. These 2 shall be killed.”
He couldn’t stop the noise that escaped him at that last sentence knowing that the two people Voldemort was planning on killing was Severus and Lucius.
“Ahhh our guest, you were so quiet I had forgotten you were actually here.” Voldemort turned and started walking towards him, the death eaters repositioning to follow the man’s movements. “It’s all thanks to Harry and a very old, dark potion and Wormtail over here that I am able to stand before you all. Wormtail come and join me.” The rat walked over nervously to stand in front of Voldemort. “It is time to give you your reward, hold out your arm.”
“Thank you master.” Wormtail stretched out the stump, allowing Voldemort to cast a complicated spell around it and then Liquid Metal flowed from the wand creating a shimmering hand. “Thank you master.” Wormtail then scurried back to the circle of death eaters, staring amazed at the new hand.
“Now, you are probably all wondering what happened all those nights ago that caused me to disappear for so long. How this simple boy as a baby managed to make me disappear, well the tales give him to much credit. No, Harry achieved nothing, it was Lily Potter who brought about the unforeseen obstacle that caused my demise. Her love was the reason I died. When she sacrificed herself by standing in front of her only son she passed on a protection to him that meant I couldn’t touch him, I couldn’t harm him but now everything is different. The potion brewed tonight has by passed the protection left behind, stripping Harry of the only piece of protection he had, I can touch you now Harry.” Voldemort stepped forward and pressed a cold finger to his scar causing pain to erupt in his head so fierce that it felt as if his scar was about to split in two. “A drop of the boys blood was all I needed to accomplish this, once the night is over Harry Potter will no longer be alive and I will return to my full power once more.”
The death eaters cheered as he panted from the pain left over once Voldemort let go. He mustered up all his strength to look the man in the eyes.
“They will come for me, Severus will have received the call from the mark and he will come for me.”
“Sorry to ruin you hopes but the signal I sent would only give a call to those loyal to me, for those that had switched sides, well let’s just say they were in for a more painful awakening. I also erected wards around here as soon as the death eaters arrived that will stop anyone from apparating into this graveyard. You are truly alone Harry. Don’t worry though, what kind of person would I be if I didn’t give you a chance, so we will duel to see who is truly stronger.” Voldemort spelled the stone to move back, dropping him down onto his bad leg then a wand was shoved into his hand. “Now, if we are to duel properly we must bow to show our respects.” Voldemort bowed quickly.
“I’m not bowing to you.” He said through clenched teeth.
“Imperio.” He felt a presence in his mind telling him to bow, to show respect, but he fought, he fought as hard as he could to stay upright not giving that monster any power over him. “Aahh I see then, you want to do this the hard way. Crucio.”
He crumpled to the ground in agony, it felt like a million knives were stabbing into him all over his body and even after the spell was cancelled he was left twitching from the after shocks. Just as he thought it might be over, he was hit again, this time somehow even worse than before and lasting even longer leaving him a trembling mess on the ground.
“Not so powerful anymore.” Voldemort said as his followers laughed, the taunting was what gave him strength though and he managed to stand up again shaking in front of them. “He has come back for more.” Voldemort taunted before sending the bright green light of the killing curse towards him, he rolled managing to get out the way but his whole body ached from the movement so he crawled over to hide behind a gravestone to get a minute to think. “I am going to destroy you Harry Potter and I will take great pleasure in bringing your body back to Hogwarts to watch everyone’s faces drop at the sight of your body lying before them. Now come out and face me like a man.”
He grit his teeth, and realising he had no other option, decided he could at least face death by his own will so he stood up and emerged from his hiding spot. “I’m not a man though am I? I am just a child who has had to grow up faster than is fair, but I will face you. I will face you and I will fight you because I am not going to give in that easily.” He spoke confidently despite the fact his heart was hammering in his chest and his mind was reminding him of everyone he was about to leave behind.
“Avada Kedavra.” Voldemort called at the same time as he shouted “Expelliarmus.”
Their spells met in the middle, fighting against each other, he saw the green light travelling closer and closer to his wand, eating up the red light of his own spell, so he pushed harder, he pushed everything he had into the spell and watched as his red light sped straight towards Voldemort’s wand and then it connected and golden sparks flew everywhere. He felt his wand shaking so brought up his other hand to steady it, holding the connection knowing that once it was broken it would all be over, that he would be dead, but he nearly faltered at what he saw coming from Voldemort’s wand.
A person was emerging, it was Cedric, glowing white but definitely Cedric , as the golden sparks formed a dome around the two of them blocking the death eaters out. Cedric glided towards him as another person escaped Voldemort wand, it was an old man that he didn’t recognise but once again he was joined by the bright figure and then two other people emerged in quick succession, his parents.
“Harry, concentrate, don’t break the spell.” He heard a female voice that he had only ever heard before when he was near the dementors, his mothers.
“You are so strong Harry, we are both so proud of you.” His father said.
“Avenge me Harry, don’t let him win again.” Cedric spoke fiercely.
“You are doing so well Harry, you just need to keep the connection for a little longer.”
“I don’t think I can mum, I don’t think I can keep going.”
“Keep fighting him, don’t give up now.” The old man encouraged him.
“We can help you, just listen to us.” His dad came to stand right next to him. “In a moment we are going to ask you to break the connection and when that happens you need to get to the cup, it will take you back to Hogwarts. We will distract him but we won’t have long once the spell is broken so you will need to go fast. One last push and then this will be over.”
“And Harry, can you please take my body back, my dad will need closure and I don’t want to be left here with him and his followers.” Cedric asked him.
He nodded overwhelmed with the arrival of his parents as well as the energy it was taking to hold his wand straight.
“It will be ok darling, when we say go, break the connection and run.” His mum said looking at him with a small sad smile. All the bright figures around him then move towards Voldemort and just before they reached the man they looked back at him. “Go.”
He slashed his wand to the side and ran to Cedric’s body, his own body screaming at the movement tugging at his injuries, tremors still going through him from the cruciatus curse. He collapsed next to the older boys still form and summoned the cup over. As the world spun away he just managed to get one last glimpse of the glowing figures surrounding Voldemort, a scream of frustration sounding from the man and then he was crashing into the familiar ground of the Quidditch pitch.
He distantly heard cheers erupting and then slowly the noice died down as people took in the view in front of them. The way he was clutching onto Cedric, tears streaming down his face now the adrenaline had worn, and the obviously dead boy beneath him. That’s when the screams started.