Harry Potter and the Loss of Innocence

Chapter Twenty-Two: To Dream Or Not To Dream

He looked me in the eyes
Direct and concise to remind me
To always do what's right.
~Creed: Faceless Man

Harry walked outside, hoping that he had misinterpreted the cold. It seemed that no one else was affected by this mysterious cold, so maybe he was just imagining it. Just as he was about to go back into the pub, he saw the first dementor.

Harry watched it land, and several others soon landed at its side. He pulled out his wand, frantically thinking of a happy thought. This was easier said then done. Images of green light, screams, Cedric and Sirius falling, the graveyard, Sephra's parents, and all the Revelries filtered through his mind. He felt his knees give out as he listened to his mother's last pleas for his life.

"Expecto--" Harry feebly tried to say.

A dementor floated over to Harry and reached out to grab his neck. Harry recoiled from the touch and thought desperately of a happy thought. The dementor lowered its mouth and Harry's mind worked to ignore the screams. He felt the dementor's grasp at his neck. The pressure from its hands pushed Ginny's necklace into his windpipe. Ginny! He had to live for Ginny! He had to make sure that she was safe! He thought of all the time he spent with over the months and her face came vividly to his mind.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he bellowed. He was relieved to see Prongs shoot out of his wand and drive the dementor away. Harry felt the life-giving warmth of love and hope filter through his veins. He stood and looked around, searching for the dementors. He sent Prongs galloping after the creatures, saving those that were meant to be their prey. He looked back at the pub and shouted to Tonks, "Get Gin out of here!" He hunted for the one dementor that still affected him

He started to think that they were all gone and he was just cold from the weather, when he heard a scream from behind him. A young girl clutched at her mother's lifeless form looking for a way out. The dementor raised its hood and Harry sent Prongs after it. He knew Prongs would never get there in time to save the child, but he had to try. He pushed Prongs to go faster, thinking of every happy memory that he could remember. "No!" Harry screamed as the dementor kissed the girl, successfully sucking her soul away.

Harry heard a laugh from behind him and he turned to see Voldemort and thirty odd Death Eaters next to him. "You don't like my precious pets?" Voldemort asked with a laugh.

Harry looked around for his guard. They were just filtering out of the Three Broomsticks. Harry knew that they didn't have enough people to fight these Death Eaters. "What do you want, Tom?" Harry asked, stepping forward and out into the middle of the street.

"I want you to suffer and to die a slow and painful death," Voldemort said viciously. "But today I will settle with destroying Hogsmeade and killing everyone you love."

"Go to hell," Harry spat at the man. "That's were you belong."

"What fun would that be?" Voldemort asked. "What are you going to do? Are you going to fight me?" Harry heard Thia's urgent pleas of no, but he drew his wand anyway.

"Why, I think I am," Harry said pointing it at the man. Voldemort laughed mercilessly and Harry felt his scar erupt in pain.

"Then let's do this thing properly," Voldemort said becoming deadly serious. "Bow to death, Mr. Potter." Unlike their last duel, Harry bowed. This surprised Voldemort slightly, but the man recovered. "Not afraid of dying, Potter?"

"No, Tom," Harry replied evenly. "There are some things worse than death. You didn't bow," Harry said accusingly. "You really need to."

"First, I want you to meet one of my Death Eaters," Voldemort said, turning to the man at his right. "I'm not sure if you've met before. Remove your mask so that I can introduce you," Voldemort snapped at the Death Eater. Without a second thought, the Death Eater removed his mask and Harry heard several gasps from his guard. So they hadn't known about Snape's choice. "This is Severus, my personal potions master. Severus, I would like you to meet Mr. Potter. I believe that you have a score to settle with his father, so some day I'll let you play with him." Severus bowed graciously to his master.

"I look forward to that day, my Lord," Snape's oily voice said. Voldemort laughed.

"Now, where were we, Potter?" he asked turning his full attention on Harry. "Oh yes, the bow." He slightly inclined his head and said, "I think we are at an acceptable distance, don't you? Avada Kedavra!" he said without waiting for Harry's reply.

Harry saw, in that split second of decision time, a barrel full of rainwater under a building's waterspout. "Accio Barrel!" he yelled. The barrel was hit by the curse while it was still in the air and exploded under the force. Water sprayed everywhere and Harry heard someone clap.

"Very good, Mr. Potter, very good," Voldemort mocked him. "Top points for creativity. You could have just ducked it, but then one of your precious followers would have died. Your turn, take a shot at me," Voldemort said, holding his hands out to his side. Several of the Death Eaters shifted nervously behind him.

"Avelgule!" Harry shouted. Voldemort stepped to the side and let the spell hit the Death Eater behind him. The person panicked, pulling his mask off and clawing at his eyes. Voldemort just laughed at his servant and turned towards Harry.

"Crucio!" Harry transformed a rock in front of him into a shield and let the spell bounce off of it. It shot straight up into the air.

"Tres Flechum!" Harry yelled shooting three arrows at Voldemort. Voldemort just stepped to the side and this time the Death Eaters put shields up to protect themselves.

Voldemort waved his wand and a white light shot out at Harry. He ducked to the side because he didn't know what it was. Unfortunately, it hit his arm, cutting it wide open. There were a few screams, but Harry ignored them; it was his left arm so he could still fight. "Nice try, Tom. Expelliarmus!" The spell missed, but the stunner Harry sent right after almost hit.

Voldemort looked slightly startled by the close shot; it seemed that the man had underestimated him. "Enough, this is boring me."

"Or are you just running away, Tom?" Harry asked the man out of spite.

"Enough! Crucio!" Harry created another shield and deflected it away. This time it hit the Three Broomsticks and Harry watched as Ginny backed away from the falling debris.

"Get her out of here," Harry yelled at his guard.

"Crucio!" Harry fell to the ground writhing in agony. "Tsk, tsk, Harry. And here I thought you were a capable wizard. Never let anything distract you from an enemy who is willing to kill you. Definitely not a silly little girl." Harry screamed as the pain intensified. He was going to die; he knew it. The pain was too much to bear. It felt as if every single one of his nerves was on fire and nothing would ever be able to put the flames out.

The spell ended, but real flames replaced them. His left hand and arm were covered in the burning light and Harry couldn't get himself together enough to put the flames out. He wondered where his guard was as welts covered his body. He was going to die, but he wished that Ginny would get out safely.

He heard "Crucio!" again and felt his body twist in agony. His back arched in a painful arc and Harry knew it was going to snap.

So much for a power he knows not, was what Harry thought would be his last thought. But then the pain subsided. The flames went out and Harry fought to stay conscious.

"What are you doing, Severus?" Voldemort's stunned voice asked as Snape fell to the ground under the spell. "So you were the spy." Snape miraculously stayed kneeling and wasn't screaming. "I am disappointed in you, Severus. You must die painfully for your disservice to me, but I won't kill you. Bella will. I'm sure you'll enjoy her games."

Voldemort kept the wand trained on Snape, completely ignoring everyone else. Thia ran over to Harry and said the counter-curse to the welt curse. The welts slowed their bleeding as the blood clotted and Harry felt the pain subside. "I can't do anything about that burn, Harry," she told him quietly. Harry and Thia shuddered as Snape let out his first scream. Harry's scar split open from the pain Voldemort's pleasure caused. "Just hang in there, Harry."

"Where's Gin?" he croaked out.

"I'm right here, luv," she told him quietly.

Harry felt relief as he heard her voice and then he started to panic. "Get out of here, Gin," he told her urgently.

"I'm not going anywhere without you, luv," she told him confidently and she started to stroke his cheek. Harry felt his body relax under her touch, but he tensed when Snape let out an earsplitting screech. At that very moment, several pops were heard and forty or so Aurors in their white robes appeared. Tonks, who had left to get them hurried over to Harry, Thia, and Ginny.

"Get him out of here!" Tonks said throwing them a portkey.

"Rescue Snape for me," Harry asked Tonks. Tonks looked at Harry's face and nodded.

"On three then. One. Two. Three!" Harry felt the pull behind his navel and landed roughly on hard stone.

"Get him up on a bed," the worried voice of Madame Pomfrey said. Harry felt strong arms lift him up onto a bed and take his glasses off.

There was a small scream after another group fell into the room. "Merlin!" Pomfrey's voice cried out. "What happened to Severus?" Harry tried to stay awake, but shock took his body and he fell into a deep nightmare-free sleep.

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Harry was walking along a cliff. There was an ocean at the bottom of the decline and Harry could hear the crashing of the waves below him. He didn't know where he was walking or why he was walking, but he didn't stop. Somehow he knew that it wouldn't be good if he stopped.

Harry continued walking, listening to the sound of the ocean. He loved to listen to the sound it made and to the cry of the birds and the hum of the insects. He almost stopped when he realized that there were no bird cries and flying insects. The only sounds were the ocean, the wind, and the crunch of dry grass beneath his feet.

He looked around more closely at his surroundings. He couldn't see another living creature anywhere. The grass was all dead and yellowed. The trees were twisted and sickly. But somehow this place didn't worry him. It was peaceful and calm. He felt like he could rest here forever.

He kept walking, never stopping. Some inner voice or instinct was telling him to keep on walking. Something about this place, though, made him want to stop. He watched wistfully as he passed a smooth boulder that would have been perfect to sit on.

"Where am I?" Harry asked out loud to the empty air.

"Well," a voice said to his left; Harry turned to the person waking beside him and nearly stopped. "Don't stop walking, boy!" the man said urgently. Harry continued walking and noticed that this person just floated next to him. "As I was saying, the answer to that interesting question is just as interesting an answer as the question itself was."

"Who are you?" Harry asked the man. He appeared to be old, especially considering his beard. He wore very old-fashioned round wire rimmed glasses. He was dressed in robes just as out of date as his glasses. Something about the man made Harry trust him.

"I am nothing at the moment," he replied waving his hand in front of him. "Your question should be who was I?"

"Who were you?" Harry asked the strange man.

"That is a question I would very much like the answer to," he said with a laugh. "Now who are you?"

"I'm--" he stopped talking. He wasn't sure of how to answer. He didn't know who he was.

"Not to worry, lad. Not to worry," the man said patting Harry's shoulder. "No one here knows who they are at first."

"So where are we?" Harry asked again.

"The answer to that interesting question is just as interesting an answer as the question itself was." Harry rolled his eyes at the old man and sped up his walk. The man kept matching Harry's speed and never tired.

"So, what is that answer?" Harry asked after awhile.

"I don't know," the old man said with a laugh. Harry rolled his eyes and continued walking. "It's a shame really. I always wanted to know the answer and so I stopped walking hoping that I'd be able--"

"Harry," a familiar voice called his name. He knew it was his name, but he couldn't place the voice. They went past a large boulder and the owner of the voice appeared. Harry almost stopped when he saw the features of Sirius before him. "Keep walking, Harry."

"You're dead," Harry told the man logically. He didn't know how he knew that, but he did.

"Yes I am," he replied sadly. "I see you've met Godric Gryffindor."

"Hush, Sirius. I'm nothing at the moment," the man scolded Sirius.

"I'm sure you are," Sirius said with a smile.

"Where am I?" Harry asked.

"As long as you don't stop you're in between life and death," Sirius told him. "The second you stop, you're dead." Harry nodded.

"Why do I have to keep walking then? I'll be with you and mum and dad," Harry said surprising himself. He kept remembering little things. He just wished he could remember how he got here.

"No, don't stop, lad," the old man told him. "This place is a rather boring place. You need to experience life first."

"I've had enough experience with life," Harry replied bitterly.

"What about your Ginny?" a kind voice asked him. Harry turned, walking backwards, and saw his mother. "Will you just leave her?"

"Ginny?" Harry thought about the familiar name and stumbled over a stone in his path. He turned around and continued walking. "Who's Ginny?" Harry thought hard about that name. There was something about it that he needed to remember about her.

"Cute red head with a temper," his father said describing her to him. Harry stared at his father as they continued walking. Or rather, Harry walked and they floated next to him. The old man was floating in front of him staring at him. Sirius was to his left and Lily and James stood between the cliff's edge and Harry. "She's completely worth all her trouble though."

"Ginny--" Harry felt a light turn on inside his head. "Ginny!" Everything came back to him. "I need to get back to her!"

"Hold on there, lad," Gryffindor said. "We need to talk first."

"What?" Harry asked warily.

"Be careful with your choices these next few years," the old man said, staring him in the eyes. "Remember that you'll see many paths and the only paths worth walking are difficult and hard. Don't succumb to the easy paths. Walk the straight and narrow."

"Don't forget that you do have friends to help you," Lily told him with a smile. "They won't desert you. No matter what happens they will never leave you willingly."

"Give Bella my regards," Sirius said with a wicked grin on his face. "Make sure it hurts. And remember that we're dead and we ain't coming back. There's no way for us to."

"If you remember this when you awaken," James said sadly. "Please ask Severus Snape to forgive me. I was a jerk when we were at school and I never apologized for that. Remember that he's given a lot for our cause."

"Tell him that Sam sends her love," Lily said with another smile.

"And if you see Nott Senior," Sirius added as an afterthought, "give him my regards as well.

"Now, lad," Gryffindor addressed him. "All you have to do to go home is jump. That ocean out there is life and the moment you land in it you'll return to it."

"What happens if I don't make it to the water?" Harry asked nervously.

"Well, I was always told that it was the stop that killed you," Gryffindor said with a laugh.

"If you're meant to live, Harry," Lily said with an encouraging smile, "then you'll make the water. If you're meant to die you'll stop at the ground and then find yourself back up here with us."

"It was nice speaking with you, son," James said, lightly ruffling Harry's hair. "See you when you stop."

Harry took a deep breath and then jumped off the edge. As he fell he thought how odd this was. Normally you jumped to die, but now he was jumping to live. He spread his arms out and closed his eyes. If he tried he could pretend that he was flying. He opened his eyes and looked down. There was no water below him. He was going to hit rock! He closed his eyes, thinking longingly of Ginny and waited to hit stones.

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"Harry?" Ginny's quiet voice woke him up fully. He tried to remember all the details of his dream. There was something about a cliff and he remembered talking with several people. He opened his eyes, but closed them when all the light hit them. "Oh, Harry!" She wrapped her arms around him and Harry felt all the air leave his body.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" the shocked voice of Mrs. Weasley rang out strongly. "Get off that boy right this moment and let him breathe!" Ginny got off Harry, throwing a shy look at her mum, but she turned to look back at Harry almost instantly. He smiled at her; Ginny was worth all the pain in the world. She put his glasses on his face for him.

"I don't," Harry croaked out, but his voice was too dry to continue. Ginny filled a glass up for him and helped him drink it. "Thanks," he told her with a smile. "I don't mind her hugs," Harry finished with a smile at her. Ginny blushed scarlet and beamed back at him. "How do I look, Gin?"

"Hmm," Ginny said thinking hard. "Where to start, where to start?" Harry tried to hit her, but his arm was bandaged and tied to his side. "Well, your right arm was broken when we landed wrong in the castle. Your left arm is healing from rather deep burns. Your spine needed some serious work, because it nearly snapped. You've got cuts and bruises up and down your body. You're still suffering form some heavy Cruciatus damage. Your scar burst open again so it's a scab. Did I miss anything?"

Harry laughed at her, but felt several sharp pains in his chest. "You forgot broken ribs."

"Oh yes," Ginny said cheerfully. "You broke eight ribs." Harry smiled and looked around him. There were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, standing next to Bill and Charlie. Remus and Tonks were talking to two adults he didn't know. Harry couldn't see the twins or Shacklebolt or Moody. Ron was next to Ginny with his arm around Hermione.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked Hermione, just a bit rudely. "Sorry, not to be rude, but you're supposed to be at home with your mum and dad."

Ginny hit his head as Hermione started crying again. "You prat! What did you think she'd do? Stay at home celebrating Christmas as her best friend was dying?"

"I almost died?" Harry asked surprised. Several people started to laugh at the statement, but Madame Pomfrey stuck her head out her office door and shushed them.

"Yeah, mate," Ron told him quietly. "You were walking a fine line there." For some reason that brought the faint memory of Harry's dream back, but he couldn't remember any of the details. "Glad you're back in the land of the living."

"It's nice to be back," Harry answered truthfully. "I'm guessing I'm on pain killers, 'cause I can't feel any pain in my arms."

"Yeah," Ginny said from her spot next to him. "You know what I think?" Harry shook his head no. "I think you like all the attention you're given while you're in the hospital wing, so you get your dark wizard chum Voldie to hurt you so that you can get in here." Harry laughed painfully and smiled at her. She was definitely worth it. Why did that sound familiar?

He yawned and forced his eyes to remain open. He wasn't ready to stay awake for long yet. Mrs. Weasley saw this and shooed everyone away. Harry let the sleep over come him and he slept a dreamless sleep.

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Harry awoke a second time to a dark room. It was the night of... well he didn't know, but he hoped Christmas hadn't come and gone yet. He looked around the room and realized that someone had taken off his glasses again. He looked down at his arms and cursed their bandages. There was no way he'd be able to put them on.

"Need some help?" the kind voice of Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded and he felt his glasses slip on his face.

"Thank you," Harry said.

"Shh," Dumbledore said hushing him. "I'd rather not have Poppy shoo me out quite yet. And Severus is a few beds over sleeping."

"Is he going to survive?" Harry asked lowering his voice.

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "I'm told that you weren't all that surprised to see Severus at the battle or take his mask off." Harry looked away from the headmaster.

"I saw Voldemort talk to him one night right after Halloween," Harry finally said. "I heard Voldemort tell him to make a choice when the battle of Hogsmeade began."

"And why didn't you tell me?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"Because he needed to make that choice himself," Harry replied with a shrug. "It was the perfect opportunity for him to make sure he was making the right choices, fighting the right fights."

"I see," Dumbledore said barely audibly. Harry looked around the hospital wing. A few beds over hung a privacy screen. Harry guessed that Snape was behind it.

"I need more training," Harry said after a long pause.

"I know," Dumbledore added tiredly. "We'll talk about it when you're out of the hospital wing."

Harry nodded and looked down at his bedcovers. He tried to recall his dream from earlier, but couldn't remember it. It hadn't been a nightmare, but something made him think that it wasn't a normal dream either.

"I heard about your Patronus," Dumbledore said with a smile. Harry unconsciously ran his fingers along his necklace.

"Yeah, but I didn't get Prongs there in time to rescue that little girl and her mum," Harry said softly. Dumbledore gazed at him worriedly.

"It's not your fault, Harry," Dumbledore reasoned with him.

"It wouldn't have happened if I weren't there," Harry told him, raising his voice slightly.

"Harry, you have just finished telling me that Voldemort knew about this battle in early November," Dumbledore said calmly, trying to get Harry to see the truth. "How could Voldemort possibly know that you'd be there then, when you yourself didn't even know a week ago?"

Harry nodded, but couldn't shake the guilt from his mind. He hadn't reacted soon enough, he hadn't thought of a happy thought soon enough. Had he thought of Ginny sooner, he would have been able to save them.

"How long have I been in here?" Harry asked to distract himself.

"Well, the rest of Friday, all of Saturday and Sunday and you woke up around three this afternoon," Dumbledore responded cheerfully. "You had us worried there for a while, we thought you might just stop--"

"That's it," Harry said loudly, remembering his dream.

"What's it?" Dumbledore asked curiously. Harry looked away from the old man's penetrating gaze and shrugged. Dumbledore was just about to ask again when the angry form of Poppy Pomfrey came into sight.

"Headmaster, I must ask you to leave at once," she said forcefully. "I cannot have you in here exciting my patients." Dumbledore bowed his head gracefully and stood.

"Goodnight, Harry. Goodnight, Poppy." He strode down the room and left through the doors silently.

"My goodness," she said with a huff. "I tell him that he can be in here as long as he doesn't excite one of you, and may I ask you what he does?" she said smoothing out Harry's blankets needlessly. "He goes and makes you yell. If you children didn't need me so desperately I would quit in protest." She left in a huff and Harry couldn't help but smile at the woman. She would never quit, not unless Dumbledore was gone forever.

Harry lay there, silently thinking of his dream. Had he made it up or had it really happened? He had been unconscious for three days. There was no way that dream took three days to happen. Unless time was handled differently between life and death and in that case it could have happened.

Should he tell someone else about it? His mum had given Harry a message to tell Snape. "Sam sends her love." What did that mean? And his dad wanted him to apologize to the man for his mistakes. Could Harry do that? Could he convince Snape that he was telling the truth?

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"You let them get away," Voldemort screamed at the prone forms of Wormtail and Bellatrix. "Crucio!" Voldemort cursed them, causing both people to scream in agony. They didn't look so good and Harry had the distinct feeling that this wasn't the first time they were punished. The longer Voldemort held the spell on them the more Harry's scar burned.

"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Voldemort asked taking the spell off of them.

"One of the Aurors knocked me unconscious," Wormtail murmured quietly.

"One of the Aurors knocked you unconscious?" Voldemort hissed at him. "One of the Aurors knocked you unconscious? That may be true, but I have a feeling you knocked yourself unconscious once Potter was gone." Wormtail whimpered and Voldemort used a spell to force the man's face up. "Legilimens!" Harry was disgusted by the mind Voldemort was picking through. Finally, Voldemort found the memory he was looking for and threw the man from him with a Banishing Charm.

"Get out of my sight you filthy piece of garbage!" Wormtail fled from the room and Voldemort turned to Bellatrix's trembling form. "And what about you, Bella?"

"I did not expect them to rescue him, my Lord," she replied without looking up at him. "I did not think that they would rescue his worthless hide."

"Bella, Bella, Bella," Voldemort's voice rang out and Harry's scar exploded in pain. "You did not expect that? Gryffindors and those that follow them are known for their heroics. They live to save the day." He laughed and Harry watched as Bellatrix lost control of her trembling form. "No doubt Potter told one of them to save the man that had saved him."

"I did not think of that," Bellatrix whispered with a shudder.

"It's 'I did not think of that, my Lord!'" Voldemort spat. "Do not forget your place, Bella! I gave you the perfect opportunity to get your revenge on Severus and you wasted it!"

"Y-yes, my Lord," she stammered out.

"Get out of my sight!" he yelled at her. "Tell Lucius to enter on your way out." Harry waited as Voldemort waited for Lucius. It seemed that Voldemort had finally gotten around to freeing his Death Eaters from Azkaban.

"Ah, Lucius, my faithful servant," Voldemort said quietly. Harry watched as Lucius crawled forward and kissed the hems of Voldemort's robes.

"I live to serve you, my Lord," Lucius said in a courteous voice. Voldemort looked at the man with disdain.

"Do you know why I kept you in Azkaban so long?" Voldemort asked calmly. Lucius remained frozen on the ground in front of Voldemort. Minutes passed and nothing was said. "I would like an answer, Lucius."

Lucius shifted under Voldemort's gaze, but didn't answer. Time passed and Lucius still didn't answer. Harry felt Voldemort's anger increase as Lucius' silence continued. The pain in Harry's scar grew worse as Lucius did not answer the question.

"Crucio!" Lucius screamed under the spell and Harry wondered how Snape hadn't screamed under it immediately like everyone else did. The pain exploded in Harry's scar as Voldemort's temper broke.

"I will have complete obedience from my Death Eaters. I have already lost one of them to the mudblood loving fool and I will not lose another! Is that understood?" Lucius continued to scream under the curse. "I will not be mocked when my back is turned! Is that understood?" Lucius' voice gave out from the screaming. "I will not suffer fools and I will not suffer weak followers! Now, answer my question!" Voldemort released the spell and waited impatiently for Lucius' answer.

"Because," he croaked out, "I didn't go there after your downfall."

"Very good," Voldemort said. "So now you understand why I am going to punish you again. Crucio!" Harry screamed with Lucius' silent scream. As much as he hated the man writhing in agony, this was not right.

The door opened and Avery entered. He crawled forward and kissed Voldemort's hems. He shuffled back without ever once looking at Lucius' screaming form or Voldemort's expression of glee. Voldemort ignored him; his news could wait. Lucius had to understand that he was required to give him his undivided loyalty. Finally, Voldemort lifted the curse and turned his attention to Avery.

"My Lord," he started; Harry could hear the fear in his voice. Voldemort nodded for the man to continue. "I have word from Hogwarts. Both live and both will survive." Voldemort continued to look at the man and Avery shuddered.

"This is not good news," he whispered. Avery fell forward, bowing. Harry thought he heard the man begging for forgiveness. "I was hoping that something had gone right with this plan, but it seems not. Be gone, Avery. I wish to speak with Lucius alone." Avery bowed even lower (Harry hadn't thought that possible) and shuffled out of the room.

Voldemort turned his attention back to the twitching body of Lucius Malfoy. "Have you spoken with your son, Lucius?" Lucius nodded from where he lay prostrated. "Is he willing to follow me?" Lucius nodded again. "Very good, Snape wasn't able to corrupt him. I have a task for your son. Are you willing to let him serve me?"

"He's too young, my Lord," Lucius said aloud.

"Wrong answer. Crucio!"

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"Wake up, boy, and stop your infernal screaming!"