Harry Potter and the Sacrifice of the Traitor

Chapter 18

Ginny gasped, and drew back against Harry's side. He put his arm round her, desperately wishing that he could protect her from what he was afraid would happen next. He wished that he had told Ron and Hermione where he was going, though of course he hadn't wanted them to know about secret meetings with Ginny. He had expected that they would spend a bit of quiet time kissing each other, and talking about how the exams had gone, and about how they would meet up over the summer. But now they were in serious trouble, and nobody knew where they were, except the grinning Draco Malfoy and the three triumphantly smirking figures looming before him.

'Well, isn't that sweet - itty bitty Potter has a girly wirly friend,' cooed the hated voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry stared into her heavy lidded black eyes, wishing that she would somehow drop dead. Here was the woman who had caused Sirius, her own cousin, to fall through the Veil to his death, and Harry could do nothing in revenge, except silently seethe.

Another figure strode forward, and Harry saw the perfectly arranged ash-blond hair of Lucius Malfoy.

'Very touching, Potter,' he sneered. 'But dear me, it's little Ginny Weasley. Just when I thought the blood traitor family could sink no longer. I don't know how a pure-blooded witch like yourself can stand to touch a filthy little half blood like him.'

Ginny flushed, but said nothing. Her hand groped for Harry's hand, and gripped it tightly.

'You!' Harry spat, trying to appear angry rather than terrified. 'How did you escape from Azkaban?'

'Wouldn't you like to know, little baby Potter?' replied Bellatrix, grinning insanely.

'Well, I don't see why he shouldn't be given a little clue - after all, it's not as if he's going to get the chance to tell anyone,' said Lucius Malfoy, appearing to give the matter some thought. 'It's ironic really, that your dearly loved godfather should have given us the idea of using an Animagus to get through the bars to let us out. And how fortunate that we happened to have one on hand!'

He laughed, and gestured negligently at the third figure, which had been skulking behind the others. It came forwards a bit into the fading light in the clearing, and Harry saw, with another rush of fear and rage, the balding head and little watering eyes of Peter Pettigrew.

'Well done, Father,' said Draco Malfoy admiringly. His father turned sharply to him.

'As for you, you little fool, what were you doing messing about with the Weasley girl? I told you to lure her and Potter here, not try to kiss her. You might have given the game away, you idiot!'

The younger Malfoy flushed angrily, but didn't say anything. Lucius Malfoy turned back to Harry and Ginny. Harry was trying to slide his hand unobtrusively into his pocket to reach his wand, though he wasn't sure what he would do with it against four enemies at once.

'Oh no you don't, little Potter!' cried Bellatrix sharply. 'Accio wands!' Harry and Ginny's wands flew out of their pockets into the air, where Bellatrix caught them deftly.

'You wouldn't want to be running away, would you?' asked Lucius Malfoy, smiling malevolently at Harry. 'Why, you don't even know why we requested the pleasure of your company tonight.'

'Alright then, why do you want me, as if I didn't know', said Harry bravely.

'Ooh, isn't he impatient, wanting to know what's in store for him', sang Bellatrix. 'Poor dear Sirius was like that too, so impatient. But look what happened to him!'

Ginny clutched Harry's arm more tightly. Harry tensed angrily, wanting to rush at Bellatrix and wipe the hateful smile from her face.

'Shut up, Bella', said Lucius Malfoy, showing the first sign of impatience Harry had seen in him. 'Sooner or later some meddling idiot is bound to miss him and come along to find out what's happening. I don't suppose he's hidden his trail on the way here. And you, Draco, you can get back to school and make sure that nobody suspects anything. If you have to, use some more of the Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Potter again.'

'I'm afraid I used it all, Father', said Draco Malfoy, the smirk dropping from his face.

'Idiot! What if you need to lead searchers off the trail? Well, get back to school anyway, and try to disguise any signs that he might have come this way.'

Draco Malfoy left the clearing, whispering 'So long Potter, you loser,' as he passed Harry and Ginny, and disappeared into the gathering darkness.

'Well, now he's out of the way, we can get on, perhaps,' said Lucius Malfoy. Bellatrix giggled quietly to herself.

Harry tensed, ready for the dreaded words 'Kill the spare!' that he had heard once before with Cedric. He hadn't been quick enough to save him then, but if they tried to kill Ginny, he would throw himself in front of the curse before he would let them harm her, he thought.

'Ah, look, little baby Potter's all ready to protect his little girlfriend,' chanted Bellatrix in her mad, singsong voice. 'Isn't that sweet!'

'Very caring and brave, I'm sure, Potter', sneered Malfoy. 'But quite unnecessary. For the moment, we will need the little Weasley girl alive and well. We have plans for her too. Of course, she may not be in quite such good condition afterwards - but I expect you will be beyond caring yourself by then.'

Suddenly, Pettigrew, who had been quiet for some time, stiffened and cried out. He then straightened up from his subservient crouch and shook himself. He strode out from behind the others, and stared directly at Harry. Harry saw, with a gasp of revulsion and fear, that his little watering eyes had changed horribly. They were now red and snakelike - just like Lord Voldemort's eyes. Ginny gave a stifled shriek as she saw what Harry was looking at.

Pettigrew spoke, and his voice was no longer the piteous whining voice Harry knew so well. It was another voice entirely, one Harry also knew, and hated even more. It was the voice of Lord Voldemort himself.

'Lucius! Bellatrix! Stop playing with the Potter boy and bring him here in front of Wormtail. Dumbledore cannot detect my presence while I am merely possessing my servant, rather than being physically near to the castle or the boy, but we have no time to waste. This possession cannot last long or the feeble flesh of Wormtail will be unable to endure.'

'Yes master,' said Malfoy, immediately springing into action. Bellatrix grabbed Ginny, who screamed and struggled, but was torn away from Harry's side and forced to stand some way away, her arms forcibly pinioned to her sides by Bellatrix. Malfoy grabbed Harry roughly by the shoulder before he could run back to Ginny, and, pointing his wand at her, snapped out a word. Thin ropes flew out from his wand and wrapped themselves around Ginny, tying her arms firmly together. Bellatrix cackled in wild delight as Ginny's eyes glared at her furiously.

Malfoy pulled Harry roughly over to stand in front of Pettigrew, whose red eyes shone with a terrible light, from the power of Voldemort's possession. Sweat was pouring off the little man. Harry remembered the excruciating pain he had felt from Voldemort's brief possession of him in the Ministry, and winced in unwanted sympathy for Wormtail.

'Well Potter, we meet again', hissed the high cold voice of Voldemort.

'Hello, Tom', said Harry, trying to force his voice to sound calm, as Dumbledore's had when he had fought Voldemort last June.

'You will not speak that name!' snapped Malfoy.

'So, you escaped again last summer, boy. But this is your final hour. You will not be able to escape my faithful servants this time,' hissed Voldemort.

Harry tried to stare defiantly into those mad red eyes, but could not meet their gaze for more than a second. Then he remembered what he had been told about Occlumency, and realised he didn't want to make eye contract anyway, as that could make it easier for Voldemort to read his mind.

Pettigrew was by now trembling in agony, in spite of Voldemort controlling his body and forcing him to stand upright.

'Lucius!' snapped the voice of Voldemort. 'This pitiful lump I am possessing cannot stand the power of my mind for very much longer without burning up from inside. You will have to continue the preparations without me, and call me when you are ready to make the sacrifice.'

'Yes, master,' said Malfoy, bowing his head. The red glare left Pettigrew's eyes, and he slumped to the ground, whimpering in pain.

Malfoy turned back to Harry, who he was still holding firmly.

'Well, Potter, it is time for you to learn how you can serve the Dark Lord, and your lovely little girlfriend over here, as well,' he said, smiling horribly. He pointed his wand at Harry, and again the thin cords shot out, binding Harry firmly. He was pushed back next to Ginny, and they were forced to kneel down in front of the three Death Eaters.

'First, Potter, I want to know all that you know of the Prophecy,' said Malfoy.

'Nothing,' said Harry, trying to look innocent. 'It smashed back in the Department of Mysteries, didn't you see it?'

'Yes, of course I saw that, boy!' snapped Malfoy angrily. 'But I know as well as you do that it was Dumbledore who heard the Prophecy. Draco told me that you were in his office for a long time when you returned last summer, and that you and your friends were all hidden behind an Imperturbable Charm in the railway carriage on the way home for the Christmas holidays. I think Dumbledore has finally told you, and you of course, had to go and spout it to your little friends. Now, are you going to tell me nicely, or will I have to find it out by less, shall we say benign, methods?'

Harry glared at him defiantly, and said nothing. Beside him, he could feel Ginny trembling.

'Very well then, boy,' said Malfoy silkily. 'Legilimens!'

Harry felt the intrusion into his mind, but thanks to Dumbledore's tuition over the past year, he was able to throw up his mental defences after only a few seconds. The pain and pressure of the invasion into his thoughts continued for several moments, then eased.

Bellatrix giggled madly. 'Did you find out, Lucius? What does the little boy know? Has he told his elders and betters all his secrets?

'No, he hasn't!' growled Malfoy furiously. 'That old fool up at the castle has had the foresight to teach him Occlumency, obviously. But, I wonder, has he been as careful with the little Weasley girl?'

He glared at Ginny, and shouted again. 'Legilimens!'

Ginny stiffened all over, and Harry's heart leapt into his throat. He had no idea whether or not Ginny knew any Occlumency, but it seemed wildly unlikely - what use could she have possibly had for it, after all?

However, after only a few seconds, Malfoy staggered back, and Ginny relaxed again, and there was an unmistakable look of triumph on her face. Malfoy stared at her in shock, then visibly composed himself again.

'Come here, Bellatrix', he ordered, and the two huddled together near the moaning Wormtail. For a moment, Harry and Ginny were unguarded.

'What did you do?' asked Harry in wonder.

'After what happened in my first year, I asked Dumbledore for extra tuition to stop anything like Tom possessing me ever happening again,' whispered Ginny, 'I've been able to shut out unwanted thoughts for years, Harry. But how are we going to escape now?'

Harry had no idea. They had no wands, and therefore no magic. And then, gradually the hint of an idea started to come to him. Unless Draco Malfoy had passed on his suspicions, they would have no idea that he could do wandless magic. Over the last few weeks he had continued to practise this, but he still had very little control over it. However, it now seemed like their only chance might be to wait until the three Death Eaters were involved in the preparations that Voldemort had ordered them to make, and try to wandlessly free them from their bonds. What would happen then, he did not know.

The evil pair in front of him had finished their whispered discussion. Malfoy dragged Pettigrew to his feet and propped him up against a tree at the edge of the clearing. Then Malfoy came back towards Harry and Ginny.

'Very well then, Potter, you seem to have developed a small amount of skill in spite of your mother's filthy blood interfering with your magic.'

A tiny thread of rage burned through Harry at this callous mention of his mother. He said nothing, however, but glared back at Malfoy.

'We will however, not need that information once you are gone,' continued Malfoy. 'It is perfectly obvious, even without knowing the Prophecy in full, that you are the main stumbling block to the Dark Lord regaining his full powers and his grip on the wizarding world. He has therefore decreed that you are to be removed from his path back to glory, and in such a way as to assist his rise.'

He pulled Harry to his feet again, and back over to stand once more in front of Pettigrew.

'Some of our loyal members have been working on a new charm, Potter,' said Malfoy. 'It will suck all the magical power out of a witch or wizard, and transfer the power to the caster of the charm. Isn't it elegant? You will lose all your power, and probably your will to live as well, and our Lord will have all your powers in addition to his own.'

Harry stared at him in horror. 'That's why we decided to keep our little Miss Weasley alive,' continued Malfoy. 'We've tested the charm on some unfortunate wizards that we captured of course, but before we connect you and the Dark Lord, we are going to let you watch him sucking all the magic out of your little girlfriend over there.'

Harry felt as if his heart had turned to ice. He had thought all along that falling in love with Ginny could be dangerous for her, and now she was going to have all her magic removed by Voldemort, and probably die as well. He felt like screaming and sobbing in helpless rage and terror. It took every bit of courage he possessed to keep silent.

He heard a faint hiss from somewhere behind him, and, while Malfoy and Bellatrix cackled together, risked a quick glance in that direction. He half thought he saw a pair of eyes in the undergrowth. For a moment he dared to hope that someone had found him and come to rescue them, but then he saw the figure more clearly, and his heart sank. It was only a small coarse haired lynx or some sort of wild cat. As he watched, it slunk away and was gone.

Bellatrix now dragged the helpless Ginny over beside Harry again, and Malfoy called out 'Master, it is ready.' Wormtail stiffened again and his eyes once more shone with the red of Voldemort's possession.

'Very good, Lucius,' hissed the high cold voice. 'Did you get the information regarding the Prophecy?'

'Master, I regret that I could not. Both Potter and the Weasley girl appear to have been trained in Occlumency,' said Malfoy, kneeling in front of Wormtail. 'I beg your forgiveness, Master.'

'A pity, Lucius - for you!' hissed Voldemort. He pointed Wormtail's hand towards Malfoy and cried out 'Crucio!'

Malfoy screamed and fell to the ground, twitching. When Wormtail's hand lifted again, Malfoy staggered to his feet, his perfectly groomed hair in disarray.

'But no matter,' continued Voldemort's voice. 'The Prophecy will no longer matter if we have removed Potter's magic from him. And the Weasley family will doubtless be devastated by what has happened to their dear youngest child. That will show the fools what happens to those who oppose me.'

'Yes, master, oh yes!' sang out Bellatrix, her face alive with an evil enjoyment of the pain Ginny was about to suffer.

As Wormtail pointed his wand at Ginny, Harry knew there was only one thing he could do to stop them. He muttered 'Incendio!', directing his mind at the bonds holding him, and with a searing pain in his head, the ropes smoked and fell away. As the high cold voice shrieked the words of the new charm, 'Concipio Dominium!', Harry sprang to his feet, pointed his hand at Ginny, and yelled 'Protego!'

The sickly blue light flashing from Wormtail's wand hit the shield which had leapt into being around Ginny, and rebounded. Wormtail and Voldemort both shrieked in pain as the blue light hit them, and Harry was astounded to see a faint blue nimbus surround the figure of Wormtail for a moment.

'You've sucked out some of his own magic, you meddlesome fool!' cried Malfoy to Harry. 'Not that Wormtail had much, but now he has even less. How dare you! And how can you do wandless magic at your age, boy?'

Harry could not answer. The pain he felt when doing wandless magic had never been so bad before. Gasping for breath, he fell onto the ground and lay there, unable to move or speak. Dimly, he saw Ginny running to him; her arms were still bound, but she knelt beside him, staring up at the Death Eaters.

Then, as Harry's vision began to clear, he was able to sit up again. Wormtail was still staggering about, howling in pain and rage, both his own and Voldemort's. Bellatrix had stopped laughing and was screaming in fury, and Malfoy was striding forward, ready to cast a spell of his own at Harry.

Suddenly, a quiet voice stopped everyone in their tracks.

'Not this time, Lucius. I think that's quite enough!'