Truth and Lies

Truth and Lies Chapter 04

'Fudge!' Harry whispered frantically. 'Give me my wand!'

'What?' Fudge spluttered. 'Give a convict his wand back? Ludicrous!'

'Look, just--please--give Sirius and I our wands back, and...we'll help you with the other prisoners!' Harry lied desperately, not taking his eyes off Voldemort. 'Oh, come on! I'm hardly in league with them!'

Fudge hesitated, then handed them their wands. 'But any funny business, any at all, and I will Stun you. Or worse.'

Harry nodded impatiently, and carefully approached the group, though his first instinct was to run, as far away as possible.

One by one, the Death Eaters noticed Harry, and turned around, jeering. Harry's scar seared, but he carried on walking.

Voldemort stepped forward, and his thin lips curved upwards in what could only be recognised as a sneering smile. He laughed softly. 'Harry Potter. I never thought I'd see you here. Amongst my friends.'

'Friends?' It was Harry's turn to laugh. 'Is that what you've told them? They might think that you're their friend, but you don't have friends. You have followers, and servants. Disposable allies.'

Harry saw the Death Eaters slowly look at each other, a flicker of doubt in their eyes.

Fudge suddenly came around the slight corner, and spotting Voldemort, fell back against a wall. 'What the--? What on earth--? Who is--?--Sick sort of--joke--' he gasped, clutching his chest.

Sirius just stood next to Harry, wand held in front of him, a look of disgust and anger on his face.

Voldemort gave a high, cold laugh. 'You are fools. Both of you. You seek to fight me? You will die!'

Before Harry could stop him, Sirius leapt at Voldemort, shouting, 'You murdered my best friends! You killed Lily and James!'

Voldemort started, but then flicked his wand lazily, and Sirius was knocked sideways, out of the smoking gap in the wall.

'Sirius!' Harry ran to the gap, gripped the crumbling wall, and leaned out. It was dark, stormy, and the wind buffeted him. He looked down, and saw the grey sea crashing against the jagged rocks at the base of the prison. He couldn't see Sirius.

'Sirius!' he yelled again, but his voice was lost to the howling wind.

Lightning flashed in the sky, followed by a rumble of thunder.

Harry seemed unable to breathe. He leaned out a little further, and saw a small ledge about half way down the cliff.

Harry saw a limp body every time the lightning flashed. Sirius' foot only twitched slightly, but it was enough to convince Harry that he was alright.

I'll have to worry about him later, Harry thought, pushing himself back inside, away from the wind and the rain.

Voldemort smiled cruelly, mistaking the look of relief on Harry's face as a look of resignation. 'Poor Harry. He seems to be losing everyone he holds dear. Now then, if you do not wish to die like your unfortunate godfather, I suggest that you do not fight me.'

Harry's eyes narrowed. 'You'd like that, wouldn't you?' He jumped forward. 'Stupefy!'

Voldemort deflected it with another casual flick of his wand. There was another flash of lightning, and a deep rumbling sound. The floor shook, and dust and stones fell from the ceiling. The Death Eaters stepped back nervously.

'Avada K--'

'Expelliarmus!'

The floor shook again, and larger rocks fell from the ceiling and walls. The Death Eaters took another step back.

For a moment, Voldemort and Harry just stood there, wands aloft.

There was a loud grinding noise, and an even louder creak. Everyone stopped and looked up. There was a succession of crashes, getting louder and louder, closer and closer. With every crash, the floor shook.

Harry realised what was about to happen, a split second before it did.

'Move!' he yelled, spurring everyone into action. Fudge leaped into a now empty cell, the Death Eaters ran in the opposite direction, and Harry dived out of the way, just as an enormous chunk of rock fell through the ceiling, leaving holes in every floor above. It carried on falling.

But Harry had dived the wrong way. He flew over the edge of the cliff, and landed on the ledge with a crunch. His head met the rock, and spots of light danced in front of his eyes. Harry dazedly looked above him, just in time to see Azkaban prison toppling into the angry sea.

He couldn't feel his legs, or his left arm, but he turned over on his side to look at Sirius. 'Sirius? Sirius, speak to me!'

Sirius groaned and opened his eyes. 'Harry?' His voice was very faint.

'Yeah, I'm here.' Harry grimaced and lay on his back again.

'What happened?' Sirius looked upwards, at the still toppling Azkaban.

'Azkaban's...gone...'

'Gone?'

'It sort of...fell apart.'

Sirius snorted quietly. 'We need to leave, before they try and lock us up again.'

'Well...at least...they don't have...anywhere...to lock...us up...'

'You don't look so good, Harry, we need to get back to Headquarters. I'll Apparate us. My legs aren't broken or anything, can you stand?'

Harry shook his head. 'I can't feel...either of my...legs...'

'OK, OK. I've never done this before...it should work...can't see how it wouldn't...'

'Problem, Sirius?'

'No, no. It's just; I've never done side-along Apparition before.'

'You're telling me...this now? When we're stuck...outside a ruined...prison...in the middle...of the...sea?'

Sirius looked uncomfortable. 'It's OK, just lie there.' He got up (with difficulty) and gripped Harry's uninjured arm.

'Next stop, Number 12 Grimm--I mean...Headquarters...'

He turned on the spot, and with a crack, they Disapparated.

Just as the last of Azkaban prison crumbled slowly into the sea.

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