Harry Potter and the Heir of Gryffindor

Chapter Seventeen: Voldemort's Lair

Harry hit the cold ground with violent force. Pain surged throughout his body, but he forced himself up nonetheless. Wherever he was, it was cold. He was standing inside an enormous cave, which reached into a dome. At first Harry thought he was the only one in the entire cave until he heard a voice he knew so very well . . .

"Harry!"

That's when the nightmare began.

He turned around and saw. . . Sophie! Sophie was standing not ten feet behind him, her hands bound in chains, and beside her stood . . . Imelda, bound in chains as well. In fact. . . Ariah, Snape, Ron and Draco all had their hands tied together, standing in a straight line.

The woman who looked so similar to Imelda walked in front of them like a Drill Sergeant, a satisfied smile spread across her face.

"Look at them Harry. Don't they look wonderful?"

Harry was staring at her aghast. Something came rushing back to mind-- Sirius' words just as though he'd spoken them yesterday: 'She never told you who her sister is? Her sister is Delphine Lestrange. . . it was such a disgrace to the Banburys. . .' But not once had Imelda ever mentioned the fact that Delphine and her were twin sisters.

"I assume by your obvious state of confusion that Imelda, my dearest, has most likely told you that I am dead. Not entirely true, though as anyone will tell you, one is worse than dead whilst in Azkaban. And that is where I have been for the past fourteen years, Harry. . . suffering. . ."

"Y-you got out of Azkaban months ago. . . why have you waited until now. . ."

She looked thoughtful. "Good question, Harry. I've been. . . busy. Actually, you and I have met before Harry. Oh, yes. Over Christmas break, don't you remember? You came to my house for a Christmas party that I threw for you! Remember? All your friends came?"

"No--"

"Yes, that was me." She laughed. "Oh but it was just too easy. Of course, the first person I wanted to visit after my Lord liberated my husband and I was my dear, sweet sister Imelda." She stroked Imelda's cheek-- Imelda's eyes were furious and she leaned backwards, away from Delphine's touch. "She was easy to find. I met her just outside the ministry of magic. . .and, well, I overpowered her. And what luck: the timing couldn't have been better. Apparently, Harry, the street where you live is quite inaccessible. How fortunate that Imelda had been securing a pass that very night to add her home to the Floo Network. I thought 'Delphine, you might be able to do some wonderful things with this.' So, I decided that I would take her place-- now that I had a way in and out. The pass was only supposed to have been valid for one day, but. . . it was quite easy to have. . . misplaced."

"You took her place?" Harry was in disbelief.

"Wonderful, isn't it? Of course Roger and Sophie were concerned-- I was much thinner than Imelda, I looked older-- in fact I believe that Sophie wrote to you about this sudden change, did she not? But, just as our parents always said, I am so like her. Mannerisms, you know, the little things. And what a treat for me: my first night as Imelda Banbury, I had the honor of meeting the one and only Harry Potter."

She was standing in front of Harry now. "I must say, you aren't at all as unfortunate looking as the rest of my death eaters say you are." She brushed his hair from his eyes and Harry cringed.

"So then why didn't you just take me to Voldemort right then? At the party? Why wait all this time?"

"I admit, it was most tempting. But it wasn't time. Azkaban still needed to be liberated-- Voldemort needed myself and my husband to help in that. And I discovered how wonderful it was that my niece turned out to be every bit as sentimental as her mother. You do know that she keeps every letter you've written to her, don't you Harry? She has a special folder for them. If I didn't know any better, I would say she was rather fond of you." She stroked Sophie's hair and Imelda shouted at the top of her lungs.

"YOU'LL NOT TOUCH HER!"

Delphine's eyes were piercing as she stared down her sister. "Don't-- interrupt-- me."

Imelda's mouth was thin and angry, but she said nothing.

Delphine turned back to Harry. "Your letters proved quite useful, Harry. Why, I even learned that Snape had finally returned to Hogwarts. And not only that, but you, Ariah Warwick and Severus Snape would all be on a trip together! Why, I could not have planned it better myself! So I waited. Voldemort, oh he was most pleased with this turn of events, and we planned this-- this meeting tonight." She sighed. "I must admit, Sophie, I'm going to miss number three Privet Drive. After years of suffering, it was good to have such a comfortable home to rest in. . . such a kind family. . ." her smile broadened, "such a nice husband--"

"KEEP him OUT of this!" Sophie shouted.

Delphine's eyes stared right through her. "Don't worry about your pitiful muggle of a father." She twisted out a smile. "And by the way dearest niece-- you'll always be a muggle to me. Yes, you were fortunate enough to have been given your pathetic little powers by Harry--"

"WHAT?!?" Harry shouted, not believing his ears. "What do you mean?!?"

Delphine paused and raised a brow. "You truly mean that you don't know?" Her laugh filled the air. "Why Harry! Oh, I suppose Sophie was too embarrassed to tell you. . ." she sniggered. "Good thing I made a point of reading her letters and her diary, otherwise I wouldn't have known either."

"Sophie, what is she talking about?"

Sophie looked petrified. "Harry. . . you remember that day before term started? When you were showing me how to hold a wand? And you recited that incantation?"

"Yes?" He said, still not understanding.

"Well-- I . . . didn't realize what that incantation meant. I thought you did--"

"No! I was just repeating what you said."

"Let me refresh your memory," said Delphine. She repeated the spell that Harry heard only once before: "Revericus Totalus."

Professor Snape gasped. "The Trans Charm. . ." Delphine nodded. "Correct, Professor. It was cast very feebly, thank goodness, but it was enough to transfer a bit of Harry's magical ability to Sophie."

"But how," Snape insisted, "If Harry cast a spell like that, he would have surely been--"

"There's a Hiberitus charm at my home," Imelda explained. "I moved next-door to Harry on an assignment to monitor black magic in the area of Surrey. All of us in the Special Investigations department have Hiberitus charms on our houses, for many reasons."

"Yet again, another convenience I was most appreciative of, especially since I had to hide my dear sister there for such a long time." She took a breath. "So that is why I waited to take you, young Harry. And because, well, you have to admit this is infinitely more exciting. Besides, I wanted an audience for my first killing in fourteen years."

"YOU MONSTER" Sophie screamed.

"Tut, tut. Now, is that any way to talk to your Aunt?"

"I don't have an Aunt! She's dead!"

"Oh, but I wasn't dead-- I was worse than dead." She bent down and spoke right into Sophie's face. "There are horrors in Azkaban that you can't even imagine, little girl. And I suffered there for fourteen years thanks to your mother. . ." she paused.

Sophie's eyes were welling with tears, and Delphine was now standing overtop her, staring her down.

"You think that I am going to kill you, don't you. . .But I won't. . ." her voice was now hushed-- barely audible. "No, don't worry Sophie, I'm not going to take your life. . . just your mothers'."

In flurry of movement, Delphine had pointed her wand at Imelda and yelled "Avada Kerdava"-- green light shot from the wand and hit Imelda in the chest. Imelda's scream filled the hall, bouncing off the cold walls and then-- it stopped. Almost as abruptly as it had begun and that was the horrifying part-- the sudden silence. Imelda slumped to the ground and lay still, lifeless, her eyes staring upward at nothing-- just as Cedric's had.

Imelda was dead.

Sophie screamed. She ran and collapsed at her mothers' side, grabbing her hand.

"MUM! Mummy, please, wake up! PLEASE wake up! Mum, don't leave me! Please, come back, Mum I love you! Please, you can't leave me when I love you so much! MUM! NO!" Sophie screamed hysterically, choking on her tears. She threw her body over her mothers, pulled her head close to her bosom and rocked gently back and forth. The only thing that was heard for several minutes were Sophie's wails and screams.

Harry couldn't watch. He closed his eyes, feeling faint. . . the screams pounded in his ears, eating away at his sanity. He felt tears forming in his own eyes. . . Imelda. . . she was the closest thing to a mother he had ever known. . . and . . . know he knew what his own mother must have looked like when she died. . .

Delphine's eyes were closed as well, and she was smiling. "Ahhhh. . . such a beautiful sound, is it not? That is what I went to sleep hearing every night of my life for the past fourteen years, Harry. . . such gorgeous lullaby. . . isn't it?"

She was stark raving mad--a lunatic. But all Harry could concentrate on was Sophie--her face soiled with tears. And then. . . all he could feel was anger.

"murderer" he said in a low, trembling voice.

"Oh, is that what I am? My husband will be most disappointed to discover it. . ."

Harry reached for his wand, but Delphine simply said "Expeliarmus" casually, and he was disarmed.

"I haven't time for games like this," she said, suddenly serious. "My Lord is coming-- ahhh, yes, he's coming. Severus? You feel it too?"

Snape was staring dead into her eyes, betraying no emotion except for complete disgust.

Harry, who was seething from rage, managed to say the words, "Let them free." He pointed towards his friends. "You've done what you came to do. You're going to give me to Voldemort-- now let them go."

"You're not serious--"

"I am. They've done nothing to you--"

"True, but that's not the point. You see-- Voldemort is the one who is going to kill you, correct? Now, since these are all people who apparently care for you, My Lord would find it most amusing if they were around to watch. I could not deprive him of that pleasure!"

Harry felt as though he could hardly contain his anger.

Delphine smiled. "You'd like to kill me right now, wouldn't you?"

His eyes detected a movement behind her-- Sophie had risen from her mothers' side and walked, quietly, to Snape's side. She pointed her want at his chains and-- Snape was now free. He pulled out his wand from his robes and walked calmly up behind Delphine.

Harry hadn't answered her question.

"Well, here is my wand Harry." She handed him the wand. "If you want me dead so much, then please-- be my guest."

Harry held the wand, still staring into her eyes. He could see Snape now right behind her, his wand extended.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." Harry said dryly.

Their eyes met. And then she laughed-- that high pitched laugh that echoed off the walls.

"Go on, then, please. Kill me if you like, though you really should let me kill you now and get it over with. He's coming for you and only I can spare you unimaginable agony. . ." Delphine started to laugh again. "Exactly as I suspected. You haven't the nerve to kill me--"

"No," said Snape calmly from behind her. "But I have."

Delphine spun around to face Snape who pointed his wand at her chest, muttered something under his breath, and in the next instant a red light shot from his wand and Delphine was knocked back five feet and landed on the floor where she lay motionless.

Snape was breathing heavily, and then his eyes met Harry's.

Harry let out a smile. "Professor Snape. . . I can't believe you did that. . ."

"Nor can I," said Snape in disbelief, then returned Harry's smile.

"And nor can I."

The entire company turned around.

"Father!" Draco shouted. "What are you doing here?!"

Lucius Malfoy had entered the cave, and was standing overtop Delphine's dead body. He was dressed in the garb of the death eater-- his black hood pulled back. "Oh dear, Severus. As though you weren't in enough trouble with Our Lord as it is, you went and killed his favorite servant. He isn't going to like that at all." He pointed his wand and shouted 'Expeliarmus' and both Snape and Harry were blown backward. In the next instant, shackled and chains appeared not only on Snape, but this time on Harry as well. Their bodies rose off the ground about three feet, so their feet dangled haplessly below them, except for Draco.

Lucius snapped his fingers and Draco was unchained. "Draco," said Lucius, finally acknowledging his son's presence, "it's most unfortunate that you are here to see this. But then perhaps it is all for the best. To see the power of our world in all its glory. Look-- here come my brothers, Draco-- our brothers. And our Lord with them."

Draco stood dazed for a moment, unsure of what to do. Ron and Harry in particular was studying him with keen interest. If it had been two days ago, they would have naturally assumed he would proudly take his stand alongside his father. But now-- now they both waited to see what he would do. . .

From where Harry stood, he saw only fear in Draco's eyes-- and why shouldn't he have been frightened? What was coming into the cave at that moment would be frightening to anyone. From a narrow passageway at the far end of the cave came a steady stream of black-cloaked men, all carrying torches. A man, tall and slender leading them. . . a man who, even from a great difference, had visible beady red eyes. . .

Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort approached Harry, smiling. There was color to his cheeks this time. He looked more human than he had the day of his re-birth, although having said that, there was really nothing human about his form whatsoever. He looked more like a snake than anything else, that flat nose and those fire red eyes. . . he was the most inhuman form one could possibly imagine.

And the voice. . . is it possible it could have grown more unnerving?

The Death Eaters-- and there must have been a hundred of them-- formed four organized rows behind them, the torches levitating beside them as they stood with their arms crossed.

"Which of you killed my Delphine? Come now, speak up. Or you shall all die now. Cooperate, and you add minutes to your lives. But they are only minutes."

Professor Snape spoke bravely. "You know it was I, Voldemort."

"Ah, Severus, my old friend. It has really been much too long." Voldemort's eyes surveyed the prisoners before him. "And Ariah-- but don't you look as lovely as ever. I see that I have already missed Imelda, what a shame, I would have loved to have chat with her. . . and these two children I am not familiar with. I assume they are good friends of yours, Harry? I daresay, your best?"

He bent down and Harry felt ill-- Voldemort smelled of death.

"I do believe you have met most of my friends. Of course, you already know Lucius-- you met Delphine-- that tall man next to Lucius was Delphine's husband. Marcus. Marcus? Say hello to the boy who helped kill your wife."

Harry recoiled and took a step backward.

Voldemort laughed. "And. . . oh yes, Peter Pettigrew, you know of course. And. . . oh, there are too many, really, to mention."

He turned to face the crowd of Death Eaters. "My Children!" He shouted, his voice carrying over the room. "Tonight is a night that we have all waited for many years!" His voice was shrill and it made Harry want to run away screaming. "Tonight, for the first night, we are all gathered together-- a family united once more! A family that will remain united always!"

The Death Eaters let out a shout of agreement.

"You have suffered years in my behalf. And I will not forget you for it! I will remember it always! And tonight, we, all of us, forge a new beginning together! Tonight we grab fate by its' hand and turn its tables. TONIGHT WE RETURN!"

There was more shouting.

"And here with us, we have three of those who have been foremost in trying to see to our end-- to our demise! Three of which failed, most miserably, and were brought here to us tonight by the woman who was faithful to your lord as no other servant has ever been-- who at the moment lies slain by the hand of one of these three."

There were murmurs and shouts of disbelief.

"And tonight. . . WE WILL SEE THAT JUSTICE IS DELIVERED!"

The Death Eaters were ecstatic.

"Of course-- one of these has the power to end this all right now." Voldemort turned to Harry. "I'll tell you what, Harry. Let us play a little game. I will give you the opportunity to save one life-- one life in exchange for yours. Or all of your friends go free and you keep your life."

"What must I do?"

"It is simple: you just join myself."

Harry stared at him. "You've asked me this before, Voldemort. My answer hasn't changed."

"Ahh. I suspected your answer would be thus. Harry Potter-- so noble and so just."

Harry felt a chill sweep over him as Voldemort smiled and extended his bony, tentacle-like fingers. Harry's body floated to the floor, landing directly at Voldemort's feet. Those horrifying, monster-like fingers grazed Harry's cheek, Voldemort's thin smile spread across his face.

"Let me show you what I think of your nobility and your justice, Harry Potter." He put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Come-- tell me. Which of these do you care for the most? Please, point me to him-- that I may kill him for you."

"NO," Harry shouted and tried to move away, but Voldemort held his grasp and placed his hand on Harry's. "Point me to him, Harry-- which one is he. . ." Voldemort closed his eyes and then another smile. "So he is your best friend. . ." he opened his eyes and stared pointedly on Ron.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Harry shouted. But it was too late. Voldemort wasted no time. He pointed his wand at Ron and yelled "CRUCIO".

Still bound in chains, Ron was forced to the floor and writhed in pain, screaming. The sound of Ron's screaming was enough on it's own to kill Harry.

"STOP IT, I SAY!"

"VOLDEMORT, HE'S ONLY A BOY!" Snape was staring at horror at Ron's writhing, twitching body.

"Only a boy. . ." He repeated. . . "Yes, he is at that. What was I thinking, Severus? I'm glad you've helped me see my error. I meant, of course, young Miss Banbury."

"STOP!" Harry was in tears as he watched Sophie fall to the ground, just as Ron had. She was screaming and crying, pleading for help.

It was a nightmare! It couldn't be real! It was happening again-- his friends were in danger of dying, and once again he could do nothing to stop it!

"Please! Voldemort! Why are you doing this! WHY?"

"Why?" He released Sophie from the curse. "You ask me why? My dead servant on the floor-- that's why. The hundred men in this room who have suffered for fourteen years-- that's why. Because of my horrific, painful past existence-- that's why. All of these things have one thing in common: You, Harry. You know as well as I that none of your friends would be here, on the verge of death, if it weren't for you. That's why I'm doing this, Harry. Because of you."

Harry was paralyzed with fear. History was repeating itself once again.

I can't do anything! I can't do anything to save anyone--

Oh yes there is.

But what? He was arguing with the thoughts storming his brain. I don't have a wand. . .

Follow what you're feeling . . . What he was feeling was anger-- a consuming anger. A strange sensation that he hadn't felt since the night Dudley had punched him in his stomach. His hands were clenched in fists and there was murder in his eyes. A strange tingle traveled throughout his body, like an electrical current, and without even thinking, he outstretched his left arm, his fingers spread open. He didn't even realize what he was doing until the words were already out there, ringing in his ears:

"Expeliarmus!"

Voldemort's eyes widened. His left hand holding his wand was shaking. . . Harry could see the whites of his knuckles clutching it with all his might.

Harry took another breath and shouted at the very top of his lungs, so loud that he was sure it would kill him. . .

"EXPELIARMUS!"

It was as though and invisible force had thrown Voldemort backwards onto the floor. His wand slipped from his hand and flew into Harry's grasp. Harry's heart was racing and he was not thinking about anything else except getting his friends out of where they were at any costs. He pointed his wand towards where his friends stood still bound in chains and shouted:

"LIBRIATUS!"

They fell to the floor, and in the blink of their eye, their wands were out and pointed at Voldemort.

Harry held Voldemort's wand threateningly pointed at his neck. Voldemort stared at Harry, barely able to believe it.

"If any one of your Death Eaters so much as points their wand at myself or my friends, I will kill you now. Without any hesitation."

The Death Eaters were ready to kill, but Voldemort shouted, "Death Eaters, hold your fire."

He was smiling-- Oh why must he keep smiling. . .

"Impressive Harry. My, my, you are full of surprises." He chuckled. "Which is an amazing coincidence, because so am I. In fact, I think it's time to introduce you to some old friends of yours. . . I can hear them even now, can't you?"

Harry was growing cold. A horrible, consuming, unbearable cold swept him. He was drowning in it. . . and he knew what it was. . .

He could hear Voldemort confirming his fears, "Yes. Dementors, Harry. And I think they have a friendly kiss they've been saving for you. . ."

Harry could see black masses filling the room-- more dementors than Harry had ever seen.

You know what you must do.

Harry straightened, the voice giving him a strengthening confidence. There was that strange surge of strength coursing through him once more and he pointed his wand towards the dementors.

It had been nearly two years since he had last performed the spell, but never before had he been so confident that he was capable of it. He closed his eyes and into his head came the happiest thought he could conjure: his friends safely at home. All of them. Nothing else in the world mattered, only that.

"EXPECTO PATRONUS!"

White blasted from the end of his wand, and Voldemort stumbled backwards. A magnificent stag gleaming brilliant white appeared and galloped towards the Dementors. Harry was regaining his senses again, warmth coming back to his body as his Patronus forged ahead. From behind him he heard Ariah and Snape both shout "EXPECTO PATRONUS" and a bright yellow and a bright blue light burst forward: an enormous ghostly eagle Patronus and a glowing vicious-looking bear Patronus joined Harry's, all three converging upon the Dementors who were sweeping their way out of the cave. The three Patronus' combined caused the room to suddenly burst into an explosion of blinding light-- it was barely visible to see even two feet!

"Ariah!" Snape called out into the confusion, "Get the kids out of here! Get them to Orod! Now!"

Harry faintly saw Ariah's figure grab what he supposed to be Ron and Sophie.

"Draco," Ron was shouting, "Come on, hurry!"

But Draco hadn't answered. And when Harry saw Ariah pulling only two children to the passageway, he knew that they had left Draco behind.

From somewhere in the light, Voldemort was shouting. "KILL THEM! ALL OF THEM!"

The Death Eaters were enraged and green light started being shot blindly. Even though the Death Eaters could not see their targets, they shot furiously, hoping to hit them.

Snape was positively seething with rage. "Deflector charm, Harry!"

Harry obeyed, blocking a number of blind hexes that were flying at him.

"We have to leave now!" Snape grabbed hold of Harry's hand-- and then he saw Draco.

"DRACO! LET'S GO!" Snape hollered.

But Lucius appeared behind him. Draco looked at his father who was staring at him through angry eyes. And then, to Harry's complete amazement, Draco threw a confused look at his father and then made a run for Snape's outstretched hand.

"DRACO!" Lucius shouted. "YOU'LL NOT LEAVE!" He pointed his wand and Draco came hurtling back to his father's side. Lucius' wand shot a hex at Snape, which he deflected. Harry's eyes were fixed on Draco-- there, for the first time, Harry saw genuine sorrow in the eyes of someone whom he had at one time believed incapable of it.

But Snape was now pulling Harry along, making a break for the passageway at full speed-- and Harry knew why.

From the smoky haze behind them, they could hear Voldemort shouting madly, "LUCIUS! HAND ME YOUR WAND!"

Harry and Snape reached the passage entrance and began the task of running up its narrow, spiral stairwell to the outside world above. Voldemort's voice was closer now. 'Avada Kerdava' he said and a green light filled the stairwell-- he was at the passage entrance.

"Keep running," Snape bellowed. Their life literally was depending on it! They heard him again, 'Avada Kerdava' and green light filled the stairwell once again-- only this time they could hear the rush of green light from the wand.

He was right behind them.

They were outside now, a field of tall grass glowing under the moonlight. They ran-- and then up in the sky, Harry saw something. Was it Orod? No, the winged creature was much smaller. . . and it was rapidly descending towards them . . . and it was red. . .

"Fawkes?" Harry shouted, momentarily stunned by its sudden appearance.

Voldemort was outside and, ringing through the air, came his death curse once again.

"DOWN!" Snape yelled, throwing his body onto Harry's and the two hit the cold ground just as a green light rushed past them. Harry heard a screech pierce the sky-- it sounded as though Voldemort had hit Fawkes!

Snape and Harry were holding onto one another for dear life-- heaving, gasping for breath as quietly as they could.

"Are we--"

"Stay-perfectly-still," Snape whispered.

They could hear him. He was laughing now, his feet crunching along the grass. Harry peeked his eyes open just enough to see what was going on above him. Voldemort approached them and was glaring down triumphantly.

"All three," he said, blood in his voice. "Harry, Severus and Dumbledore."

Dumbledore, thought Harry, What is he talking about -- and then his answer came. Behind Voldemort, Harry saw a second Phoenix descend silently. In an instant it morphed and there, standing with his wand pointed at Voldemort's back, was Albus Dumbledore.

**