Harry Potter and the Orb of Power

Chapter 35: The Custodia

"Welcome, Harry. I'm very glad you decided to join us," a cold voice rang out in the darkness. Harry felt his heart stop. An icy chill swept over his skin and made his hair stand on end. It was a trap. How could he have been this stupid? Harry watched as Lord Voldemort stepped out from the darkness, flanked by his obedient servant, Wormtail. Harry saw a sickening smirk plastered on his face, and felt hot anger surge through his body. Harry ran at the bars that caged him in, but when he made contact with them, he felt a jolt of energy sweep through his body, and he was thrown back. His skin seared with pain, and Voldemort was laughing.

"Silly boy, you honestly didn't believe that would work did you?" Voldemort walked lazily towards the cage, his red eyes leering at him. "You must be more stupid than I thought. But then again, you did believe that your mother was here. That does require an enormous lack of brains." Harry felt hatred course through his veins, and pointed his wand at Voldemort.

"I'll kill you for this," Harry spat, feeling his pulse quicken, his breath coming in tight gasps. He wanted so much to run over and cause Voldemort as much pain as he possibly could. His body was trembling; Harry was fighting back the tears of anger, rage, and deep sadness that were raging through his body. He felt completely lost, and he wanted to make Voldemort pay.

"I doubt it," Voldemort responded icily, pulling out his wand. "Even if this cage did not prevent you from performing any spells, you would still fall to my power. You are nothing, boy. Nothing." Harry backed away from the cage, not taking an eye off of Voldemort.

"If I'm nothing, kill me now," Harry raged, feeling pain wreak havoc on his body. He searched ever inch of his cage with his eyes, hoping to find some sort of hole, some sort of escape route, so that he could tear Voldemort to pieces.

"Do you really believe I would make it that easy on you?" Voldemort said with disgusting mirth. "How I enjoy the tears that fall from your eyes. You miss your mudblood mother, don't you?"

"How can I miss her when you stole her from me before I could know her? You took away my family!" Harry raged.

"True," Voldemort said, feigning deep sadness. "Your family is dead. But with their deaths, and ultimately yours, I will have gained my power, achieved my goal, and for that, I will be eternally...grateful...for your sacrifices." Voldemort stepped nearer to the cage, watching his prey with the eyes of a predator. His eyes divulged his eagerness to dispense with his captives, but they also showed the pleasure in restraint, the torturing of the mouse before the death comes. Harry stared into Voldemort's red eyes, his fear blinded by his rage. He gripped his wand so hard he thought it might break.

"You'll never get away with any of this," Harry spat. "You're a pathetic little worm, you're nothing!"

"Am I?" Voldemort hissed menacingly. "Am I nothing? With all that I have accomplished? With all that I have attained? You deign me nothing? You are a fool. You could never hope to achieve what I have. All of this power, the immortality that I soon will have. You have no idea how much it takes."

"You'll never have it. You're going to fall, and it will be by my hands. Not Dumbledore's, mine," Harry said, his voice echoing the vehemence that was raging through his body. "I will kill you, Voldemort."

"Your words mean nothing," Voldemort said with a wave of his hands. "You'll be dealt with soon enough." Voldemort walked away from the cage, and began to whisper to Wormtail. Harry, knowing that he couldn't do anything, bent down next to Sirius.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked, trying to help his godfather.

"I'm...you shouldn't have come," Sirius said hoarsely. He was still shaking; Voldemort must have done more than force him to see his boggart. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"Just get up," Harry said, helping his godfather to his feet.

"How touching. The boy is helping his godfather. Wormtail, isn't this absolutely touching?" Wormtail laughed, his squeaky voice pounding in his ears.

"Shut up," Harry yelled. Voldemort stopped laughing, and glared at Harry.

"What did you just say?" Wormtail was no longer laughing as well, suddenly looking very nervous.

"You heard me," Harry spat. "Shut up." Voldemort glared at Harry, giving him a shrewd, calculating look.

"You have bravery, boy," Voldemort laughed. "Stupid, foolish bravery, but you have it. I will not hasten to destroy you just yet. There is more business that needs attending. Wormtail, fetch Malagar and our host; I will be needing them. Wormtail bowed, and headed back into the house. Harry was looking around at the cage, wondering if it had any weak spots, any points of escape.

"You may have escaped me once this year, Harry, but you are not in Diagon Alley this time. Now you are alone."

"He's not alone," Sirius croaked, leaning against Harry for support.

"Admirable, Black, but you're as useful as Wormtail on a bad day," Voldemort snarled. "You are a pathetic creature, more pathetic than Wormtail. How reckless was it to place your confidence in Wormtail? How stupid did you think I was? That I wouldn't have a spy in your little group, in the Marauders, as you called yourselves? You thought you could outsmart me, Black, but in the end, I am the one who has outsmarted you."

"You'll never win, Voldemort," Sirius yelled, brandishing his name like a whip. "You're nothing but a coward."

"Coward?" Voldemort cackled. "I killed the Potters myself!" "Only because Dumbledore wasn't there to stop you," Harry yelled. "You're so afraid of Dumbledore you had your servants infiltrate Hogwarts because you're too afraid of trying yourself."

"Dumbledore is nothing," Voldemort said, approaching the cage once again. "Dumbledore has handed me the advantage of this war on a silver platter. He allowed me to poison the Longbottoms so that he couldn't find the Orb of Power. It was Dumbledore who could not see that Lucius had infiltrated Hogwarts. Dumbledore is nothing but an old man on the cusp of death."

"Well now Lucius is in Azkaban," Harry said triumphantly. "You lost one of your main supporters in the Ministry."

"What does that matter, when I have the minister himself in my service?" Voldemort asked with a smile, a cold, mirthless smile that chilled Harry's blood. "Surely you realize that I no longer need Lucius?"

"I'm sure he didn't know you felt that way," Harry responded icily.

"Nor did it matter if he did," Voldemort said. "Ah, it appears that company has arrived. The door to the house opened, and Wormtail came into the backyard, followed by a rather haggard looking Minister Fudge and a stooped witch wearing blood red robes.

"Welcome Cornelius, Malagar. My guest of honor has arrived."

"Very good," Malagar said in her screeching voice. Harry stared in contempt at the woman, whose face was veiled. Why was she still hiding her true identity, everyone knew who she was. "After all of our mishaps, I was sure the remains of your tattered plan would fail as well."

"You speak some truth," Voldemort said darkly. "Lucius' dragon sentinel did not go as planned. The first creature in our plan failed abysmally. Then again...the boggart did do the trick." Harry felt a pang in his heart. "Wormtail here knows Black so well; he knew that the boggart would be the boy's mother."

"Thank you, My Lord," Wormtail said, bowing.

"And your role is not to be ignored, Cornelius. You have done well to assist me in my planning. You have one last task to perform until you have fully re-entered my favor." Harry expected Fudge to bow, but he merely stood in his place. Harry noticed that his face looked rather pale, and he had lost the jovial manner that usually inhabited his person.

"It seems, Lord, that the proverbial cat has got his tongue," Malagar said scratchily. Voldemort cackled, his laugh ripping through the night air, an unnatural and unholy sound. Harry recoiled, and looked at Sirius. Sirius looked rather weak himself, but he seemed to be gathering his strength. If they made a move, if ever there was an opportunity, it would have to be quick.

"Well, now is the time to be done with this," Voldemort said, looking at Harry. "Give me the Orb of Power."

"No," Harry responded, holding the Orb tightly in his hand. To give Voldemort the Orb would be to allow him to find the next object in the chain, letting him make one more step towards immortality. He could not get it.

"I said, give me the Orb," Voldemort snarled.

"And I said no," Harry responded, backing away from the cage, his wand pointed at Voldemort.

"You dare defy me?" Voldemort said slowly, twirling his wand.

"Yes, I dare defy you, Lord," Harry responded. "You're not going to lay one half-blood finger on this Orb." Harry saw Wormtail flinch and recoil, as if he was smacked in the face. He saw Malagar twitch, but in a manner that he couldn't quite explain. Fudge merely stood still as stone, looking fainter than ever. Voldemort chose to ignore Harry's comment.

"I will take it by force if I must," Voldemort said, approaching the cage. There was something on Voldemort's forehead, but he couldn't quite make it out. Harry squinted...it was too dark. He backed up even more.

"There's no where to run, boy. Give me the Orb, and I will spare your godfather."

"You're not getting the Orb." Sirius was still holding on to Harry.

"Don't give it to him, Harry," he whispered. Harry was making decisions in rapid succession. Lucius never made his way to the Astronomy Tower, so he couldn't know what the next object in the chain is. Voldemort hasn't used it yet, which is why he wants the Orb. Malagar used it once, at St. Mungo's, but that was for her own purposes. While the cage was up, Harry was safe from Voldemort. Trapped, yes, but safe. He had to keep the cage up as long as possible. Voldemort held up his wand, and Harry held the Orb out to his side.

"If you take down the cage, I'll smash it," Harry said. Voldemort stopped mid-spell, his eyes widened in shock. Wormtail looked very frightened. Fudge was looking rather dazed, hardly holding himself up. Malagar shifted uncomfortably, her limp more pronounced than ever.

"If you smash it, I'll kill the both of you," Voldemort responded coolly. Harry couldn't tell if there was a trace of panic in Voldemort's voice, but decided to press on anyhow.

"You'll do it anyways," Harry responded. "I might as well destroy it while I can." Harry, looking desperately for an exit, began to realize that there was no escape. Giving Sirius a defeated look, Harry resolved himself and decided that he might as well thwart Voldemort one more time before he fell to his hands. "You'll never grow to immortality, Voldemort."

"Don't do it, Potter," Voldemort said, advancing towards the cage.

"I only have two more words for you, Voldemort," Harry said, with a triumphant smile. The silence that filled the air was tense. Harry's skin prickled, as if lightening was about to strike.

"Sod off." Harry smiled and winked at Voldemort. And with that, Harry broke the chain that held the Orb around his neck, and threw the Orb to the ground. The Orb seemed to fall forever, taking its time as it sped towards breaking. Harry watched the Orb shatter on the ground. The glass sprinkled into the grass, and the twinkling energy that once made the Orb shimmer faded into nothing.

"Oops," Harry said, expecting to see a look of fury on Voldemort's face. However, what he saw was a flicker of a smile.

"I'll kill you for that, Harry Potter. But tell me, have you used the Orb?"

"No," Harry lied quickly. Voldemort's smile became wider.

"Liar. I can always tell when someone is lying to me. You've used it. Perhaps you know the next object in the chain."

"I don't," Harry said again, honestly this time. However, Voldemort was not convinced.

"I happen to be very skilled in the art of Legilimency, a form of magic that allows me to penetrate your deepest thoughts and dreams. Let's see if your memory holds the answer." Harry was about to protest, when Voldemort looked into Harry's eyes. Harry felt his body go rigid. He tried to look away from Voldemort, but he couldn't move. Harry could hear Sirius somewhere far away, but all he could see was Voldemort's red eyes, poring into his mind, breaking through his resistance. He felt weak; his body was trying to crumple to the ground. But it seemed as if his Voldemort's eyes were holding him up, against his will. Just as suddenly as his body went rigid, Harry loosened up, and collapsed to the ground. His scar was burning more intensely than it had ever burned before. Sirius was crouching over him.

"So...so..." Voldemort whispered, his teeth clenched in fury. "So you do not know where the object is. I should have known."

"Yes, yes you should have," Harry muttered, rubbing his scar.

"I also should have known you were a traitor." Voldemort turned his wand on Malagar. "You used the Orb and did not tell me."

"I beg your forgiveness," Malagar said with a sick smile on your face.

"You beg forgiveness? It will not be granted," Voldemort snarled. "Now what possible question had to be asked of the Orb that usurped my necessities, Malagar?"

"A question that is none of your concern, Voldemort," Malagar snarled, her wand ready. Wormtail looked pale with fright.

"Sirius, stay down," Harry whispered.

"What are you going to do?" Sirius croaked.

"Take advantage of the situation," Harry responded.

"The cage is still up," Sirius responded.

"Don't worry about it, I have a feeling it'll be gone before long," Harry whispered. Harry stood on his feet, hoping that an opportunity for escape presented itself.

"What pathetic notion has seeded itself in your brain, what concept has disillusioned you into thinking you can betray me?" Voldemort snarled. Harry couldn't wait to hear the answer to this one. What was Figg playing at, betraying both Voldemort and Dumbledore? Perhaps she infiltrated Voldemort's circle in an attempt to assist Dumbledore?

"Just the concept that I've gotten what I need, and I no longer need you," Malagar screeched back. "You and your worthless mission for immortality are nothing, Voldemort. I've seen your kind come and go over the years. There is nothing that is special about you, nothing that will resolve this conflict. So I will resolve it for you." Malagar waved her wand and the cage disappeared.

"Potter is mine!" Voldemort shrieked.

"No, he is mine." Malagar pointed her wand at Harry. "Avada Kedavra!" Harry watched as the curse streaked towards him. A force behind him slammed him to the ground. Blue light filled his eyes, and he closed them, feeling heat all around him. He looked up and saw a witch standing over him, and he realized that it was his mysterious bodyguard, his guardian angel, saving him once again.

"You shall not harm the Potter boy," the witch said above him, in a voice that was strangely familiar.

"And who, might I ask, are you?" Voldemort responded, temporarily ignoring Malagar's betrayal and assessing the stranger.

"I cannot believe you have come here," Malagar whispered.

"You will most kindly shut up," the witch said above Harry, the voice becoming clearer and clear. Surely it couldn't be...

"What is your name, so that I know who to add to the list of my vanquished opponents?" Voldemort snarled.

"Her name is..." Malagar started, but the witch above him answered first.

"Arabella Figg." Harry felt a numb shock spread through his body. How could it be? Arabella Figg was underneath Malagar's veil! Was Harry wrong to suspect her betrayal of the Order?

"The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts?" Voldemort laughed. "Surely a school teacher would not dare oppose Lord Voldemort!"

"Surely she would," Figg spat coldly. "You're a pathetic nothing."

"And why would you brave to come here? And how did you know where we were?" Voldemort asked, his voice filled with a sardonic curiosity.

"I am Harry's Custodia. I know you do not understand this, so I will dumb it down for you. I am what is foolishly called his guardian angel."

"That is most interesting," Malagar whispered. She gave Figg a cold, calculating look. "That you would stoop so low...I cannot imagine what tortures have brought you to be so meek."

"I said you will kindly shut up. I will deal with you yet," Figg said harshly. Harry could feel a sting in her words that he couldn't quite understand.

"Enough of this. This has gone on for quite long enough," Voldemort hissed. "Avada Kedavra!" There was a crackle of energy, a flash of blue light, and Figg was gone. The Killing Curse was flung harmlessly. Figg appeared behind Malagar, and grabbed onto the hag. The hag screeched, and with a flash of blue light, the two of them were gone. Harry took advantage of Voldemort's distraction.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted, a red jet of light streaking towards Voldemort. Voldemort dodged the spell just in time, and shot a spell at Harry, a long, silver streak. It hit Harry squarely across the chest, sending him soaring backwards, his body rocked with pain. Harry hit the ground hard, and to his surprise, Voldemort was on the ground as well. Where was Figg? She had not yet returned, and Harry desperately needed help. If he sent a flare up, he could possibly get help.

"Master...what has happened?" Wormtail shrieked, running over to his master. Voldemort was struggling to get up. Harry pointed his wand to the sky.

"Illuminate!" he shouted, sending a red flare high into the sky. The flare burst, illuminating the back yard, and Harry saw, with horror, that Voldemort had a lightening scar on his forehead.

"What..." Harry said, but words failed him. Harry felt his scar twinge, and he instinctively reached up and touched it. He saw Voldemort do the same. What was going on? How did Voldemort get a scar like his?
"Impossible," Voldemort bellowed, standing up. Harry stood up too, knowing full well that he now had a protection that he never knew he had. Voldemort couldn't touch him; whatever spell hit Harry, it also hit Voldemort. Harry remembered back to Diagon Alley, when Hermione put the Adjunctis Curse on Voldemort. It was the same concept, which evened up the score between Harry and Voldemort. Wormtail pointed his wand at Harry.

"I'll kill him, Master," Wormtail said, but Voldemort reached over and lowered Wormtail's wand.

"No, you fool, you'll kill us both!" Voldemort shrieked. Voldemort looked from Harry to Sirius, and he pointed his wand at Sirius. Harry jumped in front of his godfather.

"Stay behind me, Sirius," Harry shouted.

"Be careful," Sirius croaked. Voldemort reached over, grabbed

Wormtail's arm, and pressed his finger to the Dark Mark. Harry saw Voldemort stride over to Fudge, who was still struggling to keep his balance. "Do something, Cornelius."

"The flower supplies the power in the very highest tower," Cornelius said, and started to giggle hysterically. "You're in trouble, Mister."

"I...I think I overdid...the...the...Im..Imperius Curse," Wormtail stuttered. Voldemort roared again with fury.

"You sniveling little failure! Where are the rest of my servants?" Voldemort looked up at the house and cursed. "Damn this place!"

"Where are your followers now, Voldemort?"

"They cannot Apparate here, you fool. How did that witch do it, but not my servants?" Voldemort cursed. His wand was pointing uselessly at Harry, but it was in vain. Magic could not be a weapon here.

"Enough of this, I'll finish you once and for all." Voldemort strode towards Harry. Sirius pushed Harry out of the way in order to stand between Harry and the dark wizard. Voldemort lifted Sirius by the throat, and threw him across the yard. Harry watched in horror as Sirius crashed into the fence, and collapsed to the ground.

"Now, Harry, I will tear you to pieces with my bare hands," Voldemort snarled. He advanced on Harry. Harry pointed his wand at Voldemort, trying to think of a spell that would help him out of the situation. Voldemort leaped forward, but Harry was quicker. Harry dove and rolled, hitting a sprint. Wormtail waved his wand, and Harry felt his legs being tripped from under him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Voldemort fall at the same time.

"Do nothing, Wormtail!" Voldemort shrieked. Wormtail strode over to Harry and picked him up with a gloved hand. It was powerful, unnaturally powerful for a man of Wormtail's stature. He began to choke him; his hand was a vice around Harry's throat.

"Now you meet your end, Harry," Wormtail said squeakily.

"Not today," Harry gasped, and kicked out with his feet. He caught Wormtail in the gut, sending the bald man back. Harry dropped to the ground hard; the fall knocked the wind out of him. He heard shouts from the house, and he knew that the Death Eaters were on their way. He had no more time.

Wormtail advanced on Harry once again. Harry stood to fight, and he saw Sirius running towards Wormtail. He changed into his bear-like Animagus form, and he snarled. He leaped in midair, and Harry watched in horror as Wormtail waved his wand, and sent a green streak towards Sirius.

"LOOK OUT!" Harry screamed, but it was too late. With a rushing sound, the black dog fell silently out of the air, and hit the ground. Sirius was dead.

Harry felt as if his life too had left his body. He fell to his knees, his wand pointing uselessly towards the ground. Sirius was dead. The words seemed to echo through his brain. Harry felt nothing but emptiness as he looked at the body, the body of a man who spent his life caged as an animal. It was not fitting, it wasn't right. It wasn't fair. Harry felt tears flow down his eyes as he stared at the Death Eaters streaming into the backyard. It was over. All over.

"Two down, one to go," Wormtail hissed, kicking the body of Sirius. Harry staggered to his feet, feeling nothing in his body, only looking at Wormtail as if in a new light. Wormtail looked at Harry, as if daring him to attack. Wormtail approached Harry.

"You want to say something, Harry?" Voldemort was cackling in the background.

"Wormtail has grown some courage, hasn't he? He has grown some Gryffindor courage, if I'm not mistaken," Voldemort shrieked.

"Nothing, Harry?" Wormtail responded. Harry spit in his face. Wormtail wiped the spit off of his face, and gave him a surprised look.

"You owe me," Harry whispered, so that Voldemort couldn't hear him. Wormtail looked nervous again, anxiously looking at the face of Voldemort, probably for any sign that he heard.

"It's time," Voldemort said. A hand grabbed the back of Harry's robes. "It's time you expired, Harry Potter." Harry saw a burst of flames open before him, and a group of wizards appeared, all holding on to a phoenix, wreathed in flame. It was the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry felt himself pushed to the ground as curses erupted all around him. There were yells, jeers, incantations thrown pell-mell into the air. The first battle of the Second War had begun.