A/N - Well, It seems I've taken an unexpected hiatus. But the other day, when I was at the movies seeing Casino Royale, a preview for the Order of the Pheonix came on, and it was the most amazing thing ever. And that really is what inspired me to get back here and finish this story.
Chapter 22: The Myth
Harry crashed to the ground and began running before his wings had even closed. He zig zaged around people as they walked down the paths, jumping over some of the shorter ones.
"Hey, watch it, there!" Yelled a goblin that he had just glided over.
"Sorry!" He yelled half-heartedly over his shoulder. All he cared about was getting to Eve's as fast as possible and find out what she had discovered.
He propelled himself up the long drive, finally coming to a stop as he reached the front door. As he stopped to catch his breath, he heard something, very faintly, coming from behind the house.
It was music. The song seemed familiar, and it made him feel strange, like he was miles away. His surroundings blurred as the tune penetrated his mind. Slowly, he walked around the house, keeping his hand on the outside wall of the house to help him keep his balance.
Eve was there, sitting on a fallen log with her back to him. A small flute was to her mouth, and the haunting melody echoed forth from it. In front of her were the copies of the lines of music that Harry had given to her to study.
"Eve?" He breathed, "...What..." He stumbled over to her as she turned around. When the flute dropped from her mouth and the last note cleared from the air, Harry felt his senses return to him.
"Harry!" She said happily, "you're here."
"What song was that? What was it doing?" He asked.
"Doesn't it make you feel odd?" She said. "It's Requiem. Don't you remember? You've heard it before, at Nicholai's memorial..." She trailed off.
Harry suddenly remembered hearing the melody not only at the memorial, but in his dreams as well. "Oh...of course," He responded introspectively, "I guess I just...forgot..."
"But Harry, you've got to look, look what I've found here - it's so strange..."
Eve spread out the papers that were stacked in front of her. The musical staffs that he had drawn out for her had been scribbled over, erased, and scribbled over again. on a separate piece of parchment, numbers were writen down in columns.
"It took me days, but it's actually quite simple, really." She said joyfully. "It's all here...look-"
Eve took a quill and wrote down the numbers one through nine in a row. Below them, she wrote down three letters under one through eight, and two letters under nine.
"Thats arithmancy, simple code." Harry said.
"Right, now look-"
She took picked up the copy of Requiem. "This took me hours...eventually, I just started looking for things without any direction...and it worked." She explained, "I counted the number of lines and spaces between the note on the staff, and the bottom line. This is what I got - 9 5 4 9 4 9 4 9 1. All numbers one through nine - arithmany numbers."
"But that could mean anything-"
"It does mean something." She interupted. "Using these numbers, I started forming words with the letters they corrispond to in arithmancy, these numbers here," she said, pointing to the list she made before.
"Only one word makes sense, Harry." She said seriously.
The night was deathly quiet now. Turning the paper over, she wrote out the series of numbers. Beneath them, she wrote a word-
R E D I v I v I S
"It means..." Harry analyzed the word, "...c-come back to life?"
Eve nodded.
Harry thought for a moment, then he leaned back, sitting on the ground with his mouth hanging open in disbelief. He stared into the night sky, so many thoughts going through his head - all the months of studying, working to crack what was hidden in the journal, searching for what could make him mortal again. It was here, right in front of him. He finally knew what to do.
"You really did it, didn't you Eve?" He said in disbelief.
"I think so." She beamed.
Harry ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head back and forth. "This is amazing!" He yelled, "Eve, you are wonderful, I can't believe you figured it out! Finally....after all this time...maybe I have a chance..."
"Wait, that isn't all, Harry." Eve said, "That was just Requiem....Theres much more in Nocturne."
He leaned forward, looking eagerly at her paperwork. "You see, the spell Ridivivis in Requiem, is a countercurse for just one person," She explained, "That means that just you can become human again, even if no one else wants to...its a spell for a single entity."
This knowledge filled him with even more joy. It was something that had been worrying him for weeks - even if he could, and needed, to become human again, how would he if everyone else must be effected by it as well? But now, with this news, this fear dissipated.
"In Nocturne is the spell to return all vampires to real, mortal life." She said, "I used the same system to crack this code as in Requiem - Omnis Mortali Factus - All become moral."
"So if everyone found out about this, and they wanted it to be this way, they could all become mortal again," Harry said, "the curse would be lifted from us all."
"Exactly." Eve confirmed.
Harry sat in silent reverie for a moment. Suddenly, he felt filled with hope. Suddenly, the worry that he carried on his shoulders became a little less burdensome. He felt like he had a chance again, there was possibility in his success.
"What do you want to do, Harry?" Eve asked, watching him, seeing the longing in his eyes.
But now that he thought about it, about performing the spell and removing the curse that he had become accustomed to...he was scared. He hated to admit it to himself, but he was. He looked down at the word on the parchment. "I..."
"We don't know what is going to happen." Eve said, seeing the fear enter his eyes. "We might wait...if you want to do this, you don't have to do it immediately."
For that confirmation, he was grateful. He wanted to wait, think it over, or ask Ron and Hermione what they thought of it. He wanted them all to be there when it happened.
"Okay, we'll wait then. Maybe I can ask Professor Dumbledore about it as well." He said. Eve nodded.
"That's probably a good idea. He may know more about curses and things." She replied "Here, copy these down and take them with you. I'll keep the originals. Perhaps you can show the spell to Dumbledore and he will know more about it."
Harry wrote the words down on a spare piece of parchment and stowed it in his robe pocket.
"Eve...thank you so much." He said. "I could never have figured this out myself."
"I'm happy I could help you." She replied, smiling. She looked up at the sky; the moon was slowly decending from its peak.
"You aught to head back home and get some rest. Morning is approaching soon."
He kissed her. "I'll contact you soon."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He was in a small room, and he wasn't alone. In the corner was a man, hunched over a table littered with parchment and crude bottles of ink. This place was old, too old. There was a primitive feel to the small, cramped space.
The man was writing something, frequently refering to a piece of parchment on the wall. There was a hungry, nervous look in his eye as he adorned the page with a final flourish, and set down his quill. He breathed a sigh of relief, picking up the parchment and glancing over it, seeming satisfied.
A few moments later, there was a knock on the old wood door. The man started, nearly knocking over the crude vial of ink.
"Who's there?" He grunted from his chair.
"A friend." Replied a silky voice from beyond the door. The man's eyes grew wide as he quickly put everything in it's place and hurried to the door.
"My Lord." He whispered with a bow before the shady figure at the door. He stood aside to give him room to enter, but the man seemed to have no intentions of doing so.
"Is it nearly complete?" Asked the shadows. "I'm getting impatient and wish to begin."
The composer nodded. "Oh yes, My Lord, it is just as you asked." Quickly tredding over to the table at which he had been working, the man picked up the sheet of parchment, now adorned with two musical staffs. "They are both here. One for a single soul, and one for them all...should ever such a thing be needed."
"Ah...excellent. I thank you greatly, Debrus." A dark hand extended from the shadow and took the parchment from him. "Now, destroy the copy I gave you, and let us never speak of this again."
"But My Lord, what if it-"
"It will never be needed."
The scene melted away abruptly, interupted. Now he saw clear night sky, moon hovering above like a silent watcher. A grand house could be seen in the distance. Suddenly, a crack echoed through the air. Five or six figures appeared in the center of a large clearing. Punching and kicking, fumbling uselessly with wands, they struggled to keep something restrained on the ground. For a moment, their captive got the advantage, and threw off his attackers.
Vlamdmir burst from the crowd, wings outstretched in an enormous span. There was fury in his eyes.
"Murderers!" He yelled. His sword had been cast some twenty feet away, yet he continued to fight, and for a moment he overpowered them.
"Get it out!" One of the robed men demanded of another. He fumbled at his pocket and pulled out a small box. From within it, he withdrew a glistening chain. Vladmir yelled in rage, continuing to resist those that he called murderers, but his progressing weakness was evident.
Vladmir struggled, punching anyone near him, fighting with every ounce of strength he possessed. He hated these people, he wanted to kill them, he wanted to warn his friends of what was so near.
They managed to get the chain around his neck, and his fight was over. They attacked him once again, as if he were some horrible beast they had been hunting for a long, long time.
Harry felt himself ripped from the comfort of sleep. His mind screamed in protest at the abrupt awakening. His head was splitting and his eyes screwed up against the light. "Vladmir!" He yelled as the silence from his dorm finally became apparent. He stopped his thrashing as the pain subsided to a dull throb, which seemed to fuel some alien will within him.
"What the bloody hell?" He questioned as he held his throbing head.
He wanted to get up out of bed, but the light that he knew existed beyond his dark curtains restrained his first efforts.
Suddenly, his vision went black again and an image of Vladmir's face entered his mind. His expression was familiar to Harry. Vladmir was staring into the night sky, his eyes surprised but calm, his bottom lip quivering in shock, just as a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth. Harry knew that look because he had experienced the one and only thing that could put a look such on any vampire's face.
Finally, he thrust himself out from behind the curtains and fell to the floor. The light, though dim, seared his pale skin as though it were on fire. Crawling over to his trunk, he pulled out a black, hooded robe, and pulled it over his head.
Immediately, relief washed over him as the robe guarded his head from the light, but his head still felt fit to burst. His mind was clouded, and he was unable to think of what to do next. He continued to lay there on the floor, gasping for breath.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ron and Hermione sat relaxing in the overstuffed chairs in the common room, surrounded by other members of their year. Dusk was swiftly approaching and orange sunlight cascaded into the room.
"I'm so glad tests are over," Said Ron, "No more studying...no more work...wonderful."
"Doesn't it bother you it all that our time at Hogwarts is almost over?" Hermione asked, a longing look in her eye that showed her answer to her question.
"...Not really." Replied Ron.
"Exactly." Supplied Seamus, "We're completely done. Nothing left to do now but graduate and move on."
"What do you plan on moving on to, Seamus?" Hermione asked curiously.
"I dunno...I think I'd like to be a Mediwizard, maybe." he answered, "I used to want to be a Hit Wizard, maybe work in the Magical Law Enforcement Squad, but then all this crazy stuff started happening at the Ministry. I definitely don't want anything to do with that."
"Yes...they are a bit...unreliable anymore," Said Hermione," but maybe some new faces could get in there and turn things around. Oblivously those people that are there now aren't doing too great a job."
"Dad just doesn't get it," Ron added to the conversation, "He says everything goes just like it always has, like nothing at all is wrong, but something is clearly amiss."
"Without a doubt." Agreed Dean.
"Hey, Ron, did you see this article in the new Quidditch Monthly?" Semus asked, handing the magazine over Hermione's head.
"Oh yea, I did." Ron said, taking the magazine from him. "Hey, do you mind if I borrow this, I wanted to show Harry this bit about the seeker from Cornwall. He should be waking up in a few minutes." He said, glancing out the window at the setting sun.
"Yea, no problem." Semus replied as Ron stood and stretched.
"I'm gonna go wait for him."
Ron took the magazine and jumped up the stairs two at a time like he always did. Pushing the door to his room open, he strode over to his bed and fell down upon it, opening the copy of Quidditch Monthly to a new article.
After a few minutes, the sky outside the window became dark. With a lazy flick of his wand, the candles in the room sprang to life.
"Hey, Harry, do you plan on waking up tonight?" He asked from behind his magazine. When he received no reply, he looked up towards Harry's bed.
"Harry? Are you awake?" He asked. He got up and walked over to the curtained bed. Pulling back the curtains, he gasped in surprise.
Harry was gone.
Several thoughts ran through Ron's head. He had been in the room since before the sun had set and he never saw Harry get up. Even if he had, he would have said something to Ron who was clearly sitting there. He had even seen Harry that morning when he came in to go to bed. Ron was just waking up when Harry had fallen into his bed and pulled the curtains closed with an uncharacteristic smile on his face. The only thing he could think of was that something had happened during the night.
Walking around to the other side of the bed, he found an overturned bottle of ink and a quill laying on the floor. He turned and sprinted out of the dorm room, and flew back down the stairs to the common room where Hermione still sat.
"Hermione." He said. She looked up at him, seeing his urgent expression. "Come here."
He turned and ran back up the stairs, Hermione following him.
"Ron, what is it?" She asked as she entered the dorm room.
"Hermione, Harry is gone." Ron replied. "Something's happened."
"Wait, what? How do you know he didn't get up earlier?"
"I've been in here since before the sun set. He couldn't have gotten up without me seeing him." Ron replied, "And I know he was here. I saw him this morning when he was just getting back."
Hermione came over to the bed, pulling the curtains back to look for herself. "...Maybe we should tell Professor Dumbledore."
"Oh, and also, theres a broken bottle of ink on the floor over there. What do you suppose that is about?" Ron said. The pair of them walked to the other side of the bed. Looking up from the ink and quill on the floor, Hermione saw a note on the table by the open window. The writing was scribbled and barely legible.
She picked it up and read the messy writing without a word.
Ron and Hermione,
Something has happened. I don't know what is going on, but something is going to happen to Vladmir in the very near future. I was awoken sometime in the afternoon by a nightmare. He was there, being attacked by death eaters, and it was real. It was very real.
It hurts so much to be awake. The light is burning, but something keeps me from returning to sleep. I have to help Vladmir, and I need your help.
Last night, Eve found the countercurses. She found the incantations hidden within the music. I have a feeling that what has been inevitable for so long is about to become reality. I have a feeling that tonight will be the last night I will have to deal with that monster, something tells me it will be the last time I will have to face him, either by my will, or by his.
That is why I need your help. I know I could not stop you from following me, which is why I am asking you to do this. In my trunk are the countercurses. If you find me, you must perform the countercurse on me. It is the only chance I have. I can't fight like this, I barely have enough strength to write this message.
I don't know what the reprecussions of the spell will be, but what other choice do I have?
Vladmir was taken to Malfoy Manor. That's where I'll be.
Harry
"Oh no..." Ron whispered.
"We need to tell Dumbledore, if he doesn't already know." Hermione turned to him.
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Ron, not only is Harry in danger, but Vladmir, a member of the Order, has been kidnapped. Professor Dumbledore is responsible for the safety of his members." She explained. "...And don't you see, Harry thinks this is it...he needs help, he can't do it by himself. We have to get to him and Vladmir as quickly as possible."
Ron sighed. "Alright...lets go then."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A shadow stumbled across a wide lawn. The sun had set, and Harry had gained most of his strength back, but the trauma had caused injuries that would take time to heal.
Malfoy Manor was across the field, on the top of a small hill. The sky had become cloudy since he had seen it in his dreams, and the moon was now hidden.
As he crossed towards the mansion, he came upon a place in the field where the grass had been harshly trampled. He pulled his cloak tighter around him and jumped up from the ground, speeding through the air towards the house.
Vladmir was here somewhere. Somewhere with a silver chain around his neck. Harry knew that feeling, he knew what hot silver felt like when it was just inches away from your skin. It was the worst feeling in the world -- like your insides were melting. He had to find him and get him out of here, hopefully without causing a disturbance; but Harry knew better than that.
It had been tough getting out of Gryffindor Tower. He had had to crawl down the side of the castle, and in his weakened state, it had taken him nearly twenty minutes. When he had reached the bottom, he rested for a long time. All he had wanted to do was find some dark place to hid, to sleep and rest. The daylight had been so painful and it had weakened him considerably.
But then the moon had risen. Its illumination filled him with spirit and hope. It gave him the strength he needed to the gate and from there, apparate to Malfoy Manor.
As he neared the mansion, his scar began to ache. Voldemort was close by. Harry realized with a pang of horror that he hadn't taken his potions that evening - he had been too preoccupied to remember to take them. He stopped in his tracks when it became all too evident that it was completely possible for Voldemort to possess him.
'I can't leave Vladmir.' He thought.
What would they want with Vladmir? Had they found out that he had been spying on them in the charred rubble of the Ministry? Did Vladmir know something he wasn't supposed to?
'...Of course...' Harry realized. Vladmir did know something. In his dream, Vladmir had been screaming. Murderers, he had yelled at the Death Eaters restraining him. Were they the ones who had killed Nicholai?
It seemed to make sense now. Nicholai had been killed by those Death Eaters, and then they altered Vladmir's memory so he wouldn't remember what had happened that night. But where had the Death Eaters come from? And why didn't the Aurors stop them?
Harry's pace quickened as he skimmed across the field. Something was horribly wrong.
He reached the mansion. Finding an unlocked window, he carefully opened it and entered the house without a sound. The room he had entered was completely empty. It would be easy to remain undetected here - it was dark and the high ceilings provided plenty of places to hide. Crossing to the door, the slowly opened it and went out into the hallway.
The corridor he was in was completely deserted, yet he refused to take chances. He jumped effortlessly into the ceiling.
Yet before he had a chance to grab hold, his head erupted. He crashed into the hard floor, knocking the breath out of him.
You can't hide from me in the shadows, Potter. Voldemort's voice echoed lightly in his head. You should have kept your friends out of our business, now I have to get rid of him.
'If you do so much as point your wand at him...' Harry responded, enraged as he pulled himself up from the floor.
I Don't believe you are in too great a position to oppose me, Potter. You've just broken into a house crawling with my servants. And I can see you, everywhere you go.
'Don't think I can't stop you.' Harry pressed himself up against the wall, gasping to regain his breath.
Oh, its too late for that, anyway, Potter. My plans have been in motion for an entire year, and not you, nor Dumbledore, nor the Ministry have had a clue as to what I've been doing. And now that it's almost finished, now that I have successfully created chaos and confusion, I can put all my efforts into eliminating you. And that shouldn't be too hard.
Harry pushed the voice from his mind. "No." He whispered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Is his memory properly altered?"
"...Yes, my Lord, but..."
"Get him out of here then. They will be coming soon." The Dark Lord stood in a small room, staring out a window into the dark sky as a grim smile played on his lips. A hunched figure kneeled at his feet. "If I know Potter and his friends, they are on their way."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"May I see that letter, Miss Granger?"
Hermione leaned forward in her chair and handed Professor Dumbledore Harry's messy letter. His old eyes skimmed quickly over the words before looking up again at the two teens before him.
"I think I had better try contacting some other members of the Order." Dumbledore said, standing up and moving to his window.
"First we need to discover if Vladmir has in fact been taken from his post at the Ministry. Then, we need to find Harry."
Ron and Hermione had been waiting for Dumbledore to tell them to go back to their common room, but he never did. Dumbledore took out his wand and flicked it towards the open window. A silver creature escaped from it and zoomed off at an incredible speed toward the south.
"And now, we must discuss this. What is this countercurse that Harry speaks of?" Dumbledore leaned upon his desk, watching them. The two exchanged glances before agreeing in silent confirmation to tell him.
"Its an incredibly long story, Professor," Hermione began, "but Harry and Eve had just recently discovered something that could turn a vampire back into a human."
"Harry's been doing research all year," Ron continued. "He found out that vampirisim was a curse that was created thousands of years ago...and they found a way to break it."
"These are the spells." Hermione handed the headmaster the parchment that Harry had written the spells on only a few hours ago. "One incantation is for just one vampire, but the other is for all of them."
A new expression passed onto Dumbledore's face. It was surprise, mixed with anxiety and uncertainty. This spell just may be the thing to give Harry the hope he needed to do what he must. But what kind of reprecussions could it have. The countercurse could do damage to him that might take him weeks or months to recuperate from. Could they really take that chance?
"He seemed incredibly eager for us to perform it, Professor." Hermione said slowly, seeing the look on her headmaster's face.
"That may be so. This spell could do a number of things, Miss Granger. I fear, that at this late hour, with Harry so close to Voldemort, performing this spell could put Harry into a state which would not allow him to fight at his fullest strength." He explained, "yet on the other hand, if it is not performed, it may only end up in stalemate, or worse..."
"Harry can't go on like this, Professor." She said, "...isn't he ready?"
"More than ever, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, "...but it is such a delicate time."
Suddenly, a silver figure, different from the one which had left the office only minutes ago, entered the window. It hovered at Dumbledore's ear for a moment, and then dissolved, it's message delivered.
"Go, get your cloaks, and meet me back here as soon as you can." He said as he turned to them. "We must hurry."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry crept down a corridor, trying to figure out what to do next. He didn't know what he would find around any corner, but much of his strength had returned, and he felt better prepared to take on any Death Eaters he might find.
Though once again, his vision was clouded over and replaced by a scene that was entirely not his own. It was the old Ministry for Magic. The rubble and charred remains lay strewn about. There was a tall figure there, completely draped in shadow, but Harry knew who it was. It was he who allowed him to see this vision. There were two masked Death Eaters there as well, one shorter than the other. His mannerisms were familiar to Harry, although he couldn't see the man's face. They carried a body between them.
It was Vladmir. His wings dragged the floor as they carried him, unconcious, down a destroyed hallway. He was dropped unceremoniously onto the floor, and left there.
Harry's own vision quickly snapped back into place when the scene ended.
There you have it Potter, Voldemort's voice filled his head again. Your vampire. I'd hurry before the silver does irreparable damage.
Harry was confused, but the images he had just seem were as real as any. He had to get to Vladmir and help him, no matter how strange the circumstances.
He ran to the nearest window he could find, threw it open, and swiftly jumped out of it. Taking a deep breath, he turned on the spot and was gone with a crack."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Professor Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione appeared at the back of Grimmauld Place. The two teens followed the headmaster up the back stairs and into the the sitting room where Mad Eye Moody and Molly Weasley were all restlessly. Professor Snape sat on one of the dusty old couches. Dumbledore immediately went to Moody, the lines on his forehead steadily becoming more prominent with every minute that passed. "Alastor, thank you for getting here on such short notice."
"Not a problem, Albus. There wasn't much going on in that trash heap." Mad Eye replied. "It was completely deserted."
"Come on, down to the kitchen." Ron and Hermione were ushered down into the kitchen by Mrs Weasley before the could hear the rest of Mad Eye and Dumbledore's conversation. Arthur, Tonks and Remus were already there. The three of them walked impatiently around the room.
"Ron, Hermione, what are you two doing here?" Arthur asked.
"Dumbledore seems to think its alright for these two to come along..." Molly said disapprovingly, but not forbidding their presence.
"We really aught to hurry." Said Remus, "Is Albus ready?"
"Yes, I am quite ready, Remus," Dumbledore responded as he decended into the kitchen, Moody behind him. "Molly, did you contact the others?"
"Yes, Albus, everyone I could find." Mrs Weasley responded.
"Excellent. Let us go, and quickly."
"Ron, Hermione, you know where to go, yes?" Remus asked them. The two nodded.
"Very good. Have your wands out, please." Dumbledore requested, moments before he disappeared.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In Harry's urgency, he missed the old Ministry of Magic by just a few feet. He appeared on a street, and a few feet to his left stood the battered, old phone booth. Pushing the door open, he blew apart the floor of the unoperational lift with a quick flourish of his wand, and dove headlong into the darkness below.
He hovered through the destroyed atrium, where just three years ago, he had traveled to his very first time for his hearing. Only two years ago, he had watched Dumbledore fight Voldemort, right next to that crumbled fountain. And less than a year ago, he himself had been possessed and forced to break into the place, of which he had no memory.
Harry recalled the vison he had seen, thinking back to the place where they had left Vladmir. Harry had been there before. It had been Vladmir and Nicholai's own department.
He glided over to the elevator shafts and dove down one of them, going down three floors before reappearing in another corridor.
"Vladmir!" Harry yelled. He felt an unconnected twinge of happiness from somewhere distant. Voldemort was doing something that was making him very happy.
Nevertheless, Harry got to his feet and ran down the corridor, peering down each hallway and into each room he passed.
Finally, on a hallway on his left, he saw a slumped figure on the ground. Turning him over, Harry found it was Vladmir.
"Vladmir!" He yelled, "Can you hear me?"
He was still wearing the silver chain around his neck. Wrapping his hand in the end of his robe, Harry quickly grabbed the chain with a gasp and threw it down the hallway.
Yet he still would not wake. Harry searched his pockets until he found a small, steel flask. He uncorked it and poured the red liquid down Vladmir's throat. Slowly but surely, his eyes opened.
"Vladmir, can you hear me?" Harry asked. Vladmir looked around for a moment, seeming confused about where he was and what was going on, but then he looked at Harry and his eyes widened.
"Harry!" He said, "no, you need to leave, you need to get out of here!" He was frantic. Harry believed him to be delusional.
"Vladmir, what is it? What's wrong?" He said, gently shaking his shoulders to try to make him calm down. "What did they do to you?"
"No, Harry, you're in danger here. They planned this, they...they..." Vladmir trailed off as if he suddenly forgot what he had been talking about. He looked around the place, distantly.
"Vladmir?" Harry asked, "What-"
"So predictable..." The voice laughed, but this time, it wasn't inside his head.
Harry's hands went numb as he looked up. At the end of the corridor stood Voldemort.
"It seems my Death Eaters can't perform a simple memory charm anymore," he snarled, "but no harm done, it doesn't really matter what you know anymore, because it's too late for you to do anything about it."
Harry was filled with so much rage, so much hate that he thought he would burst. Slowly, he stood up to face the man walking toward him.
"Is this it then?" Harry asked him, his voice shaking, not out of fear, but out of hatred. "It this what it comes to?"
"Oh no, Harry," Voldemort responded, raising his wand, "The fun is just beginning."
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