Duel

"Of course." Malgino stepped forward. Many death eaters looked at him surprised but he ignored them and looked at Chris. "It started when almost two years ago, I found out that a eleven years old girl in Hogwarts had killed the ancient giant Basilisk of the great Salazar Slytherin himself. I was shocked at first and then I started to gather information about the event, as I had a lovely relationship with Hogwarts in the past. You see, I'm one of among the first students in Hogwarts, the four great Hogwarts founders have educated me."

Few death eaters exchanged worried glances. Now they were looking very interested and at the same time a little scared. Chris's gaze was fixed on Malgino.

"So when I found the story behind the Basilisk getting killed, I discovered that the heir of Great Salazar Slytherin was none other than Lord Voldemort, the most dangerous and powerful wizard of all time." Malgino smiled at the crowd. "I was living at America at that time. I gathered all information about him and decided to help him. It took months, but at last we found him, talked about our ambitions, aims and mutual interests. Then Stormy and Ethan gathered all information about the famous Harry Potter, the old death eaters, Ministry employees many more important things. Based on those informations, we knew Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic, knew something big. So when she was near Albania, we captured her and she told us that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help Voldemort, if we could only contact him. She told us many things . . . but the means Voldemort used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when we had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. She had now served her purpose. I disposed of her."

Malgino smiled a ruthless smile.

"Now it was time for reach for the faithful death eater and prepare for my friend's rebirth. But first my friend needed to be strong enough to travel, well it wasn't very much difficult. Few potions of my inventions and few spells of his inventions and that's it. And then we travelled here for his rebirth."

Voldemort smiled his terrible smile.

"I knew that to achieve this... it is an old piece of Dark Magic, the potion that revived me tonight — I would need three powerful ingredients. My father's bone, naturally, meant that we would have to come here, where he was buried." Voldemort said. "Servant's flesh, it was difficult as my one of my faithful servants was in to Hogwarts, and the other three were in Azkaban. But then, my friend Kazle's two faithful followers, who were taking care of me, agreed to take me as their master. First it was Ethan, who was going to perform the ritual but then Stormy did a big mistake by trusting a Ministry employe like Ludo Bagman and to redeem herself she took Ethan's place and gave flesh for my resurrection."

Almost instantly every death eaters turned to look at Stormy, who was still standing there with a blank face.

"Next thing was the blood of a foe.... Kazle suggested many people.... Any wizard who had hated me . . . as so many of them still do. But I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Harry Potter's blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago . . . for the lingering protection his mother once gave him would then reside in my veins too. . . . But how to get at Harry Potter? For he has been better protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy's future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy's protection as long as he is in his relations' care. Not even I can touch him there. . . ."

In that moment something crossed Malgino's old eyes. Voldemort didn't notice it but Chris did.

"Then, of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup. . . . I thought his protection might be weaker there, away from his relations and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take him?" Voldemort continued. "Why . . . by using Bertha Jorkins's information, of course. Use my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure that the boy's name was entered into the Goblet of Fire. But then as Kazle expected, this girl started getting in our way. But Kazle's creature was ready. He was the only creature, other than Phoenix, which can Disappearate from Hogwarts. Of course, it was Kazle's own created creature. So my faithful death eater just needed to convince that big oaf Hagrid, to include our creature in the last task. He did and the creature brought them here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore's help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here he is . . . the boy you all believed had been my downfall. . . ."

Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Harry. He raised his wand.

"Crucio!"

Harry screamed in pain.

"But now you'll think, why I went through so much trouble to help your lord," Malgino said to the death eaters. "I'll say that I believe a true powerful wizard like him shouldn't go in waste like that. But I won't say, that I didn't had any profit in this. It would a unbelievable lie. My profit was, that little eleven years old girl."

Malgino turned to Chris.

"So brave, so ambitious, so wise, yet a soft-hearted. Went to kill a Basilisk just to save a girl she barely knew for a year."

Malgino was looking at Chris pitifully.

"And now struggling to death because of another stupid fourteen years old boy. I warned you, didn't I?" Malgino was now standing in front of Chris. "I warned you at the World Cup to go away, not to come back or else you'll die like this stupid boy Harry Potter. But you ignored my warning, you went back to school, you tried to fail every plan Voldemort and I made."

Chris felt all gazes at her, including Harry and Cedric.

"But you forgot you're still a thirteen years old girl and I've lived thousand lives. So I used your skills against you. I knew if something goes wrong with the championship, if you feel something is wrong, you'll not sit quietly. You'll pull some heroics and see where your heroics brought you?" Malgino laughed a cruel laugh. "As my friend Voldemort always says, you kids are courageous but foolish."

All of them started to laugh, the death eaters, Voldemort, Malgino and Ethan. Stormy was still expressionless. Harry and Cedric was staring at Chris.

"What do you want, Malgino?" Chris said with a frustrated tone.

She was sure by now that, if Malgino just wanted Chris to be dead, he could've killed her by now, but he didn't. That means he needs something from her and before that he wasn't going to kill her.

Hearing her, almost instantly the laugh stopped.

"Ah! My old name... haven't heard it for ages now. I remember, it was my birth name, my mother gave it to me. The founders used to call me by this name." Malgino sighed. "I had hopes, that they'll understand, and choose me as their successor but.... anyway if I've lived so long, I'll take what's mine. The founders keys. I need the keys from you."

Chris felt like he was trying to get inside her head as he stares at her. Chris gathered her all courage and acting skills, then said,

"I don't know what're you talking about."

Malgino smiled.

"I expected that much. Very well." He looked very pleased. "Voldemort, I'll start the ritual then."

"Of course." Voldemort replied looking at Harry. "And you'll need a dead person for that as I remember."

Malgino nodded.

"But, first, I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance. He will be allowed to fight, and you will be left in no doubt which of us is the stronger." Voldemort's snake like face twisted in a terrible smile. "Is that alright, Kazle?"

To answer his question, Malgino smiled and waved his wand and the cord around Harry released him. He dropped to the ground.

"Go on. I've some work to do." Malgino said and walked back in the dark.

Ethan thrust roughly Harry's wand into his hand and stepped back.

"You have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter?" said Voldemort softly, his red eyes glinting through the darkness.

Harry looked at Voldemort then back at Chris and Cedric.

"I wish I could help him." Cedric whispered.

Cedric didn't talk during the entire event, not after they were tied. Chris looked very surprised by his words.

"I know we don't stand a chance against them but at least we could've been fought by his side. He doesn't deserves this." Cedric whispered to Chris.

"I know. He doesn't deserves to go through this alone." Chris whispered back.

Chris looked back at Harry, who was still looking at them.

"We bow to each other, Harry," said Voldemort, bending a little, but keeping his snakelike face upturned to Harry. "Come, the niceties must be observed. . . . Dumbledore would like you to show manners. . . . Bow to death, Harry. . . ."

The Death Eaters were laughing again. Voldemort's lipless mouth was smiling. Harry turned around to face him but did not bow.

"I said, bow," Voldemort said, raising his wand — and Harry was forced to bend, and the Death Eaters laughed harder than ever.

"Very good," said Voldemort softly, and he raised his wand. "And now you face me, like a man . . . straight-backed and proud, the way your father died. . . . And now — we duel."