Chapter 32:Questions

"Wakey wakey."

Harry blinked against the bright light shining into his eyes, trying to focus past the dazzling beam at the two figures that loomed above him. His limbs seemed heavier than normal, his strength in abeyance and a brief flex told him that he was bound to a pillar and fully restrained.

A muffled whimpering caught his attention and he managed to turn his head enough that the bright light was no longer shining directly into his eyes. As his vision cleared, he found himself looking at Ginny Weasley, gagged and bound spread-eagled to a wooden cross.

"Welcome back, Potter." Voldemort almost purred as he walked round to stand by Ginny, who glared at him in impotent fury. Pulling out his wand, he flicked the tip at her, causing her to strain against the bonds in agony, a scream forcing its way around the gag.

"Stop!"

Ginny sagged almost bonelessly against the ropes holding her to the crossed beams as Voldemort smirked.

"As I expected. You do have a heroic nature, despite being in Ravenclaw. I have studied you in great detail. I have read the reports sent to me about you, paid close attention to all the stories in the Daily Prophet. I have even made a point of watching your games on the model table. You can tell a great deal about someone from how they play Quidditch, you know."

Harry glared at Voldemort, who grinned almost impishly before he suddenly flicked his wand at Harry.

"Crucio."

The pain lanced through him, yet Harry managed to ride the agony. Voldemort frowned as he ended the spell.

"So, you have good Occlumancy abilities, letting you withstand the pain. Excellent. The potion, if you please?"

The other figure handed over a small vial and Voldemort stepped forwards.

"You don't need to know what this potion will do, but I want you to drink it."

"And if I don't, you'll hurt Ginny, right?" Harry growled.

"Indeed." Voldemort agreed. "Conversely, I happen to know that you are friends with not only the Weasley Girl, but Heir Longbottom, Miss Lovegood and Miss Granger too. So, if you do not drink the potion, I shall torture each of them until they are simple drooling husks. On the other hand, should you drink, I willl merely have all four of them exiled, along with their families should they so desire. So long as they do not return, they shall be safe. You have my word on it."

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, then re-opened them, meeting Voldemort's calm gaze.

"Fine."

"Then as the saying goes," Voldemort smiled as he held the vial to Harry's lips, ignoring Ginny's frantic attempts to escape her bonds, "Down the hatch."

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Severus Snape looked at the dozen students he had extracted from the Great Hall with pride on his face but despair in his heart. Draco Malfoy was smirking as he finished buckling his helmet on while his two followers were simply looking rather perplexed (which made very little change from normal, in Severus' considered opinion).

Looking at the students, Severus made his choice.

"Nott, go to the kitchens and begin rousing the Elves. With the new wards in place, they'll be docile. Get them to send a feast up to the Teachers Room, then find the Obscurials and get them fed."

"Yes, Professor." Theodore bowed slightly before rushing off.

"We need lookouts on the towers…" Severus continued, his heart sinking further with each command he gave.

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In one of the dormatories, a chest slowly opened and a metallic shape rose silently from it.

.

Harry groaned as he felt his thoughts slow down and Voldemort smirked.

"It's working. Alright, Mr Potter, it's time for me to learn what you used against me the last time we met. Legilimens!"

He

found

himself in a

mindscape like he

had never seen before,

all crystal pillars at odd angles

that left him wondering just where

he was. As he walked slowly through the

glowing structure, he became aware of an odd

sound. Looking around, his eyes widened as a strange

floating suit of armor approached. You are not welcome in

this place, Tom Riddle. Voldemort backed away from the thing as

it approached him, energy coruscating around its fists, energy that he

somehow knew would, at the least, be very painful if it managed to touch him

Voldemort staggered backwards as he wrenched his mind out from Potter's Mindscape.

"What in Salazar's name…?" He gasped. "That potion should have left your mind open!"

Harry chuckled despite the headache that was threatening to knock him out. "You miscalculated, Tom. You thought… I used… the same form… of Occlumency as… everyone else."

"I did." Voldemort admitted, then he shrugged. "Not that it matters, much. You'll be dead soon and since it'll be due to the potion that I brewed myself, it'll have been by my hand. The Prophecy will be completed."

Harry shook his head. "Tom… lean closer."

Intrigued, Voldemort did so and Harry whispered six words that caused Voldemort to pale.

"I. Was. Adopted. By. The. Potters."

Voldemort's face paled. "But… that would mean… No! NO! NO! You lie!"

Harry shook his head. "The real Harry… was stillborn… because of a spell… cast by one of… your Death Eaters, Tom. James and Lily... blood-adopted me. The real Harry… is buried… beside his parents."

Tom let out a wordless howl of fury, then he pulled out his wand.

"Crucio!"

Harry's world seemed to explode into pain, agony which lasted almost an eternity before it finally stopped, leaving him so exhausted that the only thing that held him up was the ropes that secured him.

"To hell with you!" Voldemort snarled. "You shall die here and when you are dead, I shall turn your corpse into an Inferi and use it to slaughter your friends! Walden, come!"

Voldemort stormed out of the dungeon, his minion scuttling along behind him and the door swung shut. Harry closed his eyes, then an inquisitive grunt made him roll his head and look up. From where she was bound, Ginny gave him a pleading look.

.

.

"We have scouting parties all around Hogwarts, along with Apparition points." Amelia Bones reported as she strode up to Albus, who was casting diagnostic spells at the Wards. "If anyone tries to get out, we'll have more than enough warning to intercept."

"The light from afar may yet fall in defence of others." One of the centaurs flanking the gate noted, earning a confused look from Amelia. "Our blades are ready to protect your colts when the Last Son makes his move."

"I… don't know." Albus admitted in response to the silent plea for a translation that Amelia sent him.

"Harry's been tortured by Riddle." Luna stated and both adults turned to look at her.

"And… how do you know that?" Amelia finally asked.

"Jorel told me." Luna stated, showing her watch. "He said he was sending help."

A sudden burst of screams announced the arrival of the help in question and Luna turned with a wide grin.

"Hello SssSthss!"

"Hello, Luna." The giant Basilisk replied as the collected Aurors slowly re-emerged from the undergrowth. Amelia looked round and sighed.

"Someone track down the Aurors who apparated out and bring them back." She snarled. "You… Sssss-ssss-sss… gah! Basilisk, how did you get here?"

"Jor-El ssent me to help capture the interloperss." SssSthss explained calmly.

"And we are honored to have you by our side." Albus interjected smoothly. "However, may I ask that you try not to kill anyone if possible?"

"If they are dead, they cannot ansswer quesstionss." SssSthss replied in understanding. "I sshall do my utmosst to take ssome alive…"

.

"Stay here!"

The helmeted figure who had given the order bent down to grab the broomstick that lay at the base of the battlements, then she threw herself off the wall, mounting the broomstick in mid-air and diving down through an open door. Skimming down the corridor, she emerged into the entry hall and pulled up, negotiating the odd magical disontinuity between the corridor that crossed the ceiling of the hall and the hall itself. Landing lightly, she dropped to one knee in front of the one who commanded her.

"Report." Voldemort commanded.

"Dark Lord, there is a large number of people at the main gate, at least half of whom are wearing the robes of the Auror force."

"Not entirely unexpected." Voldemort acknowledged. "You may return to your station."

"My Lord!" The girl protested, causing Voldemort to raise an eyebrow quizzically. "There is a giant snake with them. I believe it to be the Basilisk that Potter removed from the Chamber of Secrets and tamed!"

"Now that is an annoying turn of events." Voldemort sighed. "Fortunately, the Wards are designed to stop Basilisks from passing through, something which I insisted on including when I discovered what had happened to my living weapon. Do not worry, so long as the Wards remain up, they cannot reach us and should they somehow bring them down, we have five Obscurials on our side."

.

The dungeon door creaked open and Ginny tried to scream. Harry looked up and, despite his tiredness, he smiled weakly.

"Lord Potter, I am here to rescue you."

"Thanks, Kelor." Harry whispered as the floating robot began the process of breaking the chains that held him. "Bring Ginny too…"

"Of course, Lord Potter." Kelor replied. "Scanners indicate you have been poisoned. Jor-El is activating the medical pod ready for you."

Harry staggered as the chains fell away, remaining upright only because Kelor had caught him.

"Hold on, Ginny…" He whispered as Kelor guided him to the younger girl. "We'll get you… out of…"

.

.

"These wards are ingenious." Albus admitted almost ruefully as he lowered his wand. "My old friend was definitely the one who set them up, I recognise the flourishes he likes to use, but he did not do it alone. I do not recognise the signature of the other who set these Wards, which makes me believe that it was Voldemort."

"We need to find a way in!" Amelia protested. "My niece is in there along with the others… if You-know-who realizes that she's there… I've already lost my brother and sister-in-law, Albus. I don't want to be the last of the Bones!"

"You are not the only one to feel that way, Amelia." Albus noted. "But we must retain focus. We need to find a way of taking down these wards as until we do, we cannot rescue anyone. Once we get inside, speed will be of the essence."

"What of the Obscurials?" One of the Aurors asked.

"You cannot fight them and hope to win." Albus stated. "Instead, you must pull them away from Hogwarts. Decoy them into chasing you so that Voldemort cannot call upon them. By now… by now, he will have them obeying his every order without hesitation."

.

"I understand, my Lord. I shall go and fetch them now."

"Excellent, but remember to collect the chest from Severus first."

Macnair strode off at a pace bordering on actually running and Voldemort opened the door to the dungeon.

"Are you dead… yet… Potter?"

Voldemort looked round in confused disbelief, checking that Harry Potter hadn't somehow freed himself and crawled into one of the corners to die.

"Potter? Where are you? Potter?"

Edging forwards, his wand ready to fire a spell or cast a shield, Voldemort reached out with one foot and gently kicked the chains around the base of the pillar, then he half-turned and cursed.

"Dammit! That bitch must have freed herself somehow and got Potter out too!"

With a snarl he spun round and stormed out, pausing at the doorway.

"Where could they be? Where have they gone?"

.

The translucent cover slid into place over Harry's shivering form and the pod lit up with light. Ginny placed her hand on the cover, then looked at the floating golem.

"This will heal him?"

"He will be healed within the hour, Miss Weasley." Kelor said gently and Ginny smiled, then staggered.

"You need to be healed as well, Miss Weasley." Kelor said as it guided her to a second pod. "Scans indicate that you have suffered slight damage to your nervous system. Please relax."

Ginny let herself be guided onto the flat top of the pod, then the sides rose around her before the lid came down and a thick gas was dispensed from vents around the edge. Her last thought was of Harry as she spiralled into sleep, illuminated by the healing energy directed into her.

.

Macnair appeared with a crack of Apparition and strode into The Immaculate Line where a rough-looking group of almost two-dozen wizards (and a couple of witches) had pushed two of the tables together.

"It's time." He stated. "Follow me."

.

"Ah, Draco." Gellert smiled as he stepped out onto the balcony. "I was hoping for a quick talk."

.

.

.

.

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For those of you who don't remember, The Immaculate Line is a sort of pub in Hogsmeade that makes the Hog's Head look clean. It's the gathering place for the (extremely few) Blood-Purist Death-Eater Wannabes.