Such lovely manners you have there, Harry," Voldemort said dryly at the tied-up boy in front of him.
"Says the murderous prick who had me kidnapped," Harry replied whilst glaring at him.
"Fair enough," Voldemort said before turning to the woman, who was cringing with pain on her knees, holding the bleeding stump.
"Master," She whimpered, holding up her stump. "Please," She begged, holding the stump up to him.
"Of course, dear," Voldemort said with a purr before waving his wand. A silvery, metallic hand extended out from the stump. The woman stared at it with awe, the fingers flexed and closed and wriggled.
"It's just like my own!" She said with amazement before staring up at Voldemort. "Truly, you are an amazing and just master,"
"And don't you ever forget it, Bertha, Lord Voldemort rewards loyalty," Voldemort said, staring at her impassively. "Just as he punishes disloyalty, just as he -"
"My brother in magic, would you just get on with it?!" Harry said impatiently.
"I preferred you when you were younger, Harry, you were so much more polite back then." Voldemort tutted dissappointedly.
"Whatever, who is the bitch?" Harry asked bluntly, gesturing to Bertha who looked up and glared at Harry.
"Meet, Miss Bertha Jorkins," Voldemort chuckled. "A worker at the ministry, nice potential career until she ended up stumbling on the wrong secret," Voldemort smirked before gesturing for Bertha to speak.
"It was I who found out that Barty Crouch Junior's son was alive," Bertha said, her face twisting into a furious rage. "Before I could tell anyone, the old bastard had memory charmed me so bad that I could barely remember anything after. The whole ministry laughed behind my back! Thought I was nothing but an imbecile,"
"I too believe you are an imbecile," Harry stated matter-of-factly, earning a withering glare from Bertha that quite frankly did nothing to Harry. Honestly, when you have a massive, man-eating alien living rent-free in your head then not much scares you.
"Shortly before the World Cup, I decided to take a holiday, it was then that I stumbled upon the Dark Lord," She gestured grandly to Voldemort who watched in amusement. "It took him very little time to undo the damage that the old bastard had done to me, and now I serve him loyally in his noble cause. With his help, nobody will dare laugh at me anymore!"
"I will," Harry said honestly.
"My lord, please let me shut this half-blood up!" Bertha said, pulling out her wand, only to fall onto the floor, screaming in pain and agony.
"Bertha," Voldemort said coldly, lifting his wand and ending the curse. "Did I not say that Harry Potter was mine and mine alone?"
'Too late for that, I called dibs,' Venom replied.
"F...forgive me, Master," Bertha gasped as she shakily got to her knees. "I...I...I forgot my place," She said, her whole body shivering.
"Which is quite funny given the whole memory thing," Harry pointed out in a mild voice.
"Let's hope you don't forget again," Voldemort said before turning to Harry. "So, Harry, it's been a while since we last saw each other."
"I recall kicking your ass," Harry said while nodding in agreement.
"I'm sure for your young mind, that is what you believe. But the truth, as we both know it, Harry Potter, is that the only reason you survived the last two encounters was because of your mother's protection." Voldemort said, calmly walking over to Harry. "But I dare say that I've been hearing some impressive things about you, perhaps now you might actually stand a chance against me. I doubt it, but who can say for sure?"
"Me," Harry replied. "I'd break your neck,"
"You're amusing," Voldemort smirked. "Tell me, Harry, do you know where you are? You are tied to the grave of my filthy muggle father, he was a stupid fool, much like that mother of yours."
"Watch it," Harry said warningly. "I don't care if you're the weakest or strongest in the world, you don't talk about my mother."
"Was she not foolish, young Harry?" Voldemort asked tauntingly. "She gave up her life, willingly died for you, just for you, just so that you're death could be delayed because it was and IS a fact that when Lord Voldemort wants someone dead then they die, Harry Potter."
"Then why is Dumbledore still alive?" Harry growled at him. "You didn't want him dead or you just didn't have the balls to do it?"
"Worry not, Harry, Dumbledore's time will come," Voldemort assured him. "Just like yours. My father too thought he'd live a long life, you see that house at the top of the hill? That was his, his family home. My mother was a witch in the same village, he caught her eye and the two had me."
"Pricks," Was Harry's comment.
"Before I was born, however, my father discovered something, he discovered that my mother was a witch."
'And a bitch,' Venom commented.
"He didn't much like magic, my father, he abandoned her and me. He left her alone, the weak-willed fool died giving birth to me, leaving me alone in a muggle orphanage."
"Which happens, dads leave, don't need to be a pussy about it," Harry said dryly.
"My father stayed in that house, living luxuriously until I showed up," Voldemort continued, ignoring Harry. "I revealed myself to him, the fool whom I was named after, Tom Riddle. I went in there and slaughtered him along with his own mother and father, I stained the walls with their blood."
"That's just wasteful," Harry/Venom said at the same time, with only the former being heard.
"My lord!" Bertha gasped. "You...you're a halfblood?!" Without looking, Voldemort flicked his wand behind him and obliviated her.
'The dumbass swapped one memory charm out for another,' Venom said in an amused voice.
"You must be tired of listening to me reliving my old family history," Voldemort sighed before stepping back, suddenly he seemed to float back until he stopped in front of Bertha. "Perhaps you'd like to meet my new family instead," He grabbed her left arm, her sleeves rolling up to reveal a dark mark, the tattoo of the Death Eaters. Voldemort pressed his wand into the mark and Bertha fell to the floor, hissing in pain, not that Voldemort cared. "I wonder, how many will come? How many will be foolish enough to stay away?" He whispered. A few moments later, the sounds of apparitions lit up the graveyard, sharp breaths were heard and cautious footsteps followed as several death eaters cautiously approached with stunned looks on their faces.
One death eater quickly lowered himself and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes, the Death Eaters behind him did the same; each of them approaching Voldemort on his knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up. Voldemort stood passively and looked around at the masked faces with a blank look on his face.
"Welcome, Death Eaters," said Voldemort quietly. "Thirteen years ...a very long thirteen years since I last saw you all together. Yet you answered my call as if it was only yesterday when we last met. You were loyal servants then, and you still are, I assume?" He asked lightly, though the death eaters all tensed up. "I smell guilt," He said suddenly, causing the death eaters to shift in their spots, looking far more nervous than before. "There is a stench of guilt in the air. I can smell it, sense it, clear as day it is to me. I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact. You hardly look like you've suffered much these last thirteen years, so forgive me for asking a stupid question but why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"
No one spoke.
No one moved.
"And I answer myself," Whispered Voldemort. "They must have thought I was broken, that I was defeated. That I, Lord Voldemort, heir to Salazar Slytherin, was defeated by a mere child!" He hissed angrily. "A babe, not yet out his crib, that is what you all believed, yes?"
"Master!" One death eater fell to the floor on his knees. "Forgive us!" He cried, only to be hit by a cruciatus curse.
"Get up, Avery," Voldemort said coldly to the gasping death eater, ending the curse. "Lord Voldemort does not forgive so easily. Nor does he forget. You all were sworn to me yet you did nothing to help me when you were needed. As far as I'm concerned, you all owe me thirteen long and hard years with interest."
'He talks a lot,' Venom noted to Harry before a couple of tentacles discreetly snuck out of Harry's back and began undoing the ropes.
'I noticed,' Harry mentally replied. 'I think we need a plan of attack,'
'I have a plan,' Venom responded. 'Attack,'
'Genius,' Harry complimented him before looking up and seeing that the death eaters were now standing without their masks and Voldemort was berating each of them for not coming to his aid.
"My Lord," One man said once Voldemort had finished, Harry easily recognised the man as Lucius Malfoy. "Please, we beg to know, how did this happen?"
"It's a most interesting tale, Lucius," Voldemort smiled before turning to face Harry. "All centred around our guest of honour as well," He added before he started walking towards Harry. "You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall?" Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar twitched slightly.
'Now it all makes sense,' Venom whispered thoughtfully.
'What does?' Harry asked.
'I'll let you know once we're out of here,' Venom replied.
"You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen...I could not touch the boy." Voldemort said softly. "His mother left upon him the traces of her sacrifice...old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it...but no matter. I can touch him now." Harry felt the cold tip of Voldemort's long white finger touch his scar. A brief burst of pain temporarily hit Harry before he responded by biting down hard on Voldemort's finger. The dark lord gasped before wrenching his hand away, he stared at his hand for a moment before slapping Harry across the face.
"You hit like a girl," Harry taunted with a grin. "So, you're the one who put me in the tournament? Probably with the help of Bethany other there," He said, gesturing with his head towards the woman.
"Bertha," She corrected him with narrowed eyes.
"Whatever," Harry said uncaringly, his gaze glued to Voldemort. "What about her?" He asked, gesturing to the elf. "How does she come into this?"
"You are responsible for Winky losing her family!" The elf shrieked. "Yous and that pink girl got Winky's young Master Crouch arrested and then her old master Crouch as well, Winky will have her revenge on you and then the pink one!"
"Ah, so you work with your old master's enemy," Harry smirked at the elf. "Enemy of my enemy, huh? You should have stayed away and found another master, elf, now I'm going to have to kill you."
"Violence, young Harry?" Voldemort chuckled, eyeing Harry with a curious look. "Dumbledore wouldn't approve,"
"I could give a hot shit regarding what Dumbledore thinks," Harry told him bluntly. "The old man isn't here right now, meaning nobody is going to stop me from kicking your pale ass all over this graveyard and then ripping off your head,"
"You think you're capable of beating me?" Voldemort asked softly.
"So do you, that's why you needed to ambush me and sneak attack me," Harry said with a small smile. "The 'Great Lord Voldemort' has to have his fourteen-year-old enemy fall into a trap, tied up and surrounded by death eaters for him to be defeated. You can't face me one-on-one, you should stick to ambushing unsuspecting wizards and witches in their homes at night, that's more your speed." He said mockingly, only to receive another slap.
"I know you're taunting me," Voldemort said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But you're right," He said before taking several steps back. "Bertha, release him and give him his wand. I will squash any doubts today. From this moment forth, no one shall doubt the powers of Lord Voldemort."
"Master," Bertha nodded obediently before pulling out her wand and aiming it at Harry, only to stop when she saw the ropes drop by themselves, she watched with a stunned look as Harry calmly stood up.
"A bit faster next time, Betty," Harry said, dusting himself off.
"Bertha!"
"Whatever," Harry shrugged. "Where's my wand?" She glowered at him before pulling out Harry's wand.
'Filth like her shouldn't be allowed to touch that!' Venom snarled. A second later a boom was heard as the wand was dropped to the floor while Bertha flew backwards and broke through a tombstone before landing awkwardly on her neck.
"My wand is quite particular about who it touches," Harry explained to his surprised audience before the wand flew to his hand. "Shall we begin?" He asked casually. 'I want to fight him,' He told Venom.
'I've got your back,' Venom assured him. Voldemort stared at Harry for several seconds before an amused smile appeared on his face.
"You know how to duel, I trust?" Voldemort asked. "First we bow," He said, giving Harry a mock bow. "Come now, Harry, the niceties are there for a reason. I said bow!" He flicked his wand at Harry, intending for him to bend into a bow, only to blink in surprise when Harry just stood there.
"I'm not feeling really nice right now," Harry said, glaring at Voldemort. "Confringo!" He said, shooting his first spell at Voldemort. Voldemort swatted the spell away before shooting a jagged white spell at Harry who leaned out of the way and shot several more spells that Voldemort blocked. Voldemort flicked his wrist and a burst of black fire shot towards Harry, engulfing him completely.
"Well, he lasted longer than I thought," Voldemort said dryly, earning a chorus of laughter from his death eaters. The laughter promptly died down when the flames vanished and Harry Potter stood there unharmed.
"Toasty," Harry shrugged before pointing his wand at Voldemort. "Let me show you what real firepower looks like," He said before a ten-foot-tall blast of fire shot out from his wand and charged towards Voldemort, Voldemort snarled and slashed his wand diagonally, vanishing the fire. Harry hadn't been idle and quickly followed up with a 'reducto' that Voldemort blocked.
"You're far more irritating than someone your age has the right to be," Voldemort glared. "Avada Kedavra!" He yelled, the infamous killing curse burst from his wand and charged towards Harry with murderous intent. Harry flicked his wand and a feminine yelp was heard as Winky the house elf was pulled towards Harry who caught her by the neck with his free hand before placing her in front of the curse. "Harry Potter," Voldemort said in a surprised voice as he stared at him with a shocked expression, one matched by the death eaters. "You are most definitely not Dumbledore's boy, are you?"
"You have no idea who you're messing with," Harry said in a menacing voice as he casually tossed Winky's body away. "But you'll find out. Soon, you're all going to find out."