Harry's hand closed tightly around the Hufflepuff Cup.
"Harry, let go," Victor said, grabbing his wrist, trying to pull his hand away.
"No!" Harry snapped, wrenching against his grip. "It's mine. Who are you to stop me?"
Hermione stared at him, startled. "Harry, what's wrong with you?"
"Shut up!" Harry snarled, eyes fixed on the Cup.
Victor tightened his grip. He could see it now — the Cup wasn't just protected by curses. It was affecting Harry, pushing at his thoughts, feeding whatever desire it could find.
"Harry, listen to me," Victor said. "I'm your friend, and I'm telling you to let it go. Don't let the Horcrux get inside your head."
Harry's face twisted. "Friend? You're not my friend."
Victor didn't let go. Harry pulled harder, fingers refusing to release the Cup.
"You think you can order me around because you're a Malfoy?" he said bitterly. "You think you're better than everyone else because you've got all those secrets and all that power?"
Hermione stepped closer. "Harry, that's not you."
He turned on her. "And you. Always telling me what to do. Always acting like you know what's best for me."
Victor's expression hardened. "That's enough."
Harry glared. "You want the truth? I don't trust you. I never have. I don't need you protecting me, Victor. I don't need you, Hermione, or anyone else."
"Harry, that's the Horcrux talking."
"Shut up!" Harry raised his wand. Victor knocked his arm aside before he could cast. "You're not yourself."
Harry's grip on the Cup tightened. "It's mine," he whispered. "Nobody is taking it from me."
Victor stepped closer. "Then I'll take it from you."
Harry's eyes flashed. "Try."
His wand snapped up. "Stupefy!"
A red jet shot toward Victor. He swept his wand across his body. "Protego!"
The Shield Charm caught most of it, but the force knocked the spell off course. It struck a golden platter behind him.
A sharp crack. Victor's expression changed. "Oh, no."
The platter multiplied. The copies multiplied again. Within seconds, hundreds of identical objects crashed onto the floor, colliding with piles of treasure and setting off the enchantments on everything around them — gold, goblets, jewellery all multiplying rapidly, adding to the chaos.
"Harry, run!"
Harry didn't wait. He sprinted out of the vault.
"Hermione, run!"
She followed, rushing through the doorway as the growing mountain of treasure surged toward them. Victor tried to reach the exit, but a pile of multiplying objects collapsed over him.
"Victor!"
Hermione reached the doorway and turned back, grabbing the edge of the vault door, pulling with all her strength to keep it from being blocked. "Victor!"
A hand burst through the pile. Victor shoved himself free, sending golden objects rolling across the floor, and scrambled out, landing hard, rolling onto his back.
"That was close," he muttered, breathing heavily.
Then he noticed Harry, sitting several metres away, staring down at the Cup in his hands.
Hermione hurried over. "Harry?" She touched his shoulder.
He turned around slowly. Hermione froze. His eyes weren't right — something cold and unnatural behind them made her take a step back.
He stared at her without recognition. Then another voice came from his mouth, one neither Harry nor Hermione had heard in years, but Victor recognised immediately.
"You, Malfoy."
Victor's expression hardened.
"You are still alive."
Hermione stared in horror. "Voldemort..."
Victor got to his feet, wand already in hand. Harry's lips curved into a cruel smile that wasn't his own.
"How unfortunate. But perhaps I have been given an opportunity. I never got to kill the two boys who survived me. Perhaps I can correct that mistake now." His expression stayed twisted with anger as he stared at Victor. "Or perhaps killing you would be too easy. Perhaps I should break you first. Make you turn against the people who trust you. Make you watch them suffer while you are powerless to stop it."
"Harry, fight him. You are stronger than this."
Voldemort laughed through him. "Stronger? Look at him, Potter. He believes you are strong because you survived one night against me. He thinks friendship will save you." Harry's wand trembled. "I can make you doubt every person around you. I can make you hate them. I can make you wonder whether they ever cared about you at all."
"Harry, don't listen to him," Hermione said, eyes on him.
"Silence!" Harry flinched.
Victor stepped forward. "Harry, look at me."
His eyes shifted toward Victor.
"That's it. Don't listen to his voice. Remember who you are."
"Do you really think he can save you, Potter?" Voldemort sneered. "He couldn't even save himself from me. You have lost people before. You will lose more. Everyone who stands beside you will eventually disappear, and when that happens, you will know it was because you were too weak to protect them."
Harry's breathing grew heavier. Hermione looked at Victor, worried. He didn't move.
"Harry, he's trying to make you afraid. Don't give him what he wants."
"Go on, Potter," Voldemort whispered. "Prove me right."
Harry raised his head. "No."
Silence.
His grip tightened around his wand. "I'm not listening to you."
Victor nodded. "Good. Keep fighting."
Harry's breathing was still heavy, but the anger in his face began to fade. He lowered his wand slightly, staring at the floor, fighting to steady himself. "Get out of my head," he said through clenched teeth.
The voice tried to answer. Harry shook his head. "No. You're not controlling me."
Victor kept his wand on him, ready to react. "That's it, Harry. Keep your mind on your own thoughts. Don't listen to him."
Harry shut his eyes and breathed slowly. Images of Ron, Hermione, Sirius, the people who'd stood beside him, flashed through his mind, giving him something to hold onto.
"You are nothing without them," Voldemort snarled.
Harry opened his eyes. "Maybe," he said, steadier now, "but they're my friends, and you're not going to use them against me."
The tension in his shoulders eased. He looked down at the Cup in his hand, then dropped it like it had burned him.
Hermione rushed forward. "Harry?"
He looked at her, confused and exhausted. "I'm all right. I can control myself."