𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐝 {𝐇. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫}

66

"H-Harry, t-they're coming," Johnny said weakly, grabbing Harry's shoulder.

Squinting tensely through the darkness, they watched two figures drawing nearer, walking steadily toward them between the graves. Harry couldn't make out their faces, but from the way one was walking and holding its arms, he could tell that it was carrying something. Whoever they were, one was short while the other was tall, and both were wearing hooded cloaks pulled up over their heads to obscure their face. And - several paces nearer, the gap between them closing all the time - Harry saw that the thing in the persons arms looked like a baby...or was it merely a bundle of robes?

Harry lowered his wand slightly and glanced sideways at Johnny. Johnny shot Harry a sorry filled look. They both turned back to watch the approaching figure.

They stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. For a second. Harry and Johnny and the figures simply looked at one another.

And then, without warning, Harry's scar exploded with pain, and then, before Harry could feel anything but numb disbelief, he and Johnny was being pulled to their feet.

The short man in the cloak had put down his bundle, the taller man lit his wand, and was dragging Harry and Johnny toward the marble headstone. Johnny saw the name upon it flickering in the wandlight before they was forced around and slammed against it.

TOM RIDDLE

The taller cloaked man was now conjuring tight cords around Harry and Johnny, tying them from neck to ankles to the headstone. Johnny could hear shallow, fast breathing from the depths of the hood; he struggled weakly, and the man hit him, and Harry realised who was under the hood. It was Jakob, his godfather and uncle.

"You!" Harry gasped. "I trusted you!"

"I'm sorry, Harry," Johnny muttered weakly from beside him.

Once sure that Harry and Johnny were bound so tightly to the headstone that they couldn't move an inch, Jakob drew a length of some black material from the inside of his cloak and stuffed it roughly into their mouths; then, without a word, he turned from Harry and Johnny and walked away.

Some way beyond them, glinting in the starlight, lay the Triwizard Cup. Harry's wand was on the ground.

They could hear noises at their feet. Johnny looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where they were tied.Jakob's fast, wheezy breathing was growing louder again. It sounded as though he was forcing something heavy across the ground. Then he came back within their range of vision, and they saw him pushing a stone cauldron to the foot of the grave. It was full of what seemed to be water - Johnny could weakly hear it slopping around.

The thing inside the bundle of robes on the ground was stirring more persistently, as though it was trying to free itself. Now Wormtail was busying himself at the bottom of the cauldron with a wand. Suddenly there were crackling names beneath it. The large snake slithered away into the darkness.

The liquid in the cauldron seemed to heat very fast. The surface began not only to bubble, but to send out fiery sparks, as though it were on fire. Steam was thickening, blurring the outline of Wormtail tending the fire, and blurring the outline of Jakob watching in anticipation. The movements beneath the robes became more agitated. And the two boys heard the high, cold voice again.

"Hurry!"

The whole surface of the water was alight with sparks now. It might have been encrusted with diamonds.

"It is ready. Master," Jakob said.

"Now..." said the cold voice.

Jakob pulled open the robes on the ground, revealing what was inside them, and Harry let out a yell of pain that was strangled in the wad of material blocking his mouth.