FINITE | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [4]

𝗹𝗶𝗶 | 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱

Wormtail approached Harry and untied him; Harry, standing, unbound and shaking on his injured leg, stared at Voldemort, clearly terrified but doing his best to remain defiant. Wormtail returned his wand to him as the Death Eaters closed the circle, so that the gaps were no longer. Gwen struggled against her restraints, but Voldemort slashed his wand in her direction; there was a bang, and Gwen's voice had stopped working; no longer did the muffled screams tear from her throat.

  'Silence, you stupid girl,' Voldemort hissed, then turned his attention back on Harry. 'You have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter? We bow to each other, Harry,' Voldemort said, bending a little, but keeping his snakelike face turned to Harry. 'Come, the niceties must be observed, Dumbledore would like you to show manners... Bow to death, Harry...'

  The Death Eaters were laughing. Gwen listened for her father's voice, and, with another pang, she heard him chuckling.

  Harry did not bow. He stared at Voldemort, his wand clutched in his trembling hand.

  'I said, bow,' said Voldemort, raising his wand. Harry's torso bent forward; he gasped in pain; Gwen tried to scream, yet still no sound came.

  'Very good,' said Voldemort softly. 'And now you face me like a man... straight backed and proud, the way your father died...'

  His scarlet eyes glinted evilly in the pale moonlight.

  'And now, we duel.'

   Voldemort raised his wand so quickly, Gwen could see Harry had no time to react; Voldemort didn't even speak the curse this time; Harry collapsed again, convulsing in pain, his cries of anguish piercing the night.

  Gwen cried harder, screamed and screamed, until there was a loud bang, and Harry stopped moving, managed to stumble to his feet, and then she could hear it, her own voice.

  Voldemort looked at her, a sobbing mess, and he raised his wand.

  'How could we forget about your friend, Gwenevere?' he hissed nastily. He slashed his wand, and Gwen's restraints fell free, leaving deep cuts in her skin. 'Get your wand, girl, perhaps you can help your dear Harry Potter. You will die together, a noble ending.'

  Gwen forced herself to stop crying, seized her wand which had fallen next to her, and raised herself to her feet. She didn't move next to Harry, she didn't bow as Voldemort had ordered Harry to do. She stood staring, until Voldemort raised his wand-- she raised hers, went to cast a shield--

  Fire. She was burning alive-- the pain was so intense, so all consuming, she no longer knew where she was-- white hot knives pierced every inch of her skin-- her head was going to split open from the pain-- a ghastly screaming tore from her throat-- sliced the air--

  The pain stopped as suddenly as it had started, and Gwen was crumpled on the ground. She forced herself to her feet, her eyes swollen from crying but wide, open, staring at Lord Voldemort beside her.