HARRY POTTER STORY: Lions in snake den

Part 27

After Harry's intense duel with Voldemort, he gathered his friends and Hermione in a secluded corner of the castle grounds. The evening was calm, a stark contrast to the storm of emotions swirling around him. The weight of what had just happened settled in as they all leaned in, eager to understand the full scope of Harry's experience.

Hermione was the first to break the silence, her eyes filled with worry. "Hadrian," she whispered, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his shoulder, "please... tell us what happened." He looked around at the familiar faces of his friends: Draco, Daphne, Theo, Blaise, Tracey, and, of course, Hermione. They were his confidants, the people who had been by his side through thick and thin, and he knew they deserved to hear the truth.

"It was Voldemort," he began, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I knew the Triwizard Tournament was dangerous, but I never expected... not like this." He took a deep, shaky breath, steadying himself. "When I got to the end of the maze, I touched the Triwizard Cup, thinking it was over, but then... I was transported. Suddenly, I was in a graveyard, surrounded by Death Eaters." His friends looked at each other in shock, and Draco's face darkened with fury. "They planned this," he muttered, fists clenched. "They used the Tournament to get you there. But why?"

"To bring him back," Harry replied grimly, a haunted look crossing his face. "They performed a ritual, using my blood... and he returned, stronger than ever." He could see the horror and disbelief mirrored in their faces as he spoke, but he continued. "When he rose, it was like... like everything around me turned dark. He has this presence, this... darkness, that feels like it drains the light from the air." Daphne's hand found his, and she squeezed it tightly. "How did you get away?" she asked, her voice thick with worry. Harry's gaze dropped for a moment, gathering his courage to continue. "It wasn't easy," he admitted. "Once he was back, he wanted to prove himself. He wanted to duel me in front of his followers." He paused, a shudder running through him at the memory. "It was like he wanted to toy with me... but when the duel started, I realized he wasn't holding back."

Hermione's grip on his arm tightened, her eyes wide with fear. "What did you do?"
Harry swallowed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I fought back with everything I had. I tried every spell I knew, every piece of magic I'd learned from our training. But when it came down to it... there were moments when I didn't think I'd make it. I... I had to use the Unforgivable Curses."
A silence fell over the group, each of them digesting the weight of his words. Hermione's face went pale, and Draco looked at him with a mixture of shock and pride.

"You mean..." Theo began, his voice trailing off as he searched for words. "You used the Unforgivables?" Harry nodded slowly, his expression grim. "I had no choice. He was relentless, throwing curse after curse. When I tried to stun him, it was like he barely felt it. So I... I used the Cruciatus Curse, hoping to give myself an opening." He clenched his fists, haunted by the memory. "It... it slowed him down, but only for a moment. He seemed to revel in the pain." Blaise exhaled sharply. "Of course he did. He's... he's Voldemort. Pain probably only fuels him."
Harry nodded, a shadow crossing his face. "After that, I tried everything. I even used the Imperius Curse, just for a second of control. But he broke free of it almost instantly. He laughed at me, like it was all a game to him." He looked away, the shame of using such dark magic etched on his face. "But there was one last moment, when I knew it was either me or him. I... I cast the Killing Curse."

The group stared at him, wide-eyed and silent. Even Draco seemed at a loss for words, though a flicker of understanding crossed his face. "It was desperation," Harry whispered, feeling the weight of his actions settle on him. "He dodged it, of course. But in that moment, we both knew we were willing to do whatever it took to win." Hermione squeezed his hand, her voice soft. "Hadrian, you did what you had to. You were fighting for your life." Harry shook his head, his eyes filled with conflicting emotions. "I know, but... the darkness in those spells, it felt... wrong. Even though I knew I had no other choice, I could feel the weight of them. It's like they left a mark on me."