In Between Two Worlds (HP/PJO Crossover)

Chapter 151: Priori Incantatem.

Wormtail approached Harry and I. I scrambled to find my feet, to support my own weight before the ropes were untied. Wormtail raised his new silver hand, pulled out the wad of material gagging me, and then, with one swipe, cut through the bonds tying us to the gravestone.

There was a split second, perhaps, when I might have considered running for it, but my injured leg shook under me as I stood on the overgrown grave, as the Death Eaters closed ranks, forming a tighter circle around us and Voldemort, so that the gaps where the missing Death Eaters should have stood were filled. Wormtail walked out of the circle to the place where Cedric's body lay and returned with Harry and my wands and my weapons, which he thrust roughly into our hand without looking at us. Then Wormtail resumed his place in the circle of watching Death Eaters.

"You have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter and Karlee Black?" said Voldemort softly, his red eyes glinting through the darkness.

At these words I remembered, as though from a former life, the dueling club led by the witless oaf that was Lockhart....All we had learned there was the Disarming Spell, "Expelliarmus"...and when used it would deprive Voldemort of his wand. But we were surrounded by Death Eaters. 30 wizards that know no boundaries. We had never learned anything that could possibly fit us for this. My arrows would be no use, and I couldn't get close enough to stab him. We knew we were facing the thing against which Moody had always warned...the unblockable Avada Kedavra curse - and Voldemort was right - Aunt Lily was not here to die for us this time....we were quite unprotected....

"We bow to each other," said Voldemort, bending a little, but keeping his snakelike face upturned to Harry and I. "Come, the niceties must be observed....Dumbledore would like you to show manners....Bow to death, Harry and Karlee...."

The Death Eaters were laughing again. Voldemort's lipless mouth was smiling. Harry and I did not bow. We were not going to let Voldemort play with us before killing us...we were not going to give him that satisfaction....

"I said, bow," Voldemort said, raising his wand - and I felt my spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand were bending me ruthlessly forward, and the Death Eaters laughed harder than ever.

"Very good," said Voldemort softly, and as he raised his wand the pressure bearing down upon me lifted too. "And now you face me...straight-backed and proud, the way your father died....

"And now - we duel."

Voldemort raised his wand, and before we could do anything to defend ourselves, before we could even move, we had been hit again by the Cruciatus Curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that I no longer knew where I was....White-hot knives were piercing every inch of my skin again, my head was surely going to burst with pain, I was screaming more loudly than I'd ever screamed in my life -

And then it stopped. I rolled over and scrambled to my feet; I was shaking as uncontrollably as Wormtail had done when his hand had been cut off; I staggered sideways into the wall of watching Death Eaters, and they pushed me away, back toward Harry. He was just getting up.

"A little break," said Voldemort, the slit-like nostrils dilating with excitement, "a little pause...That hurt, didn't it. Harry? Karlee? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"

We didn't answer. We were going to die like Cedric, those pitiless red eyes were telling us so...we were going to die, and there was nothing we could do about it...but I wasn't going to play along. I wasn't going to obey Voldemort...I wasn't going to beg....

"I asked you whether you want me to do that again," said Voldemort softly. "Answer me! Imperio!"

And I felt, for the third time in my life, the sensation that my mind had been wiped of all thought....Ah, it was bliss, not to think, it was as though I were floating, dreaming...just answer no...say no...just answer no....