HP/LOTM: Visionary - 432

Chapter 432: The Closed Loop of Fate, The Traitor

When the torrent of mind-force finally faded and time began to move again, Tom blew apart the rubble in front of him with a burst of magic. Riddle Manor had been reduced to ruins in the battle. Only a single, lonely building was still standing.

"Tch."

Because of his own arrangements, Voldemort now had to waste magic repairing the estate.

A twitching rat caught his eye. He closed his hand in the air, and the rat flew into his grasp.

While broken stone and shattered beams slid back into place under his spells, the idle Dark Lord spared a moment to reverse the transformation on the rat at his feet.

A cowering wizard tumbled onto the floor.

"Well, look who I have found," Tom said, waking him with a charm.

Then the light of the Cruciatus Curse flickered through what was left of Riddle Manor.

……

Elsewhere, Sirius and Remus crashed to the ground in front of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, as the transport spell dropped them. Both of them struggled back to their feet.

"Gideon, Fabian, Eleanor…" Sirius said.

He sank down hard on the cobbles, fist slamming against the ground.

"Peter was not sent back," Remus said, suddenly realising one of their number was missing.

"That is bad. He is still in You-Know-Who’s lair?" Sirius forgot his grief in a heartbeat. He yanked out his wand, ready to go straight back.

Remus slapped it out of his hand.

"Are you mad? What are you going to do against him now? We have to call the Order. That is what we do," he said sharply.

"Right. Dumbledore," Sirius said.

He bolted into the nearest Muggle house, Confunded the occupants, and used the Order’s private method of contacting Dumbledore.

"You wait here for them. I have to get to the Prewett Manor. Gideon and Eleanor’s child is still there. Merlin, how am I supposed to face a baby in swaddling clothes…" Remus said.

Even the steady one felt close to losing his grip when he thought of what came next.

"Remus, is it possible that a four-month-old cannot even talk yet?" Sirius said.

For once, his brain was working properly.

"But…"

Remus lowered his head. Shadow hid his eyes.

"We still failed to save his parents," he said.

"What are you going to do with the child?" Sirius asked.

"Honour Eleanor’s wishes. Place him with their close kin, Molly," Remus said.

Sirius clapped his shoulder. "Then go."

Remus nodded and slipped into the crowd. Not long after, Dumbledore arrived at Grimmauld Place.

"Professor," Sirius said, hurrying to meet him.

“There is no need to explain. I already know. Gideon only just sent me the key to the Prewett family vault at Gringotts—that was how I realised they had gone off on something this dangerous,” Dumbledore said with a sigh.

There was no time to mourn. One of their number was still missing.

"Come. To Hogsmeade. I put out an alert. The others should gather quickly," Dumbledore said, holding out his arm.

A phoenix’s cry cut the air. Flame wrapped them, and they vanished.

……

Back at Riddle Manor, Tom pressed the Dark Mark into the arm of his newest servant.

"Remember your promise, Peter," he said.

With a flick of his wand, he opened the manor gates. Peter Pettigrew shuffled away, shaking, until he slipped from sight.

At the same time, at the Order’s gathering, Sirius slammed his palm on the table.

"What do you mean, ‘wait and see’? Are we just going to sit on our hands until Peter’s corpse turns up before we try to save him?"

"We have lost three Prewetts. In terms of raw strength, we are not in a good position," Moody said, voice flat.

"But they lost plenty of Death Eaters. Fabian, Gideon, Eleanor…" Sirius’ voice caught, then steadied. "They took a lot of them down."

"It was planned. In everything you described, there was no sign of any of the Dark Lord’s core circle, not a single leading pure-blood. He all but went out himself against the two Prewetts," Moody said with a snort.

He knew he had been outplayed. Trading away their knights for a few pawns was his failure as the one setting the board. The pace of events had been too violent to predict. He had never imagined Eleanor would be taken. Now that it had happened, conserving their strength mattered more than anything.

"Enough. I will go to Riddle Manor myself. The rest of you, be ready for any Death Eaters who converge. And you will follow Moody’s lead," Dumbledore said, ending the argument and rising.

They had barely reached the street when they almost walked straight into a soot-streaked Peter Pettigrew.

Everyone stopped dead.

They had braced themselves for a final battle. No one had expected this.

"Peter!" Sirius grabbed him at once. "Where did you go? I thought You-Know-Who had you. We were about to come and get you."

"I… I turned into a rat and hid in the sewers. I ran for ages before I got out… of the manor," Peter said.

He looked limp and exhausted, like a man who had only just stopped running.

"That is you, all right," Sirius said, thumping him lightly in the chest.

"If you are safe, that is what matters. In that case, we…" Dumbledore began.

A silvery cat Patronus bounded into the square.

"Dumbledore! The Death Eaters are attacking Hogwarts!"

Professor McGonagall’s voice made everyone freeze.

Dumbledore rallied at once, calling people to him and hurrying back to the school. Sirius moved to follow, but Dumbledore stopped him with a hand.

"You and Peter should rest. Hogwarts has enough defenders," he said.

Sirius did not argue. Riddle Manor had taken him to his limits. His magic and his mind were both running on fumes.

The two of them went back to the Order’s safe house to snatch a little rest.

Bad news did not wait.

The fire in the hearth flared green. A familiar face appeared in the flames, crying for help.

"James!" Sirius shouted.

"Padfoot! Voldemort has found—"

A scream ripped across the fire. The connection snapped.

Sirius did not spare a thought for sleep. He sprinted out the door and swung himself onto his magically modified three-wheeled bike, gunning straight for Godric’s Hollow.

At the same time, in Godric’s Hollow, a powerful Dark wizard tore through the Potters’ wards. The Fidelius Charm fell with them. The Secret-Keeper had betrayed the secret.

Cloaked in black, Voldemort walked up to the door and blew the last barrier open.

Inside, James Potter hid his wife and son as far back as he could, then drew his wand and went to meet Voldemort head-on.

One jet of green light ended his life.

As James fell, he hit a picture frame. It clattered to the floor. Tom glanced down and saw Lily Potter and Eleanor Prewett in the photograph, both of them holding babies.

"So there is one left. The Prewetts really are hard to be rid of," he said.

One sweep of his wand and the photograph went up in flames.

Then he turned to the Death Eater at his side.

"Mulciber. Go to Byberil village and wipe out the Prewetts’ last bloodline."

“As you command, my Lord,” the Death Eater said, vanishing with a twist.

Tom rose, turned toward the stairs, and walked on to meet his destined death.