"So fucking rude." I muttered under my breath as Jerk carried me to the cemetery, Wormtail and baby Voldy Godric knows where, and my scar searing with pain.

And by carried, I mean flung over his flipping back like a friggin five year old. 

"Well, maybe if you had've just cooperated like any sane person, maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have to treat you like a toddler and carry you there." Jerk shook his head at me. "Such a child, honestly."

"Please, pretty please put me down and I PROMISE to cooperate!" I begged, making wide puppy eyes at him, using my amazing upper-body strength (I literally have, like zero) to push myself up level with his head instead of the way he was carrying me making my face hit against his ass every time he took a step. He immediately looked in the opposite direction and said, "Nope. Not falling for it, you little bitch."

"Damn." 

We were silent for a few minutes, then -

"I really bloody hate you."

"YOU hate ME? I should be the one saying that about YOU!"

"Well sorry, Miss Priss! Sorry that your boss didn't force you to kidnap an innocent girl -"

"- I'm not really that innocent, TBH -"

"- And would have killed you if you hadn't and you now have to deal with an angry bitch and your damned conscience won't leave you alone -"

"Well sorry that I fucking got KIDNAPPED - like, you know, no biggy - and now I have to endure possible months of torture and death -"

"- How can you endure months of death?"

"Both of you twats just shut up? Thanks." I heard a familiar voice say, and just as we stepped around another huge tomb-thing, we saw Wormtail, who was glaring at us, his inner Marauder obviously having came out, carrying baby Voldy.

There was a cauldron filled with water or something standing near a massive grave with a grey stone angel standing over it creepily. Jerk gently flipped me over and set me on the grave, flicked his wand, and the damn thing moved, trapping me against the gravestone with its arm. 

"I apologise for what we are about to do." He said sincerely, getting out a pack of mint Tic-Tacs and popping one in his mouth.

"Ooh, can I have some?" I said excitedly.

"'Course." Jerk tipped a few into my hand, and I sucked on them happily.

Then I remembered my situation, and I was sad again. 

Wormtail tipped Voldemort into the cauldron and started doing all this creepy ritualistic shit, making me wonder if he was summoning Satan or worshiping him or something. Then I remembered that I was Satan.

First, he drew bone dust from Voldemort's dad's grave, which was seriously bizarre. Then he chopped off his own damn hand and started crying and stuff (like, I would too, I don't blame him). Then he came over to ME and bloody cut open my arm, and dripped my blood into the cauldron too. 

Needless to say, somehow, that resurrected Voldemort.

He stepped out of the cauldron, tall and bald and nose-less, red eyes shining through the darkness that had settled around us. 

Wormtail whimpered on the ground, clutching the stump of his arm where he had cut off his hand. Jerk lingered nervously near me, his body tense as if he wanted to keep his promise to my squad and not let anyone hurt me.

Of course, that's a bit ironic seeing as Wormtail sliced me open.

"I'm not even scared of you." I scoffed, my scar on fire.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow at me. "Really?"

He held his hand out, and Jerk tentatively dropped a wand into it, his body even more tense.

Voldemort lazily flicked his wand at himself, and his appearance slowly started changing.

"No way..." I gaped at him, a slow panic spreading from my chest like poison. 

There, before me, was Tom Riddle. I mean, of course he's Tom Riddle, but I mean, he actually looks like it. Hair and good looks and all. But his dark eyes were gone, and in replacement were those gleaming, red eyes.

Shit.

"Scared now, are we?" Riddle smirked, advancing with slow, big steps. I shrank back against the gravestone, biting my lip to keep from screaming at the bursts of pain in my forehead, getting increasingly more intense.

"My Lord, hadn't we better call the others?" Jerk spoke up quickly.

I sent him a grateful look as Riddle glared at him, then extended his hand again. Jerk held out his own arm, and Riddle touched the mark on his forearm. Jerk's face screwed in pain for a second, then it settled back into its mask of expressionlessness.

"How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" Riddle whispered, his gleaming red eyes fixed on the stars. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?" 

I tried to bring out the power that could potentially crumble the stone holding me back from escaping, but I was too nervous. The nerves were jangling, and my powers were just not cooperating. I need to CALM...

Riddle began to pace up and down before Wormtail, Jerk, and I, eyes sweeping the graveyard all the while. After a minute or so, he looked down at me again, a cruel smile twisting his handsome face.

"You stand, Daisy Potter, upon the remains of my late father." He hissed softly. "A Muggle and a fool ... very like your dear mother."

"He's a fool because he forgot to put on a condom when he bloody created you!" I shrieked in rage.

"Zero chill." Jerk muttered amongst his 'coughing' fit. "Slay, Daisy!"

"But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child ... and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death ..." Riddle laughed again. Up and down he paced, looking all around him as he walked.

"And of course, you know all about my family history ... having been friends with me a few years ago ..." That smirk was back on his face, and I snarled at him.

"Fuck you! Go straight back to Hell where you came from!"

"Oh, I'm not going to Hell anytime soon, Daisy ... rather, you will be ... But look! My family returns ..." Riddle said quietly.

The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked, with the exception of one guy who held himself in a familiar sort of way. He was hiding beneath the hood of a black jacket, his face in shadow and his hands in his pockets. The person next to him was gripping his arm, as if they had arrived together. One by one, they all moved forwards ... slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes. Riddle stood in silence, waiting for them. Then one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled towards Riddle, and kissed the hem of his black robes. 

"Master ... master ..." He murmured.

"Whipped." I sniggered, and Jerk slapped my arm, sending me a warning look and an eye roll.

The Death Eaters behind the guy did the same; each of them approaching Riddle on his knees, and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up, forming a silent circle, which enclosed Tom Riddle Senior's grave, me, Riddle, Jerk, and the sobbing and twitching heap that was Wormtail. Yet they left gaps in the circle, as though waiting for more people. Riddle, however, did not seem to expect more. He looked around at the hooded faces, and though there was no wind, a rustling seemed to run around the circle, as though it had shivered.

"Welcome, Death Eaters." Riddle said quietly. "Thirteen years ... thirteen years since we last met. Yet you answer my call as though it was yesterday ... we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! OR ARE WE?" He put back his head and sniffed. "I smell guilt. There is a stench of guilt upon the air."

I giggled, and Jerk slapped me on the arm again whilst biting his own lip to keep himself from laughing.

A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare, to step back from him. 

"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact - such prompt appearances! - and I ask myself ... why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"

No one spoke. No one moved except Wormtail, who was upon the ground, still sobbing over his bleeding arm.

Wimp.

"And I answer myself," Riddle whispered, "they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment ...

"And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power, in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living?

"And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still-greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort ... perhaps they could pay allegiance to another ... perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?"

At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the members of the circle stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads. 

Riddle ignored them. "It is a disappointment to me ... I confess myself disappointed ..."

One of the men suddenly flung himself forwards, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Riddle's feet.

"Master!" He shrieked. "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!"

Riddle began to laugh. He raised his wand. "Crucio!"

The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked; I winced, remembering how it had felt.

Riddle raised his wand. The tortured Death Eater lay flat upon the ground, gasping. 

"Get up, Avery." Riddle said softly. "Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years ... I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?"

He looked down at Wormtail, who continued to sob.

"You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. Out of my own child. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don't you?"

Wait. Hold up. The fuck? He has a kid?

"Yes, master," Wormtail moaned, "please, master ... please ..."

"Yet you helped me return me to my body." Riddle said coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ground. "Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me ... and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers ..."

Riddle raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A silver hand fixed itself onto Wormtail's bleeding wrist, and his sobbing stopped abruptly.

"My Lord ..." He whispered, staring down at it in wonder. "Master ... it is beautiful ..."

"Unlike you." I sniggered quietly.

"... Thank you ... THANK YOU ..."

He scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Riddle's robes.

"May your loyalty never waver again, Wormtail." Riddle said.

"No, my Lord ... never, my Lord ..."

Wormtail stood up and took his place in the circle, staring at his new hand, his face still shining with tears. Riddle now approached the men on Wormtail's right.

"Lucius, my slippery friend." He whispered, halting before them. "I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You and your brother are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you two never tried to find me, Lucius, Adam ... your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay ... but might not your energies have been better directed towards finding and aiding your master?"

"My Lord, we were constantly on the alert." An unfamiliar voice came from beneath the hood of the guy that was next to hoodie-guy. 

"Had there been any sign of you, any whisper of your whereabouts, we would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented us -" Lucius Malfoy's voice babbled.

"And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky?" Riddle said lazily, and he stopped talking abruptly. "Yes, I know all about that, Lucius ... you have disappointed me ... I expect more faithful service in future."

"Of course, my Lord, of course ... you are merciful, thank you ..."

Riddle moved on, passing others and pausing before some of them, speaking to them. But something was niggling at the back of my mind. 'You and your brother' ... Adam Malfoy ... Was that Floppy's dad? And if so, then that must mean that the hoodie-wearing figure next to him must be -

Riddle had already paced around the entire circle and was now back at the Malfoy's. "And our youngest ..." He said quietly, smirking slightly at what I assume to be Floppy. "You have been doing your job, I presume?" 

"Of course, my Lord." Floppy's smug voice came as he bowed.

Bastard.

"Yes," Riddle said, a grin slowly appearing on his face, as the eyes of the circle flashed in my direction. "Daisy Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call her my guest of honour."

There was a silence as I flipped them all off. Then Adam Malfoy stepped forward. "Master, we crave to know ... we beg you to tell us ... how you have achieved this ... this miracle ... how you managed to return to us ..."

"Ah, what a story it is, Adam." Riddle said. "And it begins - and ends - with my young friend here."

He walked lazily over to stand next to Jerk and I, so that the eyes of the whole circle were upon us.

"You know, of course, that they have called this girl and her twin brother my downfall?" Riddle said softly, his red eyes upon me, and my scar began to burn so fiercely that I almost screamed in agony. "You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill them. Their mother died in the attempt to save them - and unwittingly provided them with a protection I admit I had not foreseen ... I could not touch the children."

Riddle raised one of his long white fingers, and put it very close to my cheek. "Their mother left upon them the traces of her sacrifice ... this is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it ... but no matter. I can touch her now."

He did, and I thought my head would burst with the pain. I couldn't keep my damn mouth shut, though. "That sounds rather pedophilic, don't you think? Tom Riddle, the pedophile."

Riddle laughed softly in my ear, and turned to the Death Eaters again, continuing his story. I saw Jerk looking anxiously at us out of the corner of my eye, but what was drawing my gaze was Floppy. His head was fixed in my direction, the face under the hood in shadow. He slowly reached up and drew his finger across his neck, and I subtly flipped him off. 

Riddle finished his story as he turned back to me. "And here she is ... the girl you all believed had been my downfall ..."

He moved slowly forward and raised his wand. "Crucio!" 

My bones were suddenly on fire; my head was surely splitting along my scar; I wanted it to end ... to black out ... to die ...

And then it was gone. I was hanging limply in the statue's grip, looking up into those bright red eyes through a kind of mist. The night was ringing with the sound of the Death Eaters' laughter. 

A minute later, and Jerk had released me from the statue to Riddle's orders. My legs shook under me with nerves as I stood on the overgrown grave, as the Death Eaters closed ranks, forming a tighter circle around us, so that the gaps where the missing Death Eaters should have stood were filled. 

"You have been taught how to duel, Daisy Potter?" Riddle said softly, his red eyes glinting through the darkness.

"And how the fuck do you expect me to duel without a wand?" I hissed.

"Using your wandless magic, of course." Riddle said, smirking slightly again.

I glared at him as he continued to speak. "We bow to each other, Daisy." He said, bending a little, but keeping his kinda hot face upturned to me. "Come, the niceties must be observed ... Dumbledore would like you to show manners ... bow to death, Daisy ..."

(See what I did there ?She's Kinda Hot tho?)

The Death Eaters were laughing again. Riddle was smiling. I did not bow. I was not going to let Riddle play with me before killing me ... I was not going to give him that satisfaction ...

"I said, BOW." Riddle said, raising his wand - and I felt my spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand was bending me ruthlessly forwards, and the Death Eaters laughed harder than ever. 

"Very good." Riddle said softly, and as he raised his wand, the pressure bearing down on me lifted too. "And now you face me, like a witch ... straight backed and proud, the way your father died ...

"And now - we duel."

Riddle raised his wand, and before I could do anything to defend myself, before I could even move, I had been hit again with 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, 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 towards Riddle. 

"A little break." Riddle said, a sideways grin on his face. "A little pause ... that hurt, didn't it, Daisy? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"

I didn't answer. I was going to die, those pitiless red eyes were telling me so ... I was going to die, and there was nothing I could do about it ... but I wasn't going to play along. I wasn't going to obey Riddle ... I wasn't going to beg ...

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

And I felt the sensation that my mind had been wiped of all thought ... ah, it was bliss, not to think, it was as though I was floating, dreaming ... just answer 'no' ... say 'no' ... just answer 'no' ...

I will not, a stronger voice said in the back of my head, I won't answer ...

Just answer 'no' ...

I won't do it, I won't say it ...

Just answer 'no' ...

"I WON'T!"

And these words burst from my mouth; they echoed through the graveyard, and the dream state was lifted as suddenly as though cold water had been thrown over me - back rushed the aches that the Cruciatus Curse had left all over my body - back rushed the realisation of where I was, and what I was facing ...

"You won't?" Riddle said quietly, and the Death Eaters were not laughing now. "You won't say 'no'? Daisy, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die ... perhaps another little dose of pain?"

Riddle raised his wand, but this time I was ready; with the reflexes born of my Quidditch training, I flung myself sideways onto the ground; I rolled behind the marble headstone of Riddle's father, and I heard it crack as the curse missed me.

"We are not playing hide-and-seek, Daisy." Riddle's soft, cold voice said, drawing nearer, as the Death Eaters laughed.

"You don't bloody say!" I cried.

"You cannot hide from me. Does this mean you are tired of our duel? Does this mean you would prefer me to finish it now, Daisy? Come out, Daisy ... come out and play, then ... it will be quick ... it might even be painless ... I would not know ... I have never died ..."

I crouched behind the headstone, and knew the end had come. There was no hope ... no help to be had. I didn't have my wand, and my power was refusing to come out, due to the amount of nervousness in me. And as I heard Riddle draw nearer still, I knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason - I was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide-and-seek; I was not going to die kneeling at Tom Riddle's feet ... I was going to die upright like my father, and I was going to die trying to defend myself, even if no defence was possible ...

Before Riddle could stick his damned hot face around the headstone, I had stood up ... I thrust my hand out in front of me and threw myself around the headstone, facing Riddle. 

He was ready. As Riddle cried, "Avada Kedavra!", I gathered up all my strength, the panic and nerves suddenly gone, and a blinding white light shone from my palm, and the jet of green light vanished as it hit the glow.

Riddle lowered his wand, laughing softly. "Yes ... back to Lucius's home to sort out everything, shall we? Let us go now." 

The Death Eaters all broke away from the circle, each turning on their heels and vanishing into thin air. I turned to Jerk.

"Wait, I'm confused. What's going on?"

Jerk shrugged, his eyebrows furrowed. "He never meant to kill you, Daisy. He wanted to see if your power would defend you, protect you ... if it was strong enough to stop the Killing Curse."

Suddenly, it hit me. I had just stopped the Killing Curse ... something no one except Harry and I have ever done before. I had just literally stopped death.

"And now he wants to take you back to Malfoy Manor so he can extract that power." Jerk grabbed my arm, and glanced at me apologetically. "Sorry. Again."

The cemetery disappeared in a rush of air and colours.

~ Fred's POV ~

• THREE HOURS EARLIER •

We all stood, staring at the spot Daisy and the asshole had just vanished from. Um, no? You don't just take my Softpaw away from me.

Then it dawned on me. It was a prank. Obviously. I had never seen that guy before, but Daisy Potter has so many damn connections that it must be one of her many friends on Facebook or something. 

I stared to crack up, unable to contain my giggles. That was pure genius, using a time like this to scare the living shit out of people! Professional pranking right there! Oh, this is why she's in my clan, because of things like this!

Everyone turned around and stared at me, with the exception of Harry (who was slowly stepping forward, his hands outstretched as if he couldn't believe that she was gone), and George (who had obviously reached the same conclusion as me). 

"How is this funny? It's not funny!" Draco shouted, his eyes shining. 

Is he crying? TF? It's just a prank, lil' Drake ... just a prank ...

"It's just a prank, isn't it?" George grinned, a slight wavering in his voice. 

"Softpaw's such a genius! Pranks like that are awesome, it looked so real ... she looked so terrified ..." I trailed off, the reality of the situation smacking me right in the damn face like a Bludger. "It wasn't just a prank, was it?"

"Shit!" George and I yelled simultaneously.

A series of popping noises announced the arrival of twenty wizards, surrounding us. 

"DUCK!" Terry yelled, and we all did. 

"STUPEFY!" Twenty voices roared - there was a blinding series of flashes and I felt the hair on my head ripple as though a powerful wind had swept the clearing. Raising my head a fraction of an inch, I saw jets of fiery red light flying over us from their wands, crossing each other, bouncing off tree trunks, rebounding into the darkness -

"Stop!" Dad's voice yelled. "STOP! Those're my kids!"

Thanks, Dad.

My hair stopped blowing about. I raised my head a little higher. The guy in front of me had lowered his wand. I rolled over and saw Dad striding towards us, looking terrified.

"Kids - are you alright -" His voice sounded shaky.

"We're alright -" George said.

"- Daisy's not, though." I said. 

Harry was now lying on his back on the ground, eyes wide open and face stark white. Draco was digging his nails into his palms, blinking furiously to keep those tears from falling. It would have been a hilarious sight - if not, of course, for the Godric damned situation we were in.

"What? Why? Where is she?!" Dad said, his shaky voice rising with each word.

"Some guy came up behind her, said You-Know-Who wanted her, and Apparated away with her." I told him.

There was silence.

~~~

As we rounded the corner, and the Burrow came into view, a cry echoed along the damp lane.

"Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness!" 

Mum, who had evidently been waiting for us in the front yard, came running towards us, still wearing her bedroom slippers, her face pale and strained, a screwed-up copy of the Daily Prophet clutched in her hand. "Arthur - I've been so worried - so worried -" 

She flung her arms around Dad's neck, and the Daily Prophet fell out of her limp hand onto the ground. I glanced down at it and saw the headline - SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP, complete with a twinkling photo of the Dark Mark over the treetops.

Bet Rita Skeeter wrote that. From what she seems in the Daily Prophet, she's a little bitch.

"You're all right." Mum muttered distractedly, releasing Dad and staring around at us all with red eyes. "You're alive ... oh, BOYS ..."

She seized George and I and pulled us both into such a tight hug that our heads banged together. 

"Ouch! Mum - you're strangling us -"

"I shouted at you before you left!" Mum said, starting to sob. "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.Ls? Oh, Fred ... George ..."

She raised her head from us and looked around. "W-where's Daisy?"

Well. Shit's about to go down. Mum loves Daisy like she's one of us, and if someone takes a part of her family, they're a goner. 

R.I.P You-Know-Who.