Stay With Me | Draco Malfoy [1]

Chapter 24 - He's Back

TW: Mentions of death and torture

Katianne's POV

Wormtail's eyes were wide, as were mine, shocked, seeing who was standing before us. You-know-who slowly walked over to the man, chuckling when he realised that he was in human form again.

"My wand, Wormtail." The bald wizard ordered, his voice barely above a whisper. Wormtail abided, taking the wand from inside his pocket, handing it to him while bowing. You-know-who's pale, veiny hand, gradually took it, taking a deep breath before quietly saying, "Hold out your arm."

"Master. Thank you, master." Wormtail spoke, holding out his right arm. "The other arm, Wormtail." The Dark Lord snapped, voice still hushed. Pettigrew held out his left arm this time, immediately being grabbed by you-know-who.

He put the wand on the dark mark, leading to a sound of thunder emerging. All four of us looked up to the sky, wondering what's going to happen next.

A skull was formed by the gloomy clouds, while a cloud-formed snake slithered out of its mouth. Black fogs shot from the sky and to the ground, the fog blowing away to reveal human figures wearing skull masks and robes with pointed hoods, just like in the Quidditch world cup, when everything started to burn down.

"Welcome, my friends." The bald wizard said, his voice finally projected. "Thirteen years, it's been. And yet you stand before me, as though it were only yesterday." He spoke, his voice raspy. "I confess myself disappointed. Not one of you tried to find me." The Dark Lord finished saying.

"Crabbe!" You-know-who snapped, aggressively taking the skull mask off of one of the figure's face, making black smoke come out of the hood. The man, who I think is called Crabbe, hissed, falling on his knees. "Macnair!" He did the same thing to this guy, followed by the same results, Macnair falling to his knees. "Goyle!"

"Not even you... Lucius." The blonde man with long hair, fell to his knees. With the mask taken off, I could see his face. The face of... Draco's dad. "My Lord... had I detected any sign, or even a whisper of your whereabouts-" The older Malfoy started saying in a hushed tone, but was cut off by the bald wizard. "There were signs, my slippery friend. And more than just whispers."

"I assure you, my Lord, I have never renounced the old ways." The blonde man started saying, taking off the pointy hood and standing up. "The face I have been obliged to present each day since your absence... that was my true mask." He finished.

"I returned." Wormtail said, immediately backing down, realising that it was a foolish move to interrupt the conversation of the two.

You-know-who dashed over to him, bending down slightly to be at his level and said, "Out of fear, not loyalty." Pettigrew whimpered, his wide eyes filled with fright. "Still, you have proved yourself useful these past few months, Wormtail." The Dark Lord reassured him, his voice louder then before, as he used his veiny hands to pet him, making Wormtail slightly less terrified.

With one swish of his wand, the bald wizard granted Wormtail a new hand, in replace of the one he cut off for the Dark Lord to come back. "Thank you... Master. Thank you." Pettigrew thanked you-know-who, admiring his new hand.

I could hear my twin wincing from where he was trapped next to me, the pain on both of our scars still there. I saw you-know-who stroll over to the dead body. The dead body of my love. The dead body of Cedric.

The Dark Lord used his dirty, bare feet to touch his face, saying, "Tsk, tsk. Such a handsome boy." From the corner of my eye, I saw Harry ready to say something, but I beat him to it. "Get away from him!" With that said, you-know-who snapped his head to us.