The next week seemed to take an eternity for the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Snape had informed them that Harry had progressed past Shield Charms, Cutting Curses, Disarming Charms, and many of the more powerful spells that most students either learned in their sixth or seventh year or did not learn at all. Unfortunately, this meant that Snape would be assisting Voldemort with teaching Harry the Dark Arts before the start of July. Therefore, the last day of June found Harry, Voldemort, and Snape standing together in the Dark Lord’s chamber.
“Now, there are many forms of the Dark Arts, Harry,” Voldemort was saying. “We shall be working on three. These curses are classified by the Ministry of Magic as the ‘Unforgivable Curses.’ They are the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Killing Curse.”
Harry inwardly flinched; he didn’t like the idea of learning any of these curses. After all, the Cruciatus Curse was the reason that he couldn’t remember anything from before he woke up in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, the Imperius Curse had uncomfortably taken his mind almost completely out of his control, and who would want to use something known as the ‘Killing Curse?’ However, Harry ruthlessly pushed all of these thoughts out of his head as he told himself that if this was the type of person that he had been before, then so be it.
“We shall start with the Imperius Curse. Wormtail!” Voldemort called loudly. The door opened and a rather nervous-looking Peter Pettigrew entered. “It will be easier for you to learn the curse by trying it on someone with a relatively… weaker mind.” Wormtail looked momentarily indignant, but hid this swiftly as Voldemort went to stand behind Harry. “Now,” he hissed softly, “concentrate all of your energy on controlling him. Focus on a want or need to make him do whatever you desire.”
Harry nodded mutely, telling himself silently that he wanted to control Wormtail.
Why, though? This question echoed in the back of his mind. What would controlling him do? What would it prove? That I can take advantage of people against their will? Harry took a deep breath and once again pushed these thoughts away without hesitation. He had to do this. As long as it stood a chance of helping him to remember his past, he couldn’t care less if performing the curse properly held a purpose. He took another deep breath, pointed his wand at Wormtail, and muttered, “Imperio!”
Snape, looking on from the other side of the room, was astonished to see Wormtail’s eyes become glassy as Harry finished saying the incantation; the boy had succeeded in performing the Imperius Curse. Lovely, he thought grimly to himself, sure to keep his face impassive. I am sure that Dumbledore will find this quite interesting. The Golden Boy can do a perfect Imperius Curse.
While Snape was thinking this, Harry was surprised and more than a little uncomfortable to find himself not only seeing through his own eyes, but Wormtail’s as well. He decided to test the waters and gave him a simple order.
B-bow down…
Wormtail showed no signs of resistance toward Harry as he got down on one knee and bowed his head. Harry flicked his wand upward, breaking the spell, as Voldemort clapped him on the shoulder in a satisfied way and Wormtail struggled to stand up.
“Excellent, Harry. Well done,” the Dark Lord hissed. In all honesty, he had not expected the boy to master the spell as quickly as he had and found it not only to be convenient, but useful. “Now, we shall begin work on the Cruciatus Curse. Bella!” he called loudly once more before the door opened and Bellatrix Lestrange strode in, a smirk playing on the sides of her mouth, as Wormtail began to inch his way toward the door. “Stay, Wormtail,” Voldemort hissed as he realized this. “Harry will need a test subject, won’t he?”
Wormtail shivered involuntarily, his nervousness fading to be replaced by fear. He nodded shakily and Voldemort continued. “Bellatrix will teach you the Cruciatus Curse, Harry.” As Voldemort stepped aside, Bellatrix came forward and looked down at Harry critically.
“The only way to work this curse, Potter, is to want to really cause pain. You have to mean it; to enjoy it. Performing this curse for the sake of doing so or even because of… righteous anger will not make it work. For example, I once tortured two people into insanity with this curse.” Bellatrix stopped, looking morbidly pleased with her ‘accomplishment.’ The sight made Harry visibly flinch, trying to figure out how anyone could possibly enjoy causing such terrible pain to others.
“So,” she continued briskly, coming closer to him and looking him dead in the eye, “you need to concentrate on the joy of causing pain. Think of revenge. Think of wanting to cause someone the same pain that you have felt at one time or another. Think of the pain of loss, hurt, and betrayal.” She circled him as she spoke, coming to a halt right behind him, looking at Wormtail coldly. “The incantation is ‘Crucio!’ Now, you try.”
Harry thought of the pain of waking up to find that he had no idea where he was or who he was. That should be good enough, he thought to himself. He pointed his wand at Wormtail and muttered, “Crucio!”
Nothing happened. Bellatrix hissed in frustration. “You weren’t concentrating hard enough, Potter! Now try it again!”
Harry closed his eyes, determined to do it this time, and took yet another deep breath. He though of Voldemort telling him that Remus, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Professor Dumbledore had been the reason that he couldn’t remember his past. He thought of the pain that he had felt when he had woken up for the first time in the Hospital Wing. And last, he thought of the anger, hurt, and pain that he had felt when he found out that those… that they had only been acting like his friends for manipulate and use him. He easily let his feelings of anger, hurt, pain, betrayal, and frustration rise to just beneath the surface. Even Snape was surprised to see Harry open his eyes to reveal them burning with an emerald fire. Harry raised his wand, pointed it at Wormtail once more, and bellowed, “Crucio!”
Wormtail screamed and fell to the floor, writhing in agonizing pain. Snape looked at Harry, whose eyes revealed his inner horror at what he was doing, and Bellatrix, who ruffled the boy’s hair proudly, forgetting for a moment who he was. Last, he hazarded a glance at the Dark Lord. The snake-like man was positively beaming at the young man, a disturbing sight. While his eyes held a malicious glint, Snape sensed another emotion as well… Was it pride? Triumph? Or something else?
Wormtail stopped screaming as Harry once again flicked his wand up. The rat-faced little man lay on the floor, panting.
“Perfect,” Bellatrix almost purred, putting a hand on Harry’s slightly shaking shoulder. “Absolutely perfect.”
“It was at that, Bella,” Voldemort agreed, wondering again how the boy had been able to produce such a strong curse at such a young age. “Now, let us move on to the final stage. Severus, if you will.” Snape stepped forward, not missing the flash of apprehension in Harry’s eyes.
“While the Cruciatus Curse needs to be supported by pain, Potter, the Killing Curse does not. You need to put all of the hatred that you possess into this curse, instead.”
While Snape was speaking, Wormtail managed to begin to crawl toward the door. Voldemort, however, had different plans for the former Marauder.
“I told you to stay, Wormtail,” he hissed softly and dangerously. Wormtail visibly paled.
“B-b-but, my l-lor-d…”
“Silence!” The rat-faced man fell silent at Voldemort’s cold glare. “Continue, Severus.”
“The incantation for the curse is, ‘Avada Kedavra!’ Now, Potter,” Snape continued as if there had been no interruption, “close your eyes.” Harry did as he was told, his terror at what he was being asked to do evident all over his face. Snape strode forward, now speaking only loud enough for Harry alone to hear him. “Empty your mind of all thoughts. Then, focus all of your mind on all that you hate.”
Harry’s thoughts went immediately to Dumbledore, Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Anger and hatred filled him as he thought once again of how they had lied to him; tried to manipulate him. They had convinced him that they were his friends… Oh, how he hated them! They had stolen his memory, tried to convince him that he was on their side… Then, as he focused on harnessing his hatred, Harry was surprised to see Voldemort’s picture flash through his mind. When this happened, a hate greater than any he had felt toward the others filled him. Taking this as himself hating what Voldemort had told him on that morning almost a month ago, he harnessed it instead. He opened his eyes and Snape stepped aside to reveal a pale and trembling Wormtail. Harry raised his wand as his hatred finally reached its peak.
”Avada Kedavra!”
Left you hanging again? Whoops! So sorry. Or not! ; P This chapter is dedicated to nuw255 and LovelyxLena as they expressed the most… interesting thoughts on how to handle Mr. Pettigrew before this was deleted. I hope you enjoyed (I guess that can be the effect…) his fate so far and thanks for the laugh, guys, and that you get time to read it, Lena!
That is chapter twelve which means that the next chapter is chapter thirteen! Yay! Thank you for reading and I hope you will leave a review on your way out! ; )
~Moony
Cruciatus Cursed by Moony 62442
Chapter Notes: Can you believe it? We are already at chapter twelve! Wow… Well, as JKR owns it all (except my plot!), anything you recognize from the novel itself is hers. So, without further ado, here is chapter twelve!