Chapter 521: Fish and Voldemort Reach Consensus (Edited)

Fish fell silently asleep without attracting anyone's attention.

Voldemort continued to talk and the Death Eaters continued to listen as they shivered, even Harry was so focused on Voldemort that he did not notice that Fish was now sleeping soundly beside him.

After talking to the Death Eaters, Voldemort began to reward them.

"Barty Crouch Jr. my most faithful servant..."

Barty Crouch Jr. gave a timely look of pride.

"... Thanks to your efforts, our two little friends are here tonight..."

After praising Barty and promising him more rewards, Voldemort finally turned the conversation to Fish and Harry, and the eyes in the circle turned to them in unison.

Harry plucked up the courage to look at the Death Eaters, and then realized that most of the eyes seemed to be on Fish....

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Fish, head down, sleeping.

"Nya!"

∑(?°﹃°?)

As the group watched, Fish woke up startled.

"Yawn-"

Fish yawned, blinked, and muttered, "Are you done already? When are you going to let Fish down?! Let's have a good fight!"

(?`ω′?)

Voldemort snorted and said, "Don't worry, in due time."

Then he turned his attention away from Fish and walked over to Harry.

"Of course they know, they say this boy is my nemesis, don't they?". Voldemort whispered, "You all know that I tried to kill him the night I lost my powers and my body. His mother died trying to save him, inadvertently giving him some sort of protection, which I admit I did not expect...I cannot touch the boy."

Voldemort explained to the Death Eaters the reason for his failure that year, holding a long, thin, pale finger close to Harry's cheek.

"His mother left the mark of her sacrifice on him...it's ancient magic. I should have remembered it, but foolishly forgot...but never mind, I can touch it now."

Having been resurrected by Harry's blood, he would no longer be affected by Lily Potter's protection spell.

Voldemort let out a slight chuckle, withdrew his finger and continued to relate to the Death Eaters what had happened after his defeat.

"... I have been stripped of my body, less than a ghost, less than the lowliest of wandering souls... but I am still alive. What I am, I do not know to this day..."

Although Voldemort's level of "narrative" was average, it wasn't "preaching" after all, so Fish listened eagerly.

"So ... four years ago ... my resurrection seemed to be in sight. A young, foolish, gullible wizard came into the forest where I was staying, and I happened to run into him...".

"Fish knew it nya! And then you confronted Fish!"

(?`?′?)

Fish shouted proudly, causing a stir among the Death Eaters.

"It's true." Voldemort sighed, "I didn't expect Fish to exist, this little magical creature ruined my plans and prevented me from stealing the Philosopher's Stone."

The Death Eaters did not move, the glowing eyes under their masks stared at Voldemort and then at Fish.

"That servant died after I left his body," Voldemort continued, "But that magic spell of Fish's, it made me much stronger than I was before..."

"Nya?"

?ω?

Fish blinked in confusion, before realizing that Voldemort was talking about the moonlight shower that he didn't remember anything about.

"... Just when I had almost given up hope, hope finally appeared... when a servant found me. It was this Wormtail..."

Voldemort went on to relate how, after finding him, Peter Pettigrew had extracted a great deal of information from Bertha Jorkins and learned of the existence of Barty Crouch Jr. and then planned to take Harry out of Hogwarts.

"... Because of that magical ability of Fish's, I added him to the plan." He looked at Fish with scarlet eyes, "Such a wonderful power has been hidden by that wicked old Dumbledore What a reckless waste!"

"Yes, yes!" Fish nodded approvingly, "Albus is so annoying nya! No to this, no to that.... If it wasn't for Fish not being able to beat him, I'd take the Sorting Hat and Fawkes nya!"

(??ˇ?ˇ??)

"Then all the more reason you should join us!" Voldemort took the opportunity to persuade, "I won't be as restrictive as Dumbledore, you can do whatever you like!"

But Fish cocked his head to one side for a moment and then shook it.

(`ω′′≡`ω′)

"I don't want to!"

"Why? Don't you hate how Dumbledore controls you?"

"He can't control Fish nya!"

(? `ω′?)

Fish pouted and then perked up, "And Fish has to take the Sorting Hat and Fawkes away from Albus by his own strength nya!"

"Besides..." continued Fish: "You can't even beat Harry, why should Fish listen to you nya? All the animals in the Forbidden Forest listen to Fish!"

(? `? ′?)

Fish raised his head and looked at Voldemort with disdain.

"Very well...," Voldemort turned around with a sneer, looked at the group of Death Eaters who were silent and said, "Look, because of the failure back then, even such a small guy dares to belittle me now."

"Master, this ignorant little wizard is only ignorant of your reputation."

Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, bowing and flattering in a fawning tone.

Voldemort looked at him for a moment and smiled softly, "Lucius, I hear your boy is on good terms with Fish?"

Lucius shuddered and fell to his knees, begging for mercy, "Master! I meant no such thing!"

"Very well!" Voldemort waved his hand impatiently, "No need to explain, I know better than you what this little one is capable of. Now, it's time to show you, and Fish, how foolish it is to think this boy is better than me."

He ignored Lucius, who was on his knees, and slowly approached Harry, raising his wand.

"Crucio!"

"Ummmmmmmmmmmm-!"

Harry, whose mouth was gagged, let out a series of muffled moans, his eyes rolling as if he was going to faint at any moment.

"You're a coward nya!"

(?`Д′?)

Fish scolded, "That's not a fair fight!".

Voldemort stopped his spell and said, "You're right," he waved his wand and loosened the ropes binding Harry, "Then let's have a fair fight."

He motioned for Wormtail to hand Harry's wand back to him.

"Right here, right now, in front of you, there is no Dumbledore here to protect him, and no mother to make sacrifices for him. I'll give him the chance, he can fight me, so you don't have to wonder who's stronger."

"Still not fair, Harry's still hurt nya!"

Fish continued to yell, "Let go of Fish, I'll heal him nya! You can fight after that!"

The resurrected Voldemort was clearly confident in his own strength, and without saying a word, he merely brushed the black mud off Fish's body and said, "You can try to escape, but then I won't be so easy to talk to."

"Why would Fish want to run away?" Fish looked puzzled, "You can't beat Fish."

(?ω?)

Fish moved a little and then gave Harry a rejuvenation spell to heal his arm wound.

"Come on Harry, just defeat it, there's nothing to be afraid of nya!"

He patted Harry on the shoulder in sincere encouragement.

Harry: "..."