Beneath the pitch-black night sky, the dwindling ranks of Death Eaters gathered in an overgrown graveyard.
Disheveled and filthy, Bellatrix crouched beside an enormous stone cauldron, carefully brewing the Resurrection Potion.
Barty Crouch Jr., restored to his original appearance, was cleaning the sticky residue off himself with Rodolphus's help.
In the center of the graveyard, the abducted Harry was bound to a headstone with hemp rope, wrapped over and over from his neck to his ankles.
No one had treated the injuries he had suffered during the tournament, so his blood had completely soaked the ropes.
His forehead still hurt as though it were splitting open. He could only squint, barely making out the enemy before him, and mock him weakly.
"Voldemort, you sewer rat. What are you plotting now?"
Voldemort was still inhabiting the Obscurus, his scarlet eyes beneath his cloak brimming with mockery and triumph.
"Ha! How times have changed. Even a feeble child dares to speak my name. Yes, Black has given you all far too much hope.
"But fate has favored me after all. Once your blood becomes part of me, I will no longer have any weaknesses.
"Once resurrected, I will be truly invincible!"
Harry struggled and shouted.
"In your dreams! The Chief will come to save me soon, and he'll defeat you again, you beaten stray!"
Voldemort laughed.
"Hahaha! Stop dreaming. You're nothing but a pawn. Perhaps you don't know this yet, but Shawn Black deliberately allowed me to abduct you."
Harry was shaken to his core.
"Impossible! That's absolutely impossible! The Chief isn't that kind of person!"
In a rare display of intelligence, Voldemort smugly laid out his reasoning.
"This wasn't just Black's plan. It was Dumbledore's, too. Think about it. If I don't truly return to life, how can Black kill me