Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling, not me.

(This story is co-written by Witowsmp & L.D. Evans)

What If Lucius Had a Better Plan?

(The first few paragraphs are from Order of the Phoenix, chapter 34: The Department of Mysteries)

"Have you seen this?" said Ron.

"What?" said Harry but eagerly this time – it had to be a sign that Sirius had been there, a clue – he strode back to where they were all standing, a little way down row ninety-seven, but found nothing except Ron staring at one of the dusty glass spheres on the shelves. "What?" Harry repeated glumly.

"It's – it's got your name on," said Ron. Harry moved a little closer. Ron was pointing at one of the small glass spheres that glowed with a dull inner light, though it was very dusty and appeared not to have been touched for many years.

"My name?" said Harry blankly.

He stepped forward. Not as tall as Ron, he had to crane his neck to read the yellowish label affixed to the shelf right beneath the dusty glass ball. In spidery writing was written a date of some sixteen years previously, and below that:

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.

Dark Lord

And (?) Harry Potter

Harry stared at it. "What is it?" Ron asked, sounding unnerved. "What's your name doing down here?" He glanced along at the other labels on that stretch of shelf. "I'm not here," he said, sounding perplexed. "None of the rest of us are here…."

"Harry, I don't think you should touch it," said Hermione sharply, as he stretched out his hand.

"Why not?" he said. "It's something to do with me, isn't it?"

"Don't, Harry," said Neville suddenly. Harry looked around at him. Neville's round face was shining slightly with sweat. He looked as though he could not take much more suspense.

"It's got my name on," said Harry.

And feeling slightly reckless he closed his fingers around the dusty ball's surface and picked it up. He immediately heard several voices scream, "STUPEFY!" while one familiar voice said, "Accio, Prophecy!" and felt the sphere fly away from his grasp as he was struck by a red beam of light. The last thing he saw as he lost consciousness was the cool and confident face of Lucius Malfoy holding the dusty old ball in his hand.

Bellatrix Lestrange pointed her wand at Neville Longbottom and shouted "AVADA KEDAVR…" but before she was done with the words Lucius quickly disarmed her.

He angrily shouted, "No one dies; we can't frame Potter if we go killing everybody." Lucius gave the sphere to the witch and instructed the group of Death Eaters to leave the Ministry immediately and to take his Death Eater robes and mask with them.

"What will you do?" shouted Vernidad Trobiago, one of Voldemort's recent overseas recruits.

"I will make sure that Potter never interferes with our plans again," Lucius smugly replied as a sinister smile appeared on his face. "Potter will spend the rest of his life in Azkaban until the day that the Dark Lord chooses to mercifully end his suffering."

Harry woke up with a tremendous headache. As he looked around he noticed that he was in a dingy old room which seemed like it hadn't been cleaned for decades. Ron and Neville were lying in beds nearby and had not awakened yet. Harry noticed that a tall, elderly man was standing outside of the room, visible through the barred window. As he noticed Harry stir, he opened the door and approached him.

"Harry Potter, I am Algus Ruvilia, your advocate at the Wizengamot."

Harry sat up. "What am I being charged with?" asked Harry.

"Treason, Sedition, Breaking and Entering and Grand Theft," replied Algus. "The Ministry is seeking the Dementor's Kiss for you and banishment for your friends."

Harry was stunned. Was all of his life to this point a waste? Was he going to die for his stupid curiosity? "Can I present my memories at my trial as evidence?" asked Harry.

"I'm afraid not, Harry, not after the new law passed this evening by Minister Fudge. Pensieve memories are no longer allowed as evidence in criminal trials," replied an apparently regretful Algus. "I hate to say this, but the chances of you and your friends winning this case are very slim as Fudge has no intention to allow a fair trial. The only thing that we can do is present the best case we can and avoid the Kiss, allowing an opportunity for a retrial once new elections are held and Fudge hopefully is voted out of office. I do know that you still have a few allies politically, and if Amelia Bones or Kingsley Shacklebolt manages to win the election they will immediately pardon you."

Algus turned and looked towards the door. After pausing for a moment he turned back to Harry. "I promise you, Harry Potter, that in fulfillment to my life debt to your father, James Potter, I will help you to the best of my ability, even if it costs me my career."

"Thank you, Mr. Ruvilia," Harry replied. Algus Ruvilia then left the room and Harry lay back down on the mattress and tried to think about how he could get out of what seemed to be certain doom.

Early the next morning, Harry, Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny and Hermione were led into a huge dungeon. They were assigned seats that looked very familiar to Harry. This time, instead of one chair with chains, there were six. As he suspected, the moment they sat down, the chains bound him and his friends to their chairs. He looked around to see that a handful of judges, including Amelia Bones, were not present. He wondered if they'd been told the wrong time, like had happened to him the year before.

In the midst of the council stood Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, who spoke to the assembly. "Members of the Wizengamot, today Harry Potter, Ronald and Ginevra Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood stand accused of High Treason, Sedition, Breaking and Entering into the Department of Mysteries and Theft of one of the prophesies stored inside. How do you plead, defendants?"

Harry defiantly proclaimed, "NOT GUILTY!" The others followed suit and pled not guilty as well.

With a smug look on his face, Fudge said, "Very well. I now summon my first witness – Lucius Malfoy."

Dressed in elegant robes, the head of the Malfoy family arrogantly strutted into the center of the courtroom. He was only a few feet in front of the chained prisoners, whose glares he completely ignored. Looking at the Minister of Magic, he began, "Your honor, witches and wizards of the Wizengamot, it is with deepest regret that I have been forced to witness the fall of the boy who brought peace to this world while he was an infant." He shook his head sorrowfully. "I can only imagine what James and Lily Potter would think if they could see their son now. Perhaps the fact that he didn't have proper wizarding upbringing has contributed to his delinquency, but I digress."

Lucius looked around at each judge. "Last night, that is the night of June 18th, I received a floo call from my son, Draco, a member of High Inquisitor Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, and an upstanding student at Hogwarts. There had been a disturbance at Hogwarts, led by Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, which I'm sure he and the other witnesses will describe in detail later in this trial. The reason he contacted me was that Mr. Potter and Miss Granger had left Hogwarts castle, and based off of what he'd heard them say, he believed that they were planning on breaking into the Ministry."

"That's a lie!" shouted Harry. Mr. Ruvilia shot a look at Harry, signaling that he had made a mistake.

"Silence!" quipped Fudge. "The accused will only speak when spoken to." He turned to Lucius. "The court apologizes for that outburst. Please continue, Mr. Malfoy."

"That's quite alright, Minister. I can see that Mr. Potter is quite disturbed, and the Ministry isn't to be blamed for that."

He took a deep breath. "Not wishing any trouble to the savior of our world, I went to the Ministry alone, hoping to find and dissuade him from whatever plans he had. The last thing I wanted was for him to face this esteemed body in a trial. However, when I caught up with them, his group was in the process of stealing one of the prophecies in the Department of Mysteries. I called out for them to stop, but Mr. Potter pulled his wand."

He sighed sadly. "For the first time in my life, I was forced to use my wand against children. I'm not proud of what I did, but I managed to stun them all. Fortunately, their dueling skills left much to be desired. Once they were unconscious, I saw no choice but to call the aurors. I know it's ridiculous, but I somehow feel partially responsible for ruining these teenagers' lives." He sighed sadly and added, "If only I'd handled things differently. If…"

Harry hated to admit it, but Lucius was a good actor and deserved an Emmy for his performance.

"Now, now," said Fudge amiably, "You mustn't feel guilty for the poor decisions these children have made. It wasn't your fault. You acted as a loyal citizen." Fudge looked thoughtful for a moment. "In fact, I believe that I shall nominate you for an Order of Merlin – Third Class for your act of bravery. Returning to the matter at hand, you may be seated. We now call the Hogwarts High Inquisitor – Dolores Umbridge – to the stand so that she may present her evidence."

Harry quietly groaned as the toad walked up to the stand. He did smile for a moment when he noticed that she was still bruised and bandaged from her encounter with the Centaurs. He was wondering how she'd escaped them when Umbridge's sickeningly sweet voice began speaking.

"Good day, everyone." She glanced at Harry's group. "Well, almost everyone." Fudge was the only one who chuckled at her very little joke. "Since I've been at Hogwarts, I've noticed that Harry Potter has been highly favored, apparently because of his fame. During our very first class, he spoke out of turn, which is apparently his custom, and began arguing with me about his ridiculous assertion that he witnessed a dead man return. I was forced to give him detention, writing lines, in hopes that he would stop lying…"

"LINES!" shouted Harry, his face red as he tried to stand up, only to be restrained by his chains. "SHE USED A BLOOD QUILL ON ME!" Harry was ignored as he mentioned the blood quill, realizing Fudge must have authorized it.

"Mr. Ruvilia," said Fudge, "You must restrain your client or he will be removed from the courtroom."

"I apologize, your honor," the solicitor answered as he shot a warning look at Harry.

"Hem, hem," said Delores.

"You may continue, Madam Umbridge," said Fudge pleasantly.

"I've been observing the situation ever since then, in hopes of helping the boy, and noticed a pattern. He gets special privileges. For example, former Headmaster Dumbledore allowed Harry and the Weasley children to leave for Christmas Break earlier than the other students. Later, Harry was allowed to meet with a reporter and give an interview that was printed in that rag known as The Quibbler."

"It's not a rag," stated Luna calmly. Those were her first words spoken in the courtroom. Everyone stared at her in shock. "It prints the truth – not just about Harry and You-Know-Who, but about Nargles and the goblin-pie conspiracy Minister Fudge is in with Mr. Malfoy."

Cornelius stared intently at her for a moment, as though trying to decide if she were serious or not. "G-goblin pie conspiracy? Surely you don't believe that rubbish…"

"Nothing my father prints is rubbish," Luna replied, ignoring the glares their solicitor was giving her.

"Hem, hem."

"Very well," said Cornelius, now turning his attention back to Umbridge. "Luna Lovegood, you will remain silent, and that goes for the rest of you. Madam Umbridge, please continue."

"Mr. Dumbledore had Mr. Potter attempt to form a small militia called 'Dumbledore's Army,' which I, with the help of my Inquisitorial Squad, and of course Miss Marietta Edgecombe, was able to stop in its infancy. One can only imagine what that would've resulted in. As it was, Miss Edgecombe was cursed with a terrible disfiguring hex by Miss Granger. It was during that incident that Mr. Dumbledore became a fugitive from justice, and I believe that Mr. Potter knew his whereabouts and refused to tell me.

"Yesterday, I caught him and Miss Granger trying to make a call on my office floo. I believed that they were trying to contact Dumbledore and questioned them about it. That was when Miss Granger and Mr. Potter lied to lure me into the Dark Forest so they could hand me to the Centaurs. If it weren't for the help of my Inquisitorial Squad and some of their parents, I would have probably been killed by those vicious creatures. They should be hunted down and exterminated. Anyway, apparently after they handed me to the Centaurs, they joined up with their friends and left Hogwarts, stealing a group of thestrals in the process."

Harry thought she was a decent actress as well, but not as good as Lucius.

"Thank you, Madam Umbridge," said Cornelius. "Rest assured that they will be appropriately punished for their treatment of you, and you will of course be compensated for your suffering. You may step down. Draco Malfoy, you may now take the stand."

Strutting into the center of the courtroom with a smug expression on his face, the self-proclaimed prince of Slytherin took the stand. He was wearing his Hogwarts robes, complete with his freshly polished Inquisitorial Squad badge. He grinned at Harry for a moment before beginning his story. "Last night, while Potter was using Professor Umbridge's floo and the mudbl…Granger was standing guard, we, that is Professor Umbridge, Millicent Bulstrode and I, went into the office because a Stealth Sensoring Spell had been activated. We easily got Granger's wand and the Professor took Potter from the fireplace. They started threatening us before other members of the Inquisitorial Squad…" At this point he proudly stuck out his chest. "…pulled the rest of Potter's gang inside. They've been bullying other kids for years and I'm glad they've finally been caught. Hogwarts will be a much safer place without them."

"I see," said the Minister while Harry gaped at the pure stupidity of the man. Draco wasn't even trying to act. His lies were so obvious that anybody should be able to see through them. Obviously, Fudge wasn't even interested in learning the truth. He wished that Amelia Bones had been there. She would've tried to find out the truth. "Continue."

With an arrogant sneer, Draco said, "After the mudbl…Granger and Potter convinced Professor Umbridge to follow them, the other four surprised us and attacked. They didn't do much damage, but managed to escape. As they were leaving, Ron Weasley said, 'We'll take it from the Ministry itself!' so I knew where they were headed. We went off into the forest to find Professor Umbridge. She was tied to a tree being terrorized by the beasts, but we were able to stun them all and free her. When we returned to the castle, Potter and his gang were gone, so I flooed my father."

While he was listening to Draco's obvious lies, including contradictions of Umbridge's testimony, Harry realized that the Death Eaters must have helped Umbridge.

"May I question this witness?" asked Mr. Ruvilia.

"Absolutely not," answered Fudge harshly. "I will not have you badgering this boy!" He then turned to Draco. With a fatherly voice, he said, "Son, you may step down."

Argus Filch, Percy Weasley and Marietta Edgecombe all presented testimony that proved one thing – they all love to lie. The reporting of Rita Skeeter from the previous year, as well as the reporting of this year, was also used as testimony to Harry Potter's evil tendencies. Percy Weasley in particular accused Harry Potter of bullying other students while he was at Hogwarts and setting himself up to be the new Dark Lord. He even went so far to claim that the remaining Death Eaters had pledged allegiance to him, mentioning that he had been suspected of sending up the Dark Mark during the Death Eater attack at the Quidditch World Cup a few years before, but, unfortunately, hadn't been arrested at the time. Both Ron and Ginny interrupted that testimony and were reprimanded for it. Hermione's face had been red with anger, but she managed to control her temper and remain silent.

Harry was forbidden to introduce any witnesses or speak. Disgusted by this, Mr. Ruvilia asked for the right for himself to make a final statement to the court. Fudge surprisingly allowed this.

"What sort of trial do you call this where six children are forbidden to make a defense? It seems strange that you passed this law forbidding the use of Pensieve memories in criminal trials AFTER they were arrested. What is the point in having this trial if you've already decided they are guilty? The law clearly states that the accused is allowed to face his accusers and ask questions. I have spoken to former Hogwarts students who have directly contradicted what your group of witnesses has stated. If you bothered checking, Mr. Potter and the Wesley siblings were permitted to leave the school for the holidays a little bit early because Arthur Weasley was seriously ill in St. Mungo's. What is the point in my even being here if I am not allowed to question the witnesses? How much is Lucius Malfoy paying you for this farcical trial?"

"Mr. Ruvilia, you are close to having charges of High Treason brought upon yourself and your family. For their sake, do not continue," Fudge shouted.

"Mr. Potter begs the court to consider the option of life in prison with the possibility of parole at some point in the future. He also begs leniency towards his friends. He also asks that if sent to Azkaban, he be placed in a cell nowhere near the Dementors. When near them, he frequently relives the death of his parents at the hands of You-Know-Who."

"He has not returned! This is a LIE!" Umbridge shouted.

"I am not saying he has returned, Madam Umbridge, I am merely stating that Mr. Potter's worst memory is the death of his parents. I'm sure if you were in his place, you would experience the same effect with a Dementor. Finally, why do you have a grudge against Mr. Potter? He has done nothing to you. He had no desire to enter politics. All he wanted to do after leaving Hogwarts was to either become an Auror or a professional Quidditch player like his father was. Madam Umbridge's illegal lifetime ban would not have prevented him from applying to a team. Only the Department of Magical Sports can apply such a ban to the professional game."

As Fudge prepared to call for a final vote, the door to the courtroom burst open. Albus Dumbledore entered the courtroom flanked by Remus Lupin and Hagrid. "It's the fugitive, Dumbledore. GET HIM!" Fudge shrieked.

With a magically amplified voice, Dumbledore said, "The accused has the right to a witness, does he not, Minister?"

"Not a criminal like you, Dumbledore!" Fudge replied.

"Whether you wish to allow me to speak in this courtroom or not," Albus declared, "I will defend these innocent children. They were subjected to torture and unfair treatment at the hands of the Ministry for an entire year at Hogwarts, and then were attacked and framed by Death Eaters. The proof is in this courtroom! Roll up Lucius Malfoy's or Delores Umbridge's left sleeve and the proof of their allegiance will be clear. In addition, an examination of Harry's memories will prove that these students are the victims.

"The Ministry, Cornelius Fudge, Lucius Malfoy and Delores Umbridge are guilty. If this court can not do justice for these six heroes, then I and those who realize the destructive course of this government will be forced to fight Voldemort alone, regardless of the legal parameters." At this three aurors charged Dumbledore. Hagrid grabbed two of them and slammed their heads against each other. Lupin quickly stunned another.

Dumbledore quickly swung around and shot two stunners at the door as two more aurors attempted to enter the courtroom. Dumbledore then shouted "Erecto Baronus!" and instantly a solid brick wall covered the door to the courtroom. Lucius Malfoy and Percy Weasley ran towards the three fugitives and began casting stunners but were quickly silenced when Hagrid threw two unconscious aurors at them, quickly serving to eliminate them from the fight.

Dumbledore cast a spell at the chairs that had been holding the six students, and the chains released them. They got up and turned toward Albus, who was hurrying toward them. Fudge, along with five other Wizengamot judges, put all six defendants in the full body-bind so that they fell face-down on the floor.

In his haste, Dumbledore ran into an invisible barrier that had just been placed by Umbridge. He realized that anti-apparition wards were about to be cast. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'll do my best to get you out of this," he said before looking at his allies. "Let's go." With one last look at the still fallen children, he disapparated while Remus side-alonged Hagrid.

Under different circumstances, Harry would've been impressed that Remus was able to side-along apparate someone Hagrid's size, but he was in no position to appreciate the skill necessary for that. He was face-down on the floor, wandless and unable to move, and was in the middle of a group of people who meant him harm. It was almost as bad as being locked in the cupboard under the stairs at Privet Drive. He and his friends were not released from the spell as Fudge began speaking again.

"Dumbledore and Potter with more insane stories. Let Potter tell his new stories to the Dementors. All of their wands are to be snapped, in addition to the following sentences: Potter and Granger, the obvious ringleaders, are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban prison. The Weasley and Longbottom children, who were foolish enough to follow them, are sentenced to exile from our world, never to return. Poor, unbalanced, Luna Lovegood, whose obvious mental problems caused her to believe Potter's tales, will be taken to the closed ward of Saint Mungo's, where perhaps they can help her. All of their families, with the exception of Mr. Percy Weasley, whose loyalty is unquestioned, will be watched closely for signs of similar treason. Court is adjourned," declared Fudge.

Less than an hour later, Harry and Hermione found themselves being pushed roughly toward a small boat. They'd just watched their wands get snapped in front of them, and had their hands and feet shackled. Harry never realized how hard it was to balance yourself when your hands are behind your back before now, and couldn't stop a tear from falling from his eyes when Hermione fell over. They were being guarded by four aurors that Harry suspected were Death Eaters.

"Get up, mudblood!" shouted a guard as he pulled her up by the hair. He could see that her nose was bleeding and that a bruise was forming on her cheek, yet she refused to cry out in pain.

"Leave her alone!" Harry shouted before being punched in the face. His glasses broke, cutting his face as they fell to the ground. With his blurry vision, he watched one of his captors step on them.

"Hurry up, Potter!" another guard shouted and pushed him forward. "Your fame won't help you here." He barely was able to avoid falling himself as he stepped onto the dock.

"Get on the boat, you filthy prisoner!" Hermione's guard shouted before pushing her so that once again she fell, but this time onto the boat. He heard her starting to sob before he was pushed directly on top of her, causing her to wince in pain.

As he felt the boat begin moving, Harry heard one of the guards calling out, "Enjoy your ride! We won't go near the Dementors, ourselves. I doubt you'll last one week in Azkaban." The guards began laughing.

When the laughter faded, Harry said, "I am so sorry, Hermione. This is all my fault." She simply kept sobbing, not giving any indication that she'd heard him. The air got cold suddenly, and he felt what little happiness he had left sucked from him as he began to relive the day his parents died until he passed out.

Suddenly, he felt himself being picked up and opened his eyes. Through his blurry vision, he saw someone in red auror robes sneering as he pulled him out of the boat and dropped him roughly onto the wooden dock. He could see the blurry shape of another auror nearby, as well as a few Dementors in the distance, as Hermione was dropped beside him. He figured that the Dementors were that far away so that the prisoners would be able to walk.

"Get up!" shouted one of the aurors before kicking him in the gut. "If you think I'm going to carry you to your cell, then you're even crazier than I thought!" Harry pulled himself to his knees and carefully stood, which was quite a job to do without the use of his hands. He saw Hermione do the same out of the corner of his eye before being shoved forward. After about ten minutes of being led around this way, pushed in whatever direction he was supposed to go, and Harry noticed that it seemed to be getting colder as they walked. He remembered that Hermione had once explained to him that magic protected witches and wizards from most muggle illnesses and that being cold wouldn't make him get pneumonia. That helped explain how anyone survived an extended stay in Azkaban. Finally, they reached their destination.

"Top security ward," sneered one of the aurors. "These will be your new accommodations. I hope you find them to your liking," he added sarcastically as he gestured toward two cells that were next to each other, separated by a three-foot thick concrete wall. Squinting, Harry looked through the bars that made up the front wall of his cell to see what appeared to be a sink and a toilet in one corner of the six-foot by four-foot cell. There was no other piece of furniture, such as a chair or bed, in there.

The guards opened the cells and unshackled the prisoners, pushing them into their respective cells before they'd have the chance to even think about escaping. That was the last time Harry would see Hermione for a long time.

After the doors were slammed shut, a guard said, "A plate of food will be brought to you every morning by the Dementors." He snorted. "That's the only way you'll be able to tell that another day has passed." That statement made Harry realize that there were no windows in the cell. The guard then pointed his wand at the lock, causing it to glow green for a moment. "I wouldn't advise trying to open that door," he said with a grin. "Enjoy your stay." The two guards walked off, laughing as they went.

Once the guards were out of sight, Harry said, "Hermione, can you hear me?"

"Y-yes, Harry." From her voice, he could tell she was crying.

"I…" He couldn't stop himself from crying. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. You were right, it was a trap, and I led you…I…"

"It's n-not your fault," she interrupted. "I could've…"

"No. It was my fault that we went, and it's my fault that we ended up in this dungeon. All I want to say is that I'm, I'm sorry. I had this grand idea of rescuing Sirius, and maybe even proving that Voldemort was back. I fancied myself some kind of hero. Instead, I let us get caught without a fight and landed us here."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was! I was so stupid. I'm so sorry I let you come with me. I should've…"

"Harry!" He heard her take a deep breath as she sobbed. "This isn't helping. You blame yourself, but that doesn't help us any. It doesn't matter whose fault it is, anymore. We're all each other have."

"But…"

"If it makes you feel any better, then I forgive you. We need each other now."

"Thank you, Hermione. I don't deserve it."

"Maybe you do, maybe you don't, but I need my best friend," she said firmly. He could still hear her sobbing. "Could you…I mean…Do you think you could reach my hand?" He'd never heard his best friend sound so vulnerable before. "I mean, just to touch it so I know you're there."

"Sure," he said as he reached his hand out through the bars nearest to Hermione's cell and bent his elbow to move his hand toward hers. "I'm reaching out," he said. "My hand is on the floor."

"My hand is on the floor, too, but I can't feel yours." Her voice was cracked. She sobbed and finally said, "I, I guess we're too far away to touch." If someone were watching them from outside the cells, they would've seen that the tips of Harry and Hermione's fingers were less than two inches apart, but it might as well have been a mile.

Before he could say anything in response, it got even colder in the cell, and Harry's blurred vision faded until he could see Voldemort killing his mother. He realized that the Dementors were paying him a visit just before he passed out for the second time that day.

Time passed very quickly after that, and one day his only friend said, after the Dementor that fed them left, "Happy birthday, Harry."

"What?"

"I said, Happy birthday." She sighed. "I know this isn't exactly a happy place, but it is your sixteenth birthday, so…"

"How do you know?" He was touched that she'd remembered, but didn't have a clue how she'd know. All the days ran together for him.

"The guard said we got fed once a day, so I've been keeping track. I've been writing on the wall by cleaning off a small line of dirt from it."

He smiled, something he didn't often do anymore. "You're brilliant," he said before adding, "Thank you for remembering. I wish we weren't here, but I'm glad I'm with you." He took a deep breath. "You are the one bright spot I have in this horrid place."

"Thanks," she replied. "So are you." She then began singing to him.

Hermione was half-way through her chorus of Happy Birthday when Harry had his first human visitor. Actually it was two people – one was handcuffed and being pushed roughly by the other – and Harry squinted at them, trying to figure out if he knew them when he heard the prisoner muttering, "He's back. He's back."

As he squinted, Lucius Malfoy's familiar drawl said, "Yes, Fudge, and you played right into our hands. You can't imagine how delighted we were when you acted so foolishly, sticking your head in the sand when Potter told you our master had returned. Speaking of which, I thought he might enjoy a brief visit. It is his birthday, after all."

At this point they arrived right in front of Harry's cell, and he could finally focus on his visitors without his glasses. Harry was angry at Lucius, but furious at Cornelius. "Hello, Fudge," he growled. "I hope you realize that you are responsible for every murder, make that everything Voldemort does because you were so stupid!" He then spit in Fudge's face while Lucius looked on with a smirk.

"The boy is right. You did make this rather easy," Malfoy said before turning to Potter. "You still use the Dark Lord's name, I see. I should crucio you for your disrespect, but it is your birthday, besides which, judging by your appearance, you probably wouldn't survive it."

Ignoring the insult and hungry for information, Harry asked, "So he's finally revealed himself, then?"

"Yes, the Dark Lord is the new Minister for Magic. Fudge received quite a shock this morning when he arrived at his office to find it already occupied. The Dark Lord was sitting in Fudge's chair with his feet on the desk. Don't worry; I'm sure that he'll pay you a visit soon. This was his idea. He thought you might enjoy seeing this worthless imbecile brought here."

Harry actually grinned at seeing Fudge get what he deserved. "I do. In fact, if you really want to give me a birthday present, crucio him."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "I see your time here hasn't been a total waste. There may be hope for you, yet." He turned to Fudge. "Crucio!"

Harry had to admit that he enjoyed watching that fool who'd given the entire U.K. to Voldemort through his complete stupidity and stubbornness thrash on the floor, screaming bloody murder. After a minute, Lucius let up the curse and grabbed the former Minister by the hair to pick him up while he was still shaking. Then he kicked him, saying, "Move!" After Fudge took two steps, Hermione spit in his face, too. Lucius glared at her for a moment, and then smiled and looked back at Fudge. "You see how low you are, Fudge. Now even a mudblood is spitting on you." He kicked the prisoner in the rear and marched him out of their hallway.

Hermione was the first to speak after the visitors were gone. "I hate to admit it, but I enjoyed seeing that horrid man suffer. I wanted to cheer when you asked Malfoy to crucio him, but didn't want to gain Lucius' attention. But I couldn't help but spit at Fudge."

"If anyone deserves that, Fudge does. Just think of all the damage he's done."

It was one week later that Harry received another visitor. Although it had been over a year since he'd seen this person, and then it was only for a few minutes, there was no mistaking the red eyes and lack of nose on the figure that walked menacingly up to his cell. Of course, the fact that Potter's scar was prickling helped identify him as well. The point is, that even without his glasses, Harry could easily recognize, "Voldemort," anywhere.

"You still enjoy using my name, do you, boy? Crucio!" the Dark Lord hissed. After a few seconds, he let up the curse and Harry stood up again, defiantly glaring at his nemesis.

Hermione was silently watching from her cell in horror, wishing she could see Harry, instead of just Voldemort. She wondered if he was about to be murdered. She heard Riddle say, "I thought I'd pay you a little visit. Lucius told me that your personality had improved, and that you had a new appreciation for my favorite spell. I must admit that I was amused that you asked him to perform it on the highly esteemed former Minister."

"He was supposed to be stopping people like you from taking power," Harry calmly stated. "Instead, he paved the way for you to take control."

"Hmm. I suppose that from that perspective, you probably hate him more than you hate me. In that case, you'll be pleased to learn that Fudge has already died. He didn't have the stamina to last one week away from the comforts of his home."

Hermione would never admit it, but she smiled at those words. She only wished Voldemort and that Death Eaters would join Cornelius.

"I always knew he was a wimp," said Harry.

"His suffering is over," continued Riddle, "but yours has only begun." Hermione frowned. "You see, you caused me thirteen years and eight months of misery, and you'll have to pay for that. Crucio!"

Hermione saw the abomination pointing his wand toward her neighboring cell, and could hear the sounds of something repeatedly slapping the floor as the love of her life screamed. Tears filled her eyes as anger filled her heart. "STOP IT!" she shouted at Voldemort, who immediately released Potter from his curse and turned to face her.

"Ah, the mudblood. I heard you were spirited. Let's see how long your defiance lasts now. Crucio!"

For the first time in her life, Hermione experienced the cruciatus curse. It was agony beyond anything she'd imagined. It was like her whole body was on fire as she screamed in pain. Finally, after an eternity, the curse was lifted. Hermione realized that she was lying on the floor, shaking. She looked up to see that Tom was now facing Harry again.

"You didn't like me doing that, did you, Harry?"

"She's done nothing to you. I'm your enemy. Torture me."

"You certainly are brave – a true Gryffindor. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll be merciful and kill you both now."

"Leave her alone, Riddle!" Harry yelled as Voldemort pointed his wand at Hermione's cell.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry heard his closest friend fall to the floor of her cell. He then turned his attention back to Harry and smiled. "I guess you'll never call me by that filthy, muggle name again." He pointed his wand at Harry and said, "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry woke up in a cold sweat, panting heavily. He looked around to see he was in bed at Number 4 Privet Drive. He instinctively reached for his scar, which was usually the cause of his nightmares, before realizing that this wasn't that type of nightmare. It was just his subconscious telling him what could've happened a week before if only Lucius Malfoy had used a better plan. "I can't always count on Death Eaters making mistakes," he said to himself, vowing to start thinking things through. "I've got to start thinking things through."

A/N Most of this was actually supposed to be the beginning of an epic fic that I honestly don't think I'll ever have time to write, but I thought I'd share what I have. I hope you enjoyed it.