A/N: Holy monkeys! Is this an update? But it is! And I have more good news! I have been diligently working on the next chapter of Exhibit A! That's right! Soon you will get another chapter of that tooooooo! Yay! I seem to be able to write and type a lot more when little man naps sooooo if I'm not busy with anything else I will do my best to update :3

WARNINGS: This story contains AU,dub-con (I will alert you when that happens), chan, slash (m/m and f/f) gore (but not heavy gore) and attempts of suicide (not til later) PLEASE IF YOU DON'T LIKE THESE THINGS DON'T READ!

Anyways, please enjoy guys! This is just the prologue! Barty is such a tease!

Death's Sacrifice-Prologue-

"Ah. Wormtail. I was wondering when you'd slither into my home."

Wormtail suppressed his flinch, barely, at the thinly veiled threat in his Master's voice. He bowed low, scurrying closer to his Lord's robes, kissing the hem. He pointedly ignored the other three figures in attendance, he nearly yelped when he realized that one of the men he had dismissed as a Death Eater, was in all actuality, a Dementor. What was one of those filthy creatures doing here? Had his lord finally procured their alliance?

"My Lord, please forgive me. I was trying to find you, but until now had been unsuccessful." He blurted out, anxious and fidgety.

He didn't wish to be here at all, but he needed to inform his Master of the knowledge he'd garnered from his time with the Weasley's, in Gryffindor Tower, and wandering the halls of Hogwarts. Of the Potter boy, and of the Diggory boy. Inwardly he cackled. He would be rewarded.

His attention was brought back to his surroundings when the Dark Lord hissed angrily. In an instant, Wormtail was reduced to a quivering pile of tears, fear, and shame as the Cruciatus Curse scorched his nerve endings. He writhed as the pain raked it's angry claws down his flesh. Never had he felt this pain to this degree before. His Lord must be obscenely irate about something. Something must not have happened the way he wanted it to. It was probably that Harry Potter kid. James' child was becoming way too powerful. An annoyance to be squashed out. The brat needed to be taken down a few pegs. Destroyed. Finally, Voldemort lifted the curse and Peter Pettigrew whimpered, curled in a ball on the floor.

"I despise lying, Wormtail. I know that you have been secretly hiding in the Weasley household. Now come here. I'm giving you a mission."

The rat animagus scurried forward, ignoring the trembling, pulsing pain of his limbs and coming as close to the Dementor as he dared. Said dark creature hissed something and Voldemort hissed in answer. When the Master's attention was turned to him again, Peter shook.

"Severus, you are dismissed. The children will be arriving soon and you must be ready for the task set before you."

Wormtail didn't dare turn to face Snape. He hadn't even noticed the creeping dark man sulking in the corner of the room. The dark stoic potions master bowed deeply, then elegantly spun on his heel and strode from the room. The cowering man felt his lip curl slightly, forgetting his fear as the deep seated loathing he felt for the snarky professor leaked through. He couldn't wait until he was able to be rid of Harry Potter. He knew that the child was the only thing the professor cared about in his otherwise lonely life. He was a filthy spy and his lord knew it.

"Barty. Wormtail will help you make sure that Potter is entered and survives the Tournament." His voice brought him from his thoughts.

Barty grinned, his tongue flicking out to touch the tip of his sharp canine. It was a nervous gesture that the dirty blond Death Eater had developed in Azkaban. Brown eyes darted to the Dementor Lord beside him, glee dancing mischievously in them.

"Oh goody. I've seen the lad and I wouldn't mind having some of that."

Voldemort groaned inwardly, successfully fighting the urge to bury his face in his hand as the coolness of the air intensified. Leave it to Barty to piss off a Dementor Lord. Sometimes that child was simply asking for trouble.

He remained unsurprised when a grey scaly hand shot out from underneath the tattered black cloak and wrapped around his young follower's throat. Violent hisses were uttered in the dark creature's native tongue and Voldemort briefly wondered if he should be looking for a new Inner Circle member. He realized he should probably step in.

::Atropos. He's the only Inner Circle member good enough for this job. Please release him::

Wormtail was astonished when, after their lord said something to the Dementor in Parsletongue, the creature dropped the blond and withdrew his hand to his side. The black clad figure turned towards Voldemort as the bitter cold in the air retreated.

::If this one isn't careful, it won't matter. I have made allowances for Harry's other mate, and for the lover my mate has currently. If Barty makes any unwarranted moves towards the cold, you will be searching for a new Death Eater.:: Atropos hissed angrily.

Voldemort rolled his eyes at the smug looking Barty but nodded his head at the irate soul-eater.

"Barty. Stop teasing our ally. Now. Watch Wormtail. I don't want him mucking this up. Make sure that doesn't happen."

Barty cackled but bowed low at the command. Although Wormtail didn't know this, the Dark Lord didn't trust the traitor at all. Especially as he had been the one to cause the Potter's demise to begin with. Barty was going to make sure that everything when off without a hitch. He was pleased with his duties actually. He'd been spying on the youngling all summer and he had to hand it to the fledgling. Harry had patience. Barty scowled inwardly, his brown eyes glazing over in thought. If he had been in Harry's place...the muggles would have been mince meat ages ago. All the nasty things said and done to the child was unforgivable even for him. He couldn't wait to be able to talk to Harry in person. The former Ravenclaw paused. Atropos, the Dementor Lord that his Lord had recently allied with, was given the task of getting the Dark Lord's Inner Circle members out of Azkaban. This way he could inform them of Harry's status amongst them. Severus, like Barty, was to guide and protect the young soul-eater throughout the Tournament. Whether from the press, headmaster, or other children. He didn't want Wormtail added to the mix. The idiot was an arrogant coward. Believing himself more important than he actually was.

That he knew what their lord wanted for the other Death Eaters.

The Dark Lord knew it though. His Dark Father knew 'Once a traitor, always a traitor.' With Severus it was different, he'd been loyal to the Dark this whole time. However, Wormtail would betray his own mother if it meant he could get promoted in the ranks.

"Wormtail, you are to listen to Barty. Don't do anything on your own, especially when it comes to Harry Potter. You go against this command and you won't live to regret it." Voldemort snapped, crimson eyes boring into the rat's own.

The sniveling animagus bowed his body low, until his forehead touched the floor at his Master's feet.

"As you wish, my Lord." He intoned.

Voldemort waved his hand in a tone of dismissal and Peter stood, fleeing from the room as swiftly as he could. All the while he was plotting how best to get rid of the Potter brat. He knew, despite his Lord's orders, that the Slytherin Lord would reward him if he brought down the boy's friends and delivered the body of Potter to his feet.

He would then prove to everyone that he wasn't useless. That he wasn't a coward. That he was more powerful than this little brat.

First, though, he needed to think of a way to be rid of the vampire child who protected Potter religiously. Once he did that, it would be easy pickings. Laughing to himself, Peter Pettigrew reached the apparition point outside of Riddle Manor and disapparated. He had more planning to do.