Ginevra Weasley and the Disorder of the Phoenix Chapter 25: Episode 6, Part 3, a harry potter fanfic

He felt as though he had been stabbed in the back.

"Hauv Harry James Potter, der lazse Gryffzkind, imfenghe dez dlobokzvarth, farhyzen Gryffzvarth. Yetz nemte izh dezen dlobokzvarth Naz-Dlobok, ind maczdez inznam vik Ragnuk Hirst. Yetz verflikte mizh zur ver evygzserztrungen der Tom Marvolo Riddle, dez motenr vem Fatr ind Matr fon Harry Potter serztrungt gemakt. Maczauv daz ims Bund mit motenr hyzt Harry Potter. Alz Moten maktzauf!"

He looked down to see a sword protruding from where his heart was.

With a gasp, he awoke from his nightmare. Sitting bolt upright, he began practicing occlumency to clear his mind.

"Master?" called Bellatrix from the bed. "Is all well?"

"No, all is not well. Potter's body is missing. Dumbledore is still on the loose. The goblins are restless. I should not be resting, I should be hunting him."

"What harm could he do? His beloved weapon is dead at your hand."

At these words, Tom Marvolo Riddle calmed down – somewhat. "I still should not be resting. The time to strike is now, since the chosen one has perished."

But the nightmare he'd had was too unsettling. Even though Potter was indeed dead by his hand – no mortal being could pretend to be dead through an uninterrupted hour of the cruciatus curse – he'd dreamed of Potter forming a pact with a goblin...

The oath he'd heard in the dream still echoed in his ears.

"It was only a nightmare, master." Bellatrix cooed. It was clear to her that her master was still rattled by the dream. "No goblin would dare side against you now. My brothers-in-law are here, as you ordered."

"Goblin? What goblin?"

"You've been muttering in Gobbledygook all morning." Bellatrix said, trying to sooth him. "My brothers-in-law are here, as you ordered." She motioned to Lucius and Rabastan.

Voldemort shook his head, as though to clear it. "Yes, yes. Lucius, I require certain materials from Knockturn Alley. You shall appropriate them, and Rabastan shall accompany you."

"Master," began Rabastan, "what of Potter's body?"

"Potter would not have taken steps to ensure his immortality as I have." Voldemort said. "We shall not concern ourselves over his disappearance." Even though the Diary and Nagini are dead by his hand. "Rabastan, you shall oversee Lucius. Ensure that he stays on task, and that he does not wander."

"And what of the attack near headquarters?" Lucius asked.

"What attack?"

"Fiendfyre had been sighted on the outskirts of Little Hangleton this morning. An old shack owned by the Gaunt family on the outskirts of the town had been damaged by it."

"An attack so close to our headquarters cannot be overlooked. Find who was responsible, Bellatrix, and kill them." Voldemort said. Dumbledore would have found out about the Horcruxes thanks to this witless worm. And now the ring has been destroyed. "I must make certain… preparations. I shall require your manor, Lucius."

"Of course, my lord." And thus the three Death Eaters left the room, leaving Voldemort to his own devices.

After a spell that Severus Snape had shared with him, he began speaking to himself in earnest. It was almost as though he were praying to himself.

"Potter is dead. This is a fact. Yet I am uneasy. The Diary, the Ring, and Nagini have been destroyed. Inside Potter's mind I saw the locket of Slytherin and the Diadem of Ravenclaw."

And at those words, he began to relax.

"I still have the Goblet of Hufflepuff. Dumbledore cannot touch that, and he does not know that I am beginning preparations to create more."

But even as he said that, a silvery light began to fill the room. A patronus charm? And as he turned around to face the source of the light, the bottom fell out of his stomach.

For it was Potter's patronus, speaking to him in Potter's voice. Potter wasn't dead!?

"He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing. I now stand inside the Vault of the Stranger, oldest of the vaults of Gringotts Bank, wherein resides The Chalice of Helga Hufflepuff. I command you, Lord Voldemort, once Tom Marvolo Riddle! I command you to bring yourself alone hence!"

The muggles nearby only saw an explosion. But as the inn that Bellatrix had selected exploded with the force of a small bomb, Voldemort flew off to Gringotts – with the silver stag in pursuit.

He forced himself to calm down as he raced to Gringotts, not caring who saw him. Potter was still just a boy, one that he could easily defeat. If the Horcruxes were destroyed, what of it? He could just make more, couldn't he? And he'd start with Potter this time. And Lestrange for his obvious betrayal, and Dumbledore for denying him Hogwarts, and Malfoy for failing him, and...

And the silvery stag was still following him, repeating its baneful message. He blocked it out with Occlumency, for he knew he was being provoked. Hot Rage would not serve him now. He needed the cold wrath that he had learned from Albus Dumbledore himself.

Panic. Fear. Hatred. All these emotions surrounded Voldemort as he entered Gringotts Bank. The first goblin he saw fell to the green flash of an Avada Kedavra. The second was paralyzed with the cruciatus. It was only after that Voldemort remembered he still needed the assistance of one of these traitorous goblins to enter the Lestrange Vault.

And so the third was imperiused. It would not do to waste his wrath on creatures so easily controlled. Potter needed to die. And it would not be by magic this time. No, he would detach Potter's head and carve out his heart and the patronus was still goading him.

He descended, growing angrier and angrier. Not even the dragon set to guard the vault escaped his rage. He heard in his head once more the oath he'd heard in the nightmare he'd woken from that morning.