Dumbledore was troubled. The events of last night weighed heavily on his mind. Not to mention the information he extracted from Barty Crouch Jr did not sit well with him at all.
Now, wasn't that a blow to his ego, finding a long-thought-dead death eater impersonating his old friend Alastor right under his nose? This incident was proof that he was slipping up in his old age. Oh, he had no notion that he was an infallible wizard despite his immediate friends thinking as such. Though exceptional in magical power and skill, he remains a flawed man like anyone else. When Harry's name came out of the Goblet, he suspected Voldemort's involvement. When reading Bertha Jerkins' disappearance into the event, it was too much of a coincidence for anything else. He had suspected the Dark Lord was using the Tournament as a distraction to harm Harry. That's why he had Alastor and some covert Order members watch Harry whenever he was out of the castle. Never did he think Voldemort would have planned to take Harry toward the end of the third task.
Of course, Barty Crouch's disappearance and the results of Sirius' trial made him focus more on finding old Barty. He suspected the former head of the DMLE was somehow involved and thus he had sent Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt to find the absconding Barty Crouch. When in truth, Crouch Sr was languishing inside a trunk here in Hogwarts along with Moody.
He sat up straight behind his desk as the wards alerted him about the gargoyle standing guard to his office move. He was not surprised to see Minerva walk in closely followed by Severus.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice. Please take a seat." he offered.
"Albus, what are we to do with the Crouches?" McGonagall asked.
"Their fate is out of my hands. My sources in the ministry inform me the Aurors will be shifting them to a ministry holding cell." said Dumbledore.
"A holding cell?" Snape raised a curious eyebrow. "I'd have thought they were about to enjoy the hospitality of Azkaban."
"That's because I suspect something much worse awaits both Crouches." said Dumbledore, looking far too tired rather than his usual cheery self.
Minerva and Severus eyed each other uneasily with the same thought running through their minds.
'What could be worse than Azkaban?'
"What does Fudge make of everything that has happened? Did he believe you?" McGonagall asked.
Dumbledore shook his head.
"Cornelius is unwilling to listen to anything I say that might convince him of Voldemort's resurrection. The man is stubborn and insists that I'm trying to spread unnecessary panic."
"So, he won't even consider the information we gathered from Crouch Jr.?" Snape asked incredulously.
"I'm afraid so, Severus. Cornelius is rather cross with me for interrogating the prisoners of Ministry without his permission."
"Hmm… Let me guess. Fudge thinks Crouch and his son planned it all out and made arrangements for assassinating certain 'upstanding' members of our society?" McGonagall asked sardonically.
"I'm afraid that's the official version of events the Ministry prefer under the circumstances." said Dumbledore patiently. "Besides, Cornelius and other like-minded Ministry officials believe Crouch Jr. has gone mad after years of Dementor exposure and living under the Imperius curse."
"Then what about Potter? Our resident hero was in the thick of it was he not? Questioning him should reveal exactly what happened at the graveyard." Snape suggested.
Dumbledore looked at the potion master silently warning him not to cross the limits.
"I had tried to explain the Tom Riddle Harry talked about was the real name of Lord Voldemort. But Cornelius would not listen to me. The Minister believes that this Tom Riddle is some Muggle in cahoots with Crouch Sr. who helped assassinate several of our wizards to sow discord in the wizarding world." Dumbledore said, dropping his shoulders disappointedly.
"I find it odd that the Dark Lord would use muggle weapons to kill his Death Eaters. It doesn't make any sense." McGonagall said, looking thoroughly flummoxed.
"I share Professor McGonagall's concern. That's why I suggest we find out what happened at the graveyard from Potter. The boy knows more than he led us to believe. I say a few drops of veritaserum should wring the truth from the boy." Snape suggested, earning protests from McGonagall.
Dumbledore merely sighed and leaned back in his seat as his two foremost trusted friends bickered amongst themselves. Truth be told, he was also having a feeling Harry was hiding something. If Crouch Jr. was right then Voldemort's plan required Harry's blood for the ritual to complete.
Yet, Harry never mentioned any ritual that took place in the graveyard. From Kingsley, he learned there were traces of dense dark magic residue that was beyond the scope of simple spells. There were definitely traces of heavy dark magic, remains of a sickly-smelling unidentified potion and even shredded pieces of a cauldron. All pieces of evidence point to a dark ritual or at least the setup for one. Only Harry could shed more light on the exact details and he was determined to get to the bottom of the events that transpired in the graveyard.
But there was one other issue bothering him. The Dark Mark was now clearly visible on Severus' forearm. So, there was no doubt in his mind that the dark lord has attained a physical body. So, the question remained at large.
'Where is Lord Voldemort?'
XXXXXXX
"What happened out there?" Neville asked quietly, sitting beside Harry in the common room staring into the smouldering fireplace with a peculiar expression on his face.
"Why do you ask? The Prophet pretty much has everything covered." said Harry, throwing a piece of paper that was sent by Fleur this afternoon.
"People might believe that but I don't." said Neville.
"Why not?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
Neville looked at Harry searchingly before going back to stare at the smouldering fire.
"I just have a feeling." said Neville.
Harry finally managed to identify the emotional turmoil that was gripping his friend.
"You are sad!" Harry whispered with wide eyes. "Why would you be sad?"
Neville hesitated and seem a bit fearful of opening up. Harry thought Neville was going to shift the topic but to his surprise, his friend did no such thing.
"Do you know what happened to my parents?" Neville asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I know." Harry nodded.
"Seeing all those death eaters who died out there… I just can't help but wish the Lestranges were also dead and Crouch… seeing him alive to know that he was impersonating Moody. He was so close, at an arm's length." Neville said, the flame in the fireplace wobbled before glowing brighter.
"Neville, settle down." Harry cautioned, rubbing his friend on the shoulder.
"Sorry. I think I'll just go pack my stuff."
Harry watched Neville take his leave into their dorms.
'Sorry, Neville. I don't think you are ready for the truth just yet.' Harry thought.
For now, Harry only trusted three people with the truth of what transpired in the graveyard. And all those three people were involved in the murder of many death eaters in some form.
Speaking of truth, he was in a dilemma of sorts. Harry looked into the fireplace where Fleur's letter asking for a meeting after the Leaving feast was burning into ashes. He didn't know what he should do. Rubbing his face, Harry stood up and decided to pay a visit to the Chamber. It was long overdue, especially considering the 'prisoner' he took from the graveyard.
Harry teleported into the Chamber with Dobby with the signature popping sound. The skeleton of the Basilisk remained hung on the roof, remaining as intimidating as ever. But Harry's attention quickly went towards the large unbreakable glass prison where a gigantic python was sleeping soundly with Kreacher standing guard.
"Kreacher, is the snake under the Draught of Living Death?" he asked, looking at Nagini for any sort of movement.
"Yes, master. Kreacher thinks the half-blood master would have been a strong Black if he had been born in the House of Black." said Kreacher.
"Kreacher should apologize to Harry Potter. He is a great wizard even without Black blood." said Dobby, looking folding his hands and looking challengingly at Kreacher.
"Well, I do have some Black blood. So, there is no need for conflict between you two." Harry intervened before the two elves could devolve into one of their infamous fights.
Harry stepped inside the rune-enforced ward perimeter and took a close look at the gigantic snake. With Nagini in his grasp, only two Horcruxes remained beyond his reach, Hufflepuff's cup and the Gaunt ring. The runes and the wards would keep the snake bound even if the effects of the potion run out. The glass was also charmed to block the senses of the snake. Should Nagini awake from its slumber, it'd find only darkness and dead silence greet its senses. Those spells were a little hard to pull off but Sirius came through despite the difficulty and rushed timeline. When Voldemort realizes that his pet Horcrux is missing the Dark lord would undoubtedly reach out through the soul shard to find Nagini. The wards should keep the snake disoriented and incapable of engaging Voldemort. Even if Voldemort can somehow feel Nagini is alive, the wards would still keep the snake shielded leading Voldemort on a merry chase to find his pet or come to the conclusion that the Ministry has captured his pet. Either way, Harry was sure the disappearance of Nagini should keep the Dark Lord distracted while Harry was left with some breathing room to take his plans to the next level.
"Good work Kreacher. Check in on the snake daily and make sure it is bound."
"As master orders." Kreacher bowed low.
Trusting Kreacher and Dobby to hold the fort here, Harry took his leave from the Chamber. As Harry walked through the halls of Hogwarts he was approached by many fellow Hogwarts students congratulating him on the win. He was even quite popular among the Beauxbatons students. As Harry suspected, a flashy display of magic was more than enough to impress the teen audience from the three schools. It'd seem for the time being his star was ascendant.
Time would tell how long that would last. If everything goes according to plan, not too soon.
The plan he had cooked up painstakingly over many sleepless nights was not intended to physically injure Voldemort. The primary target has always been the Death Eaters. He believed that merely kicking down Voldemort was not going to accomplish anything. The huge age gap Voldemort already made the Dark Lord a dangerous opponent in a straight-out magical duel. So, Harry understood the only way he could truly strike deep into Voldemort's power base was to cripple his servants which in turn would cripple the Dark Lord.
Therefore, the Death Eaters were his target and it seems he struck true. The upper echelons of Voldemort's Death Eaters were decimated. Harry was still waiting for the official confirmation from the Prophet to come out so that the names of dead Death Eaters could be known. In the vacuum left by the absence of his most powerful supporters, Voldemort would not be able to shape the narrative and that's where Harry's next phase of the plan kicks in.
Harry waited in a secluded spot patiently looking at his watch. When the time was sharp noon, his ears picked up a low buzzing sound. He found a familiar beetle that transformed into Rita Skeeter.
"Hello there, Harry. Up for an interview? The readers would love to know the thoughts of the Boy-Who-Lived after such a splendid victory." Rita Skeeter almost purred sweetly.
Harry could see the greed and excitement shining behind her eyes.
"Maybe some other time. For now, I want you to pursue this story." said Harry, taking out a stack of parchments he had painstakingly formulated throughout this morning and offering it to Skeeter's waiting hands.
"What is this?" asked Rita Skeeter, a frown adorning her pointy face.
"Everything that you need to start a feature about Tom Riddle. I want you to use the information that I gave you to write a full feature. You need to show me the completed version before publishing." said Harry, leaving no room for argument.
"And you'll be suitably compensated for your work," he added, seeing Skeeter was about to protest. "As a bonus take this piece of advice. Avoid using your beetle form on Hermione Granger. She has her suspicions about you. If you use your animagus form again you might get caught and we both don't want that, do we?"
XXXXXXX
Harry was resting his eyes when he was awakened by an owl carrying a small letter from Sirius. It asked him to come near the Astronomy tower. When he finally arrived at the place the scene he saw was that of the aurors taking out the soulless bodies of Crouch Sr. and Crouch Jr. while Professor McGonagall screamed shrilly at Fudge and the aurors in the background.
That's how he ended up walking with Sirius and the Minister to the Headmaster's office.
"Harry you'll be happy to know that Barty Crouch Sr. and his lunatic son are no longer a threat." Fudge explained with an air of satisfaction and a job-well-done attitude. "Both of those traitors have been administered the Dementor's Kiss. There was a clamour for the two to be put in Azkaban but Sirius here made me think otherwise."
Fudge held Sirius by the shoulder as if the two were the best of buddies since childhood.
Harry hid a smile as they made their way towards Dumbledore's office seeing Sirius roll his eyes. But his godfather played his part well by reciprocating the gesture.
"You'd know what's best for the safety of our community sir." Harry subtly fueled Fudge's ego.
"It had to be done, Minister. It is a terrible thing to do but those two have gone beyond all norms of a civilized society like ours and acted to destabilize the Ministry. Strong action from you serves the enemies of the Ministry a warning that you'll not tolerate a civil war like the previous administration." Sirius buttered up Fudge further.
Going by the preening Fudge was doing it seem to be working.
"In times like these, we need a strong leader and protector. Professor Dumbledore acted in that position in the last war. But he is now very tired, the poor man. He has often said his positions are taxing and he often loses his presence of mind because of his responsibilities. In times like these, someone like you in the Ministry is a blessing from Merlin." Harry said, looking out of the corner of his eyes to see whether his words had the intended effect.
"Of course. Albus always seems so tired these days. I never thought he was under such stress. He has always been so helpful all these years. I never realized Albus was suffering under the pressure of his duties. Perhaps…" Fudge trailed off looking suddenly thoughtful.
Harry exchanged a look with Sirius. Things were so far going the way they wanted.
And now, they had conveniently managed to put the idea in Fudge's mind that Dumbledore is slipping in his old age.
"We rarely see Headmaster Dumbledore these days. Most of his duties in the school are already shouldered by Professor McGonagall. Professor Dumbledore has already done so much for our world. He deserves some much-needed rest in these trying times. This is why most parents don't even come forward to complain about the school's flailing security standards. I mean, in my first year a Troll roamed free and terrorized the school. The strange disappearance of Professor Quirrell was also a notable security lapse." Harry said, orchestrating a different version of events that happened in the past in a frame of his design to see whether Fudge would take the bite.
And he did not a moment later.
"Ah, yes. I've heard rumours about Quirrell. If I'm not mistaken Dumbledore told me the man had made a run for it because of a vampire."
"Of course, Minister. There are many such rumours. After all, the poor man has been wearing garlic and a talisman to protect himself all year. Some say, the vampire finally caught up with the poor man and chased him out of Hogwarts despite the famed age-old wards of the castle." said Harry.
"There was also the whole fiasco with the Chamber of Secrets. As far as I'm aware, that was another attempt by this Tom Riddle fellow by using a cursed book, was it not?" Sirius asked looking at Harry.
"Indeed. Of course, Professor Dumbledore or anyone for that matter could not have guessed this Tom Riddle guy was working close with Crouch to spread chaos. By luck, I happened to come across the cursed book and handed it over to the headmaster. That's how I came across the Sword OF Gryffindor which helped in destroying the cursed book."
"You have certainly had a few adventurous years in Hogwarts, Harry. Also, I happen to know Pettigrew was living right under Dumbledore's nose." Fudge muttered, shaking his head at the failing standards of security at Hogwarts. "It'd seem poor Albus has done a poor job with this place. No wonder why Crouch Jr. was able to impersonate Moody and act with impunity over the course of the Tournament."
"Speaking of which Dumbledore won't be happy to see you execute the traitors, Minister." said Sirius.
"Surely, Dumbledore would understand. Those two madmen killed so many well-respected wizards in that graveyard. Then consorting themselves with this rogue muggleborn criminal called Tom Riddle! Disgraceful!" Fudge spluttered indignantly. "What else was I supposed to do? The families of the deceased are demanding justice and as Minister of Magic, it is my sworn duty to act in the interest of our society. Not to mention, those two were raving mad. Crouch Jr. was shouting madly about You-Know-Who coming back from the dead."
"I know Minister. You did the right thing. But Professor Dumbledore is an old man worn out after seeing two wars. He is after all famous for giving second chances to former Death Eaters like Snape. His heart is in the right place as the man just wants peace which we all prefer." Sirius smoothly said to Fudge who looked thoughtful.
"That makes sense. Albus has stood up to two Dark Lords in his lifetime." said Fudge softly.
"And he has no family to speak of save for his brother who is not on good terms with the man. In his old age, he more than anyone else wishes for peaceful years ahead to quietly pass on with dignity. He is owed that much for his sacrifices." said Sirius, to an increasingly convinced Fudge who now soundly believed Dumbledore was a poor old man prone to make mistakes who was on his last ropes.
By the time they finally reached Dumbledore's office Fudge was quite mellowed out. If Fudge had any notions that Dumbledore was after his job, then those notions were certainly much diminished. Though Harry had his reasons not to trust Dumbledore he didn't want Fudge to openly fight Dumbledore. It was better to use the resources of the Ministry on Voldemort rather than on Dumbledore. It was purely strategic reasons that influenced Harry to set the board in such a way that Fudge thinks Dumbledore was a tired old man with a bleeding heart rather than a political adversary.
When Harry followed Fudge and Sirius into the headmaster's office, he saw the office held other guests. Professor McGonagall and Snape were present and both of them did not look very pleasant to see them at all. No doubt, Professor McGonagall had informed Dumbledore about what transpired in the Astronomy tower.
"Cornelius why? Why would you do such a thing to the Crouches?" Dumbledore asked.
"What else was there to do? Old Barty has gone off his rocker and planned to wage war against the Ministry. His son is a raving lunatic who thinks he is acting under the instructions of You-Know-Who! The two of them conspired with another criminal and killed so many good wizards." said Fudge, firmly defending his actions.
Harry only kept half an ear to the conversation going on. His attention instead went to the portraits of the previous headmasters in the room. They were keenly listening in on the back-and-forth conversation between Dumbledore and Fudge. The same was true for Snape and McGonagall. The two professors were shooting death glares at Fudge. If looks could kill, Professor McGonagall's stare was nearly approaching the levels of a Basilisk.
Harry was brought out of his musings when the argument between Dumbledore and Fudge reached a new pitch.
"You cannot seriously believe You-Know-Who is back Dumbledore. That's simply preposterous. The man has been dead for nearly fourteen years." Fudge shouted.
"Cornelius see reason. We must not allow what happened in the past to repeat itself. You know of the bloodshed that followed as Voldemort unleashed his war on us. Heed my warning before it's too late." said Dumbledore, imploring Fudge to see the truth.
Fudge shook his head and began muttering under his breath.
Further conversations came to a halt when Snape suddenly let out a hiss followed by holding his forearm as if in pain.
"Headmaster, the Dark Lord." Snape said dramatically.
At least, that's how Harry took it. He was hoping that's how Fudge was taking it.
"Severus, if you'd please show us your arm." Dumbledore ordered softly.
Snape pulled back his sleeve and showed everyone his forearm. On his pale skin, the Dark Mark of Voldemort could be seen as clear as day. The snake extending out of the human skull moved around as if it has a life of its own.
"Headmaster, it is as we feared. He has returned and he is calling me." Snape said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I should answer the summons if I'm to retain my position."
Dumbledore nodded in understanding.
"You may take your leave, Severus." Dumbledore said, a hint of pity shining in his eyes.
After Snape left through the floo Dumbledore turned to Fudge looking far more serious.
"We must take necessary measures to counter the Dark Lord. We must reach out to the Giants, Werewolves and Vampires. We must send envoys to them and persuade them against joining the Dark Lord's side. We must also isolate the Dementors as I believe they'll once again shift their loyalties." Dumbledore advised.
Fudge stepped back as if slapped.
"Dumbledore are you hearing yourself? Giants… Werewolves and Vampires! You can't be serious." Fudge said, moving further away from the headmaster and shaking his head.
"Cornelius, you saw the Dark Mark on Severus's arm. Lord Voldemort is back whether we like it or not." Said Dumbledore.
"A tattoo! That's your proof! Insane… you've gone insane!" Fudge stuttered towards the end as Dumbledore's magical power became all too palpable.
"You are blinded by your love and greed of the post you hold." Dumbledore thundered. "Remove the veil that covers your eyes and see the storm that is about to wreak havoc upon our world. Time is of the essence and we must act now before it is too late. Act now as I have advised and your name will be revered by the future generations of wizards and witches. If you don't act now, you'll shame the office that you hold and forever carry the stain of the blood of innocents that's about to be spilt."
Fudge let out a frustrated grunt before angrily leaving his office shouting a few obscenities and threats on his way out.
"Well, that could have gone better." Sirius said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that was left in the wake of the Minister's abrupt departure.
While the adults continued with the discussion Harry made up an inane excuse and extracted himself from the situation altogether. Things could have gone better but he was satisfied with what happened. He might have to work on Fudge some more and on a different angle but he was sure Sirius could pull it off given time.
XXXXXX
Harry felt as if the Great Hall was rather packed than usual but that was just a feeling. It was a feast as usual but the mood in the hall was not all jovial. The Slytherin table was deathly silent with many empty spaces in their table. Turns out, there were quite a lot of immediate families of fallen Death Eaters in the house of Slytherin. Harry felt only a small twinge of guilt but it was fleeting like a gentle breeze.
'They chose their end by answering Voldemort's call and prostrating themselves at the feet of that lunatic.' Harry justified in his mind.
As far as he was concerned, he just saved many innocent lives offing those Death Eaters. Maybe their deaths will discourage their families from engaging in the war that was about to come. Not all would think so but if even a few will Harry would consider that success.
The Gryffindor table on the other hand had ample reasons for being in a celebrative mode. One of their own has won the Triwizard championship and they have also won the House cup even when Quidditch was cancelled.
"That greasy git was not able to take our points as he wished this year. Slytherin is third in points. The ravens took the second spot by a substantial margin. And we have you to thank for that Harry and Rita Skeeter as well." Katie said, quite happy with the Great Hall being decorated with Gryffindor banners.
Harry nodded along even though he had not even paid any attention to the inter-house championship. It was quite a surprise for Harry to see Gryffindor win the house cup and Katie was not the only one happy about the outcome. The twins were selling their wares at a heavily discounted price to anyone who took the deal. They could now afford it after all. He had already given them a small influx of funds to keep them afloat through the next year. Harry wanted the two to take the NEWTs although he doubted the twins were planning to stay that long. He was not going to advise them on continuing their education. They seem to know what they were doing and he promised them their deal will be finalized in the summer.
Dumbledore stood up at the staff table gaining his attention.
As Dumbledore went about delivering a speech Harry felt himself being watched. He looked at the Ravenclaw table where he saw Fleur eyeing him sultrily which made him a tad uncomfortable. He had yet to make up his mind about the situation he find himself in with Daphne and Fleur. Not to mention, he was supposed to meet Fleur at the Room of Requirement after the feast. Harry absently scooped a spoonful of dessert when suddenly the hall collectively gasped. Feeling a bit funny, he looked around and saw everyone was staring at him which made him confused.
"What's up?" Harry asked curiously.
XXXXXXX
Harry felt like he wanted to wring Dumbledore's neck and squeeze the life out of that old man.
'Why the fuck would he drag my name into the foray and claim I saw Voldemort?' he thought furiously.
"So, is it true?" Neville asked.
"We'll talk later, Neville. Too many people can hear." Harry said, keeping his temper in check. "Hermione can fill you in on the details. I have to go and speak with someone."
Harry made his escape from the entrance of the hall after the feast by shrouding himself under a Notice-me-not charm and other spells that allowed him to slip away unnoticed.
He was furious with Dumbledore and himself. He should have expected Dumbledore to play this trick. He was hoping the headmaster would spare him from this situation. It was with a troubled mind he reached the seventh-floor corridor where to his surprise a door appeared seemingly out of thin air.
Harry looked around and reached out with his magic. He couldn't sense anyone under an invisibility spell or cloak.
'Fleur is already inside and must have set the room to act as per her designs.' Harry thought.
He pushed the door open and found a corridor lit with glass candles leading to another door at the other end. Once Harry stepped into the corridor of the RoR, the door behind him vanished leaving a smooth brick wall in its place. Harry let out a sigh at the theatrics but he was impressed by Fleur's deep understanding of how the RoR functioned.
'She's a prodigy in Charms. Of course, it was only a matter of time before she found the secrets of the room.' Harry thought as he moved forward.
When he opened the door at the other end, he found himself in a large room filled with golden silky curtains and a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
"You are 'ere early, 'Arry." Fleur's smooth voice made him locate her.
Fleur stepped out from behind one of the curtains and his breath caught in his throat. She was dressed in a sheer long golden dress that left little to the imagination. He could see one of Fleur's long legs that left him wanting more of her.
With a sway to her hips, Fleur moved towards him and Harry found it difficult to look her in the eyes.
Fleur reached out with one of her fingers and pulled his chin up so that his eyes came into contact with hers.
"Chapeau!" Fleur said, her blue eyes twinkling merrily. "You won 'zee cup."
Fleur pressed a kiss on his lips which broke the dam so to speak. He felt as if butterflies were in his gut as he took Fleur into his arms deepening the kiss. When they came apart, they were both left breathless which deeply confused Harry.
'I kissed her only for a few seconds.' he thought.
That thought fled his mind when Fleur leaned forward placing her soft lips against his earlobe making him tingle.
"Come 'Arry. I 'ave a present for you." Fleur breathed into his ear before leading him further beyond the filtering curtains which looked more like golden smoke.