Yvonne looked at Crouch with pity as he was kicked to the ground.
"Don't get so worked up, Mr. Crouch. Nobody's got inside your head. I just made some educated guesses based on information… that's all!"
"I guess I was right, though, wasn't I?" said Ivan, half-jokingly.
Legilimency is not a good word. Nobody likes a guy who can read their memories at any time.
Crouch slumped in silence for a long time.
Moody, on the other hand, could not hold back his irritation any longer. "Ivan, what are you talking about? Who is Barty looking for and why did he put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire?"
"What's the point of asking? I was just guessing!" Ivan shook his head.
Moody didn't believe a word of it, but there wasn't much he could do about Ivan, so he turned his attention to Barty Crouch.
"You'd better be honest, Barty, you should know I'm not very patient! Or would you rather I gave you a bit of truth serum?"
Crouch did not move, as if he intended to remain passive.
Moody sneered. He searched the pockets of his wizarding robes and produced a small bottle of clear potion, which he was about to pour down Crouch's throat.
"Come on, Professor Moody!" Ivan said to Barty Crouch, pressing his hand down and giving him a reassuring look.
"Mr. Crouch, I have heard many things about you.
They tell me that you are an honourable and serious man, dedicated to the fight against You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters, who have tried countless Dark Wizards, and even imprisoned their children in Azkaban for the sake of justice!"
Crouch was visibly moved, shame showing on his face, but Ivan continued.
"I don't know what you're hiding from us, but you should know that the man you're looking for is planning something very dangerous. He's managed to sneak in and place Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire with the intention of killing Harry!"
Ivan's tone rose as he stared into Crouch's eyes and demanded, "We all know there is more to his purpose than meets the eye, do you really want to keep this a secret? Professor Dumbledore once said that you were the most trustworthy man in the Ministry, and I hope you will live up to his assessment and not make any more mistakes…Mr Crouch!"
Ivan's words struck Crouch like a bell, and he closed his eyes in pain.
"I'm sorry, he misjudged me! I'm not that noble…"
"But you're right, Hales, at least I can't go on being wrong…" Crouch struggled to his feet, holding on to the blanket. He was no longer as dispirited as he had been before, and had regained some of his composure.
Ivan smiled and waved his wand at a few chairs, indicating that they should sit down and talk.
"May I see that note again?" Crouch asked Moody, not bothering to sit down.
Moody, of course, had no objection, and retrieved the note with Harry on it and handed it to Crouch.
Crouch took it from her and ran his fingers over the writing, saying in a reminiscent tone, "This is my son Barty Junior's handwriting, and I know him well enough to never mistake it!"
"Wait…your son?" Moody looked astonished, as if he had seen a ghost. "If I remember correctly, he died in Azkaban more than ten years ago, didn't he? Several Aurors witnessed his burial."
"Or was it not your son at all, and you found a way to replace him?" Moody asked, quickly coming to the same conclusion.
"Yes, I managed to fool the Aurors and Dementors by having my dying wife drink Polyjuice Potion in the form of Barty Junior…" Crouch explained miserably.
"No wonder," Moody sneered, grabbing Crouch by the collar and wishing he could punch him. "At the time of the trial, I thought you were really that selfless. I didn't think you'd planned this from the start, setting your sights on your dying wife and using her to save your reputation and your son!"
"Calm down, Professor Moody, we should hear what Mr Crouch has to say first!" Yvonne tried to smooth things over, lest they start fighting.
Having read the book, he was well aware that Crouch was a selfless man, and that the trials of Barty Junior were carried out according to procedure and without selfish motives.
In the end, however, he was unable to resist his wife's desperate pleas — after all, rescuing Barty Junior was his dying wife's last wish!
Yvonne looked at Crouch with increasing pity. He had done the right thing countless times in his life, making a name for himself against the Dark Lord, but in a moment of weakness he had made a grave mistake. This mistake alone was enough to discredit him for half his life!
Crouch, looking penitent at Moody's reprimand, made no attempt to explain himself, nor to place the blame on his wife.
After all, regardless of the process, he was the one who ultimately made the decision.
A mistake is a mistake!
With a deep sigh, Crouch skipped the subject and began to tell how he had brought Barty Junior home, cast Imperius Curse on him, and ordered Winky the house-elf to keep an eye on him.
"I was very careful. I thought I would be able to keep it a secret, but someone found out…" Crouch's face became very troubled and he did not speak for a long time.
"This witch Bertha Jorkins?" Yvonne finished the sentence for him, taking the Daily Prophet from the table and flipping to one of the pages.
Moody leaned forward to take a look. The back of the Daily Prophet contained news of the disappearance of a witch from the Department of International Exchange and Cooperation.
"Buddy, did you kill her? Just because she found out your secret?" Moody asked, glaring at Crouch in annoyance.
"No, I didn't kill her, I just cast a powerful Memory Charm on her, and I have no idea where she went or how she disappeared," Crouch explained, shaking his head.
"Who knows if you're telling the truth…" Moody said sarcastically. He never believed a prisoner's words, even when they were from his former superior.