"What on earth are you talking about? Does Mr. Crouch have another son? And why did he put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire?" Seamus asked, confused and unable to understand Ivan.
Ivan, however, had no intention of explaining himself, as his attention was caught by the names of the people in the Headmaster's office.
After glancing at the Marauder's Map a few times, Ivan turned to Harry and said solemnly, "Let's go! Let's go find Professor Dumbledore, who happens to be in his office. I'll explain to you more about Little Barty on the way!"
Harry nodded and, without changing his clothes, ran out of the room in his pyjamas with Ivan.
"Wait for me! I'm coming with you!" Ron shouted as he hurried after them.
On the way to the Headmaster's office, Ivan recounted the events of the past few days.
After hearing Ivan's story, Harry and Ron were stunned into silence. It took a while for Ron to regain his composure.
"You're saying Professor Moody was previously possessed by the Imperius Curse? How is that possible? He was a legendary Auror who captured so many Dark Wizards!"
Harry, too, found it hard to believe. He had been watching Moody's performance all this time, and it would not be an exaggeration to call him the best Defence Against the Dark Arts professor he had ever had, not to mention the fact that Moody had been kind to Harry and had even spoken up for Malfoy.
"Have you forgotten, Harry, that the more brilliant a Dark Wizard is, the better at spinning lies, like that first-year Professor Quirrell, who would have believed him if he hadn't given himself away?" Ivan reminded him.
Harry and Ron were speechless, but soon asked Ivan why he hadn't told them earlier.
Harry was particularly troubled by this, believing that he should at least have a right to know since he was the one Voldemort was after, but now Barty Crouch Junior was dead and he had just found out that Voldemort was trying to frame him.
"At first, I was just guessing. What if I said it too early and got it wrong? Wouldn't that be embarrassing…" Ivan shrugged and explained.
Harry was about to ask more questions, but the entrance to the Headmaster's office was too close for comfort.
"Frozen lemon juice!" Ivan said to the giant stone beast in front of the door.
In order to facilitate reporting matters in an emergency, Dumbledore had given him the import and export orders for the Headmaster's office in recent months.
The huge stone beast rumbled and moved slowly to make way for Ivan and the others to climb the spiral staircase.
Before they could enter the Headmaster's office, the sound of a heated argument could be heard.
Harry and Ron vaguely recognised the voices of Fudge and Umbridge.
Ivan was not surprised. He had seen the names of these two and some Aurors on the Marauder's Map.
Upstairs, Ivan was not surprised to see a crowd of people in the Headmaster's office.
The leader of the group was Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, who was pointing at Barty Crouch Junior's corpse on the floor.
"Albus, so you have summoned me here to tell me that this charred corpse with its face obscured is the son of Mr Crouch, Barty Junior? The Death Eater who died in Azkaban a dozen years ago?
And he hatched a plot to put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire and use the match to get Harry to You-Know-Who?"
Fudge looked at Dumbledore as if he were teasing him, as if he were suffering from severe Alzheimer's.
Dumbledore, however, was not in the least bit amused and spoke very seriously.
"I know this is hard for you to accept, Cornelius, so I've asked Alastor to bring Barty over, and he'll tell you if it's true!"
"I don't suppose you thought Barty would be willing to risk a lifetime in Azkaban by lying to you? That would be more absurd than anything I've told you, wouldn't it?"
Dumbledore's words were sharp, and the weight of his gaze seemed to weigh heavily on everyone's hearts.
Fudge lost his composure and looked around in a panic, as if expecting someone to step in and contradict Dumbledore.
However, all the Aurors cowered, and even Umbridge, who was usually the most active of them all, did not move. Her mouth seemed to have been sewn shut and she was unable to speak.
Fudge took a few uneasy steps back until he was in the crowd.
Fudge took the pressure as a provocation from Dumbledore, and spoke forcefully.
"Albus… honestly, I don't know what you're up to… but Barty Junior is dead, and two Aurors saw him in the ground!
You-Know-Who is the same. He died that night, and everyone in the wizarding world knows it. He will never come back! Ever!"
Fudge was bellowing hysterically, forcing every word out of his mouth.
Dumbledore's expression became increasingly disappointed, and he opened his mouth to continue speaking, but a familiar voice spoke first.
"No, you're wrong, Mr. Minister!"
The sudden words interrupted their conversation, and everyone looked over.
Harry, who was blocking the door, managed to free himself from the two Aurors and bravely stood in front of them.
Ivan had no choice but to follow him. He was only there to hear useful information, not to be a target.
"Oh, Mr Potter, and…Hales, what are you doing here? Albus didn't tell me he was going to invite you both to testify," Fudge said flatly, his eyes narrowed. The timing of Ivan and the others' arrival was rather coincidental.
Ron was ignored by Fudge, who only remembered him as a Weasley brat.
"Voldemort is alive, Minister! I saw him with my own eyes!" Harry's first words shocked everyone present.
Fudge was completely stunned, and the Aurors looked equally terrified.
Harry, however, had no intention of stopping, and continued urgently, "He's on his way back now, planning to murder a Muggle village to restore his power, and if we don't stop him soon, it's over!"