Amelia Bones secured the still-immobilized Crouch to a sturdy iron chair that Dumbledore had conjured upon her request, reinforcing it with a few magical chains. She felt it was essential to ensure that he wouldn't escape, especially before she could extract the crucial information about the unfolding chaos. In the room, there was no doubt that it was Crouch Jr. who had transformed the Goblet of Fire into the portkey that had spirited away the two champions from Hogwarts.
Only after Amelia was confident that the captured agent of the Dark Lord was firmly secured in the chair — with no chance of escaping on his own — did she lift the spells that Draconica had bound him with. It was no surprise that Crouch Jr. was furious when he realized he was surrounded by his and his master's enemies. Despite his anger, he could only move his head or drum his fingers against the chair's armrests.
"You'll never extract any information from me, bastards!" he spat, venom dripping from his words. "The Dark Lord has returned, and he will eradicate all of you filthy blood-traitors and mudblood-lovers!"
"I beg to differ," Amelia shot back, her voice laced with venom of her own, as this man was responsible for her brother's death. She flicked her wand, forcing Crouch's mouth wide open while paralyzing his head movements. Then, with a vial of clear liquid in hand, she advanced toward him. "I believe you know what this is?" she asked, before administering three drops of veritaserum into his mouth. Stepping back, she lifted her spells from him, knowing full well that it was hard to speak the truth when one couldn't even move their mouth. "Now, let's see what secrets you might reveal..."
But before she could even ask her first question, Crouch Jr. made guttural sounds, and moments later, blood began to trickle from the corners of his mouth. By the time anyone realized what was happening, it was too late; he had committed suicide by biting off his own tongue.
"That was quite unfortunate," Amelia concluded with a heavy sigh, the silence stretching endlessly afterward. "He could have provided us with information about where young Mr. Diggory and Lord Slytherin were taken." Dumbledore turned to Draconica.
"Lady Slytherin, can't you use your family magics to locate your lord?" Dumbledore inquired. The blonde girl shook her head.
"Unfortunately, no," she replied. "All I can confirm is that he is still alive." This news struck a bitter chord, as no one had any alternative means of locating the two missing teenagers snatched away by the Goblet's portkey. "However, if the Dark Lord is indeed behind this, whatever his designs entail must involve some significant magic. Couldn't we use the Ministry's monitoring devices to narrow down potential locations?"
"That's a good idea," Amelia acknowledged. "But it will take time to contact the Improper Use of Magic Office, and even if we could do it instantly, they would still need time to recalibrate their devices to detect magical anomalies across all of Great Britain. During that time, should anything occur, we wouldn't learn about it since the sensing arrays must be turned off while being modified," she explained.
"That complicates matters," Dumbledore conceded. "Still, we should inform the office so they won't overlook any unusual occurrences during their monitoring." He was sure Fawkes would deliver the message promptly. Moments later, the phoenix appeared, perching on Dumbledore's shoulder. Nodding, Amelia summoned parchment and quickly scribbled a note before passing it to the Chief Warlock, who entrusted it to his phoenix. "Here we go." Fawkes trilled sweetly, then vanished in a burst of flames.
A few moments later, the phoenix returned, presenting a response from Madam Hopkirk, confirming her office would watch for any strange happenings. With no other options to locate the abducted champions, the group was left with little but to wait. Hope flickered when a visibly anxious Severus Snape entered the room, declaring that the Dark Lord was alive and summoning his followers.
"Where is he?" Amelia demanded sharply, interrupting Dumbledore before he could speak. Even Snape appeared taken aback by her assertiveness. Once he regained his composure, the Potions Master replied smoothly, "While I know his location, I cannot disclose it to anyone not bearing the Dark Mark. Additionally, I'm certain the area is warded to only allow entry to his followers, so side-along transport won't work either."
"Damn it!" Madam Bones swore, frustration boiling within her. The abduction of two children right under her watch had already shaken her, but now to learn the Dark Lord was alive was another heavy blow.
"What should I do, headmaster?" Snape asked, turning toward Dumbledore.
"It would be prudent for you to stay at Hogwarts for another hour or two, Severus," Dumbledore advised. "It will be evident if you attempt to leave the castle without my notice." The Potions Master acquiesced with a nod.
"Understood," he said before excusing himself to his quarters.
"Alright. Jefferson, McConnell," Amelia called to the two accompanying aurors. "Let's take care of this bastard; I doubt he will offer us any more insights. Additionally, contact headquarters; we'll need more personnel to search for Alastor Moody, who should be around this castle." As the aurors began dealing with the now-definitely-dead Crouch Jr., the others stepped out to give them space.
"I must also take my leave," Madam Pomfrey announced. "Alastor will require medical attention, so I need to prepare a bed for him." Dumbledore nodded his endorsement.
"Of course. Minerva, might I ask you to assist in keeping the students calm while we manage this crisis?" The Deputy Headmistress nodded before heading towards the Grand Staircase. Dumbledore turned back to Amelia. "Shall we retire to my office?"
"I'm coming with you," Draconica declared stubbornly, her expression making it clear she would not take 'no' for an answer. With a resigned sigh, Dumbledore relented.
"Very well..."
~/ *** \~
As Voldemort's lifeless homunculus body crumpled to the ground like a puppet with severed strings, Harry ceased channeling his magic into the blade known as Totsuki no Tsurugi, which vanished from existence. The surge of power that had sustained him dissipated, and an overwhelming fatigue hit him like a tidal wave, forcing him to drop to one knee.
But he couldn't afford to rest yet. Although he had dispatched the Dark Lord, his followers remained—and without their master to restrain them, they would undoubtedly seek to retaliate. Worse, Harry felt utterly drained; even one of them could pose a deadly threat, let alone over twenty Death Eaters who would likely attack as soon as they regained their composure.
For a moment, despair washed over him. Then, a thought crossed his mind: while Voldemort had been a parselmouth, impervious to the basilisk's gaze, his followers were not. He might leverage that weakness...
Steeling himself, Harry rose unsteadily, facing the throng of Death Eaters while redirecting whatever magic he still possessed toward the lens in his right eye. Thankfully, he had just enough strength left to dispel the seals and unleash the power of his implanted eye.
But moments later, he collapsed onto the ground, completely spent and plagued by a throbbing headache that made him want to cry out in agony. Yet he had achieved his goal: the Death Eaters, who were just about to grasp their wands, were now paralyzed, rendered statues unable to heed their instincts to attack.
A nagging thought lingered in Harry's mind; he could have disrupted the ritual that brought Voldemort back altogether by using his eye on Wormtail. But it was too late for regrets...
As he wished for unconsciousness to relieve him from the pain, the green-eyed teen fought against his exhaustion. He still needed to help Cedric. He prayed fervently that the false-death-state curse hadn't claimed the Hufflepuff's life; if only he could muster the strength to reach out and cast the counter-curse...
~/ *** \~
Half an hour of anxious waiting later, Madam Hopkirk from the Improper Use of Magic Office contacted them through the Floo Network, reporting a significant burst of magic detected near Little Hangleton.
"Little Hangleton, you say?" Dumbledore's countenance darkened significantly as she confirmed the town's identity.
"Does that name mean something to you, headmaster?" Draconica asked, intrigued by the old wizard's reaction.
"Yes, indeed," he replied after a moment's contemplation. "Voldemort's parents resided there, and his father is buried in the local cemetery." Dumbledore's words carried weight, revealing the depth of history tied to the place. After a pause, he added, "Now that we have a potential lead, we should investigate. I'll summon Filius to accompany us... Amelia, I think you should also bring along a few of your aurors."
"Of course," Amelia responded, summoning the Hogwarts house-elves. "Please inform aurors Dawlish and Shacklebolt that I need their presence immediately."
"And I would like Filius to join us as well," Dumbledore instructed. The elf nodded and disappeared on its errand.
"I too will accompany you," Draconica insisted, her tone conveying that denial was not an option.
"I must disagree," Dumbledore countered decisively. "It will be too risky for you, Lady Slytherin. You should remain at Hogwarts."
"I'm coming with you!" she asserted, unleashing her magical energy. To someone like Dumbledore, she appeared to be encased in cold blue flames. "I can defend myself." As their gazes locked, the tension in the air was palpable, until Amelia's aurors entered the room.
"We're here, boss! What do you need?" Senior Auror Dawlish announced, he and Shacklebolt standing firm.
"A potential lead on the location of the kidnapped Hogwarts champions has surfaced. We're going to investigate," Amelia affirmed. "Professor Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick will be joining us shortly." Behind her, the standoff between Draconica and Dumbledore intensified, both unwilling to back down. Shaking her head, Amelia continued, "Given the likelihood of dark wizards in the area, be prepared for a confrontation. Lethal force is authorized if deemed necessary."
"Yes, ma'am!" both aurors replied in unison, though Dumbledore visibly bristled at her decree, firmly opposed to lethal measures.
"I've arrived," Professor Flitwick announced as he entered, looking more battle-ready than ever, clad in dragon-hide armor and equipped with multiple wands.
"Shall we proceed, Albus?" he queried.
"Yes, let me create a portkey," Dumbledore instructed.
"I'll be going with you," Draconica insisted once more, distressed by the adults' refusal to let her join. She felt compelled to be at Harry's side during the rescue. But Dumbledore remained unwavering.
"No," he replied. "It's much too dangerous."
"But!" Draconica started again, frustration evident.
"Fawkes, would you assist me?" Dumbledore asked. The phoenix nodded and vanished only to return moments later, whisking Draconica away with him. "Alright," Dumbledore continued, seizing a quill from his desk. "With just five of us, this should suffice." He transformed the quill into a portkey and, verifying it was flawless, instructed everyone to hold onto it. "Activate!" Dumbledore commanded, and they vanished from his office.
After a jarring moment of travel via portkey, the group materialized at the edge of Little Hangleton, roughly three hundred yards from the abandoned Riddle Manor. After surveying their surroundings, Dumbledore pointed towards a graveyard that lay behind the manor.
"We should head there," he advised, cautioning everyone to keep their wands at the ready, as he had no idea what awaited them. Agreeing silently, the group advanced, moving carefully in case of any lurking dangers.
Upon reaching the graveyard, they found signs of some powerful wards veiling the area.
"Shall we enter?" Amelia prompted, feeling uneasy.
"Yes," Dumbledore replied. "I'm now convinced that both Mr. Diggory and Lord Slytherin were brought here; the dark magic surrounding us indicates this was where Voldemort was revived. However, I am surprised that neither he nor any of his Death Eaters are here to greet us."
"An ambush?" Filius inquired. "Or might they have already departed?"
"Both scenarios are possible," Dumbledore concurred. "Still, we must proceed. Stay alert for any surprises."
"Alright, let's move," Amelia instructed, leading her two aurors through the wards. The group remained vigilant, prepared for an ambush until they were deeper into the cemetery. Dawlish was the first to notice something amiss.
"Hey, is that...?" he asked, pointing toward a figure on the ground. Indeed, they had stumbled upon Cedric's still body, lying just outside the perimeter where the 'Warlock's Fall' trap had been, visible only to Dumbledore through his magical perception.
"Yes," Filius confirmed, waving his wand toward Cedric.
"How is he?" Shacklebolt questioned. The Charms professor shook his head.
"Sadly, he is dead," Filius announced somberly. Albus, who came to the same conclusion, shared his concern about Cedric's demise, though he was puzzled, as his magical sight indicated something other than the Killing Curse had caused his death; yet the boy lay lifeless without any apparent biological explanation.
"Amos will be heartbroken to hear this," Dumbledore murmured, and the group nodded quietly in agreement, mourning the loss while feeling the urgency to locate Harry.
They quickly progressed to the devastated area where Harry and Voldemort had fought. As they entered, they encountered the petrified Death Eaters, who had been transformed into lifeless statues, frozen as they drew their wands.
"What in Merlin's name could have caused all this?" Amelia pondered. Seeing the number of dark wizards turned to stone convinced her there was no imminent threat; they could afford to drop their guard. Nodding to her team, she approached the statue-like figures.
"Y-you came..." A weak, exhausted voice broke through the tension as they neared the frozen Death Eaters. Harry Potter, filthy and pale, lay on the ground next to Voldemort's homunculus corpse.
"Lord Slytherin?" Amelia called, moving closer. "Are you alright?"
"I'm nearly dead from exhaustion... but I'll manage..." Harry groaned, attempting but failing to rise. "What about... Cedric? Did you... find him?" Dumbledore, now at Amelia's side, nodded solemnly.
"Yes, we found his body," he confessed, lowering his gaze. "But I regret to inform you that he is deceased." With a defeated groan, Harry struggled to sit up. He fixed his weary gaze on Dumbledore.
"It might still... not be too late..." Harry gasped. Before he could elaborate, Dumbledore interrupted.
"Harry, I understand that accepting death is difficult, but it is a truth we must confront. Cedric has passed, and nothing can revive him." Dumbledore's words pierced Harry's heart, igniting a fierce anger within him as he felt Dumbledore was too quick to write off Cedric's life. If only the headmaster knew the truth!
"Cedric might still have a chance at life!" Harry retorted, mustering all the strength he could to raise his voice. "I put him in a false-death state!" He tried to rise but faltered and fell back weakly. "It was the only way to save him from the trap..."
After a brief pause to catch his breath, he continued, "If his body... is still intact... it may not be too late... to cast the counter-curse, but you'll need to do it; I doubt I could even cast a simple Lumos right now."
"W-What is the counter-curse?" Professor Flitwick, digesting Harry's revelation, inquired, eager to act promptly.
"Demetero vitalae restorato," Harry explained. "The wand movement involves making a counter-clockwise circle from the top point." Flitwick nodded, turning to where Cedric's body lay, his determination growing.
Professor Flitwick returned about seven minutes later, levitating Cedric's lifeless form.
"It seems I was on time to save him; he is alive!" The Charms professor declared, prompting a wave of relief from Harry and the others. "Yet, I must caution that while the counter-curse has pulled him from Death's grasp, Madam Pomfrey will have to assess his condition. Such a close encounter with death often leaves a lasting mark," he added, a somber look crossing his face.
Dumbledore and Amelia exchanged knowing glances, both understanding that Cedric might never fully recover from this trauma. Yet they were grateful he had been saved, even as they contemplated the impact this experience might have on him.
"I'm relieved to hear I was mistaken; our Mr. Diggory lives," Dumbledore said, turning to Madam Bones. "Now that we have both abducted students accounted for, I believe we should return to Hogwarts."
"Yes, that would be most helpful," Amelia agreed. "I'll require extra personnel to help manage the situation," she indicated toward the petrified Death Eaters. "If possible, please contact the Unspeakables to run tests on this... remains," she added, gesturing toward Voldemort's homunculus body.
"Of course," Dumbledore replied. Just then, Fawkes appeared in a flash of fire. "Let's go. Madam Pomfrey will be displeased if I don't ensure these two receive her care immediately." Fawkes allowed them to touch him, and with a mental cue from Dumbledore, the phoenix transported the group from the eerie cemetery in Little Hangleton.