Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by December Event's Advent Calendar, Hogwarts Eastern Winter Funfair's Yule Log Burning, and December Writing Club's Sophie's Shelf on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For Advent Calendar I wrote for Day 30's Magical Food and Drink prompt of Firewhiskey. For Yule Log Burning I wrote for F9's setting prompt of The Hog's Head. For Sophie's Shelf I wrote for the bonus paring prompt of Barty/Luna. Warning for kidnapping and evil plots. I hope you all enjoy Danger Lurks Near.
Congratulating himself on yet another miraculous escape from the Ministry of Magic Barty Crouch Jr. walked through the streets of Hogsmeade keeping to the shadows. He'd been hiding out in several different houses ever since they almost caught him at the end of the last year at Hogwarts. He just so happened to be in the Hog's Head a day ago when he saw Hermione Granger asking the owner if her and group of friends could use his pub for a group thing. He didn't make it obvious that he was listening in but as a smile crept across his face he realized this his moment to make things right with the Dark Lord. He would let them have their little group meeting and then he move against Potter.
Upon entering the Hog's Head Barty could see that the meeting was already in progress. Wandering over to a corner shrouded in shadows he watched as first Hermione Granger and then Harry Potter started talking. Whatever they were saying it didn't appear that people where buying it. That is until the blonde girl stood up and asked if it was true Potter could produce a Patronus charm.
Taking a drink of the Firewhiskey he'd order a few minutes after sitting down he watched the blonde. She was pretty in a way. Naive too. Barty was pretty sure he could use this girl to bring about the end he wanted. But how to approach her without alerting her friends to his presence. It then struck him like a ton of bricks. He would approach her after the meeting. How hard would it be get a hair from one of her Ravenclaw friends and use it with the Polyjuice Potion he'd just made a week ago?
Leaving money on the table to pay for his drink he walked out the door seeing that the meeting was still going on. He hoped he could find some foolish Ravenclaw that didn't heed Hermione Granger's summons. Walking the streets of Hogsmeade in the shadows her watched each child he passed watching for the telltale blue of the Ravenclaw scarf. He was so engrossed in looking for it that he almost missed the one that he did find.
"Young man," he called from the shadowy alley, "can you help me find my wallet? Someone took it from me. I was following him and saw that he dropped here but I can't seem to find it."
The young dark haired Ravenclaw boy looked over to were Barty's voice had come from. It didn't seem so out of place that someone would mugged in the street. It happened all the time in the part of England he was from. So deciding to help this unfortunate man out her wondering over. "What does you..." was all he could get out as stepped foot into the alleyway. He fell to the ground unconscious.
Bending down Barty plucked a couple hands full of hair from the boy's head. Maybe he'd use this one's face like he'd used Mad Eye Moody's? It was a good thing he'd lured the boy into the alleyway of the place he was staying at the time. Picking the boy up he hoisted him over his shoulder. bringing him into the dingy building.
"You, my little friend, are going to very useful to me," he told unconscious boy placing him at the bottom of the enchanted trunk he'd bought at an antique shop after he lost the one Moody had. "Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite."
Closing the lid he walked over to his stash of Polyjuice Potion and placed the hairs into the bubbling liquid. He watched as turned a creamy light blue color then he filled all the flasks he'd had from before. He'd have to make it less obvious this time though. After the whole Moody fiasco he couldn't just allow himself to get caught again like that. Especially because of something so small.
Taking a drag of the potion he felt the familiar sensation of change coming over him. When the tingling ended he walked over and could see the face of the unconscious boy in his trunk instead of his own. It was lucky enough that he found someone who looks like his own. With a smile of satisfaction he walked back to the Hog's Head seeing the meeting conclude in a line of people signing something.
"Are you with Dumbledore's Army?" came a dreamy voice from behind.
Barty had heard the girl speak before when she was his student and he was just Mad Eye Moody. He'd found her voice dreamy and enchanting them but now that he was the same age as her...A smile stretched his face. Perhaps he could take advantgae of this situation and start a relationship wit this girl.
"Are you?" Luna Lovegood prodded gently.
"I am," he told her.
"Did you sign the list yet?"
Shaking his head he joined the end of the line. They were making his plan way to easy for him. He didn't even have to do thing besides continue taking the Polyjuice Potion on a daily basis. As the front of line grew nearer the thoughts that he could have everything he wanted clung to his mind.
"Sign your name," Hermione Granger's voice rang through his ears.
Signing the name he'd seen on the Ravenclaw boy's books he handed the quill back to book smart wonder with a smug smile. She had no clue who she'd invited into their midst and she'd be surprised when they figured it. Especially considering the fact that it would be to late to do anything about.
Feeling a small hand in his own Barty smiled down on Luna Lovegood. His whole plan now hinged on this girl becoming his girlfriend and it didn't seem like he had to work that at all.
I hope you all enjoyed Danger Lurks Near.
