Okay, this is a fic that I started writing about a year ago. It's about Barty Crouch Jr., and I wanted to do it because I haven't seen many people do stories about him, if any. It portrays him as more human than monster, if it portrays him as monster at all. I don't think it does... In this, I will be messing with the whole plot line of the Goblet of Fire. AND the WHOLE time line. When Ruby, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and everyone else is nine, I've made Barty sixteen. I know, it's a HUGE change, but I thought it'd be interesting! It'll be very weird, and very fun. Anyway, one more thing - This is a sort of alternate reality thing to a fic that I'll be putting up as soon as I'm done with this. I say, if the anime and Slayers people can do it, so can we!! Well, please review these first two chapters and tell me if it's worth finishing! Thank you!
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Roses
Chapter One
A solitary figure stood alone, next to a beautiful fountain, with crystal clear water and a single mermaid in the middle, eternally spouting water out of her stone mouth, all outlined against a pitch-black, starry sky. The figure looked into the water. A young, milky-coloured face stared back. The figure sighed, and gazed up at the night-time sky. Stars twinkled down on him, but when he looked a second time, he didn't notice the stars. A huge sparkling green sign was in the sky, hovering over his own home, and his family. The sign began to move. For some reason, he didn't know why, the figure followed it. Through the streets and docks of his own town, he kept on walking, until the sign stopped. Over a house he didn't at first recognize, but then he knew. A house which had been marked throughout the country. The house of his smallest friend. The Dark Mark hovered over her house, and he began running toward it, yelling her name all the while. He finally reached the front door, pulled it open and-
Barty Crouch Jr. shot up in his bed. It was still dark outside, and it must have been around midnight. He silently slipped out of his bed and looked through his window. There was no Dark Mark, no presence of evil in Ottery St. Catchpole. And little Ruby, he knew, was still tucked away in her bed, sleeping peacefully. He climbed up onto the windowsill, and held his forehead in his hands. His nightmares had been growing steadily worse, and all about that little nine-year-old. Barty simply sat, contemplating them. Why was he dreaming about her? And in them, she was always in danger from Voldemort, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He thought for a while longer, until he realized - Ruby was his best, and probably his only, friend. That small girl inspired more joy in him than when his father came home.
And it didn't seem like she would have a lot reason to spread joy around to begin with. Her father was the famous Sirius Black, a man convicted of the murder of his best friend and his wife. Barty knew that somehow Ruby was connected with the Potters, though she rarely talked about it. Speaking of fathers...
He heard the slam of a door two floors below, and knew that his father was home. Doesn't really make much of a difference, now does it? he thought darkly. Then, he remembered: Ruby's birthday party was tomorrow. Or, today, as it were. She always held it at the beginning of her friend's summer vacations, as she was home-schooled. Ruby's actual birthday was in May. Barty leaned over to set his clock early, so that he could run and get her a present in the morning. Then, he slid back into bed and, almost apprehensively, fell asleep again.
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BZZZZZZZZ!!! Barty sleepily awoke to the not-so-comforting sounds of his alarm clock. He was about to either hit the snooze button or smash it to bits, when he remembered. He jumped out of bed, dressed, and ran downstairs, only briefly stopping for a "Morning, Mum." and a slice of toast. The speedy sixteen-year-old rushed out the door, and ran for the nearest magical joke shop. Ottery St. Catchpole wasn't just a Muggle town. Barty stopped on his way to stare out at the sea. It was sunrise, and he couldn't remember seeing something more beautiful. Not now, anyway.
Once at Zorgo's, he picked up an extra-large bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, a birthday card that played "Mack the Knife" when you opened it, and a play dagger that turned into a rubber chicken when you jabbed it into something. Ruby loved jokes. Barty walked back home to wrap his gifts. It was only seven in the morning, and he wasn't even sure if Ruby was up yet. He chuckled to himself as he remembered her coming up to him at the beach.
"Barty, you coming?"
"To what?"
"Ruby's birthday party."
"Oh really? When's Ruby's birthday party?"
"One week. She'll get mad and hex you if you're not there."
"Well, I'll be sure to remember that." Ruby often talked in the third person about herself. Especially around Barty. She always wanted to make him laugh, which was one of the reasons he always made sure to meet her, every day in summer. During the rest of the year, he was, of course, at Hogwarts, but they always exchanged cards at Christmas and Easter. Barty was caught out of his train of thought as someone yelled at him.
"Hey! Barty! Over here!"
"What?"
"Move it or lose it, weenie!" He grinned. Ruby was standing on one of the docks, a Muggle WaveRider moored to a post. Barty walked over.
"What's that?"
"One of Ruby's presents. She gets a ride on it with a friend. Want to come?" Barty looked down at his shopping bag.
"In a minute? I've got to take these, er, groceries home." Ruby smiled.
"Just make sure Ruby doesn't see 'em." Barty sprinted for the house. He stopped inside to quickly wrap them by magic (hoping his Mum wouldn't notice), and ran back to the docks.
"Okay, I'm good," he panted. Ruby threw him a life-vest.
"Buckle it good, or you'll get even wetter than I intended." Barty looked up.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, find out." Ruby jumped onto the WaveRider, and Barty seated himself behind her.
"Are you actually allowed to drive this thing?" Barty tried to ask, but Ruby was far on her way before he could finish. The child was a maniac! She did 180's and 360's at astounding and almost nauseating speeds. But Barty was having too much fun to be thinking about his stomach. The friends yelled and whooped the whole time.
They finally reached the dock. Ruby tried to get off at first, from the other side. After about five seconds she knew that she was going to fall, but she wasn't going down alone. Oh, no. Barty sensed this, and steadied himself, but Ruby dragged him in with her all the same, a huge splash sounding after a very short yell.
After they resurfaced, spouting water and laughing happily, they managed to reach the top of the dock. They sat there for a while, staring at the sky, a very strange sight to see. A sixteen-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl, talking and getting along as if they were fifty-year-old chums at a bar. Ruby finally sat up.
"What did you get?"
"Hmm?"
"What did you get, that was in your bag?" Barty grinned.
"Those, um, were your presents."
"What did you get me, a lifetime supply of orange juice?" Barty laughed, recalling his fakey cover-up. Suddenly he realized the obvious.
"Where are all your other friends?!? We've been out here forever!"
"Yeah, I know. This was the Barty-and-Ruby-Ruby's-Party. The one tomorrow is the Barty-and-Ruby-and-all-of-Ruby's-other-friends-Ruby's-Party. Get it?"
"Not quite, but give me a while to think. Yeah." Ruby smiled.
"Gonna wait till then?"
"No, we can go get them, just let me dry off a bit more. Yup." Barty flopped over on his belly and gave a huge fake sigh. Ruby blew in his ear.
"Dry enough yet?" He swatted her away.
"I think so." They walked off toward Barty's house, where Ruby waited outside for Barty to get the presents. It was late afternoon by now. Barty normally never let Ruby inside, in the case that his usually out-of-humour father was there. Ruby didn't figure this out until she was eleven. Barty came back outside.
"Here." She opened the large package, and a huge grin split across her face as she saw the dagger and beans, and grew bigger yet when she opened the card.
"Cute. Very cute." She poked him with the dagger, and it turned into a rubber chicken. Ruby jumped back.
"Enguarde!" Barty hastily grabbed a grass stem.
"You're on!" They mock-parried back and forth across the yard, until Ruby finally poked Barty's stomach, yelling a gleeful "Touche!" and doing a victory dance all over his front yard. Barty yawned.
"I let you win, of course. Birthday girl always wins. Aren't you tired yet?" Ruby finally relented.
"Yeah, maybe a little. Fine, weenie. See you tomorrow." Ruby walked away, as the sky got darker.
"Wait!" Barty yelled, before she could get too far. "I'm taking you home, young lady. Who knows what freaks are hanging around." They laughed and talked all the way to Ruby's house, and Barty didn't have nightmares that night.
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Roses
Chapter One
A solitary figure stood alone, next to a beautiful fountain, with crystal clear water and a single mermaid in the middle, eternally spouting water out of her stone mouth, all outlined against a pitch-black, starry sky. The figure looked into the water. A young, milky-coloured face stared back. The figure sighed, and gazed up at the night-time sky. Stars twinkled down on him, but when he looked a second time, he didn't notice the stars. A huge sparkling green sign was in the sky, hovering over his own home, and his family. The sign began to move. For some reason, he didn't know why, the figure followed it. Through the streets and docks of his own town, he kept on walking, until the sign stopped. Over a house he didn't at first recognize, but then he knew. A house which had been marked throughout the country. The house of his smallest friend. The Dark Mark hovered over her house, and he began running toward it, yelling her name all the while. He finally reached the front door, pulled it open and-
Barty Crouch Jr. shot up in his bed. It was still dark outside, and it must have been around midnight. He silently slipped out of his bed and looked through his window. There was no Dark Mark, no presence of evil in Ottery St. Catchpole. And little Ruby, he knew, was still tucked away in her bed, sleeping peacefully. He climbed up onto the windowsill, and held his forehead in his hands. His nightmares had been growing steadily worse, and all about that little nine-year-old. Barty simply sat, contemplating them. Why was he dreaming about her? And in them, she was always in danger from Voldemort, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He thought for a while longer, until he realized - Ruby was his best, and probably his only, friend. That small girl inspired more joy in him than when his father came home.
And it didn't seem like she would have a lot reason to spread joy around to begin with. Her father was the famous Sirius Black, a man convicted of the murder of his best friend and his wife. Barty knew that somehow Ruby was connected with the Potters, though she rarely talked about it. Speaking of fathers...
He heard the slam of a door two floors below, and knew that his father was home. Doesn't really make much of a difference, now does it? he thought darkly. Then, he remembered: Ruby's birthday party was tomorrow. Or, today, as it were. She always held it at the beginning of her friend's summer vacations, as she was home-schooled. Ruby's actual birthday was in May. Barty leaned over to set his clock early, so that he could run and get her a present in the morning. Then, he slid back into bed and, almost apprehensively, fell asleep again.
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BZZZZZZZZ!!! Barty sleepily awoke to the not-so-comforting sounds of his alarm clock. He was about to either hit the snooze button or smash it to bits, when he remembered. He jumped out of bed, dressed, and ran downstairs, only briefly stopping for a "Morning, Mum." and a slice of toast. The speedy sixteen-year-old rushed out the door, and ran for the nearest magical joke shop. Ottery St. Catchpole wasn't just a Muggle town. Barty stopped on his way to stare out at the sea. It was sunrise, and he couldn't remember seeing something more beautiful. Not now, anyway.
Once at Zorgo's, he picked up an extra-large bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, a birthday card that played "Mack the Knife" when you opened it, and a play dagger that turned into a rubber chicken when you jabbed it into something. Ruby loved jokes. Barty walked back home to wrap his gifts. It was only seven in the morning, and he wasn't even sure if Ruby was up yet. He chuckled to himself as he remembered her coming up to him at the beach.
"Barty, you coming?"
"To what?"
"Ruby's birthday party."
"Oh really? When's Ruby's birthday party?"
"One week. She'll get mad and hex you if you're not there."
"Well, I'll be sure to remember that." Ruby often talked in the third person about herself. Especially around Barty. She always wanted to make him laugh, which was one of the reasons he always made sure to meet her, every day in summer. During the rest of the year, he was, of course, at Hogwarts, but they always exchanged cards at Christmas and Easter. Barty was caught out of his train of thought as someone yelled at him.
"Hey! Barty! Over here!"
"What?"
"Move it or lose it, weenie!" He grinned. Ruby was standing on one of the docks, a Muggle WaveRider moored to a post. Barty walked over.
"What's that?"
"One of Ruby's presents. She gets a ride on it with a friend. Want to come?" Barty looked down at his shopping bag.
"In a minute? I've got to take these, er, groceries home." Ruby smiled.
"Just make sure Ruby doesn't see 'em." Barty sprinted for the house. He stopped inside to quickly wrap them by magic (hoping his Mum wouldn't notice), and ran back to the docks.
"Okay, I'm good," he panted. Ruby threw him a life-vest.
"Buckle it good, or you'll get even wetter than I intended." Barty looked up.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, find out." Ruby jumped onto the WaveRider, and Barty seated himself behind her.
"Are you actually allowed to drive this thing?" Barty tried to ask, but Ruby was far on her way before he could finish. The child was a maniac! She did 180's and 360's at astounding and almost nauseating speeds. But Barty was having too much fun to be thinking about his stomach. The friends yelled and whooped the whole time.
They finally reached the dock. Ruby tried to get off at first, from the other side. After about five seconds she knew that she was going to fall, but she wasn't going down alone. Oh, no. Barty sensed this, and steadied himself, but Ruby dragged him in with her all the same, a huge splash sounding after a very short yell.
After they resurfaced, spouting water and laughing happily, they managed to reach the top of the dock. They sat there for a while, staring at the sky, a very strange sight to see. A sixteen-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl, talking and getting along as if they were fifty-year-old chums at a bar. Ruby finally sat up.
"What did you get?"
"Hmm?"
"What did you get, that was in your bag?" Barty grinned.
"Those, um, were your presents."
"What did you get me, a lifetime supply of orange juice?" Barty laughed, recalling his fakey cover-up. Suddenly he realized the obvious.
"Where are all your other friends?!? We've been out here forever!"
"Yeah, I know. This was the Barty-and-Ruby-Ruby's-Party. The one tomorrow is the Barty-and-Ruby-and-all-of-Ruby's-other-friends-Ruby's-Party. Get it?"
"Not quite, but give me a while to think. Yeah." Ruby smiled.
"Gonna wait till then?"
"No, we can go get them, just let me dry off a bit more. Yup." Barty flopped over on his belly and gave a huge fake sigh. Ruby blew in his ear.
"Dry enough yet?" He swatted her away.
"I think so." They walked off toward Barty's house, where Ruby waited outside for Barty to get the presents. It was late afternoon by now. Barty normally never let Ruby inside, in the case that his usually out-of-humour father was there. Ruby didn't figure this out until she was eleven. Barty came back outside.
"Here." She opened the large package, and a huge grin split across her face as she saw the dagger and beans, and grew bigger yet when she opened the card.
"Cute. Very cute." She poked him with the dagger, and it turned into a rubber chicken. Ruby jumped back.
"Enguarde!" Barty hastily grabbed a grass stem.
"You're on!" They mock-parried back and forth across the yard, until Ruby finally poked Barty's stomach, yelling a gleeful "Touche!" and doing a victory dance all over his front yard. Barty yawned.
"I let you win, of course. Birthday girl always wins. Aren't you tired yet?" Ruby finally relented.
"Yeah, maybe a little. Fine, weenie. See you tomorrow." Ruby walked away, as the sky got darker.
"Wait!" Barty yelled, before she could get too far. "I'm taking you home, young lady. Who knows what freaks are hanging around." They laughed and talked all the way to Ruby's house, and Barty didn't have nightmares that night.