Chapter 3
The Dementor Cure
My heart skipped a beat as that familiar noise of thumping on wood elicited from Barty Crouch Jr.'s bedroom door. My frightened knocking only lasted a moment before there was an eerie silence that drifted through the air like a ghost. I waited, not daring to breathe as I listened intently, even going as far as to put my ear up to the wood in attempts to better hear what may or may not be going on inside.
I could swear that I heard… whispering… of sorts. I strained to get a better grip on my hearing; trying to make out what I sensed.
"Um... P-Pardon, sir?" I asked hesitantly, my shaking hand slowly drifting over to the doorknob where I rested it there apprehensively. My eyes lowered and I watched my hand quiver there helplessly, and I felt like cursing at myself.
Why does he have this effect on me? Why am I trembling?
"Nothing. Come in." Came Barty's voice on the other side of the door, sounding a bit more curt than it usually did, with a hint of a growl in his tone.
Oh, oh no… I couldn't do this… I had to open the door now and face him.
Even so, I did as I was told; and I slowly, hesitantly twisted the doorknob with little effort; uncomfortably shifting into sight so that I myself could observe his room.
The first thing I noticed was that it was hard to notice anything at all in the first place. The space was incredulously dark, which didn't surprise me; but it made things a little difficult to see. It took a few moments for my vision to adjust to the new lighting before I could truly intake my surroundings. I liked dark areas honestly, and I felt slightly less jumpy in the darkness as I slowly, steadily made my way into the room. It was quite simple, other than the familiar additions my mother had added to make the guest room more inviting. There was the wooden dresser, and next to it was what I could only assume was Barty's small trunk of valuables. There- in the corner, to my surprise; was a decently big black calico owl with amazing yellow eyes like pools of liquid gold. It watched me curiously as I continued my way through the room.
To my relief, nothing much had changed in here- and everything seemed to be in place.
But- where was Barty?
My mental question was answered as his voice elicited from my left side.
"Hello, dear."
His tone was dripping with sappy amusement, the mischief and dangerous delight in it making me want to turn and run. But instead, I forced myself to shift my position so that I was facing him. Still, my heart was pounding and adrenaline coursed through my veins.
I didn't understand why I felt this way. No other death eater, not even Fenrir; with his powerful muscled body and overpowering intimidation- nor Bellatrix and her unpredictable insanity, could even make me flinch with any hint of fear at all. They didn't scare me, they had no effect on me. So why did Barty, wild, crazed, and ill; terrify me to such a degree?
Perhaps it was that lingering sense of cunning he withheld. He might be mad, but when I was around him I could always feel a certain superior cleverness that emitted from everything he did. The way he spoke, the way he moved- it made me think of such words- Sly, clever, intelligent…
I was now gazing at him with surprising calmness, and I respectfully dipped my head in greeting towards him despite the frisky wicked flavor in his previous statement.
I noticed he looked even worse than he had before dinner, which I hadn't thought possible- but his wild honey brown hair was in great disarray, and his starved appearance looked more prominent under pale skin. What troubled me most however was the expression on his face. Sure, he had greeted me as he normally did with that hint if disturbing enthusiasm, though he looked as if he were under incredulous strain. His eyes where distant and wide in terror, as if he were in the midst of horrors that I was unaware of. Still, he turned to look at me and his face softened slightly.
"Um, I'm sorry to intrude sir but I'm here to assist you with your things." I said, still averting his gaze as he continuously tried meeting my eyes.
"Oh, don't bother with such polite business talk. And call me Barty." He said.
I was momentarily shocked, as this was nothing like the Barty I knew and feared at all. Where was the smirk? The clever comeback? The usual stare that lingered continuously? The ingenuity?
"S-Sir, I mean, uh… B-Barty? Are you alright?"
No- he wasn't, and that would be obvious to anyone with eyes. Still, I figured it was generous. I was still very skeptical of him, as his unusual behavior was putting me on edge. But, it was then that he did something that even I hadn't prepared enough for. Something that terrified me to the furthest degree of fear I'd probably ever experienced.
I stared at him, horrified- as he began to shake violently and uncontrollably, his eyes widened even further and he gazed right back at me. Before…
He lunged forward, and grabbed my shoulders with surprising exerted force, and I instinctively yelped in terror at the unexpected action. His expression was intense, and he shook my body as if trying to convey the seriousness of his state-
"Chocolate!" He said, his tone was tense, precarious, and desperate.
"W-What?!"
"Chocolate! I NEED CHOCOLATE!" He said again, the volume of his voice increasing to nearly a yell. I gave a terrified nod and then fled from his room in a hurry, before immediately turning tail towards my own room and running inside as fast as I could.
Chocolate… Chocolate… Where is some damn chocolate?! –Ah, yes! I have chocolate in my secret stash…
I instantly ran towards the drawer that I knew held all of my candy, and with a flourish I opened it and hurriedly began rummaging through the contents. Quickly, I grabbed a big bar of chocolate and went speeding back into Barty's room.
He was on his bed, still; though he was sitting up now, twisting the sheets in his struggle. I held forth the chocolate and he snatched it away, fumbling with the wrapper and box before plunging forward to take a huge bite out of the bar. I watched as he chewed, and he ate it like it was the thing that was providing him with life.
The moment he swallowed, his tense expression melted into a look of content, and he sighed with relief before taking another, much smaller bite. His shaking ceased, and he looked almost normal. Well, as normal as he got anyway.
But, the smirk that usually graced his features when I was around still remained out of sight. He wasn't licking his lips, nor were his eyes wide with intensity.
He just looked… kinda sick. Like how anyone else did when they had a bad bout of the flu.
I hesitated before asking the same question I had asked earlier.
"Barty? Are you alright?"
He looked up, seemingly as if he had forgotten I was there, and he gave a brief nod, before finishing off the last bit of chocolate and muttering to himself.
I only caught one word. "Dementors…"
Oh….
It had struck me in the face like a bullet. How had I not realized? I suddenly recalled something that I probably should've recollected long ago in such a situation.
That's right… The best cure to the terrible effects a dementor inflicts is chocolate. Barty needed chocolate as an antidote to the dementors after his recent experience in Azkaban. Chocolate makes the terror, the cold, and the depressive emotions that only a dementor and impose go away. That explains Barty's current state, and his desperation for the candy.
I sighed, and watched the strange man calm down, slowly; but effectively. The chocolate was acting like some sort of sedative for him. Maybe I should go buy more of it later…
He stared at me for a few moments before a stern expression overcame his face, and he looked me dangerously in the eye.
"Listen. You will tell this to no one. Do you understand?"
"Yes." I replied instantly, somewhat alarmed by the threatening growl in his tone.
That seemed to be good enough for him though, and he laid down once more on his bed, sighing to himself. I waited a moment, feeling susceptible by his warning.
"…Alright, don't mind me. I'm just going to be sorting things out for you…" I said, a hint of caution in my tone. He only nodded, probably half-aware of what I'd said.
It had been about half an hour since Barty's last outburst, and at last I felt that he probably wasn't going to have any more of them. So, I managed to unwind into what was almost considered a calm state- and I had begun by sorting out the small amount of clothing he owned into the dresser.
To my surprise, he actually owned a few very nice things; like a suit for example, and I did my best to handle his items with great care as I stored them away. I checked nervously on Barty every once in a while, only to see him watching me with a sort of half-interested gleam in his eyes. At one point, his owl had started hooting until I hurriedly hushed it with a gentle reminder, and I was content at last to know that I didn't have to deal with Barty's insanity anymore.
At last, I had finished my task at hand; and I turned around to check on Barty one last time before I left only to find him silently asleep where he lay. I was transfixed at the sight, and I watched him for a few moments. This must be a rare occasion, I thought; to see him in such a vulnerable position. His eyes where shut and his face had relaxed, even though he was quivering slightly with cold and he'd bundled up in attempts to savor what warmth his own body could generate.
To my astonishment, I realized in that instant that I was smiling ever so slightly. No, stop it you idiot… I told myself- and I went searching in the closet to uncover something to better keep him warm.
"Geez... All you had to do was get up and get a blanket…" I found myself whispering, and to my revulsion I perceived the slightest bit of fondness in my tone.
Soon enough I found one, unraveled it, and gently spread it out over him; while being careful not to touch or awaken him. I could hardly believe it… I was placing a blanket over a Death Eater as if he where some innocent child. I couldn't tell if I was disgusted with myself or pleased that I had managed to calm him enough that I didn't have to worry. A little bit of both, I suppose.
I decided to stay for another few seconds, and I studied him again more thoroughly while he was still. For some reason I found myself transfixed with his features, that same strange feeling of being drawn to him overcoming me for the second time since I'd met him. Without thinking- I reached forward with one hand, and the sensation of touch sparked through my knuckles as I allowed the back of my hand to graze gently down his pointed face.
He gave a long, content sigh in his sleep, still unaware of anything going on outside his dreams.
His actions seemed to snap me back into reality suddenly, I drew away my hand, momentarily disgusted with myself before immediately turning around and leaving the room; being sure to close his door silently as I went.
I found myself thinking about the interaction I'd had with him, and I recalled something my old Defense against the Dark Art's teacher had once said. Remus Lupin, was his name; by far my favorite. His voice echoed through my mind like a distant memory and I closed my eyes as if to listen better.
"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them... Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself... soulless and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life." (-Remus Lupin)
I kept listening, and more kept coming.
"They don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheerful thought. Most go mad within weeks." (-Remus Lupin)
I myself had never laid eyes on a dementor, luckily- but it seemed that the consequences for Barty's actions where such horrors that I couldn't imagine how terrible it must've been in Azkaban. Being a naturally empathetic person, I even felt a tinge of pity for him.
I found myself back inside my own room, however Draco was there now, with a mattress pulled up near the side of the wall, and he was laying out a pillow and some blankets for himself. It seemed he had managed on his own, but he looked quite grumpy that he'd had no choice but to do all the work on his own, as the house elves where preoccupied with other more "important" guests in other rooms.
"What happened to you helping me with my stuff." He said grumpily, taking a seat on the side of his mattress while gazing up at me expectantly. "Sorry." I replied, though my tone really didn't sound "sorry" at all. He gave me a cross glare.
"Look, it wasn't my fault my dad came in and insisted I go pamper sick little Barty Crouch Jr. instead." I said sarcastically with a hint of distaste, still pretty mad that I'd had to go in there in the first place.
Draco's expression instantaneously shifted from anger to fascination, and his position showed it to as he straightened up and leaned forward expectantly like an eager child waiting for a bedtime story.
"Really?!" He gasped, mesmerized. "What happened?"
I was about to tell him everything- before I recalled with Barty had said…
"Listen. You will tell this to no one. Do you understand?"
I paused…
"It honestly wasn't much. Just his usual-" I did an over-exaggerated impression of his flickering tongue, which caused Draco to burst out laughing while I smiled in satisfaction. Luckily, he dropped the subject, and we instead shifted the conversation to the topic of Hogwarts, and all the trouble Draco planned to cause during our last year. Good, I had avoided telling the truth.
I was perfectly content with this of course, and I enjoyed hearing about something other than Death Eaters. I liked talking about Hogwarts, discussing the place where I felt safe and sound. The place where I knew I didn't have to worry about being polite, seeing Death Eaters, pretending I was a worshiper of the Dark Lord, and so on. I longed to go back to school…
And I only had a few days until I did.
The next morning when I'd awoken, Draco had already gone. I groaned and wiped the sleep away from my eyes, staying in my warm bed for a little longer; not wanting to go downstairs with all the others. Soon enough though, I got out of bed and steered towards the bathroom where I turned on the hot water and took a nice, hot, lingering shower. I stayed in the shower for a long time as well, trying to stall and avoid breakfast.
About an hour later I got out and wrapped myself up in a clean towel, travelled back to my room (thank god, nobody had been in the hallways at the time), and got dressed in my usual subtle punk metal-head getup. I did my makeup, dried and straightened my hair- and then finally, I did go downstairs.
My stalling had been in vain though… It seemed that everyone had waited for me purposefully before starting breakfast. I was pretty annoyed by this, but instead of complaining I nodded and lingered around the kitchen until food was prepared.
I noticed the absence of many Death Eaters from yesterday, and I silently wondered if they'd gone out to do some business for the Dark Lord. Honestly, I didn't really care if they had or not- as long as they were gone. There was Fenrir here still, I noticed; as he had just stalked into the room, grabbed a coffee, and left.
If you've not seen a werewolf drink coffee, I'll gladly inform you on personal experience; it's pretty hilarious.
I was annoyed when I spotted Barty sitting at the table with his food, watching me quietly as I made sense of my surroundings. I settled for shooting him a glare before grabbing some of my own food and sitting at the opposite end of the table from where he was.
Out of the corner of my eye I watched him smirk and get up from his spot, and I shut my eyes with an aggravated sigh as he did what I'd expected him to do, and I heard the clatter of a plate being set down on my right. I opened my eyes again, and glared once more at him.
"Avoiding me now, are we?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow and biting into a slice of toast.
I kinda figured I didn't have much of a choice other than to face him, so I shifted my body towards him defiantly and I lifted my head in a dignified sort of way.
"Honestly, leave me alone. You're really getting on my-"
I gaped the moment I laid my eyes on him, and for a moment I doubted it was Barty Crouch Jr in front of me in the first place.
He was wearing the one grey suit I recalled folding from last night, kind of like an unbuttoned blazer over a maroon dress shirt with a perfectly placed collar, next to a tie of the same color. It even had a small golden chain attached to one pocket. His hair was styled neatly as well, the wild strands had been tamely slicked back to perfection. He must've showered as well, as he was now no longer dirty and looked very clean cut and handsome. With the dirt gone, and his hair out of his face, he was undeniably gorgeous. His sharp features could now be entirely appreciated- and it much rather suited him better. He was truly the depiction of elegance and grace.
He had been scary in his previous state, of course; appearing insane, mad, and disturbed; but now, in this new appearance- he truly expressed what he was. Clever, sly, and cunning; extremely dangerous as he was. He truly looked magnificent, in a terrifying, malicious, wicked kind of way. Even now, I can't bring myself to properly describe it.
"W-wow.."
I was still gaping, I realized then; and Barty was obviously enjoying himself. His grin had doubled in size and his tongue flashed into sight suddenly as he licked his lip, expression smug and mocking.
"Like what you see, my dear?" He raised an eyebrow challengingly, and studied my face closely as to catch any sort of confirmation.
Let's just say I became very interested in my bowl of oatmeal…
I stared into it, knowing how wide my eyes where as I felt the slightest tinge of color rise to my cheeks. I swallowed back fear, realizing how intimidated I was now just by his new appearance. If I said he gave off an aura of cleverness before; he most definitely did now. In my book, smarts were far more dangerous than anything else.
"Please, just… Leave me alone…" I choked out finally, biting my lip and refusing to meet his eyes.
"Oh, but what's the fun in that, hmm? Besides, you truly are… fascinating."
For the first time in my life, I legitimately blushed, and I felt my pride, my dignity, and my barriers of self-protection crumble at my feet right in front of me.
Without warning, Barty leaned in close to me, a rising sensation of panic washing over my body like a wave; and I found myself frozen with dread.
"Oh, and thanks for the chocolate…" He whispered into my ear friskily, so close I could feel his warm breath ghost over my skin.
"It was delicious."
