Chapter 4: The Alternative (not actually part of the fanfic)
A/N: This is not an update to the actual story. This was an alternative route that the story could have gone before I scrapped it (since it wasn't going to lead to what I wanted and I had no idea how to continue from here). I loved this and I thought I should share it with you. I really regret not using this, since it alludes to some of the previous chapters.
It starts out in chapter 4, the morning after the breakout of Vanity, Wilkes, Tuft, and Ross. You might see some familiar conversations since I recycled them.
"Do you know the identities of the Death Eaters from last night?" asked Barty once they entered Frank's office.
"Yeah. Emma Vanity, you probably remember her (Barty nodded), Elwin Tuft, Scarlet Ross, and Simon Wilkes."
"Did you know any of them?"
Frank nodded uncomfortably. "Wilkes was an… acquaintance of mine back at Hogwarts. He and Rosier were my friends during my first to third years until you came around."
"You didn't know he was a Death Eater, did you?"
"No. To be honest, I completely forgot he existed." he said. "Which is sad, I must admit."
Barty flinched and instinctively gripped his forearm. "Great, just what I needed."
"What happened?"
He pulled up his sleeve and showed him the burning, jet black mark. "The Dark Lord is calling us."
"Us?"
"Me."
Frank ran his hand through his hair. "I thought the meeting was tomorrow."
"I thought so, too. But obviously, he has different plans."
Barty got himself ready to leave (it would not do to anger Lord Voldemort), only to be stopped by Frank. "Wait, I have something for you." he said, running over to his desk.
He pulled out a couple drawers and rummaged through pages of reports and descriptions of suspects before pulling out a pin. With pin in tow, he ran back to Barty and gave it to him.
"It's charmed. I'll be able to hear what's going on if you wear it. It only goes one way, though."
"Thanks, Frank." Barty said as he took the pin and conjured a mask to cover his face.
"Stay safe, Bart."
Frank watched his friend disappear from his office and slouched down into his armchair. He turned to the pair of earmuffs in the drawer and put them on. Alice had charmed the two items while she was on break weeks ago. She complained about not having enough to do and wishing she could contribute in some way, so she charmed them for Frank and Barty.
A noise that sounded like static greeted him, which was not what he was expecting. After a few seconds, it subsided and he heard the voices of dozens, or maybe even hundreds, of Death Eaters. He could hear Barty talking with someone, but couldn't hear them over the conversations of everyone else. It was like trying to eavesdrop on two people while in a school cafeteria. He took the earmuffs off to concentrate on his work and complete the filing assignment he'd been given for the day as a break from field work.
Once they quieted down into hushed voices, which he figured meant that Voldemort was present, he put the earmuffs back on.
"I am sure you are all wondering why I have gathered you all here today." a voice said to them that was unmistakingly the infamous Dark Wizard's. "I assure you, there is a reason to this. I have been informed that quite the number of you have been having, ah, trouble with your assignments. The Ministry will not interfere any longer. I have designed certain tasks for you all, individual missions to wipe them out."
Frank gulped and took a deep breath. The quill laid forgotten on his desk as he stood up and started pacing. He grimaced as Voldemort began calling out the names of people he knew (most were fellow aurors). His heart stopped when his and his wife's names were called.
They made it on Moldy Shorts's personal hit list. That was a far more attention than either of the two could bear.
"That's a lot of people." a witch whispered beside him. "Who's going to deal with them?"
"Are you new?" another witch asked her, her voice was far deeper and richer than the first. "You must be. You see, the Dark Lord speaks to those he wishes to carry out these tasks in private. Only he knows the identities of us all and he's planning on keeping it that way."
"Oh."
"Unless you join a smaller branch, or club, or whatever." the witch said. "You can come up with your own plans and discuss it openly."
"That's so cool!"
Frank winced at the young lady's enthusiasm. She sounded so innocent, yet the way she spoke made this war seem like a fun game to her.
"That is all." Moldy Shorts said to dispel the majority of them. He also said "There are a few that must stay."
Since Barty wasn't going anywhere, Frank assumed he was one of the few that stayed behind. The sudden lack of noise told him that the others had already disapparated.
"So who gets who?" a witch asked eagerly. "I call dibs on any mudblood."
"Bellatrix, behave yourself." a wizard scolded her.
"What? Don't tell me you don't want a mudblood, Rodolphus." Bellatrix squealed. "Oh! I have a new method I want to try out."
"You can choose whoever you please." the evilest evil wizard assured.
"Then I call Benjy Fenwick!" Bellatrix shouted.
"Dirk Cresswell!"
"Ted Tonks!"
Name after name was called, none of which shouted out his own. If only for a moment, he seemed forgotten. All the names were of muggle-born witches and wizards. It was sad to think that he would survive this through the blood of others. A part of him said he could defeat whoever wanted to challenge him, that he would be ready, but that was difficult. They could strike at any moment and he'd be unprepared.
"The Longbottoms." Barty said. It was as if relief washed over him. Frank's heavy burden had been lifted and he slouched back into his chair, which was more than welcoming.
"Not too fast, Crouch." a voice that sounded so familiar said. It was a pit in his stomach to hear it. His worry and dread came back after those first three words. "They're mine."
"There are plenty of other names to choose from."
"I want to be the one to dispose of my traitor blood friends. Plus, I don't want you to get sentimental when you face them, I know how dear they are to you."
That was it. Frank felt pieces clicking into place. If Evan Rosier was the one to free the escaped yet-to-be-convicted convicts, then he knew something about Barty. It wasn't like him to miss any details.
"My lord, may I?" The dread was at its climax.
Frank pulled off his earmuffs and threw them across the room. He tried to remember the names of those who were called and scrambled over to his desk. With a quill, he wrote as many of them as he could. He had to warn them, it was the least he could do.
-.-.-.-.-.-
Barty wanted to protect his friends, his only friends. He wanted to be the one to "kill" them in order to grant them safety. The panic he had before overwhelmed him now. It wasn't about him anymore, it was for them. His friends. His family.
"I will be the one to kill them." Barty scowled at Rosier. "You will not interfere."
"He is right, though. You are attached to the Longbottoms." Igor Karkaroff grinned. "I would want nothing more than to watch their faces when you murder them-"
"But can he pull it off?" Rosier asked. Then, it was as if a light bulb lit up his head and he smiled sweetly. "Whatever. I'm only looking out for little Bartemius. I wouldn't want his feelings to get hurt."
Barty watched him with a careful eye. What was it that he was trying to achieve? If it was to kill his friends, this was a weird way to do it.
"I think that was all the names. Bummer." Rosier sighed. "I really wanted to hear their screams… Hey. Maybe I can."
So that was it. Rosier wanted to come with him. That plan was not thought out well, but it was effective. If he denied his request to come, suspicion would spread. If he accepted it, the consequences could vary. First, he could lead Rosier into a trap and send him to Azkaban (which would raise the same amount of suspicion if he were safe while Rosier was not). Second, he could kill him (but the same situation would arise), or pretend he died as well (the target on the Longbottoms would only get larger). Third, he would fake the death of the Longbottoms (but where will they go?), perhaps live in muggle London or anywhere but there. Still, Rosier was not careless. He was a people person that knew how people thought and how they would act in certain circumstances. Even in quidditch, he came up with the best strategies solely on the basis of what he observed. He knew people by heart, and that was what made him terrifying.
Barty clenched his teeth as he ranted on.
"I can hear their screams and you can kill them. Brilliant!"
Conversations had broken out and some stopped to listen into theirs.
"You won't deny me that, now could you?"
Barty's hands balled into fists and he was really tempted to punch him for ruining his smooth running with avoiding any real conflict in the war. He held himself back, however, and slowly let his hands uncurl. He hid his spite and answered as aloofly as one could be in his situation. "I suppose I can't."
Rosier's grin spread. The world can be cruel sometimes. "Excellent. Now we can schedule a time whenever you're ready to do the deed. Don't take too long, though. I won't be able to wait."
They were dismissed and most returned to their homes or workplaces. Rosier stayed behind to chat with the Dark Lord, albeit not so casually as it may appear. Barty was quick to flee.
He apparated back into Frank's office only to find him missing. The chair was empty and the papers were strewn across the floor. It wasn't like that when he left.
"Frank?" Nothing.
Barty bolted out the office door and ran right into the man walking across. It wasn't Frank.
"Sorry, mate. I-" he stopped when he looked at the mess inside the office through the closing door. "What were you doing in there? Were you stealing something?"
"No. I was looking for Frank."
"I saw him a little while ago." the man said, raising an eyebrow. "You're Crouch's son, right?"
"Yes."
"Junior?"
"Yes. Where's-"
"You look like him, that's why I asked."
"Sure. Where's-"
"Except you've got lighter hair. You've got his eyes, though."
"That's great. Where's-"
"He never really talked about you, though."
"Listen, I'm in a hur-"
"He's a great man, mate. Great man."
"Where's Fran-"
"Does his job right, that he does."
"I need to know wh-"
"Although he's trying to allow the usage of curses, you know. It's like fighting fire with fire."
"Yes, I know. And- wait. What?"
The man crossed his arms. "Oh yeah, he said so this morning. It hasn't been made official yet, but it'll be drafted tomorrow. If the Ministry agrees with it, it will go public."
Barty shook his head. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I'm saying that Crouch, your father, is trying to ratify using the curses against the Death Eaters." he said slowly. "You got that?"
"I… what?"
"Oh, there's Longbottom."
Barty jumped at the name and turned around to where the man was pointing. Frank was coming from another office and was talking with an auror at the door. It looked urgent, so Barty waited. The man continued on his merry way without a care in the world (besides the war, of course; everyone is frightened by the prospects of war).
When Frank finally finished his conversation and returned to his own office, he asked Barty a silent question. It was not picked up by the younger of the two, but he answered it as soon as Frank closed the door anyway.
"I'm supposed to kill you and Alice."
Frank was relieved. No, that was an understatement. He rejoiced. "Fantastic. What's the plan?"
"Fake our deaths, obviously." Barty growled, not appreciating his all too joyful reaction. "And kill Rosier."
Frank's smile faded and his eyebrows stitched together. "What happened?"
"Rosier wants to come with me when I 'kill' you. I thought about it, one of the safest options would be to get rid of him and fake our demise."
"That doesn't sound too hard."
"We could also call in as much backup as we possibly could." he continued. "I can stop pretending to be on their side."
"That sounds good, too."
"The targets will be far too big, though."
"I guess not."
Barry sighed and covered his face with his hands. "I don't want to be a part of this war anymore. I don't care about it. Maybe a quiet life in the middle of a muggle city isn't all that bad."
"Death Eaters target muggles. Wouldn't that be dangerous?"
Barty thought for a moment and pointed a finger at Frank. "We could try using a Fidelius charm. No one will be able to find us."
"Rosier would have thought of that… Everything we do is too predictable."
"But there's nothing else we can do at this point."
Frank stared at the light on the ceiling. "When is it?"
"Next week on Sunday."
"Not long then."
"He wanted it tomorrow."
Frank chuckled. "He really wants us dead, huh. There's something off. It's as if he knows you're-"
"Spying on them." Barty finished.
Frank groaned and slapped his cheeks. "Okay, we can do this. Fake our deaths and… kill Evan." He shuddered. "Murdering someone in cold blood is- it feels wrong."
"We're at war, Frank. Nothing is considered 'done in cold blood' anymore, it doesn't apply. Think of it as self-defense." Barty countered. "Did you warn the others?"
"Yeah, but knowing won't help them, will it? These aren't novice squads, they're masters in Dark Magic and won't hesitate to use the Unforgivables. Sorry to say it, Bart, but compared to all the others, you're incredibly lacking. You would hesitate. You would spare someone if you could. But they-" he shook his head. "You may as well be fighting Moldy Shorts himself."
"Trust me, he-who-must-not-be-named is far worse."
"That doesn't help." Frank looked at the mess on the floor and sighed for the umpteenth time. He flicked his wand and watched the papers fly around the room and back into neat stacks. "I'll go tell Alice. Actually… you're coming with me."
-.-.-.-.-.-
Alice was on the couch messaging her round tummy. The fireplace burned a bright green, catching her attention. When it subsided, Frank emerged and gave her a warm hug. She smiled at him and kissed him. "How was work today? Boring as always? Any death threats?"
Frank's smile faded and he turned away. "Let's wait for Bart, shall we?"
"He's coming to visit? How sweet of him."
The fireplace burned on cue and Barty stepped out. "Good evening, Alice."
"It's been a while." she greeted. "What brings you here? Forgive me for assuming something bad had happened, but seeing as you've never come to visit before, it's the only explanation. I would have cleaned up the house had I known."
Barty proceeded to explain everything. From the night before, to the escapees, to the meeting. He told her the plan and the time, giving them something to prepare for. He spared no details on anything and allowed her to digest the situation. Frank cut in every so often to emphasize what Barty said, including the fact that Rosier was the one who was accompanying him.
"So we'll have to be very particular if we want to fool him." Frank said. "He knows how people think like the back of his hand."
"You sound like you've had experience with this."
"Sure did! He knew when I was lying and what I was planning on doing before I did it! It's like he can read your mind before you think!"
"Legilimency?" Alice asked.
"No. It's more like aghmphflthpthfffthlt."
"Very descriptive."
Frank frowned at her and squinted. "How are you so calm? I'm freaking out!"
"I'm not."
Barty listened to them talk and waited for them to let him continue. The clock showed seven in the evening and he really needed to catch up on work. Then again, in one week, he'll be presumed dead (or actually dead), so what was the point?
"I've been getting mood swings and you happened to catch me at my 'I-don't-care' mood. But, I am freaking out."
"I'm going to die without ever seeing my child!" Frank shouted. "AAHHH!"
"At least you won't die a virgin." Alice jested.
"Could we stay focused?" Barty asked. "Frank, stop your incessant screaming."
"Why don't we ask Dumbledore for help?" Alice inquired, playing with her belly. "He could help."
"He can be secret keeper." Frank added. "I'll send him a letter as soon as Opal gets back from delivering that package to mum."
"Fine. I guess it's settled then."
"What about our families?" Alice asked. "My parents could be in danger."
"As can mine." Barty agreed. "But I'm done fighting this war. Father can protect himself, he won't need me. Mother should be safe at St. Mungo's."
"What about the Order?"
Barty grew impatient. "If you want to stay caught up in this mess, then be my guest. I don't care."
"Where will you go if we stay?" Frank asked.
"Anywhere but here."
Alice rose from her seat, fuming. "We can't just run away from our problems, Barty!"
"I'm trying to save my neck so I can live to survive past this. I would have thought you would too, given that you're pregnant with a new life."
"Then you don't know me, Barty. I will stand up for what I think is right, even if it kills me. I would have thought you would too."
"You may be brave and courageous, but there's a reason I wasn't sorted into Gryffindor."
Alice was about to say something, then shut her mouth. When she opened it again, her voice was softer. "What you've done so far has been-"
"What, brave? No it hasn't. I'm hiding away like a coward. I won't give my name to the Order because I fear something will go wrong. I can switch sides whenever I want if the tides of war shifts. I rarely trust anyone because I'm afraid of what they'll do to obliterate that trust. I can only handle so much, Alice, and I'm already at my breaking point. I don't find any of that brave."
Frank looked away from them to his hands as Alice continued to speak. "But there's reason for that fear. You are brave, Barty. Probably the bravest man I know."
"Then you don't know me, Alice."
-.-.-.-.-.-
Evan found himself at the Longbottoms' well into the night, just short of bursting through the front door and scaring the living hell out of them. He peeked inside through a window and spotted several dangerous objects to avoid, but an otherwise welcoming residence. No lights were on and the silence was begging to be disrupted. He tapped his wand on the door and pulled it away with a grand motion.
"Finite Incantatem." A fine layer of magic revealed itself and melted off the door, making the former alarm charm useless.
Bartemius Crouch Jr, a traitor to the Great Cause. If he was suspicious before, he was guilty now. The tracking spells that were put on him had 'Crouch' written all over it. He scoffed at the thought that he could be traced through such primary spells. For someone who got twelve OWLs and twelve NEWTs, Barty lacked insight.
He traveled around the house and continuously tapped his wand in a steady beat. He kept the time-turner around his neck, just as a precaution, and touched the hourglass encased by the golden rings. He located several charms and spells etched in all corners of the house through a pair of magic-induced glasses designed to see the outline of magic at work. It was a beautiful thing. Truly astonishing. He'd have to thank Emma for it later.
After disarming a number of alarms, he circled back to the front and gave the entrance a proper grin. Evan stretched his arms and walked right up to the door. "Alohomora."
The door failed to budge and he mentally slapped himself in the head. "Alright. Anti-Alohomora protection charm, good for them. Portaberto."
Smoke came out of the keyhole and the lock splintered off. It was a rudimentary spell that left the lock damaged, and thus, easy to spot a breaking and entering. He loved the unlocking-charm; it had a nice ring to it and it was considerably more subtle. A quiet entry was by far better than the equivalent of melting off the doorknob.
It didn't make much of a difference in the end, since he fixed the lock with a swift 'reparo'.
The darkness of the halls greeted him as if he was a welcomed guest. Some of the items in the house were charmed with motion detecting security spells, which he steered clear of or confundused. The glasses allowed him to see well enough that he didn't need any light, which was better for him.
He brushed his hands against the curtains casually. The clock on the wall ticked each and every second that passed by, but it hardly annoyed him. Quite the contrary, he found pleasure in it. The little noise reminded him of how silent the entire house was and how easy his job would be. State of the art security was nothing to him. He could apparate on the very grounds of Hogwarts itself if he so wanted! (Not really, but he'd like to think that he could.)
And there it was, the door to his old friends. Death wasn't what he wanted for them; he had something else in mind, something related to a tale of betrayal and agony. Oh, how it thrilled him!
He tried to turn the door and found it locked once again. "Portaberto." The spell bounced off the knob and sparked aimlessly in the air. A protection charm was surrounding the door, one he didn't see with his glasses until now. It became more than visible and shone a violent red color in reaction to his spell. It didn't look like a normal 'protego' or 'repello'. It was different, like that tracking charm placed on him that he barely realized was on him until-
"Expelliarmus!"
Evan's wand flew out of his hand and he felt the tip of another press against the back of his head. "To think I missed a little detail." Evan said with a grin as he put his hands up. "I got rid of all the other spells but that one."
"And ejected them to a wild cat, I know. Step away from the door, Rosier." Barty warned. Evan could feel the heat of a spell against his head.
"You seem to be forgetting something, Crouch."
The alertness in Barty spiked and his mouth opened to say something- but no sound came out. The shock gave Evan enough time to grab his discarded wand. The spell was wordless and wandless. Evan Rosier was a prodigy at spellcasting, a fact that was greatly underestimated. It was safe to say that he rivaled Albus Dumbledore himself without the experience and vast knowledge, although that was debatable. If anything, he was like the great wizard in his younger days. (What? Even Evan acknowledged the man's skills. He truly was an admirable wizard.)
"So close, Crouch. You should have just killed me. It's too bad that you never did like the Unforgivables."
A red spell shot from the tip of Barty's wand, only to be deflected against the shielded door.
"And since this isn't working out for you, you should really just give up and die." Evan suggested as if it were the obvious thing to do. "But lucky for you, I have another plan, one that does not include you dying."
He held up his time-turner for Barty to see and turned it back for five hours. Just before a green spell could hit him, he vanished.
-.-.-.-.-.-
7 o'clock:
Emma frowned at Evan as he asked for her magic-seeing glasses. "Whatever do you need them for?"
"It's for a plan."
She crossed her arms with no intent on retrieving the requested item. "A plan that is overly extravagant, I presume."
Evan smirked and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "You presume correctly."
"Great. What is it this time?"
"You make it sound as if I've done something wrong."
"You are going to mess up, and so help me, I will beat your sorry arsehole."
His smirk turned into a twisted smile as he accepted her threat. "Will you lend them to me or not?"
"I will, but why can't you go the easy route and just kill whoever it is you're trying to mess with?"
He began striding around the room and examined the dusty shelves. "Because I love complicated plans that lead to hearts shattering." Evan explained. "And because it's fun watching it all play out."
Emma sighed exasperatedly. "Accio glasses." she said. The pair of rectangular glasses flew to her from behind a stack of books and she caught them with practiced ease. She handed over them over to Evan slowly and sceptically. "I expect them to be returned."
He grinned and took them from her hands. "Of course, Vanity."
"Oh, and Evan?" she called out. He turned to her and noticed her biting her lip and looking down at the ground before her. "Be careful." she said at last, looking up into his shimmering black eyes with her own dull blue.
His gin became softer and he nodded solemnly. "Of course, Vanity."
-.-.-.-.-.-
7 o'clock:
Evan looked around and found himself in the same exact place he was previously: the hallway that lead right to his goal. He disarmed the tracking charm that he unknowingly overlooked and touched the doorknob. It turned and opened to reveal a bedroom with a side closet that could be used as an excellent hiding spot. The doorknob was nothing like what it would be in a few short hours. Actually, the short might end up quite long if he didn't spend his time to his preference.
Shouting erupted from down the hall and he turned to the sound, amused.
"AAAHHH!"
"Stop your incessant screaming."
The exchange they had went uninterrupted as Evan waited in the room. He wasn't sure just how far back he would have to go, but he assumed it had to be enough that the room was unoccupied, and therefore, not charmed by that bloody protection thing. Now that he was there, he may as well wait.
"We can't just run away from our problems, Barty!"
Evan held back a snicker. They didn't know just how accurate that statement was. If he were his problem, then Crouch would be walking into a trap laid out precisely for him (not the Longbottoms. No, they were just extras).
The commotion died back down and he went back to staring at the room he was in. It was bland and elegant at the same time. There was a crib in a corner with a little star hanging above it with hippogriffs, unicorns, dragons, and phoenixes dancing in a circle. He almost forgot that they were expecting a child in a matter of weeks, maybe even days.
Footsteps alarmed him of the incoming enemies and he slid under the bed without a second thought (forget about the closet, shall we). He activated the disillusionment charm in his coat and waited for Barty to leave (because the entire plan revolved around backstabbing and hurt, just like in the stories) and it was the little brat that he was targeting.
He had long since accepted the fact that the Longbottoms were traitor bloods, he learned that by the end of his seventh year at Hogwarts. What he couldn't figure out was why someone like Bartemius Crouch Jr- a former slytherin, dark arts practitioner, and logical pureblood with so much in common with the Dark Lord- would actively act against them. It wasn't right, it was an anomaly. And what does Evan do with anomalies? Befriend them, mostly- but Barty's an exception!
He recalled his quidditch times and remembered how gloomy the kid was. He would have made the perfect Death Eater if it wasn't for his loyalty to his friends. That damn loyalty! Evan was surprised he didn't get sorted into Hufflepuff! (Or Ravenclaw with his book nerdiness and perfect OWLs.) That loyalty was wasted on helping the side of muggles when he rarely made contact with one. It was foolishly wasted on delaying the Great Cause!
"Your room is so defenseless." Barty noted. "How can you sleep knowing that you're so vulnerable?"
"Relax, Bart. There are charms everywhere, no one's coming in."
He wasn't convinced. "Aegis quia Praesidium." A warm orange light came from his wand and covered the walls and entrances with a soft glow. Once the ends of the barrier of light met, it faded into the surroundings, as if it were making it clear that it was still present.
"New spell?" Frank asked, reaching out to the wall. It shone faintly where he touched it and left some residue light clinging to his fingers. It was gone in the blink of an eye and he tried to bring it back to no avail.
"Anti-apparition included. It should protect you long enough until sunrise. The door shouldn't budge no matter how many times it's hit with a spell."
"Can we go out if the door is closed?" Frank asked.
Barty was about to answer, but stopped to think. "I don't know. It works both ways."
"What about Rosier? (Evan perked up.) He may be onto you." (Evan rolled his eyes with a noiseless scoff to accompany it.)
Barty exhaled and rubbed his eyes. "If he isn't, then he's an idiot. I practically gave myself away by using all those tracking charms... that is if he hadn't known already."
"What if he tells you-know-who?" Alice asked, holding his shoulders an arm's length away from her. "You'll-"
"He probably already did." Barty said, swiping her hands away from him. "But if there's one thing I know about him, it's that he acts independently. He finds this war jocular and… what's the word?"
"You ran out of fancy words?" Alice asked in astonishment. She covered her mouth with a hand and turned to Frank in faux incredulity. "I never thought that was possible."
"The point is that if he does, he'll ask he-who-must-not-be-named to not interfere or simply give minimal information."
"And how do you know that?" she pried.
"I-" Barty's expression changed and he stared at a dot in space. "What is he doing?"
"What do you mean?" Frank asked, suddenly alert. He pushed himself off the wall and reached Barty. He was waved away and he visually relaxed.
"He's at the Ministry. But what does he want from there?"
Evan's eyebrow raised in an impressed angle. That must have been the time when he stole the time turner- sorry, borrowed without intending to return it. He didn't realize that the spell was connected directly to the caster in such a way. He thought there was at least a piece of paper or a marking on his skin that showed him his whereabouts.
"Us, probably." Frank answered, leaning back against the wall. "He probably still thinks we're there."
"Of course you would think that, Frank." Evan mused.
"I don't think so. He's not there anymore. It's like he was looking for something…"
"Ooh. Smart little birdy."
"Like I said, probably us."
"Do you really think so?"
Frank's mouth pressed shut and he inclined his head. "Now that you mention it, not really, but I can hope."
Alice looked at the clock, which had turned to nearly eight. The sun had just about set and the boys were in no hurry whatsoever. "I'll assume neither of you will be going back to work."
"What time is it?" asked Barty.
"Five minutes 'til eight. Why?"
It was like a train ran into him as he jumped and ran out the door, promptly shutting it behind him as he dashed to the chimney for easy floo travel. "I still have work to finish!"
Alice stared at the closed door in complete and utter shock. "Did he just-" She ran over to it and tried her best to make it budge.
"-lock us inside?"
Alice groaned and hit the wood. It reacted harshly and provided a visible scarlet shield around the area of impact that stung her knuckles. "Ow! He could have at least kept the door open! It won't open until morning because someone thought it would be a good idea to put us in lockdown!"
Frank rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You're not talking about me, right?"
"Does it look like I am?"
"Er…"
"No, I'm talking about bloody Merlin, you git!"
"Mood swing?"
"Bugger off."
Frank chuckled and walked over to the bed to sit down.
Evan woke from his stupor and grinned madly. The comradery they shared was almost innocent and absolutely unbreakable. It was begging to be proven otherwise.
Now was his chance to initiate his plan. He pointed his index finger at them, since he left his wand in the hallway when he jumped back in time, and silently incanted "Obliviate." on each individually. After seeing the spell take effect, he proceeded with a various selection of false memory charms. Everything was coordinated with flexibilities, in case something like Crouch's initial intervention of his protection spell happened. He loved it when a plan came together.
Evan rolled out from underneath the bed and scared Alice to death (not really, although he wouldn't mind if it did). "Hey, why don't we wait it out until Barty comes?"
"Evan!" Alice fumed. "Didn't you just- How did you get in?"
He held up his time turner and smiled cheekily. "I stole it from Crouch and came back before I closed the door. It was around midnight-ish."
"He had a time turner?" Frank asked him, tensing up. "That's why he went to the Ministry…"
"Correctamundo."
Alice slapped Evan across the cheek and raged on like an untempered storm. "That's for locking us in!"
He rubbed his red cheeks with a grin that never left his face. "Sorry, love. I won't do it again."
Frank frowned and flopped on the bed. "Yeah, Ev. We're stuck in here thanks to you."
"Sorry, mate." Evan said, his grin could not stretch any further. "I won't do it again."
-.-.-.-.-.-
The time passed as slow as ever. Every hour or two, Evan would glance at the clock and find that only five or ten minutes had passed. He played with that spell Crouch made and was foolish enough to say out loud.
"Aegis quia Praesidium."
It was foreign and terribly inadequate, much unlike the one casted around the room. The words themselves were an incomplete fragment to the bigger picture. It was one key to a lock of four.
Evan skimmed the surface of Alice's and Frank's wands. They would not work as well as his own, but they would have to do. Having a wand is always better than his wandless magic.
The Longbottoms decided to stay up for another three hours before retiring to bed, which suited Evan just fine. When they were awake, he gathered as much intel as he possibly could about his situation and the part he'd have to play (apparently, Crouch's codename was Theta in the field and he was only loosely connected to the Order of the Phoenix). When they were asleep, he collected his thoughts and prepared himself for the fun game waiting ahead. It was like roleplaying, except on a much greater scale.
Pretending to be someone he was not was something he found natural and absolutely enjoyable. Toying with their lives or blending into a different environment was incredibly entertaining. The outcome at the end when the reveal is known is equally amazing! The reactions are priceless!
However, there was one thing he would have to look out for. If he screwed up his facade, then the Longbottoms would catch on. The memory charms could only work for so long and could easily be reverted. Thankfully, he wouldn't need to pull this up for too long and the memories he hid somewhere deep within their brains wouldn't come up until much later (if they even bothered to sort it out in the first place).
"Aegis quia Praesidium."
He couldn't figure that spell out. He needed to know what exactly it did. Only then would he be able to conjure up something to counter it, like some sort of reversal charm (almost all spells and potions have a reverse form of magic to counter its effects, some are just harder to find than others).
He looked at the clock dreadfully and wondered how few minutes had passed since he last checked. To his pleasant surprise, a good half hour had flown away and he was closing in around the time he initially arrived. Ten more minutes. Ten bloody minutes.
The ticking of the clock accompanied him in weary silence. It wasn't the same as before. Before, it was a pleasing, but now, it was pure annoying. Who wants to hear the ticking of a clock in the dead of night when it was dark and silent and you'd much rather be done with waiting altogether? No one, that's who!
"Aegis quia Praesidium."
The more he repeated it, the more he found it frustrating. "Shield for protection" yeah, why not? Obviously it does more than protect.
His well-rested self was becoming not-so-well-rested the longer he waited, even if all he had left was ten minutes. The naps and caffeine he had earlier to prepare for this was wearing out and the heightened tension made it worse.
"Ages queue Presidium."
Great, now he was saying the bloody spell wrong.
A shuffle outside caught his attention and he jumped off the chair he was resting in. He pressed his ear against the door and listened for any movement that might signal his arrival.
"Portaberto."
He was! Oh, this was wonderful! This meant Crouch was here and would be waiting on the other side of the door.
"Hey, Frank! Alice!" he half whispered, half shouted at them. "Rennervate."
Frank jolted up and stared at him with wide eyes. Alice was more calm about it and stayed underneath the blanket. "Ev, what happened?"
"He's here." he said excitedly, gesturing to the door. "I heard him."
"Avada Kedavra!"
All of them jumped back when they heard the deadly spell on the other side. So the little birdy did try to kill Evan. Aw, that was sweet. This only cemented the trust the Longbottoms had in him.
"He tried to kill you?" Alice asked in a hushed voice, pulling the blanket tighter around her.
"Obviously, love. We're on opposite sides and he'll stop at nothing to have his goals achieved." Evan took her wand from nightstand and pointed the tip at the door. "I'll be borrowing this."
The three waited in anticipation for Crouch to burst through the room, which never happened.
"Didn't you say that the door won't break no matter how many spells are shot at it?"
Evan lowered his wand and grimaced. "Right. Meaning we'll have to wait for morning."
Waiting wasn't as much a problem as having the little birdy outside. Soon, knowing him, he would realize just how far back Evan went and his plans could be for naught. If he called backup from the Order…
No. Crouch never called in help unless it were the Longbottoms. Judging by his persona, he would try to defeat Evan all by himself if he had to. If he truly wanted a life away from this war, he'd refuse to have anyone know besides whoever was necessary.
Evan snickered and covered his mouth so that Crouch wouldn't hear him from the other side. The little birdy had one fatal flaw. He trusted no one.
