Chapter 11: Crouch

The first thing Bartemius Crouch felt when he identified the intruder who broke through the wards at his home was vindication. Not only he'd recover all the prestige he lost when he "vilified a beloved martyr" but he'd also gain even more (not to mention the very same reward he offered for the "martyr's" capture) for capturing this Death Eater. He'd probably kill the Death Eater on the spot if he didn't need to prove that Sirius Black didn't kill that one already. Perhaps Black would even support him for Minister of Magic, assuming that idiot Fudge doesn't beat him to the soon-to-be-vindicated former Auror. Unfortunately, his son ruined everything. How could the House of Crouch fall so hard?

Earlier that day…

Bartemius Crouch Senior was reading the Daily Prophet at his home when he was informed about an intruder breaking in. Crouch readied his wand out of fear the intruder was a Death Eater seeking revenge against him for authorizing the use of Unforgivable Curses on them. "Be ready to defend yourself, Junior." Crouch told his son. "We never know what kinds of tricks Death Eaters might be up to."

"Yes, Father." Junior replied while secretly fearing that whoever the intruders were, at least one of them might know of his true allegiance. Suddenly, the two Crouches heard "Expelliarmus!" and Crouch Senior lost the grip on his wand. Upon looking at the intruder and wondering how he got in, Crouch Senior couldn't help but feel joy once he recognized him as Peter Pettigrew, the long-believed dead wizard. "That's Peter Pettigrew, son!" Crouch Senior excitedly exclaimed. "Immobilize him!"

"The Dark Lord is back." Pettigrew declared upon quick thinking. Both Crouches were stunned (the non-magical way) by the statement. "You're not lying, are you?" Crouch Junior asked with a threatening tone. Senior was starting to worry about Junior's reaction.

"Do you really believe I'd break in here without the Dark Lord to command me to, Barty?" Pettigrew maliciously asked. "Immobilize your Dad, Junior!"

Junior obeyed before Senior had enough time to react to the notion that his own son would be a Death Eater. The Crouches' house-elf Winky tried to protest but Junior told her to be quiet and, without Crouch Senior to be able to give a counter-order, she had no choice but to obey. Peter Pettigrew led the Crouches to a cemetery at Little Hangleton, where Lord Voldemort waited for them in a rudimentary body. "Another time you don't fail me, Wormtail." Voldemort commented with a sneer. "Will the surprises never end?"

"My Lord, I'm honored to have you back!" Junior exclaimed.

"I'm not completely back yet, Barty." Voldemort replied. "My full return requires one of my loyal servants to willingly give me a hand. Literally."

"You can have mine, Master." Junior offered, much to Pettigrew's temporary relief.

"Thank you, Barty, but you're not the one here whose loyalty needs to be proven." Voldemort replied, restoring Pettigrew's worry.

Already knowing how the ritual worked, Peter Pettigrew set it into motion. "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" Pettigrew declared while dropping a bone at a cauldron. "Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master." Pettigrew hesitantly said as he cut off his right arm to add it to the regeneration potion. For the next part of the ritual, Pettigrew stabbed Crouch Senior and used some of Crouch's blood to the potion. The horror Crouch Senior felt paled in comparison to the horror he felt upon his son's insensitivity. "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." Pettigrew said and then turned his attention to Junior. "Now it's time for the Dark Lord to enter the cauldron."

Shocked, Junior stared at Voldemort, who nodded. That removed Junior's hesitation. Junior and Pettigrew completed the ritual and Lord Voldemort was completely restored. Voldemort then approached Peter Pettigrew. "Stretch your arm, Wormtail." He commanded.

Hoping that Voldemort meant the arm from where his hand had been cut off so a new hand could be made, Pettigrew offered that one. "The other arm, Wormtail." Voldemort commanded.

"P-please." Pettigrew begged while stretching his left arm, making his Dark Mark visible. Voldemort pressed his wand against the mark and then waited for the other Death Eaters to respond. One by one, the Death Eaters not in Azkaban showed up and were so surprised by his return they didn't notice Peter Pettigrew laying there in agony. Voldemort berated all of them for never trying to look for him. "Almost eleven years and none of you ever held any hopes in spite of my hints that I took precautions to ensure my immortality."

"My Lord, I would have gone looking for you if I had any clue to your whereabouts." Death Eater Crabbe pleaded as he threw himself at Voldemort's feet.

"Crucio!" Voldemort shouted while torturing Crabbe. "The Dark Lord does not forgive nor does he forget. "All of you owe me for never trying to look for me and only Barty and Wormtail started paying the debt." It was only then that the Death Eaters noticed Peter Pettigrew. Despite rumors heard by Death Eaters whose children attended Hogwarts last term, they didn't really believe that he was alive, even those who already knew he's a Death Eater. Voldemort then removed Lucius Malfoy's mask. "Luciussss." Voldemort sneered. "My slippery friend. You've been doing a somewhat good job preventing those stupid muggle-lovers from giving too much to those undeserving. Has it never occurred to you that it'd be more productive to find me?"

"I had no clue of where to start looking, Master." Malfoy explained. Voldemort then removed another Death Eater's mask. "You dare to return and hope to be welcome back after all those years working for Dumbledore, Sssseverussss?"

"I just did as you ordered, My Lord." Snape humbly replied.

"Care to elaborate, Severus?" Voldemort asked with mild curiosity.

"You instructed me to get a teaching position at Hogwarts so I could spy on Dumbledore for you, My Lord." Snape explained. "By keeping the job during your absence, I ensured my ability to resume doing it now that you're back."

Voldemort still wasn't convinced that Snape was loyal to him. "Why didn't you try to kill Harry Potter during all the time he spent at Hogwarts?"

Most other Death Eaters were curious about how Snape would get out of being crucioed for this.

"Your orders regarding the Potter brat were clear, Master." Snape formally replied. "The boy is supposed to be killed by you and only you."

"And why did you get into Quirinusssss' way when he tried to get the Philosopher's Stone for me, Severusssss?" Voldemort asked.

"I didn't know he was working for you, My Lord." Snape gave a technically truthful response. He suspected but didn't really know the now late Defense Teacher was a Death Eater.

"True, Severus." Voldemort accepted Snape's points. "Fortunately, while I failed to get the Philosopher's Stone, I got an ally who, against all odds, helped me to not only regain my body but also recover another follower and Lord Voldemort always rewards those who help him." After saying that, he finally gave Peter Pettigrew a new hand to replace the one he sacrificed. The new hand was made of silver. "You'll never betray me, will you, Wormtail?"

"Never, my lord." Wormtail whimpered.

"Now, I could just kill Crouch the Elder here now that he served his purpose." Voldemort said and the Death Eaters cheered except for Snape, who remained stoic as usual. "However, I have a better idea. Imperio!" The Death Eaters couldn't help but smile at the irony of Bartemius Crouch Senior serving Voldemort. He then turned his attention to Severus Snape. "Severus, now that you know that Sirius Black was telling the truth about Peter Pettigrew being a Death Eater and not dying at the explosion, I need to make sure you'll be unable to tell the muggle-loving fool about this."

End chapter.