Breathing hard and fast. Aerrow looked around him. Not one of the people in the room, at least two hundred of them, was looking at him. Not one of them seemed to have noticed that he had just dropped from the ceiling into their midst. Aerrow turned to the man next to him on the bench and uttered a loud cry of surprise that reverberated around the silent room.
He was sitting right next to Dumbledore. "Dumbledore!" Aerrow said in a kind of strangled whisper. "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to -I was just looking at that basin in your cabinet - I - where are we?" He asked rapidly. But Dumbledore didn't move or speak. He ignored Aerrow completely. Like every other person on the benches, he was staring at the cage, which was currently empty. Aerrow gazed, nonplussed, at Dumbledore, then around at the silently watchful crowd, then back at Dumbledore. And then it dawned on him. The people surrounding Aerrow could neither see or hear him as if, the reason still unknown to him, he was a ghost. Then, as if to confirm this, the man sitting to the other side of Aerrow spotted Dumbledore and held out his hand.
"Professor" He greeted as his hand traveled straight through Aerrow's stomach on it's way to shake Dumbledore's hand. Feeling his chest again Aerrow was glad to feel that it was indeed solid despite what had just happened.
It was then that the cage's floor opened up, revealing a mechanical lift, which brought up a thin black haired and bearded man, dressed in black ragged robes. Only when Aerrow gave him a second glance did he realise that it was Karkaroff, the former death eater he'd seen at the Yule Ball. But the odd thing was that, despite the hallowed and shrunken completion Askaban had given him, he looked much younger than he had done on Winter's Eve, his hair and goatee jet black.
"Karkaroff, you have been brought here from Askaban at your own request," A voice announced to the man in the cage, a voice that Aerrow found so impossibly familiar he ended up jerking his neck in his rush to look at the source of it. Crouch, alive and well, was sitting in the main chair of the room, obviously in charge of the whole preceding. "To present evidence to this council, should you testimony prove consequential council may be prepared to order your immediate release, until such time you remain in the eyes of the ministry a convicted death eater, do you accept these charges?" Crouch asked. "I do sir" Karkaroff replied in his accented voice. "And what do you wish to present?" Crouch asked sharply. "I have names sir" Karkaroff said. There was a murmur around the benches. Some of the crowd were surveying Karkaroff with interest, others with pronounced mistrust. Then Aerrow heard, quite distinctly, from Dumbledore's other side, a familiar, growling voice. "Filth" It hissed. Aerrow leaned forward so that he could see past Dumbledore. Moody was sitting there - except that there was a very noticeable difference in his appearance. He did not have his magical eye, but two normal ones. Both were looking down upon Karkaroff, and both were narrowed in intense dislike. "Crouch is going to let him out," Moody breathed quietly to Dumbledore. "He's done a deal with him, took me six months to track him down and Crouch is going to let him go if he's got enough new names, let's hear his information, I say, and throw him straight back to the dementors" He growled. Dumbledore made a small noise of dissent through his long, crooked nose. "Ah, I was forgetting, you don't like the dementors, do you, Dumbledore?" Moody said with a sardonic smile. "No," Dumbledore said calmly, "I'm afraid I don't. I have long felt the Ministry is wrong to ally itself with such creatures," He said. "But for filth like this . . ." Moody began to say softly. "Especially not for these people, the level of trust needed to guard Askaban's prisoners does not match the level dementors should be given" Dumbledore replied coolly. "You say you have names for us, Karkaroff," Crouch said. "Let us hear them, please" He asked. "You must understand," Karkaroff said hurriedly. "That the Dark Master operated always in the greatest secrecy, she preferred that we, I mean to say, her supporters and I regret now, very deeply, that I ever counted myself among them," He said in a panic. "Get on with it," Moody sneered, but so only Dumbledore could hear him. "We never knew the names of every one of our fellows, she alone knew exactly who we all were," Karkaroff said. "Which was a wise move, wasn't it? As it prevented someone like you, Karkaroff, from turning all of them in," Moody muttered. "Yet you say you have some names for us?" Crouch asked. "I, I do," Karkaroff said breathlessly. "And these were important supporters, mark you, people I saw with my own eyes doing her bidding, I give this information as a sign that I fully and totally renounce her, and am filled with a remorse so deep I can barely..." Karkaroff rambled on. "These names are?" Crouch said sharply. Karkaroff drew a deep breath. "There was Greyback, the werewolf" He said. "I, I saw him attack, kill and bite and infect countless non- supporters of the Dark Master" He said. "And watched him do it," Moody muttered. "We have already apprehended Greyback," Crouch said. "He was caught shortly after yourself, after being flushed out by the collapse of Terra Cyclonia" He added. "Indeed?" Karkaroff said, his eyes widening. "I, I am delighted to hear it!" He said. But he didn't look it. Aerrow could tell that this news had come as a real blow to him. One of his names was worthless. "Any others?" Crouch said coldly. "Why, yes, there was Rosier," Karkaroff said hurriedly. "Rosier is dead," Crouch said. "He was caught shortly after you were too, he preferred to fight rather than come quietly and was killed in the struggle" He told him. "Took a bit of me with him, though," Moody whispered to Aerrow's right. Aerrow looked around at him once more, and saw him indicating the large chunk out of his nose to Dumbledore. "No, no more than Rosier deserved!" Karkaroff said, a real note of panic in his voice now. Aerrow could see that he was starting to worry that none of his information would be of any use to the Ministry. "Any more?" Crouch said. "Yes!" Karkaroff said. "There was Bellatrix, she helped murder dozens! She specialized in the Cruciatus Curse, tortured countless people!" He said. "Captured alongside Greyback" Crouch said. "Oh," Karkaroff managed to say. "If that is all the witness has to offer..." Crouch began to say coldly. "No! No! No!" Karkaroff said quickly. "There was Petigrew, who was a spy, I heard he sold out a Sky Knight's family to the dark master herself" He continued. Aerrow could tell that, this time, Karkaroff had struck gold. The watching crowd was all murmuring together. "Petigrew?" Crouch said, nodding to a woman sitting in front of him, who began scribbling upon her piece of parchment. "Petigrew of the Order of the Phoenix?" He asked, glancing over at Dumbledore, who Aerrow noticed had paled a little. "The very same," said Karkaroff eagerly ask Crouch turned back to face him. "Very well, council with deliberate, in the meantime you will be returned to Askaban" Crouch said. "No! Wait! Please! Please!" Karkaroff begged. Aerrow could see him sweating in the torchlight, his white skin contrasting strongly with the black of his hair and beard."What about Severus?" He asked. "Severus has been cleared by this council," Crouch said disdainfully. "He has been vouched for by Dumbledore" He told him. "No!" Karkaroff shouted, pushing himself right up against the cage. "I assure you! Severus is a Death Eater!" He screamed. Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. "I have given evidence already on this matter," He said calmly. "Severus was indeed a Death Eater, however, he rejoined our side before Master Cyclonis's first downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk, he is now no more a Death Eater than I am" He told Karkaroff. Aerrow turned to look at Moody. He was wearing a look of deep skepticism behind Dumbledore's back.
"Lies!" Karkaroff screamed. "Severus reminds loyal to the Dark Master!" He shouted.
"Silence!" Crouch yelled as he banged his small hammer on the desk. "Karkaroff," He then said, "You have been of assistance, I shall review your case, you will return to Askaban in the meantime..." He began to say. "No! I have more!" Karkaroff pleaded. "One more" He said in a very low and dark tone. "The name" He continued, much slower now. "Yes?" Crouch insisted. "I know for a fact that this person took part in the capture and torturous killings of five members of the Order of the Phoenix" Karkaroff said, now obviously enjoying himself. At the back of the room a young man with dark brown and a handsome face had stood up and was starting to make his way through the crowd towards the door. "Give me the name!" Crouch shouted at Karkaroff. "Crouch!" Karkaroff shouted back. The crowd gasped simultaneously. "Junior" Karkaroff added causing a lot of murmuring as all looks turned to the man whom had stood up, who Aerrow seemed to think looked familiar. Crouch Jr's face turned nasty for a moment before he ran either at Karkaroff or to the exit, though no one would know which as Moody sent him flying into the piles of paperwork with a quick blast from his wand before guards secured him. "Get your filthy hands off me you pathetic little men!" Crouch Jr shouted as was brought to face a stunned Crouch. "Hello father" He said grinning evilly as his tongue flickered out repeatedly. "You are no son of mine" Crouch said solemnly as the men dragged Crouch Jr away.
Aerrow suddenly was flung back into the dark office, stumbling back and falling to the floor. The present day Dumbledore was besides the glowing bowl. "Curiosity is not a sin Aerrow but you should exercise caution" He warned as Aerrow stood up and came over. "It's a Pensive," He explained, seeing Aerrow looking curiously at the bowl. "Very useful if like me you find your mind a wee bit stretched" He added. "It allows me to see once more things I've already seen, you see Aerrow I've searched and searched for something, some small detail" He said as he walked into the center of his office and began pacing a little. "Something I might have overlooked, something that would explain why these terrible things have happened but every time I get close to an answer it slips away!" He said irritably. "It's maddening!" He added. "Professor, Crouch's son? What exactly happened to him?" Aerrow asked as he realised something. "Sent to Askaban, destroyed Crouch to do it but the evidence was overwhelming, why do you ask?" Dumbledore asked. "Because I don't think he's there anymore," Aerrow said slowly. "The night of the riot at the Quidditch World Cup I saw him, he was the one who set off the dark mark" He said. Dumbledore stared at him for a moment and Aerrow saw a brief flicker of fear on his face. "Your sure?" He asked. Aerrow nodded. "I didn't know who he was then but I knew I'd recognise him if I saw him again" He confirmed. Dumbledore walked over to the Pensive again and stared into it. "I have to ask as well, Professor Severus...?" Aerrow began to ask.
"Has never been accused of any Dark activity since," said Dumbledore calmly. Aerrow looked into Dumbledore's light blue eyes, and the thing he really wanted to know spilled out of his mouth before he could stop it.
"What made you think he'd really stopped supporting Cyclonis?" He asked. Dumbledore held Aerrow's gaze for a few seconds. "That, Aerrow, is a matter between Professor Severus and myself" He replied. Aerrow merely nodded, knowing the topic was no longer open. "You don't think this is all connected to the tournament?" He asked instead. Looking up at him Dumbledore considered for a moment. "I think it would be unwise for you to linger on why these events are happening until they are over" He said as he drew his wand out of the inside of his robes and placed the tip into his own silvery hair, near his temple. When he took the wand away, hair seemed to be clinging to it - but then Aerrow saw that it was in fact a glistening strand of the same strange silvery-white substance that filled the Pensive. Dumbledore added this fresh thought to the basin, and Aerrow, astonished, saw his own face swimming around the surface of the bowl. "I think you are best to simply cast the thoughts away" He added as the image in the Pensive changed to show Crouch Jr's image in it's silvery surface.
Everything Aerrow had seen in the Pensive, everything Dumbledore had told him afterward, he had now share with the others. Sitting in front of their common room's fireplace with the rest of the Storm Hawks and Starling gathered around Aerrow stared into the flames with his mind reeling so badly that it would have been a relief to siphon his thoughts off into Dumbledore's Pensive. Finn was also staring into the fire. Aerrow thought he saw him shiver slightly, even though the evening was warm. "And he trusts Severus?" Ron said. "He really trusts Severus, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?" "Yes," Aerrow. Piper had not spoken for ten minutes. She was sitting with her forehead in her hands, staring at her knees. Aerrow thought she too looked as though she could have done with a Pensive. "And Cornelius isn't going to do anything?" She eventually asked to no one in particular. "He'll just cover it up you watch" Ace said grudgingly. "Cornelius will sell his soul before this gets out in the Daily Prophet" He added. "Why?" Junko asked. "Nobody liked Crouch, he was cold and calculating and did anything to keep his position, I mean look at what he did to his son, so loads of people wanted him dead," Ace explained. "But he was a Ministry official and he was murdered at Hogwarts, it's a big deal" He added. "It can't be a coincidence," Piper said. "The riot, the dark mark, Crouch's son escaping Askaban, Aerrow's name rising from the goblet" She said before looking to Aerrow. "Surviving the tournament isn't the answer anymore Aerrow, its bigger than this" She said grimly.
Choosing to stay up later than usual, the recent events keeping him up, Aerrow soon found himself alone in the common room with the exception of Starling who seemed just as agitated as he did. "What's bothering you the most?" She asked after a while of sitting on the sofas in silence. Aerrow let out a long tired sigh.
"I can't shake the feeling that something's coming closer and I don't know what" He said.
Starling nodded in understanding. "Something beyond the whole tournament?" She asked. Aerrow nodded. "It feels like on my skimmer and I'm about to crash but not knowing why or how" He said.
"Well," Starling said calmly. "What do you do if you know your going to crash?" She asked him. Aerrow looked up at her. "You brace yourself" She told him.
The mood in the castle as the final two weeks before the third task passed by became excited and tense again. Aerrow was practicing as many offensive and defensive spells at every available moment. He felt more confident about this task than either of the others. Difficult and dangerous though it would undoubtedly be, Moody was right: Aerrow had managed to find his way past monstrous creatures and much worse before now, and this time he had some notice, some chance to prepare himself for what lay ahead. The common room's furniture were now frequently being used to bear the brunt of the practice's results.
Aerrow had soon mastered the Impediment Curse, a spell to slow down and obstruct attackers; the Reductor Curse, which would enable him to blast solid objects out of his way; and the Four-Point Spell, a useful discovery of Piper's that would make his blade point due north, therefore enabling him to check whether he was going in the right direction within the maze. There was also the Shield Charm which cast a temporary, invisible wall around himself that deflected minor curses. "You're still doing really well, though," Piper said encouragingly, looking down her list and crossing off those spells they he already learned. "Some of these are bound to come in handy" She added.
"Yeah those branches don't stand a chance" Finn added jokingly. Although Aerrow had found this funny Piper, having been overworking herself to get Aerrow to do these spells right, had got very irritated and had thrown a heavy book at his head.
Aerrow's nerves mounted as the task drew closer, but they were not as bad as those he had felt before the first and second tasks. For one thing, he was confident that, this time, he had done everything in his power to prepare for the task. For another, this was the final hurdle, and however well or badly he did, the tournament would at last be over, which would be an enormous relief.