Chapter Twenty-Four
The Power of Three
Warnings: mentions of Ritualistic Sacrifice and Murder
Barty slipped off from the award ceremony as soon as he saw the Granger girl leave. Barty knew that he could get her to come with him no problem as he was wearing the disguise as a trusted if ignorant friend of Albus Dumbledore. After all he knew what she knew but she didn't know what he knew.
When he spoke to her Barty planned to pretend that he had known all the time what Dumbledore had been planning. In reality Alastor Moody had never been informed of Dumbledore's plans for the Dark Prince. Or even that "Harry Potter" the Boy Who Lived, the so called saviour of Wizarding Britain was the Dark Lord.
'Miss Granger,' Barty said as he entered an empty corridor and empty corridor behind her.
Barty had known this was the route she would use as Granger was nothing if not predictable always using the quickest route that didn't involve secret passageways that none but the most troublesome students knew of. Barty had watched her a lot over these last few months since the Dark Lord had given him this task after the Dark Prince had suggested using her for the ritual when the other four hadn't been sure who would be ideal for the Heart of the Dark Lord's return. Barty had worked out her patterns and quirks so that when the time came Barty could snatch her for the ritual with the ease that came from being prepared.
Barty had placed a subtle spell on this corridor which would make anyone but a marked Death Eater and Hermione Granger turn away in revulsion. Of course, Barty had also put a Stink spell up that only Granger would be immune to so that people would incorrectly assume that was why they were so revolted at the very idea of walking down that corridor. Otherwise they would question why they didn't want to walk down a random corridor.
Luring Granger into a deserted corridor had proved to be exceptionally easy Barty had found out. The stupid Mudblood didn't look behind her. Of course, Barty had cloaked himself in a silencing spell so Granger didn't know she was being followed.
Barty was giddy with glee at the idea that the Dark Lord was going to return tonight after almost sixteen years as barely a wraith. Barty would be present to see their lord's glorious return to power and he still had a key role to play despite the changes occurring in which ritual they were using. Barty found he preferred this plan because unlike the other one Barty would never be caught.
No longer was it kidnapping the boy who had brought down his Lord for the ritual. Said boy had to Barty's surprise had turned out to be the Dark Lord's son and heir. Barty was sure when that was revealed – if it was revealed – no Death Eater could fail to be shocked as Barty had been.
Now Barty's was job was to bring all threeof the sacrifices to the Dark Lord. That included abducting the traitor to the Dark Prince who had hurt the Dark Prince with her betrayal. The Mudblood bitch would get what was coming to her tonight she wasn't good enough to lick dirt of his Prince's shoes.
The third sacrifice was Severus's job to collect because the two of them had past history. Karkaroff had tried to contact him many times in the past year but Severus hadn't given an inch. Like Barty Severus didn't care what happened to Igor Karkaroff.
Today Severus would give an inch and Karkaroff would be punished for betraying the Dark Lord and their comrades in arms. At the same time Barty couldn't help but feel that he would have been sacrificed his own life for the Dark Lord but as he didn't fit any of the terms for the three needed sacrifices it was pointless to think on that. Barty felt it was fitting that one that was disloyal would be punished by being forced to give his life for the Lord that he had betrayed.
Karkaroff's demise would serve as a warning for all those who came after him at what would happen to traitors. Barty couldn't wait but he kept his impersonation of Moody up for his last night playing the old Auror. He couldn't fail not now but the Granger girl would be disbelieving of him as he had never been included in their plans previously.
That didn't surprise Barty at all. Moody was a fearsome adversary but he was fair ever after being granted use of Unforgivables he only used them when there no other choice. Moody would have never agreed with Dumbledore's plan for the boy no matter who his father was.
Moody believed in punishing those who had done wrong but Hadrian Slytherin was an innocent even if he was the son of the Dark Lord. Moody would have likely agreed about keeping the Dark Prince out of the Dark Lord's hands but that was it. It was almost a shame that Moody would go the way he was going to go but the Dark Lord and their plans were more important.
'Professor Moody,' the girl said.
'We have a problem,' Barty said.
'Problem?' asked Granger. 'Why are you coming to me?'
'Because you know the problem best,' Barty said. 'Slytherin has discovered who he is.'
'How!?' demanded Granger.
'Your friends Messrs Fred and George Weasley aren't as loyal as we are,' Barty said.
'How do you know?' demanded Granger.
'I've always known,' Barty said.
'But you've never been at any of the meetings,' Granger said frowning.
'Plausible deniability,' Barty said calmly.
'Where's Slytherin now,' Granger demanded.
'We don't know,' scowled Barty. 'You knew him best. Dumbledore believes that he's going to flee. We need to stop him before he gets there.'
Granger nodded, 'are we going to kill him?'
Granger looked like she really liked that idea. Barty did his best not to show the anger and hatred that Barty felt at the foul creature's statement. Barty reminded himself that the Dark Prince would already be at the tunnel by now and was safe from whatever this bitch would do to him.
'No,' Barty said. 'He's still too useful to us to our cause without the bastard we stand no chance of bringing the Dark Lord down.'
'Dumbledore,' Granger said.
'This is Dumbledore's plan as you well know,' Barty said coolly.
'I know,' Granger said impatiently. 'But Slytherin is getting harder and harder to control. First the fall out of Skeeter's article and now this! How did he even know?'
'I believe he had an argument with Messrs Weasley who revealed the truth,' Barty said.
Barty saw a flash of anger and murderous hatred in brown eyes that should have been innocent. Barty had a sudden realisation that although she was innocent in the way that mattered to them this girl was not innocent in the slightest. This girl had killed someone!
'Dumbledore is dealing with Messrs Weasley,' Barty said.
'I hope he kills them,' Granger muttered darkly. 'Or I'll kill them myself.'
Barty could readily believe that but he wanted to know who she had killed previously. He couldn't exactly come out and just ask but the girl despite her manipulative nature and intelligence was still a Gryffindor and as such Barty could out manipulate her into telling him. All Barty had to do was rile her up enough.
'You don't know what you're saying, girl,' growled Barty. 'Killing leaves a mark on your soul that will never come off. Leave the killing to those who know the cost and are willing to bear these chains for the greater good of the Wizarding World.'
Barty watched as the girl glared more and more as the time went on. Barty pretended not to notice as he clapped her on the shoulder. Granger shrugged it off glowering at her professor with what Barty knew was murder in her eyes.
'I've killed before!' Granger said. 'Ron and I were talking and a classmate overheard what we had said. She was going to tell Potter. I stopped her! I killed her for the greater good and everyone believes her to be killed by the troll,' laughs Granger. 'Another one we've killed that Voldemort takes credit for.'
Barty could see what had happened. Barty didn't know whether she had been a psychopath before killing this classmate or if she had enjoyed the power so much that it had gone to her head. Barty had seen it happen previously to his dearest Bella who had once been nice and gentle but the power of killing had drove her down a dark road that Barty was unable to save her from so had had to walk away to save himself.
'You have done much for the cause,' Barty said, 'and sacrificed much.'
Granger snorted, 'sacrifice. I'll tell you what sacrifice is. Being hated by your peers because you're better than them in every way possible. Being hated by your parents for something you can't control. Being hated by your peers for your appalling circumstances of birth!
'Killing Perks was the one time I ever felt powerful. I swore that day that I would kill Slytherin myself when my job is done. People like him are the reason that my kind are persecuted against. I will show them exactly who's the most powerful of all!'
Barty had no idea what to say to this girl who was quite clearly mad. If Granger thought that being bullied by her peers and parents was the worst that could happen Granger would be in for a world of pain when Severus had spirited away the girl. Quite frankly the world would be far better off without this bitch in it.
'Show me to the passageway Slytherin will use,' Barty said.
Of course, Barty already knew where the passageway was and how to get into it. Barty had already before the start of the Third Task placed his trunk in the passageway read for when he and the Dark Prince were to make a quick getaway. Severus would be staying here and in the open so it couldn't be suggested that he had anything to do with "Harry Potter" and Hermione Granger's disappearance which hopefully wouldn't be noticed until it was too late to do anything about it.
Still Granger showed him to the One Eyed witch passageway. Barty once against wondered how long it had been here because the One Eyed witch statue had been there for hundreds of years. Barty suspected it was from before Hogwarts was a school because most witches and wizards of the day had escape passage ways in case witch hunters tracked them down.
'Dissendium,' Granger incants.
'Stupefy,' growled Barty.
Granger fell down the open passageway into the Dark Prince's waiting arms. Barty being the stronger of the two and far less important than the Dark Prince picked the Mudblood girl up placing her into another compartment of Moody's trunk. Now all they had to was wait for Severus to bring Karkaroff so they could leave when they had the three sacrifices.
Severus had seen Potter or Slytherin or the Dark Prince as Crouch had taken to calling or whatever name someone made up for him next slip off in the direction of the castle. Severus waited half an hour to give Potter and Barty a chance to get to the third floor. Severus unlike his allies couldn't afford to hang around and only had a few minutes where he would have an excuse of speaking to Karkaroff which Dumbledore would accept as long as Severus provided a memory which Severus could easily falsify.
Severus would as always be a very unsociable person would leave the celebrations early. Then he would slip out of Hogwarts to attend to the Dark Lord's rebirth. Severus wouldn't be there for very long so that the headmaster didn't get suspicious.
The only reason Severus was attending at all was so that he could administer the potions to the Dark Lord, the son of the Dark Lord and the three sacrifices. Once there he couldn't leave until the ritual was done otherwise the cost would be severe. Everyone who began there would stay until the end or risk killing them all.
His chance to get Karkaroff to his fellow Death Eater and their prince came when he saw Karkaroff leaving the staff room earlier as usual. His eyes connected with Dumbledore who nodded at him clearly telling him to go after Karkaroff. Severus smirked as he left the room that both Karkaroff and Dumbledore were playing directly into his hands.
'Igor,' Severus called.
'Severus,' Karkaroff nodded.
'I'm here to offer you a warning,' Severus said. 'The headmaster believes that the Dark Lord plans his return tonight. It is the summer solstice tonight. A powerful night for old rituals especially those involved in fertility, life and rebirth.'
'I am aware of that, Severus,' Karkaroff said cuttingly.
'Dumbledore may be mistaken of the true meaning of many aspects of magic but he is one of the most powerful and intelligent beings in Britain,' Severus said. 'If he is under the belief that the Dark Lord is going to return tonight I would be a fool not to believe him and prepare accordingly,' Severus said giving Karkaroff a significant look.
'I would suggest if as you have previously suggested going to flee the Dark Lord you do it tonight before the Dark Lord returns and sends one of those you have wronged after you. We both know how the Dark Lord views treachery.'
'And you are not,' checked Karkaroff with a shiver.
'I unlike you have value to the Dark Lord,' Severus replied.
Severus didn't need to explain what is value was to the Dark Lord it was obvious. Karkaroff had been there when they had been given the same mission but with different schools. Severus was to get a job at Hogwarts and spy on Dumbledore whilst Karkaroff was supposed to get a job at Durmstrang looking for young graduates or almost graduates who would be useful to their ranks.
'On the third floor there is a statue of a one eyed witch. Tap your wand on the statue and say the password "Dissendium" there is a passageway out of Hogwarts,' Severus instructed Karkaroff in an authoritative tone.
Karkaroff did as he was told as Severus had known he would because Severus had taken the precaution of slipping Karkaroff a suggestive potion at dinner in case Karkaroff needed a bit of persuasion. Severus couldn't control the man nor would the man do something he wouldn't do normally. It was a useful potion that unlike some of the other, stronger controlling potions wouldn't show up in any tests.
It was all that was needed as if the recipient might do it then another's words would convince Karkaroff to do it. Severus knew that Karkaroff had been planning on flee all term so he would be easy to convince to run on a night that the Dark Lord was expected to return on. Severus had suspected that he might not even need the potion but the potion made it doubly sure that Karkaroff would end up in Barty's hands.
Karkaroff was going to be surprised when he found Alastor Moody and Harry Potter waiting for them but Barty wouldn't give him enough time to do anything that Severus was sure of. Severus might pity Karkaroff more if he hadn't tried to sell Severus to the Dementors to save his own worthless skin. In Severus' opinion Karkaroff got what he deserved.
Severus returned to the staff room where his colleagues were still celebrating whilst Maxime had disappeared at some point. Probably to nurse he own pride. Severus sat down beside Dumbledore whilst Minerva listened in.
'Karkaroff has fled,' Severus said quietly just above a whisper.
'Has the Dark Mark burned?' asked Albus equally as quietly.
'Not yet,' Severus said honestly, 'but it's the solstice if there was any better time to do it would be today.'
Severus knew that as soon as he arrived back at Hogwarts he was to go straight to Dumbledore Severus' and every other Death Eater's Mark would be fully returned by then. Severus was to show Dumbledore his mark.
The Dark Lord believed and Severus agreed that Dumbledore wouldn't be able to do anything because he had no proof. Other than Severus' mark but Severus was too important a spy to give him up. The only other evidence would be the disappearance of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.
Hopefully by the time anyone realised Harry Potter was missing the Dark Lord would have already established a fake identity and legally withdrawn the boy from Hogwarts. That would mean that the Boy Who Lived wouldn't be missing which would make Dumbledore's statement look completely false. Then it would only be a Muggleborn who had spent the last few months ostracised for how she and her friend had treated Harry Potter the Wizarding World's saviour.
Severus knew that with the right pressure and media attention that they had already planned it could be spun that Granger hadn't been able to cope with how people had treated her after the article so had ran away. They could even plant stories about her doing the same when she was bullied him primary school. There would be no one to say otherwise as it wasn't like the Prophet would interview Muggles who had known her.
As a Muggleborn no one apart from the Weasleys who had no power in their world would bother searching for her if they believed it an open and shut runaway case. Only Dumbledore would believe it to be more but again there would be no proof. Already the house elf devoted to Potter was leaving a letter on Granger's bed and removing everything she owned stating that she had run away because of the bullying.
If Dumbledore did try and convince people that the Dark Lord was back no one would want to hear it because they were afraid of what would happen if the Dark Lord did return especially if the Ministry was saying the opposite. The Ministry were exceptionally corrupt a few donations from Lucius and Fudge would be spouting that Dumbledore was wrong, that he was paranoid and going senile. That was if everything went the way they had planned that night in Crouch's manor when it had been revealed that Potter was pregnant.
Severus would not be called for the next week officially at least. Albus would be under the mistaken impression that the Dark Lord was using this time to gather his strength or he was wary about approaching Severus until he was sure of his loyalties. In reality he would be using this time to fake a family tree that would make him a distant relative of the Dark Lord so heir by default and claiming Harry as his son.
By the time that Dumbledore caught on it would be too late for him to do anything. If Dumbledore then revealed the truth of who the new Slytherin Lord was he would be made to look mad. Claiming that a respectable Lord was a dead madman wouldn't look great for him which was of course what they were all banking on.
Harry and junior didn't have long to wait for Karkaroff who came without Snape. Junior didn't look happy about this because it wasn't what they had planned but Harry assumed he couldn't get away from Dumbledore for long enough to escort Karkaroff with them. It didn't matter anyway Karkaroff was here and stunned.
'He mustn't have been able to get away from Dumbledore,' Harry said. 'It changes nothing. We have Granger, Moody and Karkaroff which are all we need. Professor Snape will be along soon.'
Barty nodded in agreement at his statement although Harry knew he would have preferred it if Snape had been here he understood that they needed to move quickly before the Gryffindors realised Harry hadn't come back from the press conference. Harry knew that it would only be a matter of time even with Fred and George distracting them. Harry had told them he was leaving school for his father's rebirth and wasn't coming back but he hadn't told them any details about his father's rebirth which was the way everyone liked it.
Fred and George would never agree to the plan Harry was sure. They were too useful to Harry to lose them although he knew when the news came out about what he had done they wouldn't be on his side anymore. That was why Harry was making as much use of them until the truth came out.
They knew that Granger would never have run away on her own steam. Fred and George were geniuses if academically poor. They would put Harry and Hermione's disappearance on the same day and realise it was Harry who had kidnapped them.
Dumbledore and his lot would do the same. Dumbledore would probably hope they had been kidnapped by whoever had put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire. Dumbledore believed it to be impossible for Harry to find out the truth about himself and his true parentage which thankfully for the Dark side it was not.
Harry was using a medical Portkey to leave Hogwarts which was almost exactly the same as a normal Portkey except that it carried you so that when you landed you wouldn't fall. Harry knew they were the same as Portkeys for young children. Healer Whitehead had prescribed Harry one as he was pregnant.
Harry was glad for that because although you could get Portkeys off the black market for an arm and a leg getting a medical or a child's Portkey was very unlikely. People who wanted non-registered Portkeys so the Ministry of Magic couldn't track them rarely needed them for young children or had a medical condition which would harm them. Usually people who wanted them were criminals of one kind or another who wanted to flee the law or didn't want it to be known they were in the same area as a serious crime that was being committed.
Healer Whitehead was, however, kind enough to have wrote a different name on the request for a medical Portkey but kept the reason the same. He had also requested it go to a different location that Severus changed to going to the grounds of Le Fay castle where the ritual would take place. Each component of the ritual needed certain conditions and only the grounds at Le Fay castle fit all three of them.
Of course, his father and Lucius mainly had had to move the old alter and fix it up so that it would be in exactly right for what they needed for the later components. If everything went to plan his father would have a body by the end of the day whilst Granger, Moody and Karkaroff would be dead at Harry's hands which Harry still had no idea how to feel about that. Harry had known it would have to happen someday but he hadn't expected it to be three at once but that didn't mean he wouldn't go through with it Harry just was scared at how he would feel about it afterwards.
Luckily thanks to Lucius being a member of the board of governors and Harry an heir to two of the founders of Hogwarts they could get through the wards by adding a drop of blood Harry's blood to the Portkey. Additionally as it was modified by Lucius his magical signature was all over it but that was additional rather than needed. That was why Lucius had been able to Portkey Harry directly to and from his dormitory.
Harry's father was an heir too but Dumbledore had placed additional wards against him at some point between his father's interview and the first war. It meant that the Dark Lord couldn't enter Hogwarts without either killing Dumbledore or destroying half the wards. Harry knew that his father considering Hogwarts his home and had no wish to destroy Hogwarts.
That was the true reason that Hogwarts had never been taken over in the last war. Not as people thought because the Dark Lord was scared of Dumbledore. He hated the man for everything he had done and would do but he had never been scared of the manipulative fool.
All it meant was they didn't have to walk down the secret passage way until the wards ended to Portkey out. The only reason they were meeting in the passageway was it was an effective lure for Granger. They could have knocked her out beforehand but it was deemed that someone might see them.
Barty then took out a compass which he handed to Harry letting go of it although Medical Portkeys were usually two-people-Portkeys so that they could carry someone to help if the person with medical needs needed medical help. It was often a Healer or someone who was transporting them to their hospital. In fact there was an additional password that would transport the holders to Gregor's clinic.
But Barty wasn't using the Portkey. Luckily in Harry's case it wasn't very important because he technically wasn't sick. At least at this stage in the pregnancy but when Harry neared his due date it would be.
Harry knew he would be greeted at the Portkey point by Lucius. Harry knew his father didn't like that Lucius was given that job but they had little recourse. Severus would be unable to leave until later and Barty was picking up his father from Crouch Manor.
The Manor which had become Barty's as they had killed the senior Crouch. After Crouch's escape thanks to Wormtail's incompetence. The Dark Lord had decided Crouch was too much of a liability to be left alive.
Harry understood. If Crouch hadn't run into Harry he might have just made it to Dumbledore. If Crouch had made it to Dumbledore first Crouch would have been able to reveal the Dark Lord's location to Dumbledore.
That left on Lucius or Wormtail to receive Harry at Le Fay Castle. Harry's father may not approve of their relationship but he knew that Lucius would keep Harry safe. That was the most important thing to his father.
Unlike Wormtail who they were not clear of his loyalties at this point. Wormtail didn't even know about Harry because of this but allowing Crouch to escape hadn't exactly proved his point. If he was Dumbledore's lackey he could have well released Crouch in order to let Dumbledore know where they were.
'Patrick,' Harry said.
Harry could only guess that the administrator of the Portkey was someone called Patrick or at very least had a son or husband called Patrick. There would be no other reason to authorise that particular Portkey password. Not that it really mattered but Harry had wondered why it had that password.
Harry could feel the magic of the Portkey softly envelope him in a protective bubble so different to the normal naval jerking Portkey that Harry had got used to during the affair with Lucius. Once again a Portkey was used to take Harry to Lucius. A very different meeting than the one that had begun all those months ago.