disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just Arabella. There is a part of this chapter that might be uncomfortable for some of you all to read. I apologize in advance.
Prior Incantatem
"You will soon learn a lesson, Arabella Black," Voldemort whispered as Avery and Macnair enclosed around her. "When Lord Voldemort wishes to destroy his enemies, he crushes their hearts, and I do plan on destroying Harry Potter beyond repair tonight, no matter the causalities. I will make him suffer."
Avery and Macnair pulled Arabella up to her knees by her arm, venting a small scream from her. They made the pain in her bad leg worse and their grips were painful. She did not have time to think about Voldemort's statement as Pettigrew approached Harry, cutting the ropes and pulling out the material that was gagging him. Arabella was too scared to move. She watched silently as Harry's injured leg shook under him. The Death Eaters formed a tighter circle around them. Pettigrew grabbed Harry's wand and thrust it into his hands before resuming his place in the circle. Arabella looked up at Avery and Macnair, the latter growling at her. She paled, realizing that she was going to be used to make another suffer. Voldemort was ready to do anything to her – torture her, dismember her, and even dispose of her – all in the name of crushing Harry.
"You have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter?" Voldemort said softly.
Arabella grinded her jaw. Their one and only dueling club lesson happened two years ago, taught by Lockhart, no less. They were only showed one spell: the Disarming Spell. But it was practically useless against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. She didn't have her wand with her, she was being held against her will, and Harry was going to face the Killing Curse. If this was truly the end of Harry Potter, then she wished Voldemort had let her say goodbye to him.
"We bow to each other, Harry," said Voldemort, bending a little. He kept his reptile face upturned to Harry. "Come, the niceties must be observed… Dumbledore would like you to show manners… Bow to death, Harry…"
The Death Eaters were laughing. Arabella could feel Avery and Macnair's bodies shaking next to her. Harry did not bow. Arabella was glad to see that he was not playing Voldemort's mind games, but that pride wasn't going to help him, not now.
Voldemort smiled as he said, "I said, bow." He raised his wand and Harry bent to his wish, causing the Death Eaters to laugh harder. He then lifted the spell and said, softly, "Very good. And now you face me, like a man… straight-backed and proud, the way your father died… And now – we duel."
Voldemort raised his wand and a jet of bright red light hurtled itself at Harry. He toppled over, twitching on the ground wildly, screaming and grunting in pain. Arabella squeezed her eyes shut and turned away, unable to look at him anymore. She couldn't do anything to save him. She couldn't do anything at all… Voldemort lifted the curse after a couple minutes. Harry was shaking on the ground, taking in deep breaths before rolling over and struggling to his feet. He staggered sideways towards the wall of Death Eaters unknowingly, before they pushed back towards Voldemort.
"A little break," said Voldemort, his voice laced with excitement. "A little pause… That didn't hurt, didn't it, Harry? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"
Harry didn't answer. He stared determinedly back at Voldemort, not giving anything away. He was trying to be brave and strong. Arabella hoped it would work.
"I asked you whether you want me to do that again. Answer me! Imperio!"
She could see the struggle in Harry's face. His neck was stretched and his face turning red.
"I WON'T!" he yelled, the words echoing around the graveyard.
The Death Eaters stopped laughing as Voldemort said, "You won't? You won't say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die… Perhaps another little does of pain?"
He raised his wand again, but Harry was faster. He flung himself sideways onto the ground. He rolled behind the headstone of Voldemort's father, and Arabella saw the marble crack into two, as though thunder had struck. She winced at the impact, closing her eyes as shards of marble flew into the air. The Death Eaters laughed once again.
"We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry. You cannot hide from me. Lord Voldemort knows how to crush his enemies. Arabella has such lovely skin," Voldemort drew closer to her, softly creasing her cheek. "It would be such a pity if something were to happen to her…"
He then snapped his long fingers and said, "Avery, Macnair, put her in her place…"
Arabella felt her body behind pulled backwards, away from the circle. Avery and Macnair were dragging her against the grass. She realized a moment too soon what he meant.
"No, no, no!" screeched Arabella, fighting against them. "Let go of me! Let go!"
She fell forward on the grass, struggling to crawl away from Avery and Macnair, but they were both faster and stronger than her. She was weighed down by her bad leg, but she wasn't going to let them take her like that. She was going to put up a fight no matter what. She scratched and she clawed against the grass, the dirt under her nails and the grass in her hair. She was crying and gasping, hoping that somebody was coming for her – Remus, Sirius, Kassandra, Dumbledore, Andromeda, Mad-Eye, Harry…
"Leave me!" she yelled against the grass as Avery and Macnair's grip on her legs tightened. Their hands were too close to her thighs and she screamed louder. "Harry! Harry! Harry, please!"
They lifted her up and threw her against a headstone. The cold surface broke against her back, causing her to let out a loud groan. She felt momentarily paralyzed, wondering how she ended up in this graveyard. It was only a couple hours ago she was in the Great Hall, wondering why Fred and George wanted to paint her face. It was for Harry, she remembered. They wanted to support Harry. They were all probably cheering for him right now. Cheering and laughing, not realizing that one of Voldemort's Death Eaters was taking a step towards her. She could feel his breath on her neck, his hand on her arm, traveling and roaming, exploring her skin. She wanted to yell at him. She wanted to cry and breakdown, because it was her skin, not his and she didn't give him permission to touch her. She wanted to crawl in a hole far, far away from this horrible village. She wanted to be with her mother, six feet under, cold and dead.
"You can make this stop, Harry," came Voldemort's voice. "She's crying for you, Harry… Come out… come out and play, then… it will be quick… it might even be painless… I wouldn't know… I have never died…"
"Let her go, then," came Harry, his voice strong and loud.
There was another laugh from the Death Eaters, but Voldemort did not laugh. "Macnair, stop!" he called.
The Death Eater's hand stopped at her hips. He growled at her and whispered, "Shame," before obeying Voldemort and taking a step back. Arabella began panting loudly and leaned against the marble tombstone, crying and thanking every god in existence.
"You are in no position to demand anything, Harry Potter," Voldemort said silkily.
"I'll stop hiding if you let me say goodbye," Harry shouted.
For a while, there was silence. Then Voldemort snapped his fingers once again. Avery and Macnair grabbed Arabella's arms, hoisting her limp body up and dragging it back to the Death Eater's circle. They threw her against Voldemort's father's tombstone, but Harry caught her just before she hit the ground. She held onto Harry's shoulders, burying her face into chest. She quietly sobbed, her body shaking unevenly as her finger dug into arms. She didn't want him to say goodbye. She didn't want to say goodbye to him. The thought was wrong and vile, she wanted to throw up. Harry held her close, wrapping his arms around her, the palm of his hands against her shoulder blade, protectively. He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. He moved his mouth against her skin until it was just above her ears.
"I'm sorry."
"That's enough, I think," said Voldemort, his cold voice cutting across the air. "It is time. Face me like a man, Harry, like your father…"
Arabella could feel Harry's body go rigid against hers. He raised his head and she moved away, limping on the other side of the marble tombstone. Harry gripped his wand tightly, glaring at Voldemort, his face hard and set. He then thrust his arm out and Voldemort was ready.
As Harry shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Voldemort cried, "Avada Kedavra!"
A jet of red light blasted from the end of Harry's wand as a jet of green light issued from Voldemort's. They collided in midair, a narrow bean of bright, deep gold connecting the two wands. Harry gripped his wand with both his hands, as though it were vibrating and shaking violently. Arabella rubbed her eyes as both Harry and Voldemort were lifted from the ground, their wands still connected. They were glided away from the tombstone of Tom Riddle Sr. and towards a patch of grass free from tombstones. The Death Eaters were all shouting at Voldemort, asking him for instructions. They closed in on Voldemort and Harry, forming another circle with their wands out, ignoring Arabella…
Arabella limped towards Cedric, staring at his handsome face with vacant eyes. He went to the Yule Ball with Cho Chang, they must have been going out for some time. She might have kissed him before the Final Task, maybe even outside the Great Hall. She didn't even know that it would be the last time she would see him.
"Do nothing!" Voldemort shrieked.
Arabella turned around to see a thousand beams curved high above Harry and Voldemort, crisscrossing all around them until they were enclosed in a golden, dome web, making sure the Death Eaters could not intervene.
"Do nothing unless I command you!" Voldemort shouted to his scared Death Eaters. He sounded scared himself.
Good.
Then something filled the air. It was a song, but it wasn't an ordinary song like the ones the radio played. It sounded as though it was coming from the earth itself. Unnatural and beautiful, the ground was practically shaking and Arabella recognized the song. The last time she heard it was during her second year in the Chamber of Secrets. Fawkes came and saved them. He sang this beautiful song and Arabella was filled with a sense of hope. She was no longer twelve and they were clearly not in the Chamber of Secrets anymore. But this song felt as though they had been given a glimmer of hope. They could get out of this. They could survive. Harry could live.
Arabella watched the two of them closely, keeping her distance away from the Death Eaters. She was thankful that they were more worried about Voldemort than about her. She paid close attention to Voldemort and, more specifically, the beam of light moving closer towards his wand. She could tell Harry was concentrating as hard as he could, his hands shaking with the force of his wand. Very slowly, the beam of light moved closer towards Voldemort's wand and then, it connected.
Screams of pain came from his wand and even Voldemort was stunned at what was going on. A smoky hand flew out of the tip of his wand and vanished. Pettigrew's screams echoed through her mind, remembering the way his hand fell to the ground. There was more shouts, some coming from the Death Eaters, and then something much larger emerged from his wand.
Arabella's eyes widened. It was a head and then a neck, torso, chest and Cedric Diggory emerged entirely from the end of Voldemort's wand. She looked at his dead body and then back at the ghost. She wasn't even sure if he was a ghost. He looked so solid and real as he glanced up and down the thread of light.
"Hold on, Harry," Cedric said, as though speaking from far away.
It was impossible. It had to be. How could he be there and yet…? Arabella had no time to dwell on the matter as a dense second head began to erupt from Voldemort's wand… He pushed himself out of the end of the wand and fell next to Cedric, surveying Harry, Voldemort, the connecting wands and the golden dome. He was surprise as he leaned on his cane.
"He was a real wizard, then?" The old man only had eyes for Voldemort now. "Killed me, that one did… You fight him, boy…"
Another head was emerging. This time it was a woman. She dropped to the ground and straightened herself up. Bertha Jorkins surveyed the duel with wide eyes.
"Don't let go!" she cried at Harry. "Don't let him get you, Harry – don't let go!"
Cedric, the old man, and Bertha Jorkins paced around the inner walls of the dome as the Death Eaters fluttered outside of it, trying to find a way to help their master. Then another head was emerging from the tip of Voldemort's wand. A young woman with long hair fell to the ground, straightened up, and looked at Harry, the way only a mother would.
"Your father's coming… He wants to see you… it will be alright… hold on…"
Arabella couldn't believe it. He came with untidy hair so much like Harry. James Potter fell to the ground and straightened up, like his wife had done. He walked close to Harry, looking down at him, at his son. Arabella stared at his face, realizing and understand what everyone meant now. Harry was James's son through and through.
"Someone's coming… Just a few more seconds, Harry…"
One last person emerged from Voldemort's wand, causing his face to become livid and his red eyes to widen. The man's hair just reached past his ears and the corners of his eyes had wrinkles. He ran his fingers through his hair, looking at Harry, then Voldemort, and finally at Arabella. He smiled at her and she felt oddly at peace.
"It's good to see you again, my dear."
His voice was soft and distant. Arabella nodded. She didn't know, she didn't recognize him but she felt as though she should. There was an aching feeling in her chest. It was hollow and empty, much like Cedric's eyes. She was so memorized by this man that she barely caught the end of James Potter's sentence.
"… it will return you to Hogwarts… do you understand, Harry?"
"Arabella…" whispered Cedric, staring at her over the heads of terrified Death Eaters. She could hear him clearly, as though he was standing next to her. "Take my body back… take it back to my parents…"
Arabella couldn't talk. She couldn't find her voice. She nodded firmly and crouched down, choking back a cry. She then took his hand into hers. It would gave him no comfort, but she felt as though she had to. He deserved compassion and gentleness. He didn't deserve to be killed like an afterthought.
"NOW!"
Arabella snapped her head towards the dome. It was vanishing, the golden thread broken and the figures rushing towards Voldemort, momentarily distracting him. It was fitting, Lily and James Potter saving their son one last time as he ran as fast as he could. He stunned two Death Eaters, knocking their bodies out of the way. He dodged every curse they threw at him, his body filled with adrenaline.
"Stun him!"
Arabella held Cedric's body closer to her as Harry dived behind a marble angel, avoiding three red jets. The angel was shattered and Harry pointed his wand wildly over his shoulder.
"Impedimenta!" he bellowed.
Arabella had no time to see who he got as Harry jumped over the glimmering Triwizard Cup, his hand stretched out towards her.
"Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!"
Harry gripped Arabella's hand painfully as more jets of light flew over their heads. In the darkness, Arabella saw Voldemort's eyes marching towards them, his lipless mouth curved into a sinister smile.
"Accio!" cried Harry.
The Triwizard Cup flew into the air and soared towards them. Harry caught it by the handle and Arabella felt a jerk at her stomach. They were speeding towards a whirl of colours, Voldemort's screams becoming fainter and fainter…
She slammed onto the grass face first with her arm clinging onto Cedric's body. She couldn't let go. She didn't want to let go of him. If he stayed within her arms, she could protect him from the Death Eaters. She would make sure they didn't harm him anymore. Dirt covered her cheeks and she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, smelling the wet grass. She gripped Cedric's shoulder tighter as voices everywhere filled her ears. They were almost deafening, the screams, footsteps, gasps… She wanted to fade away and take what she could with her – Harry, the Portkey, Cedric…
Then a pair of hands seized her shoulders, turning her over. Arabella opened her eyes and stared up at McGonagall, her usually stern face worried and confused.
"Harry! Harry!"
Dumbledore was crouching over Harry as people pushed their way closer towards them, trying to see what happened. Arabella pressed her palms on the grass, feeling the ground shake underneath her. The stars were shining over McGonagall's head and tears came to her eyes. She clutched Cedric's hand tighter.
"He's back," Harry whispered, gripping Dumbledore's wrist. "He's back. Voldemort."
"What's going on? What's happened?" Cornelius Fudge appeared over Harry, pale and appalled. "My God – Diggory!" he whispered. "Dumbledore – he's dead!"
Arabella let out a small huff as people surrounding them repeated those words.
"He's dead!"
"He's dead!"
"Cedric Diggory! Dead!"
"Arabella, let go of him," McGonagall said gently. She began prying Arabella's fingers from Cedric's limp body, but she didn't want to let him go.
Dumbledore loomed over her, his bright eyes now dark. "You have to let him go, Arabella. There's nothing you can do now. It's over."
Arabella let out a small sob, closing her eyes and remembering ghost Cedric staring at her. "He asked me. He asked me. He asked me to bring him back to his parents. I couldn't leave him – I couldn't leave him –"
"That's all right, Arabella. You did it. It's over now… just let go…"
Dumbledore bent down and raised Arabella from the ground, breaking her hold from Cedric's body. She fell down again, unable to stand on her leg. Her head was pounding and the crowd was fighting to get closer, struggling to see what was going on. Arabella threw her arm over Cedric's body, trying to shield him from their eyes. He wasn't some sort of animal at the zoo that everyone could stare and point at.
"What's happened?"
"What's wrong with him?"
"Diggory's dead!"
"I'm so sorry," Arabella mumbled into his ears, her body shaking. "I'm sorry, Cedric… I'm so sorry…"
Dumbledore then lifted Harry from the ground and set him on his wobbly feet. She peered at Harry, his face pale and sweaty. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but it would be as pointless as her whispering in Cedric's ear. Girls were screaming and sobbing hysterically. Arabella wondered if she would have done the same, if she were up in the stands, crying for a lost boy who never saw it coming, a boy that just wanted to represent Hufflepuff and win the tournament. Maybe he did, before he met Pettigrew. Arabella vaguely heard Fudge saying something about the hospital wing, but she didn't want to move. She had to stay and protect Cedric. She had to make sure nobody touched his body ever again. She had to. She just had to.
Arabella turned in time to see Mad-Eye pulling Harry away from the scene and towards the castle. Dumbledore looked on after them, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Let me through! Let me through! That's my son! That's my boy!"
With extraordinary strength, McGonagall pulled Arabella away from Cedric as Mr. and Mrs. Diggory ran from the stands and fell to their knees beside their son. Mrs. Diggory began sobbing, her face twisting and shining. She crouched over her son's face, moving the hair from his forehead, while Mr. Diggory screamed in agony, his voice silencing the crowd as they stared at him. They watched as Mr. Diggory held onto Fudge, his face red and his voice turning hoarse with each passing second.
Arabella felt her throat close up as tears falling down her cheeks. She wanted to yell at everyone, for them all to turn away and give Mr. and Mrs. Diggory some peace. But she kept staring at them, knowing that they would never be in peace ever again. Mr. Diggory continued screaming and Mrs. Diggory held her son fiercely, as though she was trying to wake him up with sheer force and will. Arabella held onto McGonagall's arms for support, unable to tear her eyes away from Mrs. Diggory's unruly hair.
"Dumbledore," Arabella breathed. "Dumbledore."
But Mr. Diggory's cries of pain drowned out her own voice easily. Arabella wrenched herself free from McGonagall's grasp and made her way towards Dumbledore, gasping as she put more pressure on her leg. Thankfully, Dumbledore saw her and met her halfway. He held his arms out and she held onto them for support.
"Mad-Eye," her voice was hoarse and near unrecognizable, "Mad-Eye – Mad-Eye – he's not Mad-Eye. It's – it's an imposter. You have to – you have to believe me. He's been using Polyjuice this whole time. The cup – the cup was a Portkey – the cup – Voldemort's alive, Professor – Voldemort's alive – believe me –"
"If what you're saying is true," said Dumbledore, his voice grave, "then we must head to Alastor's office –"
"Alastor's office?" sputtered McGonagall as Snape stalked his way towards them. "Alastor's office? Albus, she has to go to the hospital wing! Look at her! She's been gone since morning and god-knows what happened to her leg!"
"No we have to get Harry!" yelled Arabella. "If he spends any more time with that man then –"
"That man?" asked Snape, his voice silkily. "Are you talking about Alastor Moody, a highly decorated Auror, Black? What nonsense is this?"
"You have to trust me!" growled Arabella. "He's not Alastor Moody! He's Barty Crouch Jr. and he's going to hurt Harry! You have to believe me!"
Snape stared at her as though she was stupid, a thought which wouldn't surprise her, and McGonagall's lips were so thin, Arabella thought she was about to cry. Dumbledore, however, nodded and seemed to agree with her.
"Very well," he said calmly. "Arabella, if you could please hold onto my arm and Minerva –"
"Remus is here," McGonagall said desperately. "He will want to see her, Albus."
"All in due time," said Dumbledore, nodding his head, "but this is something she needs to hear. Understanding is the first step to acceptance and only with acceptance can there be recovery." His eyes glanced back at the Diggorys. "And there is a lot to recover from tonight, Minerva. Arabella needs to know who has put her through this ordeal tonight and why. If you could please help me here."
McGonagall didn't look happy as she took Arabella's arm and put it over her shoulders. Supported by both McGonagall and Dumbledore, the four of them made their way up to the castle. She could still hear Mr. Diggory's cries and the screaming, gasping and shouting of others all the way up. She tried to block out the noise, but the walk towards Mad-Eye's office was silent and all she could think about was Cedric's lifeless eyes and the way people stared at him, shocked and angry and sad all at once. She wondered if they blamed her for it. If she were in the stands, she would have to.
"He's the Death Eater," Arabella mumbled. "Crouch… he's the Death Eater in the castle… he – he – he –"
"That's enough now," McGonagall said sternly.
"He tortured me," she said in softer. "He tortured me… I screamed a lot… Haven't screamed since – since –"
"Save your energy," Snape said harshly.
"I wanted to die," breathed Arabella.
She wasn't sure if any of them heard her. If they did, they gave no indication in the matter. She tried her best, trying to ignore the shooting pain from her leg. But it was constant and she wondered if they would have to chop off her leg. She imagined walking around the castle with a wooden leg like Mad-Eye, the real Alastor Moody. It was then when they finally reached his office. She could hear a faint voice behind the door, but nothing distinctive. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and motioned for her to stay quiet. He then pointed his wand at the door.
"Stupefy!"
The door burst open and a jet of red light burst into the room. Mad-Eye – no, Crouch was thrown backwards onto the floor. Dumbledore stepped into the office and made sure Crouch's disguise was visible to everyone. Snape then stepped into the room and looked at the cracked Foe-Glass, his face clearly visible. McGonagall led Arabella into an empty chair and turned toward Harry. Her mouth twitched and Arabella was sure if anything else happened, she would definitely cry.
"Come on, Potter," she whispered, trying to get him away from the body on the ground. "Come here."
"Moody," said Harry in complete disbelief. "How can it have been Moody?"
"This is not Alastor Moody," said Dumbledore sharply. There was a cold fury in his face and Arabella now understood why he was regarded as the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. She was sure that if he could, he would burst into flames like a phoenix. "You have never known Alastor Moody. The real Moody would not have removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. The moment he took you, I knew. When I got confirmation from Arabella – I followed."
Dumbledore bent down over Moody's limp form and put a hand inside his robes. He pulled out the hip flask and a set of keys in a ring. He then turned towards McGonagall and Snape.
"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly go back to the stands and fetch Remus. There should be a large black dog with him. Take them both to my office and tell them I will be there shortly. Come back here once you're done."
They both turned and left at once. Dumbledore walked over to the trunk with seven locks and fitted the first key in the lock. Once he opened it, Harry told Arabella that it contained a mass of spellbooks. Dumbledore closed the trunk and used the other keys, each containing different assortments of contents – a silvery Invisibility Cloak, some parchment and quill, Sneakscopes – and then he placed the seventh and final key in the lock and threw the lip open. Harry let out a cry of amazement.
"What?" asked Arabella, startled. "What is it?"
"It's – it's Moody!" stammered Harry. "The real Moody!"
Dumbledore climbed into the trunk and landed with a small thud. "Stunned," he called back to Harry and Arabella. "Controlled by the Imperius Curse – very weak. Of course, they would have needed to keep him alive. Harry, throw down the imposter's cloak – he's freezing. Madam Pomfrey will need to see him, but he seems in no immediate danger."
Harry did as he was told and in a couple minutes, Dumbledore climbed out of the trunk. He picked up the hip flask upon the desk, unscrewed it, and turned it over. A thick liquid splattered onto the office floor, making Arabella wrinkle her nose.
"You were right, Arabella," said Dumbledore. "Polyjuice Potion. The simplicity of it, and the brilliance. For Moody never does drink except from his hip flask, he's well known for it. The imposter needed, of course, to keep the real Moody close by, so that he could continue making the potion. You see his hair… The imposter has been cutting it off all year, see where it is uneven? But I think, in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done… on the hour… every hour… We shall see."
Dumbledore went to the desk, about to pull out the chair, but Arabella spotted something familiar.
"My wand!" she cried, her voice raspy.
Dumbledore turned towards her with a curious expression. "This is your wand, Arabella? It's quite interesting… may I ask, what is made of?"
"Er… walnut, dragon heartstring, thirteen and a half inches."
There was a look of confusion in Dumbledore's eyes. Arabella knew what he was thinking and answered it for him.
"It is close to… hers," she whispered, closing her eyes and sighing. "Could I – could I have it back now?"
"Yes, yes, of course," said Dumbledore.
Arabella held her wand close to her, putting it on the inside of her robes. Dumbledore then pulled out the chair and sat down, his eyes fixed upon the fake Moody on the floor. Arabella stared at him as well, wanting to see what was going to happen next. Harry stood next to her and gripped her shoulder. Minutes passed by and its face began to change. The scars disappeared and the skin became smoother. His hair shot back and his nose shrunk. The magical eye popped into the floor, swiveling in every direction as it rolled away. Crouch's face thinned, his chin becoming pointy as hurried footsteps were heard outside the corridor. A second later, Snape, Winky and McGonagall returned.
"Crouch!" said Snape. "Barty Crouch!"
"Good heavens!" said McGonagall, stopping dead and staring at his face.
Winky peered around Snape's legs and her mouth opened wide. She shrieked, "Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?" She flung herself onto his chest, protecting him. "You is killed him! You is killed him! You is killed Master's son!"
"He is simply Stunned, Winky," said Dumbledore. "Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?"
Snape tore his eyes away from Crouch and handed Dumbledore a small glass bottle of clear liquid. Arabella almost wanted to laugh at the sheer absurdness of it all. Dumbledore was going to force Veritaserum down Crouch's throat, just like when the Ministry did that with her, wanting information on Sirius's whereabouts. It was almost poetic. Dumbledore bent over Crouch, pulled him into a sitting position against the wall beneath the Foe-Glass, clearly showing Arabella, Harry, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape glaring down at him. Winky remained on her knees, her hands trembling over her face. Dumbledore forced Crouch's mouth open and poured three drops inside him. He then pointed his wand at Crouch's chest and said, "Rennervate."
Crouch opened his eyes. His face was slack and his gaze unfocused. Arabella wondered if she looked as stupid as he did a year ago. Dumbledore kneeled before him, their faces levels.
"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore uttered quietly.
Crouch's eyes flickered for a moment before he mumbled, "Yes."
"I would like you to tell us, how you came to be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?"
Thank you so much for reading! Tell me what you all think! We're almost done!
