I do not own Harry Potter. Direct quotes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will be in bold. Harry Potter belongs to the wonderful J.K Rowling.
It isn't stated if the Marauder's Map can see deceased people, so I used the lack of answer to my advantage.
Sense of Closure
The effects of the dreamless sleep potion wore off well into the night. Charlie opened her eyes to a dark hospital ward, with Mrs. Weasley snoozing in the chair beside her bed. Hermione, Ron and Harry were no longer there, so she assumed Pomfrey had finally succeeded in shooing them away.
The raven-haired girl sat up, shoving her blankets to the side. She found her gaze drifting to the stupid Triwizard Cup. Even in the darkness, it glinted at her.
Angelina should have won the Cup. She should have the prize money. She should still be here with her parents.
If only she had Stunned her when she had the chance. If only she had reached the Cup first. If only she had figured out Crouch's betrayal sooner.
If only…
If only…
The tortured thoughts swirled through her mind and tears spilled down her cheeks. Unable to stay still any longer, she swung her feet out of the bed and stood up, the cold floor sending chills down her bare feet. She sent a glare of hatred at the Cup (she would deal with the unwanted trophy later), snagged her wand from the bedside table and took off out of the ward.
She knew she couldn't wander the castle all night. Someone would stumble upon her soon enough and she'd either be sent back to Pomfrey or to Dumbledore, neither of which would be happy with her. But she refused to ask for another goblet of dreamless sleep. Angelina's parents and friends didn't get to escape the pain. She fully deserved the agony tearing her apart, the agony over losing Angelina, and poor old Mr. Crouch.
She halted in the corridor then as she recalled with horrible clarity how his son gleefully declared that he'd turned the man's body into a bone and buried it just past Hagrid's hut. While Mr. Crouch wasn't the perfect man, he did not deserve the crude burial that had befallen him.
She twisted on her heel and headed for the Ravenclaw Common Room. She answered the riddle and slipped carefully up the stairs. It was a relief when she found nobody still lingering on the couches. She wasn't up for answering the questions her peers would no doubt have.
She went into her dorm and removed her Invisibility Cloak from her trunk. She did not need it for leaving the castle, but she would need it for returning. Besides, it was a comfort to have it around. She tied it around her middle, and if anyone came across her it would seem as if her stomach was missing.
She grabbed her blanket off of her bed and bundled it in her arms. Her pure white cat Snowflake slunk into the room, purring softly. Charlie stroked her fluffy back, cast a glance at the slumbering Hermione and departed from her dorm, Snowy following after her.
"It's been a rough few days, Snowy," she whispered as they entered the corridor.
Snowy mewed in reply and rubbed against her leg comfortingly.
Charlie paused outside the office intended for Professor Moody. With a cold weight in her gut, she hesitantly entered. The place with mostly empty, with a few of Moody's belongings (and probably some of Crouch's) still scattered about. Crouch was long gone, though Charlie didn't know where. With his soul sucked out, he couldn't exactly defend himself during a trial, so she wasn't sure if he'd be left to rot in Azkaban or not.
She walked over to the desk and rummaged through the drawers with one hand, the other holding the bulky midnight blue blanket to her side. She found the Marauder's Map and, since she had her hands full, bent down so that Snowy could take it in her mouth. "Mind carrying this for me?"
Snowy gently took the map between her teeth and trotted along after her owner.
They exited the castle and went into the cool night air. Stars twinkled into the sky and Charlie cast a glance towards the Quidditch pitch. The hedges were gone and the pitch was back to its original state. It was as if the final task had never taken place.
If only that were true.
Her feet sunk into the grass as she moved. Her pajamas held no guard against the cool breeze. She knew it was foolish of her to venture out alone with Voldemort out there, but she doubted he would dare to intrude Hogwarts grounds. At least, not right now.
She reached Hagrid's hut and spotted a shovel resting against the wooden fence surrounding his garden. She grabbed it and continued into the Forbidden Forest, where she would be cloaked by the thick trees and looming shadows.
The eerie silence sent goosebumps down her spine. She dropped the shovel and blanket to the ground. Snowy gave her the map and sat down on the forest floor, tail swaying patiently as she waited. Charlie tapped the parchment with her wand and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
Black lines snaked across the parchment and dots appeared. She studied the section of the map that detailed the edge of the Forbidden Forest, which bordered Hogwarts property. Crouch had said he buried his father near Hagrid's hut, so the Transfigured body couldn't be too deep into the Forest.
She spotted a small dot a few yards away from where she was standing. The dot read Bartemius Crouch, depicting his final resting place.
"Everyone's going to think I'm crazy Snowy," she said softly, rolling up the map and handing it back to her cat. "Running about in the dead of night, digging up a bone and turning it back into a dead body. I probably am crazy. But I can't stand it. Whatever he did in his life, Mr. Crouch did not deserve to die this way."
She would never forget his last moments, which were spent with her. The fear on his face, his desperate pleas. He was trying to fix his wrongs by reporting everything to Dumbledore. He just never got the chance. But she forgave him. While his treatment of his son was unfair, he still loved his wife enough to honour her last wish. He attempted to follow through as best he could.
He wasn't perfect. But he wasn't the worst person in the world. That honour fell to Voldemort.
"Come on," she muttered, snagging the shovel and blanket.
Every few feet she'd consult the map to ensure she was heading in the right direction. Eventually she found herself standing over an uneven patch of dirt, a few feet from the perimeter of the Forest. Through the leaves she could make out the outline of Hagrid's hut.
It did not take long to dig up the bone. She found herself staring at it for a moment, stomach swirling. She gripped her wand, took a deep breath, and got to work.
It took quite a few hours before she finally managed to fix the damage done to Mr. Crouch's body. By the end she was sweating, bearing burn marks on her hands and wrists from spell backfires. But she was standing over a lifeless body with a pale face and half-lidded eyes.
Mr. Crouch was no longer a bone.
She did not dwell on the fact she had managed to revert a powerful Transfiguration by a skilled wizard. She got straight to work, grabbing the shovel and digging a grave by the nicest tree she could find, which was deeper into the Forest. Snowy sat lazily on the ground, watching her work.
By the time she finished dawn had already broke, golden rays spilling through the gaps in the leaves. Panting heavily and smeared with dirt, she stared at the deep hole she had made. Dropping the shovel she went over to Mr. Crouch's body, still near the perimeter of the Forest. With trembling hands, she wrapped his body in her blanket, trying to put him in a comfortable position.
When she was satisfied, she used her wand to levitate Mr. Crouch gently into the grave. His body protected by her midnight blue covers, the dirt fell gently onto the thick material. She shovelled until the grave was filled and she smoothed over the surface dirt.
She dropped the shovel to the ground and pointed her wand at the bark of the tree. On the rough bark, she inscribed, Here lies Bartemius Crouch Senior, a man reunited with the woman he loved most of all, 1994.
She did not know his date of birth, so she could only put his date of death. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she grabbed the shovel and crept out of the Forest. No one was out of the castle, which made things easier for her. She just hoped Hagrid wasn't in his hut, watching for her.
Putting the shovel back where she found it, she liberated some flowers from his garden. Hurrying back into the forest, she tied the bouquet of roses and daffodils up with a strip of her pajama material, which she had ripped from the hem of her shirt. "Dobby!"
The house-elf appeared by her side instantly. "Charlotte Potter!" he exclaimed, grabbing her leg in relief. "Dobby has heard the horrors Mistress has gone through! Dobby is so glad Mistress is safe!"
She rubbed his bald head, a small smile on her face. "Has anyone noticed I've gone?"
"Yes, the staff be looking for you! Shall I tell them you are safe but wish to be left alone?"
"No thanks, I'll deal with them later. I was wondering if you could grab Winky and bring her here, if she's up for it."
Dobby nodded and Disapparated. He returned a minute later with an emotional Winky, tears leaking from her big brown eyes. "What Charlotte Potter be wanting with Winky?" she asked miserably.
Charlie bent down and handed her the flowers. When Winky looked at her in puzzlement, she pointed at the inscription in the bark. Winky could only stare for a moment, trembling from head to foot. "Charlotte Potter has made grave for Master Crouch?"
"Yes. It wasn't right, what his son did. So I fixed it. His body is buried right here, so whenever you want to visit or speak to him, this is where you can come."
Winky slowly walked over and gently placed the flowers against the tree. The tears were flowing freely now, and Charlie finally allowed her own tears to fall. "I'm sorry, Winky. For everything."
"Tis not your fault," said Winky. She looked up with Charlie with gratitude. "Charlotte Potter has made grave for Master Crouch. Winky is very grateful. Dobby is right. Charlotte Potter is a very kind, generous, compassionate witch."
"Stay here as long as you need to," said Charlie, bending down and giving Winky a quick hug, and she was surprised to feel her embrace being returned. "Dobby, will you stay with her?"
Dobby nodded. "Yes!"
"I ought to be getting back, then. If anyone summons you, please don't say what I've been doing or where I went."
"Of course," agreed Dobby. "Secret will stay safe!"
Winky didn't say anything. She was too busy properly mourning her deceased master. But Charlie had a feeling Winky would honour her wish. She took the map from Snowy and removed the Cloak from her waist. She waved to the two house-elves and concealed herself, walking out of the Forest with Snowy trailing behind her.
She knew she had a lot of explaining to do. She was covered in dirt, her hospital pajama shirt was torn, her feet were scratched from the rough forest floor and she had ugly red burns on her hands and wrists. And she would explain. Just not right now.
She approached the castle doors and slipped through as silently as she could, halting in the Entrance Hall when she spotted Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick speaking frantically a few feet away from the Great Hall doors.
"When exactly did she disappear?" McGonagall asked. Her eyes were red-rimmed and Charlie felt her tears start up again. She didn't think she'd ever stop crying over the loss of Angelina.
"No one knows," said Flitwick, panic evident in his voice. "Molly woke at three in the morning and she was gone. We've been searching ever since."
"I will assist you," said McGonagall firmly.
"No, no, you ought to-"
"Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are waiting for news of Potter's whereabouts in my office. They will not leave until they see her."
Charlie felt her heart freeze. They had been so kind and warm when Angelina introduced her to them. She didn't want to see their devastated expressions and tear-stained faces, when she felt like she was the cause for everyone's distress. But it was only proper, she knew that. She ought to pay her respects as well and apologize for not being able to save their daughter.
"Where could she have gone?" McGonagall spoke again. "With the staff, portraits and ghosts searching for her, she ought to have been found by now."
"She has the Invisibility Cloak and retrieved that blasted map of hers from the office," said Snape with a concerned frown. "She could very well slip out without anyone noticing. Albus fears she will do something drastic."
"She is not that kind of girl," said Flitwick, though his voice trembled with fear.
"You said yourself that her blanket was taken from her bed. Merlin knows what she used it for." Snape's voice was tight, as though he wished desperately that his predictions were wrong. "She's distraught over Johnson's death. She blames herself. In her emotional state, she could do anything."
"Then we must find her at once. We've already lost Angelina Johnson. We will not lose another student because of trauma inflicted by You-Know-Who."
Unable to hear anymore, the girl hurried off. She felt horribly guilty for making everyone worry. She didn't deserve their concern.
Snowy had already taken off. With a heavy sigh, Charlie went back to the hospital wing. She nudged open the door and peeked in. Pomfrey was too busy attending to Moody to pay attention to the door opening of its own accord. Eyes locked on the stupid, stupid, Triwizard Cup, she removed the unwanted sack of gold, shoved the map under her hospital bed pillow, and slipped the Cup underneath her Cloak.
When she returned to the Entrance Hall, it was to see that Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick had been joined by Dumbledore. Deciding that she would be able to do what she needed to do without concealing herself, she tore off the Cloak halfway towards the front doors.
The four staff members started upon her sudden appearance. "Charlotte!" Dumbledore exclaimed.
"Be right back," she said, leaving her Cloak in a rumpled heap on the floor and striding for the doors. Wand gripped in one hand and Cup in the other, she used her shoulder to open the doors. She approached the top step just as Sinistra and Sprout reached the bottom, returning from their assigned search of the grounds for the Ravenclaw. Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick stood behind her.
Ignoring their confused and shocked gazes, she reared the Cup back and flung it as far and high into the air as she could. "Bombarda!"
Every ounce of fury and resentment she held towards Voldemort (for ordering Angelina's death) and herself (for not saving the girl) went into that spell. It struck the Cup and it exploded, tiny silver and gold pieces of metal raining down.
Panting, she glanced at the stunned gazes of Sinistra and Sprout before slowly turning around to face Dumbledore. "I didn't want it," she said by way of explanation. "Too many bad memories."
Sudden exhaustion descended upon her and she dropped to the stone steps, head resting back so that she had an upside-down view of the four professors. Dumbledore motioned Sprout and Sinistra to continue into the building.
"Sorry," Charlie found herself saying as the two women went past her. "I didn't mean for all this trouble."
"What trouble?" Sprout returned, giving the girl a pat on the head before entering the castle with Sinistra. A surge of affection went through Charlie, and she was reminded once more of why she loved the staff of Hogwarts so much.
Green eyes rolling back to peer at the headmaster and three remaining professors, she asked forlornly, "Mrs. Crouch died in that horrible place to give her son freedom. Why would he dishonour such a sacrifice by doing what he did?"
"Not everyone can be like you," Dumbledore said, rather relieved that she was speaking of the topic that caused her so much grief of her own accord. "You have honoured your parents' sacrifice by showing so much love and compassion to those around you, regardless of who they are."
"Would you mind telling us where you were last night?" Flitwick asked gently.
"You're going to think I've lost my mind."
"Nonsense, child," dismissed McGonagall. "You're much too clever to go mad. What have you done?"
Charlie sat up and folded her hands in her lap. "Crouch Jr. turned his father's body into a bone after he killed him. That…really bothered me. Mr. Crouch may have done some unethical things in his time, but I don't think he was a horrible person. He didn't deserve such inhumane treatment. I couldn't sleep last night, so…I went into the Forbidden Forest, found the bone, turned it back into his body and gave him a proper burial."
"After the events that occurred a few nights ago, you went out into the Forbidden Forest alone?" Snape asked in disbelief. "Do you have no sense of self-preservation?"
She shrugged feebly in response.
McGonagall studied the girl in awe. "To do what you did takes quite a level of magical skill."
"Well…it took me a while," she admitted. "But I brought Angelina's body back and gave her family closure. I wanted to do the same for Mr. Crouch. I think Winky might be taking the loss a bit better, now that there's a grave for her to visit."
"You're an incredible girl, Miss Potter," said Flitwick with a fond shake of his head.
Charlie turned red at the praise.
"Are you ready to return to the hospital wing?" Dumbledore asked kindly, his eyes twinkling brightly. It warmed his spirits, knowing the lengths Charlie would go to in order to make others happy, knowing how much she held in maintaining the dignity of others, in life and in death.
"Yes," she agreed. She got to her feet and brushed some dirt from the white pajamas.
"Would you be willing to see Mr. and Mrs. Johnson?" McGonagall asked. "They'd like to see you."
"Okay." She nodded. "Um…I ought to get cleaned up first, though."
They started into the castle and the raven-haired girl paused. She glanced briefly over her shoulder before turning back around, a slightly nervous expression on her face as continued walking through the Entrance Hall.
"It's kind of too late now…but the Cup was mine, right? I wasn't supposed to give it back or anything?"
