Chapter 37

"We climbed up to Dumbledore's office, and went inside. Once Dumbledore saw Hagrid with the body he motioned him to go outside and asked us to stay inside.

"Oh look, Licorice Snap." I said to Harry once they were outside.

"Of course, we just found a dead body and all you can think of is food" Harry sighed as he walked over the bowl to get me one.

"I would be careful if I was you, they can bite and jump" I warn him.

"What!?" Then half of the bowl jumped and when the candy suddenly bites Harry on the hand, he goes against a cupboard. Harry and I noticed a shimmering light. Inside the partially opened cupboard is a stone bowl filled with an odd, glittering, substance.

"What are those silver things?" I ask aloud.

"No idea" said Harry taking out his wand and poking them. The silvery substance had become transparent; it looked like glass.

"Harry stop" I said, grabbing his wrist. Right after it, we were both pulled into it. We were falling through something icy-cold and black; it was like being sucked into a dark whirlpool —

And suddenly, Harry and I found ourselves sitting on a bench at the end of the room inside the basin, a bench raised high above the others. Not one of the witches and wizards in the room (and there were at least two hundred of them) was looking at us. Not one of them seemed to have noticed that two fourteen-year-old boys, (Well, fifteen-year-old, in my case) had just dropped from the ceiling into their midst.

"Are we in a court room?" I asked.

"I think so. Look over there!" Harry said.

"What?"

"Dumbledore" Harry whispered, pointing to a younger Dumbledore.

"Professor!" I said in a kind of strangled whisper. "I'm sorry — We didn't mean to — We were just looking at that basin in your cabinet — we — where are we?"

But Dumbledore didn't move or speak. He ignored me completely. Like every other wizard on the benches, he was staring into the far corner of the room, where there was a door.

"Tony, I think this is a memory…" Harry said, looking around him.

"Ahhh, Remus I good to see you. I see you brought little Antony" said Dumbledore looking past Harry and I. We turned and saw Uncle Remus holding my 1-year-old self.

"Yes I did. Andromeda asked me take care of him for today, said she needed a rest. He is a bit of a troublemaker" said Uncle Remus taking a seat next to Dumbledore.

"Well, like father like son" laughed Dumbledore. "Do you mind if I take him? I love children."

"Not at all Professor" said my uncle handing me off to Dumbledore.

"Igor Karkaroff," said a curt voice of very much alive Barty Crouch. ""You have been brought from Azkaban to present evidence to the Ministry of Magic. You have given us to understand that you have important information for us."

I — I do," said a chained Karkaroff breathlessly. "I have some names. And these were important supporters, mark you. People I saw with my own eyes doing his bidding. I give this information as a sign that I fully and totally renounce him, and am filled with a remorse so deep I can barely —"

"These names are?" said Mr. Crouch sharply. Karkaroff drew a deep breath.

"There was Antonin Dolohov," he said. "I — I saw him torture countless Muggles and — and non-supporters of the Dark Lord."

"We have already apprehended Dolohov," said Crouch. "He was caught shortly after yourself."

"Indeed?" said Karkaroff, his eyes widening. "I — I am delighted to hear it!"

"Any others?" said Crouch coldly.

"Why, yes . . . there was Rosier," said Karkaroff hurriedly. "Evan Rosier."

"Rosier is dead," said Crouch. "He was caught shortly after you were too. He preferred to fight rather than come quietly and was killed in the struggle."

"Any more?" said Crouch.

"Yes!" said Karkaroff. "There was Travers — he helped murder the McKinnons! Mulciber — he specialized in the Imperius Curse, forced countless people to do horrific things! Rookwood, who was a spy, and passed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named useful information from inside the Ministry itself!"

"Rookwood?" said Mr. Crouch, nodding to a witch sitting in front of him, who began scribbling upon her piece of parchment. "Augustus Rookwood of the Department of Mysteries?"

"The very same," said Karkaroff eagerly. "I believe he used a network of well-placed wizards, both inside the Ministry and out, to collect information —"

"But Travers and Mulciber we have," said Mr. Crouch. "Very well, Karkaroff, if that is all, you will be returned to Azkaban while we decide —"

"Not yet!" cried Karkaroff, looking quite desperate. "Wait, I have more!"

"Snape!" he shouted. "Severus Snape!"

Dumbledore had gotten to his feet with my baby self. "Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort's downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am."

"Very well, Karkaroff," Crouch said coldly, "you have been of assistance. I shall review your case. You will return to Azkaban in the meantime. . . ."

"Oh no, I heard about one more" smirked Karkaroff.

"Yes?"

"I know for fact that he was involved in the torture with the Cruciatus Curse to Frank and Alice Longbottom!"

"The name! Give me the damn name!"

"Barty Crouch . . ." Everyone in the room gasps. It was almost comical. " . . . Junior"

A man then stood up and tried to attack Karkaroff, it turned out to be Crouch's son. Then the room began to swirl. Once everything stopped spinning we found ourselves on Dumbledores office one more with Dumbledore waiting for us next to the stone basin.

"Professor, we didn't mean to . . ." I said quickly.

"It's quite alright Mr. Black" said Dumbledore

What is it?" Harry asked shakily.

"This? It is called a Pensieve," said Dumbledore. "I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind. I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form."

"You mean . . . that stuff's your thoughts?" I said.

"Certainly," said Dumbledore.

"I told you" Harry told me, nudging my ribs.

"Curiosity is not a sin you two" he said. "But we should exercise caution with our curiosity . . . yes, indeed"

"Professor, there is one thing" Harry said. "That man, Mr. Crouch's son, he was in my dreams" Dumbledore gave Harry a curious look.

"Please, continue"

"In this dream, I was in a house and Voldemort was there too, he wasn't quite human, though. Wormtail was there too and Mr. Crouch's son. They were talking about how they wanted me. I don't why or how Voldemort was going to use this man to get to me."

"I see . . ." whispered Dumbledore.

"Professor," Harry said at last, "do you think he's getting stronger?"

Voldemort?" said Dumbledore. "I can only give you my suspicions. Now go to bed, it late you two."

"Professor?" I said.

"Yes?"

"In the court . . . Well . . . were they talking about Neville's parents?"

"Has Neville never told you why he has been brought up by his grandmother?" he said. Harry and I shocked our heads no.

"Yes, they were talking about Neville's parents," said Dumbledore. "His father, Frank, was an Auror just like Professor Moody. He and his wife were tortured for information about Voldemort's whereabouts after he lost his powers."

"So they're dead?" said Harry quietly.

"No," said Dumbledore, his voice full of a bitterness. "They are insane. They are both in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I believe Neville visits them, with his grandmother, during the holidays. They do not recognize him."

"That's horrible." I whisper.

"Yes it is, please do not speak about Neville's parents to anybody else. He has the right to let people know, when he is ready."

"Yes, Professor," said Harry, both of us turning to go.

"And good luck with the third task."

Hello everyone! I am sorry it took me so long to update, I was busy with all the Chirstmas and New Years Eve parties. Still, I dont think this is a bad moment to wish you a happy New Year, at least. I hope you had a great time. Now, I know, is likely you have found this chapter boring, but remember I am just warming up. The third task is coming up and some of you might be thrilled due to the ending. Will Anthony face Voldermort? Will he die just like Cedric? Perhaps survives in the cemetery? Or will he go the graveyard at all?I am sorry to say that will have to wait a week to find out.Tell me what do you think will happen. See you soon,

-Lobo Sombra