"Hey, Harry!" Ron called as Harry entered the Great Hall for the feast that evening.
"Hi, Ron." Harry said.
"You've been wandering or something?" Ron asked, then added in a lower voice, "Doing okay?"
"Yeah." Harry responded normally. "I just wanted some time alone."
"What were you up to, Harry?" Daphne asked.
"Just thinking about some things." Harry responded.
"Like the tournament tasks?" She asked. "I've been speculating on that, too. Ron, Hermione and I went to visit Hagrid. He wouldn't tell us much, said he didn't want to spoil it for us."
"Not surprised." Harry responded. "This tournament sounds like a showy thing. I'm not going to be watching the tasks."
"Why not?" Ron asked.
"Because it's like watching Quidditch. The loud crowds aren't something I want to deal with if I don't have to." Harry said. "If it's required that I'm there to show the grand welcoming attitude of Hogwarts or some such nonsense, I'll go, but that doesn't mean I've got to listen at full volume."
Harry didn't say much more after that, as the dishes of food appeared. He and Magic served themselves by transporting it directly on to their plates, though Hermione didn't comment about their methods that time. As always, Harry enjoyed the food, though did feel a slight amount of anxiety in the back of his mind. He was able to dismiss it fairly quickly, though, and focused on more important things, such as the taste of the food he was eating. The students around he and Magic seemed more interested in who was going to be selected as the champion for the tournament rather than enjoying the food, though, but after Magic had altered Harry in order to save his life, he never passed up an opportunity to eat as much as he could to make his magic as powerful as it could be, knowing that it would probably save his life one day.
When all the food vanished from the plates, Harry heard the noise level in the Great Hall increase for a moment before going silent. He guessed Professor Dumbledore was standing to speak, and turned his head toward where he'd be.
"The Goblet of Fire is nearly ready to make its decision. I estimate one more minute." Professor Dumbledore said. "When a champion's name is called, I ask that they come up to the front of the Great Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber, where they'll be receiving their first instructions."
Harry felt Professor Dumbledore's magic from his wand sweep through the Great Hall, and sensed as it put out most of the candles. Mostly silence fell, but Harry could hear some movement.
"Any second." Lee Jordan whispered, rather close to where Harry and Magic were sitting.
He seemed to be correct. Harry felt a complex flash of magic, and felt that a choice had been determined. The magic reached out and ensnared the magic of one of the students in the Great Hall so quickly that Harry realized he wouldn't be able to stop it even if he'd been ready. At the feeling of the powerful and complex magic, Harry felt a brief sense of terror shoot through him.
'I'll be able to use my magic.' Harry chanted in his mind. 'Calm down, Harry, calm down.'
Everyone in the room gasped as Harry heard the sound of flames increase for a moment, then Professor Dumbledore's voice said clearly, "The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum."
"No surprises there!" Ron shouted as a storm of applause filled the Great Hall. Harry politely joined in as his heart began to beat harder. Any moment, he could be chosen.
"Bravo, Viktor!" Professor Karkaroff boomed so loudly that everyone could hear him, even through all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"
The clapping and chatting died down, and moments later, Harry felt a flash of choosing magic yet again and the ensnaring binding. He could almost feel how it worked that time, but had no idea how to predict how it would feel when it latched on to his own magic, as the binding feeling was slightly different that time, and still too fast for him to stop without dampening all the magic that came from the Goblet, which he wasn't going to do. He could feel the binding magic from the Goblet, which seemed to travel straight to each of the students, and through the binding magic, could trace how far away, and in what direction each student was from where the Goblet sat. Harry found that interesting despite the circumstances that he'd be chosen.
"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!" Professor Dumbledore said.
Harry quickly realized that the magic bound was that of the partly veela girl even as he, and everyone else clapped and cheered. Harry shouted, "It's her, Ron! Bet you'll really want her after that!" Harry laughed. Ron didn't respond.
"Oh look, they're all disappointed!" Hermione called over all the noise.
"Talk about overly dramatic!" Daphne said. "Some of those girls are crying!"
Harry privately agreed with Daphne's assessment. Again, the clapping and cheering died down after some time, and silence fell. This silence, however, was tense, anticipating. It would be the Hogwarts champion next. Harry felt his heart pounding harder in his chest, waiting, but not with anticipation, with dread.
The choosing magic flashed. Harry flinched slightly despite himself, and immediately felt relief. The Goblet hadn't bound him. He felt so much relief that he couldn't help himself from smiling widely.
"The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!" Professor Dumbledore called.
"No!" Ron called loudly.
Harry, however, was so happy that he'd been wrong that he jumped up and shouted, "Go, Cedric Diggory! Go! Go! Go!" He was practically shouting it as he jumped up on his seat, laughing and cheering loudly with a combination of relief and relaxation. He'd been wrong, so very wrong! For the first time sensing magic so deeply, he'd finally been thwarted! Harry loved the feeling.
Harry didn't stop clapping and cheering until everyone else did, and by far, this was the longest cheering that had happened yet. It was about a minute before Professor Dumbledore could make himself heard again, and Harry was probably not the only person grinning widely, though he imagined he was the only one who felt such deep relief.
"Excellent! Excellent!" Professor Dumbledore called happily, and the clapping and cheering died down completely, Harry clambering back into his seat. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real..."
Harry violently flinched. The Goblet had chosen again, and this time, it had chosen him. He felt the magic weave through his own. One moment, it wasn't there. The next, it was. His heart pounded with terror as he frantically felt the binding magic and sensed everything around him. His fear quickly calmed, as he could use magic, but the feeling of his magic being bound wasn't at all pleasant. Harry heard the flames change, and knew exactly what was coming.
"Harry Potter!" Professor Dumbledore called after several long moments of silence.
'I dislike this.' Magic stated within his mind.
'I know.' Harry responded.
Harry slowly stood to his feet, tightly clinging to Magic's hand as he touched the binding magic within him and struggled to work out how it worked. His heart pounded hard in his chest, and despite his trembling legs, he began to slowly make his way along the same path as the other champions. As he did so, Harry realized that anything he did to try and break the binding would cause his magic to become lost. Some part of him reflected on the fact that, if he hadn't had Magic's ever calm and stable presence next to him, he probably would have fallen due to the trembling in his legs.
There was no applause for him. Harry imagined he was looking pale. He didn't feel shock or surprise, only a deep terror of what was to come. He trudged up to the staff table, and as he got closer to the Goblet of Fire, he examined its magic again, deeper than before, much deeper. He found a possible vulnerability within its design, realizing that it could only hold a finite amount of magic, and experimentally, pushed an extremely slight amount of his magic through the binding. Nothing happened, except the Goblet of Fire obtaining slightly greater power.
Harry stopped in front of where the Goblet sat, and thus, where Professor Dumbledore was also sitting. He had a plan on how to break the binding on the Goblet of Fire, but didn't know how it might react to what he was going to do. The best thing to do, he thought, was take it out of the school. Despite the fact that he knew he could break its binding by overpowering it, Harry didn't know how it would react to the bindings on the other champions. Quickly, Harry deconstructed the bindings that the Goblet of Fire had on the others, ensuring to keep their magic in tact as he did so. Since he wasn't trying to get out of competing in the tournament, the Goblet of Fire didn't perceive this to be a threat, and therefore, didn't prevent him from using his magic and binding it completely.
"Well, through the door, Harry." Professor Dumbledore said in a grave voice.
Instead of doing that, Harry cleared his throat and turned around.
"Some of you may believe this, and some may not." Harry said after making Magic amplify his voice, feeling much calmer now that he knew, without a doubt, what he was going to do, and felt certain of his plan. "This is no joke, and I'm being quite serious when I say this. I've just broken the magical bindings of all the other champions linked to the Goblet of Fire. As such, they are no longer obligated, in any way, to compete in the tournament. I have done this..."
The other students began to talk louder over what Harry was saying. With a magical bang, they went silent.
"I have done this because I'm about to make the Goblet of Fire explode for placing me in this ridiculous tournament, and I didn't know what it would do to the others. So, anyone who wants to see the Goblet of Fire explode, meet me outside." Harry stated, turned around, and swept the Goblet from the table.
"You can't do that, Mr. Potter!" Mr. Crouch's voice shouted angrily. Harry presumed it was Mr. Crouch, as he didn't recognize it, and he knew what Mr. Bagman's voice sounded like.
"Watch me." Harry stated with a cool calm, then headed from the Great Hall.
He heard the chatting and talking of the students building in intensity as he walked from the Great Hall, and wasn't surprised to hear the thunderous sound of many footsteps, imagining the wave of students heading from the Great Hall. Sorry, Voldemort, Harry thought to himself. One plan diverted. Find another. He exited into the cold air of the night and made his way into the grounds, finding a clear, open space where he could perform his overpowering trick, listening to the students as they streamed on to the lawn. With magic, Harry levitated the Goblet high above him so everyone could see, then said, "I don't know what this will do, so keep your faces covered!"
Harry gathered his magic, and felt the bindings trying to stop him just as he began to push his flame of magic into the Goblet as hard as he could. It didn't take long, and he heard several students talking and shouting before a rather loud bang filled the air. Through Magic's knowledge, Harry saw the Goblet of Fire explode into several particles of dust that scattered everywhere, then slowly began to fall, shining with a radiant, golden light. Quickly, he used magic to gather them all up into one place, and with a thought, vanished them, the bindings on his magic finally broken. He sighed with relief.
"Tournament over, thank you for showing up!" Harry shouted to the students, his voice not amplified.
"Mr. Potter!" The voice of Mr. Crouch shouted, sounding furious. "Even the Headmaster can't protect you now! Come with me!"
Harry heard footsteps storming toward where he stood, then heard Professor Dumbledore state, "You haven't a choice, Mr. Potter. I suggest you do as he says."
Harry used Magic to lead him. Despite the fact that he'd just destroyed what was undoubtedly a very old and very valuable object, he felt calm. Nothing short of death was going to do anything to him, and he doubted the Ministry would go that far.
"You will be expelled for this, Mr. Potter, and not even Headmaster Dumbledore will be able to stop that!" Mr. Crouch shouted furiously, storming toward the gates. "We'll be going to the Ministry where you'll be placed in a holding cell, pending your trial regarding the destruction of valuable ministry property!"
'Oh, good.' Harry said, relieved. A trial wasn't anything new.
"When we are beyond the gates, you and Magic will take my arms, where we will immediately apparate to the Ministry! Do you understand me, Potter?" Mr. Crouch asked angrily.
"Finally getting your just dues, Potter!" Harry heard a girl's voice scream, though didn't recognize it.
"I can tel..." Harry began.
"I will be taking you, and you will not use whatever brand of transportation you think you have!" Mr. Crouch shouted in fury. Harry realized that someone was already standing at the gates, and to his surprise, felt Rose's familiar concealment magic. She was probably waiting for tonight, Harry thought, though realized, after a moment, that she was invisible to everyone but him and other Unspeakable's that were included in her magic.
"Okay." Harry said calmly.
Harry felt Mr. Crouch grab his arm, then said, "Hold on, Magic, and let's go!" Moments later, the familiar and rather unpleasant sensation of apparation swept over him.
Harry immediately knew that they weren't at the ministry when he felt the sensation of apparation leave him. The air where he was, was cool. He felt no magic around them except for he and Crouch. In fact, he felt nothing but what seemed to be a very wide open space.
"Well, well, well, Mr. Potter. Not even I thought you had it in you to destroy such an object. Congratulations." Mr. Crouch was clapping.
"Where are we?" Harry asked.
"The middle of a desert, Mr. Potter, and I want you to listen to me very, very carefully." Mr. Crouch said. "Your guardians, Sharen Henderson and Sirius Black, are being held captive. They will remain alive if you do exactly as I tell you. If you don't do as I tell you, they will die, and not through any magical means, so you won't be able to detect or prevent anything. Have I made myself very clear?"
"How will they die?" Harry asked, feeling frightened all over again.
"It's quite simple." Mr. Crouch responded calmly. "I'm sure you've heard of Muggle bombs, and detonators that wire them to explode. But in this case, we've done a bit of expansion on the detonation switches. Not only do they use Muggle batteries and are completely wireless, but there's a very slight magical backup. If the magical backup is bound or in some way removed by you, the bomb will explode. If the Muggle technology is vanished by you or stopped in some other manner, the bomb will explode. If you attempt to transport them away from the range of the detonators, the bomb will explode. If you use magic too close to the bomb, even trying to place a physical shield around them, the bomb will explode. Anything you do except exactly what I tell you will cause the bomb to explode. I hope I've made that clear, though I should be saying bombs, really. And they're both connected. What you do to one will cause the other to explode."
"You've made yourself clear." Harry said, glad that Magic had modified him to save his life from the lightning, allowing him to think clearly and objectively despite his fear, which made his heart pound and his legs tremble. 'Magic, should we stay?'
'You wish to save your guardians. The odds are highest if we remain, and do as we're told despite your promise to them.' Magic responded. 'The magical detection system is currently unknown. Any magic could activate the explosives. Acting without more data is unwise.'
'Okay.' Harry responded.
"We also have one other little backup plan of ours." Mr. Crouch said. "If, by some miracle you manage to rescue your guardians, you won't be able to prevent our Muggle prisoner, who's held in a location far from the house we'll be transporting to, from fleeing. Our Muggle prisoner has been briefed and shown many forms of magic, and has been given a rather nondescript, not dangerous magical object. Should you prevent what we'll be doing, he'll be free, and will go back to the Muggles with unalterable proof that there is, indeed, a magical world out there. So, unless you want to be responsible for the bloodiest war in history, I do suggest you cooperate with me."
"I'm sure his memory will be modified." Harry said calmly, adding in his mind to Magic, 'I can't be held responsible for what Voldemort did, I didn't capture the Muggle, after all. Such fallacious logic.'
"Oh, no, no." Mr. Crouch said. "Not at all, Potter. We've ensured that he can't have his mind tampered with, using a little magical charm that uses the Muggle's own life energy to power itself. Any attempt to remove the charm or alter it by anyone will kill him. But, not to worry. Unless anyone is going to go around tampering inside his body, they won't find it. So, you see, we've planned for this very well, Potter. We know all about your impressive abilities, and have anticipated almost everything you can do. Either way, you're going to lose. Either the Dark Lord will rise tonight, or a war will be on its way from the Muggles. I suggest you choose the lesser of two evils. And, remember, not doing what we say will, quite likely, result in the deaths of your guardians."
"Are you willing to answer a few questions for me?" Harry asked.
"Certainly, Harry." Mr. Crouch replied. "You can call me Barty if you like. Oh, by the way, don't bind my magic or try and attack me, we are being monitored at the moment."
Harry could feel a very faint, but strong magical signature that led in a specific direction, a type of communication line. He didn't doubt that, should he break the monitoring or tamper with it, his guardians would be killed. He knew he needed to listen if he had any chance of saving them at all.
"How did you find and capture Sirius and Sharen?" Harry asked.
"That was rather easy." Barty responded. "We were able to access the public records of Sharen, and find out where she works. It was luck, really, that she brought Sirius along with her. But, even if we'd only captured one, we were quite sure you'd want to keep her alive just as tenaciously as two."
Sharen really should have stopped working, Harry thought. Though she might not like it, this had been the second time someone had captured her, and this time, Sirius as well.
"Are you the Barty Crouch that Professor Dumbledore introduced, or someone else? And if you are who Dumbledore introduced, how long have you been working for Voldemort?" Harry asked.
"Ah, very good question!" Barty replied eagerly. "This was probably the most clever part of the plan! I'm very proud of it, personally. Tell me, Harry. Do you feel any magic transforming me, any potion? Anything at all?"
"No, I don't." Harry said.
"Very good!" Barty clapped, sounding rather joyful, anticipating either what he was about to tell him, or what was to come. "You see, my Lord knows that you can detect many forms of magic! So, the only solution was Muggle solutions. I am Barty Crouch, but I'm the son of the man Dumbledore introduced. Now how do you think I managed to fool everyone? Let's see just how good your deductive abilities are, shall we?"
"Makeup." Magic stated serenely. "It's the only available solution."
"Ah, yes." Barty said. "Clever, don't you think? No magical detection, nothing to see, nothing to dispel. And I already look so much like my father, that I only needed to make myself look older. A somewhat lengthy process, but it's worth it if it gets me what I want."
"I assume you're able to communicate with Voldemort." Harry said. "How?"
"Ah, impressive." Barty said. "You say his name without fear, but with a continued lack of respect. I'm afraid I shall have to ask that you not shield yourself from any magical attack, so you can be taught a lesson. I'll answer your question, of course, but the lesson comes first. Don't do as I say, and not only will your question not be answered, but I'm afraid your guardians will die."
There was only one solution that would keep his guardians alive, and Harry had Magic dispel his shield with a thought. He could feel, through Magic's thoughts, as she calculated various options and solutions to his current problem, but knew she wouldn't act given their situation.
"Shield is down." Harry said.
"Very nice." Barty said with anticipation, then roared, "Crucio!"
The pain was unlike anything that he'd ever felt in his life. Harry felt like his very blood had turned to acid, melting him from the inside out. He felt as if his very organs were about to burst, that his bones were turning to liquid, that fire was burning him alive, his entire world nothing but pain and the vague sound of screaming, the feeling of his body flopping on the ground. Everything but the pain was vague, however, but in some part of his mind, he knew it was him who was screaming and flopping around on the ground. He vaguely felt his head slamming into the ground, thought he'd bitten his tongue in his thrashing, but knew only the pain for certain. It felt like minutes that it lasted, and when it ended, Harry found himself on the ground, gasping and trembling, though only for a moment. The tremors left him quickly as the warmth of his own magic swept through him, healing all the damage, just as it had been doing throughout his pain. Trembling from fear and adrenaline instead of any aftereffects of the curse, Harry stumbled to his feet. Magic pulled him up, and as she always had, responded to his wish to know how long the pain lasted.
"You were under the cruciatus curse for five point four seconds." Magic stated.
"Five point four seconds." Barty said, clapping. "How cold and precise. Do you have any emotions at all, Magic? Or are you just a cold, calculating machine?"
"I currently feel no emotions." Magic responded placidly.
"How fascinating indeed." Barty said. "Too bad I can't study you. But, at any rate, your question."
Harry had forgotten exactly what his question had been in the haze of pain he'd felt, but Barty reminded him.
"I'm sure you've forgotten by now, so I'll tell you. You wanted to know how my Lord and I communicate." Barty said. "We have a mirror that works not unlike your Muggle telephones. We can not only hear the other person, but see them as well. I'm sure your guardians are getting quite the show listening to you and I. And if you're asking these questions to in some way stall, don't bother. We can't be traced, and neither can the Dark Lord. But, you needn't worry, Harry, we have all night to indulge your questions. Shall I take out my mirror and let your guardians see you?"
"No." Harry said. "Listening to me is bad enough."
"Harry, Harry." Barty said. "You'll learn very quickly not to say no to me, very quickly indeed. Don't do anything now, Harry, and you don't either, Magic, or the guardians explode. If you're shielded, Magic, don't be."
"I'm not." Magic stated.
Harry knew what was coming, and felt the pain of emotion stab through him. He really didn't want Magic to be hurt, but he didn't want his guardians to be hurt, either. As always, Magic provided a very cold, precise, and accurate assessment.
"The pain will do me as much harm as it did you. I will recover, and experience no emotional trauma." Magic stated.
"How sweet!" Barty said gleefully, then shouted, "Crucio!"
Despite his calm, Harry began to tremble and cry as he heard Magic fall to the ground, screaming and shrieking in pain, pain that he was quite certain went on for much longer than his own. Though she couldn't be physically injured, he'd never experimented with how a magical curse such as the Cruciatus would react to her, or even the body bind. Now, he was experiencing the result, and could even feel as if his flame of magic was hurting. The pain seemed to stab through his heart as he heard Magic screaming and screaming in pain, tears pouring down his face. Barty was laughing gleefully, and Harry continued to cry. After what felt like at least a minute, Magic stopped screaming, and Harry heard her stand and immediately run those hot, strong hands of hers gently over his tear-streaked face.
"I'm fine." She said in her usual placid voice.
"How long was it this time, Magic?" Barty asked with glee.
"One minute, fifteen point nine seconds." Magic stated as she gently wiped the tears from Harry's eyes, which continued to pour down his face.
"All right that's enough, stop it." Barty said. Magic removed her hands and stepped to Harry's side, he taking a breath and trying to calm. "Now, Harry. Anymore questions?"
"How can you talk to Vol... The Dark Lord? Isn't he a spirit?" Harry asked, voice trembling somewhat.
Barty laughed, then said, "You learn respect quickly! Very, very good on correcting yourself, and showing the proper amount of respect due my Lord!" He then sighed, took a deep breath, and said, "the Dark Lord came to me, if you can believe it. He broke me free of the Imperius curse, possessed me, and you can believe that I was more than willing to do my Lord's will after being locked in that accursed house of my father's. At any rate, we traveled together. The Dark Lord and I obtained a soulless woman, and after we obtained a rudimentary body for the Dark Lord to use as his own, we ensured this woman's loyalty and full compliance."
'Simulation of life or a Horcrux?' Harry asked.
'A Horcrux is in the favor of the odds at eighty-four point four percent given Voldemort's currently established behavior patterns.' Magic responded.
'She's a Horcrux, then. Got it.' Harry said.
"Any other questions, Harry?" Barty asked.
"Just one more." Harry said. "How'd you make sure your father wouldn't escape and tell anyone anything?"
"Harry, Harry, how disappointing." Barty said. "Let's see if you can figure that out for yourself. Come, come, now, I'm sure you're able to do so."
"I guess that you killed him." Harry said. "You don't seem to have any moral qualms about doing such things."
"Very good, Harry, very good indeed." Barty said. "I did kill him, of course, after collecting all the memories I'd need to know in order to ensure to accurately live his life without suspicion. And now, shall we go?"
Harry reached out, and Barty obligingly grasped his hand, Magic having grasped his other arm. After another constricting feeling of apparation, Harry found himself standing inside a house. He could feel Voldemort's twisted and broken magic, and could also feel the magic of Sirius and the much lower level of magic from Sharen, along with the extremely faint feeling of magic from what was likely the bombs strapped to them, and the magic of a Portkey somewhere in the room.
"You have done very well, Barty." Voldemort said in a high, cold voice. Knowing where they were, in this place with Voldemort, Harry could only think of one course of action to take. It would be quite tricky, and he'd never performed so many pieces of magic at once, but he had to take a chance. He couldn't do nothing, couldn't simply walk away. Even if the captured Muggle did escape, it wasn't any of his actions that would have caused him to learn of the magical world, since he already knew about it due to Voldemort's actions before he'd even arrived. It was a very clever plan that Voldemort had set, Harry knew, but trying to pin the responsibility of the potential Muggle war on him had been a mistake. Clearly, Voldemort was truly the one responsible.
'Will my plan succeed? Passively and quickly feel everything.' Harry thought to Magic.
'Yes.' Magic stated. 'Proceed when ready.'
"My Lord." Barty said in a very eager voice. "We are ready, my Lord, to proceed."
"Let's make certain Potter knows that his guardians are alive, shall we?" Voldemort asked.
Harry felt a rush of magic, and his guardians, who had been silent, began to shout.
"Harry get out of here!" Sharen was shouting.
"You remember our promise Harry, keep yourself safe!" Sirius was saying.
"Protect yourself, leave!" Sharen screamed.
"Don't stay here!" Sirius was continuing.
The voices of both of them were overlapping with each other. Harry calmly held up his hands and they stopped talking.
"May I speak, Dark Lord?" Harry asked politely.
"You may. We have time, Mr. Potter." Voldemort responded. "I respect those who show me the proper respect, after all, but we do have a matter that I will have to punish you for."
Harry guessed that Voldemort likely wanted to punish him for the destruction of his Horcrux, as he had observed that, and attempted to possess Magic afterward. If all went well, however, he wouldn't have that to worry about.
"Sirius, Sharen, if you can remain silent and as calm as you're able, I'll take the silencing magic away." Harry said, his voice trembling from his fear, but otherwise, was calm.
Harry waited a moment, then thought to Magic, who removed the silencing magic. Sharen was quietly sobbing, and Harry could hear Sirius' ragged breathing.
"I'm sure both of you realize exactly what's going on." Harry said. "You've heard that if I try anything, there are two bombs that are going to explode. I can't even use magic close to you without triggering them. Either I do what I'm told, or both of you die. I'm sure you have heard this all through the mirror that the Dark Lord Voldemort is holding."
"Yes..." Sharen sobbed, sounding terrified, far more terrified than Harry had ever heard her sound before.
"And you've heard, that if I do manage to do anything, war with the Muggles is inevitable because of the proof the Muggle has been given regarding the magical world." Harry said, then thought. 'Have you traced the prison's exact location?'
'Yes.' Magic stated. 'We can proceed with that plan when you are ready.'
"There are more important things, Harry, your life!" Sirius shouted. "Get out be..."
Harry held up a hand and Sirius stopped speaking on his own.
"Now, you know that I love you both deeply, and would do anything for you at all, and that I simply can't leave. I want to save both of you." Harry said. "You know the only option told to me in that regard. Protesting and saying anything won't do any good at all."
'The prisoner has freely escaped by unlocking his cell door with a paperclip he had in a pocket. The Horcrux is making no attempt to stop him. He will leave the building in an estimation of five point nine seconds.' Magic stated calmly in Harry's mind.
'Good, then I can feel no guilt about continuing, and not stopping the Muggle.' Harry thought in reply.
'You could before, unless you wished to place the responsibility of Voldemort's actions upon yourself.' Magic responded in Harry's mind.
"Yes." Sirius said in a trembling voice.
"All right, that's enough, Potter." Voldemort stated coldly. "You will do as I tell you, now."
"You never should have done this, Voldemort. You've made your final mistake." Harry responded with a cold, remorseless tone. "You've laid your own trap that will lead to your death."
At the same moment, Magic stated in his mind, 'Voldemort is clearly unstable.'
'Clearly.' Harry replied. 'But I'll lose no sleep over this. Just think, if he hadn't wired these bombs in such a way, they wouldn't go off when I proceed.''
Before any response could be given by Voldemort, Harry felt Magic manipulating his magic to do everything he'd desired. The bodies and clothes of Sharen and Sirius were surrounded by a physical shield which would use the energy of the explosion to strengthen it, which had to come first in case they detonated before he managed to complete their teleporting. At the same moment, every Horcrux Voldemort had was cut from its tether, destroying all the soul pieces, including the one in the woman, at least, he hoped. For good measure, however, Magic teleported the woman to their location at the same moment that the Horcrux links were broken. Again, at the same moment as these other pieces of magic were being performed, Harry bound Barty Crouch so he couldn't escape or use magic. Just after Magic did all these things, which took less than zero point zero zero one seconds, far less time than it would take the bombs to explode, Harry, Magic, Sharen, Sirius, and Barty Crouch were teleported outside the house, all surrounded by the physical and magical shields that would keep them safe. Just as Barty said they would, the bombs exploded due to their detection of magic close to them. Harry heard the boom and felt the heat, smelled the smoke that poured from the house, and heard the scream of Voldemort, feeling his mutilated and twisted soul fade into nothing along with that part of Voldemort within the soulless woman he'd captured and made his own. He was absolutely certain now that Voldemort was dead, and just to check, felt Barty's magic and discovered no magical link of any strength which led to Voldemort. He let out a trembling sigh, unheard over the loud sounds of the house collapsing. What was heard, however, was Barty's shout of inarticulate rage.
"Crucio! Crucio! Potter! How dare you! Avada Kedavra! AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!" Barty was screaming wildly, madly.
With a thought, Harry got rid of all the makeup on Barty using Magic to vanish it from his face, then stepped behind him and grabbed his shoulders.
"You have just observed the end of your Dark Lord Voldemort!" Harry shouted as the house continued to burn and collapse. "He will never rise again, I can assure you of that! There is always a way out, Barty Crouch Junior! You will never again use magic, because I will never release the magical binding on you, and you will live out the rest of your days knowing that Voldemort is dead!"
Harry heard faint laughter in front of him, which was rising. Sharen and Sirius were laughing, he realized, with a combination of relief and shock.
"Sharen! Sirius! I've got things to take care of, so I'm sending you back to your house!" Harry called, and with a thought, they were teleported to Sharen's house, which was probably one of the safest places on the planet.
"You won't get away with this!" Barty screamed madly. "He'll return and he will stop you!"
Magic grabbed Barty and they teleported just inside the front gates of Hogwarts, where he realized a still concealed Rose was standing, perhaps waiting for his return, or lack of it. Barty, by this point, was positively crazed, and struggling wildly to escape Magic's unbreakable grasp. Harry could feel several magical people clustered together as he began calmly walking toward the steps to Hogwarts, though felt the magicals heading toward him.
"The Dark Lord will return!" Barty screamed. "He will! He's cheated death before and he'll do it again! And if he doesn't then the Muggles will end you all! They will end all of you, and I die knowing that you will all get what you deserve! More power to all pure-bloods! To... To... T..."
Harry heard Barty starting to choke, and with a thought, had Magic scan him. She immediately felt the poison within him, tracing it to something under one of Barty's teeth. With a thought, Harry neutralized the poison within him and repaired his damaged cells using the same magic that healed his own injuries when they were obtained, as the Ministry would likely require another witness to the events. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered saving him from a death he'd brought on himself.
"No!" Barty screamed. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME POTTER! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"
Harry silenced Barty with a thought, then heard Professor Dumbledore casually call out, "Problems, Harry?"
"Not anymore, Professor." Harry replied. "You might not have heard through all of Barty Crouch Junior's raving, but Voldemort's dead."
"I surmised that myself." Minister Bones said. Harry felt only a bit of surprise to know that she was there. "Congratulations, Mr. Potter."
"Thanks." Harry said. "I'm sorry I don't have a body to bring you, but if you trust this man, and you trust what I'm telling you, then you can trust, with full confidence, that Voldemort is dead."
"Yes. I do believe you, Mr. Potter, as you have given me no reason to disbelieve you. During the last time I met you, you made rather unbelievable claims which then turned out to be quite true. I see no reason not to believe this one as well." Minister Bones responded, she, Professor Dumbledore, and a few other people came to stop in front of Harry, Magic, and unknown to them, a completely concealed Rose that stood behind them both.
"There is something we need to discuss, Harry." Professor Dumbledore said in a sorrowful tone. "I do hate to be the bearer of bad news. But, however good and justified your actions were tonight in the destruction of Voldemort, your destruction of the Goblet of Fire cannot go unpunished."
"There is evidence, this time, that you did perform the destruction of said object, and all claims in this regard are quite valid." Minister Bones said.
"Let me guess." Harry responded casually. "I'm expelled from Hogwarts."
"You're quite correct." Minister Bones replied. "There are four Aurors here to take yourself and Magic into custody."
"First." Harry said casually, hearing the sound of Barty trying, and failing to break free of Magic's relentless hold. "I suggest you take Mr. Crouch here into custody. He'll confirm that Voldemort is dead, and give you other pieces of information that you'll likely find valuable, which is why I prevented him from killing himself. Second, I will fully confess to the destruction of the Goblet of Fire, which wouldn't at all have been necessary if Voldemort's lackey here, didn't put my name within it in the first place. Just guessing, but I do think that's what happened. Seeing as how he was playing Mr. Crouch senior. He'd have the perfect opportunity to do so. Third. I'll agree to recreate the Goblet of Fire, with complete accuracy and true to its form as it was. Magic here has the precise specifications on the entire object, with the exclusion of the magic Mr. Crouch used to modify it."
"I see." Minister Bones said. "I think, then, if you recreate the Goblet of Fire, we'll wave those charges from your record."
"Okay." Harry said.
"And, I'll have the Aurors take Barty Crouch, if you will kindly stun him for us." Minister Bones stated.
With a thought, he was unconscious, and Harry heard Magic hand him over to the Aurors before he cupped his hands, and Magic recreated, in every precise detail, a flawless duplicate of the Goblet of Fire within them. It took surprisingly less magical power than he thought it might, perhaps about a tenth of his strength, which was a tremendous amount for anyone else. He needed to make real material, though, so it wouldn't vanish, and the magic of the goblet was quite complex.
"Here you are, Minister." Harry said, holding it out to her. "The exact, flawless duplicate of the Goblet of Fire in every way."
"I believe you." Minister Bones said as she carefully took it from him. "Well, then, as stated, I do believe I can clear that record of yours, then."
"There is one other thing." Harry said. "I really don't mind being removed from Hogwarts. There are other things I want to do, anyway. And, we've got to prepare for the war with the Muggles that will likely be coming."
"War with the Muggles? I thought Barty Crouch was simply stating that as a threat, or a mad ranting, perhaps some form of intimidation, but nothing real." Minister Bones said.
"No." Harry sighed. "Unfortunately, he spoke the truth. I have no idea where that Muggle went that Voldemort held prisoner. And frankly, I really don't feel like finding out."
"Could you track him down and do what's needed to stop the war?" Minister Bones asked.
"Stop it, no. No, I doubt it." Harry said. "Delay the war, perhaps, but not stop it. You may not realize just how rapidly Muggle technology is advancing. Eventually, they will discover us, even if they've got to work outside our government system to do it. Satellites aren't like people, and they can't be tricked like them, not forever. Technology will eventually outpace the magical world, because the magical world refuses to change. It lacks any real progress that would help us stay secret from the Muggle world. Eventually, we will be discovered as magicals, and knowing how Muggles fear things that they don't understand and can't explain, I find it very likely that at some point in the future, whether I stop this Muggle man or not, war will come. And, stating that one person will be the start, and cause of a war between the wizarding world and Muggles, is rather fallacious logic."
"You, Mr. Potter, could stop the war permanently." Minister Bones said. "I'm sure you have abilities you haven't even begun to show us, and I'm confident you could keep the wizarding world safe."
"A friend of mine told me that I shouldn't do your work for you, shouldn't help everyone all the time, and should let people experience the consequences of their actions. Wise advice, I think, given my power. So, given that I didn't cause the Muggle to be in the position that he's in, and given that, while I could either stop the war or protect every magical from any Muggle attack, that would only lead to further stagnation of the magical world and an unhealthy dependence on me, I'm not going to stop the Muggle, and I won't stop the war. Voldemort put this Muggle in the position that he's in, and I suspect he let him keep any magical items he may have been given, too." Harry said.
"Will you at least tell us where the Muggle is?" Minister Bones asked.
"No." Harry responded. "I'm not going to track him down. I'm not responsible for doing your work for you."
"Then, forgive me for saying this, but it sounds as if you're not going to do anything for us at all." Minister Bones responded in an icy tone. "Just what are you going to do, go back to your safe and protected home, where you can watch the world fall apart around you?"
"Not at all." Harry said. "I'm going to teach you how to do your work for yourselves, and reveal something about myself that you don't already know. Secrecy, at this point, I think is only going to be counterproductive. The next few seconds will determine exactly what will be revealed, and what won't."
Harry waited. A second passed, then he felt Rose dispel all of the magic that kept her concealed and invisible, standing on his right side now, having moved while he'd been talking. Minister Bones gasped.
"I am Unspeakable Rose Landry, and this is Unspeakable Harry Potter." She stated in a calm, controlled voice. "I've been working with Harry Potter since his third year."
"I removed access to your memories of her coming here, Professor Dumbledore, under her instruction and as you agreed." Harry said. "But I left a little failsafe I told no one about, not even her." With a thought, Harry restored Professor Dumbledore access to the memories he removed from his mind's access.
"Ah." Professor Dumbledore said after a moment. "Quite clever, and most prudent, indeed."
"We now need to decide on our next courses of action." Rose said. "Voldemort is destroyed, but as Harry said, a war with the Muggles is looming. We need to be a united people, now more than ever, work as one, and discover secrets of magic that will protect and keep us safe."
"What do you propose?" Minister Bones asked, and as the conversation continued between them, the plan for Harry to work with them to create magic they could produce, to learn and innovate, and to ultimately help protect the wizarding world against the Muggle war, began on the lawns of a school that was made to instruct children in magical use.
