The golden quartet snuggled into the cozy hut as Hagrid poured them some butterbeer from a stash he kept for special occasions. Draco was very thankful for the well-lit fire as the five of them gathered around, laughing and catching up. Draco and Ron described what it was like to be placed under the stasis spell while Harry was regaling them with what happened during the search under the lake. After witnessing Fleur's encounter with the Grindylows, Harry confirmed Hermione's assumptions about the residents of the merpeople village. Hogwarts was still polluting the Blake Lake with waste product from the plumbing system, which the underwater creatures were, obviously, still sore about. When Harry tried to untie Fleur's sister, the guard had attacked him, forcing Harry into a duel before he eventually won and was able to free Ron and Gabrielle. Had he not been able to save the remaining hostages, the merpeople had planned to double-cross the ministry committee and use those left behind as collateral to force the government's hand into cleaning up their home.
"That's barmy! And to think Draco. The committee lied to Dumbledore and, by extension, us and said we were safe," Ron exclaimed.
"I still cannot get over the fact that not only did you sneak into Snape's cupboard, but you threatened Mr. Crouch," Harry said to Hermione as he snorted into his mug.
"Mione? Our Mione stole from a teacher?" Hagrid gasped.
"How else did you think I got the Gillyweed, Hagrid? I needed it. Desperately. I wouldn't have been able to save Ron and pass the second task without it," Harry soothed the half-giant.
Hagrid looked a bit conflicted with the response before eventually nodding his head, "I guess what Professor Snape doesn't know won't hurt 'em."
Hermione gave each of them a severe look, "I do not appreciate the people I love most being put in unnecessary danger."
"On that note, I propose a toast," Draco chimed in, raising his glass, "To best friends and necessary mischief!"
"Here, here!" Ron cried out.
The five of them chatted a bit more before Hagrid suddenly announced it was dinner time for some of the creatures that he needed to prepare for class the next day. Not wanting the celebration to end, Draco, Ron, Harry, and Hermione migrated the festivities into the forest as they followed right behind Hagrid. Draco couldn't help but smile at the lively atmosphere as Ron kept cracking jokes while Hagrid sang Harry's praises. The success from the second task was highly contagious and kept their spirits high despite the cloudy and windy weather.
"Now, I remember- I remember when I first met yeh all. Biggest bunch of misfits I ever set me eyes on!" Hagrid reminisced, "Supposed remind me of myself a little. But here we are! Four years later!"
Ron laughed, "We're still a bunch of misfits, Hagrid."
"Well, maybe," Hagrid conceded.
"And we all got each other," Draco added. The sentiment formed smiles all around the group.
"And don't forget, Harry, of course! Soon to be the youngest Triwizard champion, there's ever been!" Hagrid shouted at the top of his lungs before he started to sing the school song.
Hermione, Ron, and Draco, all a little tipsy on the butterbeer, joined in the anthem as they skipped and danced around the forest. They were laughing and joking together when Harry suddenly cried out.
"It's Mr. Crouch!"
Immediately after finding the dead body of Mr. Crouch, Hagrid had the students run to Dumbledore's office to inform him what had happened. The Headmaster ended up summoning the Aurors and ordered the four of them to wait while the inspectors examined the scene of the crime. He had invited the young Gryffindors to try a Licorice Snap before abruptly escorting Minister Fudge and the Inspectors out the door. Already being too familiar with the office layout, the students were prepared not to sit and elected to pace awkwardly around the ornate room until Dumbledore returned. Draco snorted when he heard Ron's stomach growl, prompting his friend to lick his lips as he reached into the candy jar Dumbledore pointed out earlier.
"Ron!" Hermione admonished the redhead.
"What," Ron protested with a handful of the Licorice Snaps, "He said to help our… OUCH!"
The licorice came to life and started attacking Ron. Harry and Draco were chuckling as Hermione scoffed. She was frantically trying to pick up the candy that had fallen on the floor.
"Will you two stop and help?" Hermione said over her shoulder.
Before the two boys could leap in to assist, Ron had backed into one of the cabinets, revealing a secret compartment behind the door. Magically, the cabinet door opened further to reveal a stone basin emitting a bright light.
Harry gasped, "What is that?"
The four simultaneously moved closer to the basin, mesmerized by the swirling white strands inside the silver liquid. To Draco, they reminded him of locks of hair floating in water.
"It's a Pensive," Draco stated, suddenly remembering what the object was called. He had seen one a long time ago in Borgin and Burkes when he had accompanied his father during his errands. He especially remembered this object because his father had smacked his hands so hard for touching it, he thought he had broken a finger. "I've never used one before, but I know they're extremely costly."
"What's a Pensive?" Harry asked, still moving towards the object in question.
"I've read about them," Hermione chimed in, "They allow you to view memories pulled from a person."
"Wicked," Ron exclaimed, leaning over the rim.
The four Gryffindors circled the Pensive, staring down at the liquid when Harry pulled out his wand and touched one of the silver stands. The liquid suddenly began to glow a golden yellow hue as the image of a courtroom appeared before the quartet's eyes. Similar to a portkey, Draco felt a force pull him down and then lurch him forward unexpectedly into the image with Ron, Harry, and Hermione. The four re-emerged on a bench, sitting next to a younger-looking Dumbledore and Mad-Eye Moody.
"Professors!" Harry called out to them, but the two adults ignored him.
"Professor," someone else in the scene greeted, holding his hand out to shake. The man's arm went right through Ron's stomach as Dumbledore shook the man's hand.
"Bloody Hell," Ron whimpered as he patted down his body.
"You don't need to worry. No one can hear us because we aren't really here. We are just viewing the memory as a… spectator of sorts," Hermione informed them as she gave Moody a wary look, "At least, that's what the textbook said."
"Right," Draco confirmed, "And from the looks of it… we are possibly in Dumbledore's memory."
There was a commotion in the center of the room as someone was lifted into a spiked cage. None other than Barty Crouch called the room to order with the loud banging of a gavel from the Judge's stand. He appeared stern and imperious as he presided over the courtroom and, consequently, the familiar prisoner.
Harry gaped and pointed at the man in the cage, "That's… Karkaroff."
Hermione shushed him just as Mr. Crouch began speaking.
"Igor Karkaroff, you have been brought from Azkaban at your own request to present evidence to this council. Should your testimony prove consequential, we may be prepared to order your immediate release. Until such a time, you remain in the eyes of the Ministry a convicted Death Eater."
"Damn, he's not playing around," Ron commented on Crouch's harsh tone before whispering to Hermione, "You know, I wouldn't blame you if you did murder him."
"Oh, honestly, Ronald!" Hermione hissed, not at all amused by the joke. Draco told them to quiet down so they could hear what Karkaroff had to say. The man looked similar to how Sirius looked after he broke out of Azkaban. Dirty, pale, and thin. His eyes had a crazed look about him as he searched the audience in the courtroom and observed the scene before him.
"Do you accept these terms?" Crouch asked tersely.
"I do, sir," Karkaroff stuttered.
"And what do you wish to present?" Crouch responded.
"I have… names, sir. There was… a Rosier! Evan Rosier."
Crouch snapped his fingers at the reporter next to him to search a pile of papers on the desk. The poor man desperately flipped through the parchment before finally producing what Crouch was impatiently waiting to review.
"Rosier is dead," Crouch sneered as he threw the paper down in front of him.
"Didn't stop him from taking a piece of me with him, though," Mad-Eye whispered to Dumbledore, making the old professor chuckle.
"If that is all the witness has to offer, then…"
"No! No, there was… Rockwood! He was a spy!" Karkaroff yelled.
Crouch furrowed his brows at the prisoner, "Augustus Rockwood? Of the Department of Mysteries?"
"The same! He passed information to You-Know-Who from inside the Ministry itself!" Karkaroff exclaimed as he nodded his head. He looked like a starved dog wanting a bone with how his mouth hung open.
Crouch paused for a moment as if he was pondering what Karkaroff said before responding coldly. "Very well," he cast his eyes down to the parchment before him and started to scribble something that the four students could not see. "Council will deliberate. In the meantime, you will be returned to Azkaban."
"NO!" Karkaroff screamed. "Wait! Wait! Please! Please, I have more!" he begged, rattling his chains against the bar. "What about Snape? Severus Snape?"
Dumbledore stood abruptly, "As the council is aware, I've given evidence on this matter. Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater and, prior to Lord Voldemort's downfall, turned spy for us at great personal risk."
"It's a lie!" Karkaroff refuted madly.
"Today, he's no more a Death Eather than I am," Dumbledore finished before he gracefully sat back down.
"Snape remains faithful to the Dark Lord!" Karkaroff insisted, screaming the insinuation at the top of his lungs and inciting chaotic chatter amongst the witnesses in the courtroom.
"Silence!" Crouch yelled as he banged the gavel over and over until the room was brought to order. Once he was confident that he would not be interrupted, Crouch sneered at Karkaroff, "Unless the witness possesses any… genuine name of consequence…."
The four Gryffindors whipped their heads back to Karkaroff as the man began chuckling manically at Crouch. "Oh, no, no, no. I've heard about one more."
"And what's that?" Crouch asked impatiently.
"The name," Karkaroff taunted.
"Yes?"
"I know for a fact this person took part in the capture and, by means of the Cruciatus Curse, tortured the Auror Frank Longbottom and his wife!" Karkaroff shouted, riling up the courtroom again.
"The name! Give me the wretched name!" Crouch spat.
"Barty Crouch," Karkaroff yelled. He paused for a moment as the audience gasped. His crooked smile was the only indication he was enjoying the theatrics of his reveal as he leaned his mouth through the bars and annunciated the last part of the name. "Junior."
From behind Harry, a handsome young man, who looked similar to Crouch, quickly stood up and tried to escape the confines of the courtroom. Sitting next to Hermione, Moody was on his feet as fast as lightning and fired a spell at Barty Crouch Junior, immobilizing the man as Aurors began to apprehend him. Barty Crouch Junior struggled and hurled insults at the law enforcement officers when they pulled him so that he was standing face to face with his shocked father. Draco felt disturbed as the blond watched the scene play out in front of him. The deranged man gritted his teeth before he flicked his tongue out, like how a snake inspects its surroundings. It was an action he had seen Moody do once or twice in the classroom. A tick that distinct was hard to forget.
"Hello, father," Junior sarcastically greeted as he flicked his tongue a few more times.
Crouch narrowed his eyes at the young man, "You are no son of mine."
The courtroom erupted as people were screaming and shouting while the Aurors dragged Barty Crouch Junior away, presumably to be transported to Azkaban.
"Well, guess they aren't going to try Bagman today," Moody said to Dumbledore just as the memory faded away.
Draco felt the same tugging sensation he experienced earlier as the Pensive threw him, Ron, Harry, and Hermione out. The four stumbled a little bit on the stone floor, trying to take in their new surroundings after the stimulating events in the memory. Draco sighed in relief when he realized his stomach was settling and that they were back in Dumbledore's office. However, his sense of security was short-lived as the four made eye contact with the Headmaster himself, patiently waiting for them to re-emerge.
"Professor!" Hermione squeaked.
"We were just…." Harry started to explain, but Dumbledore raised a hand to halt him.
"Curiosity isn't a sin, but one should exercise caution." The Headmaster paused as the students ducked their heads in shame and awaited a dressing down. When it never came, they slowly looked up to find the Professor studying them inquisitively before he nodded in Draco's direction. "I take it, Mr. Malfoy, that you explained what this device is. It's very useful… especially for someone like me who finds their mind… a wee bit stretched."
"And… what exactly, have you been searching for, Professor?" Harry boldly asked.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the Gryffindor before he cleared his throat, "Something I might have overlooked… a small detail, if you will." He started pacing back and forth as he folded his hands behind his back, "Something to explain why these terrible things have been happening, but every time I get close to an answer, it slips away!"
Ron gulped, "That sounds maddening, Professor."
"Very much so, Mr. Weasley," replied the Headmaster. He plopped down in his desk chair before he rubbed the temples on his forehead as if to prevent a headache from forming. After a few moments of silence, Dumbledore looked up at them, "Which memory were you viewing… that is if you don't mind satisfying my own curiosity."
The quartet looked between one another before Draco spoke up, "The arrest of Barty Crouch Junior."
Dumbledore nodded his head with his mouth slightly parted like he would say something else when the Aurors stormed in. There were three officials in total. One was dark-skinned and dressed in purple robes, which Draco had a sense the man looked familiar. One was dressed in standardized grey robes that Draco did not recognize, and the last one… was his long-lost cousin. Nymphadora Tonks in the flesh. His eyes widened as he took in her bright pink hair and goth-style dark-purple robe. She stood tall and confident as her large peculiar eyes examined everything in sight. Draco shuddered for a moment when she lingered on him longer than she did everyone else, but thankfully a different conversation drew his attention elsewhere.
"We have concluded our investigation," the first Auror said.
"And what did you find, Auror Shacklebolt?" Dumbledore asked as he leaned against the back of his chair with a tired expression on his face. As soon as the Headmaster said the Auror's name, Draco remembered he was one of the higher ranking Aurors in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and had attended the Malfoy's New Year's Eve party with the Head of the DMLE, Madame Bones.
"We don't believe your students had anything to do with Mr. Crouch's murder. They are free to go back to their Common Room and no longer need to be questioned," Shacklebolt explained.
"But did you find out who killed him?" Harry asked.
The Auror raised an eyebrow at him, "We do not know at this time, Mr. Potter."
"But whoever it was, they possibly knew exactly where the school boundaries were and got away. It wouldn't be hard for someone in the audience to slip into the forest unseen and then cross over the Apparition wards without arousing suspicion," Tonks theorized.
"I agree with your assessment, Nymphadora, and happy to see you rose through the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's ranks so quickly. It seems only yesterday you were pulling pranks and breaking the rules with Tulip Karasu in these very halls," Dumbledore lamented.
Nymphadora beamed at the man, "Thank you, Headmaster."
Dumbledore then turned to the four Gryffindors, "You four may go. Unless there isn't anything else you wish to tell me?"
Harry shook his head, "No, Professor. Thank you."
With that, the four quickly ducked out of the room and sprinted back towards Gryffindor Tower.
"Alright, Harry. What were you hiding from Dumbledore?" Draco asked as they approached the Fat Lady.
"Mimbulus mimbletonia," Harry said quickly. He darted through the portrait hole, ignoring Draco's question.
"Okay. That was weird," Ron muttered as he, Draco, and Hermione followed right behind their friend.
Harry led them through the Common Room and up into the Boy's dormitory. He pulled the dream journal that Draco had given him at the beginning of the year off his dresser and began flipping through it.
"Harry, you're kind of scaring us," Draco said.
"Are you still having that dream you talked about on the train?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, and Dumbledore's memory just gave me a huge clue," Harry answered, holding up a picture he had drawn towards the back of the journal.
Ron's eyes widened, "Is that…."
Harry nodded, "Barty Crouch Junior."
"But Harry… wasn't he sent to Azkaban?" Hermione reminded him.
"So, he escaped? How? The same way Sirius did?" Draco questioned, concern lacing his voice.
"I don't know. But he is the one that took Voldemort to the Riddle House," Harry informed them.
"Did you ever hear back from your parents, love?" Draco asked Hermione, referring to her request for her muggle parents to see if they could find where the property was located.
Hermione shook her head, "Not yet. I can send a follow-up owl tomorrow."
"Why does You-Know-Who want Crouch? What were they doing in the dream? You know, besides… murdering the muggle," Ron asked.
"He gave Barty Crouch Junior a mission, but I never heard enough to find out what it was. Just that he swears not to fail his 'Lord,'" Harry said with disdain in his tone.
Hermione waved her wand and made a copy of the picture Harry sketched. "You need to meet with Sirius. Send an owl. Tonight."
Sirius couldn't meet with them until the Easter break at the end of March, which meant that Harry had to wait almost an entire month before speaking to his godfather in person. The four were nervous about sending too much information through the owl post, and rightfully so after Hermione got some awful hate mail due to the one and only article Rita Skeeter wrote about her. Since Miss Skeeter was… indisposed at the moment, there had been no new slander and, thus, no more crazy fans trying to hex Hermione. Draco and Hermione tried to distract Harry by forcing him to actually do his homework. However, the day before the break started officially, Harry had gotten called out to the grounds after dinner by Ludo Bagman (who was now officially in charge of the tournament after Crouch's death was announced) along with the rest of the champions. When the boy-who-lived came back later that night, he looked pale from the news he received.
"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked in a worried tone.
"I found out what the last task is," Harry informed the group.
"And?" Hermione prompted.
"It's… a maze. They turned the Quidditch pitch into a magical hedge maze," Harry revealed.
"Like Alice in Wonderland," Hermione said.
"Except Harry is going to have to face obstacles more deadly than the Queen of Hearts. I guarantee it," Draco added wryly.
"I have no idea what you two are talking about, but if anything, they will probably place a lot of creatures in your path," Ron stated.
"Agreed. I need some more creature and defense strategy," Harry affirmed.
Draco nodded his head, "We can help with that. When's the next task?"
"Mid-June," Harry confirmed.
"That's about two and a half months, give or take a week. Plenty of time for preparation for the last task and your exams," Hermione emphasized her point by pointing down at a textbook in her hand.
Harry groaned, "Don't remind me. You'd think being a Triwizard Champion would get me out of final assessments."
Sirius and Remus had booked a private room at the Three Broomsticks so that the young Gryffindors could talk to them in private. When they arrived, Harry greeted his godparents with open arms and a beaming smile. Draco could tell that Harry treasured each moment he got to see his guardians by how grateful he acted around them. With the greetings out of the way, it was time to get down to business.
"I haven't been completely honest with you, and it's because I didn't want you to worry, but I've been having these… weird dreams since the summer," Harry admitted as he pulled out his dream journal. "Draco gave me this so that I could keep track of everything."
Sirius took the journal with shaky hands, "And what happens to you in these dreams, Harry?"
Harry explained the nightmare he had been experiencing from beginning to end. He started with the muggle caretaker that he eventually witnessed dying at the end of the dream before moving on to the snippets of conversations between Voldemort and the two followers that he could not place the names of. Harry then described the estate (telling Sirius that he believed it to be the old Riddle House based on the markings in the cemetery that he recorded), the graveyard with the reaper statue, and the snake, which was Voldemort's familiar, in further detail. He also voiced his suspicions that he thought the incident wasn't actually a dream at all but a memory that Harry somehow kept reliving.
The longer Harry talked, the more worried and desperate his voice sounded, causing Remus and Sirius to stop him before he got too worked up. Draco thought they were probably worried Harry would stress himself into an accidental fit with his magic if he kept talking about seeing the green light from the killing curse.
Sirius sighed as he handed over the journal to Remus. He started rubbing Harry's back before he spoke. "It breaks my heart, pup, that you continue to shoulder these burdens."
"Harry, in the dream, what point of view are you experiencing it as? Are you seeing it like you were there in person and recalling the events like a memory? Or are you viewing it as a third party, almost like a ghost just watching what unfolds from the outside?" Remus asked, turning another page.
"Um… I think the first. I'm viewing everything from the perspective of the caretaker," Harry answered.
Sirius looked up at Ron and Draco, "How often does he have these dreams?"
Draco knew that Ron was a bit of a heavy sleeper and wouldn't be able to answer accurately. But Draco practically woke up every time Harry did when the nightmares were over. He always found Harry panting and sweating through his blankets. The past month had been so bad that Draco had virtually perfected cooling and cleaning charms. He fixed his cousin with a stern look, "Every night. The time varies, but every time Harry wakes up from them, it wakes me up."
Hermione gasped, "I didn't realize they were that frequent. I'll send another owl to my parents and see if they can work faster in getting that information."
"No, Hermione. Don't involve your parents further. For now, let's just keep this information between us," Sirius said in a severe tone.
"Do you mind if we keep this, Harry?" Remus inquired, holding up the journal.
"What if I need to keep recording in it?" Harry asked.
"Ah, I see," Remus made a copy of it and handed the journal back to Harry.
"We also want to give you something," Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver, square mirror. "Remus and I have an identical one. All you have to do is look into it, and the mirror will contact us."
"Wow! This is… amazing. Thank you!" Harry exclaimed.
Sirius chuckled, "Well, it is certainly faster than an owl, but seriously, pup. If you need anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to call us."
"We love you so much, Harry," Remus added. "We just want you to be safe."
"I," Harry choked for a minute before clearing his throat. He had thick tears pooling in the corners of his eyes, "I love you both, too."
As Sirius and Remus hugged Harry goodbye, Draco heard the adults telling Harry not to worry about this, and they would take care of everything. But when they sat down for dinner later that night, it seemed the topic would not leave them alone.
Hermione's parents had finally replied and with a novel's worth of information regarding the Riddle Estate. Between classes and preparing Harry for the tournament, the four poured over the documents that her parents had been able to acquire over the course of the next few weeks. It was such a variety of information from newspaper clippings to tax and county records regarding the property that there was a lot to record.
"Look at this one," Ron exclaimed a few weeks later, "The entire Riddle family was murdered in 1943!"
"What?" Harry, Hermione, and Draco said at the same time. They dropped what they were reading to look at the muggle newspaper clipping that Ron was reading from.
"Listen to this! 'Murder in Little Hangleton! Along with his wife (Age 62) and only son (Age 38), Thomas Riddle (Age 63) was found murdered in the conservatory of the Riddle Estate on the morning of June 26th. Law Enforcement reports that they have one suspect in custody, who has been identified as Mr. Frank Bryce, the long-time caretaker for the Riddles. No other details have been released to the public at this time. However, an inside source reports that medical examiners and specialists are baffled as to the cause of death. We will continue to keep you updated as the case unfolds'." Ron paused for a moment to let the words sink in before he muttered, "Bloody mental is what that is."
"There has to be a follow-up to the story, right?" Hermione said as she started digging through the papers again. She gave a wide smile as she pulled out an article at the bottom of the stack. "Here! 'Bryce set free! After weeks of interrogation and examination, the former caretaker for the Riddle Estate, Mr. Frank Bryce, was released from custody this evening due to a lack of evidence tying him to the murders of the Riddle family. The medical examiners and staff are also at a loss. Each member's exact cause of death was listed as 'inconclusive' on the official death certificate filed with the county records. When we interviewed the medical examiner, they stated that there were no marks on the bodies. However, there was some evidence to suggest that all three members suffered from sudden cardiac death simultaneously! It's extremely rare but not impossible. I'm no detective, but my best guess is they were scared to death. It appears the mystery of the night the Riddles died will remain unsolved for now.'"
Harry scoffed, "Scared to death? I bet you all the Galleons in my vault that Voldemort killed them."
"So, Voldemort kills his muggle family and leaves the bodies for the maid to find? Why? It doesn't make any sense," Ron stated.
"At least it provides more context to your dream. Or, I guess, rather vision. The last article that Hermione's parents sent us reported on Mr. Bryce's death. He was found in the same room and in the same manner as the Riddles," Draco reported. His brows furrowed when he noticed the date on the page, "Hang on. This said that he died on June 16th, 1994. Isn't that when the nightmares started?"
When Harry nodded, Hermione gave him a stern look, "You're going to tell Sirius about this, right? There is no way that is a coincidence."
"I will call him on the mirror tonight," Harry promised as he gathered up the textbooks. "I'm beat. I'm going to take a shower and head to bed. Who's keeping track of the Riddle documents?"
"Nose-goes!" Ron shouted as he placed his index finger on the tip of his nose. Draco and Harry quickly mimicked the same movement, leaving Hermione the last one to reach her nose. She rolled her eyes at the boys before picking up the documents.
"Tough break, love," Draco teased, earning him a slap in the arm.
"It's probably for the best. You are the most organized one out of all of us," Harry said, trying and failing to placate her with the compliment. He slunk away as Hermione shot dagger eyes at him, not at all amused with their childish antics. But she was possibly just sore about losing the game.
"I can't believe it's the end of May," Draco stated, taking a seat on the floor next to Hermione in the girl's dormitory. There had been no news from Sirius since Harry contacted him. In fact, Draco's cousin sounded angry that they had continued to investigate the Riddle Estate. Even though he and Remus thanked the Gryffindors for the information, they ended the mirror call with a stern lecture to, once again, let the adults take care of matters and stop investigating. While Harry was mad for being chastised, his anger quickly dissipated because he was swamped between studying for finals and training for the maze.
"I know," she said, reaching under her bed to pull out the glass jar. "Did you get the leaves I requested?"
Draco raised an eyebrow at her before he handed over the vine of pumpkin leaves from Hagrid's Garden. She asked Draco to sneak over after Care of Magical Creatures to gather some of the leaves while she had distracted their friend and Professor. Draco was initially confused by the request, but it all made much more sense after seeing the Animagus being kept in the jar under her bed. "So, that's why you suddenly picked up a herbarium hobby."
Hermione shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I had to keep Rita alive. Even in Animagus form, she still needs to eat."
"True. Has she tried to escape?" Draco asked.
"Sometimes," Hermione answered, "But I'm smarter than her." She pointed her wand at the jar. "Petrificus Totalus."
The fluttering bug instantly froze in mid-air and dropped to the bottom of the jar. Satisfied her spell was effectively cast, Hermione unscrewed the lid. She briefly cast a cleaning charm along the glass and then placed the leaves inside. When the top was secured once more, she released the spell on the journalist. Draco watched in fascination as Rita, in her beetle form, started to munch and chew on the food Hermione had given her.
"It makes you wonder how Sirius survived all those months in his dog form. Scavenging for whatever food he could get," Draco wondered aloud.
"As useful as it would be to transform into an animal… I don't think I could go through the process," Hermione admitted.
"That's fair," Draco agreed. "What animal do you think you would turn into?"
Hermione laughed, "Honestly? I have no idea. Probably a cat." There was a comfortable silence between them as Draco slid his hand across the floor to hook their pinky fingers together. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a slight blush form on her cheeks before Hermione cleared her throat. "What animal do you think your form would be?"
"Obviously a dragon," Draco joked, causing another laugh to burst out from Hermione.
"I don't think that's possible," she said.
Draco dramatically sighed, "Well, guess you're right, and it's best not to find out. Besides, I could turn into something worse than a beetle."
"Oh," Hermione gave him a curious look. "And what is that?"
With a conspiratorial glint in his eye, Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a very familiar-looking toad.
Hermione's eyes widened, "Is that…."
"Neville's toad, Trevor. Yes, yes, it is. And I think he just spotted his next meal," Draco mocked. He placed the frog right against the side of the jar, scaring Skeeter. The predator alone sent Rita into a frenzy as she tried putting as much space as possible between her and the amphibian.
"Draco!" Hermione tried to admonish him, but she couldn't hide how funny she found the sight before her. Draco did look a bit ridiculous holding the toad up to a glass jar, but once she composed herself, she gave Draco a somber look, "We are not going to murder, Rita."
"Oh, no. This is just a warning to our friendly neighborhood journalist. Trevor likes to wander, and we simply can't be held responsible if he decides to pay a visit to the girl's dormitory," Draco hinted. He tapped on the jar before glaring at the beetle, "And this is to remind Rita that she has to behave… that is if she ever wants to get out. Double cross us and avoiding hungry toads is going to be the least of her concerns. Flutter your wings once if you understand."
Reluctantly, the beetle complied and flicked her wings. Rita Skeeter received her warning. Loud and clear.
Before the golden quartet could blink, May turned into June. Draco's birthday passed by in a quiet affair, for they were primarily focused on helping Harry train for the maze. Their exams wrapped up the day before, allowing the anticipation of the day for the third task to consume the school entirely. Hermione, Draco, and Ron didn't see Harry until right before the official start of the event, for he was at lunch for the Champions and family members who had come to support them.
One by one, the champions appeared with their family before a large crowd of spectators. Cedric Diggory walked out first with his father, Amos, right behind him. Draco thought the man was a little overly enthusiastic about Cedric's leading position but quickly dismissed the thought when he saw Harry appear with Remus and Sirius right behind him. Many of the students' attitudes had changed towards Harry since Dumbledore initially pulled his name from the Goblet. Instead of jeers, many cheered and wished Harry the best for his final performance as they waved flags and banners with his name painted on them. Naturally, Hermione, Ron, and Draco were cheering the loudest for him. Once Krum and then Delacour made their appearances, Bagman walked out to the center of the field to give his usual introduction.
"Thank you all for joining us this afternoon as we kick off the third and final event for the 1994 Triwizard Tournament!" Bagman called out, exciting the crowd. "Our Champions have faced a dragon, battled creatures from the deep, and now, they will face the perils of the maze you see before you! The objective is to find the Triwizard Cup, which Hogwarts own Professor Moody has been instructed to hide. The first Champion to find the Cup wins the Tournament!"
There was a pause from Bagman as some of the crowd (mainly from the Durmstrang section) complained loudly that the task was not dangerous enough. Hermione rolled her eyes when Bagman took personal offense to this and began addressing the allegations, "While this may not seem like such a daring task, be warned. Our contestants will undoubtedly have to face many challenges, but the question remains… Will they lose themselves along the way to victory?"
The ominous warning was enough to appease the crowd, allowing Bagman to send each participant to their starting locations.
"He's such a drama queen," Hermione muttered under her breath, causing Ron and Draco to laugh.
"Now, as a reminder to our audience today. Safety of the Champions is still our number one concern. The staff will be patrolling the parameter in case any contestant wants to withdraw from the competition. To signal so, all they need to do is cast Periculum into the sky, and they will be retrieved. Doing so, however, means they will not be allowed to re-enter the search," Bagman announced.
With that being said, Mr. Filch set off the cannon, indicating the Champions were free to start their quest. As soon as they crossed beyond the hedge's barrier, the shrubbery magically closed the path off, separating the Champions from the audience. The first task has been terrifying but entertaining to watch. The second task had Hermione in a tailspin as she waited for Harry, Draco, and Ron to return to the surface safely. But the third task was boring. There was no way to check the progress or see what "challenges" had been placed to prevent the contestants from finding the Cup. So, the three Gryffindors did the only thing they could do. They sat down and waited.
While many of the students were engaging in conversation around them, Hermione brought a book to read instead. Draco contented himself with writing theories about Harry's vision in his composition, and Ron was simply waving his flag back and forth as he watched the hedges for any signs. The redhead leaned back and sighed.
"This is boring."
Draco hummed, "You think they would have come up with a way for us to view what was happening inside the maze."
Ron furrowed his brows at Hermione, "Seriously? How can you read at a time like this?"
Hermine scoffed, "It's more productive than just staring off into space."
"How about you help me, Ron," Draco cut in, trying to prevent a fight between the two.
Ron looked over at the notebook, confused by Draco's plot map, "What's all this?"
"Just trying to see if I can connect some dots," Draco informed him, showing his friend his thought process. "See, we know that the Dark Lord was in the Riddle House over the summer, and that's where he murdered the muggle, Mr. Frank Bryce and that he did that about a month before the World Cup."
"Okay… How are the two connected?" Ron asked.
Draco pointed at the duplicate picture of Barty Crouch Junior, "I think Barty Crouch Junior was at both events. He helped You-Know-Who get into the Riddle House and cover up the muggle murder, and then stole Harry's wand to cast the Dark Mark."
Hermione had closed her book and leaned forward, "Why do you think Barty Crouch Junior set the Dark Mark up that night?"
"Because of Winky. She was the Crouch's house-elf," Draco explained. "Remember how she acted that night? Like she knew who it was but could not say? Which means someone she was bonded with had to have given her a command not to reveal their identity and lie about the mark. Only members of the bonded family can give a house elf a binding command."
Hermione's eyes widened as she followed Draco's train of thought, "It was Junior who cast the spell and then forced Winky to take the fall."
Draco nodded, "And I wouldn't be surprised if Crouch Senior suspected that, which was why he insisted on Winky being punished privately."
"That and he was probably trying to save face in front of all those Department heads," Ron muttered, getting agreements from Hermione and Draco.
There was a commotion coming from the far side of the maze as a glare of red sparks started glowing in the sky. The three held their breaths as they waited to see who would be withdrawing from the third task first. After a few more moments, McGonagall came out with a bruised and beaten Fleur Delacour. She stumbled over to the medical witches with a glassy and haunted look in her eyes. Her clothes were shredded in various places, and her ponytail was half falling out. Something, or maybe someone, had attacked her.
Hermione held her hand up to her mouth and gasped, "What happened to her?"
Draco reached down and squeezed her wrist, "I don't know."
Many in the audience kept mumbling and speculating what happened to the Beauxbaton Champion when another glare of red sparks appeared in the sky not five minutes later. This time, Snape came from around the hedge dragging Viktor Krum behind him. The Potion's master roughly threw Krum down on a bench to be medically treated when he called an Auror over to examine the Durmstrang Champion.
"Why do you suppose he is asking an Auror to look at him?" Ron asked Draco and Hermione.
"Maybe he did something naughty he wasn't supposed to," Fred speculated as he leaned over to whisper to the three.
"No," Hermione protested, "Viktor wouldn't!"
"You sure, 'Mione?" George asked her.
"Positive," Draco answered for her. He resumed looking at the sight before them before voicing his own theory, "He could have been cursed. Look! They are running a diagnostic on him. Those are runes used for checking curses."
"Fleur attacked, and Viktor cursed. Who would do that?" Hermione asked.
"It better not be one of the teachers," Ron groaned. "The last thing we need this year is one of the Professors trying to do us in again."
Draco's eyes went so wide they looked like they were about to pop out of his head. "What did you say?"
Ron reared back from his blond friend, a look of concern on his face, "You good, mate?"
"What did you just say, Ron?" Draco repeated.
"I… that it better not be one of the teachers that attacked Fleur and cursed Krum?" Ron said.
Draco's mind began to reel, connecting puzzle piece after puzzle piece of information the four had gathered throughout the year when there was a sudden woosh, followed by the thump of a body on the grass before them. Cedric Diggory had returned with the Triwizard Cup in hand. Victorious. Once the audience caught on, everybody stood in the stands and started cheering and clapping for the Hogwarts Champion. However, Cedric looked anything but celebratory. He pushed past all the people trying to stop and congratulate him as he desperately made his way over to Dumbledore.
"Sir! Professor Dumbledore! You need to help him. Harry! They have, Harry!"
Hermione, Draco, and Ron were immediately on their feet. They elbowed and weaved their way down the steps and out onto the grass, trying to get to Cedric. They strained to hear what he was telling Dumbledore and the rest of the Professors who had gathered.
"What do you mean, Mr. Diggory?" Professor Sprout asked her student.
"The Cup was a portkey. Harry and I grabbed for it at the same time… it was Harry's idea, really, but when we both touched it, the Cup transported Harry and me to a graveyard," Cedric explained.
"Oh, Merlin," Bagman said in a nervous voice, "Moody placed the cup."
Dumbledore turned to Severus. "Find him!"
Snape quickly ran out of the clearing at the order, followed by Tonks and another Auror, presumably to search the grounds and the castle for Mad-Eye.
"Damn it! We can't trace where the Cup sent them!" Shacklebolt muttered as Remus began to pace. Sirius started threatening every Ministry official in his line of sight if they did not find Harry that instant when Dumbledore swept forward to take charge of the situation.
"Professor McGonagall, I want you to take the rest of the teachers and start escorting the students back to the Great Hall. Professor Flitwick, please coordinate with the Tournament Committee and have our guests escorted to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade until the Aurors can question them." The Headmaster then turned to the young Hufflepuff, "Mr. Diggory, this is very important. Can you describe any details about the graveyard?" he implored.
"I didn't see much, but we weren't alone. There was a man there with us. He… he lit the cauldron. The man… was carrying something in a blanket. That was all I saw before Harry managed to summon the Cup and send me away. He… Harry saved my life," Cedric recounted as his father held his only son in a tight hug.
"Did it look like this?" Hermione pipped up, holding the picture of the reaper and tombstone from Harry's dream.
As soon as Cedric saw the image, his eyes widened, and he nodded empathically. "That's it! How… how did you know?"
"Sir, Harry was taken to Little Hangleton," Hermione stated at the same time Ron jumped in.
"The graveyard is located next to the Riddle Estate."
"And how do you two know this?" Bagman asked in an accusatory tone.
Draco glared at the official before he said in a cold tone, "Because Harry dreamed it."
"There's no time, Ludo!" Dumbledore snapped before snatching the picture out of Cedric's hand. He had a stern look on his face as he looked at the three Gryffindors for a moment before he turned to Auror Shacklebolt. "Kingsley, lead your team past the anti-apparition wards and head to the location the students just described. As for you three. My office. Now."
Leaving the students no room to argue, Hermione, Ron, and Draco made their way up the path back to the castle while Shacklebolt commanded the extraction team off the school grounds. Draco noticed that Sirius and Remus had joined the party. He sent a silent prayer, hoping that it wasn't too late before they got to Harry.
"Well, Dumbledore is hacked off at us. That's for sure," Ron muttered.
"I'm not entirely sure why," Hermione replied.
"Because we didn't tell him about Harry's nightmares. He thinks we kept it from him," Draco theorized.
"To be fair, they aren't any of his business," Hermione retorted in a haughty tone.
"I don't disagree with you there, love," Draco said. His comment launched the friends into another silence when they found themselves, once again, outside the Headmaster's office. The three Gryffindors stood awkwardly outside the Gargoyle.
"Uh…" Ron drew out before clearing his throat, "Professor Dumbledore told us to come here?"
The statue shook its head, refusing them entry.
"Bloody hell! What are we going to do now?" Ron asked them.
"Wait, I suppose," Hermione sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.
The three were staring at the entrance to the Headmaster's office, annoyed with having been locked out and not knowing the password, when they simultaneously turned their heads at hearing a familiar clunk, clunk, clunk…
"Is that…" Hermione started to ask when they saw their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor hobble past the corridor and down the Grand Staircase.
Draco looked at Hermione and Ron with a confused look. "That looks suspicious."
"We should follow him," Ron stated, already tip-toeing towards where they saw Moody.
"Ron," Hermione whispered, failing to stop their redheaded friend.
"We should follow him," Draco said quietly, grabbing Hermione's hand to guide her forward gently. The three silently followed behind the Defense teacher all the way to the third floor and into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The man was hobbling and waving his wand, frantically packing up his belongings, when Ron called out.
"Going somewhere, Professor?"
The man immediately stopped what he was doing and turned to look at the three Gryffindors. Draco reached for his wand when he saw the menacing look the Professor had.
Mad-Eye growled at them before he cast a curse that stuck them up against the wall. Green slim started to grow around them, binding their bodies further to the wall and making it harder for them to move.
"Stop moving!" Hermione shouted, "The slime will tighten the more we struggle."
Moody laughed manically, "You're such an annoying, swotty, know-it-all, Granger. Fucking took everything in me not to kill you every bloody time you raised your hand. You filthy little mudblood."
Hermione gasped, "Excuse me?"
"You heard," Moody spat before pointing his wand at Ron, "And you! A Weasley… so useless and pathetic. I'd expect nothing less from one of Arthur's boys. Sons of blood traitors always are fucking wastes of magic."
"Piss off!" Ron yelled at the man.
"Silencio," Mad-Eye retorted before turning to sneer at Draco. "But you…. You, I did not expect. A Malfoy. Sorted into Gryffindor and aligned with mudbloods and blood traitors. How… disappointing."
"What do you know," Draco gasped out. The more the slime contracted, the harder it was for Draco to breathe and speak. He tried to stop. Honestly, he did. But he was just so uncomfortable that it was instinct for him to try and wiggle his way out of his confines.
"That you were born into one of the most noble and ancient legacies our world had to offer… and you SHITE on it! Acted like it was nothing! You… you had the perfect opportunity to play the long con with Potter, but what did you do? Actually became friends with him. Bah!" Moody hackled the blond. He paused for a moment before resuming his unhinged tirade. "When the Dark Lord emerges from the graveyard tonight, he will see how loyal I was to him. He will see the mission he gave me… completed. And he will reward me for being… insurmountable to his victory."
Draco blinked. What was this man talking about? The Dark Lord is back? No. That's not possible. He can never return. Ever! He was gone. Lord Voldemort was gone.
"It was you! You put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire," Hermione yelled.
"Oh… Clever girl," the Professor taunted her. "I did a bit more than that, missy. Do you think Looney Lovegood would have gotten the idea to go into the part of the woods where the dragons were being kept if I hadn't suggested it? Hmm?" When the students didn't respond, he continued, "Who do you think told Cedric Diggory to place the egg under the water to get the next clue? Who gave the witless wonder Longbottom the book that led Potter to use Gillyweed? Huh?"
"And then you attacked Fleur and Krum tonight so Harry would have a clear shot to the Cup," Hermione finished, "Only, you didn't count on Cedric in your equation."
Mad-Eye grunted in pain and began to convulse a bit before he corrected himself.
"I don't know who you are, but you've been using Polyjuice Potion all this time to impersonate our Professor. Since the night of the opening feast. You set off the wards, but… somehow… you dismantled them!"
"Shame then that you won't live long enough to find out how," Moody said to her in a low tone before he fixed Draco with a hard stare. "Imagine how much your father will owe me… for taking care of a mudfucker… sullying his pure line…."
"Expelliarmus!" loudly rang through the room as the classroom door flew off its hinges. Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Tonks, and Shacklebolt all charged into the room and attacked the man posing at Alastor Moody. Dumbledore waved his wand again and sent the fake Mad-Eye back into a chair. Leaning over and holding the man at wand point, the Headmaster called for Snape.
Tonks and McGonagall were undoing the curse on Hermione, Ron, and Draco at the same time the Potion's Master poured a few drops of a clear and odorless liquid down the prisoner's throat.
"Do you know who I am? Do you?" Dumbledore demanded. The three Gryffindors moved over to the side of the room to have a better view of the interrogation.
"Albus Dumbledore," the imposter growled out reluctantly.
"Are you Alastor Moody? Are you?" Dumbledore questioned.
"No," the man answered, his response flowing more freely than the first one.
"Is he in this room?" Dumbledore asked. The impostor was trying to fight the compulsion of the potion, prompting Dumbledore to ask the question again, "Is he in this room?"
In place of a verbal response, the man impersonating the Defense Professor inclined his head over to the corner of the classroom where the Gryffindors had wandered over.
"Ron, Hermione, Draco! Get away from there!" Dumbledore shouted, running over to a black trunk that the students were standing in front of. With a flourish of his wand, Snape shot an Alohamora at the chest. Several layers rose from the initial lock, causing mechanism after mechanism to unlock and reveal a deep, secret compartment.
"Are you alright, Alastor?" Dumbledore called down into the depths of the trunk.
"I'm sorry, Albus," the real Moody weakly called up.
"But… but, if that's the real Moody, then who…." Ron stuttered, his voice newly returned, as the spy started grumbling and gurgling from his seat. His body began to violently shake as his skin bubbled and transformed into the face and features of Barty Crouch Junior.
The Death Eater crackled and flicked his tongue out like a snake. "He's back! The Dark Lord has returned."
"Severus, alert the rest of the Aurors that their assistance is required on the third floor of the castle," Dumbledore ordered calmly.
"I'll be welcomed back like a hero!" Junior screamed at the Headmaster as Tonks jammed her wand into his cheek to silence him.
Dumbledore smirked at the man, "Frankly, I've never had much time for heroes." He then turned to the students, "Please escort yourself back to your Common Room."
"We'll send an owl en route to Azkaban," Draco heard Kingsley inform the group as the three students bolted out of the classroom. Once they were on the main staircase, Hermione collapsed against the railing while Ron started running his fingers through his hair.
"Bloody Hell! He was a Death Eater. A Death Eater the entire time!" Ron stated over and over in disbelief.
"I knew it," Hermione gasped out.
"Breath, love," Draco calmly said as he brushed the hair out of her face, "What are you talking about?"
"I knew about the Polyjuice Potion but forgot to mention it after the second task. When I went to steal the Gillyweed, I ran into Moody, or rather Barty Crouch Junior, stealing the ingredients," Hermione told him.
"Oh, Hermione," Draco said as he pulled her into a hug, "There's nothing you could have done."
"But what about the bracelet? It kept turning red every time he was near? And how he treated us? Draco… all the signs were there, and we ignored them," Hermione insisted as she held tightly to Draco.
"Love," Draco said sternly, getting her to look up at him with glassy, brown eyes. "You cannot blame yourself. Neither of us could have done anything differently."
"I could have…."
"What? Told someone? When have adults ever believed us when we tried to tell someone we think this person is trying to kill Harry? Or us, for a matter of fact," Draco pointed out.
"Not to interrupt, but you got a point, mate," Ron said.
Hermione took a deep breath, trying to process what her friends were saying to her. After a moment, she nodded, "You're right."
"And now that we've acknowledged that, how about we sneak down to the hospital wing and wait for Harry?" Ron asked.
Draco smiled, "That's a good idea."
The three stealthily made their way to where the hospital wing was located. Draco held Hermione's hand while Ron strolled next to them with his hands in his pockets. The three suddenly stopped when she saw Lupin pacing outside the doors. Their former Professor paused when he saw them and gave the three a kind smile.
"Hello, how are you lot doing?" he asked.
"We came to see Harry," Ron said.
Remus's face fell slightly, "I'm afraid that's not possible right now. He's being treated."
"What happened?" Hermione asked.
The three impatiently waited as Remus looked conflicted. He clearly knew what or who had attacked Harry but was debating whether to tell the young Gryffindors or not.
"Professor, please," Draco pleaded.
Remus's shoulders slumped as he gave the students a compassionate look. "He was attacked. By…"
"Yes," the three Gryffindors said at the same time.
"By Voldemort. He's back."
End of Year Four