Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter forever and a day.
About formatting:
For direct quotes I use italicized font.
Instead of footnotes I use double bold parentheses: (-( footnote text )-)
"Father freed; son captured; vague, but at least we get some idea what's that about," thought Harry, "but what's that balderdash about cork and nightlight?"
He looked at Ron, at Hermione, looked around and on all faces he saw only confusion.
Apparently the third part of prophecy puzzled everybody.
And among the silence another voice spoke; carefree and dreamy voice, coming from Ravenclaw table: "Ginny, remember, I told you that I lost one cork from my necklace? Silly me; I've just found it in my nargle-proof pocket."
With these words the blonde Ravenclaw girl with serene happy face stood up and raised one hand, showing everybody a butterbeer cork.
"Glad to hear that, Luna," answered Ginny with a smile, "… Luna … cork …" – the smile on her face faded and was replaced with expression of shock as she made an obvious connection - "Luna, I think, professor Trelawney just made a prophecy about you!"
(-( 'Luna' means 'the Moon' )-)
"She did? That's nice of her," said pleasantly surprised Luna, "Thank you, professor."
She turned to the head table and waved her hand.
Trelawney stared blankly at her, apparently unaware of her own prophecy.
Everyone in the hall sighed with relief. At least one part of the prophecy now made sense. And it was already fulfilled! Just two more sub-prophecies to go!
And, just when common quarrel was about to resume, Luna spoke again, her clear and melodic voice easily heard: "Ginny, did you notice how professor Moody and Mr. Crouch look alike? Do you think they are brothers or father and son?"
Harry was baffled. It was hard to imagine more unlike men as Barty Crouch, the personification of government official, and Mad-Eye Moody, the rough and abrasive auror.
And their reactions to Luna's words were also completely different.
Mr. Crouch stayed impassive and still. You may've thought that he heard nothing.
Moody also stayed still, but not impassive at all. He paled; his breathing became hoarse, he gripped his staff with one hand. Then his other hand mechanically grabbed a bottle with orange-colored liquid and brought it to his lips.
"Alastor, what's the matter with you?" Dumbledore asked anxiously, "You never ever drink pumpkin … Expelliarmus!"
The fight ended before it began. Fake Moody was disarmed, bound and fed the Truth Potion.
And Dumbledore (with some help from Snape) express-interrogated him.
- Your name?
- Bartemius Crouch, Jr., by the grace of Dark Lord.
- Who removed Potter's name from the Goblet?
- I did, by the orders of Dark Lord.
- How many times did you steal ingredients from my cupboard? (Snape was just checking)
- (with a shrug) Dark Lord only knows.
- How can we reach your Master?
- I've enchanted the Triwizard Cup into a portkey for the greater glory of …(you get the drill, yeah?)
- Any Death Eaters with him?
- Only Pettigrew, another faithful servant of …
- Silencio!
Dumbledore turned back to teachers and, with ease and confidence, began ordering his subordinates around.
(At that moment, Harry fully understood for the first time why people said Dumbledore was the only wizard, able to hold so many chief positions at the same time and enjoy all of them.)
- Pomona - you are acting headmistress until I'm back;
- Hagrid - help to guard Barty;
- Poppy - take Barty (I mean other Barty) to Hospital Wing;
- Dobby - find Winky and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid.
- (loudly) Everybody, don't worry, everything is under control!
- Minerva, Filius, Severus, draw your wands – he summoned Triwizard Cup and levitated it down to the table – let's touch it together. On count three: one, two, three.
With a squishing sound the four of them disappeared.
Pomona Sprout stood up and addressed the crowd: "You've heard Headmaster, no need to worry. I have full confidence in his team."
Trelawney raised her hand: "Acting Headmistress, may I suggest …"
- By all means, Sybill.
- There is an obscure ancient good-luck charm, performed wandlessly with middle and index fingers…
"Excellent idea!" Sprout touched her throat with a wand and said: "Sonorus Authoritus!"
Then, her voice bossy and loud like the cry of Mandrake, she proclaimed: "Everybody, let's cross our fingers!" And she demonstrated the technique to everyone.
All people in Great Hall eagerly followed her example.
Of course, Slytherins tried to sabotage the charm, using ring finger instead of index finger, but they were greatly outnumbered.
Outnumbered, because ghosts, portraits and even house-elves vigorously participated.
Even Hogwarts owls tried to cross their feathers.
Three friends were discussing possible outcomes.
"Honestly, guys," said Hermione: "They are our four best teachers; against them You-Know-Who stands as much chance as a baby against Killing Curse," and then, winking at Harry, added: "Present company excluded."
"Ugh," reacted Ron, "I don't want to imagine You-Know-Who as a baby."
"It would be the ugliest baby possible." agreed Harry.
Hermione looked at Harry and gasped: "Harry, your scar!"
- What about my scar? I don't feel anything.
- It's fading! Now it's barely visible! Does it mean …
- Lemme see ... – Harry gingerly touched his forehead – I don't feel anything, it's numb.
They exchanged glances, the hope rising in their hearts.
Finally the waiting was over.
With a loud pop four brave professors came back!
Dumbledore, looking tired but happy, said: "All is well. The baby … ahem, I mean Voldemort is no more."
The Great Hall broke into a thunderous applause.
And the feast continued.
Karkaroff leaned over to Snape and whispered: "Severus, are you sure that He is gone? What did you do with his body? And why are you smiling so smugly?"
And Snape, pleased with himself, said from the corner of his mouth: "Two words to answer your three questions: Potion Ingredients."
Karkaroff opened his mouth wide and looked at Snape with newfound awe and respect.
Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione: "Look at McGonagall."
Indeed, the head of Gryffindor house did not look like herself.
Her eyes were half-closed, she was licking her lips, her whole appearance was like … like … how to describe it?
"Like Crookshanks after eating particularly tasty mouse" said Hermione and added significantly, looking at Ron: "or a rat."
Ron's eyes lit up as he understood Hermione's meaning. "Brilliant!" he said with a glee.
McGonagall came back from her trance and, as if she heard them, threw a suspicious glance in their direction.
Then she turned and asked: "Albus, there is still one thing that puzzles me.
I understand, that, of course Harry would win the tournament;
But why would You-Know-Who care? Why did he want to prevent that?"
Dumbledore looked at the ceiling, twiddled his fingers, chewed his lips, shrugged, sighed, scratched the back of his head, fidgeted in his chair and finally, as nothing else seemed to work, decided to … actually think a little bit.
Very soon a horrible idea came to him.
Granted that Voldemort was evil; but could he really be that evil?
All the twinkle gone from his eyes, he slowly turned and saw the same expression of revulsion on Snape's face.
- Severus, are you thinking what I think you are thinking?
- Of course I am, Headmaster, but I'm not sure whether you realize that what I'm thinking is not the same thing as what I think about your thinking, concerning my ideas about your thoughts.
- However fascinating it would be to discuss such subtle points, I'm afraid we don't have time right now. Minerva asked us a question. I suggest that you begin the explanations and, when it becomes too hard for you, I will take over.
Snape, with hard look on his face, began in low voice: "There exists an extremestly darkest ritual, that, we think, The-One-Who-Is-Gone was planning to use.
It's called RRR, which means 'Riddle Resurrection Ritual'. And it requires three things:
first - Bone of the father, unknowingly given,
second - Flesh of the servant, willingly given,
and third - Pants of the winner, freshly wetted."
Gasps of horror all around were the reaction to such nastiestly wickedest plan ever.
Snape resumed: "Apparently, for the third component The-One-Whom-We-Defeated-Like-A-Baby planned to use the winner of the Triwizard Tournament, whoever it may be.
And …" Snape tried to continue, but chocked, unable to say anything good about his favorite 'points from Gryffindor' student.
Fortunately Dumbledore came to the rescue and finished: "And, of course, Harry Potter would never wet his pants."
Everybody at the head table sighed with relief. At last everything was made clear.
For a while they just ate and drank, contemplating the ultimate villainy of Voldemort.
But there was still one piece of business unfinished.
Karkaroff and madam Maxime looked at each other and, without saying a word, moved their chairs close to Dumbledore.
"Darling-Drawer," purred madam Maxime, "surely you didn't take offence …"
"As you know, Albus," said Karkaroff in his most suave voice, "we, continental Europeans, are hot-heads. We cannot help it; it's just in our nature …"
" I know, I know," Dumbledore's usual benign smile was back, "We all want our Triwizard Tournament to have three champions. Let us think together how to solve the problem."
McGonagall said thoughtfully: "Two of my students have somewhat unusual approach to problems. Why don't we ask for their opinion?"
"Well, it won't do any harm to ask them," said Dumbledore, "Messrs. Wesley and Wesley, please come here."
Fred and George proudly walked to the head table.
In silence they listened as the problem was explained to them.
In silence they exchanged glances, showed some finger signs to each other, nodded to each other.
And then they said in a businesslike tone:
- Five Get-Out-of-Detention-Free monthly passes.
- For both of us.
"So young and already blackmailers!" exclaimed madam Maxime with indignation.
"So young and already blackmailers!" exclaimed Karkaroff with admiration.
"Deal." said Dumbledore without so much as a wince.
How would you resolve the conundrum?
Everybody wants to have three champions in the Tournament.
But Harry is bound by Goblet's magical contract.
And Karkaroff and madam Maxime are bound by their Vow (and no, Peeves did not sabotage the Vow).
The Twin's solution is explained in the next and final chapter (which I post simultaneously with this chapter), although logically it belongs to this chapter.
I just want to give you a chance to solve the problem yourself.
Hint number one: carefully read the exact wording of both magical contracts.
Hint number two: the Vow is enforced by the magic of Hogwarts Castle; and the castle also wants three champions; therefore it is willing to allow some (reasonably small) liberty in its interpretation.
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