A/N: I do not own anything Harry Potter. I'm back after a one-month hiatus! I'm so sorry about this but life got in the way. If it's any consolation, this chapter is pretty long. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Hopefully a new one will be up soon after (I do get a break from school soon). Happy reading! XO
Chapter 4
Annie watched from the stands as Professor Moody led Harry by the elbow out of the stadium. Cedric Diggory was dead? Voldemort had returned? This sight did not sink easily with Annie, and despite her father's orders to stay in the stands, she slipped out unnoticed and followed them up to the castle and straight to Moody's office. The door was shut when she arrived but the she listened carefully to the voices that carried out into the corridor.
"It was a portkey," Harry said through gasps of air as he tried to calm himself down, "the cup. It took Cedric and I to a graveyard and Voldemort was there. He came back."
Annie gasped but she didn't dare move from her spot. Instead she leaned her head in closer to listen better.
"He came back? The Dark Lord is back?" Professor Moody growled. Annie could hear his wooden leg clunking on the stone floor of his office as he paced back and forth. "How? How did it happen?"
Annie listened intently as Harry took a sharp intake of breath.
"Wormtail helped him. He took a bone from his father's grave, and then Wormtail's hand and then he took my blood," Harry said shakily. Annie moved her hand to her mouth to keep herself quiet.
"And the Death Eaters," said Professor Moody, "he forgave them? The Dark Lord forgave them?"
Annie could hear Harry gasp and chair legs squeak. "There's a Death Eater here at Hogwarts!" he exclaimed. "Karkaroff! Where is he? He's the one that put my name in the Goblet of Fire."
Moody laughed. "Karkaroff? He's gone. Fled as soon as he felt the Dark Mark burn upon his arm. I put your name in that Goblet, Potter." Moody's clunking had ceased and he laughed mirthlessly. Annie stood frozen in the corridor as Harry spoke.
"I-wait-what?" he stammered. "You can't have."
Moody laughed again. Annie heard him start to walk again, this time in the direction of the office door. The door swung open and he stood smiling maliciously down at Annie.
"Didn't your father tell you to stay in the bleachers?" he asked as he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the office. He tossed her onto a chair next to Harry who was staring at Moody stunned.
"My father also told me to stop drinking milk out of the carton and I never did" she said cheekily looking over at Harry and rubbing her arm. "What the hell is going on, Harry?"
"I have no idea," he said still staring up at the deranged Moody who was pointing his wand at the two kids.
"So my master forgave them then? The Death Eaters who escaped Azkaban? The ones who fled at the sight of the Dark Mark I sent into the sky at the World Cup?" Moody's magical eye swiveled in its socket.
"You did that?" Annie asked turning to face Moody. "Harry, what's going on?"
"The Dark Lord should have punished them," Moody growled. "Should have punished them for not searching for him, denying their faith in him. I alone remained faithful. I sent him you." Moody's eyes fell on Harry.
Harry looked to Annie who was shaking with fright and confusion. "He's gone mad. You didn't."
"I put your name under a different school, Potter. I was the one who persuaded Hagrid into showing you the dragons. I gave Diggory the clue about opening that egg under water hoping he would pass the information along to you," Moody stumped back and forth across his office with his wand still trained on the two teenagers in front of him. "When you couldn't figure out that clue, I remembered you saying something about that house-elf, Dobby. I called him into the staffroom and staged a conversation about whether or not you would think to use gillyweed. I gave you that clue in the beginning of the year in the book I gave Longbottom. He would have told you in an instant!"
Annie looked between Harry and Moody. Surely Moody was going mad. Nothing was making any sense.
"When you entered that maze tonight, you had it easy didn't you?" Moody grabbed Harry by the scruff of his neck and Annie gasped. "I was patrolling around it, hexing the obstacles out of your way. I stunned Fleur and placed Krum under the Imperious Curse so he could take care of Diggory. Your path was clear to that Cup! My master wanted to kill you tonight but you escaped. Just imagine how happy he will be when he learned that I killed you!"
Moody let Harry go and aimed his wand at Harry's chest. Annie watched as Harry's eyes widened in horror and she buried her face in her hands. But just then the door to the office burst open and someone shouted "Stupefy!" Moody fell forward as Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, James and Sirius came into the office. James rushed over to Harry as Annie ran over to Sirius who caught her in a one-armed hug.
"Annie, I told you to wait in the stands. What the hell were you thinking?" Sirius said holding her at arm's length and looking into her eyes.
Annie shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't really thinking. Something just didn't feel right."
Sirius sighed and ran a hand over his face. "You never think, do you? You could have gotten into some serious shit tonight. We are going to have a major talk about this when you get home, got it kiddo?" Annie put her head down and nodded. "Good. Now get out of here."
Annie's head snapped up. "Whoa! You can't just kick me out of here! I want to know what's going on! Professor Dumbledore, please!" Annie looked toward the aging headmaster with plea in her eyes.
Dumbledore shook his head. "I am sorry, Ms. Black, but you cannot stay. You will know soon enough what is going on but for now Professor McGonagall will escort you to down to the Great Hall."
Professor McGonagall nodded curtly and held the door open for Annie to walk though. Annie shot a dark look at Sirius before crossing her arms and stomping out the door. Professor McGonagall shut the door behind her and started walking briskly up the corridor to the Great Hall with Annie huffing behind her. At the entrance Professor McGonagall turned around to face Annie with a stern look.
"You are to stay here," she said as Annie rolled her eyes and looked into the Hall toward the Gryffindor table. "Ms. Black, I'm sure you will find out what is going on very soon."
"Whatever you say, Professor," Annie said before walking into the crowded hall. She made her way through the many legs of students until she finally reached Ron, Hermione, Lily and Remus.
"Sweetie, where have you been?" Lily asked as Annie sat down on the table. "We turned around you were completely gone."
"I followed Harry and Professor Moody," she said looking around at everyone. "And there's something going on, too. Moody said he was the one who put Harry's name in the Goblet!"
"What?" Remus exclaimed looking alarmed. "Annie, you're talking nonsense."
"I'm not I swear!" Annie said shaking her head. "He also sent the Dark Mark in the sky at the World Cup and-"
"Annie Black, have you been drinking?" Lily asked putting her hands on her hips and looking down at her niece accusingly.
"No!" Annie protested. She looked toward Ron and Hermione desperately seeking their help.
"I think Annie's telling the truth," Hermione said placing on her best friend's shoulder as Ron nodded at her side.
Remus rubbed at his chin and sighed as he looked over at Lily. "I don't think this is the place to have this conversation," he said tentatively. "For now we're just going to wait and see what's happening."
Annie shook her head and rolled her eyes at Remus as she muttered obscenities under her breath. She sat with her chin resting on her hand looking around the Great Hall at the chattering students. She tried listening in on Lily and Hermione's conversation but found it quite boring and instead looked for someone else to talk to.
"Hey, Moony," she said kicking him lightly in the side to gain his attention.
Remus turned around to look up at her smiling. "Finished your swearing fit?" he asked.
"For the most part," Annie said. "The night is still young."
"What did you want?" Remus said shaking off her comment.
"Have you found yourself a girlfriend yet?"
Remus spluttered and turned a slight shade of pink. "Why on earth are you asking me this now?"
"Because I wanted to know," Annie said shrugging her shoulders. "Geez, Moony, you got to get yourself out there."
"You sound like your father," Remus said laughing. "He and Lydia have been trying to set me up for ages."
The Great Hall doors swung open and every head turned to look at Professor McGonagall and Sirius making their way through the crowd. Sirius stopped at the Gryffindor table as Professor McGonagall stood up front and faced the students and faculty.
"All students will report to their houses. I ask the prefects and Head Boy and Girl to assist the professors with any problems," she said firmly. At once the students in the hall stood up and started following their friends out of the Hall. Professor McGonagall walked down from the front stopped in front of Lily, Remus and Sirius.
"Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office, Mrs. Potter," she said quietly. Lily nodded and joined the throng of students leaving the Hall. Professor McGonagall turned to look at Remus, Sirius, Annie, Ron and Hermione. "You may all make your way down to the Hospital Wing. Harry will be there shortly."
Sirius nodded this time and lifted Annie off the table and set her down on her feet. They walked out of the Hall and maneuvered their way through the students to the Hospital Wing where they found Madame Pomfrey tending to an unconscious Professor Moody. At the sound of their arrival, she looked up and clicked her tongue.
"Sit quietly, please," she said sternly before turning back to her work.
A half hour later, Professor Dumbledore walked in with Lily beside him and James supporting Harry on his shoulder as he limped into the room. He lowered Harry onto a bed and watched as Madame Pomfrey bustled over arms full of different potions.
"I'm sure you would all like to hear what Harry has to say," Professor Dumbledore started, "but for now you will have to wait. What he needs right now is rest. Madam Pomfrey, I give everyone here permission to stay with Harry if they wish." Ron and Hermione nodded their understanding. "Well, I have some other business to take care of now. If you excuse me." Professor Dumbledore gave a slight bow and left the Hospital Wing.
"Potter, I'm leaving this Dreamless Sleep potion here. You can take it when you are ready," Madame Pomfrey said placing the bottle on the bedside table.
"Thank you," Lily said watching her son lay back against the pillows. Madame Pomfrey left the group huddled around Harry and went back to Professor Moody.
"How are you, Harry?" Remus asked sitting down on one of the beds.
"Mm alright," Harry answered. "Boy, do I have a lot to tell you guys," he said turning to Annie, Ron and Hermione.
"You can tell them later, sweetheart," Lily said picking up the potion. "Here, take this."
Harry took the potion from Lily and downed the whole thing. Annie watched as he settled back against the pillows behind him. Soon his light snores filled the wing. Sirius elbowed Annie in the arm and beckoned her and Remus out of the room with his head. Annie shot him a curious glance and followed him out into the corridor. He found an empty classroom and ushered the two inside and shut the door behind him. Annie climbed on top of a desk and let her legs swing out as Remus leaned against the desk beside her.
"You want to know what's going on?" Sirius asked eyeing his best friend and daughter.
"Duh," Annie said rolling her eyes and folding her arms across her chest.
Sirius shook his head and began to tell them what happened after Annie left the office.
Professor Moody turned out not to be Professor Moody at all but Mr. Crouch's son. Sirius explained how Crouch Jr. and Mrs. Crouch had taken Polyjuice potion to take on each other's appearances. Once Mr. Crouch had his son home, he had Winky nurse him back to health and when he was strong enough, placed him under the Imperius Curse. He was forced to wear an invisibility cloak and stayed under Winky's care. But Crouch Jr. started to grow stronger and Winky convinced Mr. Crouch to take him to the Quidditch World Cup this past summer. He saw Harry's wand while he was sitting in the top box and took it, using it to send the Dark Mark into the sky. After everybody had left the clearing in the forest, Mr. Crouch went back and found his son unconscious under an invisibility cloak. He placed a stronger Imperius on him and kept him locked in his house.
But Mr. Crouch's curses were weakening. One day while Mr. Crouch was at the Ministry, his son managed to escape the house and found Lord Voldemort. Under the instructions of his master, he posed as his father and entered Azkaban. He placed one of the guards under the Imperius Curse and forced him to take Polyjuice potion and smuggled Wormtail out of the wizarding prison. Together Wormtail and Crouch Jr. went back to Mr. Crouch's house with Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort placed Mr. Crouch under the Imperius Curse and has remained there since then with Wormtail.
When word reached them that Alastor Moody had agreed to teach at Hogwarts during the year of the Triwizard Tournament, Lord Voldemort sent Wormtail and Crouch Jr. to attack him. Crouch Jr. managed to take on the ex-Auror's persona and remained at Hogwarts as a spy. On the night of Mr. Crouch's appearance on the grounds of Hogwarts, Lord Voldemort had sent word of his escape. Crouch Jr. waited for him to show up and promptly killed him and buried him in the earth in Hagrid's pumpkin patch. All throughout the year, he tried to help Harry succeed in the Triwizard Tournament. He volunteered to bring the Triwizard Cup into the maze and turned it into a portkey that brought Harry and Cedric right into Lord Voldemort's waiting arms.
Sirius stopped his pacing and turned to look at his daughter and his friend. Remus was rubbing at his chin again, deep in thought, and Annie was staring at him, her mouth hanging open slightly. She shook her head clear and pulled her feet up onto the desk to sit cross-legged.
"You wanted to know," Sirius said watching her curiously. "Are you okay there, kiddo?"
Remus turned to look at Annie as well and placed an arm around her shoulders as she nodded.
"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I'm just-it's-it's overwhelming, that's all. What do you think of all this Moony?"
Remus sighed and shrugged. He took his arm off of Annie's shoulders and placed his hands in his pockets. "It explains a lot, I guess. At least you know how Peter escaped now."
"Yeah, we do," Sirius said. "And now James and I have a shit ton of paperwork about it to do in the morning."
"That's what you got out of all that information?" Remus asked shaking his head and helping Annie down from the desk. "The amount of paperwork you now have to do?"
Sirius wrapped an arm around Annie's shoulders and led them out of the classroom. "Basically," he said as he and Annie laughed.
"Unbelievable," Remus muttered low enough so they couldn't hear him.
As they walked back to the Hospital Wing, they started to hear voices being carried through the corridor. Sirius and Remus shared an uneasy look and rushed along to the Hospital Wing. They arrived just in time to see Cornelius Fudge walking briskly out of the ward and down the corridor towards the entrance hall. Annie ran into the Hospital Wing to find Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Ron and Hermione all standing around Harry's bed, all eyes trained on the Headmaster.
"Sirius, Remus, please come join us," he said beckoning them forward. When they reached the group, Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat. "It seems as though the Minister has chosen not to believe what we have told him of the night's events," he said calmly. "Therefore, I think it is time to take matters into our own hands."
James looked around at his friends and nodded.
"I'll go to Molly," Lily said wrapping an arm around her husband's waist. "You have our full support, Professor."
"Thank you, Mrs. Potter," Professor Dumbledore said nodding his head toward her. "And now, I would ask that you four," he indicated Remus, James, Sirius and Professor Snape, "set aside your differences. You are on the same side."
"Oh, this should be good," Annie whispered into Ron's ear. Ron and Annie sniggered into their hands but stopped when Lily threw them a dark look.
James stepped forward and held out his hand toward Snape who took it and gave it a slight shake. Remus held out his hand and smiled slightly as they shook. When it came to Sirius's turn, the two men hesitated before grasping the other's hand tightly and letting go as quickly as they could. Annie sniggered into her hand again but quickly turned it into a cough when she was caught this time by Professor McGonagall.
"Wonderful," Professor Dumbledore said delighted at the new pact. "I can trust that you will send word out to anybody that can be convinced? Ms. Trigg included?" he asked Sirius.
"Absolutely," Sirius agreed.
"And you two will inform our old allies?" he asked Lily and James.
"Right away, sir," James affirmed.
"And Remus, you will await for further instruction from me," Dumbledore said turning to the last Marauder.
"Yes, Professor," Remus said nodding.
"Excellent," he said brightly. "Now if you will excuse me, I have some very important business to tend to. I wish you all goodnight." He bowed slightly and left the ward with Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape following behind him.
"Okay, what the hell was that all about?" Annie asked sitting down on the bed next to Harry's.
"You will find out soon enough," Sirius said bending down and kissing the top of her head. "But for now, we have to go." He shook Ron's hand and gave Hermione a hug before clapping Harry on the shoulder. He looked back at his daughter and found her pouting. "Will you just trust me on this?"
Annie rolled her eyes again and nodded. "Okay. I'll find out soon. I'm holding you to that."
Sirius laughed and gave her another kiss. "I'll see you soon, kiddo. Just stay out of trouble, got it?"
"Yeah, I got it."
Remus, Lily and James said their goodbyes and left the ward. As the doors closed behind them, Hermione and Ron sat down on the bed next to Annie. Annie looked over at Harry who ran a hand through his hair.
"So, now what?" Ron asked breaking the uncomfortable silence between them.
"I dunno, mate," Harry answered. "I dunno."