Chapter 12

We arrived to the same cheerful atmosphere that we had left. There was some surprise at our method of arrival, but most people started cheering and Dumbledore came over to help us off the ground, as did Snape. It was he who noticed my wet cheeks.

"Miss Potter whatever is the matter?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Voldermort," I whispered, "He's back, we saw him return…."

"What? How?" he was looking grim.

"Portkey… Graveyard…Cauldron….Wormtail…." I muttered, the tears flowing down my cheeks again as I showed him my arm.

He gasped and healed the wound with a flick of his wand, I gave him a nod of thanks before he turned to Dumbledore.

"Sir," he explained, "Voldermort's back."

"I thought as much," muttered the headmaster, "help me with the students Severus, Harry and Kirsty wait here."

We nodded, exhausted by our ordeal. However, gently, someone pulled me to my feet as Dumbledore and Snape turned away,

"Come on Miss Potter, you need some potions," said the voice, "you look ill."

"Dumbledore said stay here, and what about Harry?" I asked, looking up at my Defence against the Dark Arts Professor.

"He'll cope a bit longer I recon," growled Moody as he lead me up the front steps.

The castle was deserted as we walked though to Moody's office. I had a bad feeling about this but I had no energy left to pay any attention. I'd be fine…he was a teacher after all….When we reached his office he gently lowered me onto one of the chairs.

"What happened tonight?" he growled.

"The cup was a portkey sir…" I explained to him the entire story without interruption.

"The Dark Lord took blood from you and your brother?" I nodded in reply, "what did it feel like to be so close to him?"

I thought for a moment, what had it felt like? "He's so powerful. He seemed to care for me like a father and hate me at the same time. I've never been so scared of anyone."

"Of course, the feeling many of us felt when we first met him…" murmured the professor with a sense of Nostalgia, "he obviously wants you alive for a reason, you should be honoured. I can now ask your question, I am a friend."

I paused, but I had never asked him…..The man in the forbidden forest! .Moody had found Crouch dead in the forest, buried after being transformed into a bone….how else could he have known……

"Stupefy!" shouted a voice from the door. The man before me flew to the over side of the room, out cold.

"Miss Potter are you alright?" asked Snape, coming over.

I nodded, shaking slightly, "Sir, that man, he's not really Moody, he's the man I saw in the forest…."

"Polyjuice…." hissed Snape, "Headmaster, this is the reason for the disappearance of my potions supplies."

The Polyjuice potion allowed people to transform into anyone when a sample of their hair was added to it. It would last for an hour and then you would have to take another dose…

"I imagine the hour would be almost up headmaster," explained Snape, "he hasn't had the chance to have any with the excitement of the evening."

The headmaster nodded and the three of us waited patiently as the clock ticked. Finally, the leg began to grow, the magical eye popped out and the grisly, scared features became the handsome ones I remembered.

"That's him," I whispered.

"Barty Crouch Junior," explained Dumbledore, "he was convicted as a Death Eater many years ago but escaped from Azkaban, the wizard prison, about three years ago."

I nodded, then I blacked out from exhaustion.

I woke up the following morning to find sunlight shining through the window into my eyes. My head was rested on something, or someone, extremely comfortable and my body was aching horribly. Groaning slightly as I sat up, I looked around me. Montague was the person I was sleeping on, he looked extremely tired and had probably had a very late night. The fire was just a few smouldering embers and the room was empty other than footsteps on the dormitory stairs. Turning to investigate, I found Draco staring at me.

"What you looking at?" I muttered sleepily.

"You ok?" he asked worriedly.

I nodded, "yer. Bit achy though."

"Morning love, you ok?" asked Montague groggily, staring at me through tired eyes.

"Bit better," I muttered, "what happened?"

"Dumbledore sent us all to our house common rooms after you two got back, then we saw Moody taking you to the castle and then, about an hour later, Snape is carrying you up here and I said I'd look after you," Montague explained.

"They haven't told you what happened?" I whispered.

"Only that you won," commented Draco.

I breathed deeply, "Draco come over here," he did and then I proceeded to explain the events of the previous night, "I don't know what happened after I blanked out though."

"Voldermort's back?" whispered Draco, obviously scared.

Later that day, once I had recovered, I went to find Harry. He was sitting in the Quidditch stands, staring out over the maze.

"Hello Harry," I greeted gently, talking the seat beside him, "you ok?"

He nodded, "as good as can be. You ok? Dumbledore said you blacked out."

I nodded, "yer I'm fine. Do you know what happened afterwards?"

"Barty Crouch was administered with the Dementor's kiss, Dumbledore wasn't happy," explained Harry sadly, "the second war will begin soon. But a load of people have been sent off to do some jobs. We're ahead of the game because Dumbledore thinks we weren't meant to survive to tell the tale."

I nodded, not sharing my own version of events. Voldermort had wanted me very much alive. I had no idea why, but I guess I would just have to see where the wind took me….

The last day of forth year had quickly arrived. I was excited, though a little nervous, about spending the next few weeks with the Lord and Lady Grey. The entire school seemed to be glad to have a chance to go home. It had been a long and difficult year for all involved and Dumbledore had announced at the leaving feast the night before about Voldermort's return. Students were frightened. The staff were nervous and fear against the Slytherin house seemed to have increased, but we dealt with it the way we always had - by disliking everyone else.

We had one hour before the train had to leave. Montague and myself were sat beside the lake, looking out over its calm waters. The foreign students had gone about half an hour ago, Drumstrang's massive ship sailing into the distance and Beaxbaton's flying carriage flying through the clouds. Myself and my brother had said a teary goodbye to the other two champions. We had all become very close friends and promised to keep in touch (it had turned out that Krum had been under a controlling cure, the imperius curse, when he had attacked Fleur and myself).

The grounds seemed to reflect nothing of what was happening in the world and, when we finally boarded the train, it was like any other year. The first and second years were running excitedly up and down the carriages, while the older students were sat in civilised conversation.

Montague and I had found a compartment with Draco and Pansy. Harry was sitting with the Weasley children further down the train. The four of us sat in companionable silence as we watched the world pass by.

"So much for a quiet year," I muttered to the group.

Draco chuckled, "yer, how long did you keep that personal vow for anyway?"

"It was quiet until Halloween, when my name came out of the cup," I told him laughing, "Like Montague said - I 'attract trouble like a magnet'."

"Seems so long ago," murmured the man in question, "this year's been so strange."

"Yer, this is what I get every year," I told him, grinning widely, "some dark wizard trying to murder me."

It was apparently the wrong thing to say and conversation quickly dried up.

A/n: I don't know about you…but I like that chapter, What do you think about it?

Please tell me in a review!!

TBC….