James and Sirius used their charmed accessory to notify the other members of the new development, and to meet at Hagrid's Cabin. They found Hagrid pulling some weeds around a few plants growing by his door and he sensed the tension.
"We know who the Death Eater was that Ms. Granger came across!" Sirius explained quickly to Hagrid, who waited for the rest of the urgent news.
"Barty Crouch Jr."
"Impossible! He died in Azkaban!" Hagrid was a member of the Order of the Phoenix in the First Wizarding War, remember?
"Apparently not; we have definitive proof that he has been inside Hogwarts."
"What's the proof?" Hagrid asked, looking between the two men; not that he didn't believe them but it was a stretch.
"It's called the Marauder's Map, it shows all inside Hogwarts; humans only. No ghosts or animals." James explained. Hagrid scratched his head.
"And we are waiting on the other Auror's? Has Dumbledore been told?"
"There hasn't been time. He already has a jump on us into the Forest, if we hope to catch up to him we have to move quickly!" Frank and Alice joined him at that particular moment, running down from the Castle.
Tonks wasn't far behind them. After the three aurors were brought up to speed, they devised a plan.
Hagrid would lead them in a line, each auror about sixty feet from each other. They would communicate via Patronus if they needed to, otherwise by sparks of blue or red. Blue for nothing, red for finding them.
Hagrid stepped into the forest, the rest following him and he led them east.
Neville Longbottom hadn't been able to find Harry or Draco since the last meal. He had a question about the upcoming Quidditch game Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw, and yet he could not find them anywhere.
He had just turned the corner, in the Great Hall, thinking that they might be out by the lake, when he ran into a ruffled looking Lockhart. Lockhart looked him over with a stern face, and then seemed to flip a switch and he was all smiles.
"Mr. Longbottom!" He called, with a smile, "just the man I was looking for!" Lockhart wrapped an arm around Neville's bewildered shoulders and tugged him towards the front doors.
"P-professor?" Neville asked surprised, "did I do something wrong?"
"Why, of course not! Unless you have anything to confess?" Lockhart grinned at him and continued to lead him outside. "No, my dear boy, I have something far more interesting in mind! You see, I was just wandering the Forbidden Forest looking for whatever has been getting into the schools gardens! Hagrid begged for my help and it is simply impossible for me to turn down someone in need. That comes from being a Gryffindor, don't you know?"
"I-I didn't know you were in Gryffindor, Professor Lockhart." He wasn't. Well, not even the real Lockhart, but he only wanted Neville's guard down.
"Of course! Of course! How would you think I had made it through all of my adventures if I didn't have the heart of a Lion?" Lockhart laughed goodheartedly.
"What is it you wanted me for?" Neville asked in a meek tone. Lockhart knocked his hand against his forehead.
"Yes, of course! Here I am rabbiting on and on about myself when I have forgotten a most serious thing." He laughed again, "anyway, I was saying that as I was looking through the Forbidden Forest for the fresh-greens-eating-foe, I stumbled upon a rare patch of Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Of course I could have extracted it myself and brought it to Pomona Sprout, but I realized that being a teacher sometimes is not all about what I can do, but what I can help others to do. Of course you were the first student that popped into my head. Isn't that wonderful?" Lockhart smiled and Neville seemed interested now.
Mimbulus Mimbletonia was rare indeed. It was unheard of for it to be growing this far north! Or on the British Isles at all! Neville smiled delightedly as Lockhart led him into the Forbidden Forest.
Lockhart kept up a chatter for a good while, as he led Neville into the forest but after thirty minutes of walking, Neville began to get nervous.
"Professor, are you sure it was this way?" Neville asked as he looked about the dark forest, everything looked like a threat. Lockhart let out a laugh and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Neville, my boy, would a Hogwarts Professor ever knowingly put a student into danger? I suppose if you are scared we can turn back, but I thought you liked Herbology?" Lockhart glanced sideways at the boy, who was looking down at his shoes as he walked.
"No, I'm not scared Professor, it's just that my parents have been looking in the forest for whatever it was that went after Hermione, and whatever was eating those unicorns. It's something evil professor." Neville looked up at Lockhart, to see him smiling.
"If something evil is in the forest, don't you think you are in the best company? I have an Order of Merlin, after all." Third Class, Hermione's voice spoke up from his memories. Neville shook the memory away and nodded.
"Alright, Professor. But you are sure we are going the right way?"
"Absolutely, my dear boy. I have a keen sense of direction." He patted Neville on the shoulder and steered him around two thick Redwood trees and they came upon a small camp, a tent was pitched next to a campfire, and on that campfire was a bubbling cauldron that looked a strange and sick blue color.
Neville froze in his steps but Lockhart moved forward to inspect. "Professor! We need to get out of here!"
"Oh nonsense." Lockhart lazily waved his hand at Neville and then stuck his head inside the tent. Neville heard him speak, but couldn't understand what he said. He heard a raspy reply.
"We'll begin without further ado, Neville if you could please...wait right... there." Lockhart pointed his wand at Neville and Neville found himself tied to the nearest tree. The ropes that shot from the end of Lockhart's wand wrapped around his torso and arms tightly, which made him unable to squirm.
"Professor! What is this?!" Neville seemed too shocked to really make sense of the situation, but Lockhart seemed to be ignoring him.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given," Lockhart produced a femur from a crate next to the cauldron and dropped it into the potion. "You will renew your son." He then procured a knife from his robes and held his hand out over the bubbling concoction.
"Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed." He cried out in pain as the severed hand fell into the water. He staggered backwards, wracked in pain, but managed to hiss out, "you will revive your master." He moved over to Neville, a determined glare in his eye, with the knife out.
"Blood of the enemy..." Lockhart hissed as he pressed the knife against Neville's cheek. Neville cried out as the knife sliced the skin open and blood started to flow. Lockhart caught the blood on the blade and then made his way back to the cauldron.
"Forcibly taken...you will resurrect your foe." He let the blood from Neville fall into the cauldron and as it did, the potions contents turned a blinding white.
Lockhart dropped the knife and went back into the tent and when he came out, he had a bundle of cloaks. Inside the cloak, Neville caught sight of a flash of white flesh but could not identify it. Lockhart stood over the cauldron and dropped the thing in. It looked like a baby, but skeletal.
The cauldron absorbed the baby...thing. Neville started to realize what was going on, around his terror.
The potion burbled and bubbled as the magic started to take effect and then a head and shoulders rose from the cauldron. It was an evil face with slits for eyes and two holes for a nose. Pale lips and even paler skin made up the rest of the face and Neville felt his heart pump cold. It was Lord Voldemort, he had no doubt.
"My robes," he hissed to Lockhart, who then draped the black cloth over his shoulders. Voldemort covered himself as he stepped out of the cauldron. He walked around on his new legs for a moment and then ran his hands over his face. He seemed to be enjoying himself.
"Ah. To have a body again." It almost seemed difficult for him to speak-it sounded forced.
"Thank you Barty, for proving your loyalty," he held his hand out to Lockhart, "my wand." He ordered. Barty (Lockhart?) handed him his wand with a shaky hand. "For your loyalty," he waved his wand and a metallic new hand appeared in place of the severed one, and Barty sighed in relief.
"Thank you master," he sighed in content as it seemed the pain had gone away as well.
"Ah yes, our guest," Lord Voldemort turned with his eyes upon Neville and pointed his wand at him. "I should thank you for your contribution, but I don't have time for gratitude. I believe a quick death will be thanks enough." Voldemort began to cast the spell when five spells shot out from the shadows of the forest simultaneously striking an unsuspecting Voldemort.
He dropped to a knee, but did not fall unconscious. He raised himself back up to standing and yelled out in rage at the forest line. The Aurors stepped out and put themselves in front of Neville to protect him. Tonks cut the ropes away with a knife and pointed him into the forest. He stumbled away on fear stricken legs and was picked up by Hagrid.
Hagrid didn't say anything but carried Neville back towards the castle immediately.
Back in the clearing, Voldemort was nearly shaking with rage, glaring at his adversaries.
"Potter. Longbottom. Black." He spat their names. "Once noble pureblood families, now filthy blood traitors. The muggleborn lover dies first." Voldemort ordered Barty, who was producing his wand as Voldemort spoke.
"With pleasure!" Lockhart spat. He pointed his wand at James but didn't get out the first syllable, as Sirius had already stunned him. Barty Crouch Jr. crumbled to the ground and Sirius summoned his wand to him and pocketed it.
They started to fan out around Voldemort, who hissed at them all.
"I will rise! My followers will return to me!" He vowed. He disapparated in a cloud of black. James growled in anger and then turned to the fallen man.
"I can't believe it...Gilderoy Lockhart..." Alice murmured. James bound the man with ropes and they levitated him.
"I don't believe this is Lockhart," James answered as they walked back towards the castle. Their hearts were still pounding as they walked hurriedly away. Voldemort was back in his own body. He had only retreated today because he had none of his supporters with him-well not enough of them anyway.
Dumbledore had been waiting at the steps to the school as Hagrid with Neville emerged from the forest. Dumbledore had Neville sent straight up to the hospital wing to look after Neville and then the two men waited for the aurors.
It wasn't long until they also came out of the forest-thankfully all of them were still alive- and retired to Dumbledore's office. They sat Lockhart in a chair and bound him there, and revived him.
In the time that it took for them to wake up Lockhart, Snape arrived with a vile of Veritaserum. Snape glanced between the adults, internally glad to see they were still alive (but he still hated Sirius and James) and he forced the clear liquid down Lockhart's throat.
"Who are you?" Dumbledore asked his eyes leveled upon the blond man, who was staring at all of them fanned around him.
"Barty Crouch Jr." He ground out. The adults nodded as they had guessed that.
"How did Tom managed to get onto Hogwarts ground?" Dumbledore then asked.
"I brought him with me locked inside a trunk that cancels out magic," he reluctantly admitted, "but he could not come any closer to the school than he was in the forest, so I made a camp."
"Is the real Lockhart still alive?"
"Yes."
"Where is he?"
"In his office." He replied cryptically. Dumbledore turned to Sirius and James and asked them with a gesture of his hand for them to go look. He turned to Frank and Alice then.
"Go and see your boy." He said and they left immediately.
Dumbledore went to the window and sent Fawkes, his phoenix, to summon the Minister of Magic.
Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, couldn't believe the sight before him. Barty Crouch Jr., convicted Death Eater, had died some years ago inside of Azkaban, His body buried. Yet there he sat glaring at them all. Cornelius turned to look at James, who had returned with news of the real Lockhart's whereabouts. He had been locked inside a magical trunk and was being kept alive for the sake of the Polyjuice Potion. Though, sadly, his memory had been wiped clean by Barty Crouch.
He was in the infirmary, waiting for the arrival of St. Mungo's healers.
"He should be given the Kiss." Cornelius said finally. "He was already pronounced dead so bringing him to a Wizengamot trial will only inspire fear and unrest." He started to pace.
"But You Know Who couldn't have returned from the dead," he said, "he couldn't have. He was dead. He was killed. Severus Snape killed him."
"A wizard so dark as Tom Riddle, or Lord Voldemort, will had ways of keeping himself alive, Cornelius. The five aurors that were positioned here saw him with their own eyes. Neville Longbottom watched as he rose from the cauldron that Barty brewed to bring him back to life. He is back. We cannot ignore this threat to the Wizarding World. Azkaban holds the bulk of his followers and we must not let them escape again." Dumbledore kept his voice light, but what he said certainly was heavy.
"The security in Azkaban is not a problem." Cornelius seemed to be in severe denial, "The problem most immediate is that of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. As you have unknowingly had a death eater teaching the students for the first half of the year, their learning thus far is tainted and needs to be corrected. Just as the teacher you had chosen for the position is in no way capable of fulfilling his duty, I take it upon myself to find a replacement for the position, effective immediately."
Dumbledore clearly wasn't happy with this change of subject, disregard for the grim situation they found themselves in, and for meddling in his school.
"That is unnecessary, Cornelius. Professor Snape will take over as Defense Against the Dark Arts," Dumbledore said casually. "And I have arranged for Horace Slughorn to return from his retirement and take up his old position as Potions Master." Cornelius turned faintly red in the face, but he did not argue.
"I will have Kingsley search the forest for any evidence that supports the claims made by the Auror's stationed here."
"You are a pathetic man!" Barty shouted from his forgotten position in the chair, "The Dark Lord has risen again and will wipe the earth free of filth!" Cornelius turned and glared at the shouting man and with a gesture of his hand, a Dementor swooped in and robbed the man of his soul.
Neville was dozing at the moment, he had been released from the infirmary shortly after arriving there, as he only had a cut to his face that needed sorted. Madame Pomfrey determined quickly that the knife that was used to make the cut was not poisoned. After spending some time with his parents (who were called away to Dumbledore's office again), Neville found Harry and Draco pacing a trench in the Gryffindor Common room. When they caught sight of Neville and his slightly rumpled condition they practically drowned him with questions.
"Where the hell were you?"
"Why do you look like that?!"
"You went into the forest with Lockhart?! Did you WANT to die?!"
He had to yell at them to get them to stop. After he assured them of his well being he began to recount the events that transpired. He started with Lockhart finding him in the hallway and dangling a chance to see a rare plant, and how he was then led into the Forbidden Forest. Harry and Draco were angry, to say the least, as they had seen Lockhart come back onto the grounds but before they could find him in the actual school, they saw him leave with Neville. They tried to intercept them, but by the time they reached the grounds, their names had disappeared from the map.
Harry wanted to run after his friend, but Draco reminded him of his father's explicit order, to not go into the forest.
Neville continued by explaining the crazy ritual, with resulted in him getting cut in the face, and then Voldemort returned to flesh and bone. The aurors arrived before Voldemort had a chance to kill Neville, and Hagrid took him back to the castle quickly.
"Why would Voldemort want to kill you?"
"Why did Lockhart-Barty Crouch Jr.-call you his enemy?" They asked after Neville's story concluded. Neville shrugged.
"I have no idea. It doesn't make any sense. I mean, my parents fought him in the First war, yeah, but so did yours Harry." Neville shrugged again and sat heavily onto the couch. "I've never been more scared," he whispered.
Harry sat next to him and nudged his shoulder, "we were worried. But." Harry sighed, "you're alright now." Harry gazed into the fire and drew in a deep breath. "You Know Who is back." The reality had set in and the three boys shivered in terror.
"I'm going to send word to Hermione-" Draco turned to go but both boys stopped him with a resounding,
"NO!"
Draco turned back to them with an arched eyebrow, "Why not? She needs to know?"
"Let her have the rest of her holiday. It's only a few more days..."
"Then we'll tell her as soon as she gets back." Harry and Neville seemed to be on the same page, but Draco looked a little annoyed. He wasn't sure what difference it would make by telling her today, or in person. The news wouldn't be any easier to deliver. Draco rolled his eyes and left the common room. Hermione deserved to know.
HAS THE BEST AURORS OF OUR TIME MET THEIR MATCH?
Aurors Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom, and James Potter have been stationed at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for 'protection.' When I, Rita Skeeter, interviewed Kingsley Shackbolt, Head of the Auror Department, and asked him why they were there, he replied, "We are investigating some unexplained circumstances related to the Forbidden Forest." He wouldn't give me anything else.
We've heard nothing as to their reasons, but yesterday night, Christmas Eve, the Minister of Magic was called away on urgent business to Hogwarts. It seemed as if famous Gilderoy Lockhart escorted one Neville Longbottom into the Forbidden Forest in search of some unknown thing. Then Lockhart was arrested by the boy's parents and the other aurors there at the school. What transpired, dear readers? What ever did beloved Gilderoy Lockhart do in the forest to be arrested by the aurors?
When I asked James Potter for details, he said, "You Know Who has returned. Gilderoy Lockhart was actually Barty Crouch Jr. disguised by Polyjuice potion, who by kidnapping Neville Longbottom returned You Know Who to flesh and bone."
Yes, dear readers, that is what he said. Yet Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic himself had this to say, "These allegations have been made completely without proof. The boy was distraught and in a dangerous Forest. You Know Who has been dead for years."
What happened in the forest? What really happened?
Hermione folded up the Daily Prophet and put her head in her hands. She hadn't been there. Maybe she would have been with Neville and could have prevented it. She pushed the paper away from her and then picked up the other bit of mail she had received. It was from Draco.
Hermione,
I don't have the best news this time. Just to start off, Harry and Neville don't want me telling you this, they want you to have a good last few days Holiday. I don't want to keep information from you, I know how you are.
Lockhart was actually a death eater using Polyjuice Potion-you probably know what that is-who took Neville into the forest and through some dark arts potion making, returned Lord Voldemort to his body. Voldemort was going to kill Neville but his parents and the other aurors got there in time to stop him. Voldemort fled because he was out numbered and they managed to catch Lockhart-well Barty Crouch Jr. They took him to Dumbledore, who contacted the Minister. I don't know exactly what happened, but Sirius says that Cornelius Fudge has lost his mind and can't except reality and had Crouch killed via Dementor's Kiss-I'm pretty sure you know what that is.
I don't know what this means for Hogwarts, but the aurors are going to be leaving Hogwarts. Mr. Potter wants to be stationed at Azkaban but Cornelius refuses to accept the danger. I don't know what's going to happen.
I can't wait to see you, Hermione. We need your brain right now.
Sincerely,
Draco
Hermione drew in a breath and rested her head in her hands.
"What's wrong dear?" Her mother asked from the coffee pot.
"Everything," the teenager replied.