"Hold his mouth open."Prof Snape ordered the Veela guards as he forced the black haired man to drink the potion from the bottle held to his lips.He ignored the man's laughter and squirming as he forced his mouth closed and massaged the captive's throat to make sure he swallowed the liquid.Once done Severus retreated to the back wall watching as the prisoner fought against the magical restraints keeping him confined to a chair that Hermione got from a muggle dentist.
"Now Barty you are going to answer some of our questions."Dumbledore told him as he took charge of the interrogation.
"Do you actually think that veritserum will work on me?I'm a death eater.You will never get me to talk."Barty Crouch Jr taunted.
"No I don't.That's why I didn't give veritserum to you."Dumbledore told him.
Barty furrowed his eyebrows."What did you give me them?"
"I gave you Dawdle Draught."Dumbledore wasn't going to mention it was actually a modified version of the potion that Hermione created that instead of erasing traces of magic it blocks the one who drinks it's magic causing them to be no more capable of magic than a muggle for 6 hours before it wears off.
"Why?"Barty asked in confusion.
"Because we don't want anyone to be able to find you."Dumbledore lied.
Barty looked around the room and started to sweat."Where are the arurors and the ministry officials?"
"They won't be involved in this conversation."Dumbledore told him.
"I demand to speak to my father."Barty shouted.
"If you are lucky you will have a chance to speak to him after we do.As of now you are legally a dead man.You died in your cell in Aszban.That means you have no rights.We can do anything we want and none of us will get in trouble because you don't exist."Dumbledore explained.
"You won't do anything to me.The great Albus Dumbledore champion of the light doesn't have it in him to get his hands dirty."Barty said.
"You are very right I won't do anything bad."Just as Dumbledore saw Barty start to smirk he pointed to Hermione who was standing in the shadow of the room unnoticed."That doesn't mean she won't."
Barty laughed."You think I am scared of a little girl?!You are more pathetic than I thought."
"I think we should go with an iv this time.He has a point with being a death eater he could be immune to many potions."Hermione had dealt with other magical people and creatures that trained themselves to be immune to certain substances.Prof. Snape had started her when she first came to the castle and now she could safely ingest many poisons without any side affects.
"What is that?"Barty's voice was panicked as he watched Severus wheel over a metal pole with hooks on the top near his chair.
Hermione ignored him as she went to the cabinet in the room and unlocked it with her magic.she pulled out a plastic iv bag filled with red liquid and 8 needles filled with liquid of various colors."I'm going to do an adrenaline series."
"I think that will be a good idea."Dumbledore agreed.
"A little pinch."Hermione told Barty as she pushed a needle into his arm and attached the iv.
"What the hell did you do to me?"Barty eyes were wild as he tried to figure out what was going to happen.
Dumbledore wasn't surprised by his confusion.Most of the magical world dismissed the muggle world more often than not.He hated to admit he was like that as well until Hermione came to the castle and started using muggle advancements to solve problems.It made it so that instead of traditional means used to interrogate someone they could rely on muggle techniques that the magical world didn't know about meaning they wouldn't be able to fight against."Now Barty I'm going to ask you a few questions just to get started.I advise you not to fight and give me the answers willingly."
"I'm not telling you anything."Barty told him.
"Hermione if you would."Dumbledore knew that Barty would be talking in a few minutes.
"Of course."Hermione stuck Barty with one of the needles.
"Are you sure you don't want to answer me?"Dumbledore asked as he watched the man's pulse point thrumming fast against his skin.
"What the fuck did you do to me?"Barty gasped out.
No one answered as the room fell to silence the only sound being Barty's gasping.After five minutes Dumbledore spoke."Do you want to talk now?"
"I'm not giving you anything!"The man chocked out in-between breaths.
"He's ready."Hermione said as she stuck the man with another needle.After less than a minute after getting stuck with the needle Barty's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he passed out.Hermione waited until her watch said that another ten minutes had passed before she injected Barty with another needle.The room watched as the man surged up from his prone position and looked around with wild eyes.
"What?!Where?!"Barty fought against his restraints but it was no use.
"Now Barty are you going to answer my questions?"Dumbledore knew that he was close to breaking.Only a few had to go through all of one of Hermione's interrogation regiments.
"Fine just keep her away from me."Barty looked pointedly at Hermione and then sighed in relief when Hermione went to stand against the wall with the guards, Severus and Minerva.
"Where is Moody?"Dumbledore wanted to start out with the small things before he got to the questions he knew that Barty would once again refuse to answer without inspiration from Hermione.
"He's in a trunk in my classroom."Barty told them.
"Would you please assign some of your people to investigate his claim?"Dumbledore asked the lead Veela guard.The woman motioned for four of her people to leave the room."How did you fake your death?"
"I didn't fake it.Daddy dearest did. Apparently he couldn't handle the thought his baby boy having his soul sucked out regularly by dementors."Barty said.
"Why did you come to Hogwarts?"Dumbledore asked.
Barty bared his teeth at Dumbledore."How else would I be able to get close to your little pet?"
"You son of…"Minerva started stepping towards the man but was stopped by Severus before she could get far.
"I see I hit a nerve."Barty smiled gleefully.
"What do you want with Hermione?"When Barty clamped his mouth shut in defiance Dumbledore motioned to Hermione.
"Another pinch."Hermione held the needle to the man's arm when he started squirming.He wasn't getting far but it was enough for one of her guards to step forward and hold the man still while she stabbed him with the needle.Once the man's body started to shake Hermione looked at her watch and when five minutes passed she spoke."He's ready."
"We can make what you are feeling stop at anytime.All you have to do is answer our questions.Then this can be all over."Dumbledore coaxed.
Barty's teeth were gritted together obviously trying to fight through pain.It eventually became to much as the man let out a screech."I'll tell you everything.Just make it stop."
"Hermione."Dumbledore said.
"Of course."Hermione opened the valve to the iv and let the red liquid run into Barty's vein.
"Now what do you want with Hermione?"Dumbledore asked as he saw Barty's entire body become lax.
"We want to recruit her to the cause."Barty mumbled.
"What cause?"Dumbledore already knew the answer but wanted to hear it from Barty.
"The Dark Lord is back.When he learned of the prodigy at Hogwarts and her defense of many extreme attacks he wanted to get her on his.If she refused then the plan was to kill her during the tournament."Barty confessed.
"What do you mean the Dark Lord is back?"Dumbledore asked.
Barty laughed."He never went away.He was just weakened by that Potter woman and has spent the years since his defeat regaining his strength and through many rituals has become almost whole again."
"Where has he been this whole time?"Dumbledore knew the Dark Lord hadn't been dead but his attempts to find him had come up with nothing.
"It's not my place to know.That is only trusted to Peter Pettigrew."Barty told them.
"Pettigrew is dead."Severus said."Sirius killed him."
Barty smirked."That's what he wanted you to think.in reality he fled in his animagus form making everyone think that he was dead.Why do you think you never found a body?"
"What is his animagus form?"Dumbledore could easily believe that Sirius failed to kill anyone.The man was to lazy to cast even the basic spells and Dumbledore had found it hard to believe that he was skilled enough to kill Peter.The only reason he was in the order was because he was friends with the Potters.They were the ones who vouched for him.
"One that fits him perfectly.A rat."Barty said.
"He's ready for you to enter his mind."Hermione told Dumbledore.
"Now let's see what the Dark Lord doesn't want you to tell us."Dumbledore grabbed both sides of Barty's head and forced him to make eye contact.He was immediately pulled into the man's mind and with no resistance he searched through the man's mind learning his entire life story.It was when he came to an unnatural feeling magical block he knew he found something.It was easy to break through after using the substances Hermione injected into Barty that lowered all of his defenses.Going over everything available Dumbledore was deeply disturb with what he saw.Making sure he didn't miss anything he swept the man's mind one last time before pulling away."Severus erase everything.Leave him with nothing but his memories before he went to Azkaban and make sure every sensitive thing Tom told him is removed as well."
"Of course."Severus waved his wand in front of the man and murmured the spell."Obliviate."
Everyone's attention was suddenly on the door as a Veela guard entered."We found Moody where the prisoner told us he would be."
"Is he alright?"Dumbledore asked.
"He is unharmed but very angry.He demanded we take him to you right away and when we declined he attack the guards.As of right now he is being detained in the classroom."The guard's grimace at the statement was more than enough to let the group know how upset Moody was.
Minerva chuckled."I don't envy you when you go and collect him Albus."
"He's done."Severus told them once he finished with Barty's mind and put the man to sleep.
"How long until his magic comes back?"Dumbledore asked Hermione.
Hermione looked at her watch."Three hours but if you want it back sooner I can flush the potion out of his system.That would take about a half an hour."
"And nothing that you injected him with is traceable?"Dumbledore knew the answer but wanted to make sure.
"Even if they took his blood and tested it they wouldn't find anything other than traces of the original potion.All of the modifications I made will be undetectable.If anyone examined him they would think that all we wanted was for him to be untraceable."Hermione explained.
"Good."Dumbledore started putting his plan together.The main problem was what to do with Barty but after they waited for his magic to come back they could call the aurors and have them take him.He had seen in hBarty's memories who was involved with him being released so they would be able to charge them and the minster with his break out.That would be good because Dumbledore had learned that Barty's father was just as involved with the Dark Lord as his son was. Turning his attention to the leader of the Veela guard he asked."Would you be so kind to secure him in one of the holding cells.I don't trust anyone else right now as we don't know who else was working independently of Barty to target Hermione."
"We will do anything you need to keep Hermione safe."The guard easily replied.
"Thank you.Hermione I know you have plans tomorrow but I want you to meet me in my office after dinner ends in the Great Hall.I want you to meet some people."Dumbledore wasn't that comfortable having Hermione meet members of the order but there was no choice because if the Dark Lord was back they would need Hermione's talent to help defeat him.
"Albus do you think that's wise?"Minerva knew exactly who Hermione was going to be introduced to and wasn't sure it was a good idea.
Dumbledore laid his hand on Minerva's arm."This is what we have been preparing her for all her life.You know we can't win without her."
"I know but she is just a child."Minerva didn't want Hermione to be in danger but Albus was right.Hermione was their only hope and she, Albus and Severus had known that since the day the ministry found the girl.
"She won't be alone."Severus reminded Minerva.
Minerva sighed."I4's just so hard to see her all grown up."
"Regardless Hermione come to my office tomorrow."Dumbledore told Hermione.
"Of course Albus."Hermione was often introduced to people by Albus but it seemed this time they were extremely important.Or Hermione thought in this case dangerous if she considered the way Minerva was acting.
"Hermione go to your room and as I know you haven't eaten have an elf bring you food.Then I want you to go to sleep.You have a long day tomorrow and you will need your rest."Minerva knew if left without some direction Hermione would go back to work on one of her projects and stay up all night.
"We will make sure she gets some food and goes to sleep soon."One of her Veela guards said giving Hermione a soft smile.The obvious affection each of the Veela had for Hermione was easy to see as they didn't bother hiding it."Come along Hermione."
"Good night everyone."Hermione called out before following the guards out of the room.
"Good night."Minerva replied as she watched her young charge leave.She was forcing herself to not run after Hermione, grab her and take her back to her manor to make sure she was safe because she knew that wasn't a good that idea.While things were becoming dangerous Minerva longed for the school breaks when the students all went home and she, Hermione and most likely than not Severus would go to her ancestral estate in Scotland and spend time together as a family.The days of hikes through the forest around the home, answering endless questions and tucking in a young Hermione at night only to come back to check on her to find her reading a book instead of sleeping were over now.It caused a pain in Minerva's heart knowing that her little girl was all grown up and she wouldn't be able to protect her from the world anymore.