The Potter Twins and the Goblet of Fire
Chapter 17: Padfoot Returns!
One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Ron was getting to share the limelight for once. Ron gave what seemed to be the truth.
Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in McGonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be safe, and would awake when they were back above the water.
Luckily, he didn't tell any other crazy tales about it.
As they entered March, the weather became drier, but still freezing. There were delays in the post because the owls kept getting blown off course. The brown owl that Harry and Michael had sent to Sirius with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; they had no sooner torn off Sirius's reply before it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again.
Sirius's letter was almost as short as the previous one.
"Be at stile at the end of road out of Hogsmeade, (past Dervish and Banges), at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can."
Ron, "he's come back to Hogsmeade?"
Hermione, "it looks like it."
Michael, "well, he may be free, but he's still gotta keep quiet, or else he'll get captured again."
Ron, "made it so far, though, hasn't he? And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."
Harry, "thank God for that."
Michael and Harry were excited to see Sirius again for the entire day after that.
Even as they headed to potions.
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom with Pansy Parkinson's gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Harry and Michael couldn't see and sniggering heartily. Pansy's pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle's broad back as the four approached.
"There they are, there they are", she giggled as the knot of Slytherins broke apart.
The brothers saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands.
Witch Weekly. Oh great….
The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.
Pansy said loudly as she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, "you might find something to interest you in there, Granger."
At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside.
Michael, Hermione, Harry, and Ron headed for a table at the back of the dungeon as usual. Once Snape had turned his back on them to write up the ingredients of today's potion on the blackboard, Hermione hastily rifled through the magazine under the desk. Hermione soon found what they were looking for. Harry, Michael and Ron leaned in closer. A color photograph of Harry and Michael headed a short piece entitled:
The Potter's Secret Heartache.
Boys like no other, perhaps, yet boys suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of their parents, fourteen-year-old's Harry and Michael Potter thought they could find solace at Hogwarts. Harry with his steady girlfriend, Muggle-born Hermione Granger.
And Michael, searching for love with every lovely boy and girl in his school.
Little did they know that they would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss.
Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys' affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has "never felt this way about any other girl."
However, it might not be Miss Granger's doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interest.
"She's really ugly", says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, "but she'd be well up to making a Love Potion, she's quite brainy. I think that's how she's doing it."
Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate.
But all of that pales in comparison to the tension going on with his brother!
Michael Potter was seen fighting with one Cedric Diggetry, over the affections of long time crush, Cho Chang. The Potter Twin showed even more of his rambunctious temper as he yelled at the timid student who was older than him by a good three or four years! It seems that love can drive a young man such as Michael to say and do terrible things!
Look out ladies and gentlemen of Hogwarts, lest you feel his unbridled passion!
Michael was fuming as he read the article. How the blood soaked Hell did this horrible woman know all of this tripe!?
Ron, "I told you. I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She's made you out to be some sort of- of scarlet woman!"
Hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter, "Scarlet woman?"
Ron, "it's what my mum calls them."
Hermione said, still giggling as she threw Witch Weekly onto the empty chair beside her, "if that's the best Rita can do, she's losing her touch. What a pile of old rubbish."
Michael, "I'll say. If I ever see her again, I'm gonna ask Charlie if I can feed her to Norberta!"
Hermione looked over at the Slytherin's, who were all watching her, Michael and Harry closely across the room to see if they had been upset by the article. Hermione gave them a sarcastic smile and a wave, and she, Harry, Michael and Ron started unpacking the ingredients they would need for their Wit-Sharpening Potion.
Hermione and Ron soon got into a slightly heated conversation about Krum, the things Rita Skeeter had said, etc, when they were suddenly interrupted by….
"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger. I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."
Michael glared at Snape. He always hated how unfair he was with taking points away. Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking. The whole class was now looking around at them; Malfoy took the opportunity to flash POTTER STINKS across the dungeon at Harry and Michael.
Snape, "ah…. Reading magazines under the table as well? A further ten points from Gryffindor…."
Michael was barely holding himself together.
He managed to say, "Malfoy and Parkinson gave us that magazine. Shouldn't they be punished as well?"
Snape, "oh but of course…. Except, they only read it before class, not during, hmm….", Snape's black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter's article, "you and your brother have to keep up with your press cuttings….", a pleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth.
To Michael and Harry's fury, he began to read the article aloud.
"'The Potter's Secret Heartache…. Dear, dear, Potter's, what's ailing you now? 'Boys like no other, perhaps….'"
Harry could feel his face burning, and Michael had half a mind to set Snape's hair ablaze! Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherin's a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.
" '... Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.' How very touching. Hmm, well, I think I had better separate the four of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions, rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter's, that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."
Furious, Harry and Michael threw their ingredients and their bags into their cauldrons and dragged them up to the front of the dungeon to the empty table.
Snape followed, sat down at his desk and watched the twins unload their cauldrons. Determined not to look at Snape, they resumed the mashing of their scarab beetles, imagining each one to have Snape's face.
Snape, "all this press attention seems to have inflated your already overly large head, Potter's."
Harry didn't answer. He knew Snape was trying to provoke him; he had done this before. No doubt he was hoping for an excuse to take a round fifty points from Gryffindor before the end of the class.
And Michael was near his breaking point. Snape had been doing this to Harry for four years now! Why did he treat his brother like this, but always acted fair towards him!? It wasn't fair to only punish one brother!
Snape went on, so quietly that no one else could hear him as the twins continued to pound their scarab beetles, even though they had already reduced them to a very fine powder, "you might be laboring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you. But I don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me, Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him."
Harry tipped the powdered beetles into his cauldron and started cutting up his ginger roots. His hands were shaking slightly out of anger, but he kept his eyes down, as though he couldn't hear what Snape was saying to him.
Michael looked like he was about to explode, as he was barely able to pour his powdered beetles into his own cauldron.
Snape, "so I give you fair warning. Celebrities or not, if I catch you breaking into my office one more time-"
Harry, "I haven't been anywhere near your office."
Michael kept glancing between his brother and Snape, his own anger forgotten for a moment.
Snape, "don't lie to me. Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them."
Michael and Harry stared back at Snape, determined not to blink or to look guilty. In truth, Harry hadn't stolen either of these things from Snape. Michael knew that for sure.
Hermione had taken the boomslang skin back in their second year, they had needed it for the Polyjuice Potion, and while Snape had suspected Harry at the time, he had never been able to prove it. Dobby, of course, had stolen the gillyweed.
Harry, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Snape, "you were out of bed on the night my office was broken into! I know it, Potter! Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club, but I will not tolerate your behavior! One more nighttime stroll into my office, Potter, and you will pay!"
Harry, "right. I'll bear that in mind if I ever get the urge to go in there."
Snape's eyes flashed. He plunged a hand into the inside of his black robes. For one wild moment, Harry and Michael thought Snape was about to pull out his wand and curse them, then they saw that Snape had drawn out a small crystal bottle of a completely clear potion. Harry and Michael stared at it.
Snape, "do you know what this is?"
Harry said with complete honesty, "no."
Snape, "it is Veritaserum: a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear. Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then, Potter…. Then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not."
While Harry began thinking of what the truth potion would make him say, Michael had decided…. He had had enough!
Michael, "shut up."
Snape looked at Michael, surprised he had finally spoken.
Snape, "what did you say?"
Michael suddenly stood up, shocking the entire class as he growled, "shut the Hell up, you slimy git!"
Snape himself was taken aback as Michael yelled!
Michael, "I have had it with your attitude, you hook nosed twit! I don't care if you're a teacher, you greasy jerk! You treat my brother as if he was a dog who left his business all over your rug! When he has done very little to you to make you so hostile! And yet, I'm the one you don't treat as harshly, even as I've yelled at you before! You've never taken a point from me, but you've taken loads of points from Harry and Hermione for simply not knowing a lot of magic, or knowing too much about magic! You didn't even read about me in the article, ya pale son of a banshee! And there was LOADS of potential for that! Especially my fight with Cedric! And yet, not a peep! You didn't threaten me with the truth potion, you grimy goon! I'm guessing that's because everything is already out in the open! Why!? Why do you treat Harry like trash, but treat me like normal?! Why!?"
It took a moment for Snape to retort, but just when he was about to, Kakaroff suddenly burst into the room!
He and Snape began to have a hushed conversation, with Kakaroff showing Snape some sort of mark on his wrist that Harry, Michael and the others couldn't see.
The conversation between the two men got very heated very fast, until Kakaroff turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon. He looked both worried and angry. Not wanting to remain alone with an exceptionally angry Snape, Michael and Harry threw their books and ingredients back into their bags and left at top speed to tell Ron and Hermione what they had just witnessed….
….
They left the castle at noon the next day to find a weak silver sun shining down upon the grounds. The weather was milder than it had been all year, and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade, all four of them had taken off their cloaks and thrown them over their shoulders. The food Sirius had told them to bring was in Harry's bag; they had sneaked a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a flask of pumpkin juice from the lunch table.
They went into Gladrags Wizardwear to buy a present for Dobby, where they had fun selecting socks and mittens, including a pair of patterned mittens with flashing gold and silver stars, and a pair of socks that screamed loudly when they became too smelly. Then, at half past one, they made their way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, and out toward the edge of the village.
Harry and Michael had never been in this direction before. The winding lane was leading them out into the countryside around Hogsmeade. They were walking toward the foot of the mountain. Then they turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. Waiting for them was a very large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth and looking very familiar….
Harry, "hello, Sirius."
Michael, "good to see you again."
The dog sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, wagged its tail once, then turned and began to trot away to meet the rocky foot of the mountain.
Michael, Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed over the stile and followed.
Sirius led them to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks. It was easy for him, with his four paws, but the quartet were soon out of breath. They followed Sirius higher, up onto the mountain itself.
For nearly half an hour they climbed.
Then, at last, Sirius slipped out of sight, and when they reached the place where he had vanished, they saw a narrow fissure in the rock. They squeezed into it and found themselves in a cool, dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock, was Buckbeak!
Buckbeak's fierce orange eye flashed at the sight of them. All four of them bowed low to him, and after regarding them imperiously for a moment, Buckbeak bent his scaly front knees and allowed Hermione to rush forward and stroke his feathery neck.
Michael went next, petting the large creature he had been so happy to save last year.
Harry, however, was looking at the black dog, which had just turned into his and Michael's godfather.
Michael looked as well, after petting Buckbeak.
Sirius looked the same as they last saw him, but slightly cleaner.
"Chicken", he said hoarsely after removing the old Daily Prophets from his mouth and throwing them down.
Harry pulled open his bag and handed over the bundle of chicken legs and bread.
Sirius said, "thanks", opened it, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth, "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself."
He grinned up at Harry and Michael, but they returned the grin only reluctantly.
Harry, "what're you doing here, Sirius?"
Sirius, "fulfilling my duty as godfather. Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray. I want to be on the spot. Your last letter…. Well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried."
He nodded at the yellowing Daily Prophets on the cave floor, and Ron picked them up and unfolded them. The twins, however, continued to stare at Sirius.
Michael, "what if they catch you? What if you're seen?"
Sirius, "you three and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus."
Ron nudged Harry and passed him and Michael the Daily Prophets. There were two: The first bore the headline; Mystery Illness of Bartemius Crouch, the second; Ministry Witch Still Missing, Minister of Magic Now Personally Involved.
The brothers scanned the story about Crouch. Phrases jumped out at them:
Hasn't been seen in public since November…. House appears deserted…. St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries decline comment…. Ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness….
Harry, "they're making it sound like he's dying."
Michael, "but he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here…."
Ron, "my brother's Crouch's personal assistant. He says Crouch is suffering from overwork."
Michael, "mind you, he did look ill, last time we saw him up close,"
Harry, "the night our names came out of the goblet…."
Hermione, "getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he? I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now, bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him."
"Hermione's obsessed with house-elves", Ron muttered to Sirius, casting Hermione a dark look. Sirius, however, looked interested.
He asked, "Crouch sacked his house-elf?"
Harry, "yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup."
The twins launched into the story of everything that happened at the World Cup.
When they had finished, Sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave.
Sirius, "let me get this straight. You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?"
The quartet said together, "right."
Sirius, "but Crouch didn't turn up for the match?"
Harry, "no. I think he said he'd been too busy."
Sirius paced all around the cave in silence.
Then he said, "Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"
Harry, "erm…. No. I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars."
Michael, "are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stole Harry's wand in the Top Box?"
Sirius, "it's possible."
Hermione, "Winky didn't steal that wand!"
Sirius, "the elf wasn't the only one in that box. Who else was sitting behind you?"
Harry, "loads of people. Some Bulgarian ministers, Cornelius Fudge, the Malfoys…."
Ron, "the Malfoys! I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!"
Sirius, "anyone else?"
Michael, "no one."
Hermione, "yes, there was, there was Ludo Bagman,"
Michael, "oh yeah…."
Sirius, "I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps. What's he like?"
Harry, "he's okay. He keeps offering to help us with the Triwizard Tournament."
Sirius, "does he, now? I wonder why he'd do that?"
Michael, "says he's taken a liking to us."
Sirius, "hmm... Taken a liking to you... Hmm..."
Hermione, "we saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared. Remember?"
Ron, "yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he? The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite."
Hermione, "how d'you know? How d'you know where he Disapparated to?"
Ron, "come off it. Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?"
Hermione, "it's more likely he did it than Winky."
Ron, "told you. Told you she's obsessed with house-"
But Sirius held up a hand to silence Ron.
Sirius, "when the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"
Harry, "went to look in the bushes."
Michael, "but there wasn't anyone else there."
Sirius, "of course. Of course, he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf…. And then he sacked her?"
Hermione, "yes. He sacked her, just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled-"
Ron, "Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!"
Sirius shook his head and said, "she's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. All these absences…. He goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too…. It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak."
Buckbeak turned his head when he heard that.
Harry, "d'you know Crouch, then?"
Sirius, "oh I know Crouch alright. He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban, without a trial."
Ron and Hermione, "what?"
Harry, "you're kidding!"
Michael, "that little weasel!"
Sirius, "no, I'm not. Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?"
Michael, Harry, Ron, and Hermione shook their heads.
Sirius, "he was tipped for the next Minister of Magic. He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical…. And power-hungry. Oh never a Voldemort supporter. No, Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side…. Well, you wouldn't understand…. You're too young…."
Ron, "that's what my dad said at the World Cup. Try us, why don't you?"
A grin flashed across Sirius's thin face.
Sirius, "alright, I'll try you…. Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they are forced to do terrible things. You're scared for yourself, and everyone you know. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing…. The Ministry is in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere…. That's how it used to be. Well, times like that bring out the best in some and the worst in others. Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning. He rose quickly through the ranks, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given permission to kill rather than capture. And I wasn't the only one who was thrown into Azkaban without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you, plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened…. Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."
Hermione, "Crouch's son was caught?"
Sirius, "yep. Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while…. Gotten to know his own son."
He began to wolf down large pieces of bread.
Harry, "was his son a Death Eater?"
Sirius, "no idea. I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters, but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf."
Hermione, "did Crouch try and get his son off?"
Sirius let out a laugh that was much more like a bark, "Crouch let his son off? I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again, doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy…. Then he sent him straight to Azkaban."
Harry, "he gave his own son to the dementors?"
Michael, "that's colder than Snape's sense of humor."
Sirius, "that's right. I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though…. They all went quiet in the end…. Except when they shrieked in their sleep…."
For a moment, the deadened look in Sirius's eyes became more pronounced than ever, as though shutters had closed behind them.
Harry, "so he's still in Azkaban?"
Sirius, "no. No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in."
Michael, "he died?"
Sirius, "he wasn't the only one. Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it. So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made. One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic…. Next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored. A big drop in popularity as well. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation."
There was a long silence. Harry was thinking of the way Crouch's eyes had bulged as he'd looked down at his disobedient house-elf back in the woods at the Quidditch World Cup. This, then, must have been why Crouch had overreacted to Winky being found beneath the Dark Mark.
It had brought back memories of his son, and the old scandal, and his fall from grace at the Ministry.
Michael, however, had a strange theory brewing in his mind.
They had seen Crouch's name on the map.
But why would Crouch be in Snape's office? Michael almost thought it could have been his son, but after hearing of the young man's death, now Michael was left back at square one.
Harry, "Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards."
Sirius, "yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him. If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater."
Ron, "and he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!"
Sirius, "yes, and that doesn't make sense at all."
Ron, "yeah, it does!"
Sirius, "listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him."
Michael, "so you think Snape could be up to something, then?"
Hermione, "look, I don't care what you say, Dumbledore trusts Snape-"
Ron, "oh give it a rest, Hermione. I know Dumbledore's brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him!"
Michael, "I trust Dumbeldore's judgment with my life, even though I think Snape is a foul git."
Hermione, "why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year, then? Why didn't he just let him die?"
Ron, "I dunno, maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out?"
Harry, "what d'you think, Sirius?"
Sirius, "I think they've both got a point. Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was. Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters. Rosier and Wilkes; they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges; they're a married couple…. They're in Azkaban. Avery; from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater, not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble."
Ron, "Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet."
Harry, "yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in Potions yesterday!"
Michael, "Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but we couldn't see what it was."
Sirius, "he showed Snape something on his arm? Well, I've no idea what that's about…. But if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers…. There's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but I just can't see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he'd ever worked for Voldemort."
Ron, "why are Moody and Crouch so keen to get into Snape's office then?"
Sirius, "well. I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he arrived. He takes Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure he trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed if he could help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters. Crouch, though…. He's a different matter…. Is he really ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not…. What's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up in the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?"
Sirius lapsed into silence, still staring at the cave wall. Buckbeak was ferreting around on the rocky floor, looking for bones he might have overlooked. Finally, Sirius looked up at Ron.
Sirius, "you say your brother's Crouch's personal assistant? Any chance you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?"
Ron, "I can try. Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch."
Michael muttered, "more like obsessed."
Sirius, "and you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it."
Harry, "Bagman told me they hadn't."
Sirius, "yes, he's quoted in the article in there. Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's changed since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all, quite the reverse. She was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic…. Maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long…. Sigh, What's the time?"
Harry checked his watch, then remembered it hadn't been working since it had spent over an hour in the lake.
Hermione, "it's half past three."
Sirius, "you'd better get back to school. Now listen…. I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you're not to go leaving Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you."
Harry, "no one's tried to attack me so far, except a dragon and a couple of grindylows."
Michael, "and my scarf still has that protective charm on it."
But Sirius scowled at them.
Sirius, "I don't care…. I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until June. And don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Snuffles, okay?"
He handed Harry the empty napkin and flask and went to pat Buckbeak good-bye. Sirius, "I'll walk to the edge of the village with you. See if I can scrounge another paper."
He transformed into the great black dog before they left the cave, and they walked back down the mountainside with him, across the boulder-strewn ground, and back to the stile. Here he allowed each of them to pat him on the head, before turning and setting off at a run around the outskirts of the village. Michael, Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way back into Hogsmeade and up toward Hogwarts.
Ron, "wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch? But maybe he doesn't care…. It'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."
Hermione, "Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors."
Ron, "I don't know. If he thought we were standing in the way of his career…. Percy's really ambitious, you know…."
They walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall, where the delicious smells of dinner wafted toward them from the Great Hall.
"Poor old Snuffles", said Ron, breathing deeply, "he must really like you, Harry, Michael…. Imagine having to live off rats."
Michael, "if one of those rats ends up being Petigrew, I'll buy Sirius every chicken Hogsmeade has…."
….
Reviews:
Canadude2029: indeed. I'm quite happy with how things turned out in this chapter.
Bailey Radcliff: well, I'm glad you're still enjoying this story. As I said in previous author notes, Titans: Elemental was sadly deleted by an admin. You can still read it on AO3, and I'll hopefully one day reupload Titans: Elemental on this site, edited in certain places.
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