Harry Potter's POV

"Avada - !"

I shut my eyes tightly. I can't believe this. I survived tonight only to – only to –

BANG!

The door slammed open. Two voices, one female and one male, roared out the curse for Stunners at the same time: "STUPEFY!"

My eyes flashed open. I watched in shock as Moody was blasted off his feet. He zoomed past me and flew into the wall behind me. A sickening crunch rang out, and then he fell to the floor, limp.

"Harry! Harry, oh my God, Harry!" The next thing I knew, I was being pulled into a desperate, but warm and protective pair of arms, and the familiar scent of Professor Kingsley washed over me.

I was still too shocked to feel or comprehend anything, but that tiny spot of familiarity and warmth kept me grounded enough to keep from breaking down completely. I just couldn't comprehend - How could it be Moody?


Raylynx Kingsley's POV

Remus and I were running down to the Quidditch Pitch, where the Third Task of the TriWizard Tournament was taking place. However, as we passed by Moody's office, we heard a loud laugh inside.

"That's Moody's laugh."

"But Moody's still in the hallway," Remus said uncertainly.

Suddenly, an insane sing-songy voice rang out from inside the room. "Mad, mad, mad, mad -!"

My eyes widened. No, that's not Moody. That must be Barty Crouch Jr.!

Remus and I burst into Moody's office together, to see a horrific sight: Barty Crouch Jr., as Moody, pointing his wand at Harry and shouting, "Avada - !"

"STUPEFY!" Remus and I roared together.

Both our spells hit Barty straight in the back. He went flying, crashed into the wall, and then fell to the floor, limp. Remus immediately ran around to secure him. I grabbed Harry, who was still half in his chair, and hugged him tightly.

"Harry! Harry, oh my God, Harry!"

"'M all right, Professor," Harry murmured.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm okay." He reached up and awkwardly patted my arms.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Professor."

Remus magicked handcuffs around Barty's wrists and propped him up against the wall. Then, he looked over at me.

"Go," I said at once.

Remus nodded, and he raced out. I would have gone with him, of course, but someone had to stay with Harry and watch Barty.

"What was that about?" Harry asked me.

I looked down at my godson. I didn't have the heart to tell him that Sirius had given himself up for Remus and me to be able to get to him in time.

"Harry," I said softly.

"What? Is something wr -?"

Behind us, Barty began to stir.

Merlin, that was quick, I thought. His mind must be very active, to wake up so fast.

"Wand out. Stay behind me." With those words, I reluctantly let Harry go.

With my own wand out, I cautiously approached Barty. Barty's eyes opened, and his tongue flickered out of his mouth in a snake-like manner. His gaze flickered up to me, and then to Harry behind me, and he snickered.

"All this time," I whispered. "All this time, it was you."

Harry's brow furrowed, as he tried to understand what was going on. He still had not realized that Moody was an imposter.

Barty grinned maniacally. "You didn't realize?"

When I remained silent, he sneered, "You should have known, ages ago. Back at the Riddle House, this past summer, I kidnapped you and the Dark Lord ripped information out of your head – and you didn't even notice? Then, this entire year, every time I fed you a bit of information about the Tournament, you'd go racing off to help that idiot boy, not realizing, of course, that you were helping me, aiding the Dark Lord himself." Crouch cackled. "How did you not realize what was happening? When it was you last time, you who was transported by the Cup into the Shrieking Shack, where the Lestranges nearly killed you. Did you know that before you were the first Mudblood ever to weasel her way into the TriWizard Tournament? You were a humiliation to the entire Wizarding community. Even Hogwarts students hated you. But I was the only one who ever did anything about it. You see, back then, it was me, too - I was the one who turned the Cup into a Portkey, all of those years ago. I've always had a knack for transforming things: objects into Portkeys, people into disguises, and Mudbloods into corpses."

"You disgust me," I said lowly, trying to hide the fury and bitterness that was eating a hole through my heart. Because it was true, it was true that I -

As if he could read my thoughts, Barty crowed, "And now, with the exact same people, the exact same situation – you fall for it again!" He shook his head at me mockingly. "How thick are you, you stupid Mudblood?"

"Don't call her that!" Harry said angrily.

Ignoring Harry, Barty whispered tauntingly, "Let me guess – Dumbledore assured you things would go smoothly." His tongue slipped across his lips again, briefly, before he continued, "You all pretend as if there's something wrong with following the Dark Lord, when you all blindly grovel at the feet of the patron saint of Muggles and Mudbloods. But you're all kidding yourselves – It doesn't help anyone to pretend that weakness is a virtue. Eradicating Mudbloods is the same as eradicating a disease. Enslaving Muggles is like keeping pets. It's the right system, the just system, only the likes of you and Dumbledore are so intent on allowing the world to fall sick."

I didn't realize what I was doing until I saw the tip of my wand pointed at Barty's face. "Sick?" I whispered harshly. "It's you who's sick, Crouch."

"Professor?" Harry said, suddenly afraid.

Barty kept grinning at me. "You couldn't do it," he said knowingly. "Mudblood like you doesn't have the guts. It's too much magic for you."

"Professor," Harry called for me again. But to be honest, his voice was starting to fade away. Instead, I was once again standing in the circle of broken, fallen columns, in the opera house, and Alice and Frank were already gone, but I had this chance, this one golden chance to kill Bellatrix Lestrange…

Barty's face suddenly fell. He saw that my mind had gone there. "Kill me then," he whispered. "It's too late. The Dark Lord is back. That boy will die anyways."

"Not if I kill the Dark Lord first," I replied. My voice was deathly quiet.

"Kill the Dark Lord?" Barty said. He was no longer smiling, but there was a strange light playing in his eyes when he whispered to me, "You cannot. He is immortal."

"Well. Too bad you aren't." I focused my wand at the spot between Barty's eyes. "See you in hell."

"Professor, no!" Harry shouted. "Don't! He's not worth it!" He jumped forward and tried to grab my arm, to stop me.

Just then, a low whistle sounded out – and Fawkes swooped into the room. Immediately, he barreled into me, pushing me back, forcing me away from Barty.

"Fawkes!" Harry exclaimed, awed.

"Dumbledore!" I growled. "That son of a bi - "

Fawkes cawed reproachfully and hit me in the chest with his tail. I groaned.

"Get away from me, you stupid bird," I grumbled. But Fawkes surrounded me, swooping about in circles to keep me in my place.

Only a few seconds later, Fawkes let out another loud caw, just as Dumbledore himself stepped into the room, tailed closely by McGonagall and Snape.


Sirius Black's POV

I was able to put enough distance between myself and Emmeline and Jasper that I felt comfortable slipping into a hiding spot. I slipped inside the one-eyed witch's hump on the third floor.

Excellent, I thought, I can make a get-away to Hogsmeade now.

Just then, a feeble squeak came out of my pocket. I frowned and looked down.

Quincy had vanished into my pocket again. Only, I could feel him trembling and pawing weakly at the bottom of my pocket, trying very hard to curl up somewhere and keep himself warm.

I carefully opened the top of my pocket and peered in. The little guy was a pale blue now and breathing a bit feebly.

"Shit," I cursed. Fire salamanders can't be out of fire for more than six hours. Who knows how long he was pawing at the door of the cupboard I found Raylynx in?

Quincy squirmed when he felt more cold air enter the top of the pocket. I quickly let go of my pocket.

Fire, I thought, where can I make fire here?

I knelt down onto the ground and, pointing my wand at the dirt ground, I whispered, "Incendio."

Bright flames burst out of my wand, but the flames immediately flickered out on the cold stone floor.

I groaned. "All right. You just hold on, Quincy."

A weak squeak sounded out, wondering, Where are we going?

"I don't even know. Any fireplace. We've got to keep you alive."


Emmeline Vance's POV

"Where could he have gone?" I said, exasperated. "He left his Demiguise Cloak behind, so he can't be hiding in plain view."

We were running down the corridor, past the main classrooms and offices (which all had their doors open, since none of them were being used during the TriWizard Tournament), blasting open any door of a closed cupboard or small space.

Jasper suddenly skidded to a halt. He put his finger to his lips and then he slowly walked back a few steps and peered into an empty classroom we'd just sprinted past. Or, at least, one I assumed was empty.

But no, there was Sirius Black, lounging about, sitting in front of a roaring fire, which obviously, he had taken the time to create himself, and leaning back in one chair with his feet up on the desk.

"He's mental," I whispered in a hushed voice.

"Or else he wagered we'd run right past him," Jasper replied.

"To be fair, he nearly had us."

"Right. Well, let's take him."

But no sooner had the words left Jasper's lips than Sirius looked up at us.

"Damn," Sirius cursed. He leapt to his feet, crossed over to the fireplace, and said, "All right, I know you just got toasty, but we've got to go."

What in the world is he talking about? I wondered.

Jasper didn't wait. "Stupefy!"

With a snarl, Sirius dove behind the professor's desk, which exploded when Jasper's Stunner hit it.

Sirius' head popped back up behind the rubble. "Oops, I reckon Binns won't be too happy about that." He paused. "But then, he doesn't need a desk."

"Impedimenta!" I yelled.

"Protego!" Sirius threw up a shield. Then, he ducked and ran.

Sirius Black's POV

I was trying my hardest to get to the doorway and slip out into the hallway, but Jasper saw my strategy and he kept it well-guarded. Besides that, Jasper was one of the fastest spell-casters I'd ever faced.

"Incarcerous!" Jasper yelled.

I growled when Jasper's ropes flew through the air and whipped past me, whacking me in the side of my face. I felt blood start to drip out of the gash. Out of everyone I've ever seen use that spell, Jasper conjures up those ropes so damn fast. How the hell does he do it? There's usually a beat between the spell and the actual conjuring, let alone directing the ropes to go somewhere – but it's all one moment with him.

"Sorry, Quince," I muttered. "We may end up dying together here."

Quincy put out one trembling paw and patted my chest, as if to say, There, there

Then, a rather ragged, familiar voice shouted exasperatedly from out in the hallway, "Sirius!"

"Oh, bollocks," Emmeline cursed, looking over her shoulder and out into the hallway. "It's Remus again. He must have heard us blow up the desk. Godric, for how frail he looks, he certainly is persistent."

Sure enough, there was Remus, flailing about as he ran towards us, determined to help me out of this incredible mess. He pushed past Jasper and Emmeline, reached me, and took a moment to hold onto his own knees and wheeze. Everyone watched him with doubting eyes. Then, Remus straightened up – And the fight was back on.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Protego!"

"Stupefy!"


Harry Potter's POV

Seeing Dumbledore step into the room, with his wand outstretched – I suddenly understood, for the first time, how it was that Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. Gone were his twinkling eyes, gentle smile, and lilting, slow movements… No, the Dumbledore standing before me now seemed composed entirely of cold fury and deep-rooted power. It was no wonder, then, that Moody suddenly fell silent in the presence of Dumbledore.

McGonagall rushed over to me at once. "Potter! Come along, to the hospital wing."

"No," Dumbledore said sharply.

"But he ought to – Look at him, Albus. He's been through enough tonight!"

"He must stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand."

Meanwhile, Snape was staring down at Moody with contempt written all over his face, and Moody was glaring back at Snape furiously.

"How? How could it be Moody?" I wondered. Even after hearing Moody and Professor Kingsley talk – no, especially after hearing them talk – I was more confused than ever.

"This is not Alastor Moody," Dumbledore said quietly. He stepped forward, until he was next to Snape, and he stared down at Moody – or rather, not Moody. "You have never known Alastor Moody."

"What do you mean?" McGonagall whispered fearfully, from besides me.

"The real Moody would not have removed you from my sight after what happened tonight," Dumbledore explained grimly.

"It's Crouch," Professor Kingsley spoke up suddenly. Her voice was very faint, and she swallowed hard before she managed to explain: "Barty's son."

Barty Crouch Junior growled, hating how his name reflected his demented connection with his father.

Snape's eyes widened and his head snapped back as he looked at Barty, as Moody, once more. Then, Snape knelt down and began to rummage through Barty's robes. When Barty made to headbutt him, Snape hissed and jabbed his wand in Barty's cheek. "Somnum statim."

Barty fell asleep at once, his head going limp and falling forward until his chin touched his chest. Snape pulled out Moody's hip flask. He popped it open, took a sniff, and then proclaimed with certainty, "Polyjuice Potion."

"Then, where is the real Moody?" McGonagall asked in a hushed whisper.

"He's out in the hallway. He needs help," Raylynx murmured. She looked all flushed, and her eyes kept blinking. "And I have to – I've got to – to get to – Sirius…" She collapsed on the floor.

"Professor!" I cried out. "Professor Kingsley!"

Fawkes let out a low cry. He gently perched himself on the floor besides Raylynx.

I ran over to Professor Kingsley and knelt at her side. I put my hand on her chest, only to find that her breathing was labored and stuttering. Panic coursed through me. I can't lose her. I can't!

"Fawkes," I pleaded, "please help her!"

Fawkes looked over at Dumbledore, who nodded once. Fawkes leaned over Raylynx. Tears fell from his bright eyes and landed on Raylynx's forehead and in her hair. He shifted down, and more tears splashed against her side.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore turned to McGonagall and Snape. "Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, please find the real Alastor Moody and help him to the Hospital Wing. Then, come back here."

Both Snape and McGonagall turned at once and left the office.

"How is she, Harry?" Dumbledore asked me.

I pressed my hand against her chest again, right over her heart. It was thumping steadily now, and her breathing was at ease. "She's better," I said, relieved. "Thanks, Fawkes."

Fawkes cawed softly. He lifted his wings and flew over to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore gently laid his hand on his back. He murmured, "There is a rather large black dog somewhere in this castle. Please lead him up to my office."

Fawkes nodded. He flapped his wings and soared lithely out of the office.

"A dog? Sir – I mean, Snuffles?" I stood up frantically. "Is he all right?"

"Calm yourself, Harry. Fawkes will do whatever is needed," Dumbledore told me. "In the meantime, we must observe the scene before us."


Sirius Black's POV

The fight was going poorly. If anything was keeping us alive, it was Remus' and my compatibility as fighters. Remus was barely on his feet. His defensive spell-casting, however, still could not be matched, and it kept Jasper and Emmeline from actually getting a hold of us. I, on the other hand, was throwing quite aggressive spells that made Jasper and Emmeline wary about getting too close to us.

The only thing was - I wasn't all that controlled, as I was increasingly worried that Remus was going to pass out or that Quincy's flames would flicker out. We were running out of time, and I knew it. Suddenly, Quincy gave a little gasp and then went totally still. Panicking, I threw out a spell without even thinking – "SECTIS!"

Remus and I both watched in horror as a gigantic slash gouged out the stone floor beneath Jasper and Emmeline.

"Ah!" Emmeline cried out in pain. She had tried to stumble back, but the disintegrating floor made her trip. She fell, and then my spell cut sharply into her thigh.

"Em!" Jasper yanked her back – and it was good that he did, because otherwise, Emmeline would have lost her entire leg for the slash went all the way up the wall – a hippo grazing peacefully in the African safari in the painting suddenly honked and ran and joined the group of nuns in a nineteenth-century nunnery to save herself – before the painting was brutally cut through. The slash finally stopped just before it hit the ceiling.

I stood there, panting hard.

"Merlin, Sirius," Remus said weakly, starting at the destroyed floor and wall with wide eyes. "Was that really necessary?"

Before I could answer him, a loud caw interrupted our fight. The next second, a phoenix swooped into the classroom.

"Fawkes?" I said, puzzled.

Fawkes shot me a beady glare, clearly not happy with me. Then, with a few whips of his magnificent wings and tail, he proceeded to corral all four of us up the staircase and into Dumbledore's office. He circled us furiously, keeping us both from escaping the office and from attacking the other.

Amidst the chaos of being caught in Fawkes' cyclone – what with the muffled cries, the feathered slaps, and the general confusion about "what the hell is going on!?" - I did manage to throw Quincy across the room and into the fireplace.

The poor guy thought he was on his deathbed, only to be squeezed by my hand when I picked him up, chucked furiously across the room, and then with a loud thunk! he unceremoniously face-planted into the log in the grate.

"Sirius? What was that?" Remus asked me.

"Incendio!" I whispered.

Fawkes, however, flew in front of me and swallowed my spell.

I snarled, "It wasn't an offensive spell, you dumb chicken!"

Realizing that I hadn't directed that spell towards Emmeline and Jasper, Fawkes looked over at the fireplace and saw Quincy, now an icy blue and crying against the log.

"Is that Quincy?" Remus asked, horrified. "He's all blue. Is he -?"

"Don't you dare say it, Remus," I said, scared myself.

Fawkes nodded at me.

"Incendio," I recited again. The log burst into flames. Hoping beyond hope, I held my breath and prayed for Quincy's recovery.

For a long while, Quincy didn't respond at all – and I was terrified he'd gone for good – but eventually, I saw him slowly change from an icy blue to a lighter blue to white to a light pink, a bright orange, and then – finally, his normal, scarlet-tinged-with-pink self again.

Quincy opened his eyes and shook himself, as if to get rid of that icy feeling once and for all. He tried to get up, but he couldn't seem to find the strength. His paws kept slipping out from under him. He gave a weak, helpless moan. Still, he was alive.

Finally, Quincy just curled up peacefully on the log again. He gave a tiny yawn and a soft sigh that made orange flames flicker around his nostrils – and then, he fell asleep again, with his tail curled up all around him.

I let out a huge breath of relief. "Thank Godric," I whispered. Then, I turned to Remus and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"You bought Lynx that stupid lizard," I griped.

"Salamander," Remus corrected me.

I glared at him. But, the next moment, I reached out and put my arm around Remus' waist, to help him stay upright because I could tell he was starting to lose his strength. "Hold on, Moony," I whispered. "If Fawkes is here, that means that Dumbledore's coming. We just need to hold on now."


Harry Potter's POV

Dumbledore strode over to a trunk, which was lying on the floor, open, with its top lid thrown back. Raising his wand, he murmured, "Lumos Aerie."

A ball of light appeared, floating on its own. Dumbledore moved his wand just the slightest bit towards the trunk, and the ball of light flew towards the bottom of the trunk.

After checking Professor Kingsley over one more time to make sure she was all right, I walked over to Dumbledore and peered into the trunk, too. I gasped. For the outer appearance of the trunk was deceptive – whereas it looked to be a mere foot tall, it extended for at least fifteen feet down.

I leaned in further, but Dumbledore reached over and gripped my shoulder. "Not too far," he warned. "I sense poison in this trunk. It's faint – lingering. But we don't wish to risk anything."

"Professor, do you think that Crouch kept Moody in here?" I asked.

"I'm certain of it."

"But if there's poison in here…. Wait, Professor Kingsley said Moody was alive, though."

"Yes, I believe Moody managed to break out before the poison killed him. How, though, is a different question, particularly when Crouch took Moody's leg, eye, and wand." Dumbledore shut the trunk. "However, we shall have our answers very soon. The Polyjuice Potion will wear off, and Severus will bring the Truth Serum."

Behind us, Raylynx began to wake up. I ran over to her at once. "Professor, are you all right?"

She gripped my shoulder. "Where is Sirius?" she croaked out. "Where is he?"

"Fawkes has gone to look for him," Dumbledore answered. "He will be all right."

"But you're not sure?"

"No, not yet."

Professor Kingsley rose to her feet. Despite her stumbling, she began to head for the door. But then, her eyes fell on me. She hesitated. She glanced at Dumbledore, at Barty, and then at me again.

"Why do you pause?" Dumbledore asked her, even though he was not looking at her. "The boy is protected. You may go."

Raylynx's mouth turned into a scarily thin line. She spoke very quietly, but in a voice quivering with anger, "Because I don't trust you with Harry, as you very well know. I told you, Dumbledore, I told you that this Tournament was a huge mistake. I warned you that it would put Harry in danger, and he nearly died tonight - "

"You underestimate your godson," Dumbledore interrupted quietly.

"It's not about underestimating him!" Professor Kingsley shot back. "It's about protecting him."

"Harry." Dumbledore looked over at me. "Do you trust me?"

My head swiveled between Professor Kingsley and Dumbledore. It had never occurred to me that they might not see eye-to-eye. Because it was Dumbledore. But it was clear that they disliked each other, at least in this moment.

"I – well - of course," I mumbled, a bit shamefully, as I avoided Professor Kingsley's gaze.

"There you have it," Dumbledore said simply.

Professor Kingsley's eyes flashed, and she inhaled sharply. But, looking at me and seeing my puzzled and somewhat scared expression, she only said, "Very well. But I will not leave."

Dumbledore finally looked at Raylynx. A gentle smile played around his lips. "I am glad to see that you take your duties as his godmother seriously."

"It's not for your benefit," Professor Kingsley said harshly, and she determinedly looked away from Dumbledore.

Then, I noticed something – "Look!" I pointed at Barty, for the Polyjuice Potion was finally wearing off and he was transforming back into himself.

The scars began to disappear from his face, and his skin became smooth. His nose shrank, but also became whole again, whereas Moody's had clearly had a chunk taken out of it. The man's face became quite pale and a spray of freckles appeared over his nose. His grizzled gray hair transformed, too, turning into a softer, yet messier texture, with a dark brown color. Suddenly, there was a loud clunk! The wooden leg was pushed away as a full leg regrew in its place. Pop! The magical eyeball popped out, too, as a real eye appeared. Without taking his eyes off of the transforming man, Dumbledore held his hand out and the magical eye flew into his hand.

The transformation had barely finished when the door behind us opened and a loud, squeaky voice rang out, "Master Barty!"

Something at shin-height flew past me and flung itself at Barty. It took me a second to realize that it was Winky, the house elf.

Snape also stepped into the room, follow by McGonagall.

"Master Barty!" the elf cried out. "What is you doing here?"

Barty was still under Snape's sleeping spell, and he did not respond to her.

The elf let out a wretched cry. Then, turning her head and staring at Dumbledore with wide eyes, she said accusingly, "You is killed him!"

Dumbledore's voice was kind as he replied, "He is simply under a Sleeping Spell, Winky. Step aside, please."

Snape handed Dumbledore a bottle of clear liquid – the Truth Serum.

Besides me, I saw Professor Kingsley's face distort with discomfort. But all she did was very gently lead Winky a few feet away from Barty. Winky turned around and kept staring at Barty. With her hands covering her face, she peeked out between her fingers.

Dumbledore bent over Barty, forced his mouth open, and poured three drops of the potion inside of his mouth. Then, he pointed his wand at Barty's chest and murmured, "Ennervate."

Barty opened his eyes, but his gaze was unfocused.

"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes…"

"How did you escape from Azkaban?"

Crouch took a breath, but his breath rattled hollowly in his chest, almost as if he were a dementor. He spoke in a numb, clipped voice: "It was my mother who saved me. See, she knew I was dying, wasting away in Azkaban. And while my father never loved me, he did love my mother. So, she persuaded him to rescue me as a last favor. They came to visit me in my cell. My mother and I drank Polyjuice Potion, and we took on each other's appearances, and we - "

"Switched places," Dumbledore said quietly.

"Yes. The dementors are blind. It was enough for them that they sensed one healthy and one dying person entering Azkaban, and one healthy and one dying person leaving him. My father smuggled me out. My mother died in Azkaban, still disguising herself as me. She was buried under my name. Everyone thought I was dead."

"Oh, no. Say no more," Winky whispered in a hushed, frightened voice. "Please, Master Barty, say no more."

"Once I was home, my father tried to subdue me. He tried to control me and conceal me."

"Why?" Dumbledore asked.

"Because I only had one thought – to find my master and return to his service."

"And how did your father subdue you?"

"The Imperius Curse." Barty's eyelids flickered heavy, almost as if, for a moment, he was trying to struggle against whatever agent in his bloodstream was forcing him to tell the truth. "My father used the Imperius Curse on me. I was also forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night. Plus, Winky was always supposed to be at my side. She was my keeper, my caretaker. Occasionally, she persuaded my father to give me treats – rewards for my good behavior."

"Master Barty," Winky groaned. Tears dripped down her fingers. "You isn't ought to tell them, we is getting in trouble…!"

"Did anyone ever discover that you were still alive – other than your father and Winky?"

"Yes. Oh, yes. There was a witch in my father's office."

"Bertha Jorkins?" Dumbledore asked quickly. It was obvious that he was merely asking for confirmation on this point.

Barty nodded. "That was her name. Jorkins had a bunch of papers my father was supposed to sign by that night, but she had forgotten. She came directly to my father's house. Winky showed her inside and made her wait. Then, Winky slipped back to find me. I was trying my best to escape, but Winky caught me. There was a bit of a fight between us. Bertha heard and saw enough to piece it all together. By the time my father arrived home, Winky had subdued me, but Bertha confronted my father."

"And what did your father do?"

"He put a very powerful Memory Charm on her to make her forget that she'd even seen me."

"Did the Memory Charm work?"

"Yes. Too well. It damaged her memory permanently."

"Why is she coming to nose into my master's private business?" sobbed Winky, crying into her hands. "Why isn't she leaving us be?"

Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh. "What about the Quidditch World Cup? I take it that you were there, that you cast the Dark Mark that night."

Barty nodded. "Winky talked my father into allowing me to attend the World Cup. After months of persuasion, my father agreed. He took Winky and me up to the top box early in the day. Winky was to say that she was saving a seat for my father. I was supposed to sit there, invisible. Nobody would ever know. Only… Winky didn't know that I was growing stronger under her care. She didn't realize that I had started to fight my father's Imperius Curse."

"So, you gained control of yourself that night."

"I did. It was like waking from a deep sleep. Suddenly, I could form purpose again. I stole a boy's wand; it was sticking out of his pocket. Winky didn't know. She had her face hidden in her hands. She hates heights."

"Master Barty, you bad boy!" Winky whispered. "How could you?"

"And then – I heard them." Even in his stupor, Barty's face distorted into a hateful snarl. "The Death Eaters. The ones who lied their way out of Azkaban. The ones who disowned the Dark Lord. The ones who never suffered for my master and his cause. The ones who never even tried to find him.

"So, that night, when I heard that they were all out there, causing a ruckus and making sport of Muggles and enjoying themselves, I decided to put them in their place. I intended to attack them, but Winky used her magic and bound me to her. She pulled me away from the campsite, into the surrounding forest. Still, I did what I could – by casting the Dark Mark into the air. And I was right. Those filthy cowards disappeared like flies."

"No, Master Barty, no, you is a bad boy, you is tricked Winky," Winky murmured to herself, still sobbing behind her hands.

"The Ministry was on the spot at once," Barty continued. "They shot Stunning Spells everywhere. They flew through the bushes and the forest, and they hit both me and Winky. Our bond was broken. Thankfully, I was still under the Invisibility Cloak. When Winky was discovered, my father knew to look for me. He found me, lying there. He was absolutely furious. Winky had failed him. She had allowed me to acquire a wand. She had almost let me escape. So, he dismissed her."

Winky let out a loud howl and began sobbing even more fervently. Professor Kingsley tried to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but Winky squirmed away from her at once.

"Now it was just Father and I, alone in his mansion. And then… and then…" Barty grinned, and an insane light lit up his dark eyes. "My master came. He had heard of me. He had come to free me. And just like that, the tables were turned. It was my father under the Imperius Curse, and I was free, free to do my master's bidding, as I had always wanted, always yearned for."

"But your father escaped," Dumbledore said quietly. He now understood how and why it was that Barty Crouch Senior had come stumbling to Hogwarts, all the way from his mansion, in complete disarray, and how, while he was waiting for Dumbledore, his own son had killed him.

"Yes, my father began to fight the Imperius Curse, just as I had. Wormtail was assigned to watch over my father – but he failed. He was not watchful enough. Fortunately, I was already here at Hogwarts, and I consider it a stroke of fortune that I got to deliver the killing blow - "

"NO!" Winky cried out and her aged, small, weary heart broke, for all of her loyalty to the Crouch family had come to nothing but murder, tragedy, and betrayal. She collapsed. Professor Kingsley caught her tiny frame before she fell to the floor.

"What did you do with the body?"

"I buried it in the forest. Well, I Transfigured it first. I didn't want to go through the trouble of burying his entire body. So, I Transfigured him into a bone and buried that. It's like I said, I'm always had a knack for transforming things."

"As you did the TriWizard Cup," Dumbledore said softly. "Twice."

"Yes, I turned the Cup into a Portkey both times – and it worked. Maybe we didn't get to kill the Mudblood Champion and the Potter orphan, but it's only a matter of time! It's only a matter of time for my master has returned to power!" Crouch's entire face was shaking. His tongue flickered out quickly over his face before he screamed again, "And I will be honored by him beyond my wildest dreams!" Then, Barty fell unconscious yet again, with his head letting out a loud, sickly thunk as it hit the stone wall behind him.

His scream woke Winky, who jumped out of Professor Kingsley's arms and ran to Barty. "Master Barty!" she cried out. "Master Barty!" She collapsed at his side, hiding her face in his robes as she wailed and sobbed.

There was a long minute of dead silence, broken only by Winky's exhausted sobs. Then, out of the nowhere, a single phoenix feather appeared before Dumbledore. It floated down gently to the floor, but then, it was as if the floor turned into water – and the feather was gone.

I stared at Dumbledore, but he merely said, "Minerva, may I ask you to stand guard here?"

"Of course." Professor McGonagall turned and pointed her wand at Barty. Black ropes twisted around Barty's body. Winky wailed even harder and tugged as hard as she could on the ropes, until Professor McGonagall had to pull her away. Winky was placed on the chair, where she put her head between her knees and rocked back and forth, still sobbing. Professor Kingsley shot her a pitiful look.

"Severus, please go down to the ground and find Cornelius Fudge. Bring him up here. I am sure he will wish to question Crouch himself."

Snape nodded and swept out of the room.

"Professor Kingsley. Harry. Please follow me." Dumbledore turned and began to walk out of the office.

I made to walk after him, but a sharp pang in my leg made me trip forward. Professor Kingsley caught me. "Harry! Are you – ? Your leg!"

"I'm fine, Professor," I said hastily. "It's just a cut."

"It is not. That's a deep gash. Here." Professor Kingsley kneeled down. She ripped open the fabric of my jeans under my left knee. She gasped softly. "Harry, this looks bad." Lifting her wand, she murmured, in quick succession, and accompanied by a series of well-executed taps and flicks, "Mundare vulnere, Aguamenti, Ferula." For a moment, I felt as though she'd pressed ice against my wound. I grimaced as dark blood oozed out of the wound. But the water washed it all away. Then, bandages spun themselves up my leg.

"Reparo," Professor Kingsley finished, and the lower half of my jean leg stitched itself back up.

"Thanks, Professor."

Professor Kingsley nodded. I noticed that her hands were shaking and there was a tear sparkling on her lower lash. Before I could say anything, she murmured softly, "Now, let's go."

We made our way after Dumbledore, who had been standing silently at the end of the hallway, watching and waiting for us.


When the door to Dumbledore's office opened, I saw a most unexpected sight – four people, facing off, two against two, and Fawkes flying back and forth between them, keeping them from fighting each other.

On one side were Sirius and Remus, on the other, a man and woman that I had never seen before, though they looked to be around the same age as Sirius and Remus.

"Sirius!" I called out.

Sirius, whose eyes had been focused on the couple against from him, started. Seeing me, he swiftly crossed the room and came to me.

"Are you all right?" Sirius caught me in his arms and hugged me tightly. I didn't realize it until then, but I was shaking. "No, of course you're not," he realized. "I knew something like this would happen. Merlin!"

Over my head, Sirius looked at Raylynx. The tear that had been quavering on her lower lash finally fell and streaked down her face. She let out a low breath, and then she reached out, and with trembling fingers, she touched Sirius' face with such tenderness. Sirius didn't let go of me, but he turned his head and gently kissed her fingers.

Remus, too, had reached us. He seemed in terrible shape, limping along quite slowly, but he gave me a gentle half-smile before he turned to Raylynx. "Just so you know, Quincy is taking advantage of Dumbledore's fireplace."

"What?" Professor Kingsley said, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Quincy must've gotten out of his cage, somehow. He went looking for you. Sirius found him trying to melt his way through the door of the cupboard you were in, and Sirius stuffed him in his pocket. He - er - might have forgotten to mention that to you in all of your rush to get to Harry."

"What?" Professor Kingsley whirled around and looked at Sirius again, but her gaze was far from tender this time.

"I forgot!" Sirius burst out defensively. "Anyways, I kept him safe, all right? Only, he started getting all cold and blue. I didn't know what to do except to start a fire somewhere and throw Quincy on top of it. So, he's in Dumbledore's fireplace here. He seems all right now, just sleeping."

"Oh, thank Merlin! Poor Quince." Professor Kingsley clutched at Remus' arm as she took a few deep breaths. But then, she frowned, and her hand traveled up to Remus' forehead. "Remus, you're burning up! You need to go to the hospital wing."

Remus shook his head. "I can wait."

Meanwhile, behind our little group, Jasper and Emmeline were demanding answers from Dumbledore.

"You have a lot to answer for, Headmaster," Emmeline snarled. "I cannot believe that you have been shielding Black this entire time! Do you not consider yourself accountable to the magical community at large?"

Dumbledore addressed Jasper and Emmeline, "Ms. Vance. Mr. Riley. My answer to you is simple: Sirius Black is innocent. He did not commit the murders that he was imprisoned for."

"I suppose Raylynx Kingsley told you that," Jasper said, not without bitterness.

"She did, yes," Dumbledore replied lightly.

"But then, how do you explain everything that was happening with the Order?" Emmeline asked. "I was there, Headmaster. I – I saw the way our people fell, one by one – good people who were my friends, people who were loyal to you."

At this, the light in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed. "It was Peter Pettigrew who betrayed the Order, and the Potters."

All of us – Sirius, Raylynx, Remus, and I – fell quiet.

"What?" Emmeline sputtered. "That can't be! Pettigrew's dead!"

"Oh no, he is very much alive. As I'm sure we shall hear tonight." Dumbledore looked pointedly at me.

My stomach sank. I knew what he was going to ask of me. He was going to make me relive everything.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, "I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze. You must tell me everything."

"We can leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore?" Sirius said. His arm was against my chest, holding me against him, as I stood in front of him. "He needs to rest first."

Dumbledore slowly shook his head. He didn't look at Sirius at all. He kept his gaze on me. "If I thought I could help you by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Please tell us what happened."

There was a soft rustle. Fawkes now came to rest on my knee. He blinked up at me, and shifted forward into my lap. There was something comforting about his warm weight.

Fawkes opened his mouth and let out one soft, quavering note. It shivered in the air, and then, I felt as though it sank into my chest and made me feel warmer. It heartened me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then, I recounted everything that had happened to me that night.

Every so often, I could sense, behind me, Sirius, Remus, or Raylynx let out a soft noise of anger or shock or make a sudden movement. When I mentioned that Voldemort had discovered the Resurrection Potion from the vampires deep in an Albanian forest, Raylynx suddenly clutched the back of my chair and I thought she and Jasper Riley glanced at each other. And when I mentioned the name "Selwyn," as one of the Death Eaters who had appeared before Voldemort tonight, I thought I saw Jasper flinch. Dumbledore, however, gazed at me intently, without reacting to anything.

When I came to the part about how Wormtail had pierced my arm with the dagger, Sirius growled, "That bastard!" and Remus had to calm him down. Dumbledore, in that instant, had leapt to his feet and was somehow already by my side. Raylynx looked at him warily.

"Show me your arm," Dumbledore said.

I extended my arm out, showing him the wound. "He said my blood would make him stronger," I remembered. "He wanted the protection in my blood, the one my mother gave me."

Sirius and Remus exchanged glances, but Raylynx remained intently focused on Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry, sir," I said shamefully. "I tried to stop it, but I was tied down to the tombstone.

Dumbledore only replied, "It's all right, Harry. There is no need to apologize."

"But he was right," I told him. "He could touch me without hurting himself. He touched my face." I shuddered as I remembered the cold, white finger touching my forehead – and how badly my scar had burned after that.

"Yes," Dumbledore said calmly, "it seems that Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. But, please, Harry, continue."

I went on, describing how Voldemort had addressed his Death Eaters and then, how he had forced me to duel. I hesitated when I reached the part about the wands connecting. I found it very difficult to explain exactly what happened. The best I could do was, "There was this golden beam of light connecting our wands. My wand was shaking, and so was Voldemort's. I don't know why…" I trailed off and I looked to Dumbledore for an answer.

But it was Professor Kingsley who answered. She murmured aloud, "Priori Incantatem."

We all turned and looked at her.

"Ollivander mentioned it once," she said. "It's what happens when twin cores are forced to duel. Cores that come from the same source recognize each other and they refuse to harm the other. If they are forced to duel anyways, the effect is called Priori Incantatem – the Reserve Spell Effect."

"Precisely," Dumbledore agreed.

"Twin cores?" Sirius repeated. "Does that mean -?"

"Harry and Voldemort's wands share the same core –feathers from a particular phoenix." Dumbledore looked down at Fawkes, who was still sitting in my lap. "In fact, this phoenix."

My mouth dropped open. What? My wand's feather came from Fawkes?

"Did Voldemort's original wand share a core with Harry's?" Raylynx asked.

Dumbledore inclined his head affirmatively.

"But then, how did he get his original wand back?" she wondered. "The last place where his wand was left must have been - " She suddenly cut off, and she blinked, as if she had just realized something.

Dumbledore had returned to gazing at me. "As Professor Kingsley says, it was Priori Incantatem, what occurred. And if that is so, then, you must have seen echoes of Voldemort's last spells."

A lump rose in my throat. I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a strangled cough. I tried again, "I saw… his most recent victims… Cedric, an old man, Bertha, and…"

"Your parents?" Dumbledore said quietly.

I nodded.

Sirius' hand found my shoulder, and he squeezed it hard.

Dumbledore spoke his next words slowly and thoughtfully. "I trust you know, Harry… that no spell can reawaken the dead."

I didn't say anything.

Dumbledore sighed. "Very well. And these echoes, these shadows… What did they do?"

With a certain thickness in my voice, I forced myself to tell the rest of the story – about how Cedric's ghost had made a final request, and how my parents told me what to do to escape. Not wanting to end by talking about my parents, I asked, "Where are Cedric's parents?"

"They are with Professor Sprout. She is, as you know, the Head of Hufflepuff House and knew Cedric best."

"Oh." I swallowed hard a few times. Sirius, whose hand was still on my shoulder, felt me swallowing uncomfortably. He gave my shoulder another comforting squeeze.

Meanwhile, Remus was now sitting on a chair beside the window. He had his face in his hands. Raylynx was standing before the window and staring out at the grounds, almost as if in a daze.

Emmeline and Jasper were still standing beside Dumbledore's desk. Jasper's hands were balled into tight fists, and his expression looked quite grim. Emmeline looked up at Dumbledore and said hoarsely, "How… Dumbledore? How is this all true? Does this mean that Voldemort never died?"

"What is important is that he has returned," Dumbledore replied. Then, his eyes fell on me again.

"Harry." Dumbledore's voice was as quiet and gentle as I had ever heard it. "You have shown bravery beyond what anyone could ever expect." Although it was praise, Dumbledore sounded sorrowful. He rose from his desk. Looking down at me kindly, he said, "Now, shall we proceed to the Hospital Wing?"

"I wish to stay with him," Sirius said. I looked at Sirius gratefully.

Dumbledore nodded, and Sirius transformed into his dog form. Emmeline gasped, clapping her hands to her face. Jasper breathed out long and low before murmuring to himself, "So that's how it is."

Dumbledore led the way out of his office, with his hand on my back. Sirius tagged along beside me. Jasper and Emmeline walked behind all of us. It was only when we had exited Dumbledore's office that I realized that Raylynx and Remus had not come with us.


Raylynx Kingsley's POV

"Remus?" I knelt besides him and craned my head to try to get a glimpse of his face, for he was holding his head in his hands. "Are you sleeping?"

Remus sighed and fell back in his chair. "No. I can't. I feel too nauseous to sleep."

"You should go to the hospital wing."

"I know. But even going to the hospital wing feels like an overly exhausting thing to do. And the full moon's only two days away." Remus looked more weary than ever, as he whispered, "I wish I wasn't so tired all the time."

I slumped down on the floor next to his chair and rested my head against his knees.

"Remus," I murmured.

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For saving Harry, Sirius, and Moody."

"I hardly did all that."

I lifted my head so that my chin was resting on his thigh. "You know you did." I murmured softly, "It's okay to take credit sometimes, Rem." Then, I smiled faintly at him, as I joked, "I won't tell anyone else."

Remus cracked a tired smile back.

I reached for his hands and took them in mine. "You deserve to be exhausted. Whenever you're ready, though, do go down to the Hospital Wing. I'm sure that poison's lingering in your body, and it'd be better to get rid of it sooner rather than alter." Letting go of Remus' hands, I got back on my feet.

"Where are you going?" Remus asked me. He could tell from what I had just said that I wasn't going to just the Hospital Wing, that I had other plans in mind.

"I have a few things that I want to check." I walked over to the fireplace and bent down. Sure enough, there was Quincy, snoozing away on the fattest log. He rolled over once and his back paws kicked at the flames a little, as if they were tickling him in his sleep.

I felt bad for disturbing him, but I whispered, "Quincy. Quince. Hey, Quince."

There was no reply.

"Quince!"

Surprised at the harsh disturbance, Quincy leapt up so high he nearly hit the top of the fireplace. I reached out and quickly snatched him out of midair before the fire could get me.

Quincy pawed furiously against my hand for a second with all six of his feet. But then, recognizing me, he calmed down and settled for poking his head out between my thumb and my fingers. His little tongue snaked out and waved politely in the air. He was saying, "Hi."

"Hi," I whispered back. "Sorry to cut short your nap. I know you've had a tiring day. But I was wondering, Quince, if you'd be all right with taking a short trip with me. I'll back sure I carry you around in a jar of flames, to keep you nice and warm. All right?"

Quincy sleepily nodded.

I lifted my eyebrow at him. "Do you even know what you're agreeing to?"

But he was already asleep again.

"Merlin," I said, shaking my head.

Quincy, despite looking completely conked out, was actually having a busy time in his little head – Half of his mind was dreaming about dragons, and the other half of his mind was replaying his awesome bursts of fire today and complimenting himself on them, thinking, Boy, was I magnificent…!

Placing Quincy very gently in my pocket so as not to disturb his dreams, I made to walk out of Dumbledore's office. Wordlessly, Remus joined me. We walked down the steps together and headed to the hospital wing.


Raylynx Kingsley's POV

Poppy, as always, was the unsung hero, the one who made sure everybody survived to tell the tale. She was extremely busy, looking after everyone who had been affected by tonight's terrible events. Alastor Moody had already been cared for and was sleeping in a cot at the far end of the ward.

Poppy had also looked over Harry, who was sleeping in a cot that had hangings around it for privacy. I could just make out Snuffles' tail coming out from underneath the curtains.

Jasper only required a bandage across his chest from when my Trip Jinx had caught him and he'd gone sprawling onto the floor and a few drops of Cooling Potion for his singed shoulder, courtesy of Quincy. Emmeline had to have her thigh healed, and besides that, apparently she had a slight cold, which Poppy gave her Pepper-Up Potion for.

"So, you were cold in the mountains," Jasper said quietly to Emmeline, lifting his eyebrow at her.

Emmeline smiled mischievously at him. "I've got no regrets."

Poppy now bustled over to Remus. When she realized that he had toxins circulating in his bloodstream, she went pale and scolded him, "I should have treated you first! Why didn't you say anything? You know bravado is absolutely useless in life!"

Remus looked at her sheepishly.

I gave Remus a small, what-can-you-do smile. Then, I moved over to Jasper and Emmeline.

"Hi, Emmeline. Long time, no see."

"Raylynx," she said, a bit warily. "You know, I still don't quite believe… your story. About Black."

"Why not?" I asked.

"I mean, the timing of it was always…" Emmeline sighed. " Do you remember? When Gideon and Fabian Prewitt died, they died fighting like heroes."

"I remember," I said heavily. "It was just the two of them, fighting five."

Emmeline nodded. "But they were supposed to – they were supposed to have help." Her eyes started to shine with tears. "Other Order members were supposed to come help them right away. And the person that lived closest to them, the person that we were all counting on - "

" – Was Sirius," I finished for her.

Emmeline wiped her eyes. "Yeah… But he didn't show up until a lot later. And the Prewitt twins died." She paused, before she confessed, "They were like my brothers, Fabian and Gideon."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"I don't want your apology." Emmeline looked up at me, and though she was still tearing up, her eyes glinted with determination. "I want answers. How do you know that it wasn't Sirius' fault?"

"Because," I told her softly, "Sirius was trying to save me. He had received the wrong information. He was told that it was my house that was attacked. So, he came racing over to me. It was only when Marlene showed up at our house and informed us that it was the Prewitts who were under attack that Sirius realized he was supposed to be over there instead."

"Sirius received misinformation?"

"Yes. Because there was another messenger, the one that was supposed to go alert Sirius."

"Peter!" Emmeline breathed out. Her eyes went wide.

I nodded. "And when Lily and James went into hiding, Sirius thought that he was too obvious a choice, so he switched roles with Peter."

"Peter was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?" Emmeline said in disbelief.

"Yes, and he was the one who broke the Fidelius Charm protection, by telling Voldemort where the Potters were," I told Emmeline. "But Peter's betrayal started far beyond that. Remember when we went on the siren mission together? Dumbledore asked us to speak to the siren leader and give her that seashell."

"Yes, I remember."

"When we arrived at the sirens' cave, the Death Eaters were already there. We had someone act as our diversion. The person who volunteered was Peter."

Emmeline's eyes flashed with understanding. "Because Peter knew he wouldn't be hurt."

"Precisely."

"But all of that aside, Sirius killed Peter and all of those Muggles…"

"No," I said firmly. "Peter killed all of those Muggles. He staged his own death. He cut off his finger and then he – well, he transformed."

"What do you mean?"

"Peter changed into a rat."

Seeing doubt bloom on Emmeline's face once more, I quickly explained, "You saw Sirius change into a dog, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Peter can change into a rat. They were – and are – Animagus."

"Animagus?" Emmeline sputtered. "But there's no such indication on either Sirius' or Peter's records – I looked. I had to, when I was an Azkaban transport guard."

"They were unregistered Animagus, Em," I answered. "They became Animagus secretly where they were in school."

"You mean – here, at Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"But why?"

"That's because…" I hesitated. I didn't want to give away Remus' status as a werewolf. But my eyes flickered over to Remus' bed, and Jasper's eyes flickered with understanding.

Emmeline, thinking she had found a hole in my argument, pressed even harder. "And he's – you know – he's a Black. He's from one of those cursed pure-blood houses."

Jasper's head whipped around towards Emmeline and he blinked rather furiously at this.

My heart thumped a bit heavier in my chest, as I murmured softly, "I reckon the Black brothers were all right. I don't think they believed in any of that pure-blood nonsense."

"Are you sure?" Emmeline stressed.

A vision that I had purposefully kept from my mind for several long years – of Regulus, being dragged away from the gates by a crowd of Inferi – flashed through my mind. "I'm sure," I said quietly. "Em, just as Muggle-borns are all different people, with their own choices and thoughts, so are purebloods – even from the families that traditionally support Voldemort…"

Emmeline's brow furrowed. She seemed torn. "And when did you know, Raylynx? When did you figure all of this out?"

"At the end of last year," I replied honestly. "When Sirius broke out of Azkaban, I honestly wasn't sure. It wasn't until last May that I was certain that he was innocent and that he was still… himself, even after all those years of being in Azkaban."

I felt Jasper's eyes on me. I let out a breath.

Turning to Jasper, I asked, "May I speak with you for a moment?"

He gazed at me for a moment before saying, in as neutral a voice as he could, "All right."

"Sorry, Emmeline, it'll just be a moment."

I led Jasper away into a corner of the hospital. Neither of us looked directly at the other. I kept my voice very low as I spoke to him, "Jasper, you heard what Harry said about the vampires in Albania."

"Yes."

"Do you think that Sehtzer and his village are in trouble?"

"I would think so."

"I'm going to go to help them, if I can." I paused. I bit my lower lip, before I asked timidly, "Would you - ? If you wouldn't mind – I mean, what with it being vampire attacks and all, you would be such a great help - "

"I know what you mean, Raylynx. And it's good timing. The full moon is in two days. My werewolf blood will be the most potent then, and if we are able to collect it, we could help anyone who was hurt or bitten by vampires."

I nodded. "And you know you'd be such a great help anyways. I wish I could be of more help - "

"You will be. I'll need you to collect the blood after a while. I may not be able to do it myself as I get more tired."

"All right." With that decided, I asked Jasper, "When should we take off?"

"Soon, I suppose. It was a long trek, from what I remember," Jasper replied. "But I would appreciate a few hours."

"That sounds good," I agreed. "I'll write Sehtzer a letter then, to let him know we're coming. And then I have to make a quick visit to someone. You get your rest until then."

"Oh no," Jasper said lightly. He was no longer looking at me, but at the ring on his finger. "I, too, have to make a visit."