The Potter Twins and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter 25: Parting Ways Once More

Harry and Michael woke up, so warm, so very sleepy, that they didn't open their eyes, wanting to drop off again.

The room was still dimly lit; they were sure it was still nighttime and had a feeling that they couldn't have been asleep very long.

Then they heard whispering around them. Michael turned back to normal when he heard it.

"They'll wake him if they don't shut up!"

"What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?"

Harry opened his eyes blearily. Someone had removed his glasses. Michael rubbed his eyes lightly as he woke up. He could see the fuzzy outlines of Mrs. Weasley and Bill close by. Mrs. Weasley was on her feet.

"That's Fudge's voice", she whispered, "and that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"

Now the twins could hear them too: people shouting and running toward the hospital wing.

"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva", Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly.

"You should never have brought it inside the castle", yelled McGonagall, "when Dumbledore finds out-"

Michael and Harry heard the hospital doors burst open. Unnoticed by any of the people around their beds, all of whom were staring at the door as Bill pulled back the screens, Harry sat up and put his glasses back on. Michael sat up as well.

Fudge came striding up the ward. McGonagall and Snape were at his heels.

Fudge, "where's Dumbledore?"

"He's not here", said Mrs. Weasley angrily, "this is a hospital wing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to-"

But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward.

Dumbledore, "what has happened? Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you, I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch!"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore", she shrieked, "the Minister has seen to that!"

Harry and Michael had never seen McGonagall lose control like this. There were angry blotches of color in her cheeks, and her hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury.

Snape, "when we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events, he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch-"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore", McGonagall fumed, "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but-"

Fudge, "my dear woman! As Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous-"

But McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's.

"The moment that…. That thing entered the room", she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, "it swooped down on Crouch and- and-"

Michael and Harry felt chills in their stomachs as McGonagall struggled to find words to describe what had happened. They did not need her to finish her sentence. They knew what the dementor must have done. It had administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.

Fudge, "by all accounts, he is no loss! It seems he has been responsible for several deaths!"

Dumbledore, "but he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius. He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."

Fudge, "why did he kill them? Well, that's no mystery, is it? He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"

Dumbledore, "Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius. Those people's deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."

Fudge, "You-Know-Who…. Returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore…."

Dumbledore, "as Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you, we heard Barry Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort, learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins, went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry and Michael. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."

Fudge, "see here, Dumbledore, you- you can't seriously believe that. You-Know-Who? Back? Come now, come now…. Certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders, but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore…."

Dumbledore, "when Harry and Michael touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, they were transported straight to Voldemort. They witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."

Dumbledore glanced around at Harry and Michael and saw that they were awake, but shook his head and said, "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question either of them tonight."

Fudge's curious smile lingered. He too glanced at Harry, then at Michael, then looked back at Dumbledore, and said, "you are- er- prepared to take their word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"

"Certainly, I believe Harry. And I believe Michael", said Dumbledore. His eyes were blazing now, "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard both boy's accounts of what happened after they touched the Triwizard Cup; the stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."

Fudge still had that strange smile on his face. Once again, he glanced at Harry and Michael before answering.

"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and two boys, one of whom is…. Well…."

Fudge shot Harry and Michael another look, and the twins suddenly understood.

Harry, "you've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge "

Ron, Hermione, Fleur, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill all jumped. None of them had realized that Harry and Michael were awake. Fudge reddened slightly, but a defiant and obstinate look came over his face.

Fudge, "and if I have? If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boys very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And both of them having funny turns all over the place? And one of them being…. You know what…."

Michael growled, "go ahead. Say it. I'm bi-sexual, and you have a problem with that!"

Fudge, "be quiet! That's…. It's just…."

Michael, "is it so hard to say you have a problem with that?"

Fudge, "listen here you little freak-"

Before anyone could blink, Snape suddenly slapped Fudge, leaving a red mark along his cheek!

Snape growled, "how dare you!"

Michael was shocked to see Snape of all people defending him.

Dumbledore tried to ease the tension and said, "I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry and Michael have been experiencing in their scars?"

Fudge, "er…. Yes! Right, you admit that they have been having these pains, then? Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly…. Hallucinations?"

"Listen to me, Cornelius", said Dumbledore, taking a step towards Fudge, and once again, he seemed to radiate that indefinable sense of power that the twins had felt after Dumbledore had Stunned young Crouch, "Harry and Michael are as sane as you or I. Those scars upon their forehead and cheek have not addled their brains. I believe it hurts them when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."

Fudge had taken half a step back from Dumbledore, but he looked no less stubborn.

Fudge, "you'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar, let alone two, acting as an alarm bell before…."

Michael, "look, we saw Voldemort come back! We saw the Death Eaters! We can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy-"

Snape made a sudden movement, but as Harry and Michael looked at him, Snape's eyes flew back to Fudge.

Fudge, "Malfoy was cleared! A very old family, donations to excellent causes-"

Harry, "Macnair!"

Fudge, "also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"

Michael, "Avery."

Harry, "Nott."

Michael, "Crabbe AND Goyle!"

Fudge, "you are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago! You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's sake, Dumbledore, these boys were full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too, their tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them, one boy can talk to snakes, and one lied about his preferences for years, Dumbledore, and you still think they're trustworthy?"

McGonagall, "you fool! Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"

Fudge, "I see no evidence to the contrary! It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"

Michael and Harry couldn't believe what they were hearing. Harry had always thought of Fudge as a kindly figure, a little blustering, a little pompous, but essentially good-natured.

And Michael…. Well, he was always a little suspicious of Fudge.

But now a short, angry wizard stood before them, refusing, point-blank, to accept the prospect of disruption in his comfortable and ordered world, to believe that Voldemort could have risen.

Dumbledore, "Voldemort has returned. If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors-"

Fudge, "Preposterous! Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"

Dumbledore, "the rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them! They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"

Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage.

Dumbledore, "the second step you must take, and at once, is to send envoys to the giants."

Fudge, "envoys to the giants? What madness is this?"

Dumbledore, "extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late, or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"

Fudge, "you- you cannot be serious! If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants, people hate them, Dumbledore- end of my career-"

Dumbledore, "you are blinded by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any, and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now, take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act, and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"

Fudge, "insane. Mad…."

And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of Harry's bed, her hands over her mouth. Mrs. Weasley was still standing over Michael, her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from rising. Bill, Ron, Fleur, and Hermione were staring at Fudge.

Dumbledore, "if your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius, we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I…. I shall act as I see fit."

Dumbledore's voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement, but Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore were advancing upon him with a wand.

Fudge, "now, see here, Dumbledore. I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry, or…. Ugh…. But if you're going to work against me-"

Dumbledore, "the only one against whom I intend to work is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rocked backward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, "he can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…."

Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.

Snape, "there. There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry."

He had almost reached the door when he paused.

He turned around, strode back down the dormitory, and stopped at Michael and Harry's beds.

"Your winnings", he said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto the bedside table in-between them, "one thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under these circumstances…."

He crammed his bowler hat onto his head and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The moment he had disappeared, Dumbledore turned to look at the group.

Dumbledore, "there is work to be done. Molly…. Am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"

Mrs. Weasley, "of course you can. We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."

Dumbledore, "then I need to send a message to Arthur. All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."

Bill, "I'll go to Dad. I'll go now."

Dumbledore, "excellent. Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry…."

Bill, "leave it to me."

He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, gave Michael a quick pat on his shoulder, kissed his mother on the cheek, and to everyone's shock; gave Fleur a kiss on the cheek, pulled on his cloak, and strode quickly from the room.

Dumbledore, "Minerva. I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also, if she will consent to come, Madame Maxime."

McGonagall nodded and left without a word.

"Poppy", Dumbledore said to Madam Pomfrey, "would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."

"Very…. Very well", said Madam Pomfrey, looking startled, and she too left.

Dumbledore made sure that the door was closed, and that Madam Pomfrey's footsteps had died away, before he spoke again.

Dumbledore, "and now, it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius…. If you could resume your usual form."

The great black dog looked up at Dumbledore, then, in an instant, turned back into a man.

Mrs. Weasley screamed and leapt back from the bed.

"Sirius Black", she shrieked, pointing at him.

"Mum, shut up", Ron yelled, "it's okay!"

Michael, "he's on our side!"

Snape had not yelled or jumped backward, but the look on his face was one of mingled fury and horror.

"Him", he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike, "what is he doing here?"

Dumbledore, "he is here at my invitation, as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."

Michael and Harry thought Dumbledore was asking for a near miracle. Sirius and Snape were eyeing each other with the utmost loathing.

Dumbledore, "I will settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any of us."

Very slowly, but still glaring at each other as though each wished the other nothing but ill, Sirius and Snape moved toward each other and shook hands. They let go extremely quickly.

Dumbledore, "that will do to be going on with. Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Nimphadora Tonks, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher, the old crowd. Lie low at Lupins for a while; I will contact you there."

Harry, "but-"

He and Michael wanted Sirius to stay. They did not want to have to say goodbye again so quickly.

Sirius, "you'll see me very soon, boys, I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"

Michael, "yeah…. Yeah…. Of course we do."

Sirius grasped their hands briefly, nodded to Dumbledore, transformed again into the black dog, and ran the length of the room to the door, whose handle he turned with a paw. Then he was gone.

Dumbledore, "Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready…. If you are prepared…."

Snape, "I am."

He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.

"Then good luck", said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.

It was several minutes before Dumbledore spoke again.

Dumbledore, "I must go downstairs. I must see the Diggorys. Harry, Michael, take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later."

Michael and Harry slumped back against their pillows as Dumbledore disappeared. Hermione, Fleur, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley were all looking at them. None of them spoke for a very long time.

"You've got to take the rest of your potion, dears", Mrs. Weasley said at last. Her hand nudged the sack of gold on his bedside cabinet as she reached for the bottle and the goblet, "you have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while…. Think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"

Harry, "I don't want that gold."

Michael, "yeah. You have it. Anyone can have it. We shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's."

The thing against which they had been fighting on and off ever since they had come out of the maze was threatening to overpower them. They could feel a burning, prickling feeling in the inner corners of their eyes. They blinked and stared up at the ceiling.

"It wasn't your fault, boys", Mrs. Weasley whispered.

"We told him to take the cup with us", said Harry.

Michael, "he told us to take the cup…. If he hadn't taken it with us…."

Now the burning feeling was in their throats too. They wished Ron would look away. Mrs. Weasley set the potion down on the bedside cabinet, bent down, and put her arms around them both. They had no memory of ever being hugged like this, as though by a mother. The full weight of everything they had seen that night seemed to fall in upon them as Mrs. Weasley held them to her. Their mother's face, their father's voice, the sight of Cedric, dead on the ground all started spinning in their heads until they could hardly bear it, until they were screwing up their faces against the howls of misery fighting to get out of them.

There was a loud slamming noise, and Mrs. Weasley, Michael and Harry broke apart. Hermione was standing by the window. She was holding something tight in her hand.

"Sorry", she whispered.

"Your potion, boys", said Mrs. Weasley quickly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

Harry and Michael each drank it in one gulp. The effect was instantaneous. Heavy, irresistible waves of dreamless sleep broke over them both; they fell back onto their pillows and thought no more….

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Reviews:

Canadude2029: yeah. It was quite the shock. And yeah, RIP to all 3.

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