Written for:
Practice round
Team: Caerphilly Catapults
Keeper prompt: Write about a place where the worst criminals are imprisoned.
Betas: Ikuni, Queenie, and Dora
Just a slight canon divergence! Enjoy :)
The sea crashes harshly against the island, the rain pouring heavily as he arrives with two strong Light wizards holding him by his side, with no way to escape the hellish place before him. It's known by many as one of the scariest and worst places imaginable, for good reason. He looks up at the sky, the clouds a dark grey as the rain pours heavier and there's a shiver across his whole body, like someone just walked over his grave.
Fitting, he thinks as the guards lead him inside, not before he glimpses a dark creature flying around the tower. A rare fear flashes across his face as the rain stops. Dementors are the reason this island has its reputation.
And he, obviously, isn't a fan.
A terrible screeching brings him out of his thoughts and he gives the guards a bored expression to show that he isn't scared. They look as freaked out as he feels.
"Come on," one of them says, ushering him further in, "We need to get going. It's my wife and I's anniversary today and I don't want to be late home."
Can they not show some respect? He spits down on their shoes.
He doesn't want to be here and they know that, talking about something good in a place like this isn't going to get them very far. He is going to make sure of that.
"You shouldn't have done that. Your cell was going to be one of the quieter ones, with a request from your father. But now, it's going to be next to the notorious, mass murderer, Sirius Black."
Fine, whatever. He doesn't care. His ideas plague his mind. He's not going to be here for life like they all think.
He'll come up with something.
A plan to escape this hell.
If it's the last thing he ever does.
He looks around and it's different from what he imagined. The walls are made of stone bricks, looking old and ancient. He has heard it wasn't always a prison, what it was made for he has no idea, he didn't really pay attention to what his mother said next. She had been trying to comfort him when he left, but… he didn't show any emotion. He didn't hug her, he didn't scream for them not to take him away.
No.
He accepts his fate.
He starts planning.
Being nineteen, in a place like this… wasn't the plan. It isn't what he and Evan Rosier wanted. They would have gotten caught together, escaped together. But no, Evan was killed while fighting to escape.
His eyes blur and he refuses to cry. A teardrop falls down his cheek and he wipes it away quickly.
But it was too late, one of the guards sees, and starts laughing.
"Yeah, no matter who you are, this place gets to everyone who visits."
He ignores him and focuses on going up the stairs, which were steep and going off into darkness every time he turned the corner. There is a gap in the stone wall and he looks out, but he doesn't look far before a Dementor flies past. He stops moving as the dark creature starts sucking out his memories, one where he and Evan goes into Hogsmeade, just them, and he holds his hand for the first time. He gasps as they shove him forward and the dementor stops, but he doesn't feel anything.
He lets the guards guide him to his cell after that, in a bit of a daze, blocking out everything they say.
When he gets there, they open the bars and he collapses on the floor.
"Enjoy your time in this rotting cell, Crouch Junior. It's only going to get worse from here."
OoO
It's a summer's evening and he's sitting outside with his mother. They're talking about everything that's happened since he had gotten back for third year. He's feeling content. Peaceful.
"Guess what? Evan said something in class the other day that made us both laugh despite trying to keep up our Slytherin side and Professor Flitwick got so annoyed with us that he gave us a detention to clean the trophy room. Without magic!" Barty says, all in one breath with a true smile on his face as he glances at his mum.
She gives him a knowing look.
"I didn't think you'd be so happy to get detention, darling. Did something happen that we should know about?"
He tries to hide the blush but it fails. His secret, Hufflepuff side of him comes out as he tries not to jump.
"Evan kissed me, I know Dad isn't as welcoming as you are, Mum, but can I invite him round for dinner? Please?" he asks with excitement in his eyes.
His mother kisses him on the forehead with a beaming smile.
"Of course you can honey. Of course."
He opens his eyes and feels horrible: it's the effect of the Dementors that are slowly getting to him as he rubs his eyes. No matter how hard he tries, he tries not to think of his mother, or Evan.
He doesn't want to lose the happiness inside of him.
But he needs to think of those memories, because if he doesn't, he won't have the energy to escape.
When the guard comes to give him his disgusting food for the day, he hands him the letter. They're allowed one a week to send. Or he is, he isn't actually sure of the rules, but he doesn't care as long as his mother receives it.
He brings his legs up to his chest, not getting up when the guard leaves.
He'll eat later.
He stares out of the hole in the stone wall, a miniscule one that gives him the view of the North Sea, the waves still crashing hard against the island.
It's been twenty days, and the only difference is that today there was some light on the horizon.
He has hope.
And he is going to hold onto that for as long as he can.
OoO
He looks into the hole in the wall the morning of the day he escapes. It's given him hope that he can breathe again, that he can live through the memories without hurting.
He can leave the horrible place and never come back.
Hope keeps him going.
Yes, he might be a little more insane than when he first arrived, but he is still himself.
And that is all that matters.
When Mipsy takes him to the family home, he expects to greet his mother. He wants to say goodbye, one last time. But it is his father whom he sees first.
He frowns.
"Where is she?" he asks, voice low and dry, sounding like he needs a long drink of water as he collapses on the nearest chair.
"She's taken your place, son."
What? How can they not tell him this part of the plan?
He pales drastically.
"Take me to her right now!" he demands, shouting angrily, slamming his fist against the table to make a point.
"No. You only just escaped. Her wish was to save you, she begged me to help. Here's her letter to you. Go and freshen up, and then we can talk about what to do next."
OoO
Dear my darling boy,
You read this knowing I took your place. It's going to be okay. Don't worry about me, I'm ill and as my last wish, I wish you to have a second chance. To live life the way you want.
Be who you're meant to be.
I love you, Barty,
Love from Mum
He takes a deep breath and nods to himself. He knows exactly what to do next.