With his blood pumping fast, and his heart thrumming with the crowds, Barty thought he had never been as excited as he was now.
Which was curious, because he didn't care much about quidditch.
The players had entered the pitch, soaring through the sky with their brooms and the deafening cheering roar of the audience came to live. Barty's own cheer drowned them all. Standing right at the front of the stands with his yearmates on his left and his sister on his right, he had the perfect view of the sky and none of the stupid head of all the towering upper years.
"Welcome folks, to Hogwarts' first quidditch game of the season! Playing here today is Slytherin versus Gryffindor!"
Once the players finally slowed down their broom as they approached their position with visible ease, Barty could finally catch sight of the green blur that was the player number 7 of the Slytherin team. The player's attention was focused solely on Madam Hooch, who was on the ground with a closed trunk beside her as she shouted something to the teams. The commentator took it upon themselves to inform the crowd of the rules that Madam Hooch set for the game, and while Slytherin crowd usually kept up a facade to listen to the rules despite their tendency to ignore them altogether, today they were blatantly inattentive, distracted by the view their binoculars gave them.
"Is that - " one hesitant voice said.
"So that's our seeker." One less hesitant voice said.
" - the reason why Burke won't pick Jugson again, claiming - " said another,
"- supposedly talented. Burke attested to it - " and another,
" - the new seeker is Regulus Black?" And another.
So many questions, voiced out of wonder, were heard from all around him. Barty didn't bother to hide his grin at hearing those glimpses of words. It was his friend they were talking about, after all.
Well, Evan's friend. But he was getting there.
His glee, of course, was no match to the pleased air his sister emitted from beside him. Barty took away his focus from the players to meet Maddy's eyes only to see her smug smirk looking permanently stitched on her face.
"Isn't he your yearmate?" Asked someone behind them. One of the upper year students, if Barty had to guess from the voice. A side glance told him the older boy was talking to the second year boys who, except for Lestrange, had that equally shocked look on their face, making the older boy frown. "How come you didn't know?"
Their silence spoke volumes and Barty returned his attention to the front with laughter at the corner of his smirk, already getting what he wanted.
Madeline, on the other hand,
"I suppose the Slytherin team can make an exception for those with talents," she commented offhandedly, voice purposely carried above the other sounds.
Barty's smirk became impossibly wider.
"Or those with galleons," came a muttering from behind, sounding a tad too bitter, which of course made his sister turned her body fully to the source, one of her eyebrows arched and an innocent look plastered on her face
"Why, Warrington. How brave of you to admit your misfortune."
Barty was not alone when he snorted. That retort was excellent, and Warrington very much deserved it. To say such a thing would mean that Warrington didn't trust Slytherin's quidditch team to have only the best people for their members.
Besides, if anyone with galleons could get into the team, the fact that Warrington was not in the team while it was clear that he wanted it meant that Warrington didn't have the galleons for it.
Trust Madeline to insinuate a pureblood was poor as an insult, Barty thought in glee. She really knew where their pride hurt the most.
" - The quaffle is thrown and the game begins!"
Snapping his attention back at the game, Barty took note that the Gryffindors were holding the quaffle quite jealously. Their defense was also quite good, they were manipulating the altitude of their flight so the slytherin who guard them did not have the preparation to follow them, or at least, too slow to really steal the pass. Changing altitudes, after all, required a specific broom holding position.
And there they went again, Barty thought as one James Potter swooped down real fast to receive a pass from Garret Brown. Mulciber stood no chance guarding Potter, at this point it was glaringly clear. Ten minutes later, Barty winced when the inevitable goal was announced.
The booing from all around him that followed the goal let down his excitement a little bit.
Disenchanted, Barty let his attention derailed a bit to his sister. One of her hands was fiddling with the end of her scarf that was safely tucking her neck while the other was oddly stiff at her side. She was watching the quaffle - which was annoyingly in Potter's hand again. Seriously, what's wrong with their chasers? - but there were also glances to the sky above where Black was hovering quietly.
" - and now Burke is in possession of the quaffle! The players are quickly moving back to the Gryffindor side and - Oh! That was close! Slytherin beater Torrick Bulstrode narrowly missed James Potter with the bludger but Slytherin managed to keep their possession!"
Barty briefly glanced at the game - shame that Bulstrode didn't get Potter - and returned his attention back to his sister.
Madeline, he realized then, was pale. And her other hand was not just oddly stiff at her side, no. The end of her wand was there, visible only barely from his side, which means…
"Mad," Barty called quietly, frowning, "why are you holding your wand?"
She didn't look at him when she answered, eyes still stuck on the game. "Warming charm," her reply was short and simple.
That answer would have made more sense if Barty didn't already know that Madeline could easily cast a warming spell wandlessly.
Barty couldn't quite keep his focus on the game after that. Further inspection told him that Madeline was sickly worried. It was not unusual for Barty, of course. She always said that quidditch and flying brooms in general were dangerous. Though, he thought that she didn't care for anyone in the game, so her anxiousness was quite curious. Judging from her glances, she was worried for two people in the game; Black and, to his surprise, Potter.
So it wasn't the quaffle she was watching, he surmised.
Black he understood. They were classmates after all. Potter was a bit odd, but watching his recklessness in the sky and the fact the Slytherin's beaters were vicious in their attacks, Barty could see where her worry was coming from. Why she cared for them was another matter entirely.
But then Madeline was always much kinder and more empathetic than him. Caring for other people was in her character, he supposed.
Two hours later, the score was 100 - 25 in Gryffindor's favor, and that was when Black plunged from his height, followed closely by the Gryffindor seeker. The commentator went wild. They've seen the snitch, it seemed, and Barty couldn't wait until Black finally caught it. His sister surprised him by tugging his sleeve, her worry visible without much effort on her part to hide it. Despite her worry though, she was shouting at the top of lungs to cheer for Black, surprising everyone around her. Barty followed her good example.
Everyone shouted 'Black! Black! Black!' and Barty swore he was the loudest of them all. Their friend didn't keep them waiting for long, his body was leaning so much forward that his broom was getting faster by the second. One of his hands was reaching for something, and then - and then -
"Regulus Black caught the snitch! I repeat Regulus Black caught the snitch! The slytherin seeker ends the game, acquiring 150 points for the Slytherin! Slytherin wins the game!"
The audience roared.
"What a game!" Shouted someone.
"Of course we won - " said another " - a second year was a good decision, after all," and another.
Barty himself was spouting some nonsense with his yearmates, lively recounting the game at top speed until the rush of adrenaline washed off.
"It was a close call," Evan eventually admitted once they calmed down. "Reg took his time finding the snitch."
Barty snorted. "At least he got it. Those gryffindor chasers are a mean bunch."
"True."
More recounting of the game was exchanged, and Evan eventually suggested they leave their yearmates and meet Black at the pitch ground. He agreed, and off they went to the stairs.
- Until Barty remembered that Madeline was still in the stand.
At this realization, he paused mid walk and promptly turned, climbing the stairs back alone to get back to his sister.
The stand was still crowded, but her sister was very easy to spot. Amidst the thinning crowd that were still buzzing in excitement, his sister was frozen in their position previously, looking pained as she gazed off to the pitch.
"Mad?" He called softly from the top of the stairs. His sister turned to him, as graceful as ever. "You okay?"
She gave him a smile. "Yeah. I'm okay. I'm just going to rest, okay?"
He frowned. "Not going to the party?"
"I'm a bit tired, actually."
Indeed, she was looking exhausted. Mentally exhausted, perhaps. She didn't stop worrying during the whole game, after all.
"Barty!"
His head involuntarily snapped to the direction of the caller. It was Evan, already at the pitch ground with his eyebrows arched. Barty returned his attention to his sister.
Her smile was still there, a gesture of reassurance. "I'm fine, Barty. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Reluctantly, Barty nodded.
They both descended from the stairs together, but soon their path diverted, with Barty going to the ground and Madeline exiting the pitch. Barty approached the crowd silently, watching Evan, Black, and Lestrange talking animatedly with each other in the midst of it.
It was Evan who saw him coming first. Upon the sight of him alone, his friend's eyebrows were raised once more.
"Where's Maddy?"
He shrugged, hoping his distress was not seen. "She's not feeling well."
That sentence alone seemed to sobered Black from the high of his win. His concern was clear on his face as he frowned. "Is she alright?"
Barty eyed the older boy somberly.
It was… unsettling, to find that Maddy was worrying over someone else, someone other than him, her brother, to that extent. Also, Maddy always spoke of her worries with Barty, and yet she didn't share her worry for the other boy with him. Maybe Barty should have asked her, asking what was wrong, and yet he didn't. He didn't know why he didn't. He didn't know why he was feeling this way. But…
"Yeah, she's alright," Barty huffed instead, realizing that his worries were unfounded. It was Maddy, of course she was worried for someone else. He shook his head, clearing his mind. "You should have seen her during the entire game. Didn't stop worrying that someone might fall from their broom."
Black's grin was so dopey that Barty's eyes twitched.
"Here I thought she had faith in my skills," the older boy said, positively high in the clouds. It made Lestrange snort.
"Don't be too smug."
"Why shouldn't he?" Evan mused out loud, before turning to the crowd, both of his hands cupping his mouth, before he shouted, "Regulus Black won us the game!"
The crowd cheered at that. Someone started to chant Black's name again and Barty's mood was lifted once again as he joined the cheer. Black was positively glowing as he raised his hand, the snitch between his fingers shone under the sun, and the cheer grew impossibly louder.
The snakes beat the lions in the opening game and they didn't plan to stop.
.
The week following Slytherin's win was fun. Slytherin was entitled to remind the lions of their loss in every chance they had and Barty certainly enjoyed picking on Armin Macmillan, a Gryffindor quidditch enthusiast who thought he had predicted the Gryffindor's win last week. Hearing him blabber about the superiority of Gryffindor's team play was a painful experience to endure during potion and Barty wasted no time to repay him in kind ten folds.
There was one person in Slytherin who wasn't as happy as the rest of them however, and that person was Cassius Warrington.
"What a snob," the bitter boy said on one typical lunch.
Barty had to keep his face flat to not indicate that he was listening. As usual, Maddy and him picked a seat near the meals they wanted to eat that day, and unfortunately, Black's rejects of a crew was sitting nearby. Maddy had just left the table in haste, claiming that Barty had just given her an idea about something, and perhaps it was the lack of regard to others in her part that triggered this comment on her person. Indeed, considering Warrington's past grievance with his sister, there was no doubt in Barty that Warrington was talking about Maddy. It boiled his blood that anyone was speaking of his sister in such disrespect, but Barty first must discover how deep this disrespect went.
Pyrites hummed, though he didn't appear to be as bitter as Warrington. "A pretty one, eh, Wilkins?"
There was a faint blush in the pudgy boy's cheeks, his dull black eyes avoiding contact with others, and Barty paused in his thoughts.
How interesting.
Barty internally smirked. It seemed that Black wasn't Maddy's only admirer.
"Still a snob," said Warrington, though he made no objection in calling Madeline pretty.
This interaction gave him another view on his sister's life in Hogwarts. Of course Barty knew that Madeline was a loner by choice, only accompanied by Orpington to classes as a form of weird alliance between them. The only ones who Madeline spent her time in was Barty himself (being her brother and all), Black (because somehow the older boy had endeared himself to his sister until she agreed to allocate some blocks in her schedule for him), and those hufflepuff pets of hers (in this Barty didn't know why Maddy bothered). There was Snape and his pet Gryffindor, but those two were just Maddy's tablemates in the library (who Maddy said were quite useful, as they both were the top two students in their year.) To his understanding, Maddy didn't consider them as her friends though perhaps she considered herself as their friends.
It was an important distinction for Barty, as it meant that Maddy, as their friend, would be there for them, while she wouldn't let others be there for her as her friends.
Indeed, she still had her walls. In fact, his sister had her walls even when she was with him. First there was the dream problem last year, and now her distress about quidditch…
Well, back to the topic.
His sister was a loner by choice, but with her social standing and her obvious superiority, he would have thought that Madeline would be respected by all others.
Warrington's bitterness proved otherwise.
Over the week, Barty tried to observe the dynamic of Slytherin's second years around his sister. He concluded, after much analysis, that some of them were blatantly ungracious towards his sister (Warrington and Hornby) some were discreet in their discourtesy (Parkinson, Horston, Pyrites) some were too cautious to express their real thoughts on his sister (Dowson, Orpington, Wilkins) and then there was Black who tried to be discreet in his favor towards his sister and Lestrange who had his back no matter what.
Barty knew about last year's incident, which involved Dowson and a cleaning spell, so he was not surprised that there were some that were wary of his sister. But to act against his sister, even if it was done in discretion? It was unthinkable. Why would anyone in their right mind consciously do it?
He asked this to his sister one night. Maddy, infuriatingly, thought that his bewilderment in this was cute.
"I've rejected their offer of friendship one too many times, I suppose," she replied, her amusement evident as she seemed to be lost in reminiscence. It did nothing to satisfy Barty.
"So you let them belittle you with their treatment?" He goaded.
Maddy arched an eyebrow at that. "I don't see how their view of me matters."
Barty frowned. Madeline had meant what she said. She didn't think their resentment towards her was troubling.
Which, in Barty's opinion, was a bit arrogant of her. This was Slytherin, and having someone against her could be dangerous. They could be actively against her (spreading lies, compelling others to see her negatively, sabotaging her effort, among other things) while Madeline would be just passively defending herself, acting in response rather than confronting them…
- but it didn't have to be like that, he thought, eyes widening.
Barty grinned, a plan was forming in his mind.
.
"I thought we had an agreement," Otto voiced, emphasizing his displeasure.
They were talking in the common room, with all the first year slytherin present, and all of them were quite ruffled by Barty's previous statement. Barty himself was leaning casually on the Black lake display beside him, entertained by their visible vexation.
"Plans change," he said with flippantness that triggered an eye twitch from some of them, including one girl whose name Barty forgot.
"Crouch," the girl said, teeth gritting, "I don't think you understand. We need this. If we could re-negotiate-"
"Oh, there's no need for more negotiation at all." He cut, earning a glare from the girl. She was ready to retort back but Barty lifted his hand, making a stop gesture, and giddiness flowed through him as that simple gesture managed to silence the girl.
His feral grin was hidden under a kind smile.
"You see, I have found a far more superior tutor for you - No need for that skepticism, Otto, I don't speak lightly of someone who could be superior than me, so you better hear me out - Where was I? Ah, yes. A new, far more superior tutor than me. Praised all by the professors as the brightest witch her age, she is likely your best chance in this whole castle to save your poor casting skills."
One person caught his meaning faster than the others.
"You don't mean…"
"Madeline Crouch agreed to tutor us?" The previous girl interrupted, eyes wide in disbelief.
Barty hummed quietly, eyes intent on watching. His classmates had a certain view on his sister, due to the professors' unfiltered praises of her. Those praises were almost always triggered by his presence, so his classmates were all familiar with Madeline's magical prowess (mastering every spell in the first try! Who wouldn't be in awe, truly?) her impeccable scores (all Os. Even Lily Evans, the Gryffindor teacher pet who was loved by all the professors couldn't compete with that), and those advanced essays she wrote (OWL level theories to reinforce her points? In her first year? Even Barty was impressed.)
But, they also would have known from their own observation that Madeline was a bit of a recluse, which was why their disbelief was well founded. And the girl's question was reasonable, and quite right on the mark as Barty hadn't ran this idea with his sister.
Then again, one must be a bit under-handed if they wanted to be a step ahead in their house.
"What you must know," he said instead of answering directly, "is that my sister is awfully kind. One wish from me and she'll tutor you all without much fanfare. No doubt we will excel in transfiguration in no time. The Gryffindors will lose against us both in Quidditch and the house cup, if we do this right."
"And you will do that for us?"
It was another boy, Titus, who said it. His tone was hopeful, with a spot of desperation and a great deal of admiration.
Barty fed on it.
He smiled, bright blue eyes glinting, and lied, "Of course. We are friends, aren't we?"
.
Later that night, when Evan was the only one left in his company, the other boy silently regarded him with a lot more respect than he had ever given Barty before.
"Excellent execution," he commented, calculating gaze fixed on him.
Barty grinned. "But of course."
It didn't surprise him that his friend figured out what he was planning.
You see, as a slytherin, they were taught to adopt the thinking 'a favor for a favor, nothing in this world is free.' Incredibly wise words, if Barty might say. Most eleven years old, however, didn't have the critical thought to see the truth beneath those words. They thought they had to offer something in return if they wanted to get something and as consequences of their opportunist side, they thought his no-strings-attached offer was the best deal they would encounter in the house of the snakes.
Which, of course, went against the very thinking they were taught.
Thinking of his yearmates' foolishness would be an endless endeavor, so Barty revelled his victory in the quietness of his mind, figuratively patting himself in the back for a job well done until the next step of his plan.
Unfortunately, the next step didn't go quite as smooth.
"No," came Maddy's grating response.
She didn't even think on his request, Barty frustratedly noted. They were alone in his room, waiting for Mother to appear in their mirror, and Barty had half the mind to just delay his request so Mother would help him persuade Maddy to help.
But that would be just plain unfair, he thought. Under-handed schemes were okay. Using Mother to help him, however? Even Barty was not that so skewed in his morals. Blackmails would have been more acceptable.
Guilt tripping and flattery it was, then. "You would deny your brother's request for a better education?"
His sister didn't bother to look up from her book, but the corner of her lips betrayed her thoughts.
"Flattery will get you nowhere."
He smirked.
"Well, I don't know. I think it got me somewhere.."
Now she didn't try to hide it at all. Barty grinned triumphantly. "Is that smile a yes?"
Maddy's smile turned sweet as she looked up. Meeting his eyes, she said, plain and simple,
"No."
His grin fell.
"But why?"
He didn't pout. He didn't.
Madeline rolled her eyes. "Tutoring them is well within your capabilities, Barty."
That would be very true. Barty had mastered all the first year spells and some more, so tutoring his friends would be too easy of a task.
He couldn't go on with his plan without Maddy though.
He looked away, feigning embarrassment with a blush. "I know. It's just… It will be cool to have you tutor us. All my friends have heard your reputation and - " he returned his eyes on Maddy, who at that point was watching him attentively, "You know that in Slytherin, having good connections means a lot right?"
Conflicts raged in her eyes as she considered his words, his confession. Barty was not ashamed to display his puppy eyed look, and with his cheeks red, there was no way Madeline could stand against this.
As usual, he was proven to be correct.
Maddy sighed. "Alright."
"Alright?" He repeated, a winning smile grew on his face. His sister shook her head, exasperated as always when facing his wiles.
"Yes, alright. I'll tutor your friends."
A loud exclamation of "yes!" pulled a melodious laugh out of his sister. Barty was transparent in showing his excitement to Madeline, knowing that it would help her solidify her decision. His excitement was genuine, of course, as Barty couldn't wait for his plan to be fruitful.
With Madeline on board, phase one was complete.
.
The first week of December stood witness to the first tutoring of the Slytherin's first years in one of the unused classrooms of the dungeon. Madeline had been waiting in the room, reading a book as always, when the gaggle of first years arrived. Upon the sight of her, every one of them paused their chattering and greeted her with a nod.
Silence ensued as anticipation thickened the air.
"You must have realized by now that transfiguration is not at all like Charms," she started once everyone took their seat, capturing all their attention with her confidence. She didn't bother to introduce herself. "In charms, as long as you know exactly what the spell is supposed to do, with an adequate incantation and wand movement, your spellcasting will likely succeed. How many of you have managed to perform the levitation charm?"
Eight out of ten raised their hands quietly.
"How many of you have successfully transfigured a match to a needle?"
This time, only Barty's hand was in the air.
His sister arched an eyebrow, probably just realizing how badly his year needed this tutoring. Indeed, with Mcgonagall as the professor, the Slytherins were not comfortable in asking her guidance. They had sensed her wariness of them, and it made them cautious of her in return. His sister could probably deduce this from their hesitant gazes alone, and she tilted her head, directing her gaze to someone that she thought would have succeeded like Barty.
"Evan?"
"I've made it pointy and silver colored," his friend admitted easily, a bit smug about his achievement. Then he shrugged, "It's still a match though."
She hummed, as if already expecting his answer. "Keep in mind that this does not mean Charms is an easy subject - quite contrarily, actually, the more complicated the charm, you will find the difficulty of the casting increases. But again, as long as you know exactly what the charm is supposed to do, your magic will usually handle the rest."
Many seemed to agree readily with her words. Even Barty found himself nodding along - charms were indeed easier to grasp - perhaps because they did not need to think through every detail of what their magic was supposed to do. Simple charms, such as levitation spell and unlocking spell did not require much mechanism. They willed it and their magic obeyed.
Maddy continued.
"Transfiguration has a more complicated basis," declared she. "One needs to have a deep understanding of what they are transfiguring for their magic to work. Your class had covered the transformation formula, yes? Has anyone memorized it?"
"Mass of the origin, Viciousness, Concentration, Wand Power, and the unknown. Time all and you shall have the formula of the ever changing art." The reply was quick, uttered monotonically as the speaker quoted A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. It was the girl from before. Macdougal, he knew now after one of the professors called her name. Maddy gave her a satisfied smile and resumed her explanation.
"In a match-needle transfiguration, you need not to worry about the mass or the viciousness. Meanwhile, wand power will come in time as you interact with your wand and build your understanding with it. In other words: Practice."
"We're not allowed to practice transfiguration outside the class," someone pointed out, making Madeline pause as she turned to the source.
Her expression was of amusement, a glimpse of laughter hidden in her blue eyes.
"Then why are you here?"
Some frowned at her words. They were here because they needed help to better understand many transfiguration principles so it may help them in their class, of course. Evan, however, seemed to catch on to what his sister meant, eyes glinting at his own understanding and his smirk reflected his glee.
"Are you implying... With your supervision, we are allowed to practice transfiguration?"
"I'm implying that I am capable of providing a safe environment for you to learn transfiguration," Madeline corrected, making the distinction clear.
Now everyone seemed to have caught on. Some were already looking eager on their seats, the prospect of advancing even further through this study group tantalizing them. Others were more hesitant, another girl being one of them.
"But - Are we really supposed to…" she trailed off, her hesitance screamed of fear.
Naturally, his sister pounded at it.
"Is it the fear of discovery by the professors or is it a concern for your safety?" Madeline asked, her tone genuine, and some were eased just by that question alone. Silence followed as his yearmates mulled over her question, but the answer became glaringly clear as time went on.
"The later," one of them voiced their consensus. Transfiguration, after all, was a highly dangerous branch of magic in which one could fail spectacularly at their attempt. The consequences, when such an event occured, could be devastating and often led to tragedies.
Madeline hummed, looking nonplussed by their admission. "Then is a demonstration of my skill an acceptable way to prove my claim?"
He couldn't help it. Barty grin had gone utterly feral at this opportunity. He didn't bother to hide his excitement in his tone. "Why, of course. Do please demonstrate your skills, Maddy."
His sister pursed her lips, eyes narrowed playfully at his demand. With one wave of her wand, she summoned a match stick.
It turned into a needle without any words uttered.
By that display alone, some of them were already convinced that Madeline could safely guide them through the first year syllabus. Non verbal mastery of the flintifors spell was covered in third year, you see, and not all of the upper years could do it with the ease Madeline showed.
She didn't stop there, of course. In a rapid succession of spells, she climbed through the sub-branches of transfiguration from easiest to hardest. A button turned to a beetle, a bennie turned into a rabbit, a scarf turned into a snake, a chair turned into a dog, a table turned into a bear that turned into a giant boulder that fell with a loud thump, and she reversed them back with ease.
At this point all of them were openly gaping.
Then she conjured birds, colorful birds with feathers of blue, yellow, green, and red. Those birds flew across the room, mesmerizing all those who watched, and when they returned to her, flying in circles above her head, she transfigured them into flower petals, pouring from the air, obscuring their view. When all of those flower petals were gone, so was Madeline. In her place stood a cat, white fur all around her body except for the cream colored one on top of its head and around its eyes, with a mismatched pair of eyes of blue and gold.
Barty's breath hitched.
The numerous gasps around him were quietened by his own thoughts. Maddy, it seemed, had been advancing faster than he would have ever imagined. Human transfiguration, a full human transfiguration into an animal - that was NEWT level. Barty gulped as he thought that Madeline could sit her NEWT at the end of the year and would likely excel it. No - not just excel. She would crush it. That demonstration deserved an outstanding, a full mark at that.
The cat transfigured back into Madeline after a pregnant pause, revealing her state of exhaustion. Of course. With that demonstration, everyone would be depleted in their energy, Barty thought. But still, for managing everything in one sitting…
Barty looked down, gazing off his own hands. Was this what Maddy was doing the whole time? Learning magic? He thought he was doing well, but Madeline was moving too fast for him to catch up.
Then again…
He always knew that Madeline was special. His sister was undoubtedly the most powerful witch there was, despite what Evan said about some dark lord in the rise -
Yes. Barty would support her no matter what. His sister was in her path for greatness and he would be there by her side, to help in any manner he could…
"Do I have to explain my casting?" Maddy said evenly, putting back her wand in her holster.
Everyone looked lost. They didn't expect this magnitude of magnificence.
"N-no," Otto not so eloquently replied. "We believe you."
"And I believe we have established that discretion is of most importance in this tutoring session?"
Her smile was kind, but there was unmistakable sharpness in her tone.
"Of course!" Otto squeaked, prompting nods from every one of them.
Madeline's calm, calculating eyes examined them, searching and gauging. They held their gaze, each of them trying to prove themselves honest in their eagerness to learn.
A whole minute passed, and her smile turned pleasant.
"Onto the next factor. We have concentration, which involves..."
Barty listened to her every word with fervor. He was not alone, all of his yearmates were focused solely on his sister, taking in her words as if it was their salvation. Maybe it was, she was here to lead them out of their impending failure in transfiguration, after all. The awe in their eyes was vivid. Gone with their cautions, replaced by conviction for her abilities.
It was not in his plan for this to happen. He had wanted them to owe him and Madeline something, to have them indebted. Then he would demand their aid, their loyalty, if Madeline ever needed it and they would no choice but to obey. But this…
This was a much, much better outcome than what he originally thought of.
And phase two had only just begun.
.
The approaching winter holiday meant that she would have the time to do anything without all the constraints of her schedule, and Madeline could not wait for it to finally come. Between the assignments, her training, Black's potion session and now Barty's study group, she was slowly losing her time for her independent research.
The research in soul magic hadn't been fruitful, the soul remained a mystery to all of the writers whose book she had read. There was some research that tried to prove how the soul was closely related to memories, and then there were others who were convinced that soul was the essence of magic. The latter was also adamant to declare muggles as animals and tried to prove that muggles could not be used as a soul sacrifice.
All those muggles that died and faced a fate worse than death… just because some madman was convinced that they didn't have a soul - ! Madeline almost burned the damn book upon reading it. The only soulless person in the book was the writer.
Her animagus training had thankfully been concluded, and she was now working on easing the transformation process on her body. Being a cat was an interesting experience, her senses grew sharper and the slightest movement and noise could easily distracted her. There was also the curiosity that was her eyes…
Usually, an animagus' animal form resembled the witch's traits, whether it was physical or mental traits. Her form, a white ragdoll cat with hints of cream colored pattern on its face, oddly possessed bicolored eyes of blue and golden brown.
The saying about eyes being the window of the soul could have some truth in it after all, she mused.
She hadn't had the time to research anything else, so her goal to dissect the unforgivables and come up with a surveillance tool were still naught. But at least she had the time to brew every useful potion in the book for her storage, though she hadn't yet started with polyjuice potion.
One week before the holiday started, Barty surprised her with his plan to spend some of his holiday with his friends, which turned out to be just Black and Lestrange as Evan would be spending his holiday with his family in France. Lestrange had offered his house for their stay and Madeline originally nodded along as she listened to them.
- But then the word 'Lestrange manor' was finally processed, and her mind went back to that day, in that manor, with a Lestrange and a blade -
"Mad?"
She blinked, her clear sight returned revealing a questioning look on her brother. She occluded.
"Sorry, I spaced out for a moment there. Who else would be there in your residence on christmas eve?"
She directed the question to Lestrange, who smiled cordially at her question. "Only my brother and his wife."
His wife, she repeated internally.
Her mind screamed for blood.
Madeline's smile was stilted, "I wouldn't want him to impose on your family…"
"He wouldn't be imposing at all," Lestrange replied, his head tilting in curiosity.
Like hell she would let her brother be anywhere near that vile witch.
"Still - "
"Or maybe we can spend it in my place?" Black interrupted, cutting the growing tension she had drowned in.
She turned to him.
The boy took it as a cue to continue. "It will be only me and my parents, as Sirius would probably disappear like last year."
Her shoulder loosened at his words, her smile more relaxed. Walburga Black would hardly be a better company than Bellatrix Lestrange for her brother, but at least she was familiar with Grimmauld place.
Also, unlike the Lestranges manor, Grimmauld place currently was not hosting any death eater.
Yet.
"Would it really be okay?" She asked, concern evident in her tone. "I know i shouldn't interfere with your plans, let alone this close to the date… but it would sooth my concern greatly if you have adults such as Lady and Lord Black to supervise you…"
Barty rolled his eyes.
"I'm almost twelve, Mad."
She turned to him, her grin was playful on her lips. "Still my little brother."
"My parents wouldn't mind," Black replied, his tone light and his expression pleased. "We don't have that many visitors so Mother would probably be delighted to have someone admiring our drawing room."
Lestrange arched an eyebrow, previous curiosity gone and amusement clear on his face. "The room with your family tree, you mean?"
Black nodded gravely. "Her pride and joy in life."
An image of the fearsome Walburga Black caressing a wall while looking proud and happy invaded her mind. Madeline couldn't help it.
She giggled.
Unfortunately, once the image was planted in her mind, she found it hard to stop her giggle, much to the amusement of the others around her. She knew she should stop, but -
It was just too hilarious of a thought.
When she finally stopped, much to her own relief because her face was getting tired from smiling so much, Black's own amusement was still evident. His dark grey eyes were unusually soft.
"Was what I said that funny to you?"
Shaking her head with a smile wide on her face, she replied with laughter still in her voice.
"Regulus Black, you have no idea."
.
Walking to Hogwarts' hospital wing was like going through her memory of it in the library of her mind. Certainly an assuring evidence of how much time Hermione Granger spent there in a life long left behind. Though this time, different from her every memory of the place, she was not tormented by her worries for her bestfriend or by some agonizing pain from the curses of dark creatures and dark wizards alike.
"Good morning, Madam," came her polished greeting as soon as she walked past the door.
The madam of the ward, who was sitting at her table on the corner of the room, looked up from her old report book and immediately recognized who she was. The rigid witch promptly put on her most business-like expression.
Madam Pomfrey did not change, she thought fondly.
"Miss Crouch," her tone held a bit of scorn. "Here for the wound cleaning potion again? You better hope I do not find some glamors hiding any wounds on you this time."
She smiled bashfully at the reminder of the incident. "No wounds this time, Madam. I am here to thank you for the care you gave me last year. And also for not starting an investigation upon my request."
Madam Pomfrey watched as Madeline placed a box of chocolate on her desk with a satisfied smile. Ordering the delicious box of delight was no small feat, you see. The particular brand was only made in Bulgaria, and once upon a future, Hermione Granger shared with the madam this particular brand of chocolate after the battle in the ministry - gifted by Victor Krum at the time - and found the Madam enjoying it quite a lot. A sweet memory among the reminiscence of a burning pain all across her body that was etched in her mind.
The corner of her lips gave away how pleased the healer witch was by the gift. "Was it ever a request?" Said the madam dryly.
Madeline's response smile was demure, but a mischievous glint in her eyes told the madam everything she needed to know.
It was then that her hearing sense caught something moving on her right and she turned her head to see the source. A boy with a mop of fair brown hair was putting down his feet on the floor slowly as his hands supported the rest of his body on the mattress. The paleness of his skin and his clothing easily clued Madeline that the boy was supposed to be bedridden.
"Mister Lupin! Did I not forbid you to leave your mattress?"
Madeline blinked.
The healer, it turned out, had followed where her sight had diverted and was now throwing a terrifying glare at the boy. The boy, upon Madeline's further inspection, was indeed Remus Lupin. Why she didn't recognize him on sight was a wonder to her.
"I thought last time you said 'twas your mattress, Madam," her future professor smiled charmingly, although a bit sheepish.
The corner of her mouth twitched.
Unfortunately for him, Madam Pomfrey was less amused. A withering glare was enough proof for it.
"Don't be cheeky with me, young lad. Lay down."
Professor Lupin - Lupin, her mind corrected - smiled awkwardly, his eyes very briefly trailed to the side. But his eyes met the Madam's once again and he finally relented, plopping back to his bed in a defeated manner. On the mattress next to him, Madeline realised, was a small brown leather bound notebook. Probably the reason why he tried to leave his bed as soon as someone was there to distract the Madam. She pursed her lips and walked towards it quietly.
Keen, sharp amber eyes followed her the whole time, curious and cautious for every step she took. It quickly changed into surprise when she took the book and handed it to him.
"Here." Her tone was flat, expression absent from her face as she lightly occluded.
"Thanks," the boy said, his face flustered, looking down at the book as he took it from her hand. "I don't know why Sirius left it there."
His voice was quiet, barely above a mutter. So different from the cheeky tone he used with Madam Pomfrey. If she was any less perceptive, she would just deem him as shy. He was cautious, she thought, and judging from his hesitany glance at his own scars on his hands, she had an inkling for the reason.
"I'm Madeline Crouch," she introduced herself, her tone gentle and an almost soft smile sat on her lips.
"I know," came the boy's quick reply, then promptly grew abashed at his own words. "I mean - you're Lily's friend."
She hummed, not quite expecting it but far from surprised. "Did Lily mention my name to her housemates?"
"She often defends the Slytherins by putting your name as a good example," the boy explained, letting out a small smile that melted his previous stiffness.
Madeline couldn't help but smile at that.
Having Lily to endorse her positively to the Gryffindors was definitely a nice outcome of their friendship, Madeline thought wryly. Not that it was in her intention to use her for that purpose. She knew that Orpington also spoke highly of her intellect to the Ravenclaws, while Bethany and Amanda had the Hufflepuff thought she was this kind, clever, darling girl behind all the distant facade. Now she only needed to have a spokeman in her own house and she would seem perfect all around. Wasn't that an entertaining thought?
"My reputation precedes me," was her simple reply to his admission, said in the driest tone she could manage.
The boy's eyes shone in amusement. "You have nothing to worry about your reputation," he stated. "The professors are not exactly discreet with their gossip."
"Ah."
She should have guessed. That damn moniker had struck again. Her exasperation seemed to have escaped her calm composure because his eyes were practically laughing at her.
"I'm Remus Lupin," he introduced himself finally, to which Madeline nodded, eyes holding his gaze quite intently as she let a genuine smile graced her face.
"It's a pleasure to have your acquaintance."
There was no denying the sincerity that pored from her words, as it was truly a delight to finally meet another connection to her future. It was quite a contrast from her strong, unpleasant reaction from last year, when everything was too overwhelming. Now the novelty of experiencing Hogwarts all over again in the past had worn off, and she realized that all the reflection she did on every memories, thoughts, and feelings that came to her in the form of dreams had made it easier for her to accept her new reality day by day.
While Madeline was lost in these thoughts, the gangly boy awkwardly kept on his smile, uncertain to respond her earnest pleasantaries. A loud clearing throat sound then was heard, breaking Madeline from her weird trance. She turned, only to see Madam Pomfrey's eyebrow arched as if questioning her silently for bothering her patient. Madeline smiled guiltily at the witch and returned her attention to the boy in front of her.
"I'll leave you to your recovery then," she said to the boy with one last nod, before turning back to approach the healer table. With impeccable grace, she courtesied to the madam and said her parting words.
"Madam, I thank you once again for your previous help."
"You will see that I take my profession very seriously, Miss Crouch," said the stern witch. "Anyone who tries to prevent me from doing my duty will know the consequences of my displeasure, even if it is the patient themselves."
"Displeasure is putting it mildly," came a muttering from the only other person in room, earning a twitch from the madam's face.
With one last polite, albeit amused, smile, Madeline left the hospital wing with a light step, although with a mind heavier than it was before.
A boy and his scars hung in her head, prickling her conscience and scorning her ignorance.