Bartemius Crouch Jr had always been a bright child.
From the moment he was able to concentrate on an activity for more than a couple of minutes at a time, he'd been figuring out new concepts.
He'd stare at words until he was eventually able to read them. He'd listen to his Father's long speeches about law and maintaining societal order until he was able to comprehend the meaning of them.
There had always been much to learn for Barty in the Crouch household.
The manor was filled with books of all topics, magic of all kinds. Some were filled with his ancestors' research on vague subjects, others filled with languages in scripts he couldn't yet read.
Although there was other things he learnt, things that were in ways much more important.
By the age of 4, he knew how to tell his Father's moods. Wether he should stay clear in fear of being hurt or wether he could risk asking a question. By the age of 6, he knew that his mother would never stand up for him. Maybe she was too scared, maybe she still felt some love for her husband. He had never quite managed to figure it out.
Most importantly, by the age of 9, he knew how to get into his Father's personal study. He managed to bypass the wards with a spell he had heard hus Father say many times.
Even though it had taken him countless days to garner his magic into some sort of spell, the day he was finally able to gaze up in wonder at the ancient, leather-bound books was one of great pride and excitement.
There were mostly books on politics, trials and managing courts but the ones that stood out to him were those of obscure magic.
He loved discovering new branches of the world, that he had never heard of before. Some books were still beyond his comprehension but he still read the words he could understand, getting a vague idea of what was being said.
Soon after this achievement, he began memorising the times his Father wasn't home. This was made quite easy by the fact that this was the vast majority of his waking hours.
One instance, when Bartemius Crouch Sr had left work early due to something or other in the ministry, he had caught his son with one of his books on the study of ancient runes.
That day had been engrained into Barty's mind ever since. His Father's raging fury, the ache in his bones after he had been banged into the walls and pushed onto the floor and the undecribable pain from the cruciatus.
It must have only been a few minutes he was under it, maybe less, but that was the first time he truly believed his Father would kill him.
The days and weeks afterwards are hazy. He vaguely remembers curling up in his bed and crying himself to sleep many nights. One of his punishments had been hunger, he'd been locked in his room without anything to sustain him until a plate had appeared in his room one morning. It was a meagre toast but the pain was so great it tasted like the best meal he'd ever had.
Once he had recovered, he made sure to be more discreet if he ever took any of his Father's books although there were many more wards around the area. This made getting in and out undetected a much more magically taxing affair and eventually a much rarer one.
On his eleventh birthday, an owl flew into the kitchen during a silent breakfast with his parents. Wrapped around it's leg was his long anticipated Hogwarts letter.
He tried his best to keep his excitement from showing as his Father opened the letter.
"I will get you the necessary equipment. I expect you to make use of your time at school, Bartemius. You will find that I will be greatly displeased if you do not," he had said coldly, the threat in his words cutting into Barty like a sharp knife.
"Of course, Father," he'd replied, keeping his eyes down in the hopes of being given the letter to read for himself.
His Father nodded once and eventually dismissed him to his room. Slipping the letter into his hands, he quietly walked up the stairs before hurriedly going into his room.
As he read over the letter, an untamed smile spread across his face. He was finally going to be able to make a life for himself. He would be able to escape from his Father's confinment and learn whatever he desired.