The Dream
They all continued onto the next chapter. Harry grimaced. He was not looking forward to the next few chapters. They were getting closer to the end of this particularly awful year of his life and the events coming up next were some of his worst memories. They didn't quite take the top spot but they were close enough. The problem was, there was little point in rushing through it because his next year at Hogwarts had actually been worse. And he couldn't put it off because it had only been a day and a half since their last break and he was pretty sure no one wanted one right now. Except him.
It comes down to this ... when Viktor wasn't looking."
"That would be my summation of things," Theo said quietly. His younger self had a thoughtful little frown on his face as he thought about it too. It was weird to think he'd once been that small.
"It must've been Crouch," ... He'd done a runner."
Theo rolled his eyes. "It's much more likely he was taken. The man was clearly not well."
"I don't think so ... Disapparating or anything."
Theo nodded his head, happy that Harry had agreed with him. There was a faint blush on his neck.
"You can't Disapparate ... enough times?" said Hermione.
The Slytherins all rolled their eyes.
"You missed the point," Draco said sharply. He was feeling surprisingly protective of his new cousin. "It doesn't matter how he left the grounds, so much as that he wasn't well enough to."
"Okay... hows this for a theory ... and then Stunned himself!"
Krum glared at Ron, highly offended. "I vould never!"
"And Mr. Crouch ... "Oh yeah..."
Blaise rolled his eyes. It was no wonder they were always coming to the wrong conclusions. First, Snape with the stone. Then Draco being the Heir of Slytherin. And now Krum. Who would they accuse next?
It was daybreak ... Mr. Crouch actually say?"
Susan Bones sighed. This was exactly like when she tried to tell her auntie a story. She'd over analyse every detail.
"I've told you, ... He mentioned his son."
"Well, that was his fault," Moody huffed.
"Well, that was his fault," said Hermione testily.
Moody laughed gruffly.
"He was out of his mind," ... You-Know-Who?" said Ron tentatively.
Several people seemed to shrink into their seats at the mention of Voldemort, even though they were sharing regular meals with the man.
"I've told you," ... probably just raving..."
"Never assume," Amelia said with a sigh.
"He was sanest ... to see Dumbledore."
Sirius frowned. It wasn't right that his son had to worry about this sort of thing. He should have been preparing for the third task. Or better yet, not in the tournament at all.
Harry turned away ... got out of the way?"
Severus grimaced. His older self was a real piece of work. He was going to have to spend days going over his memories to assess just how much of a bastard he was. His older self was clearly quite abusive. Was he like that too? He knew a lot of the students didn't like him and he certainly favoured Slytherin. But was he really as bad as his older self? If he was, things were going to have to change. He was going to have to change. His older self might have actually been responsible for Crouch's death, presuming he was in fact dead. Not that he liked the man. Couldn't stand him in fact. But that didn't change the fact, he shouldn't have prevented Potter from seeing the Headmaster. It had clearly been an emergency. Surely, even his older self could see that.
"Maybe he didn't want ... beaten you and Dumbledore there?"
The Slytherins all rolled their eyes.
"Get over it already," Blaise said. " Professor Snape didn't do it."
"Not unless ... bat or something," said Harry.
Severus chuckled. No. He couldn't do that. His animagus form was not a bat.
"Wouldn't put it past him," ... whether he found Mr. Crouch."
"You should leave it alone," Mrs Weasley said. "Leave it to the teachers."
The trio and pretty much all the younger people in the chamber gave her a gobsmacked look. Had she been reading the same book they had? The teachers weren't to be trusted with important things like this. And Harry clearly needed all the facts, if his life was in danger. Even some of the adults seemed to be in agreement with them.
"If he had the Marauder's Map ... "Shh!" said Hermione suddenly.
"That map truly is a marvel," Sirius said with a smirk.
Somebody was climbing ... lot of trouble for that-"
"Blackmail?" Ginny asked.
"- we've tried being polite; ... Ministry of Magic knowing what he did -"
"Who is it?" Draco asked.
"Who are they blackmailing?" Theo countered.
"I'm telling you, if you put that in writing, it's blackmail!"
"Better not to put it in writing," Lucius said with a slight chuckle, "if you're planning on blackmailing anyone."
"Yeah, and you won't be complaining ... sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Mrs Weasley turned purple, but she didn't say anything as she mentally counted to one hundred. She would not lose her temper. But who could her boys possibly be blackmailing? Her younger self was clearly struggling too.
"What're you doing here?" Ron and Fred said at the same time.
"That's what I'd like to know," Arthur muttered.
"Sending a letter," said Harry and George in unison.
That got a round of laughter.
"What, at this time?" said Hermione and Fred.
Another, much louder, round of laughter filled the chamber.
Fred grinned ... if you don't ask us," he said.
"Seems fair," Sirius said with a smirk.
He was holding a sealed envelope ... name on it was covered.
"That was definitely intentional," George said with a grin. "We always knew just how nosy you were, Harry. Ron and Hermione wouldn't have worked it out, but you would have."
Ron and Hermione both looked offended.
"Well, don't let us ... "Who're you blackmailing?" he said.
"Have you forgotten your agreement?" Blaise asked. "It literally happened two seconds ago."
Those sort of agreements were important in Slytherin. If someone wanted you to know their business, they'd tell you.
The grin vanished ... I was only joking," he said easily.
"Didn't sound like it," young Ron said, folding his arms. He wanted to know what they were up to.
"Didn't sound like that," said Ron.
The two Rons shared a grin.
Fred and George looked ... Can't see why you would, but -"
Mrs Weasley tutted, but still tried her best not to say anything. It was not getting any easier. The words 'this happened years ago' was a liturgy inside her head, but it was not helping.
"It's my business ... serious trouble for that."
Percy nodded his agreement.
"Told you, I was joking," ... you'll be made a prefect."
"Definitely got seer blood in the family!" Harry said.
"Didn't we tell you, Harry," Ron said. "We actually do. It was on my inheritance test and everything."
"Wow!" Harry grinned. "I totally knew it!"
"You must be a seer, Harry," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"No, I won't!" said Ron hotly.
"I thought you wanted to be head boy?" Bill asked.
"Er..." Ron wasn't sure what to say. He didn't actually want to be head boy or a prefect... He just wanted to be chosen. He definitely hadn't enjoyed the responsibility of being a prefect.
George carried the barn owl ... "About Crouch and everything?"
George gaped at Hermione. Where did she get that idea? If they'd known anything about that, they'd have told Harry and the teachers for sure.
"No," said Harry ... They'd tell Dumbledore."
George smiled. Harry was a good friend.
Ron, however ... "Yeah, but blackmail..."
George glared at Ron. He couldn't imagine their own brother would believe they would do that.
"It's this joke shop idea ... they want to start one.
"Why wouldn't we?" Fred asked. It had been their dream since... well, Fred wasn't quite sure when it had become their dream.
They've only got a year left ... they need gold to get started."
"Gold that we had every intention of earning ourselves," George said crossly.
Hermione was looking uncomfortable ... mind breaking rules, do they?"
George sighed. Sometimes, he really hated his family. Sometimes, it felt like Fred was the only one that actually saw him.
"Yes, but this is the law," ... maybe you'd better tell Percy..."
George glared at Hermione.
"Are you mad?" ... owl had departed,
"I wouldn't turn them in," Percy said with a grimace. "Unless, it was something really awful. And even then, I'd try and reason with them first. I think."
then said, "Come on, ... while he's asleep. Let's give it till break."
Moody smirked. He might well have done that. If it had actually been him, that is.
History of Magic had rarely gone ... her eyes out of focus.
"That ghost has got to go," Narcissa said.
When the bell finally rang, ... corner before he spoke again.
"No offense, Auror Moody," Astoria said, "but your eye is sort of creepy."
"Yeah, it is," Moody agreed. "It has different settings though. With a bit of silent magic, I can change what it sees and what it can see through. So, I can set it to only see through wood or stone. Or material that is a certain thickness. Or even a certain temperature. Most of the time, I use it just like a normal eye."
"Come in here." ... "Mr. Crouch?"
The aurors were all sitting on the edge of their seats, eager to hear what the impostor had to say for himself.
"No," said Moody ... He wasn't anywhere on there."
"So, he was already gone?" young Hermione asked.
"So he did Disapparate?" said Ron.
Blaise laughed outright. "As annoying as I find Granger's constant reminders, how have they not sunk in yet?"
"You can't Disapparate ... disappeared, aren't there, Professor?"
Sirius grimaced. He didn't like the idea of his son and his friends in a room alone with a man he highly suspected was a death eater and based on everything the aurors were saying among themselves they suspected him too.
Moody's magical eye quivered ... "Mind works the right way. Granger."
Moody shook his head. Granger wasn't an auror, she would go to the DoM if she had any sense at all.
Hermione flushed pink ... He must've left the grounds, then."
"You're presuming that Moody is telling the truth," Theo said.
"I thought I could trust him," Harry said with a sigh. "Dumbledore trusted him."
Minerva had a few thoughts about that. She wasn't convinced she trusted the headmaster's judgment any more.
"But under his own steam?" ... flown off with him, couldn't they?" said Ron quickly,
"Not likely," Amelia said. "They'd most likely be seen."
looking hopefully ... the makings of an Auror.
Ron blushed.
"We can't rule out kidnap," ... he's not here."
"Unless he's dead," Moody growled, "or he's lying to you."
Several of the younger ones noticed that the auror was referring to himself in the third person. And all the adults seemed to be agreeing with him. Did the adults think that Professor Moody was an impostor?
He yawned widely ... keep your mind on the third task."
"Definitely planning to kidnap him then," Amelia said with a sigh. "It's a bit reckless, isn't it? Flaunting it, during the middle of a tournament like that?"
The other aurors all murmured their agreement.
"What?" ... with Krum the previous night.
Sirius brushed a hand through Harry's hair. He had such a one track mind.
"Should be right up your street, this one," ... your first year, didn't you?"
Everyone in the chamber seemed to agree with the impostor. This should be the easiest of the three tasks, at least for Harry.
"We helped," Ron said quickly. "Me and Hermione helped."
More eye rolls came from the Slytherins.
Moody grinned.
Moody couldn't wait for this book to be over so that the impostor would get out of his skin.
"Well, help him practice ... never have too many eyes out."
Moody grit his teeth. Fake Moody was too good at pretending to care.
Sirius sent their owl back ... the forest with Viktor Krum?
Harry blinked. This was the first time Sirius had ever sort of parented him. And he really hadn't appreciated it at the time.
I want you to swear ... You could have been killed.
Sirius was nodding along with his older self's words.
Your name didn't get into the Goblet ... A few hexes wouldn't go amiss either.
"Good advice," Amelia said.
There's nothing you can do ... "After all the stuff he did at school!"
Sirius chuckled. "Parent's prerogative."
"He's worried about you!" ... So listen to them!"
The adults all nodded their heads in agreement.
"No one's tried to attack me ... done anything to me at all-"
"They're luring you into a false sense of security," Severus said sharply.
"Except put your name ... Stunned Krum to kidnap Crouch.
"You thought the same thing only a few lines ago!" Draco said dramatically.
Well, they would've been in the trees ... I'm their target, does it?"
"Or it's just not the right time yet," Moody growled.
"They couldn't have made ... I had a duel or something."
"Because murdering you isn't their goal," Moody said, sitting forward. "It might be the end play, but there are other things that have to be done first."
Amelia nodded her head vigorously. This was becoming more worrying by the second.
"Harry, I don't understand it either," ... go sneaking off alone again."
"I hardly went sneaking off," Harry grumbled. "I told the adult I was with that I was walking back with Krum."
The adults all paused. Some were ready to say that Ludo Bagman hardly counted as a reliable adult. But that was hardly the point, Harry was right. He had done everything right. Technically.
The Hogwarts grounds ... sacrifices on Ron's and Hermione's part.
"Good. Stunning, disarming, minor hexes," Tonks said. "What else? There will be creatures. Probably should learn a bit more about those too."
"Can't we kidnap Mrs. Norris?" ... "Let's Stun her for a bit.
"RONALD!" Both Ginnys screeched.
Or you could use Dobby, ... "but I'm aching all over..."
Lucius glared at the red headed boy for suggesting Harry stun Dobby.
"Well, you keep missing ... "Just try and fall backward!"
Everyone gaped at Hermione. Did she really think anyone could control where they landed once stunned?
"Once you're Stunned, ... you take a turn?"
Everyone in the chamber sighed at the return of the bickering.
"Well, I think Harry's got it now ... some of these hexes this evening."
"Chicken," Blaise said with a smirk.
She looked down the list ... We'll start with that one."
"The Impediment Curse is a good place to start," Amelia agreed.
The bell rang ... silver ladder and the trapdoor.
Young Trelawney smiled serenely at hearing more of her own future. Even if it was likely to change now.
He was quite right ... It was extremely comfortable.
Professor Trelawney glared at Harry. She didn't like them opening the windows in her classroom. Rita Skeeter looked particularly impressed with herself.
"My dears," ... I will dim the lights..."
"Sounds like nap time to me," Sirius muttered to Severus, who chuckled dryly.
She waved her wand ... His eyelids began to droop...
Sirius smirked at his lover. "Told you so."
He was riding ... windows were boarded up...
Harry wondered at that beginning. It was odd. It was like a regular dream. Not quite like his most recent visions, where he was literally inside Moldy short's mind.
Harry had left the owl's back ... sobbing on the hearth rug...
Everyone held their breath. This felt strangely important. Significant somehow.
"You are in luck, Wormtail," ... He is dead."
"I'm guessing he means Crouch," Neville said thoughtfully.
"My Lord!" ... feeding Wormtail to you, after all...
"Shame," Sirius muttered.
but never mind ... still Harry Potter..."
Sirius's eyes roved over to where Tom Riddle was sitting. "Did you just tell your snake that you'd feed her my son?" he demanded angrily, apparently not at all afraid that this man was in fact Lord Voldemort.
Tom grimaced. "It would appear so."
Sirius's fingers were itching to pick up his wand. But a slight tightening on his hand, had him looking at Severus. The man mouthed 'No violence in Mother Magic's domain' much to Sirius's annoyance, but it was enough to have Sirius settle back down, still glaring daggers at the once dark lord.
The snake hissed ... I beg you..."
Ron glared at the book. He hated hearing about the rat.
The tip of a wand emerged ... "Crucio!" said the cold voice.
The aurors were surprised. "So, he has a body?" Tonks asked.
"It would appear so," Amelia replied quietly. That was very worrying.
Wormtail screamed ... "Harry! Harry!"
Sirius pulled his son closer, wishing that younger Harry was with them too, but he was sitting with the younger Neville Longbottom again.
Harry opened his eyes ... The pain had been real.
"How is that possible?" Theo asked. "It was just a dream, right?"
Draco shrugged. He didn't understand it either.
The whole class was standing ... What did you see?"
"He needs to go to the hospital wing!" Poppy said, her expression stern.
"Nothing," ... I have experience in these matters!"
"No, you really don't," Harry huffed.
Harry looked up at her ... see further than you have ever -"
"If only that was true," Harry muttered.
"I don't want to see anything ... denied a real treat.
Professor Trelawney frowned. She wouldn't have wanted him to share that particular vision with the class. She shouldn't have pushed him.
When Harry reached the bottom ... Dumbledore's office.
"Good," several adults said.
Harry rolled his eyes. They still trusted the headmaster far too much for his liking. Sure, he liked the older man but he didn't trust him.
He marched down the corridors ... Harry, was going to be fed to it instead...
"That must have been quite terrifying, Harry," Claudius, one of the mind healers said.
Harry merely grunted.
Harry had walked right past ... he didn't know the password.
"He's disassociating again," Claudius murmured to his younger self in concern.
"Like you said, it was terrifying. I wouldn't expect anything else."
"Sherbet lemon?" ... Cockroach Cluster!"
"What made you think it would be a sweet?" Remus asked.
"Have you met the headmaster?" Harry deadpanned.
Everyone laughed, especially the headmaster. "I do have a particularly sweet tooth."
The gargoyle sprang to life ... "I was only joking...."
"They're definitely not my favourite," Albus said cheerfully.
He hurried through the gap ... hesitated, listening.
Minerva tutted.
"Dumbledore, I'm afraid I don't see the connection, ... linked with Barty Crouch's!"
"I presume that is the minister?" Lucius asked. "He really is especially dimwitted."
"And what do you think ... gone wandering off somewhere -"
Moody laughed bitterly.
"He wandered extremely quickly, ... you know what that woman is?"
There was a growl from both Hagrids. They didn't like what the minister was implying.
"I consider her to be ... monster fixation he's got -"
Hagrid actually laughed at that. He did have a bit of a fixation on beasts.
"I no more suspect ... who are prejudiced, Cornelius."
Lucius chuckled. The minister wouldn't like that.
"Can we wrap up ... He's just outside the door."
Several people shivered at the mention of Moody being able to see through doors.