Daphne's Gift

"'Ere ye are, fresh tea, and plenty of rock cakes for ya."

Hagrid's Hut. If there was a warmer place in Hogwarts, Harry didn't want to find it. The home of Rubeus Hagrid was a special place, not only because it had a permanent coziness, one Harry treasured almost as much as his memory of Hagrid giving Dudley a pig's tail, but because of its two inhabitants. Hagrid was, without question, the best thing about Hogwarts. The giant of a man was a never-ending supply of warmth and cheer, with nary a single bad bone in his body. This was mirrored in his faithful boarhound Fang, a large dog who looked intimidating but was as threatening as a teddy bear.

At the moment, the trio had joined Hagrid in his hut for a spot of Friday night tea, and to make use of a special charm that Gnarl had taught him - Lily was a genius to come up with it - that was perfect for turning the hard-as-a-rock rock cakes Hagrid loved to bake into especially soft deserts. They were a lovely treat, once you no longer had to worry about chipping your teeth on them. With a hex-deflection test in DADA the day before, it seemed the perfect chance to unwind and relax in anticipation of the weekend. Hermione had no doubt done perfect, as always, and Harry was confident he was close, if not a match, for her score. Ron seemed to do pretty well too, all that training he had joined in on in the lead-up to the First Task seemed to rub off on him.

Thanking Hagrid as he set the massive tray down, the trio poured their tea while charming some of the cakes, revelling in the freedom Harry's new charm gave them when it came to Hagrid's cooking. Even Hermione, who was always hesitant to indulge in sweets, no doubt thanks to both her parents being dentists, was taking full advantage of the spell. Ron simply prepared a small plate of them and was enjoying them to the fullest. Settling in his massive chair, Hagrid smiled warmly at his favourite students.

"I remember when I first had you three over for tea. The biggest bunch of misfits I ever laid eyes on, even more so than the Marauders, I should think. And now, here we all are, four years later."

"We're still a bunch of misfits." Harry chuckled as he said this, Hermione cuddling up to him, while Ron was absentmindedly scratching Fang behind the ears. Hagrid laughed in response.

"Maybe ye are, but you still got each other. And you, Harry, are set to become the youngest Triwizard Champion in history!" Hagrid raised his tea in a toast. "Your parents would be so proud of ye."

Smiling, Harry replied, "Thank you Hagrid, but don't count out the others yet. Cedric and Krum both made good time in the Second Task, and Fleur isn't going to give up. Besides," Harry kissed Hermione's cheek as he paused, "I think they'd be prouder of me for finally asking Hermione to be my girlfriend."

Hermione blushed as she smiled, while Hagrid dabbed at the tears forming in his eyes. "Bless ye both. Knew you were perfect for each other soon as I laid eyes on ye. And Ron," Hagrid turned to the smirking redhead, "Heard you were dating the lovely Lavender. 'Ow's she been treating ye?"

"We broke up," Ron spoke so calmly, it was as though he was disinterested in the whole thing. It was also news to Harry, who looked at Ron with a start.

"Wait, what? When?"

"Bout a week ago. Argued something about me not listening to her, which I guess is fair. Wasn't paying attention at the time." Ron shrugged as he said this.

"You seem kinda, nonchalant about the whole thing."

"Eh. She is pretty nice, and it was fun going to the Ball with her, but I learned way more about everyone's social lives than I ever really cared to. Still feels weird talking to some of our classmates after what I heard from her. Plus, she was always looking for 'intriguing gossip' about you and Hermione, and I kinda drew the line there."

"Well, thank you for respecting mine and Harry's privacy Ron."

As Harry joined her in thanking Ron, something drew his attention away from the conversation. Hagrid's hut sat on the very edge of the Forbidden Forest, with one of the windows offering a clear view into said forest. Through that same window, Harry caught a glimpse of an uncomfortably familiar light. One he had seen years ago, and was reminded of it thanks to DADA.

"Harry? Harry!?" Hermione's words pulled Harry back into the conversation. "Are you alright?"

"No, I saw something in the Forest. I think someone just cast the Killing Curse."

Hagrid rose from his chair quickly, moving to grab his crossbow while the trio stood. Ron looked out the window as Hermione and Harry drew their wands.

"Ron, Hermione, stay here with Fang. Hagrid, when you're ready..."

"Harry, I can't ask you to..."

"Hagrid, I'm not letting you face whoever's out there alone."

Hermione's back straightened at that. "And I'm not letting you go out there without me."

"Or me." Ron chimed in, wand at the ready. Looking between them, Harry could see there was no dissuading them, no matter what he tried.

"Fine. But stay close, and keep your eyes open." Turning to Hagrid, who held his loaded crossbow, Harry continued, "Let's move."

Stepping out of the hut, Harry breathed in the rapidly cooling air. February had passed two weeks ago, now they were into March. Despite the rapid approach of spring, the air still held a bite of winter's cold with the arrival of sunset. The cold air would, hopefully, keep him focused on the danger that lay ahead.

Entering the Forbidden Forest, the group comprised of Harry and Fang in the front, with Hagrid a few steps behind. Hermione took up position on Harry's right-hand side, while Ron took the left. Both of them were alert for any signs of movement or life in the dangerous Forest. At the same time, Hagrid and Harry both kept their eyes forward, Hagrid scanning the horizon as he held the massive crossbow, ready to release the bolt at a moment's notice. Harry, on the other hand, was making active use of 'Sonus Vistus' creating a silver map of the Forest as he guided the group deeper into the woods.

Until, finally, he found something. A mass on the forest floor. A mass that bore an uncanny resemblance to a human body.

Without any prompting, Fang began barking and rushed forward, no doubt having caught on to the scent of the body. Taking that as their cue, the group rushed forward, following the barking boarhound as he homed in on the source of his agitation. Nobody in the group could have been prepared for what they found.

"Mr.Crouch!?"

At that moment, Andromeda was enjoying herself, reading a book she had meant to finish next to the fire with a glass of wine. Dinner had come and gone, and she had spent the meal in her room, dining with Remus as they reviewed their plans for Harry's training schedule. The boy had been doing outstanding. Of that, there could be no denial. A perfect score, especially in both Tasks, was practically unheard of in all the centuries the Tournament had been carried out.

But more importantly, while the score all but guaranteed Harry would win the Tournament, that wasn't the most pressing concern on their minds. Whoever entered Harry into this death trap no doubt had something planned for the Third, and final Task. That something would no doubt involve a major threat to Harry's life, and he needed to be prepared to the fullest for whatever was coming.

It was therefore quite the surprise when Dobby, the house-elf Harry had freed from Malfoy, popped in next to her, bouncing on his feet as his ears flapped in agitation.

"Missy Andy, come quick! Great Harry Potter needs you! Big danger be in Bad Forest!"

"Dobby, please, calm down. What's going on?"

"Great Harry Potter sent me to find Missy Andy. Him and his friends found Judgy Crouch in Bad Forest! Bad things done to him! Great Harry Potter asks you to come quick fast!"

Rising from her seat, Andy readied her wand. If Barty had been found in the Forbidden Forest, especially after having been away for 'health reasons' then there was no telling what his condition might be. Her healer training had prepared her for this, and she knew every second counted.

"Take me to them Dobby."

Dobby responded immediately, grabbing Andromeda's hand and popping them into the Forbidden Forest, some distance from Hagrid's Hut. Immediately ahead of her, she saw Hagrid, standing next to a visibly disturbed Ronald and Harry, the latter of whom was being crushed in a hug from Hermione. Rushing forward, her instincts kicked into overdrive.

"Are any of you injured?"

Head shakes. No, no injuries. But as she prepared to ask her next question, Harry pointed in the direction of some bushes. Taking the hint, she walked over to them, and froze as she saw what was on the other side: Barty Crouch Senior, dead on the forest floor. His lifeless eyes were so sunken in, and his cheeks were so hollow, she almost mistook his face for a skull.

Without hesitation, she approached the body and began casting diagnostic charms to find out what had happened to the man. Despite her growing dislike for the man, given his part in Sirius' false imprisonment, she began to feel pity for the man, especially as the charms revealed a disturbing picture.

The man bore no signs of any recent illness. What she instead found were signs of malnutrition and untreated exposure to the Cruciatus curse. She even found the lingering traces of the Imperius curse, one that had been cast on him repeatedly for months, at the bare minimum, with the Killing Curse being the clear cause of death.

Finding everything she could with a cursory glance, Andromeda cast the Patronus Charm, conjuring her eagle as she prepared a message for Amelia Bones.

"Amelia, it's Andromeda. Get to Hogwarts as quickly as you can, Barty Crouch has been murdered, and his body found in the Forbidden Forest."

As the eagle took off at a blinding speed, she then turned to Dobby, who was currently hugging Hermione's legs.

"Dobby, I need you to find Dumbledore. Tell him Barty Crouch has been found dead in the Forbidden Forest and Amelia is on her way."

"Dobby will do!"

As the energetic elf popped away, Andy regained the attention and focus of Hagrid and the other three.

"Hagrid, take them back to your house and wait there until the Aurors arrive."

"Andy, I swear we didn't..."

"I know Harry, I know. Right now, I just you all to trust me. We'll find out the truth, I promise. Now, get going."

As the group departed, Andromeda's mind raced with questions.

'There's no way Peter could have done this. His signature is all over the trace amounts of the Cruciatus and Imperius Curse, but the magical signature was removed from the Killing Curse. The rat could have snuck onto the grounds, but removing his magical signature is well beyond his skill level. Which means he had help. Someone else did the kill. Someone who knew how to remove their magical signature. Even Bella couldn't do that.'

The next two hours passed in a blur for Harry and his friends. By the time the Aurors arrived at Hagrid's Hut, the group had finished their second pot of tea and were preparing a third. That was when two Aurors arrived, a man who introduced himself as Senior Auror Shacklebolt, and his rookie partner, Tonks, a pink-haired woman who adamantly refused to speak her first name. Accompanying them was Professor McGonagall, who sat with the students during their questioning.

The group recounted their story, with them joining Hagrid for a spot of tea, something that seemed familiar to Tonks given her smile, when Harry noticed the green light in the Forest. McGonagall wasn't happy with Hagrid for allowing the students to follow him, but conceded the point raised by Shacklebolt, that he might have been ambushed by the killer had he been alone, or just had Fang with him. Dobby was summoned by Harry to recount how he had been summoned by 'Great Harry Potter,' a title that seemed to amuse Tonks, and how he informed Andromeda, then Dumbledore, about the death.

Shacklebolt seemed satisfied with their answers, only occasionally interrupting their recounting of the events to ask for clarification. Before long, he told them he was finished with his questions, but that they were to head to Dumbledore's office immediately. Madam Bones wanted to ask a few questions of her own and was waiting there with Andromeda.

With the password to the office provided by McGonagall, the trio made their way to said office. McGonagall had opted to remain behind to assist the Aurors as needed, after which she would check on the students in Gryffindor. This is how the trio found themselves navigating the halls of Hogwarts late at night, all their attention focused on what awaited them in the Headmaster's office.

"What do you reckon Bones wants with us?"

"Tough to say, Ron. It sounds like Shacklebolt heard everything he wanted. Maybe this has to do with the Tournament?"

"Then why ask for us? Why not just ask for Harry?"

"Maybe it has to do with Padfoot?" Harry remarked hopefully. He knew that Andromeda and Amelia were working together to get Sirius a proper trial, so he could be a free man. Given that the three of them were present for Wormtail's reveal, maybe she wanted to go over some things with them. But before Ron or Hermione could respond, the trio heard an argument coming from a door they were approaching.

"It's a sign Severus! You know what it means as well as I!"

The door suddenly burst open, revealing Snivellous and that creep Karkaroff standing in what appeared to be a storeroom for potion ingredients. Karkaroff had pulled up his sleeve, revealing a tattoo of a snake and skull; the Dark Mark. A second later, Karkaroff realized they were being watched, and he promptly pulled down his sleeve and stormed off as he gave the students what Harry suspected was supposed to be an intimidating glare, but in truth felt like a pathetic sneer from a man Harry now knew to be a backstabbing coward. Harry found him to be as intimidating as Pettigrew was that night in the Shrieking Shack.

"And what are you three doing here?" Snivellous' dry voice pulled Harry out of his thoughts, as he turned to look at the greasy git. "All students are supposed to be in their dormitories."

"We've been summoned to the Headmaster's office." Hermione, uncharacteristically, didn't use the words 'sir' or 'professor' when answering Snivellous. In fact, she rarely ever used such words when dealing with the potions professor nowadays. She had all such respect for the man, however meagre it might have been, when she learned of his past as a Death Eater. A sentiment Ron shared in, as both he and Harry glared at the professor at all times now.

"Indeed." Snape then turned his attention to Harry and startled the three of them with his next words. "Congratulations on your performance in the Second Task, Potter. It was...inspiring. Gillyweed, if I'm not mistaken. Correct?"

Harry simply nodded in response.

"Ingenious." The man then entered the storeroom, climbing a ladder near the entrance as he continued. "A rather rare herb, Gillyweed. Not something found in your everyday garden."

"So I've been told."

"Nor is this." Returning to the trio, he held in his hands a tiny green bottle, one Harry recognized after dealing with Skeeter. "Do you know what this is?"

"Your shampoo?"

Snape sneered in response. "Veritaserum. A few drops of this, and You-Know-Who himself would spill his darkest secrets. Regrettably, the use of it on a student is forbidden."

"Quite illegal, as I recall."

"Indeed. However, should you steal from my personal stores again, my hand might just slip over your morning pumpkin juice."

"I didn't steal anything."

"Don't. Lie. To me. Gillyweed might be innocuous, but Boomslang skin? Lacewing flies? You three have been cooking up a Polyjuice potion, and believe me, I will find out why!"

With his piece finished, the dungeon bat slammed the door in their faces, leaving them bewildered as they resumed their trek to the Headmaster's office.

Andromeda was not a happy woman. At the moment, she was in the office of the Hogwarts Headmaster, with four other people. Two of them she tolerated, barely, the third she had a growing contempt for, and the final was the only one she still respected. At the moment, Andromeda Bones and Albus Dumbledore were arguing with Cornelius Fudge while Alastor Moody watched with either vague curiosity or disinterest. It was impossible to tell with him. At various points, she interjected as needed, but most of her part had already been said.

The facts had already been laid out before the man. Barty Crouch Senior, a man everyone thought was on sick leave, had been under the influence of the Imperius Curse, likely for several months, as well as having been exposed to the Cruciatus Curse, likely an attempt to weaken him mentally to keep him under the Imperius Curse for longer.

Both curses had been cast by Peter Pettigrew. Given the number of times she had helped James and his friends...recover from a prank experiment gone wrong, even in their early days at Hogwarts, she was familiar with the magical signature of all four Marauders. She'd recognize his signature anywhere.

The length of time Barty had been kept under the Imperius Curse seemed to imply he had been under it for most of the school year, perhaps for the entirety of it. This opened the possibility that he had been the one to enter Harry in the Tournament, under the influence of Imperius. If true, it leant further credence to the idea that Harry's entry in the Tournament was part of an assassination attempt.

At some point, Barty had managed to escape from Pettigrew and made his way to Hogwarts. A deeper analysis of the man, conducted while waiting for the Aurors, revealed signs of magical exhaustion, likely from him Apparating across the country in, what she could only describe as, a mad dash for what he thought was the safest place in Britain.

Upon arrival in the Forbidden Forest, he was intercepted by another witch or wizard, one Pettigrew had likely been in contact with, and killed in the Forbidden Forest. The suspect in question then either left, assuming the creatures of the Forest would deal with the body or fled upon realizing Hagrid was approaching, and wasn't alone.

With all that laid out, Andromeda, Amelia, and even Albus, agreed that the Tournament needed to be cancelled. Between the murder and the now apparent assassination plot revolving around Harry, it was simply too risky to continue the Tournament. Alastor wasn't sure if that was possible, given the terms of the magical contract formed by the Goblet of Fire, but offered to look into it. After all, CONSTANT VIGILANCE was his motto.

But Fudge refused to hear any of it. He insisted that it couldn't be Pettigrew, that Andromeda had made a mistake in her analysis. It couldn't have been his magical signature. There was no plot to assassinate Harry Potter. But most important of all, he refused to budge on the topic of the Tournament. And that was the cause of Andromeda's rapidly growing contempt for the man.

"Barty has been murdered Fudge, and he won't be the last! We must take action!" Amelia was firm in her voice, and it was clear whatever patience she had was being worn thin by Fudge's stubbornness.

"I will not! At times like these, the wizarding world looks to its leaders for strength!"

"Then show some for once!"

"The Triwizard Tournament will not be cancelled! I will not be seen as a coward!"

Andromeda reached her limit with that stupid remark. "That would require growing a backbone, and I don't think you have it in you."

"What did you say? What did you say to me!?"

"I SAID-"

"EXCUSE ME. Everyone, I believe it may interest you to know this conversation is no longer private." Moody, who had been watching with vague interest, chose now to speak up, flicking his wand at the entrance as he did so. The door opened to reveal Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Now with an audience, Fudge's attitude shifted uncomfortably quickly.

"Ah, Harry. And, I don't believe I've met your friends."

"Ron and Hermione, sir. Should we come back, or..."

"That won't be necessary, Harry." Dumbledore stepped up beside Fudge as he spoke. "The Minister and I were just leaving. Amelia, the room is yours."

"Thank you, Dumbledore. Alastor, will you be joining us?"

"Not tonight, Madam, I'll check on the Aurors, and make sure your rookies didn't slip up on the job."

Amelia smirked at that, nodding to the man as he followed Fudge and Albus out of the room, leaving herself, Andromeda, and the three students together.

"You wanted to speak to us?"

"Yes, Harry, please, have a seat." Amelia conjured extra chairs, allowing the kids and Andromeda to sit. As they took their seats, she continued, "First of all, Harry, I'd like to apologize for not finding a way out of this Tournament for you when it started."

"Oh. Um...thank you for apologizing, at least."

"But that's not why I wanted to speak with you. I wanted to discuss the matter of Peter Pettigrew with you."

"Because he's the one who betrayed my parents? Or because he's not really dead?"

"A bit of both, actually. I'm not sure how much of that you heard, but Andromeda's confirmed it was Pettigrew that cast the Imperius Curse on Crouch Sr. We're confident this is how Harry was entered into the Tournament."

"Does this mean Harry can withdraw from the Tournament?" Hermione asked with hope in her voice.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger, but no. The magic is still binding. And Fudge refuses to allow us to cancel the Tournament, or end it with something simple like a game of Exploding Snap." Amelia's voice carried a strong sense of bitterness at the Minister's actions.

"Somehow I imagine even that would prove potentially fatal for me."

Amelia chuckled darkly at that. "You might be right. In any event, you should also know that thanks to Andromeda's findings, we can now confirm that Pettigrew is alive and at large."

"Good. Hope you string that rat up by his tail." Ron, remembering quite clearly that the coward had been living in his house for twelve years, was almost as eager as Harry to see the bastard caught.

"I fully intend to, Mr.Weasley. Unfortunately, Fudge stubbornly refuses to believe that to be the case. At this point, it may require physical proof he lives to finally convince the man."

"Are you sure that would be enough for the stubborn jackass?"

Harry snorted at Andromeda's remark, while Ron snickered, and Hermione looked aghast. Amelia, however, simply smirked.

"If it doesn't, I can call for a vote of no-confidence in the man. Rita's articles surrounding Pettigrew and his survival have been tanking Fudge's support. Refusing such blatant proof could be taken as a sign he's mentally unwell, or that he's in someone's pocket."

"I thought that was common knowledge."

"It's a poorly kept secret, Harry, that much is true. However, there's not enough actual proof available to confirm that. Claiming that Pettigrew was murdered by Sirius, while the supposed dead man is standing right in front of him, could be considered a sign of impaired judgement. That would mean he's either not of sound mind, or corruption. Neither of which is good, and neither of which could be refuted without an Unbreakable Vow or Veritaserum."

"So, what does this mean for my godfather?"

"It means that whether Fudge likes it or not, I can get Sirius the trial he's long since due. Enough evidence has been compiled that it's a sure thing, and with some Veritaserum, I can get him his freedom in a day. The only problem is the timing."

"You mean you need to wait until later in the year?"

"I'm sorry Harry, but yes. This Tournament is taking up everybody's attention, and nobody wants to distract from it, not when the eyes of the world are on us. But I promise you, he will be a free man by July."

Harry felt hope spike in his heart. After he screwed up by letting Pettigrew live, he feared he'd never get Sirius declared innocent. Now, it was all but guaranteed. Sirius Black would finally be recognized as an innocent man. It almost felt too good to be true.

"Now then, you three should get to bed. It's been a long day, and an even longer night."

Nodding at Amelia's words, the trio left the office, leaving Amelia and Andromeda alone.

"Amelia, are you certain you can get Sirius his trial?"

"I don't care whose toes I step on, I will get him his trial. In any event, can you get a message to him for me?"

"Passing on a love letter, Amelia?"

Blushing, Amelia replied, "Just let him know what's going on, and remind him to keep his head down, and his nose clean. At this point, Fudge and his cronies will do anything to block him from a trial. Best not to give them any ammunition."

"Oh don't worry about that, he'll keep his head down even if I have to chain him to a rock for it to happen. You just keep the idiots in the Ministry in line. For their own sake if nothing else."

Smirking, Amelia made for the office Floo, returning to the Ministry, while Andromeda left, but not for her quarters. The Third Task was drawing close, and no doubt Pettigrew, and whoever he was working with, would be making their final moves. Before she turned in for the night, she had one more person to visit tonight. She just hoped Flitwick hadn't turned in yet.