Chapter 419: A Heart-Stopping Cold Night

Chapter 419: A Heart-Stopping Cold Night

“Harry, Harry! What’s wrong?”

Harry was panting heavily, and he heard a familiar voice. He forced his eyes open and saw two blurry, concerned faces—Ron and Neville. They looked terrified, their arms outstretched in confusion. Harry realized he had somehow fallen out of bed and was lying on the cold floor.

“I’m fine, Ron, and Neville, thanks,” Harry said, seeing Seamus and Dean groggily lifting their heads from their beds. “I’m fine...” he emphasized.

“You don’t look fine at all,” Ron said, his expression stiff.

“I... Oh, it’s just my scar... the usual thing,” Harry mumbled, getting up from the floor. Ron handed him his glasses, and once Harry put them on, the room came into focus.

Neville held up a magic lamp, the light not too harsh but still making Harry feel a bit dizzy. He felt as if he were back in that vivid dream, sitting in a chair, talking to someone... but it didn’t seem to be him. He wasn’t that weak, not even needing someone to feed him medicine...

He tried to immerse himself in the memory. The sensation was too real—the thick potion felt like ice sliding down his throat, churning in his stomach.

“Are you sick, Harry?” Seamus asked, looking alarmed. “I think you should go to the Hospital Wing.”

The dream’s setting began to fade, but Harry fought against it. “I’m going to the bathroom... don’t worry, I’m fine,” he said, stumbling out in his pajamas.

“I’ll check on Harry, you guys go back to sleep,” Ron said after a moment. Neville handed Ron the Gryffindor magic lamp. “Oh, thanks, Neville. Harry must have had a nightmare. A splash of cold water should help...”

Ron explained, following Harry out of the dormitory.

Once outside, Ron didn’t see anyone at the door. As expected, he found Harry in the familiar corner of the common room, sitting in a crimson and gold armchair. Harry was leaning back, one hand rubbing his forehead and the other clutching his chest, his brow furrowed.

Harry struggled to recall the memory, pretending he was still in that dimly lit room, trying to remember the taste of that thick potion. It was truly revolting, worse than a pot of overcooked toad soup... He was angry, something had gone wrong. He had mentioned someone’s son, and the person was there, silently serving him, which was despicable... No, that wasn’t him, it must be Voldemort. Sirius had analyzed it, attributing it to his scar, and Dumbledore had explained it in his first year...

Voldemort was weak, needing constant doses of the potion. Harry sincerely hoped it tasted even worse... But Voldemort had a body, which was bad news... Voldemort had been attacked, but his reaction was quick, blocking a... black lightning? It was familiar... Professor Hup! How did he appear? Did he get a clue from one of Voldemort’s dance partners?

Harry dismissed this unlikely idea and tried to recall more details... They talked for a bit, and Voldemort dismissed someone. Who was it? The person who got scolded? Harry couldn’t remember the name, but it was a three-syllable word... Professor Hup used powerful fire magic, not like Hermione’s, but a pale white fire... They continued talking, but Harry shook his head, his mind feeling like a sink with the plug pulled, the details of the dream slipping away...

They mentioned Professor Dumbledore, calling him hypocritical. Harry felt a surge of anger but quickly became tense, knowing what came next. The memory was too vivid; in the dream, he almost thought he was dying... Professor Hup conjured a fiery sword, piercing Voldemort’s chest, and Harry could hear Voldemort’s agonized cries... No, he corrected himself, it was Voldemort, not him.

Harry felt a mix of excitement and fear. Could he have entered Voldemort’s mind? He closed his eyes tightly, feeling as if he were floating in the clouds, moving quickly through the darkness. Suddenly, a brilliant silver light illuminated him, and a silver Phoenix, like Fawkes, flew close. He gritted his teeth and shouted, “Dumbledore!”

He suddenly plunged into the ground, darting through the black soil and brown rocks. He had to act quickly; there was something crucial he needed to do. He burst into a basement and possessed an unfortunate rat. The rat let out a few squeaks, and when its eyes opened again, they were blood-red. It climbed onto a table and triggered a mechanism, causing a brilliant purple light to explode in the air. The rat was flung against a wall several feet away, landing with a thud and twitching a few times before dying.

Then, Voldemort's shadowy form drifted out of the rat's corpse, standing silently without a sound. But Harry still felt the heavy, oppressive presence...

Harry opened his eyes to find Ron sitting across from him, looking at him with a complex expression. "You had that dream again, didn't you?"

Harry took a deep breath and said firmly, "Voldemort informed his spy at the school."

"What?" Ron looked at him in shock. "Mate, do you know what you're saying?"

"I know!" Harry tried to keep his tone as calm as possible. "I know, of course I do..." He suddenly stood up and started pacing around the common room. "Voldemort is short on manpower; he can't afford to lose his servants in the castle... I can feel it... Professor Hup and Headmaster Dumbledore launched a surprise attack; they did a great job!" He suddenly clapped his hands.

Ron looked at him with concern.

"But Voldemort has a way to contact the spy in the castle, the one... who put our names in the Goblet of Fire!" Harry's thoughts grew clearer. "He lost his body again. If he loses his only servant, all his plans will be ruined. So he activated the emergency communication method..."

Harry suddenly stopped, his eyes burning as he looked at Ron. "Do you know what we need to do now?"

"Tell, tell the professor?" Ron stammered.

"You're half right. Give me my wand!" He said, knowing Ron had brought both their wands when he came out.

Reluctantly, Ron handed Harry his wand.

Harry pointed the wand toward the dormitory. "Bring me the Marauder's Map! Bring me the Invisibility Cloak!" They heard the sound of a trunk opening, a muffled exclamation, and then they waited a few seconds—

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two whistling sounds flew through the air, and Harry nimbly caught the map and the Invisibility Cloak.

Ron pressed his lips together and swallowed hard. He watched as Harry spread out the Marauder's Map, his eyes scanning it. "Come on, show up... There must be, if I'm right..." Harry said.

"What are you looking for?" Ron leaned over the table, staring at the myriad names.

" Ignore the stationary ones. We need the moving ones! At this time, it could either be a patrolling professor or a spy trying to escape after receiving the message!"

Ron quickly lowered his head to help search.

"Moving, moving... Got it! Look, there's someone named Eleanor Branstone!" Ron called out, but Harry's excitement faded as Ron added, "Oh... maybe not, she's heading to the kitchen."

"Then add this: anyone running out of the castle. Focus on those with high movement speed but pausing at stair corners", Harry said, imagining the spy's escape route.

"Good idea", Ron agreed, and he continued searching. "Peeves is really busy! Do you think someone might have stolen his name, like with name magic? Peter Pettigrew knows about the Marauder's Map. He might have told the Dark Lord about it, and the spy could be prepared."

Harry was also stumped. They found over a dozen moving names—professors, students, living people, ghosts, and even Filch's cat!

He had never realized how lively the castle was at night.

"Wait!" Harry said, his eyes lighting up. "It's him!"

"Who is it?" Ron peered over, trying to see clearly, but Harry had already pulled him out of the common room. The Fat Lady was woken up and started to complain, but Harry and Ron ran past her like a gust of wind.

"Reckless young men! Don't expect me to open the door for you!" she shouted after them.

Harry and Ron raced down the stairs, their footsteps making a "crack" sound that woke up many of the portraits on the walls, who pointed and whispered in their frames. But the boys paid no attention, taking three or four steps at a time.

"So, who is it?" Ron asked, still watching his feet.

"Barty Crouch!"

"The Triwizard Tournament judge?" Ron's jaw dropped as he instinctively followed Harry around a corner.

"Isn't it reasonable? He's a judge and a Ministry of Magic official in charge of the tournament. He had access to the Goblet of Fire! And after the incident, he insisted that those whose names were called must participate. He then took a long leave... giving him the opportunity to infiltrate Hogwarts!"

"But why? He could have come out in the open, right?" Ron asked, so focused that he almost stepped into a trap on the stairs.

"In that case, he would only be able to appear during the tournament, when countless eyes would be on him", Harry panted, eyes glued to the Marauder's Map. They had rushed up to the third floor in less than a minute.

"Strange, Crouch is moving very slowly, and there shouldn't be any path there", Harry said, puzzled, looking at the map. "That direction should be Professor Moody's office..."

Ron huffed and puffed as he caught up, "No matter what... we've caught up, right? Quickly put on the Invisibility Cloak, and when he comes out, we'll follow him from behind. We can ambush him or alert a passing professor."

Harry didn't speak, only staring at the Marauder's Map, his mind racing with analysis. Crouch didn't seem to be walking normally; he was dawdling. What was he doing? If he had the nerve to infiltrate Hogwarts, he must be a loyal Death Eater, ready to leave at Voldemort's call.

But why...

Harry couldn't figure it out. They were now near the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, only a few steps away from the door. Ron unfolded the Invisibility Cloak, covering both of them.

They watched the Marauder's Map, where the name Barty Crouch overlapped with the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. They exchanged a startled glance, "Is he going to attack Professor Moody? Why?" Ron asked, confused.

Harry held his breath. The name belonging to Professor Moody remained still, presumably sleeping in bed. Ron also realized this and muttered anxiously, "Come on, get up. You're the greatest Auror, and you're about to cast the Cruciatus Curse on us."

Harry pulled Ron a few steps forward, pressing his ear to the door. They heard a series of "clicking" sounds, like poorly oiled armor moving.

The name on the map belonging to Moody still didn't move.

"What do we do?"

Ron held his wand, looking at the Marauder's Map. Barty Crouch had crossed the office and stood at the bedroom door. There was no doubt that, however he had appeared, he intended to do something to Professor Moody.

"Don't go out!" Harry said to Ron.

"What?" Ron asked, uneasy.

Harry suddenly threw off the Invisibility Cloak, raised his wand, and shouted, "Diffindo!" The office door exploded, the loud noise startling the person inside. Little Barty Crouch turned around in shock.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry cast the spell forcefully, a spell like a laser beam colliding with Barty Crouch's shield, sparks flying.

"It's you? It's you! Potter, you came just in time!" Barty Crouch shouted.

Harry was momentarily confused. Who was this person? Why did he have Barty Crouch's name? But he had no time to think. He was struggling to maintain the spell. Barty Crouch was no pushover; his Shield Charm held firm against the powerful Disarming Charm, and he was advancing step by step.

Through the blurry barrier, Barty Crouch stared at Harry, his eyes filled with greed. "Potter, no, Harry, I am Professor Moody. I taught you, don't you remember? Come with me, I'll take you to the Dark Lord..."

"You're not Professor Moody!" Harry shouted back.

"You've seen two Moodys, one of them is me", Barty Crouch grinned, "Peter Pettigrew, that useless fool, was somewhat useful. He told me the secret of the Marauder's Map. Of course, I knew how dangerous the day of the champion announcement would be. What if Dumbledore suspected me? I am the Dark Lord's only hope, the only hope for his resurrection! I had to be cautious, always on guard... That's a good phrase. The Dark Lord possessed me—willingly—and together we modified Moody's memory. It was quite successful, wasn't it?"

Harry gritted his teeth, unable to believe what he was hearing. "You're the Death Eater who escaped?"

"Exactly, it's me. Don't struggle, Harry. I only need half a minute—"

"Whoosh!"

"Incarcerous!"

Ron suddenly poked his head out from under the Invisibility Cloak and cast a spell toward little Barty Crouch. A spell of Incarcerous grazed the ground and wrapped around Crouch's calves. Harry seized the opportunity to increase the power of his spell, causing Barty Crouch to stumble backward, trip over a large trunk, and disappear behind it.

Harry's spell hit a pile of glass instruments in the office, shattering them with a clear sound. He glimpsed a glass Scrying Mirror that had been smashed to pieces.

"Stupefy!" "Stupefy!"

Harry and Ron took advantage of the moment, launching repeated attacks. However, their spells only hit the open trunk, producing a dull thud. Harry, disregarding the danger, charged forward. He saw little Barty Crouch fall to the ground, not from a spell, but from tripping.

He had to seize this chance...

Suddenly, the ropes around Barty Crouch transformed into a large snake, blocking a Cutting Curse and a Shield Charm. He glanced around and noticed a mirror-like object hanging on the office wall. Inside, shadowy figures moved about, becoming increasingly clear. Two people were visible: one with a long beard, the other with a light, youthful step...

"Hisss~"

Barty Crouch's face contorted, and he rolled into the trunk. Harry was about to pursue, but a wand tip emerged from the trunk, glowing with a blinding red light.

"Boom!"

A massive explosion shook the air, and Harry was thrown back by the shockwave, along with Ron, slamming into the corridor wall. Harry felt as if every bone in his body had shattered, and Ron, who had been hit by a large rock on his leg, was moaning in pain.

Harry looked at the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. Half the wall had collapsed, and a large hole had been blasted in the ceiling, filling the air with dust.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Harry coughed, choking on the dust. He looked at Ron, whose face was ashen, and whose moans had grown weaker. Harry struggled to sit up, leaning against the wall, and weakly raised his wand: "Heal—cough, cough, cough! Heal as—"

"Heal as new", a voice said.

Harry looked up, surprised, and shouted, "Professor Dumbledore!" Through the dust, the figure matched the one he had seen in the mirror. He glanced to the side, and another figure appeared in the mirror, "Professor Hup!"

"Indeed", Felix nodded, casting a few healing spells and surveying the wreckage. "The Defense Against the Dark Arts office has certainly seen its share of trouble..."

Harry hadn't realized it before, but since he had joined Hogwarts, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors and their offices had been plagued with problems. In the first year, Lockhart and Rita Skeeter had a dispute in the underground office, resulting in Lockhart being hit with a memory charm and being in a daze for weeks. In the second year, Lupin and Snape had a conflict, and the aftermath of their battle destroyed the entire office, forcing them to move to the third floor. This year, even the new office hadn't lasted.

Fortunately, it was just a simple explosive spell, not dark magic, which would have been much harder to handle. Felix waved his wand, lifting the stones and returning them to their original positions, repairing everything with Reparo.

On the other side, Ron's expression softened under Dumbledore's healing spell.

"First, we'll stabilize you. Once everything is over, you'll need to go to the Hospital Wing", Dumbledore said.

Harry had just relaxed when he remembered someone was still inside the office. "Professor, Professor Moody is still in there... He must have been cursed! And the spy, the one who put our names in the Goblet of Fire, is a young man, but his name is Barty Crouch..."

His expression was one of confusion and bewilderment.

"That person is Barty Crouch's son, Barty Crouch Jr., sharing the same name", Felix explained simply. He took Harry's Marauder's Map, glanced at it, and said disappointedly, "His name has disappeared; he has escaped."

As he spoke, the office had been restored to its original state, except for the magical items, which were beyond the reach of the repair spells.

Dumbledore led the way, entering the office. He quickly surveyed the area and approached the bedroom. The bedroom, being some distance from the explosion's center and protected by Hogwarts' defensive magic, had suffered minimal damage. When he used an unlocking charm to open the door, he found Moody lying peacefully on the bed, sleeping soundly.

Despite the abnormality of the situation.

"Such a commotion and he didn't even wake up..." Ron whispered to Harry.

Dumbledore leaned over to examine Moody's condition, and Harry took the opportunity to recount what had happened. When he mentioned that Harry could still see Voldemort's actions after waking up, Dumbledore's expression grew serious. "How did you see it, Harry? Were you looking down from a high place, or..."

"I was him", Harry said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized what he had said. His voice became hoarse, and his face turned pale as he explained, "I... I entered Voldemort's mind and saw the world through his eyes, feeling his anger."

There was something Harry didn't say. He now felt strange looking at Dumbledore and Professor Hup, as the emotions he had taken on from Voldemort had sparked an intense hatred towards these two individuals.

The air was thick with an uneasy silence. Harry noticed Professor Hup's gaze lingering on him. For a moment, he thought the professor would say something, but nothing came. Headmaster Dumbledore remained silent as well.

Dumbledore suddenly straightened up and addressed the people present. "Alastor is not physically injured, but his memory... Felix, I might need your help with that."

"No problem, Albus", Felix said solemnly.

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Then we need to address the final issue—how did little Barty Crouch hide in the castle? As I recall, Felix, you once observed Alastor, didn't you?"

"I observed him occasionally, along with others I suspected", Felix scratched his chin. "But I found nothing, which is strange."

"Indeed, it is strange..." Dumbledore stared at the now closed large trunk. "I didn't detect any Trace-Proofing charms, unless he dug a tunnel, but that would require the Headmaster's permission, and he couldn't have done the work without it."

"Albus, your mention of Trace-Proofing charms reminded me of a possibility we overlooked. Little Crouch could have had Voldemort's help, and Voldemort is familiar enough with the castle", Felix said, belatedly.

Dumbledore gazed at him, speaking softly, "You mean the Chamber?"

It could also be the Room of Requirement... Felix thought, but that possibility seemed less likely compared to the Chamber.

"Let's see", he said. "We only found the entrance in the girls' bathroom before, but there might be others. Or Voldemort could have guided little Crouch to the nearest pipe..."

They opened the large trunk, revealing a dark, descending tunnel. Felix tossed a light orb inside, and at the end, they saw a damp pipe.

Dumbledore sighed. "Even I cannot uncover all the castle's secrets. Let's go down and take a look. If little Crouch was in a hurry, there might be some unexpected surprises."

Harry gave Ron a meaningful look, and Ron understood. They quietly followed the two professors down a long staircase and then stood on a wet pipe. Felix gestured for Harry to look at a faint Slytherin symbol on the wall, and Harry suddenly understood it was the entrance.

He easily hissed in Parseltongue, "Open." A green glow appeared from the wet pipe beneath their feet, and they felt a sudden sensation of weightlessness.

Felix quickly cast a Levitation Charm and a Human-Form Armoring Charm on everyone, and they landed softly on the ground.

Harry curiously touched his face, feeling a thin yet sturdy barrier. He recognized the spell; Professor Hup's memory in Room 7 had taught them, but he had never mastered it well.

The pipe was unusually large but still too small for a person. They had to crouch, especially Dumbledore and Felix, who found it particularly difficult.

Felix moved slowly, feeling a strong urge to blast the pipe open, but since Dumbledore was bent over and moving forward despite his age, he had no reason to complain.

As they progressed along the pipe, they saw a long trail left by someone crawling on the ground. Felix could easily imagine how frantic little Crouch must have been, crawling and rolling away without any regard for his appearance.

After walking a considerable distance horizontally, they reached a point where the pipes converged. A large, vertical pipe led straight down, a path they were familiar with from two years ago.

Below is the Chamber of Secrets. The Chamber is not marked on the Marauder's Map.

"That person... the one with the name Crouch, has been under our feet for months?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Not always. According to what Harry said before, he quite enjoys teaching, but after the night of the Goblet of Fire, he became more cautious. Of course, he might still go to the Three Broomsticks for a drink when he's bored..."

At this moment, they had already entered the Chamber and saw the familiar colossal statue of Salazar Slytherin. At the base of the statue, there were clear signs of life.

Felix picked up a newspaper and glanced at it. "It's from a week ago. His information isn't isolated. Our previous guesses are likely correct; at least, he should occasionally visit his immobile master."

Harry and Ron gaped. The environment in the Chamber was extremely harsh. It might have been decent when it was first built, but after being abandoned for a thousand years, it had become part of the sewer system, and the air quality was very poor.

Dumbledore said nothing. He looked up at the statue of Salazar Slytherin, whose mouth was open, revealing a dark, black hole. The edges glowed, indicating it was the place where the Basilisk hibernated.

"Let's go inside and take a look", Dumbledore said.

They indeed found something new. After undoing the Human-Form Armoring Charm, the snake-like smell was overwhelming. Harry and Ron showed signs of disgust and started to gag.

Felix smiled faintly. "You two should learn some of these spells, like the Human-Form Armoring Charm and the Bubble-Head Charm. They are very useful. You are brave, but don't forget to improve yourselves while studying the golden egg."

Harry and Ron, still under the Human-Form Armoring Charm, nodded and thanked the professor.

At this moment, they noticed Dumbledore examining a large cauldron. Harry approached and saw that it was empty, but the heat coming from it told him that something had been boiling in it just half an hour ago.

"Polyjuice Potion?" he asked, thinking it was the only possibility.

"I don't think so", Dumbledore said. He ran his long fingers along the inner wall of the cauldron, scraping off a layer of potion, and brought it to his nose. Harry noticed that the headmaster's slightly crooked nose wrinkled.

Felix picked up a half-burnt piece of parchment. Magic swirled at his fingertips as he tried to piece it together. A blue light flickered twice and then dimmed, turning the parchment into ashes.

"The ingredients are very dark and sinister. I don't know what could come from mixing so many toxic materials except a pot of poison", Felix said hesitantly. "Perhaps we should ask Severus or Damocles."

"I will", Dumbledore said calmly.

They checked again but found no other traces, so they returned to the surface. Professor Moody was still lying quietly, and Professor Mcgonagall stood nearby, looking tense and uneasy. Dumbledore's Patronus Phoenix was also there.

"Oh, what on earth is going on, Albus? I heard a loud noise and was worried something had gone wrong. I rushed out and found some students had been awakened... then I met your Patronus, which told me to guard Professor Moody. Was he hit by a Stunning Spell?" Professor Mcgonagall asked anxiously.

"Minerva, it's over. We've exposed the spy in the castle, but unfortunately, he managed to escape. However, thanks to Potter and Weasley, our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has been saved."

Dumbledore smiled, and the heavy expression on his face disappeared.

Professor Mcgonagall stared at him expressionlessly. She looked at Moody on the bed, then at Dumbledore, her eyes moving from one to the other. The lines around her mouth tightened. When her serious gaze fell on Harry and Ron, who were only in their pajamas, her chest heaved with emotion.

"So", she said, drawing in deep breaths, her voice filled with anger, "Potter, Weasley, you acted on your own again?"

Harry and Ron were speechless, shivering in their thin pajamas in the cold wind.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end