Chapter 529: Barty Crouch Jr.
Chapter 529: Barty Crouch Jr.
Barty Crouch Jr.'s black robes billowed in the wind, and a flush of red tinged his pale face, his expression almost bordering on happiness.
He had used his Disillusionment Charm to transform the proud Lucius Malfoy into a toad and employed the Golden Ring, which Voldemort had already cursed, effectively punishing the shameful traitor alongside his master.
Unfortunately, time was short, and there was more important business to attend to. Otherwise, he would have used seventeen or eighteen Cruciatus Curses to make Lucius truly feel his anger and hatred.
—Daring to claim that a despicable creature like him was no different from himself? In Barty's view, this was the cruelest insult, and no amount of retribution would be too much.
But the thought of the meticulously groomed Lucius Malfoy, from now on, living in a putrid swamp, surviving on cockroaches, worms, flies, and spiders, extinguished Barty's rage and even made him want to laugh.
With a light heart, he walked out of the forest, adding a strand of black hair to a small vial of Polyjuice Potion, stirred it twice, and handed it over.
A bat dropped from a tree, transformed into a human form, and, with a fearful glance at Barty, accepted the vial of Polyjuice Potion.
"Go and bring Harry Potter to me", Barty said. "Sirius Black is his godfather; it will be easy for you to gain his trust."
"Yes." Garr Tracock took a sip of the Polyjuice Potion and endured the excruciating pain as his bones melted and reshaped, transforming into Sirius Black's form within seconds.
He silently changed into Sirius Black's clothes, picked up Sirius's wand, and left.
Over the past few nights, he had tracked Harry and his friends, identifying the location of their tent.
Tonight, the adult wizards would undoubtedly be drawn away by the chaos in the camp, and although the students' magic might be strong, Garr had the potions and tools Barty had prepared for him. Catching a child off guard would not be difficult.
A twinge of conscience pained him, but with his life in someone else's hands, he had no choice.
Garr suppressed his feelings of guilt and regret, mimicking Sirius Black's expression, and ran toward the Black family's tent.
At that moment, he had no idea what he would encounter.
...
The false Sirius left, and Barty did not linger to wait. He knew that if the bat succeeded, it would find a way to locate him.
This Death Eater pulled up his hood and hurried toward the chaotic camp.
Although Voldemort had not yet fully returned and his infant body was very fragile, the Dark Lord, whom Barty considered the most powerful dark wizard in history, still possessed astonishing magical knowledge.
During his time with Voldemort, Barty received extensive instruction from the Dark Lord, significantly enhancing his skills in Transfiguration and gaining exposure to various ancient and evil curses.
After the curse in the Forbidden Forest failed, Barty's gaze turned to the camp, where he suddenly realized that the mascots brought by the Irish team were the perfect targets for his next spell—
Hundreds of Nifflers, if driven mad, could create far more chaos than the clumsy trees.
As events unfolded, they developed exactly as Barty had anticipated. Even though Dumbledore himself had arrived at the camp, controlling the countless Nifflers and preventing them from wreaking havoc in Muggle cities would require more than just a few powerful spells.
Barty used the Disillusionment Charm and strolled through the camp, sprinkling a special powder made from Niffler hair and nails on himself. The mutated Nifflers recognized him as one of their own and didn't attack.
But others weren't as fortunate. A few adult wizards stood back-to-back in a circle, with several terrified children in the middle.
A dozen Nifflers surrounded them, and the wizards' wands continuously shot out spells.
"Aim! Aim!" someone shouted loudly.
"They fly too fast!" a witch yelled: "Wait until they get closer—"
Her words were cut off by a scream—another wizard on the opposite side had a mental breakdown and fired spells wildly. One Niffler managed to break through the protective circle, its sharp claws slashing a large wound on the wizard's shoulder before lunging toward a young boy in the center.
"Stupefy!"
A spell suddenly hit the Niffler, and Amos Diggory from the Ministry of Magic rushed over, shouting: "Don't stay here! Retreat to the forest!"
Barty sneered as he passed by, and when he walked past a fortress-like tent, he suddenly heard an inharmonious voice from inside:
"Don't worry, dear ladies, I will protect you."
A freckle-faced wizard stood at the door like a knight, declaring: "I don't like to boast, but last month, I just tamed a Hungarian Tree Hornet!"
Barty raised an eyebrow and peered through the window. Inside, two Veelas sat, their long hair emitting a soft silver glow, their faces adorned with beautiful, gentle smiles.
—Are there still some stragglers here?
He silently raised his wand, pointed it at the Veelas, and muttered a spell.
Several wizards surrounded the Veelas, ignoring the chaos and danger outside, only focusing on flattering them.
"I am the dueling champion", another wizard said proudly, puffing out his chest. "I don't need a wand to take out a hundred Nifflers at once!"
"I... I have a Portkey that can take you directly to my estate", a poor-looking bald man stammered. "I mean, my family operates an international transit business, and the Galleons I earn in a month can fill a room..."
Suddenly, the Veela's beautiful face contorted in pain, her mouth opening wide as if to speak, but she only let out a scream. Her body began to twist and deform, transforming in an instant from a slender, beautiful form into a monstrous creature with a bird's head, eagle's claws, and long wings. Her brownish-yellow eyes were filled with a bloodthirsty intent, and she lunged at the people in front of her.
Screams echoed behind him, and Barty turned away, satisfied.
He navigated through the chaotic camp, avoiding the Aurors' gaze, and occasionally cast spells in secret to release the Nifflers that had been restrained or to create trouble for the Ministry workers, ensuring the chaos continued until Garr brought Harry Potter to him.
Suddenly, Barty halted, his eyes widening in surprise, which quickly turned to dissatisfaction and hatred.
Not far away, a black-haired boy with glasses used a Petrification Charm to immobilize a Niffler, then bent down to help a pregnant witch up from the ground. The night breeze ruffled his hair, revealing the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
(End of Chapter)
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