Chapter 687: If We Can't Stop Him in Time, It's All Over!
Chapter 687: If We Can't Stop Him in Time, It's All Over!
“What are you talking about? Mr. Crouch has another son? And why would he put Harry’s name into the Triwizard Cup?” Seamus, completely baffled by Ivan’s words, asked with a puzzled expression.
However, Ivan had no intention of explaining. His attention was already drawn to the names in the Headmaster's Office on the Marauder's Map.
Glancing at the map briefly, Ivan turned to Harry and said seriously, “Let’s go! We need to find Professor Dumbledore right now. He’s in his office, and I’ll explain everything about Barty Jr. on the way!”
Harry nodded, not even bothering to change out of his pajamas as he and Ivan ran out of the dormitory.
“Wait for me! I’m coming with you!” Ron shouted, quickly following them.
On the way to the Headmaster's Office, Ivan recounted the events of the past few days, no longer feeling the need to keep anything secret.
After hearing Ivan’s story, Harry and Ron were momentarily speechless with shock. After a while, Ron seemed to come to his senses and stammered, “You mean Professor Moody was under the Imperius Curse? How is that possible? He’s a legendary Auror who caught so many Dark Wizards!”
Harry also found it hard to believe. He had witnessed Mad-Eye Moody’s exceptional performance as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and knew how well Moody had treated him, even standing up to Malfoy on his behalf.
“Harry, don’t forget that the most skilled Dark Wizards are also the best at weaving lies. Remember Professor Quirrell from first year? If he hadn’t slipped up, who would have believed he did all those terrible things?” Ivan reminded them.
Harry and Ron were speechless, but soon they asked Ivan why he hadn’t told them sooner, especially Harry, who felt he should have been informed since Voldemort was after him. Now, Barty Crouch Jr. was dead, and he was only just learning about the plot against him.
“At first, it was just a guess. If I had spoken too soon and been wrong, it would have been embarrassing…” Ivan shrugged, trying to explain.
Harry wanted to ask more, but the entrance to the Headmaster's Office was right in front of them, so he had to hold his questions for now.
“Ice Cold Lemonade!” Ivan said to the giant stone gargoyle at the door.
For emergencies, Dumbledore had given Ivan the password to the Headmaster's Office for the past few months.
The stone gargoyle rumbled and moved aside, revealing a spiral staircase. Ivan and the others quickly ascended.
Before they even entered the office, the sound of heated arguments reached their ears. Harry and Ron recognized the voices as those of Fudge and Umbridge.
Ivan, however, was not surprised. He had already seen these names, along with some Aurors, on the Marauder's Map.
Reaching the top, Ivan, as expected, saw a group of people in the Headmaster's Office. Leading the group was the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who was pointing at Barty Crouch Jr.’s mangled body on the floor, frowning as he spoke.
"Albus, so this time you called me here to tell me that this charred corpse, whose face we can't see, is Barty Crouch Jr., the Death Eater who died in Azkaban over a decade ago?
And he orchestrated a plot to put Harry's name into the Triwizard Cup, intending to use the tournament to bring Harry before the Dark Lord?"
Fudge looked at Dumbledore as though he were joking, his gaze suggesting that he was dealing with a severely senile patient.
However, Dumbledore was entirely serious. He spoke with a solemn tone.
"I know this is hard to accept, Cornelius, but I've already sent Alastor to bring Barty here. He will tell you the truth!"
"Do you really think Barty would risk spending the rest of his life in Azkaban by lying to you? That would be even more absurd than what I'm telling you, wouldn't it?"
Dumbledore's words were sharp, and the weight of his gaze pressed heavily on everyone present.
Fudge lost his usual composure. He glanced around nervously, hoping someone would step forward to contradict Dumbledore.
But the Aurors were all hesitant, even the usually proactive Umbridge remained silent, her lips tightly sealed as if sewn shut.
Fudge took a few uneasy steps back until he was among the crowd, which seemed to calm him slightly.
However, this was quickly followed by a surge of anger. Fudge interpreted the pressure as a challenge from Dumbledore and responded forcefully.
"Albus... to be honest, I have no idea what you're up to... Barty Jr. has been dead for years, two Aurors saw him buried with their own eyes!
The Dark Lord is the same. He died that night, and everyone in the Wizarding World knows it. He will never return! Never!"
Fudge's voice rose to a hysterical pitch, each word forced out with effort.
Dumbledore's expression grew more disappointed. He opened his mouth to continue, but a familiar voice preempted him.
"No, you're wrong, Minister of Magic!"
The sudden interruption drew everyone's attention.
Harry, who had been held back by two Aurors at the door, broke free and stood bravely before them.
Ivan, despite his frustration with Harry's recklessness, followed. He had come to gather useful information, not to be a target.
"Mr. Potter, and... Hals, what are you doing here? Albus didn't tell me he was inviting you two as witnesses", Fudge said, his eyes narrowing. Ivan's timely arrival seemed a bit too convenient.
As for Ron, who was further back, Fudge simply ignored him, remembering him only as a Weasley brat.
"Voldemort is alive, Minister of Magic! I saw him with my own eyes!" Harry's first words stunned everyone present.
Fudge froze, and the Aurors looked visibly uneasy.
But Harry didn't pause. He continued urgently, "He's about to return, planning to massacre a Muggle village to regain his strength. If we don't stop him in time, it will be too late!"
(End of Chapter)
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