Chapter 909: Dumbledore Catches Them Red-Handed
Chapter 909: Dumbledore Catches Them Red-Handed
After making the necessary arrangements, Dumbledore stealthily left Hogwarts under the cover of night. He apparated to Hogsmeade and made his way to the agreed-upon meeting spot with Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic.
"Good evening, Dumbledore. As always, you are punctual," Ludo Bagman said with a familiar voice as Dumbledore approached the Three Broomsticks Inn. Bagman stepped out of the pub, his face looking glum.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the group of elves behind Bagman and said, "It seems you've had a rough couple of days."
"Those two reports by Rita Skeeter have made me a laughingstock in the wizarding world. I have no idea who sent them to me, but I suspect it's the work of a Hogwarts student playing a prank," Bagman said with a helpless shrug.
"I believe it's just a mischievous prank," Dumbledore said gently.
"A prank?" Bagman seemed to think of something, and the anger that had built up inside him suddenly deflated. He covered his face with his hand and complained, "But it has caused me quite a bit of trouble."
"Well, let's go and see Barty. He seems to be unwell lately, and I didn't want to disturb his rest. But we have no other choice regarding certain matters, as you know. The second task is far more dangerous than the first, and we must ensure the safety of the champions at all costs. We cannot afford another incident, or the Triwizard Tournament may have to be discontinued," Dumbledore explained.
In reality, any modifications to the Triwizard Tournament's tasks required prior consultation with the Ministry of Magic, and this was one of Barty Crouch's responsibilities. Thus, they needed to inform him regardless.
"Let's go and see Barty. I hope he's feeling better. He hasn't shown up at the Ministry for several days now," Ludo Bagman muttered as they disappeared with a loud crack, reappearing on a secluded path leading to a large house in the distance.
Bagman rang the doorbell, but despite their wait, no one answered the door.
"Do you think Barty fell asleep?" Bagman turned to Dumbledore, seeking his opinion.
On the other side of the door, Peter Pettigrew, the little wizard, stood panic-stricken, his hands covering his mouth to prevent any sound from escaping and reaching the ears of the visitors.
Pettigrew never imagined that Dumbledore would suddenly show up at their doorstep.
"What do we do now?" Pettigrew asked anxiously, glancing at the infant sitting in the armchair and hoping he would have a solution to get rid of their unwelcome guests.
Voldemort paid no attention to the frightened Pettigrew. His gaze fell upon the magical mirror hanging in the hallway, reflecting Dumbledore's clear figure.
Neither Pettigrew nor Voldemort had expected that they would one day be caught off guard by Dumbledore's unexpected visit.
Ever since Barty had started showing stronger resistance to the Imperius Curse and his body had weakened from fighting against it, they had reduced his public appearances. They claimed he was ill and even assigned most of his work to his assistant, Percy Weasley, whose diligence prevented others from noticing Barty's abnormal behavior.
However, what they never anticipated was that their absence from the Christmas ball would be the very thing that attracted Dumbledore's attention.
"Master, what should we do now? Should we flee?" Pettigrew mouthed silently, his lips barely moving.
Ignoring Pettigrew's panic, Voldemort tore his gaze away from the mirror and pointed his wand at Barty. Silently, he transfigured him into a sleeping robe and then controlled him with the Imperius Curse to open the door and dismiss Dumbledore and Bagman.
Seeing Voldemort's actions, Pettigrew breathed a sigh of relief. He had genuinely worried that Voldemort would confront Dumbledore directly, which would have been a terrible idea given Voldemort's weakened state.
As for Pettigrew himself, he knew he stood no chance against Dumbledore. If he could escape this encounter unscathed, it would be sheer luck.
"It's you," Barty Crouch said as he opened the door, making no move to invite them in. "I apologize, but I'm feeling rather unwell, so I'm afraid I can't offer you any hospitality."
"Are you alright, Barty? You look terrible," Bagman exclaimed, concerned as he looked at Crouch's haggard appearance. For some reason, discovering that his colleague had been having an even worse time than himself lifted his spirits a little.
"Ludo is right, Barty. You don't look well at all. I think you should take some time off and visit St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries," Dumbledore suggested, his eyes drifting past Crouch to the gloomy corridor, sensing an unsettling aura emanating from within.
"No, thank you. I know my own condition, and I can take care of myself. Was there something else you needed?" Crouch replied.
"It's about the safety measures for the second task," Bagman said casually. "But given your condition, we shouldn't trouble you further. Perhaps you should take a leave of absence and get some rest. Weasley has been doing an excellent job handling your work lately."
"Very well, we shall take our leave then," Dumbledore said. "Get some rest, and don't overwork yourself. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."
"Are you sure you don't need any assistance?" Dumbledore asked suddenly.
"No, I can manage," Crouch said wearily.
The two visitors bid Crouch farewell and left.
"Barty's quality of life has deteriorated significantly since he got rid of his house-elf. I wouldn't have done that if I were him. But you know how stubborn he is. Now he's sick, and he doesn't even have anyone to take care of him," Bagman sighed, feeling that Crouch's current predicament was partly due to his own actions.
"Is something the matter, Dumbledore?" Bagman asked, noticing the slight frown on Dumbledore's face.
"There's something very peculiar about Barty's situation. It's as if..." Dumbledore began, but Bagman cut him off.
"It's as if he's gravely ill. He should be at St. Mungo's, not cooped up in his house like this," Bagman finished Dumbledore's sentence with a shrug.
"Not likely, given Barty's personality. He would never entrust something important to his assistant," Dumbledore said softly. "He'll hurry to get well and then throw himself into his busy work. That's his habit."
"You're right," Bagman said, feeling a little uneasy as Dumbledore spoke. "Barty is indeed a workaholic. It's hard to imagine him neglecting his health and handing over important tasks to his assistant." He paused, considering Dumbledore's words. "What do you think is going on with Barty?"
"I'm a little worried that he might have fallen under the Imperius Curse. His current state doesn't look like he's seriously ill. Instead, it resembles the weakness that occurs after resisting the Imperius Curse," Dumbledore mused.
"You think Barty's under the Imperius Curse? You must be joking," Bagman said, his face freezing in shock.
"Shh!"
Dumbledore signaled for Bagman to keep quiet and turned to look at the Crouch residence. He drew out his wand and whispered, "Even if Barty isn't under the Imperius Curse, he probably needs the attention of a healer. And without someone to care for him, such an illness could turn nasty."
"What do you plan to do?" Bagman asked, barely daring to breathe. He had never seen Dumbledore wear such a serious expression, and he was certain that this matter was grave.
"We'll turn back and subdue Barty first to ensure his safety," Dumbledore said, making quick arrangements. "I suspect there's a Dark wizard hiding in his house. That place gives me an unsettling feeling."
"What should I do?" Bagman asked, his wand also at the ready as he eyed the Crouch home, which now seemed like a nest of Dark wizards.
"You ring the doorbell and ask him if he wants me to send a house-elf from Hogwarts to temporarily take care of his daily needs," Dumbledore instructed.
"Then, you'll use a spell to immobilize him and forcibly take him to St. Mungo's for treatment," Dumbledore continued calmly. "I'll handle the rest, and if this turns out to be a misunderstanding, I'll apologize to Barty personally."
"No, you don't need to apologize. You're saving Barty's life. I also feel that his health is in a terrible state. He should indeed be at St. Mungo's for treatment instead of staying at home unattended. Who knows, he might die unexpectedly one day," Bagman agreed with Dumbledore's plan. Whether Barty was under the Imperius Curse or not, his current condition was indeed poor, and he should be at St. Mungo's for treatment rather than waiting for death at home.
...
"Master, they've left," Peter Pettigrew said, heaving a sigh of relief in the hallway. Looking at Barty Crouch, who was slumped on the sofa, he turned to Voldemort and said, "Master, we should change locations. Barty's situation has already attracted Dumbledore's attention, and he will be back."
Voldemort gazed at the clear reflection in the magical mirror, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this.
"Kill Barty, and let's leave immediately," Voldemort decided, certain that Dumbledore had noticed something amiss.
Pettigrew was startled by Voldemort's words and instinctively raised his wand, ready to obey Voldemort's order to kill Barty Crouch.
Just as he was about to cast the Killing Curse, the doorbell rang again.
Pettigrew swallowed hard and looked at Voldemort, awaiting his command.
If they cast the Killing Curse now, it would surely be noticed by Dumbledore outside.
What should they do? Pettigrew lost his composure and stared blankly at Voldemort, awaiting further instructions.
Barty had once again stood up from the sofa and was walking towards the door.
"You..."
Before Barty could say anything, Bagman immobilized him with a Full Body-Bind Curse.
"Sorry, old friend. It's for your own safety," Bagman said, remembering Dumbledore's instructions. He prepared to take Barty away.
A flash of green light suddenly flew towards Barty.
Voldemort would not allow them to take Barty, who knew too many secrets. He had to die here.
The intense green light filled Bagman's terrified eyes as the Killing Curse was about to engulf the two men at the door.
Suddenly, a large section of the wall bulged out, blocking the path of the Avada Kedavra curse. It took the full force of the curse and was blown to pieces.
"Dumbledore, hurry!"
Bagman, with Barty in tow, backed out of the house. Just as they were about to exit, a flash of green light reduced the wooden door to powder.
"Take Barty away," Dumbledore ordered.
Dumbledore then created a hole in the wall in front of him and entered the Crouch residence in a rather unfriendly manner.
"Dumbledore!"
Upon seeing Dumbledore, Peter Pettigrew let out a terrified scream.
"Your mother would surely be sad about what you've done," Dumbledore said, waving his wand to subdue Pettigrew. However, the spell meant for Pettigrew was blocked and crashed into the wall, blasting a large hole in it.
"Take Nagini and leave," Voldemort ordered from the armchair.
Without hesitation, Pettigrew turned and ran, paying no heed to Voldemort's snake.
However, Dumbledore didn't give Pettigrew a chance to escape. As Pettigrew turned to flee, ropes shot out from the ground and entangled his ankles, tripping him.
Pettigrew transformed into a rat, intending to escape, but golden flames suddenly erupted and encircled both him and Voldemort.
The flames stopped Pettigrew, but Voldemort's snake slithered through the fire circle and quickly moved away from the battle.
"This..."
Dumbledore's eyes suddenly shone with an astonishing light as he realized what was happening.
"A Horcrux!"
The Horcrux from Albert's prophecy.
Voldemort had indeed made a snake into a Horcrux, confirming the truth of the matter.
"I'm surprised, Tom. You're actually covering our retreat. This doesn't seem like something you would do. When did a snake become so important to you?" Dumbledore asked as he waved his wand and launched a fierce attack on Voldemort. He couldn't let this opportunity pass, and he had to prevent the snake from escaping.
"What gave you such a ridiculous idea?" Voldemort countered, waving his wand to block Dumbledore's attacks. However, the vast gap in their powers caused his infant body to struggle under the strain, and it crumbled into a lump of flesh.
Voldemort's fragmented soul escaped from the destroyed body, appearing like smoke without a solid form.
After immobilizing Pettigrew with his wand, Dumbledore rushed outside and quickly found Nagini entangled with Fawkes.
Dumbledore waved his wand, intending to kill the snake, but to his surprise, his spells had no effect on Nagini.
He swiftly waved his wand again, conjuring countless vines and chains to bind the snake in place.
Just then, Voldemort, who had just flown out of the house, saw Dumbledore holding a sword and raising it to behead Nagini.
“No, that's impossible!”
Voldemort's face, which had been about to sneer at Dumbledore, suddenly froze, and he let out a pained scream. He couldn't understand how that weapon could kill Nagini. Horcruxes were protected by powerful dark magic, and almost nothing could harm them. Yet Nagini, who should have been invincible, had her head severed by a mere sword, something Voldemort found incredibly difficult to comprehend.
"It seems I guessed right, Tom," Dumbledore said cheerfully as he sheathed the Gryffindor sword. "The fact that her death caused you harm suggests that snake might be your true body?"
"You can't kill me, Dumbledore," Voldemort snarled furiously. "And I will return, mark my words."
"It seems you plan to skulk in the Albanian Forest once more, eking out a miserable existence," Dumbledore said calmly, gazing at the enraged and helpless Voldemort before him. He had seen this state of Voldemort before; normal means simply couldn't kill him in this form. Dumbledore had once sought a way to vanquish him, but... the current Voldemort wasn't a ghost, and methods to counter ghosts were ineffective against him.
Voldemort fled, and he did so efficiently. When Dumbledore returned to Barty's house to search for Peter Pettigrew, the little wizard had already fled.
Dumbledore extinguished the flames and made his way outside. He intended to check on Crouch's condition, hoping that once he recovered, he could reveal the identity of the spy hiding in Hogwarts.
When Dumbledore found Ludo, he was with four house-elves.
"It was Voldemort," Dumbledore said. "I dealt with him, but he managed to escape. For now, we need not worry about him." Dumbledore's expression turned grim as he looked at Ludo, a sense of foreboding washing over him. "How is Barty?"
"Barty's dead," Ludo said, his face ashen and more distraught than if he'd been crying. "It was Peter Pettigrew. He suddenly appeared and attacked me, but thankfully, the house-elves saved me. However, Pettigrew used the Avada Kedavra curse to kill Barty."
Dumbledore's expression darkened as he realized that Barty's death was partly due to his own negligence. He never imagined that Pettigrew would dare to kill Barty.
In truth, Dumbledore didn't realize that Pettigrew had no choice but to kill Barty. If he hadn't, Voldemort's resurrection plan would have failed entirely, and not only would Pettigrew have ended up on the Ministry's blacklist, but Voldemort's as well, which would have surely meant his demise.
As for the death of Voldemort's pet snake, Nagini, Pettigrew thought it wasn't a big deal. After all, she was just Voldemort's pet, and no matter how much he cared for her, her life wasn't as important as his resurrection. Besides, there was no way Pettigrew could have saved Nagini from Dumbledore.
After all, Dumbledore was a force to be reckoned with, perhaps even more powerful than Voldemort himself. Pettigrew stood no chance against him.
Soon after, Fudge, who had just finished dinner, rushed over with the Aurors. Seeing the corpse of his former rival, the Minister of Magic's face turned grim. He already knew that it was Peter Pettigrew who had killed Barty, and as for how Pettigrew had come back to life, even the dim-witted Fudge could guess the reason—Pettigrew's wife must have pulled some strings during her visit to Azkaban.
"It was Voldemort, Cornelius," Dumbledore said calmly. "He's transformed into an ugly infant, but there's no denying that he's alive and has regained a physical form, albeit a fragile one... This is not good news."
"The Dark Lord has returned? Don't joke about this, Dumbledore..." Fudge stared at Dumbledore, as if unwilling to believe what he had just heard. He stammered, "This is no laughing matter."
"If Voldemort has returned, did you kill him?" Scrimgeour asked, his brow furrowed. At that moment, all the Aurors fixed their gazes on Dumbledore, awaiting the answer they desperately hoped for.
"His body was destroyed, but he escaped," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Escaped? You mean his soul fled?" The group found this notion utterly absurd.
"To be honest, I don't fully understand how he did it," Dumbledore admitted. "His state was peculiar, somewhat like a ghost, yet not quite. I tried casting spells on him, but to no avail. I suspect that when the Avada Kedavra curse backfired, Voldemort didn't truly die because of this reason." Dumbledore's tone remained level. "However, I believe he's currently quite weak."
"Are you saying that Voldemort, reduced to just a soul, can regain a physical form at any time?" Fudge felt as if the sky was about to fall.
"Most likely with the help of another," Dumbledore continued. "His body is frail, and he requires assistance. But this is not a good sign. Who knows if he'll regain his former strength, and with Pettigrew still at large, it's best if you capture him as soon as possible to prevent further complications."
"But Peter Pettigrew is already dead, isn't he?" Scrimgeour frowned.
"Are you implying that I'm lying?" Ludo roared, his face contorted with rage. "I almost died, and the house-elves witnessed it all!"
"No, you misunderstood me," Scrimgeour explained. "You may not be aware, but someone has repeatedly confirmed Pettigrew's death. His body is buried in Azkaban."
An eerie silence descended upon the group. The events of the night were simply too bizarre—first Voldemort, and now the resurrection of Peter Pettigrew.
"I need to return to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, checking his pocket watch. "Let's discuss the rest after ten o'clock. Ludo, I suggest you take a calming draught and get some rest. Barty's death isn't your fault. He likely knew something and was silenced."
After Dumbledore left, Fudge and Scrimgeour fell silent. Together, they turned to Ludo and asked, "Have you ever seen the Dark Lord?"
"No, but I don't think Dumbledore would lie to us," Ludo replied, understanding their concern. However, he didn't doubt Dumbledore's words.
"We should talk to Dumbledore privately," Fudge said. "Let's not mention the Dark Lord in the newspaper. It will cause widespread panic. And besides, apart from Dumbledore, no one has actually seen him, and it's hard for people to believe such an outlandish claim. Whether it's true or not is still up for debate, and I doubt the public is ready for this news."
(End of Chapter)
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