Chapter 913: A Place to Hide
Chapter 913: A Place to Hide
"Sirius?"
As soon as Hermione entered the school hospital, she saw a familiar figure talking to Harry.
"Good afternoon, Hermione and Ron," Sirius greeted the two who had come to visit Harry with a smile.
"How are you here?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"I came to see Dumbledore and to look for Albert. But it seems he's not at Hogwarts, and no one knows where he's gone. I asked the Weasley twins, and they said Albert must be out on a date." Sirius nonchalantly peeled an apple, "By the way, it's because of Pettigrew, right?"
"Yes," Hermione immediately guessed the reason.
"Sort of," Sirius didn't want to discuss this matter in front of the children. He turned to Harry and asked, "Have you figured out the secret of the golden egg? How are you preparing for the second Triwizard Tournament task?"
"I just found out about the secret of the golden egg. It seems that we have to open it underwater to discover its secret," Harry replied dryly. He had just received the news and hadn't had the chance to verify it before falling ill and being hospitalized.
"Albert mentioned that the scream from the golden egg is actually the voice of a merman. Their voices are enchanting underwater but become horrible once they are on land," Hermione explained to Sirius, "The second task will take place in the water, but breathing underwater won't be easy."
"If the second task involves diving, then our options are limited," Sirius cut the apple and placed it on a plate, offering it to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. He continued in a calm manner, "We can use the Bubble-Head Charm, which will allow us to breathe underwater, but there are risks associated with this approach."
"What kind of risk?"
"If the charm wears off before you resurface, you're done for. You won't last long at the bottom of the lake, even for a wizard. Although Dumbledore will undoubtedly have safety measures in place, to be honest, it's still very dangerous. Also, Harry, can you swim?" Sirius suddenly asked.
"No!" Harry felt a bit embarrassed. He had never learned to swim; the Dursleys had never taught him, nor would they have spent time teaching him.
"Let's first take a look at the clue in the golden egg. And if you want to learn the Bubble-Head Charm, I recall it's taught in the sixth-grade Charms textbook," Sirius thought for a moment before continuing, "But I think Anderson might have a simpler solution. I'll ask him about it when he returns."
"Never mind him, that guy's always after money," Harry muttered, "I'll make time to practice the Bubble-Head Charm. We still have over a month; I think mastering that charm shouldn't be too difficult."
"It's always good to be prepared," Sirius said.
"Right, do you know what happened to Barty Crouch?" Harry asked quietly, "I read in the newspaper that he was... killed by Pettigrew."
Lowering his voice, Sirius replied, "Crouch was controlled by the Imperius Curse. It was most likely Voldemort's doing. When Dumbledore and Bagman went to discuss the security of the second task with Barty, they noticed something amiss. Initially, Barty had been rescued and taken away by Bagman, but Peter took advantage of Dumbledore's battle with Voldemort to ambush Bagman and kill Barty, probably to silence him."
"Is Voldemort back?"
The trio's eyes widened, and they were almost too astonished to speak.
"No, according to Dumbledore, Voldemort possesses a frail body. However, Dumbledore ultimately succeeded in destroying Voldemort's physical form, and it was probably then that the scar on your forehead became scorching hot. You mentioned feeling Voldemort's anger, didn't you?" Sirius continued with a furrowed brow, "Now, they suspect that Crouch put your name in the Goblet of Fire as part of some plot by Voldemort. The Aurors from the Ministry of Magic found a large quantity of potion ingredients at Crouch's house, but they still haven't figured out what Voldemort's scheme is. However, this matter is likely connected to you."
"But you don't have to worry," Sirius added reassuringly, "Voldemort has been defeated by Dumbledore, so he won't be causing any more trouble for now."
Nodding, Harry recalled, "I remember Percy was Crouch's assistant, wasn't he? Albert mentioned to Percy during the Christmas feast that he would soon become the Minister of Magic's assistant. Percy was troubled by that for quite a while, even suspecting that Crouch would become the Minister of Magic."
"The Minister of Magic's assistant? Are you sure? Because I heard from Fred and George that Percy got into trouble over this matter. Apparently, he's being investigated by the Ministry now," Ron said, sounding a little pleased about the situation.
"Under investigation?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"They believe that as Crouch's assistant, Percy should have noticed his abnormal behavior and reported it to his superiors," Ron shrugged.
"That's just typical blame-shifting. It's common in the Ministry of Magic. Poor Percy Weasley was just unlucky to be thrown under the bus like that," Sirius dismissed the idea.
After all, no one, including Percy, had noticed anything unusual about Crouch. How could an assistant be expected to discover such a thing?
"I heard Percy's position was recommended by Anderson," Ron suddenly recalled, his face twitching slightly.
"Do you think Dumbledore decided to visit Mr. Crouch after overhearing Albert and Percy's conversation?" Hermione wondered aloud.
"I always thought diviners were frauds," Ron muttered.
"Indeed, most diviners are frauds because genuine seers who can foresee the future are rare," Sirius felt that Harry and Ron weren't taking this seriously, "Those who can prophesy the future are respected. In fact, almost all of Albert's predictions about Pettigrew came true."
"Well, it's about time. I have an appointment with Dumbledore," Sirius reminded before leaving, "Take care of yourself, Harry, and write me a letter when Anderson returns."
"I feel like Sirius is quite concerned about Anderson," Ron whispered.
"I guess it's because he can see the future,"
"To be honest, I've always thought Anderson was a fraud. At least his style resembles that of Sybill Trelawney,"
"Always putting on an act."
The two found common ground in their opinion of Anderson.
Hermione shook her head as she looked at Ron and Harry. Was it so difficult to acknowledge someone else's strengths?
As Ron and Harry continued to complain about Albert's dramatic behavior, Sirius knocked on the door of the headmaster's office.
"Come in!"
"Please sit down, Sirius. You're just in time," Dumbledore offered a chair to Sirius as he entered the office, where he saw Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt, but Moody was notably absent.
"You didn't bring Mad-Eye. Is something wrong with him?" Sirius asked, frowning.
"He won't be suitable until next summer," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Unsuitable?" Kingsley's mind worked quickly as he inquired, "Do you suspect Moody of something?"
"Or perhaps there's another reason?"
"I suspect that Barty Crouch Jr. has infiltrated Hogwarts," Sirius replied.
"Barty Crouch Jr.? But he's dead, isn't he?" Kingsley said, confused.
"No, I don't think he's dead. After all, Peter is still alive," Sirius said through gritted teeth, his anger toward Wormtail evident.
"Do you suspect Mad-Eye because of what happened during the start-of-term feast?" Arthur reacted quickly, believing that Dumbledore would not lightly suspect his old friend.
"There's always something wrong with the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors at Hogwarts," Sirius shrugged, "and they often end up in peril. Besides, let's not forget the unfortunate fates of the previous professors. It's better to keep Mad-Eye out of this, regardless of whether he's reliable or not."
The three exchanged glances and ultimately agreed with Sirius's viewpoint.
Given the recent misfortunes of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, it was understandable that Dumbledore would be reluctant to involve his old friend.
"Well then, since everyone is here, let's begin."
Dumbledore waved his wand and summoned a Pensieve, allowing the trio to witness the events of that fateful night. When Voldemort appeared as a hideous infant, they were all stunned.
It barely resembled an infant and could even be described as a monster.
It was hairless, with what appeared to be scales covering its body. Its skin was a dull, reddish color, like injured flesh. Its arms and legs were thin and soft, and it had a flat, serpentine face.
"Despite its repulsive appearance, we cannot deny that Voldemort now possesses a fragile physical form and has regained some of his magical abilities," Dumbledore acknowledged. "I suspect he intends to create a healthy body and reclaim his full power.
"Is such a thing truly possible?" Sirius couldn't help but ask.
"Voldemort possesses knowledge of many dark arts that I am unaware of," Dumbledore admitted. "To be honest, I don't know how he created this body, but mark my words, there are countless variations of dark magic, and I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to restore his physical form. Moreover, there is additional evidence—the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic found a large quantity of potion ingredients at Crouch's residence."
"This matter is likely genuine," Kingsley spoke up. "According to the list I obtained from the Ministry, I consulted with Master Apothecary Damocles, who informed us that some of the ingredients could be used to create a compound potion. They found traces of unicorn horn powder and African serpent skin, which are essential components for brewing such a potion. However, the Aurors did not discover the compound potion itself at Crouch's home, so your suspicion, Dumbledore, may be correct—someone may have used a compound potion to disguise themselves and infiltrate the school."
"Perhaps it was this person who put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire?" Sirius said, his voice filled with loathing.
Ignoring Sirius's comment, Dumbledore turned to Arthur and asked, "What news do you have to share?"
"I spoke with Percy," Arthur replied. "He mentioned that Mr. Crouch's health began to deteriorate after the Quidditch World Cup. He attributed it to the strain the event placed on Mr. Crouch. Apparently, it was around that time that Mr. Crouch started allowing Percy to handle matters on his own."
"So, you believe that Mr. Crouch was placed under the Imperius Curse by Voldemort after the World Cup," Kingsley quickly deduced, his sharp mind reflecting his profession as an Auror.
"Most likely, it couldn't have happened before then," Dumbledore nodded. "I've consulted with his house-elf as well."
"A house-elf?" Arthur's thoughts turned to some unpleasant memories.
"She works here at Hogwarts, and based on her reaction, I concluded that Barty Crouch Jr. is still alive," Dumbledore continued. "I suspect that the Dark Mark that appeared during the World Cup was Crouch's doing, which subsequently drew Voldemort's attention, leading to him placing the Imperius Curse on Barty. But as we all know, Barty's will is strong, and the Imperius Curse couldn't completely control him. I believe there were already signs of this before the Triwizard Tournament, as Barty's health had been deteriorating."
"It's unlikely to be Wormtail's doing; his magical abilities aren't that powerful," Sirius added. "Do we have any leads on his whereabouts?"
"No, despite Fudge deploying all available Aurors to search for Peter Pettigrew, we've had no success," Kingsley shook his head. "He's issued a kill order on Peter, clearly intending to cover up Voldemort's return."
"That's just like him," Sirius scoffed. "So, the graveyard is our last clue."
"Graveyard? What are you talking about?" Kingsley and Arthur exchanged puzzled glances, directing their confusion at Sirius.
"Anderson's prophecy," Sirius explained. "During the World Cup, I consulted Anderson to divine Wormtail's whereabouts. I placed my memory into the Pensieve, and you'll see what I saw."
The Pensieve soon displayed a crystal ball, within which they witnessed a highly concealed room. The scene shifted to a forest, followed by a double-headed eagle flag.
It then transformed into a desolate mansion, after which they saw Barty Crouch Jr. himself.
Finally, it changed into a desolate graveyard, the image freezing on a particular gravestone.
"Most of what you saw has already come to pass," Sirius said. "I believe the only remaining clue is the location of that graveyard, but I haven't been able to pinpoint it."
He hoped that with the collective wisdom of the group, they might be able to decipher some additional clues.
"This is truly astonishing," Kingsley exclaimed. "To my knowledge, it has been a long time since we've encountered a seer capable of making such precise prophecies about the future."
"If we were to request his assistance, I believe Anderson would be willing to help, but inviting him to join the Order may be a challenge," Sirius acknowledged the difficulty.
"I understand," Dumbledore said. "Now, things are becoming clearer."
Dumbledore, who had been observing the Pensieve intently, suddenly stood up. "I believe I know where Voldemort is hiding."
"Dumbledore, what have you discovered?"
The group turned to Dumbledore, eager to hear his insights.
"I have a hunch about Voldemort's hiding place," Dumbledore said as he gestured for them to follow. "We can discuss this as we walk."
The group quickly fell into step beside him.
"During this period of Voldemort's increasing power, several notable incidents have occurred," Dumbledore spoke quickly as they walked. "Bertha Jorkins disappeared without a trace from Voldemort's last known hiding place, and I suspect she has been killed. Then there's Mr. Crouch, who was controlled by the Imperius Curse and met his demise not long ago. Another incident of interest took place in the village where Voldemort's father was born—a Muggle by the name of Frank Bryce disappeared last August, and this was reported in the Muggle newspapers."
"Muggle newspapers?"
"In this regard, I differ from most of my colleagues at the Ministry."
"You suspect that Voldemort may be hiding in that village." Sirius asked.
"Indeed, didn't you see a desolate mansion in the crystal ball?" Dumbledore replied. "I believe that is where Voldemort is hiding."
(End of Chapter)
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