Chapter 952: An Obstacle
Chapter 952: An Obstacle
Late into the night, the lights still burned in the Dark Magic Defense office, where Fake Moody focused intently on the potion bubbling like mud in the crucible before him, putting the final touches on his concoction.
He poured the complex potion into his curved flask and added a pinch of Mad-Eye Moody's hair, giving it a gentle swirl before bringing it to his lips for a small sip. He shuddered slightly, as if jolted by an electric shock, closed his eyes, and waited to feel the effects of the potion.
"This batch of potion should last until the end of the term," Fake Moody muttered to himself. "But I should be leaving soon. As for what comes next..."
The crucial task given to him by the Dark Lord, or rather, Barty Jr., was a pressing concern.
To be honest, taking Harry away would be easy, but doing so quietly under Dumbledore's watchful gaze was another matter entirely.
Dumbledore wasn't a fool; he wouldn't be able to keep the abduction of Harry Potter a secret for long. Barty Jr. didn't need to keep it from Dumbledore for long anyway.
Half an hour should be enough for the Dark Lord Voldemort to be fully resurrected.
This should have been a straightforward task, as the vast scope of the third task's maze would make it nearly impossible for the champions to locate the cup at its center quickly.
Even if Harry Potter went missing during the event, Dumbledore wouldn't notice before the end of the tournament...but the appearance of that Mudblood had turned the situation sour.
Perhaps it would only take a quarter of an hour, maybe even less.
Barty Jr. had never doubted the abilities of Albert Anderson, especially after witnessing him surveying the maze from atop a broomstick. He knew time was not on his side, especially upon learning that the Mudblood had mastered the Blasting Curse—a dangerous and destructive piece of dark magic.
If he wished, the Mudblood could easily end the tournament within five minutes, incinerating the traps and magical creatures within the maze with his fierce blaze.
No, not even the maze walls could stand against him.
While this was beyond the capabilities of a typical wizard, that Mudblood could make it happen. His magical power was just too strong, so strong that Barty Jr. began to doubt he was truly a Mudblood.
This was turning into a horrible nightmare.
"Damn it, that kind of person shouldn't be allowed to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. It's outright bullying the other champions," Barty Jr. grumbled, momentarily feeling indignant on behalf of the other contestants.
Barty Jr. had prepared numerous plans and backup strategies. According to the original scheme, he intended to turn the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey and slowly eliminate the other champions, letting the transformed cup whisk Harry away.
However, the presence of the Mudblood had ruined this plan.
What if he let Anderson take the cup and teleport away, and then went after Potter?
This idea was quickly dismissed. The Mudblood could use a Disguise Charm, and even if he were sent away through the Portkey, he would still be able to return to the school in a short time.
Of course, he could consider sending the Mudblood abroad, but...this plan was still unreliable. Who knew if the Mudblood could create a Portkey of his own?
No, he definitely could.
With the magical aptitude that guy had displayed, it would be strange if he couldn't cast 'Portus.' If he did that, it would take less than five minutes for Dumbledore to realize something was wrong with the maze, and the tournament would be over.
As for sending the Mudblood to the Dark Lord?
Barty Jr. quickly vetoed this terrible idea. Wormtail probably wouldn't be a match for the Mudblood.
No, he definitely wouldn't stand a chance.
That rat was certainly no opponent for the Mudblood, and even an ambush would have a low success rate. As for the weakened Dark Lord, it would only lead to the complete failure of the resurrection plan.
How to prevent the Mudblood from winning had now become Barty Jr.'s biggest headache.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, he had heard that the Mudblood had been learning how to duel from Flitwick, and in this area, he might even be better than Barty Jr. himself.
Moreover, he had heard that the Mudblood had a Divination prediction about the third task being dangerous, which meant he would be extra vigilant.
A formidable and cautious opponent was not easy to deal with.
The dire news made Barty Jr.'s expression extremely gloomy. The cruel reality was like a slap that almost twisted his mouth.
Did completing the Dark Lord's plan now hinge on luck and the decisions of that Mudblood? Bartemius Crouch Jr. had never felt such humiliation.
"If it really doesn't work out, after taking Potter away, I'll just burn the entire maze with the Blasting Curse!"
Barty Jr. unconsciously licked his lips, making the worst possible plan. If he cast the Blasting Curse in the maze, it would definitely buy him some time. Compared to killing that Mudblood, completing the Dark Lord's mission was the top priority.
Yes, he could use the Imperius Curse to control Krum. It wouldn't be unusual for a Durmstrang student to use dark magic, and if the Blasting Curse accidentally raged out of control, engulfing the entire maze, well, that wouldn't be surprising either. The Blasting Curse was never meant to be a spell for students to master...
Barty Jr. began to gradually refine this insane plan.
This was probably the umpteenth backup plan he had formulated.
After he was done, Barty Jr. slumped back in his chair, a nameless anger bubbling within him. Sometimes, he really wanted to just point his wand at that Mudblood and cast the Avada Kedavra curse, killing him right there in the classroom, corridor, or Great Hall, instead of constantly plotting against him like he had been doing for months.
If Albert died, all these troubles would vanish, but he couldn't do that. If Albert suddenly died at the school, his own plan would be completely ruined.
At times, he wondered if he was here to kidnap Potter or to murder that Mudblood.
Barty Jr. stared at the ashes of the parchment in the fireplace, reaffirming his conviction. The Dark Lord would soon return to Britain to oversee the resurrection ritual.
Failure was not an option.
Sometimes, compromises had to be made in certain aspects.
Seated behind his desk, Barty Jr. picked up a quill and began writing a letter to Lord Voldemort.
The current situation was rather dire. Despite Barty Jr.'s multiple plans that could address almost any scenario, he had to alert the Dark Lord to prevent him from being caught off guard and ensure the success of the resurrection plan.
Of course, there was another reason.
If he failed to return to the Dark Lord's side, this letter would undoubtedly prompt Lord Voldemort to seek revenge on his behalf.
And the target of that revenge would naturally be that Mudblood.
He believed that Lord Voldemort would be more than happy to kill the Mudblood who interfered with his resurrection.
Staring at the shadowy figure in the Magical Eye-Revealing Mirror, Moody's face twisted in disgust. He had never imagined that he would be pushed into a corner by a Mudblood, and killing Albert was no easy task.
While the Killing Curse was powerful, it wasn't very useful against formidable and vigilant wizards. Thus, if he wanted to kill that Mudblood, he might have to resort to scheming and plotting.
An ambush would undoubtedly be the best approach! An unexpected ambush.
Have the person that the Mudblood would least expect to betray him cast the Killing Curse on him when he let his guard down.
It sounded simple, but it was difficult to execute.
It required time to set up, and time was precisely what he lacked.
Moreover, he couldn't cast the Imperius Curse on the other champions in advance, or else someone might notice.
As for the issue of the savior, Harry Potter, Barty Jr. wasn't worried.
Even with the training Sirius Black and Lupin had provided, taking Potter away wouldn't be difficult. Barty Jr. didn't want things to reach that point, as he had been plotting to kill Albert for a long time.
However, Barty Jr. had no idea that his worries were completely unnecessary. Just as he was plotting to kidnap Harry and murder Albert, the other side had an equally comprehensive plan targeting him.
The owl carrying Barty Jr.'s letter flew across the channel and delivered it to a Muggle.
It was several days later that Peter Pettigrew received the letter.
When Lord Voldemort read the letter, he was furious. He never expected that his plan might be disrupted by a Mudblood.
Although Barty Jr. had made extensive preparations, they still fell short of satisfying the Dark Lord. However, the various possibilities outlined in the letter temporarily suppressed the surging killing intent within him.
He knew that his top priority was to resurrect himself and regain his full power.
On the other hand, Peter was thrilled when he read the letter. He never expected Barty Jr. to try to placate the Dark Lord as well.
The only thing that displeased Peter was Barty Jr.'s apparent belief that he couldn't handle that damn Mudblood.
He couldn't wait for Barty Jr. to lure the Mudblood into a trap so that he could kill him with the Avada Kedavra curse.
Well, even if he truly couldn't manage it, could Lord Voldemort not kill that Mudblood?
"This is clear," Lord Voldemort said coldly, sentencing Albert Anderson, the Mudblood, to death. "I must first regain my strength. As for that Mudblood, he will die in due time."
There was no other choice, as everyone wanted him dead. Even after reading Barty Jr.'s letter, Lord Voldemort intended to do the same, for at the end of the letter, Barty Jr. had suggested a way to buy time if all else failed.
The Dark Lord wouldn't mourn the loss of his servants, but they had to die in a way that benefited him.
Undoubtedly, Barty Jr. was an excellent servant who could buy some time for his plan, and his death would be meaningful. However, if possible, Lord Voldemort didn't want Barty Jr. to perish, as it would be a waste.
After all, Barty Jr. was a loyal and intelligent servant who could be of great use in dealing with Dumbledore in the future.
(End of Chapter)
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