2 | CONFESSIONS° HARRY POTTER

16 | THE ATTACK

ACT TWO, the returned
CHAPTER SIXTEEN, the attack

Iris had been visiting the Owlery at daybreak to send a letter to her parents when Harry, Hermione, and Ron burst in. Harry immediately filled her in on the events that had transpired. Harry had been with Viktor Krum (Why? Iris wasn't sure) when Mr. Crouch staggered out of the woods, raving on and on like a mad man and mentioned something about Voldemort. When Harry left to get Dumbledore, they came back and found that Crouch had stunned Krum and left him.

"It comes down to this," Hermione said rubbing her forehead. "Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking."

"It must've been Crouch," said Ron at once. "That's why h ewas gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner."

"I don't think so," said Harry, shaking his head. "He seemed really weak — I don't reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything."

"You can't Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds." Iris and Hermione said at the same time. Hermione glanced over at Iris for a second with a look that Iris didn't know how to decipher nor did she particularly want to. Hermione turned to Ron when he spoke.

"Okay . . . how's this for a theory," said Ron excitedly. "Krum attacked Crouch — no, wait for it — and then Stunned himself!"

"And Mr. Crouch evaporated, did he?" Hermione said coldly.

"Oh yeah . . ."

"Just go through it again, Harry," Iris said. "What did Mr. Crouch actually say?"

"I've told you, he wasn't making much sense," Harry said "He said he wanted to warn Dumbledore about something. He definitely mentioned Bertha Jorkins, and he seemed to think she was dead. He kept saying stuff was his fault. . . . He mentioned his son."

"Well, that was his fault," Hermione said testily.

"He was out of his mind," Harry said. "Half the time he seemed to think his wife and son were still alive, and he kept talking to Percy about work and giving him instructions."

"And . . . remind me what he said about You-Know-Who?" said Ron tentatively.

"I've told you," Harry repeated dully. "He said he's getting stronger."

Iris hadn't expected herself to not be shocked when Harry had first told her that, but, after everything that happened, she expected that. After all, why else would Finnick have gone after her during the Triwizard Tournament?

There was a pause. Then Ron said in a falsely confident voice, "But he was out of his mind, like you said, so half of it was probably just raving. . . ."

"He was sanest when he was trying to talk about Voldemort," said Harry, and Ron winced at the sound of the name. "He was having real trouble stringing two words together, but that was when he seemed to know where he was, and know what he wanted to do. He just kept saying he had to see Dumbledore."

"If Snape hadn't held me up," Harry said bitterly, "we might've got there in time. 'The headmaster is busy, Potter . . . what's this rubbish, Potter?' Why couldn't he have just got out of the way?"

"Maybe he didn't want you to get there!" said Ron quickly. "Maybe — hang on — how fast d'you reckon he could've gotten down to the forest? D'you reckon he could've beaten you and Dumbledore there?"

"Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something," said Harry.

"Wouldn't put it past him," Iris muttered.