A Memorable Tale

56 | Drowning

Although with great hesitation, my grip loosened and he pulled his hand out from between my fingers. "You'll be okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

He sent a small smile my way and left as Mandy answered the knocker's riddle to let us all inside.

We entered our dorm and it was quiet for a long while. I closed the curtains of my four poster and just sat in the presence of the bewitched stars scattered along a sky of purple and dark blue.

I took my bag off my shoulder and opened it, pulling out everything I used for the investigation.

It was all useless now.

Still, I couldn't help but skim the pages upon pages of notes I had written, just for the sliver of a chance that I'd figure out who was trying to kill Harry.

"Where'd Harry go?" I wondered, moving my curtain out of the way.

"Professor Moody took him away." Padma let out a shaky breath. "He said Harry needed to lie down."

"Professor Moody...?"

And the cogs started to turn again, leaving off right where I ended. This time, however, it wasn't powered by the thrill of a good story or the hunger for something interesting to happen or be discovered.

I was finding the person who killed my brother.

I grabbed my notebook, jumped out of bed and opened the door of our dorm.

"Where are you going?" Morag questioned worriedly.

"I'll be back in a minute."

"No, you won't," Padma said sharply. "Go to Madam Pomfrey's. Get a Calming Draught. A Sleeping Potion, even."

I stared at her before slowly nodding. "Okay."

I shut the door behind me and bolted from Ravenclaw Tower.

"Let me get this straight. You first saw the elf in the Top Box saving Crouch a seat, right?"

"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?"

"She can't act without her master's permission."

"When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"

"He went to look through the bushes."

"Why would Mr. Crouch be in Snape's office?"

"Moody said that he was searching Snape's office as well?"

"Don't lie to me. Boomslang. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them."

"But, where'd the attacker go, then? Even if they did kill Mr. Crouch?"

The attacker was right there all along. Moody couldn't catch them. Moody didn't spot Bartemius Crouch in Snape's office. Someone did steal Boomslang from Snape's office but it wasn't Harry. And Winky was saving a seat for Bartemius Crouch.

Bartemius Crouch Junior.

I had seen my share of supposed to be dead but not dead people, and seeing as this wasn't the first time, I was confident.

"Professor McGonagall!" I called as she moved through the halls.

"How are you out of bed every single June?"

"It's always for an important reason, please."

She sighed. "What is it?"

"Professor Moody is Bartemius Crouch Junior!"