Percy Jackson and the Triwizard Tournament (Goblet of Fire)

Chapter 53: Barty Crouch Jr.

"He is in terrible shape... But he'll live," Dumbledore turned towards Annabeth, "Please alert Madam Pomfrey about Alastor Moody's condition as Thalia and Nico take him to the Hospital Wing."

The three demigods nodded wordlessly, following his instructions.

Percy was the first to speak out of the remaining three people in the room, "Headmaster Dumbledore... I still don't quite understand."

"Oh?"

"If that" he pointed to the doorway, where the three demigods and Moody had just left, "was the real Alastor Moody, than who's this?" The Son of Poseidon then pointed towards the floor, where the limp body of "Not-So-Moody" was.

Harry inched cautiously away from the unconscious body, staring at it dubiously.

Dumbledore smiled, sitting in a chair patiently, "The potion should wear off soon...

It seems we'll have to wait and see."

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Several minutes had passed by as the three patiently waited. Well, Harry and Dumbledore had... but Percy was quite restless, he constantly tapped his foot on the floor as he watched the unconscious man.

And then finally, his face began to morph into somebody else. He no longer had Moody's mangy hair and scars, but pale skin and fair hair. Because the man had two real eyes, the magical eye had wriggled out of place and fallen to the floor along with Moody's peg leg.

At perfect timing, Professor Snape had returned with Winky standing behind him. McGonagall appeared with them, "Barty Crouch! Merlin's Beard..."

Winky then emerged from cowering behind Snape's robes, "Master Barty! What is you doing here?" After a moment, she leapt towards him and began to cry, "You is killed him!" repeatedly.

"Woah, woah..." Percy pulled the house-elf off of him, "Who did he kill?"

Harry's eyes widened, "Mr. Crouch... He wasn't found..."

Winky was still held up in the air, struggling to be let go. But because of Percy's grip her efforts were in vain. It wasn't until she managed to kick backwards, into his gut, that the demigod finally dropped her back on the floor.

This time however, she didn't lunge back onto Crouch Jr. She merely stood there with her hands over her face with a look of horror in her large, house-elf sized eyes.

Dumbledore had awakened Barty Crouch with a simple wave of his wand, accompanied by the words 'Rennervate.' Snape then stepped forward and forced a small vial full of clear liquid down the the now dazed man's throat.

"Now," the Headmaster said, "I would like to ask you a few questions."

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Crouch had told them everything because of the Veritaserum. How his mother had used a polyjuice potion to impersonate him inside of Azkaban, how he had been subject to the Imperius Curse by his father afterwards, how Voldemort one day spoken to him about a job inside Hogwarts and then cast an Imperius Curse on Barty Crouch Sr., how he had been behind the attack on the Quidditch Cup... and the list continues.

Everything this year which had puzzled Harry finally clicked. It was all him.

"My master's plans worked," the man cackled with an insane glint in his eyes, "It had worked..." He laughed even louder.

"Oh, shut up!" Percy finally shouted.

His head snapped towards him, the demigod, who had now currently stood in the corner of the room during the interrogation.

"The only thing my master didn't seem to predict... was you. Jackson," he sneered. Then, muttering beneath his breath, "Waste of good blood... Pure blood."

The Son of Poseidon looked extremely confused, "... What?" His voice was dangerously soft.

Barty Crouch began to rant, "Oi, and that mother of yours is a squib, eh?" he paused for another maniac-like laugh, "Figures. That bitch had it com-"

Percy lunged towards him. Within a second, he was holding him the collar of his robes with one hand, as his fist of his other arm plummeted right into Barty's nose.

"DON'T YOU EVER INSULT MY MOTHER!"

With a sickening 'crack' his nose had broke. Even Dumbledore had flinched at the sound.

He was going to hit him again, even though he was now knocked out cold, if it weren't for someone who had grabbed his raised arm's wrist.

"By the gods, Percy! Stop it!" Annabeth restrained his arm, having returned from the Hospital Wing.

Harry hadn't seen this from Percy ever before... A look of pure hate. It was almost more scary than the Dark Lord himself. But just like that, after Annabeth had snapped him back to reality, it was gone again.

His posture softened, dropping Crouch Jr.'s limp body back onto the floor. Though he didn't have the consideration to let go of him gently, he still had, which seemed to be enough to satisfy the Daughter of Athena.

Thalia and Nico had returned as well, standing in the door frame of the office with a great amount of worry.

And without a word, Percy stormed out, not bothering to acknowledge the stares from both demigods and wizards alike.

Harry shook his head... Today was a long day.

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Word Count: 1,456