The third task was going on and cheers of the audience could be heard everywhere. Fluer was already out of the tournament, she was rescued trapped in a bunch of veins in the hedges. But Severus left this amazing task and was pacing back and forth outside the stadium, waiting for his friend to come back. When she didn't return after half an hour he got worried and went himself to her classroom only to find that it was empty. Then he searched the school and nothing, he didn't find her.
"Professor??" Hermione's voice stopped him in his tracks and slowly turned towards the girl and rudely said "What do you want??"
"You suddenly left the stands and didn't come back so, I came to check on you. Is everything alright??" She asked.
Severus rolled his eyes. Will this kids ever leave me alone!! He huffed and answered her question truthfully "Jo's not back yet and I'm waiting for her." And he again started pacing, looking at the long path leading to the castle in between.
"Where is she??"
"I don't know, now leave and go cheer for your boyfriend." He snapped.
"Harry's not my boyfriend!!" Hermione snapped back. The daily prophet has quite ruined her reputation but she got her revenge and placed Rita Skeeter right in her place.
Severus raised an eyebrow and again turned to the girl "I was talking about Mr. Krum."
And now that was embarrassing. Hermione turned red as her eyes met her shoes. At the yule ball she was caught kissing Victor behind a pillar. And it was none other than Severus who caught them and of course he took a whole lot of points from Gryffindor.
"I should go." She mumbled and quickly turned. A smirk formed on Severus's lips but it was instantly wiped off as his mark started to burn and he fell down to his knees clutching his hand.
Hermione turned around hearing the quite grunting only to find her professor like this. She quickly ran to his help. "Professor?? What happened??"
Severus rolled up his sleeve and saw his mark fully black and moving. He's back!! This was not like the last time where it burned for few seconds and then stopped. It continued and it hurted like hell, he's back and he is calling him. Should I go?? He thought.
Hermione gasped after seeing it. Harry told her about Snape being a death eater but this is the first time she is seeing the mark on someone's arm. "Professor??"
"He's back. He's back." He breathed.
"Who??"
"The Dark Lord."
"What?? How's that possible??" Hermione asked.
Severus couldn't answer that, he didn't knew himself how is this possible and it was hard for him to say anything while bearing the painfull burn on his arm. Hermione watched intriguedly as the snake moved and she stretched out her hand to touch it but just in time Snape slapped her hand away. "What are you doing you foolish girl!! Do you want to go meet him?!!" He shrieked.
Hermione snapped out of her trance and apologized "Sorry."
They waited for few minutes for this stop. The pain increased so much that Hermione had to hold his other arm forcefully so he won't touch his mark. And then suddenly it stopped. Voldemort was busy dueling Harry that he lost his focus on the summoning charm.
Severus sighed in relief and quickly stood up composing himself. "We need inform the Headmaster." He said and two started walking back towards the stadium. Suddenly the drums started to roll.
"They are back!" Hermione informed and they ran inside and then they heard shouts, not cheering shouts but terrifying shouts.
Harry was on the ground clutching Cedric's dead body "He's back..he's back... Voldemort's back." He cried.
Dumbledore tried to pull him away from Cedric but he just cling onto his body, feeling responsible for his death. If he hadn't told him to take the portkey with him, Cedric would still be alive. If he had been selfish for once and took the trophy all to himself, Cedric would still be alive. "Cedric he asked me to bring his body back. I couldn't leave him, not there." He sobbed.
"It's alright, Harry. It's alright." Dumbledore tried to calm him down. Minister got up and informed the Professors to have everyone settled in their and that a boy's just been killed.
"And Jo, she's there, she's in danger she needs help."
Hearing her name Severus's hair stood on end. Of course she in involved. He walked towards the crowd. He pulled Harry away from Cedric and helped him up. "Where is she??" He whispered in his ear so no one else would hear.
"The Riddle Graveyard." He breathed.
"Let me through. Let me through!!" Amos' voice was heard as he made his way through the stands. His legs gave up as he saw Cedric's lifeless body on the ground. "That's my son!! That's my boy!" He fell down to his knees and cried for his son.
Cho couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes and she couldn't look at him like this. She turned around and ran towards the castle, crying and heartbroken.
Moody took Harry away from Severus and everyone as he lead him back to the castle, while the ministry officials and professors were looking into everything.
Remus was also in the stands but he was standing in the very back and couldn't really hear what was going on but once he saw Cedric's body and a crying Harry taken away by Moody he quickly ran downstairs. He was expecting to see Josette there as she's a professor and everyone else is there but when he didn't saw her, he knew something was wrong. He waited aside to talk with Dumbledore.
Severus turned and started walking towards Hogwarts gates. Hermione saw this and followed him.
"What do you think you are doing??" Severus increased his speed trying to out run the girl.
"I know you know where Professor Hart and I'm coming with you." She said and started running behind him.
"No you are not." He snapped.
"You can't tell me that."
Severus sighed, he may not know her well but he knows she won't stop when she gets her mind on something, whether it be studies or walking to a dark wizard who wants her and 'her kind' dead. "If anything happens to you, I'm not responsible."
"You don't have to worry about that." And the disappeared into the dark path.
Back at the castle, Moody pushed Harry into his office and locked the door behind. He removed a stool and placed it in front of him "Here, sit." Harry obliged. "Are you all right, Potter?"
"I'm fine but Jo, Professor Hart she's there alone-"
"I know Mortis well than you do. She can take care of herself." Moody patted his shoulder. "Does it hurt? That?" He asked motioning towards the cut on his arm.
"Not so much now." He mumbled though it's not what he's concerned about at all. It's Josette. He will never forgive himself he finds out something happened to her because of him.
"What was it like? What was he like?" Moody asked.
"Who??"
"The Dark Lord." He pressed harder on Harry's cut and the winced "What was it like to stand in his presence?"
Harry was confused why he was asking all these questions and it didn't go unnoticed when Moody called Voldemort the 'Dark Lord'. It was suspicious.
"I don't know."
But Moody's potion was wearing off, he began to transform back to himself, back to Barty Crouch Jr. He walked towards his potion store desperately searching for a drop of polyjuice potion. But he was all out.
"Were there others?? In the graveyard, were there others?"
And he fucked up. "I don't think I said anything about a graveyard, Professor." Harry looked at him. Moody walked back to his office. "It's you, isn't it?? You put my name on the Goblet of Fire. You bewitched Krum.. but.."
"But..but..but.." he mocked the boy "It was hard trying to plan everything when Hart was roaming around the castle. I put your name in the fire. Told her how hard and dangerous this tournament is, told her about the tasks beforehand and she being the foolish Godmother she is, made sure you made it to the next task. I told her which spells to teach, how to use them. She wasn't making sure you win the tournament, she was leading you right into my trap. I bewitched Krum and made sure Hart doesn't volunteer this task. You won because I made it so, Potter. You ended up in that graveyard tonight because it was meant to be so."
He spilled his secrets out, how he fooled everyone, even Dumbledore and Josette for almost an year. She genuinely thought he was helping her but..
"Now the deed is done." Moody/Crouch Jr. grabbed Harry's hand "The blood that runs through your veins runs within the Dark Lord." He smeered the blood on his cut and like maniac smelled it. "Imagine how he will reward me when he learns..."
Harry back away in the corner of the room and Barty approached him, he saw his face changing. "..that i have once and for all.. silenced the great Harry Potter." He raised his wand ready to kill the boy.
"Expelliarmus!" Just then Dumbledore followed by McGonagall and Remus burst through the door and hit Barty, making him fall into the chair.
The heardmaster grabbed him by his collar "Remus."
The werewolf came forward with a vile of Veritaserum in his hand and dropped into his mouth.
"Are you Alastor Moody?? Are you??" Dumbledore asked.
"No."
"Is he in this room?" Barty pointed towards the big chest that was in the middle of the room.
"Potter, get away from there." McGonagall waved her hand and Harry quickly got to the other side of the room.
Dumbledore opened the trunk and inside was the real Alastor Moody. "I'm sorry, Albus." His voice echoed through the box.
"We'll get you up in a minute."
"That's Moody. But then who's?" Harry turned back to the imposter.
Remus smelled the flask Barty was drinking from and he confirmed that it was the Polyjuice Potion.
The impostor Moody then started changed back to himself, showing his real face to everyone. Harry like an idiot bend down to get a good look at his face and in return he tried to attack him.
"Harry." Remus pulled him away.
McGonagall pointed a wand at Barty's throat. "Barty Crouch Junior."
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Barty pulled up his sleeves revealing the dark mark.
Dumbledore stretched out Harry's hand, a similar shape was formed on his hand by the cut and the blood.
"You know what this means, don't you? He's back. Lord Voldemort has returned." Barty laughed like a madman.