3rd Person POV
Raven laid there on the podium, closing his eyes, happy that it was over. "Are you planning on taking a nap?" Daphne asked, looking down at him as others made their way to the boats.
"Not a bad idea." Raven said, putting his arms behind his head, and crossing his legs. "Merlin knows I won't catch a cold."
"C'mon you dork." Daphne chuckled, holding out her hand. "Let's go have a victory feast." Raven opened his eyes and looked at Daphne with a smile. He brought his hand to hers and she helped him stand up. "If you weren't going to get up soon, I was going to have Astoria body slam you." Raven looked to Astoria who gave him a look that said, 'I would have done it.'
"Lucky I decided to get up then." Raven said, imagining how much that would hurt.
The three of them got into a boat together, and on the ride back to the school, Daphne's mind was filled with what Raven had said earlier. 'Aww, did I make your heart skip a beat?'
He was so flirting with me. Daphne thought. That's it, if he doesn't already have plans during our next Hogsmeade visit, I'm going to take him somewhere private and tell him how I feel! And If he ends up rejecting me, I at least hope we can still remain friends.
Daphne then began to explain to Raven and Astoria what happened when she went to Snape's office last night. She said he led her to McGonagall's office along with the other champions, where they were put into a bewitched sleep, and told them that they'd be perfectly safe.
As Raven, Daphne, Harry, Ron, and Hermione made it to the dungeons for potions, they saw they other Slytherin's huddled outside the classroom. They were looking at something. "There they are, there they are!" Pansy Parkinson giggled, noticing them approach. She was holding a set of magazines-Witch Weekly.
"You mind find something to interest you in there, Granger!" Pansy said loudly, throwing the magazine at Hermione. "You too, Daphne." She threw the other one at Daphne. The dungeon door opened and they all went inside. Raven and Daphne found a table for them both as they always sat together in potions, and started reading the magazine.
Rita Skeeter had written foul things about Hermione. They skimmed through the part about her, which also mentioned Harry and Krum, and searched for Daphne's name. Once they found it, it read:
Blonde Feud
Slytherin fourth year, Daphne Greengrass, who's a close friend to champion, Raven Mordecur, seems to be very possessive over him. Fleur Delacour attempted to show her generosity to Mr. Mordecur for helping save her sister during the second task. However, Miss Greengrass denied the French courtesy by standing in her way yelling, 'No more kisses!'
I didn't yell! Daphne thought angrily.
No news on how Mr. Mordecur feels about such actions. It seems once again, blondes are fighting for his love.
I wasn't being possessive, I was jealous! Daphne thought, crumbling up the article and throwing in into a waste bin.
Her face was red, and she hesitated to look at Raven. She was a little worried about what face he was making and about what he would say.
"Don't let Rita Skeeter get to you." Raven said softly. "She's just writing nonsense."
"Yeah...Yeah, you're right." Daphne said, moving her hair behind her ear and looking at Raven. "I wasn't trying to be possessive though, if you were thinking that."
"Oh no, definitely not." Raven assured her. "I wasn't going to let Fleur kiss me anyways."
Daphne's face lit up. "Really?" She asked.
"Really." Raven replied. "Not very comfortable getting kisses from random people." Daphne smiled, and then looked to his lips. She wanted to kiss them so badly, and wondered if he'd let her one day.
"How did Rita Skeeter find out though?" Daphne questioned, as they began unpacking their ingredients for a Wit-Sharpening Potion. "She wasn't there, was she?"
"Couldn't have been." Raven said, cutting two pieces of ginger root and adding it to his cauldron. "Dumbledore banned her from Hogwarts."
"Someone from the inside, possibly?" Daphne pondered, adding her ginger to her cauldron.
"Wouldn't surprise me." Raven said, adding his armadillo bile after the potion turned green.
"We've got two former Death Eaters in this school."
"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger." Snape said, standing behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Everyone looked in their direction. "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."
"Ah...reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape added, snatching up the copy of Witch Weekly. "A further ten points from Gryffindor...oh but of course..." Snape's eyes fell on the article. "Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings..."
Every Slytherin laughed, except Daphne, and a smile curled on Snape's thin mouth. "Harry Potter's Secret Heartache'...dear, dear, Potter, what's ailing you now? 'A boy like no other, perhaps...'"
Snape paused to allow the Slytherins to continue their laughter, before continuing. "'...Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.' how very touching." Snape sneered, rolling up the magazine. "Well I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter-that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."
Harry and Hermione moved as they were told. Raven and Daphne were relieved that Snape didn't read any further to find the article about them, because they didn't want to have to separate.
Snape went on and talked to Harry so no one else could hear them. Raven and Daphne went back to their potions and Raven was nearly finished with his.
"So I give you fair warning, Potter." Snape said, louder now that everyone could hear. "Pint-sized celebrity or not-if I catch you breaking into my office one more time-"
"I haven't been anywhere near your office!" Harry said angrily.
"Don't lie to me." Snape hissed. "Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them." Raven remembered Hermione steeling Boomslang skin in their second year, but they haven't touched his stores since then.
Who else is making a Polyjuice Potion? Raven thought, remixing the ginger roots.
"I don't know what your talking about." Harry said coldly.
"You were out of bed on the night my office was broken into!" Snape hissed. "I know it, Potter! Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club, but I will not tolerate your behavior! One more nighttime stroll into my office, Potter, and you will pay!"
"Right." Harry said coolly. "I'll bear that in mind if I ever get the urge to go in there."
Snape's eyes flashed and he pulled something form his robes. "Do you know what this is, Potter?" He held up a small crystal bottle of a completely clear potion.
"No." Harry said.
"Veritaserum." Raven said, as his potion turned purple, signifying it was completed. All heads turned to him. "And it's illegal to use on a student." He said coldly, glaring at Snape.
"Ten points from Ravenclaw for interrupting me, Mordecur." Snape said. Snape couldn't see it but Raven was flipping him off under the table. "However, you are correct." Snape turned back to Harry, "but unless you watch your step, you might find that my hand slips right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then, Potter...then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not."
Before the lesson ended, Karkaroff strolled in urgently wanting to talk to Snape. Snape told him to wait until the lesson ended. Once it did, everyone but Harry left, as he had purposely knocked over his bottle of armadillo bile to eavesdrop.
After the conversation ended, Harry came hurrying out of Snape's classroom, and ran to his friends. Harry said that Karkaroff was showing Snape something on his left inner forearm.
"The Dark Mark." Raven said.
"Dark Mark?" Harry repeated
"Yeah, it's how Voldemort-" Raven covered Ron's mouth with his hand, "-summons his loyal followers, and show's a Death Eater's devotion to them." Raven explained. "If Karkaroff said it's getting clearer then that's a problem."
"You mean he's back?" Hermione asked.
"I don't think so, at least...not yet." Raven said. "But I think it means he will be, so we need to be careful who we trust." With all of them looking worried, and cautious they headed to dinner, and soon to bed.
To take his mind off of things, Raven brought the Jenga game he got for Christmas, down with him during breakfast. He, Daphne, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Astoria began to play a game of it. Playing and laughing together seemed to help them all keep their minds off of the conversation from last night.
During one game, it was Astoria's turn and she almost made the tower fall over when she took a piece. She luckily managed to carefully set it on top and now it was Ron's turn.
"Oh great." Ron groaned, thinking on what block to take. He finally decided on one and went for it. Just when he almost had it, the tower fell. Ron groaned, and everyone else laughed or gave a wince.
"Loser has to rebuild it Ron." Hermione stated.
"Yeah, alright." Ron grumbled, taking his wand out to do the Mending Charm.
Raven grabbed his hand and said, "Rebuilt it by hand."
"But that'll take forever." Ron whined.
"Sucks to suck." Astoria taunted. Ron gave another groan and began to rebuild the tower by hand.
When Raven packed the game up, Daphne said she'd join him when he went to return it to his dorm. "Soo, Raven, do you have anything planned when we get to Hogsmeade?" Daphne asked, as they headed to the Ravenclaw common room.
"I-uh, yeah kind of." Raven replied.
"Are you meeting up with your mum again?" She asked, feeling slightly disappointed.
"Yeah, she'll be there again, but..." Raven stopped in his tracks. Daphne stopped as well looking confused. "There's something you should know, I trust you, so I'll tell you." He said, with a serious look. He grabbed her hand and led her to a secluded classroom.
"What's going on?" Daphne asked with a mix of confusion, worry, and excitement. "What do you want to tell me that's so important we need to be alone?"
"Just listen." Raven said, taking out his wand. He cast a charm around the room so no one outside of it could hear them talk. He put his wand back in his sleeve and began to explain to Daphne all that happened at the end of their third year.
He told her about confronting Sirius Black in the Shrieking Shack, Remus Lupin telling them the truth, Sirius being innocent, Scabbers being Peter Pettigrew, who was the real traitor, Peter escaping, him, Hermione, and Harry going back in time to save Buckbeak and Sirius, as well as him and Harry mastering the Patronus Charm.
Daphne's mouth was so wide open she could catch flies in it, and her eyes looked like they would fall out of their sockets. "Wow." She finally said, blinking. "That really happened?"
"Yeah, every word I spoke was true." Raven replied. "Sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
"You don't need to apologize." Daphne said still wrapping her head around all of this. "That's not exactly something you blabber about to just anyone. Still it's a lot to take in."
"Yeah, your face was about the same as Mum's when I told her." Raven chuckled.
Daphne giggled. "Thank you for trusting me with this. I promise I'll keep it a secret."
"Thank you, Daphne, I appreciate it." Raven said, smiling. "We're going to meet up with Sirius in Hogsmeade today. That's why I told you all of this."
"I see." Daphne said. "Is it safe for him to just wander around?"
"If he's in his Animagus form I suppose he can get around unnoticed." Raven said. "Do you want to join us when we go see him?"
"No, based on what you said, it'd be best to not have many of us go, it'd draw to much attention." Daphne explained.
"Yeah, good point." Raven said. "I'm sorry, I know you wanted to hang out in Hogsmeade again, but-"
"It's alright." Daphne assured him, holding his hands. "We can still hang out at Hogwarts, it's not like you're going to disappear on me."
"Yeah, maybe we can go down to the tree by the lake again, and try to get our pets to get along with each other." Raven said.
"Sure, that sounds like fun." Daphne said, not being able to stop smiling.
"I should go get ready for Hogsmeade." Raven said.
"Right." Daphne said, letting his hands go. "I'll see you when you get back I guess. Be safe. Bye." Daphne left the classroom, and Raven undid the Charm and went to go get ready.
Well, there goes my Hogsmeade chances. Daphne thought.
They left the castle at noon that day, and walked to Hogsmeade. Daphne decided to stay at Hogwarts with her sister. Upon arriving, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went into Gladrags Wizardwear to buy Dobby a present, while Raven went to greet his mother.
"Hey there, Little Bird." Wren said, going up to him with open arms. "I missed you." She said, as they hugged.
"You saw me a few weeks ago." Raven said, as the parted.
"Are you saying you didn't miss your mother?" Wren pouted with puppy dog eyes.
Raven smiled rolling his eyes at his mothers playfulness. "There there, of course I missed you."
Wren's frown turned into a smile. "I'm just teasing you, Little Bird." She said ruffling Raven's hair. Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined them. "Hey, kids, are you ready?"
"Yeah, all set." Harry replied.
"Alright, now I'm going to use a Disillusionment Charm and fly above you all to make sure we're not followed." Wren said, taking out her wand.
"Good idea." Hermione said. Wren cast the Disillusionment Charm on herself, tuned into an owl and flew above them. They made their way up the street, past Dervish and Banges, and out toward the edge of the village.
They turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. A very large, shaggy black dog waiting for them, whom was carrying some newspapers in it's mouth.
"Hello, Siri-" Harry began, but Raven gave him a light slap on his side. "-I mean, Padfoot." The black dog sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, wagging it's tail, before turning and leading them to the foot of the mountain.
Raven, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were out of breath as they followed Sirius up the mountain. Raven figured his mother had an easy time like Sirius as she soared through the air unseen. Sirius at slipped out of sight, and when they reached the place where he had vanished, they saw a narrow fissure in the rock.
Wren made her way down to them, appearing in full form from her charm. "We weren't followed." She said, as they began to squeeze through into the cave.
Upon entering, Raven's face turned lit up. "Buckbeak!" He said gleefully, running to the hippogriff, and embracing him in a hug. "I missed you."
"I swear, he's happier to see him, than he was to see me." Wren mumbled.
Sirius had now turned back into his human form. "Chicken!" He said hoarsely, after removing the Daily Prophet from his mouth. Harry pulled open his bag and handed over a bundle of chicken legs and bread.
"Thanks." Sirius said, opening, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth. "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself."
"You've lost weight since I last saw you." Wren joked. Sirius looked up from hearing the familiar voice. "Long time no see, Sirius."
"Wren." Sirius gasped, as he had now noticed her there with them. "I didn't see you there." He said getting up. "It's good to see you." He went for a hug, but she covered her nose with one hand and held out her other too keep him away.
"Good to see you too, Sirius." Wren said. "But woah, you reek. I don't think a Scouring Charm could fix that smell."
They all let out a laugh. "You could take him home and hose him down like the dog he is." Raven joked, who was petting Buckbeak.
"Ha ha, your son's as harsh as you can be." Sirius laughed.
"I taught him well." Wren said, giving Raven a smile.
Sirius face then frowned. "I never got the chance to say this, but, my condolences to you and Raven. Qrow was a good man, and a great friend."
"Thank you, Sirius." Wren said with a sad smile. "He was a wonderful husband, and I'm sure he would have made a great father." Things went quiet before Wren spoke again. "But what are you doing here? It's not exactly safe."
"Fulfilling my duty as godfather." Sirius said, going back to sit down and gnawing on the chicken bone. "Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a loveable stray." Sirius turned to Harry. "I want to be on the spot. Your last letter...well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried."
"What if they catch you? What if you're seen?" Harry asked seriously.
"You all and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus." Sirius said, continuing his chicken leg.
Ron passed the articles to Harry. Headlines about Crouch and Betha Jorkins were written.
"They're making it sound like he's dying." Harry said slowly. "But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here..."
"My brother's Crouch's personal assistant." Ron informed Sirius. "He say Crouch is suffering from overwork."
"Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close." Harry said. "The night mine and Raven's names came out of the goblet..."
"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" Hermione said, an edge to her voice."
"Crouch sacked his house-elf?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup." Harry replied. He then began to explain everything that happened that night.
"Let me get his straight." Sirius said, getting up and pacing after Harry informed him. "You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?"
"Right." The students said together.
"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?" Sirius asked.
"No." Harry said. "I think he said he'd been too busy."
"Harry did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?" Sirius asked.
"Erm..." Harry said, thinking hard. "No, I didn't need to use it before we got into the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars. Are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stole my wand in the Top Box?"
"It's possible, who else was sitting behind you?" Sirius said.
"Loads of people." Harry said. "Some Bulgarian ministers...Cornelius Fudge...the Malfoys..."
"The Malfoys!" Ron said loudly. "I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!"
"Anyone else?" Sirius questioned.
"Ludo Bagman." Wren said.
"Oh yeah...I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps." Sirius said. "What's he like?"
"He's okay." Harry said. "He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament."
"That's either suspicious or he feels bad for you." Wren said. "Raven did he try and help you too?"
"Yeah, but only before the first task." Raven replied.
"Say's he's taken a liking to us." Harry said.
"He never seemed worried or against you two being in the tournament." Wren said, pointing to Raven and Harry. "He was excited when it happened, almost like he was waiting for it. But I don't see Bagman being that kind of guy...Still, best to be cautious."
"We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared." Hermione said. "Remember?"
"Yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he?" Ron said. "The moments we told him about the riot, he went off of the campsite."
"How d'you know?" Hermione shot back. "How d'you know where he Disapparated to?"
"Come off it." Ron said incredulously. "Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?"
"It's more likely he did it than Winky." Hermione said stubbornly.
Sirius held up a hand to stop them. "When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"
"Went to look in the bushes." Harry said. "But there wasn't any one else there."
"Of course." Sirius muttered. "Of course he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf...and then he sacked her?"
"Yes." Hermione said in a heated voice. "He sacked her, just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled-"
"Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!" Ron said.
"She's got a measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron." Sirius said. "If you want to know what a man's like take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.
"All these absences of Barty Crouch's...he goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too...It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak." Raven wrapped his arms protectively around Buckbeak's neck at those words.
"D'you know Crouch, then?" Harry asked.
Sirius's face darkened. "Crouch was the one who sent him to Azkaban without a trial." Wren stated.
"It was him?" Harry asked shocked.
"Yeah, Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?" Sirius said. Wren was the only other one in the cave who knew. "He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic. He's a great wizard, powerfully magical-and power-hungry. Oh never a Voldemort supporter. No Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side...well, you wouldn't understand...you're too young...and..." He looked to Wren.
"You can tell them, Sirius." Wren said. "It's better that they know."
Sirius nodded and said, "Imaging that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing...the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere...panic...confusion...that's how it used to be.
"Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning-I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given new powers-powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects."
"Though, not all of us succumb to such measures." Wren stated. I almost did. Wren thought, thinking of the time she almost used the Killing Curse on Dolohov.
Sirius nodded and then continued, "I would say Crouch became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you-plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened...Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."
"Crouch's son was caught?" Hermione gasped.
"Yep." Sirius said, throwing his chicken bone to Buckbeak. "Nasty little shock for old Barty, I'd imagine. Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while...gotten to know his own son." Sirius began to wolf down large pieces of bread.
"Was his son a Death Eater?" Harry asked.
Sirius shrugged but Wren said, "He was, he had the Dark Mark on his inner left forearm, and even confessed to his crimes."
"Did Crouch try and get his son off?" Hermione whispered.
Sirius let out a laugh. "Anything that threatened to tarnish Crouch's reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. you saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again-doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy...then he sent him straight to Azkaban."
"He gave his own son to the dementors?" Harry asked quietly.
"That's right." Sirius said. "I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though...they all went quiet in the end...except when they shrieked in their sleep..."
"So he's still in Azkaban?" Harry asked.
"No." Sirius said dully. "No' he's not there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in, and he wasn't the only one. Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it."
Sirius picked up the flask of pumpkin juice and downed it.
"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made." Sirius continued. "One moment, a hero, poised to become Minster of Magic...next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how nice a young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation."
"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards." Harry said.
"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him." Sirius said, nodding. "If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater."
"And he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!" Ron said triumphantly.
"Yes, and that doesn't make sense at all." Sirius said.
"Yeah it does!" Ron said excitedly, but Sirius shook his head.
"Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to the tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him."
"But Snape used to be a Death Eater." Harry said.
"Look, I know he was famous for the Dark Arts back in school, but I don't think he ever became a Death Eater." Sirius said. "Dumbledore wouldn't hire someone who worked for Voldemort."
"Snape used to be a Death Eater, Sirius." Wren said seriously. "I know, I've done my research. It's why I've made sure Raven knows his potions in case Snape tries to poison him."
"I always have a bezoar ready." Raven said.
"That's my boy." Wren said, smiling proudly at her son. "After Qrow's death, and looking after Raven a few months after he was born, I began to get information on who could be a Death Eater. I read many articles, took notes on how to spot one: Check their arm for the Dark Mark, and check for any signs of suspicious Dark Magic, including the Unforgivable Curses. How did you kids know he was one, though?"
"Raven informed us about it, Karkaroff too." Harry replied.
How did you find out about that, Raven? Wren thought, suspiciously. Did your godfather tell you?
Harry, you're supposed to catch the snitch, not be one. Raven thought, as he hadn't told his mother he went through her things to find out about Death Eaters.
"Dumbledore trusts Snape though." Hermione said.
"Oh Give it a rest, Hermione." Ron said impatiently. "I know Dumbledore's brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him-"
"Why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year, then? Why didn't he just let him die?" Hermione questioned.
"I dunno-maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out-" Ron said.
"What do you think, Sirius, Mrs. Mordecur?" Harry said loudly.
"I think they've both got a point, don't you Wren." Sirius said.
"Yeah, but I don't know the actual reason behind Dumbledore hiring Snape, but I think it could be because Snape turned spy for us, and Dumbledore can keep and eye on him. Though it could also be a cover up." Wren said. "Either Dumbledore knows something we don't, or he's being played."
They all thought in silence for a bit, till Harry spoke. "Karkaroff showed Snape the Dark Mark on his arm in Potions yesterday. He said it was clearer than it had been."
"That's bad news." Wren said. "It's like Voldemort's close to coming back."
"Is that why Moody and Crouch are so keen to get into Snape's office?" Ron asked.
"Well, I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts." Sirius said. "He takes his Defense against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure he trusts anyone at all, except for a select few." He nodded to Raven and Wren. "I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed people if he could help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters."
"Something he taught me very well." Wren said.
"Crouch though." Sirius continued. "He's a different matter... is he really ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not...what's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up in the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?"
Sirius then looked to Ron. "You say your brother's Crouch's personal assistant? Any chance you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?"
"I can try." Ron said doubtfully. "Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though, Percy loves Crouch."
"Any leads on Bertha Jorkins, Wren?" Sirius asked, looking at her.
"No, none." Wren replied. "And none on Wormtail either." She spat his name. "It's like they became ghosts."
"Let's hope only one has." Sirius said. "What time is it now?"
"Half past three." Wren said, looking at her watch. "You kids better get back to school."
After saying good-bye to Buckbeak and Sirius telling them to call him Snuffles, he began to lead them back down the mountain. Wren stopped Raven, and they walked slowly, keeping a distance away from the others to talk.
"So, how did you know about Snape and Karkaroff being Death Eaters? Did you godfather tell you?" Wren asked, as the slowly made their way down the mountain path.
Raven stopped in his tracks, which caused Wren to stop as well. He wasn't going to lie to her, even if it got him in trouble.
"No, Moody didn't tell me anything." Raven replied, looking down. "I'm sorry, Mum, I went through your notes and articles when you weren't home to find out information on Death Eaters." Wren's eyes widened. He looked up at her. "After the incident with Wormtail, I wanted to find out more so I could be careful and prepared. I'm sorry for going behind your back."
Wren sighed, "Raven, you could have just asked. I was going to tell you about it one day anyway. You know I want you prepared." She put a hand on his shoulder. "So you know what Dolohov looks like now?"
"Yeah." Raven said quietly.
"And? What did you feel when you saw him?" Wren asked, with worry in her voice.
Raven's smirked a little. "He's pretty ugly if I'm being honest."
Wren giggled a little. "Not the answer I was expecting, but at least it's not a bad one."
"Am I in trouble?" Raven asked.
"Take a guess." Wren said, crossing her arms.
"No?" Raven pondered.
"Take another guess." Wren said.
"Okay, yeah, I'm in trouble." Raven sighed. "What's the punishment?"
"Hmm, every Saturday this summer you have to give your mother a foot and shoulder massage." Wren said.
"Are you sure you want me going near your feet?" Raven questioned. "You know you're ticklish there."
Wren's eyes widened in realization. "Right...just my shoulders then." Wren said. "And you have to do it for half an hour."
"Well, if it's my punishment I'll accept." Raven grumbled.
"But worry about the tournament right now." Wren said. "And thank you for being honest with me, Little Bird. But ask me next time, okay?"
"I will, Mumma Bird. I promise." Raven said, as they started walking again.
"I would've been okay if Alastor had mentioned these things to you. He also looks out for you, you know." Wren said.
"Speaking of Moody, he's been acting weird lately." Raven said.
"Uh...have you met your godfather?" Wren said.
"Yeah yeah, I know he's weird in general, but something just seems off about him." Raven said. "He seems different than how he was when I saw him for Christmas last school year."
"Well, don't tell him I said this...or do, he'd probably agree, but he's gotten a bit old." Wren said.
"And you didn't know him before the war, Little Bird. He wasn't always looking over his shoulder. But with recent events like the World Cup, your name coming out of the Goblet of Fire, and having two former Death Eaters at the school, he's probably just overly cautious so he can make sure you're safe."
"Alright, that makes sense." Raven said. "You're birthday is coming up by the way, what do you want me to get you?"
"I want you to survive this tournament." Wren replied.
"Okay, that was already the plan." Raven said. "Do you want anything else?"
"Hmm, surprise me." Wren said, as they stopped at the base of the path. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already started making their way back to school, as Sirius made his way back up the path, passing Raven and Wren.
"Now get going back to school." Wren said. "And be careful around Snape and Karkaroff. I love you, Little Bird." She gave him a hug.
"I love you too, Mumma Bird." Raven said, hugging her back. "You be careful too. I worry about you just as much as you worry for me." They separated.
"I will, I promise." Wren assured him with a warm smile. They departed and Raven made his way back to Hogwarts.