Book: Courage
Chapter 55
Word Count: 6288
One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Ron was getting to share Harry's limelight for once. Layla noticed that Ron's version of events changed subtly with every retelling. At first, he gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with Layla's and Hermione's stories, anyway, about how Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall's office. One week later, however, Ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up.
"But I had my wand hidden up my sleeve," he assured Padma Patil, who seemed to be a lot keener on Ron now that he was getting so much attention and was making a point of talking to him every time they passed in the corridors. "I could've taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted."
"What were you going to do, snore at them?" said Hermione waspishly. People had been teasing her so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would most miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood.
Layla, however, wasn't being teased for being the thing Cedric missed the most, she was simply getting jealous looks from all of Cedric's female admirers whenever she walked through the halls.
Ron's ears went red at Hermione's words, and thereafter, he reverted back to the bewitched sleep version of events.
As they entered March, the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course.
On Friday morning at breakfast, Layla was watching the owls fly in with letters and packages when an owl flew towards her with two letters, each with Grimmauld's place on them as the return address, meaning that one letter was from Remus and one was from Sirius. Layla opened her dad's first.
Layla,
I loved your last letter. Thank you for keeping me updated about the tournament. And, of course, about you and Cedric.
Yes, you can stay at his over the summer, but I still expect you to visit me at least twice during the holidays and, of course, weekly letters!
I miss you, honey. The next task is in three months, right? Well, until then, keep me updated about your school work and what you are getting up to, and let me know when you hear anything about the next task. Sirius wants to know immediately so he can give Harrg some tips, but that's our secret.
Love,
Dad x
Layla smiled happily before placing the letter aside and opening Sirius' letter.
Lays,
I can't believe Harry stole my nickname for you!!
This letter will be quick and simple as I think it'd be best if we all talk in person.
Your dad is leaving for the weekend deep into the woods as it is a full moon coming up so I need something to do in the mean time. I was thinking we all could talk. You, me, and Harry, and you can bring Ron and Hermione if you want.
Reply soon if you are up to meeting me, and if you are, Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. I've run out of snacks here and your dad can't go to get more food until after the full moon so please bring me some snacks!
Love,
x
"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" said Ron incredulously.
"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Hermione.
"I can't believe him," said Harry tensely, reading the letter over Layla's shoulder, flushing a faint red when he saw the first sentence. But as Harry read on, he frowned worriedly. "If he's caught..."
"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" said Ron. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."
Layla folded up the letter, thinking. If she was honest with herself, she really wanted to see Sirius again. She therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon — double Potions — feeling considerably more cheerful than she usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons.
Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with Pansy Parkinson's gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Layla couldn't see and sniggering heartily. Pansy's pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle's broad back as Harry, Layla, Ron, and Hermione approached.
"There they are, there they are!" she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart.
Layla saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands — Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.
"You might find something to interest you in there, Werewolf Girl!" Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Layla, who caught it, looking confused. At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside.
Harry, Layla, Ron, and Hermione headed for two tables at the back of the dungeon as usual. Once Snape had turned his back on them to write up the ingredients of todays potion on the blackboard, Layla hastily rifled through the magazine under the desk. At last, in the center pages, Layla found what she was looking for.
Harry Potter's Secret Heartache
A boy like no other, perhaps — yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, daughter of a werewolf, Layla Lupin. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss.
Miss Lupin, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for triwizard champions. Since she has begun a supposed relationship with former Hogwarts heartthrob Cedric Diggory, Miss Lupin has been toying with both boys' affections. Diggory, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Lupin, has already invited her to spend the summer holidays with him at his own home.
However, it might not be Miss Lupin's doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interest.
"She's really ugly," says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, "but she is friends with Hermione Granger, and they're both quite brainy. If they'd worked together, they'd be well up to making a Love Potion. I think that's how Lupin is doing it."
Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate.
"What did you do to Rita Skeeter?" hissed Ron from the desk behind Layla and Hermione's. He had leaned over the desk to catch glimpses of the article over Layla's shoulder. "She's made you out to be some sort of — of scarlet woman!"
Layla stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter.
"Scarlet woman?" she repeated, shaking with suppressed giggles as she looked around at Ron.
"It's what my mum calls them," Ron muttered, his ears going red.
"If that's the best Rita can do, she's losing her touch," said Layla, still giggling, as she threw Witch Weekly onto the empty chair beside her. "What a pile of old rubbish."
She looked over at the Slytherins, who were all watching her and Harry closely across the room to see if they had been upset by the article. Layla gave them a sarcastic smile and a wave, and she, Harry, Ron, and Hermione started unpacking the ingredients they would need for their Wit-Sharpening Potion.
"There's something funny, though," Hermione spoke up ten minutes later, holding her pestle suspended over a bowl of scarab beetles. "How could Rita Skeeter have known?"
"Known what?" said Ron quickly. "You haven't been helping Layla mix up Love Potions, have you?"
"Don't be stupid," Hermione snapped, starting to pound up her beetles again. "No, it's just... how did she know Cedric asked Layla to stay with him over the summer? The only people Layla told, as far as I'm aware, are me and Ginny." Hermione glanced at Layla beside her. "Right?"
"Yeah," Layla nodded. "That's right. I didn't tell anyone else."
"I'm a bit offended that you didn't tell me," said Ron jokingly, but Harry was looking at Layla with a slightly surprised expression.
"What?" he said, dropping his pestle with a loud clunk.
"He asked me right after he'd pulled me out of the lake," Layla muttered. "Madam Pomfrey gave us both blankets and then he sort of pulled me away from the judges so they wouldn't hear, and he said, if I wasn't doing anything over the summer, would I like to—"
"And what did you say?" said Harry, who had picked up his pestle and was grinding it on the desk, a good six inches from his bowl, because he was looking at Layla.
"But how could Rita Skeeter have heard mine and Ced's conversation?" Layla went on. "She wasn't there."
"Or was she?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Maybe she has got an Invisibility Cloak; maybe she sneaked onto the grounds to watch the second task."
"And what did you say?" Layla repeated, pounding his pestle down so hard that it dented the desk.
"Well, I was too busy seeing whether you, 'Mione, and Ron were okay to—"
"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is. Miss Lupin," said an icy voice right behind them, and all four of them jumped, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."
Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking. The whole class was now looking around at them; Draco took the opportunity to flash POTTER STINKS across the dungeon at Harry.
"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..." Snapes black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter's article. "Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings."
The dungeon rang with the Slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth. To both Layla's and Harry's fury, he began to read the article aloud.
"'Harry Potter's Secret Heartache...' dear, dear. Potter, what's ailing you now? 'A boy like no other, perhaps...'"
Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape.
"'...Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.' How very touching," sneered Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the Slytherins. "Well, I think I had better separate the four of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, beside Mr Crabbe. Miss Lupin, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter — that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."
Layla angrily threw her ingredients and her bag into her cauldron and dragged it over to Pansy's desk, sitting down, much to both of their distaste.
The two of them simply resumed their work. Pansy occasionally muttered insults towards Layla under her breath, but Layla merely feigned deafness.
There was a knock on the dungeon door.
"Enter," said Snape in his usual voice.
The class looked around as the door opened. Professor Karkaroff came in. Everyone watched him as he walked up toward Snape's desk. He was twisting his finger around his goatee and looking agitated.
"We need to talk," said Karkaroff abruptly when he had reached Snape. He seemed so determined that nobody should hear what he was saying that he was barely opening his lips; it was as though he were a rather poor ventriloquist.
Layla was unable to hear anymore of their conversation, so when the bell rang, she simply collected her things and headed for the door, meeting Ron and Hermione outside of it.
"Where's Harry?" Layla asked as she walked out of the dungeons with her two friends.
"Stayed behind in the classroom, hiding behind his desk to eavesdrop on Snape's and Karkaroff's little chat," said Ron with a nonchalantly shrug.
At noon the next day, Harry, Layla, Ron, and Hermione left the castle to find a weak silver sun shining down upon the grounds. The weather was milder than it had been all year, and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade, all four of them had taken off their cloaks and thrown them over their shoulders. The food Sirius had told them to bring was in Layla's bag; they had sneaked a few chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a flask of pumpkin juice from the lunch table until Remus could go shopping for food for Grimmauld's Place.
At half past one, they made their way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, and out toward the edge of the village.
The winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside around Hogsmeade. The cottages were fewer here, and their gardens larger; they were walking toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. Then they turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. Waiting for them, its front paws on the topmost bar, was a very large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth and looking very familiar.
"Hello, Sirius," said Harry when they had reached him.
"Siri!" Layla grinned happily, crouching down to pet the dog, causing the animagus to wag its tail. "I missed you!" Sirius' dog form licked Layla's cheek, causing Layla to wrinkle her nose up and wipe the dog saliva away with an amused laugh. "I'll take that as an 'I missed you, too'."
The black dog wagged its tail once, then turned and began to trot away from them across the scrubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain. Harry, Layla, Ron, and Hermione climbed over the stile and followed.
Sirius led them to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks. It was easy for him, with his four paws, but Harry, Layla, Ron, and Hermione were soon out of breath. They followed Sirius higher, up onto the mountain itself. For nearly half an hour they climbed a steep, winding, and stony path, following Sirius's wagging tail, sweating in the sun, the shoulder straps of Layla's bag cutting into her shoulders.
Then, at last, Sirius slipped out of sight, and when they reached the place where he had vanished, they saw a narrow fissure in the rock. They squeezed into it and found themselves in a cool, dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock, was Buckbeak the hippogriff. Half gray horse, half giant eagle, Buckbeak's fierce orange eye flashed at the sight of them. All four of them bowed low to him, and after regarding them imperiously for a moment, Buckbeak bent his scaly front knees and allowed Hermione to rush forward and stroke his feathery neck. Layla, however, was looking at the black dog, which had just turned into Sirius.
"Siri!" Layla repeated, rushing forward into Sirius' open arms now that she was seeing him in human form for the first time singe last summer, hugging him tightly. She then looked around. "What is this place?"
"It's Buckbeak's home," said Sirius with a soft smile. "I come here once or twice a week to bring him some food and water. Your dad wouldn't appreciate it if I brought a Hippogriff to stay with us, even if it is my home."
"That's fair," Layla chuckled. "Well, since my dad forgets to go shopping all the time, I wasn't surprised when you said you were out of food. So, we brought chicken, bread, and pumpkin juice!"
She pulled open her bag and handed over the chicken legs and bread.
"Thanks," said Sirius, opening it, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and beginning to slowly eat it.
"What're you doing here, Sirius?" Harry said.
"Don't worry about it. I'm pretending to be a lovable stray." said Sirius. "I want to be on the spot. 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."
He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a scrunched up Daily Prophet. Ron took it and unfolded it.
"What if they catch you? What if you're seen?" Harry questioned worriedly.
"You four and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus," said Sirius, shrugging, and went back to biting into the chicken leg.
Ron nudged Harry and passed him the Daily Prophets. There were two: The first bore the headline Mystery Illness of Bartemius Crouch, the second, Ministry Witch Still Missing - Minister of Magic Now Personally Involved.
Layla looked over at the story about Crouch over Harry's shoulder, skimming quickly through it. Phrases jumped out at her, hasn't been seen in public since November... house appears deserted... St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries decline comment... Ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness.
"They're making it sound like he's dying," said Layla 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 says Crouch is suffering from overwork."
"Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close," said Harry slowly, still reading the story. "The night my name came out of the goblet."
"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" said Hermione, an edge to her voice. "I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now — bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him."
"Hermione's obsessed with house-elfs," Ron muttered to Sirius, casting Hermione a dark look. Sirius, however, looked interested.
"Crouch sacked his house-elf?"
"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup," said Layla, and she launched into the story of the Dark Mark's appearance, and Winky being found with Harry's wand clutched in her hand, and Mr Crouch's fury. When Layla had finished, Sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave.
"Let me get this straight," he said after a while, grabbing the second chicken leg and throwing the chicken bone of the first one over to Buckbeak. "You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?"
"Right," said Harry, Layla, Ron, and Hermione together.
"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?"
"No," said Harry. "I think he said he'd been too busy."
Sirius paced all around the cave in silence. Then he said, "Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"
"Erm... no," Harry said. "I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars." He stared at Sirius. "Are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stole my wand in the Top Box?"
"It's possible," said Sirius.
"Winky didn't steal that wand!" Hermione insisted.
"The elf wasn't the only one in that box," said Sirius, his brow furrowed as he continued to pace. "Who else was sitting behind you?"
"Loads of people," said Harry. "Some Bulgarian ministers... Cornelius Fudge... the Malfoys..."
"The Malfoys!" said Ron suddenly, so loudly that his voice echoed all around the cave, and Buckbeak tossed his head nervously. "I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!"
"Anyone else?" said Sirius.
"No one," said Harry.
"Yes, there was, there was Ludo Bagman," Layla reminded him.
"Oh yeah..."
"I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps," said Sirius, still pacing. "What's he like?"
"He's okay," said Harry. "He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament."
"Does he, now?" said Sirius, frowning more deeply. "I wonder why he'd do that?"
"Says he's taken a liking to me," said Harry.
"Hmm," said Sirius, looking thoughtful.
"We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared," Layla told Sirius. "Remember?" she said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he?" said Ron. "The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite."
"No, Layla's got a point with this one," said Hermione. "We don't know where he Disapparated to."
"Come off it," said Ron incredulously. "Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?"
"It's more likely he did it than Winky," said Hermione stubbornly.
"Told you," said Ron, looking meaningfully at Sirius, "told you she's obsessed with house—"
But Sirius held up a hand to silence Ron.
"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," said Layla, "but there wasn't anyone else there."
"Of course," Sirius muttered, pacing up and down, "of course, he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf... and then he sacked her?"
"Yes," said Hermione 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!" said Ron.
Sirius shook his head and said, "She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."
He ran a hand over his face, evidently thinking hard.
"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."
"D'you know Crouch, then?" said Harry.
Sirius's face darkened.
"Oh I know Crouch all right," he said quietly. "He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban — without a trial."
"What?" said Harry, Ron, and Hermione together.
"You're kidding!" said Layla.
"No, I'm not," said Sirius, taking a bite of chicken. "Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?"
Harry, Layla, Ron, and Hermione shook their heads.
"He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic," said Sirius. "He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical — and power-hungry. 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."
"That's what my dad said at the World Cup," said Ron, with a trace of irritation in his voice.
"Yeah, come on, Siri," Layla lightly frowned. "We can handle it. Try us."
A grin flashed across Sirius's face.
"All right, I'll try you." He walked once up the cave, back again, and then said, "Imagine 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 Voldemorts 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. I would say he 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." Sirius smiled grimly. "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?" gasped Hermione.
"Yep," said Sirius, throwing his chicken bone to Buckbeak, before picking up the loaf of bread and pulling a piece of it apart to eat. "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."
"Was his son a Death Eater?" said Harry.
"No idea," said Sirius. "I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters — but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf."
"Did Crouch try and get his son off?" Hermione whispered.
Sirius let out a laugh.
"Crouch let his son off? I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his 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?" asked Layla quietly.
"That's right," said Sirius. "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."
For a moment, the deadened look in Sirius's eyes became more pronounced than ever, as though shutters had closed behind them.
"So he's still in Azkaban?" Harry said.
"No," said Sirius dully. "No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in."
"He died?" Layla gasped.
"He wasn't the only one," said Sirius. "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 sons body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it."
Sirius threw aside the bread he had just lifted to his mouth and instead picked up the flask of pumpkin juice, taking a sip of it.
"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made," he continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister 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 a nice 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."
There was a long silence. Layla was thinking of the way Crouch's eyes had bulged as he'd looked down at his disobedient house-elf back in the wood at the Quidditch World Cup.
This, then, must have been why Crouch had overreacted to Winky being found beneath the Dark Mark. It had brought back memories of his son, and the old scandal, and his fall from grace at the Ministry.
"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards," Harry told Sirius.
"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him," said Sirius, 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!" s aid Ron triumphantly, looking at Hermione.
"Yes, and that doesn't make sense at all," said Sirius.
"Yeah, it does!" said Ron excitedly, but Sirius shook his head.
"Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him."
"So you think Snape could be up to something, then?" asked Harry, but Hermione broke in.
"Look, I don't care what you say, Dumbledore trusts Snape—"
"Oh give it a rest, Hermione," said Ron 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?"
"I dunno — maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out—"
"What d'you think, Siri?" Layla said loudly, and Ron and Hermione stopped bickering to listen.
"I think they've both got a point," said Sirius, looking thoughtfully at Ron and Hermione. "Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was," Sirius added, and Layla grinned, remembering how much her dad also hated Snape in school. "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters."
Sirius held up his fingers and began ticking off names.
"Rosier and Wilkes — they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges — they're a married couple — they're in Azkaban. Avery — from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse — he's still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater — not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble."
"Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet," said Ron.
"Yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in Potions yesterday!" said Harry quickly. "Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was."
"He showed Snape something on his arm?" said Sirius, looking frankly bewildered. He ran his fingers distractedly through his hair, then shrugged again. "Well, I've no idea what that's about... but if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers..." Sirius stared at the cave wall, then made a grimace of frustration. "There's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but I just can't see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he'd ever worked for Voldemort."
"Why are Moody and Crouch so keen to get into Snape's office then?" said Ron stubbornly.
"Well," said Sirius slowly, "I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts. He takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure he trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed 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. Crouch, though... he's a different matter... is he really ill? 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 lapsed into silence, still staring at the cave wall. Finally, he looked at 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," said Ron doubtfully. "Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch."
"And you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it," said Sirius, gesturing to the second copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Bagman told me they hadn't," said Harry.
"Yes, he's quoted in the article in there," said Sirius, nodding at the paper. "Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's changed since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all — quite the reverse. She was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic... maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long."
Sirius heaved an enormous sigh.
"What's the time?"
"It's half past three," said Layla.
"You'd better get back to school, and I have to get home," Sirius said, getting to his feet. "Now listen... I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me at Grimmauld's Place. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you're not to go leaving Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you."
"No one's tried to attack me so far, except a dragon and a couple of grindylows," Harry said, but Sirius scowled at him.
"I don't care... I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until June. And don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Padfoot, okay?"
He handed Layla the empty napkin and flask and went to pat Buckbeak good-bye.
"I'll walk to the edge of the village with you and then I'll be on my way home to wait for Remus to get back tomorrow morning," said Sirius. "Maybe then he'll go shopping before he kills me from starvation."
Layla chuckled at that.
Sirius transformed into the great black dog before they left the cave, and they walked back down the mountainside with him, across the boulder-strewn ground, and back to the stile.
Here he allowed each of them to pat him on the head, and Layla crouched down to stroke the dog, receiving another lick on the cheek in return, before Sirius turned and set off at a run around the outskirts of the village. Harry, Layla, Ron, and Hermione made their way back into Hogsmeade and up toward Hogwarts.
"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" Ron said as they walked up the drive to the castle. "But maybe he doesn't care. It'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."
"Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors," said Layla.
"I don't know," said Ron. "If he thought we were standing in the way of his career. Percy's really ambitious, you know."
They walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall, where the delicious smells of dinner wafted toward them from the Great Hall.