Hermione blinked several times. It was a lot brighter than she remembered. She looked up and saw the sun high in the sky. She could hear cheering coming from the shore. She frantically looked around her and saw a shark next to her. She yelped and was about to swim away very fast when she realised that it had legs
"Viktor?" she gasped. Viktor raised his wand and the shark head slowly turned back into his normal one. If only Harry knew how to do that
Wait... Harry! Harry didn't know what to do! And Ron... Hermione looked at the shore. Cedric, Cho and Fleur were there, wrapped in large blankets, but Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen. Nor was Fleur's little sister, which was strange
"Are you alright?"
Viktor was watching her, looking concerned. Hermione took several deep breaths, frantically treading water. No one looked very bothered about Ron and Harry's absence. Besides, if Harry hadn't turned up, then Ron would've been retrieved before the task started. Harry must have found out what to do then
"Yeah, I'm fine" she said "just... confused"
"Ve should go to the other champions" said Viktor
They swam to the edge of the lake, where Cedric and Cho helped them climb onto shore. Fleur didn't move. She was shaking, and staring out into the lake. Various cuts and scratches marred her beautiful face, but she didn't seem to care
"She got attacked by the grindylows" said Cedric before Hermione could ask "I think she thinks her sister will get hurt without her or something"
Hermione thought about going over to talk to her, but decided against it when Cho muttered "I've tried"
Just then, Madam Pomfrey bustled over and wrapped them in multiple blankets each. The judges were all there as well, with Percy Weasley instead of Mr Crouch. Percy looked a lot younger than usual, and was watching the lake with a similar expression to Fleur
"Herm-own-ninny" said Viktor quietly, when Madam Pomfrey had stopped checking for signs of pneumonia or something "can I haff a word?"
"Oh, yeah, sure" said Hermione. Viktor took her to one side, away from everything else
"Are you doing anything over the summer?" he asked
"Oh, um, I don't think so, no" said Hermione "why?"
"Vood you like to visit me?"
Hermione blinked. Too much was happening in too short a space of time for her to process it in time. It seemed like she was in the library with Ron and Harry only a few minutes ago
"What?" she said slowly "Over the- do you mean in Bulgaria?"
"Yes" said Viktor "I vood like you to see my home. I think you vood like it. Vood you like to come?"
"I- Are you sure?" Hermione stuttered "I mean, staying with you... surely you would get annoyed with me eventually?"
Viktor shook his head
"I haff never felt this way about any other girl" he said
Hermione blinked. Huh?
"Well, I-"
The crowd had began to cheer again. Hermione turned. Harry and Ron had emerged from the water, accompanied by Fleur's little sister, for some reason. Several seconds later, about two dozen merpeople appeared alongside them. They looked nothing like traditional mermaids, with greyish skin and long dark green hair, sort of like kelp. Hermione ran over to shore. Percy waded into the lake to help Ron up, looking quite unprofessional, and Fleur had to be restrained by Madame Maxime to stop her from following Percy
"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"
As Dumbledore and Bagman helped Harry up, Fleur escaped Madame Maxime's arms and charged towards her sister, hugging her hard
"It was ze grindylows... zey attacked me... oh Gabrielle, I thought... I thought..."
Madam Pomfrey forced some Pepperup Potion down Harry's throat, which made his ears smoke, and Hermione rushed over to him
"Harry, well done!" she exclaimed "You did it, you found out how all by yourself!"
"Well-" said Harry, glancing to the judges table, where Karkaroff was eavesdropping "Yeah, that's right"
"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny" said Viktor
"You're well outside the time limit, though, Harry..." said, Hermione, flicking the beetle off her hair into the water "Did it take you ages to find us?"
"No... I found you okay..."
There was a horrid screeching noise. Dumbledore was crouched down next to the lake, talking to what seemed to be the head merperson - a fierce looking female. They were speaking to each other in the same sort of screeching noises that had come out of the golden egg. He got up and said "A conference before we give the marks, I think"
The judges huddled together. Madam Pomfrey, who had been attending to Ron, went over to Fleur and her sister Gabrielle, but Fleur refused to let herself get checked on
"Look after Gabrielle" she said, before turning to Harry "You saved 'er, even though she was not your 'ostage"
"Yeah" said Harry, who went very red as Fleur proceeded to kiss him on each cheek. Hermione grinned
"And you too-" said Fleur, turning to Ron. Hermione's smile slid off her face "you 'elped-"
"Yeah" said Ron eagerly "yeah, a bit-"
Fleur kissed him on the cheek. Hermione glared at him, but he didn't notice
Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice made them all jump, and silenced the crowd
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows..."
"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points"
There was a round of applause
"I deserved zero" said Fleur miserably, while Gabrielle grinned at her older sister
"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour. We therefore award him forty-seven points"
Another round of applause, and the Hufflepuffs in the crowd cheered
"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points"
Hermione grinned at Viktor
"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect" Bagman went on. Gillyweed! Of course! "He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own"
Hermione gave Harry an exasperated look. Of course he did
"Most of the judges" and here, Bagman gave Karkaroff a dark look "feel that this shows moral fibre and merits full marks. However... Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points"
Hermione and Ron stared at him, before bursting out laughing and clapping with everyone else
"There you go, Harry!" Ron called "You weren't being thick after all - you were showing moral fibre!"
"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty- fourth of June" says Bagman "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions"
Madam Pomfrey herded the champions and hostages up to castle to get changed into clean clothes. Hermione walked with Viktor to the Durmstrang ship. Hermione tried to ignore Ginny, who just happened to be going the same way, albeit about fifteen paces behind. They reach the ship and faced each other
"About my offer" Viktor started
"Listen, Viktor" said Hermione carefully "I'll need time to think... It's a big offer..."
"But you vill think about it?" Viktor confirmed
"Yes, of course I will" said Hermione brightly
There was a pause. Something seemed to have changed in the air
"Herm-own-ninny" said Viktor "I really like you"
Hermione went red
"I- I like you too" she stuttered "a lot"
She went even brighter red as he took a step towards her, and another, and another, so there was almost no space between them. He leant down and kissed her. Hermione felt like she had been given a large dose of Pepperup Potion, but in a good way. She felt very warm, in exactly the right way. Viktor broke away and smiled
"I vill see you tomorrow" he said
"Yeah" Hermione said vaguely
Viktor went back into the ship. Hermione was frozen on the spot, and would have stayed that way had Ginny not appeared by her side, taken her arm, and led her towards the castle
"Well" she said brightly "you clearly have a lot of things to tell me"
***
Hermione didn't tell Ron or Harry about what happened. Harry probably wouldn't be very interested and, given how odd he was acting, Ron would probably punch something. Besides, telling anyone other than Ginny would probably add to the large amount of teasing she was already getting for being the person Viktor Krum would miss most. Hermione, however, found that fact quite sad. Harry's best friend and Fleur's little sister made sense. Even Cedric and Cho had probably known each other for a while before the Ball. But Viktor didn't seem to have anyone like that, which surprised Hermione
Everyone wanted to hear about what had happened which, for once, put Hermione and Ron in the limelight with Harry. Ron seemed to be enjoying the attention a bit too much. Each time he told the story it changed slightly so, within three days it had gone from the rather boring original to an adventure story which featured Ron fighting off fifty merpeople, all armed with spears or worse, who had to beat him unconscious before he finally submitted
"But I had my wand hidden up my sleeve" he assured his admirers "I could've taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted"
"What were you going to do, snore at them?" said Hermione scathingly, very glad when Ron went red
At the beginning of March the brown owl returned carrying Sirius's letter. It was only just longer than the last one:
Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can.
"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" said Ron
"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Hermione
"I can't believe him" Harry muttered "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"
They walked down to double Potions and found the group of Slytherin laughing heartily about something
"There they are, there they are!" said Pansy Parkinson, and the group broke apart. Pansy was carrying a copy of this week's Witch Weekly
"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" Pansy shrieked, throwing the magazine at Hermione. Startled, Hermione caught it, just as Snape appeared to take them inside. Hermione waited until Snape had written the instructions inside and gone to bully Neville before opening the magazine. Inside was a colour picture of Harry and underneath:
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, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss.
Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys’ affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has “never felt this way about any other girl”
However, it might not be Miss Granger’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’d be well up to making a Love Potion, she’s quite brainy. I think that’s how she’s 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.
Hermione stared at the article, her mind going wild. How on earth did she know about what Viktor said?
“I told you!” Ron said “I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She’s made you out to be some sort of - of scarlet woman!”
Hermione came back to herself at that and snorted
“Scarlet woman?” she said
“It’s what my mum calls them” mumbled Ron, his ears going red
“If that’s the best Rita can do, she’s losing her touch,” said Hermione throwing the article onto the adjacent “What a pile of old rubbish”
The Slytherins were watching her closely. Hermione gave them a sarcastic smile and wave, before going into her bag to find her ingredients
“There’s something funny, though” said Hermione as she pounded Scarab beetles into a pulp “How could Rita Skeeter have known...?”
“Known what?” said Ron, looking up “You haven’t been mixing up Love Potions, have you?”
“Don’t be stupid” said Hermione “No, it’s just... how did she know Viktor asked me to visit him over the summer?”
Her face heated as she spoke, and Ron dropped his pestle
“What?” he exclaimed
“He asked me right after he’d pulled me out of the lake” she mumbled “After he’d got rid of his shark’s head. 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 Ron
“And he did say he’d never felt the same way about anyone else,” Hermione continued “but how could Rita Skeeter have heard him? She wasn’t there... or was she? Maybe she has got an Invisibility Cloak; maybe she sneaked onto the grounds to watch the second task...”
“And what did you say?” Ron snarled
“Well, I was too busy seeing whether you and Harry were okay to-”
“Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger” came Snape's voice, making them jump “I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor”
He snatched up the copy of Witch Weekly
“Ah.. reading magazines under the table as well? A further ten points from Gryffindor... oh but of course...” Snape’s glanced at the article heading “Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings...”
The Slytherins burst out laughing. Snape smiled coldly, and 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...’”
He paused at the end of each sentence to allow the Slytherins a laugh
“‘...Harry Potter’s well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate’ How very touching” said Snape, 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”
About half way through the lesson, there was a knock at the door
“Enter,” said Snape dully. Professor Karkaroff entered the room, looking very agitated
“We need to talk” he said
“I’ll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff” Snape snapped
“I want to talk now, while you can’t slip off, Severus. You’ve been avoiding me”
“After the lesson” Snape snarled
Harry found an excuse to stay behind after the bell went, and looked very confused when he left
"What did Karkaroff want with Snape?" asked Ron
"He showed him something on his arm" said Harry
"Huh?" said Ron
"Exactly" said Harry "I couldn't see what it was. He said that it had been getting clearer for months. He seemed very wound up about it"
The next day, they stole a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a flask of pumpkin juice off the Gryffindor table at lunch and hid it in Harry's bag, before heading off with the rest of the school towards Hogsmeade. Apparently, it was dobby who had given Harry the Gillyweed for the second task, so they stopped off at Gladrags Wizardwear to but him some socks as a thank you present
After an entertaining half hour of buying the most absurd socks they could find, they left the shop, passed Dervish and Banges and headed out towards the edge of the village. At the end of the lane was the stile, and leaning on that was a very familiar looking black dog
“Hello, Sirius” said Harry. Sirius, who was carrying an old copy of the Daily Prophet in his mouth, sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, wagged his tail, turned on his heels and headed off towards a mountain in the distance
Hermione, Ron and Harry vaulted over the stile and followed Sirius to the mountain and up it. It was very tiring for the three of them, but Sirius could traverse the rocky group easily as a dog. After about half an hour, Sirius disappeared into a gap between the rock. Hermione, Ron and Harry squeezed in after him and found themselves inside a dimly lit cave. Sirius had turned back into a person. He was wearing the same dirty grey robes as he did when he escaped from Azkaban. His hair was still long and his face wasn't shaved, but he looked better than he did the last time Hermione had seen him. Buckbeak the hippogriff was tied to a large rock and Hermione went over to pet him
“Chicken!” said Sirius, his voice raw, taking the Daily Prophet or of his mouth and discarding it onto a pile that was accumulating in the cornet of the cave
“Thanks” said Sirius as Harry passed him the bag “I’ve been living off rats mostly. Can’t steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I’d draw attention to myself”
He grinned, taking a drumstick out of the bag and ripping it apart with his teeth
“What’re you doing here, Sirius?” said Harry
“Fulfilling my duty as godfather” said Sirius “Don’t worry about it, I’m pretending to be a lovable stray”
His grin slipped somewhat when he saw the nerves on Harry's face
“I want to be on the spot" he said "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”
He nodded at the pile of Daily Prophets, and Ron picked on up. Hermione could see the front page was talking about Crouch
“What if they catch you?" Harry persistent "What if you’re seen?”
“You three and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I’m an Animagus” said Sirius nonchalantly
Ron passed Harry the Daily Prophet he was holding
“They’re making it sound like he’s dying” said Harry “But he can’t be that ill if he managed to get up here...”
“My brother’s Crouch’s personal assistant” said Ron “He says Crouch is suffering from overwork”
“Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close” said Harry as he scanned the page “The night my name came out of the goblet...”
“Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn’t he?” said Hermione sharply “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-elves” said Ron, but Sirius looked interested, which was a surprise
“Crouch sacked his house-elf?”
“Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup” said Harry, before telling Sirius everything that had happened
As Harry finished, Sirius got up and started pacing, just as Professor Lupin had done last year when he was thinking hard in the Shrieking Shack
“Let me get this straight” he said “You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?”
“Right” They all replied
“But Crouch didn’t turn up for the match?”
“No” said Harry. “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?”
“Erm... No” said Harry after a moment to think “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. “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!” said Hermione firmly
“The elf wasn’t the only one in that box” said Sirius “Who else was sitting behind you?”
“Loads of people” said Harry slowly “Some Bulgarian ministers... Cornelius Fudge... the Malfoys...”
“The Malfoys!” said Ron “I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!”
“Anyone else?” said Sirius
“No one” said Harry
“Yes, there was, there was Ludo Bagman” Hermione piped up
“Oh yeah...”
“I don’t know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps” said Sirius “What’s he like?”
“He’s okay” said Harry “He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament”
“Does he, now?” said Sirius “I wonder why he’d do that?”
“Says he’s taken a liking to me” said Harry
“Hmm” Sirius repeated
“We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared,” Hermione recalled “Remember?”
“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”
“How d’you know?” said Hermione, quite reasonably, in her opinion “How d’you know where he Disapparated to?”
“Come off it” said Ron, looking inclined to laugh “Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?”
“It’s more likely he did it than Winky” said Hermione
“Told you” said Ron “told you she’s obsessed with house-”
But Sirius held up his hand and Ron shut up
“When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry’s wand, what did Crouch do?” he asked
“Went to look in the bushes” said Harry “but there wasn’t anyone else there”
“Of course” Sirius said to himself “of course, he’d want to pin it on anyone but his own elf... and then he sacked her?”
“Yes” said Hermione “he sacked her, just be- cause she hadn’t stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled-”
“Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!” Ron snapped.
Hermione glared at him, and was very glad when Sirius shook his head
“She’s got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron" he says "If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals”
He stopped pacing
“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
A shadow seemed to pass over Sirius's face
“Oh I know Crouch all right” he said “He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban - without a trial”
“What?” said Hermione at the exact same time as Ron
“You’re kidding!” said Harry
“No, I’m not” said Sirius “Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn’t you know?”
They all 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. Oh never a Voldemort supporter” he added, reading Harry’s expression “No, Barty Crouch was always very out-spoken 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, an edge to his voice “Try us, why don’t you?”
Sirius grinned, but it was gone in a second
“All right, I’ll try you...” there was a pause as he collected his thoughts “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 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. 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 clamouring 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 darkly “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 breathed
“Yep” said Sirius sitting back down “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.”
He began to wolf down large pieces of bread.
“Was his son a Death Eater?” said Harry
“No idea,” said Sirius, still stuffing down bread. “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?” asked Hermione
Sirius let out a bark like 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?” said Harry
“That’s right” said Sirius, the light in his eyes dying “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...”
Sirius stared at the wall. Hermione didn't want to think about what memories was going through his head
Harry broke the silence
“So he’s still in Azkaban?”
“No” Sirius sighed “No, he’s not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in”
“He died?”
“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 son’s body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it”
“So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made” said Sirius grimly “One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic... next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonoured, 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 pause
“Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards” said Harry
“Yeah, I’ve heard it’s become a bit of a mania with him” Sirius nodded “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!” said Ron eagerly
“Yes, and that doesn’t make sense at all” said Sirius.
“Yeah, it does!” said Ron brightly
“Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn’t he been coming to judge the tournament?" Sirius shook his head "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
“Look, I don’t care what you say" Hermione interrupted "Dumbledore trusts Snape-”
“Oh give it a rest, Hermione” said Ron “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, Sirius?” Harry cut in loudly
“I think they’ve both got a point” said Sirius “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” he added. Hermione saw Ron and Harry exchange grins
“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 a hand and began counting 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 “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 blankly “Well, I’ve no idea what that’s about... but if Karkaroff’s genuinely worried, and he’s going to Snape for answers...”
“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
“Well” said Sirius “I wouldn’t put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher’s office when he got to Hogwarts. He takes his Defence 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 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's voice died as he though. Finally he looked up and 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 slowly “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 another Daily Prophet
“Bagman told me they hadn’t” said Harry
“Yes, he’s quoted in the article in there” said Sirius “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 rubbed his eyes
“What’s the time?”
“It’s half past three” said Hermione
“You’d better get back to school” Sirius got up “Now listen... I don’t want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. 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” said Harry
“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 Snuffles, okay?”
“I’ll walk to the edge of the village with you” he said when they were ready to go “see if I can scrounge another paper”
They headed back down the mountain and to the same style. Sirius let them all pat him on the head before he bounded off down another lane
“Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?” Ron said as they head back towards 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 Hermione
“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 reached the Entrance Hall and Ron sighed as he smelt dinner
“Poor old Snuffles” he said “He must really like you, Harry... Imagine having to live off rats”
Hermione had a funny feeling that she was being watched the whole way through dinner. She walked into the empty dormitory and several moments later Ginny followed
"Who's Snuffles?"
Hermione froze
"Sorry?" she said, turning. Ginny was standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips
"Who's Snuffles?" Ginny repeated "I heard you talking about them with Harry and my dear brother"
"Well... I- uh..."
"Come on, Hermione, you're a terrible actor" said Ginny "I know you've been hiding something since the end of last year. Don't you trust me?"
"No, of course I do!" said Hermione "It's just, you wouldn’t believe me..."
"Literally got possessed by a diary in my first year" said Ginny "try me, why don't you?"
Hermione snorted
"You sound a lot like your brother sometimes" she said "alright, I'll try you, so long as you promise not to tell anyone else"
"Obviously" said Ginny
"Shut the door, then" said Hermione "I don't want anyone else to hear"
Ginny shut the door and sat down next to Hermione, looking excited
"Right" Hermione began "let me tell you a story..."