The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 429 Theoretical Basis
The Pensieve is a magical item that can store thoughts and memories in the mind. The silver-white object at the bottom of the basin is the flowing memory, and the strange-looking symbols on the edge of the basin are ancient runes.

Dumbledore said: "People like me always have a lot of memories in my mind, which makes me think too much, and sometimes it is inevitable that my memory will be confused. The Pensieve can help me get rid of this problem and make my thinking clearer."

Memories are not necessarily completely accurate. Sometimes they will be modified appropriately according to your subjective wishes, making it what you prefer to see. Just like "Rashomon", everyone is trying to beautify their own behavior and bias their views on others.

At this time, the role of the meditation basin is highlighted. It allows people to relive a memory from a third-party perspective, which may be more objective and accurate, and reduce subjective misjudgment.

"Let's go and take a look at my past memories. Perhaps this will help us find the answers we want." Dumbledore continued, and then he touched the flowing objects in the Pensieve and entered the pantomime being performed in the Pensieve.

Ada was not surprised by Dumbledore's sudden disappearance, because she saw the tiny Dumbledore at the bottom of her pelvis, and the headmaster was even waving at her.

Ida also imitated Dumbledore and touched the object in the basin. In an instant, the office seemed to tilt sideways, and Ida was "poured" into the meditation basin like garbage.

The principal's office suddenly became quiet. The past principals in the photo frames on the wall opened their eyes one after another and discussed in a low voice the two people who had just disappeared.

In the memory world of the Pensieve, Ada seemed to fall from a high altitude, but she did not fall vertically headfirst, but landed steadily on a bench, with Dumbledore sitting next to her.

This was a very depressing room, with at least two hundred wizards sitting on the high stairs around it. Despite the large number of people sitting in the room, the scene was exceptionally quiet, with only a frail witch crying next to Barty Crouch.

The door in the corner of the room opened, and six Dementors came in, escorting four people, three men and one woman. At this time, the witch's sobbing became louder.

Two of the men looked similar, except one was short and fat, and the other was thin. The short and fat man looked a little confused, while the thinner man was very nervous.

The woman among the four had thick black hair. She looked very beautiful, but her arrogant look made people feel uncomfortable. The woman looked at the wizard in the room with disdain, as if she regarded the people who were judging her as a bunch of good-for-nothings and useless people.

The last man, who looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen, looked completely petrified and trembling all over, with his long straw-colored hair hanging over his pale face.

Looking at the boy's appearance, Ada muttered quietly, "Barty Crouch II."

He looked a lot like his father, except that his eyebrows and eyes lacked his father's fierce aura. He looked more like his weak mother, the woman who covered her face and cried beside Barty Crouch.

Dumbledore's memory proceeded step by step. Barty Crouch presided over the trial, accusing the four of their inhumane acts and imprisoned all four of them in Azkaban.

Even though his son was among the four, Crouch did not show favoritism, which is really chilling.

The result of the trial was life imprisonment, and the four people had to spend the rest of their lives miserably accompanied by Dementors to atone for the crimes they had committed.

The memory ended here, the picture dissipated like smoke, the world became dark, and only Barty Crouch Jr.'s pleading voice still echoed in Ada's ears——

"No! Mother, no! It wasn't me, it wasn't me, I didn't know! Don't send me there, stop him!"

"Father! Father, I didn't participate! No! No! Father, please!"

Ada had long heard of Barty Crouch's ruthlessness and knew that he had imprisoned his own son in Azkaban. But when Ada saw the trial with her own eyes, she was still shocked and frightened by Crouch's ruthlessness and determination.

What made Barty Crouch cruelly say "You are not my son" and "I have no son", and what made him say "Take them away and let them rot there". Barty Crouch's roar even shook Ada's assumptions. She couldn't believe that such a person would secretly release her son.

What made Ada even more unbelievable was that there were such heartless people in the world.

Without any hesitation, he sentenced his own son to life imprisonment. Ada did not see any expression of a father on Barty Crouch's face.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" Dumbledore's voice rang in his ears. "A father could be so cruel to his own son, isn't it?"

Ada nodded silently. This shocking scene made her forget that she was in darkness and that Dumbledore beside her could not see her movements.

"My father once broke the law for his daughter Ariana and was imprisoned in Azkaban. His crime was attacking three Muggle boys because these three Muggle boys did terrible things to Ariana." Dumbledore said, his voice could not tell whether he was sad or happy. "I have never been a father, but I think most fathers should be like this!"

Dumbledore's past was not a secret, and there were people who knew about it, but no one had ever spoken about it. His father was imprisoned in Azkaban for attacking Muggles, and his sister was in the Obscurus.

"No one would think that Barty Crouch was partial, and no one would ever think that he would secretly release his own son." Dumbledore continued, "People are just asking why Barty, who was both good in character and academics, became like this. They blamed everything on Barty Crouch. Because of Barty's incident, people no longer trust Barty Crouch."

It is the fault of the father if he fails to educate his child. Although Mr. Crouch failed to educate his child when Barty Jr. broke the law, the blame cannot be entirely put on him.

As Dumbledore said, Crouch's popularity fell simply because people no longer trusted him.

People often sympathize with the weak because they can find some resonance in them. Barty Crouch can treat his son so coldly and cruelly, what about other citizens?

Once the ruthless Barty Crouch comes to power, what cruel things will he do to the people?
This is the main reason why people no longer trust Crouch. No one likes a leader who is inhumane or even has lost his humanity.

"Ada, your assumption is very bold, and may even make people think you are crazy." Dumbledore said again, "But I think it is very likely, because successive blows will change a person."

His own son was imprisoned, his wife was seriously ill, and his career, which he had worked hard for half his life, hit rock bottom. The double blow to his family and career was enough to cause a huge change in Barty Crouch's character and thinking.

It is not impossible that he may bend the law for personal gain. If it goes too far, he may even be directly replaced.

Darkening, understand?
All it takes for all these changes is a promoter, and Barty Crouch’s late wife is likely to be that promoter.

"What a tragedy," Ida sighed softly, "Everyone's life is always full of misfortunes. This is fucked up life."

Ada suddenly felt a big hand on her head, and then a light came on, and another memory appeared vaguely before her eyes.

That's Alastor Moody, Moody with a magic eye and a wooden peg leg, and the scene should be in the home of the former Auror.

Another memory plays out.

(End of this chapter)