The Return to Hogwarts

"Someone from the Ministry of Magic has arrived. Amossta, it's Barty Crouch from the International Magical Cooperation Department. He's here for tonight's dinner—"

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and said in an urging tone,

“You’ve worked with him before, so Albus hopes you can come and help with the hospitality.”

"Where are they?"

“It’s down there—” Professor McGonagall said crisply, “in the small room behind the Great Hall.”

Because Professor McGonagall kept urging him, Amosta didn't have much time to tidy himself up. He changed his clothes and went out. As he went downstairs, he tried to make his hair neat while explaining to Professor McGonagall how the rumors that the little witch of Beauxbatons had been attacked by Hagrid had started.

This minor mishap undoubtedly angered Professor McGonagall, who was extremely concerned about the school's image, and even Amostella was blamed by her.

“You knew perfectly well that Hagrid always had a penchant for strange and unusual creatures, yet you still took them with you, Amosta!”

Professor McGonagall's face turned ashen, and she shouted angrily.

"So many eyes are on Hogwarts right now. If people knew, what would the Daily Prophet say? That Hogwarts used tricks and schemes to persecute Beauxbatons' star player!"

When Amostella entered the small room behind the Great Hall, he was almost impatient. In the entire Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and even in the entire wizarding world, only Professor McGonagall dared to disregard his status and strength and reprimand him as an underage wizard.

Ludo Bagman didn't go with Barty Crouch. In the small room, Dumbledore and Barty Crouch were talking around the fireplace, facing the roaring flames. Barty Crouch's back was hunched, and from behind, he seemed so tired that he didn't pay attention to his usual upright appearance.

"Ah, you've come, Amosta—"

Dumbledore turned around and smiled calmly at him.

Amosta turned his gaze to Crouch, who had also turned around, and smiled, preparing to greet him. He and Crouch had worked together for over two months in Paris, and although they were not from the same faction, Amosta still greatly admired some of the wizard's qualities.

but--

When Amosta received a glance from Barty Crouch, his raised hand paused for a moment, and his smile almost crumbled. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and didn't give himself away.

"How have you been lately, Barty? I heard you personally inspected those fire dragon nature reserves?"

Amosta's laughter sounded somewhat deep.

"I'm listening to Bati tell his story of his expedition--"

Dumbledore's azure eyes flickered for a moment; he looked at Amostella, his smile remaining calm.

“You should also listen, Amosta, thanks to Batistuta, our first test was able to proceed as scheduled--”

Chapter 566 Barrier

2023-10-31

Old Barty looked listless, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. He seemed very sensitive to the cold, and after glancing impatiently at Amosta, he immediately looked away, staring intently at the flames in the fireplace, as if he wanted to melt into them.

"what's wrong?"

Amos Tower moved discreetly to Barty Crouch's other side, standing on either side of Dumbledore.

"Was there some kind of accident?"

"nothing!"

Barty's tone was as impatient as his expression. He shifted his shoulders and moved closer to the fireplace again.

"I've been to a few places these days, first Sweden, then Wales and China. Everything was going smoothly; the fire dragon nature reserves in these places had already chosen opponents for the warriors. But when it came to the Hungarian wood wasp, things went wrong. The staff there wanted to put that big guy in the cage early to get used to it, but they overlooked the fact that this is the time when it least wants anyone to get close to it!"

Batty reluctantly and perfunctorily showed Amosta the burn marks on his forearm.

“A whole bunch of people almost lost their lives there. I stayed at St. Mungo’s for two whole days, but the therapist still wouldn’t let me leave. She wanted me to stay in bed for another week. Oh, that definitely won’t do. Weatherby, who was sent by the ministry, is certainly very enthusiastic, to be honest, a little too enthusiastic, but he’s too young and inexperienced. There’s also the Warrior Selection. I can’t keep him here for a second.”

Barty stopped abruptly, as if he had explained everything.

“You definitely look like you need a rest, Batty—”

"Dumbledore said with concern."

"Oh, yes!"

Surprisingly, Barty completely agreed with Dumbledore's statement; he stared at the flames.

"If I may, Dumbledore, and Amosta, I hope to catch my breath before the banquet begins tonight. I have to get back to the department after the Warrior Selections, phew, so much to do."

Barty was breathing heavily, and he closed his eyes as if he were exhausted, his arm resting on the floor above the fireplace, as if he might fall asleep at any moment.

“Let’s give Barty some space, Headmaster Dumbledore—”

Amosta said.

"Thank you so much, Amosta—"

With his eyes closed, Barty spoke in a dry, monotone voice.

"I do need some personal space, phew. I must admit, the St. Mungo's therapist's advice makes some sense; my arm is hurting!"

The walls of the room are covered with portraits, some of which are gazing with admiration at the dedicated Barty Crouch.

"If there's anything I can help with, Bati--"

Before leaving the room, Dumbledore said to Barty's retreating figure,

“I can send a message to the portraits at any time; they can always find out where I am.”

The Great Hall was mostly empty, except for a group of young wizards gathered in the foyer. They were excitedly pointing at the blue and white flames emanating from the Goblet of Fire, oblivious to Professors Dumbledore and Blaine who had silently emerged from the front of the Great Hall.

The light drizzle darkened the sky early. Considering that there wasn't much time left before the banquet began, Dumbledore and Amosta didn't go upstairs. Instead, they walked out of the Great Hall through a small door on the other side and went around to a small courtyard surrounded by several castles.

The dark green lawn, washed by the rain, did not become even greener; instead, it turned an eerie black. In the middle of the courtyard, the old spruce tree, surrounded by a flower bed made of pebbles, rustled its leaves with a somber and eerie sound as the rain pounded against it.

This old courtyard is not usually frequented by many people, and now, only Dumbledore and Amosta are there.

"Was it Voldemort's doing?"

Amos Tower's gaze swept around the courtyard, then he tilted his head back and fixed his eyes on the Astronomy Tower, the tallest building in Hogwarts. Although he was asking a question, his tone was very calm.

"I think so."

Dumbledore twitched his beard, his deep and penetrating gaze seemingly able to pierce through the dark clouds.

A long silence followed, enveloping Dumbledore and Amosta. Neither of them spoke, silently contemplating the problem.

Since Voldemort already had people working for him within Hogwarts, why did he still need to control Barty Crouch?

It's important to understand that Crouch is no ordinary man; he's the second-in-command of the British Ministry of Magic, a sensitive position. If it were discovered that he was under the influence of the Imperius Curse, it would be a terrible thing for Voldemort, who is currently in a predicament.

Before regaining his magic, Voldemort would never want to do anything that might expose him, but he did just that, risking exposing Crouch to Dumbledore and himself. This was indeed puzzling, and Amosta had some vague guesses, but none of them were clear.

When it comes to understanding Voldemort, Dumbledore is definitely superior to Amosta. Tom was recruited into Hogwarts by him personally, and he almost witnessed the domineering and eccentric little boy in the orphanage grow into the Dark Lord, whose name almost no one dared to mention.

"Tom chose to target Barty the Elder, I think, certainly not to take control of the Ministry of Magic. Oh, I think he'll do something like that sooner or later, but not now—"

Dumbledore noticed the change in Amostar's aura and explained before he could ask any questions.

"My guess is—you and I both know, Amostall, that something unexpected will happen at the Halloween dinner in an hour, the result of Tom's careful planning. But predictably, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang won't be happy to see Hogwarts have two Triwizard Tournament champions. Ah, of course, if Hogwarts only had one champion, and he was a minor wizard under seventeen, Madam Maxime and Professor Karkaroff might not have raised any strong objections—"

I understand what you mean—

Amosta nodded.

"You believe that Voldemort is worried that these two schools will strongly resist the results of the champion selection, so he needs a wizard with authority to speak out."

Amosta frowned.

"It's astonishing that he's so cautious and thoughtful, considering things at this level. I thought his mind had become dull after losing most of his soul."

Amosta was clearly joking, but if Dumbledore's guess was true, then Voldemort did indeed surprise him.

Whether the facts are as Dumbledore guessed or not, there's no need for too much speculation; just look at Barty's performance tonight. He clearly came to Hogwarts with a purpose; otherwise, he could have easily pretended to be sick at St. Mungo's.

The real problem isn't here.

If Voldemort controlled Barty Crouch simply to secure an extra person in the Triwizard Tournament, what was his plan after achieving this?

Should they kill Barty the Elder as a sacrifice, or use him as a thorn in the side of the Ministry of Magic?

Regardless of the situation, Dumbledore and Amosta could not stand idly by, but intervening now would clearly be unwise. Voldemort had finally managed to extend a tentacle from the darkness, and this was his most sensitive moment; any sign that made him think he had been exposed would send him back into the shadows.

So, after leaving Young Hangleton, Voldemort remained lurking in Barty Crouch's house?

Upon further reflection, Amosta felt it was unlikely. As a prominent official in the British Ministry of Magic, Barty Crouch's house was constantly visited, and staying there would be too uncomfortable for him.

"I will have Sirius keep a close eye on Batty's recent condition."

After a long pause, Amosta said again, "Of course, I will tell Sirius to keep his distance from Barty Crouch."

Dumbledore pondered for a moment, then sighed and nodded.

In the void, the howling wind roared like a war horn. Dumbledore and Amosta, standing in the courtyard, faced the rolling darkness. They were like a barrier, separating the dark courtyard from the brightly lit Great Hall, which was filled with urgency and joy.

Chapter 567 Torment

2023-11-01

The Halloween dinner has always been a highlight of Hogwarts. When you study at Hogwarts, you can hardly find any banquet that is more lavish than the Halloween dinner. The unveiling of the champions adds a touch of anticipation and anxiety to this wonderful dinner.

The banquet was scheduled to begin at six o'clock, but the young wizards began to come downstairs one after another from four o'clock. Some of them stayed in the foyer all day to find out who had put their names on the Goblet of Fire.

Around 5:30, when it was already quite dark, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the Great Hall together.

Today was supposed to be a pleasant day for Harry and his friends. They had planned to spend the whole day with Hagrid, hoping to glean some information about the Triwizard Tournament from him. However, the little accident that happened to the girl in Beauxbatons this morning caused them quite a bit of trouble.