The Return to Hogwarts

"It's Barty Crouch!"

Fred whispered to those around him.

"The Aurors and faculty members are on guard in the auditorium."

As the group walked up the stairs, Amosta stopped and spoke to the Aurors who had caught up.

Amos Tower Blaine was a figure of considerable influence in the British magical world. Upon hearing the order, the Aurors instinctively stopped and quickly set up defenses in the Great Hall. However, upon seeing this scene, Fudge, Umbridge, and Scrimgeour's expressions immediately turned grim. Nevertheless, due to the circumstances, they said nothing.

Sirius Black and Remus followed, and Professor McGonagall and Snape went upstairs as well. But Durmstrang's group of students were a bit at a loss. They were eager to know where their headmaster had gone, but they were a group of students and didn't know whether to stay in the Great Hall or go upstairs with him.

“Victor--”

Amosta waved to Krum, who was leading the way down the steps.

“You come up here too, as Durmstrang’s representative, and hear what has happened.”

Krum nodded, both reserved and grateful, and then followed.

Dumbledore arranged a separate room for Barty Crouch's body. He didn't wake up Gilgamesh for the time being, letting it stay with Barty, while Harry and the others all stayed in the public ward.

Mrs. Pomfrey was deathly pale as she examined several people, while Professor McGonagall clutched her chest, looking distressed. Even though most people were left downstairs, the public ward was still packed, as if some force compelled everyone to remain quiet and wait patiently.

Madam Pomfrey examined him very carefully. Harry was indignant because Madam Pomfrey lifted his clothes in front of so many people and carefully examined some of his wounds, but when it was Hermione's turn, she thoughtfully drew the curtains for her.

"No problem, Albus--"

Finally, Mrs. Pomfrey finished her examination, and she said in a relieved tone, as if she had escaped a disaster,

"They suffered some minor impacts and superficial injuries, but nothing serious, they just need more rest."

"Albus, look at them, they've all had enough, haven't they? They need a rest."

Professor McGonagall's thin lips trembled, and her hand was still clutching her heart as if she were about to cry.

“No,” Dumbledore said firmly. “We must find out what happened as soon as possible before we can respond. Tell me, Harry.”

Chapter 864 The Origin of Fear

2024-04-15

Harry began to speak, even though he still couldn't understand everything. The person who killed Barty Crouch Jr. was undoubtedly Professor Blaine, but how could he have become Gabrielle? The instructions given after returning to the Black Lake seemed to imply that Professor Blaine knew more and had foreseen Voldemort's plot. So, what about Professor Dumbledore? How much did he know?

With so many people waiting, Harry didn't have time to think things through, and besides, since Hermione was still alive, she would analyze it for him.

"--When I woke up, we were in a graveyard. I'd never been there before, but Voldemort's father is buried there, he said--"

"Feel sorry!"

Harry was interrupted as soon as he began to speak. It was Ms. Burns, who was solemn and meticulous, like someone taking testimony from a witness in court.

"How did you get there, Mr. Potter? You should be at the bottom of the lake, shouldn't you? You should all be at the bottom of the lake. As far as I know, you can't Apparate at Hogwarts, and there's no Floo Network at the bottom of the lake."

Fudge rarely showed such a pleased expression towards Burns; every time Harry was refuted, he received Fudge's approval.

“There is a high stone platform, madam—”

Hermione took a few deep breaths, pursed her lips, and said...

"It seemed like a key, hidden at the bottom of the lake. I... I was looking for Harry and Ron at the bottom of the lake, and I saw them tied to a pillar behind the tail of a mermaid statue. I swam over, and just as I touched them to untie them, I teleported away."

"absurd!"

Fudge said angrily,

"All Portkeys must be authorized by the Ministry of Magic!"

"This was clearly Creona's doing, Cornelius—"

Dumbledore said,

"If you're willing to let the Aurors send her back, we can."

“Enough!” Fudge said curtly. “I can’t let such a dangerous person appear outside Azkaban; the people will panic!”

Fudge came up with an almost absurd excuse.

“Go on, Harry—” Sirius said with a hint of urgency.

So Harry continued, mentioning when they first arrived at the cemetery, their initial assumption that their situation was some kind of test, their argument with Karkaroff, and how they ultimately decided to explore the cemetery.

Then, a man emerged from the mist carrying the dwarf monster. It was Barty Crouch Jr., who, following the dwarf's orders, used the Killing Curse to kill Gabriel.

Upon hearing this, Fleur immediately gasped in surprise. Her face turned deathly pale, and she trembled as she cupped Gabrielle's face in her hands, staring into Gabrielle's blue eyes. Madame Maxim also immediately sat down beside Gabrielle's bedside and carefully observed her.

"What nonsense!"

Fudge said loudly,

"You're under the Killing Curse! I'm sure you're hallucinating. This little girl is clearly still alive!"

“Oh, Minister, perhaps Mr. Potter thinks—” Umbridge finally realized the opportunity for illustration, and she let out a silvery laugh, “that everyone can ‘survive’!”

“I’m not lying!” Harry shouted. “That was the Killing Curse, we all saw it!”

Hermione and Ron were both in support, and even Gabrielle nodded in agreement, which terrified Fleur and Madam Maxim, and even Madam Pomfrey looked like she was questioning the meaning of life.

“Take off your tracksuit, Harry—” Amosta said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Harry immediately took off his clothes and handed them to Professor Blaine, gazing at him with reverence. Hermione and Ron were only alive because of these clothes.

Amosta's wand was engulfed in silver light, and a tear was immediately made in the clothes. Amosta tore open the double-layered fabric from the tear, and then people saw that there were densely packed white sesame-like little things sandwiched between the two layers of fabric.

"Billy Wigg's eggs—" Snape said to everyone after peering inside.

Amosta nodded.

“Early in the planning stage of the competition, I was thinking about how to protect the warriors in the dangerous and intense competition. Finally, I came up with a solution. I designed a competition suit that could provide the warriors with some impact protection, provide a one-time attack immunity when suffering fatal spell blows, and have other functions designed to help the warriors get out of danger. I never thought it would play a role here.”

Judging from Furong's expression, if there weren't so many people around, she would have rushed up and kissed Amosta.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance. Both of them remembered being cursed with the Killing Curse, and now they understood how they had survived.

"Thank you so much, Amosta!"

Mrs. Maxim sincerely said,

"Without your ingenious idea, I wouldn't know how to explain this to the child's parents. But why didn't you say so beforehand? Furong kept complaining that the clothes were ugly."

"If this is revealed in advance, the Warriors will feel they have something to rely on, and then they won't be able to go all out in the game."

Amosta explained with a smile.

Fudge's face darkened again, and he was speechless.

Harry continued, without dwelling on the pain and scars he suffered after seeing the dwarf. He went straight to the point: Karkaroff wanted to abandon them and run away; Hermione fought Barty Jr. to create an opportunity for him and Ron to escape; and Karkaroff attempted to offer them to Voldemort to survive.

Krum was utterly ashamed and wished he could hide his face and run away. Fortunately, everyone was focused on Harry's narration and didn't pay much attention to him.

Fudge kept trying to interject, wanting to remind everyone that Barty Crouch Jr. was dead, dead for over a decade, but on the other hand, he also wanted to hear more.

When Harry mentioned that Voldemort had personally cast the Killing Curse on Ron and Hermione, causing them to collapse, Professor McGonagall let out a loud, strange sound, as if she were screaming or crying. Sirius Black clenched his fists tightly, his eyes twitching, while Remus was no longer as gentle as usual, his expression turning cold.

Everything that happened felt like a dream. Harry couldn't remember many of the details, but he remembered very clearly the magic that resurrected Voldemort—he used Barty's flesh and blood, his father's ashes, and his own blood.

He told everyone—when Voldemort emerged from the cauldron and from the swirling smoke—that most of the people present felt a chill run down their spines, and some even trembled.

Such evil magic is unheard of.

At the height of Voldemort's activity, his main area of ​​operation was still within Britain. But as Harry recounted the story, even Mrs. Maxim, Fleur, and Krum became tense, experiencing for the first time the terrifying nature of this infamous Dark Lord.

"That's complete nonsense!"

Fudge finally couldn't hold back any longer. He knew that if Harry Potter continued to 'talk nonsense,' Voldemort's resurrection would become a foregone conclusion.

Fudge shouted,

“It’s ridiculous! Many people know that Barty Crouch Jr. died many years ago in Azkaban, buried by the Dementors. Ugh, I’ve had enough! I don’t want to hear any more of this contrived story!”

"Connelly—"

Dumbledore had no doubt about Fudge's performance, but he was indeed tired.

"I implore you to open your eyes and see the truth."

"That's not true, Dumbledore!"

Fudge shouted,

"I'm wasting my time listening to a bunch of terrified kids making up stories. Oh, how ridiculous! Barty Crouch Jr. is alive? What an absurd joke—"

"Although Barty has passed away, his little fairy is still alive. If you wish, I can awaken it right now."

Dumbledore said, but Fudge continued to shout.

"I won't listen to the nonsense of a house-elf. Dumbledore, Barty the Elder is dead. Yes, it was Creona who did it. She resented the Ministry of Magic for imprisoning her in Azkaban, so after escaping, she decided to take revenge. She killed Barty the Elder, and she also wants revenge on Blaine."

Fudge glanced quickly at Amosta.

"--She orchestrated everything, yes, that's the truth. Thank you, I understand now. I need to get back to the ministry; there are many things waiting for me. I'll contact you later, Dumbledore, to discuss how to run this school!"

Then Cornelius left, taking all the Ministry of Magic officials with her. Although Burns didn't want to leave, she did so at Amosta's urging.

"Your minister is a coward."

Watching the group of magical beings depart, in the somber atmosphere of the school hospital, Fleur bluntly addressed Amosta.