Chapter 63 - part 10

Chapter 49: Pre-Task Drama Part 1Summary:The Second Task looms, but there's much to be done in the meantime.

Chapter TextThe morning of the Hogsmeade visit arrived, and Hazel woke up early as usual, getting ready by taking a shower and pulling her heavy robes on. She went upstairs for breakfast, though in a departure from her usual routine she ate light, planning to eat more later on when it came time to meet up with Rita.

She found the others at the queue, and cleared her throat. "I'm gonna meet up with Skeeter while we're down there, who wants to join me?"

Draco was quick to answer. "I'll go, of course." Hermione and Ron both nodded.

"Alright then." Hazel led the way, Narcissa's scarf wrapped around her neck. The grounds were peaceful and quiet, icy sparkles glittering everywhere as the light reflected off the snow. The path went by the docks, and as they went by, someone in swimming trunks stepped onto the top deck and walked to the edge. "Looks like our Bulgarian friends are up and about."

Ron scoffed and shaded his eyes to see better. "Skinny little tosser, whoever he is."

"Don't talk like that, Ron, it's Viktor!" Hermione waved her hand over her head as their path took them close to the ship. "Viktor! Hi!"

Krum saw them and waved, but didn't say anything. He seemed to be focused on whatever he was doing. Which was… diving into the Lake? "Absolute mad lad," Draco murmured as he did exactly that.

Hazel laughed. "Ten sickles says he's practicing for the Task, and ten more says he put Warming Charms on himself." She'd be doing that herself next month; it'd be a good idea to get more swimming practice in.

Speaking of, she still had to relay the cryptic clue Moody had dropped, about what they'd be chasing down there. Or who, to be more specific. "We've taken what you'll sorely miss…"

"Thinking about the song in that Egg again?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. Moody let slip that they might be taking people for us to rescue."

"What? That's horrible!" Hermione shivered at the thought. "Bad enough you guys have to risk yourselves, how dare they drag others into it!"

"They probably figured it wouldn't be motivating enough if it was just things. Either way, I'll have to find time to let the others know too."

They entered Hogsmeade and were engulfed by the sights and smells, and she couldn't wait to sit down with a mug of butterbeer and some lunch. But it was no good showing up first; best to make Rita wait on her convenience. So they cruised the shops first, peering in through the windows and planning a spree for when business was sorted.

"Hey, isn't that Bagman?" Draco came to a sudden stop, snagging Hazel's robes and stopping her too. He was peering down a dimly lit alleyway, with the Hog's Head just two blocks beyond. "He's with a few goblins, it looks like."

"You're right, it IS Bagman. Probably trying to gamble his way out of the hole he's in. Let's go say hi."

Bagman's back was to the students as they approached, and the goblins made no sign they saw them until it was too late. "You seem to have visitors, Ludovic," the goblin in charge said meanly, cracking his knuckles.

"Wha?!" He spun around, wand half drawn. "Oh, it's you lot. Nearly gave me a heart attack, you did!"

Hazel scoffed. "We're no friends of yours, Bagman. You owe me and my friends a lot of money!"

"Look, those blasted twins have been paid off. Now if you'd let me-"

Ron instantly went for his wand. "Watch your mouth! Those are MY brothers you're talking about!"

The lead goblin cleared his throat loudly, and his cohorts moved to stand between Bagman and the students. "Amusing as it may be to watch Ludovic get his comeuppance, we DO still have business with him. Business which three of you have no involvement in, as I recall?"

"Quite right." Hazel forced Ron's hand down and stepped back. "Just remember, Bagman, you still owe me, and it's a debt you won't be paying your way out of so easily."

"O-Of course, Miss Potter, of course. Er, before you go, how are your, um, preparations for the Task coming along?"

"Well enough. I've got it sorted, Bagman, worry about your own skin." They turned and left him to his misery, walking back to the main thoroughfare and heading for the Three Broomsticks. "Now to meet with Skeeter."

"I'll get us some drinks." Ron detoured for the bar as they went in. 

Hazel saw Hagrid sitting at one end, cradling a tankard in one hand and chattering away animatedly with one of the locals. She looked around for Rita, and saw her sitting nearby, dressed in bright yellow robes and hot pink nails, lost in her own affairs and muttering away to her photographer, Bozo.

She crept up on them, and overheard: "He didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, hm? And what was he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights? Rubbish, he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging?"

"Yarr, bloke like 'im's always got dirt what's worth diggin' up."

"Indeed he does! I can see the headlines now, 'Head of Magical Games and Sports Resigns in Disgrace!'"

"Looking for dirt on Bagman, are we?" Hazel said, and they both jumped. "Easy, it's just me~"

"Hazel darling!" Rita plastered a smile on her face, eyes lingering on the violet scarf for a moment. "You DO like to keep a lady waiting, don't you?"

"I sure do." She sat down, and the others joined them, Ron handing out mugs of butterbeer. "So! We need to talk."

"Do we?" A blank sheet of parchment was on the table in a flash, and she was sucking on her Quick-Quotes Quill. "About that last article I published, I presume?"

"Partially." She sipped her drink and leaned forward. "I read every word, Rita, and it was hardly up to your usual standards. It almost seemed rushed, even."

"Because it was." The false grin fell from Rita's face and she assumed a businesslike air very fast. "The Daily Prophet pays the most for my work, so they usually dictate the theme. And what they usually want is stuff that makes the Ministry look bad, especially Fudge."

"They don't like Fudge at the Prophet?" Hermione asked.

"Absolutely not, the man is boring." Rita rolled her eyes. "Garden variety corrupt politician, sitting on scandals old and new. Digging up those scandals is one thing, publishing them in a way that doesn't bring the Aurors snooping is quite another."

"So you went after Hagrid to meet a deadline?" Ron demanded.

Rita sighed. "I'm not proud of it, but yes. We aren't all blessed with that Gryffindor outrage and bravery, Weasley, so whatever you're about to say, please save it."

Hazel took another gulp of her drink. "I bet they really want stories about me, don't they?"

"Oh yes, everyone loves the Girl-Who-Lived. Don't they, Bozo?"

"Yarr."

"How's it gonna hurt the Ministry to write stories about Hazel, though?" Ron asked.

Rita chuckled darkly. "They love to prop up their heroes, except when those heroes make them look bad. Hazel here is a reminder of their failure; the Ministry and Dumbledore have both failed at nearly every opportunity to keep our lovely Girl-Who-Lived safe, and this Triwizard Tournament is just the latest example."

Hermione chuckled at that, catching on. "And if they can't keep Hazel safe, how can we expect them to keep the rest of us safe? Clever. Diabolical, but clever."

"Focus on me for now, Rita, but write up an article or two about Bagman as well, in case he doesn't play by my rules. Maybe give him a sneak peak just to keep the pressure on, hm?"

"You got it. Won't take me long, I've been sitting on some dirt for a while now. And speaking of dirt!" She rearranged her parchment and quill. "How about that exclusive, Hazel? Wanna discuss the first Task, the spells you used against that Horntail? How you got those magnificent burns~?"

"An excellent idea! Where shall I begin?"

Rita leaned forward. "Were you aware of what was waiting for you before you went in?"

"Sure, they told us what the Task would be before they sent us out there." Not what Rita had meant, but she wasn't about to give away her friends. "It was nerve-wracking all the same, of course."

"And then you spoke to the creature, too! Some permutation of your Parseltongue abilities?"

"That's right, though I wouldn't wanna talk to a dragon again any time soon. It hurt like hell, which makes sense when you're a human making dragon noises."

"She used the Imperius Curse on it too," Draco added.

"It didn't work, of course, dragon minds are too alien from ours, but I impressed her anyway. Then she Marked me and let me take the Egg."

"What made you decide on the Imperius Curse?" Rita asked as her quill dashed back and forth across the parchment.

"I was curious to see if it would actually work. Also I wanted to make a point. This is a tournament for adults, remember, and I'm still just a kid. I'm not a grownup, I'm not some chivalrous Gryffindor, I'm just Hazel Potter."

Rita waved that off. "People were surprised when the Girl-Who-Lived resorted to Dark magic in front of everyone. Do you have a statement for them?"

"Not that you could print! Seriously, people like that can go fuck themselves. They don't own me, and they sure don't control me."

Rita giggled. "Only my editor can tell me what I can or can't print. And that, my dear, is far too juicy a quote to leave out~"

"Good! I think censorship is for old people."

Rita asked a few more questions, then decided she was satisfied with what she had and put everything away. "Well, I think we can run with this for now. You'll see it soon, hopefully!"

"Hopefully. We were gonna have lunch and then do some shopping." Rita and Bozo left, and Hazel and her friends got food, then headed out into the snow again to spend some more money.

A while later they found Cedric at Spintwitches, the Quidditch shop in the village. "Gimme a second, guys." Hazel waved her friends off, then went right up to him. "Got a moment, Ced?"

"Huh? Oh, Hazel, what's up?"

"It's about the next Task." She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "You've figured out the Egg, right?"

"Well yeah, it wasn't very hard." He smirked a bit. "Why, you need help?"

"Nah, I'm good, I've got a plan. But listen, I think they might be taking people, not just things."

His eyes went wide. "Are you sure? That's a hell of a thing to say, where'd you hear it from?"

"Moody was threatening me a while back and let it slip." She flicked her fingers dismissively. "It doesn't matter. The point is, we've got to be ready, right? We'll have an hour to search the Black Lake and find someone who's gone missing."

Cedric's brow furrowed. "The song made it sound like the mermaids are taking them, so they'll probably be down in the mermaid village. That's practically at the bottom of the lake."

"Have you been down there before?"

"Sure, the mermaids are nice enough if you treat them like people." He shrugged. "Ten sickles says Krum and Fleur already know, though."

"I'm still gonna try and warn them. Bad enough we're risking our skins, they've got no right putting others at risk too. And I think we should all work together during the Task."

"I really doubt Dumbledore would let others be harmed, but I see your point. And you're right." He clapped her on the shoulder. "Thanks for the tip, but it's getting late. I'm heading back."

"Yeah, I'll get my friends and head up too, I guess." Cedric took his leave and Hazel gathered the others, and they walked out as well.

"So, what did he say?" Ron asked.

"He had no idea, but he didn't seem fazed or surprised. Either way, we've got our work cut out for us."

They passed the Durmstrang ship, and saw Krum coming up for air. Hermione instantly started worrying. "Has he been swimming this whole time? Even with Warming Charms, he's mad! Viktor! Viktor, get out of the water this instant!"

Krum ambled over. "Hermione, Hazel. Weasley and Malfoy too. What's going on?"

"We're just coming back from Hogsmeade," Draco replied. Ron was hanging back, and Hazel was fine to leave him hanging back; they didn't need him saying anything stupid after all.

"Listen, Krum, I need a word with you about the next Task. Can we talk? You guys keep going, I'll be fine here."

"Sure." The others kept going, and Hazel stood with Krum at the docks. "So?"

"You've figured out the Egg's riddle, right?"

"Of course." He rolled his eyes. "Hardly a difficult riddle."

"Right, well, I heard from one of my professors that they're taking people instead of things."

"I know, Karkaroff mentioned it. It's infuriating they're putting others at risk for this crap. Like, what, is it not challenging enough diving to the bottom of this enormous Lake?"

"Right?" Like Cedric figured, Krum knew already, so Fleur probably knew too. "I think we should work together for the Task. No one thinks the people will be in real danger, but I'd rather not take any chances."

"Good thinking, the faster we get through this the faster I can get back to my studies and Quidditch practice." He leaned in closer. "Just between you and me, I never wanted this in the first place, but Karkaroff wasn't hearing it. And when my name came out of that Cup…"

"Really? I don't think you've ever made a secret of it before." Or maybe she was just perceptive. "Well, whatever. We'll save our friends together, then?"

They shook on it, and Hazel kept going up to the castle, feeling better about things. It was too late and too cold to go all the way to the Beauxbatons carriage, so she put Fleur aside for now. She was certain she'd encounter the other girl soon enough anyway.

Chapter 50: Pre-Task Drama Part 2Summary:The drama keep coming and it don't stop coming~

Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter TextHazel got her chance to speak to Fleur during the study group the very next day, when she approached the group. "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"Not at all, please." Hazel waved her to sit, and threw a look at her friends, who mostly caught on quickly.

Hermione stood up. "Parkinson, would you help me find another book on Transfiguration? This one doesn't have the reference I need."

"Sure, Granger, I can help with that. Let's go, Davis." Pansy pulled Tracey out of her seat and followed after Hermione, and Daphne sort of floated along behind them after giggling at Hazel.

Fleur rolled her eyes, but it was obvious she was suddenly alone with Hazel. "Your schoolmates are very strange. Is something going on?"

It was a struggle not to let her charm overcome her, but she used Occlumency to help. "I wanted to talk to you, actually, about the next Task."

Instantly, Fleur's expression became more guarded, and the charm level dropped several degrees. "What about the next Task?"

"You've figured out the Egg's riddle, right?"

"Of course, get to the point."

She leaned in and lowered her voice. "They're gonna take people, not just things. Someone you care about is gonna be taken from you, and you'll have to get to the bottom of the Lake to rescue them."

"Down with the mermaids, yes." She was still guarded, which was good and bad. "Why tell me? We are enemies, yes?"

"I'm telling you because it's the right thing to do! And because they've got no business getting other people involved in the Tasks. They haven't got the best safety record so far for this mad thing."

"And what did you hope to gain from revealing this to me?" Fleur sounded suspicious now.

"What do you mean, gain? I don't need to gain anything for doing the right thing."

"Do not preach to me, Potter, this is a competition! There are always ulterior motives in this Tournament, and I want to learn yours!"

She tried to keep her temper, but it was hard. "I think we should cooperate for this Task, so we can rescue our friends more quickly! It's bad enough we have to risk our lives for their entertainment, I won't stand by while they risk others' lives too!"

Madam Pince came by like clockwork, sounding scandalized as usual: "Voices down, please! This is a library!" They both nodded, and she moved on again, scowling at them and at everyone else.

Fleur scowled. "Miserable old bat. You are in the Slytherin house, yes? Who are supposed to be cunning, ruthless and ambitious? Why are you revealing these things to a rival?"

Hazel couldn't believe her ears. Fleur was really putting the Tournament above the lives of her friends? "You, Cedric and Krum signed up for this, you knew what you were getting into! But me? I didn't sign up for it, in case you've forgotten! And I don't want others to get suckered in the same as I was!"

Fleur's voice grew cold, and the charm dropped again. "I have not forgotten. But you are mad if you truly believe they would allow our friends to be placed in danger without safeguards in place. Madame Maxime assured me every precaution would be taken."

"So she did tell you what was going on. Figures."

"Of course she did! Your Headmaster Dumbledore might play at taking the high road, but Madame Maxime wants to win as much as I do. She warned me you might try something like this, and I see she was not wrong."

"Well, joke's on you, Krum and Cedric agreed to work with me during the Task. You'll be alone under that Lake when the time comes. That vast, cold, dark Lake with its mermaids and grindylows and the giant squid…"

For the first time, Fleur seemed uncertain, and a flash of apprehension flickered in her expression. "Grindylows, you say?" In the next moment she got a grip on herself, and stood up to leave. "Good to know, I shall fortify my skills against this threat. Thanks for the tip, Potter~"

"Whatever. Good luck I suppose." Well, that hadn't gone so well, she reflected as she leaned back and rubbed her eyes. She gathered her things and went to find the others. They were at another table, and she sat down with them. "That didn't go so well."

"She didn't buy it?" Hermione asked.

"No, she refused to work with us for the Task. She doesn't think the hostages will be in real danger down there."

"Do you honestly think otherwise?. With Dumbledore and the other Headmasters watching over things, not to mention Bagman and Weasley?"

Hazel scoffed. "Bagman couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery, Pansy. And from what I've seen I wouldn't put it past Maxime and Karkaroff to try and give themselves an advantage; Hogwarts has two Champions after all, they'd probably see it as evening the scales. As for Dumbledore, he's got some scheme going on, I just know it."

"What makes you say that?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Because it's Dumbledore, Granger, of course he's got a scheme. Good thing Snape's around to keep him on track."

"Uh, can you guys put the schemes away and help the rest of us out?" Tracey looked lost over a piece of Charms homework.

"Oh yeah, the study group." Hazel did her best to forget about the Tournament and help the others with their assignments, but she couldn't leave it alone in the back of her mind.

Was Fleur the only one taking the tournament seriously? Hazel knew Krum didn't want to be here any more than she did, and Cedric was, well, Cedric. She could always count on him to be so helpful it physically hurt, just like a Hufflepuff. Oh well.

After the study group was Quidditch practice, and to her surprise, all four teams were on the pitch at once. "We can't all practice at once!"

Angelina scowled. "This was the only time we could all come down, Potter, we're gonna have to make it work somehow."

Cedric had a compromise ready, of course. "Let's have a few matches. They'd last twenty minutes, or until we catch the Snitch. Sound good?"

"Sure. Slytherin and Hufflepuff first?" Everyone shrugged, and she turned to her team. "Right! Mount up, you lot!"

"I guess I'll referee." Roger Davies got on his broom too.

Practice went fairly well after that. Slytherin and Gryffindor came out on top the most, though Hufflepuff was hot on their heels. Ravenclaw brought up the rear, and Davies was disappointed. "Looks like my lot need to practice more."

"Nah, you guys did alright. Well, when you weren't against us, I mean." Hazel tried not to sound too smug. She had, after all, swiped the Snitch right out from under Chang's nose literally five seconds into their first game against Ravenclaw.

Cedric frowned. "Don't rub it in, Hazel. That's not very sporting."

"Right. Sorry." It was clear to her that the Ravenclaw team wasn't taking practice seriously, since there was no Quidditch Cup to compete for this year. Her team was going hard because she went hard, and the lions were probably still smarting from last year's back to back clobberings.

As for Hufflepuff? She had a feeling Crabbe and Goyle were pressuring the rest to keep up, if only so they could keep smashing Bludgers towards her. Which was fine by her, she needed to stay in practice anyway.

After dinner that evening, Hazel was headed back to the dungeons when she saw the door to Snape's office was ajar. "That's odd." It wasn't like Snape to leave doors open. She went to close it, but overheard voices. One of them was Filch's! Curiosity overcame her and she leaned against the wall, trying to overhear the conversation inside while acting like she was waiting to speak to Snape.

"Ain't seen nothin' yet, Professor. 'Cept that blowhard Moody, lurkin' where he ain't welcome."

"Professor Moody, Argus. Unfortunately he has special privileges to investigate the school and all its inhabitants, which we cannot override."

"Ya don't think he's abusin' 'em?".

"I have no doubt he is, Argus, but as I said, there is nothing we can do. As long as Potter's safety is assured and the other students are likewise protected, Dumbledore will not budge."

Did that imply Dumbledore would budge if her safety wasn't assured? Hazel wondered. No time to get lost in her thoughts, though, they were still speaking: "The other ingredients are easily acquired in the valley surrounding Hogwarts, but boomslang skin can only be found in my personal stores. Keep your eyes peeled, Argus."

"'Course, Professor. G'night then." The sound of shuffling steps and groans told her Filch was headed for the door, and she decided to keep moving. She wondered about the words she had heard, and what it would take to get Dumbledore to reconsider Moody's place at the castle.

"Hey Draco, what potions need boomslang skin?" she asked in the common room as they were going over their assignments.

"Polyjuice and Beautification potions, that I know of. Why?"

"I overheard Snape and Filch talking, apparently someone's been stealing boomslang skin from Snape's personal stash. It didn't sound like it was a student either."

"It has to be for Polyjuice Potion, or else why are they taking it seriously?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "That stuff stinks to high heaven too, if anyone's been brewing it around the castle it should be fairly obvious."

"I think Snape suspects Moody's involved too, though I didn't catch how."

"Are you kidding? It's Moody, he's always suspicious as hell."

"Good point." Like before, she had the sense of some large puzzle hovering just outside her mind's reach, that would doubtless be terribly obvious once she solved it. "Ugh, this is taking up too much brain space, I need to focus."

She did homework until curfew, then went to her dorm for her nightly workout. The others admired her and made lewd comments like they always did, even Pansy was willing to join in after everything she had been through with Hazel.

She was surprised when Pansy was also willing to join her in the shower. "What's up? Trying to save water or something?"

"Shut up and do those things to me you did before."

"You got it~"

Notes:Tune in for the second Task on Friday!

Chapter 51: The Second TaskSummary:All those swimming lessons are paying off at last!

Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter TextOver the next few weeks, Hazel focused on classes, homework and study group, and on refining her plan for the second Task. Cedric and Krum reported similar efforts; Fleur was still acting snobbish, and refused to work with any of them, even Cedric with whom she had been passingly polite before.

At night she checked the Marauder's Map, and was consistently puzzled to see "Bartemius Crouch" wandering the halls sometimes, and staying in Moody's chambers where Moody himself was seemingly always in the same spot when she checked. She frowned, wondering why the uptight, straitlaced old man was roaming the school at night when he was supposed to be so gravely ill that Percy had taken over his duties at the Ministry, not to mention judging the Tournament.

She had no time to ask anyone about it, of course, and nor did anyone have time to listen to her either; all the teachers were preoccupied with lessons and things, and Snape in particular was increasingly distracted. She saw him with Karkaroff several times, always in furtive, whispered conversations that they broke off whenever they thought they were being watched.

All in all, the days fairly flew by, and before she knew it, the Task was nearly upon them. Glancing carefully around the Great Hall during dinner the night before, she didn't see anyone missing, and felt herself relax slightly; it all went away when Snape approached their table, a grim expression on his face. "Miss Parkinson, you will accompany me to the Hospital Wing."

"W-Why?"

"You will find out when we get there, now come along."

Hazel squeezed her hand, but inside she was furious. "We'll be waiting, Pansy." Looking out over the Hall, she saw the other Heads of House retrieving Cho Chang, Beatrice Haywood, and Hermione. Feeling irrationally relieved they hadn't taken Luna, she nonetheless clenched her hands in anger, again wondering what the hell the judges were thinking, getting other people involved.

After dinner she met up with Cedric and Krum. Cedric was visibly nervous. "They took our dates from the Ball. You think the whole thing was a setup to learn who we were closest to?"

"When you put it that way, I wouldn't be at all surprised. Damn bastards, anyway."

Krum waved these concerns aside impatiently. "What's done is done. Whatever. We are having our game plans?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna use the Bubble-Head Charm. Been practicing swimming and underwater casting ever since I figured out the Egg's clue."

"I've got the same plan, basically, though I also learned a Socks to Swimfins Spell to help me get around down there, and the Warming Charm of course." She kept her plan for her knife to herself for now.

Krum nodded. "I am using the Transfiguration on myself. Shark, for the big teeth and the big fins, yes? Should be cutting through grindylows like knife through butter."

"Alright. We stick together, agreed?" They all shook hands and split up. Hazel didn't give a damn about points anymore; she just wanted to make sure Pansy and the others got out alive.

The others were worried about Pansy that night, but she pushed herself extra hard, slept like a log, and got up early to use the tingly hair-removing potion she had borrowed. The Task wasn't until nine-thirty, but knowing how the potion affected her, she knew she'd need time to calm down once she was finished with it. She put up a silencing charm and shut the curtains on her bed while using the stuff, and grit her teeth against the tingly while applying it to herself.

"You alright in there, Potter?" came Tracey's voice after a while. Hazel growled and reached through the curtains, pulling her inside and pinning her to the bed. She just giggled at the rough treatment. "I guess not~"

And after that she took a shower and tried her swimsuit on, making sure no embarrassing hairs were left where anyone could see them. Satisfied at her appearance, she pulled her robes on over the swimsuit and went upstairs to breakfast, though she didn't actually eat much because of nerves.

When the time came she took a deep breath, stood up and went outside, walking alongside the other three Champions. The sky was overcast and the air was cold, and there was frost everywhere. Fleur was still standoffish, Krum was his usual surly self, and Cedric had a forced smile on his face; Hazel wondered what her own expression looked like.

They reached the lake, and the stands from the first Task had been set up along the shore, with a platform out on the lake itself where the judges were seated at a golden table. Bagman stood up to welcome them. "And here are our Champions! Everyone ready? Got your schemes in place for the Task?"

"Yes sir," came four responses, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

"Enough, Bagman! Check them for contraband already!" Karkaroff growled.

The former Beater turned innocent eyes on his fellow judge. "I thought we agreed that wouldn't be necessary?"

Percy cleared his throat in a pompous way. "The rules are quite clear that the only tools the Champions are allowed are their wands. It will only take a moment-"

"I'm not letting him touch me!" Hazel said quickly, backing up from Bagman with a scandalized look. Fleur did likewise.

"Never mind, we will know after they change into their swimsuits. Keep your hands to yourself, Bagman." From the glare she aimed at him, it was clear Madame Maxime didn't trust Bagman.

"Righto!" He sat down again, looking very relieved. "You all can have a seat if you want, the Task isn't for another twenty minutes and we're still waiting on the audience!"

"If the Task is all underwater, how will they be able to watch what's happening?" 

"Ah, we have prepared special omnioculars for the event today." Bagman held up one of the complicated devices. "Can see through water and magnify images and everything! Not through clothes though, and the charms don't last long, but we made sure they work!"

Hazel sat down on one of the chairs Bagman conjured, and waited as the rest of the school trooped down to the shoreline like an enormous multi-footed creature. The sound of chatter and gossip washed over them, and she thought she heard Fred and George taking bets at the top of their lungs.

Bagman waved at some screens to one side. "Time to change. We have privacy screens set up if you need them!" Hazel didn't need it, and just pulled off her clothes, shivering slightly in the chilly morning air. Next to her, the other Champions did likewise, and she had to make an effort not to ogle Fleur in the ridiculous bikini she was wearing.

"Wands at the ready?" Bagman asked, and they raised their wands. "Stand at the edge of the platform, over the water, ten feet apart from one another! Yes, that's it. You have a minute to prepare!"

In quick succession, Hazel cast the Socks to Swimfins Spell, the Bubble-Head Charm and the Warming Charm on herself. She looked over, saw Fleur and Cedric do the same things while Krum Transfigured most of his upper body into a great white shark.

"Preparations complete?" They all nodded. He nodded back, raised his wand and tapped his throat in what Hazel recognized was the motion for the Amplifying Charm. He turned to the crowd. "The Champions are ready! Does everyone have a pair of omnioculars? You won't get a good view of the action without them!"

Hazel noticed the majority of the crowd had them, and many lenses were focused on herself and Fleur; it made her glad they couldn't see through clothing, or so Bagman had claimed.

"Very well, the Task begins on my mark! The Champions have precisely an hour to retrieve what was taken from them in three… two… ONE!"

As one, Hazel and the other dove from the platform and straight into the water. Fleur took off immediately, but Hazel and the boys took a moment to orient themselves before setting out, swimming toward the center of the Lake where the merpeople village waited for them. The Warming Charms did their job as she propelled herself through the water at speed, legs kicking powerfully and using the fins to push forward.

Off to the left she saw movement and several flashes of light; she veered off and saw Fleur being swarmed by grindylows, and without thinking used the Revulsion Jinx to drive them away from her. It took several blasts, but Fleur was soon free of them.

"My wand!" she yelled through the Bubble-Head Charm on her face; it was muffled due to the water, but Hazel understood well enough, and with a silent Accio Fleur's wand! she brought Fleur's ten-inch rosewood wand out of the weeds. She took it back with a nod. "Why did you help me? Even after I refused you, after I insulted you…"

"I told you before, I won't let anyone die down here. Now come on, we're safer together than we are alone." She swam back to Cedric and Krum, who had been waiting, and Fleur reluctantly joined them in swimming for the depths of the lake.

"Working together, are we?" asked a random voice, and four wands flew up and at the ready. "Oh relax, I'm not part of your fancy Tournament."

It took a moment for Hazel to recognize the spectral shape floating beside them. "Myrtle! What are you doing here?"

"I got bored and figured I'd come see what the fuss was about. Also you're going the wrong way, the merpeople are over there~"

"Ugh, she's right. Come on, we're wasting time." Cedric led the way forward once more. "Thanks Myrtle."

The four Champions stuck together as they passed over acres and acres of weeds, no doubt hiding countless grindylows. Eventually the weeds gave away to vast tracts of thick black mud. "That looks sticky!" she called, watching the thick stuff get stirred up as they swam ahead.

Krum came to a sudden halt and made a curious roaring sound, which Hazel assumed were the only noises his sharky vocal cords could manage. He pointed in the distance and made cupping motions around where his ears would normally be.

Hazel strained her ears, and thought she could hear a distant voice singing something. "It must be the merpeople!" They kept moving, passing a large rock adorned with paintings and iconography of the natives, which mostly seemed to depict merpeople with spears chasing the giant squid. The singing grew clearer the deeper they swam, until lurid green lights appeared in the darkness ahead and below them.

The green lights were positioned in the windows of crude stone buildings on the very bottom of the lake, and swimming freely around them were the gray-skinned merpeople of the lake, singing parts of the riddle-song that had led them here. Hazel had never been so close to them; they were very wild looking, with long green hair and yellow eyes and teeth; some of them wore jewelry made of pebbles and fangs, but none of them wore a single scrap of clothing.

Cedric averted his eyes as they swam onward. "Bit shameless, them." The merpeople laughed and sang and followed along, their powerful tails cutting the water as gracefully as any fish. Hazel tried not to stare, and cursed herself for being so distractible; first Fleur in her ridiculous bikini, and now a whole village of stark naked merpeople? Some of them were men, granted, but still! She was grateful none of them tried to stop the Champions, though she had no doubt that with their spears and powerful tails, they would have no trouble doing so even if the four of them combined their spells.

The crude houses grew more numerous as they kept swimming to what had to be the center, and more merpeople joined the throng, all of them singing that riddle and talking to each other behind their hands. Finally they reached the village square, where a choir of merpeople were singing the loudest, and a large stone statue of a merperson dominated the center. Four people were tied to the tail, drifting gently back and forth with the eddying of the water.

They swam closer, and Hazel saw Pansy and Hermione, and Cho and Beatrice. They had made it! She touched the ring at her finger and summoned the Slytherin dagger, and slashed the rope holding Pansy; Fleur cast a spell to release Cho, while Cedric pulled a knife from his pocket and cut Beatrice free and Krum simply chomped through the ropes binding Hermione and pulled her along by them.

The merpeople were cheering and clapping around them, swimming frantically in what she assumed were victorious patterns. "Now we get out of here!" She held Pansy close and aimed her wand at the ground below. "Ascendio!" She ascended like a rocket toward the surface high above, and within seconds erupted out of the lake, arcing through the air toward the platform and landing in an awkward heap.

She scrambled out of the way as the others landed the same way, and the Task was over! The hostages were slowly coming around, and Madam Pomfrey was forcing Pepper-up Potions down the throats of both Champions and hostages and wrapping them tightly in warm blankets, muttering about colds and such all the while.

Clearly, she wasn't a fan of the Triwizard Tournament. Hazel couldn't say she blamed her, though she was glad of the blanket and the potion even if it made her ears smoke.

At the edge of the water, Dumbledore was conversing with one of the merpeople, an especially fierce-looking female Hazel assumed was their chief. The screechy noises he made in response made it clear he spoke Mermish among his other talents. When he was satisfied he stood up and returned to the group. "A conference before we hand out the marks, I think."

The judges gathered apart from everyone else, while Madam Pomfrey finished treating everyone who had been under water. Fleur, looking miserable and holding Cho close, approached Hazel. "I owe you an apology, Potter. I put my own pride ahead of everything else, I acted like I knew everything. But when it came down to it I panicked when faced with those grindylows…"

Hazel put a hand on her elbow. "Hey, it's fine. I'm not gonna hold it against you, not when we all got out alive. That was my biggest concern, was making sure we made it out of that lake in one piece."

"We weren't actually in any danger, you know." Pansy was cradling a cup of tea in her hands. "Dumbledore said the merpeople were watching out, they would have intervened if there was real danger."

"It was an effective lure. Though I feel bad that they grabbed you, Hermione, just for this tournament." Krum was embracing Hermione tightly as he spoke.

Hermione giggled at the attention. "We were safe, like Parkinson said."

The judges came back, and Bagman cleared his throat as he reapplied the Amplifying Charm to his throat. "The judges have reached a decision! We have spoken with Merchiefaintess Murcus about what transpired in those black depths, and correlated against our own observations. We note that all the Champions worked in accord to conquer the Task in record time, and all four returned with hostages in tow well within the time limit!"

The crowd roared its approval at this news, and he lowered his wand as he turned to face the Champions. "So! Of the four of you, who had the bright idea to cooperate for this Task?"

Cedric spoke first. "It was Hazel's idea, sir, she was more concerned with the lives of our friends than she was with winning." Viktor nodded in agreement and Fleur sniffed, and Hazel just smirked and waved.

"Very well! The youngest Champion, our underdog, the Girl-Who-Lived, put aside her competitive spirit and prioritized saving lives over glory and riches! Quite the showing, ladies and gentlemen, quite the showing!" The crowd went wild again, and Hazel smirked even wider. Sometimes being selfless felt good, and this? This was one such time.

"And without further ado, the scores! Fleur Delacour used a Bubble-Head Charm and a Warming Charm and shot ahead of the pack at first, but was captured by grindylows and had to be rescued by young Hazel. Despite this setback she rescued her hostage and returned within time, so she gets 40 points!

"Cedric Diggory also used the Bubble-Head and Warming Charms! He displayed courtesy and good faith the entire time, and brought his hostage back well within the time limit, so he receives 44 points!

"Viktor Krum gave us a masterful display of human Transfiguration, a devilishly tricky branch of magic! Moreover, his partial shark form gave him several advantages beneath the waves, and since he brought his hostage back inside the time limit he also gets 44 points!

"Last but not least! Hazel Potter made excellent use of the Bubble-Head and Warming Charms, as well as the Socks to Swimfins switching spell! She also rescued her rival Champion from those horrible grindylows with excellent use of the Revulsion Jinx, and propelled herself back to the surface with hostage in tow with the Ascension Charm! Not only that, but she apparently convinced the other Champions to cooperate in defeating this Task! For excellent spellwork and high moral fiber, she gets a perfect score of 50 points!"

"No way!" She was barely passing Fleur before, this would put her well ahead in first place! And the party in the dungeons was bound to be a real riot too.

And judging by the amorous look she was getting from Pansy, the afterparty was going to be a very different kind of exciting…

Bagman wasn't done yet, though. "Congratulations to all of our victorious Champions! The third and final Task will take place at dusk on Saturday, June 25. The Champions will receive specific instructions one month beforehand! Thank you and good day!"

"Thank god." Hazel held Pansy close as she started back to the castle. Nothing to worry about from now until June!

Notes:Yesterday was genuinely awful, and I missed my self-imposed deadline. To make up for it, I'll post THREE chapters today.

Chapter 52: Post-Task HangoverSummary:Who goes home (for a given value of "home" anyway) naked and hungover? Find out! Or not!

Chapter TextAs she had anticipated, the party in the Slytherin common room went on for quite a while. And since it was a Saturday, Snape and the prefects didn't bother interrupting them until dinner. Hazel was quite preoccupied with a very grateful Pansy by then, of course, but the elves sent more food to the common room anyway so it wasn't like she missed a meal or anything.

The next day everyone was hungover, and like before there were a lot of hangover potions going around. Unlike before, Pansy didn't freak out when she woke up next to Hazel; instead she just sighed and burrowed in closer. Which felt nice, but Hazel had never been the sort of person to lay in bed all day, even if she had a reason to do so now.

Later that day she got an owl from Sirius, asking her to meet him at the next Hogsmeade weekend. That was this weekend so she wrote back on the reverse side of the parchment and sent it back with the owl it came in on. "What's Sirius want?" Draco asked.

"I dunno, probably wants to go over the Task with me or something."

Tuesday brought a pair of hiccups when the Daily Prophetand a letter for Pansy arrived. She glared at the elegant but impatient script on the envelope. "It's from my father. I bet I know what it's about too."

"Is he still on about you being involved with me?" Hazel put a hand around her shoulders. "Tell him to take a hike."

Pansy opened the letter and read it quickly. "Ugh, of course he is. Why's he on about this now? I've got my whole life to find a husband and settle down, afterschool."

Hazel took the letter and scanned it. …recent activities at Hogwarts…shameful behavior at the Yule Ball…continued association with Hazel Potter…legacy of the Parkinson name… "What a joke." She put the letter down again. "Don't bother replying, Pansy. Or better yet, show it to Snape and ask him to intervene. He's our Head of House, he's expected to be involved in his students' well-being."

"Are you kidding? My father might be an asshole but I don't want him dead."

"You said it, not me."

"Bitch." Pansy flipped her off, and Hazel laughed as she flipped open the newspaper. The front page was a report on the second Task, though interspersed with a lot of speculation generated by who was chosen to be the Champions' hostages.

"I can see what prompted that letter." There was a thinly veiled implication that she was closely involved with Pansy. Which, well, she was closely involved with her, but she didn't think they were in a proper relationship.

Pansy sighed and leaned into Hazel's shoulder. "My father is stupid. Maybe I will marry you and drop my name, just to spite him."

"You're not worried about being disowned?" Hazel hugged her close.

"No. You probably have more money than we do anyway. Plus I'm sure you'd kill him yourself if it came down to it."

"Gee, thanks~"

It was nice, Hazel decided later, not to have to worry about the Tournament for a few months. It let her focus on other things, like studying and homework and practicing, and on her hot dormmates whenever they wanted a reminder of her magic fingers. Granted, it also left her time to notice and obsess over the rumors swirling around about her, how she apparently had a girlfriend in every House and slept with all of them in enormous sapphic orgies every night.

She couldn't help but laugh when that last rumor met her ears. "That's ridiculous, I only have girlfriends in two Houses. Not that I wouldn't mind expanding, of course~"

The weekend came along eventually, and Hazel went down to Hogsmeade to meet with her godfather. Most of her friends had other things to do, but Pansy, Luna and Hermione were coming with her. "I can see where that rumor came from, I guess. I just need a close friend from Hufflepuff and my inter-house harem would be complete~"

Luna giggled. "You didn't know you had a harem?" Pansy and Hermione rolled their eyes.

"No, I honestly didn't know that." She shrugged. "Whatever, we're falling behind."

They walked into the Three Broomsticks, and found Sirius lurking in the back of the room with Remus sitting next to him. "Hey guys. This is Pansy Parkinson, one of my girlfriends."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "How many do you have?" 

"Not enough." Pansy turned red and socked her on the shoulder, and that just made her laugh. "So what's up?"

"What do you mean, what's up? How's the Tournament going?" Sirius replied.

Hazel scowled. "It's bullshit, is what it is. They kidnapped our dates for the Yule Ball and put them at the bottom of the lake, made us rescue them. And I honestly believed they couldn't get any worse than dragons!"

Pansy frowned. "Hey, it wasn't that bad. We had a choice, alright? And we were perfectly safe even if you hadn't made it down to us."

"Yeah, though we're glad you did make it, of course. I'm just glad we were in stasis the whole time, I'm not much of a swimmer."

"That didn't matter to me, it was still bullshit that they got you guys involved at all. Luckily Cedric and Viktor agreed with me, so we worked together to rescue everyone."

"What about Delacour?" Sirius asked.

"She thought I was trying to sabotage her when I brought it up, but when the Task itself started she got dragged in by grindylows and I had to rescue her. She was keen on working together after that."

"And what did you think of the merpeople?" Remus asked knowingly. Hazel's face went red, and they all laughed. 

"They were… memorable. I wouldn't mind going down there again~"

Pansy socked her in the shoulder again. "You're insatiable! Seriously, she's snogged or shagged everyone in our dorm but Millicent and she has no shame whatsoever about it!"

Remus laughed. "Lily was the same way. It didn't matter if you were a boy or a girl; if she wanted you, she was having you."

"Sounds like being horny runs in the family. I'm not into boys though."

"Lily probably didn't give a hoot for any rumors either, did she?" Hermione asked.

"Oh hell no, half the time she started them herself! She really took Hogwarts by storm, Lily did…" Sirius sighed and seemed melancholy, but only for a moment.

"How did she wind up with James if she was so loose? I've gotten the impression he was a real troublemaker back then."

Remus shrugged. "Honestly, she didn't give him the time of day at first. He fell for her the moment they met, but he had a shit way of showing it for years on end. It wasn't until fifth year that-" Sirius jabbed him in the side, and he stalled before continuing: "-that he let himself deflate a little and she decided to give him a chance."

"What are you guys leaving out?" Hazel asked suspiciously.

"Snape was involved, that's all we can say. Is there anything else weird going on at the castle?"

She glowered, but accepted the change in subject with a sigh. "Now that you mention it, I've seen Mr Crouch wandering around at night. Not in person, of course, but on that Map you guys made."

"Isn't Barty supposed to be laid up in bed?" 

"Yeah, he didn't even come up to judge the second Task, Ron's brother Percy came in his place."

"He was always a weird one, that Barty. Sent his own son to Azkaban after a show trial, just to keep his name pure."

That reminded her of something he had said a long time ago. "For being involved in torturing the Longbottoms, right Sirius?"

"Exactly, and after that people sort of turned on him. You know, if he couldn't keep his own family in line, how could we trust him with the country?"

"And Crouch Jr is still in Azkaban?" Pansy asked.

Remus shrugged. "After this long, it's unlikely. He's probably dead and buried outside the fortress, along with everyone else who dies in captivity."

There was something weird there, about Crouch and his son, but Hazel didn't have time to think about it since Remus and Sirius were getting ready to leave. "It's getting late, we should get going."

"Yeah, you're right. Be good, Hazel."

Hazel sat back and frowned as the two older men retreated. "I hate this. I hate feeling like people are keeping things from me."

Luna sipped her drink and hummed. "Secrets hurt worse the longer they're kept."

"Your mum was friends with Snape when they were kids, right?" Hermione asked.

"I think so, yeah. James was a bully and a braggart, whatever happened in their fifth year must have really changed things for her to give him a chance."

Pansy shivered. "This is weird, thinking of our teacher as a teenager. And all that stuff about Crouch and his son? Why are people so messed up?"

The four girls finished their drinks and got up to do a little shopping, but Hazel's heart wasn't in it. She couldn't let go of the mystery of Crouch and his son, and wondered if the son was really dead.

She remembered overhearing Snape and Filch talking about stolen ingredients, especially boomslang skin. It was a wild theory, but what if Crouch Jr was still alive? What if he was working for Voldemort and the other three, infiltrating Hogwarts with the intention of messing with the Tournament to get at her?

Dumbledore would know for sure, she thought. The trick was to get to where she could speak to him about it, which would be difficult considering how busy he was. She supposed she could speak to Snape too; he would have more time for her, and be more inclined to take her seriously, but his influence wasn't as wide.

On the other hand, he also had more access to the Headmaster. That settled it; she would speak to Snape on these matters as soon as possible. Just as soon as she found proof that didn't rely on the Marauder's Map, of course.

Chapter 53: Crouch is Back!Summary:The truth about Barty Crouch Sr!

Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter TextOn Ron's suggestion, Hazel sent a letter to Percy asking when was the last time he had heard from his boss, and sent it off with Hedwig first thing on Monday morning. Then she went about her day, attending classes and lessons, while in the back of her mind she worried away at the overarching issue of Crouch and his son.

She hadn't come up with anything to try, and that week in Defense was especially tense as Moody taught them about the Twitchy-Ears Hex. She kept watching him for anything strange, anything out of character, even though she knew it was futile since she had never met the real Moody. Besides, if he could fool Dumbledore this long, who was to say she'd actually find anything anyway?

She had a free period later that day, and on a whim decided to visit the kitchens. As usual the elves down there were overjoyed to see her, and they crowded around offering sweets and drinks.

"Just a spot of tea, please." To her surprise, standing by Moxy was Dobby. "Dobby, long time no see!"

"Indeed, Miss Hazel Potter! Dobby has been working around Hogwarts since last year, miss!"

"Moxy is teaching Dobby everything about the castle! Has been feeding the big greenie and keeping it company too, but is still scary!"

That reminded her, she had to visit Regina at some point too. And with spring coming up, she'd be awake soon. "Dobby, are you bound to Hogwarts, like you were to Malfoy Manor?"

Dobby's eyes lit up, even as Moxy groaned and made faces behind him. "No miss, Dobby is not accepting servitude! Dobby is wanting paid! And is wanting clothes, and time off!"

The words were coming out before she could stop them: "How would you like to work at 12 Grimmauld Place?"

"R-Really, miss? Work for Miss Hazel Potter in the Black house?"

"Sure, why not? If Kreacher doesn't mind, I guess."

"Dobby would be honored to work for Hazel Potter, so long as Dobby gets paid and gets a day off every month! Winky would be too!"

"Only one day off a month?" 

He rubbed his hands uneasily. "Well, Dobby is liking to be free, but Dobby is liking to work as well, miss. Dobby is not being greedy about being paid!"

"Fair enough. Is Winky here too?"

"Winky is here! But Winky is not being presentable right now! Moxy will send Winky to see Miss Hazel Potter when Winky is sober again!"

"Is Winky bound to the castle too?"

Moxy shook her head sadly. "Not yet, miss, Winky is too distraught to do much for herself or for working. But Moxy is thinking that mean old Kreacher could set Winky straight! Would be good for Winky!"

"I'll ask him right now then." She rubbed her ring and focused. "Kreacher?"

There was a pop, and the ancient house-elf appeared before her. "Mistress Hazel called?"

"Kreacher, Dobby and Winky are free elves, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I bound them to the house."

"Kreacher will abide by his mistress' will." He bowed low. "Kreacher would appreciate competent help around the house."

"Good. Tell Sirius what's happening, take Dobby with you right now. I'll send Winky along soon."

Kreacher and Dobby both bowed and disappeared, and Moxy beamed. "Hazel Potter is being so generous to house elves? Moxy wouldn't mind being Hazel Potter's elf, if Moxy wasn't already bound to Hogwarts!"

"Well, thanks, Moxy." She reached down and patted her head, and the elf giggled. "I'm gonna finish my tea and get going, I've got class pretty soon."

"Have a good day, Miss Hazel Potter!" Moxy waved and went back to work, and Hazel finished her tea and scone and left the kitchen.

March was in full swing, and spring was gradually coming back to Hogwarts. That meant Easter holidays coming up, and an upswing in homework and assignments. Hazel kept herself busy even if she didn't have to worry about exams at the end of the year.

One day, after classes, she and Hermione went down to visit Hagrid. They knocked, Fang barked, Hagrid opened the door. "Ey girls, c'mon in. They bin keepin' ya busy?"

"As usual, you know us." They climbed into the seats and Hagrid poured tea. "How about you? How's your remedial education coming along?"

"My wha?"

"Sorry, your catch up lessons. You said McGonagall had some of her NEWT students going over stuff with you?"

"Arr, yeah, bin a good time fer ol' Hagrid. She reckons I'm nearly ready fer me OWLs by summer! Bin learnin' all kindsa spells 'n stuff I missed out on before!"

Hermione beamed. "That's great! We're all so proud of you, Hagrid, and for moving on from that business with the article!"

"Speakin' o', has Skeeter written anythin' else 'bout yeh, Hazel?"

"Oh, yeah, she did. Not sure how well it went over since I've been busy." Come to think of it, she probably should have looked for Skeeter when she was at Hogsmeade last time. Oh well. "I've been trying to stay on her good side so she doesn't publish anything too nasty, but she has other masters. Like the Daily Prophet."

"As long as they're preoccupied with slandering the Ministry, you should be alright."

They finished their tea and stood up to head back to the castle. It was a clear evening and Hazel wanted to watch the sunset, so they detoured over to a rise where they could see above the Forest. They were nearly there when a rustling in the trees caught their attention; Hazel drew her wand and hunched over. "You hear that?"

"I heard it. Someone's in the trees!" Hermione did the same thing.

They approached as quietly as they could, and gradually heard a man's voice. Then a figure came from around a large oak tree, staggering as if deeply exhausted. "It's Mr Crouch!" Hazel hissed, though she didn't lower her wand.

Crouch looked as though he'd been walking from one end of the Forbidden Forest to the other. His robes were scratched and streaked with blood, he was unshaven and badly in need of a bath, and his face was gray from exhaustion and stress. Worse than his appearance was his behavior; he was acting very erratic, muttering and gesticulating to someone only he could see.

"He's supposed to be at home." Hermione approached him slowly, lowering her wand to appear non threatening.

"Let's get him over to Hagrid's. Mr Crouch? Mr Crouch, can you hear me?"

He could not hear her, he continued muttering random names and instructions to a nonexistent Weatherby. Hazel disregarded most of it and continued approaching him. "Sir, I need you to come with-"

Crouch took a heaving breath and fell to his knees, eyes rolling back in his head. "Mr Crouch!" Hermione shrieked, darting forward. "Sir, please get up!" She tried to help him stand, but he just clung to her, struggling against some compulsion and shaking his head.

"Dumbledore!" He stared up at them both with wide, fearful eyes. "Must see Dumbledore!" His speech was broken and clipped, and Hazel could see his eyes going hazy, filmy.

Hazel remembered their lessons from earlier in the year, and frowned. "He's probably under the Imperius Curse. Mr Crouch, we'll bring Dumbledore to you, just come with us." She seized his shoulder and tried to haul him upright.

He came up, but wouldn't let go of Hermione. "Done stupid thing. Dumbledore! Warn Dumbledore!"

"Yes sir, right this way please." Hermione tried to lead him toward Hagrid's hut, but he was uncooperative; staggering and falling over, randomly shooting up straight and dashing to the nearest bush or tree to expound at length about his son's twelve OWLs or some musical he and his wife were planning to attend, all the while acting as if Percy were right in front of him.

Finally they reached Hagrid's hut, and Hazel banged on the door. "Oi, back again?" Hagrid pulled the door open. "Bit soon ter- OI! It's ol' Crouch!"

"Hagrid, you watch him, I'm gonna run up to get Dumbledore. Sir, just stay here, I'll have the Headmaster down in a-"

"Don't leave me!" Crouch grabbed onto her robes in a fit of desperation. "I escaped! Must tell Dumbledore, warn Dumbledore! My son is alive! Bertha Jorkins is dead! The Dark Lord is coming back!"

"Yes sir, I know he is, now let go of-"

"Hazel Potter is in grave danger!" he groaned, before slumping to the floor in an insensate heap.

"Hagrid, shove him under your bed sheets or something!" He seemed confused but nodded anyway, easily hefting the old wizard up and carrying him across the hut. "Hermione, stay here, hide yourself until we come back. Don't let anyone else in here but me, Snape or Dumbledore, especially not Moody!"

"R-Right." She yanked Hazel into a fierce hug before looking for somewhere to hide.

"We won' let no one in 'ere." Hagrid loaded his crossbow as he spoke, and gripped the flowery umbrella that still concealed his wand.

Reassured of the security for now, Hazel went back outside and hurried up the lawn toward the castle, wand in hand and feeling quite jumpy. She was glad of her strenuous regular exercise that let her cover the distance quickly and without losing steam!

At the second floor she ran into Snape. "Miss Potter? What is going on?"

"Crouch!" She leaned against the wall for a moment, out of breath and speaking curtly. "Mr Crouch came out of the woods. Looked awful, saying about the Dark Lord and about his son! Said he needs Dumbledore! He's with Hagrid and Hermione right now, in his hut!"

"Let us not waste time." He flicked his wand and sent a burst of silver light right through the ceiling. Together they hurried out the doors and back down to Hagrid's hut.

"It's us!" Hazel yelled as they approached the hut. "Open up!"

The door creaked open, and the two of them hurried inside. Hagrid lowered his crossbow. "Professor. Crouch's righ' there."

Snape crossed the room and examined the old wizard minutely, waving his wand and muttering an array of spells. "He has been Imperiused. The effort of resisting the curse and bringing himself here has been extremely taxing, and he is in a deep sleep."

"Can you determine who cast the curse on him?"

"Not here. Did he say anything, Miss Potter? Miss Granger?"

Hermione seemed scared, but spoke up anyway. "Y-Yes, he mentioned Bertha Jorkins being dead, and that his son was still alive."

"His son?" Snape whirled and stared at her intently. "Are you certain? Barty Crouch Jr is alive?"

"That's what Mr Crouch said!"

A knock on the door interrupted their talk, and Hagrid opened it to allow Dumbledore inside. He crossed the room to stand over Mr Crouch and perform his own examination. "Severus, what have you discovered?"

"Barty was under the Imperius Curse. He managed to resist long enough to come here, but the effort has left him very weak."

"He must be brought to the Hospital Wing immediately. Hagrid, if you would?"

Hazel panicked for a moment. It was imperative they keep him away from Professor Moody! "Um, sir! You should put him in your office instead!"

"Hm? Why would we do such a thing, Hazel?"

"Whoever cursed him could be around, in disguise. If they come back, would Madam Pomfrey be able to protect him?"

"You sorely underestimate our hospital matron, but I do see your point." He bothered his beard for a moment. "Very well. I shall make space for him in my quarters."

"Thank you, sir." She sagged against the table as relief flooded through her. "We should probably go to bed now, huh."

Snape opened the door with a flick of his wand. "An exceptionally wise decision. We shall be behind you, Hagrid." 

"Aye." He picked up the insensate Crouch and carried him out the door, the others trailing in his wake.

Notes:Next week, the truth about the son! Most of it anyway!

Chapter 54: The Truth About "Professor Moody"Summary:Hazel's suspicions are proven correct. As usual.

Chapter TextMoody was even more erratic and distracted over the next few days, especially as word got around that Crouch Sr had been rescued and was being held in an undisclosed location somewhere on the premises. Hazel had the privilege of listening in on Moody trying to convince Dumbledore to let him see the old man:

"Is it true, Albus? Potter and Granger found old Barty off his rocker in the forest?"

"Indeed it is. For everyone's safety he is being sequestered in a safe place until we can ascertain the full extent of his condition."

"Wise move, wise move." Moody nodded sharply. "Obviously you'll allow me to interview him as soon as possible, yes?"

"I think not, Alastor. His condition is extremely fragile, and, well, you hardly have the most reassuring bedside manner, old friend."

"Bah, no time for 'bedside manner.' It's important I speak to him, you know that!"

"For the investigation, yes." The Headmaster nodded. "However, my decision on this matter is final. Only Professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey are allowed at his side, and they are under strict confidentiality."

"Albus-"

"My answer will not change, I'm afraid." Dumbledore's tone was now sharp. "I'm certain you have better things to do, no?"

For a moment Moody seemed mutinous, then he backed down. "I suppose you know best, Headmaster." He turned away and stumped off down the hall, muttering sourly under his breath.

After that, Hazel started keeping an eye on the Marauder's Map whenever she could, being careful not to let any of the professors see her using it. The big break came at lunch the next day, though she had to do a bit of gymnastics to keep from alerting anyone. "Pansy, you can see Professor Moody at the high table, right?"

"Yes, he's right there between McGonagall and Sinistra."

Sure enough, the name on the Map was Bartemius Crouch. "I've got you, you bastard." She put the Map away again and proceeded to lunch.

After classes she went to Snape's office. "Sir? Professor?"

"Enter." The door creaked open and she went inside. "What is it, Miss Potter?"

"I was wondering, sir, if you knew Barty Crouch Junior? When you were a Death Eater, I mean."

He looked at her with an inscrutable gaze, and his reply was slow. "I did. He belonged to Ravenclaw when he attended Hogwarts, and is one of the few students to achieve twelve OWLs. Why do you ask?"

"I've heard some things lately, sir. He and his father both had the same name?"

"Yes, Bartemius Crouch."

The same name she kept seeing on the Map! "Sir, I know about the boomslang skin going missing, I overheard you and Filch talking about it. I also know that before he showed up the other night, Crouch Sr has been gravely ill for some time and hasn't been to work, or to the school to act as a judge."

"Have you seen him around the castle? Do you have proof he isn't where he should be?"

Hazel hesitated. It would be foolish to reveal the Map to him, he would confiscate it immediately and possibly put her in detention. She focused hard on her Occlumency and got ready to stretch the truth. "Not as such. But think about it, sir. Moody was attacked just before term started last year, right, what if it was Crouch Jr and an accomplice? They would have had plenty of time to subdue Moody and use Polyjuice before anyone showed up."

"It is not impossible, Crouch Jr did achieve Outstanding on his Potions NEWTs. But this is all conjecture unless you have proof."

"I know that, sir. But nothing adds up. Suppose I have seen him around the castle; combined with Moody acting strange and the potion ingredients going missing, what do you think it means?"

Snape was silent for a few moments, regarding her carefully. "You asked a rather specific question, Miss Potter. Did I know Barty Crouch Junior, when I was a Death Eater. What do you know already?"

"I know that he was thrown into Azkaban by his own father because he was involved in the attack on the Longbottoms, and I know that everyone assumes he's dead. I learned this from Sirius and Remus."

"Why is it significant that they each have the same name?" he went on, his voice dropping into that silky, dangerous tone that never failed to give her goosebumps. "Do you perhaps possess a map of the castle?"

"How do you-?" She cut herself off at the triumphant glitter of his eyes. "Ugh. Yes, I have a map. Remus told you, didn't he?"

"He did, yes. He was perhaps concerned you would abuse its powers."

"Like I told him last year, I barely have time to abuse myself anymore!"

"Unnecessary details of your personal life aside, Miss Potter, this is most significant. You have seen Bartemius Crouch around the castle at times when Crouch Sr could not possibly be nearby?"

"Yes sir, just today at lunch I got the Map out when Moody was sitting down. And it said Bartemius Crouch, plain as day."

"Damning indeed." He narrowed his eyes in thought. "Dumbledore will be extremely reluctant to move against Professor Moody, and will require some level of proof beyond this Map of yours. I will make discrete inquiries when I have time."

"Or we could summon him to Dumbledore's office right now and have the Map open and waiting."

Snape hesitated, then shrugged. "Very well. Retrieve the Map, I will await you at the Headmaster's office."

"I've already got it on me, sir." She retrieved the Marauder's Map from her bag and activated it for a moment. Dumbledore in his office, her and Snape in his office… ah ha, Alastor Moody and Bartemius Crouch in Moody's quarters. Perfect. She dismissed the Map and placed it in her bag, and followed Snape out the door.

They took shortcuts to save time, and arrived at the gargoyle statues guarding the spiral stairs in short order. "Peppermint humbugs!" he said; the statue leaped aside and the spiral staircase revealed itself, and they proceeded up.

He knocked, and the door swung open. They went inside, finding the Headmaster sitting behind his desk. "Hazel, Severus. A good evening to you both."

Snape nudged her forward as he spoke. "Miss Potter has come to me with a fantastic allegation, Headmaster, and she has proof to back it up."

"Barty Crouch Junior is still alive, sir, and he's impersonating Mad-Eye Moody." She put the Marauder's Map on his desk and activated it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. See? Down here, in Moody's office?"

Dumbledore examined the map carefully. "I do see. This correlates with other intelligence I have acquired recently. We shall discuss your acquisition of this Map later, Hazel; for now, I believe we shall confront our errant Death Eater." He flicked his wand and conjured a large silver phoenix, to which he spoke a message. "I wish to see you in my office post haste, Alastor." The silvery construct nodded and disappeared through the floor.

A minute later, they saw the Crouch dot begin moving through the castle, hall by hall, staircase by staircase. It approached the stairs to Dumbledore's office, and he rose to his feet. "Both of you hide. It will not work for long with that magic eye, but even a second will help."

Hazel nodded and went behind the desk, and Snape moved to the corner of the room while casting a powerful Disillusionment Charm on himself, and stood so he would be behind Crouch as he stepped inside.

A few seconds later the stairs spun upward, and "Moody" entered the room. "Got your Patronus, Albus, what's g-"

"STUPEFY!" shouted three voices at once, and three jets of light shot forward. "Moody" blocked one of them, but the other two slammed into his body and he was blasted backward. Snape hurried forward and plucked his wand away, and conjured heavy ropes to keep the man tied up.

Dumbledore stood above the unconscious man, radiating a sense of cold fury. "Check his flask, Severus!" 

Snape plucked the vessel from the bound man and sniffed it. "Polyjuice Potion. Doubtless he has been plucking hair off the real Moody all this time, and stealing from my personal stores."

"And retrieving the rest of the ingredients from the countryside around Hogwarts too, under the guise of investigating the anomalies around the Tournament," Hazel guessed aloud.

"Severus, go and check on the real Alastor, escort him to the hospital wing, then retrieve a vial of Veritaserum and return here. Use the Floo to save time." He flicked his wand at the fireplace; Snape nodded and disappeared in a flash of green fire.

"And now, while we wait for Severus to return and for our mystery man to awaken, you will tell me how you acquired the Marauder's Map, Hazel." He crossed the room, sat down behind his desk and gave Hazel his full attention.

She hesitated, then sighed and sat down in one of the chairs. "Fred and George, sir. They'd been using it for years, and I guess I impressed them enough to pass it along. I know it was my father and his friends who made it, so in a way it's kind of like an inheritance, wouldn't you say?"

"Perhaps." He studied the Map itself for a few moments. "It bears clear sign of the Homonculous Charm, though there must also be preservation charms in place for a mere sheet of parchment to have survived regular usage for so long. Its ability to see through invisibility cloaks, Polyjuice transformations and possibly Animagus transformations is also quite intriguing. Fascinating that they managed it while they were still in school."

"I'll have it back now, sir, if you please." After a moment he slid it across the desk, and she tapped it with her wand and put it away. "Mischief managed. Sir, you said you had other intelligence regarding Barty Jr's whereabouts?"

"Indeed. His father has yet to awaken consistently, but he has been raving in his sleep about what has happened. From what I've gathered, Crouch's wife felt immense guilt at her son's imprisonment, to the point that her health deteriorated and she was on the verge of death within a year; she convinced her husband to procure enough Polyjuice Potion for her to switch places with her son, and apparently continued drinking it until her death within the walls of that awful place."

"Winky must have known, no wonder she was so distraught at being let go," Hazel said.

"Winky was directly involved, in fact. She cared for Barty Jr while he was imprisoned in the Crouch home under the Imperius Curse, and eventually persuaded Barty Sr to let them attend the Quidditch World Cup. While there, he broke free of his father's curse and stole Ronald Weasley's wand, later using it to create the Dark Mark as a warning to the other Death Eaters."

"You learned all this from Mr Crouch talking in his sleep?"

"Mostly. Other parts I retrieved with the aid of Legilimency, and of course I spoke to Winky directly."

"Was she sober when you spoke to her? I had offered to bind her to 12 Grimmauld Place if she was unhappy here."

He shrugged at that. "That was as much as I could get from either of them, until you and Severus arrived tonight." The fire flared green, and Snape stepped out. "Ah, and speaking of Severus."

Chapter 55: Will the Real Barty Crouch Please Stand Up?Summary:One conspiracy is unraveled early, but external forces are still at play, and the show must go on.

Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text"Headmaster, Miss Potter." Snape brushed himself off and nodded to the two of them. "Mad-Eye is under Poppy's care as we speak, and I have the Veritaserum." He held up a vial of clear, colorless fluid.

"Very good. Administer it to our captive and wake him up, if you please."

Snape approached the bound man and forced his mouth open, pouring a small quantity of the potion down his throat. The man swallowed reflexively, and Snape stepped back, drawing his wand and muttering, "Rennervate!"

Dumbledore stepped forward as the man stirred and struggled. "Are you Alastor Moody?"

"No…"

"What is your real name?"

The captive groaned and looked away. "Barty Crouch Junior."

Dumbledore's eyes blazed at this confession, and Hazel felt a cold fury emanating from the man, so strong that it made the room feel twenty degrees colder than it was; even his voice was cold and angry, barely controlled. "I know how you escaped Azkaban, and of your actions at the World Cup. You will explain how you came to impersonate one of my oldest friends."

"Dark Lord came for me. Set me free, put my father under the curse instead. Gave me a purpose. A purpose! After twelve years imprisoned in my own home, with a house-elf for company!" It was surreal hearing Moody's voice mutter these words, even though she knew it wasn't him.

"How did the Dark Lord appear?" Dumbledore asked.

"Like a baby." He started giggling, tongue flicking out at the corner of his lips. "Wormtail, Lockhart and Lucius were there too. Had a plan, said they needed Potter. Told Wormtail and I to attack old Mad-Eye, kidnap him, use him for Polyjuice Potion. Been there ever since!"

Dumbledore looked to one side for a moment. "Severus, send word to the Ministry to search the Crouch manor immediately. Write directly to Madam Bones, if Fudge catches wind we'll be delayed."

"Right away, Headmaster." Snape grabbed quill and parchment and began scratching out the warning.

That done, he returned his attention to Crouch."As for you, did they make you aware of the specifics of the plan, exactly what they needed young Hazel for?"

Before Crouch could answer, he groaned, and both eyes rolled into the back of his head. Seconds later his skin began bubbling and oozing, and Hazel knew he was returning to his original shape. The wooden leg came off with a clunk and the magic eye popped out, resumed swiveling around on the floor instead.

The scars melted away and the long mane of gray hair receded into a mop of straw-colored hair, and a much younger man was suddenly bound before them, both eyes intact, giggling and staring about. "Hello, Potter. Surprised to see me?"

"Not especially."

"No, I didn't think you would be. The Dark Lord knows how smart you are! He didn't tell me everything, didn't even let me overhear. He knew I might be found out, you see~"

Dumbledore cut in impatiently. "And thanks to Hazel, you were found out. What happened next?"

"Wormtail and I overpowered Moody the day school was to start. Couldn't do it earlier, Polyjuice wasn't ready until then. Kidnapped him, took his hair and his things for the Potion, gave some bullshit story to the Muggle police and to the Ministry flunkies who showed up. None of them suspected a thing! I've kept Moody under control all year, interrogating him, taking his hair. Not once did I slip up!"

It was Hazel's turn to interrupt. "Wait a moment. How did they know you were even still alive?"

"Bertha Jorkins! Nosy old bitch came sniffing around the manor looking for my father, and she overheard Winky and I talking! Father came back, she confronted him, he had to put a Memory Charm on her! But he overdid it and fried her brain, not that she had much to fry!" He laughed loudly at this.

She rolled her eyes. "And then they found her in Ireland, and used her to bring Voldemort back. That's probably where they learned he was still around."

He tried to glare at her, but the Veritaserum kept him mostly compliant. "If I weren't tied up I'd cut your tongue out for using the Dark Lord's name."

"That's not actually his name, Barty. His real name is-"

"-quite irrelevant to the conversation at hand. Crouch, you were speaking about your time at Hogwarts as Mad-Eye Moody."

Crouch licked his lips and rolled his eyes. "Had you all fooled, I did. Taught Defense for months on end. Best teacher any of those little shits ever had! And some of them were around for the Rakepick woman!"

"Never mind Patricia Rakepick. What happened during the Tournament? Who put Hazel's name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"I did! It was my mission from the Dark Lord to get her through this fucking Triwizard bullshit! My one chance to prove myself to him! Put a Confundus on that stupid Goblet, made it think she was from Koldovstoretz, and fwoosh! Out her name came!"

"That's why you looked so scared when I was trying to refuse! When your father said I came so close to losing all my magic!" Hazel shivered at the reminder of that awful night.

That feral grin faded somewhat. "Yes, that was nearly the ruination of everything. Fortunately you saw sense, and the plan was back in motion!"

"And so you had to help Hazel overcome the Tasks while teaching Defense for an entire school, while also fooling everyone and pretending to investigate your own conspiracy."

Crouch giggled. "Two of those things were easy. Potter didn't need much help, just a little prodding to keep her wound up and busy. She wears her heart on her sleeve when she isn't Occlumencing, after all. Teaching Defense wasn't too bad either, I knew the curriculum back to front from my years here before, and I had the real Moody's notes."

"Yes, I recall you got an Outstanding on your Defense NEWTs. What happened then?"

"Convinced Professor Weasley to show her the dragons when they came in, kept an eye on her while she was plotting to overcome them. That part was easy, the second Task was easier still!"

It made Hazel sick to her stomach to think that she'd done so well, not because of her own hard work, but because this bastard was manipulating things behind the scenes to make it easier for her.

"You may have stopped me, but the Dark Lord's plans will go on! She'll go into that maze, but she won't make it out alive!"

"M-Maze?" She looked inquiringly up at Dumbledore, who sighed.

"Our plan for the third Task is to grow a hedge maze in the Quidditch pitch for you and the other Champions to overcome. I would like nothing more than to call off the Tournament and force everyone to focus on bringing down Voldemort, but-"

"-but your precious Goblet of Fire won't let you, will it? You've got to see it through if you don't want to lose Potter and those other little shits!"

Dumbledore flicked his wand and knocked the man out again with a silent Stunner. The cold fury seemed to fade away, and he went back to being a tired old man again. "Oh, Barty, you had such promise…"

"What are we gonna do about the rest of the Tournament, sir?" 

"Unfortunately, my dear, we have no choice but to carry on. The Goblet of Fire, and international relations, will allow nothing less." He turned to Snape. "Severus, have you completed your missive to Madam Bones?"

"It was sent off some minutes ago, Headmaster. Though I suspect they may not find much; if this one had any sense left he would have informed his co-conspirators when his father turned up."

"Very well. And the other signs?"

Snape flexed his left hand uncomfortably. "Growing clearer by the day."

"Is that where the Dark Mark was branded, sir?"

Snape merely nodded, but Dumbledore seemed astonished. "You told her?"

"He told me during the Yule Ball."

"Well. I must say, I'm proud of you for opening up to someone new, Severus. Though I have to admit, it does put your Occlumency instruction into a rather different light."

Hazel rolled her eyes. "As you say, sir. What will we do about him?"

"The obvious course of action would be to turn him over to the Ministry, but right now I fear that would not end well, and we do need him alive for further testimony and interrogation. We will have to hold him at the castle for the foreseeable future."

Snape nodded. "I shall prepare a cell. In the meantime, the hour is late. Miss Potter?"

"Of course. Good night, Headmaster." She bowed, he nodded back, and she proceeded out the door and down the steps. At the bottom, she waited for Snape to join her. "So, we have cells, sir?"

"Indeed, Hogwarts is as much a fortress as a castle, and there are many areas left unused in the day-to-day goings-on."

"I hope there's some sort of suppression system so he can't just magic his way out."

"Of course there is." They said nothing more until they reached the entrance to the common room, and by then Hazel had had enough of intrigue for one night. "Fifty points to Slytherin for unearthing yet another conspiracy against yourself and the school. Good night, Miss Potter."

"Good night, Professor." She bowed back and went inside, eager to deal with her homework and tackle her nightly routine before bed.

"Where have you been?" Draco asked when he saw her entering.

"Saving the school again. I was right all along!" She sat down to explain what had just happened.

It took a while, and her friends were alternately shocked and resigned at the revelations. Pansy cleared her throat. "So, Professor Moody…"

"-has been in a trunk since the start of term. He didn't even get to be a Professor, really. He's in the hospital wing now."

Draco shook his head. "And they're still going ahead with the Tournament? Unbelievable, it's like they don't even care."

"Believe me, I know. But it's that, or all four of us lose our magic to the Goblet of Fire."

Daphne sat up slightly. "I can sort of see why the Tournament was canceled for a few hundred years, if this is the sort of drama that comes with it. If it's exhausting for the rest of us, I can't even begin to imagine how bad it is for you, Hazel."

She laughed at that. "What I wouldn't give for a normal school year! Right now I've got to focus on this essay for Runes." Hazel was excited for Runes, since Professor Babbling had been having her carve runes into blank wands in preparation for carving into her actual wand.

Later that night, after working out and showering with Pansy, she sighed and slipped into bed, hoping against hope that tomorrow would be unexciting.

Unfortunately, that very night would prove very exciting indeed.

Notes:He didn't get to stand up at all, did he?