Chapter 280: The Deal
Half an hour had passed since Field Durr and Richardson Clarence were brought out.
The two of them searched the maze for a long time with no success. Eventually, one was forced to fire a signal flare by a Dementor, and the other, lost in the mist, also fired a signal flare.
"Ethan, why haven't Harry and Ron come out yet?"
Fred and George ran over again.
Everyone else was out, only the two of them remained, and so much time had passed. Their parents were incredibly worried.
Even they felt that something unexpected might have happened.
Otherwise, why hadn't they come out yet?
"I don't know that either."
Logically, Ron should have come out by now.
Ethan also knew that Ron and Harry took the same path, but if Harry wasn't eliminated by Acromantulas or Dementors, he would definitely get the trophy.
After all, Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Alastor Moody, wouldn't abandon the results of a year's effort at this last moment.
Did he take Cedric's place from the original story?
And were they brought over by the Portkey together with Harry?
"Alright!"
"Now only Harry and Ron are left inside, the judges should have announced the results by now, right?"
George scratched his head, a bit troubled.
Why did Ron have to join in the fun? Now everyone had to worry about him.
Harry, on the other hand, was set up. Wait!
Thinking of this, George quickly asked:
"Ethan, Harry was set up to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. Nothing happened in the first two tasks, so they wouldn't be waiting for him in this last task, would they?"
The more George thought about it, the more likely it seemed. The other party meticulously got Harry to participate, so they must have had an ulterior motive. Ronmight have been dragged into it as well.
Otherwise, the current situation couldn't be explained.
"I'll go ask Dumbledore."
Before Ethan could speak, George pulled Fred and quickly walked towards the judges' table.
Now, if they wanted to know the results, they could only go to Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall and the others, as safety officers for the last task, weren't even here right now.
At the same time, Moody, leaning in the shadows outside the maze, occasionally pulled out a wizard mailbox to check it, but each time he closed it in disappointment and put it away.
Until this time, that familiar light flashed again.
Moody eagerly opened it.
[Peter Pettigrew: It's me! He's been resurrected. Proceed as planned.]
Upon seeing this message, the joy on Moody's face was impossible to hide.
They had agreed long ago that he would send a message after the resurrection to facilitate the subsequent plan.
Although his master was contacting him personally now, not Peter, which was a bit different from what was agreed, it wasn't a big problem.
Who cared about that rat Peter!
Immediately, Barty Crouch Jr. excitedly replied.
[Barty Crouch Jr.: Yes, my Lord!]
Resurrected, he was finally resurrected.
Harry was ultimately brought over by him, and his painstaking efforts were not in vain.
If he hadn't used the Imperius Curse to control Krum, making him attack that Witch from Beauxbatons, and then letting Krum be defeated by Harry, this trophy would never have fallen to Harry.
Just as Barty Crouch Jr. was about to execute his plan, another message came through the wizard mailbox.
This message completely broke him.
[Peter Pettigrew: Be careful, they've all returned too.]
Lord Voldemort's message was originally to remind Barty Crouch Jr. to be careful and not to act recklessly.
After all, there weren't many loyal subordinates who were also capable and intelligent. Barty Crouch Jr. was one of them, and Lord Voldemort truly didn't want him to perish here.
But Barty Crouch Jr.'s eyes were now red.
In his heart, those Death Eaters were all traitors, cowards. They didn't even dare to go to Azkaban for Lord Voldemort.
They were just despicable, faithless things.
They didn't deserve to serve Lord Voldemort alongside him.
And they certainly didn't deserve Lord Voldemort's forgiveness.
But looking at this message, his master, Lord Voldemort, seemed to have forgiven them.
Now his hope of punishing them, tormenting them, and killing them was shattered.
Thinking of this, Barty Crouch Jr.'s body couldn't stop trembling.
But he didn't dare to question Lord Voldemort, so he could only bury this grievance in his heart.
After taking a deep breath, he collected his thoughts.
Barty Crouch Jr. then walked towards the high platform of the arena.
At the judges' table, only three people remained seated: Fudge, Madam Maxime, and Dumbledore. As for Karkaroff, he had suddenly run off with a changed expression not long ago, without giving any reason.
Beside them, Fred and George were saying something.
Ignoring the surrounding gazes, Barty Crouch Jr. walked directly onto the stage.
"Alastor, what is this?"
Dumbledore looked at Moody with a puzzled expression.
"Look closely, who am I!"
With that, Moody directly raised his wand and pointed it at himself. With a counter-spell, he immediately returned to his original form, and the mechanical eye in his eye socket also fell directly to the ground.
This scene astonished everyone present.
"Barty Crouch Jr.?"
"How is this possible?"
Fudge was the first to react.
This was the son of his old rival, Fudge remembered very clearly, and his appearance resembled Barty Crouchwhen he was young.
It was because of him that his old rival was ousted, but wasn't he dead for over ten years?
How could he appear here now?
And when the young Wizards saw this scene, although they didn't recognize who it was, they knew something was wrong.
This Professor Moody was actually an imposter, so where was the real Professor Moody?
How long had he been impersonating him?
Now that he dared to expose himself in front of Dumbledore, what was his reliance, or had his goal already been achieved?
Fred and George, standing beside Dumbledore, gaped, and a bad premonition arose in their hearts.
Although they didn't recognize who this person was, they vaguely felt it was related to Harry, and perhaps it was he who put Harry's name into the goblet of fire.
Now, Ron and Harry might have already fallen into his hands.
Dumbledore reached out to stop Fred and George, who were about to say something, and asked with a frown:
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, Barty Crouch Jr.!"
"Where is Alastor Moody now?"
Barty Crouch Jr.'s mouth split open into a crazed smile:
"You still have the mind to care about Alastor Moody?"
He had long been sick of staring at other people's faces, and he had no fondness whatsoever for Alastor Moody, who had captured countless Death Eaters.
If it weren't for wanting to maintain the effect of the Polyjuice Potion, he would have killed him long ago.
"Then let's change the subject. What is your purpose in coming to Hogwarts? For Harry?"
Dumbledore took a deep breath.
Judging from Barty Crouch Jr. having just shed the Polyjuice Potion, Moody was still alive, but he didn't know where he was being held, and his condition was probably not very good.
But as long as he was given Veritaserum later, all of this could be resolved.
"Yes, for Harry, and I succeeded."
"It was I who made him participate in the Triwizard Tournament, made him reach this point, and ultimately resurrected my master!"
A fervent expression appeared on Barty Crouch Jr.'s face. He had no intention of hiding any of this.
He even wished that everyone would know how much he had contributed to Lord Voldemort's resurrection, that he was the most dutiful Death Eater.
"No, this is impossible!"
Fudge stood up, trembling, and loudly refuted.
He simply didn't believe in Lord Voldemort's resurrection, and how could it be possible?
The dead cannot be resurrected. He had never seen anyone resurrected; at most, some Wizards lived longer by certain means.
"What's impossible about it?"
"I'm here now to announce that the great Dark Lord Voldemort has been resurrected!"
Barty Crouch Jr. roared in anger, the fury in his eyes threatening to tear Fudge to shreds.
"Aurors, Aurors, quickly come and arrest him! He must be insane and talking nonsense."
Fudge directly yelled at the few people behind him who were responsible for his safety.
Ever since the last incident, Fudge had changed his habit of bringing a few unreliable cronies everywhere; now, he always brought a team of Aurors specifically to protect his safety.
He knew that today, whether Lord Voldemort's resurrection was true or false,
He had to define it as false, otherwise, the already unstable Great Britain Wizarding World would become even more chaotic.
Moreover, Lord Voldemort, unlike the benevolent Dumbledore or even the relatively rule-abiding Death Eater, is a madman, a powerful madman, and he truly dares to kill his way into the Ministry of Magic.
When Lord Voldemort was wreaking havoc, he had witnessed the ferocity of the Death Eater, so much so that Cornelius Fudge now absolutely did not wish to confront him.
Just as the Aurors were about to act, Dumbledorestopped them; he still had questions he hadn't finished asking.
Although he was an old man now, not just anyone dared to jump in front of him; even Lord Voldemort was unwilling to face him directly, so Barty Crouch Jr. daring to do so surely meant he had something to rely on.
Adding to that, Harry had not yet returned.
"The disappearance of Barty Crouch, was that also you?"
As in the original story, in March, Barty Crouch appeared at Hogwarts, was discovered by Harry, and after a series of events, vanished without a trace.
During this time, the Ministry of Magic had not given up searching for Barty Crouch, but all their efforts were in vain.
"That's right, it was me!"
"The Dark Lord and I have much in common, for example, we both had very disappointing fathers… extremely disappointing. Harry, we both inherited our fathers' names with shame, and we both happily… very happily… killed our own fathers, to ensure the rise of the Dark Lord's power!"
Barty Crouch Jr.'s face was filled with madness; he completely disregarded the fact that such an almost intolerable act was known to others.
Instead, he took pride in it, because this was a commonality between him and Lord Voldemort, how enviable that was.
As for his father, Barty Crouch, Barty Crouch Jr. believed he had never loved him; in his eyes, profit outweighed everything, and from the moment he sent him to Azkabanand his mother died in his place, he felt nothing but hatred for him.
Dumbledore sighed in his heart; this child was completely beyond saving.
Just as Dumbledore was about to say something more, Barty Crouch Jr. directly interrupted him.
"I am making a deal with you now."
Barty Crouch Jr. didn't want to talk much with Dumbledore; he just wanted to complete his mission and return to Lord Voldemort's side.
"What deal?"
Dumbledore's brow furrowed.
"Albus, you still want to make a deal with him? Take him down! He is unforgivable; a Dementor's Kiss awaits him."
Hearing that Dumbledore still wanted to make a deal with him, Cornelius Fudge immediately lost his patience.
"Cornelius, let's hear his deal; two champions are still missing."
Dumbledore appeased him with a sentence.
"Gryffindor's Sword, give me Gryffindor's Sword. The Dark Lord needs this; once he has it, Harry Potter will return."
Barty Crouch Jr. said.
As for why Lord Voldemort wanted Gryffindor's Sword, Barty Crouch Jr. didn't know.
After all, after Ethan and Lord Voldemort made a pact, Lord Voldemort issued a gag order, forbidding anyone from revealing the matter.
And although Barty Crouch Jr. was curious about what Lord Voldemort needed it for, he wasn't qualified to ask; he only needed to execute the orders Lord Voldemortgave him.
Hearing Barty Crouch Jr. say this, Dumbledore's heart sank; sure enough, Harry had been captured.
And Dumbledore knew how much Lord Voldemortwanted to kill Harry.
Now asking him for Gryffindor's Sword, Dumbledorecould only assume Lord Voldemort wanted to make a Horcrux.
In Dumbledore's conjecture, Lord Voldemort had very likely turned the remaining artifacts of the Hogwartsfounders into Horcruxes, only lacking Gryffindor's Sword, which was why he was targeting it.
"You bring Harry over, and I will give you Gryffindor's Sword."
Barty Crouch Jr. showed a sinister smile and said:
"Is that possible?"
If he brought Harry Potter over, facing Dumbledore, not to mention whether he could take Gryffindor's Sword back, he wouldn't even be able to save himself.
"Then how can I ensure that what you say is true?"
Every wrinkle on Dumbledore's face now carried a cold anger, giving off immense pressure.
"You have no choice, do you?"
In reality, Barty Crouch Jr. also didn't believe Lord Voldemort would release Harry, as he didn't know Harrywas Lord Voldemort's Horcrux.
And according to Lord Voldemort's hatred for the Boy Who Lived, he would surely kill him as quickly as possible.
"Albus, you wouldn't really want to hand over Gryffindor's Sword to him, would you?!"
Looking at Dumbledore in silence, Cornelius Fudge said in disbelief.
If you do that, wouldn't you be telling all the Wizards present that you believe Lord Voldemort has truly resurrected? Then what about me?
Chapter 281: End of the Triwizard Tournament
"Ron, and Ron was also captured by you, you must release him too."
Watching Dumbledore slowly draw the silver sword, George couldn't help but remind the others.
There was nothing they could do; the others had been talking for so long, and not one of them had mentioned that Ron had also been captured.
Even Barty Crouch Jr. had only just said he would release Harry, as if Ron didn't exist at all.
"Mm, we'll return them all to you together then."
Barty Crouch Jr. gave the Weasley Twin a reassuring look, then stared intently at the sword Dumbledore drew from thin air.
As long as he got this, the mission Lord Voldemort had given him would be complete.
As for releasing Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, bringing back their corpses would count, right?
Anyway, Barty Crouch Jr. planned to play a trick, not intending to abide by anything.
He had even killed his own father, so what honor or faith could there be? Aside from Lord Voldemort, he didn't care about outsiders' opinions of him.
As for Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord's words, can you even believe them?
"I hope you keep your promise."
Ignoring Cornelius Fudge, who was fuming beside him, Dumbledore said earnestly to Barty Crouch Jr., enunciating each word clearly.
Everyone could see from his expression and tone that he was serious.
In reality, Dumbledore had no other choice; even if there was only a sliver of hope, he had to accept it.
Harry was key to dealing with Lord Voldemort; he had been planning for so long, although now it seemed there was a big problem.
But Lord Voldemort truly believed Harry was his nemesis, and as long as that belief remained, he could still scheme.
As for Gryffindor's Sword, although it had some use, its greater value was symbolic; no one had used it for many years, and in this era, no one would practice swordsmanship, let alone anything else in the future.
So, using a dead object in exchange for a glimmer of hope, Dumbledore didn't feel there was any problem with himself.
The only thing to consider was, if Harry truly had a problem, how would the subsequent plan proceed?
Now there were still Dark Wizards like the Balrog and the Death Eater outside; if they united, what should be done?
Without Harry to tie up Lord Voldemort, allowing him to focus his attention here, it was indeed possible for them to unite.
Thinking of this, Dumbledore felt his head ache.
After taking Gryffindor's Sword from Dumbledore's hand, Barty Crouch Jr. took a deep look at everyone present, then turned and walked out of Hogwarts.
"Take him down, absolutely don't let him leave."
"No matter how he escaped back then, he cannot be allowed to leave today, otherwise, where is the Ministry of Magic's authority?"
Seeing Barty Crouch Jr. about to leave, Cornelius Fudgecould no longer hold back.
His British Ministry of Magic was already a joke internationally.
Barty Crouch, the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, had disappeared, which also showed others the incompetence of the British Ministry of Magic; a department head just disappeared, and he had no choice but to step in as a judge for the Triwizard Tournament.
Now, a criminal who should have been sentenced to death more than ten years ago brazenly appeared before everyone and publicly admitted to killing the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
Either of these two acts alone was punishable by death.
If he, as Minister, just watched him leave, how could he manage the Ministry of Magic afterward? How would others view him?
Putting aside everything else, just looking at the undisguised smiles of the reporters on site, he knew what tomorrow's newspapers would write.
You, Dumbledore, are firmly seated as Principal of Hogwarts, but his position as Minister for Magic is not very stable!
Barty Crouch Jr. listened to the clamoring CorneliusFudge behind him, not even looking back; he knew Dumbledore would handle everything.
With Dumbledore's prestige, there would certainly be no problem.
As for Cornelius Fudge, it wasn't that Barty Crouch Jr.looked down on him, but he was a useless person, who got the Minister's position by chance, and was even worse than his own father whom he had personally killed.
"Sander, let him leave."
Looking at the small team of Aurors preparing to act against Barty Crouch Jr., Dumbledore looked at their captain.
If anyone was to act, it would be him; if he let them fight, although the Aurors were strong, Barty Crouch Jr. was not without the ability to fight back.
He was also a genius in his time, one of the very few who achieved twelve O.W.L. certificates.
There were many students around, and Barty Crouch Jr.had no bottom line; if he targeted those students, it would be hard to imagine the consequences.
Sander Christo, named by Dumbledore, hesitated for a long while before finally lowering his wand.
Although disobeying Cornelius Fudge, the Minister, might lead to punishment afterward, a conflict with Dumbledore would be a much bigger problem.
After all, everyone knew that Amelia Bones, the head of his department, had a very good relationship with Dumbledore.
"Good, good, good!"
Looking at the Aurors beside him who stopped at Dumbledore's single word, Cornelius Fudge laughed in anger.
Who the hell was the boss of the British Ministry of Magic?
He hadn't even stepped down yet, and everyone was already disregarding his words, was that it?
This further solidified Cornelius Fudge's idea of taking control of the Ministry of Magic's powerful departments; neither Amelia Bones nor Rufus Scrimgeour were on his side.
It wasn't easy though; after the Quidditch World Cupincident, his prestige within the Ministry of Magic had further declined, and now more and more people were not taking him seriously.
From the reaction of these Aurors, it could be seen that other departments were probably not much better.
A sneer appeared on Barty Crouch Jr.'s face regarding everything happening behind him, and his steps quickened.
With such a team, how could they stop the powerful return of Lord Voldemort?
The advantage is mine!
He was already impatient to share this scene with Lord Voldemort.
"Dumbledore, you will be in court, I'll be waiting for you there!"
Cornelius Fudge could no longer stay; he felt like a clown, and after uttering a harsh threat to Dumbledore, he stormed off.
He had to do public relations, otherwise tomorrow's reports would definitely be unbearable.
And he would also think about how to solidify his position as Minister for Magic while centralizing power.
As for Cornelius Fudge's threat, Dumbledore didn't take it to heart at all.
The Wizarding World's court, the Wizengamot, he was the Chief Wizard.
"You two go back first."
After a moment of contemplation, Dumbledore said to Fred and George.
He was in no mood to talk to them now, nor could he promise anything.
Seeing that Fred still wanted to say something, Georgetugged his sleeve, and after greeting Dumbledore, they retreated.
He saw Dumbledore's difficulty and knew he wouldn't get any answers now.
After the two of them left, Dumbledore turned to look at Madam Maxime, and Ludo, the host, also walked over.
They had watched everything unfold and now guessed what Dumbledore wanted to say.
"I think we can announce the results of the Triwizard Tournament, don't you?"
Now, of the five judges, only three remained present; it was up to them to make the decision.
Moreover, the outcome was already clear; although according to the rules, they had to wait for Harry to return to announce it, hadn't an unexpected situation arisen?
"I have no objection!"
Madam Maxime immediately stated her position; with such a major event happening, she should not delay, both emotionally and rationally.
Moreover, she also wanted to take her students away from this place of turmoil as soon as possible; Lord Voldemort's resurrection was no small matter.
Although the impact did not reach France back then, she still knew the tragic situation in Great Britain, and naturally did not want her students to be involved.
And if she wasn't mistaken, Karkaroff had just fled, not even taking his own students.
In these past few months, news had spread throughout Hogwarts that Karkaroff was a Death Eater, and Madam Maxime had also heard some rumors about this.
Combining Karkaroff's abnormal behavior during this period, Madam Maxime believed this was basically true.
Karkaroff must have sensed Lord Voldemort's resurrection just now, which is why he ran away halfway through the competition.
Madam Maxime agreed, and Ludo naturally had no objection.
After casting a Sonorus on himself, he announced that the champion of this Triwizard Tournament was Hogwarts, then hastily said a few closing remarks, and declared the dissolution.
Then Dumbledore gave a speech, telling all students to proceed in an orderly fashion to the Great Hall for assembly.
At this moment, Professor Snape, who had been listening from the side, could no longer hold back and strode directly towards Dumbledore.
0 Flowers requested
"Ethan, Madam Maxime wants us to go back now."
Fleur ran over and took Gabrielle from Ethan.
"Hmm, see you this summer!"
Anyway, Fleur was coming to Great Britain to look for a job this summer, so there would be plenty of opportunities to meet; there was no particular reluctance.
After they left, Ethan's group also lined up in two columns under the Prefect's arrangement and headed towards the Great Hall.
"Ethan, what happened? Why did Professor Moody turn into another person just now? And Harry Potter hasn't returned yet, so why was the result announced?"
Walking on the road, Terry looked at Ethan with some confusion.
Since the stands were still some distance from the judge's table, if a Sonorus was not cast, the sound would not be able to reach them in such a noisy environment.
They had been completely confused just now.
"I'm not sure either."
Ethan shook his head; given his current position, he shouldn't know these things.
It's just that Ethan was in a good mood; Lord Voldemort's progress was quite smooth.
In a few days, when Hogwarts goes on holiday, he can go to Lord Voldemort's side to retrieve the last relic of the Four Founders.
On the other side, after Barty Crouch Jr. left the Hogwartsarea, he immediately Apparated to the cemetery in Little Hangleton.
Seeing the ugly man surrounded by a dozen black-robed figures, with a gaunt body, a snake-like face, and only two slits for nostrils, his face was full of excitement.
.... 0 0
"Master!"
"Barty, welcome back!"
Seeing Barty Crouch Jr. holding gryffindor's sword, Lord Voldemort's face also showed a hint of a smile, though it remained just as hideous.
In his heart, if all Death Eaters were ranked as tools, Barty Crouch Jr. would definitely be among the top five.
After handing gryffindor's sword to Lord Voldemort, Barty Crouch Jr. also retreated behind him.
Looking at the familiar faces around him, Malfoy, Goyle, Crabbe, Nott, Macnair...
Barty Crouch Jr.'s heart was filled with an uncontrollable surge of murderous intent; these damned fellows were simply unworthy of standing alongside him here.
They were all a bunch of damned cowards and traitors.
Even though it was clear that many of them bore marks of punishment, in Barty Crouch Jr.'s eyes, this was far from enough.
Lucius Malfoy, standing with his head bowed in the crowd, felt it was truly difficult; having joined the Witch Heart Society, he still had to come to Lord Voldemort's side now.
He had just been subjected to two Crucio spells upon meeting; he dared not imagine what would happen next.
He could feel that after this resurrection, Lord Voldemort, who had been a lonely ghost for over a decade, had become even more unpredictable.
However, Lucius felt extremely fortunate about his choice; Lord Voldemort's resurrection had been foreseen this time, and he just didn't know if Ethan had played any role in promoting it.
"Barty!"
After carefully examining gryffindor's sword for a while, Lord Voldemort put it away and looked in Barty Crouch Jr.'s direction.
"Put him down, then return his wand and the trophy to him."
Saying this, Lord Voldemort looked in Harry's direction.
If Harry weren't his Horcrux, Lord Voldemort would certainly kill Harry at this moment, and he would kill Harry in a duel, in front of everyone.
In front of his fair-weather subordinates, he would tell them that this so-called savior was nothing.
But now, he barely had time to protect this last Horcrux; how could he possibly kill him?
"Master, this..."
Barty Crouch Jr. raised his head in some confusion; was this a mental derangement caused by an unsuccessful resurrection?
Otherwise, what integrity do we Dark Wizards speak of? Shouldn't we seize this opportunity to kill this savior now?
This doesn't align with our Dark Wizard's modus operandi at all.
"Do as I say!"
Lord Voldemort had no habit of explaining to his subordinates, and this question could not be explained.
"Yes!"
Although he was very confused, Barty Crouch Jr. had no choice but to comply.
He roughly pulled Harry from the tombstone, then pointed his wand, and Harry's wand and the trophy were thrown in front of Harry.
Harry struggled to get up, and although he wondered why Lord Voldemort would let him go, he still picked up his wand and then went to pick up the trophy, finally looking at Ron's body.
He struggled to walk over.
Chapter 282: Dumbledore's Conjecture
Harry felt himself fall to the ground, his face buried in the grass, his nose filled with the smell of green grass.
He had closed his eyes when activating the Portkey, and he still did; at this moment, he felt completely drained of strength, aching all over, especially his head, where the scar had been throbbing faintly from the beginning until now.
But even so, Harry still clutched two things in his hands: a brass-colored Triwizard Tournament trophy, and Ron's body.
Lord Voldemort did not pay much attention to Harry's action of taking Ron's body.
"Harry, Harry!"
Just as Harry was drowsily about to collapse, a hurried cry reached his ears.
Immediately after, a pair of strong hands gripped his shoulders, turning him over.
He tiredly opened his eyes; before him was a star-studded night sky, and Albus Dumbledore was squatting in front of him.
Beside him were Professor Snape and a large black dog.
Turning his head, he was already at the edge of the maze, where he could see the high stands all around, but they were now deserted.
Hogwarts should have won the Triwizard Tournament, right?
But this seemed insignificant compared to what had just happened.
"He's back, Lord Voldemort, he's back!"
Looking at Dumbledore before him, a glimmer of light finally appeared in Harry's eyes.
"I know, I know!"
"Child, let's go to the hospital wing first, and there, you can tell us everything."
After Dumbledore comforted him for a few moments, he looked at Ron, who was clutched in Harry's hand.
With just one glance, he saw that Ron had already died.
At this moment, Dumbledore's face no longer held a kindly smile, and the cheerful spark in his eyes behind his spectacles had faded.
Although he didn't particularly like Ron, he was still his student, and now such a thing had happened; this was a dereliction of duty for him as Principal.
After giving Professor Snape a look, the two began to act.
Dumbledore picked up Ron, and Professor Snape helped Harry up; the group headed towards the Great Hall.
The large black dog also followed closely by Harry's side.
Sirius had come on his own this time, telling no one, because he was wanted by the Ministry of Magic, he had been hiding in the secret passage under the Whomping Willow for the past two days.
When he learned what had happened, he was extremely anxious, but fortunately, Harry had returned safely.
As for why Lord Voldemort kept his word and let Harryreturn this time, he didn't care much; as long as Harrywas back, it was fine.
The group quickly passed through the entrance hall and entered the Great Hall.
The young Wizards gathered in the Great Hall turned their heads upon hearing the commotion, and what met their eyes was Harry, supported by Professor Snape, and the trophy in his other hand, as well as Ron, held in Dumbledore's arms.
"They're back."
"They're back with the trophy; Harry and Ron got the last trophy."
The people in the Great Hall cheered; although Hogwartshad already been announced as the champion of the Triwizard Tournament, it was only now that it truly ended, and this championship was well-deserved.
As for Harry, who was supported, and Ron, who was carried, it was quite reasonable to get some injuries participating in the Triwizard Tournament, wasn't it?
Unlike the other cheering young Wizards, Ethan, though he couldn't see Ron's face, could clearly feel that his breath was gone.
He then glanced at Cedric, who was cheering with the other students.
In other words, Ron really got Cedric's script?
It's just that in the original novel, Cedric was killed by Peter, but with Peter and Ron's relationship, could he really do it?
Ethan knew that Peter was actually quite contradictory; he would do anything to survive, and betraying his brothers was commonplace.
But sometimes, for the sake of friendship, he would act impulsively and do things he shouldn't.
So, is Peter's survival instinct still dominant now?
At the same time, the Weasleys also felt something was wrong; although they couldn't see Ron's current state, upon seeing Ron, a sudden feeling of sadness arose in their hearts, as if something was missing.
But they didn't dare to rush forward, what if this feeling was wrong?
After handing the trophy to Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape had no intention of saying anything more to others and directly led Harry towards the hospital wing.
Professor McGonagall, who took the trophy, was also stunned when she saw Ron in Dumbledore's arms; she hadn't noticed from a distance just now, but if she still couldn't tell now, then her strength would truly be wasted.
After glancing at Dumbledore's expression, Professor McGonagall also pursed her lips, and a hint of sadness and vexation flashed across her serious face.
If she had been a little more careful while patrolling the maze, perhaps such a thing wouldn't have happened.
The other young Wizards did not notice Professor McGonagall's change, but the Weasleys precisely caught it.
They could no longer hold back and rushed over directly.
Mrs. Weasley's eyes were red; many people felt that something seemed wrong.
The Twin were the first to react.
However, Dumbledore clearly had no intention of announcing the situation here; after telling the Prefects to take their respective house students back to the dormitories.
He then carried Ron and led the Weasleys and the Twintowards the empty classroom behind the Great Hall, accompanied by Professor McGonagall, who also followed.
After dealing with Ron's matter, it was already quite late.
But Dumbledore had no intention of resting and hurried to the hospital wing.
Arriving in the ward, Harry was already sound asleep, guarded by Professor Snape and Sirius, who had returned to his human form.
After a brief thought, Dumbledore prepared to wake Harry; there were some things he wanted to clarify.
The sooner these matters were clarified, the sooner arrangements could be made.
"Can we talk tomorrow morning, Dumbledore?"
"Harry suffered at least three Crucio spells; let him sleep, let him rest well."
Sirius said seriously to Dumbledore, his voice a little hoarse.
Professor Snape, though silent, clearly meant the same thing.
They all saw Harry's condition just now; it would not be an exaggeration to say his body was on the verge of collapse.
After Madam Pomfrey's examination, they were all somewhat surprised when she said Harry had endured at least three Crucio.
Labeled as an Unforgivable Curse, it is not merely pain; it is a harm to both spirit and body, and the more powerful the Wizard who casts it, the greater the damage, especially to the mind, which is extremely difficult to recover from.
It was clear who caused these injuries on Harry.
It was already remarkable that he could endure such pain and return to Hogwarts.
Just now, Harry had taken the Potion prepared by Madam Pomfrey and Snape and had fallen asleep.
Waking Harry now would definitely not be a good choice.
"You all know what happened previously. Is Lord Voldemort a man of integrity?"
Dumbledore naturally knew it was time for Harry to rest, but wasn't this a special circumstance?
"Lord Voldemort, what integrity could he possibly have?"
"Also, what just happened?"
Sirius looked at Dumbledore with confusion; he truly didn't know, and you couldn't expect Snape to tell him anything.
It was already a sign of Snape's improvement that he hadn't cast Sectumsempra at Sirius just now.
When the incident occurred, Sirius, in his large black dog form, certainly couldn't step forward; he could only cower in a corner and watch events unfold, only running out once most people had left.
He wasn't clear what had happened, but since Harryhadn't returned, something must have gone wrong, which was why he waited by Dumbledore's side.
Until now, aside from knowing Lord Voldemort had resurrected from Harry's mouth, he only knew Ron had died.
Seeing this, Dumbledore then briefly recounted the deal where Barty Crouch Jr. came to the referee's stand to Sirius.
After listening, Sirius finally understood.
"You mean, you want to ask Harry if Lord Voldemortintentionally let him go?"
"Exactly."
Dumbledore also had several theories about this, and now he just wanted to confirm which one was correct.
At this, Sirius no longer dared to object; he knew how much Lord Voldemort wanted to kill Harry, the savior mentioned in the prophecy.
When the prophecy first emerged, the Potter family was targeted by Death Eaters, forcing James to cast the Fidelius Charm.
Later, upon learning the hiding place of James and the others, Lord Voldemort even personally intervened, solely to eliminate Harry.
Now that Harry had fallen into his hands and still managed to return, it would be absolutely impossible if nothing had happened.
Dumbledore gently woke Harry, meeting his still somewhat dazed, as if not fully awake, eyes, and softly asked:
"I want to know, Harry, what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze?"
Although he still felt weak and sore all over, and his forehead ached terribly, Harry still didn't refuse and immediately tried to sit up.
Dumbledore helped Harry, letting him lean against the pillow.
At the same time, the Phoenix, which had been following Dumbledore, let out a soft, trembling cry, and a transparent tear fell into Harry's mouth...
At this, Harry suddenly felt a warmth spread through him, and he gained strength and courage.
After a moment of silence, Harry took a deep breath and began to recount to them.
As Harry spoke, everything that had happened that night flashed before his eyes like a movie.
Lord Voldemort's resurrection, the Potion sparking on its surface, the Apparition of the Death Eaters, and Ron's corpse.
During this process, Harry even felt a sense of relief, as if something toxic was being slowly drawn out of his body.
Dumbledore and the other two, who had listened from beginning to end, fell into silence.
Especially Sirius, he never expected Peter's story to end in such a way.
But why? Sirius didn't understand. Since he dared to defy Lord Voldemort's orders...
This indicated that he still had courage deep down, that he wasn't so cowardly, so afraid of death.
Then why did he turn to Lord Voldemort in the first place?
Why did he betray James?
Snape wondered if Lord Voldemort had let Harry go this time because he no longer believed the prophecy, or was no longer interested in Harry?
What should he do next?
"Harry, you said Lord Voldemort told Barty Crouch Jr. to let you go."
Things were somewhat beyond his expectations. For Harry to become the savior, with his special effectiveness against Lord Voldemort, the primary point was that Lord Voldemort had to believe the prophecy.
If he no longer believed it, his schemes wouldn't be as easy.
But this shouldn't be!
Even if he no longer believed the prophecy, Dumbledorebelieved Lord Voldemort would absolutely not mind casually killing Harry, just as he did Ron.
Could his own theory be true?
And had Lord Voldemort discovered it?
Some time ago, when Harry had headaches, nightmares, and experienced some hallucinations, he had told Dumbledore about these situations.
At that time, Dumbledore had a faint suspicion: this might be a slight connection with Lord Voldemort, the reason being the scar on Harry's head.
After repeated consideration, Dumbledore deduced that Harry might be one of Lord Voldemort's Horcrux, which would explain the resonance with Lord Voldemort.
And why Parseltongue had awakened in him, despite there being no Slytherin, or rather, Gaunt family blood, in recent generations.
But Dumbledore's idea about this was only a guess; he couldn't be entirely certain.
Now it seemed this was likely true; otherwise, Lord Voldemort had no reason to spare Harry.
"Yes, I could feel it. Lord Voldemort truly wanted to kill me, but in the end, he still let me go."
When Lord Voldemort cast Crucio on him, Harry could clearly feel this point.
He truly wanted to kill him, but for some unknown reason, he didn't follow through.
"Then, was there anything else unusual about him?"
"I don't know!"
Harry shook his head. He truly didn't have the extra mental capacity to observe that carefully, especially after enduring Crucio.
Seeing this, Dumbledore said no more.
According to Harry, Lord Voldemort still very much wanted to kill Harry, but he restrained himself.
In that case, based on his understanding of Lord Voldemort, even if Harry was his Horcrux, this shouldn't be the case.
After all, he had more than just one or two Horcrux; rather than keeping Harry as a hidden danger, he would definitely choose to destroy him with his own hands.
Could there be a problem with his Horcrux, or perhaps their number was not as many as he had imagined?
Currently, the only known one was that diary, which had already been destroyed. He had searched many places afterward but found nothing.
From this perspective, Lord Voldemort's desire for gryffindor's sword this time was to create Horcrux.
However, for now, the priority was to teach HarryOcclumency; otherwise, Lord Voldemort, realizing this, could very likely use it to monitor Harry's every move.
Just as silence fell in the room, the ward door was pushed open again.
Mrs. Weasley, her eyes red from crying and her face full of sorrow, walked in from outside.
Seeing the newcomer, Harry quickly lowered his head. Regarding Ron's matter, he was somewhat unsure how to face Mrs. Weasley.
"I'm sorry, I..."
"No, it's not your fault, child!"
Mrs. Weasley took two steps forward and embraced Harry.
Although she was extremely saddened by Ron's death, she did not blame Harry for it.
She had come this time to check on Harry's injuries, as his condition had not looked good earlier, and then she wanted to understand what had happened.