======== Part 50. Correct observations and incorrect conclusions ==========
Once upon a time, a majestic castle belonging to an ancient dark family stood on this spot. An overgrown park surrounded the old walls, wild deer grazed in the meadows, and the pristine beauty of nature, icy streams and stone gargoyles adorned the walls. The entire appearance of the ancient structure spoke of glorious ancestors and mysterious bloody deeds that had taken place within these walls. And that was exactly how it used to be.
In addition, the old magical protection reliably hid the castle from anyone who wanted to get to its treasures. Loyal house elves kept everything clean and tidy while waiting for their masters. Even the Ministry, with all its curse breakers, was unable to break the protection of the ancient family's manor. But now the old castle lay in ruins, the bodies of the men of the family and the bloody stains left by their small, pointy-eared servants were found in the rubble. A powerful dark magic emanated from the stones, as if Voldemort himself had been having fun here with his old friend Albus Grindelwald.
Dumbledore stood on the ruins of the Lestrange Manor and thoughtfully twirled a piece of dark blue ceremonial robe in his hands. It was the robe he had seen very recently on a cheeky young man. A pleasant chill of foreboding ran through the old wizard's heart. Below, Aurors bustled about, trying to find something among the stones. Rufus Scrimgeour's booming voice could be heard berating one of his subordinates, and the camera of a Daily Prophet reporter clicked away.
"Do you think so too, my dear?" sighed the old wizard, hiding a piece of dark blue cloth in his pocket and stroking the faithful phoenix sitting on his shoulder. The immortal bird thoughtfully tilted its head to one side and cooed in agreement.
***
The day off always delighted Hogwarts students with the opportunity to walk around Hogsmeade. Even on this cloudy October day, senior students wandered the streets of the village, popped into magic shops, or sat in cosy cafes. A pensive Granger emerged from Timothea and Toadstool, a shop selling magical plants and mushrooms, clutching a bundle of ingredients to her chest. The Weasley brothers came out of Zonko's joke shop, looking around, and giggling, they headed for the Hog's Head. Every shop was full of students, bustling back and forth like ants in an anthill.
However, some of the older students gradually began to move towards the Hog's Head, a pub that was not very popular among Hogwarts students. Looking back as if playing spies, students entered one by one and in groups, and little by little, a whole crowd of students from the magic school gathered in the tavern. Everyone was laughing and joking, scaring away the regulars. Some ordered butterbeer, while others even tried to buy firewhisky and were sent away by the unfriendly old landlord. It was clear to any observer that the teenagers were united by some kind of secret that had brought them together here today.
Finally, when the crowd of students was already ordering their second round, the door opened and Harry Potter appeared on the threshold, surrounded by his friends. Behind him, like a support group, were Ronald Weasley with his sister, Neville Longbottom and the twins. The teenagers greeted everyone sternly and approached the table, where chairs had been thoughtfully left for them.
"Hello, everyone!" Harry raised his hand in greeting. Everyone began to greet the national hero, and at that moment, the curious Lovegood and Granger slipped into the room. The fair-haired girl sat down in the back row, while Hermione leaned against the far wall, ready to hear something interesting.
Ginny blushed and began to speak nervously, her voice breaking slightly:
"Friends, we are all gathered here to talk about the problems with DADA. Because of Umbridge, many of us are not getting practice in a subject that is important for every wizard, and some of us have to take OWLs and N.E.W.T.s this year," she glanced at her brothers and Harry for support.
The crowd of students murmured in agreement. There were shouts of approval, and someone wished that Umbridge would be eaten by werewolves.
"Therefore," Weasley continued more confidently, "we need to study Defence Against the Dark Arts ourselves.
"To pass the exam?" asked Cormac McLaggen, who was sitting next to his classmates.
Ginny shot the senior a withering glance and replied sharply,
"First and foremost, to fight the dark forces!"
Some students grumbled in protest, while others responded with a whistle of agreement.
"Yes, the dark forces," Potter said passionately. "We must stand together against Voldemort!"
At the mention of the terrible wizard's name, it was as if the sound had been turned off in the hall.
"You, Potter," McLaggen forced out, "don't mention his name just like that, you'll jinx him. I, for one, want to study properly and pass my O.W.L.s next year, not take part in your revolutions.
"Well, get out of here!" Ginny boiled over. "Anyone who doesn't want to learn the really important spells that could save your lives can leave.
Some of the students began to move, getting to their feet. Most of them were Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students. As expected, there were no Slytherins among those gathered.
When the dissenters had left, Pollyanna Lovegood raised her hand and asked,
"Who will teach us defensive magic?"
Ron, puffing himself up, replied importantly:
"Of course, Harry, Polumna — he's the Dark Lord's conqueror and a very powerful wizard. Potter will be able to teach us how to defend ourselves.
"And where will we do that?" asked Mary Edgecomb, a senior from Ravenclaw, sitting next to the petite Chinese girl Jo Chang.
"You'll find out if you sign the non-disclosure agreement," the younger Weasley smiled. "We don't want the pink toad to find out where we're meeting. Especially now that she's 'Her Majesty, the Headmistress of Hogwarts,'" Ginny squeaked in Professor DADA's syrupy voice.
At the mention of Umbridge's nickname, many Gryffindors laughed.
"So," Ginny raised her voice again, "those who have decided to study advanced defensive magic with us, come and sign up. We'll let you know where the classes will be held later, individually.
The students signed the parchment one by one, with only Edgecomb doing so with obvious displeasure and a grimace. Jo Chang, who signed next, patted her friend approvingly on the shoulder. The Chinese girl had previously dated Cedric Diggory, but after his death, she began to pay more attention to Potter. Perhaps she had begun to like the bespectacled boy, or maybe she just wanted to join a noble English family and move out of Muggle Chinatown. Recently, Ginny Weasley had been looking at her potential rival with caution and poorly concealed anger.
"Hermione, are you going to sign the contract?" Ronald asked loudly when everyone who wanted to sign had done so and began to quietly disperse.
"No, Ron," the girl shrugged indifferently, "I'm not interested."
"Traitor," hissed Weasley, blushing. "You've become just like them. Such a snob.
The girl smiled pitifully at Ron and walked out the door, which infuriated Weasley completely.
"What does she think she is?!" the angry Gryffindor shouted. "She comes here, eavesdrops on everything, and now she's going to run to Umbridge? Harry, we need to talk to her," Ronald said, deeply disappointed.
"What should we call our secret society?" Fred interrupted. "How about Fighters Against the Dark Forces?"
"FPC?" Polumna Zhou said dreamily. "I like it, it sounds like the title of my father's magazine, free and fast, like a broomstick flying without a rider."
"No," Ginny grimaced. "They'll laugh at us if they see that abbreviation in the Quibbler. Let's call ourselves Dumbledore's Army. It sounds more menacing, and everyone will understand that we're not children anymore, but serious, independent wizards!"
In high spirits, the kids headed for Hogwarts, but in front of the Great Hall they saw a notice board with a new order from the Chief Inspector stating that all student organisations were banned from that day forward. Anyone caught violating Education Decree Number Twenty-Four would be expelled immediately.There was a commotion nearby, and the confused students turned around to see the Slytherins. Pansy Parkinson stood at the front, the letter "I" embroidered in silver shining proudly on her robe. Next to her stood senior students Cassius Urrington and Graham Montague, behind them stood Millicent Bulstrode, smiling contentedly.
"Well, Gryffindors, is anyone ready to leave school?" Parkinson said sarcastically. "Do you see what it says here? For the illiterate griffins, I'll explain. If your bunch of losers doesn't get approval from Madam Umbridge, like our 'Inspection Squad,'" she pointed to her embroidered "I" badge, "you'll be expelled from Hogwarts as soon as they catch you. And we will catch you," she added threateningly. "We are now responsible for order in this school, with the permission of the Chief Inspector. And Mr. Filch is with us too," she pointed to the caretaker passing by, whose robe now bore the emblem of the new regime. The stunned Gryffindors silently made their way into the hall, past the cheerful Slytherins, where a crowd of students had already gathered for lunch.
Despite the threat of being caught, the brave Gryffindors decided to go ahead with their plans, especially since Harry had learned from the eldest house elf that there was a magical room on the eighth floor when he ran into the kitchen at Ron's request to get some pies for the evening. A delighted Potter immediately decided to check it out, and that same evening, he and Weasley, hidden under an invisibility cloak, went to the eighth floor. The room really existed and looked just as the students had imagined.
So, after receiving the meeting coordinates, the whole group spent the next few days intensively studying "Expelliarmus" under Potter's command. When asked why Disarming, which they had all learned in their second year, would be of any use, Harry reasonably pointed out that it was not enough to learn the spell, it had to be practised until it became automatic. "Then it will work for you like it does for me," the teenager said confidently, "that is, quickly and powerfully!"
***
The Slytherins were getting ready to leave for the Christmas holidays and were quietly gathering in the common room.
"Mr Malfoy," Pansy Parkinson sang in a thin voice. "My father asked me to give you an invitation to our manor for the holidays. They are looking forward to seeing you there, Mr Malfoy."
Draco turned away angrily.
Graham Montague, who had become captain of the team after Marcus Flint graduated last year, snorted maliciously. As soon as he received the coveted badge, Graham's first act was to kick Draco off the team.
"Perhaps our former 'Prince of Slytherin' is ashamed of you, Pansy?" Bulstrode added fuel to the fire. "They say that's why the Malfoys hid their manor under the Fidelius charm."
Without listening any further, Draco nodded to his vassals and Nott, and they all left the living room together to the laughter of the other Slytherins.
"You'll all pay for this!" muttered the teenager under his breath, immediately burying his face in Snape's robe.
"I'm sorry, sir, I was lost in thought," Draco apologised, looking at his godfather's indignant face.
"Be more careful, Mr Malfoy," Snape said in an icy tone. "Perhaps after you graduate from Hogwarts, you will become a lord and take responsibility for your family, so you should learn to behave more strictly.
"Yes, sir, I understand," Draco stepped aside, clearing the way for the dean and Snape, nodded grimly, and hurried down the corridor.
With a sly glance, Draco and his friends hurried to the exit. No one must know that his father was alive, not even his godfather, especially his godfather. The Occlumency lessons had not been in vain for the younger Malfoy, and now he had learned to automatically block his mind from superficial scanning. The chance to see his parents and brother quickly lifted his spirits, and Draco walked cheerfully forward. The portkeys Black had given them all in case of a sudden attack added to the teenagers' sense of confidence.
Cassius met his brother on the apparition platform and hugged him tightly.
"You're going to strangle me!" Malfoy wheezed, and Black immediately put him back in his place, patting him on the shoulder.
"You've grown so strong, Draco, you'll soon be taller than your father," Cassius smiled.
The brothers walked slowly to the manor, while the house elves carried the young master's suitcase to his room. Draco's mother and father were waiting for him in the living room. They looked a little sad, but immediately rushed to embrace their son.
"What on earth is this!" cried the younger Malfoy, pretending to be upset, but deep down he was delighted to see his family together.
Everyone laughed merrily and began to sit down at the table. The house-elves quickly set the table, and Draco was finally able to enjoy a home-cooked meal. Narcissa asked him how things were going at Hogwarts during the meal, but Draco diligently hid his problems at school behind meaningless answers. He didn't want to involve his parents in what he considered to be his own petty problems.
"Our family has lost some of its influence among the purebloods," Lucius began quietly, raising his glass and looking seriously at Draco. "But this will only show you, my son, who your true friends are and who wanted to take advantage of your position for their own gain. So watch, observe, learn," smiled Lord Malfoy. "And when we regain our former power, all our enemies will get what they deserve.
"Or die," Cassius said with a smile, but everyone in the living room felt a chill for a moment.
***
The next day, Black went to 12 Grimmauld Place to congratulate the portraits of his ancestors on Yule. He was glad that he hadn't been drunk for a long time, otherwise he might have fallen before even reaching the second floor. He considered it his duty to raise the painted glass in each portrait, clinking it with the new lord and wishing prosperity for the Black family.
Phineas Nigelus, from whom Cassius had removed the requirement to obey the current head of Hogwarts with the help of the family altar, was now the most unpopular headmaster of the last few centuries. He enjoyed spending time in the manor, periodically eavesdropping and reporting to Cassius on what was happening in Dumbledore's office. Thus, he confirmed that the headmaster's hand was afflicted with an unknown dark magic curse that Cassius had sensed, and that he was forced to hide his increasingly unsightly hand in an enchanted glove.
Phineas shared his opinion of Dumbledore's concentrator. A great light wizard, and his wand glowed with the power of death. Once, the headmaster froze the portraits and laid out three artefacts on the table, which emitted such a grey aura that Phineas, even fuelled by the ancestral altar, almost stuttered with fear. The wand, ring and robe exuded the power and danger of ancient dark magic.
Of course, as a portrait, he was not in danger of dying, but even catching the echoes of the emanations radiating from the ancient artefacts made him feel uneasy.
"A powerful wand, you say, honoured ancestor?" Cassius asked with interest.
"Very powerful and very scary," shuddered the painted magician. "And the other items also gave off all sorts of... You know, Lord Black," Finneas Nigelus stroked his beard thoughtfully, "I think I read about these artefacts somewhere. I think it was in a children's book by Bard Beagle," muttered the portrait, pleased with his memory. "Yes, there was something about three brothers and the gifts of death.
After talking a little more and asking the portrait to report all significant events at Dumbledore's, Cassius finally made it to his bedroom and, already quite tipsy, collapsed onto the bed that Kreacher had made for him. With a snap of his fingers, he made his clothes disappear into the wardrobe and was about to go to sleep when Kreacher appeared at the bedside and handed him a letter.
"You asked me to bring messages from your friend and family day and night," the house-elf explained pedantically, looking at his surprised master.
Cassius immediately reached out and saw Al-Mansur's initials on the parchment. Unrolling the scroll, Black read the message and was surprised to find a wedding invitation. His friend had finally persuaded his father to give his permission for him to marry Fleur Delacour. In the letter, he invited Cassius and his entire family to attend the momentous occasion, which was scheduled to take place on the fifth day after Yule. "Probably so that the guests can take a break from the winter holidays," Cassius smiled to himself. Then he quickly scribbled his consent on the letter and handed it to Kreacher.
"Send it by owl to Marrakesh, for Hassan, and I'm going to bed," yawned the young Lord Black, curling up on the bed with his arm under his head.
After celebrating Yule, the Malfoys went as a family to the wedding of Cassius's best friend. Hassan sent a reply with an international portal, and within minutes, everyone was in the scorching climate of Marrakesh.
"Oh, how wonderful it is here!" Narcisa smiled. "When it's slushy or snowy in England, we can fly here for a week. I've already forgotten how wonderful we had it at our boy's teacher's house.
"Maybe we should buy some land and build a small estate here?" Lucius looked thoughtfully at the rest of his family.
Draco didn't like the heat, but he endured it stoically, only wiping the sweat from his forehead with a silk handkerchief.
"Let's hurry to the shade," muttered the younger Malfoy, pointing to a canopy where tourists were already gathering to escape the heat.
At that moment, Cassius noticed the flying carpets, a small string of them flying towards the parking area. Hassan himself emerged from the first one and approached Cassius with a smile.
"Greetings, my friend," he said, folding his hands in front of him in a traditional bow. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen," Al-Mansur greeted everyone else in a European manner.
All the guests settled into their flying vehicles, completely invisible to Muggles, and rushed to the palace. Draco immediately understood why flying carpets were banned in his homeland. They were many times more comfortable than broomsticks for comfortable yet fast travel.
"The broom manufacturers must have lobbied the Ministry to get that ban lifted," Draco muttered under his breath. Lucius just chuckled, looked at his son cheerfully, and whispered,
"As one of the shareholders of the companies that manufacture brooms, I can tell you that you are absolutely right in your assumptions.
The wedding lasted three days, with about a thousand guests and even more who wanted to pay their respects to the Al-Mansur family. The Malfoys gave the newlyweds a beautiful estate in France, not far from their own.
"Let's visit each other," smiled Cassius, handing over the registration papers and keys to the estate's security system. "The goblins have done their best; now, without your permission, no one will be able to get in.
The dark-skinned house spirit immediately took everything from Cassius's hands and disappeared from view.
According to local tradition, the hosts also gave gifts to their guests at the wedding. Narcissa received a dark bottle of argan oil, which the satisfied woman immediately hid in her handbag. Lucius and Draco received babouches — colourful oriental slippers with curved toes, and Cassius was personally presented with a traditional Moroccan djellaba — a white hooded robe — by a grinning Hassan. Black snorted but gladly accepted the gift, joking that a dark wizard in a white robe looked particularly cool.
Fleur looked simply magnificent in her cream-coloured wedding dress with floral embroidery. A beautiful emerald necklace rested on her swan-like neck, attracting the attention of both men and women. The artefact, created from a truly royal stone, completely blocked the Charm, and the girl felt completely relaxed, not afraid of any inappropriate advances from the men around her. It was only at the end of the third day, tired from the festive whirlwind, that the Malfoys finally managed to slip away to Malfoy Manor.
"Oh, I'm home," Draco groaned, collapsing onto the sofa. "No one will move me from here!
"Not even five o'clock tea with oatmeal cookies?" Narcissa asked incredulously, descending the stairs elegantly.
Draco immediately assumed a sitting position.
"Oh, I recognise a true English wizard," Lady Malfoy laughed cheerfully, approaching the sofa and ruffling her son's blond hair.
***
In the magical room of their choice, the members of Dumbledore's group were practising the Patronus charm when the head of the Hogwarts house elves suddenly appeared among the teenagers and shouted loudly:
"Harry Potter, sir, she's coming, run!"
Everyone rushed about, and the teenager asked in a trembling voice:
"Who is she, who's coming here?
"Professor Umbridge!" cried the house-elf. "She's with the inspection team. She'll be here any minute."
There was immediate running and commotion. The teenagers tried to escape from the dangerous place as quickly as possible and, rushing out of the room, scattered in all directions. Unfortunately for the members of Dumbledore's squad, not everyone managed to get away. Potter was one of the first to be caught, and Dolores Umbridge, smiling vengefully, grabbed him by the elbow and immediately dragged him to the headmaster. After hissing the password to the gargoyle, the woman, dragging Potter behind her, rushed into the office.
The room was packed with people. The old headmaster himself seemed to be dozing at his desk, his arms crossed in front of his chest, covered by dark gloves. Professor McGonagall stood frozen beside him, nervously biting her thin lips. Cornelius Fudge sat in an armchair by the fireplace, throwing seed husks into the fire; Kingsley Brustver and another dark wizard stood on either side of the door like guards, and Marietta Edgecombe stood against the wall, her face hidden in her hands.
Harry shuddered when he saw the girl and realised who had betrayed their meetings.
"Now, tell us, dear," Umbridge began in a honeyed tone, "how often did this gang, led by Mr Potter, meet in violation of the Decree against Education?
Harry caught a glimpse of the slight movement of Bruster's wand as he leaned against the door. Marietta, as if she hadn't heard Umbridge's question, remained standing against the wall.
When the "pink toad" finally tried to talk to the embarrassed girl, she completely denied everything she had told her in private. Unable to get any coherent answers from the slow-witted student, the inspector general was not discouraged. She took out of her pocket a list of all the members of the secret society, which, by pure chance, they had left behind in the common room.
Unfolding the list, Dolores proudly showed it to the minister.
"Dumbledore's Army?!" Fudge read, jumping up. "What is this, Albus? Have you decided to train Hogwarts students as militants to overthrow the legitimate government?"
Dumbledore clapped his hands demonstratively, rising from the table, causing everyone, including the minister, to take a cautious step back.
"Your insight does you credit, Mr. Fudge," smiled the old wizard. "You thought you could catch and expel a student, and now you can arrest the headmaster. Or maybe you can't," Dumbledore said slyly, glancing at his glasses.
Fudge blushed and grabbed his wand. His face flushed, and he shouted:
"You can't handle all of us, even if you were ten times the wizard! Brunt, Dolish, take him and send him to Azkaban.
Dumbledore just smiled, and then something happened in the room. The phoenix let out a piercing cry, several flashes of light appeared, and only Albus, Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter, and Marietta, who was still standing indifferently by the wall, remained standing. Everyone else was lying around the room where they had been standing. Harry looked dazedly from one unconscious body to another. Dumbledore smiled cheerfully at the teenager and began to gather his things, stuffing them into his pockets.
"Minerva, apologise to Kingsley for me and thank him for his help," he nodded towards Edgecomb. "Since everything has turned out this way, I will have to leave you for a while," Dumbledore continued. "I'm sorry, Minerva, Harry, I have business outside Hogwarts.
Potter blushed painfully, ready to sink into the ground. He was overcome with the realisation that by calling themselves Dumbledore's squad, they had just exposed the headmaster to the Ministry. Meanwhile, a phoenix fluttered onto Albus's shoulder, and in an instant, they both disappeared in a golden flash. A minute later, the wizards lying on the floor stirred, and Fudge, propping himself up on his elbow, glared at Minerva with anger.
"Where did he go?" McGonagall shrugged contemptuously. Dolish, Brustver and Umbridge rushed down the stairs in search of Dumbledore, while the Gryffindor dean took both teenagers by the arms and calmly led them out of the office. Fudge collapsed into a chair and looked around at the portraits of former headmasters, who were glaring at him with disapproval.
They had not taken more than a few steps down the corridor when the Minister came tumbling down the stairs with a cry, after which the gargoyle returned to its place, sealing the passage.
"What the hell is going on here!" the minister roared furiously, crawling across the floor in search of his wand, which had rolled away. Getting up, he cast some kind of spell at the gargoyle, but the beam ricocheted back, knocking Faj hard against the wall, where he slid back to the floor.
"Cornelius," Minerva said softly, suppressing an unwelcome smile. "If the headmaster is not here, no one can enter his office without his permission.
Picking up the crumpled rag that had become of his elegant felt hat, Fudge for some reason threatened the gargoyle with his chubby fist, then glared fiercely at McGonagall and blurted out:
"I swear by Merlin, you'll have a new headmistress today, Minerva.
"But she will only be able to receive visitors in her old office, with kittens on the walls," McGonagall's lips twisted into a barely perceptible sarcastic smile. "Your Dolores will be headmistress only on paper, the magic of Hogwarts will not obey her, the elf community will listen to her no more than any other professor, and the castle defences will also ignore her orders. This is foolish, Cornelius..."
"I am the Minister here, and I decide what is stupid and what is not," Fudge muttered, dragging his foot away and leaving.
The next day, notices were posted on all the notice boards announcing the appointment of Dolores Umbridge as the new headmistress of the school of witchcraft and wizardry. The satisfied "pink toad" sat in her office, receiving reports from the inspection team. Pansy Parkinson successfully extinguished the small flame of discontent caused by her failure to get past the gargoyle by pouring gallons of syrup into the new headmistress's ears. As a result, the pink toad's already inflated ego reached unprecedented heights.
***
In a small two-storey house, where a retired dark wizard was spending his remaining years, Dumbledore appeared in a bright flash with a phoenix on his shoulder, setting off all the alarms set by Moody. When the old paranoid man cautiously peeked out from the second floor landing, he was annoyed to find Dumbledore rummaging through his kitchen supplies in search of tea.
"Damn you, werewolf, Albus!" Moody breathed with relief. "What the hell are you doing barging in like that?
"Forgive me, old friend," smiled the great light-haired man. "Your former colleagues wanted to arrest me on the orders of our highly respected minister, but I had to refuse. As you understand, I can escape from Azkaban, but why all this fuss?" He rubbed his gloved hand cautiously. "Anyway, I need to think about a few things, and your company will be most welcome."
Moody sighed resignedly and waved his wand. After that, the teapot, which had been standing peacefully, flew up to the stove by itself, a fire flared up under it, and a teapot and a tin can of tea fluttered out of a distant cupboard.
"Don't mention it," Moody muttered, slowly descending the stairs, disabling a couple of shield spells that the wizard had taken the trouble to cast on it after a previous incident.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore was already busily setting the table in the living room and, sitting down in an armchair, levitated the teapot and cups towards him. Pouring the hot drink into mugs, Dumbledore took a first sip with pleasure and glanced at the former dark wizard. First, Albus told Moody about the misunderstanding, which made him laugh until he cried.
"That fat moron wanted to fight you at Hogwarts, in the centre of your power?" Alastor choked with laughter. "Even He Who Must Not Be Named wouldn't dare show up there without a couple hundred Death Eaters to back him up."Dumbledore just smiled cheerfully, his glasses twinkling, but suddenly his face took on a serious expression.
"Do you remember a young man named Cassius Black?" the great light wizard looked at his companion. "I think he's the one behind Tom's resurrection. The Blacks have always supported Voldemort, all of their crazy pure-blood family. And then this boy appears, learns easily and without difficulty, then for some reason kills Lupin and Sirius, even though they could have simply been knocked unconscious," the great light wizard clicked his tongue irritably. "Then he infiltrates Hogwarts under the guise of the organiser of the Triwizard Tournament, in the final stage of which he resurrects the Dark Lord. It's good that Harry escaped from their clutches, but it's bad that Voldemort took the Horcrux from his head. Of course, in Barty's memory, I didn't notice anything about Black's involvement in the preparations for the resurrection, but perhaps he was keeping Barty in the dark, why share secrets with a mere executor.
"And you ordered him to be put in Azkaban," Moody croaked thoughtfully, sipping his tea. "He must have been angry with you, and since he couldn't harm you himself, he quickly found himself a protector. I heard he was sitting on the floor with the Death Eaters who had escaped, where he could have been influenced by their ideology.
"In the ruins of the Lestrange manor, I found a piece of the robe belonging to our young friend. I remember the boy was wearing it when he last came to my office. That means Black was there with Voldemort. I can always distinguish the foul smell of dark magic from that of simple combat spells.
"Why would Lord Voldemort need to kill his most loyal servants?" asked Moody. "He just got them out of Azkaban.
"Riddle cares about no one but himself. Perhaps he killed them on a whim or because he was in a bad mood," Dumbledore shrugged. "Or maybe he was training his puppy..."
Putting his mug on the table, he looked into the old dark wizard's eyes and said with a smile:
"I need to catch this Black, my friend. The boy sometimes visits the Ministry, and you still have good connections there. As soon as he shows up, let me know with a Patronus, and I'll meet him. We'll see what the Dark Lord is up to and what this boy has to do with it.