Chapter 3
Goblet of Fire, an Abridged Version, Part 1
Author's Note: I know I said I wouldn't update until next week, but I've decided to update for one important reason. I have a Poll up on my FFN Profile (Vance McGill) that needs answered. The answer I get will decide how my storyline will go starting with Chapter 7. I'm kind of stuck on how to move forward, and I need to know whether my readers would like me to go one way or another. It is up to you, my readers. Feel free to also answer this question in the reviews and comments.
Poll Question: When do you want Young Harry and Hermione to get together in "A Harmonious Honeymoon"?
1. Immediately! (Before Chapter 10)
2. When Harry asks Hermione to the Yule Ball.
3. At the Yule Ball
Even though this is a "Part 1", Part 2 won't take place until after the first task. This chapter was simply getting way too long by the time Lord Potter talked about the original First Task. So I will have him continue the story later.
Ten points to the House of your choice if you can name the two movie references in this chapter. (And I'm not talking about the Harry Potter movie references.)
Heed the warnings below. Lord Potter does not hold his opinions back about what happened to him during his story-telling. Lord Potter is snarky and sarcastic as he tells his story, and because of this, this chapter is borderline crack or parody. Almost crack-taken-seriously.
Warnings: Character Bashing: Albus, Ron and Severus. Also Canon-bashing, Hogwarts Staff bashing, et cetera.
Saturday, October 31st, 1994
"Very well," Albus said, sighing again, "Let us hear about our very near future, or at least, what would have happened had you not – as you say – fallen out of the sky?"
"I suppose I should start at the very beginning," Lord Potter said, "Well, let's see. First the earth cooled. And then the dinosaurs came, but they got too big and fat, so they all died and they turned into oil. And then the Arabs came and they bought Mercedes Benzes. And Prince Charles started wearing all of Lady Di's clothes. I couldn't believe it. He just –"
"Husband!" Lady Potter interrupted her husband, even though she was giggling, "Now is not the time for movie references!"
Meanwhile, Hermione and Harry were also giggling in their chairs. Lord Potter did recall that he had first heard that movie quote at the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon and Dudley loved watching that movie and its prequel. Harry had seen some of those scenes, so of course he knew the reference.
Albus looked annoyed, and Minerva looked confused.
"Sorry… Muggle movie reference," Lord Potter said. "Where was I? Right… Harry Potter's name coming out of the Goblet of Fire. Well, obviously no portal appeared in the middle of the Great Hall. So I was forced to do the walk of shame up toward the Professors. Meanwhile, a few students – interestingly enough, not just Slytherins – were jeering at me, calling me a cheat, and all sorts of unscrupulous things. Even those many, many girls – and some boys – who fancied me, were all glaring at me instead of batting their eyes flirtatiously, as per usual."
"Not that you'd notice such things back then," Lady Potter said.
Hermione made a noise of agreement.
"My dear Hermione was the only one who didn't glare at me," Lord Potter said.
"What about Ron?" Harry asked.
"Oh, we'll get to Ron," Lord Potter said, "Just you wait. Interestingly enough… none of the Professors stopped any of this name-calling from happening."
Minerva tsked.
"I'm sure we were… too shocked to react to anything at that very moment in time," Albus said.
"Yes, well, keep that in mind because it will be important soon," Lord Potter said.
"Indeed," Lady Potter muttered.
"The Headmaster simply looked at me with a –" Lord Potter imitated Dumbledore's voice, "'I'm very disappointed in you, Harry' stare. It was very traumatic. Severus Snape looked at me with a "You're just like your father, Potter!" glare. That wasn't as traumatic, given that he'd done it before so many times."
Harry nodded, knowing exactly what Lord Potter meant.
Lord Potter sighed. "Well, then, it didn't help that the other Professors, including Barty Crouch, Junior (I didn't know that was him at that point, of course), and also Madame Maxime, and Igor Karakaroff, and Barty Crouch (the father, not the son) were all staring at me. I don't know. Must have had something on my face."
Lord Potter distractedly rubbed the lightning-bolt shaped scar that was now paper-thin. Lady Potter sighed and glared playfully at her husband.
"Mind you, I had just met those last three – in a way," Lord Potter said, "so I didn't know why they had decided to look at me all weirdly."
"And Ludo Bagman?" Minerva asked.
"Looked at me as if I was a huge pile of gold he had just won after betting on me to win the Triwizard Tournament," Lord Potter said.
"Actually that one isn't sarcasm," Lady Potter said.
"So I was told to go wait with the other Champions," Lord Potter continued, "The other three Champions wanted to know why I was there. Asked if I was there to tell them to go back to the Great Hall. Then Ludo Bagman comes in and announces 'Amazing! We have a fourth Champion!' Fleur Delacour thinks he's making a joke, and Ludo assures the other Champions that this is not a joking manner. Well, then all the other adults came and made their appearances known. Madame Maxime was ranting at the Headmaster that this whole thing was just unjust! And the Headmaster replied, making his voice known, "Shut up you French Tart!"
"Albus, you wouldn't!" Minerva gasped.
"In the Headmaster's defense, he was panicking," Lord Potter said. "He rushed over to me, put his hands on my shoulders and yelled 'HARRYDIDYEWPUTYANAMEINDAGOBLETOFFIYA?!'"
"Albus Dumbledore, manhandling a student like that!" Minerva tutted.
"Actually, no wait, that happened in my nightmares later that night," Lord Potter said before Albus could reply, "You actually spoke rather calmly, serenely, sir. I'm afraid my nightmare that night was so traumatic that I remember that more than your… more calm self."
"I understand," Albus said, "I'm glad I did not act like I did in your nightmare."
"Indeed!" Minerva huffed.
"He asked me – calmly – if I put my name in the Goblet of Fire," Lord Potter said, "I said I didn't. Madame Maxime and Professor Snape accused me of lying. Oh, I almost forgot! Before you interrogated me, sir, Fleur Delacour called me a little boy."
"I am not little!" Harry grumbled.
"Most certainly not," Lord Potter agreed with his Mini-Me, "Well, and then there was a lot of back and forth complaining. Madame Maxime and Igor Karkaroff complained about me competing, about Hogwarts having 'two bites of the apple'. They accused you, Albus, of cheating, of not telling them that Hogwarts got to have two champions. And of course Professor Snape told everyone I was the one to blame, not the Headmaster, or Hogwarts, or even the Goblet of Fire. Me, only me… because I look like the man who married the woman he… fancied."
"EWWWW what?!" Harry exclaimed. "Snape fancies my Mum!"
"Professor Snape, Harry," Lord Potter said, winking at Albus, who had opened his mouth to say the same thing (probably… or maybe he was going to scold Lord Potter for revealing Snape's dirtiest secret). "We'll discuss that later, mate."
Harry huffed. "It's still gross."
"Agreed," Lord Potter said, "Moving on. Well, Headmaster, after Professor Snape said his thing you did that ol' 'Thank you, Severus' thing you do when you want him to shut up."
Albus nodded, realizing what Harry meant. Of course, the fact that he had done the same thing to Minerva earlier went on ignored.
"That was when you asked me if I put my name in the Goblet of Fire," Harry said, "Wow, so many things happened before that. My nightmare really did change my point-of-view that night. Anyway… then you calmly asked me if I had someone else put my name in. I also answered in the negative. And then I was accused of lying again!"
"Merlin, Severus doesn't know when to shut up," Minerva muttered.
"Actually it was Madame Maxime accusing me of lying this time," Lord Potter said, grinning.
Lady Potter rolled her eyes. Minerva huffed.
"Madame Maxime says the Headmaster made a mistake with the Age Line," Lord Potter continued, "The Headmaster tried to be diplomatic – 'oh, I suppose it is possible', and Professor McGonagall defended him – 'Of course you didn't make a mistake! What nonsense! Harry couldn't have put his name in the Goblet of Fire!'"
"Of course, I'd defend the two of you!" Minerva said, proudly.
"Karkaroff asked Ludo Bagman and Bartemius Crouch (again the father, not the son) about their opinion," Lord Potter continued, "And Bartemius Crouch said – there's nothing that can be done. I had to compete. More complaining and moaning was done by Madame Maxime, and Igor Karkaroff, but the Headmaster countered, and asked them to come up with an idea about what to do about the predicament, right there on the spot. They said nothing and backed down. And then Moody – I mean Bartemius Crouch, Junior – came in, and gave a great theory about why my name came out of the Goblet of Fire. He thought that someone did it, hoping I would die in the tournament. Of course, you can see the irony, because it was him who did it. Funny to look back on now."
"Indeed," Minerva muttered.
"He even told us how he did it," Lord Potter continued, "He said whoever did it, hoodwinked a very powerful object, obviously something I couldn't have done. Whoever did it, bamboozled the Goblet into forgetting there were three schools. He never actually commented on Ilvermorny though…"
"Of course not," Minerva said, "Didn't want to reveal himself right there."
"Well, he sort of did, because Karkaroff accused him," Lord Potter said, "Of course, then Crouch Junior turned it around on Karkaroff, and suddenly the Durmstrang Headmaster became my number one suspect – with Professor Snape running very closely in second, obviously. Followed by Draco Malfoy, then Wormtail, then –"
"We get the point, my love," Lady Potter said.
"Well, then we finally moved on to the reason we were there," Lord Potter said, "Barty Crouch (Senior, that is) informed the champions that the first task would take place in late November. Designed to test our daring, our courage…without telling us what we were actually doing. We were supposed to go in without knowing what we were facing. Suffice it to say, all four of us knew what we'd be facing by the time the First Task came around."
"Spoilers, dear," Lady Potter said.
"Right, sorry," Lord Potter said, "He told us about the Weighing of the Wands and that was it. The meeting was over. You dismissed me and Cedric, Headmaster. Instead of giving us some encouragement, some of that grandfatherly, mentorly advice you seem to love to give, you just told us 'hey, I bet there's some great parties waiting for you in your Common Rooms. Get going boys!'"
"I'm sure you and Cedric were already bored of what had just taken place, so I didn't want to keep you," Albus said, his eyes twinkling.
"Maybe… that infernal meeting did feel as if it lasted for five hours, after all," Lord Potter said. "Anyway, Cedric and I headed off. Before we went our separate ways, Cedric asked me 'how did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?' I tried to tell Cedric that I did not put my name in the Goblet of Fire, but… eh, I don't think he believed me. Even after all that humdrum that we just witnessed."
Minerva huffed. "And he is the top candidate for Head Boy. He should have been more… supportive."
"Yes, well," Lord Potter said, "I made my way – alone – up to the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady was getting drunk with her friend when I arrived, but she was sober enough to let me inside the Tower. Then I was met with chaos. My housemates wanted me to tell them how I put my name in the Goblet of Fire, none of them wanting to listen when I told them I didn't do it. I just wanted to go to bed, and I think I finally screamed 'I'm tired!'. I don't even know where Hermione was at that point."
"I was in my dormitory," Lady Potter said, "I, too, had tried to tell everyone that Harry didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Nobody wanted to believe me. Not even… not even Ron."
Hermione gasped.
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," Lord Potter said, "When I got up to our dormitory, Ron was laying in his bed. Nobody else was there, just him. I asked him where he'd been. Why didn't he meet me in the Common Room? He just goes 'oh, hello'. And then he congratulated me. Congratulated me for finding a way to put my name in the Goblet of Fire. Of course, I could have told him how I did it. His words. I told him I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire. He replies with 'you don't have to lie to me, I'm your best mate, I won't tell anyone. Tell me how you did it?' I told him I didn't do it. Then he told me to 'piss off'. And slammed his curtains around his bed. And that… was the longest conversation I would have with him for the next month.
"My best friend – who had been my best mate since we met on the Hogwarts Express before First Year started – joined the throngs of people who called me a cheat, a liar, a fraud, and continued to do so for the next month."
Hermione had tears in her eyes, and Harry stared down at his lap again.
"I really wish I can say I had promoted Hermione to my 'best friend' after that," Lord Potter said, "She was… at least for that month. I wouldn't have gotten through that month, through the First Task, without her. And when the first task was over, Ron forgave me – forgave me – for something. I don't know what I was supposed to be forgiven for. But I'll tell you this. Ron Weasley never apologized, never said 'I'm sorry' for believing I put my name in the Goblet of Fire. Ever. Even after it was discovered who did it. And yet… for some reason, he was still promoted back to being my best mate… again."
Lady Potter continued the story this time. "The morning after Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire, I met Harry outside the Common Room with a pile of toast. I knew he'd want to avoid everyone… well, mostly Ron. Instead of going to the Great Hall, we headed outside onto the Grounds, talked about things. I immediately assured Harry that I knew he didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Unlike some people…"
"Ron," Lord Potter muttered.
"I recognized the look on Harry's face when his name came out of the Goblet," Lady Potter continued, "He had no idea what was going on."
"That's true!" Hermione gasped, then looked at Harry, "I remember your expression earlier tonight, before Lord and Lady Potter's portal appeared. You were stunned, you had no idea what just happened."
"I was bloody terrified," Harry muttered.
"Language, Harry!" Lady Potter, Hermione and Minerva scolded the boy.
Harry blushed.
"We talked about Ron," Lady Potter said, "And I told Harry that Ron still believed he had entered his name into the Goblet of Fire. I think a few more… things… were said about Ron, and then I suggested to Harry that he write to Sirius. It took some encouragement, but he did. He wrote to Sirius, and… unfortunately, he didn't use Hedwig, because she was too recognizable. We didn't want anyone to recognize her while she was looking for Sirius."
"She was angry at me," Lord Potter said, "First my best mate, and then Hedwig, who was my first real friend, was angry at me. Like I said… without Hermione, I would have been entirely alone. Lost, alone and having no idea what to do about the Triwizard Tournament. Hermione was there for me when nobody else was."
"And I always will be," Lady Potter said.
Lord Potter smiled at his wife, and took her nearest hand in his.
"Well, things didn't improve in classes… especially with the Hufflepuffs," Lord Potter continued. "The Hufflepuffs are certainly a loyal bunch… especially when it comes to their own housemates. And because I took the title of "Hogwarts' Only Champion' away from Cedric, I got no love from the loyal, caring, sweet Puffs! The Ravenclaws… they mostly ignored me. The Slytherins… at least I already expected them to ignore me. The Gryffindors, my own Housemates. Turned away from me. Except for Hermione. There was a point, I think, where I was terrified they'd kick me out of the House."
Minerva closed her eyes, and rubbed a wrinkle in her forehead.
"And then a few days later," Lord Potter continued, "the Badges came."
"Badges?" Minerva asked, opening her eyes and narrowing her eyebrows.
"Badges," Lord Potter repeated. "Those stinkin' badges! They said 'Support the REAL Champion, Cedric Diggory' and when those words vanished, they were replaced with the words 'Potter Stinks'. The badges were everywhere. Students from all four houses were wearing them. Ron even wore one. They turned their nose up at me, and shoved the badges in my face. Mind you, the badges were on the student's robes, and some of the girls tried to put their chest in my face, so I could see it better! So even when they were angry at me, they were still flirting with me!"
With her free hand, Lady Potter smacked Harry's hand she was holding. Hermione and Harry giggled (impressively, Harry was blushing deeply at Lord Potter's 'flirting' statement, even while he giggled), and a tiny smile formed on Minerva's lips.
"Behave, husband," Lady Potter said.
"Yes, dear," Lord Potter said, then looked back at Albus and Minerva, "Again, none of the Professors of this school did a single thing, not about the Badges, the name-calling, the bullying."
Minerva closed her eyes again, and her nostrils flared.
"I am sure the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang Students noticed all of it," Lord Potter said, "And none of the Professors of this school did a single thing. So much for International Magical Cooperation. I'm sure our guests were very impressed with the goings-on in our school."
"Where's your excuse this time, Headmaster?" Lady Potter asked.
"Surely, Lady Potter," Albus retorted, "you can't blame me for something that hasn't happened – and likely won't happen?"
"It will happen," Lady Potter retorted, "If young Harry here is chosen as the Champion. It might not happen if my husband is chosen, but that would likely be because they are too fascinated by him."
"Or terrified of me," Lord Potter said, with a smirk.
"They might not call Harry a cheat, Headmaster," Lady Potter said, "Especially after you reveal the truth of who put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire. But I'm sure there will something – especially those who believe Cedric should be the only Hogwarts Champion."
"We will be vigilant – myself and the rest of the staff – for any of that nonsense," Minerva promised. "I promise, it won't happen. And if it does, we will stop it before it gets worse!"
"I appreciate it, Professor," Lord Potter said, and Lady Potter, Harry and Hermione nodded.
Both Lord and Lady Potter noticed that Albus was doing his best not to look disagreeable with his Deputy's statement.
Should we tell them about Malfoy, and your teeth?" Lord Potter asked his wife.
"No," Lady Potter said, "It won't happen this time. I'm already planning on how to prevent it. I can fix her teeth if she wants. I'll suggest it to her. Weighing of the Wands next.""Moving on," Lord Potter said, "The Weighing of the Wands. I was in Professor Snape's class, when Colin Creevey interrupted the proceedings, and told Professor Snape I was needed for Tournament business. Snape said that it should wait because I was in class. He got annoyed when Colin insisted, even more annoyed when Colin said I had to bring my things with me. I was pretty much late to the Weighing of the Wands because Snape kept trying to delay me from leaving."
Minerva tutted and muttered something about Snape.
"Well, I wasn't the last to arrive," Lord Potter said. "The Headmaster and Mr. Ollivander hadn't arrived. Rita Skeeter was there. She asked if I wanted an interview, and before I could decline, she manhandled me and shoved me into a broom closet and interrogated me. Sorry, I mean she interviewed me. She used a Quick-Quotes Quill, which I am sure you know what those do."
"Oh, boy," Minerva sighed, "I see where this is going."
"She asked me some questions, mistook my age for twelve, ignored me when I told her I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire," Lord Potter continued. "No matter how short my answers were, the damned Quill kept writing… writing things I wasn't saying. She asked me about my parents, and finally I raised my voice enough, yelling at her, that the door opened and the Headmaster was there. He rescued me from the mad woman. And then the Weighing commenced. Wands were weighed, pictures were taken. The whole thing took way too long. Potions Class was over by the time I got out of there. My advce, Headmaster: try to put a time limit on those kinds of events during the Tournament."
"I will take it under advisement, Lord Potter," Albus said.
"Thank you," Lord Potter said, "Anyway, I went back to my Common Room, and a barn owl was waiting for me. It had a letter from Sirius, informing me that he would contact me somehow later that month."
"Somehow?" Minerva asked, looking very interested, "How? Did he succeed?"
Lord Potter looked at his wife, who nodded.
"He used the Floo Network, and was able to talk to me through the Floo in the Gryffindor Common Room," Lord Potter said.
"Contact from someone outside of Hogwarts, using the Floos!" Minerva gasped, "I didn't even think that was possible!"
"I'm sure I had something to do with it," Albus said, his eyes twinkling.
"Well, before that conversation happened," Lord Potter said, "A couple other things happened. Rita Skeeter's article came out. Of course, the article put words in my mouth where I basically just said 'er…'. She once again called me 'twelve years old'. Once again, the students just jeered and laughed at me, due to the article. Teased me for 'crying about my parents during the interview', which I didn't do. Once again, the Professors didn't do a thing.
"Anyway… later, Hermione and I were in Hogwarts, and Hagrid and Barty Crouch Junior (posing as Moody, of course), approached us in the Three Broomsticks. Hagrid asked me to meet him at his home that evening. At midnight."
"He wanted you to break curfew?" Minerva asked.
"Barty Crouch, Junior put him up to it," Lord Potter said.
"Of course he did," Minerva said, sighing, "And of course you broke curfew and met with him. Let me guess, he took you into the Forbidden Forest."
"Of course," Lord Potter said, with a wink. "But we weren't alone. He had a juicy date with Madame Maxime. Well, I was under the Invisibility Cloak, so she had no idea I was there. He took me into the forest until we arrived at a location where four large Dragons were being kept for the First Task. Nesting… Mother… Dragons."
Minerva closed her eyes and swore under her breath.
"So basically I knew what I was facing," Lord Potter said, "Shortly after I arrived, I left. I couldn't stand Hagrid and Madame Maxime flirting too much longer. Plus I had to get back to speak to Sirius. And as I was leaving, who should I see in the forest near the dragons, but Igor Karkaroff. So now, I was pretty sure Viktor and Fleur would know right along with me.
"By the time I arrived back in the Common Room, I only had to wait for a few minutes, before Sirius' face showed up in the fireplace. We talked about various things. Not much about the Dragon though. Sirius wanted me to know his theories of who might have put my name in the Goblet of Fire. He accused Igor Karkaroff. So of course, that red herring was still at the top of my list. When we finally got to discussing the Dragon, he barely had time to tell me about a Dragon's weak points, before I had to interrupt him. Because I heard someone coming down the stairs. So he had to leave immediately.
"And who was it who came down the stairs? Ron Weasley. He accused me of staying awake because I was practicing for my next big interview. I threw one of those 'stinkin' badges at his face, hit him in the forehead – told him I hoped he had a scar and became the next person to get gawked at for having a scar like mine – and went to bed. Next time he'd speak to me, it was because he 'forgave me for my transgressions' after the First Task."
Hermione huffed. Obviously she was quite annoyed about Ron now, thanks to Lord Potter's story. Harry looked very uncomfortable.
"I think I skipped a couple things," Lord Potter said, "Sometime between the Weighing of the Wands and following Hagrid into the forest, Barty Crouch Junior pulled me aside to give me some advice. He told me to use my strengths in the First Task. I figured I could use my Firebolt. But… I couldn't bring it into the First Task with me. Only my wand. So Junior told me to figure out a way to get my broom into the Task. That was when I realized… the Summoning Charm. So between then and the First Task, Hermione and I practiced the Summoning Charm."
"You allowed us to use an abandoned classroom, Professor McGonagall," Lady Potter said, "So we used a classroom and practiced that and other spells and charms, several times, up to the First Task."
"Also, the morning after I saw the dragons, I cornered Cedric," Lord Potter said, "I told him about the Dragons, and he apologized for the badges – he had nothing to do with then, but apologized for his fellow Puffs wearing them, and believing I put my name in the Goblet of Fire."
Minerva smiled, proud of the boy who she obviously wanted to be Head Boy.
"And then the First Task came," Harry said, "Our dragons were chosen, and of course, I picked the Hungarian Horntail – the biggest, meanest one of the bunch. I won't give you any spoilers of how Fleur, Cedric and Krum did. I expect they'll do the same things this time around too. Then I was the last to go. When I arrived in the arena, I summoned my Firebolt. The Horntail shot some fireballs at me, and the Firebolt arrived. I got on it, did a bunch of flying, and after a few minutes, grabbed the prize and got the hell out of there. The dragon cut my shoulder when she sliced it with her tail at some point, but it was shallow, Madam Pomfrey healed me right up.
"It was about that time, after Madam Pomfrey healed me, that Ron decided to 'forgive me'. Mind you, he didn't apologize, didn't say sorry. In fact, he did all that when I was exhausted after the First Task. So I didn't really fight back. I just… forgave him. I was too tired to give a… fudge."
"I'm pretty sure that was what he was counting on," Lady Potter said, "Getting back in Harry's good graces while Harry was dead tired, so Harry didn't fight back like he should have."
"And, once again, Ron Weasley was my best mate,": Lord Potter said, "Oh, yeah, and I ended up tied in first place after the First Task. So there you go."
"That seems like a fine place to end it for this evening, Lord Potter," Minerva said, "We can get back to your story after the First Task is finished. If we listened to any more of your tale, we'd be here all night. And we still need to contact Director Bones, and Headmaster, you need to see Bartemius Crouch, Junior and his father. I certainly hope Bartemius Crouch, Senior, is still here."
"Yes, of course, you're correct," Albus said, "Please feel free to use my Floo to see if you can get a hold of Amelia Bones."
Then, all of a sudden, something happened that made it unnecessary for Minerva to even stand up. The Floo across the room started to cough and sputter. Smoke and ash shot out of the fireplace. Albus stood up, and pointed his wand at the Floo. Then the smoke and ash vanished. Whether it was Albus who vanished the smoke, or the occupant inside the Floo, Lord Potter didn't know.
Director Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, stepped out of the Floo Network, turned and glared at Albus.
"Albus Dumbledore!" Amelia Bones screamed, "Why did I have to hear about the events of this evening from my niece, Susan?! Why didn't you tell me about it, immediately?!"
Lord and Lady Potter exchanged glances. Had this happened in the old timeline when Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire?
Somehow – somehow – Lord Potter doubted it.
And another cliffhanger! I do very much love those! Merlin, how could I have seriously thought I could get the ENTIRE second half of Goblet of Fire summarized in this chapter! It took forever to get to the First Task, AND I skipped the part about Hermione's teeth getting hexed, and getting them fixed! So yeah, I am sure you can understand why there will be a Part 2 (LATER!) of Lord and Lady Potter discussing the "Goblet of Fire".
Remember to answer the Poll in my profile, please! Very important!
This chapter exhausted me to write. Don't get me wrong. I loved writing it, and I loved Lord Potter's snarky, sarcastic manner, but I was getting EXHAUSTED somewhere around the time that Lord Potter explained the conversation with Sirius. Which is why he stopped being so snarky.
Next Chapter: Amelia Bones talks with Albus and Lord and Lady Potter and discovers what happened that evening. Then Lord and Lady Potter (accompanied by Harry and Hermione) find out where their sleeping quarters will be for the remainder of their time there at Hogwarts.
Chapter 4
Amelia Bones
Author's Note: Thank you for answering my Poll! So far, between the actual poll, and the comments and reviews, it is a VERY close race between Options 1 and 2.
Important Note! This Chapter has the very first scene where Lord and Lady Potter will be away from their younger 'Doppelgangers'. During scenes like this, I will mark it with ("Harry" = Lord Potter, and "Hermione" = equals Lady Potter). During scenes marked with this, Harry and Hermione are the older pair, not the younger pair. I just wanted to clarify that. I do get tired of using Lord and Lady Potter sometimes, and I am remedying that by using this strategy. I am also considering doing ("Harry" = young Harry, and "Hermione" = young Hermione) when there is a scene with just those two in it.
I shamelessly borrowed the Gryffindor Head Student Quarters from my own story "Yule Ball Drama".
Warnings: Severe Character Bashing: Albus Dumbledore.
Saturday, October 31st, 1994
Director Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, stepped out of the Floo Network, turned and glared at Albus.
"Albus Dumbledore!" Amelia Bones screamed, "Why did I have to hear about the events of this evening from my niece, Susan?! Why didn't you tell me about it, immediately?!"
"I'm afraid I've been extremely busy since those events took place, Madam Bones," Albus said, "I've been entertaining my guests. In fact, Minerva was just about to contact you about everything that has happened. Weren't you, Minerva?"
"I was indeed getting ready to stand and contact you on Albus' Floo," Minerva said, "But you made your timely appearance."
"Also, Madam Bones, I'm afraid your dear niece didn't tell you everything that has happened this evening," Albus said, "Partially because she wasn't witness to the latter half of the events that have taken place, right here in this very office."
Amelia huffed. "Fine, I believe you. For now."
"Thank you," Albus said, "Now, for my benefit, can you please tell me what dear Susan informed you of?"
"She told me a fourth name came out of the Goblet of Fire this evening, Albus," Amelia said. "Four! There were supposed to only be three! And then… well…"
Amelia's eyes widened as she saw two of the older people that were in Albus' office with her.
"Then I assume she told you exactly what happened after Mr. Potter's name came out of the Goblet," Albus said, "Only… you were rather skeptical, right?"
"She told me that… that a portal of some kind opened in the air in the middle of the Great Hall," Amelia said, "And two people fell out of it. They revealed themselves as… Lord Harry Potter, and Lady Hermione Potter… and she said they were two older versions of her classmates! Of course I didn't believe her. After that I told her I'd come to Hogwarts to find out what really happened myself!"
"Well then, I think this is a most appropriate time to introduce our two guests," Albus said.
Lord Potter stood up, quickly followed by Lady Potter. Amelia's eyes widened, as she looked at the two figures.
"J-James?" Amelia stammered, as she gazed at Lord Potter.
"Madame Bones, it is a pleasure to see you again," Lord Potter said, "I am Lord Harry James Potter, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell, and Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Gryffindor."
"I am Lady Hermione Jean Potter," Lady Potter said, "Lady of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, and Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Dagworth-Granger."
Amelia's jaw dropped as she looked at the pair.
"We're from the year 1998," Lord Potter said. "Halloween of 1998, precisely."
"N-nice to meet you, Lord and Lady Potter," Amelia said, "And – and you're the older versions of…"
Lord Potter looked at Harry and Hermione. Hermione stood up immediately, then Harry hesitated and stood up moments later.
"Hermione Granger, ma'am," Hermione said.
"Er… Harry Potter… ma'am," Harry said, shyly.
Amelia looked back and forth between the pair of Doppelgangers. She then walked over to Albus' desk, conjured a chair on the side of the desk, and sat down. The two pairs of Doppelgangers sat back down.
"I owe Susan an apology, it seems," Amelia said.
"Indeed," Albus said.
"I assume you've already figured out why these two are here, Albus?" Amelia asked.
"Given that the portal appeared moments after Mr. Potter's name appeared," Albus said, "And these two fell through it, I must assume the Goblet summoned Lord Potter, so he could compete instead of Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter is only fourteen years old. Lord Potter is eighteen, therefore…"
"It would be equal competition against the other three competitors," Amelia said, "if Lord Potter was chosen instead of Mr. Potter."
"Indeed," Albus said.
"And why were you Summoned too, Lady Potter?" Amelia asked.
"My husband and I were on our honeymoon," Lady Potter said, "We were just married yesterday, our time."
"Congratulations," Amelia said, "I'm guessing you believe your marriage vows are to blame for you being Summoned with your husband? Magical vows, I assume?"
"Yes," Lady Potter said, "They were made too recently. They're still connecting us, bonding us for life. We barely consummated our marriage, so…"
"Yes, I can see how that might have caused you to be Summoned with your husband," Amelia said; she then looked at the younger Harry. "So… I'm sorry, but I must ask. Mr. Potter, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"
"I did not, Madam Bones," Harry said.
"Actually, we've discovered who the culprit is that put Mr. Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire, Madam Bones," Minerva said, "Which is part of the 'latter half of this evening's events' that Albus alluded to. The part that your niece knows nothing about."
"Oh?" Amelia asked, "And who is the culprit?"
"Bartemius Crouch," Albus said, then paused dramatically, and finished, "Junior."
"Barty, Junior's dead, Albus!" Amelia exclaimed, "He died in Azkaban!"
"Unfortunately, he did not," Albus said, "I do not know how he survived, but I am sure you can get those answers out of him this very evening. You see, he was posing as Alastor Moody, using Polyjuice Potion, and has been doing so since at least the first of September."
"A convicted Death Eater has been posing as a Professor of this school since the first of term!" Amelia shrieked, "He's been in close vicinity to hundreds of students! And that wasn't the first thing you informed me of when I got here!"
"Er… technically two Death Eaters have been in close vicinity since September first," Lord Potter said, "And one of them has been here much longer than that."
"She said 'convicted' Death Eater, dear," Lady Potter said.
"You were distracted by our wonderful guests, Madame Bones," Albus said, "And also by screaming at me for not contacting you earlier."
"Which you should have done!" Amelia exclaimed, "Where is Crouch, Junior? And please tell me his father is still in the castle?!"
"After Crouch, Junior was revealed, Professor Snape escorted him down to the cells in the dungeons," Albus said, "He was requested to find Crouch, Senior, and also discover where Junior has kept the real Alastor Moody imprisoned."
Amelia mouthed the name 'Snape'. Obviously she wanted to yell at Albus for trusting Snape with those tasks, but she likely knew what Albus would say. She'd obviously had the very same conversation about Snape with Albus before.
"Both Crouches better still be here, Albus," Amelia said, "Or you're going to be looking for a new Potions Master, because this one will be in Azkaban, TONIGHT, if Crouch, Junior escaped custody!"
"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about on that matter, Amelia," Albus said, calmly.
Amelia closed her eyes and made herself calm down. Then she opened her eyes again.
"Is there anything I need to talk to you two immediately about, Lord and Lady Potter?" Amelia asked, "Anything that I need to know, immediately. Anything that can't wait until – say – tomorrow when we can formally talk in a sit-down meeting just between the three of us?"
"Er.. what about Sirius?" Lord Potter asked, "She might be able to help us get him free."
"We can discuss that with her tomorrow," Lady Potter said. She's too focused on the Crouches tonight, so it isn't as if she'll be able to do anything immediately about Sirius if we tell her now.
"Not immediately, ma'am," Lord Potter said, "However, we do look forward to a sit-down meeting, tomorrow if you can."
"Tomorrow then," Amelia said, then turned to the Headmaster, "How long do you believe these two will be residents here, Albus?"
"That all depends on tomorrow evening," Albus said. "The Goblet of Fire is still active, because it hasn't confirmed which of these two young men – Mr. Potter or Lord Potter – is the fourth Champion. We will discover that tomorrow evening in the Great Hall. If Lord Potter is chosen as the Champion, then he and his wife will be residents here until, at least, the Third Task is finished. If not… they are free to go wherever they wish. There will be nothing else they need to do here at Hogwarts if Lord Potter is not Champion."
"Yeah, fuck you too, Albus," Lord Potter said, "If my Doppelganger is chosen, I'll be his Mentor for this Tournament. And you can't stop me."
"Of course he can't," Lady Potter said.
"I'll be here for that event then," Amelia said, "How about we have that meeting afterward, Lord and Lady Potter?"
"Of course," Lord Potter said.
"Do you know where they will be staying?" Amelia asked.
"The Head Students are not Gryffindors this year, much to my chagrin," Minerva said, "Therefore I was going to let them reside in the Gryffindor Head Boy's Room. I was going to escort them – and their counterparts – myself there, after the meeting."
"Sounds good to me," Albus said.
"Am I to understand Mr. Potter and Miss Granger will be staying with their Counterparts?" Amelia asked. "Why?"
"At least for this evening," Minerva said, "We do not want them to be interrogated about Lord and Lady Potter by the other students. Not before we can get the information out to the students ourselves."
"Yes, that does seem like a necessary precaution," Amelia said.
"Like all Head Student Rooms, and other Guest Quarters," Minerva said, "The Gryffindor Head Boy's Room can adjust for the user's needs. So in addition to Lord and Lady Potter's bedroom, I can request two additional bedrooms – temporary, of course – for Mr. Potter and Miss Granger this evening."
"A fine idea," Albus said. "Since I am sure you are anxious to meet our prisoner, Madam Bones, I think we can finish this meeting now. Thank you, Lord and Lady Potter, for the discussion we've had and the trust you've put in myself and Minerva for giving us such information. I look forward to any additional tidbits of information you'd be willing to give us in the future.
Lord Potter noticed that Amelia looked most curious of this 'information' the time-travelers had given Albus and Minerva.
"You're welcome, sir," Lord Potter said.
"Minerva, please escort Lord and Lady Potter, and Mr. Potter and Miss Granger to the Gryffindor Head Boy's Quarters," Albus said, "Madam Bones, if you will come with me. We will use my Floo Network to get down to the prison cells, post haste."
"Hold on, Albus," Amelia said, "I need to get in contact with a couple of Aurors to help me escort the prisoner to the Ministry, before we leave."
Albus looked ready to argue, but instead he just nodded. Instead of going over to the Floo, Amelia pulled out a communication mirror.
Meanwhile, Lord and Lady Potter, and Harry and Hermione stood, and followed Minerva out of the office, then headed off toward the Grand Staircase. Five minutes later, they were heading down the Seventh Floor Corridor in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.
"I'm sure, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, you have many questions for Lord and Lady Potter," Minerva said, "But I request that you hold off on those questions until tomorrow. It has been a very long evening, and I imagine Lord and Lady Potter wish to get settled in. When we reach the Head Boy's Quarters, I wish for you two – Mr. Potter, Miss Granger – to go into your selected rooms and remain there for the rest of the evening. Don't pester our guests until tomorrow. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," Hermione said, and Harry echoed her.
"Do you, by chance, Lord and Lady Potter, know where our destination is?" Minerva asked, "Were you the Head Boy and Head Girl in your Seventh Year?"
"I'm afraid we weren't here for our Seventh Year, Professor," Lord Potter said.
Harry and Hermione gasped, and Minerva looked at Lord Potter.
"We can't give you all the details yet," Lord Potter said, "But extenuating circumstances kept us from Hogwarts during our Seventh Year. We were needed elsewhere."
"I see," Minerva said, "I look forward to hearing all about that at a later date. Well then, you can have the opportunity you should have had, had you been here for your Seventh Year. I certainly would have made sure the two of you were Head Boy and Head Girl, after all. I brought up the idea for you to stay in these very Quarters, because I had assumed you had already used them before."
"Thank you, ma'am," Lady Potter said.
Soon, they reached a T-Cross in the corridor. Down one direction was where the Gryffindor Tower was located. Down the other direction was the portrait of Barnabus the Barmy, the Room of Requirement, and also another way to get to or from the Grand Staircase. However, Minerva McGonagall came to a stop and so did the two pairs of Doppelgangers. Across the corridor, there was a red-and-gold (Gryffindor colors) tapestry hung on the wall.
Minerva waved her wand, and the tapestry folded itself up toward the ceiling, revealing a door behind it. The two sets of Doppelgangers gasped at the sight of the door. They had never known this was here, even with the Marauder's Map.
Minerva muttered something under her breath, and they heard a mechanical sound. The Professor opened the door and led the couple inside. Lord Potter expected to enter a room, but found another corridor, this one narrower than the one they were just in. There were four doors along the walls of the corridor.
"The two doors on the left of the corridor," Minerva said, "lead to the Head Girl's and Head Boy's Private Quarters respectively. The Head Boy's Quarters, where you will be residing in for the foreseeable evening, Lord and Lady Potter – and for this evening at the very least, Mr. Potter and Miss Granger – is the door on the left at the end of the corridor. Percy Weasley enjoyed said room last year, although I'm sure his version of the Room looked quite different to what yours will look like. Across from the Head Boy's Quarters, a common room is used for the Head Boy and Head Girl and their guests to hang out together, since they are usually not given permission to go into each other's private quarters.
"This door here to our right used to be one of my two offices, back when I was merely the Head of Gryffindor, and not the Deputy Headmistress. Now, as you know, my only office is next to the Transfiguration classroom, even though I am still the Head of Gryffindor. Follow me, please."
Minerva led the two pairs of Doppelgangers down the corridor until they reached a portrait. The portrait had a knight (not Sir Cadogan, thankfully) riding – not a horse – but a Lion!
"This is Leon, and his trusty steed Leo," Minerva explained, "They are the guardians of the Gryffindor Head Boy's Private Quarters. He also has an identical portrait inside the Quarters. Leon, this is Lord and Lady Potter, and Mr. Harry Potter, and Miss Granger. Mr. Potter and Miss Granger will reside in your Quarters, at least for this evening and tomorrow. Lord and Lady Potter will be residents of your Quarters for the foreseeable future. I, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, ask you to change the inside of your Quarters. I want one bedroom fit for a married couple, and two separate bedrooms, one for a male student, and one for a female student."
"Accepted, Professor McGonagall," Leon said. "The Quarters have now been modified for your request. I believe the Lord and Lady Potter will find their bedroom to be most welcoming. I believe they will feel right at home."
"Thank you," Minerva said, then turned to Lord and Lady Potter, "What shall your password be?"
"Harmony," Lady Potter said.
Lord Potter smirked. "Harmony" was an inside joke between the pair. Luna Lovegood referred to them as such when she spoke of the two of them as a couple.
"Accepted!" Leon said, "Enter and be welcome, guests!"
The portrait swung open, revealing a doorway. Minerva motioned the two pairs of Doppelgangers inside, and Lord and Lady Potter entered first, followed by Harry and Hermione, then Minerva. Immediately they stepped into a large sitting room that was roughly half the size of the Gryffindor Common Room. Four comfortable chairs and a loveseat sat around a coffee table. Above the fireplace, another identical portrait of Leon and his noble Lion steed, Leo, was seen. Nearby, a beautiful fireplace had a lovely, roaring fire already lit. Situated around the room, four doors were built into the walls.
"Hello!" Leon said, from his portrait, "Be welcome! This is the sitting room for your Quarters. Around the room, are doors that lead into a bathroom and the three requested bedrooms. The bathroom is located through the door on your direct left. It has a sink, toilet, and combined bathtub and shower. The door next to that is the bedroom for young Mr. Potter. Directly across the room, the furthest door is Lord and Lady Potter's bedroom, fit for a married couple. It also has an en-suite bathroom. The last door is for Miss Granger. Enjoy!"
"Thank you, Leon," Minerva said. "Has Mr. Potter and Miss Granger's belongings been moved here for the remainder of their stay?"
"They have indeed!" Leon said, "Also, Professor McGonagall, I have become somewhat aware of the fact that Lord and Lady Potter had the misfortune of having none of their belongings brought with them. I believe they will find suitable clothing and other belongings in the drawers and closets in their bedroom. It is only temporary, for a few days, I believe, until Lord and Lady Potter can obtain new belongings."
"That is very generous," Lady Potter said, "Thank you, Leon."
"You're very welcome, m'lady," Leon said.
"Thank you, Leon," Minerva said, then turned to the two pairs of Doppelgangers. "Is there anything else I can do for you four this evening?"
After the other three appeared to have nothing to say, Lord Potter spoke up.
"I think we're set, Professor," Lord Potter said.
"Then I will leave you," Minerva said, "Remember, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, no more questions for Lord and Lady Potter this evening. If they allow it, you may ask them questions tomorrow. Head straight to your bedrooms, please."
"Yes, ma'am," Hermione said, and Harry echoed her.
"Good night, all of you," Minerva said.
She immediately turned and left the Quarters. Harry and Hermione looked at their older Doppelgangers, and for a moment, looked as if they wanted to disregard Professor McGonagall's orders. Then Hermione sighed and spoke up.
"Good night, Harry, Lord and Lady Potter," Hermione said.
The three bid her good night, and she headed across the room, then vanished into her bedroom. Harry shyly said good night, and retreated into his own bedroom as well.
"Shall we head to our room and see what awaits us?" Lady Potter asked.
Lord Potter agreed and followed his wife into the bedroom.
Saturday, October 31st, 1994 ("Harry" = Lord Potter; "Hermione" = Lady Potter)
As Harry followed his wife into the bedroom, his eyes widened as he looked around.
"Bloody Merlin," Harry breathed, "How is this possible?"
Hermione didn't scold her husband for his language, because she too was dumbfounded. The room they had walked into was an exact copy of the Master Bedroom (their bedroom) at Potter Manor, located in Northampton, England.
"When Minerva said she could adjust the decorations and architecture of the Private Quarters," Hermione said, "I wondered if that meant these Private Quarters (maybe all the Private Quarters around the castle) have enchantments similar to the Room of Requirement. The rooms meet the user's needs. And since we wanted a bedroom fit for us –"
"It somehow created our bedroom at Potter Manor?" Harry asked.
"Leon did say we would feel right at home," Hermione said. "He was somehow available to recreate our bedroom, so we will, indeed, feel right at home."
She walked across the room, and opened the other door, which obviously led into the bathroom.
"It's as I thought!" she exclaimed, "The bathroom is identical to the en-suite bathroom in our bedroom at home, Harry!"
"I'm afraid to look in the closet and dresser now," Harry said, jokingly, "We might find our actual clothes in there."
Hermione walked over to the closet and opened it.
"Nope," she said, "Just some dress robes, and casual wear. Nothing I'd want to wear for too many days. We certainly will need to go shopping."
"And to do that, you know what we're going to have to do," Harry said.
Hermione sighed and looked at Harry. "We're going to have to go to Gringotts and meet with Keeper Ragnok, aren't we?"
"Yeah," Harry said, "We'll have to verify who we are, but after we do, and explain what happened, I think Keeper Ragnok will have no problems allowing us into the Family Vault. I don't think we'll be able to bring my Doppelganger there immediately, but… well, maybe during Christmas Break."
"Yeah," Hermione said, "I guess we could go to Gringotts on Monday. Our Doppelgangers will be in class, so we'll have most of the day to do some shopping before we're missed by them or the rest of Hogwarts."
"Yep," Harry said.
He sighed, walked over to the bed and sat down on the end of it.
"We're going to get a lot of questions tomorrow from our Doppelgangers, aren't we?" Harry asked.
"Probably," Hermione said; she walked over to the bed, and sat down next to her husband, "Harry? I think, if they ask any romance questions about us, how we became a couple, I think we need to tell them about the Soul-Bond."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Hermione said, "We don't need to encourage anything when it comes to them, the Soul-Bond, or even the romance department. We can advise them that they talk amongst themselves about their… feelings for each other. However, we warn them. The first time they share a kiss on the lips, the Soul-Bond will begin its first stage. As soon as they kiss, they need to seek us out… immediately."
Harry nodded. "I agree. I just hope they don't think such a discussion is an open invitation for them to kiss immediately and form the Soul-Bond. I'm not ready for the aftermath of that to happen tomorrow!"
Hermione laughed. "I don't think we have anything to worry about. Your younger self is much too shy to kiss mine immediately. And mine is… well, she's still hoping your younger self will initiate the first kiss. Which is why it took us so long to get together."
"I remember," Harry said, smiling, "You kissed me, and then broke into tears. Even though you said it was happy tears, and also sad tears because you should have kissed me years ago, I was so worried about you, and you were so emotional that we didn't even feel the Soul-Bond settling into the first stage!
"It wasn't until the following morning when I started ranting internally about Ron and Ginny, and their mother, and Love Potions and… all that… blaming them for preventing us from getting together years ago."
"And I told you to shut up because you had woken me up with your screaming," Hermione said.
"Except I told you I wasn't screaming," Harry said, "I wasn't even speaking. I was thinking all of that, and that there was no way you could have read my thoughts. And then you called me an idiot in your head, and I said 'I heard that! Don't call me an idiot!'"
"And I said I didn't say anything," Hermione said, "I thought it… and that was when I realized we could hear each other's thoughts… and soon discovered we could speak telepathically."
Harry laughed. "Are we going to tell our Doppelgangers all about that when we discuss the Soul-Bond, or let them discover their telepathic powers for themselves?"
Hermione giggled. "Let them discover it for themselves. It brought us closer together, didn't it? Certainly got us past that damn awkwardness of our first kiss."
"And second, and third," Harry said.
"Our first kisses that first night," Hermione amended, then smiled. "And our first dance."
"Our Doppelgangers will not wait for three more years to have their first dance!" Harry said. "I will make sure he asks her to the Yule Ball. We're not dealing with Viktor Krum this time!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, love. Behave around him, please."
"I will if he leaves you and your Mini-Me alone," Harry said, through gritted teeth.
Hermione gave a resigned sigh. "I'm going to go take a bath. Would you like to join me?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Harry said, "And then…?"
"Yes, my love," Hermione said, rolling her eyes again, "Then you can shag my brains out."
Harry grinned, stood up, and raced into the bathroom. Hermione smiled and hurried after him.
Saturday, October 31st, 1994 – Several Minutes Earlier
Madam Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was down in the deeper part of the dungeons of Hogwarts, in a place that no students were allowed to enter. This was the prison block of Hogwarts Castle, used on the rare occasion that a criminal was caught on the Grounds of Hogwarts. There was also a prison cell in the tower above the Charms Classroom, but that one was rarely ever used (Amelia had no idea – yet – that Sirius Black was temporarily placed in that cell, a few months ago, before he… broke out).
Sitting in neighboring cells (although the solid walls prevented the two prisoners from seeing each other) were Bartemius Crouch Senior, and his son, Bartemius "Barty" Crouch, Junior. Along with Amelia and the two prisoners, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, and two Aurors, Kingsley Shacklebolt and his partner, Rookie Auror Nymphadora Tonks were also in the prison block.
Amelia had just finished interrogating Bartemius Crouch, Junior (using Veritaserum that had been brought from the Ministry by Kingsley Shacklebolt, and not one of the samples that Severus Snape had in his storage. Amelia didn't trust Snape at all, so she wasn't going to use his Potions) Unknown to Albus Dumbledore or Severus Snape, Amelia had asked Kingsley Shacklebolt (who had skills in mind-magics and Obliviation), to check whether or not the two Crouches were recent victims of Obliviations or similar magic.
"I want to know if Severus Snape interrogated either prisoner before we arrived," Amelia told Kingsley, "and if he Obliviated either of them of some of the information he received."
Fortunately for Snape, Kingsley confirmed that neither of the men were victims of Obliviations. However, Bartemius Crouch, Junior had been a victim of the Imperius Curse, placed by his own father, for several years, only having gotten free of it in late August. At the same time Bartemius Crouch, Junior was freed of the Imperius Curse, the same Curse had been set on Bartemius Crouch, Senior, by two people: his son, Junior, and a very much alive Peter Pettigrew.
Amelia had asked Bartemius Crouch, Junior about Pettigrew, to confirm that he was alive. The man confirmed it, and said the only damage Pettigrew had was that he was missing one of his fingers. Amelia quickly realized several things at once. One, Peter Pettigrew, had faked his death. Two, Sirius Black was innocent of killing the man. Three… she wondered what else Sirius Black was innocent of. Amelia wondered how much Snape (and therefore Dumbledore) knew about that revelation concerning Peter Pettigrew.
However, the news that Peter Pettigrew was alive was not the most shocking she had received. Lord Voldemort was still alive… barely. He was currently using a Homunculus for a body, and if Bartemius Crouch, Junior had succeeded in his plans, then Lord Voldemort might have returned to full power by next summer! Unfortunately, due to the annoying enchantments of the Fidelius Charm, Bartemius Crouch, Junior could not tell Amelia where Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew were hiding.
A thought had occurred to Amelia at one point. If Lord and Lady Potter are from the future, I wonder if they know where Voldemort and Pettigrew are currently hiding. I wonder what they know about Sirius Black. And that is just two of the many things I'm wondering what they could tell me.
Bartemius Crouch, Junior had confirmed that he was the culprit behind, not only putting Harry Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire, but also he had cast the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup Campgrounds. And he also confirmed his father knew that he had done it. In the forest, near the Campground, had been Stunned and under an invisibility Cloak near a group of Aurors, other Ministry officials, his father, and – interestingly enough, Harry Potter and his friends. And his father had collected him after the group of people had left. It was that group of Ministry workers and Aurors who had Stunned him, and none of them knew it because of his father. They just thought they had Stunned the Crouch's house-elf Winky, who Bartemius Crouch, Senior had framed for casting the Dark Mark (after, of course, he had accused Harry Potter too, of doing the same thing).
After that interrogation, Amelia asked Albus about the current status of Alastor Moody. Albus informed her that Alastor had been found in the bottom of a deep well-like compartment in a seven-compartment trunk. He had been there since at least the start of September. He had looked pale, malnourished, and some of his hair, his magic eye, and his wooden leg were missing (Severus had collected those latter two objects before escorting Crouch, Junior to the prison cells, and had given them back to Alastor.) Alastor was now in the Hospital Wing under the care and watchful eye of Poppy Pomfrey, beginning his recovery.
Now, Amelia was standing at the door to the prison cell where Bartemius Crouch, Senior was currently residing.
"Auror Shacklebolt," Amelia said, "Come with me, and make sure Bartemius, Senior doesn't make any moves, except for his head and mouth. Rookie Auror Tonks, make sure Dumbledore and Snape get nowhere near either of these prison cells. If they do, arrest them."
"Yes, ma'am," Kingsley said.
Tonks nodded, though her eyes were wide at the idea of arresting Albus Dumbledore.
Amelia turned and looked at Albus and Snape, who were leaning against a wall, staring at the proceedings.
"Don't test me, either one of you," Amelia said, "Or you'll find yourselves in the Ministry cells this evening."
Albus and Snape made no move or reaction to Amelia's words. Of course, that might have been because she had already given them the same warning once or twice already.
Kingsley opened the door to the prison cell, stepped into the room, and Amelia followed. Bartemius Crouch, Senior was sitting against a wall, with his knees raised to his chest. He was staring at nothing in front of him.
"Bartemius Crouch, Senior," Amelia said, "Earlier this evening, Severus Snape lifted an Imperius Curse that had been placed on you repeatedly over the last two-plus months. Auror Shacklebolt here is going to give you a Potion. It is a combination of Pepper-Up Potion, and Reinvigoration Draught. It will temporarily relieve you of the after-effects of the Imperius Curse you are currently feeling. Does Auror Shacklebolt have permission to administer the Potion?"
Bartemius nodded, then opened his mouth. Kingsley walked over to the man, removed a vial from his person, uncorked it and emptied the contents into Bartemius' mouth. Bartemius swallowed, and immediately color returned to his pale face, and his eyes looked brighter. He blinked several times and looked around. He then looked at Amelia.
"Madam Bones!" Bartemius said, "Amelia! You must help me! My son, Bartemius Crouch, Junior, he's alive! I'm sorry! I've made a terrible mistake."
"Calm yourself, Bartemius," Amelia said, "Your son has been captured. He is currently in the room next to this one."
"Oh, thank, Merlin," Bartemius gasped. "Peter Pettigrew! Amelia, Pettigrew is alive and I think – I think I made another terrible mistake years ago. Amelia, I think Sirius Black might be an innocent man. I think I sent the wrong man to Azkaban… without a trial."
"Without a trial?!" Amelia demanded.
"Yes," Bartemius said, "Dumbledore… Albus… Albus and Minister Bagnold. They were… we all did it. We needed a scapegoat after that Halloween night, after You-Know-Who… I agreed. I thought Black was a Death Eater. Albus assured me he was, but now… I mean, he didn't have a Dark Mark, but neither did many of his servants. Now with Pettigrew alive – I – I'm not so sure."
"Thank you, Bartemius," Amelia said, "I will do my best to remedy your mistake."
"Mistake," Bartemius said, then laughed, "I made so many mistakes, Amelia. So many. My wife… she was dying, and she loved our son. She wanted him out of Azkaban. So… she plotted. She wanted me to switch her with our son. She would spend her last days in Azkaban, Polyjuiced as our boy. I supplied her with enough Potions, and swapped her with my son. She died a few days later. It is her body buried in that grave at Azkaban. I… I placed the Imperius Curse on my son, and did so over the last several years. A mistake… I'm sorry, Amelia. A terrible mistake."
"Rest, Bartemius," Amelia said. "I need to know nothing else. We will bring you and your son to the Ministry shortly."
"Thank you, Amelia," Bartemius said. "Whatever sentence you, and the Wizengamot, give me. I will do it. I promise, I will do it. I deserve life in Azkaban, as does anyone who uses an Unforgivable Curse. I… I might deserve death for breaking my son out of Azkaban. So… whatever you and the Wizengamot choose. Do it. Don't worry about me, Amelia. You're a better Director than I ever was."
Bartemius then turned his head, and simply stared at the wall. He was finished speaking. Amelia blinked back tears. Bartemius had been her mentor, back when she was an Apprentice in the DMLE. Seeing him now like this… it almost broke her heart. She cleared her throat, and looked at Kingsley.
"Speak nothing of what you just heard, Shacklebolt," Amelia said, "To nobody. Especially Dumbledore."
"Yes, ma'am," Kingsley said.
Amelia and Kingsley left the room, and returned to the main area.
"Albus," Amelia said, "My Aurors and I need your permission to Portkey the two prisoners out of Hogwarts and into cells at the Ministry. We need to Portkey them through the wards."
"You have it, Madam Bones," Albus said.
"Thank you," Amelia said, "If you're willing to indulge me, I do have a suggestion for you, Albus."
"I'm listening," Albus said.
"Unfortunately, I must advise you not to keep Alastor Moody on as Defense Professor, Albus," Amelia said. "When the students realize that a Death Eater Polyjuiced himself as the man and taught them for two months, none of them will want Alastor Moody as their teacher. Neither will the parents."
Albus sighed. "I suppose you have a good point, Madam Bones. What is your suggestion?"
Amelia looked at Kingsley, who nodded. She had spoken with him about this earlier this evening.
"I'm offering Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt as the replacement for Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor until the end of June next year," Amelia told Albus, "And his partner, Rookie Auror Tonks, who he has been mentoring for the last few months, will be his Assistant Professor."
Albus looked at Kingsley, then Tonks, then back to Amelia. He gazed at her for several moments, obviously thinking about her proposal, then he finally nodded.
"If they wish to have the job," Albus said, "I will gladly accept."
"You have your new Defense Professors then," Amelia said.
"Aurors Shacklebolt, Tonks," Albus said, "Please meet with me tomorrow evening at five-o-clock. We can discuss your new jobs, and hopefully by the time dinner begins, I can introduce you both as the new Professors."
"Yes, sir," Tonks said, and Kingsley merely nodded his acceptance.
Amelia turned to Tonks. "Auror Tonks, I believe you are capable of Portkeying Bartemius Crouch, Senior by yourself. He will be cooperative, I assure you. You know where to take him, I believe?"
"Yes, ma'am," Tonks said.
"Kingsley and I will join you shortly with our prisoner," Amelia said, "You may go, Auror."
Tonks bowed her head slightly and headed into the cell of Bartemius Crouch, Senior.
"I will return tomorrow evening for the second half of the Choosing Ceremony," Amelia announced, "Good evening, Headmaster, Professor Snape. Come, Auror Shacklebolt. Let us remove the threat of Mr. Crouch, Junior from this Castle and its students forevermore."
"Yes, ma'am," Kingsley said, in his deep voice.
Amelia and Kingsley stepped into the prison cell of Bartemius Crouch, Junior. Due to the unruly nature of the prisoner after his interrogation was over, Kingsley had given the man a Sleeping Draught. He was still under the effects of it, and would be for several more hours. Kingsley walked over to the man, pulled him up to his feet, and took one of his arms in his. Amelia walked over to the prisoner, took his other arm in one of hers, then snapped her fingers. The 'snapping motion' caused the bracelet Portkey around her wrist to activate, and the Director, Auror, and recently-believed-deceased Prisoner away from Hogwarts, and into the private prison block in the DMLE that only a few members of the Department, and the Auror Department, could access. Tonks had been given temporary permission from Amelia when she joined this mission with her mentor, Kingsley.
A few minutes later, Amelia left the prison block, and headed to her office. It was very late in the evening, and Amelia's evening wasn't over. She needed to prepare for her meeting with Lord and Lady Potter tomorrow.
But how could she prepare for a meeting with two time-travelers, when she didn't even know what questions to even begin to ask?
Chapter finished. I'm sure some of you were hoping I'd do more than a 'fade to black' when it came to Harry and Hermione's bedtime fun. So, for those of you who were looking forward to that, the beginning of the next chapter will open with a Smut scene.
However, for those of you reading this on FFN, all sex scenes and similar content will be EXCLUSIVE to the version of the story on Archive Of Our Own. You can find the story in my Ao3 Profile FS_VanceMcGill.
All I'll say for Harry and Hermione's (Lord and Lady Potter's) conversation regarding discussing the Soul-Bond with the Doppelgangers, "no plan survives first contact with the enemy" (or in this case, their younger selves).
Next Chapter: Albus Dumbledore announces a special bonus Feast, and the second half of the Choosing Ceremony, and explains (in as little detail as possible) what happened the previous evening. However, neither pair of Doppelgangers are in the Great Hall for breakfast, because (thanks to Minerva), the two sets of Doppelgangers enjoy a private breakfast in the Private Quarters. While certain things will be discussed amongst Lord and Lady Potter and their younger selves, they won't get into the big discussion yet that you likely want to see. That will happen in a couple chapters or so (and it will take more than one chapter!)!