Heavy Memories pt 1/2
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wow this chapter ended up really long so I split it in half. gg.
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"Nothing will be done!"
Fudge's voice echoed through the entire office before Harry even stepped through the door.
"The school was attacked, strange things are happening, and Crouch keeps saying—!" Sirius's roar rang out, sharp and intense.
"The things Crouch says make no sense! They're just the ramblings of a madman. Maybe he got lost in the forest and ran into those dangerous creatures around him and ended up like this. His words aren't reliable. That Bertha Jorkins is dead, that his son is alive… it's all nonsense. So nothing will be done. In times like these, the magical world expects its leaders to be strong," Fudge's voice was unmistakable as he continued speaking. He had returned after the events of the previous night. As always, he was trying to cover everything up. He had been doing it since Crouch's disappearance, even now that they had found him.
"Then prove you're good for something. Because just watching you try to hide everything in plain sight makes it obvious you're just afraid of losing your voters, right? That's what this is about? You're afraid of losing your power?" Sirius shot back, anger rising with every word.
"Watch yourself, Black. Remember who you're speaking to," Fudge replied, clearly irritated.
"No. You remember who you're speaking to," Sirius roared even louder as he stood up from his seat, slamming his hand against the desk, glaring at Fudge with fury, making Fudge almost take a step back for a brief moment.
But he quickly swallowed, as if his pride wouldn't allow him to show fear in front of the wizard standing before him.
"The Triwizard Tournament will not be canceled. I will not be seen as a coward," Fudge said at once, refusing to budge.
"A real leader does what's right no matter what people say. But it seems that's too much for someone like you," Sirius said, even more irritated by the man in front of him.
"What did you say?" Fudge said, now red with anger. "What exactly did you mean by that?" he continued as he stepped closer, standing right in front of Sirius.
Sirius stood up without fear, straight like a lion ready to draw blood, his fighting instinct made even Fudge see him as taller than he really was. And for a moment, the minister almost regretted thinking he could stand against this man.
He was obviously not Dumbledore, the kind of man who would let himself be intimidated by the minister. The man in front of him wasn't afraid at all, and wouldn't hesitate to use his wand if he felt threatened.
Moody, who had been silent from the beginning, watching everything calmly, finally spoke.
"While I'd enjoy seeing you tear each other's throats out," he said, glancing toward Fudge, already knowing who would lose if they actually fought, "looks like your visitor's here, Black," he added, flicking his wand as the office door opened, revealing Harry standing there.
Harry didn't seem to care about being caught listening in. Instead, he focused on Moody for a moment, watching his magical eye, which moved restlessly as it watched him. And Harry showed clear interest in it.
"Harry, it's a pleasure to see you again," Minister Fudge said, pulling Harry away from his interest in the alchemical object Moody used as an eye, his tone overly friendly, which made Harry's expression twist slightly.
"Yeah…" Harry muttered, glancing at the minister for a moment before looking toward Sirius.
Who seemed to calm his emotions slightly at the sight of his godson.
"Wait here for a moment, Harry. I'd better escort… the minister out," Sirius said, shooting an annoyed look at Fudge, clearly not wanting to continue any more conversations with this useless man.
"Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back," Sirius said, gesturing to Moody, who gave Minister Fudge a firm pat on the back. Fudge flinched slightly at the ex-auror's touch, but didn't seem willing to argue, understanding he was essentially being kicked out of the castle.
Even so, Fudge gave Harry a polite smile and picked up his bowler hat before being escorted out of the office by the two men.
"Haa…" Harry let out a sigh as he walked around the office. Since Sirius had become headmaster, he had been here several times. The last time was because of his little revenge. So the place didn't feel unfamiliar, and he simply walked around, passing the time until Sirius came back.
For a moment, Harry's gaze landed on a book lying open beside the desk, and he leaned slightly to look at it, feeling a strong dark aura surrounding it.
He read a random part for a moment and frowned slightly, not noticing that all the portraits of past headmasters were now staring directly at him.
"Horcrux… heh," Harry said with a mocking, dismissive tone. "Only an idiot would split their soul just to try and live longer," he added, losing interest almost immediately, not realizing that all the former headmasters seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief upon seeing that this didn't even catch his attention.
His gaze shifted toward the Pensieve in the corner. The last time, he had seen Sirius's memories there, memories of his parents, making Harry's steps automatically move toward it.
Since it was already open, it was obvious Sirius had been using it. But as he leaned in slightly, he realized the memories inside weren't exactly the same as before. Instead, they looked like two separate memories, floating gently in the center of the crystal-clear water of the Pensieve.
Both of them swirling in different colors, ready to open themselves before him.
The curiosity pulled at him pretty strongly, so he moved his finger slightly and touched one of the memories, which opened in the Pensieve. And Harry leaned his face in just a bit to look, stepping directly into the memory.
His mind seemed to drift through the fog, as the mist quickly shaped the surroundings, planting the memory into reality like an illusion. In an instant, Harry was no longer standing in the Headmaster's office, and now he was standing in a very familiar place.
The Wizengamot trial.
And at his side was Moody, only a bit younger. And right in front of him stood Dumbledore. It seemed to be a memory from the old auror, about an old trial.
Harry had no interest in drawing attention from anyone around him, because he knew everything in front of him was just an illusion showing the memory, so he simply looked around.
Until his gaze landed right at the center of the courtroom, where inside a cage filled with sharp, black spikes stood another familiar figure.
"Karkaroff…" Harry murmured instantly as he recognized him.
Harry watched him closely.
He wasn't the same man he had seen at Hogwarts.
Karkaroff was chained, and the spikes around him seemed to inch closer, threatening to stab him from every direction if he dared make a single wrong move. His clothing bore prisoner numbers and black and gray stripes marking him as such, and his face looked pale, almost pleading under the gaze of everyone present.
Nothing like the arrogance he had shown this year at Hogwarts.
"Igor Karkaroff," a familiar voice said, making Harry look toward the judge's seat. There sat Barty Crouch, carrying an air of pride, almost dominance. "The prisoner has requested to be brought out of Azkaban to present evidence to this council. If his testimony proves useful, the council is prepared to order his immediate release. Until then, for the Ministry, you remain a convicted Death Eater," Crouch said in a serious tone. "Do you accept these conditions?" he asked, looking down at Karkaroff with clear superiority.
"Yes, sir," Karkaroff said, his voice weak and completely submissive.
"What is your information?" Crouch said, direct and sharp, as if he had no intention of wasting time.
"I have names… sir," Karkaroff said, swallowing. "There was… Rosier… Evan Rosier… yes, he was one."
An uncomfortable silence spread through the room.
Too fast.
Crouch's secretary shuffled through the papers in front of him and handed one to Crouch, who read it plainly.
"Rosier is dead," he said, tossing the paper aside in annoyance.
"Yes, and he took a piece of me with him," Moody said with a grin, pointing at his nose, at the missing chunk of it, smiling as he spoke to Dumbledore seated in front.
Karkaroff, meanwhile, looked shocked and started muttering to himself in disbelief.
"If that's all you have…"
"No, no… wait… wait!" Karkaroff said, this time with real urgency. "There was also Rookwood… he… he passed information from inside the Ministry."
That surprised several people, especially Crouch.
"Augustus Rookwood, from the Department of Mysteries?" Crouch asked quickly, frowning as he looked straight at him.
"Yes, that one," Karkaroff said with an almost excited smile.
"…" Crouch seemed to think for a moment. "Very well. The council will deliberate. In the meantime, you will return to Azkaban," he added.
At the word Azkaban, Karkaroff was filled with fear.
"No, no, wait. Wait! I have more names. Snape… Severus Snape was one of them," he blurted out, panic breaking through.
At once, Dumbledore, in front of Harry, stood up immediately.
Harry's eyes narrowed. His expression turned cold as he heard the name leave Karkaroff's mouth.
"The council is aware of the evidence that Severus Snape was once a Death Eater. But he also served as our spy, despite the risk he faced, in order to ensure the Dark Lord's defeat."
"It's a lie!" Karkaroff shouted desperately. "Severus Snape is a loyal follower of the Dark Lord!" he yelled, thrashing inside his cage, even as the spikes cut into his skin, drawing blood.
"Silence!" Crouch shouted, slamming his gavel against the desk in front of him, irritated by the chaos in the courtroom. "Since the accused has failed to provide relevant information, this session is closed," Crouch said, already annoyed by how things had turned out.
"No… no, no…" Karkaroff said suddenly, this time much calmer, completely different from before. "There is still someone else…" he said, a slight smile forming as he looked straight at Crouch.
That made Crouch look at him, raising an eyebrow at that gaze.
"What do you know?" Crouch said, frowning.
"The name… and that this person took part in the capture, and through the Cruciatus Curse tortured the auror Frank Longbottom and his wife into madness," Karkaroff said, his smile widening even more as he stared at Barty Crouch.
Meanwhile, Harry's gaze, among the jury, narrowed slightly as he noticed one of the people present suddenly stand up and start moving subtly toward the exit. Someone he didn't recognize at all. Quite young, well-dressed. Moving too early.
As if he knew exactly what was coming.
"The name! Give me the damn name!" Crouch shouted, irritated that Karkaroff kept dragging this out.
"Barty Crouch!" Karkaroff said with delight, looking straight at the judge, who froze instantly.
"Junior," Karkaroff finished.
And for a moment…
the entire trial fell silent.
Crouch's eyes widened before he looked in one direction.
Everyone turned in the same direction at once.
Toward the young man trying to slip away unnoticed.
He tried to pull out his wand right then, but Moody swung his staff slightly, and in an instant a bolt struck him, knocking him out cold.