Chapter 13

Chapter 13

DAPHNE GREENGRASS

The day had been hectic for Daphne Greengrass. She had met with Tracy today and then had spent the whole day in the office sifting through files and old cases as she tried to piece together Crovus's defense.

And though things had become easier for her since Crovus was now well-liked in the public, who considered his actions to be nothing but a tragic outcome of the difficult times, the law was a whole other matter. And so, it was for this reason she found herself sitting inside her office even as the Night had long set, sifting through files and testimonies as she prepared herself for the hearing the day after tomorrow.

Finding Adelaide Murton would be a great help to her case, given that she could provide testimony in support of Crovus…

But before she could think any further, there was a sudden violent knock on her door, making her frown. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was well past mid-night. Why was someone knocking on her office at such a ghastly hour.

The knocking didn't stop, and her hand went to her wand instinctively, as she cautiously rechecked all her wards and found them to be functional.

"Who is it?" she questioned, and the answer came quickly.

"It's Head Auror Kingsley, from the Ministry, we need you to open up," came the quick answer and she frowned. Kingsley Shacklebolt what was he doing here. She had worked with the Ministry extensively and was well acquainted with a number of members of the DMLE. Shacklebolt was a former Slytherin, and poised to be the next Head of the DMLE, and so of course she was aware of the man.

"I am coming," she said as she slowly opened the door, and it was indeed him, Head Auror Shackbolt outside her office, with a whole squad of aurors, appearing extremely anxious.

She frowned as she stepped out, and looked towards the tall man.

"May I ask what is going on?" she questioned as she saw the man reach into his pocket.

"Miss Greengrass we need to search your office, and your home. The warrant is right there," he said as he handed her a warrant, making her frown as she saw that it had been issued mere minutes earlier.

But why did they need to search her office, and she felt dread pool in her gut as she looked up at the head auror, and questioned.

"What happened?" and Kingsley didn't answer immediately as he motioned for the Aurors to search her office.

"I believe I bring grave news concerning one of your clients," and her heart stilled.

"But tonight a break in happened in the Low security Ministry prions, Crovus Lestrange has escaped and has taken Hermione Granger as a hostage," and she stilled as she refused to believe those words and shook her head.

"NO, that is impossible." She spoke, knowing that Crovus had no reason to escape. Gods he had no desire for it. And taking Hermione Granger as a hostage. Idiotic. Something else was a foot.

She pocketed the warrant and looked towards Kingsley.

"Make sure your people don't make a mess of things," she said as she began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" he questioned, and she didn't bother to turn to answer, as she stepped out of the wards and replied.

"To meet with the Minister."

CRACK!

0000

SEVERUS SNAPE-(Flashback)

The potions master of Hogwarts found himself sitting infront of the Headmaster once again. The number of times they had met over the course of this year had lessened significantly as both of them became busy with their own duties.

The Tri-wizard Tournament had been brought back this year through much effort on Albus's part, but the whole thing had been plagued from the start. Since the start of the year, the underbelly of the wizarding world rumbled as the scum of the wizarding world recoiled from the tragedy that had happened in the World Cup.

The attack had shaken up the whole wizarding world, and though people maintained the façade of normalcy, doubt and questions wrung up in everyone's mind.

"The mark grows stronger every day. You know what this means, right," Severus probed, and the man nodded, his blue eyes lacking his usual glint as he looked at him with tired eyes.

"Yes, I do," Albus answered, making him chew his lips as he snarled angrily.

"Then why do you refuse to do anything? Take the boy of this damn tournament. You and I both know that it is not a coincidence that boy's name came out of that Goblet," he snarled, and Albus shook his head.

"I cannot do that. The Goblet is an ancient artifact. Trying to break the magical contract between it and a contestant is not wise," Albus answered and Severus shook his head.

"The boy's name was put in the Goblet deliberately. They wanted him to be chosen. Letting him participate in the Tournament is like handing the boy to the preparator," Severus chastised angrily.

"I am taking precautions, Severus," that was a lie. He didn't have the time.

"I have asked Alastor to help me find the perpetrator," and Severus shook his head.

Alastor Moody had once been a feared Auror, yet the years had not been kind to the man. And the man who had come to Hogwarts was nothing but a shell of the man who had once faced an entire squad of death eaters.

"Age has made the man senile, let me find whomever did this," he offered, as the Dark mark seared yet he pushed down the pain.

"No," Albus shook his head.

"You have your own duties," and he knew of what duty he spoke of. For almost a year now, Severus's nights had been spent tutoring one of his snakes. Crovus Lestrange's strange deal with Albus had made it so that the boy would be joining the Dark Lord's ranks if he were to rise again, essentially becoming a spy.

Severus had been hesitant at first and had refused to entertain Albus until he had learned of the specifics of their deal. And in the end, he had agreed, reminded of the time he had found himself, pleading to the very man sitting opposite to him for a life much like the boy.

"How is his progress?" Albus questioned, and Severus replied in an even tone.

"Adequate," and saw Albus raise a brow at that. Those blue eyes glinted with curiosity.

"Adequate. That is high praise coming from you," the man added with a hint of amusement, and Severus didn't bother to comment.

What was he to do if all of his students behaved as bafoons? It wasn't his fault that none could even manage a semblance of mediocrity in his subject.

"I still believe this arrangement of yours to be too cruel, no matter how skilled or useful Crovus is, just a child," Severus added and saw Albus sigh.

"I know, yet we have no choice. Voldemort had become suspicious of you during the end of his life. I doubt he would trust you explicitly again, and while Crovus is young, I believe that Tom would jump at the chance to add him to his inner circle," and Severus frowned at those words.

And while yes, Crovus was talented with a wand, his skill as a third-year rivaled that of a final year. He cast without a chant now, and Severus now had to focus whenever they dueled these days.

Yet the Dark Lord didn't lack talented wizards, but what Albus meant was that Tom would wish to add him to his inner circle.

"Why do you say that? Why would the Dark Lord be interested in Crovus?" he questioned and saw that Albus realized that he had made a mistake.

"I meant nothing by it, just that given his pedigree…" but Severus cut in.

"You and I both know that pedigree matters little to the Dark Lord. Tell me the real reason. Why do you think the Dark Lord would be interested in Crovus?" Severus questioned and saw Albus sigh as he closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, looking to have aged several decades in seconds as he answered in a sad tone.

"I have come into knowledge about some circumstances pertaining to the conception of young Crovus," and Severus's eyes narrowed as he didn't miss Albus's choice of words.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

Albus didn't rush to answer his question until he finally spoke in a sad tone.

"I cannot say much since I am still looking into it. But I believe Crovus Lestrange's conception was one of Tom's machinations."

0000

ADELAINE MURTON-(FLASHBACK)

"Why don't you come out, after all, it has been a year now since we began this game of ours!"

She stilled as soon as she heard those words, and as she was about ti turn and run away, her feet halted as she heard the next words.

"I promise you, I don't bit Murton."

He knew who she was. Of course, he did, and she gulped as she thought of her options before she walked out of her hiding spot and found him sitting in his usual place. He sat there, looking at vast skies above, even as in the distance, the Hogwarts grounds were lip as the students gathered for the final task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Given Potter's entry, it was appropriate to call it the Quad-Wizard Tournament, though she imagined it didn't have the same ring as the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

However, that didn't matter as she walked towards the suicidal idiot who sat on the edge of the astronomy tower with on his legs dangling off the edge, she glanced at her, those red orbs beckoning her towards him.

The castle was basically empty apart from them and a few other students; she had volunteered for this patrol, something which no prefect had wanted to do as most of them had wanted to see the final.

In the end, she hardened her heart as she stepped forward and moved to his side.

"How long have you known?" she questioned, and he smirked, and she realized that it was the first time she had seen a genuine smile on his face, and he looked his age with that smile on his face. His usual scowl made him look older, and given his height, one could confuse him for a fifth-year rather easily.

"About half a year ago," he answered, and she chewed her lips.

"Why didn't you stop me?" and he didn't have an answer for her, as he simply shrugged.

"I don't know. Sometimes I find myself thinking about that as well," he answered, and she sighed as she felt a gust of wind blow, and her hair rustled in the wind.

"So, want to tell me why do you want to join the Dark Lord so desperately?" she questioned. The question had often plagued her.

He wasn't a bigot, and from what she could tell, he didn't buy the whole blood purity propaganda. Yet he worked himself to the bone just to join the ranks of the Dark Lord.

He raised a brow at her question.

"Have you forgotten my name? I am Crovus Lestrange, son of Bellatrix Lestrange and Rudolphus Lestrange," he said as his words were reason enough. She scoffed as she took out her wand, and pointed it at his pocket, and mouthed 'Accio.'

A small rectangular box whizzed out from the pocket, and she caught the small box and saw his eyes widen as she opened the small pack and took out a cigarette, and put it in her mouth as she raised a brow.

"And what would both of them say if they saw you with this muggle filth," she said as she lit up her cigarette with her wand and closed her eyes as she inhaled the smoke, guiding it through her airway and held it for a second before she let it go in a thin stream.

"You do know they are rather difficult to obtain," he said as he summoned the pack back into his hand. Without a wand, she didn't miss.

"You didn't answer my question. Why does someone like you want t…." but she couldn't finish her words as a loud explosion made her look up, and her eyes widened as she saw the sky above the Hogwarts grounds, where the final was taking place. And she stilled at the scenes, for right there in the skies of Hogwarts was the Dark Mark.

A massive green skull with a snake coiled around it, and her heart thumped in her chest as she heard screams and shouts from the distance.

"Impossible!" she heard Crovus gasp, and she looked at him and saw that he was pale as a sheet, and his fists were balled up, as he stared at the Dark Mark in trepidation before suddenly he exhaled and his expressions shifted, and when he opened them again it was as if she was looking at a completely different person.

He was tense, all sense of ease lost as he looked towards her with an impassive expression as he mouthed.

"I need to go," he said, and then her heart nearly gave out as she saw him jump off the tower, though before she could even say anything, his body morphed into a shadowy mass, and she watched him fly away, leaving her there all alone.

00000

CROVUS LESTRANGE-(1998)

Sound came first to him as he found light enter his vision again. Dim light, probably from a lamp, as he felt his vision clear up.

He tried to recall the last thing he had seen. The years and years of training in the mind arts helped him; he didn't let his mind wander as he recalled his last memories.

Food, his night meal, was brought to him in his cell. Crovus remembered taking a bit out of it, without thinking. And after that, it was darkness, darkness as he heard the doors to his cell open, and someone entered the cell.

He tried to move, but his efforts were futile, as he found that his hands were tied up. Behind him, much like his legs as he was strapped to a chair. A piece of wood in his mouth muffled his voice as he looked around the room.

It was a small wooden shack with no windows, lit by a singular lamp, and as he looked around, his eyes widened as he realized that he wasn't alone in the room. Besides him was someone, someone he recognized quite easily with her curly hair. He had spent several years with her, and her face had been splattered for over a year on various papers.

Hermione Granger, the muggle-born witch who brought down the dark lord, sat there beside him, and before he could think of any reason for her presence beside him, the door of the room creaked, and he turned to look at the stranger who entered the room.

And his eyes went straight for the man's eyes, and he stilled. His years and years of training in the mind arts failed him at that moment as a cold chill ran through him, making his breath halt as he saw those red orbs.

His heart thumped in his chest as sweat dripped from his face. The face was different. Different, but one he recognized all too well after it had been splattered for years on the front pages of newspapers for years.

Yet the eyes were different, and there was little doubt in his mind to whom they belonged. He saw the man take off his pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and a smile appeared on that face. A cruel smile, one Crovus had seen many a time.

~"It is good to see you, son."~

And his body shook as he recognized that tone, that speech. His whole body shook as he saw that smile widen as those fingers crawled up the side of his face, and he found himself staring into orbs much similar to his own yet darker, yet much more sinister.

0000

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A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope you have an awesome Christmas!