Chapter 229 "Ron's Reasoning"

Crouch had a firm decision in mind.

Unaware that Crouch Jr.'s memory had also been altered by Skyler, who believed he had successfully killed his despised father, Crouch remained cautious. Despite the injuries from the previous battle and the medicinal aid he received, Crouch Jr. fell into a deep slumber, assured by the modified polyjuice potion's eight-hour effect.

Even within Hogwarts under Dumbledore's authority, Crouch couldn't shake off his unease. Uninformed about the intricacies of Crouch Jr.'s infiltration or his precise interception in the Forbidden Forest, he simply sensed the looming danger.

Adjusting his attire and taking his wand, he stealthily departed from the school hospital. Curious about his actions, Madam Pomfrey was about to investigate, but he promptly cast a forgetting spell to divert her attention.

In this covert manner, only Dumbledore and Skyler were privy to his presence at Hogwarts. Crouch presumed that his son, having been attacked while unconscious, likely fled in the opposite direction of Hogwarts, unaware of his continued existence.

"I will chase you till the end of the earth if I need to!" Crouch furiously said as he went in the opposite direction, chasing nothing but wind.

In the Gryffindor common room, Harry, Ron, and Hermione huddled in a secluded corner, their expressions serious as they engaged in a quiet conversation.

"So," Hermione, furrowing her brow, began, "there was a mysterious figure who attacked you, Malfoy, and Mr. Crouch in the dark, allowed you to escape unharmed and was eventually repelled by Malfoy. And now, Mr. Crouch is missing?"

"I can't say for sure," Harry replied with a shake of his head. "But Professor Dumbledore used an unusual spell. He scattered a significant amount of golden powder with his wand to reconstruct the scene..."

"That's a tracking spell!" Hermione interjected sharply. "It can detect magical traces within a certain timeframe, including the footprints of wizards and magical creatures, as well as the spells cast in that area. The spell is a trace manifestation..."

"Yes! It's that magic. I remember Professor Dumbledore casting that spell," Harry continued. "Professor Dumbledore traced his steps with the golden powder, revealing footprints of an adult wizard at the scene, along with traces of the Whirlwind Curse and the Death Curse. According to him, the Death Curse clearly missed its target, and Malfoy successfully fended off the attacker."

"Death Curse?" Hermione and Ron exclaimed simultaneously. Unaware of the full details before, they now grasped the severity of the situation, realizing it was far more dangerous than they had initially thought.

"Harry," Hermione, with an intense gaze, questioned him seriously, "Why did you venture into the Forbidden Forest alone with Malfoy? What transpired between you two?"

"Seems like a perfect opportunity for him to assault you if I don't know any better; what's wrong with you, Harry?!" Ron exclaimed while shaking Harry's shoulders with both his hands.

Harry hesitated, finding it difficult to broach the subject of the Unbreakable Vow. Ron raised an eyebrow, questioning his look, while Hermione maintained a skeptical look.

"Malfoy led you there, and everything unfolded in that location," Ron remarked casually. "This all leads to him wanting you to fall into an accident, too coincidental if you ask me."

Hermione arched her eyebrows, retorting coldly, "Ron, are you implying something is amiss with Skyler?"

A flicker of pain and resentment passed swiftly through Ron's eyes, unnoticed by Hermione.

Hermione remained perceptive. While she was undoubtedly an intelligent and knowledgeable witch, she proved not to be an adept liar.

Ron's subtle hint prompted her to express her thoughts candidly, "Hermione, did you notice that you accidentally said Skyler instead of calling him 'Malfoy' like we usually do?"

Harry, oblivious to the underlying tensions between his friends, continued, "What Ron said makes sense. Malfoy unexpectedly called me to such a remote and uninhabited spot. I thought it was for some important private discussion, but what he wanted to talk about—" His face turned red, and he hastily continued, "turned out to be trivial and irrelevant, almost as if... he had foreseen what would happen there."

"Aha! Could it be like this?" Ron exclaimed excitedly as if he had just stumbled upon a crucial revelation. "All of this might have been orchestrated and enacted by Malfoy, and he could be the one who attacked Harry and Crouch!"

"He was right next to Harry at the time; how could he attack himself?" Hermione countered with a cold tone.

"The Malfoys know plenty of dark magic; what's so surprising about knowing a spell that can split himself in two? Especially we are talking about the bright version of the twins, not the other Malfoy," Ron retorted, not willing to be outdone.

"Then tell me, what's his purpose for doing this?" Hermione questioned angrily. "Just to scare Harry?"

The corners of Ron's mouth lifted slightly as he tilted his head forward for comfort. Drawing closer to Harry and Hermione, he spoke in a low voice, "In order to create a witness—Harry is his witness. And Mr. Crouch is his target."

Lowering his voice further, his tone clear, he continued, "He first orchestrated a scene suggesting someone wanted to harm Crouch, asking Harry to be the witness, and then attempted to find a way to eliminate Harry. Only after Harry left the scene did he take action against Crouch."

Harry nodded in agreement. Ron's rationale was thorough and sensible; otherwise, there would be no plausible explanation for why Skyler had summoned him to the Forbidden Forest alone to discuss Cho.

Hermione felt a bit unconvinced and wanted to argue, but she struggled to find any flaws in Ron's reasoning. After a pause, she said, "If something like this happens, even if Skyler doesn't go to Professor Dumbledore, do you think Professor Dumbledore won't approach him? If Skyler really harms Mr. Crouch..."

She shuddered at her own conjecture, unable to accept the idea that Skyler might commit murder, even if it was just speculation. Continuing, she added, "If that's the case, do you think Professor Dumbledore wouldn't see through it? I refuse to believe that Skyler, a fourth-year student, could kill an adult wizard without a wand and then act as if nothing happened. If even Dumbledore thinks he's innocent..."

"I agree with what you're saying. If Malfoy commits murder, it's indeed impossible to hide it from Professor Dumbledore. However," Ron's eyes gleamed with a shrewd light as he spoke coldly, "Malfoy... This guy is more cunning than his father and brother. He's not a Death Eater, and indiscriminate killing is definitely not his style. It should be said that, for a utilitarian person like him, anything that harms others is not beneficial to him. Such things won't be his style."

"Assaulting Crouch and killing Crouch are things that only Death Eaters would do," Ron said, narrowing his eyes with a confident look. "Who is Crouch? He is the head of a department in the Ministry of Magic and holds a high position. Sirius also mentioned that he once ran for Minister of Magic, indicating his influence, strong prestige, and a circle of supporters."

"If I were Malfoy, killing him would undoubtedly be the stupidest decision... Only by controlling him and letting him be used by me can I maximize the benefits of the whole thing," Ron continued.

Hermione's face turned pale as she looked at Ron in disbelief. The words seemed out of character for him, and she felt a sense of unease.

Harry, less surprised, thought for a moment and frowned. "Are you talking about the Imperius Curse that Professor Moody mentioned? Malfoy is just a fourth-year student like us. Does he have the ability to cast such magic? Even if he does, Crouch is no ordinary person. Working at the Ministry of Magic, he frequently encounters powerful wizards. Is it plausible that others won't see through Malfoy's curse when he reappears?"

"The Imperius Curse is just one of the possibilities. There are thousands of magics in this world, and there are always some that even Dumbledore has never been exposed to," Ron said quickly.

"Wait a minute," just when Ron was about to delve into various black magic he had heard from his family, Hermione forcefully interrupted him.

Hermione took a deep breath, her voice chilling, "Okay, you two have come to a conclusion so quickly, as if Skyler is really the villain you said... haven't you ever considered that your preconceived prejudice against him prevents you from making an objective and accurate judgment on the matter?"

Hearing the dissatisfaction in Hermione's tone, Ron's body seemed to tremble slightly. He knew he had touched Hermione's bottom line. He did not dare to look at her but instead looked away, focusing on the ground, and said softly, "These are just inferences, Hermione. You are too serious. In the first place, what kind of business do you have with Malfoy if Harry was the one harmed? Harry is our friend, not him."

Hermione snorted coldly, ending the conversation. The three returned to their dormitory rooms, leaving an unhappy atmosphere behind them.

The next day, which was a Tuesday, Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped out of the dormitory early in the morning and headed to the Owlery to send a message to Sirius.

Standing there, overlooking the foggy grounds, all three had puffy eyelids and pale faces from staying up late the night before, discussing Mr. Crouch's affairs.

They encountered the Weasley twins in the Owlery, engaged in what appeared to be a heated argument about sending a letter, likely involving blackmail.

Ron's face appeared pale. During the days when he and Harry were in a cold war, he almost always hung out with the Weasley twins.

Knowing their intent to make money this semester for opening a joke shop, Ron was concerned about the twins resorting to risky or illegal activities to achieve their goal, as they were desperate for funds, and Mr. Weasley couldn't assist them financially.

Ron just couldn't think of how dangerous it was with how volatile the situation had been going around and their attitude of wanting to get whatever they wanted as fast as possible.