Tragedy

"For the last time, tell us where the Dark Lord is."

The speaker pointed his wand at a couple who were looking at him and his group with a mixture of hatred and fear.

Their situation was very delicate because one of the people was holding a 2-year-old child in her arms, with a wand pressed against the baby's cheek.

If they didn't have the baby—who was their own—the couple might have fought back.

These four people were loyal followers of Voldemort, who had disappeared a few days ago while attacking the Potter couple. The Potters couple were dead, but their child had survived the curse and defeated Voldemort.

The Death Eaters knew that Voldemort could not truly die and was probably hiding somewhere, though weakened. According to a rumor, the couple in front of them knew where he was.

The problem was that they did not know where he was and were not prepared to risk their child's life.

One of the Death Eaters had posed as a friend before kidnapping the child and had asked them to meet him at a specific location without asking for help.

The meeting place was a hidden location where the Time-Turner was made. They chose this location in case things went wrong; they could use one of the Time-Turners to change their plans.

"I'm more bored than interested in blackmailing them—why not torture them instead?"

The person who said this was the only woman and the most unhinged member of the group.

"We could, but we know you would take such pleasure in torturing them that they might die before telling us where the Dark Lord is."

The person who responded was the one holding the child and who had pretended to be one of the couple's friends.

But the others did not agree with him, as they were starting to get impatient.

"Why not kill their daughter and then go kidnap their second child?"

The couple's faces turned livid, as their second child was even younger than the one in front of them.

"You're a real fool, Rodolphus. Do you really believe something like that could still be done? Their second child is probably now under heavy protection."

"Crucio!"

Without warning, the woman cast the torture spell on the couple.

"BELLATRIX, STOP RIGHT AWAY!"

"Ahahaha."

She took such pleasure in the torture that the other two began using the same spell against them.

The man sensed others arriving at full speed, and even if he used the Time-Turner, he knew it would end in the same fatal way.

'Shit, I'm surrounded by idiots.'

Knowing that all his plans would be ruined if he was caught, he threw the child and fled immediately to reach a place where he could Disapparate.

"Stupefy!"

A white beam shot towards the fleeing man, while others targeted his three accomplices.

One of the people, an Auror, was shocked to recognize the man trying to escape.

"Bartemius Crouch Jr.?"

But he couldn't dwell on it because, despite being the favored son to be the next Minister of Magic, he was at the scene of the crime.

The others Aurors went to the couple they recognized as Frank and Alice Longbottom, their colleagues. They were unconscious from the pain, and it was uncertain what aftereffects they might suffer.

Near them was a cloud of sand that belonged to the future Time-Turner, but its container had been broken when Crouch Jr. threw the child.

Once the smoke cloud dissipated, they were shocked by what they saw. The child was unconscious, but her body began to grow, eventually reaching the appearance of a nine-year-old. By the time they realized what was happening, the body had taken on the appearance of a five-year-old.