Life changing adventure

Chapter 24

Harry woke up, so warm, so very sleepy, that he didn't open his eyes, wanting to drop off again. The room was still dimly lit; he was sure it was still night time and had a feeling that he couldn't have been asleep very long. Then he heard whispering around him.  "They'll wake him if they don't shut up!"  "What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?" Harry opened his eyes blearily. Someone had removed his glasses. He could see the fuzzy outlines of Mrs. Weasley and Bill close by. Mrs. Weasley was on her feet." That's Fudge's voice," she whispered. "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?" Now Harry could hear them too: people shouting and running toward the hospital wing .

"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva -" Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly." You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled Professor McGonagall. "When Dumbledore finds out -"Harry heard the hospital doors burst open. Unnoticed by any of the people around his bed, all of whom were staring at the door as Bill pulled back the screens, Harry sat up and put his glasses back on. Fudge came striding up the ward. Professors McGonagall and Snape wereat his heels."Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of Mrs. Weasley. "He's not here," said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "This is a hospital wing .Minister, don't you think you'd do better to -"But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward." What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you- I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch -""There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumble-dore!" she shrieked."The Minister has seen to that!" Harry had never seen Professor McGonagall lose control like this. There were angry blotches of color in her cheeks, and a hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury." When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," said Snape, in a low voice; he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch -""I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -" 

"My dear woman!" roared Fudge, who likewise looked angrier than Harry had ever seen him, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -"But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's." The moment that - that thing entered the room," she screamed, pointing at Fudge ,trembling all over, "it swooped down on Crouch and - and -"Harry felt a chill in his stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to find words to describe what had happened. He did not need her to finish her sentence .He knew what the dementor must have done. It had administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul out through his mouth. He was worse than dead."By all accounts, he is no loss!" blustered Fudge. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths'." "But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people." "Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered Fudge. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!" "Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said."Those peoples deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."

Fudge looked as though someone had just swung a heavy weight into his face.Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He began to sputter, still goggling at Dumbledore. "You-Know-Who . . . returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore ...  ""As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," said Dumbledore, "we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort - learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins - went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return." "See here, Dumbledore," said Fudge, and Harry was astonished to see a slight smile dawning on his face, "you - you can't seriously believe that You Know-Who- back? Come now, come now . . . certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders - but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore ...""When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort," said Dumbledore steadily. "He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. Percy and I saw his duel with Voldemort . I was there when Percy  disarmed Voldemort and transported Harry back to Hogwarts . I  will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."