Corruzione (A Barty Crouch Jr Fanfiction)

THREE - The first task

Darcy awoke in her dorm room the next day, she dressed in her school robes and twisted her hair into a bun before grabbing her bag and wand and leaving Daphne to trail after her, half asleep still.

Darcy took her place at the Slytherin table, today the enchanted ceiling overhead was a bright clear blue. Darcy threw her customary glance at the Gryffindor table to see Oliver Wood lazily stir his porridge before Professor Snape laid out her timetable in front of her before moving on. She saw that she and Daphne had Defence against the Dark Arts first period, a chance to meet the legend himself.

After a good few minutes in which Darcy had her breakfast and downed two glasses of pumpkin juice, there was an announcing screech and suddenly the air was filled with post owls all delivering their messages to the students. Two owls landed in front of Darcy, one a screech owl and one the most beautiful black barn owl Darcy had ever seen. Darcy pulled the Daily Prophet from the other owl, deciding to read it first but the barn owl became impatient and jumped onto her hand. She took the letter from it but still, it did not fly off. So instead, Darcy opened the letter the barn owl had brought her.

Darcy,

What kind of pureblood, high-achieving Slytherin doesn't have an owl?

So this one is for you. I think you should name it after me. (just a suggestion)

From guess who

Ps. I'll give you one clue: Knockturn Alley.

Darcy read the letter twice, there was no mistaking who had sent it. She had only been down Knockturn Alley once and that was the night she had met Barty Crouch Jr. She was baffled by the letter, it seemed so normal, almost as if they were... But no, they had met twice, the first he had threatened to kill her, and the second he had jinxed her. If it had been anyone else, Darcy would have chuckled at the letter, it was jokey and pleasant but she knew that it was from a convicted deatheater.

She sat there for a few minutes before Daphne pulled the letter out of her stunned hand. "No, don't," Darcy exclaimed trying to pull it back. But Daphne was halfway through it. There's no way she would know it was from him is there?

"This is yours?" She stroked the barn owl. "That's adorable, and they're so expensive too." She giggled at the bird. "Who's it from then? What is it about Knockturn Alley?" She badgered Darcy.

"No one," Darcy said, half her mind focusing on the barn owl. There was no question of sending a bird that beautiful back, even if it was a gift from him. Although there was no way Darcy was going to name the owl 'Barty'. She decided to call it 'Cassius' which meant vain or self-centered and that is what she thought Crouch Jr's display of wealth was. She quickly pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled a message back.

Crouch, or whatever I'm supposed to call you,

I've decided to keep your gift, I've named him Cassius, after you. Which if you don't know, refers to your vanity.

Please don't send me anything else, I hope not to see you again.

Darcy Selwyn.

The last sentence wasn't entirely true, she wanted to see him again, if only to quell her intrigue. However, she wrote what she assumed someone should be in her position. She hid the note from Daphne who was talking to someone beside her and tied it to Cassius' leg.

"Right then, Cassius, could you please take this to—" Darcy whispered in Cassius' ear, "Barty Crouch Junior." Then she tapped Daphne on the shoulder and they left the Great Hall together, Darcy didn't see Cassius fly out the Great Hall window, in fact, Cassius didn't leave the Great Hall.