Athena Potter 🎞

Chapter 20: The Pensieve

Abruptly, Moody turns around and faces Athena, his voice chill like ice.

Madeye Moody: You we're a damn fool today, Potter! If you want to play hero, I can find you plenty of playmates among the first years! Otherwise, I suggest you grow up and grow up fast! You've got worse than mermaids ahead of you!

"What the hell Alastor!" Amelia exclaimed, "She thought she was doing what was best!" Moody sat there staring at the screen with squinted eyes.

Athena: [Not taking shit from no one] Well what did you expect? Huh? Me to just go after Fred when my best mate. No. My sister, would be stuck, still at the bottom of the lake! If I hadn't of gotten Gabrielle too, fuck knows what would've happened to her down there. You adults allowed a young girl to be 'captured' and strung up like a fucking balloon at the bottom of the most hostile and dangerous lake ever! So I am soo sorry for doing what was best! Not only did you scar that poor girl but you beaten up Fred just because he tried to protect Hermione, Cho, Gabrielle and himself from the spells. He has bruises. He has scratch marks. All because of you, Dumbledore and the Ministry. I thought Hogwarts was a safe place, keep us safe from the monsters outside...but no. The real monsters are inside these walls. Playing dress up as the adults.

Everyone gapes at the screen. Marlene looks at her goddaughter, "you are my icon"

Athena turns around, making sure her hair flicks into his face and walks off. Moody stands there, stunned. He then whips his flask from his pocket and drinks.

The camera pans to the woods above Hagrids hut. We are high up. The crowd is nowhere to be seen now, but faraway shouts still sound, along with sloppy snatches of the Hogwarts Anthem. In the distance, the windows of Hagrid's Hut reflect the waning sun as Hermione, Ron and Neville trail Hagrid himself through the trees. Athena walks alone, some distance ahead.

Hagrid: I remember when I firs' met yeh all. Bigges' bunch o' misfits I e'er seen. I suppose yeh reminded me o' me a bit an' 'he Marauders. Now look at us all, four years on.

The remaining marauders all share smiles.

Ron: We're still a bunch of misfits.
Athena: [She turns around facing the group, walking backwards] Speak for yourself Ron....I'm a prefect Angel [They all laugh at her as she turns back around]
Hagrid: Sure. But we got each other, don' we? And we got Athena! [calling ahead] Soon to be the youngest Triwizard Champion there's e'er been!

Athena smiles softly at the sound of her friends' cheerful voices and the gentle evening breeze, then...winces.

"Oh what now" James sighs.

Grabs her scar. Through the trees ahead, the reddening sky shimmers like blood. Dropping her gaze, she spies something dark lying in the brush. The trunk of a fallen tree. Or a pile of wood. Or...the body of a man. Athena stands frozen, unmoving, the wind gently tossing her hair. A distant pearl of laughter –– Rons' –– drifts to her from somewhere far behind.

The man is Barty Crouch.

Everyone turns to look at Barty jr. He stares at the screen, then looks at the floor. Regulus puts a hand on his shoulder "you alright mate?" Barty looks up at him, then looks around the hall, seeing at the pity looks being sent his way. He suddenly starts smiling. "HES FUCKING DEAD WOOHOOO!" Many people look at him like he's grown a second head however, the ones who truly knew him understood the reasoning behind him being happy.

Beyond the window, deep in the distance, a group of teachers –– eerily illuminated by the torch Hagrid clutches –– stand in a dark circle at the site of Crouch's body. Slowly, camera pulls back, reveals Athena, watching.