A Young Wizard's Journey - Goblet of Fire

The Spy

Ron and Harry left the Common Room early the following morning. They were heading up to the Owlery so that Ron could send a letter to Percy, asking for any update on Mr Crouch.

Y/N didn't feel ready to go back there just yet. Whilst he hadn't gone there often, the few times he had, seeing Vesper had been the highlight. And the gap she'd left was far wider than he ever realised until he felt it.

Part of him even felt bad that he'd tried to partially fill the gap with Pippa, who now spent most evenings soaring lazily around the Common Room giving off its soft metallic cries, but he couldn't stop himself. Just that presence was comforting if nothing else.

He was infinitely more grateful for the conversation they'd had the day before. It provided a distraction.

Someone had been in the top box. That same person was most likely at Hogwarts, disguised. And the Dominators knew about his sense, which made the list of people very small indeed.

But who amongst them could it be? The only new face was Moody, and he was one of the best Aurors of all time, he'd hardly be in league with Voldemort. So, someone else must have been in the room, potentially invisible or disguised. But then how had both Y/N and Dumbledore missed him?

Dumbledore could see through disillusionment charms; he'd proven that back in Y/N's second year. And Harry had insisted Dumbledore had looked at him and Ron under the cloak that same evening, the one where Hagrid had been taken to Azkaban.

So how could someone hide so well, that neither of them could see or sense them? It can't have been Snow, or they'd have known long before the attack on Daughtery. But then again, the spy must have known before the attack on Potley too, unless it took a while to get the news out?

It bothered Y/N greatly. He felt so close, as though the answer was just staring him in the face. Whoever had been putting Harry through this year was just out of reach. And he didn't know how to close that gap.

'Winky,' said Y/N without even realising he'd said it out loud.

'What about her?' asked Hermione, glancing up at him from his lap.

'Hmmm?' asked Y/N, slightly taken aback.

'You said Winky's name,' said Ginny.

'Did I? Thought that was internal. She has to know who that person was, who the person behind all of this is. She and Mr Crouch. And with him missing, she's our last link. The only other one who can possibly know.'

'She won't tell us anything though,' said Hermione. 'She's as loyal to Crouch as she was a year ago.'

'She was when we went to see her, that was months ago though.'

'Afraid Ron doesn't agree with you,' said Ginny. 'He goes down there all the time to get food from them, every time he tells the same story. Dobby is delighted to see him and Winky sits by the fire surrounded by bottles.'

'Yeah okay,' said Y/N, slightly disheartened, 'It was a long shot anyway.'

'I hate it as much as you do Y/N, but I genuinely think the best course is to wait and see what happens after the third task. Or at least, whatever the third task is going to be, and then plan,' said Ginny.

'Yeah, alright,' said Y/N. 'You want to head down to the grounds, 'Mione?'

She was on her feet at once, nodding excitedly.

The two of them went down to the grounds and simply wandered around. Part way, they ran into Hagrid. They found him digging up sections of his garden, who told an extremely curious Y/N he'd find out next Care of Magical Creatures lesson. They took their leave quite quickly after when they saw Madame Maxime making her way in their direction.