MAROON ✵ regulus black

LXXVII. The War: The Trials Of The Death Eaters

June 1, 1979

THE TRIAL OF BARTY CROUCH JR.

JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

This was one of the three trials James had been dreading.

Barty Crouch Jr. was such a complex person. James hated Barty for what he did to him and especially Regulus, but he still couldn't help but pity Barty.

He was aware of everything Barty had been through. He was emotionally and physically abused by his dad his entire life. Crouch Sr. used to Imperio him to get Barty to do what he wanted.

He was also aware that Barty had struggled with his sexuality his whole life. He had been in love with Regulus since first year. He was so terrified to tell Regulus because of how he would be perceived. He knew how bad it hurt Barty when he found out Regulus had been gay the whole time and dating other guys. He knew that Barty had believed there was just something wrong with him. Because of all his self-hatred, Barty acted irrationally. He outed James and Regulus to Rita Skeeter, he started a relationship with Evan Rosier who was someone with a similar backstory, and he got the dark mark.

Barty had lost himself long before Evan had died, but now, he was completely gone. James knew the person in front of him wasn't Barty Crouch Jr.

Barty met his gaze. He seemed to be keeping his composure for the most part. From the outside view, Barty seemed unfazed or just plain tired, but James saw past that and saw the terrified look in his gaze that Barty was trying to hide.

James knew people in this court would overlook how young Barty was because of the fact that he had killed his father and countless other people. Barty had just turned eighteen this month. He was basically a kid.

James took a deep breath before speaking. "Barty... do you understand that you are charged with murder on multiple accounts, including Bartimus Crouch Sr. and the Hobbs twins, Tanya and Timothy. You and Rita Skeeter are also charged for... endangerment and invasion of privacy of minors."

"Of course, I understand. Can I please just... can I say what I want to say?" Barty asked with pleading eyes. "If I'm going to Azkaban for the rest of my life... I want everyone to know the truth before I go."

James figured it only felt fair. "Go ahead."

"I'll start with my father— the man that was so amazing in all of your eyes. My father was a piece of shit to my mother even before she had me. She passed away when I was a little kid. My father didn't have anyone to stop him anymore so he... he hurt me. Usually it was just emotionally, but sometimes it would turn... um... physical. He started to imperio me as I got older."

Barty looked pained as he spoke about his abuse, but he looked even more pained as he started talking about Evan.

"When I started Hogwarts, I became friends with Evan Rosier. He had been abused his whole life too and his mother had died as well. Well, to be more specific, she was murdered in front of him when he was seven by your very own Alastor Moody. Evan and I... we had a unique bond. When I was seventeen, I fell madly in love with him and we started dating. My father suspected of my feelings and the abuse just got worse."

There was tears in Barty's eyes now but he didn't stop talking.

"Evan got the dark mark so his twin sister, Pandora, wouldn't have to. I knew he didn't want it and I didn't want him to be alone so I... I got the mark too. Voldemort's dark magic and the mark itself... it consumes you whether you want it to or not. After Evan and I were ordered to kill the Hobbs twins and we had no choice but to follow through with it, we both were never the same again. We lost ourselves. I suppose I did more than Evan did because he still managed to betray Voldemort in the end. He died a heroic death. He sacrificed himself to save our very own new Minister of Magic. Please... don't forget that because he was a Rosier and a death eater."