FINITE | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [4]

𝘅𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗶𝗶 | 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺

As summer rolled in, the weather improved and their cloaks were consistently left in their dorms. Gwen found herself being completely overwhelmed with homework, alongside working with Hermione to continue researching Rita Skeeter's eavesdropping, to the point where Professor Moody began singling her out in classes more, trying to get her to answer more questions and placing her on the spot. She was relatively good at Defence Against the Dark Arts, and was able to answer most of the questions, however, which made Professor Moody smile at her a lot; it was still an odd sight, seeing the gash in his scarred face turn up into a twisted smile.
Professor Moody had started to grow on Gwen in the last few months.

Harry was called from the common room at the end of May to meet Ludo Bagman with the rest of the champions; he left at nine in the evening, and returned an hour later, out of breath and red in the face.

'Harry!' Gwen said when he entered. 'What--'

'Mr Crouch,' he panted, clearly having run back to the common room. 'He's back-- He-- I saw him--'

When Harry had caught his breath, he sat down and told Gwen, Hermione, and Ron what had happened after Ludo Bagman had told the champions about the third task. Viktor Krum and Harry had been walking toward the forest, Viktor evidently asking Harry about Hermione, when Mr Crouch had stumbled out of the Forbidden Forest, tattered, bleeding, and blazing mad; he had been talking to a tree, clearly thinking it had been Percy, talking about his son, about Voldemort, muttering and stuttering that it was all his fault.

Harry had left him with Viktor; Mr Crouch had wanted Dumbledore, so Harry had gone to get him, and by the time the two of them had returned, Mr Crouch was gone, Viktor Krum was stunned, and the teachers were now searching the grounds, hunting for the deranged Mr Crouch.

It was now daybreak, for none of them had slept that night, and they were sneaking across the castle to the Owlery, planning on telling Sirius what had happened.

'It comes down to this,' Hermione said, rubbing her forehead. 'Either Mr Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking.'

'It must've been Crouch,' said Ron at once. 'That's why he was gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner.'

'I don't think so,' said Harry, shaking his head. 'He seemed really weak-- I don't reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything.'

'You can't Disapparate on school grounds,' Gwen said, seeing Hermione's look.

'OK... how's this for a theory,' said Ron excitedly. 'Krum attacked Crouch-- no, wait for it-- and then Stunned himself!'

'And Mr Crouch evaporated, did he?' said Hermione coldly.

'Oh, yeah...'

'Just go through it again, Harry,' Gwen said, her mind whirring in overtime. 'What did Mr Crouch actually say?'