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

𝗹𝗶𝘃 | 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀

Dumbledore rose from his chair. He pointed his wand at Barty Crouch and, for a moment, Gwen thought Dumbledore was going to kill him. Instead, ropes flew from the end of Dumbledore's wand and bound him tightly. He ordered Professor McGonagall to guard Barty Crouch, and then asked Snape to fetch Madame Pomfrey for the real Professor Moody. He then guided both Gwen and Harry from the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom to his own office.

  'Sirius is waiting for us there,' he told them quietly.

  Gwen and Harry walked in silence, side by side. Neither of them could speak; Gwen had no words, and she expected Harry was feeling the same. Everything that had happened tonight, everything that they had just found out.

  All Gwen could feel was anger. Anger to it all, anger to Voldemort, her father, her family, the Death Eaters, all of them. She hated Barty Crouch Junior. She was still replaying it all in her head, over and over, Cedric's body flinging to the ground, hit so hard, unmarked, by the Killing Curse. She didn't fully believe it was all real, she couldn't.

  'Professor?' Harry asked suddenly. 'Where are Mr and Mrs Diggory?'

  'They are with Professor Sprout,' said Dumbledore. His voice, which had been so calm throughout the interrogation of Barty Crouch, shook slightly for the first time. 'She was Head of Cedric's house. She knew him best.'

  They had reached the gargoyle outside of Dumbledore's office now. Dumbledore gave the password, and it sprang aside; he, Gwen, and Harry went up the moving spiral staircase to the oak door. Dumbledore pushed it open, and there stood Sirius; his face was white and gaunt as it had been when he had escaped Azkaban. In one swift movement, he had crossed the room.

  'Harry, are you alright? I knew it-- I knew something would happen-- what happened?'

  His hands shook as he helped Harry into a chair in front of the desk. Gwen followed behind and stood behind the chair, though she wasn't so sure her legs would hold her up for much longer.

  Dumbledore explained the situation, everything Barty Crouch had said. Gwen was only half listening; her hands were trembling on the back of Harry's chair, and she wanted nothing more than to get into bed, forget it all, pretend it had never happened. Fawkes the phoenix flew down and perched on Harry's knee. The last time Gwen had seen him had been in the Chamber of Secrets, two years ago, when Voldemort had last...

  She tried not to think. She didn't want to think anymore.

  Her hair had turned a dull, sickly grey again. Her legs were going to give way at any second...

  Dumbledore had stopped talking. He was now looking between Gwen and Harry, who both avoided his eyes. They were going to be questioned now...

  'I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze Harry,' he said softly. 'And Gwen, I need to know what happened in Moody's office.'