From friends to this -Year six (re-uploaded) Book 1/4

Chapter 40

"Did you hear?" Cedric exclaimed, as he ambushed Ciara and Tara in the corridors, one morning late May.

Mitchell strode beside him, he saluted Tara cheerily. Ciara and herself were talking about their tests which began this week, May to June, that was always the time frame. They had history of magic later today.

"Hear what?" Tara mused, frazzled by Cedric's sudden entrance.

"Mr. Crouch," Cedric said, falling into stride with the two of them, "He attacked Viktor yesterday," he told them in a lowered voice.

"Krum?" Ciara asked, surprised.

"The exact one," Mitchell confirmed, "Apparently Potter saw everything," he explained.

"Are we sure this was Barty Crouch?" Tara asked, furrowing her brows, "The ministry bloke? We're on about the same guy, right?"

"Yeah," Cedric nodded, "Remember I told you, Percy and Crouch's absence seemed off? Well, it was. This means Percy hasn't actually been getting letters from his boss, but someone else entirely."

Tara sighed, "Percy is going to eaten alive by the ministry."

"It's odd though, don't you think?" Ciara began, looking between her three friends, "That he didn't notice? Wouldn't you think you'd notice if your bosses letters were off, or that his absence was unusual?"

"That's what I'm saying!" Mitchell excitedly remarked.

The twins were going to give Tara an earful about this.

"He was just happy to be so trusted," Tara guessed, "He is like Crouch's lap dog, answers his every beck and call.."

"Either way," Mitchell shrugged, "It's dodgy."

Tara mumbled in agreement. It was concerning, this whole Percy situation. Would his ambition really get in the way of seeing the obvious? She's known him for years, sure he had always been a bit of a 'yes man', but he wasn't dim either.

"Have the twins said anything?" Mitchell suddenly asked, "I presume they know?"

"I haven't talked to them yet, I haven't seen them since yesterday evening," Tara answered, truthfully.

"Might want to get chatting to your boyfriend, Tonks," Ciara told her, "See what they think."

"What happened after?" Tara asked Cedric, "And how do you know this?"

"Viktor told me," Cedric explained, "Told me he was with Harry at the edge of the woods before Crouch came out of nowhere and ambushed him. He told Harry he needed to see Dumbledore, kept blabbing on, so Harry went to get him and after that he said someone suddenly pointed their wand in his face and then he doesn't remember what happened next."

"Who's wand?" Ciara was shook, a hand covering her slightly gaping mouth.

"Probably Crouch's," Mitchell said, looking at Cedric who gave him a nod of agreement, "I mean, Cedric said that Krum told him that he was acting crazy, said he was speaking nothing of sense. Right, Diggory?"

Cedric nodded, "That sounds about right."

"So, it wouldn't be too outlandish to assume that it was Crouch in some fit of blind madness," Mitchell concluded,

When the group of Hufflepuffs wandered into the hall, Mitchell elbowed her, "Go on, ask the twins if they've hear about it," he encouraged.

"No," Tara refused firmly, "They probably don't, it happened yesterday!" she cried like her fellow beater had lost his mind.

"Why not?" Mitchell hissed, nodding to the table where the Weasley twins were sat, deep in conversation, "It's no harm."

"It's weird," Tara retorted, "Imagine I come up to you and tell you your cousin is after setting fire to the school and I knew before you."