Chosen & Hated (HP) {Book 2 of the Wild & Free Series}

28. The Dream

"Liana!"

I stumbled backwards when I felt a pair of arms fling around me. I saw it was Hermione.

"Are you all right, Liana?" Harry asked worriedly. I nodded.

"Did Mr. Crouch cause that black eye?" Ron asked, pointing at my right eye. I shrugged.

"I think I fell against a tree or on a sharp stone," I told him and quickly sat down next to Harry on the couch. Hermione sat down next to me.

It comes down to this," said Hermione, rubbing her forehead. "Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else at- tacked 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 any- thing."
"You can't Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds, haven't I told you enough times?" said Hermione.
"Okay . . . 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 . . ."

"It comes down to this," she said, rubbing her forehead. "Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor and Liana, or somebody else attacked all three of them when Viktor and Liana weren'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 the Hogwarts grounds, haven't I told you enough times?" said Hermione.

"Okay... how's this for a theory," said Ron excitedly. "Krum attacked Crouch — no, wait for it — and then Stunned himself and Liana!"

"Krum was standing right next to me," I pointed out. "I would have seen it."

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

"Oh yeah..."

It was daybreak. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had crept out of our dormitories very early and hurried up to the Owlery together to send a note to Sirius. Now we were standing looking out at the misty grounds. All four of us were puffy-eyed and pale because we had been talking late into the night about Mr. Crouch.

"Just go through it again, Harry and Liana," said Hermione. "What did Mr. Crouch actually say?"

"I've told you, he wasn't making much sense," said Harry. "He said he wanted to warn Dumbledore about something. He definitely mentioned Bertha Jorkins, and he seemed to think she was dead. He kept saying stuff was his fault... He mentioned his son."

"Well, that was his fault," said Hermione testily.

"He was out of his mind," I said. "Half the time he seemed to think his wife and son were still alive, and he kept talking to Percy about work and giving him instructions."

"And... remind me what he said about You-Know-Who?" said Ron tentatively.

"We've told you," Harry repeated dully. "He said he's getting stronger."

There was a pause. Then Ron said in a falsely confident voice, "But he was out of his mind, like you said, so half of it was probably just raving..."