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

36. Parting Ways

Dumbledore stood up. He stared down at Barty Crouch for a moment with disgust on his face. Then he raised his wand once more and ropes flew out of it, ropes that twisted themselves around Barty Crouch, binding him tightly. He turned to Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva, could I ask you to stand guard here while I take Harry and Liana upstairs?"

"Of course," said Professor McGonagall. She looked slightly nauseous, as though she had just watched someone being sick. However, when she drew out her wand and pointed it at Barty Crouch, her hand was quite steady.

"Severus" — Dumbledore turned to Snape — "please tell Madam Pomfrey to come down here; we need to get Alastor Moody into the hospital wing. Then go down into the grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him up to this office. He will undoubtedly want to question Crouch himself. Tell him I will be in the hospital wing in half an hour's time if he needs me."

Professor Snape nodded silently and swept out of the room.

"Harry? Liana?" Dumbledore said gently.

Harry and I got up and Harry swayed again; I could see his leg still hurt. I noticed we were both shaking. Dumbledore gripped our arms and helped us out into the dark corridor.

"I want you to come up to my office first, Harry and Liana," he said quietly as we headed up the passageway. "Sirius is waiting for us there."

Harry and I nodded. A kind of numbness and a sense of complete unreality was upon me, but I did not care; I was even glad of it. I didn't want to have to think about anything that had happened since I had first touched the Triwizard Cup. I didn't want to have to examine the memories, fresh and sharp as photographs, which kept flashing across my mind. Mad-Eye Moody, inside the trunk. Wormtail, slumped on the ground, cradling his stump of an arm. Voldemort, rising from the steaming cauldron. Cedric... dead... Voldemort torturing me... I seeing my parents...

"Professor," Harry mumbled, "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 very slightly for the first time. "She was Head of Cedric's house, and knew him best."

We had reached the stone gargoyle. Dumbledore gave the password, it sprang aside, and he, Harry and I went up the moving spiral staircase to the oak door. Dumbledore pushed it open. Sirius was standing there. His face was white and gaunt as it had been when he had escaped Azkaban. In one swift moment, he had crossed the room.

"Harry, Liana, are you all right? I knew it — I knew something like this — what happened?"

His hands shook as he helped Harry and me into a chair in front of the desk.

"What happened?" he asked more urgently.

Dumbledore began to tell Sirius everything Barty Crouch had said. I was only half listening. So tired every bone in my body was aching, I wanted nothing more than to sit here, undisturbed, for hours and hours, until I fell asleep and didn't have to think or feel anymore.

There was a soft rush of wings. Fawkes the phoenix had left his perch, flown across the office, and landed on Harry's knee.

"'Lo, Fawkes," said Harry quietly. He stroked the phoenix's beautiful scarlet-and-gold plumage. Fawkes blinked peacefully up at him.

Dumbledore stopped talking. He sat down opposite Harry and me, behind his desk. He was looking at us, but we both avoided his eyes.

Dumbledore was going to question us. He was going to make us relive everything.