Written In The Stars IV -[Harry Potter xF!Oc]

Chapter Thirty-Two: Palpable Memoirs.

Once in front of the Gargoyle, they realized they still had no idea of what the password was.

"Uh- Sherbet lemon?" Harry tried.

The gargoyle stayed in place.

"Okay," said Harry, "Pear Drop. Er — Licorice Wand. Fizzing Whizbee. Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans... oh no, he doesn't like them, does he?" She shook her head. "Oh just open, can't you? We really need to see him, it's urgent!"

Harry kicked it, which she considered stupid since it was made of stone.

"Chocolate Frog!" He grunted, holding his leg to lessen the pain. "Sugar Quill! Cockroach Cluster!"

Suddenly the gargoyle turned.

"Cockroach Cluster?" He widened his eyes. "I was only joking..."

Mel laughed. "It's your bloody luck, Glasses."

They hurried up the stairs, Harry reached the door and was about to open it when Mel pulled him back, asking him to listen.

"Dumbledore, I'm afraid I don't see the connection, don't see it at all!" Cornelius Fudge exclaimed. "Ludo says Bertha's perfectly capable of getting herself lost. I agree we would have expected to have found her by now, but all the same, we've no evidence of foul play, Dumbledore, none at all. As for her disappearance being linked with Barty Crouch's!"

"And what do you think happened to Barty Crouch, Minister?" That one was certainly Moody.

"I see two possibilities, Alastor. Either Crouch has finally cracked — more than likely, I'm sure you'll agree, given his personal history — lost his mind, and gone wandering off some- where —"

"He wandered extremely quickly, if that is the case, Cornelius," said Dumbledore.

"Or else — well... Well, I'll reserve judgment until after I've seen the place where he was found, but you say it was just past the Beauxbatons carriage? Dumbledore, you know what that woman is?"

"I consider her to be a very able headmistress — and an excellent dancer," said Dumbledore quietly.

"Dumbledore, come! Don't you think you might be prejudiced in her favour because of Hagrid? They don't all turn out harmless — if, indeed, you can call Hagrid harmless, with that monster fixation he's got —"

"I no more suspect Madame Maxime than Hagrid. I think it possible that it is you who are prejudiced, Cornelius."

"Should we wait till dinner?" Mel asked anxiously.

Harry was about to reply when Moody spoke up.

"Can we wrap up this discussion?"

"Yes, yes, let's go down to the grounds, then..."

"No, it's not that. It's just that Potter and Miss Dumbledore want a word with you. They're outside the door," The door of the office opened abruptly, Mel jumped away. "Hello," said Moody politely. "Come in, then."

Mel wanted to hide behind Harry, but since she figured it would've looked stupid. She walked directly to the middle of the room.

"Harry!" said Fudge. "Mel! How are you?"

"Fine," Harry said shortly.

"We were just talking about the night when Mr Crouch turned up on the grounds," Fudge continued carefully. "It was you who found him, was it not?"

"Yes," said Harry. "I didn't see Madame Maxime anywhere, though, and she'd have a job hiding, wouldn't she?" He added quickly.

Mel and Dumbledore smiled at Harry. Sometimes she felt amazed at his courage.