[137] A Father's Shadow

Dumbledore looked at the crazed young man, deep worry spreading through his eyes like a heavy haze. He shook his head gently, regret plain on his face.

Barty Crouch's excellence was undeniable. What a pity.

Hall and Harry stood to the side, faces filled with shock and anger. They simply couldn't understand what Mr Crouch had done to drive his son to this point — unwilling to abandon his pursuit of Voldemort even after harming his own father.

"Barty Crouch Jr., you have committed unforgivable crimes. Your father tried to protect you, yet you nearly killed him with your own hands. Don't you understand your mistake?" Dumbledore's gaze was sharp as a blade, piercing into Barty Jr.'s soul.

Barty Jr. threw his head back and laughed — a laugh filled with madness and despair. "Mistake? I'm not wrong! My master will give me power. He will make me a great wizard. And you fools will only stand in my way." A ferocious expression twisted his face.

"Son. Turn back." Crouch Sr. staggered to his son's side, his face ashen, his eyes filled with pain and helplessness. He was pleading with his obsessive son.

"I don't want to go to jail, Dad." Barty's expression shifted instantly, as if he were a completely different person. He showed Crouch Sr. a pleading look. "It's so dark there. I'm so scared. Don't send me back, Dad —"

"No, no, son. Don't worry. You won't go to jail. Dad won't let you go to jail." Crouch Sr. gripped Barty's shoulders tightly, urgently promising.

"Mr Crouch!" Even Dumbledore's shout went unheard. Crouch Sr.'s entire focus was on his son.

Dumbledore sighed helplessly and turned to Hall and Harry. "Children, go back. You shouldn't be out so late."

What Dumbledore didn't say was that he had appeared so quickly because, on his way back to the castle, he remembered Hall's words that afternoon about wanting to examine the dragon's corpse. He wasn't reassured, so he went to the infirmary, and sure enough, Hall's bed was empty.

Hall and Harry exchanged sheepish smiles. Hall handed Dumbledore the scale. "Headmaster, we found this on the dragon."

Dumbledore took it and examined it carefully. "This symbol... I vaguely recognise it, but I'll need to consult my books."

He pocketed it. "Alright, children, hurry —"

"Headmaster, watch out!"

Before Dumbledore could finish, a beam of light flew towards them from behind him. Dumbledore turned sharply. The light struck a large tree behind him, blasting it to pieces.

That beam — it was a Dark Curse. Dark and powerful.

"Crouch!" Dumbledore whirled around.

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But to his surprise, Crouch Sr. lay slumped on the ground. Barty Jr. stood free — Crouch Sr. had released the restraining spell. Crouch Jr. held his father's wand in his hand. Crouch Sr.'s throat had been slit open, raw flesh and trachea exposed. His eyes were wide in death — filled with despair, pain, and lingering grief. His hands still weakly gripped Barty Jr.'s trousers.

Barty Jr. seemed completely unconcerned. A cruel smile spread across his face. "What a pity. If I had succeeded, how much fun it would have been!" His laughter echoed through the night.

"That's your father!" Dumbledore's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

This was the first time Hall and Harry had ever seen Dumbledore so angry.

"Father? Hahaha!" Barty Jr. kicked his father's hand away from his trouser leg. "Does he deserve it!"

"Now, let me complete the task my master has given me." Barty's eyes lit up at the mention of his master — fanatical, mad. Completely different from how he had spoken of his father moments ago.

"A task?" Dumbledore stepped in front of Hall and Harry. "What task!"

"Kill Hall Weasley." Barty Jr. charged forward, a black beam shooting from his wand.

Hall reacted quickly, dodging to the side. The black beam struck a tree behind him, engulfing it in black slime before dissolving it into a puddle of pus.

Hall's skin crawled. He had never seen such magic.

"Hall, take Harry and use the Portkey," Dumbledore instructed calmly. "I know you brought it."

"Oh, Dumbledore, you want to try my master's spells yourself?" Barty Jr. taunted, a smug smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, Headmaster." Hall knew that with Dumbledore here, he and Harry would only be liabilities. He grabbed a bewildered Harry and activated the Portkey.

"Don't go!" Barty Jr. cast the Cruciatus Curse to try and stop him.

"Incarcerous!" Dumbledore's wand flashed. The Cruciatus was interrupted, and chains bound Barty Jr. to the ground.

Dumbledore looked at Barty Crouch Jr., bound and struggling desperately on the ground. He sighed softly. "You could have chosen a different path. But you chose to be swallowed by darkness."

He looked at Crouch Sr.'s pleading eyes in the distance — those eyes, still open, still asking mercy for his son — and relented.

"For your father's sake, you won't receive the Dementor's Kiss. But you will spend the rest of your life in Azkaban, in chains."

Mr Crouch, finally succumbing to blood loss, slowly closed his eyes.

His body grew cold. His life faded.

Young Barty Crouch's mad eyes froze for a moment at the sight of his father's death. In that instant, something deep within him seemed to stir — a flicker of warmth. But that warmth was quickly swallowed by anger and resentment, vanishing without a trace.

Dumbledore stood quietly to the side. He looked at young Barty with regret — not the regret of a father, but that of a man who had seen too many young lives consumed by darkness. He could not understand why this young man clung so stubbornly to his delusions, abandoning family and conscience for the sake of darkness.

Dumbledore waved his wand. A pale orange light enveloped young Barty Crouch.

By the time Barty realised something was wrong, it was too late. He struggled desperately, but no one paid him any attention. The person who had cared about his feelings was dead by his own hand.

The spell was a binding spell — one that trapped the target's magic within them, rendering it completely unusable. The caster's power must exceed the target's. That was why Dumbledore had let Hall and Harry go first. He still cared about his image in the students' eyes.

Then Dumbledore led the bound Barty back to Hogwarts. His heart was heavy throughout the journey. Recent events all pointed to Voldemort, but at this moment, Dumbledore was not thinking about that. Many images flashed through his mind — memories, regrets — leaving only a deep, quiet sorrow.

Barty, bound and gagged, wore a defiant expression. His eyes darted around frequently, calculating a way to escape. He was unwilling to be captured like this. In his heart, he still believed he could complete his mission and serve his master, Voldemort.

Back at the school, Dumbledore collected himself and immediately contacted the Ministry of Magic, informing them of Barty's situation. The Ministry reacted swiftly, preparing to send someone to handle it.