Just as the squirrel darted up the tree, a spell struck the spot it had just been, blasting the raised tree roots into pieces.
"Tsk, quick reflexes!"
A dissatisfied voice spoke.
"Who's there?" Lucius Malfoy immediately pointed his wand in that direction.
A vaguely familiar voice rang out: "Having fun, Lucius?"
The voice sounded familiar—he had definitely heard it somewhere before—but he couldn't recall where at the moment.
Lucius Malfoy stared warily in that direction. However, since the person had just lent him a hand, he refrained from acting rashly before figuring out their identity and intentions.
Footsteps rustled through the forest. And someone slowly emerged from the darkness.
When Lucius Malfoy finally saw the man's face clearly, his eyes widened in shock, and he was filled with disbelief.
"It's you?" Lucius froze on the spot and asked in astonishment, "You're still alive?"
A sickly smile hung on Barty Crouch Jr.'s pale face. His eye sockets were sunken, and his eyes, reflecting the flickering firelight in the forest, gleamed with a hint of madness.
He stepped forward twice with his boots crunching dry twigs beneath them, and said with a smile, "What's wrong… surprised?"
Lucius swallowed hard. His wand lowered, though he still held it tightly. In a low voice, he said, "The Ministry announced you were dead."
"They thought I was dead… but thanks to my dear father—" A flicker of sarcasm and resentment flashed in Barty Crouch Jr.'s eyes. "I survived."
"Barty Crouch? I truly didn't expect this."
Lucius guessed how Barty Crouch Jr. was smuggled out of prison by his father, and a sneer of contempt appeared on his lips.
"I really thought he was just like the Ministry propaganda said… a man of unwavering principles, a ruthless warrior who couldn't tolerate even a grain of sand in his eye!"
He relaxed a bit, knowing full well that Barty Crouch Jr. was a fiercely loyal Death Eater. If bones could be engraved, Barty's bones would probably be covered with Dark Marks.
To be honest, back when the young man had just graduated from school, his level of fanaticism had even frightened Lucius.
So even after all these years, Barty wouldn't have turned to the light just because of his parents' protection or his father's teachings.
In Lucius's eyes, as fellow fugitives who had narrowly escaped prison, they still barely counted as comrades.
Of course, among Death Eaters, the idea of camaraderie barely existed—mutual exploitation and cooperation were the norm. In situations like the one just now, giving a helping hand or hindering a pursuing hound was not unusual.
Feeling the blood draining from his shoulder wound and his body beginning to go cold, Lucius quickly turned his wand on himself and cast a healing charm.
Noticing the dark expression on Barty Crouch Jr.'s face, Lucius grew nervous and hurriedly smiled as he said:
"Thanks for the help back there. Those mad little leprechauns—they were your doing, weren't they? Brilliant work. Seems we had the same idea: to stir things up during this tournament."
"What's your reason for causing trouble, Lucius?"
Barty Crouch Jr. looked at him and slowly smiled, revealing his white, sharp teeth.
"All these years… you've been doing quite well, haven't you? The manor, the vaults, immense wealth, a seat on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, a regular guest of the Ministry, the Minister's special advisor…"
He sounded like he was grinding his teeth, like a venomous snake letting out a low hiss: "Lucius, living such an enviable life, why would you still wear a mask and stir up trouble? If you're caught, you'll lose everything."
Lucius's jaw tensed, and his fingers turned pale from gripping too tightly.
Maybe it was the blood loss. Though the wound was starting to heal, his whole body still felt cold, and his heart was racing.
"I…" Thinking of Barty Crouch Jr.'s fanaticism and loyalty, Lucius spoke in a low voice, "I wanted to show the wizarding world that we still exist… I thought… we can't forget who we are…"
"Really?" Barty Jr. slowly stepped closer.
"I thought you were going to say it was because of the change in the Dark Mark… that you suspected the Dark Lord might be coming back, and this was your way of testing it out."
"Of course not!" Lucius's heart leapt to his throat. He instinctively stepped back, tightened his grip on his wand, and tried to defend himself: "Obviously, we also want to find the Dark Lord, to serve him again…"
"Oh?" Barty Crouch Jr. sneered coldly.
"A coward like you, who didn't even dare go to Azkaban for him—who escaped punishment for over a decade—who would ever believe in your loyalty?"
Lucius frowned. "No need to say it like that. How are you any different from me? Is rotting away in prison really better than continuing the mission from the outside? You, me, Nott, Macnair, Severus… we simply chose a smarter way to serve."
"Don't you dare lump me in with cowards like you!"
With a sudden wave of his wand, Barty Crouch Jr. struck.
Lucius tried to cast a spell in defense, but he was a second too late. A red flash hit his wrist, sending both him and his wand flying.
Clutching his arm, Lucius looked up—only to meet Barty Crouch Jr.'s cold, murderous eyes, and the tip of a wand pointed right between his eyes.
"I'm asking you, Lucius Malfoy…" Barty Crouch Jr. said slowly. "In all these years, did you ever try to find the Dark Lord? Even once?"
Cold sweat trickled down Lucius's temple.
"I…" He locked eyes with him, forcing himself to speak: "Of course I—"
Before he could finish, Barty Jr. said flatly, "No. You didn't."
Lucius's pupils contracted sharply. He didn't even have time to react before a burst of blinding light exploded from the wand tip.
With a loud bang, Lucius's body convulsed violently, his bones twisted and reshaped. His scream was cut off in his throat—when air finally escaped, it came out as a croaking, gurgling sound.
Staring in horror, Lucius looked up at Barty Crouch Jr., who now seemed like a giant looming over him. His bulging eyes were even more pronounced now.
Lucius Malfoy's robes and wand lay on the ground. In his place was a yellow toad, about the size of a fist.
Trembling with terror under Barty Crouch Jr.'s malicious grin, the toad tried to leap away, desperate to find someone—anyone—to lift the curse. But after just two jumps, he was yanked backward by an invisible force.
"I shouldn't have turned Sirius Black into a squirrel," Barty Jr. sighed.
"Otherwise, he wouldn't have escaped my grasp just now."
As he spoke, he pulled out a thin golden ring and slipped it over one of the toad's front legs. Then, pointing his wand at it, the ring began to shrink—smaller and smaller—until it clamped tightly into the toad's flesh.
Barty Crouch Jr. grabbed the toad, forcing it to look into his eyes. With a cold sneer, he said:
"I know you've got ways to break a transfiguration spell. But if I were you… I wouldn't even try. Want to know why?"
He flicked the golden ring and said: "I asked the Dark Lord himself to place a Binding Curse on this ring. The moment you return to your human form… it'll slice you clean in half."
"Enjoy your new shape, Lucius Malfoy!"
With that, Barty Jr. threw the toad to the ground, bent down to pick up Sirius Black's clothes, and plucked a single black hair from them before waving his wand.
Lucius Malfoy's robes, wand, and all his other belongings burst into flames.
Barty Crouch Jr. turned and left.
Only the toad remained, crouching on the ground, letting out a desperate, croaking "gurgle" as smoke and ash rose into the air.
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