"Not yet, Harry. Once I call up the memory we want to see we will both lean forward and be transported into the memory itself. We will be observers only there, not able to affect any of what we see. Now, if you're ready, place your head directly over the bowl." Harry nodded and they both moved closer to the pensieve. For a moment nothing happened, but then Harry felt like he was caught in a whirlwind. The feeling was strangely similar to traveling by portkey, but when the journey was over Harry found himself standing in what appeared to be a court room. Professor Dumbledore was standing beside him, nudging him over to a spot in the room where they would have a better view. Harry smiled when he saw a younger version of Professor Dumbledore chatting with Alastor Moody, the real Alastor Moody that is.
"What is this, sir?" Harry asked as he watched the people hurriedly making their way to their seats.
"This is a memory from shortly after Voldemort's fall. Igor Karkaroff was sentenced to Azkaban for his crimes as a Death Eater. This is a hearing he requested so that he might name fellow Death Eaters in order to gain his own freedom. The proceedings are about to begin, watch." And so Harry did. Karkaroff was brought into the room in a cage, the strange look on his face evidence of exposure to Dementors. He began desperately bartering for his release, although none of the names he suggested seemed to matter to Barty Crouch Sr who was running the hearing. Harry was a little surprised when Karkaroff named Severus Snape as a Death Eater, they had seemed somewhat friendly to each other when he had witnessed them talking at the Yule Ball. Maybe Snape didn't know Karkaroff tried to betray him. Either way Karkaroff's attempt failed when the past version of Professor Dumbledore stood up and argued in Snape's favor that he had turned on Voldemort and become a spy for him before the end of the war. It looked like Karkaroff was going to be sent back to Azkaban when he declared that he had one more name.
"Barty Crouch… JUNIOR!" the Death Eater said dramaticly. The court room was suddenly full of excited chatter and Barty Crouch Sr looked as if he had been kicked in the stomach. The crowd in one corner seemed to jump to their feet and a moment later Harry spotted Barty Crouch Jr making his way down the aisle heading for the exit. His escape was thwarted by Mad Eye Moody who knocked him to the ground with a single spell. Crouch Sr was left with no choice but to have his son arrested and sent to Azkaban. It was here that the memory ended and Harry found himself back in Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Well now, what did you think?" Professor Dumbledore asked. Harry still had a thoughtful look on his face, as if he were still considering what he had just seen.
"I guess I see why Crouch was so upset at Karkaroff, and why Karkaroff might want to run." Harry answered. Truthfully, the memory told him very little he didn't already know or suspect but it did confirm some things. "Do you think anyone will find him?"
"Perhaps. Professor Snape was correct: at the moment it is doubtful that anyone who wishes him harm will be looking for him. He should be fine for the foreseeable future." Dumbledore replied calmly as Harry wondered just how long that would be. Unforeseen events had a way of happening pretty consistently. "Now, I would like to see your memory of the fight with Barty Crouch Jr, if that is acceptable. Take your wand and concentrate on pulling the memory out of your head. Then simply place it in the pensieve."
Harry did as the Professor instructed and was surprised to see a silver strand hanging from the end of his wand. Seeing this individual memory Harry realized that Dumbledore's pensieve must contain hundreds of memories. Harry carefully placed the memory into the pensieve and looked up at the Headmaster who smiled and nodded in approval. Soon they were both hunched over the magical device and being sent into Harry's memory.
Harry watched his past self unsuccessfully attempt to talk his way out of the confrontation, all the while silently critiquing his actions. Professor Dumbledore watched the memory much more intently than he had the last one, which Harry thought was normal considering this was his memory and therefore this was the first time Dumbledore had seen it. Harry wasn't particularly happy with his performance in the duel. He had panicked a bit and fallen back on using familiar, less effective spells as a result. Crouch had clearly underestimated him, a fact that may have been the deciding factor in their duel. Next time they faced off Crouch would not underestimate him again, so Harry knew he would have to be prepared. Dumbledore did not seem to share his disappointment, in fact he looked positively delighted when they got to the part where Harry transfigured a chair into a wolf and commanded it to attack Crouch. Neither of them were particularly happy when they saw Crouch cast the Cruciatus curse on him. Soon it was over and Professor Flitwick was rushing into the room to confront the impostor. Upon seeing it again Harry was even more impressed with his Charms professor than he had been before, his speed and technique were truly amazing. The memory continued on until Harry, Moody, and Flitwick reached the infirmary and met Professor Dumbledore. Once done the two spectators were once again sent back to the office.
Upon returning Dumbledore sat down in the chair behind his desk and motioned for Harry to take a seat as well. Harry nodded and sat across the desk from the Professor, waiting for him to voice his thoughts on what he had seen.
"Harry, it is clear that you are unhappy with how you handled yourself in the duel with Barty Crouch Jr. You need not be, you did very well. I am more sure of that now having witnessed the fight than I was when you described it earlier. Your use of transfiguration in a duel was very impressive, a trick that I might have used in your position in fact."
"Thanks, Professor." Harry replied. "I just feel like I could have done better, that's all."
....
Join my P*atreon to enjoy 60+ advanced chapters.
Link: p*atreon.com/ScarletRosee (Remove the *)
Free members can get 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
