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Woo woo woo—
Accompanied by the spewing white steam and the rhythmic clanging of metal, the Hogwarts Express once again departed from the Hogsmeade platform, carrying students who had finished another school year as it sped toward London's King's Cross Station.
In one of the compartments, the annual "routine inquiry about holiday arrangements" began right on schedule.
Edgar leaned toward Lynn, who was staring at the scenery rapidly receding outside the window, his face full of anticipation.
"Lynn, what are your plans for this holiday? If you haven't planned anything yet, why not come with us to see the Quidditch World Cup? I heard the scale of preparations this time is unprecedented; it's definitely going to be incredibly lively!"
Lynn withdrew his gaze from the window and tilted his head slightly in thought.
"Right now, I really don't have any specific arrangements," he shrugged. "But who knows? The holiday is so long; maybe something else will suddenly pop up. We'll see then. Anyway, the finals are still a long way off."
----
...Meanwhile, somewhere in Norfolk, Southeast England.
This place was far from the bustle of the wizarding world and was not a center for Muggle settlements either.
A densely wooded hilly area guarded a solitary Victorian-style manor.
The manor's outer walls were covered in ivy, and most of the windows were tightly shut, exuding a sense of silence.
However, if a Wizard were to approach, they would detect layers upon layers of protective charms, concealment charms, Muggle-Repelling Charms, and even older, more sinister offensive magic, completely isolating this manor from the outside world.
The secrets of this manor were hidden deep beneath the building.
Passing through a dim hall and following a well-hidden stone staircase downward, one could reach a cold and damp basement.
There was almost no natural light here; the only illumination came from an oil lamp in a wall niche.
In the center of the basement, a sturdy chair was firmly fixed to the floor. Bound to the chair was a Male Wizard.
He looked to be about thirty years old, perhaps younger; long-term imprisonment had left his face gaunt, making it difficult to accurately judge his age.
The man had pale blond hair, deeply sunken cheeks, and skin of a sickly pale color. His eye sockets were deep and surrounded by heavy dark circles.
The most unsettling thing was his eyes.
Most of the time, they were hollow and dull, his pupils unfocused as he stared blankly at the air in front of him.
This was a typical characteristic of someone under the long-term control of a powerful Imperio.
In the very next second—
The depths of those hollow eyes suddenly fluctuated violently. His lips trembled as he let out a cry:
"Mas... Master!"
This sudden shriek gave the House-elf responsible for guarding him, who had been curled up in the shadows of the corner, a violent start.
"Yo... Young Master is awake?! Merlin! Master said Winky must find Master immediately! Find Master Barty Crouch Jr. to reinforce the spell!"
Winky shrieked, scrambling to Apparate away and report to her master.
On the chair, Barty Crouch Jr., who had just broken free from the long-term suppression of the Imperio, heard Winky's words and immediately regained his senses.
"Winky! Stop! You are not allowed to go to Crouch! Obey my command!"
Winky's spellcasting motion froze instantly.
On one side was the strict order from her current master, Barty Crouch Sr., to guard and report the situation at any time, and on the other side was the explicit order from her young master, Barty Crouch Jr., forbidding her from going to his father.
"Winky... Winky is a bad elf!"
It let out a whimper and then suddenly turned around, slamming its head fiercely against the nearby wall!
Bang!
"Winky disobeyed Master's orders!"
Bang, bang!
"Young Master's orders Winky must also obey! Winky bad! Winky deserves to die!"
Bang, bang, bang!
Barty Crouch Jr. watched this display without any reaction; instead, it was as if he saw something interesting or worthy of praise.
He pulled back his lips and let out a manic "Ha ha" laugh.
"Ha ha... ha ha ha! Loyalty! This is loyalty! Winky, your loyalty to your master and my loyalty to my master are the same! The same!"
His laughter sounded exceptionally eerie in the empty basement.
"I can do it too! For Master, I can do anything! I can endure any pain! Ha ha ha!"
He laughed as his body convulsed slightly with excitement, the ropes binding him cutting into his flesh.
But soon, the laughter stopped abruptly, and his expression returned to normal.
"That's right... Master... my Master..." he murmured, then his voice suddenly rose. "Winky! Tell me! My Master, the great Dark Lord, where is he now?! Where is he?!"
Winky stopped banging her head against the wall.
"Yo... Young Master... Master, he..." Winky's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "So... someone said... he... he is dead...some say he is alive.....in the for..forests of A..Albania"
"No!No! Impossible! Take me to Albania!! No! Just let me go!"
-----
Crack~
After a soft sound, Barty arrived alone in Albania, deep within an ancient, rarely visited forest.
Having just broken free from years of confinement, Barty Crouch Jr.'s steps were still somewhat unsteady; he stumbled, only managing to steady himself by grabbing onto a rough tree trunk nearby.
His eyes, which hadn't seen sunlight for a long time, contracted sharply in the dim light, but he didn't care, greedily breathing in the air of freedom.
He threw back his head, spread his arms, and with all the strength he could muster at this moment, let out a shout filled with endless worship and longing:
"Hahahaha! I'm out... I'm out! Great Master! Your faithful servant, your most devout believer, Barty Crouch Jr.... I have come to find you!! I have come to welcome your return!!!"
Just a few hundred meters away from where Barty was standing, in a shaded area of the forest with almost no light—
A shadow that had been curled up in a depression beneath a massive tree root suddenly "raised its head" the moment that highly piercing shout reached its ears.
"...Who is there... calling me?" a voice sounded.
Barty's body gave a violent shudder, not out of fear, but from extreme excitement.
He struggled to stand straight and stumbled a few steps toward the shadow ahead.
"Ma... Master? Is it you? It's your voice! It's me, Barty! Your most loyal servant!"
That shadow began to writhe.
At first, it was just a mass darker than its surroundings, but then it gradually outlined an extremely deformed and grotesque silhouette.
It crawled over the fallen leaves and moss on the ground like a mass of dark matter that had barely been kneaded together.
"Barty....?" Lord Voldemort's voice carried heavy suspicion. "You... should be dead. In Azkaban... with those... useless trash."
Every word was uttered with difficulty, but the coldness within them was not diminished in the slightest.
"No! Master! I didn't!" Tears burst from Barty's eyes. "It was my father! That hypocrite! He used a double—a dying woman—to replace me with Polyjuice Potion! He hid me at home... used the Imperio to control me! But I never forgot you, Master! I prayed to you in my heart every day, waiting for the chance to serve you!"
He explained rapidly and incoherently.
Fear? No. In front of his Master, he felt only endless awe and a sense of belonging.
Master's current appearance was just a temporary setback, a necessary trial in the great journey! And he, Barty Crouch Jr., would have the honor of being the hero who helped his Master escape all of this!
Without needing any command, without even a hint of hesitation—
Barty dragged his weakened body forward and, at the fastest speed he could manage, almost lunged toward the small shadow, his knees crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Master... my Master... your humble servant... has finally... finally returned to your side! This state you're in... this is just a temporary predicament... it's a test for us! Please allow me... you must allow your most useless servant to resolve this trouble for you!"
He raised his head, his tone becoming even more fanatical:
"I know the way! Great Master! I know how to reconstruct a temporary body for you! I just need some materials... some preparation... I can do it!
"During those dark days of imprisonment, I never stopped thinking for a moment about how to better serve you! I studied every book I could get my hands on, and I deduced every possibility! Please, give me this chance! Let me present this meager gift to you!"
Silence enveloped them for a moment.
Finally, that rasping voice sounded again, carrying an unquestionable command:
"Rise... my faithful servant. I believe in your loyalty."