Nobility and Baseness

Hermione suddenly felt the air around her become incredibly thick. It was as if, in an instant, she had returned to the Black Lake, with the oppressive air all around squeezing her body and making her ears ring.

Ron stopped pulling Harry. His face went pale and ugly, as though he were having a heart attack, every breath taking all his strength.

For an endless second, Hermione and Ron stared blankly at Gabrielle's face, at her emotionless blue eyes, like the windows of an abandoned house.

Death—calm and real.

Pain and fear—things that could not be imitated no matter how many times Professor Breen's stone spears had pierced one's body.

What had happened? What on earth was going on?

Sparkle and the dying Mr. Barty Crouch, an ugly dwarf-like creature and a younger Barty. Creona's graveyard and death.

Hermione felt that the intelligence she had always taken pride in had stopped working. She could not connect the pieces she had in hand into a reasonable explanation. She watched the younger Barty place the dwarf upon a fallen tombstone with utmost reverence and conjure up a sofa for him. Then he turned toward them, panting, his face filled with extreme excitement, as if he wanted to tear them apart.

The killing would continue.

Barty Crouch Jr. understood his master. A Mudblood had no right to witness the great event about to unfold, but the red-haired boy, Weasley, might perhaps be spared because of the bloodline passed down through his ancestors—if he knew enough to crawl at his master's feet and serve him.

"You're making a grave mistake, Master Barty."

Sparkle threw herself over the unconscious Old Barty, sobbing uncontrollably. As Barty Crouch Jr. passed by her, her large, tear-filled eyes were full of pleading.

"Just wait and see, Sparkle!"

Barty Crouch