One Crouch and Another Crouch
"Magic Power?"
Loren paused for a moment, then stopped dwelling on last night's dream. He gripped his wand in his right hand, closed his eyes, and calmed himself to feel the Magic Power flowing through his body.
From the moment he woke up, he had noticed that his five senses were more acute than usual. Now, with his eyes closed, he could feel it even more clearly. The morning air he breathed through his mouth and nose seemed fresher, and the wind blowing across the open fields brushed against his skin, every hair on his body feeling its coolness and comfort. The increase in his Magic Power was even greater and more intense than his previous Magic Power bursts.
If he were to sign the Trace Contract now, he might be able to break free of the Trace's bindings without needing the Sorcerer's Stone. His current Magic Power power is already at the level of an adult wizard—no, even stronger than many adult wizards.
Loren opened his eyes and muttered to himself, "It feels like many simple spells no longer require chanting incantations or waving wands..."
Flamel circled around him a few times, smiling as she advised, "Give it a try."
Loren lowered his wand, his gaze lingering on the air above the bedroom, silently chanting in his mind, "[Fire Charm]".
A ball of blazing fire suddenly rose into the air, its orange-red flames swaying and drifting like tentacles. The intense heat continued to burn under the power of invisible Magic Power, and scorching waves of heat rippled and undulated in all directions.
Loren's cheeks were flushed red by the flames. He looked at the quietly burning flames with great surprise. He had never been exposed to the techniques of casting spells Wandless Magic or without a spell. The vast and powerful Magic Power in his body naturally achieved the effect he wanted, and was even more vigorous.
In the past, he could easily use his wand to move objects according to his will, such as using magic to tidy up the room or wash dishes and tidy the Kitchen, but that was just simple manipulation... Moreover, the Fire Charm is generally used to ignite other objects and cannot burn for a long time, but the fireball in front of him seemed to be completely different, as if the fireball could keep burning as long as he wanted.
His mind, or rather his soul, seemed to have become intertwined with Magic Power, making it easier for him to control.
With a wave of his hand, Loren dispersed the fireballs floating in the air, then looked at Flamel and asked, "Did Nicol have a similar adventure back then?"
"I can't give you an answer." Flamel shook his head. "Loren, you are special and unique. I believe that none of the previous owners of the Book of Abraham have experienced what you are going through."
Loren didn't ask any more questions, and sat down in the chair to open the Book of Abraham.
The Papyrus was still yellowed, and the three snake illustrations on it were the same as last night. He could now understand some of the text in the book, but it was mostly about Alchemy, with no mention of the starry sky or even the Sorcerer's Stone.
Recalling his several adventures since obtaining the Book of Abraham, the first was on a bright Mars night when he met Mary, who answered all his questions, in a strange space; the second was in Dean Forest when he found Bloody Mary's Mirror in a bizarre illusion; and the last was last night when he witnessed Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collide with Jupiter and, immersed in the explosive shockwaves, glimpsed the visions of numerous galaxies in the universe.
As my fingertips traced the texture of the Papyrus, the slight frosted feel entered my mind, stirring up a series of questions.
Who is the author of the Book of Abraham?
Who exactly is Mary, whom I've met so many times?
What does all this have to do with me...?
The morning light of midsummer in July gradually illuminated the earth, but the fog shrouding the young wizard's heart was difficult to dispel.
Wizarding villages in Wiltshire, England.
Many families of the Twenty-Eight Pure-Blood Families own their own mansions here. These luxurious estates are adjacent to each other, yet separated by expansive garden walls. This distance, neither too close nor too far, allows them to scheme against each other while also keeping watch over one another.
If you were to ask which family's manor was the most luxurious, all the wizards in the village would answer that it was Malfoy Manor. Whenever Malfoy Manor hosted a banquet, magical candlelight would illuminate the entire village from within the manor. The invited wizards would always proudly speak of its decorations and layout: gardens filled with rare flowers and plants, fountains where white peacocks perched, and furniture and ornaments crafted from the hides, bones, and flesh of various Fantastic Beasts ...
But if asked which family's manor was the most mysterious, the village wizards would mostly hesitate. With the descendants of many families gradually dwindling, many manors hadn't held a grand Yule Ball or banquet in a long time. The Crouch family mansion, in particular, hadn't opened its doors to visitors for many years since Bertha Jokins, one of Mr. Crouch's subordinates, intruded.
Crouch family's mansion was located on the westernmost side of the wizarding village. It was originally a beautiful Castle, next to a small grove of low trees and a small lake where one could boat. Before Mr. Crouch's son went to prison and before his wife fell ill, they were often seen picnicking on the lake, with a House-elf named Winky always busy around them.
Later, his son died in Azkaban from unbearable torture, and his wife also died from a serious illness. To atone for the mistakes his Death Eater son had made, Mr. Crouch diligently handled the work of the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic and never expressed any intention to remarry.
Thus, some astute wizards realized that the Crouch family was likely doomed to die out.
Wizards would often huddle together, whispering about who would inherit the vast wealth of the Crouch family if Mr. Crouch were to die. As one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight Pure-blood Holy Families, the Crouch family had amassed enough wealth over generations to buy the entire Diagon Alley —excluding Gringotts.
Some say that if no one retrieves the gold from the underground vault for two hundred years, the greedy Galleons will take it away, and their manor and Castle will fall into the hands of the married-out collateral branches.
But these were just idle chatter in the bar; no one dared to say them to Mr. Crouch's face. He wielded considerable power in the Ministry of Magic, even going so far as to sentence his own son to life imprisonment for power, and he had nearly Minister for Magic himself.
There was also some risqué gossip, said by those who covered their heads with cloaks and dared not show their faces: Mr. Crouch was actually thinking of remarrying, and he liked a young female employee of the Ministry of Magic, who was also his former subordinate, named Bertha Jokins.
The story begins many years ago, before Crouch Manor was completely closed to visitors. On a sunny summer afternoon, young Bertha Jokins boldly pushed open the Crouch family door, claiming that she needed to consult Mr. Crouch. Barty Crouch about some work matters.
Young Bertha Jokins stayed at Crouch family until dawn the next day. She was seen leaving looking dejected, and from then on she became completely lost. She was always distracted at work, always forgetting where she had put the documents that had been handed to her five minutes earlier, and always giving Mr. Crouch strange looks.
"They must have some kind of emotional entanglement!" said the guy who dared not show his face.
On this day, Crouch Manor, which should have been empty because its owner was out at work, was suddenly filled with rustling voices. It was House-elf with a high-pitched voice and a man with a deep voice.
"Would you like some mushroom soup, Master Barty?"
"How about the grilled steak?"
"Or roasted lamb chops?"
"..."
The House-elf Winky was busy in the Kitchen, skillfully handling the freshly purchased ingredients. Due to the family's special circumstances, she had to go to other wizarding communities to buy ingredients to avoid suspicion from those with ulterior motives based on the quantity of food. So she was very busy every day.
Her questioning of Master Barty was merely a monologue. Master Barty had been subjected to a powerful Imperius Curse and several other spells that restrained him by his master, and he rarely had a moment of lucidity during the day. However, Winky was willing to chatter on like this, at least she wouldn't miss the moments when Master Barty was lucid.
At some unknown moment, Barty Jr. Crouch Jr., sitting in the Kitchen chair, suddenly twitched his eyes, his pupils contracted sharply, and his fists clenched.
Yes, his reason returned, and he briefly broke free from the control of the Imperius Curse.
A thin, transparent veil enveloped my vision; it was Invisibility Cloak.
Barty Jr. Crouch Jr. closed his eyes with difficulty, and the memory came flooding back. It was many years ago, when his mother was dying, and she came to visit him in Azkaban with his father, who had never loved him. She gave him a Polyjuice Potion mixed with his mother's hair, while his mother drank Polyjuice Potion with his hair and remained in Azkaban forever.
His mother died of illness in Azkaban not long after, but outsiders believed that he died in Azkaban. They created the illusion that his mother died of illness outside, and from then on, no one knew the secret of his escape.
To prevent him from continuing to pursue the Dark Lord, his father used many spells, including the Imperius Curse, to control and hide him, House-elf Winky was responsible for taking care of him.
From then on, he was forced to wear Invisibility Cloak from morning till night and stay with the House-elf all the time.
No one knew that his body and mind were gradually becoming stronger, allowing him to defy his father's Imperius Curse and sometimes regain almost all his nature and memories, just like now.
"Would you like some pie, Master Barty?" Winky continued to mutter to himself.
Barty Jr. Crouch.'s gloomy gaze fell on the House-elf Winky, who had no wand and was still bound by many spells that restricted him, so he couldn't escape anytime soon.
Fortunately, the House-elf took pity on him.
Barty Jr. Crouch Jr. asked softly, "Is the Quidditch World Cup final about to begin?"
"Master Barty, you're awake!"
Winky exclaimed in surprise. The House-elf did not notice anything amiss with his young master. The Imperius Curse was not the Mind Curse. Barty Jr. Crouch Jr. could communicate with the prisoner many times, but he could not disobey his master's will and could not leave the Castle.
Winky assumed he had just woken up. "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat or drink? I'll make it for you right now, it'll be quick!"
Barty Jr. Crouch Jr. frowned slightly. "No need, Winky. I'm asking you, is the Quidditch World Cup final about to begin?"
"There are still two weeks left!" Winky bounced around in the Kitchen. "I'll try to persuade Master more, and Master Barty will definitely be able to go to the game in person!"
Barty Jr. Crouch Jr. gave a monotonous "hmm": "I want to see the newspaper, Winky."
"Yes, Master Barty!" Winky snapped his fingers, and a neat stack of newspapers flew in from the living room, disappearing into the sheer fabric of the Invisibility Cloak.
As the Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Barty Crouch has a habit of reading newspapers from many countries. After reading the newspapers, he would hand them over to his son, Winky, so that Barty Jr. Crouch Jr. could learn some information.
The New York Spectator: The International Wizarding Congress has concluded successfully, marking the beginning of Werewolf equality!
Paris Broom Newspaper: Bulgaria team vs. Ireland team, the Quidditch World Cup final is about to begin!
Venice Boat Newspaper:...
Barty Jr. Crouch. flipped through the outdated newspapers, absorbing information about recent events. When he reached the last page, the Daily Prophet, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
The Daily Prophet: Is Dumbledore old? His blunders have become a laughing stock in many countries!
At the end of the meeting Dumbledore suddenly spoke, claiming that the Dark Lord was about to return and urging all nations to be on high alert... Minister Fudge cleverly countered, "If the Dark Lord is really not dead, why have we been living peacefully for so many years?"... Top reporter Rita Skeeter continues to bring you the latest news.
Barty Jr. Crouch.'s fingers gripped the newspaper so tightly that his fingertips turned white and trembled uncontrollably. His eyes gleamed with a frenzied joy, and his nostrils flared as he gasped for breath.
I must find my master, I must make my master see me!
He needs a stage, a stage to announce the return of the Dark Lord!
After a full Ministry of Magic of dealing with the resolutions of the International Wizarding Congress, Barty Crouch, sitting in his chair, leaned back slightly, pressed his forehead against the soft backrest, and released some of his physical and mental fatigue.
Because of the major international events that have occurred in recent weeks, and the fact that the unfortunate Anti-Werewolf Law was enacted by the British Ministry of Magic, the Department of International Magical Cooperation has been particularly busy lately. Fortunately, he has hired a subordinate who is not very quick-witted but is willing to take the initiative to handle those tedious paperwork.
What was that kid's name again? Was it Weatherby...?
After organizing and filing the documents, and locking some confidential files in the office's magic safe, Barty Crouch officially left work, got up and left the office. The wide corridor was almost deserted; most employees had already left.
The golden gate slid open gently, and Mr. Crouch had just stood in the elevator when a blonde female employee stumbled in and rashly reached out to stop the elevator doors from closing.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Crouch. Are you off work too?" Bertha Jokins greeted him warmly.
Mr. Crouch was a kind former boss who always forgave my mistakes. Even after leaving the Department of International Magical Cooperation, I received Mr. Crouch care in other departments.
"Good afternoon, Bertha," Crouch's voice was gentle.
He always showed far more patience and tenderness towards the Jokins Witch than others, after all, her terrible memory and chaotic mind were his creation.
That day, Bertha Jokins brought documents to his house for his signature. She was led into the house by Winky and overheard Winky talking to Barty Jr.. From what she heard, she guessed who was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, but she was still waiting at Crouch family for him to come back and confront him.
The answer is [to Obliviate].