Not long after Christmas had passed, after opening a pile of Christmas Gifts and attending a Christmas Ball, Dumbledore was in rather poor spirits.
A few days earlier, Barty Crouch had fallen ill and failed to attend the Christmas Ball.
Honestly, it was not a major matter. Falling ill was perfectly normal, especially for Old Barty, who had exhausted himself over the World Cup all year. It was understandable that he wanted a quiet Christmas, but...
When connected with Albert's prophecy, it was undoubtedly an ominous sign.
Several months ago, Sirius had visited Dumbledore and mentioned that Peter was still alive. Through his memories, Dumbledore had seen the man who appeared in the Prophecy Sphere—Little Barty Crouch. He had recognized him at first glance.
Little Barty Crouch was alive?
But why was he alive?
From that moment onward, Dumbledore had quietly investigated the matter. Barty Crouch Sr. was the key breakthrough, but Dumbledore could not simply do something to a high-ranking official of the Ministry of Magic.
Though Dumbledore did not involve himself in politics, that did not mean he knew nothing about it. He understood better than anyone that certain things could not be taken too far.
For example, forcing Barty Crouch Sr. to reveal his secrets. Even if he obtained an answer, even if the whole matter was connected to Barty Crouch Sr., it would still cause enormous trouble.
Fortunately, some time ago, Old Barty had dismissed his faithful House-elf for certain reasons. That House-elf, called Winky, now worked at Hogwarts. A large dose of potent Veritaserum might have extracted some secrets from her, but Dumbledore had not done so. It was simply too cruel and might have killed the House-elf or left her permanently damaged.
A House-elf's loyalty enabled them to guard their master's secrets, even after