Ch. 1701"The Lake"

Wizet helped Dumbledore overcome his doubts about facing his family in Limbo, then followed a newly revealed path to a moonlit lake that he believed held the change the flame had anticipated. The chapter left Wizet at the lake, considering the new life and adventure it could offer.

  • Wizet told Dumbledore that Aberforth understood his uncertainty about family and his habit of carrying all the guilt himself.
  • Wizet explained that he had used magic to cut off the means by which My Lord influenced them, freeing them from its control.
  • Kendra, Ariana, and Percival Dumbledore left Hogwarts Castle and reunited with Dumbledore.
  • Wizet used Point Me and Apparition Trace to reveal a second path through Limbo, then followed it beyond Hogwarts Castle.
  • Wizet reached a moonlit lake and picked up a warm, pebble-like object beside it.
  • Wizet recognized the lake as the change the flame had anticipated and believed immersion could bring a new life and adventure.

Ch. 1702The Filled Void

Dumbledore reunited with his family in Limbo, where their comfort helped fill the emptiness in his heart. After Wizet helped him return to Hogwarts, Dumbledore concluded that the Resurrection Stone could call souls who might otherwise be imprisoned after death.

  • Percival, Kendra, and Ariana comforted Dumbledore and reassured him that they had never blamed him.
  • Wizet returned to Dumbledore, and Dumbledore said their time in Limbo was over.
  • Wizet and Dumbledore left Limbo and reappeared in the Headmaster's Office as the sun was setting.
  • Dumbledore told Wizet that the Resurrection Stone might summon souls who would otherwise be imprisoned after death.
  • Dumbledore said his reunion with his family convinced him that they had truly existed in Limbo.

Ch. 1703Wanting More Sugar

Dumbledore and Wizet discussed how 'My Lord' had corrupted Limbo to capture souls, while a true afterlife lay beyond it in a life-filled lake. Wizet revealed that the Otherworld was also being eroded and ended by saying he had received a hint concerning a mirror.

  • Dumbledore reasoned that 'My Lord' had occupied Limbo's anteroom to capture souls and prevent them from becoming 'flames.'
  • Wizet told Dumbledore that he had reached an area of lakes at the end of Limbo, where souls could find vitality and peace.
  • Dumbledore asked why 'My Lord' had not intervened when Wizet freed Ariana and the others, and Wizet said he often traveled to the Otherworld.
  • Wizet explained that 'My Lord' was increasingly eroding the Otherworld, likely drawing his attention away from Limbo.
  • Dumbledore asked about Wizet's discoveries in Ignotus Peverell's sanctuary, and Wizet said he had received a hint concerning a mirror.

Ch. 1704Mirror and Phoenix Tears

Wizet recalled that Gellert Grindelwald had sent him an ordinary mirror for Christmas and realized the gift helped him recognize the mirror-like image in Limbo. Dumbledore understood the hint, asked after Grindelwald’s eyes, and gave Wizet Phoenix Tears to deliver to Selina for their distant friend.

  • Wizet recalled the mirror and Selina Pendragon’s card, including Gellert Grindelwald’s message that Wizet needed one.
  • Wizet explained the Christmas gift to Dumbledore, who inferred that the mirror had inspired Wizet’s thoughts about the image in Limbo.
  • Dumbledore asked how Grindelwald’s eyes were, and Wizet said they might still be in very bad shape.
  • Dumbledore gave Wizet a bottle of Phoenix Tears to deliver to Selina for their distant friend.
  • Fawkes chirped in protest at Dumbledore calling Grindelwald “this” distant friend.

Ch. 1705Voldemort's Source of Confidence

Voldemort dealt with the consequences of Durmstrang’s public lesson and ordered Herpo to examine Grigory Vladimirov, whose soul had vanished. The chapter ended with Voldemort using the Cruciatus Curse on Herpo and urging him to investigate where those who left Limbo had gone.

  • A professor reported that Grigory Vladimirov had lost his soul after the public lesson, leaving him an empty shell covered in black patterns.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. threatened the professor for questioning the lesson, but Voldemort stopped him and ordered the professor to bring Grigory in.
  • Voldemort told Barty to preserve failed students as experimental materials and had the afflicted student stored away.
  • Barty praised Voldemort at length, while Herpo privately reflected that the flattery helped explain Voldemort’s confidence.
  • Voldemort erased part of the professor’s memory, and Herpo examined Grigory, finding him exceptionally suitable for his purposes.
  • Voldemort cast the Cruciatus Curse on Herpo and told him to hurry his investigation into where those who left Limbo had gone.

Ch. 1706A Horcrux That Was Just Right

Herpo performed a ritual to awaken the seer Calchas inside Grigory Vladimirov’s body, using a bronze dagger Horcrux. Calchas’s black mist entered Grigory, and Voldemort recognized the ritual as a useful way to use the many student bodies at Durmstrang.

  • Herpo laid out a ritual array and placed the floating Grigory Vladimirov at its center.
  • Herpo used a bronze dagger Horcrux to cut Grigory and explained that it held the soul of Calchas, an ancient Greek seer with the Eye of Heaven.
  • Herpo argued that a modest dagger made an ideal soul vessel because it attracted neither covetous attention nor neglect.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. praised Voldemort and disparaged seers, while Herpo suppressed his disgust.
  • Herpo cut off Grigory’s hair and called on Calchas to awaken in his body.
  • Black mist left the dagger and entered Grigory’s mouth, and Voldemort noted that the ritual could use Durmstrang’s student bodies as experimental material.

Ch. 1707Herpo, You Actually Have Such a Hobby?

Herpo revived Calchas and demanded that he use the Eye of Heaven to learn what Voldemort’s enemies had done. Calchas obeyed while insulting Herpo, exposing their bitter relationship and leaving Voldemort and Barty Crouch Jr. laughing at the claim that Herpo liked eating dragon dung.

  • Grigory Vladimirov woke up, and Herpo used a spell to restore his movement and memories as Calchas.
  • Calchas recognized Herpo, tried to curse him, and angrily protested when Herpo magically stopped him from speaking.
  • Herpo explained that their goal was close and asked Calchas to use the Eye of Heaven, while Voldemort warned that their enemies might leave Limbo or begin making plans.
  • Herpo allowed Calchas to speak freely and ordered him to use the Eye of Heaven to find out what the enemies had done.
  • Calchas activated the Eye of Heaven while insulting Herpo and denied that he was Herpo’s servant.
  • Voldemort and Barty Crouch Jr. mocked Herpo over Calchas’s claim that he ate dragon dung.

Ch. 1708Why Is It Just a Simple Curse?

Herpo had Calchas use the Eye of Heaven to locate Hogwarts and investigate Wizet and Dumbledore, while Voldemort and Barty Crouch Jr. guided him. Calchas found them with a phoenix and the Deathly Hallows, but his eyes burst from the strain.

  • Herpo asked Calchas to use the Eye of Heaven to find Hogwarts, and Voldemort promised him more bodies to possess.
  • Calchas located Gryffindor's common room, and Barty Crouch Jr. guided him toward the Headmaster's Office.
  • Calchas found Wizet and Dumbledore guarded by a phoenix, and Voldemort recognized them as his enemies.
  • Herpo asked Calchas to identify the objects they were using, and Calchas confirmed they were a wand, a stone, and a Cloak of Invisibility.
  • Calchas tried to investigate the Deathly Hallows, and the veins in his eyes burst as Barty Crouch Jr. used the Blood-Draining Spell to gather the blood.

Ch. 1709He can torment the souls of these two people... forever!

Voldemort learned about the Deathly Hallows from Herpo and Barty Crouch Jr., then realized Dumbledore possessed the Elder Wand. He planned to seize it and use the Resurrection Stone to torment Dumbledore’s and Wizet’s souls forever.

  • Barty Crouch Jr. questioned Herpo about how the Deathly Hallows had harmed Calchas and dismissed them as objects from a children’s story.
  • Voldemort ordered Barty Crouch Jr. to recount The Tale of the Three Brothers, and Barty described the Resurrection Stone, the Elder Wand, and the Invisibility Cloak.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. argued that Invisibility Cloaks were common, wore out over time, and were purchased regularly by the Ministry of Magic.
  • Voldemort considered using the Resurrection Stone to summon and manipulate the dead, then realized Dumbledore had the Elder Wand because it had appeared in the Hogwarts Headmaster’s Office.
  • Voldemort imagined defeating Dumbledore, taking the Elder Wand, and tormenting Dumbledore’s and Wizet’s souls, while Barty Crouch Jr. continued mocking the Deathly Hallows and Herpo challenged his ignorance.

Ch. 1710Do You Dare to Be Sure About This Matter?

Barty Crouch Jr. proposed using an imagined crown to turn human will into power, while Calchas described the soul-rending danger of examining a Deathly Hallow. Herpo then said they should wait for the intruders in Limbo to die, but the Paris Region Incident left him unable to be sure Limbo could kill Wizet.

  • Barty Crouch Jr. suggested announcing a crown that could command people and turn their will into power against Death.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. helped Calchas into a chair, and Calchas said examining the stone had nearly torn his soul apart.
  • Herpo confirmed that Death had bestowed the Deathly Hallows, while Barty Crouch Jr. mocked belief in Death and the gods.
  • Calchas and Herpo recognized that they shared a religious allegiance, unlike Voldemort and Barty Crouch Jr.
  • Voldemort asked what they should do now that Calchas had identified the two who entered Limbo, and Herpo said they should wait for their deaths.
  • Voldemort questioned whether Herpo was certain Limbo would kill them, and Herpo hesitated because Wizet had already thwarted Morgana le Fay's plan.

Ch. 1711Tacit Understanding Not to Ambush

Voldemort rejected Barty Crouch Jr.'s plan to ambush Wizet and Dumbledore in Limbo, judging Hogwarts too well-defended and the risk too high. He ordered Barty to manage Durmstrang while Calchas used Eye of Heaven again.

  • Voldemort cursed Calchas for asking to rest and demanded that he obey his host's orders.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. proposed using secret passages to Hogwarts to kill Wizet and Dumbledore before they left Limbo.
  • Voldemort, Herpo, and Calchas considered the idea but decided an attack risked walking into an ambush, with Hogwarts's defenses and the phoenix making success unlikely.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. pleaded to act for Voldemort, but Voldemort told him to set the plan aside and manage Durmstrang.
  • Calchas struggled upright and cast Eye of Heaven again.

Ch. 1712What Do You Mean By "Frequently Visiting the Otherworld"?

Calchas used the Eye of Heaven to observe Wizet and Dumbledore returning safely from Limbo, where they discussed souls, the Deathly Hallows, and a mirror clue. Herpo, Voldemort, and Barty Crouch Jr. were left trying to understand Wizet’s claims about often visiting the Otherworld and the mirror’s significance.

  • Calchas saw Wizet and Dumbledore return from Limbo unharmed, and reported that Dumbledore described the trip as smooth as a picnic.
  • Calchas relayed that Wizet and Dumbledore discussed the Deathly Hallows and Limbo’s vestibule and lake, alarming Herpo with how far Wizet had explored.
  • Voldemort demanded access to Calchas’s memories, but Herpo explained that the Eye of Heaven only let Calchas describe what he saw.
  • Calchas reported that Wizet said he often went to the Otherworld, and he dismissed the claim as a boast.
  • Calchas told Herpo, Voldemort, and Barty Crouch Jr. that Wizet had seen a mirror in Limbo and had received a mirror as a Christmas gift from the previous Guardian.

Ch. 1713He Definitely Saw the Resurrection Stone!

Calchas reported what the Eye of Heaven had revealed about Dumbledore, a mysterious mirror, and Phoenix Tears, while Herpo explained the Deathly Hallows to the others. Seeing Herpo conjure the Resurrection Stone, Voldemort realized he had encountered it before.

  • Calchas told Herpo and the others that Dumbledore had returned the Deathly Hallows to a cabinet and discussed a mirror, an unnamed recipient, and a gift of Phoenix Tears.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. challenged Herpo to show what the Deathly Hallows looked like, and Herpo agreed.
  • Herpo conjured the Deathly Hallows symbol and described the Cloak of Invisibility, the Elder Wand, and the Resurrection Stone.
  • Voldemort recognized the Resurrection Stone and realized he had seen it before.

Ch. 1714The Broken Horcrux

Voldemort learned that Dumbledore and Wizet had destroyed his Resurrection Stone ring Horcrux, leaving him to fear they knew the locations of his other Horcruxes. He demanded that Calchas use the Eye of Heaven again, then tortured him when he objected.

  • Calchas described the Resurrection Stone ring as damaged, and Herpo recreated its broken band for him to identify.
  • Voldemort realized Dumbledore and Wizet had destroyed another Horcrux and worried they might know where his remaining ones were hidden.
  • Voldemort considered checking the Lestrange Vault Horcrux but feared that involving Herpo would reveal its location and make him vulnerable to Herpo's control.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. mocked the damaged ring, and Herpo argued over whether it deserved to be called a Deathly Hallow.
  • Voldemort ordered Calchas to use the Eye of Heaven again and cast the Cruciatus Curse on him when he protested.

Ch. 1715Heading to the Cave

Voldemort tortured Calchas for his failure, then ordered Herpo to make him resume using the Eye of Heaven to monitor Hogwarts. He took Barty Crouch Jr. to a seaside cave to check the safety of an item, leaving Barty devotedly awaiting his orders.

  • Voldemort tortured Calchas with the Cruciatus Curse until he passed out, then ordered Herpo to take him away and make him use the Eye of Heaven to monitor Hogwarts.
  • Herpo carried Calchas from the Durmstrang Headmaster's Office, leaving Voldemort alone with Barty Crouch Jr.
  • Voldemort told Barty Crouch Jr. to accompany him to confirm an item's safety, and they Apparated to the seaside at low tide.
  • Voldemort led Barty Crouch Jr. into a cave beneath a cliff and told him to open an entrance by giving blood.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. cut his arm and pressed it to the wall, and Voldemort healed the wound before Barty pledged to obey him without hesitation.

Ch. 1716Where are the Inferius in the lake?

Voldemort entered the cavern and discovered that the Inferi guarding the lake had disappeared, leaving him enraged and fearful for the Horcrux hidden on the central island. He and Barty Crouch Jr. crossed the lake by boat to investigate.

  • After Barty Crouch Jr. paid the blood cost to reveal the archway, Voldemort entered the passage and erupted in fury when he saw the lake had become calm.
  • Voldemort realized that the Inferi he had placed in the lake were gone and wondered whether Wizet and Dumbledore had reached the island and taken his Horcrux.
  • Voldemort decided to inspect the island, summoned the chain, and had Barty Crouch Jr. pull the small boat ashore.
  • Voldemort and Barty Crouch Jr. boarded the boat, and Voldemort guided it across the lake while confirming that no Inferius remained.

Ch. 1717He Did It!

Voldemort reached the island hiding his Horcrux and ordered Barty Crouch Jr. to drink the potion protecting it. As the potion tortured Barty with memories of his father, Voldemort forced him to keep drinking.

  • Voldemort saw no sign of a struggle on the island and ordered Barty Crouch Jr. to drink the potion in the stone basin.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. drank a cup of potion and was overwhelmed by pain and hallucinations of his trial before the Wizengamot.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. relived his hatred of Barty Crouch Sr. and recalled how his imprisonment at home had trapped them both.
  • Voldemort seized Barty Crouch Jr. by the hair, forced another cup of potion into his mouth, and ordered him to drink.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. agreed to drink again for Voldemort as the potion's pain threatened to tear his soul apart.

Ch. 1718Father! So You're This Weak!

Barty Crouch Jr. recalled how his parents smuggled him out of Azkaban and confronted his father, Barty Crouch Sr., with his Dark Mark. After Sr. stopped him from reaching Minister for Magic Millicent Bagnold, Jr. overheard his father discussing a move to the Department of International Magical Cooperation and tried to expose what he believed was a plan to pursue influence abroad.

  • Barty Crouch Jr. remembered his mother giving him Polyjuice Potion and his father carrying him out of Azkaban, leaving him at home without his mother.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. taunted Barty Crouch Sr. with his Dark Mark and declared that he wanted to find his master and see his father ruined.
  • Winky told Barty Crouch Sr. that Millicent Bagnold had arrived, and Jr. crawled toward the door to confront her.
  • Barty Crouch Sr. cast an Imperius Curse on Barty Crouch Jr., who broke free from the weak spell before a second, stronger curse dazed him.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. overheard Millicent Bagnold ask whether Sr. planned to join the Department of International Magical Cooperation and decided his father meant to pursue influence abroad.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. struggled toward the door again, determined to tell Millicent Bagnold what he suspected.

Ch. 1719The Cold Gaze

Voldemort forced Barty Crouch Jr. to drink the potion, making him relive memories of his father’s coldness and his own devotion to Voldemort. When the potion changed after the Inferi vanished, Barty recognized the coldness in Voldemort’s gaze and resisted, but Voldemort choked him and continued forcing the potion down.

  • Barty Crouch Jr. taunted Barty Crouch Sr. about his weak Imperius Curse, then laughed bitterly with Winky after his father left.
  • Voldemort forced Barty Crouch Jr. to drink potion as he relived his father’s indifference to his twelve O.W.L.s and remembered Voldemort claiming they were alike.
  • Voldemort noticed the potion had turned clear after the Inferi disappeared from the lake and decided Barty could drink it faster.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. met Voldemort’s gaze, felt a chill, and shoved the cup away when he realized Voldemort’s eyes seemed colder than his father’s.
  • Voldemort seized Barty Crouch Jr. by the throat and poured another mouthful of potion into his open mouth.

Ch. 1720The Remaining Potions

Barty Crouch Jr. confronted painful memories of his father while Voldemort forced him to drink the remaining potion, and his perception of both men began to change. After Voldemort discovered the Horcrux was missing and hurled him into the lake, Barty returned to the boat in silence, wondering about his escape from Azkaban.

  • As Voldemort choked him, Barty Crouch Jr. saw the coldness in his master's eyes and feared Voldemort had treated him only as a tool.
  • Barty remembered his childhood attempt to transform a teacup and how Barty Crouch Sr. dismissed his tears and told him a Crouch should not cry.
  • Hearing his father's words again, Barty found new resolve, endured Voldemort's grip, and drank every drop of potion from the stone basin.
  • Voldemort found no Horcrux at the bottom of the basin and unleashed a magical shockwave that hurled Barty into the lake.
  • Barty climbed back onto shore, obeyed Voldemort by returning to the boat, and wondered whether the swaying during his escape from Azkaban had truly come from the boat.
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