Chapter 700
Soul-Seizing and Mind-Catching
Chapter 700 Soul-Seizing and Mind-Catching
Little Barty let out a painful groan, but quickly smiled with relief—his memories were being examined by his master, and what better way to prove his loyalty?
He could feel a hand roughly rummaging through his memories. Voldemort could, of course, silently enter someone's mind, but at this moment, he was deliberately using this method to demonstrate his presence and authority.
Little Barty braced himself on the ground, trembling all over, as scenes from the past flashed through his mind:
He tossed the old warden into the box…and stood by the door as Filch, watching Harry Potter and his friends walk into the Great Hall, laughing and talking…deliberately causing trouble for Wade, he led him into his office, and just as he was about to make his move, Sirius suddenly appeared…
The speed at which he rummaged through his memories suddenly slowed down. Magic pierced the man's consciousness like a knife, and his head ached as if it were about to split open.
But Batistuta restrained his instinct to retaliate and remained compliant throughout.
Alastor Moody, with a look of disgust, forced him to drink the truth serum and interrogated him menacingly...
"No...no...don't think I'd betray my master..."
Barty cried out in agony, resisting the effects of the truth serum with overwhelming willpower, and his magical power suddenly surged...
Moody was sent flying, crashing heavily into the wall... Dumbledore suddenly burst in, and Barty Jr. was met with a blinding light...
He was forced to revert to his original appearance, his identity was recognized... Tied to a chair, his head drooping limply, as if dead... Outside the door, the sounds of several people arguing fiercely:
"We can't hand him over to the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore!"
Moody roared, spittle flying from his mouth, "Those useless pieces of trash won't do any good! Hand him over to me! Three days! I guarantee that in three days, I'll make him spill everything he knows!"
"No, Alastor."
Dumbledore said in a gentle but firm voice, “This man is a fugitive from the Ministry of Magic and should be handed over to the Ministry for interrogation and management. I believe Scrimgeour is an Auror as good as you.”
“Aren’t you worried that this approach will allow him to get away with it again?” Moody said anxiously. “I don’t trust those reckless young people!”
“Scrimgeour is getting old, and Kingsley is a veteran of many battles,” Dumbledore said. “It’s time to hand over the reins to the next generation and enjoy retirement, my dear old friend.”
A loud explosion suddenly came from afar, as if something had exploded, and screams filled the air.
The footsteps quickly faded away, the person guarding the door left, and the man tied to the chair moved his fingers.
After a while, a tall boy sneaked in. He looked around, quickly closed the door, and ran to Little Barty's side.
“Mr. Crouch… Mr. Barty Crouch?”
Little Barty looked up: "Who...are you?"
“I am Ryan Smith, also one of the Dark Lord’s men.”
As the boy spoke, he quickly waved his wand, freeing Little Barty from his restraints and giving him a potion to restore his strength.
Despite his delirium, Little Barty instinctively hated the boastful tone in his voice... and at the same time, suspicion grew wildly in his mind like weeds.
He grabbed Ryan's wrist and asked haltingly, "How...did you know...I was here?"
His fingernails dug deep into the boy's skin, and Ryan groaned in pain, his expression contorted, but he dared not not answer.
"It's Wade Gray."
His voice trembled as he said, "I overheard him bragging to his friends that... he'd helped capture a Death Eater. I followed him and eavesdropped, that's how I found out." "Then I reported it to the Dark Lord, who said... he'd do anything to get you out..."
—And then he will be given an unimaginable reward.
Of course, Ryan didn't say the last sentence aloud, but the Dark Lord was fully aware of Iphamoni's desires.
The phrase "at all costs" deeply pleased Barty Jr. and led him to choose to believe Ryan Smith.
With Ryan's help, he escaped the room where he was imprisoned as quickly as possible and slipped into the nearest secret passage. But just as he was about to leave, Little Barty suddenly turned back.
"No... I can't leave like this!" Little Barty's eyes were filled with madness, and he forced out a hoarse whisper: "No matter what... I must... I must complete the Dark Lord's mission..."
"Are you crazy?" Ryan growled in a low voice. "Dumbledore will soon find out you've escaped! If you don't leave, you're really finished!"
Little Barty suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot: "No! The mission must be completed... This time... I... I can't fail again! I must bring Potter back to Master! You have to help me complete this. Otherwise, if I'm exposed, you won't fare any better!"
Ryan clenched and unclenched his fists, hesitating, his eyes flashing between fierceness and weakness. In the end, ambition triumphed over reason.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I can help you! But if things go wrong, you should leave immediately!"
"No problem!" Little Barty agreed without hesitation, but whether he would keep his promise was another matter.
The flow of memories suddenly accelerated.
Ryan helped Barty Jr. hide in the Ivermony students' dormitory. Although Hogwarts quickly discovered Barty Jr.'s escape and launched a search, they couldn't find him on the Ivermony students.
Barty the Younger saw Dumbledore and the others hurrying by with grave expressions from various hidden angles, and also saw several Aurors coming and going from the school, but he never found anything.
Soon, the three-way battle began, and Barty pulled Ryan aside to explain his plan—
"There is only one way for us to achieve our goal, and that is to turn the trophy into a door key to its owner, while ensuring that Harry Potter is the first to touch it."
“That’s impossible,” Ryan said, his face grim. “With Wade Grey around, how can Harry Potter possibly become number one? You even failed to take him down!”
"Then let Gray become the target of everyone's criticism."
Barty Jr. said with a gloomy expression, "I'll make sure all the wrestlers run into Wade Gray and cause him more trouble. Then I'll try to clear any obstacles in Porter's path. Of course, just in case, I'll also tamper with the Goblet of Fire."
"That's alright," Ryan said hesitantly. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
“Of course.” Little Barty looked intently at Ryan and said, “I also need another pair of eyes.”
"Eyes?" Ryan asked, puzzled.
“Yes,” said Barty Jr., “a pair of eyes that… can help me see the movements of all the players, whether they are in the live broadcast or not, without attracting anyone’s attention.”
(End of this chapter)