Gossip {Sherlock Holmes/Harry Potter}

Chapter Forty Eight

"Look, I know you're disappointed with not being able to solve the case," John said as he stood next to Sherlock," but I think it would mean more to Pierce to be at the final task rather than trying to do anything else. It's too late, by this evening, the tournament will have it's champion and it'll all be over. It won't matter so much who put his name in the goblet."

"But it will." Sherlock protested. "Pierce's name did not fall into the Goblet for giggles. It was placed so that he would be selected and harmed. Luckily, he's been very fortunate to come out of the first two tasks unscathed. If he comes out of the tournament-"

"When." John corrected him in a stern tone.

Sherlock rolled his eyes in irritation at being cut off. "Fine, when he comes out of the tournament all fine, who's to say that there won't be other ways that they try to harm him?"

"But why?" John sighed. "Why would they try and hurt the boy? He's done nothing to anyone. You on the other hand, I can definitely see why they would want to hurt you. But to go after Pierce, it doesn't make sense. He-"

The man stopped talking as he watched Sherlock's eyes widened in realization.

"What? You figured something out, I know that face! What?! What?!"

"You're right,' Sherlock said under his breath. "It wasn't focused on hurting Pierce, it was about getting to me the entire time."

John remained quiet, waiting for Sherlock to continue and explain what he finally figured out.

"Before this year, Pierce wished nothing more but death upon me. I'll admit we weren't the closest that we could have been. But when his name was entered in the tournament, Pierce turned to me first. Well, he messaged you, but he called upon us first. Throughout this year, we have worked on mending our relationship and for the first time since the boy's birth....I...I actually felt like a father."

A small smile appeared on John's face at the sentimental tone he could hear lingering in Sherlock's voice.

"It's good that you felt like a father, because Pierce is your son and he always will be your son."

"He's my son..." Sherlock said. "He's my son..."

"Yes, we've established that." The man's brow furrowed as Sherlock shook his head as he grabbed his coat off the hook. 

"No, John, don't you get it? Don't you see? He's my son! It's in my mind that he's my son. That's what the son of a bitch wanted the entire time!"

"Who?"

"Who do you think?!"

Pierce's breath caught in his throat as he continued to back away from the man looming over him.

"Moriarty..." He muttered. "But....but why? You...You said B was the hint."

"That was the hint as to who put your name in the goblet, Pierce. It certainly wasn't the name of the person who wanted you here. But I had an old friend who owed me a favor and happened to be around this year."

"Who?!" Pierce finally lost it as all the built up frustration from the school year had finally exploded. "Who is it?"

"I don't think you know him, he's before your time. But you knew of his father. Barty Crouch...Barty Crouch Jr. and I go way back. Really good friend of mine. A little off, but hey aren't we all?"

"So why would you give me the hint if you knew I wouldn't be able to solve it-"

"The hint wasn't for you, stupid. It was for your father, but apparently he's losing his touch because he didn't figure it out either. Don't be so hold on yourself, Pierce. It's your father who has failed you yet again."

Pierce swallowed. "N-no-"

"Oh don't try and deny it, Pierce. If your father had figured it out and done his job as a father, he would be here instead of you. But here we are."

In attempts to get away from the crazed man, Pierce went to send the signal up in the air for assistance, but Moriarty quickly disarmed him leaving him completely defenseless.

"I'll have you know though, that this is nothing personal against you." Moriarty said. "You should blame your father for what's about to happen."

"What do you-" Pierce let out a painful scream into the air as his burning current raced through his body making him convulse and shake in place.

Moriarty stood in place as the boy continued to scream out trying to escape the pain.

"If you didn't look and sound like him, I wouldn't be enjoying this so much."

Sherlock and John arrived on scene, they appearance unsettled everyone, especially when Sherlock demanded to be let into the maze. 

Julius jumped up to his feet, trying to make his way down to them with Nancy not far behind. Both of them terrified to learn whatever had Sherlock so worked up.Several of the Ministry members tried to reason with Sherlock, until he grabbed one by the front of the robes.

"My son is in there." He hissed in the man's face. "And he's in trouble. Either you let me in there right now, or you'll be in bigger trouble than him."

Pierce's hands scraped at the dirt, trying to do anything to get his mind off the pain that controlled his body. Hot tears streamed down his face as he found no relief.

"Ugh, you're such a screamer." Moriarty huffed. "You must get that from your mother, I can't imagine why else Sherlock would lay with that thing in the first place."

The boy had bitten through his tongue at one point, filling his mouth with a pool of blood that he continued to spit out.

The pain was getting to the point where Pierce's body was fully preparing to shut down in order to save him from suffering any further. He squeezed his eyes shut as his eyes burned, spitting out the blood once more that now stained all down his front. 

"Poor Pierce." Moriarty stood over him, looking down at the boy. "Life isn't fair, is it?"

"P-please!" The teen cried out. "PLEASE STOP !"

"Not yet, the fun is only just beginning."

Suddenly, as Pierce was becoming delusional through the pain to the point where he was dizzy and becoming incoherent, Moriarty was cast off of him.

"Pierce?! Pierce?!" He could hear a voice calling to him, just before his eyes closed.

It belonged to his father.