Playing with Fire

Chapter 16

The next day, just before the classes would start, Gregory visited Barty and Hermione again. He looked rather proud, so that probably meant that he had succeeded his task.

"Do you have the potion?" Barty asked, already holding out his hand.

Gregory nodded eagerly, and he handed over the potion quickly.

"Does this mean that... I can join now?" he asked nervously.

Barty shrugged.

"I am not the one who decides that. I'll talk to the Dark Lord. Now leave, you don't want to be late for class, do you?"

Gregory quickly left the office again, while Barty studied the small flacon with the Veritaserum in it. He opened it and checked carefully if it was the potion he needed. It obviously was, because he closed the bottle again and he put it in away in his coat. Hermione knew better than to open her mouth to say something about it.

"Seventh year Gryffindors in my class again today, Hermione. Looking forward to it?"

Hermione frowned and she shook her head.

"Depends on what your lesson will be," she answered.

"Time to continue what I started three years ago, don't you think? A couple of Unforgivables? What do you think?" Barty asked.

"What I think? No Unforgivables at all."

"Imperius Curse?"

"No!"

"You know, I could learn them how to resist the curse... One of the things I happen to be very good at. Don't you want me to teach them that? How to resist a powerful Imperius Curse?" Barty asked, leaning in closer.

"Yeah, right. Since when are you an expert in everything that is Dark Magic?"

"Since I have been living under the Imperius Curse for years... Oh right, I have never told you that. My dear father has kept me under that curse for years, imprisoned. He took my own free will away from me with an Unforgivable Curse because he was scared of who I was. Can you imagine? A ministry official... keeping his own son under the illegal Imperius Curse. Now I think I have done the world a favour by killing him..." Barty said darkly. "So, yes. You can say that I am quite the expert, since I have learned to resist him. And I am sure he had learned his lesson."

That kept Hermione quiet for a moment. She had never known about that. She had always seen Barty Crouch Sr. as a strict but honest and good man. She had never really thought that he would actually do something like that to his own son. But, on the other hand, with a son as Barty Jr., she would probably have done the same. The man shouldn't be allowed to walk around freely.

"And you think that using an Imperius Curse on your students is going to make you feel better? Is that a way to get back to your father?" Hermione snapped.

"Well, I'll let them practise the curse themselves of course. Or should I teach them the Cruciatus Curse? I am sure that Longbottom will enjoy that very much..."

"You have seen Neville last time he was in class," Hermione growled, glaring at Barty. "He hates you, he can't stand looking at you. Don't you dare using that curse in front of him. It will break him."

Barty just smiled wickedly. He knew exactly what to say to make Hermione afraid of what he was going to do. Because she didn't know. That was the worst thing about him. She had no idea what he would do next.

"Take your potion. We need to take care of a class," Barty told her.

Hermione took the disgusting green potion that made her turn into her now improved version of 'Raven' again. Then she followed Barty down the stairs leading to the classroom, where several students were already waiting. Including the people Hermione knew as her friends. She wondered why they still turned up in the lessons. All they learned was how to fight for Voldemort's army.