"This is not a small matter, Harry," Lupin said. "A snake symbolizes Slytherin, and it's also a symbol of the Dark Lord. And that wizard nad Karkaroff? He was once a Death Eater!"
"Not just him—Crouch was one too," Harry quickly added.
"Crouch?" Lupin raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You must be mistaken. The only Crouch I know was the Head of the Departnt of Magical Law Enforcent, a man who had no rcy for Death Eaters. He even sent his own son to Azkaban."
When Lupin ntioned this, there was no visible emotion in his voice.
"His son?" Harry compared the age of the person in his dream with what Lupin had said and concluded that they probably weren't the sa person.
"In any case, I think you should rest in my office for a while, Harry," Lupin suggested. "You can have a cup of tea or coffee. Otherwise, I don't think you'll have much energy for the rest of your classes this afternoon."
"Thank you," Harry accepted gratefully. He actually didn't have any more classes that afternoon, so he could have gone back to catch up on sleep. But he was afraid of falling back into the sa dream.
Besides, he really needed soone to talk to, and gentle Lupin seed like the perfect listener. Harry worried that telling others might make them think he was overreacting; he dreaded disappointing anyone.
But with Lupin, Harry knew he would never be mocked.
The two of them arrived at Lupin's office together.
For so reason, Harry felt that the room was colder and dimr than it had been last term. The light seed more subdued.
Lupin handed him a cup of hot coffee and sat down in a chair, his face partially obscured in the shadows.
Thud-Thud
Harry took a sip of the coffee, just about to say sothing when an old trunk beside Lupin suddenly moved, making a dull thud as if sothing inside was trying to escape. Harry jumped in surprise.
"Don't worry about it, Harry," Lupin said calmly, pressing down on the trunk. He cast a spell over it, and whatever was inside imdiately stopped moving. "It contains sothing dangerous, so it's best if you don't look inside."
He discreetly pushed the trunk out of Harry's line of sight.
"A magical creature? It wouldn't be a werewolf, would it?" Harry joked. As the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor they'd had in three years, Lupin often brought in magical creatures for them to handle, like Boggarts, Grindylows, and so on.
So of the content was rather basic, but it helped make up for the knowledge they had missed in their first two years.
"Perhaps you've guessed correctly," Lupin replied with a smile, but he made no move to open the trunk. "Now, let's talk about you. Your scar was left by the Dark Lord. If it's been hurting, it could an sothing is about to happen. Has it hurt before?"
Harry thought for a mont before answering, "In my first year, when Voldemort—sorry,"
He had spoken the na out of habit, but Lupin's pupils contracted, and he flinched slightly. Harry assud Lupin was also afraid of the na, so he quickly apologized.
"Don't worry, Harry. I think you're doing the right thing. It's just a na; we shouldn't be so afraid of it," Lupin said softly. "You're very brave, braver than most!"
Harry felt pleased by the praise and recognition. He continued, "In my first year, Voldemort was possessing Quirrell's body, and whenever he looked at with the back of his head, my scar would hurt. In my second year," Harry hesitated slightly, "it was when Mr. Cyrus was controlling the basilisk."
"Cyrus and the Dark Lord are connected, aren't they?" Lupin remarked. "It seems like your scar is always related to Voldemort. I think he might be planning sothing again. This situation must be taken seriously."
Lupin paced around the office, his expression serious, as if he were contemplating what to do next.
"How about this—co see this weekend. We can try to deal with the issue of your scar first. If I can't resolve it, then it would be best to inform Dumbledore or Cyrus. I rember he's a friend of yours."
"Alright!" Harry nodded vigorously.
Lupin's suggestion seed like a good solution to him.
With that, Harry left, leaving Lupin—or rather, Barty Crouch Jr.—alone in the office.
"Just as the master said, Harry witnessed what happened last night."
His face darkened as if he were deep in thought, but soon Barty pushed aside his personal doubts.
He then took out a small object and pointed his wand at it.
"ntos."
The small object imdiately emitted a faint blue light, trembling as if it were a coin suspended in mid-air. After a mont, it settled down quietly.
——
Voldemort had already returned from France.
Although he had ambitions to make France his stronghold, his imminent resurrection took precedence, so there was no urgency to secure France at the mont.
First, he needed to be resurrected and obtain the power of ancient magic!
At this mont, he had abandoned the body of the elder Barty Crouch and returned to an infant's body.
Karkaroff cradled the terrifying infant with a snake-like face. Who could have imagined that this helpless, fragile little creature was the infamous Dark Lord?
All it would take was a slight squeeze, and Voldemort would be dead.
But he didn't dare. Barty Crouch Jr. had tortured him and made an Unbreakable Vow with him. If Karkaroff had any treacherous thoughts, death would be his imdiate consequence. Obeying the Dark Lord and offering him flesh and blood might just give him a chance to survive.
"Don't worry, Karkaroff, I will rember your assistance," Voldemort said weakly.
But Karkaroff remained skeptical.
Voldemort's trustworthiness was almost on par with the credibility of the Saint.
"Rember," Voldemort reminded, "when Barty brings Harry back, place that necklace in the cauldron with ."
Initially, Voldemort hadn't planned to fuse the soul fragnt from his Horcrux back into his body, as Slytherin's locket might have been his last line of defense.
However, last night's events led him to a new theory—Harry Potter might be one of his Horcruxes, inadvertently created when he killed Lily Potter. This was good news, as it ant that as long as Harry lived, Voldemort would remain invincible.
Once he killed Dumbledore, he could create another Horcrux and then kill Harry.
The sequence of events would change, but that was a minor issue.
His failure twelve years ago had taught Voldemort that Harry Potter was not particularly special; he had been defeated not by Harry, nor even by Lily, but by the power of ancient magic.
From this perspective, Harry was now nothing more than a Horcrux for him.
He looked at the boiling pot and his heart was surging.
"I will co back stronger than ever!"
________
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