Became good friends with the Boy Who Lived

Chapter 128 The Truth

Still Apparating in the Burrow, Harry seemed to be affected by the torture of Voldemort. He did not behave like Draco and Cedric. At least Harry did not retch or vomit acid.

"You're still alive, Potter!" Draco stepped forward and supported Harry, who had an injured leg.

"I almost died," Harry said with a grin. "Professor Dumbledore should be informed of this as soon as possible. Aris, please don't treat my wound. I need this pain to remind me that everything that just happened is real."

Cedric also came forward to check on Harry's condition. Aeris handed Harry to Draco and Cedric, who helped Harry sit on a chair in the outer room.

Aires walked out of the house and headed towards Hogwarts. He cast the Patronus Charm, and a Patronus in the form of a raven flew towards Hogwarts.

When they returned to the outer room, Harry recounted his experience in a trembling voice. Cedric frowned and Draco's face was full of horror.

Aeris started to make tea by himself. He had lived in the burrow for a period of time and was quite familiar with the layout here. When several cups of hot tea were placed in front of the people, they drank the tea in front of them without caring about the water temperature.

Just as Harry had finished his story, an emerald green flame lit up in the fireplace in the outer room, and Professor Dumbledore, with a serious face, walked out of the flame. He walked quickly over to check on Harry's condition.

Mrs. Weasley also walked out of the flames. She walked quickly forward, first hugged Aris, and then hurried to Harry's side.

Mr. Weasley and Bill came out of the fire in the fireplace one after another. Mr. Weasley came to Aries, patted him on the shoulder gently, and said a few words of encouragement to him.

Everyone sat around the Weasley family's usual dining table, and Professor Dumbledore said, "Harry, I need you to tell me in detail what happened at that time."

Harry nodded, and the first thing he said was: "Voldemort is back..."

Harry recounted what he had experienced in greater detail. Aeris, Draco and Cedric, who knew the general situation, did not react much. Professor Dumbledore's expression became more solemn. The more the Weasleys and Bill listened, the heavier their breathing became.

When she learned that Harry had nearly died, Mrs. Weasley threw herself into her husband's arms, crying quietly.

After Harry finished his story, Professor Dumbledore asked for a few more details. Finally, Professor Dumbledore said:

"Actually, after you all entered the maze, something unexpected happened. Old Barty Crouch stumbled to the Quidditch pitch from the direction of the Forbidden Forest, mumbling nonsense the whole time."

"Then Professor Moody, who taught you for a year, used an evil curse on old Barty, which was uncharacteristic of him. If I hadn't intervened in time, old Barty would have definitely... died."

"After realizing something was wrong, I subdued Professor Moody and had Professor Snape give him a few drops of Veritaserum. It turned out that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor I hired was Barty Crouch Jr., who used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate him."

"I...privately interrogated Barty Jr. After he was arrested and sent to Azkaban, his mother was so heartbroken that she fell ill. On her deathbed, the poor mother asked Barty Sr. to rescue their only son."

"Old Barty used Polyjuice Potion to switch the critically ill Mrs. Crouch with Barty Junior from Azkaban. The person who died in Azkaban was actually Mrs. Crouch."

"Since then, old Barty has been using the Imperius Curse to control his son, but he didn't know that his son was secretly accumulating strength."

"Young Barty begged Winky to let the house-elf intercede for him. He wanted to watch the Quidditch World Cup, and Old Barty agreed to Winky's request."

"As it turned out, Barty Jr. stole Harry's wand at the Quidditch World Cup, cast the Dark Mark, and escaped during the chaos."

"Later, Barty Jr. found an opportunity and used the Imperius Curse to control his father and manipulate the Triwizard Tournament. The names of Aeris, Harry, and Draco were all put into the Goblet of Fire by Barty Jr.."

"It seems that I am really old," Professor Dumbledore said self-reproachfully at last, "and I have been fooled by a misguided child."

After saying goodbye to the Weasleys, Professor Dumbledore made a portkey and took Aris, Harry, Draco, and Cedric directly to the hospital wing.

After Madam Pomfrey's intensive treatment, Harry lay on a bed, and Aerys, Cedric and Draco were also ordered to rest in the school hospital.

Before they had rested for a while, there was a noisy sound outside the school hospital. Madam Pomfrey went out to check the situation with dissatisfaction. A middle-aged man who was a little fat broke into the school hospital, followed by Professor Dumbledore.

The person who broke into the school hospital was the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. He looked around with some fear, and when he saw Harry lying on the hospital bed, he walked over quickly.

"Hello, Harry, my dear child," Fudge tried his best to keep his tone gentle. "I heard that you encountered some accidents during the competition and were teleported to another place? I hope you are okay..."

"I'm really fine," Harry struggled to sit up from the bed and leaned against it, saying, "But Minister, Voldemort is back..."

Hearing the name Voldemort, Fudge shuddered noticeably. He forced a smile and said, "Impossible, kid. You must be hallucinating. You don't know what the You-Know-Who looks like, do you? Dumbledore just joked with me, saying that the You-Know-Who is back..."

"I'm not kidding you, Connery," said Professor Dumbledore. "There are many signs that Voldemort has returned..."

"Impossible... Absolutely impossible..." Fudge suddenly yelled crazily, "What evidence is there? Why...what basis do you have to say that he is back?"

"I saw it with my own eyes..." Harry looked at the somewhat crazy Fudge in disbelief.

"Shut up, Potter..." Fudge scolded, "You are not in your right mind now, why should I believe you?"

"I also saw it with my own eyes..." Aeris was about to speak when he was interrupted by Fudge.

"Shut up, Grindelwald!" Fudge roared, "Why should I trust you... the grandson of the first Dark Lord? I have reason to suspect that you... are planning to become the next Dark Lord..."

"Listen to what you are talking about, Connery," said Professor Dumbledore. "I have absolute trust in Aerys..."

"You trust too many people," Fudge said loudly, "two half-giants at that. You really should change your habit of trusting others so easily."

"But Barty Crouch Jr..." said Harry.

"What happened to him?" Fudge said impatiently, "Jailbreak is a serious crime. I have already sentenced him. The Dementor's kiss... let him off easy..."

"How could you do that?" said Harry.

"Why can't I do this?" Fudge roared, "I... am... the Minister of Magic. Do I need an underage wizard like you to teach me how to do this? Do I need it?"

"Connery..." Professor Dumbledore wanted to say something but was interrupted by Fudge.

"Dumbledore," Fudge said in a strange tone, "you don't want to become the Minister of Magic, so you made up such a... incredible story? Haha... that must be it, you want me to step down? Want to take power for yourself?"

"I never had this idea, Connery..." Professor Dumbledore said helplessly.

"Stop talking," said Fudge. "It seems that my respect for you has made you too...comfortable, Headmaster Dumbledore!"

Fudge threw a bag onto the bedside table with a loud clatter.

"I don't know which of you won the championship," Fudge said expressionlessly, "but it doesn't matter. This is a reward of 10,000 gold Galleons. You can divide it among yourselves. Headmaster Dumbledore, Hogwarts needs to be reorganized."

After saying that, Fudge left without looking back. Madam Pomfrey complained quietly, and Harry said angrily, "What's wrong with him?"

"He just couldn't accept the reality for a moment," Professor Dumbledore said helplessly, "The damage caused by Voldemort when he was powerful is beyond your imagination, Harry."

After Professor Dumbledore left, Madam Pomfrey ordered everyone to go to bed and not to communicate anymore.