"The Price of Reputation"
It's possible that Einar doesn't have much involvement in this chapter. I wanted to focus on including the book's information in the scene where they visit Sirius in the cave, with the story of Barty Jr. and all that. Though I summarized quite a bit and adjusted some details.
.....
"Sirius, I'm glad you're nearby… really glad. But you're always risking getting caught," said Harry, frowning as he watched his godfather share a lively afternoon with Hagrid and Einar in the gamekeeper's hut.
Hagrid, being the only friend Einar had fully accepted, often sought him out whenever he wanted to have some fun. To him, Einar was like another half-giant: tough, strong, and with a surprising tolerance for alcohol, even without the size. Sirius, on the other hand, was more like an uninvited guest who had slipped into their gatherings. Still, Einar didn't despise him. Perhaps he saw him as a bit childish, maybe even clumsy, but not a bad person. Especially because it was clear he cared deeply for his godson and didn't hesitate to risk his life to make sure Harry was safe.
"You worry too much, Harry," said Sirius with a confident smile. "With my friend Einar here, no one would dare come near me."
"When did I agree to be your friend?" Einar interrupted with a firm voice.
"Hey! We've been drinking buddies for weeks! That counts as friendship!" Sirius replied quickly, proudly.
Einar stared at him for a few seconds, as if contemplating the statement, then answered with his usual calm:
"You might be right," he finally said, neither fully agreeing nor denying it. Making friends with Einar wasn't easy. Even back in Skyrim, he could count his true friends on one hand"everyone else were just followers or subordinates. In a world so cruel and treacherous, as he knew from names like Astrid, Mercer Frey, Thonar Silver-Blood, or even Neloth, trust was a rare treasure. Simple people like Hagrid were the exception"and therefore, precious.
"See?! I told you!" Sirius exclaimed with childish pride. "And don't worry. Thanks to the invisibility skill Einar gave me and my Animagus form, it's nearly impossible to find me. Only you and Dumbledore know about it."
Despite his words, the expression on Harry's face didn't soften. Sirius noticed it immediately.
"Harry… I want to be close to you. I care about you more than you care about me. Maybe even more than I should," he said, placing a warm hand on the boy's shoulder.
Meanwhile, Hermione picked up some copies of the Daily Prophet that Sirius always carried with him and hurried to show the headlines to Harry and Ron.
The first one read: "The Mysterious Illness of Bartemius Crouch", and the second: "Ministry Witch Still Missing; Minister Personally Involved in the Case."
Harry focused on the first article. It said that Crouch hadn't been seen in public since November, and his house appeared completely empty. St. Mungo's refused to give any statements, and so did the Ministry.
"My brother is his assistant," Ron commented. "He says it's from overworking."
"Though… the last time I saw him up close, he looked sick," added Harry as he recalled.
"He deserves it for firing Winky," Hermione suddenly said, drawing all eyes with her firm tone. "I bet he regrets not having her to take care of him now…"
"Hermione's obsessed with house-elves…" Ron muttered, rolling his eyes.
But both Sirius and Einar seemed to pay attention to her words. Einar had seen Winky several times in the Hogwarts kitchen, but he hadn't looked into it. Or perhaps, in this more peaceful world, he was simply allowing himself to relax.
"Crouch fired his elf?" Sirius asked, intrigued.
"Yes, during the Quidditch World Cup," Harry explained, telling how the Dark Mark had appeared in the sky and how Einar had taken down several of the Dark Lord's followers. Winky was found with Harry's wand in her hand and was instantly blamed.
"Let me get this straight," Sirius said. "You first saw Winky saving a seat for Crouch, but he never showed up to the match. Harry, did you check if you had your wand when you left the stands?"
"No," Harry admitted, thoughtful. "I didn't need it until we entered the forest, and that's when I noticed it was gone."
"Do you think whoever cast the Mark stole it from you in the stands?" Sirius asked seriously.
"Maybe," Harry replied, turning to Sirius.
"Winky didn't steal that wand," Hermione declared firmly.
"Who else was sitting behind you?" Sirius pressed.
"Lots of people. The ministers… even the Malfoys," said Harry.
"The Malfoys!" Ron spat in disgust. "It was definitely Lucius Malfoy."
"No one else?" Sirius asked calmly.
"Yes. Ludo Bagman," added Hermione.
"Don't know him. I just know he used to be a Beater," Sirius commented before turning to Harry. "What's he like?"
"He's a good person. He's helped me a lot with the Tournament," Harry replied.
"Oh yeah? And why would he do that?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He says he has a soft spot for me," Harry answered.
"We saw him in the forest before the Dark Mark appeared," said Hermione.
"But he didn't stay in the forest," added Ron. "He went back to the camp."
"How do you know?"
"Come on… you think it was him?" Ron said, skeptical.
"Better him than Winky," Hermione replied firmly.
"I told you she's obsessed with house-elves…!" Ron was cut off by Sirius.
"What did Crouch do when he found his elf with Harry's wand?"
"He checked the bushes. But there was no one," said Harry.
"Right. He was looking for someone else. And then?"
"He just fired her, for not staying in the tent and for letting things get out of control," Hermione answered, annoyed.
"Give it a rest, Hermione," said Ron, irritated.
"She's looked more into Crouch than you have. If you want to know what someone's like, see how they treat those beneath them, not their equals," said Sirius thoughtfully. "All these disappearances… he sets aside a seat and doesn't show up to the match. He's working on the Tournament, yet disappears. If he's so sick that he can't even show up to work… I'll eat Buckbeak," Sirius added sarcastically.
"You know him?" asked Einar, who had been silently observing the conversation.
"I know him very well," Sirius replied, a cold look in his eyes and a touch of madness in his voice. "He's the one who sent me straight to Azkaban… without a trial."
"What?!" the three teens exclaimed in unison.
"You're joking," said Harry, in disbelief.
"No. Not at all. Crouch was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Everyone thought he'd be the next Minister. A brilliant wizard, yes… and power-hungry. He never supported Voldemort"not publicly, at least. Always claimed to be fighting the Dark side. But… well, many said the same. You wouldn't understand. You're still too young," said Sirius, as the fireplace behind him crackled, briefly illuminating the shadow of what had once been the most wanted man in the wizarding world.
"That again? My dad said the same thing. Go on, try it," said Ron.
"Alright. How do I put this? Let's say Voldemort is currently at the height of his power. You don't know who supports him, who's on his side and who isn't, but you do know he can control people into doing terrible things. People are scared"scared that their families, friends, or even they themselves might be harmed. Every week there's news of more deaths, disappearances, and torture.
The Ministry is in chaos. They don't know what to do, and they're desperately trying to keep Muggles from noticing anything... but even Muggles are starting to die. Terror, panic, and confusion are everywhere. That's how things were.
And this... this brings out the best in some people, and the worst in others.
I don't know if Crouch's intentions were good from the beginning, but he rose quickly through the Ministry and started implementing very harsh measures against Voldemort's followers.
He requested special permissions... for example, authorization to kill instead of capture. And I wasn't the only one handed over to the Dementors without a trial. He fought violence with violence and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses.
He was as cruel and bold as the enemies themselves. That earned him a lot of support from those who wanted him to take over as Minister.
When Voldemort disappeared, it was time for Crouch to take the position. But something ruined those plans... Crouch's own son was caught among the Death Eaters who escaped Azkaban searching for their master to restore his power."
"Crouch's son was caught?" asked Hermione.
Meanwhile, Einar frowned slightly, looking confused.
"Yes. Maybe Crouch should've spent more time with his family," Sirius added. "Maybe he should've worked less and come home more often to see his son."
"His son was a Death Eater?" asked Harry.
"I'm not really sure," Sirius replied. "I was already in Azkaban when they brought him in. These are things I found out after I got out. But it's hard to find reliable information when you're a fugitive. Maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time... like the house-elf."
"Did he try to free him?"
"Free him?" Sirius let out a bitter laugh. "You clearly don't understand. That man wanted to remove anything that could tarnish his reputation. He spent his entire life climbing the ranks to become Minister. That's why he dismissed his elf... so no one would associate him again with the Dark Mark. Doesn't that tell you what kind of man he was?
He even used his fatherly love to give his son a trial... but only to show how much he despised him. Then he was sent to Azkaban," he added. "I saw the Dementors dragging him away. I saw it through the bars of my cell. We were practically neighbors. He couldn't have been older than nineteen. At night, he screamed for his mother... then he went quiet after a few days. But they all go quiet eventually. Except when they scream in their sleep," said Sirius, his gaze growing sadder than ever as he remembered his prison days.
"Is he still in Azkaban?" asked Harry.
"No. He's not there anymore. He died a year after he arrived. And he wasn't the only one. Most go mad, stop eating, and lose the will to live. You could tell when someone was close to dying... because the Dementors would get excited. They knew.
The boy was sick when he arrived. Crouch and his wife were allowed to visit him, being high-ranking officials in the Ministry. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, practically dragging his wife past my cell.
Some time later, she died too... of grief. Just like the boy.
Crouch didn't even claim his son's body. The Dementors buried him on the edge of the fortress. I saw them do it," he added. "And that's how he lost everything, right when it seemed he was about to have it all. A hero, poised to become Minister for Magic.
But his son died, his wife too... and his name was stained.
People started to feel sorry for the boy and blamed his father for not caring about him, and that's why Fudge got the position instead. Crouch ended up in the Department of International Cooperation."
Everyone fell silent after hearing the story.
"Well... I gave you time to draw conclusions. But honestly, you're terrible at this," said Einar, suddenly breaking the silence as everyone turned to him.
"What do you mean?" asked Sirius, while the golden trio stared at him.
"Crouch's son was caught by me and Arthur when we went to Moody's house. If I'm not mistaken, Arthur said he was kissed by a Dementor... whatever that means. But he didn't die.
His mother took his place, and his father kept him hidden. The empty seat was actually occupied by him, wearing a cloak like Harry's.
I felt him. But since he didn't seem like a threat, I ignored it. Well, maybe I got too into that sport... and got distracted for a moment.
When we saw Crouch again on the day of the Goblet, he reeked of dark magic... or a curse, to be precise, though I don't know which one. I'm not familiar with the curses in this place.
By the way, he's the one who sent the assassins, so when I came back to take care of it, he was already gone. I'm sure he was working under the orders of those who knew the Death Eaters I killed at the World Cup," said Einar, revealing details that completely changed the story.
"Wait, why was Crouch's son at Moody's house?" Sirius asked quickly.
"Taking over his body with a potion that changes appearance. There was also an Animagus, but I caught him when he wandered off. Otherwise, I would've thought he was just a normal rat... wheel-bearing," he added.
Hearing that, both Harry and Sirius opened their eyes wide.
"You saw Peter Pettigrew?" said Sirius, his voice gaining a flicker of clarity.
"I don't know who that is. But if he's the rat... then yeah," said Einar.
"Well that changes everything," said Hermione, already analyzing everything carefully.
Sirius looked like he wanted to ask more about Peter, but there wasn't much Einar could say.
"Peter's a traitor. He was with Crouch Jr. That means they're both Death Eaters. Barty Crouch Jr. stole your wand, since he was sitting behind us with Winky. Crouch Sr. knew, that's why he checked around and got angry when he saw Winky alone. The one who cast the Mark was Barty Jr. And Crouch Sr. knew," said Hermione quickly, nailing the key details.
"Good," said Einar with a smile. "Just a few details and the whole story changed," he added proudly, praising his student.
"Why didn't you tell Dumbledore?" asked Sirius, before realizing how stupid the question was. He raised his hands and said, "My bad. Force of habit."
Only Ron frowned at those words, while Hermione and Harry understood.
"Well, of course I wouldn't have known that part. The Ministry wouldn't want it getting out that a prisoner escaped Azkaban again, especially with the help of one of their own. They'd rather kill Barty Jr. outright, just like they tried with me," added Sirius, his eyes full of contempt.
"Your brother works for him, right?" he asked Ron.
"Yeah," said Ron.
"Ask him if he's seen Crouch lately, in person," said Sirius.
"Alright. I just have to be careful not to make it sound like he's a suspect. Percy worships him. He's his biggest fan," said Ron.
"Fine. It's time you head back to school. And don't leave Hogwarts for a while, Harry. After the attack on Einar, Hogsmeade isn't safe. Well, unless he goes with you, but in that case... you might see something traumatizing," said Sirius as he looked out the window at the sunset.
"Traumatizing?" asked Harry and Hermione with interest.
"I just got rid of some assassins," added Einar, standing up. "Come on, I'll go with you."