"Later, Barty Senior went to The Hog's Head Inn."
Sirius, with the Communication Pea hanging, leaned against the counter, frowned, and said, "I thought he was going to meet someone, but he just drank alone and left immediately."
"Did he notice you?" Vid asked sharply on the other end.
Sirius pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Doesn't seem like it... I don't think so... I found something strange about him."
Vid asked, "Because he let Bagman go?"
"Exactly."
Sirius let out a cold laugh and said, "Crouch is known for his iron-clad impartiality. Even if Fudge himself pressured him, he would never swallow back the harsh words he put out. Although his attitude towards Bagman was cold, I still think... letting Bagman off so easily is contrary to his usual style."
"Maybe something else distracted him."
Vid pondered, was Crouch in the original story frazzled by his missing son?
Now it seems like Barty Crouch Jr had broken free from his father's restraint much earlier. Barty Senior has been searching for him for a long time without success and didn't dare to tell others, so it's understandable he's mentally unsettled.
But if, like in the original, he is being controlled by Barty Crouch Jr using the Imperius Curse, that would be troubling.
He thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry about this for now; I'll find a way to investigate."
Sirius raised an eyebrow and said, "You're at Hogwarts, how are you going to investigate? Planning to sneak out again?"
"Of course not," Vid said, "I think directly asking won't work, so it might be better to start with the Crouch family's House-Elf."
"House-Elf?" Sirius frowned, deep in thought.
"I've heard someone mention that Mr. Crouch has a House-Elf named Winky?"
Vid continued, "That little one is the closest to Barty Crouch; if her master is acting strange, she'd be the first to notice."
Sirius asked, "Who are you going to have investigate this?"
"Who else?" Vid said, "Naturally, it's Dobby."
...
Dobby received Vid's mission, immediately dropped the half-finished housework, and Apparated to Hogwarts in less than three seconds.
"Mr. Vid Gray trusts Dobby! Dobby will definitely complete the task!" His ears trembled with excitement, and his big eyes sparkled as he said, "Dobby knew Winky before and knows where to find her!"
"Apart from gathering information, confidentiality is even more important."
Vid squatted down gently and said, "I don't want this matter to be known to Winky's old or young master. Can you persuade Winky to keep it a secret for you?"
"Don't worry, Mr. Gray."
Dobby swayed his body and said, "Very few wizards care about House-Elves like Mr. Gray does. To them, we are like dust, not worth paying attention to. Winky's master is the same... Dobby will make Winky not mention it to her master, and her master won't ask much."
"I'm counting on you, Dobby." Vid smiled and said, "This matter is very important, take it slowly, don't rush. If you see Winky's young master, Mr. Barty Crouch Jr, don't hesitate, come back immediately, understand?"
From the Black Family's Kreacher, Vid understood that for House-Elves, the obsession with fulfilling their master's orders could even grant them strength beyond life and death.
Of course, this only happens with extreme loyalty.
"Mr. Barty Crouch Jr?" A hint of fear flashed across Dobby's eyes, and then he nodded vigorously, "Dobby understands, Dobby will remember!"
"Dobby, do you know that person?" Vid asked curiously.
"I heard old Master Malfoy— no, Lucius Malfoy mention—
Dobby shivered involuntarily, paused for a moment, then continued, "That young man is a loyal follower of the Mysterious Man... a very terrifying person."
...
The couple with round faces were walking hand in hand on the hillside, the sunlight spilling on their faces, illuminating their identical gentle smiles.
The old woman with a vulture hat stood not far away, watching this scene, her eyes involuntarily filled with tears.
She stepped forward, just about to say something when suddenly a shiver ran through her entire body.
The bright sky was instantly overshadowed by dark clouds, and even the sunlight turned an ominous shade of green.
Mrs. Longbanton suddenly turned around, only to see a young man standing not far away, pale and thin, with a cruel and bloodthirsty twisted smile on his face. He raised his Magic Wand and said expressionlessly:
"Crucio!"
"No— No—"
Mrs. Longbanton screamed and shielded them, but the beam of the Spell effortlessly passed through her!
"Ahhhhh—"
The couple's smiles immediately transformed into expressions of extreme pain and despair; they let out piercing screams and collapsed limply on the ground after a struggle, eyes unfocused.
The entire world instantaneously broke apart and disintegrated, and Mrs. Longbanton seemed to be kicked violently, thrown into the boundless darkness.
Everywhere she looked, scenes like this shattered around her, fragments of memories floated in the darkness, no matter what Frank Longbottom and Alice Longbottom were originally doing—
Eating, sleeping, walking, smiling while holding a child, tenderly caressing a pregnant belly, attending school, babbling with parents...
No matter what the scene was, a Death Eater would soon intrude like a crow.
Sometimes it was Bellatrix, sometimes one of the Lestrange brothers, and, of course, there was Barty Crouch Jr, Anthony Dolohov, and occasionally even Voldemort himself.
They were like omnipresent shadows, forcefully invading every decent memory, destroying, torturing, and wreaking havoc until the memory shattered and vanished into darkness.
Mrs. Longbanton tried countless times to stop it, but it was all in vain. She collapsed and cried in the dark world.
Since the incident with the Longbottoms, she had never shown such a vulnerable side in front of others.
Suddenly, the entire world began to tremble.
"Grandma, Grandma!"
Neville's calls echoed again and again until he saw his tear-streaked grandmother finally open her eyes, and he let out a long breath.
"Let me, Grandma." The boy extended his hand, clumsily wiping away the tears from the old woman's temple, and firmly, gently repeated, "Let me try."
Mrs. Longbanton's lips trembled, "Neville..."
She had always rigorously educated her grandson, forcing him to be strong and brave, forcing him to face his own life.
But, in reality, in the old woman's heart, she knew clearly how kind and awkward her grandson was.
She was completely uneasy about letting Neville face the painful spiritual world of his parents.
Neville reached out, for the first time not waiting for his grandmother's permission, and untied the stone necklace from Mrs. Longbanton's frail wrist and wrapped it around his own arm.
"Trust me, Grandma." The boy slowly said, "I will bring Mom and Dad back."
He smiled, closed his eyes, and softly recited the Spell.