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〃Hermione's obsessed with house…elfs；〃 Ron muttered to Sirius； casting Hermione a dark look。 Sirius； however； looked interested。
〃Crouch sacked his house…elf？〃
〃Yeah； at the Quidditch World Cup；〃 said Harry； and he launched into the story of the Dark Mark's appearance； and Winky being found with Harrys wand clutched in her hand； and Mr。 Crouch's fury。 When Harry had finished； Sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave。
〃Let me get this straight；〃 he said after a while； brandishing a fresh chicken leg。 〃You first saw the elfin the Top Box。 She was saving Crouch a seat； right？〃
〃Right；〃 said Harry； Ron； and Hermione together。
〃But Crouch didn't turn up for the match？〃
〃No；〃 said Harry。 〃I think he said he'd been too busy。〃
Sirius paced all around the cave in silence。 Then he said； 〃Harry； did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box？〃
〃Erm。。。〃 Harry thought hard。 〃No；〃 he said finally。 〃I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest。 And then I put my hand in my pocket； and all that was in there were my Omnioculars。〃 He stared at Sirius。 〃Are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stole my wand in the Top Box？〃
〃It's possible；〃 said Sirius。
〃Winky didn't steal that wand！〃 Hermione insisted。
〃The elf wasn't the only one in that box；〃 said Sirius； his brow furrowed as he continued to pace。 〃Who else was sitting behind you？〃
〃Loads of people；〃 said Harry。 〃Some Bulgarian ministers。。。 Cornelius Fudge 。。。the Malfoys 。。。〃
〃The Malfoys！〃 said Ron suddenly； so loudly that his voice echoed all around the cave； and Buckbeak tossed his head nervously。 〃I bet it was Lucius Malfoy！〃
〃Anyone else？〃 said Sirius。
〃No one；〃 said Harry。
〃Yes； there was； there was Ludo Bagman；〃 Hermione reminded him。
〃Oh yeah。。。〃
〃I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps；〃 said Sirius； still pacing。 〃What's he like？〃
〃He's okay；〃 said Harry。 〃He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament。〃
〃Does he； now？〃 said Sirius； frowning more deeply。 〃I wonder why he'd do that？〃
〃Says he's taken a liking to me；〃 said Harry。
〃Hmm；〃 said Sirius； looking thoughtful。
〃We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared；〃 Hermione told Sirius。 〃Remember？〃 she said to Harry and Ron。
〃Yeah； but he didn't stay in the forest； did he？〃 said Ron。 〃The moment we told him about the riot； he went off to the campsite。〃
〃How d'you know？〃 Hermione shot back。 〃How d'you know where he Disapparated to？〃
〃e off it；〃 said Ron incredulously。 〃Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark？〃
〃It's more likely he did it than Winky；〃 said Hermione stubbornly。
〃Told you；〃 said Ron； looking meaningfully at Sirius； 〃told you she's obsessed with house…〃
But Sirius held up a hand to silence Ron。
〃When the Dark Mark had been conjured； and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand； what did Crouch do？〃
〃Went to look in the bushes；〃 said Harry； 〃but there wasn't anyone else there。〃
〃Of course；〃 Sirius muttered； pacing up and down； 〃of course； he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf。。。 and then he sacked her？〃
〃Yes；〃 said Hermione in a heated voice； 〃he sacked her； just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled…〃
〃Hermione； will you give it a rest with the elf！〃 said Ron。
Sirius shook his head and said； 〃She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have； Ron。 If you want to know what a mans like； take a good look at how he treats his inferiors； not his equals。〃
He ran a hand over his unshaven face； evidently thinking hard。
〃All these absences of Barty Crouch's 。。。he goes to the trouble of making sure his house…elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup； but doesn't bother to turn up and watch。 He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament； and then stops ing to that too。。。 It's not like Crouch。 If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this； I'll eat Buckbeak。〃
〃D'you know Crouch； then？〃 said Harry。
Sirius's face darkened。 He suddenly looked as menacing as he had the night when Harry first met him； the night when Harry still believed Sirius to be a murderer。
〃Oh I know Crouch all right；〃 he said quietly。 〃He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban…without a trial。〃
〃What？〃 said Ron and Hermione together。
〃You're kidding！〃 said Harry。
〃No； I'm not；〃 said Sirius； taking another great bite of chicken。 〃Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement； didn't you know？〃
Harry； Ron； and Hermione shook their heads。
〃He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic；〃 said Sirius。 〃He's a great wizard； Barty Crouch； powerfully magical…and power…hungry。 Oh never a Voldemort supporter；〃 he said； reading the look on Harrys face。 〃No； Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side。 But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side。。。 well； you wouldn't understand。。。 you're too young。。。〃
〃That's what my dad said at the World Cup；〃 said Ron； with a trace of irritation in his voice。 〃Try us； why don't you？〃
A grin flashed across Sirius's thin face。
〃All right； I'll try you。。。〃 He walked once up the cave； back again； and then said； 〃Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now。 You don't know who his supporters are； you don't know who's working for him and who isn't； you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves。 You're scared for yourself； and your family； and your friends。 Every week； news es of more deaths； more disappearances； more torturing。。。 the Ministry of Magic's in disarray； they don't know what to do； they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles； but meanwhile； Muggles are dying too。 Terror everywhere。。。 panic。。。 confusion。。。 that's how it used to be。
〃Well； times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others。 Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning…I wouldn't know。 He rose quickly through the Ministry； and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemorts supporters。 The Aurors were given new powers…powers to kill rather than capture； for instance。 And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial。 Crouch fought violence with violence； and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects。 I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side。 He had his supporters； mind you…plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way； and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic。 When Voldemort disappeared； it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job。 But then something rather unfortunate happened。。。〃 Sirius smiled grimly。 〃Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban。 Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power。〃
〃Crouch's son was caught？〃 gasped Hermione。
〃Yep；〃 said Sirius； throwing his chicken bone to Buckbeak； flingi