Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures - H.P.S.T Chapter 678: Karkaroff’s Trial
Soon after Evan and Harry entered, they heard footsteps.
The door in the corner of the dungeon opened, and three people entered. More precisely, it was one man, flanked by two Dementors.
The cold and bitter feeling brought by the Dementors was so real that one could not help forget that it was only in memory.
The unpleasant thoughts echoed in Evan’s mind, and he saw Harry also pale, looking at the Dementors in horror.
In fact, under the influence of Dementors, everyone around them seemed a little timid.
The two dementors… tall, hooded creatures, whose faces were concealed, were gliding slowly toward the chair in the center of the room, each grasping one of the man’s arms with their dead and rotten-looking hands. The man between them looked as though he was about to faint!
They placed the man in the chained chair and glided back out of the room. The door swung shut behind them.
The chains on the arms of the chair glowed suddenly gold and snaked their way up the man’s arms, binding him there.
The man looked up in panic, and Evan saw that it was Karkaroff.
Unlike Dumbledore, who was silver-haired, Karkaroff looked much younger, and his hair and goatee were black. He was not dressed in sleek furs, but in thin and ragged robes, and was constantly shaking.
“Is this the scene of Karkaroff’s trial?!” Evan stared at the young Karkaroff in the chair with interest.
For this guy, he was more interested in how he had betrayed many Death Eaters to gain freedom.
“Igor Karkaroff!” Mr. Crouch, who was sitting in the middle of the room, stood up. His hair was also black, his face was much less lined, and he looked fit and alert.
That time should be the most beautiful era of Crouch. Voldemort failed to escape, and his tough attitude towards the Dark wizards helped him win hearts and minds in the war that had just ended. Everything was developing in a good direction, and the position of Minister of Magic was waving to him…
Who would have thought that everything would change just a few months later?
“Karkaroff, you have been brought from Azkaban to present evidence to the Ministry of Magic.” said Crouch solemnly, waving his hand. “You have given us to understand that you have important information for us.”
Karkaroff straightened himself as best as he could, tightly bound to the chair.
“I have, sir,” he said, and although his voice was very scared, Evan could still hear the familiar unctuous note in it. “I wish to be of use to the Ministry. I wish to help. I know that the Ministry is trying to round up the last of the Dark Lord’s supporters. I am eager to assist in any way I can…”
Dumbledore did not respond to this statement, and was expressionless. Mad-Eye Moody sitting next to him narrowed his eyes tightly in intense dislike.
Of course, his appearance was different from now.
At that time, he did not have his magical eye, but two normal ones, and there were not so many scars on his face.
“Well, Crouch is going to let him out,” Moody whispered to Dumbledore. “He’s done a deal with him. It took me six months to track him down, and Crouch is going to let him go if he’s got enough new names. Let’s hear his information, I say, and throw him straight back to the Dementors. “
Dumbledore made a small noise of dissent through his long, crooked nose.
“Ah, I was forgetting … you don’t like the Dementors, do you, Albus?” said Moody with a sardonic smile.
“No,” said Dumbledore calmly, “I’m afraid I don’t. I have long felt the Ministry is wrong to ally itself with such creatures. Sooner or later, we’ll suffer losses, letting them guard the Dark wizards. Besides, it is inhumane, even if …”
“Filth like this deserves the most …” said Moody disgustedly. “It is said that this guy’s family is very powerful in northern Europe, and seems to be colluding with local vampires, Dark wizards and pure Dark creatures!”
“About those Vampires, have you noticed any actions recently?” Dumbledore asked softly.
“No, they have been completely silent recently since that man disappeared, and there was no hindrance in my capture of Karkaroff! This is very wrong. I don’t know if you have any sources in that area, but according to my observation…” Moody suddenly lowered his voice and whispered something close to Dumbledore’s ear.
Evan came closer to hear what he was saying. But Moody quickly finished, and Dumbledore’s expression remained unchanged; he just nodded.
The trial continued, and Crouch started asking questions.
“You say you have names for us, Karkaroff,” said Mr. Crouch. “Let us hear them, please.”
“Okay, but you must understand,” said Karkaroff hurriedly, “that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named operated always in the greatest secrecy. He preferred that we… I mean to say, his supporters… and I regret now, very deeply, that I ever counted myself among them…”
“Less nonsense,” sneered Moody, raising his voice.
“We never knew the names of every one of our fellows. He alone knew exactly who we all were …”
“Which was a wise move, wasn’t it, as it prevented someone like you, Karkaroff, from turning all of them in,” muttered Moody.
“Yet you say you have some names for us?” said Mr. Crouch in a cold voice.
“I… I do,” said Karkaroff breathlessly.”Please note that they were all important supporters. People I saw with my own eyes doing his bidding. I give this information as a sign that I fully and totally renounce him, and am filled with remorse so deep I can barely… “
“These names are?!” said Mr. Crouch sharply.
Karkaroff drew a deep breath and made up his mind.
“There was Antonin Dolohov. I saw him torture countless Muggles and those who did not support the Dark Lord.”
“And you helped him do it…” murmured Moody.
“We have already apprehended Dolohov,” said Crouch. “He was caught shortly after yourself.”
“Indeed?!” said Karkaroff, his eyes widening. “I… I am delighted to hear it!”
But he didn’t look happy. This news had come as a real blow to him. One of his names was worthless, and he had less chips.
“Any others?” Crouch asked coldly.
“Ah, yes, and Rosier,” said Karkaroff hurriedly. “Evan Rosier.”
“Rosier is dead,” said Crouch. “He was caught shortly after you were too. Preferred to fight rather than come quietly and was killed in the struggle.”
“And he took away a bit of me with him,” whispered Moody.
Evan and Harry turned to look at him, and he was indicating the large chunk out of his nose to Dumbledore.
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