Time Is Life

Hogwarts Express

Morning news spread quickly as Mr. Weasley runs down the stairs to receive a floo call from Amos Diggory.

Harry faintly remembers this as the ambush of the dustbins, that Alastor Moody charmed to attack intruders. Back when Harry was actually fourteen he merely brushed it off as Moody being too paranoid. But now he knows that that intruder was Barty Crouch jr. Meaning he was taken hostage just on the day before everyone returned to Hogwarts. Crouch jr is admittedly the best defence teacher Harry has had over all his seven years at Hogwarts. He may have wanted to kill him, but Crouch jr knew how to teach a class effectively.

Harry can hear Mr. Weasley calling hurried good-byes to Bill, Charlie, Percy, and the girls. Within five minutes, he's back in the kitchen, his robes the right way now, dragging a comb through his thinning hair.

"I'd better hurry - you have a good term, boys," says the man to Harry, Ron, and the twins, fastening a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate. "Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?"

"Of course I will," she says. "You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine."

"Who is Mad-Eye Moody again?" Fred whispers over to Harry making sure Ron stays out of ear shot.

"He used to be an Auror before retiring, he's become increasingly paranoid and he was supposed to start teaching at Hogwarts come this year. And also that intruder was there, the Alastor we'll be seeing at school is a Death Eater polijuiced as Moody."

"What!!" George yells, earning himself some weird looks from his mother and also from Bill and Charlie, after those two entered the kitchen.

"Is something the matter George?" Mrs. Weasley pointedly asks. George quickly shakes his head and apologizes.

"Are you sure you remember correctly? A Death Eater teaching at Hogwarts?"

Harry nods, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes, Moody, or at least the one we'll meet, is Barty Crouch jr."

Fred blinks for a second then stares at Harry in a dazed shock. "But didn't he like die in Azkaban or something? How can we have him as a professor?"

"That was his mother, Crouch helped his son escape by poly juicing his wife into his son. Crouch jr. has been locked and under the imperious up ever since, with no way out, until... well... recently. One of the reasons I don't like Crouch."

The twins nod.

"What are you three whispering about over there? I'm sure you can focus on what is truly important right now. And right now it's the situation with Moody." Hermione snaps from the side at them. Harry and the twins scrunch up their noses, if only she knew.

"Why of course, forgive us for having a private conversation with one another. I'm quite sure that us as children can do a lot to help out the situation with Moody. After all we are the ones who already work and need all sorts of knowledge about gossip, probabilities and political affairs. Honestly Hermione leave these sorts of things to the adults and enjoy your freedom from that world, while you still can."

The twins laugh at the guffah the bushy haired girl gives off. Before she can regain her bearings Harry cuts her off and addresses the room.

"Now please continue as you were saying."

The adults in the room shrug and continue with their conversation. That is until Mrs. Weasley beckons Ginevra, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George and Harry outside. Mrs. Weasley ordered three muggle Taxis to get them to London. He sighs at the prospect of a long uncomfortable car ride towards King's cross.

But this is something he has to go through no matter what. As expected the journey is uncomfortable, owing to the fact that Harry and the twins are jammed in the back of the taxis with their trunks. They are very relieved to get out at King's Cross, even though the rain comes down harder than ever, and they all get soaked carrying their trunks across the busy road and into the station.