Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

Loud booms rang across the Hogwarts Castle.

Thundering music rumbled along the corridors.

The strike of nails on the string deafened the ears.

The Weird Sisters music band played some of their best songs in the Great Hall, turning the slow dance into a jam session, all students throwing their heads left and right.

Dobby was among them, too, bobbing his head as he danced along with his mistress.

Hagrid and Madam Maxime were stomping their feet not far from them.

Daphne had raised her hands as she danced, the gentlemanly, knightly Pokemon circling her with moves of his own.

As the loudness and melodies gained a notch, Mr. Barty Crouch Senior, head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation, walked out of the castle to get a breath of cold, fresh air.

He had never liked the job. Not this one.

Only a year ago, he would have given anything to return to his old post of Head of the Department of Law Enforcement. With the rise in the number of Dark Wizards under the likes of Lord Yellow Warlock, Lord Voldemort, and Lord Ekrizdis, people needed a... weapon like him — to do what was necessary, even if it meant going against the moral norms.

But that had changed recently with the appearance of... Lord Black Phoenix.

He had met this new Dumbledore, and it hadn’t taken him more than a few minutes to learn that this was what the world truly needed.

In a breath, he had given Lord Black Phoenix his word to help him out in all his endeavors.

It was he who had suggested bringing together the world’s magical forces under one roof to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore succeeded in bringing such a strong-handed vision to reality.

That only made his job as the head of Magical Co-operation even more crucial, difficult, and demanding, though.

He didn’t mind it. Not anymore.

"Merlin’s beard, it’s cold!" Barty Crouch Sr. hissed.

Suddenly, he spied someone rushing across a corridor.

Years’ worth of catching dark wizards and their kind had given him a sixth sense, Mr. Crouch believed.

He could tell when someone was up to no good.

But that sixth sense was playing jokes on him this time, it seemed, because the man in question was...

"Mr. Filch!" Barty Crouch Sr. called out, walking toward the old man. "A moment!"

Filch stopped in his place as if someone had petrified him. Slowly, he turned and looked toward the approaching wizard. "Ah..." he said, carrying an unusual hoarseness. "... Are you also trying to catch lovebirds, minister?"

"What?" Barty Crouch Sr. asked, puzzled.

Then, before he could figure out what the old caretaker meant, he smelled something...

Ingredients? What was Filch doing with Potions’ ingredients?!

"What are you carrying in your pockets?" Crouch asked.

"Mr. Crouch!"

Barty Crouch had just asked the question when Karkaroff shouted from behind, making him look over his shoulder.

"You best go, minister..." Filch said, showing white teeth. "Important job... dancing..."

Barty Crouch Sr. frowned as Karkaroff called him again from behind. "Yeah... Yeah," he said, turning around. "OK. Let it be..."

But then something happened that made him snap his head back.

Filch had just licked his lips... very oddly.

Barty Crouch Sr’s heart became as frozen as his surroundings, and he took a strong step toward Filch’s face.

However, the old caretaker just grinned and marched off.

"Dumbledore’s asking for you," Karkaroff said, finally coming over instead of shouting. "Making friends with Squibs, now, minister?"

Barty Crouch Sr. narrowed his eyes at the former Death Eater and then, saying nothing, walked back to the Castle, not feeling cold at all.

...

Midnight.

Harry, Ron, and Draco entered the dormitory, letting out loud groans.

Petting Uncle Black, they threw themselves on the bed without even changing, planting their faces in the cushions.

"Neville is a... beast..." Draco said with a muffled voice. "How did he... bag Ginny?"

"Don’t... make me come to you..." Ron said, threatening. "And Luna?... Did Myrtle die that you didn’t bring her..."

The boys let out a suppressed laugh.

Neville and Black’s laugh arrived first before they entered and found the three boys almost passed out.

Neville said goodnight and retired, Black kicking Harry’s butt before jumping on the bed, too.

However, just as the sounds of snores filled the dark room, Black sat up, not feeling sleepy at all.

He pulled out the Marauder’s Map and flicked his wand, a light appearing at its tip.

Suddenly, Uncle Black jumped over the bed and sat down next to Black.

"Got this yesterday," Black told the dog. "Quite a handy thing, no?"

For once, Uncle Black nodded, agreeing with his master.

After half an hour, Black yawned. "So many pairs of feet..." he said, grinning and pointing at a corner where four footprints were visible, with names over them. "... they are seventh years, if I remember right... Hmm..."

Uncle Black pretended not to understand.

Black pointed out four more such corners before closing the map, to the dog’s relief.

However, suddenly, both Black and Uncle Black’s eyes landed on something truly baffling, making their jaws hang low.

It was another gathering of four footprints, out of the castle, beyond Hagrid’s Hut, but... the names over them...

"Barty Crouch Sr... Him I know," Black read one name. "Who’s Barty Crouch Jr? He has a son?"

Then, suddenly, Barty Crouch Sr’s name vanished.

Uncle Black jolted as if he had just gasped. He barked so loudly that not only Draco, but even Harry began cursing at them.

Black brought the dog out to the Common Room and spread the map on the table by the fire, Uncle Black looming over it with his paws on the table’s edge.

Barty Crouch Jr. was returning to the castle... alone.

"Something’s up, no?" Black asked, narrowing his eyes.

The boy’s and the dog’s eyes matched, and they silently nodded at each other.

"Let’s go check it out," Black said, holding the map and his wand. "Keep close to me. We don’t want Boggarts to become Dementors..."

Uncle Black suddenly paused with a jolt and kept looking at his master’s back for a while.

"Hurry!" Black hissed, standing at the threshold. "We will lose him!"

Letting out a woof, Uncle Black stormed out of the common room with Black, beginning their midnight adventure!

****************

AN: Up to 60 more Chapters are available in advance across three Tiers. [Use the link in my NovelFire profile to access all options.]

You can even subscribe to the Trial Tier for just 1.99 dollar to have an experience of exclusive Chapters for an entire month, along with all the Exclusive Images till Volume 22. I hope a few of you will consider supporting the work.

100 Power Stones/day: +1 Bonus Chapter next day