Chapter Text
Draco snapped awake with the heavy sense that something was wrong and the feeling of being wide-awake when he was sure he had been dead asleep just a few seconds ago. The feeling grew as he didn’t see anything immediately wrong, and it got worse when he saw what was wrong.
Harry was thrashing in his sleep, but instead of looking scared like he often did, he looked angry, sleep-tinged mutters escaping. The best Draco could make out was on how someone had… escaped? Maybe? Draco laid a hand on Harry, trying to shake him out of it. “Harry,” he whispered. “ Harry. Wake up.”
One last shake seemed to do the trick, Harry jerking away and twisting away from him, glaring at him like Potter might before he suddenly looked confused and lost and oh, that did not seem good. “D- Dray? What…?”
“You were dreaming,” Draco told him quietly. “You seemed upset. Do you remember…?” It was quiet for what felt like an eternity before Harry slowly narrowed his eyes.
“I dreamt… that I was in a living room, in front of a fire. I was talking to someone, and I was- I was angry about something- Someone. Someone had escaped. I- He said it was likely he would try to get to Hogwarts. To Dumbledore.”
“Someone escaped,” Draco said quietly, nodding along. “He.” Who would Voldemort have had… He looked at Harry. “Crouch?”
Harry seemed to be thinking about it, slowly nodding, “Sev said Crouch — the Ministry one — had pretty much disappeared from the public, right? Maybe that’s because he was being kept hostage by Voldemort- er, Riddle, for some reason. But why? What would be the point? Did he know his son had escaped? And why are we calling him Riddle, again? You said we should get out of the habit of saying Voldemort.”
“Where I came from, he taboo’ed the word.” Harry got that confused little look that he got, and Draco tried to bite back a small smile. “Only people who were against him were unafraid to say the word. So… He put a taboo on it. Like a curse. He could send his people to wherever it was anyone that said it was.”
“Oh.” Harry looked surprised and then he scowled. “Basically finding whoever was against him as quick as he could… Alright. Riddle. He’ll probably hate that one if he ever finds out, but he probably won’t think anyone would know that was his name- Sorry, got off-track- Oh!” Harry suddenly scrambled out of bed, almost hitting Draco in the process before he was disappearing past the curtains and sounding like he was digging for something.
Draco sighed, keeping his voice low. “Harry, what are you looking for?” He always had so much energy right after waking up.
“I’m looking for- Found it!” Harry quickly crawled back into bed, holding up a piece of parchment- Oh. Not any piece of parchment. Harry quickly spread the Marauder's Map out between them before placing his hand on it, “I solemnly swear I’m up to no good.” Honestly, what a ridiculous- Hm. Harry was getting quite good at wandless magic… Did he realize that was an insanely difficult skill? And for a fourth year no less?
Draco looked over the map with him, eyes already skimming. “Who are you looking for? Crouch?”
“If Riddle was right that he would go to Dumbledore, he’d try to get as soon as possible, right? Maybe he’s already on the map and if we can find him we can get him to tell the truth about his son.”
Thinking it all over, Draco nodded, taking the map. “I’ll track us on the map. You keep the cloak over us.” Harry grinned back at him, and the two were moving fast as anything. This had become old hat, at this point, after all. Merlin, to think he would be joining Harry Potter on his escapades through the castle at night.
Still, Draco kept a firm eye on the map, letting Harry take the lead. He saw Crouch Jr. in the Defense office, and a few other teachers patrolling the halls since it wasn’t quite late enough for even them to retire. That could be good, if they needed to get attention for Crouch Sr. Ah. Speaking of. Draco was almost certain he saw his name teetering between the edges of the map at… the Forbidden Forest. Now that was concerning.
Draco looked at Harry. “It would be dangerous for us to go out there ourselves.” It wouldn’t just be dangerous. It would be stupid. They had to tell someone.
Harry made a face, seemingly thinking before looking at the map himself. “Sev’s patrolling just outside the dungeons. He’s the only one I trust to not be stupid or useless.”
Okay. They could make their way to- Oh- Oh! Pulling them both aside, Draco cast, “ Expecto Patronum! ” His Patronus — a lion. His Patronus was a lion. He had a corporeal Patronus — formed in front of them, and looked at him expectantly. “Give Severus Snape a message. We’re going out to the south west field, at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It looks like someone is there that may need assistance.”
The lion dipped his head before bounding off, Draco noticing that Harry was shaking beside him. Worried, he looked over only to immediately lose his worry. The prat was trying not to laugh. “Go- Good job, on making a full patronus, Dray-”
Draco punched his arm. “Quit it! What are you laughing about!”
“I’m not! I’m not laughing!” Harry, the utter liar, laughed as he squirmed away from him. “No, really, good job. Remus said that a full patronus was hard. ”
“Well, maybe it’s because I had you here to take care of,” Draco finally told him, giving him a smile. “You’re always taking care of me.” Ah, much better. Instead of amused Harry was now flushed and looking away, absolutely adorable.
“I think you’re the one always taking care of me, Dray.” Harry cleared his throat, pulling on his arm. “Come on, let’s get going before Sev gets there first and starts panicking.” Decent point, at least.
When they got outside, Draco could see him getting nearer to the castle, but… He looked a right mess. It looked like his clothes were hanging off of him, like he’d been half drowned, and he seemed dazed and confused.
Draco frowned at Harry, pulling the cloak off of him. “Mr. Crouch?”
“Ah, there you are, Weatherby!” Oh. Oh, he was not at all alright. “Been looking all over for you. Take this down, we’ll need to send envoys to both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to confirm for the Tournament this year.”
He'd… He thought Draco was Percy Weasley, and that the Tournament hadn't been confirmed. "The… Tournament, sir?"
“The Triwizard Tournament Weatherby, do keep up!” Beside him, he felt Harry shift nervously, looking on edge. “We have much work to do, much to do. So little time…” He trailed off, gaze suddenly distant. “Where does the time go.”
"Crouch," Draco heard called, and he turned to see- Oh thank Merlin it was Sev coming towards them. "What are you doing out here?"
“Severus,” Crouch nodded in greeting before that look to his eyes became crazed and he was gasping out- “Dumbledore. I need to see Dumbledore.”
Sev nodded, "We'll get him. Draco? Send another Patronus. We'll get him to the hospital wing." Draco did as he was told-
Harry gripped at his arm. "Moody." Draco snapped his head up, seeing the limping figure start to approach.
"Thought something was going on," he growled as he got closer. "What's all this going on then?"
"He's clearly not in his right mind," Sev said firmly, changing his tone- Right. Cover. "I've already attempted to use counter charms and curses, he may have gone the way of the Longbottoms."
“Looks to be the case,” ‘Moody’ muttered, staring at his father as if he really was just a Ministry worker who had run into some dark magic. “Let’s get ‘im out of here, then.”
Before he could offer to take him or anything else they didn’t want, Draco pulled out his wand and summoned his Patronus- Yep. Still a lion. “A message to Madam Pomfrey, Headmaster Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall. We have found Bartimus Crouch collapsed outside at the edge of the forest with Professor Snape and on our way to the hospital wing now. Professor Moody will be with us.” There. Let him try something now.
That magic eye whizzed around over to Draco and he pretended not to notice. Harry nodded back at him, "Good job. We should get inside, though. I don't think Mr. Crouch is okay."
"Too right," Draco said softly, looking back at the man who was back to acting as if he was at the Ministry. What had they done to him to cause this?
They didn't even get to go all the way to the hospital ward before they were met by Dumbledore and McGonagall both. "Severus. And you two. Why were you out of bed this time?"
"I believe the questioning of these two should wait for a moment," Sev said, gesturing to where he was supporting Crouch. "Although I find myself fascinated as to what their answer could be."
"I couldn't sleep," Draco answered quickly, taking Harry’s hand in his. "We went for a walk and saw him from a window."
None of them looked like they very much believed him, but McGonagall was the one to actually say something, “And you decided to take a walk around the castle past curfew? And then ran outside when seeing a man stumbling out of the Forbidden Forest?” Ah… she was so skilled in sounding disappointed over her students.
Harry looked at him, “Draco, it’s okay.” He stepped in front of Draco, “I… had a nightmare. I wanted to check out the Forest. I had a dream that Voldemort was in the Forbidden Forest again. Like in first year.” Huh. Draco almost believed that himself — would have if he didn’t know better. Even Sev was looking impressed.
McGonagall seemed to believe it, some of the tension draining out of her as she sighed, “Be that as it may, wandering around the castle at night, and especially on the grounds, can be dangerous. If you must need some reassurance, please seek out a teacher or a prefect, next time.”
Harry even flushed, looking at his feet and nodding. “Yes, ma’am.”
Right then, the doors of the hospital wing opened, and Madam Pomfrey came marching out. “Oh, good. You’re all here with him. Well, then? Come on. Get him in.”
Sev and McGonagall both helped Crouch into a bed, Crouch Jr. lingering near the doorway and Dumbledore looking thoughtful while Draco tried to keep quiet for the moment and see what they could learn. Crouch had certainly been tortured, or perhaps his memory had been wiped multiple times. Either way, getting information out of him would be difficult.
McGonagall finally came back over to the both of them, speaking to Dumbledore, "As their Head of House, I will see to it that these two make it back to their beds, Dumbledore."
“Of course, Minerva. Before they go, however… was there anything else he said to you two? Anything that stuck out as extraordinarily odd?” Dumbledore’s searching gaze looking between them, Draco quickly throwing up a shield around his mind. He wouldn’t put it past the old man to try and pry into students’ heads.
Harry looked at Draco for a moment. “He… Thought that Draco was Percy. Weasley? He thought they were at the Ministry, getting ready for the Tournament. He didn’t really say much else than that.” Well… That was true. When he seemed to have a moment of clarity, he seemed to be insistent on speaking with Dumbledore, but that could’ve been about anything.
"I see. Thank you for sharing that with me, Harry." Draco felt Harry's hand reach out and grip his robes. "We will take things over from here. Minerva, if you could escort these two back to their dorm?"