Hogwarts: I will not become the Dark Lord

"Severus, I need you to prepare a vial of Veritaserum and then go to the kitchen and summon the house-elf Winky here. Minerva, please find Hagrid and bring the black dog from his pumpkin patch to the Headmaster's office."

Snape and Professor McGonagall might have felt a hint of bewilderment at this sudden series of instructions, but their faces didn't betray a thing. They merely exchanged a quick glance before turning and leaving.

Dumbledore slowly walked over to the chest inlaid with seven locks. His fingers gently traced the first key, inserting it into the keyhole. With a soft click, the chest lid slowly opened, revealing a pile of various books inside.

Dumbledore didn't linger. He promptly closed the lid, then inserted the second key into the second lock. Upon opening it again, the chest contained shattered fragments of a looking glass scattered across the bottom, mingled with parchment and quills, and a Cloak of Invisibility.

Only when the seventh key was slowly turned in the final lock did the chest lid rise, revealing a hidden chamber. About three meters below, lay a skeletal and emaciated Moody.

Harry stared at the sleeping figure of Moody at the bottom of the chest, then turned to look at the equally unconscious "Moody" on the office floor, a surge of disbelief, shock, and confusion washing over him.

"The Imperius Curse. Moody is very weak now," Dumbledore said, his voice heavy. "But his life is not in immediate danger. However, he still needs to be taken to the hospital wing."

"Just a moment, Harry," Dumbledore gestured for Harry to be patient. "Without the effects of the Polyjuice Potion, he will soon reveal his true form." With that, he pulled a chair from beside the desk and sat down slowly, his gaze fixed on the unconscious figure on the floor. Harry, too, watched intently.

Time passed silently, each second seeming to stretch out.

Gradually, the face of the person on the floor began to change. Scars subtly faded, skin gradually regained its smoothness, and the nose returned to its original form. The originally grizzled gray hair quickly shortened, and its color turned to light yellow. The wooden prosthetic leg slipped to the side, and then, the magical eye popped out of its socket.

"He is… Mr. Crouch's son?" Harry had seen him in the Pensieve in the Headmaster's office.

A flurry of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed in the corridor. Snape returned hastily, carrying Winky, followed closely by Professor McGonagall.

"How could it be you!" Snape stopped abruptly at the threshold. "Barty Crouch Junior!"

The house-elf Winky peeked out timidly from beside Snape's feet, her eyes wide with terror, before letting out a sharp, horrified shriek.

"It's a Stunner, he'll be awake soon, Winky," Dumbledore indicated for her to step aside. "Severus, do you have the Veritaserum?"

Snape quickly handed over a small vial of clear, transparent liquid. This vial of Veritaserum was one he had brewed specifically to scare Harry. Dumbledore took the vial, stood up, and helped the limp Barty to sit against the wall. Winky remained kneeling there, covering her face with her hands, her whole body trembling with shock and fear.

Dumbledore asked in a steady tone, "Can you hear my voice?"

Barty nodded blankly.

"Then, tell me now, why are you here at Hogwarts? And how did you escape the Dementors of Azkaban?"

Crouch Jr. trembled, took a deep breath, and then slowly spoke in a monotone, emotionless voice:

"It was my mother who saved me. Sensing that her days were numbered, she begged my father to fulfill her last wish before she died – to break me out of prison. Although my father never showed me much affection, he loved my mother dearly, and he finally agreed to her request. Together, they plotted to give me a dose of Polyjuice Potion containing my mother's hair, while my mother took a potion containing my hair. That's how we swapped appearances."

"Stop it, Barty Junior, stop talking, you'll implicate your father, Mr. Crouch!" Winky interrupted anxiously. But Barty Crouch Junior took another deep breath, as if steeling himself, and continued to narrate in that flat, unwavering voice:

"My mother didn't last long in Azkaban. She insisted on taking the Polyjuice Potion until the very end, and she died in my form, and was mistaken for me and buried by the Dementors. Everyone thought that I was the one lying beneath the grave."

"What happened next?" Dumbledore continued to press.

"Pretending that my mother had passed away, my father held a funeral for her, but the grave was empty, just a facade, while I gradually recovered my health under the careful care of the house-elf. To hide and control me, my father had to impose a series of powerful spells as restraints. He knew that once I recovered, my only thought would be to find my master and serve him again."

"Specifically? How did your father control you, Crouch?"

"The Imperius Curse," Barty replied. "I was controlled by my father, forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day after day, unable to go anywhere, guarded by the house-elf."

"Master, Barty Junior," Winky sobbed, her voice choked with tears, "You shouldn't reveal these things to them…"

"Then how did you reconnect with Voldemort?" Dumbledore continued to ask.

"It was through an employee in my father's office, Bertha Jorkins. She brought documents to our house for my father to sign, but he wasn't home, and she accidentally discovered my existence. When my father returned, she confronted him and threatened to reveal the truth to the Ministry of Magic. To protect the secret, my father cast an extremely powerful Memory Charm on her, causing her to completely forget about me."

"Fate was so kind to my master! In Albania, Wormtail happened to capture Bertha Jorkins and brought her to my master. Through torture, he broke through the barrier of my father's Memory Charm, and my master obtained a great deal of information from Bertha Jorkins, including my existence, details about the Triwizard Tournament, and even the fact that Alastor Moody was about to take a teaching position at Hogwarts."

"My master knew that I was still his loyal servant, perhaps even the most loyal one. He meticulously planned a brilliant scheme. My master needed to plant a confidant at Hogwarts, whose task was to subtly guide Harry Potter through the Triwizard Tournament, and closely monitor him to ensure that he would ultimately win the Triwizard Cup."

"So, Alastor Moody became your target," Dumbledore took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice as calm and steady as usual.

"Wormtail and I prepared the Polyjuice Potion in advance, broke into Moody's house, subdued him, and imprisoned him in a secret chamber inside the magical chest. We plucked a few strands of his hair and added them to the potion. Then, I drank the potion, transformed into Moody, and took his wooden leg and magical eye."

"When Moody resisted and struggled, he made quite a commotion, attracting the attention of Muggle police. Arthur Weasley also received orders to come and investigate. I deliberately made the garbage can spin in the yard to divert his attention. That fool didn't notice anything unusual, thinking that old Moody was just being paranoid again."

"Wormtail? Where is he now?" Dumbledore followed up immediately.

"He returned to my father's residence," Barty Crouch Junior replied, with a hint of contempt in his tone. "There, he takes care of my master and is also responsible for monitoring my father. That damned Wormtail was too careless and let my father escape, almost ruining my master's plan. My father escaped to Hogwarts, he wanted to find you and confess how he had broken the law and secretly brought me out of Azkaban. Unfortunately, he later encountered…"

"Where is your father, Crouch?" Dumbledore abruptly interrupted Barty.

"In the Forbidden Forest. I killed him with my own hands, it was very satisfying! I also felt very honored, because like my master, I killed my disappointing father!" A look of morbid pleasure appeared on Barty's face.

"No!" Winky let out a sorrowful wail, "Barty Junior, Barty Junior, how could you do such a thing!"

"Dumbledore, you only know this now, it's too late! The plan has been completed, my master will soon return, and he will be even more powerful!" As he spoke, that twisted and perverted smile bloomed on Barty's face once more.

Dumbledore stood up abruptly, his gaze piercing, looking down at Barty Crouch Junior, his face filled with disgust. He raised his wand again, and with a flick, several ropes shot out from the tip of the wand, wrapping around Barty like nimble snakes, binding him tightly, rendering him unable to move.

Then, Dumbledore turned to look at Professor McGonagall: "Minerva, would you please stay here and guard him? I need to escort Harry upstairs."

Professor McGonagall nodded, although her expression was slightly uncomfortable, but when she raised her wand and pointed it at Barty Crouch Junior, her hand was as steady as a rock.

"Severus, please go quickly and ask Madam Pomfrey to come, Alastor Moody needs to be treated as soon as possible. Afterward, go to the Quidditch pitch and find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him to this office. I think Barty Crouch Junior's appearance should clear his head and make him understand a few things."