Early Years

her fingertips brushed close to the bruises as she studied them carefully studying the coloring "I have something that can heal these in no time... but I thought you were safe from him here.."

"Safety?!" He laughed mirthlessly, "Just an illusions, like everything else..."

She shook her head as she began searching through her bag, vials clinking together as pulled out a small thinkish red liquid and tipped a small amount onto his fresh bruises. The liquid would be warm and leave a tingling sensensation as it absorbed into his skin healing it efficiently. "It's not right that he can do this an get away with it..."

"Why shouldn't it be?" He once more mirthlessly chuckled, "Laws, restrictions, morality, they mean nothing to those with actual power..." He tensed up as the forecasted burning set in.

she shook her head a little "It's not like you to be so cynical..." she took out a small square of cloth as she replaced the vial to it's usual home and carefully removed any excess liquid. "they're not all like him.. some of them are actually good people trying to rid the system of any corruption."

He sighed in relief as he felt the pain ebb away, "I wish I could believe that." Just then, something resonated in his head.

'Laws, restrictions and morality. They mean nothing to those with actual power.'


"Say, Sapphire, do you happen to know how to enter the restricted section?"

She grinned a little at the question mischief sparking in her eyes  "I'm sure i could get you in if you wanted... how come?"

"I'm curious about the contents of those books. If they're restricted then they must contain secrets of interesting power..."

"I guess we'll just have to find out for ourselves won't we?" she was already running through possible way of getting them in her head "could always make a temporary invisibility cloak.. it wouldn't be the best but I'm sure it would do the trick."

He thought it over in his mind, "Yes that does sound like the best course of action..."

An auror mentoring program? 

Having all the time in the world to go from hiding place to hiding place, Barty had come been able to listen in on meetings and learn the political proceedings of the Ministry in ways that those double his age wouldn't be able to comprehend. 

What he overheard in this meeting had all but consumed his attention. Surely, among those lessons duelling would be one of them. He could defend himself from his long list of bullies.

And the one who gave him and his sister life. 

---

It took weeks to get everything organized, but at last a sign up sheet was flown in front of the auror department and Barty was the first name to be put on that list.

The middle-aged woman was the first to check the sheets, having been the original auror to strongly support the idea. She was already wear of pushing papers and sucking up to the first senior who crossed her path. Cayden felt burned out for a seemingly younger Auror.

Spotting the name, her lips twitched in amusement. Now, why would Crouch's son want to sign up to this program? Was he pressured into it by his Father? Either way, she was intrigued, and she signed her name next to it, intending to take the boy under her wing. Hopefully, there'd be no complaints, no whispers heard in the corridor about her decision. She'd heard of the ones surrounding Crouch himself, but she tried her best to dismiss them.

Cayden wrote a short letter to the boy, entailing that she would tutor him for however long he desired.

The reply put a smile on Barty's face. Not the twisted sinister smirk that would become a trademark of him years later, but one of elation and hope. This could possibly be his ticket to a better life, a life surely his father would approve of. He was determined to prove his worth.

Sleep barely came to in the night prior and the next morning he rushed to find the auror's office. Knocking gently upon the door to the one called Cayden's office, he eased his anxious energies and got ready for the first step in a new world.

"Come in." She called out to the boy, sitting behind her mahogany desk and carefully filing a report on a recent arrest. Cayden then shoved all her work to one side, a hopeful smile playing on her lips as she was about to greet her protege. 

Cayden had read a rather... disappointing report from Barty's father, scowling at its content as she had skimmed the material. The man was cynical, and heavily implied she was wasting her time with this particular pupil. But Cayden disregarded it, wanting to see the boy's prowess for herself. A part of her had always resented Barty Crouch, hating his pompousness and clear dismissal of protocol.

I'll make sure he's taught well. 

Barry walked inside, a meek looking boy who radiated insignificance. But something was boiling under this air of mediocrity. his smile seemed half hearted at best, but in truth it was an earnest effort to be cordial. 

"H..hi Cayden. It's Barty..." Shaky but by no means unpleasant, it was clear he was trying to bury his nerves with pleasantry.

"No need to be afraid, I don't bite." She offered with a genuinely warm smile, one that seemed to light her features with ease. "I've heard good things about you, I'm sure I can help you with your magical abilities." She stood, dusting herself off and smoothing her suit pants.

"What would you like to work on? No time like the present."

He wasn't sure where she would've heard good things about him, but that could've simply been more of that political double talk he'd come to understand was common practice here.

Dismissing the doubt, he continued, "well... I think... if I'm to become an auror you understand," he quickly justified, "duelling would be a useful skill..."

She waved her wand and all of the protruding objects in the room slammed into the sides, clearing the area. Adopting a guarded stance, she prepared herself. 

"Okay, let's see what you can do." She expected raw, untrained power.

What she got however was raw, but not untrained. Since Crouch could remember he'd always had a degree of control over his abilities. He'd practice in secret, moving objects around his room, changing color of things, as well as other feats. 

But he didn't know a thing about magical combat. Had he, his tormentors surely wouldn't be a bother any longer.

"Wingardium Leviosa." He send one of the books from her bookshelf behind her to fly toward her. He knew some spells that he was taught at Hogwarts but a first years range of knowledge was only so limited.

Cayden deftly caught the book with her fingers, realising that of course, Barty was a first year. Therefore shed have to make her lessons appropriate to his age.

"Most first years don't duel, and nor are they required to until they get older. How about we start with a simple bind?"

Cayden reached for his hand after placing the tome on the desk, aiming to guide his hand in the wand pattern. "Petrificous Totalus is the incantation."

"I... I know, I was hoping I could get a jump on it." His hand inadvertently tensed. The most physical contact he ever had was meant to inflict pain upon him. 

"Petrificus Totalus..." He repeated the incantation a few times, as though to master the mere sound of it. 

Finally ready to try, he focussed on the book intently and cast the spell, "Petrificus Totalus!" The book hardly budged from it's place, the spell had been weak, lacking in conviction.

"Good." She insisted, a pleased smile gracing her features. "Most people can't make it move at all on their first try, and your hand movements were perfect." She dropped his hand so he could move it freely, nudging the book back to its original place.

"when you cast this spell, you want to imagine that your life depends on this spell working, because one day it just might." something in her tone indicated that she had experienced this first-hand, deciding not to hide the truth from her pupil. "That may help in your conviction casting. If a criminal is coming towards you, you would not hesitate to apprehend them. Putting yourself out of harm's way should be the utmost priority, if you're facing someone or a group on your own."

As she spoke, Crouch's eye caught one look of his father as he past by her door. He didn't bother to look inside, why would he? All that was in there was his disgraceful son.

"I understand." His voice had a little more strength to it and he looked at the tome again. He tried visualizing her scenario, of a criminal chasing him down in an attempt to kill him. 

But the image wouldn't come. But his original purpose for all this did. He saw his father coming toward him with a raised fist, ready to hurt him for one of his harmless pranks to make his sister happy. He gritted his teeth and his hand became firm, "Petrificus Totalus!!" Not only did the spell work, but it sent the book flying back several feet.

"Excellent! I think you'd be a great duellist." She looked genuinely pleased with him, warmth seeping from her features. 

"Use wingardium leviosa to put it back where it was. This time we can focus on your target moving in a specified direction."

Drawing on that same righteous fury, he kept his expression inscrutable as he continued the lesson, "Wingardium Leviosa!" The book flew wherever he directed his wand, as though it didn't dare disobey him.

Was this all he needed? Simply more conviction to use his powers? Or was it power itself?

He placed the book back where it had been, a barely audible thump was made once the leather touched the wood.

"What else is there?"