Harry had decided halfway through the wizard's monologue that the man was completely unhinged.
"Who are you? Harry interrupted the man.
The man made to act embarrassed. "Oh, but of course. Where are my manners? I am Barty Crouch. Junior actually but since dear father was shoved from this mortal coil I am the only one remaining."
Harry vaguely remembered Padfoot mentioning the wizard in reference to his own father sentencing him to Azkaban. Most of the talk was about Crouch Sr. simply throwing Sirius into prison without a trial and the case of the man's son was simply an example of Couch Sr's fanatical behaviour. It appeared the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
"And why did you do all this?" Harry asked.
"Why to cause chaos of course." Barty answered with a grin. "The Ministry was so busy dealing with the Tri-tri Wizard Tournament that it didn't have time to worry about the little things - you know - a disappearance here, a little robbery there. I doubt they've even realized Master's wand has gone missing from their trophy case!" The man giggled in enjoyment.
"My plan was to simply put you into the Tournament as a distraction and to prove your worth as the Master's nemesis. But you took it to a whole new level! Brilliant! But since I still wanted you to prove your worth I needed to create all new challenges for you. Naughty, naughty Harry! But even Master was impressed with your stand against your entire year. Why, he as much as admitted that he would have been hard pressed to duplicate such a feat at fourteen!"
"Enough, Barty," a new voice said. Barty looked affronted at the interruption until he turned and saw what the man carried. Harry looked over to see someone he'd never expected again.
Wormtail
Peter held what looked like a small child in his arms. Peter looked much thinner than the last time Harry saw him. The former Marauder now was much thinner than during the encounter in the Shrieking Shack and wore robes that while older seemed to have been well-maintained. The 'child' in his arms glared at Harry with a green, vaguely reptilian look to its skin and features.
"Hello, Harry. It is nice to see you again."
Harry fought both to keep the Beast supressed and his voice calm. "Peter," he responded.
"Ahh, yes," Peter said with a sad smile.
"Put me down, Wormtail," the 'child' said in a sibilant voice. The man complied instantly. The small figure stepped closer to Harry.
"Hello, Harry Potter. See what you have reduced me to!"
"Tom, is that you?" Harry asked with a grin that was only half forced. Yes, he was not in a good situation but the snake-child looked ridiculous.
The 'child' glared at the hated name. "How do you know that name?" he demanded.
"Malfoy was responsible for me finding out," Harry answered. "Never trust a family named 'Bad Faith'." Tom looked furious at Harry's answer. Technically it was even true. Lucius Malfoy's planting of the diary led to Harry's knowledge.
"I shall deal with my servant later - the same time I deal with your impertinence. But first, you shall be witness to the greatest feat of magic in a thousand years! You- an infant- managed to destroy my body through a fluke of magic. So it is only fitting that you shall be both a witness to my rebirth and the first victim of my new reign!"
Harry felt an involuntary shiver at the figure's words. Now he knew how Han felt at the end of Empire Strikes Back.
The figure ignored Harry now and slowly made its way across the small park to stand in the centre of the largest circle. "Barty, call the participants now."
"Yes, master," Barty answered before moving quickly out of sight. The figure knelt down and seemed to meditate.
"Hello Harry," Wormtail said again as he approached the bound boy. "You look well. Living with Sirius seems to agree with you. Much better than your Muggle relatives, eh?"
Harry ignored the small talk. "How did you get out, traitor?" Peter smiled.
"Come now, Harry! Surely you've heard enough of the Marauders to know we all had our roles. Remus was the academic brains, Sirius the brawn, James the heart, and I… I was the eyes. Any information or item we needed, it was my job to procure. Any place Sirius could escape from I can assure you I could as well."
"They told me you were in a cell that supressed your animagus form."
"And I was. Can I tell you a little secret? The DMLE might have great warders but horrible locksmiths. A ten-year-old Muggle with a paperclip could have unlocked that cell. I simply dropped one of the long-term prisoners into my cell so it was occupied. Once out of my cell I could change to my animagus form. The Dementors and the few Aurors on the island were no real challenge to avoid on my escape. But in my short stay I learnt that my old friend wasn't the first to escape. The others told me of Barty's replacement by his father. So once I escaped it was child's play to find him." The man smiled. "In a very real way, Harry, you are responsible for today. Without you saving me to go to Azkaban I would have never learnt of Barty's escape and been able to help the Master. So thank you!"
The man laughed. This was a very different Wormtail then the cringing, scared man in the Shrieking Shack. This man fit the few stories Remus had told of the cunning and brave Gryffindor boy that joined in the Marauders' adventures. Peter seemed to follow Harry's thoughts.
"A bit different then I was a year ago, no?" The traitor laughed. "Twelve years of living almost continuously as a rat took their toll. I was depressed with losing James and Lily for no reason with the Master's defeat. So I ate and slept for more than a decade. That kind of thing takes a toll on your brain, Harry."
"Don't you say their names, traitor," Harry growled. The Beast was just under the surface now.
Wormtail stepped up to look Harry in the eye. Harry could see a burning hate and fanaticism there now. "I loved James as my brother. Lily was the big sister that would help anyone. She was an example of all that a Mudblood could be if they shed that base world off. But you… you were a threat to the Master. He needed you dead. I could have done it- saved poor James and Lily with just a few drops of poison in your juice. But the Master insisted it had to be by his hand; that you were some kind of equal to him. So it was because of you that I had to betray my brother and sister."
Harry was shocked that Pettigrew would try to blame him for the older wizard's betrayal of his friends.
"You betrayed them long before you helped kill them!" Harry growled back. "They fought against everything your Master believed in. They thought you supported them. They trusted you and you took that trust and betrayed it every day since you took his mark on your arm."
Pettigrew looked murderous now. However his response was stopped by the return of Barty Crouch. The Death Eater was followed by three other people. The first was a much older man also wearing Death Eater robes with the hood thrown back. Next, was a middle-aged witch wearing a simple grey robe. Following her was a boy Harry's age that he recognized. It was Theodore Nott.
"Potter," his Slytherin classmate sneered. "I always said you should be chained up. Now look at you." Harry held his tongue. He was more interested in ripping out Wormtail's throat then dealing with this little pimple on Hogwarts's arse.