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Written for; Stickers - Ravenclaw - Grey Lady - Character Living in Parent's Shadow.

Word Count Without AN - 301

In His Shadows

"Oh, you're Crouch's kid."

That sentence haunted Barty. He wanted to be more than his name sake. He wanted to be more than Crouch's son. He wanted to be…

Better.

He was overshadowed from birth by his Father's career. He was second to the Ministry; even while being born, his father had been late to the hospital because of his work.

When he was sorted, the hat mentioned his father being a Ravenclaw, and Barty wanted any other house. Of course, when he wrote home to tell his parents that he was proudly displaying the colours of green and silver, he was a disappointment to a man that saw worth only in blue and bronze.

When he got one E on an O.W.L, instead of straight O's, he wasn't worthy of praise, because his father got straight O's.

"You're Crouch's son. Don't worry kid, we'll sort this mess out."

They didn't think it was possible that the marvellous Bartemius Crouch's son could ever be involved in something as horrific as the torture of the Longbottoms.

Nobody ever realised that it was his father's fault. They told him it was a mistake, that it would all be sorted out.

Barty listened to the words, knowing they were false.

His father would throw him away before he ever thought about compromising his career. Even if Barty was innocent, he would be forever guilty in his father's eyes.

Even if it was wrong time, wrong place.

Because it was still wrong, like everything Barty did, in his father's eyes.

Barty was imperfect, and that was unacceptable for the perfect Bartemius. As Barty sat in Azkaban, he heard a single phrase said by many different voices fill his mind, and he realised that this truly was hell on earth.

"Oh. You're Crouch's kid."