Thank Merlin the Prophet is out. Now I can finally tell you that yes:

Barty's alive. He walked into Spence last night and I almost killed him a second time, thinking he was some mad inferius! (Though he didn't look that bad.) The body we all reckoned was his is most likely his Mum's (keep that to yourself), polyjuiced up to look like him. Haven't got a bloody clue what she was doing, walking around with Barty's face, but that's not my job to figure out.

I'm staying tonight, just in case I'm called needed by family. But I'll be back at the castle for breakfast.