AN: This chapter is the beginning of the end. Well, not really. There's still ~70k words and 7-8 chapters after this. But this is what I'd call the start of the final arc.
As of posting this chapter, I'm actually writing the final chapter I have planned. By this time next week, I should be moving on to other projects. There's a high possibility for a sequel to this story but I'm decided and determined to actually end 'Book 1' and take a break before even beginning to plan that. The final word count for this story is looking to be ~270k words. I think that's more than enough for 'Book 1'.
Thank you to everyone for supporting this story and me by extension. It's been a whole-ass journey and I've enjoyed most of it. I struggled with burnout around the mid-point of this story but pushed through it. I'll be glad to work on something else though.
Updates will continue at the same pace (2 a week on Thursday and Saturday) for the next… 4 weeks/1 month. I hope you all stick around til the end. If you want to read the end early, check out my Pat reon.com/dryskies_btb.
IIIII
The Ministry had never been in such a state. Recent events had thrown it past chaos and into pandemonium. Perhaps in another timeline, this would have been an ordinary day. Just another day of bureaucracy and nine-to-fives. This was not that timeline.
The physical mess was typical. A government couldn't be run without its fair share of spilled papers and empty cups of tea and coffee. Owls flew through charmed shoots to the outside world, depositing their loads of mail, and beating hasty retreats. Paper airplanes flocked like starlings, flitting here and there in impossible ways.
A still-smoking pipe lay in a pile of forms and files until embers fell onto flammable material. The fire it started went ignored for minutes. On any other day, the flames would have been handled in seconds. Today, they somehow took a backseat to everything else happening at once.
Ministry employees hid beneath their desks. The reason why was obvious.
"Unacceptable!"
"That poor Diggory boy…"
"I'll have the toad's head!"
"How could you let her anywhere near our children?!"
"Personal grudge or not, there's a line you just don't cross!"
"Did you have anything to do with this, Fudge?! Could you not keep your attack dog on its leash?!"
Enough Howlers to shake the building's magical foundation raged and roared above their heads. Even the mail wards of the Ministry had collapsed under the onslaught of letters. Though directed at the Minister specifically, the Howlers spilled out into the rest of the Ministry.
Huddled away as they were, more than one Ministry employee rethought their jobs. The duller ones just didn't want to be yelled at like this again…
The smarter ones could see the writing on the wall. This could lead to revolution. And if it did, it wouldn't do to be on the losing side. Some formulated plans for severing ties. Others decided they would stay their hands until something concrete happened. The winners of a coup would need familiar hands to run the bureaucracy, after all.
In the chaos, more than a few desks were graced with letters from Hogwarts. Letters of warning concealed behind the expected words. Letters that confirmed those suspicions of revolution. Something was indeed brewing in the shadows. And it was beginning to spill out of Hogwarts.
The youth would still lead the charge. What was youth for other than planning political upheaval and revolution? But now some of the adults would know not to fight the coming storm. They could conveniently surrender to their own children, riding the wave that had already started. And they knew better than to talk or tattle. Nothing had been said outright, nothing confirmed directly. None were willing to go against their families for Cornelius Fudge of all people.
Paradoxically, these letters, this revolution, bought Fudge more time. Events were still in the works. The time wasn't quite right yet. But the recent attack and 'untimely' death of one Dolores Umbridge was a quiet boon for recruitment.
That effect wasn't clearer anywhere but in the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. The employees there worked with and directly under Amos Diggory. They knew him. They knew his son. Most had even met Cedric Diggory — the would-be victim of Umbridge's attack.
Amos Diggory himself was not having a good day. It started last night with the letters from Hogwarts and his son. His heart froze as he read about what his son had gone through, the threats and torture he endured, and the justice he was given. If he was on the fence about the Black Heir, his mind was made up in an instant.
Still, his heart ached for Cedric. Throughout that morning and most of the afternoon, he'd been distracted and forlorn. Even as the chaos in the Ministry began, he barely looked up from his desk. His coworkers pieced together the story, half from the letters some of them had received the night before from their own children and half from the biting, sarcastic non-Howler letter of complaint that deemed Umbridge a 'creature that fell under their authority'.
By mid-afternoon, every single one of them was willing to duel for Cedric Diggory. An entire department became his most steadfast supporter. If Umbridge was still alive, they would have started a crusade. All without verbally acknowledging the hints some of them received about what was coming in the next few months. Their allegiances were clear though. They stood with their children. They stood with Cedric Diggory.
Amelia Bones was having one Hell of a day as well. It seemed as if she was the only one running around trying to put out fires. What else was new?
She had anticipated some of today's chaos. She was one of the first outside of Hogwarts to know about the duel and the events leading up to it. Her investigation started before the students even finished writing their letters home.
She wasn't given the veiled warnings of revolution by her niece that others were. Perhaps that was fortunate though. She had enough on her plate as it was. And Susan wouldn't make her aunt choose between her and her job. Not yet at least. With the part Susan was playing in the revolution's plans, it was inevitable.
"Robbards!" Amelia barked. "Get a team together and neutralize these Howlers!"
"On it, boss."
"Shacklebolt! You're on fire duty and wrangling these damned airplanes. I think it's about time I pay our 'illustrious' Minister a visit. Scrimgeour, you're in charge while I'm gone."
Amelia walked quickly through the Ministry, dodging charmed airplanes that had grown minds of their own. She unceremoniously blasted any Howler that crossed her path. She stormed straight through the lines of people clamoring in the atrium.
Fudge clearly had a lot to answer for. And somehow, Amelia still wasn't confident that he would be removed. Impeached, perhaps. Censured and sanctioned, almost definitely. But the Ministry of Magic tended to do change very poorly. If Fudge could salvage even a single scrap of dignity and plausible deniability, he would be staying in his office for a little while longer.
"Cornelius Fucking Fudge!" Amelia bellowed, releasing all her pent-up frustration as she barged into the Minister's office and paid no mind to the frightened secretary trying to protest.
Silence greeted her back. The office was empty, completely still, and lacking the focus of Amelia's current rage. Amelia stopped in her tracks, fuming at thin air.
The pretty young Witch who Cornelius had as his secretary meekly stepped up behind Amelia, "H-He's… The Minister is out at the moment for a scheduled interview with the press… M-M-May I take a message, M-Madam Bones?"
Amelia paused for a moment, conflicted until the sight of the empty office and a distant Howler made her eye twitch, making up her mind, "… Fuck it. I'm the Director of the Morgana-damned DMLE! You're damn right you can take a message! Ready?
At the nervous nod, she continued, "Cornelius, consider yourself on probation! As of this moment, you're under investigation by me and my department! I'm going to make your last few months as Minister Hell! Wanker…"
"D-Did… you want me to include that last bit?"
"Yes, that's the most important part," Amelia grinned despite her anger. "Now, where does that wanker keep his good liquor? Hey, girlie? How do you wanna get drunk with the Director of the DMLE on your wanker boss' dime?"
A few floors away, Cornelius Fudge stopped what he was saying mid-sentence and sniffed the air, "And that's why-… Someone's stealing my good brandy!"
The couple of reporters he'd allowed to interview him stifled their laughter. One of them stepped up to get the interview back on track, "Minister? You were saying how you had nothing to do with yesterday's events?"
"Ah… Yes! Why, it's a tragedy, isn't it? That horrible, horrible woman… You think you know somebody… Well, good riddance. Personally, I'm glad she's dead."
"Minister, sir? That doesn't actually answer the question of your involvement. According to my sources, the Undersecretary was acting on your behalf within Hogwarts."
"Hogwash! She was just claiming that to get away with her atrocities! It's a baseless claim! I could never allow our children to come to harm! That's why I took control of the Triwizard Tournament in the first place! To avoid deaths and situations just like this. The fact that my Undersecretary acted with her own agenda can't reasonably be considered my fault, can it?!"
"So… you don't have a personal grudge against Heir Black because he threatened you at his trial?"
Fudge chuckled somewhat awkwardly but recovered, "That was just an unfortunate misunderstanding. I have nothing against Atlas Black. I think he's a wonderful young man, leading our children into the next generation! Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot but there's no bad blood to be found from me."
Another reporter piped in, "If that's true, Minister, would you like to give your opinion on the widowed Lady Malfoy's recent pushes for Werewolf Rights and political accountability?"
Internally, Fudge fumed at the reminder. Outwardly, he laughed, "Hahahaha, of course! I imagine her husband dying under such unfortunate circumstances has changed her mind on quite a few things. Lucius' death certainly affected me greatly. I just hope she doesn't completely forget and forgo tradition."
"Do you think these recent pushes are a way for Lady Malfoy to get back at her late husband for being a Death Eater?"
"I could not possibly speak for a lady," Fudge deflected.
"Do you anticipate seeing consequences for your late Undersecretary's actions?"
"I should hope not. Surely people will see the truth. That I had nothing to do with the actions that led her directly to an early grave. She acted entirely on her own. I simply trusted the wrong person. I'm a victim here too."
Autoquills quickly scribbled down his quote and Fudge felt the need to end the interview, "I think that's all the time we have today. Please, direct any other questions you have to my office. I shall see about answering them in a timely and appropriate manner."
He saw the reporters off, already imagining the headlines they would write. He'd done all he could to distance himself from Umbridge. So long as the public accepted his excuses, he may just see himself through this mess. That damned hateful bitch… This was all her fault.
Fudge sighed. He needed a drink. When he returned to his office to have that drink, he was met with the single worst development of the past day. Amelia Bones and his secretary — of all people — had raided his good drink. Fudge was left sober and still fuming, unable to even drown his worries and reward himself for his masterful damage control.
IIIII
"Back on my case again, eh, Tonks?" I greeted Tonks with a smile and a rhetorical question.
She grinned back at me, "Ah, you know, Bones seems to think I like you for some reason."
"You don't?"
Tonks smirked, eying me up and down, "I could take ya or leave ya."
"Is that any way to talk to the person who brought you and your mother back into the family?" I teased.
"I suppose it isn't," Tonks said, pretending to consider something. "Have I thanked you for that yet? It really does mean a lot to Mum. If we weren't family now, I'd thank you… ~more personally~"
Her attempt at teasing back fell far short of the mark. I scoffed, "As if that's ever stopped a Black."
That made Tonks stop. Her hair flashed an even brighter color of pink. Her cheeks colored slightly as well. She looked me up and down again. Her smirk slowly returned in full force. She met my eyes. Sparks flew. The air between us was suddenly thick with tension.
"I guess you're right…" Then she snorted and the sexual tension broke as if it was never there, just leaving hints of something more for the future. "Just save it for when I'm off the clock, yeah, Lil' Cuz?"
I suppressed a shiver at the unspoken promise, "… So you're here on Auror business?"
"Yep," Tonks confirmed, popping the 'p'. "Official investigation into the untimely death of Undersecretary Umbridge. Not that it's really needed. Bones is pretty sure she's already got all the facts. But I've still gotta ask you a few questions for the records."
I nodded, "Sure, go ahead. I certainly trust you more than Dawlish or any other Auror."
"We figured as much. And don't worry. Officially, this is just so we have your version of events. Cool?"
"Ready for you to start whenever."
Tonks set up an Autoquill and went through the standard procedures. She stated her name and mine for the record. She mentioned the case number and began asking me questions.
"Right, where do you reckon this whole thing started?"
I snorted, "Started? My trial? My birth? Umbridge seemed to have a very personal grudge against me and mine. But I doubt you need that whole story. So I'll start with Umbridge coming to Hogwarts…"
I recapped the events of the past week for Tonks. She stopped me here and there to ask questions but mostly let me talk. From Umbridge bullying Heather and me putting the fear of god into her. To Umbridge's embarrassing last dinner in the Castle and how I was worried I'd accidentally directed her at Cedric. Then I got to the meat of the situation.
"-So I got worried when Cedric didn't show up to class like usual. I eventually went looking for him and found that Umbridge had abducted him. She was torturing him with a knife that caused pain but left no marks, threatening him and his father, and trying to force him to sign a contract with a Blood Quill.
"I put a stop to all of that, stunning Umbridge. Then I dragged her out in front of the Castle. I couldn't let her get away with targeting the students like that. Something had to be done. I challenged her to a duel.
"She didn't even officially accept it before she was throwing curses at me without warning. During the duel, she only used Unforgivables. It was obvious she'd completely disregarded mercy. I felt the same. The Killing Curse was just the absolute final straw. So I acted accordingly…"
"There have been reports that you didn't use a wand. What weapon did you use instead?" Tonks asked.
"A family heirloom. It's a magically modified Dueling Revolver. I wasn't taking any chances," I answered honestly.
"And using this revolver, you put an end to the duel by killing Undersecretary Umbridge?"
"I can't answer that question with complete certainty."
Tonks blinked, "You can't?"
I hid a smirk, "No, I can't. There were no remains, after all. It was all very chaotic. First time I used the revolver. I'm relatively sure I hit her but who knows? She might have apparated out before the bullet hit."
"Right… I'll just put her down as 'Probably Dead'… And that should be all of that taken care of. I'll ask you to make yourself available for possible future questioning but that should be it for now. Are you fine with ending the interview there?"
I nodded, "I've said everything I needed to say."
"Cool," Tonks deactivated the Autoquill. "Now, off the record… You killed the bitch dead, yeah?"
I let my smirk show on my face, "Oh yeah. No way she could have apparated out of there. I doubt she even knew what hit her."
"Thank Merlin. I hated that toad. But why dance around the subject like that?" Tonks smiled but still asked.
"Plausible deniability in case someone tries to take me to trial again. It raises a shadow of doubt as to whether Umbridge is even dead or just hiding from her crimes. I've done the trial bit, not eager to do it again," I said, shrugging.
Tonks hummed to hide her laughter, "Heh-Hmm… I'll just keep that little bit out of my report."
"Thanks for that, Tonks."
"Hey, I gotta look out for my Lil' Cuz, right?"
"Even when the cousin kills someone?"
"Especially then. I'd barely call the toad a 'someone' though."
I chuckled at the morbid nature of her joke, "You won't find any disagreement from me there. Honestly, it's a miracle Umbridge could even pass for Human."
Tonks snorted, "Yeah, I think Weird Sisters wrote a song about her. 'Toad-Shaped Witches'? It's a bit on the nose, innit?"
"Err, I'm… not really familiar with their music. I know they performed at the Yule Ball but I didn't really pay them any mind," I said awkwardly.
"No way!" Tonks gaped at me like I'd just said the sky was red. "They're essential! I've gotta introduce you. Maybe take you to a concert or two. Even Witches and Wizards mosh."
"I didn't realize they were so culturally important."
"Are you kidding?! They're like Queen or The Beatles for the Wizarding world. They've been around forever. Not that they're the only band of note. Wands N'Roses. The Aurors. Red Hot Puffapods. Nirvana is new and a bit underground right now but they crossover with the Muggle world and they're one of my favorites. Did you know David Bowie's a Half-Blood? Anyway, I'm getting off track. The Weird Sisters are classic and as good a place as any to start listening to Wizarding music."
I grinned at her excitement, "Is this your way of asking me on a date? Or is this how you're going to 'personally' thank me?"
Tonks sputtered for a moment, her hair shifting colors as she was caught off-guard by the mention of a date, "I-I-… W-Wha-! Hey! You'd be lucky if I took you for a date, you git."
I made a show of checking her out, "Yes. Yes, I would."
Getting some of her confidence back, Tonks leaned forward, shifting her form so her breasts grew a couple of cup sizes, "Damn straight. You couldn't handle all of this, mate."
Leaning in as well, her shapeshifted chest pressed against mine and my face and lips came within inches of hers, "Is that a challenge~? Or a promise~?"
Her gaze flitted across my face. Something between a whimper, a laugh, and a moan tried to escape her lips. Her irises lit up, shifting from brown to pink and back again. Then my breath grazed her lips. She all but froze there.
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh…"
It seemed Tonks was pretty terrible at being teased back. She could dish it out but not take it. Still, with a smirk, I took pity on her. I pulled back slightly, leaving Tonks stunned and leaning into empty air.
"So anything else while you're here? We can set up a date at any time, Tonks."
Tonks snapped out of her daze, undoubtedly using her magic to suppress a blush, "Don't get cocky, Mister! I'll get you back for that!"
"I'm sure you will. I'm looking forward to it," I calmly agreed.
"Ugh, this isn't fair… You're supposed to be the younger, less experienced, easy-to-tease one here…" Tonks grumbled.
"Yeah, doesn't work so well when I have seven lovers, does it?" I chuckled.
Tonks grumbled for a few more moments before seeming to remember something and instantly changing the subject, "Hey, do you remember when Dumbledore talked to us about Mad-Eye?"
"Who?"
"Moody. That's his old Auror nickname."
"Ah, yeah, go on."
"I think I'm starting to get what he was on about. Mad-Eye's different. He didn't even try to curse me in the back and shout 'Constant Vigilance!' when I was coming in today," Tonks shuddered as if there was something viscerally wrong with that statement.
I blinked, "And…?"
"And?! He always does that! Takes every opportunity to make sure I haven't forgotten his training! Something's wrong. And I need to find out what. Will you help me?"
My face scrunched up slightly, "What is this, a side quest?"
< New Quest Unlocked: The Hunt for Moody >
< Condition(s): First, Dumbledore. Now, Tonks? Alastor Moody isn't displaying Constant Vigilance?! Is this the beginning of the end?! Figure out what's happened to Mad-Eye Moody! >
< Rewards: +5 to Awareness, Opportunity (use it wisely) >
Of course… And something about that quest description jumped out at me. 'The beginning of the end'? For some reason, I had a feeling the System wasn't just making a joke. The only 'end' I could think of was Voldemort's… The fact that the System prompted me with a quest made me think Moody had some path to the Dark Lord's final demise.
I sighed, "Alright… How are we going to do this?"
Tonks grinned, "Constant Vigilance!"
IIIII
"He hasn't cursed me once!" Tonks complained in a hushed whisper. "I've been here for an entire day now! And I know he's seen me multiple times. It's almost as if he's completely forgotten about me!"
"Maybe he's just busy…" I wasn't convincing myself with that, much less Tonks.
"Really?" Tonks said with a look as Moody walked past us in the hallway. "That doesn't even begin to explain the rest of it…"
Moody still didn't acknowledge her. He just walked on by. It was just a bit weird for someone who had trained Tonks only a year or two ago. I was beginning to understand what Tonks meant when she said he was acting off.
My side quest had quickly turned into a coven-wide activity. Luna and Heather wouldn't let shenanigans like this pass them by. Septima and Hermione were supportive and inquisitive as always. Bella barely needed to be mentioned. She would follow me into Hell. Gabrielle and Aurora saw this as one big group bonding session and a chance to lay back and relax after the events of last week in equal measure.
We had spent most of the day trying to figure this little problem out. I excused myself from most of my classes for the day, citing Auror's business. Which technically wasn't a lie. There was proper investigation work being done here.
I casually inserted myself into one of Moody's classes. Tonks tagged along as my 'guard'. That was… an experience… as always.
Moody's method of teaching was intense. It had been since the start of the year. He focused almost entirely on the practical aspect of Defense. That made him relatively popular despite his harsh eccentricities. In his class, you were more likely to have to use a counter-curse on yourself than read it from a book.
But nothing he taught was objectionable, per se. Not to the best of my knowledge, at least. I'd heard rumors of the Unforgivables in his first lessons but I didn't quite believe them. And I wasn't there to say either way. Perhaps he just gave an extensive lecture on them. Tonks supported that idea, saying Moody hated the Unforgivables as much as he hated Dark Wizards and would never be caught dead using them.
At a coven (plus Tonks) gathering before dinner, Heather was the one who backed up those rumors, "Oh, yeah, that happened. Almost forgot about it. That was kinda fucked up, huh?"
"What?!" Tonks gaped at her, utterly horrified by what she was hearing. "All three of them?! Even the Imperius?"
"Yeah, he put a couple of students under it."
"Merlin and Morgana!" Tonks exclaimed. "He hates that curse the most! Students?! How is he not in Azkaban right now?! Did no one complain?!"
Heather blinked, "Now that you mention it… I don't think anyone did…"
"There's no way… Moody would never-… T-That can't be him. Even if it is, I have no choice but to bring him in," Tonks sounded like she didn't even believe her words.
The other girls only piled on more evidence that something was wrong as the day went on, pointing out little things they'd noticed throughout the year.
"He is-… How to say?… Wrong," Gabrielle explained. "He does not respond to my inner fire and Allure the way he should. He is dark, icy, empty… Like-… Like father-in-law and Bella. But they are partially healed. Their souls are filling back up. They respond to the Allure. This Moody… he does not. It is like my Allure is bouncing off an empty shell."
"Did Moody spend any time in Azkaban? Or just around Dementors?"
Tonks shook her head, "Not that I know…"
"I can second that observation," Luna said, surprisingly serious. "The magic in his body is strange to look at. Like it's partially concealed by a shell of some kind. I thought it was just the way it interacts with his prosthetics but maybe there's something more there…"
"He has two flasks," Hermione pointed out. "One he drinks from regularly and the other, I rarely see him use."
Septima nodded, "I noticed that as well. He drinks from the rare flask at hour intervals. Almost to the second."
Tonks paled as a worrying picture was painted with anecdotal evidence. Bella's contribution put the final nail in the coffin.
"He reminds me of someone…"
"Someone… other than Mad-Eye…?" Tonks asked hesitantly.
Bella nodded slowly as if trying to remember something, "Moody and I met many times during the war. Every time, I was made to fight him. You'd think he wouldn't all but ignore me now that I'm free and staying in such close proximity."
"Mad-Eye wouldn't attack you for no reason," Tonks weakly defended.
"He really hated me," Bella shook her head. "But that's not what I'm talking about. He doesn't even keep that magical eye of his on me."
"Maybe he's just-…" Tonks' denials crumbled. She couldn't keep trying to convince herself that her mentor Moody was who he said he was.
"Ah!" Bella snapped, interrupting Tonks. "That little flick and the way he chokes up on his wand! That's 100% Barty!"
Silence rang like a bell. The final piece slotted into place.
"So… Imposter Moody?" I offered the only apparent explanation.
"Imposter Moody," Heather agreed.
"Imposter Moody," Hermione and Septima did as well.
"The real Moody has been abducted by Giant Silver-winged Pixies and replaced by a Changeling!" Luna gasped.
"Goodness!" Gabrielle shivered. "To be around an imposter for nearly a year without anyone realizing…"
"Oh, Merlin…" Tonks let out a horrified whisper. "Imposter Moody…"
"Huh, I guess it's a good thing I told the House Elves to slip something into his food then," Aurora said, shrugging nonchalantly.
"You drugged him?! That would never work on… Moody…" Tonks trailed off.
"Imposter Moody," I reminded her.
"Plus this is one of Severus' special potions. It's untraceable. It has to be just in case the Ministry decides to start drug testing Hogwarts," Aurora added with a snort. "Not that they would. Or that they would find a single completely sober staff member here anyway."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "The more I learn about the staff's personal habits, the more I worry about the quality of my education."
Aurora grinned, "Let's see you keep that same opinion after a single day of teaching at Hogwarts. From Severus to the Weasley Twins, even Minerva deserves a way to relax with some specially bred catnip."
"Can we focus here?!" Tonks begged. "My mentor is an imposter! One that managed to fool everyone from me to Dumbledore for over half a year!"
"Ah…" Bella sighed fondly. "Barty always was talented like that. He wanted to go into theater. But then his asshole father found out and accidentally pushed him straight into the Dark Lord's open arms."
"Neat. Yet another thing to blame on Crouch Snr," Heather snarked.
"Is there something we should know?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "You talk about him like he's an old friend."
Bella scoffed, "Hardly. He's still a sadistic little bastard who will do anything to please the Dark Idiot. He was just one of the nicer ones to me when I was under contract."
"What are we going to do?! We have to rescue Moody! What if he's-… Oh, Merlin! He can't be dead!" Tonks was nearly hyperventilating, unable to reconcile herself with the likely truth of the situation.
I shared a glance with the rest of the coven. Tonks wasn't dealing with this well at all. I knew she was close to Moody but I didn't realize she was this close to him. I stepped up to her and put my hands on her shoulders.
"Tonks. Look at me."
She met my eyes. I saw fear and anger there. She barely knew how to react. She was understandably freaking out. Her mentor had been replaced by a Death Eater. She didn't even know if he was still alive.
"What would Mad-Eye say about your reaction right now?" I asked, trying to help her ground herself.
"H-He'd tell me to get my shit together…" Tonks answered, taking a fortifying breath.
"Sounds like good advice. You'll be no help to him while you're panicking."
A few more deep breaths later, Tonks looked back at me with steel in her eyes, "Right… What now? How are we going to get this imposter bastard?"
"Aurora?" I asked without taking my eyes off Tonks'. "What did you say you slipped Imposter Moody?"
"Oh, just that potion I offered you before the Yule Ball…" Even without looking at her, I could hear Aurora's smirk.
"The one that acts like Ketamine?"
"That's the one."
"And you're confident he won't notice?"
"Positive. I'd bet Severus' reputation on it."
Heather snorted in the background, "As if Snape's reputation holds any weight…"
"I think her point was clear, Heather," Hermione said with exasperation.
Ignoring their little byplay, I addressed Tonks again, "There you have it. Soon enough, Imposter Moody will be drugged to the gills. We'll set up an ambush for him, pump him for information, and rescue the real Moody. If that fails, we'll avenge him."
"I-… I should really bring him in…" Tonks said hesitantly, sticking to her duties as an Auror despite her desire for revenge.
I nodded in respect, "Then we'll do that. No matter who the imposter turns out to be, he'll certainly have committed more than enough crimes to see him in Azkaban for the rest of his life."
Tonks breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Atlas… I almost did something stupid and clumsy and ruined everything."
"Don't worry," I reassured. "Justice will be had."
"Just one more thought occurs…" Tonks said leadingly. "Do we get Dumbledore involved?"
I froze at that idea, "Oh, fuck."
IIIII
Alastor "Imposter" Moody stumbled from his seat at the staff table in the Great Hall. He didn't even notice how unsteady on his feet he was. The prosthetic on one leg seemed to send him forward miles. His real foot moved him inches.
The world around him didn't spin. That would require movement. He was utterly still, even as he walked. He was removed from reality, watching as something piloted his body. A black hole behind him pulled at his soul until he was in the third person.
Every sound was too loud, every smell too quiet. He knew something was different. He couldn't bring himself to care. His body floated from the Great Hall, full of clouds.
The reaction he garnered as he left didn't make it into his magical eye. That device was too busy drifting skyward to watch his surroundings. The same could be said for the several people who got up to follow him as he left.
Atlas, Septima, and Aurora were first. Tonks joined them, not even bothering to shift from her usual form. Heather, Hermione, and Luna followed from the student tables. They made their departure look natural and were joined by Bella and Gabrielle outside the Great Hall, pointing the whole coven in the direction Imposter Moody went.
Already, within the Great Hall, the more perceptive students, staff, and guests had taken notice. They watched as the White Coven had all of its members basically confirmed without a word. And they wondered what the coven was doing. Was there something in the works? Something that involved Alastor Moody?
Then something unusual happened. Albus Dumbledore rose from his seat early. He placated his Deputy Head and simply walked away. He left the Great Hall with a calm, assured pace as if he had all the time in the world. Behind him, chatter and speculation ran rampant through the Great Hall.
Alastor "Imposter" Moody couldn't have known any of this. He walked and stumbled, rolled and skipped all at once. He was ascendant. He was rapturous. He was… high…? That couldn't be right…
He didn't even realize he was being ushered into his quarters. His mind was somewhere else completely. His favorite musical played out in his head. He acted every part at once and still found the time to be every single audience member. Was he dancing and singing?
He was not. Alastor "Imposter" Moody was herded into his room like a cat. At least, that's what the White Coven likened the experience to. Alastor "Imposter" Moody was a leaf on the wind. He was a boat on the currents. He went with the flow, unable to do anything else.
Something was forced down his throat. Alastor "Imposter" Moody swallowed. He was a guest in his own body, not himself in more ways than one. One of those ways was quickly rectified. Something pushed out of his leg and face. Where'd the view of his butt go…? And why wasn't he wobbly anymore…?
"Good Lord, Aurora, how much did you dose him with?" A voice…?
Ah, fans! His adoring public was here to cheer on his marvelous musical performance. The critics would love this! Oh, he couldn't wait to read the reviews!
Just as he opened his mouth to bring Cats — that wonderful Broadway musical! — To life, Hell descended upon Alastor "Imposter" Moody.
He choked on his own breath. Unseen Fiendfire scorched his soul. Empty cold pulled at his being. Tangible pressure did its best to compress him into a tight ball. His muscles gave out. His magic quaked and screamed. His high was robbed from him. The whole world was suddenly all too real. Dangerously so.
He was unceremoniously thrown back into his body to find himself staring into a familiar aged face with eyes that twinkled.
Barty Crouch Jnr couldn't even scream. But oh how he wanted to. He almost didn't recognize Albus "Too Many Names" Dumbledore. He'd never seen Dumbledore like this. No one had. At least, no one who was alive to give their testimony. Even the Dark Lord hadn't lived to see Dumbledore this personally angry at him.
The twinkle in those eyes was usually so friendly — almost teasing. Now, Albus "Too Many Names" Dumbledore wasn't even trying to hide the menace and danger there. The man Barty found himself staring at was the same one who defeated Grindlewald. The only Wizard the Dark Lord feared. The man whose friend Barty had been impersonating. And he was furious.
"Hello, young Barty. Since you were so kind as to join us, I have a question for you. Where is my friend?" Dumbledore asked calmly...