As an Auror, Moody was expected to possess extensive knowledge, but John doubted his expertise in alchemy. After all, if Moody were truly proficient in alchemy, he wouldn't need to purchase a looking glass. John speculated that Moody might have cast a spell on Harry, never anticipating that Harry would willingly give the Marauder's Map to someone else. He silently calculated the time it would take for Moody to make his appearance.
Meanwhile, Malfoy faced a reprimand from Moody, yet the smirk on his face remained. "Potter, it seems your guardian angel is always by your side," Malfoy sneered. "Do you sleep with your guardian angel in your arms too?" Harry, feeling ridiculed, couldn't help but think that Moody's overprotectiveness was a bit much. Despite this, Moody's kindness left Harry with no room for complaint.
The altercation concluded with Slytherin losing 20 points, a decision that visibly irked Malfoy. He lamented how Moody seized every opportunity to deduct points from Slytherin, much like Snape did with Gryffindor. Despite Slytherin's lead in the house cup race, the gap between them and the second-place Gryffindor was narrowing, now less than 50 points. This ignited a sense of urgency among the Slytherin students, while Gryffindor was more motivated than ever to end Slytherin's winning streak.
Seizing an opportunity, John planned his next move during a Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Moody's unconventional teaching methods, which involved students defending against his attacks, had led to complaints from both students and parents. The school, under pressure, decided to allow a supervised session by representatives from the school board and parents for the upcoming sixth-year class. Even Dumbledore had to yield to this decision.
On the day of the supervised class, which coincided with Harry's divination class, John had already requested leave. He knew that the class would require practicing countermeasures against dark magic, necessitating a move to the spacious staff lounge. As a precaution, John had Malfoy ready to provoke Harry if needed.
The parent representative for the supervision was Cedric's father, a respected Ministry of Magic official, while the school board was represented by Mr. Greenglass, Daphne's father. Greenglass, known for his neutrality even during Voldemort's reign, was a testament to the impartiality of the supervision.
As the supervised class approached, John used the Marauder's Map to confirm Moody's location in the staff room. This was advantageous for John, especially with Dumbledore present alongside the representatives. While the class was in session, John approached the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, intending to enter through a side door after ensuring no magical surveillance was in place.
Just as he was about to enter, John sensed something amiss. "Has someone triggered my magic?" he wondered, realizing that the detection spell he had set for the Star Club had been activated. Faced with a dilemma, John had to decide whether to continue his investigation or address the unexpected intrusion into the Star Club. John, suspecting the mastermind behind the confusion spell to be within the vicinity, decided to investigate further. His initial suspicion fell on Moody, who was known for his expertise in such spells. However, after confirming Moody was still engaged in a class through both the Marauder's Map and a message from Heinrich, John realized he was mistaken. The true perpetrator was someone else.
With urgency, John hastened his steps, navigating through the corridors under the watchful eye of Filch, who looked on in surprise. The Marauder's Map, a tool usually reliable, offered no clues this time since the Society of Stars lay beyond its scope. Determined, John approached the club's door, noting the sealed magic that guarded it. Had he not prepared an alternative magical entrance beforehand, he might have been at a loss.
"Let's see who's behind this," John murmured, his wand sliding into his grasp, ready for confrontation. He cautiously pushed the door open, immediately triggering the room's defensive spells and plunging the space into darkness. The Star Society, now shrouded in shadow, seemed an ideal hiding spot, but John's night vision pierced through the veil.
Scanning the room, John found no sign of the intruder until a clever use of revealing powder illuminated a figure disguised as a chair. The figure, now exposed, didn't hesitate to retaliate, launching a spell that John deflected with a Shield Charm. The battle that ensued was fierce, with spells clashing in the darkness, causing destruction all around.
John, realizing the gravity of his opponent's skill, escalated his efforts. "Reducto!" he shouted, unleashing a powerful curse that the mysterious figure narrowly countered. The duel intensified, with John leveraging the Star Society's magical properties to gain the upper hand. A concentrated beam of magic, guided by John's wand, finally overwhelmed the assailant.
As the figure attempted a counterattack, John's precision and strategic use of the environment subdued him. Approaching the fallen figure, John prepared to unveil the identity of this skilled adversary. "Who are you? So adept at confusion spells," John demanded, recognizing the importance of the Chamber of Secrets in his victory.
The moment of truth came as John gazed upon the face of the defeated. "Percy?" he gasped, taken aback by the revelation. The situation took another turn as Percy, regaining consciousness, aimed his wand at John and whispered, "Confundo."
John's vision blurred, the spell taking effect, leaving him to grapple with the unexpected betrayal and the implications of Percy's involvement. Biting the tip of his tongue to jolt himself awake, John witnessed a red light strike his body directly, propelling him backward. Staggering to his feet, his expression darkened as he coldly demanded, "Who the hell are you?" He refused to believe that Percy would act in such a manner; it was more plausible that someone had disguised themselves as Percy to unsettle John's mind, thereby exposing his vulnerabilities.
"You're quite astute," the man remarked, tearing off a damaged amulet and discarding it. John's gaze hardened upon recognizing it as one of his own creations. The man's smile widened as he confidently stated, "But you'll find it's still too difficult to detain me." With a flourish, he pointed his wand and intoned with a chilling elegance, "Fiendfyre."
John's expression shifted instantly as he saw the ferocious flames charging towards him. The man dropped his wand and dashed towards the exit. John was tempted to pursue, but he knew the fire could spiral out of control and devastate the Star Club. Left with no choice, he raised his wand, channeling a surge of powerful magic from the dome above directly into it. Focusing intently on the serpent-like Fiendfyre, John's own flames morphed into a dragon of fire, consuming the Fiendfyre. With every ounce of his strength, John extinguished the summoned inferno.
"Cruel and decisive... Who in the world is he?" John pondered, surveying the chaos that now reigned in the Star Club. The wand had succumbed to the Fiendfyre's wrath, and even if it had survived, John doubted it would yield any clues. The wand was a Silver Hand Johnny's Bearer wand, a detail that only deepened the mystery.
Retrieving the discarded amulet, John examined the serial number concealed on it. The amulets sold at the Johnny Silver Hand store were meticulously tracked through a real-name system. The only lead he had was to trace the owner of the amulet, a task that seemed daunting yet necessary.
_________
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https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge