Pennelope and the Goblet (Harry Potter Love Story) book 4

Moody (part two)

Dumbledore walked over to the trunk with seven locks. He put the first key in the first hole and opened it. It's filled with spellbooks. I ooed at them and began to reach for them, but Dumbledore put the second key in the lock and opened it, the spellbooks vanished: this time it's filled with broken Sneakoscopes, some parchment and quills, and a invisibility cloak.

Harry and I watched as Dumbledore put the rest of the keys in there locks, reopening the trunk each time, and revealing something different every time. Then he placed the seventh key in the lock, threw open the lid.

I gasped and stumbled a bit. I'm looking down into this pit, an underground room, and lying on the floor, who seems fast asleep, is the real Mad-Eye Moody.

I turned my head to look at Harry, we gave each other a look and began to star at the supposedly real Moody and the Moody in the trunk. Dumbledore climbed into the trunk, lowered himself and lightly hit the floor, he bent over Moody while I stared at them.

"Polyjuice Potion," I whispered. I picked up the hip-flask that Dumbledore left and sniffed it. I gaged and threw it down. "That's Polyjuice potion."

"Correct," Dumbledore said pleased. He turned back to Moody and examined him. "Stunned - controlled by the Imperius curse - very weak," he said. "Of course, they would have needed to keep him alive. Harry, throw down the impostor's cloak, Alastor is freezing. Madam Pomfrey will need to see him, but he seems in no immediate danger."

Harry did as told; Dumbledore covered Moody up and climbed back out, he took the hip-flask out of my hand and dunked it on the ground.

"This is Polyjuice Potion, Pennelope," Dumbledore said. "How did you know?"

"Oh, I - Er - I don't remember - OH! I read it in a book," I said, looking around the office to see what I can use, my eyes landed in a book, so why not?

"Hm," Dumbledore gave me a look that says 'I know what you did' I blushed. "You two see the simplicity of this, and the brilliance for Moody never does drink except from his hip-flask, he's well known for it. The imposter needed if course to keep Moody close by, so that he could continue making the potion. You see his hair . . ." I walked over to the trunk to see chunks if hair missing. "The imposter has been cutting it off all year, see where it is uneven? But I think, in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done . . . One hour . . . Every hour . . . We shall see."

Dumbledore pulled out the chair at the desk and sat down upon it, his eyes fixed on Moody.

I looked back at Harry to see his leg shaking, I grabbed his shoulders and set him down on a chair. He scooted over a little bit and I say down, it's quite odd, our but cheeks are touching, making this awkward moment.

And if any of us move, then well fall off. I can't sit on his lap because I'll injure his leg, and he can't sit on my lap because that's just plain awkward! The chair suddenly widened, making it much easier to sit on. Harry and I looked over to Dumbledore to see him putting his wand away.

Minutes passed and we all sat in silence.

Then, the sight is quite revolting. The face of the man on the floor began to change. The scars that are normally on his face disappeared, the skin is smooth now. The nose shrunk. The long gray hair is withdrawing and turning to the color of straw.

The wooden leg fell away and a normal leg grew, the magical eyeball popped out and rolled to my feet, I shrieked and kicked it away.

The man that now lies before me had pale skin and slightly freckled, with a moo of fair hair. I heard footsteps outside in the corridor. Snape returned with Winky at his heels, McGonagall right behind them.