✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

35 | M O O D Y

stars fall & the world goes blind.

   EMBER AWOKE IN the strangest place she'd ever been, flinching back as the first thing she spotted was Moody's wand pointed straight into her face. But he lowered it immediately, stepping aside to reveal the view at what Ember assumed was his office. Never had she seen such a hodgepodge of equipment, and she didn't know even half of this stuff's usage.

   Her head was still hammering and she let out a quiet groan, closing her eyes. A hand was intertwining with hers, squeezing it. Her eyes snapped open, turning her aching neck to her left she found Harry, and her heart jumped in relief. But it wasn't a long lasting sensation.

   Harry was covered in dirt and blood that was not yet fully crusted on his face. In his emerald green eyes there was so much going on, while the rest of his face showed a grave exhaustion.

   "You're okay, Potter?", Moody growled, bustling through his office, his magical eye on Ember.

   "I — think so ... What happened? Why are we here?", she asked.

   "What happened is what your brother was about to tell, but first he wanted to make sure you're alright", Moody said, finally stopping his pacing in front of Harry. "So, Potter, you were about to tell me what happened at the graveyard."

   "Graveyard?" Ember immediately felt wide awake. Forgotten was the throbbing pain in her head, the weird sensation running up and down her spine; her eyes were fixed on Harry, but he didn't look back. Instead he stared at Moody, his face plain, only his hand tightened around Ember's.

   "I don't think I mentioned a graveyard, Professor", he quietly spoke, face growing even paler under all those dirt and bloodstains.

   "I told you, Harry, I told you. If there's one thing I hate more than any other, it's a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry ..." Moody's face was suddenly lit with an insane smile. "Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful, prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all ... you."

   Ember's eyes flicked back and forth between Harry and Moody, not understanding a damn thing. The shock on Harry's face, his hand starting to tremble beneath hers ...

   "What — ?"

   "Shut up!", Moody snapped at her, his normal eye narrowed at her, the magical one remaining on Harry. "Say, Harry", he then went on, "who do you think put your name in the goblet of fire under the name of a different school? That was me! Who frightened off every person I thought might try to hurt you or prevent you from winning the tournament? I did. Who nudged Hagrid into showing you the dragons? I did. Who helped you see the only way you could beat the dragon? I did."

   Ember squeezed Harry's hand tighter, trying to ease his trembling, but her brother was shaking wildly.

   "Who told Cedric to open it underwater? I did. I trusted that he would pass the information on to you. Decent people are so easy to manipulate, Potter. But you almost ruined it, didn't you?" Moody again pointed his wand at Ember. "I was so sure it would be her. I would have sworn that it would be your precious sister, your hostage. But no! Fortunately there was still Diggory. I needed it to look like an accident. Poor little Ember, drowned in the lake. Tragical. But it was my mistake, I acted too late ... Just few seconds sooner ..."

   "Wh— no, you didn't!", Ember breathed. "You can't — why?"

   "My dear girl, haven't you noticed there's something going on? There's something inside you that longs to break free ... We don't want that. He doesn't want that. But let's be fair, it's just a small hindrance to get rid of."

   "What —"

   "You won't live long enough for this information to be relevant to you anyway", Moody dryly replied, turning back to Harry. "The Dark Lord didn't manage to kill you. Potter, and he so wanted to", whispered Moody. "Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him. I gave you to him - the thing he needed above all to regenerate - and then I killed you for him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter ... closer than a son ..."

   "You're mad", Harry said — he couldn't stop himself — "you're mad!"

   "Mad, am I?", asked Moody, his voice rising uncontrollably. "We'll see! We'll see who's mad, now that the Dark Lord has returned, with me at his side! He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him."

   Now that the Dark Lord has returned ... Before this information could fully unfold in Ember's brain, both of Moody's eyes were pointed at her, his mouth curved to the scariest grin she'd ever seen. "Lady's first", he whispered, his wand pointed at her drumming heart.

   "No! No no no!", Harry shouted, trying to push himself on his feet, but his injured knee didn't allow him to get between his sister and Moody. Under his full body weight the leg buckled and he fell onto the floor in front of Ember. "Take me!", he yelped. "Take me instead and let her go!"

   "Harry ..."

   Tears escaping her eyes, as she watched Harry's desperate attempts to do anything. Wandless like their father had been he managed to lift himself up, Ember jumping up to support him, so his knee wouldn't give in again.

   "Take me!", Harry cried. "Voldemort wants me, he wants me dead, not her! Let her go! Please let her go!" With a love and creed Lily Potter would be more than proud of, Harry stood his ground, not moving even an inch away from Ember's side.

   "This is no goodbye forever, Potter", Moody scoffed. "This actually is a goodbye for a few seconds, until you're reunited. No need to be sad. But as you wish", he then said, moving his wand towards Harry's head, pointing it between two emerald green eyes, his mouth opening —

   "NO!", Ember screamed, pushing Harry aside as hard as she could. A green light appeared at the tip of Moody's wand, and Ember closed her eyes, her last wish being directed at Harry somehow getting out of this alive, as for herself it was too late.

—