adiaphoron | d.m

TEN

➸ UNUSUAL FRIENDSHIP

CECILIA AND HARRY HASTENED THEIR PACE to keep up with Moody's brisk stride as he led them to his office. They exchanged a worried glance when they realized he was moving at a frantic pace. "Why the bloody hell is he so fast?" Harry whispered to Cecilia, who shrugged in response. They continued in silence, trying to keep up with Moody's swift movement.

By the time they finally entered his office, Moody had already disappeared from view. Taking advantage of the brief reprieve, Cecilia and Harry glanced around the room, taking in the eccentric decorations and strange artifacts that seemed to be scattered everywhere.

As they turned the corner, they were met with a sight that made Cecilia's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Moody was removing his prosthetic leg and placing it on a stand on his desk. She quickly lost interest and looked away, not sure why someone would display their leg like that. Harry's gaze lingered for a moment, but then he too looked away, his attention drawn to the large glass orb sitting on Moody's desk.

The orb seemed to be absorbing their attention, and Moody noticed. "That's a foe-glass - lets me keep an eye on my enemies. If I can see the whites of their eyes, they're standing right behind me."

As Moody spoke the final words, he let out a sudden burst of laughter, his thumbs pointed directly at Cecilia. The sound was low and menacing, making her skin crawl. But before she could process what was happening, a noise came from the trunk on the floor. It started as a muffled scream, but quickly grew louder and more frantic as it shook against the floorboards.

She stood, her gaze fixed on the trunk, then narrowed her eyes at Moody.

He was so bloody strange. Mad.

Moody's gaze flickered from the trunk to Cecilia and Harry, his expression unreadable. "Wouldn't even bother telling you what's in there," he said, his voice low and mysterious. "You wouldn't believe it if I did." He shifted his attention back to them, his eyes glinting with a knowing light. "Now, what are you both going to do about your dragons?" he asked, his fingers drumming a restless rhythm on the desk as he fumbled with his wand.

Harry hesitated, then spoke up, his voice uncertain. "Well, you know, I just thought I'd -" He trailed off, looking at Cecilia with a pleading expression. Oh Merlin, he was helpless. Cecilia bit her lip, fighting the urge to roll her eyes in frustration. Moody pushed out a small stool with his foot, gesturing for Harry to take a seat. Harry complied

Moody's gaze drifted up to meet hers, his expression expectant. She spoke softly, her hands still wrapped tightly around the strap of her bag, her eyes locked on his. "Well, I've already thought about a few spells that I could use," she began, her voice steady. "We know Dragons' skin are resistant to many spells - even powerful ones." She paused, her eyes never leaving Moody's face. "But their eyes aren't protected, so I could use the Conjunctivitis curse."

Cecilia maintained her composure, basking in the satisfaction and pride evident in Moody's stare directed at her. However, his unsettling smile momentarily dampened her mood, though he still appeared pleased with her response. He scrutinized her for a few moments, a disquieting intensity swirling in his eyes that made her uneasy. His expression shifted when he turned his attention back to Harry, who was gazing at Cecilia with admiration and curiosity.

"Listen to me, Potter," Moody spoke gravely. "Your pal Diggory, by your age, he could turn a whistle into a watch and have it sing you the time. Miss Delacour? She's as much a fairy princess as I am. As for Krum, his head may be filled with sawdust, but Karkaroff's is not. They'll have a strategy, and you can bet that it'll play to Krum's strengths. Hmm?