Light in the Darkness

Chapter 27

As they entered into Hogwarts and took their seats, Adelaide stuck close to her brother. She was still embarrassed from her encounter with George, leaving so abruptly the way she did undoubtedly gave him quite a scare. She hoped he knew it wasn't his fault, but she couldn't bring herself to even look at him, never mind talk to him.

Adelaide and Perseus knew that the Triwizard Tournament would be held at Hogwarts this year. The Dark Lord instructed that they get Harry selected as a champion, to help him through the challenges, and get him into the final so they could bring him to the graveyard.

The tasks were dragons, the Black Lake, and an enchanted maze with the Triwizard Tournament Cup in the center. Their parents demanded that the first thing Adelaide and Perseus did was learn how to turn the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey that would take Harry to the graveyard. That was the easy part, the rest would be extremely difficult.

Dumbledore began his speech as he did every year and announced the Triwizard Tournament to everyone. Whispers of excitement flew across the Great Hall, with the exception of the Quidditch players who were furious that their season would be cancelled. Marcus Flint in particular looked like he was going to murder Dumbledore himself, but Viola rubbed his shoulder in attempts to calm him. A man from the Ministry, who Adelaide knew to be Barty Crouch, stepped forward and announced that no students under the age of 17 were allowed to enter the Triwizard Tournament.

Adelaide's stomach dropped, she looked over to Perseus who looked like he was about to be sick. 

Suddenly a great boom sounded from the Great Hall ceiling, lightening spraying across the fake sky, a frightening man who looked like he was in some sort of explosion and was barely put back together in one piece stepped out from the shadows and sent a spell up that calmed the angry ceiling. Perseus whipped his head away from the front and grabbed Adelaide's hand, growling, "Don't let him see you, duck down your head." Adelaide obliged, making herself small behind him. "What is it Perseus?" she whispered, absolutely terrified of the reasons Perseus was acting this way.

"The man who just walked in...that's Mad Eye Moody, the Auror." Perseus gulped before lowering his voice even softer, "Father did that to him." he motioned at the missing leg and prosthetic eye that shot around the room. Her heart began to beat out of her chest. She winced as Dumbledore announced that he would be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. She couldn't avoid him for long.

She felt as though she were about to die as the terrifying Professor settled his gaze towards her. He smirked and suddenly she heard a familiar voice in her head,

Hello Addie 

Momentarily forgetting the people around her she let out a huge sigh of relief, grasping her chest as though she were preventing her heart from jumping out of it. 

'Philip? What are you doing??' She cried.

'Lucius received news last minute that the Ministry was only allowing students over the age of 17 in the Tournament, so they sent me here as this crazy old git to ensure Harry is put into the Tournament regardless.'

"I told you not to look at him you idiot!" Perseus hissed, seeing that she was now having a staring contest with the ex-Auror. She whispered into his ear, ensuring no one else could hear her, "It's not Moody, that's Philip." 

"What do you mean?" He scoffed, looking over to see the Professor taking a swig from a flask that did not seem to be too appetizing as he shuddered after swallowing the liquid. 

"Polyjuice Potion." Perseus muttered under his breath. "What the hell is he doing here?" Perseus questioned. "Hopefully to solve this age restriction issue." Adelaide sighed.