Hermione was standing tall in the grass. She could see in every direction, and she, too, was alone. Using her keen eyes, she scanned the field in front of her. What was she looking for? She was missing something. Or was it someone? She was missing someone. Or maybe not. Someone was missing her. She hopped up on top of a rock for a better view. She was here, and she was waiting. Someone needed her, and she was waiting for them. Was she waiting in the right place? She couldn't see them. She couldn't hear them, hold him, smell him... him. Harry. Harry was searching for her. Where could he be? Where could he find her? Instinctively, she looked down to the ground again. Underground. Underground is safe, underground is comfortable, underground is secret. Their secret, only they could go there... the Chamber of Secrets! She needed to find the Chamber. Hopping across the field, she investigated a hole in the ground. Did that one lead to the Chamber? She jumped in, then back out. No. Next one. She continued to search.
They woke up in each other's arms, gripping each other like as if their lives depended on it. Both of them thought of breaking apart, but both also decided to savour the moment instead. When it was clear to each of them that the other was awake, Harry told Hermione about his dream. "I was flying. I was searching for you... I had to find you, Hermione. I, uh, also tried to get you a gift."
Hermione looked at seductively, biting her lower lip. "A gift, huh? What did you get me?"
Harry avoided her gaze, and muttered, "The golden snitch."
Hermione's seductive gaze disappeared instantly. "That's really romantic, Harry," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and half a smile crossing her lips.
"Hey! It was just a dream! I didn't really have control over it," he said defensively. "And what did you dream about, by the way?"
"I was waiting for you. I was trying to find the Chamber of Secrets by jumping into holes in the ground..." Hermione said. When Harry looked like he was trying to suppress his laughter, Hermione added, "It was just a dream, alright? It made sense then."
"Well, in any case, I'm pretty sure this means my animagus form is some kind of bird. With talons."
"And mine is some kind of burrowing animal... I just hope I'm not a rat," Hermione said, as she made a face. They decided to lay there for a while and enjoy each other's presence again, just like how they found themselves when they woke up.
When they realized their afternoon nap had taken them to dinnertime, they quickly made their way back to Gryffindor Tower to grab the Marauder's Map before heading to the Great Hall. Right outside the entrance, Harry hid behind the corner while Hermione peeked in, looking at the staff table. "Is he there?" asked Harry.
"Yes, he's sitting at his chair," answered Hermione. "What does the map say?"
"It's him alright. Alastor Moody." Harry folded up the map, they proceeded inside for dinner. They resolved to get more background information on Moody by asking the other staff members the next day.
XXXX
"Professor McGonagall, we'd like to ask you a few questions about Professor Moody." Harry and Hermione had stayed behind after their Transfiguration class, hoping to get a better picture of Moody's character from their Head of House.
"What would you need to ask me for that you couldn't ask him directly?" McGonagall had always had a strong sense of fair play- and, of course, bravery. Talking about people behind their backs wasn't something she approved of.
Hermione gave a well-practised reply. "We haven't exactly had a pleasant record of DADA teachers, especially not Harry. I mean, in first year, it was Quirrel, who Harry defeated to get the philosopher's stone. In second year, Lockhart vanished his bones once, and tried to obliviate him. Professor Lupin was the only good teacher we've had. We'd like to know if you've ever known Professor Moody outside of Hogwarts."
Professor McGonagall frowned, but nodded in agreement. "I agree you haven't received a... consistent education these past few years in DADA. However, I can assure you that Moody certainly knows enough about the subject. He used to be Head Auror at the Ministry. He refused to take the post of Head of Magical Law Enforcement because, as he claimed, he 'couldn't catch dark hooligans from behind a desk.' Although he's never taught schoolchildren before, he trained dozens of Aurors at the academy for a decade after the end of the last war. That might be why he seems like such a harsh teacher. He's used to working with people who are older, more powerful, and more willing to learn the subject."
Harry nodded. "Um... can I ask you if he's been acting any differently? Or unusually?"
The professor gave them a warm chuckle. "I suppose you're talking about his rather odd habits? Scanning his food for poison, drinking from his hip flask, all the dark detectors he has around his classroom and the general... paranoia? He's been like that for years. Even before the first war against You-Know-Who. He was a young recruit back during the rise of the previous dark lord, Grindelwald. I believe one of his comrades turned out to be a spy for Grindelwald. It's how he lost his leg, right in enemy territory. He fought his way out somehow, but he could rarely trust anyone completely after that."
They thanked their professor for her time. The following day, they tried the same thing with Professor Flitwick.
"So you'd like to know more about Professor Moody?" The normally cheerful, diminutive professor grinned a rather feral grin. "My suggestion to you is never to take him head-on."
Harry gave him a blank look. "We... err... weren't planning to."
"Good! Because in all my years as a professional dueller before I came to Hogwarts, I've never seen anyone fight like him. Then again, I've never had a chance to duel him properly. I'm sure, with all the rules and regulations in place, I could still beat him in an arena, but I'd never imagine trying to take him on out in the field. His style of combat would have you bleeding on the ground before the referee could count the number of fouls he'd committed. You can certainly learn a lot about magical combat from that man, about as much as you could learn from me about duelling."
Professor Flitwick made him sound scary- an international champion of duelling just admitted, flat-out, that he would lose in a real fight against Moody. Hermione nervously asked, "But he's fair, right? You'd trust him to use his skills... for justice?"
"Oh, of course! He always tried to capture his targets alive and give them a proper trial. Mind you, 'alive' just means 'alive.' He'd rarely try to stop someone with a mere stunner. He always made sure he took them down hard enough that they couldn't get back up again, except to sit in a chair in front of the Wizengamot. As far as trust goes, you'd have a harder time proving to him that you're on the side of the Light than the other way around. He rarely trusts anyone, even old friends have to prove their identity with secret questions whenever they meet. He's still keeping tabs on all the younger professors here at Hogwarts, like Professor Vector."
.
.
.
🎉The novel is available in PDF, visit us in our Ko-Fi store🎉
🎉ko-fi.com/madarasama125🎉