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22.
His face was pale and tense, marked by deep dark circles and an expression that wavered between guilt and hardness. His dark hair was tied back in a poorly made ponytail, and his gait carried the rigidity of someone who lived in constant vigilance.
He walked to the front door and opened it with a key.
Without exchanging a word, Moody and Dedalus crossed the street with determined steps. Moody limped noticeably. His right leg and left arm were mutilated and supported by mechanical prosthetics that made him slow and heavy. A reminder of what he considered a failure. And because of that failure, every step he took was carved with pain, his body a battlefield of ruins and scars whose unending aches felt like fire licking his bones, sometimes degrading his dignity to the point where he curled up in corners — bathroom, bed, anywhere far from others — to cry and then return to hating everything and everyone.
He drew a small vial from his coat and took a sip of amber liquid, easing the pain, if only for a moment.
They reached the door. Dedalus raised his wand and whispered a silent spell. The lock gave way with a faint click.
Inside, Amycus was holding a child in his arms. His wife, wearing a floral apron, smiled gently at her husband and daughter, unaware of the danger. Two other children were coming down the stairs, laughing among themselves.
Amycus turned at the sound of the door opening, and his gaze met Moody's.
For an instant, time seemed to freeze. His eyes widened in panic, instinctively tightening his hold on the child.
Moody didn't hesitate. With a swift motion, he threw a small black amulet into the house. The sphere rolled across the floor, beginning to glow with a pulsing light.
"Somnium Cruentus," Moody hissed.
He shut the door firmly. A flash burst through the cracks, followed by a dull thud. Something had fallen.
Dedalus looked at the door, disturbed.
"I still don't feel comfortable doing this," he muttered.
Moody stared at him coldly.
"We're at war, Diggle."
Dedalus remained silent for a few moments before asking, hesitant,
"How did you figure it out? I mean... Amycus... the family?"
Moody frowned, visibly irritated.
"Amateur," he growled. "Just shut up."
When they entered the house, wands raised, Alastor Moody and Dedalus Diggle found exactly what they expected. Amycus Carrow's wife and three children lay unconscious on the living room floor, their bodies frozen under the spell's effect.
Amycus, however, had resisted.
He was on his knees, dazed, struggling to reach his wand lying just inches from his trembling hand.
"The guy's still up!" Dedalus exclaimed, surprised.
Without hesitation, Moody stepped forward and struck Amycus's hand with a sharp kick, knocking the wand away. He picked it up instantly.
"It'll take more than a sleeping trinket to bring me down, you bastards…" Amycus snarled, spitting on the floor. "You think you can invade my home without consequences?"
Moody replied icily,
"Consider yourself lucky it was us… and not your little friends."
Amycus let out a bitter laugh, eyes burning with contempt.
"You really think it was a secret? How could anyone hide something from Mortavius' eyes? He sees everything… everything…"
The remark hardened Moody's face even more, unsettled by the truth of it.
Meanwhile, Dedalus examined the house's interior with uneasy curiosity. His gaze fell on Amycus's wife, lying beside the children. He bent down, lightly touching her sleeping face.
"Pretty…" he murmured. "The kids too. They're lucky she—"
Amycus writhed, fury twisting his expression.
"If you touch her again, I swear I'll kill you!"
"Dedalus, step back. Bring a chair. Now," Moody ordered, not looking away from the Death Eater.
Dedalus retreated, clearly unsettled, and went to the kitchen. He returned with a small wooden stool, which he handed to Moody.
With a faint groan of pain, Moody sat down. His back throbbed, and the mechanical knee creaked softly. He dragged his metal foot forward, settling himself directly in front of Amycus, who now lay on the floor.
"Keep watch," Moody said, eyes never leaving the Death Eater.
Dedalus turned, leaning against the door, silent. He watched the street without a sound.
Moody pulled from his pocket a stone engraved with runes—enchanted with partial petrification—and placed it on Amycus's chest. After a light tap, the spell activated.
"Now we can talk," Moody muttered. "Without surprises."