Previous Chapters:
Chapter 1: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003585181
Chapter 2: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003585386
Chapter 3: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003589099
Chapter 4: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003589999
Chapter 5: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003590737
Chapter 6: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003592048
Chapter 7: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003593450
Chapter 8: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003594715
Chapter 9: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003595876
Chapter 10: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003596713
Tags: @MeowTasticCat @Bellatrisblack @Diantha Angelina Black @CatsAndRoblox @Kakaonut
Chapter Eleven: Mad-Eye Moody
The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead as Harry, Theodore, Allison, and Tracey examined their new course schedules at breakfast. A few seats along, Terence was asking Lucian if he was going to enter the competition Triwizard Tournament.
‘Today’s just the worst...both the classes suck,’ said Harry as he finished going over Friday’s schedule. ‘Double Divination with Ravenclaw, I hope Trelawney got a grip over the summer, and then double Potions, I am so sick of Snape...’
Divination was his least favourite subject, apart from Potions. Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry’s death, which he found extremely annoying.
‘Potions isn’t that bad,’ Theodore said with a shrug.
Allison rolled her eyes, ‘Says the prodigy. Harry, you can’t drop potions, but you can drop Divination at any point and pick something else. I know you like Numerology.’
Before Harry could respond, there was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, Harry looked up and saw both his snowy white and Canini’s Barn owl. Hedwig was Harry’s owl, but while he and Theodore were at Hogwarts she delivered for both of them. They each got a letter from their parents asking how their first day went, and Harry got one from Nymphadora that talked about how her first few days as a full auror were going. On the other end of the table Draco Malfoy’s eagle owl had landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like his usual supply of sweets and cakes from home.
Harry tried to make the happy feeling of getting mail last as long as possible, but quickly he found it hard to ignore the sinking feeling of disappointment in his stomach as he knew he’d have to go to his least favourite classes soon, Harry returned to his porridge.
Harry, Theodore, and Tracey set off for North Tower where, at the top of a tightly spiralling staircase, a silver stepladder led to a circular trap- door in the ceiling, and the room where Professor Trelawney lived.
The familiar sweet perfume spreading from the fire met their nostrils as they emerged at the top of the stepladder. As ever, the curtains were all closed; the circular room was bathed in a dim reddish light cast by the many lamps, which were all draped with scarves and shawls. It was impossible in the room to tell if it was night or day. Harry, Tracey, and Theodore walked through the mass of occupied chintz chairs and poufs that cluttered the room, and sat down at the same small circular table.
‘Good morning,’ said the misty voice of Professor Trelawney right behind Harry, making him jump.
A very thin woman with enormous glasses that made her eyes appear far too large for her face, Professor Trelawney was peering down at Harry with the tragic expression she always wore whenever she saw him. The usual large amount of beads, chains, and bangles glittered upon her person in the firelight.
‘You seem to be preoccupied, my dear,’ she said mournfully to Harry. ‘My inner eye sees past your cunning face to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless. I see difficult times ahead for you, alas...most difficult...I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass...and perhaps sooner than you think...’
Her voice had dropped almost to a whisper. Tracey shook her head at Harry, who looked stonily back. Professor Trelawney swept past them and seated herself in a large winged armchair before the fire, facing the class. Terry Boot and Sue Li, who deeply admired Professor Trelawney, were sitting on poufs very close to the front of the class.
‘My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars,’ she said. ‘The movements of the planets and their moons, and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle...’
But Harry’s thoughts had drifted. The perfumed fire always made him feel sleepy and dull-witted, and Professor Trelawney’s rambling talks on fortune-telling never held him exactly spellbound—though he couldn’t help thinking about what she had just said to him. “‘I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass...’”
But Allison was right, Harry thought irritably, Professor Trelawney really was an old fraud. He wasn’t dreading anything at the moment at all...well, unless you counted his fear of what connected his dream to the World Cup attack...but what did Professor Trelawney know? He had long since come to the conclusion that her brand of fortune-telling was really no more than lucky guesswork and a spooky manner.
Except, of course, for that time at the end of last term, when she had made the prediction about Voldemort rising again...and Dumbledore himself had said that he thought that trance had been genuine, when Harry had described it to him...
‘Pss...Harry!’ Tracey whispered.
‘What?’
Harry looked around; the whole class was staring at him. He sat up straight; he had been almost dozing off, lost in the heat and his thoughts.
‘I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn,’ said Professor Trelawney, a faint note of resentment in her voice at the fact that he had obviously not been hanging on her words.
‘Born under—what, sorry?’ said Harry.
‘Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!’ said Professor Trelawney, sounding definitely irritated that he wasn’t riveted by this news. ‘I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth...Your dark hair...your mean stature...tragic losses so young in life...I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in midwinter?’
‘No,’ said Harry coldly, ‘I was born in late July.’
Theodore couldn’t help whisper, ‘Burn!’
Half an hour later, each of them had been given a complicated circular chart, and was attempting to fill in the position of the planets at their moment of birth. It was dull work, requiring much consultation of timetables and calculation of angles.
‘I’ve got two Neptunes here,’ said Harry after a while, frowning down at his piece of parchment, ‘that can’t be right, can it?’
Tracey giggled, ‘Your birth was so special the sky literally stopped working.’
Daphne and Millicent, who were working nearby, sniggered loudly, though not loudly enough to mask the excited gasp from Terry Boot— ‘Professor Trelawney, come here! I think I’ve got an unaspected moon! What is this one, Professor?’
‘That is Atlas, Mr Boot,’ said Professor Trelawney, peering down at the chart.
‘At-las we can get out of here soon,’ said Theodore jokingly. Most unfortunately, Professor Trelawney heard him, and it was this, perhaps, that made her give them so much homework at the end of the class.
‘A detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming month will affect you, with reference to your personal chart,’ she snapped, sounding much more like Professor McGonagall than her usual airy-fairy self. ‘I want it ready to hand in next Friday’s class. No exceptions.’
Potions class was as miserable as ever. The class was located in the dungeons just like the Slytherin common room, but unlike the common room it was damp and much darker. Professor Snape also seemed meaner and greasier than Harry had remembered.
Snape waisted no time with their lesson, as soon as they arrived he had them researching a bunch of magical ingredients without telling them what they’ll be used for or what about them they should be memorizing.
‘You won’t know until next lesson, so you better study all that you can about them,’ he said with a sneer.
The list of ingredients they had to study included Mandrake, Zingiber Officinale, Scarab Beetle, Shrivelfigs, Jewelweed, and Bezoar. They spent hours trying to figure out what made each of them important and what might connect them.
Dinner was not for another hour, and after being trapped in two different rooms with no sunlight all day they decided to make their way to the court yard to enjoy the last of summers warmth.
‘I can’t believe Snape is the same age as my parents,’ said Harry. ‘He acts like he has the soul of an elderly troll.’
‘This homework will take all weekend,’ Allison complained.
They had only just started enjoying themselves when a high pitched voice rang out behind them.
‘Potter! Potter you’re family is famous!’
Harry, Tracey, Allison, and Theodore turned. Pansy, Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.
‘You’re just realizing that now?’ said Harry sarcastically.
‘Your monster of a guardian is in the Daily Prophet,’ said Pansy , brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and practically yelling every word, so that everyone in and around the courtyard could hear. ‘It isn’t on the front page, but it should be. Listen up:
WEREWOLF’s CAFE OF HORRORS FINALLY CLOSED
For over five years the wizarding community of Mould-on-the-Wold and surrounding counties had enjoyed coming to the Jade Garden’s night hours which offered a magic only space, and now the local wizarding community and beyond have come together to shut down the corrupt establishment. This exclusive is brought to you by the Special Correspondent, Rita Skeeter. Romulus Lupin partnered with the muggle owner of the establishment back in 1989, the arrangement was that after the muggle cafe closes for the night it then opens to the magical community.'
Pansy looked up from the paper for a moment to let out a cackle, 'They didn't get his name right, his constant staying in the background has taken its toll.' Every student in the area was listening now. Parkinson straightened her paper paper dramatically and read on.
'The controversy began back in June, when after Romulus Lupin spent a year teaching the innocent students of Hogwarts, it became public that he indeed suffers from lycanthropy. Mr Lupin had first been accused of lycanthropy in 1982 by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but had denied these accusations an remained undocumented for over a decade. When the truth was revealed in June the wizarding community of the entire United Kingdom was furious, why would this dangerous and contagious man agree to work in an environment filled with defenceless children. Unable to take action against Romulus at Hogwarts, as he was rightfully fired when the news broke, the wizarding world has taken their frustration at Romulus out by protesting at his cafe. There have been rallies, blockades preventing ignorant customers from entering, as well as spreading rumours to the local muggles that what he runs is something called a "gay bar". The result has been a victory for the community, Romulus announced yesterday that he will no longer be running the nightly wizard gathering, leaving the Jade Garden as a strictly muggle cafe. Our children's school and our place of recreation is now once again safe.'
'And look at this photo,' said Pansy, flipping the paper over and holding it up for all to see. 'It shows your beast of a guardian trying to scrub graffiti off the store. The flash of the camera is really highlighting his scars. But hey, I guess he is only half as hideous as Mad-Eye.’
Harry was shaking with fury, but he managed to keep calm. The one who couldn’t keep calm was Theodore.
‘Don’t you dare talk about Remus like that. He is the most intelligent and caring man I have ever met!’ Theodore said with both pride and pure anger.
‘Right,’ Pansy laughed wickedly, ‘I forgot you have been living with Potter’s family this past year. I am surprised the Ministry wasn’t come and taken you from that dangerous home, or maybe they are like your real father and don’t care about you at all.’
Theodore looked like he was about to cast his wand aside and beat Pansy to a pulp by hand. To prevent any violence, Harry stepped between the two.
‘Speaking of fathers,’ Harry began with a smug smile on his face, ‘I heard yours is barely ever around, instead spends all his days caring for and breeding his unicorns. And who can blame him, after seeing the ugliness that resulted when he breeded with your mother of course he would want to spend all his time with something actually beautiful.’
Pansy was now the one practically steaming at the ears, ‘How dare you talk about my father like that, and how dare you insult me, Potter!’
‘Then stop opening your ugly mouth,’ said Harry, turning away. BANG!
Several people screamed—Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face—he plunged his hand into his robes for his wand, but before he’d even touched it, he heard a second loud BANG, and a roar that echoed through the entrance hall.
‘OH NO YOU DON’T, MISSY!’
Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping into the court yard. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a brown ferret, which was shivering on the wet grass, exactly where Parkinson had been standing.
There was a terrified silence in the entrance hall. Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry—at least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head.
‘Did she get you?’ Moody growled. His voice was low and gravelly.
‘No,’ said Harry, ‘missed.’
‘LEAVE IT!’ Moody shouted.
‘Leave—what?’ Harry said, bewildered.
‘Not you—him!’ Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the brown ferret. It seemed that Moody’s rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head. Moody started to limp toward Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the castle.
‘I don’t think so!’ roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again—it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.
‘I don’t like people who attack when their opponent’s back’s turned,’ growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. ‘Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do...’
The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly.
‘Never—do—that—again—‘ said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.
‘Professor Moody!’ said a shocked voice.
Professor McGonagall had just exited the castle with her arms full of books.
‘Hello, Professor McGonagall,’ said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.
‘What—what are you doing?’ said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret’s progress through the air.
‘Teaching,’ said Moody.
‘Teach—Moody, is that a student?’ shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.
‘Yep,’ said Moody.
‘No!’ cried Professor McGonagall, running across the court yard and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Pansy Parkinson had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with her usually beautiful and tidy brown hair all over her now embarrassed pink face. She got to his feet, wincing.
‘Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!’ said Professor McGonagall weakly. ‘Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?’
‘He might’ve mentioned it, yeah,’ said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, ‘but I thought a good sharp shock—‘
‘We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender’s Head of House!’
‘I’ll do that, then,’ said Moody, staring at Pansy with great dislike. Pansy, whose squinting eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody and muttered something in along the lines of “Snape’ll be in my side” could be made out.
‘Oh yeah?’ said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull clunk of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. ‘Well, I know the professor of old, girl...I know things about that man that would make your weak blood curdle...I’m going to go talk with him and you will not be liking the outcome.’
Instead of pain, Pansy was now shaking with fear. It was a good look on her Harry thought.
‘Snape is something of an old friend,’ growled Moody. ‘I’ve been looking forward to a chat with old Snape...Come on, you...’
And he seized Pansy’s upper arm and marched her off toward the dungeon.
Professor McGonagall stared anxiously after them for a few moments, then waved her wand at her fallen books, causing them to soar up into the air and back into her arms.
Within minutes they were surrounded by excited talk on all sides about what had just happened.
‘That was spectacular,’ said Allison with a huge smile on her face as the head to dinner. ‘I’ve never seen something so funny.’
Tracey let out a laugh, ‘I agree, although I think Moody might have gone to far. If he had seriously hurt her there would be consequences.’
‘Maybe,’ said Theodore, ‘but she wasn’t. Parkinson has been humiliating students for so long that it is sweet to see her finally experience it herself.’
They all sat down to eat, after a long first day Harry was grateful for some delicious food. After about ten minutes, a sixth year named Adrian Pucey than Harry had played Quidditch with in his first year, sat next to him.
‘Potter, I heard about what happened in the court yard. I wanted to let you know that if you liked that, that is exactly how Mad-Eye teaches his class.’
‘You’ve had him already?’ Harry asked.
‘I had him in the afternoon.’
‘What was it like?’ said Harry eagerly.
‘It was the most crazy class I’ve ever had. Moody is both incredibly skilled and absolutely insane, which makes the class that much more interesting.’
‘Is he any good of a teacher though?’ Harry could not take a third year of incompetent teachers.
‘Better than most for the five I’ve had,’ Adrian answered.
Harry, Theodore, Allison, and Tracey quickly pulled out their schedules and searched for when they would have their first class with him.
‘Auggg,’ Harry said disappointedly, ‘We don’t have him until Thursday!’
