Chapter 135: Polyjuice Potion

"Mr Travis attacked me... Outside the castle.. before the dinner..." Chris explained. "And I woke up in the middle of the maze."

"Snape, make sure Travis doesn't leave Hogwarts grounds." Dumbledore said to Snape. "And then come back to Moody's office with the kitchen house-elf Winky, also the strongest truth serum you've."

"Yes Headmaster." Snape said, and without waiting walked away, as Chris, Cedric and Professor McGonagall followed Dumbledore towards the castle.

"Albus, Miss Norton is soaking in blood, we should take her to the hospital wing." Professor McGonagall said, with a concernd look, as they crossed the Entrance Hall.

"Not now Minerva. Christina is strong, she'll survive few more minutes." Dumbledore said seriously. "But they need to know who did this to them."

"Is that mean you know, who the death eater is?" Chris asked. Though she wasn't feeling very strong, she tried to look strong.

"It's the one, you doubted all along." Dumbledore replied.

Cedric and Professor McGonagall looked at Chris.

"Mad-Eye?" She whispered.

"Except he's not." Dumbledore said as they reached near Moody's office door.

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Till now they were walking very fast, almost running but now Dumbledore sign them to walk slowly and carefully.

Professor McGonagall hold her wand out following Dumbledore. Cedric hold his wand tightly too.

And then they hear voices from inside.

"Karkaroff's gone? He ran away? But then — he didn't put my name in the goblet?" Harry's voice said.

"No," said Moody slowly. "No, he didn't. It was I who did that."

Professor McGonagall clapped a hand on her mouth.

"No, you didn't," Harry said. "You didn't do that . . . you can't have done . . ."

"I assure you I did," said Moody.

Dumbledore waved his wand in front of them, as Moody paused. Chris realized Moody's magical eye can see through doors. He'll see them but he didn't. He started to talk again.

"He forgave them, then?" he said. "The Death Eaters who went free? The ones who escaped Azkaban?"

"What?" said Harry.

"I asked you," said Moody quietly, "whether he forgave the scum who never even went to look for him. Those treacherous cowards who wouldn't even brave Azkaban for him. The faithless, worthless bits of filth who were brave enough to cavort in masks at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the Dark Mark when I fired it into the sky."

This time Chris got a shock.

"You fired . . . What are you talking about . . . ?" Harry's voice sounded panic stricken.

"I told you, Harry . . . I told you. If there's one thing I hate more than any other, it's a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry. . . ." Moody said. "Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful . . . prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all . . . you."

"You didn't . . . it — it can't be you. . . ." Harry was mumbling.

Professor McGonagall tried to walk in angrily but Dumbledore stopped her.

"Who put your name in the Goblet of Fire, under the name of a different school? I did. Who frightened off every person I thought might try to hurt you or prevent you from winning the tournament? I did. Who made sure Christina Norton overhears the conversation about the dragons? I did." Moddy continued. "It was very easy, Harry, guiding you through these tasks without arousing suspicion. I just needed to guide that smart Christina Norton a little and she made sure you pass through every task."

Chris felt her lips trembling. She was the one who was helping Voldemort and Malgino all along?

"And while Christina Norton was helping you, I started to stay away from you as much as possible, to avoid Dumbledore's suspicions. As long as you got into that maze, preferably with a decent head start — then, I knew, I would have a chance of getting rid of the other champions and leaving your way clear. But I also had to contend with your stupidity. The second task . . . that was when I was most afraid we would fail. I was keeping watch on you, Potter. I knew you hadn't worked out the egg's clue, and also you didn't ask Norton for help, so I had to use another decent person. I knew if I gave a hint to Diggory he'll help you... Decent people are so easy to manipulate, Potter."

Cedric looked guilty, this time.

"At last Norton helped you to solve the clue. But even then, Potter, even then you seemed likely to fail. You were struggling with the bubble head charm, so I had to give Longbottom a Herbology book. Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. I saw Longbottom and Norton together at the Yule Ball, realized they must be close. So when Norton realized you were very close to fail in the second task, she got help from Longbottom and together they helped you to get the Gillyweed." Moddy laughed. "You were so long in that lake, Potter, I thought you had drowned. But luckily, Dumbledore took your idiocy for nobility, and marked you high for it. I breathed again. But then Dumbledore started to suspect me for some reasons and Norton started go get in the way. I understood I've to change my method for the third task. First I planned that I'll offer to place Cup and will turn it to a Portkey to the Graveyard but Dumbledore decided to place the Cup himself. Kazle already warned me about this so my other plan was ready. I convinced Hagrid to add Kazle's creature at the maze at last moment. Then saw Norton were still hanging around the maze, so had to use Travis this time. He admired Mad-Eye Moody for a long time, so when I called him, he came without hesitating, put him under the Imperious Curse and ordered him to distract Norton so I can stunt her. And I did, carried her into the maze under a invisibility clock, after that."

Professor McGonagall put a hand around Chris's shoulder.

"Kazle had also told me about the thorned vines found deep in the forbidden forest, I already had those with me. After ordering Travis to tie her strongly, I came out without raising any suspicion. But I knew if Travis comes out the last, Dumbledore will keep his eye on him and I'll make sure you didn't get much obstacle to reach Norton and the creature can transport both of you into the Graveyard." said Moody. "I was patrolling around it, able to see through the outer hedges, able to curse many obstacles out of your way. I Stunned Fleur Delacour as she passed. I put the Imperius Curse on Krum, so that he would finish Diggory and leave your path clear."

Dumbledore signed Professor McGonagall to get ready.

"The Dark Lord didn't manage to kill you, Potter, and he so wanted to," whispered Moody. "Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him. I gave you to him — the thing he needed above all to regenerate — and then I killed you for him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter . . . closer than a son. . . ."

"You're mad," Harry said "you're mad!"

"Mad, am I?" said Moody, his voice rising uncontrollably. "We'll see! We'll see who's mad, now that the Dark Lord has returned, with me at his side! He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him — and now — I conquer you."

And then "Stupefy" Dumbledore cried and Moody's office door burst open. Moody was thrown backward onto the office floor.

They entered the office.

The look upon Dumbledore's face as he stared down at the unconscious form of Mad-Eye Moody was more terrible. There was cold fury in every line of the ancient face; a sense of power radiated from Dumbledore as though he were giving off burning heat. He placed a foot underneath Moody's unconscious body, and kicked him over onto his back, so that his face was visible.

Professor McGonagall looked around carefully. Chris and Cedric went to Harry.

"Moody," Harry said. "How can it have been Moody?"

"This is not Alastor Moody," said Dumbledore quietly. "You have never known Alastor Moody. The real Moody would not have removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. The moment he took you, I knew — and then Christina told me there's a death eater here and I understood what's going on."

Dumbledore bent down over Moody's limp form and put a hand inside his robes. He pulled out Moody's hip flask and a set of keys on a ring. He unscrewed the flask, and turned it over. A thick glutinous liquid splattered onto the office floor.

Chris had tried making this potion before, it wasn't perfect but okay enough to recognize.

"Polyjuice Potion!" Chris said.