Chapter Four: Meeting

Harry entered the pub, looking around for Moody who he spotted easily due to the hat over his eye. Ron and Hermione were already disguised as two unsuspecting Muggles from whom they had stolen hair. He spotted them two tables away from Moody (who was in a corner) against a wall, engaged in conversation. Moody still looked a little ill but he definitely looked better than he had when Harry had seen him earlier that day.

He walked over to Moody and sat down in a chair, acting as though he had known Moody his entire life.

"Hello Alastor," Harry spoke easily, knowing it would give him an air of power. When they had discussed the meeting they had decided that they wanted Harry to appear powerful, powerful and mysterious. Though Harry truly wasn't all that powerful, he was planning on becoming powerful – and it wouldn't hurt to earn a reputation. Sometimes you didn't need to be powerful to make others wary, you just had to appear powerful. It was a big bluff, but Harry was confidant he could pull it off. Besides, he had backup.

"Who are you?" Moody questioned gruffly, it was clear from his manner that he didn't trust Harry at all.

Inwardly Harry smirked, he had expected this. From what he had gleaned about Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody, he didn't trust easily. Although in this case he had every right to be suspicious. He had been locked in a trunk for the entire school year and had been about to be killed by his captor when a young wizard he had never seen before saves his life and tells him to meet him. Meanwhile his captor mysteriously vanished during their short talk.

"Names aren't important," he said with an easy smile leaning back in his chair. "I mean, look at Voldemort, you could call him Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. But you can call me Redbird, whether or not that's my name is of no consequence." Harry was pleased Moody didn't react when he said Voldemort other than to narrow his eyes, though he expected no less from the experienced Auror. Saying Voldemort also added to his appearance of power. Few people ever said the name, and those who did generally had some degree of power. He waited a short time to allow Moody to digest the information then continued.

He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "Mr. Moody, I know you have some doubts about me and you would be foolish not to. However, in this case, I believe we are both very much on the same side. I am, as you might put it, a vigilante. I do not hold with the nonsense that Voldemort believes in, and, despite the fact that he is gone, his ideas and followers remain. I am attempting to . . . eliminate his remaining followers," he made another short pause. "I am not asking you to join in on my efforts, however, you and I both know that several of his followers have escaped notice. I am merely asking that any, and I mean any and all incriminating evidence you find against them you inform me of it."

"And why don't you remove the Death Eaters forcefully?" Moody countered, though he appeared to be thinking about the offer.

"Although it may appear contrary to your beliefs I am not a violent man – I believe in justice. These men have committed crimes, and will pay for them. Who am I to be their executioner? I merely wish to show what these men have done and expose them," they had thought Moody would ask this and carefully worked out their answer. Though it was a coached response, it was by no means false.

Moody appeared to be thinking about the offer.

"Do you know what happened to you the past year?" Harry asked suddenly, leaning back again.

Moody appeared startled but nevertheless answered in his usual gruff voice. "No, the bastard got me as my back was turned, next thing I know he's pulling me out of the trunk, bragging about how he's going to kill me. Then you showed up. Idiot."

Harry smirked. "I agree, if you're going to kill someone just do it, don't waste time talking about it."

Moody inclined his head in agreement. "I don't suppose you'll tell me what happened?"

"Well, I suppose you know that the Triwizard Tournament was going to be held?" At Moody's nod he continued. "Well they followed though with it, but it was a bit unusual – all over the news. Instead of the usual three champions there were four, one from each school and Harry Potter."

"Potter was made a champion?"

"Indeed, apparently did rather good too, he was tied for first at the beginning of the third task. Next thing anyone knows he appears at the front clutching another champions dead body. No one knows how he got there; some suspect he made the cup into an illegal portkey. Somehow he got away – he's on the run with two other kids, wanted for murder."

Moody's eyes widened slightly at this, "Kid's a murderer?"

"Yeah, shocked me too, but I've always wondered how he could have survived that curse. They say he's a parsletounge too," they sat in silence for a few moments until Harry spoke again. "So, gonna take me up on that offer?"

"How would I contact you?"

Harry took the fact that he didn't say no as a good sign. "Here," he pulled out a piece of parchment, "it's enchanted, I have an identical piece. Anything you write will appear on my piece and vice versa. Feel free to check it for curses." Moody did just that, pulling the parchment under the table so the Muggles wouldn't see him doing magic. Finally he was satisfied.

"That all kid?" he asked.

"Not quite, got something that might help you," here Harry pulled a flask out of his pocket filled with silvery stuff and tossed it to Moody as he got up. "Thought you might want to know what you were up to the past year." He started to walk away, "Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you kept this meeting quiet," he said over his shoulder. Knowing that Moody might be watching him he ignored Ron and Hermione and left. He knew that they would follow him after fifteen minutes.

"So how'd it go?" Ron asked as soon as he got in the door.

"Not too bad, it felt a little weird to be talking about myself and I kept wanting to say we instead of I but I never messed up."

"That's good," Hermione agreed, entering the flat. "Do you think he'll help us?"

"I do, he seems like the kind of person who wouldn't want to let any Death Eater go, no matter how much he was bribed. I don't think he's helping us, I mean me, because he wants to help us but because it will help put Death Eaters in prison."

"Well at least he's helping us."

"Yeah, you guys get anything to eat there?"

"No, we figured since you wouldn't be eating we'd just wait till we got home."

"An amazing feat for you Ronald."

"Hey!"

Harry laughed at their antics, those two were always bickering. "I'll just order a pizza."

Disclaimer: I'm still waiting, but it's not mine.