Hello everyone. I have issues connecting on my laptop so I'm writing on my smartphone instead. Not really my cup of tea...

I might be in need of a beta reader. Normally, all my chapters would already be cleaned up but I was in kind of a rush with this fic and the quality drop out. I'm afraid it would be even worse if I have to keep typing on smartphone. It's really straining and my attention drop all the time.

So due to the circumstances, the chapter is significantly shorter... sorry for that.

Chapter 8

"I know that by now, you must all be aware of my reputation. And I'm fairly certain that you must all be asking yourself the same question :'Are you sure he is really the Mad Eye Moody we heard of?' and my respond to you is 'hell yes!'. Whatever you heard, I most probably did worse. I'm not a saint but if I'm proud of something, it's that I indeed send to Azkaban more dark wizards than anyone else in History.

And the reason I had been so nice and cool so far is simple: I had to get to know you. I had to see what you were capable of. And now that I know what kind of wizards and witches you are... now we can talk! If you thought you would get it easy all year long, you got it wrong!

I'm going to teach you as I trained my trainee back in the day. We are going to review the theory really quick, and then I'm going to push you to your limits. The longer you can fight, the higher your grade would be. Because there are only two things that really matter when you are fighting for your life: Your skills and your stamina. No matter if you fight fair play or rough, if you are a powerhouse or weak, if the fight seem advantageous or not, the most deciding factors are those two things.

The skills, you will get them through experience and with a fair amount of cramming, not only on defence, but on every possible subjects. You stamina, you will get it by working your ass off each and every day until you are the only one left standing. That's why I'm here, talking to you, not because I was the best, not because I was lucky, but because I survived against the odds when everyone else had fallen. And as you can see, the price I had to pay is no joke.

That's what you are going to learn here. Because this is the one things the dark arts have all in common, not that there are evil, some really aren't, but that you never really prepare for it. So the only way to be prepared for it, is to prepare for everything, and hope you got it right. So if tomorrow I tell you that you have twenty minutes to go to the astronomy tower, save a cat and get back, the correct answer is 'yes sir'. If I sent you for an orientation in the forbidden forest in team of three, guess what the correct answer?"

Suddenly he paused. And before the students could understand they were supposed to say it:

"Too late! What are you thinking you are here for? Sleeping? So this time, this is for real: before you came in, I hide a dung-bomb somewhere. You have about three minutes left to decide what to do or deal with the consequences. No one would be excused from classes to take a shower. So.. what are you waiting for? The time is ticking."

Hermione knew immediately it wasn't a bluff and immediately started thinking of the best courses of action.

She had a kind a bubble-shield spell that would protect herself and her friends but she had to make sure the dungbomb wasn't inside the shield area first.

Conversely if the dungbomb was found in time, she could use it to confine it...

No better levitating it and throw it out of a window. Problem solved.

But she had to locate it first. There was a spell that could do it but it would let her see all at once and wouldn't be able to handle the amount of information and help all at once. It would have to be teamwork.

"Harry. I know how to find it but I would need your glasses. And I have an idea to deal with it but I can't do both. Neville, Ron, I can use the help to. It would be better if I stay behind to use my back up plan if everything else fail?"

"what do I have to do?" Harry asked.

"I can enchant your glasses. It would be as the omnioculars but all at once. The amount of information might be too much"

"Got it!" Harry answered determined

"Ron, you levitate the shit"

He nodded.

"Neville, you open the windows. Blast it if needed be"

He ran straight to the windows.

"I will set up a shield. If you failed run straight to me. And Ron: repeat that part to Neville"

"Occulus Emendo!"

It was a failed spell to improve the effect of occulus reparo that turned out to have another effect than predict as Emendo was meaning both improve and remedy. But it wasn't used much as the spell was trying to improve vision all at once while in the same time interfering with the normal 'occulus reparo'. She would have to disenchant Harry's glasses afterwards so he wouldn't lose his glasses the next time they would break.

"What I'm supposed to look for?" Harry asked, already overwhelmed.

"Concentrate on heat. Whatever is hot and not a student should be it." Hermione replied.

"Ron, over the left cabinet." Harry shouted before wearing off the glasses, his eyes crying and bloodshot.

"I'm on it." He replied but every other students heard about Harry and some others students were already trying to execute their own plans.

"Ron! Neville! Come back here, now!" Hermione shouted, foreseeing a disaster.

They did as they were told while five students were trying to dispose of the dungbomb with five different spell all at once, leading to the most predictable result: the bomb exploded fifty seconds early.

In the end, only seven students, including Hermione group made it unscathed and Professor Moody was at his desk, laughing out loud and clapping at the performance.

"Zabini, Greengrass, Davis, Weasley, Longbottom, Potter and Granger, come here please." He asked before looking at everyone else.

"For the rest of you, congratulations, you died! If it wasn't a test, you would have died a gruesome death. So let me tell you what your mistake was: If you don't know how to deal with something, run and call for help.

Plus, did I said in the rules that you weren't allowed to leave the room? The most effective way to escape the dungbomb would just have been to walk out and wait by the door. Why not even a single student try to do that?

Are you so afraid of detentions that even get splashed by a dungbomb is better? That's would be a hour detention for all of you to learn about priorities."

Then, he turned to the students he personally called to his side:

"As for you, you did fine. I'm proud of you. But that doesn't mean that there isn't room for improvement. So each one of you, tell me what your mistake was. Zabini, you are first."

"I hesitated for too long and almost failed to set up my shield in time."

"Correct. Greengrass?"

"I screw up my teamwork with Tracey and the same as Blaise too."

"That's right. Davis?"

"I panicked." She admitted, looking on the floor, truly ashamed.

"If you freeze in the heat of the moment, you're dead. You got lucky to have the right partner. But in this class, choosing the right teammates is also a skill so, you pass. Mr Weasley?"

"I failed to do my part." He admitted reddening in anger.

"That's right, you failed. You had mitigating circumstances but you could have deal with the issue by disobeying Hermione order and explain the plan to the others. But due to your personality and the level of trust your yearmates have in you, it might have failed so you pass by making a correct evaluation of your own skills. I have much hope for you in the future. Mr Longbottom?"

"I was closer than Ron from the dungbomb. I could have reach it in time and quickly deal with it."

"That's right you lack the awareness, the initiative and the confidence in your skill to do what have to be done. Your team almost failed because of your inaction even if you perfectly did your part. By the way... why didn't you immediately return to miss Granger?"

"I thought I might be of help but couldn't do it in the end." Neville admitted.

"It's okay. I'm well aware of your personal issues. But you need to work on it. Harry Potter?"

"I should have asked to Hermione what to expect and what to search for beforehand. I lose time trying to figure it out on my own"

"Right on it. When you have the time to set up a plan, always make sure everyone understood their part and ask your question beforehand. Ron was set to fail because no one in the group thought about your others classmates and how to deal with them. Which left us with miss Granger, apart from the aforementioned mistakes you made, what was your failure as a team leader?"

"I didn't trust Ron and Neville to cover for the flaws in my plan."

"That's right. Neville should have came back sooner without your prompting and you should have assumed that him and Ron knew what they were doing. You got lucky with that back up plan but all you need is one failure for your whole team to be done. Your teammates should know when to be disciplined and when to improvised. As for you, you need to learn to trust their judgement."

"I will work on it, Sir" Hermione replied, determined.

"It was a good teamwork, you four. Miss Granger chosed well. Plus, your plan had a great probalities of success. A classic rookie mistake and a fair bit of bad luck. I'm sure you will try harder next time."

He paused.

"Zabini, B. Greengrass, B-. Davis, C. Weasley, B-. Longbottom, B. Potter, B. Granger, A-. Everyone else except those five dimwits, D. And for you that's would be E. Try to use your brains before acting, next time."

He stood up from his desk and dominate everyone from his domineering presence.

"Okay everyone, since this is the first time and I'm in a rather good mood. I will teach you how to clean yourself and once we are done. I will tell you what the proper thing to do in this situation, granted that a dark wizard would warned you before launching his bombing, which is... unlikely."

And then, they spend the remaining of the hour having some proper teaching.

§§§

TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT

The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving

at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early.

Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories

and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast.

This was the message they discovered first thing in the morning, displayed in the entrance hall, the third weekend of October. It made everything more tangible. A huge campaign of cleaning at been started, all the staff had been intransigent about inappropriate way of wearing the uniform, and Hermione Elvish Welfare campaign had come to a halt as the Twins, more than anyone, spend most of their free time in detentions.

As for Hermione, she was dead set on earning a fair and square A+ in D.A.D.A. since she never felt this level of challenge before. This was the first professor they got to highlight the importance of interdisciplinary knowledge, self-teaching and such a rigorous work ethic. It made her reconsider the subject in a new light as she always resigned herself to be poorly suited for this subject, for apparently no reasons. In each single one of their practice, she didn't even once used a spell taught in D.A.D.A., exceptions of the various shield she had mastered already. It seems like specifically, her magic, or maybe her wand, was more suited for powerful defensive or neutral spells rather than the diverse offensive spells she was taught so far in that subject.

Whenever the powerful offensive spell were needed, she would let Harry took the lead as he had a real talent for it. Ron found himself a talent in setting up or detecting booby-trap while Neville proved to be the more knowledgeable when it came to plants and creatures alike. He always knew their strength and weak point which help immensely their group to deal with whatever Professor Moody had in store for them that day. Everyone of them had to deal with their own issues but the professor teaching was letting them cover for each other weakness while honing their skills, little by little.

Harry, Ron and Neville were also extremely happy as Professor Moody wasn't a big fan of assignments and was valuing results over methods, in total contrast with what they were taught in any other subjects. However, some of the students left behind, or unable to adhere to the professor teaching were having quite a hard time in this class, while seeing at the same time their grades drop to a dangerous level. So the students were either big fans of Mad Eye Moody's teaching or joining the crowd of his detractors. After all, there were no slacking off in his class and if one was unable to re-evaluate themselves, they were busted.

But still, Hermione was honestly surprised by her recent magical growth and learning pace to the point she was questionning whether or not she should seriously worry about it or even, asked Poppy Pomfrey for a second check-up. However, she couldn't bring herself to say to the matron face that she was worried about her anormal growth and clarity of mind those last few weeks. The woman would think she was insane of that she once again messed with some potion or something. So she kept quiet about decide with the firm resolution to go straight to the nurse if she were to develop in other 'symptoms'.

§§§

The delegation of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang just arrived and Dumbledore already revealed that the Goblet of Fire would be the impartial judge he told them about during the new year announcement. Hermioned couldn't fathom how that artefact could possibly judge, from a mere piece of paper, who would make a suitable candidate but she couldn't explain either how the sorting hat was working and still... it was doing it's job just fine.

While Ron was set on trying to enter the tournament and Neville had to fake doing the same thing for the sake of not disappointing his grandmother, Hermione and Harry commonly agreed to sit and watch, especially since the Twins boldly claimed that they had a failed-safe way to circumvent Dumbledore age limit. What's more, they decided to write both of their names on a single piece of paper so Hogwarts would have a champion duo instead of one in the unlikely case they would be selected.

A lot of people went to see their performance as little to no-one could argue that with their combined efforts, there were little to no opponents that were able to face them. Even Professor Moody had to congratulate them for being 'the most effective team he ever had the pleasure to teach' and they were the first one to get a straight A+ in his class, much to their mother astonishment. They were also the first ones to use a potion in D.A.D.A. to quite a terrific result. The professor was again so impress that he straight ask them if they wanted to reconsider their careers, much to his disappointment as the Twins decision about the joke shop was final.

"Here they are, serial jokesters, pranksters, extraordinary Wizards, I name... Gred and Forge Weasley!" Lee Jordan announced.

"Ladies, Gentlemen..." Fred greeted.

"This is our greatest pleasure..." George continued.

"To announce you that our extraordinary aging potion..."

"Will be sold at the extremely reasonable price of one galleon the drop..."

"Ageing you of one year a drop..."

"But there is a trick..."

"You will only have half a second to put your name..."

"Before you got kicked out..."

"As we are about to demonstrate!"

Then, George went first without any paper offering his back for Fred to take the reckless jump to the cup and enter both their name before they got violently kicked out of the golden circle with the most magnificent growing beard.

"As you saw..."

"Tricking the age limit..."

"Wasn't as impossible as it looked..."

They said winking to an astonished Dumbledore who didn't predict that Fred wouldn't actually step into the circle before putting both of their names.

"You got me with this one." said a laughing Dumbledore. "However, if I caught you selling any of those potions, you will be booked with detentions for the year." He paused. "After careful consideration, I'm going to confiscate everything you got on yourself and put you in detention for the day, just to be sure."

"But Professor..."

"We hadn't break any rules yet..."

"Just circumvent one a little bit..."

Dumbledore pinched his nose before asking:

"Minerva... Can I ask you gently escort those two innocents Gryffondor to the infirmary and ensure that Madam Pomfrey kept them occupied for the day?"

"I would be my pleasure."

"I never thought that the twins would circumvent at once both the ageing and anti-aerial countermeasure I set up. I guess that mean that will they weren't of age, they were competent enough to legitimately compete. I would make a statement if they got chosen. Even if I don't think the Goblet of Fire as a flaw like accepting two students at once. I would check the records, just to be sure."

And then, he went back to his office while humming a sing-song leaving everyone in complete astonishment.

The Weasley Twins did it! They completely crushed Hermione prediction and found what might have been the only exploit to be found. But that means the Weasleys tricks their customers all along and took yet another potion to pull of that ten-feet reckless jump to the Goblet. Hermione wonder what kind of potion it was. Did Fred enhanced his strength or diminished his weight? It couldn't be a levitating potion as Dumbledore surely got that one covered.

But the most intriguing question was: How did they managed to reverse-engineering Dumbledore work to find out the right course of action? There was definitely more to the Weasley Twins that meet the eyes. Maybe... only maybe, she could asked them to teach her a thing or two. They were infamously good in potions, had a thing for special effect enchantments, and obviously had some basic knowledge in curse breaking to be able of that level of analysis.

It was quite an intriguing development and Hermione was overly excited that she had much to learn. Never she had been so happy to be wrong about something!

I'm sorry that 'amazing bouncing ferret' incident never happened in this timeline. But there was never an article about MR Weasley, so no insult from Draco, and so no reaction from professor Moody (who isn't the fake one either). So while it was a really good moment for my Ron development and a bit of a comic relief, I had to give up on it. Neville would never get his herbology development too. Or maybe not in the time and the way it was done by the fake moody. It's truly unfortunate.

So what do you think about this non-cannon Weasley Twins development? That's the power of Twin-work! I tried really hard to get something fresh to put to the table and have a wink to the "Fourth Triwizard Champions" nonsense. I don't intend to let the Twins compete. Not that I think they would not be up to the challenge... but because I have some others -incompatible- project for them. And see you with chapter 9 for the real thing.