Later That Night
Selena was reading the label of a potion bottle when the Hospital Wing doors opened and in walked Hazel, Rolf, and Renee. Renee had her hands behind her back and Rolf was carrying both his rabbit and Crescent (neither of the animals seemed too pleased with each other's company.) The three were still in their school robes, Dinner having ended only about half an hour ago. They must've made a stop at Gryffindor Tower for Renee to get Crescent.
Selena smiled, suddenly feeling how numb her mouth was and reached up and find that her cheeks were slightly puffy, as if filled with cotton. "Htho."
Hazel looked at her, eyebrows knit. "What?"
Selena furrowed her own eyebrows. "I trwyed to thay htho."
She let out a whimper and Rolf laughed. "Your cheeks are huge! You look like a chipmunk!"
Selena tried to talk, Rolf setting Crescent down on the white-sheeted bed. The black cat sat down next to Selena, nuzzling her elbow as he purred. "I guth thaf Fwed anth Gwowges's canthy haths a thide-effecth."
Hazel giggled. "Selena, we have no idea what you're saying."
"Yes we do," Renee said with a nod. "She said 'I guess that Fred and George's candy has a side-effect."
Hazel cocked an eyebrow. "How do you know that? She's speaking gibberish."
Renee grinned. "I just know."
Selena nodded, relieved that someone was able to translate. "Tho... Wath going on?"
Renee shrugged. "Nothing important. Oh, but Moody threw chalk at me in Defense Against the Dark Arts for talking to Elizabeth..."
Selena looked down, her face darkening. She was still debating speaking with Professor Dumbledore. But... surely Professor Moody wouldn't threaten the girls unless they were together? Both of them were involved in this theft mess, and Selena had been in the infirmary all day (the Pepperup Potion, much to Madam Pomfrey's confusion, wasn't curing Selena of her cold. The fever was still present, the Fever Flavors working their magic.) So, Renee should be safe from any wrath of Moody's. Right?
As if in answer, the wooden doors to the Hospital Wing opened again and Professor Moody walked in, a glare on his face. His trench coat swung around his ankles, the teacher walking with his usual limp. His fake eyes swiveled around, zoning in on Selena and her friends.
The Gryffindor stiffened, her mind going blank and yet roaring with noise at the same time. She tried to keep her expression neutral. Though, with the unfortunate swollen cheeks, this was difficult.
Professor Moody strode right up to Selena's hospital cot, looked at Hazel and Rolf, and grunted.
"You two... out," he said.
"But, Professor, we-" Hazel began, but Professor Moody interrupted her.
"I said, get out Miss Locarn. Surely you, a top student, understand English. I need to speak with Miss Malast and Miss Pierce alone. Emphasis on alone. And get this creature out of here," Moody said, casting a disparaging look at Crescent. The cat flicked his tail in response.
Hazel pressed her lips into a line and looked from Professor Moody to Selena - who was still as a statue - and gingerly picked up Crescent. She followed Rolf out, looking back over her shoulder once. Selena watched, a sinking feeling in her stomach, as the doors closed and her friends vanished from view.
Selena looked around, noticing that Madam Pomfrey was gone, probably sorting potions in her office. Moonlight from outside the Hospital Wing was pouring into the room, streaming over Professor Moody, giving him an eerie appearance.
"Miss Malast, you were absent from class today, and I suspected you were ill and I-" Professor Moody looked at Selena for a few seconds, focusing on her face for the first time since he walked into the infirmary. The teacher frowned. "What's wrong with your face?"
Selena made an indignant noise and Renee cleared her throat. "Professor, I think you understand why she couldn't come to class today?"
Professor Moody looked at her and anger flashed in his eye - the real one. "I know that it was you two who raided my office."
Renee let her eyes flicker to Selena for a moment, who shook her head once.
Moody looked at both of them, anger contorting his scarred face.
"Don't think this will go unnoticed..."
"But, Professor, I-"
"No! Now Dumbledore is watching me like a hawk. If those goes further, it will be on both your heads!"
At that moment, Madam Pomfrey emerged from her office.
"What is all this racket-"
She paused, dress brushing the floor as the matron stopped suddenly. Seeing the frightened looks on both Selena and Renee's faces, she walked towards them. Not looking at the woman, Professor Moody said loudly, "and that is why you never mess with grindylows. Well, I've caught you up on your studies for today, Miss Malast. Goodnight."
Professor Moody grabbed Renee's wrist and dragged her in tow out of the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey watching them leave with a frown that matched Selena's.
April 3rd, 1995. Saturday.
"Wait, why would he start talking about grindylows?" Danny asked.
"Because he wanted to make a cover for what he had really been saying!" Alisson said with a sigh before Selena could.
"And of course, Pomfrey asked me what had happened, but I couldn't speak because of my giant-sized face," Selena said, tearing a roll in half angrily. The swelling had gone down that morning, with the fever vanishing as well. The Fever Flavors might have lasted the twenty-four hours, but she was going to talk with Fred and George about the unfortunate side-effects.
Avery smiled. Dimples appeared in her normal-sized cheeks. "Well, it's Saturday, you don't have to worry about him."
Wendy, who was sitting two seats down from Avery, silently mocked the blonde girl. Selena shot her a venomous look. Wendy frowned in reply, focusing on stirring her mashed potatoes.
Selena took a bite of the roll. "No, I think I have to go to his office again," she said, shaking her head and putting some butter on the roll.
"Have you gone mad?" Anne burst. Selena jumped, butter knife poised mid-air with a glob of butter. Her cousin leaned forward on the table, looking past Danny and Alisson. Her blue eyes sparked. Danny leaned back, suddenly looking as though he feared for his life. "You want to go towards the person that's threatening you?"
Selena nodded. "Yes. I need more proof that he's stealing. Something else to get Dumbledore to pay immediate attention. I'm going to Moody's office." She wasn't quite sure if that was truly the reason. But saying it made her feel better. Like she wasn't just a helpless sitting duck. "None of you are allowed to tell Renee. She can't go tonight."
Wendy sighed, not looking up from her mashed potatoes. "And, of course, after curfew."
Tess shrugged. "That never stopped you from exploring the castle at night."
Elizabeth nodded. "Remember when McGonagoll found you asleep on the Dining Hall table?"
"That's not the same as spying on a thieving teacher," Wendy retorted.
"It's still going out after curfew though. Once, we found you sleeping under a staircase, all curled up with your school books."
Wendy made a face. "I wouldn't have to if someone didn't talk in their sleep."
She motioned towards Avery, who blushed. "I'm sorry..."
"Yeah, you are," Wendy said, biting into an apple.
Even Later That Night
Selena looked around a corner, tip-toed behind a pillar, and continued this process until she reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. With a flick of her wand, and a whispered spell, the door opened. One would think Professor Moody - a former auror - would've thought to lock the door better at this point. Selena ran inside and looked around the abandoned classroom. Glancing up, she saw the door to Moody's office. It was cracked open, a sliver of yellow light spilling out.
With a grin, she whispered "Knox," and the pulsing light on her wand tip faded. Selena tucked it back into her robe pocket and walked across the classroom, the stone floor feeling cold on her bare feet (she found that she moved more stealthily without her shoes.)
Weaving through the desks, she scampered up the stone steps and stopped at Professor Moody's doorway. For just a moment, she wished Renee was at her side, a bundle of screaming banshees in her pocket. But, Selena quickly shook it off. Renee was fast asleep back in Gryffindor Tower, unaware of the spy mission. Selena focused on the situation before her.
The golden light shining through the doorway made it possible to glance in. Selena searched the room from what she could see, but only a side of the messy office was visible. Just more boxes and glass and silver instruments. Stepping over quickly, she peeked through the key-hole for more sight.
Moody was sitting on the floor, flipping pages in a book, whispering to himself. His back was to the door, though enough of the glass instruments could serve as a mirror to alert him to an office intruder, no doubt.
Selena tried to listen, but she couldn't make out the words. Looking over the balcony at the ghostly classroom below, she went back down the stairs silently, her heart beating fast. The twelve-year-old grabbed a glass of water off of Moody's desk.
With a shrug, she poured the water out onto the floor and then went back up the stone steps. She gingerly placed the glass against the door, pressing her ear against the other side. She strained to listen again. However, this time, words floated over.
"Of course Potter will be able to get through some of the task on his own..." His voice paused. "The portkey will work well enough... Everything must work flawlessly... Ulch, those two dimwits nearly ruined everything. Stupid children. Such little potential... They're almost as bad as that Pettigrew... Never mind that, I can bewitch Krum on my own."
There were footsteps. Selena's heart sped up as she realized they were headed towards the door where she was eavesdropping.
However, as the teacher opened his office door and looked around the dark classroom, no one else was in sight.
Selena bit her lip, hiding under the stairs.
She heard the thud-clank-thud-clank of Professor Moody walking down the stairs. She held her breath, the glass cup clutched tightly in her fingers, watching as he limped to a bookshelf across the room. He grabbed a book off the shelf and opened it, flipping a couple of pages until his face broke into a lopsided grin.
"Of course," he whispered. "Although, that Veela girl might be trouble. I'll have to make sure to keep her out of the way. If she were the one to get to the Triwizard Cup first-" he gave a little amused laugh. "No, this will all work. The Dark Lord will be so pleased with me when Potter is dead."
Selena's breath caught in her throat, blood running cold at those last words. Before she could think about it, Professor Moody moved, walking towards his desk with the book tucked underneath his arm. However, he slipped in a puddle of water instead, giving a yell of surprise. The book flew out of his hands, slamming into Selena's skull before she could even register what had happened.
She stumbled backwards, pain splitting in the front of her face. The glass cup fell from her hands, smashing on the floor in a symphony of cracking glass. The gloomy classroom began to spin. Her thoughts were barely coherent, too many words jumbled together. Something about the Triwizard Champions. Harry Potter dead. The Dark Lord. A portkey. Had she even heard right?
Selena's vision was becoming blurry. She thought she should move from underneath the shadows of the staircase, duck behind a chest. But her legs wouldn't cooperate. Professor Moody got up, walking towards where the book had gone, cursing under his breath about how water had gotten there. And then he stopped, standing at the edge of the shadows underneath the stone staircase.
Selena managed to look up and see his scarred face, electric blue eye scanning her face, before her vision totally disappeared and the world transformed into a void of black.
OH NO! *Insert gasp here* What has Selena done?!
Anyway, I can understand how mad you all are with me. Let the yelling begin... *Hangs head in shame*
But, school has started back up, and i've just been so busy...
But, I hope this chapter makes up for it. I've had writers block for a while.
Well, I really hope you review, and I'll be updating on Friday!
~Meghan