Discoveries and Victories

Gohan and Harry exchanged glances as Legolas panted through his training.

"I hope this isn't a trick to exhaust me so I'll lose the tournament," the Slytherin mused between breaths.

Harry snorted. "It's not like you have much of a choice, Malfoy. You wouldn't be much of a challenge to me, otherwise. Even with me withholding most of my strength and techniques during the tournament. You definitely need all the training we can squeeze in this month."

Gohan nodded. "He's right. Besides, if you're really hurting by the end of the day, we can always give you a sensu. That will set you right as rain." Harry looked sideways at the half Saiyan. Gohan was beginning to pick up expressions used by his classmates.

Legolas smirked. "That expression sounds interesting coming from you, Son. Even if your accent is barely detectable."

Gohan scratched his head and chuckled.

Harry smirked, hitching the best Malfoy voice he could muster. "So, shall we proceed?"

Legolas snorted, forcing himself to his feet.

Gohan glanced in the distance as three girls made their way toward the collapsed Malfoy. Millicent Bulstrode slumped to the ground with a heavy sigh. "I'm dying," she declared weakly.

Ginny nodded at the boys. "Gohan, give them a sensu. They've earned it."

"Sure," Gohan said, pulling out his brown pouch. "Eat this," he said, handing each a small green bean."

A few moments later, Legolas sat upright. "Remarkable," he breathed, his eyes widened in wonder.

Mill gasped energetically. "How? What was that thing?"

Gohan chuckled, pointing to the side of his nose. "It's a secret. I'll tell you once you're permanent members of Unity."

Hermione strode purposefully toward the headmaster's office. She had several things to discuss with him, all of which were important.

"Hey," a familiar childish voice said as a messy haired boy with onyx eyes joined her.

"Hey, Gohan."

"Dumbledore's again?"

"Yes. I need to bring him up to speed with what's going on in Unity. I plan to recruit some teachers and house elves to the cause."

"Can I come?"

Hermione nodded absently. "How's training with Legolas?"

Gohan nodded. "He seems to be as promising as Harry was in training. He's quickly catching up."

Hermione stopped abruptly as a pale headed teen blocked her path. "Well, well, if it isn't Mudblood and Monkey boy," Draco Malfoy said with a smirk.

"And ferret boy," Hermione added with a matching smirk.

Malfoy scowled. "You may want to be careful, Mudblood. Just because I know who you are doesn't mean everyone else does. You may want to watch your back."

You know only half of what I am. Hermione scoffed. "Thanks for the tip, Malfoy. Excuse us."

Malfoy grabbed her arm, smirking. "Don't turn your back on me, you filthy little Mudblood!"

"That's right!" Hermione snapped, impatiently jerking her arm from his grasp. "Me! Mudblood! And I'm damned proud of it!"

Draco Malfoy stared at her with a bemused expression.

"Five points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger," a voice growled from the shadows. Moody clunked into view. "You should know better than that. Setting a poor example for your inferiors." Moody smirked knowingly as his magical eye rested on Gohan's hidden pocket, which contained a copy of Hermione's blood patent. Gohan and Hermione exchanged alarmed glances.

"What?" Malfoy yelped in disbelief.

Hermione recovered. "I don't know what you mean, Professor," she said dismissively.

"Oh, I think you do," he replied with a lopsided smirk.

"Is there a problem?" Another low, stoic voice growled calmly as two green hands rested on Hermione's and Gohan's shoulders.

Moody's eyes narrowed angrily as he took in the former Guardian of the Earth. "Of course not. I merely heard the commotion near the Headmaster's office and wondered if there was trouble."

Piccolo smirked. "I'm sure," he said dryly. "Let's go, kids. You too, blondie." Draco made a face at the reference but complied. The tall Namek escorted the three to Dumbledore's office. "I don't have to warn you again to stay away from him," Piccolo began sternly.

Gohan shook his head.

"No, sir," Hermione said. "But it is hard. He is a teacher. He has authority, and he's quick to remind us of that, too."

"Point taken, Hermione, but some things are more important than being expelled from school. Like your lives." Piccolo turned toward Draco Malfoy. "You also need to avoid him as much as possible, Mr. Malfoy. That man is a danger to everyone around him, not just Potter and his friends. He isn't who he seems to be. Am I understood?"

Malfoy nodded, too intimidated to argue.

"Good. You're excused."

Happy for an excuse to leave, Malfoy hastily strode down the hallway.

Severus Snape scowled angrily as he searched his personal stores. Where the bloody hell are my lacewing flies? He pushed several storage containers away in frustration until he noticed it. He allowed his eyes to narrow. My boomslang skin supply is lower than it was yesterday. Polyjuice Potion…Potter! He furiously whipped from the storage closet, almost colliding with an unusually tall person. Dumbledore, perhaps? Bad timing, as usual. His eyes took in the white flowing cape as they traveled up to the green pallored face and pointed ears and turban.

"Ah. Mister Piccolo," Snape said softly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Snape carefully enunciated in a mocking undertone.

Piccolo smirked, his arms folded across his chest. "I suggest you drop the Mister, Professor. Only Gohan can pull off that title and not sound like a sniveling suck up."

Snape's eyes flashed dangerously at the word sniveling. Interesting, Piccolo mused quietly.

"Oh? Then I suggest you tell me why I find myself suddenly graced with your presence. You don't strike me as the visiting type."

"You wouldn't want me to strike you as anything, Professor," Piccolo said calmly. "My blows can be rather painful."

Snape returned the smirk. "Touché. As much as I would love to continue our little verbal sparring session," he said as Piccolo barked a small laugh, "I have work to do, not to mention a certain little thief to murder. Tell me, why are you here?"

"It would seem that Moody is targeting the girl again. I also have reason to believe he knows of her interesting lineage. I have excellent hearing, you see."

Snape's sallow skin paled. "I was under the impression she named Potter the secret keeper?"

Piccolo snorted. "You've been around children…how long?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. Potter was discussing the matter with Lady Subaru in an 'abandoned' corridor and said something a little too loudly? Idiot child! That is why things like this shouldn't be trusted with children! Especially Gryffindors."

Piccolo shook his head. "And sometimes people are left with little choice. I believe Potter has learned his lesson."

Snape snorted derisively. "One can only hope. He certainly hasn't learned not to steal."

Piccolo frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Snape shook his head. "Some personal ingredients are missing from my personal stores. The same ingredients to make a specific potion. Polyjuice potion, in fact."

Piccolo's eyes snapped up. "Is that not a potion used to alter someone's appearance…to make them look like someone else?"

"Indeed—" Snape began but stared at Piccolo, who was staring knowingly back at the Professor.

"It would certainly explain why his ki doesn't match his body," the Namekian said quietly to himself.

A look of dawning crossed Snape's face. "Moody. Someone's impersonating Moody. But why?"

Piccolo frowned. "He seems especially interested in Harry, Gohan, and Hermione. What do they have in common?"

Snape shook his head, quirking a brow. "Secrets, perhaps? Potentially fatal secrets. Potter is the Boy-Who-Lived, Miss Granger is the daughter of Lady Subaru and the Dark Lord, and Son is—" Snape's eyes widened. "—Son's squib father openly defied the Dark Lord in the past! The Dark Lord! Why didn't I see this coming? My mark has been burning for weeks now! Dammit!"

"Albus, you cannot be serious!" Piccolo said angrily.

Snape snarled. "I'm not about to let you use a child as bait, Headmaster! Even if it is Potter!"

"Calm yourself, Severus. You do want Voldemort defeated, right, Severus?"

"Not like that!" He spat, mutinous.

"The boy will be safe, Severus. I assure you."

Piccolo's eyes narrowed. "Even if you could assure Harry's safety, there are other children involved. Can you protect them all?"

"That is where you come in, Piccolo."

Piccolo snorted. "You said we were not allowed to interfere in the tournament! There are three other champions besides Harry Potter, Albus! How can I protect them if I'm not allowed to interfere? Not to mention that the entire student body is exposed to that lunatic every week! I've told you how the Avada Kedavra works, Albus! That stunt Gohan pulled with the spider left the boy less than an inch from instant death! What if Gohan had died?" Piccolo ranted furiously.

Snape became murderous. "What? You allowed Moody to perform Unforgivables in a class full of impressionable fourth years? HAVE YOU GONE MAD, ALBUS?"

"Severus—"

"Personally, I agree with the Bat," a voice rasped smoothly from the corner.

Piccolo blinked in shock. "What? Vegeta!"

Vegeta raised a brow. "Your hearing must be degenerating, Namek. Pity."

Dumbledore inhaled calmly. "Vegeta, there are thing you simply don't understand—"

"Oh, don't play all omniscient with me, you decrepit old geezer! I'm no coward! But it's one thing to put myself, Piccolo, or even Kakarot's spawn in the line of danger. It's quite another to put Granger or her friends on the front lines! None of them have had the experience in battle to take on subtle or physically strong opponents! Do I need to remind you that Potter and his brats, excluding the Ruroushan, are only humans? Idiot! "

"Your concern for Harry and his friends is rather touching, Vegeta, but I hardly—"

"Oh, go roll yourself off a cliff in a wheelchair! Don't you belong in a nursing home or something?" Vegeta said scathingly.

Dumbledore sighed again, appearing weary. "We need to force Voldemort into the open, like we did two years ago—"

"The circumstances were different, Albus," Piccolo said calmly. "Voldemort had a hostage, and we didn't know who she was or where she was. This time, we know for sure that Moody is being held hostage and that he is locked in the trunk in the imposter's room!"

"I assure you that Alastor is—"

"You can assure nothing!" Severus bellowed angrily. "I'm not going to let you hand Potter over to Voldemort—" he hissed painfully, clutching his left arm. "Dammit!" He hissed.

"Severus?"

Snape scowled as he clasped his arm. "I mean it, Albus! I am not going to allow it!"

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "Very well. I'll contact the Aurors immediately."

A huge scandal rocked the wizarding world over the next few days. Alastor Moody, the real Moody, was found locked inside his own trunk after the imposter was captured and forced to confess with Veritaserum. The revealing of Wormtail and Voldemort's location, along with the fact that Peter Pettigrew was alive stirred the entire country into action. More digging by reporters uncovered that Sirius was sent to Azkaban without a trial. Bartamius Crouch Sr was sacked from his office and tried for breaking a criminal from Azkaban and using an Unforgivable. Barty Crouch Jr received the kiss, and Wormtail narrowly escaped with his master.

Meanwhile, Sirius Black turned himself after ensuring he'd get a fair trial. Under the effects of veritaserum, he denied he ever was a Death Eater, that he killed Muggles, or betrayed the Potters. Sirius Black became a free man.

Because Crouch had confessed to putting Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry asked the ministry to rescind his requirement to participate. They refused, insisting that Harry participate, despite the nefarious plot to use Harry to resurrect Voldemort. Harry angrily huffed as he collapsed into his seat.

"I hate the ministry," he fumed in frustration.

Hermione scowled. "They should have cancelled your name just for the fact that you were underage! The Goblet of Fire contract required that its contestants are of age—" Hermione's eyes slid out of focus.

Harry stared. "What?"

Hermione smirked. "I may have a way to get even with the ministry. It would serve them right for forcing someone who is still legally a child to compete! And because you are such a big target for so many enemies it only makes sense."

"What?"

"For you to come of age."

"Hermione, what are you talking about?"

Hermione stood. "Come on. We need to see Professor Dumbledore."