An Interrogation

As the two friends made their way down to the village during the very first Hogsmeade journey of the fourth year to the rendezvous point where they would meet Mad-Eye for a review of their skills, Neville could see that Harry was worried. It never boded well.

"What is it?" he asked urgently.

"I have been compromised."

"Why do you suspect that?"

"I have been fixated on a subject for quite some time now. It drives my attention from more pertinent subjects, important to continued survival and magical skills."

"A compulsion charm?" suggested the brown-haired boy.

"That is one of the most likely routes."

"A Confundus, an Imperius or a sort of potion would be the others."

"Yes, but...

"Yes. We have been checking the ingestible things every time as Master Moody taught us, so the potion is out. I can throw of the Imperius, so that isn't it. A Confundus is still possible, but making it target a wide variety of things except the subject is difficult," Neville enumerated the reasons to eliminate those options.

"Yes."

"Have you any suspects?"

"Several. The subject relates to one of the suspects," Harry replied shortly, not explaining it any further.

"Then we need to have Master Moody direct us regarding the future course of action."

"Yes."

They met Moody just half a kilometre from the usual haunts of the students. The man had disguised himself as a tree. Knowing his predilection to hexing them causing either pain or humiliation or both, the two boys had split about halfway between the point of rendezvous with Moody and the Hog's Head where they could check without causing him to get even more alert than he usually was.

Mad-Eye had been impersonating a tree so well, that a dog had decided to relieve itself on said tree. Even Mad-Eye had a limit to which he could bear things without being disgusted.

"Master Moody," Harry intoned a bit nervously. "I fear I may have been compromised."

"Explain, cadet!" Moody barked.

"I seem to have my attention fixated on a particular subject endlessly, up to and including diversions from subjects required for garnering skills, and academics."

"Suspects?"

"Four. One is directly related to subject."

"Your reading, cadet?" asked Moody of Neville.

"A powerful compulsion charm cast by methods unknown. Undetectable. We have eliminated the Imperius and Confundus, as well as any food- or drink-based adulterant."

"I see." Moody waved his wand around Harry in an intricate pattern. "You test negative for any known sort of mind control, cadet."

"Perhaps this particular type of control bypasses the detection parameters of your spells?"

"Possible." Moody drew out a small vial of veritaserum from his cloak. "Three drops."

"Three drops. Thank you."

The following day, the Potter parents and the Longbottom parents were all sitting in Dumbledore's office, waiting to know what exactly they had been called to Hogwarts about. It was a bit disconcerting to do that, considering that their parents had never been called to Hogwarts. That it was about the two prophesied children made them worry even more.

Dumbledore surveyed the four, having rested his chin (beard) on steepled fingers. "I think we have all made a slight mistake with the level of control we have given Mad-Eye over the children. We may have to get him to tone things down a bit," Dumbledore said frankly.

"What do you mean, Sir?"

"Take a look into the pensive, James. Indeed, all of you would be well-advised to do so."

And so the four trooped into the pensive to view what was obviously Dumbledore's memory.

Neville and Harry were standing at two sides of a room, their postures slightly inclined in such a way that at any given moment, both could see any visible movement at the door, each other and the girl, who was tied to a chair placed directly in front of the door.

All of a sudden, Harry poured three drops of what was presumably Veritaserum into the girl's mouth. The questions were very simple.

"Have you placed any variation of an Imperius Curse, a Confundus Charm, a Compulsion Charm, or used any sort of mind-control substance, or any other form of mind control on Harry James Potter?"

"No."

"Have you asked or ordered anyone to place any variation of an Imperius Curse, a Confundus Charm, a Compulsion Charm, or used any sort of mind-control substance, or any other form of mind control on Harry James Potter?"

"No."

"Have you suggested to anyone that they should place any variation of an Imperius Curse, a Confundus Charm, a Compulsion Charm, or used any sort of mind-control substance, or any other form of mind control on Harry James Potter?"

"No."

"Have you any plan to place any variation of an Imperius Curse, a Confundus Charm, a Compulsion Charm, or used any sort of mind-control substance, or any other form of mind control on Harry James Potter?"

"No."

"Did you have a plan to place any variation of an Imperius Curse, a Confundus Charm, a Compulsion Charm, or used any sort of mind-control substance, or any other form of mind control on Harry James Potter and act on it directly or indirectly?"

"No."

"Is your name Hermione Jane Granger?"

"Yes."

"Are you an impersonator?"

"No."

That seemingly satisfied Harry. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Granger. You have satisfied my curiosity." The boy then cast a very powerful sleeping charm on the girl, banished the ropes and cured all signs of her being tied, before walking her to the Gryffindor Common Room like a puppet and settling her on the couch.

A little while later, he lifted the sleeping spell and woke her gently. The girl blinked owlishly and took in her surroundings, realising that she definitely wasn't in some classroom. She looked at the two boys, and launched into an explanation about having a dream where they had interrogated her under Veritaserum. Then realising that she might be a little under the weather, she took her leave and went up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

"Pause," commanded Dumbledore. The memory paused. He then turned to look at the four parents.

"Why didn't you stop them?"

"For several reasons," answered Dumbledore calmly. "You must understand that I will have to give them lengthy detentions at the very least. The castle construed this as an attack by one student on another." The parents nodded. That was very obvious. "I was worried that they may have legitimate suspicions, for one. For another, I wanted to know what why they had the suspicions at all. I wanted to know where they procured the Veritaserum from. It is a highly classified substance, after all. And fourthly, I didn't want them to know that I was present."

"Did you find out?" Lily asked with a little irritation.

"I did," Dumbledore answered serenely. "Restart," he commanded.

"This is bad," commented Neville.

"Indeed it is," agreed Harry.

There was a small silence, before Neville asked, "What was the mind-encroaching subject, anyway?"

"Hermione," Harry answered.

Neville blinked. "You aren't making any sense."

"The subject which is encroaching upon my mind all the time is Hermione. I have been thinking about her unnecessarily and in uncomfortable ways, at times which should be devoted to following Master Moody's instructions. I also...observe her a lot."

"Oh," replied Neville, clearly at a loss about the whole situation.

The five people trooped out of the pensive.

"What did you understand?"

The four parents looked very ashen-faced. Finally James, in a fit of Gryffindor courage answered, "We have to give the boys The Talk."

This is an independent one-shot which springs from an H/Hr idea relating to the Prophetic Intervention. Mad-Eye has had a large share in helping raise the two children of prophecy.