Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter


"Ron?" Ron looks up from his breakfast to see one of Ginny's classmates, "Have you seen Ginny? She wasn't in bed when I woke up and she's not here either." Ron frowns.

"She's running an errand for me," Ron tells the kid who nods and walks off. Hermione looks at him in concern, "We need Harry."

"Brilliant timing then," Harry says as he sits down, "Have you seen Ginny? I've been looking for her all morning."

"What's with everyone and looking for Ginny?"

"She borrowed my cloak last night," Harry explains, Hermione and Ron exchange concerned looks, "What?"

"Muffiato," Hermione casts, the noise around them dims, "We had Ginny watching the map last night to keep an eye on Professor Moody, but she was supposed to stay in the common room and just observe," She explains.

"And instead she took my cloak and likely went to investigate something?" Harry guesses, Hermione nods.

"No one's seen her this morning." Harry's eyes widen.

"Okay so we check the…oh."

"Yeah, she's got the map. And your cloak," Ron points out.

"What do we do?"

"We have to tell Professor Moony!" Hermione tells him, Ron shakes his head.

"Fred and George spoke to me this morning. The other day, they were meant to have History of Magic with Remus, but the lesson was cancelled, and the room blocked off."

"So, they snuck in?" Ron nods.

"You might've told me that Moony's a bloody Werewolf." Harry winces.

"Sorry Ron, I-wait, how did you…?"

"Someone put a bunch of moons all over the room and threatening writing. After that, well it was easy for the twins to put together and they told me. Though, they think I already knew, I swore them to secrecy."

"Thanks."

"What's this got to do with your sister?" Hermione asks.

"I just think it's a big coincidence that Moony's being distracted while two people have now disappeared, and Harry's life is in danger, don't you think?" Hermione frowns.

"You think it's all connected?"

"Everything is connected," Ron tells her, "I don't think Padfoot ran off, I don't think Moody is who he says he is, I don't think Moony's being targeted because he's a Werewolf, and I don't think Harry's name ended up in that Goblet by chance."

"If that's true than whoever Moody really is thinks Professor Moony is a threat, he'll be watching him closely." Ron nods.

"If we go to him about Ginny, not-Moody will know we are on to him and that we sent Ginny to snoop around. Then we will all be in trouble and there won't be anyone to find her." Hermione nods, Harry frowns.

"Who do the Professors think decorated Uncle Moony's classroom?"

"Fred and George wondered the same thing. Went looking to find out. Apparently, they found a potions vial at the scene."

"Snape," Harry mutters.

"That's what they think too. Merlin knows he hates Moony enough, but of all the things we've accused him of over the years, he's never done any of it."

"Ron's right, it's too big of a coincidence that Snape does this with everything else that's going on. At the very least someone's convinced him to do it."

"This is all well and good, but what do we do?" Ron asks, the three fall silent as they think.

"If he's not Moody, how's he disguising himself?" Harry questions.

"Well, you're the one who mentioned him drinking out of that flask frequently. Maybe it's Polyjuice potion?" Hermione suggests.

"I thought you said that only lasts an hour."

"That's why he's got to keep drinking it. Of course, to have that much, he'd need a constant supply of genetic material." Harry's eyes widen.

"You mean the real Moody is somewhere nearby?" Hermione nods.

"What's any of this got to do with Padfoot?" Ron wonders.

"If you're right and me being in this tournament is part of their plan, then maybe they were trying to ensure Uncle Padfoot didn't get me out of it. The Ministry's bending over backwards trying to make the whole wrongful imprisonment up to him so that he doesn't sue them or start a revolt that others are sure to follow, so if anyone could, it's him."

"And, the only other person who would really try is Remus, who has a bunch of other stuff to deal with now, so they've gotten everyone out of the way," Hermione realises, Harry smirks slightly.

"Not everyone."


"Wotcher Harry," Tonks says as she meets them in the Shrieking Shack.

"Hi Tonks!" Harry greets, hugging her.

"Hermione, Ron, nice to see you both."

"It's good to see you too, Tonks."

"So, what's this all about?" The trio exchange looks, she sighs, "Who's trying to kill everyone now and how are you three involved?" Harry gives Tonks a sheepish look.

"You'd better sit down."

Five minutes later…

"All right so, Moody's not Moody, Ginny's been kidnapped, Remus is being threatened, Sirius has been captured, and someone is trying to get you killed?" Tonks recaps, the other three nod, she frowns.

"What?"

"How'd they know where you guys live?"

"Moody came to the Burrow with Dumbledore, it's when I noticed something was off about him. Either Uncle Moony or Uncle Padfoot could have easily mentioned something," Harry tells her, she nods.

"He's been here, so he's obviously not working alone."

"I think he's working with Peter Pettigrew," Hermione says, everyone looks at her in surprise before nodding.

"That makes sense."

"How did you know something was off with Moody?" Tonks asks, harry grimaces, lightly tracing his scar.

"My scar tingled." Tonks raises an eyebrow.

"Your scar tingled."

"Don't mock that, it hurt in first year, turns out you-know-who was around. It hurt in second year, turns out you-know-who was around, it feels weird now, I'm gonna trust it," Ron says, "Mate, why didn't you say anything?"

"I was scared! It's connected to Voldemort somehow, so what if it acting up now means he's around again?"

"You think Moody is you-know-who in disguise?" Hermione asks, Harry shakes his head.

"No, it would hurt a lot more if he were. I don't know, but I guess I just hoped if I told Uncle Moony something was wrong with him, maybe someone else could deal with it for once and I could just…" Harry trails off, scratching the back of his neck, unknowingly mirroring his late father's nervous tick, "It was stupid. The point is, we need to find out who he is and what he wants."

"The you-know-who connection does make sense," Hermione comments, sending Harry a concerned look, "But he's definitely not nearby or we'd know about it. But what about your dream?"

"My dream? Oh, my dream! I'd forgotten about that." Hermione huffs, Tonks raises an eyebrow.

"Harry had a dream about Wormtail, you-know-who, and a third, unknown, man. They were planning something, you-know-who had given the man a task of some kind." Tonks frowns.

"And you've no idea who this other man is?"

"That is generally the meaning of the word 'unknown'," Harry replies, Tonks rolls her eyes at him.

"All right, here's what I want you to do, keep Moody in the dark about as much of the tournament as you can. Especially anything to do with your involvement," She tells Harry who nods, "Good. Now, I have a plan but…it's completely mad." The trio exchange looks.

"Just another day 'round here," Ron replies.

"In three days, Moody will be gone from the castle. Search his office, his rooms, his classroom, and anywhere else you can think of. You may not have long, a few hours at the most, and there may be booby traps around the place so be wary of that. Try and find Ginny, that's the priority."

"What will you be doing?" Hermione asks.

"My job," Tonks responds, "Whatever you do, don't tip your hand to any other Professor. If they've gotten one, who knows who else may have been replaced. Constant vigilance." The three nod, "Be careful."

"Be safe."


Ginny wakes slowly, head pounding. She stays as still as she can, eyes closed, feigning sleep as she listens.

"Your breathing changed tempo when you woke, you should work on that." Ginny internally curses as she opens her eyes, squinting in the limited light. She finds Moody looking back at her but…something is different.

"You're Alastor Moody. The real Alastor Moody." Moody nods.

"Keen eye you have there."

"I know the look of someone who wishes to cause pain, and you don't have it." He seems intrigued by this answer, she doesn't elaborate, "How long have you been in here?"

"What's the date?"

"How long was I unconscious?" Moody smirks slightly.

"Six hours."

"20th December."

"Four months in here, five months captured." Ginny looks thoughtful before she frowns.

"Dammit, I'm going to miss the Ball," She groans.

"The ball?"

"The Yule Ball. Neville asked me to go with him, I was looking forward to that."

"You've been attacked, kidnapped, and are currently being held prisoner in a suitcase, and that's what you're worried about?" Ginny shrugs.

"Call it motivation to find a way out of here."

"If there was a way out of here, I'd have found it by now."

"Forgive me if I don't take you at your word and sit around moping."

"What's your plan then?" Ginny frowns, getting up and looking around.

"How often does he come back?"

"Once a day. Brings food and takes some of my hair."

"Why your hair?"

"Polyjuice potion."

"What's that?"

"I'm surprised you don't know, you seem reasonably intelligent." Ginny rolls her eyes.

"I'm smart but I'm still thirteen."

"It allows you to take the shape of another."

"Who is he really?" She asks after a moment.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I find it helps to know ones enem-" Ginny stops speaking, jaw clenched before she breathes out calmly, "I would think it would help to know more about what we're up against." Moody regards her for a moment.

"Barty Crouch Jr."

"Mr Crouch's son?" Moody nods, "I didn't know he had a son."

"He doesn't consider him a son anymore." Ginny frowns.

"What happened?"

"He was a Death Eater." Ginny's eyes widen.

"Voldemort, he's trying to come back again, isn't he?"

"That's quite the leap."

"No, not really, not when you consider all the information."

"And what information is that?"

"You were taken prisoner either just before or just after Peter Pettigrew escaped Azkaban-"

"Pettigrew escaped?"

"Just before, then. That's not a coincidence, which means two different Death Eaters, with no other connection between them, are in on this. Plus, Barty Jr would have been the one who put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire."

"Potter's in the tournament?"

"They haven't done it to kill him, no, the Dark Lord wants that honour for himself, which means, they have another agenda. A distraction maybe? A ploy to have Harry even further under the public eye when he takes him out? Or perhaps they want him to win. But what for? What's the point?"

"Voldemort is dead," Moody points out, watching the girl suspiciously. Something about the way she speaks seems off to him.

"No, he isn't, not completely."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny scrunches up her nose, breathing heavily.

"I don't know, I can't remember."

"Remember?" Ginny's eyes widen and she gasps as she finally finds the information she was looking for, hidden in a recess of her mind.

"Horcruxes." They hear the click of a tongue above them and look up to find Moody's face staring back down.

"You really are beginning to be a real pain in my arse, girl."