Chapter 7
"Miss LeStrange you did well in class today." he told her as he got up and walked towards her.
"Thank you sir. I love learning and have read all my school books ahead of class." She said and he nodded.
"Well keep up the good work." he told her and she left. She needed to talk to Severus.
She ran to his class and waited for everyone to file out before she walked in and slammed the door shut. He turned to yell at who ever it was but soften when he saw her. She locked the door and casted a silencing spell on it before plopping down in a chair in front of his desk.
"Something wrong." he ask her concerned.
"You are not going to believe what I have found out." she told him smiling.
"Well out with it girl." he said.
"Just to clarify first what I tell you does not go to the headmaster." she said and he nodded.
"and your loyal to my father right completely." she said and he raised an eye brow at her.
"Yes you know I am why are you asking." he said she knew he was telling the truth.
"I just had class with Moody and discovered he is not really Alastor Moody." she said and he looked at her in shock.
"Who the bloody hell is he than." he ask her sitting forward in his chair. She smirked at him.
"Barty Crouch Jr." she told him and his eyes went wide.
"What…How did you…Why." he said not able to form full sentences.
"When he told the class his name I knew he was lying so I slipped into his mind and found my answer." she told him then went on to repeat what she had heard him say. He was silent for a long time still looking like a deer in the head lights.
"Merlin this is un believable. We knew the dark lord was getting close to coming back because our marks are getting darker but this is wow." he said still shocked.
"You can't tell anyone. I'm trusting you with this secret. I don't want anything to hinder my father coming back and I know you don't either. He will have to act like Moody normally would so if he's mean to you that's normal. The real Moody wouldn't like you since you're a death eater." she told him and he nodded.
"I wont say anything. I want the dark lord back as much as you do and I wouldn't betray your trust like that. Thank you for telling me though." He said and she nodded.
"I think I'm going to tell him I know who he is and see if I can help with his plans if he needs it." she told him and he whipped his head up to look at her.
"What that's to dangerous Brianna. He as batty as a two knut whore." he said and she laughed at him.
"I like that it was funny. But I want to help if I can. Plus who cares if it's dangerous. And I wont get caught my disillusionment charms like you said are better than most anyone's so I can sneak around and not get caught if I have to." she said standing and grabbing her bag.
"Don't worry. If I need you I'll let you know." she said taking down her wards she put up. He stood up and went after her spinning her around. He looked into her eyes and put his hand on her cheek.
"Be careful and don't get hurt." he said sincerely.
"Aw Severus you act like you care." she joked trying to stop herself from showing how this really made her feel.
"Of course I care you draft girl." he said letting her go.
"I'll be fine." she told him before heading for a quick lunch for Care of Magical Creatures blushing red at the feeling in her stomach.
She got to the great hall in time to eat a quick bite.
"What did Moody want." Draco ask.
"Just to tell me I did well in class and know where I learned it all from that's all. He's just being nosey." she told him and he nodded.
Draco showed her where to go for Care of Magical Creatures which was outside by a run down old hut and the class was with Gryffindor's.
"Who lives in this dump." Brianna ask Draco causing the other Slytherins to laugh. Potter and his two friends sneered at them.
"Our teacher. The big oaf Hagrid." he said just as a huge man came out of the house.
"Mornin'." Hagrid said grinning at Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Ah I see we got a new student this year. What your name." he ask pointing to Brianna.
"It Brianna LeStrange Professor." she said and he nodded his head.
"We got Blast-Ended Skrewts for ya this year." Hagrid said pointing to a bunch of ugly creatures in crates. A few girls looked disgusted and backed away.
There were about a hundred of them each about 6 inches long, crawling all over each other. They were giving off a god awful smell of rotting fish.
"Only jus' hatched. So yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yourselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it." Hagrid told everyone smiling.
"And why would we want to raise them?" Draco said coldly causing everyone to look at him. Hagrid didn't look like he had an answer.
"I mean, what do they do? What is the point of them?" Draco continued causing the Slytherins to snicker and Gryffindor's to roll there eyes.
Hagrid opened his mouth apparently thinking hard. In Brianna's opinion he just didn't know anything about them.
"You do know don't you. I mean your are the teacher." Brianna said backing up Draco. The Gryffindor's were pissed.
"Tha's next lesson. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, Yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few different things- I've never had 'em before, not sure wat they'll go fer- I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake- just try 'em out with a bit of each." Hagrid said
"I refuse to touch any of that shit." Brianna said pointing to all the nasty foods he wanted them to try. Draco and Pansy nodded in agreement.
"Well get to work." Hagrid said to them. Brianna took out her wand and began levitating pieces of nasty food and dropping it into the crate. The other Slytherins took her lead while the Gryffindor's used there hands. Some of the Gryffindor girls looked jealous they didn't think to use there wand first.
"Ouch. It's got me. It's end exploded." one of the Gryffindor's yelled.
"Ah yeah that can happen when they blast off. And some of 'em have got stings. I reckon they're the males…The females got sorta sucker things on there bellies…I think they might be ter suck blood." he said pointing at different ones.
"Will, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive. Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting and bite all at once?" Draco drawled smirking at Brianna.
"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful." Hermione said back.
"You'd know all about not being very pretty wouldn't you Granger." Brianna spat back at her and her friends bent over laughing causing her to turn beet red. While Harry and Ron looked pissed.
"Alright class that's enough for today. You can go." Hagrid said and everyone took off towards the castle where they had Divination.
Draco showed Brianna how to get there which took forever since it was in a tower at the other end of school. Once in she sat next to Draco on a pillow on the floor in front of a small table. The room was hot and smelt like a perfume store.
"Good day." an older woman said from the front of the class. She reminded Brianna of a huge bug. She had long grey hair and glasses the size of plates and jewelry and scarves hanging everywhere.
"My dears it is time for us to consider the stars." she said before seeing Brianna.
"You dear I don't recognize you are you new." she ask gliding closer.
"Yes Brianna LeStrange." she told the teacher she already knew she wouldn't learn anything from.
"My dear your aura is pulsing. You possess what it takes to listen to your inner eye you will learn a great deal in this class." she said.
"Fat chance." she whispered to Draco. She sat everyone up to review a dream they had and look in the books to interrupt it. This class lasted forever in Brianna's opinion and she was hungry. Her and Draco read the Daily Prophet under the table and pretended to work while the teacher was hanging all over Harry.
"Oh god look at this." Brianna pointed to an article she just read. Draco looked at it and covered is mouth to stop from laughing.
It was an article about the World Cup attack written by Rita Skeeter. And went on and on about things Mr. Weasley said or did.
"Oh this is good lets get them about this right before dinner." Draco said as they packed there bags and followed the golden duo out the door. Laughing and whispering behind them. They met up with Hermione at the great hall which is where Draco attacked.
"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!." Draco called out to them. They stopped and turned towards the group of Slytherins. Draco, Brianna, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle where all standing there while Draco held up a paper.
"What." Ron said sharply.
"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley." Brianna said pointing to it.
"Listen to this." Draco said and began to read.
Further mistakes at the Ministry of Magic.
Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday be the antics of Arnold Weasley.
"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he said and everyone in the great hall was listening now.
Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several muggle law keepers. Mr. Weasley went to aid old friend Mad-Eye Moody. Unsurprisingly, when he arrived he found it to be a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories due to Moody's catastrophe. Mr. Weasley refused to answer questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an embarrassing scene.
"And there's a picture, Weasley! A Picture of your parents outside their house- if you can call it a house. Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?" Draco said. Ron was shaking in rage.
"Get stuffed, Malfoy." Harry said.
"Oh yeah you were staying with them over the summer, weren't you Potter? So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?" Draco sneered.
"You know your mother, Malfoy. That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?" Harry sneered back grabbing Ron to stop him from jumping Draco.
Draco went murderous.
"Don't you dare insult my mother Potter" Draco said taking out his wand. Brianna saw movement to her side in the form of Moody.
"Keep your big mouth shut then." Harry said turning away.
BANG
Several people screamed and Harry felt something fly passed his head. He heard another Bang and.
"OH NO YOU DON'T LADDIE!" Everyone turned to see Moody limping up to them all pointing his wand at a white ferret where Draco was just standing. Brianna looked horrified at her cousin. Moody beckoned for her to back up and she did slightly. Standing near him.
"Did he get you." Moody ask Harry.
"No. Missed." Harry said laughing at Draco in ferret form.
"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned." he said flinging Draco in the air over and over again. "Never-do-that-again." Moody said. Brianna tried to figure out what to do to stop this. She went up to Moody and whispered in his ear where only he could hear.
"That's not a very nice thing to do to the son of a loyal follower Barty." she said and took a step back. He spun around and looked at her shocked. She just winked at him.
"Professor Moody." Said McGonagall coming down the stairs caring an arm load of books.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall." Moody said turning to look at her but keeping that fake eye on Brianna.
"What-What are you doing." she ask looking at the ferret that was bouncing.
"Teaching." he said.
"Tech-Moody is that a student?" she shrieked dropping her books.
"Yep." Moody replied like it was nothing.
"No!" Cried McGonagall taking out her wand and changing Draco back into a human. He got to his feet with the help of Brianna wincing.
"You ok." she ask him and he nodded.
"Moody we never use transfiguration as a punishment. Surely Dumbledore told you." she said waving her wand in his face.
"He might have mentioned it. Yeah." he said back.
"Well you'll do well to remember that wont you. We give detention or speak to there heads of house." she yelled picking up her books and stomping out. Mumbling about "Talking with the headmaster." and "Never in all her life."
"Come on I'll take you to Snape to look you over." Brianna told him wrapping her arm around his waist for support.
"Miss LeStrange. I need to speak with you." Moody called from behind.
"Professor I'm going to take my cousin to get looked at. After dinner I'll come by your office promise." she said and he nodded limping off.
"Wait till my father hears about this." Draco said weakling as they made there way towards Snape's office. She knocked loudly and Snape snapped the door open. He saw them and let them in.
"What happened." he ask as Brianna sat Draco down.
"Moody turned him into a ferret after he tried to hex Potter. He bounded him up and down on the floor until McGonagall stopped him." Brianna told him and he gasp.
"What." he said and Draco groaned.
Snape ran test on him and gave him a pain reliever potion. They had dinner in his office and Brianna took the time to write both her Aunt and her mother a letter on everything that had happened so far minus who Moody was then Draco left to go to bed.
"Alright I got to go I got a meeting with Moody." Brianna said standing up and stretching.
"Why do you have a meeting with him." Severus ask.
"He want's to talk to me. I may have let slip I know who he is while he was bouncing Draco around." she said.
"Be careful." he said and she nodded. She Disillusioned herself and walked towards his office. When she got there is classroom door was open so she slipped in and walked towards the back to the office. The office door was cracked and she could see him pacing back and forth mumbling to himself. She smiled and took out her wand.
She disarmed him quickly and stepped into the door taking the charm off her to become visible again. He just started at her shock but didn't say anything. She locked and warded the door before turning back to him holding both wands in her hand.
"How long before you change back." she ask taking a seat on a chair in the corner.
"Just a few minutes. How did you know." he said looking at her like she had two heads. She didn't answer just waited. A few minutes later he started to convulse and changed back into a younger man with short dark hair and dark eyes.
"I'll give you a moment to change into clothes that fit." Brianna said standing and turning around to give him privacy. She heard movement and clothes rustling before it was silent.
"Alright." he said and she took her seat again while he sat in another chair in front of a small desk.
"How did you know." he ask again.
"Easy. When you told the class your name was Alastor Moody I knew you were lying. So I probed your thoughts in class and found the truth. One of the gifts I inherited from my father." she told him tapping her temple. He breathed out a deep sigh running his hands over his face.
"You don't have to worry Barty I'm not going to get you caught. I want my father back as much as you do. I'm here to offer my help. If you need anything that's reasonable for me to do I want to help." she said and he stared at her.
"Really. You want t help." he ask and she nodded.
"You look so much like your mother and I can see your father in you as well when he was younger." he said looking at her.
"Thanks I get that a lot about my mom but not many people know who my father is so I want to keep it that way for now." she said and he nodded.
"He knows you're here my lady. He said I was to watch out for you and treat you with the up most respect." he said and she smiled.
"If you talk to him tell him I can't wait to finally meet him." she told him and he nodded he would.
"How is he by the way." she ask crossing her legs.
"Weak at the moment. But he should have his body back soon if my plans go as they should." he said leaning back in his chair.
"What's the plan." she ask.
"I need to get Potter into the tournament. The last task is a maze in which you win as soon as you touch the trophy. I plan to turn that trophy into a port key that will take Potter to the dark lords location so Wormtail another follower can perform the dark ritual using Potters blood and bring him back." Barty said quickly.
"That's a brilliant plan. Just let me know if there's anything I can do and I'll try and help. Also can you not turn Draco into a ferret anymore. He's my cousin and I like him. His parents saved me from abusive muggles and took me in this summer." she said and he nodded.
"Sorry about that. I wanted to gain Potter trust and I figured using his enemy would do it." he said.
"Also you don't plan to be rude to Snape do you." she ask him.
"Snape his a traitor why shouldn't I be." he said to her.
"He is not a traitor. He is loyal to my father I made sure of that. The dark lord gave him a mission years ago to win Dumbledore's trust and gather inside information and that's what he's been doing. I understand playing Moody means you have to act like you don't trust him just don't be too harsh." she said.
"Okay I will try. If you say he's loyal I believe you." he told her.
"Good now I have to get back before curfew. Just let me know if you need anything." she told him handing back his wand and un warding the door.
"Hey." Barty said before she opened the door.
"Yeah." she ask turning back around.
"Your mother talked about you all the time in Azkaban. They told her you died but she didn't believe them. She said she would know if you were. She loves you a lot." he told her and she smiled at him.
"Thank you." Brianna said before leaving the office and heading back to the common room.