Derek was sitting by a window after he changed into his sleepwear after having a wonderful time at the Yule Ball. He also was in deep thought while looking out beyond the Forbidden Forest from what Cho offered to him and even kissed him on the cheek, which he touched a couple of times from which he felt a warming feeling.
'Can't sleep?' Plutonia asked.
'Nope. Just can't stop thinking about things.' Derek thought.
'I can tell. There are so many going around in your head. Perhaps a simple sleeping draft ought to help?' She asked.
'I don't know. I just…feel like I'm going to be used for granted, and like property. I agreed to help, but I don't want to be seen being used for stuff against my will. Also…I sense something's wrong. I can't put my finger on it, but something seems like it shouldn't be.' He explained while looking down.
'I don't blame you. If the worst should happen, I can take over and put an end to this. I swore to the gods to protect you and teach you everything you need to know. That is not going to change.' Plutonia assured him.
'Thanks, Plutonia. I wouldn't be who I am if it weren't for you.' He thought while looking back outside and smiled.
'Now how about you get some sleep? It may still be the holidays, but that doesn't mean you still shouldn't get your rest. Don't want to have insomnia about mostly minor things, do you?' Plutonia asked him.
Derek sighed and gave in to her suggestion. He went to bed and lay down and tried to sleep. It took some doing, but he eventually fell asleep.
By the next morning, Derek woke up and got ready to have breakfast. He saw the Daily Prophet on a table where he saw the headliner that seemed to be quite the read.
'Rita Skeeter, a reporter of the Daily Prophet, was revealed to be an illegal Animagus. Multiple witnesses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including all the champions of the Triwizard Tournament, saw the truth at the Yule Ball. Aurors apprehended her and took her for questioning.' The Daily Prophet reported.
Derek chuckled at that.
"Justice has been served cold, and that was a fun Christmas." He said while chuckling more.
After reading through the article, he enjoyed the remainder of the holiday having a serious snowball fight with Harry and his friends, enjoying wonderful holiday meals, and celebrating a bit of a late Christmas get-together.
When term resumed in January, things continued to be as they should be. When he went to Defense Against the Dark Arts, he was deeply concentrated on the lecture.
"Today, we will continue where we left off about using the Tickling Charm. So let's practice it now, but only the incantation. After me, Rictusempra!" Lupin said.
"Rictusempra" Everyone said.
"Very good. Now can anyone here remember what the spell does?" He asked them. He looked over and saw a student raise a hand. "Yes, Ms. Avery?" He asked a Slytherin girl.
"Being the Tickling Charm, the spell causes the victim to laugh almost uncontrollably. It may also cause the victim to laugh too long, almost making them suffocate." She said.
"Very good, Ms. Avery. Five points to Slytherin." He said. After a bit of a mumble from the other Slytherins, Lupin cleared his throat. "Now there is a variant of the charm known as the Tickling Hex. Though we will not be covering that this year, there will be a time when we will." He continued.
When classes ended that day, he and the other students went to the Great Hall for a delicious dinner. Derek hardly spoke a lot that day since he learned that the Second Task was only weeks away. He knew it would take place at the Black Lake, but he didn't know what the champions needed to do yet.
"Derek?" Luna asked when she sat next to him.
"AH!" He shouted a bit when she startled him. He quickly calmed down and looked at him. "Oh, Luna, it's just you. What's up?" He asked.
"You don't look so good. Have Nargles tried to steal your possessions?" She asked him.
"Nargles?" He asked. 'What's a Nargle?' He thought.
'No idea.' Plutonia said.
"But no. Just…thinking about a lot of things. The Second Task is coming up, and it's making me go a bit crazy." He said while looking back at Luna.
"Is that why you seem a bit more spacious? Ever since the First Task, you've been distancing yourself." She added on.
"What? Am I? If I am, I don't mean it. I guess with all that's happening with the Triwizard Tournament, things are all over the place. Plus, I've been noticing that Barty Crouch has been missing lately. Something isn't right. I could ask Percy, his assistant, for information. Anyway, how was your holiday? Forgot to ask." He said while changing the subject.
"Nothing to write home about. Father and I are continuing to work on The Quibbler. We might even do some extra work based on the Triwizard Tournament." Luna said.
"Speaking of, I'm gonna need to meet up with the judges and the heads of the schools to be briefed on what I'm gonna be doing before the task." Derek said while finishing up his dinner.
"They really like having you around. Must be nice." Luna said with a smile.
"Not unless they use you." Derek said.
After a few more weeks, the Second Task was just a mere day away. Derek was about to get ready to go to his first class.
"Night!" Moody's voice boomed out nearby, making him stop and turn around. "Hate to interrupt your scheduled day, the judges need to see you down by the Black Lake." He said.
Derek just looked at him. His eyes detected that something was off about Moody. He knew that he was as mad as a hatter over the years, but something seemed off. He ignored it for now.
"I'll head there straight away. It must have something to do with the Second Task. Thanks, Moody." He said while hurrying off. While he was leaving, he looked back and saw Moody just standing there looking back. 'I can't be the only one sensing something off about him.' He thought.
'You're right. He's an impostor, but we can't prove anything about it because we have no evidence. It must be Polyjuice Potion.' Plutonia said.
'Perhaps we could try to let slip to the headmaster about this. He'll listen to me.' He thought as he walked through the grounds.
He finally arrived at the Black Lake where all the school judges and heads were waiting for him. When he joined them, he saw the location where everyone would watch the Second Task.
"Mr. Night, your magic will be very useful for keeping an eye on the champions while they are under the Black Lake. You will be watching them from above." Dumbledore informed him.
"Sweet! Finally, a chance to get in on the action a bit more, unlike when that dragon nearly torched me." Derek said with excitement.
"We shall take you where you will be positioned." Bagman said.
"Alright." He said. His mood was brought down dramatically when they took him to a platform in the middle of the lake. "Okay, when I heard that I would be watching them from above…this isn't what I had in mind." He said while just standing in the center of the platform.
"It's crucial on the matter. You see, from what we learned, you can detect the life energy of living beings thanks to your eyes. Your task is to ensure that the champions are safe while searching for a special treasure that will be taken from them." Bagman explained.
"Not only that, but they will have one hour to find them." Percy added.
"Doesn't sound too hard. So I'm assuming you want me to keep an eye on their movements and any large creatures in the area like the giant squid?" Derek asked.
"Indeed. And to ensure that they play fair, there's someone that I like you to meet." Dumbledore said.
"Who?" He asked.
Just then, they heard the sound of a creature breaching the surface behind him. He turned around and saw a woman with grey skin, yellow eyes, and long green hair that looked like it could be mistaken for seaweed. A large spear was shown.
"This is Merchieftainess Murcus, the leader of a colony of Merpeople here in the Black Lake. She and her colony will watch over the treasure the champions will search for." Dumbledore said.
"Um…greetings. I will provide eyes from above the surface." Derek said while trying to be as polite as possible.
"No interference on your end, and we will be on fair terms." Murcus said before briefly going back underwater to breathe. When she returned, she glared into his eyes. "Your eyes are unique and full of magic. I look forward to seeing what you are capable of, boy." She said.
"I'll only use them if it's absolutely necessary. I do not plan on using my magic on your people." He said.
"Anyway, if you need a moment to make sure that you can see underwater, now would be the time." Dumbledore said just before Murcus submerged back into the Black Lake.
Derek nodded before his eyes began to glow. Indeed, he was able to see the life underneath ranging from the Grindylows, more of the Merpeople, and of course, the giant squid. There was one thing he did notice while doing this.
"While I can see everything that's going on, the water, being a living being itself, makes everything kinda fuzzy." He pointed out.
"Do you think you'll be able to handle it for an extended period of time?" Ludo asked.
"I can, but I'll need a moment to not strain my eyes." Derek said when his eyes dimmed.
"Of course. Take all the moments you need to not hurt yourself." Ludo said.
After a plan was set, Derek and the rest of the judges were returning to the castle. Derek began to think this might be the perfect opportunity to report to Dumbledore about Moody.
"Professor? A word about Moody?" He asked the headmaster.
"What about him? Is he causing silly issues again?" Dumbledore asked.
"No….but I sensed something about him. I don't have proof of this though, but I think he's an impostor." Derek said.
Dumbledore looked at him with confusion.
"Impostor? You mean like someone is in disguise as him?" He asked.
"Yes. As I said, I don't have proof of anything. Although…" Derek was saying until his eyes glowed again. "He had an aura around him that made me see something else about him. Polyjuice Potion, perhaps." He finished.
"Curious. Severus has been noticing a shortage of Boomslang Skin, and Lacewing Flies in his personal storages. We will look into this as soon as we can. But for now, just keep yourself out of this until such times when you are needed, Derek." Dumbledore informed him.
"Will do." He said.
A few weeks went by, and the Second Task has finally arrived. Derek was sent onto the platform while everyone else was entering the area. Derek noticed that many had been eyeing him with confusion as to why he was out there.
'I got a bad feeling about this. I look like a fool just standing out here.' He thought.
'Look, you know what you need to do. Hey, perhaps maybe I can secretly teach you a handy spell that can help you if something goes wrong with you. The Summoning Charm.' Plutonia offered.
'I think I already have that built-in. Remember how I can summon my wand and Nimbus 2001?' He asked.
'Good point.' She said.
While chatting with her, Derek noticed that Harry had arrived a bit late. He looked like he had slept in when he was supposed to be there. He also noticed that Barty Crouch was nowhere to be seen.
"Crouch…where are you?" He whispered to himself.
"Sonorus!" Ludo Bagman said with his wand at his throat, and his voice echoed around. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Second Task. The Champions are tasked with finding a lost treasure that was stolen from them deep in the Black Lake. They have one hour to find them. In the middle of the lake, our own Derek Night will be keeping sharp eyes on their movements, and signal to us if something goes wrong." He explained.
Derek looked at everyone with a bit of embarrassment. He began to sweat, despite the chilling air.
'Bloody hell…' He thought to himself.
"On my whistle! Three…two…one!" Ludo yelled before blowing his whistle.
The champions dove into the Black Lake, Harry was the last to go in after shoving something down his throat. Derek began to use his magic in his eyes and watch their movements underwater. He noticed that Harry began to throb around as if he was in excruciating pain.
"What the?" He asked. This changed as he saw that he had grown fins and gills. "What…did he eat?" He asked.
'I believe he consumed a rare magical herb called Gillyweed. That'll let him breathe underwater for roughly an hour in fresh water.' Plutonia said.
'Clever.' He thought.
He watched the other champions go through the trenches in the Black Lake. He noticed that Krum went through a partial transfiguration into a shark, while Fluer and Cedric used some charm to keep air flowing around them. He paced back and forth while watching them. He did look up and closed his eyes for a little while to give his eyes a chance to take a break and not get strained. He continued this method for what seemed like half an hour.
After a quick break, he saw movement all around Fluer. Grindylows swarmed around her and began to pull her down.
"Oh no you don't!" Derek yelled before taking aim. "Prismatic Pulse!" He yelled.
A powerful blast of magic shot out of his eyes. The attack struck by the Grindylows, and they scattered away from Fluer, who was injured in the process. He saw that she was returning to the surface towards him.
The moment she breached the surface, he grabbed her arm, and she grabbed his. He pulled her to the platform where he saw her injuries and torn ropes, and the spectators cheered when she returned.
"I got you. Are you okay?" Derek asked while trying to ignore the deep freezing feeling he was getting from her.
"Yes." She said as Derek signaled for help from the judges. "Zey attacked me. My sister…she might be 'urt." She said just as a boat came along to collect her. Before she left, she kissed his cheek.
"Uh…" Derek said while blushing a bit.
After she left with the others, Derek looked back and kept an eye on the other champions. He then saw what appeared to be Harry being the first to arrive at his destination with Cedric close behind.
Just as Cedric collected what his treasure was, the bell rang at the end of the hour. Derek looked at the clock for a brief moment. He saw Cedric coming up. About a minute after the time limit, Derek prepared himself and helped Cedric, and to his shock, Cho, out of the lake. As the crowd cheered for their arrival, boats arrived to collect them.
"You guys okay?" He asked.
"Yeah. Freezing, but yeah." Cedric said.
"Thank you, Derek." Cho said while shivering and they were taken back to get treatment.
A moment later, a shark breached the surface along with Hermione. The shark was revealed to be Viktor as he went through a partial transfiguration. He got them to the surface, and the boats arrived.
When Derek looked back and saw that Harry was on his way back with the other hostages along with the Merpeople, he also sensed something unusual coming from the other side of the lake.
"Wait a minute…something big is coming." Derek whispered.
'It can't be…it's supposed to be on the other side of the lake.' Plutonia said.
When Harry returned to the surface with the Merpeople, he saw Ron and a girl, who he believed to be Fluer's sister, struggling to swim. He got them to the surface and looked back at the lake. His fear was confirmed that the Giant Squid was on its way.
Just as Harry, Ron, and the girl were heading back with the rest of the judges, Derek reached out with his arm and attempted to summon his Nimbus 2001. Ripples were made as the Giant Squid was getting closer.
"Derek! What is it!?" Dumbledore called out to him back with the others. He and everyone else heard the sound of his racing broom soaring towards them. "Derek!?" He asked again.
Just then, massive tentacles breached the surface and were about to slam down on the platform.
"Uh oh!" Derek yelled with fright before he felt his hand clamp down on his broomstick and he took off just as the tentacles destroyed the platform. "That was too close!" He yelled as everyone else was beginning to panic.
All the judges fired hexes and curses right at the Giant Squid. The creature bellowed out loudly and submerged back into the lake. Derek lowered himself towards the judges.
"Are you okay!?" Ludo asked him.
"Shaken, and very confused, but yeah. What the bloody hell just happened!? Why would it attack it!?" Derek yelled.
"Head back to the castle and meet us at my office! Go to the gargoyle on the third floor and tell it Earwax Bean!" Dumbledore told him.
"With pleasure." He said before he sped off towards the castle. Luckily, he knew the shortcut that he used in his first year from getting from Defense Against the Dark Arts class to Flying lessons. He used it and walked along the hallways. 'Well….that was….that was weird.' He thought.
'I am in an agreement. Why would the Giant Squid attack you like that? It doesn't make sense. Unless…' Plutonia said.
'Unless?' He asked.
'Unless it was instructed to attack you. But who, and why?' She wondered.
'Guess we'll find out.' He thought before reaching the gargoyle in the corner of a wall. "Earwax Bean." He said.
The gargoyle hopped aside, and a spiraling staircase began to rise. He got onto it and it soon reached the top of the tower, revealing a pair of large wooden doors.
Upon entering, he saw a large room where several silver instruments and decorations were all around. He also saw the portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses from Hogwarts on the walls. He saw a desk in the middle of the room and a pedestal next to it that had a large red, and golden bird standing on it and looking at him curiously.
"Whoa…" He whispered while seeing the bird.
'Be careful. That's a Phoenix. They are very proud and majestic creatures. They may not be aggressive, but it is wise to be cautious.' Plutonia warned him.
Derek slowly smiled at it.
"Hello." He said.
To his surprise, it squawked a rather calmly songlike noise before jumping off its perch, landing on the desk, and slowly approaching him. He slowly lifted a hand to it, and it cooed a bit while gently rubbing its head on it. He felt a warm feeling from its feathers. After some time, the Phoenix warmed up to him greatly.
"I see you've become quite acquainted with Fawkes." Dumbledore's voice spoke out from behind him, making him turn around.
"It really was interested in me." Derek said as Dumbledore, the other professors, and the judges arrived in the office.
"Are you alright? The Giant Squid attacking you must've been quite a shock." McGonagall asked.
"Yeah." Derek said while setting his Broomstick aside. "But the questions I want answered now are who did it, and…" He asked before going to a window. "Why?" He finished.
"Merchieftainess Murcus looked into it, and she told me that it attacked upon command. She doesn't know who and why, but I believe that now you should remain with us at all times for the final task come June." Dumbledore suggested.
"I feared as much. I need to know who did it, and why. This can't be a coincidence. First the Swedish Short-Snout from the first task, and now the Giant Squid? Clearly, someone is trying to kill not only me but Harry as well." Derek said while pacing around the room.
"Perhaps you should return to the Common Room for the rest of the day. You have been through enough for now." Flitwick suggested.
Derek looked at him for a moment. He then sighed.
"Yeah. Good idea. I'll see you in class." He said before he began to leave. Just as he was leaving, he walked past Mad-Eye. Their eyes met, and Derek sensed the bad vibes from him. 'Hopefully, Dumbledore will catch on.' He thought.
'I'm sure he will. But for now, just leave it, and get some rest.' Plutonia said.
Derek returned to the Common Room, where talk was going all around about what happened. He set his Broomstick aside and sat on a couch in the library and began to read. He knew that things were getting worse. What will the final task have in store? Can the truth behind Mad-Eye Moody be revealed before it's too late? Find out more next time as the story continues.
