Unexpected Animagus, Part 6

Examples of Mutually Beneficial Cooperation Between the British Changeling and the One-Eyed Watcher

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).

Next day, after an utterly normal (and kinda boring) day. Harry put the rescue plan in action.

He had spent their free hours practicing two particular spells, using his spider monkey form. With some practice, now he could change shape into a different form without any need to release his wand. If the new form couldn't hold the wand, it didn't appear, if he wanted to have his wand in his hand when assuming a form capable of wielding it, he had it in his grasp when he took the new form.

This meant a very welcome addition to his arsenal. One that could save his life! If only he found a way to cast spells without his wand…

Now, after repeating the chain of maneuvers from the previous night, once more he followed Junior into the DADA teacher's room.

When Barty had the trunk open, and was getting ready to cast a spell at the occupant before entering the expanded interior, a green fly behind him transformed into a spider monkey armed with a wand.

The monkey dropped silently to the ground, and whispered "Stupefy!"

Whatever you may say about the man, Junior was no slouch in reaction time. Just as he heard the first syllable, he was turning around to face the intruder. However, his aim was very, very off, as he was pointing at where a human's torso would be, allowing a slight lateral correction.

By the time he even registered that his opponent was way below that level, the ball of light had already caught Barty Jr right in the belly, and he instantly fell unconscious. Before he hit the floor, the small monkey changed into a gorilla, catching the inert body, and lowering it to rest of the cold stone floor.

The great ape looked over the open trunk edge, measured the height, decided against simply jumping down, and changed into a bee.

The green insect flew around the bound Auror, checking for signs of wounds or torture. Apart from the bloody scalp from yesterday "shearing", he was unharmed.

The one eye of the man looked at the bee. His face alert and suspicious. He spoke without missing the bee. "I might be missing an eye, and the light here is not the best, but I don't remember ever seeing a green bee, especially inside a building with no flowers around and in the middle of the night. Are you an Animagus, by any chance?"

Harry changed into Logan, and as instructed by Dan, tried to disguise his voice. "I'm a friend, I came to rescue you."

Moody snorted, "Im never gonna live that down. Merlin Damned Death Eaters got me by surprise."

"I guessed so, Sir."

"In my defense, two dead men appearing at one's door…"

"I guess…" he interrupted himself, forgetting to modulate his voice, "Wait, did you say two?"

"Yeah, Barty Crouch Jr, supposedly dead at Azkaban; and Peter Pettigrew, supposedly murdered by…"

Harry interrupted, "Sirius Black is innocent. Pettigrew is the traitor."

"I arrived to the same conclusion all by myself, lad. Who are you and why are you green? Disguise charm gone wrong?"

"Uh, no, Animagus transformation, call me Garfield Logan." He didn't add that the Animagus ritual had gone spectacularly well.

"My condolences, it must not be easy being green."

"As Kermit sang."

"Muggleborn, eh?" Moody's smile was disturbing. "I'm aware of Sesame Street and the Muppets Show. Now, are you gonna cut me free or will we wait until Junior wakes up?"

"Uh, sorry, Sir."

"Just Moody, or Mad-Eye." The Auror growled. "I work for a living."

"Right." Logan cut Moody's bindings and helped the man to sit up on the straw covered floor. "I'll bring you your leg and eye, and stun Crouch again."

"Do so, lad. And kick him too, for good measure. The line is over anyway; at least, officially."

Harry raised an eyebrow, until the innuendo clicked. "Ah! Right."

Moments later, Moody heard "Stupefy!" And a very satisfactory thump that made him wince in unwilling sympathy and smile with schadenfreude.

The green kid dropped the rope ladder, and came down with Moody's leg.

"Now, Logan." Moody rubbed his wrists to restore the blood flow. "I'd like to know how exactly did you know I was in trouble."

Harry's mind froze for a moment. "Uh, Moody, there are things I don't want to share. Not yet, at least."

"I respect that." And both said "Constant vigilance!" at the same time. Moody smiled again, tightening the straps of her wooden leg around the stump.

After Moody had put the prosthetic eyepatch over the empty socket, and confirmed it worked well, Logan helped him to climb up the ladder. Once out in the room, Moody checked Junior's unconscious body, recovering his wand and his flask in the process of frisking him. "Damned bastard…I'll have to wash everything to get rid of his stench." He grumbled. "I should just burn the lot…"

Once he had his wand, he pointed it at Junior, looked at Logan for a moment, and with a twisted smile, cast a spell at the downed man. "Imperio!"

He hesitantly smiled at Logan, shrugged, and said, "Special permission from the Ministry."

Logan nodded, "I know. He boasted about it in class."

"In class?" Moody thundered, "This is really Hogwarts?"

"It is; he, or rather, you, is the new DADA teacher. He's surprisingly good at it, actually. Though demonstrating the Unforgivables in class goes beyond the pale."

"Plotting to resurrect his Dark Lord fits in that category too. Now, let's see what this bloody scum has to say."

Moody pulled Junior to his feet, and ordered, "Sit on that chair, stay there until I say otherwise. You will answer my questions honestly and fully. No evasions, no half-truths. You will tell me everything I want to know. Is that clear? Answer."

"Yes. It is clear." Junior answered, his eyes glassy and unfocused.

An hour later, two really angry wizards stomped around the room.

Moody opened the trunk again, to the empty space he had been imprisoned. "Junior! Take this flask, go down in there, and once on the bottom, drink the whole bottle. Then, put these manacles in your ankles and wrists. Show me every movement you do."

Junior did as told, Moody watched him all the time, until the Death Eater lay down unconscious. He stunned and paralyzed him anyway.

"Extra powerful Sleeping Draught and Magic Supressing chains. The fool didn't ask about Compartment Zero or he would have used them on me."

The former Auror closed the trunk, twisted a dial and opened it again. He pulled a clean set of clothes and dressed himself with sharp and angry movements. They had been so set in interrogating the impostor that neither had noticed, much less cared, that Moody was technically in his underwear.

He opened another compartment, and this time, it revealed a well stocked potion collection. From a hidden drawer, he pulled a bottle and two glasses. He poured the content of the bottle in the glasses and put one in Logan's hands, "Drink, it will settle our nerves."

"Um… I'm a minor, I don't think drinking alcohol would do me any good."

"We agree on that. I never drink that stuff if I can help it. It dulls your reflexes and makes you think you are better that you actually are. Deadly combo in my line of work. Drink, it's just tea with a few drops of calming draught."

Harry hesitated for a moment, before sipping cautiously from the glass.

Moody stared at him. "So, Potter is a personal friend of yours, uh?"

Logan took his time before answering, "Actually, we can't be together in the same room. A mutual friend asked me to check on you." Technically true, but…

Moody's real eye narrowed, "You are not telling me everything. I know you are hiding something." Before Logan could say something, Moody continued, with an approving look, "Good. You are taking security seriously."

"What are we gonna do?"

"I think I have to sleep on it tonight, what's left of the night, anyway. You go to Potter's friend and we all talk tomorrow."

"I think it will be better if I skip on the meeting," Logan said, "Hermione Granger will keep me updated."

"Fine, lad. Stay in touch."

Hermione awaited in the common room, more asleep than awake. Harry, back in his normal form, shook her shoulder, and the young witch opened her eyes, "Harry?"
"Moody is okay. I'll mirror call Sirius and your parents. Go to sleep and we all talk with Moody in the morning."

She stiffled a yawn and nodded. She rubbed her eyes, it was way past their time to go to bed. Fortunately, next day was Saturday, so they could sleep a bit longer to recover.

Actually, it was past midnight, Saturday had already started.