After weeks of substitute professors rotating through Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, the real Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody was finally discharged from the hospital wing and returned to his teaching duties.
Though his wooden leg and magical eye had been reattached, his prolonged captivity had left him gaunt and frail, to the point where even his wooden leg no longer fit properly.
Worse still was his mental state. The psychological trauma he had endured was far more severe than the composed façade Barty Crouch Jr. had managed to maintain while impersonating him.
In the classroom, Moody was jittery and overly cautious.
All the desks had been dismantled, reportedly to prevent students from hiding Dark artifacts inside them. The chandeliers had been removed as well, in case a curse might come raining down during class. Students were required to move in unison, as any sudden question or raised hand could startle Moody into near-panic. And after months of confinement inside a trunk, he had developed a severe case of claustrophobia, making it impossible for him to enter small, enclosed spaces.
Over time, however, his condition slightly improved. One day, he invited Jane Yu to his office for a private discussion.
"Who's there?!"
When Jane arrived to visit him, Moody shouted in alarm, spittle flying from his mouth.
"Crouch! Come on, I'm not afraid of you!"
Jane instinctively gripped her wand tightly.
Fortunately, before he could cast any spells, Moody recognized her. His spinning magical eye gradually slowed to a halt, and he visibly relaxed.
"It's you," he said gruffly. "Can you prove you're really you, Jane Yu? What if a Death Eater is impersonating a student and lurking in the school—"
The tables had turned. Jane never imagined she'd one day have to prove her own identity!
Moody stomped his wooden leg anxiously and shouted at no one in particular:
"I need to ask you a few questions to verify your identity—who impersonated me? What did they do to me?"
Jane answered calmly:
"Barty Crouch Jr. He used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate you and locked you in that trunk."
Moody's anxiety eased somewhat. He nodded, letting out a long sigh of relief.
"I must remain vigilant! You never know what dangers might be lurking in Hogwarts!"
He pulled out two teacups, sniffed them with his crooked nose, and rinsed them thoroughly with a jet of water. Satisfied that they were free of poison, he subjected the teapot to the same meticulous inspection.
Then he cast several spells to check the tea leaves for curses or toxins. Only after ensuring everything was safe did he finally begin brewing tea, placing a cup in front of Jane.
What should have taken just a few minutes stretched into twenty, thanks to his painstaking caution.
"I've spoken with Harry Potter," Moody said as he hobbled over to pull out two chairs. He inspected them both thoroughly before continuing, "You and he are prime targets for those people. You must be careful—"
At last, he sat down, apparently convinced that the chair wouldn't suddenly sprout ropes to bind him.
"Albus said he'd send you abroad, but before that happens, I want to teach you some useful spells. You can't be sure the Death Eaters won't chase you down to offer you up to their master."
The mention of "Death Eaters" seemed to trigger him. He suddenly roared:
"Scum! Cowards! Despicable filth—damn them all—"
Jane couldn't help but feel deeply concerned for his mental state.
"Do you need to take some time to recover?" she asked gently.
But Moody appeared agitated. He fiddled with his magical eye, pulling it out and then popping it back in.
"No—well, maybe—but not now—damn it, ever since that scum used it, my eye keeps getting stuck!"
After a few rotations, his magical eye seemed to function properly again.
"I need to finish teaching the rest of the term and do my best to keep the school safe. If I leave now, that fool Fudge will send someone to replace me, and the Ministry's interference will restrict us at every turn—especially with foreign wizards still in the school. The Triwizard Tournament hasn't been canceled."
He struggled to his feet and inserted a key into the second lock of his trunk. He moved with extreme caution, as if expecting a venomous snake to leap out at him.
A shimmering silver fabric appeared before Jane. Moody stuffed it into her hands and lowered his voice:
"Invisibility Cloak. It'll hide you, but only for a limited time."
"I've noticed how much attention your actions draw from the students. That's not good."
"I'm giving this to you because you've helped me a great deal—Harry told me everything that happened—I won't forget—"
Jane could sense his gratitude, but it was clear he wasn't skilled at expressing softer emotions. For him, such feelings were likely heavier than facing Death Eaters.
"It was purely accidental," she explained sincerely. "I didn't even recognize him—"
"Don't play coy with me!" Moody waved her off impatiently, clearly unconvinced. "After all these years, my eye sees through everything! Harry told me all about it—I know you noticed something was off about him. That Imperius Curse was brilliant! I heard Snape's been tutoring you—bet you figured out he was stealing African tree snake skin back then!"
Jane's expression turned into one of exasperation.
Harry Potter and Alastor Moody...
What exactly had these two concocted in their imaginations?
It really was an accident!
The Imperius Curse had been at Barty Jr.'s request!
She hadn't even known he was stealing potion ingredients!
Who could've guessed the students would raid the supply of African tree snake skin just to outdo each other for dance partners?
Now, no one believed her even when she told the truth!
"Humility is a virtue, but there's no need to be humble now!"
Convinced she was being modest, Moody waved his hand dismissively and shifted the topic to her career aspirations:
"You always keep your wand at the ready. That's excellent—far better than Harry, who keeps his wand in his pocket."
"Have you considered becoming an Auror?"
From what Harry and Dumbledore had told him, Moody was fully aware of Jane's exceptional qualities.
Brave and fearless, she had stood up to Voldemort and fought back!
Sharp and observant, she had quickly detected Crouch's odd behavior!
Powerful and diligent, she excelled academically, even managing twelve subjects!
No wonder Dumbledore held her in such high regard!
Perhaps he should train her in some Auror-exclusive skills, like "Concealment and Disguise" and "Stealth and Tracking"...
When Jane politely replied that she hadn't decided yet, Moody looked a bit disappointed.
"In my opinion, you have all the qualities of an Auror."
"Come to my office once a week for extra lessons. I'll teach you spells for dealing with Dark wizards!"
...
On her way back with a stack of spell books, Jane ran into Cedric and Harry.
"Though I'm sure someone of your ability has already solved the golden egg's riddle," Cedric said with an admiring smile, "I feel it's only fair to tell you—the secret of the egg is revealed underwater."
"Thank you," Jane nodded in gratitude. To give Harry a little help, she added, "We need to go to the merpeople underwater and retrieve our most treasured possession."
"Uh..." The only one who hadn't opened his egg, Harry, scratched his head. "Most treasured possession... What could that be?"
"I think it might be a person... or perhaps a cherished item," Cedric suggested.
Jane shrugged.
Forced to participate in the tournament, she only wanted to get through it.
Whoever—or whatever—was sent to the Black Lake, even if it was Dumbledore himself, there was no way she'd swim in freezing water in February!
As for other items... well, she had money. What couldn't be solved with Galleons?
She quickly made this vow, conveniently forgetting the advice she'd given Sirius about not making bold declarations.
So when Daphne came running toward her in a panic—
A terrible sense of foreboding hit her like a thunderclap!
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