Chapter 671: Clue
Chapter 671: Clue
Ivan’s speculation gave Hermione a shock. She was so surprised that she couldn’t help but ask, "Are you saying that Professor Moody is keeping someone else imprisoned in the castle, which is why he needs extra food prepared?"
"There’s a possibility. I think that person is hidden in his office", Ivan nodded.
"So that’s why he doesn’t allow house-elves to clean his room..." Hermione muttered to herself, now understanding why Ivan had asked those questions earlier.
"But why would Professor Moody do that? I heard he used to be a powerful Auror who captured many Dark Wizards and Death Eaters. He couldn’t possibly be working for the Dark Lord!" Hermione was thoroughly confused.
If Ivan hadn’t pointed out all the suspicious points about Mad-Eye Moody, she would never have imagined that Professor Moody could be a bad person.
"I don’t know... It’s just a guess", Ivan shook his head. He couldn’t be certain, as there were too many uncertainties.
Moreover, Mad-Eye Moody was known for his paranoia. It was normal for him to forbid house-elves from entering his room, which was why he hadn’t suspected anything earlier despite noticing some oddities.
"Could it be that someone used Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as Professor Moody and then hid the real Professor Moody away?"
Hermione immediately thought of this possibility. Only in this way would "Professor Moody" need to provide food for the other person to prevent them from starving to death.
"I don’t think so... The effects of Polyjuice Potion are limited. Unless they can constantly replenish it, they would eventually be exposed!" Ivan shook his head. He had already investigated this. Mad-Eye Moody didn’t have a habit of carrying a flask, nor did he drink anything during class.
"Instead, I suspect it’s the Imperius Curse", Ivan hesitated before saying.
Hermione’s eyes widened. She knew exactly what the Imperius Curse was. Mad-Eye Moody had just explained its effects in Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. It could control a wizard without their knowledge, and it was classified as an Unforgivable Curse!
"Mad-Eye Moody is a very cautious Auror with strong willpower. It would be impossible for just anyone to control him for so long. I suspect the Dark Lord did it himself. To prevent Mad-Eye Moody from breaking free, someone must be constantly supervising him and reinforcing the Imperius Curse regularly", Ivan explained.
Ivan had practiced the Imperius Curse before and was well aware of its weakness: a strong-willed person could break free from it.
There were ways to mitigate this weakness, such as the method he used to control Notte—having a dedicated person constantly supervise and reinforce the Imperius Curse to prevent the victim from breaking free.
Of course, this method wasn’t perfect.
Continuously casting the Imperius Curse on the same person in a short period could build up resistance, significantly reducing the spell’s effectiveness and requiring more frequent recasting, leading to a vicious cycle.
Hermione’s understanding of the Imperius Curse wasn’t as deep as Ivan’s, but she grasped the severity of the situation. After Ivan finished his speculation, she immediately pulled him toward the stairs. "If Professor Moody is under control, we need to go and save him right away!"
"Wait, Hermione!" Ivan reluctantly stopped Hermione's movements, then, under the puzzled gazes of the young witches, he spoke again.
"I just have my suspicions, but there's not enough evidence to prove it! What if Professor Moody really is a big eater and just happens to enjoy having a midnight snack while working late? It's not impossible."
Hermione was taken aback, staring dumbfounded at Ivan. After a while, she bit her lip and said, "What should we do, then?"
"Of course, we should go back and think it over, see if we can find more clues in the next few days..." Ivan hesitated, but before he could finish, Hermione cut in.
"Don't lie to me, you must be planning to go find Professor Moody on your own later!"
The young witch glared at Ivan, her lips trembling with anger. She could easily guess that Ivan was trying to fool her and go on a dangerous adventure alone, and she wanted to scold him. However, realizing that she probably wouldn't be much help if she followed, Hermione swallowed her words, feeling frustrated. Finally, she murmured, her voice tinged with worry.
"That's too dangerous. You should at least tell Professor Dumbledore about this! What if it's a trap, and someone is deliberately showing weaknesses to lure you in?"
Ivan looked at the young witch in front of him and sighed after a moment. He conceded, "Alright, you're right this time!"
Over the years, Ivan had grown accustomed to handling things on his own, often keeping many details to himself to protect those he cared about. He had been misled a few times, but Hermione's reminder was timely. Some things didn't need to be risked alone.
...
Half an hour later,
In the Headmaster's Office on the top floor of the Tower, Ivan briefly outlined his suspicions. Dumbledore frowned deeply and paced around the spacious office.
"Hals, can you be sure that Alastor is under the Imperius Curse?" Dumbledore asked.
Ivan shook his head. Everything he had said was just a guess, and he couldn't be 100% certain.
"Professor Dumbledore, is there no way to detect this kind of Dark Magic?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"Unfortunately, Hermione Granger, to my knowledge, there is no specific counter-curse for the Imperius Curse. Otherwise, it wouldn't be classified as an Unforgivable Curse", Dumbledore replied.
Ivan nodded. The Imperius Curse was a particularly tricky piece of magic that had caused significant trouble for the Ministry of Magic. Death Eaters like Lucius Malfoy often used it to evade punishment, relying on the curse's difficulty to prove.
Only highly skilled Legilimency Masters could detect signs of the curse by delving into someone's memories. However, Mad-Eye Moody's vigilance was so high that anyone attempting Legilimency on him would be noticed immediately.
Ivan recalled their previous encounters and realized that Mad-Eye Moody almost always used his magical eye to make direct eye contact, clearly aware of the need to guard against such detection.
Dumbledore pondered for a long time. Alastor was one of his most trusted friends. Throughout the school year, he had shown no signs of anything amiss, everything seemed so familiar. Dumbledore had never suspected his old friend, even entrusting him with the investigation of the Triwizard Cup...
(End of Chapter)
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