Marauders' Godson Book 4: The Goblet of Fire

Chapter Fourteen

Edward had thought that the craziness of the first day had ended after Moody's class, but he was wrong.

He, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Ruby, and Onyx were just leaving Divination when they heard a loud voice behind them.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"

Edward spun around to find Zabini walking up to them with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. He was waving a Daily Prophet in the air. "Your dad's in the paper, Weasley! Listen to this!"

Further Mistakes in the Ministry of Magic

It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. 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 ("policemen") over a number of highly agressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" Zabini added, holding up the paper so everyone could see. "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?"

"One more word out of your mouth about my foster mother and I will hex you into oblivion," Edward hissed coldly, as Ron, Onyx, Ruby, and Draco shook with anger.

"Get stuffed Zabini," said Harry at the same time. "C'mon, you guys...."

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" said Zabini with a sneer. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

"What about your mother, Zabini?" asked Ruby coldly. "I find it odd that every single one of her husbands have died within a few months of marriage -- extremely rich husbands, I might add."

Zabini glared at her. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Black."

"Keep your mouth shut, then," said Harry, turing.

Zabini raised his wand, and Edward whipped out his own, but it was too late.

BANG! A silvery something shot past Harry's head. Everyone screamed.

Harry spun around, yanking out his own wand, but there was a second BANG, and Zabini fell to the ground. He had transformed into a white ferret.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" came Moody's yell.

Professor Moody was limping up to them, and his wand was out, pointing at the white ferret.

Edward stared at Moody as the entire hall fell silent. He doubted an Auror, ex or not, would turn a student into an animal....

Moody was looking at Harry and Edward now -- or, his normal eye was on them, but his blue eye was looking behind him, through the back of his head.

"Did he get you?" Moody asked, looking between them.

"No, he missed," said Edward, looking over Moody's shoulder at the ferret, Crabbe, and Goyle. Crabbe was bending down.

"LEAVE IT!" Moody barked, and Crabbe froze.

"Leave -- what?" asked Harry, bewildered.

"Not you, him," Edward said, nodding behind Moody.

Moody turned around and began stomping towards the ferret. Zabini gave a loud squeak and darted away.

Edward quickly pointed his wand at Zabini, and he transformed back into a person. "Professor," he said stiffly to Moody, who was looking greatly disappointed, "we don't usually turn people into animals. Ruby usually gets together with Peeves and pranks them."

"What?" came a yelp from behind them, and Edward turned to see Professor McGonagall walking toward them, her arms full of books.

"You used Transfiguration as a punishment?" McGonagall said sharply to Moody. "We never -- we give detentions or speak to their head of House -- surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his head, "but I thought a good sharp shock-"

"No," said McGonagall with finality.

"I'll speak to this one's head of House," Moody said irritably. "It'll be Snape, correct?"

"Yes," said Edward with a frown, "and I'm coming with you; I'm supposed to help him teach Remedial to the fourth years. Crabbe, Goyle, you're supposed to be down there, too."

Moody nodded. "Come on, Mr. Zabini.... I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape...."

Edward followed Moody and Zabini down to the dungeons with Crabbe and Goyle stomping after them.

When they walked in, Snape was teaching a teary-eyed Melissa and a few other Hufflepuffs and Neville. Neville beamed as Edward walked in, then looked alarmed when he saw Zabini and Moody.

"What is it?" Snape frowned, giving Moody a wary look.

"Need a word, Snape," said Moody, obviously stifling a smirk. "And I'm delivering your assistant and two of your students, apparently."

"Sorry I'm late, Professor," said Edward with a sigh, walking up to him as Crabbe and Goyle quickly sat down. "Zabini has a bit of trouble being polite about my foster mother."

Snape frowned and cast Zabini a nasty look. "Very well, Moody. Edward, would you take over until I've finished speaking to Moody and Zabini?"

"Yes, Professor," said Edward calmly. Snape handed him the lesson plan and left the room with Moody and Zabini.

When Snape returned near the end of class, he looked satisfied and still a bit angry. He walked up to Edward, who was studying Crabbe's potion with a frown.

"Crabbe, did you add the lacewing flies before the frog liver?" Edward asked with a sigh. "The instructions clearly say to put the frog liver and then the lacewing flies -- Goyle, you're stirring it the wrong way," he added. Goyle stopped, blinking, and his potion turned a bright yellow -- it was supposed to be brown.

"One moment, Professor," said Edward when Snape made a motion that said he wanted a word. "Let me check on Neville's and Melissa's potions." He walked over to Melissa as Snape went over to his desk.

He whispered a few instructions in her ear, and she smiled painfully at him, doing as told. Then Edward went over to Neville.

"That's great, Neville!" he said delightedly when he realized that the potion was the exact color and consistency that it was supposed to be. "Well done! Ten points to Gryffindor, and keep up the good work."

Neville smiled nervously at him.

Edward went over to Snape, who was frowning at Neville, and asked quietly, "What is it?"

"Moody seems... darker than I thought he would be," said Snape after a long pause. "I know of how he treats Dark wizards he is supposed to be catching-" he grimaced "-but I assumed he would treat students much better than that." He shook himself. "Luckily we agree that you are not to be mistreated... I gave Zabini a detention."

"You didn't take points from Slytherin?" Edward asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.

"It is my House," said Snape with amusement. "And yours."

The conversation was interupted by a loud bang as Goyle's potion exploded.