Romeo and Juliet (Book 1) - SS x OC

Chapter 29 - Do Not Fear

"Y-yes, sir," Renee obliged shakily, shooting a worried glance at her head of house, who returned it with a worryingly blank gaze, before walking away.

The girl felt drained from having been hit by the Cruciatus curse and she was absolutely sure that she would collapse again. Bringing her unstable walk to a full stop, she leaned on the stone wall, trying to catch her breath.

Renee was using her sleeve to wipe the beads of sweat on her forehead when she saw someone walk past the hallway adjacent to her. Whoever that person was surely did not know that she was there because she carefully hid herself behind a post. The man who passed by was panting from treading very briskly and the moment he wheezed, she knew straightaway who he was and hurtled to chase him.

"You can stop running away now. The headmaster already knows what you did... professor." Renee said without flinching, pointing her wand directly at Mad-Eye Moody.

He chuckled with mirth. "Does he? I shouldn't think that would matter now. What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at--"

Renee was able to wordlessly cast an Incarcerous spell and an Immobulus charm on him and walked closer to the now struggling man. "By the way, you reek of Polyjuice. Who are you?"

"Again, it doesn't matter. Do you really think you can stop me with this idiotic spell you've cast?"

"Why did Alexander choose me?! He bloody well knows that I'm not purebood!"

"I suppose he thinks that the Dark Lord will find out eventually and kill you anyway."

"He'll kill him too, for lying!"

"That's not my problem now, is it?"

"You bastard--" Renee grabbed his collar. "Tell me who you are right now!"

"I'll tell you that I'm the same person who tried to get rid of you and Snape at the WWGP. I would have succeeded of not for that Shacklebolt twat," the fake Moody spat. She suddenly recalled the time he and Severus were lured into a room and could not get out.

"Kingsley and I suspect it to be an inside job." Dumbledore stated.

"What? How is that possible?!" Professor Sprout asked in disbelief.

"The likes of that cunning strategy may have been known in the least sense, but that is not to say that it has never occured," the headmaster revealed.

Dumbledore knew, Renee realised. He knew all along; he knew everything. What is everyone playing at?

"Moody" was soon enough able to release himself from Renee's spell and tried to stun her as he ran, but she blocked every jinx, chasing the culprit with disdain. Unfortunately, the impostor disappeared into the crowd when she reached the site of the task, and all she could see were people crouching down to the centermost of the grounds.

Renee tried not to break down as she saw Amos Diggory, Cedric's father, run towards his dead son. She couldn't erase the thought that she could've done more to save him or at least help him escape when he was in the graveyard if she hadn't been foolish enough to get herself tied up helplessly. Everyone in the crowd were either sobbing or screaming, and she was about to locate Fred when she saw Moody snatch Harry while everyone was grieving. The bastard quickly hauled the boy away from the crowd, a clear indication that he was up to no good.

Running at full tilt and hitting everyone who was in her way, Renee went to Severus. "Professor!"

The wizard immediately heard her and sprinted towards her. "Where is Moody?"

"He took Harry with him into the castle! He had a whiff of Polyjuice-- I don't think he's who he is."

Amidst the crowd dashing to get back to the castle, Severus tugged Renee's arm and they both went to a hidden and deserted area. "Listen to me, Renee, you need to get inside my office and stay there. Albus and I will look for the bloody miscreant and sort this whole thing out. You need to remain calm and wait for me. DO NOT go anywhere, do not touch anything, do not speak to anyone."