The fear that had gripped Aubrey returned but this time she pushed through, reminding herself that 'Moody' was really just a clueless genius ... who'd somehow awaken old magic bound for millennia. Still, it wasn't like she had a choice right now, any resistance would likely lead to Lexy being tossed down the stairs which outweighed any fear right now.
As they walked, forced to pretend nothing was wrong under Mad-Eye's instruction, it began to dawn on Aubrey just how powerful 'Mad-Eye' was. Of course, it took vast power to switch people but it only really hit her when she saw the speed at which he'd cast the Imperius curse: Lexy had been out of sight for a mere few seconds.
It felt ironic that it was Lexy who had been placed under it considering how fretful she'd been just a mere few minutes ago. Still, nobody would ever have guessed it, given how at peace she looked now, a vacant smile across her pink lips that didn't quite reach the now misty eyes. On the way, the group passed by a few students yet nobody seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary, simply gazing sympathetically despite Aubrey's best attempts to telepathically communicate with them.
Eventually, they made it to 'Moody's' office, the man holding the door open for them to which Fred grinned.
"Such a gentleman."
Despite the fact he was joking at a time like this, she could tell it was a facade. In fact, a comment that inappropriate meant he was freaking out big time. She only hoped he'd be able to tone it down for the meeting: Mad-Eye was angry enough already.
"So ..." George laughed nervously, "Is this an open session or are you going to lead?"
"Shut your mouth."
"Alrighty then," George replied, genuinely obliging as the professor pressed his wand onto the back of Lexy's skin. Subtly, Aubrey's fingers found Fred's, almost intertwining before 'Mad-Eye' abruptly sent a jet of yellow light towards them, knocking Aubrey backwards onto a strange, dark chest. Fred looked between them horrified before pulling her up, glaring at 'Mad-Eye' with a stern defiance.
"I was going to make this easy for you," His voice seemed to have changed, suddenly higher and smoother as if he wasn't even trying to hide anymore, "Scope out Cedric Diggory and we wouldn't have had any of this but you had to go and talk to Charlie, didn't you? Didn't think I'd check in with him when I realised he was slipping from my control?"
She wished she had the courage to sass the man but fear was choking up her throat, forcing her to remain silent. Lexy was only an arm's length away, smiling eerily as if her mind had left her: Aubrey could reach out so easily if 'Mad-Eye' would only look away.
"Well, it doesn't matter now, the end's the same," 'Moody' spat, "No tricks, I'm warning you, or Alexandra will have a nasty accident"
"Lexy ... she likes to be called Lexy and please, she's not involved," Aubrey managed to choke out, "It's me and Fred, you can - "
"She's obviously involved, stop lying!" 'Mad-Eye' hissed, "I said no tricks - "
"That wasn't a trick, she was just saying," George cut in quickly, his arms hovering in Lexy's direction, "So are you going to switch them back or do we get an elaborate villain speech?"
When the imposter next spoke, it was with eerily sensual pride, "I'm not the Villain - "
"You were using students as test subjects for magic you didn't understand," Fred pointed out.
"Sometimes that's the only way," 'Mad-Eye' spat, "And I had a better understanding of it than you, boy."
"That's not hard really," Fred replied, "You're clearly a smart man - "
Or woman, Aubrey would have added if she could tear her eyes off of Lexy.
" - if you're going to control us anyway, might as well have a chance to bask in your glory first," Fred replied, a strange tempted gleam appearing in 'Mad-Eye's' dull, stormy grey eyes, "You tampered with magic that hadn't been used in centuries, swapping minds - "
"It wasn't an easy feat," Mad-Eye' admitted, his wand still pointed on the boys at all times, "I had to do things others would cower from, true bravery. It could have backfired but I did it for him - "
"Except you had no idea who'd you performed the spells on," Fred guessed, noticing the man's face hardening slightly, "They had to reveal themselves to you and then you lured them in, right?"
'Mad-Eye' paused for a few moments before sneering, his eyes now wild and crazy, "I had some idea, this eye's not just for show - "
"It isn't?" Fred asked, "I thought it was just there to look pretty."
George grinned, "I was thinking of getting one myself actually."
To this, 'Moody's' eyes flared but Aubrey suddenly realised something: his wand was no longer pointing at Lexy. Gently, she felt Fred nudge her as George continued with an elaborate speech on high fashion. Glancing down, she realised his finger was subtly pointing at the door ... the door which 'Mad-Eye' in his haste hadn't locked.
"So what else have you done?" Fred asked, "What is this for?"
"Something wonderful," Mad-Eye sneered, "And it will be down to me, his most loyal servant."
"Whose?" George asked, carefully shifting in the opposite direction to Lexy, succeeding in drawing Mad-Eye to turn his back on the controlled girl. They had the element of surprise on their side, Moody's eyes gleaming with no doubt twisted fantasies. Taking the chance, she grabbed Lexy's wrist, holding her free hand towards the door as she screamed, "Accio door!"
BHAM!
The door slammed against the wall, an awful screeching sound cutting piercing the air as the hinges desperately strained in the direction of her wand. Mad-Eye was alert within seconds, Fred barely managing a protection charm as a flash of white light came towards them. The four scrambled out of the office in a chaotic, mad dash, almost tripping over themselves in their haste.
Fred and George sprinted ahead but suddenly, as if in a twisted nightmare, Lexy's legs were refusing to move, the girl slowly growing limper like a rag doll. Echoing around the corridors, she could hear the clicking of Mad-Eye's boots growing closer by the second; it was pointless to try and outrun him.
"No, no, no please," Aubrey whimpered as Lexy's pace slowed further, refusing to move any quicker no matter how hard she tugged, "Lexy, please - "
"Aubrey," Fred was suddenly by her side, his curls tickling her face but she fought him off.
"Go, please," She whispered, "Tell Dumbledore ... "
"No, are you mental? I'm not leaving you - "
"Don't be noble, just go! I can handle this, please!" She begged, a bead of sweat rolling down her face as she continued the hopeless task of tugging Lexy, "Find him and tell him, I'll try and hide her..." Her eyes came across a small door a few meters away, "Fred, run ... now."
Gently, she pushed him away, sighing with relief as the boy's pace slowly quickened before he disappearing out of sight. Mad-Eye's footsteps were becoming closer yet adrenaline spurred her on, kicking the door open, which turned out to be a broom cupboard and quickly locked it with her wand.
Mad-Eye appeared moments later, by which time she was alone. Her legs were trembling, so weak that she felt like she would collapse any second.
"You ... you think you can just do that," Mad-Eye spluttered. The anger was gone, this was something different: pure, unadulterated rage, "You're too late, Jack and Charlie weren't the only ones ... they'll find them - "
"P-professor Moody?"
A soft, female voice suddenly interrupted the conversation from behind the old man and Aubrey lowered her arms. Blocked out by his large figure, the tiny Professor Greenwood emerged.
"Professor Greenwood," Moody was all 'smiles' now (well, a smile by his standards anyway, a grimace by anyone else's), his wand miraculously in his pocket, "What are you doing up so late? Thought you were usually in bed by six."
"I-I was going t-to but I had a rather n-nasty nightmare, so f-felt a walk was necessary," She tittered, "Y-you see I've n-never liked goblins but in m-my dream, I was s-suddenly surrounded by them! T-they wore these awful h-hats I hate t-too!"
"Must have been incredibly scarring for you," Moody barked sarcastically.
"O-oh, it was," She laughed, her eyes suddenly drifting towards Aubrey before her head titled with concern, "Are y-you okay, my d-dear?"
"Just one of the Weasleys, up to no good," Mad-Eye snapped. A sudden surge of courage washed over Aubrey and she took a sudden step forward, the sound echoing around the empty corridor.
"I ... I ..." She trailed off as a bright light suddenly shone through the keyhole of the cupboard she'd hidden Lexy in, the handle rattling, "I..."
"Oh dear, are y-you a stutterer too, b-boy?" The kindly professor asked, jumping as the door swung open, to reveal Lexy, smiling so naturally, it was almost as if she'd broken free of Mad-Eye ... almost, "Oh g-good heavens, girl, what were y-you doing in there?"
Mad-Eye laughed and Lexy quickly joined in, so natural sounding that for a second Aubrey thought the curse had lifted.
"I was curious and got stuck!" She giggled, "That's so embarrassing."
With a smile, Lexy turned around and began walking away from them, Aubrey unable to do anything.
"A-anyway, where was I?" Professor Greenwood regained her chain of thought, "Are you al-alright, boy?"
Swallowing, she began, "No, I'm - "
Her words were cut off with a gasp for in the distance she could see Lexy approaching the edge of the balcony as if waiting for some of the moving stairs. Except the stairs weren't there yet.
It was simply an open void.
Looking up, she realised that Mad-Eye's eyes were fixed on her, intently gazing, pressing her to do as she wanted. The longer she hesitated, the closer Lexy got to the edge, one step for every second.
"I mean ... yes," She whispered, "I'm just embarrassed about being caught, I suppose. My fault for pranking in such an open corridor."
Her muscles eased off as she saw Lexy abruptly staggered back until she hit the wall: the message was clear, compliance was key.
Professor Greenwood didn't look entirely convinced but her attention was soon taken off that when Charlie rounded the corner, pushing Fred along. George was walking freely ... too freely.
They'd got him too.
"Professor Moody, I found these two about to prank the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom, thought you'd want to deal with them yourself."
In the distance, Lexy stood up, edging towards the balcony again before Aubrey replied, "I thought I told you not to get caught, Aubrey, George!"
At last, Professor Greenwood seemed convinced, "Oh M-moody, you do live a hard life."
"I'm aware."
"O-okay, d-don't be too mean, a-alright? They c-cleared up a flood in my c-classroom just a f-few weeks ago!" She laughed before meandering away and disappearing around the bend.
Only then did they start moving again, back to the office where it had begun. Deja Vu washed over Aubrey except this time 'Mad-Eye' wasn't messing around, locking the door as soon as they entered. This time, there was no talking, no room for distraction as he cast the undoing spell on them followed by the Imperius curse.
This time they weren't getting away.
• • •
Okay, these chapters have become increasingly dark but this is the peak, I promise, things get slightly lighter after this again. Also, I'm lowkey thinking of making this a series as I've always had ideas of possible sequels and they're fitting surprisingly well with what I've written, I just need to finalise the plot a bit so I'm not completely blagging it - E x