Reunions

Chapter 4

Reunions

A jostle welcomed Moody back to the waking world. He was about to place a hand on his throbbing forehead, but paused, realizing that he couldn't see it. He blinked to convince himself that his eye was open. Satisfied, he sat up, trying to pinpoint the direction of the disparate, muffled sounds of activity outside. He quickly got the sense that he was no longer in his flat. Probing the void, he managed to touch the opposite wall without too much of a stretch. His fingers traced the perimeter; all he could determine was that this prison of darkness was comprised of a rectangular area barely able to accommodate the length of his outstretched body. Propped betwixt the walls, he steadied himself on one leg and reached up as high as he could, but was unable to touch the ceiling.

A series of clicks was heard. The creaking of hinges preceded a sudden influx of brightness, spurring Moody to shield his lone eye until it was able to adjust. He looked up and sneered when he saw his own face eclipsing the light from above. If he didn't know any better, he would have assumed that he was looking into a mirror.

The doppelganger looked down on Moody and returned his sneer. "Oh, good, you're awake."

"Crouch!" Moody spoke his jailer's name, although it came out sounding more like a cough in his weakened state. "What is this?"

"You weren't in a very agreeable mood for traveling, so I had to put you inside this handy little footlocker I found in your bedroom. I had to make some modifications; I hope you don't mind."

It was unnerving to see Crouch wearing his magic eye and to hear him speak so cavalierly in his own voice. "I suppose we're at Hogwarts by now. Did you already jinx the Triwizard cup?"

Both eyes focused on Moody; the human one narrowed. "How did you know?" Crouch suddenly grinned in realization. "Ah, the Legilimency. You can rest assured I won't give you such an opportunity to try that again."

"You got stones, kid, I'll give you that, but you're gonna fail. Albus Dumbledore is..."

"Albus Dumbledore is a pretentious old goat. Like you, he is senile and far past his prime."

Moody's brow furrowed. "You've gone senile if you think Polyjuice Potion is gonna to be enough to pull the wool over Dumbledore's eyes for the entire term."

"Hence the reason for our... sessions." Crouch leaned over to rest an elbow on the rim of the portmanteau before continuing, "You see, Veritaserum would certainly be easier, but facts and data are only half of the equation. Recognition is about projecting the nuance and flavor of a person. To provide that, there's no substitute for actually seeing it firsthand..."

"For Chrissakes, kid! If you're trying to torture me again, don't half-arse it!"

With a scowl, he pointed his wand down at Moody, tempted to indulge the old wizard's sarcasm. After some inward deliberation, however, he withdrew. "Point taken. Let's get on with it, then, shall we?"

Moody tried to laugh, but could only manage an abbreviated series of rasps. "It'll be a cold day in hell before you get any help from me."

"But you already have." Crouch left the room momentarily and came back with a goblet in hand. Using his wand, he levitated it down to Moody. "Drink it. We have to keep up your strength."

Moody backed away from the cup, stopping only when he bumped into the wall. On instinct, he covered his mouth with his hand, which caused him to stumble. "What is that, eh?"

Crouch shrugged. "Let's just say it's a little something designed keep your more 'undesirable' Gryffindor traits in check."

Moody grunted impatiently. "What are you blabbering about now?"

Crouch smiled before replying, "I'm talking about your courage: the courage to resist me, the courage to escape, the courage to 'hurt' yourself in some misguided attempt at heroism." He positioned the goblet directly in front of Moody's face. "Now drink it." He saw that Moody's response was a tight-lipped shake of his head and was amused by the futile gesture. "Imperio!"

Moody fought the irresistible urge to reach out and grab the cup. He watched as the cup, shaking in his hands, was brought closer to his lips. Against his wishes, his mouth opened to receive the thick liquid. A pleasant sensation of warmth washed over his body. He slumped to the ground. At first he felt a slight pinch on the back of his neck, like an ill-fitted necktie, but it soon abated and was followed by the relaxation of every muscle in his body.

He didn't even notice when Crouch's Legilimency pierced his mind.

o~o~o~o~o~O~o~o~o~o~o

The jingle of a doorbell accompanied Moody's entrance into Borgin and Burkes. He stood at the entrance and scanned the area; the store was crowded with all manner of second-hand items tagged for sale. The only surface devoid of clutter was the front desk, where a rusty typewriter sat unattended. He stepped casually along the edge of the closest wall, all the while brushing his hand along the various objects within reach. He stopped next to the wall clock that had just struck two. He leaned in to touch the pendulum that swayed with a loud tick-tock, when he noticed the thick coating of dust on his palm, spurring him to pat his hand clean on the side of his trousers.

"As I live and breathe. Alastor Moody."

He looked over in the direction of the familiar voice. "Tom?" A smile of recognition at his lips, he walked over to his former school-mate who was standing behind the counter. "Tom Riddle. So, what has the second best duelist ever to come out of Hogwarts been up to?"

"You tell me," he said with a smirk after shaking Moody's hand. "Nobody takes a leisurely stroll down Knockturn Alley to wind up in this place by accident. What are you doing slumming down here?"

Moody reached into his pocket, pulled out a watch attached to a clasp and placed it on the countertop. "Simple. I need money."

Tom picked up the pocket watch and looked it over briefly. He traced the calligraphy etched on the face of the casing with his thumb. "Pretty. Does it have any magical value?"

"No, just sentimental, I guess. It was my dad's."

"Are you sure you want to part with it?" He looked up at Moody with an arched eyebrow before continuing, "You don't have any family to fall back on?"

Moody shook his head. "I just sat my NEWTs. I'm done living on the charity of relatives."

"Your NEWTs, eh? How did that go?"

He grinned. "Good enough to get into the Ministry, I think."

"Ah, still trying to be an Auror, I see. I thought they'd've given you a free pass after that stunt you pulled with that giant."

"Oh, you read about that. It was nothing, really," Moody said, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Most of it was blown out of proportion, I'm afraid."

Tom crossed his arms and engaged a grin. "Yea, I figured that the accounts claiming that you struck it down with a bolt of lightning shot out of your arse were exaggerated. But still, all else being equal, the Ministry should've been bangin' down your door."

"Not after Dumbledore had his say." Moody's nervous demeanor was replaced by disappointment. "He shut down the junior program permanently."

Tom rolled his eyes and sighed. "That's so typical. Dumbledore is like an old woman, always having his nose in someone else's business. Let me guess. He gave you the old 'traveling outside of your comfort zone' speech?"

"My permutation was, 'you must go beyond the familiar.'" They both laughed because Moody's impression of Dumbledore was spot-on. "But enough about me. What are you doing working in this dusty old pawn shop?"

"I don't want to bore you with minutia," Riddle said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Believe it or not, I've decided to take old Dumbledore up on his challenge and see the world. But one can't go off willy-nilly on these sorts of adventures. That's why I've been planning my route carefully for the past year. There are so many places I have to see and so many things to learn."

Moody nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way. By a strange coincidence, I'm traveling as well, but your itinerary sounds much more exciting than what I had planned."

"Oh? Where are you traveling?"

He found himself blushing again. "I... was going to go about it willy-nilly, actually."

"You know, I think it was fate meeting you like this on today of all days." Tom came out from behind the counter and approached Moody. He spoke in a much quieter voice, "I was going to quit this job tomorrow and set off by myself next week. But conquering the world is much more fun with a partner, I always say."

Moody mused and stroked his chin, saying, "It is part of the tradition to travel with a mate. I'm in." He smiled, pointing back to the pocket watch. "Of course, I'll need some traveling money."

Tom snorted. "Right." He picked up the pocket watch and examined it more closely. "I'll give you five galleons."

Moody frowned in disappointment. "What? It's worth at least three times that."

He shrugged in response and returned to the counter. "Sorry, Allie. Times are tough all over with the war and all."

"Crap!" Moody curled his lip and shrugged in surrender. "I guess I'll take it."

Tom punched a key on the register. The drawer opened with a chime and he took some money out. "I'll send you an owl."

Moody took the money and said his goodbyes. Once again, the bell above the door jingled, marking his egress.