---
Chapter 480: Searching the Office?!
Just as Harry felt he was about to cry and be caught, a sudden sound of footsteps on the stairs caught both his and Snape's attention.
Moody.
It was Moody.
Harry knew all too well that Moody's magical eye could see through invisibility.
His heart instantly sank.
After all, sneaking around under an Invisibility Cloak during the day already looked suspicious enough.
Now he was stuck in a broken stair, hiding from Snape.
No matter how you looked at it, this situation didn't scream innocent.
And knowing Moody's temperament, Harry felt even more uneasy.
Would Moody really let him go?
Harry could only pray silently.
Moody's magical eye paused when it swept over Harry's position.
For a terrifying second, Harry thought he was exposed.
But then—
Moody looked away.
His gaze locked onto Snape instead.
"What are you doing here?"
Moody's voice was harsh.
"What kind of trouble are you planning?"
Harry was stunned.
He hadn't expected Moody to confront Snape like this.
Then he remembered the article from Rita Skeeter's newspaper—the one that claimed Moody had searched Snape's office.
So it was true.
"I wasn't planning anything," Snape said quickly, sounding defensive.
"My office was broken into. I suspect someone—some student—entered without permission. In the second year, students even stole things—"
Moody cut him off.
"Your office was broken into?"
"So tell me, what exactly do you think they were looking for?"
"Or…"
Moody leaned forward slightly.
"Do you have something in your office that shouldn't be there?"
Harry noticed Snape's face darken.
"You searched my office," Snape said coldly.
"You already know what's in there, don't you?"
Harry nearly clapped a hand over his mouth.
So it wasn't something Snape had made up after all.
It was real.
For a moment, Harry almost laughed.
Seeing Snape treated like this felt—unbelievably satisfying.
Moody laughed too, though his expression looked rather terrifying.
"That's an Auror's privilege, Snape," he said mockingly.
"Dumbledore told me—"
"No," Snape snapped.
"Dumbledore trusts me."
"That's his weakness," Moody roared.
"He's always too trusting."
"He puts people like you near Harry and Darren without enough thought."
"Unlike him, I believe some people don't deserve a second chance."
"And some stains," he added harshly,
"can never be washed clean."
Snape's face turned a sickly shade of blue.
Harry had never seen Snape this furious—
not even when dealing with him.
Moody clearly noticed Snape's anger.
Instead of backing down, he laughed.
"I'm telling you now—I'll be watching you."
"I won't give you a chance to hurt them."
"Dumbledore may not see it," he said darkly,
"but I certainly will."
Then Moody bent down.
"Oh—by the way," he added casually,
"you dropped something."
He picked up the parchment from the floor, clearly assuming it belonged to Snape.
Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Harry screamed internally.
He mouthed desperately at Moody, trying to tell him it was his map.
But Moody had his back turned and didn't seem to look at him with his magical eye.
"That's mine," Snape said, a sinister smile curling on his lips.
Harry's heart nearly stopped.
But—
Moody pinched the parchment between his fingers and straightened up.
He seemed to notice Harry's silent panic.
He snorted, then said calmly,
"Oh. Wrong. This one's mine."
Harry nearly collapsed with relief.
Snape glared at Moody.
Then he turned and stormed away.
A moment later, Harry heard a heavy door slam upstairs.
"Professor—Professor, help me!" Harry whispered urgently.
His leg was still stuck in the stair, and it hurt badly.
But Moody didn't move.
His gaze was fixed on the parchment.
Harry suddenly realized—
He hadn't activated the map to hide its contents.
Moody could probably see his name written clearly on it.
"What's this?" Moody frowned.
"It's the Marauder's Map of Hogwarts," Harry replied.
"Interesting. Very interesting," Moody muttered.
Then he asked casually,
"By the way, Potter—did you see who broke into Snape's office?"
Harry didn't bother hiding it.
Grinning, he said,
"Yes. It was Mr. Barty Crouch."
"Crouch…" Moody murmured.
"He's not showing up anymore. That's… interesting. Very interesting."
His eyes never left the map.
Harry groaned.
"Professor, please—pull me out. My leg's going to break!"
"Oh. Right."
Moody stuffed the map into his pocket, stepped forward, and pulled Harry free.
Harry limped down the stairs, sweat beading on his forehead from the pain.
"Professor Moody," he asked carefully,
"why do you think Mr. Crouch was here?"
"I don't know," Moody said quietly.
"But I suspect he discovered something."
"And with Rita Skeeter stirring things up," he added vaguely,
"trouble is bound to follow."
Harry didn't fully understand.
But from the way Moody spoke, it sounded as if Crouch had been investigating Snape.
Had Snape really done something wrong?
Then—
Harry's eyes drifted to Moody's pocket.
His map.
Moody laughed softly.
"Well then, Harry, I need to ask you something."
Harry stiffened.
He knew this moment would come.
Every professor eventually asked where the map came from.
But he couldn't answer.
It involved his father, Sirius Black, and Professor Lupin.
He couldn't reveal it.
But Moody didn't ask that.
"Potter," Moody said, fixing him with a sharp gaze,
"can you lend me this map for a while?"
"I need to track a few people," he continued,
"and this map will be very useful."
For a brief moment, Harry felt as though Moody might kill him if he refused.
But he pushed that thought away.
Smiling easily, he said,
"Sure. Take it."
"I hope it helps you find whoever you're tracking."
---