Chapter 252
"Aren't you worried that teaching this seriously will just create more opponents for the Dark Lord?" Draco raised an eyebrow, looking straight at Moody.
He had followed him into the office and now sat casually on the sofa, as if this were nothing more than an ordinary conversation.
"No, no, no." Moody waved a finger dismissively. "Even if they followed everything I teach, they still wouldn't reach that level."
"They're missing something."
"I think I know what you mean," Draco said, tapping the table lightly with his finger.
"Maybe you do," Moody replied, a crooked smile spreading across his face. "But you're on my side, aren't you?"
He laughed—
And as he did, the muscles in his face twisted unnaturally.
A cold, terrifying hatred gathered in his eyes, made even more unsettling by that constantly rotating magical eye.
"I didn't call you here to talk about that," he continued, his voice shifting.
"Peter—that useless rat!"
His tone snapped.
"He let my father break free from the Imperius Curse! He escaped! He's probably heading straight for Albus Dumbledore right now. We have to stop him before he gets there—otherwise the Dark Lord's plan is finished!"
At first, Moody tried to control himself.
But the more he spoke, the more agitated he became.
His hand slammed down on the shaky wooden table again and again, as if he might break it apart.
"Calm down," Draco said evenly, raising a brow. "Things aren't at their worst yet."
"Anger clouds judgment."
As he spoke, Draco leaned forward slightly and caught a small object that had nearly fallen from the table, placing it back in front of Moody.
"You should understand something," Draco continued calmly. "After enduring both the Imperius Curse and the Cruciatus Curse for so long… his mind won't be stable."
"That kind of pain can drive anyone insane."
"Of course," Moody muttered, forcing himself to steady his breathing. "If he had been fully conscious, we'd already be in Azkaban."
"But the fact that he escaped…"
He paused.
"…means he still has some level of rational thinking."
His magical eye drooped slightly, as if weighed down by that realization.
"His destination will be Hogwarts," Moody said hoarsely. "I have to find him."
He stood abruptly.
"I'll start searching now. The Forbidden Forest… then the grounds…"
He dragged his body toward the door, his wooden leg thudding heavily against the floor.
"Damn this thing," he muttered, glaring down at it. He stamped once, twice—
Even if the imitation was flawless, he clearly hated the limp.
Then, just as he reached the doorway, he stopped.
"Oh—right."
He turned back, flashing that crooked grin again.
"Professor McGonagall asked me to inform you—nine o'clock tonight, Quidditch pitch. The judges will explain the third task."
His voice lowered slightly.
"And after you hear it… keep your eyes open. If you see my father—restrain him immediately."
He paused.
"If necessary… killing him is acceptable."
The way he said it was calm. Casual.
As if he were talking about crushing an insect.
"I understand," Draco replied with a small nod.
"If you want, you can rest here for a while," Moody added, almost to himself. "This is the final task. I won't let anyone irrelevant ruin it."
Then he left.
The office fell silent.
Draco remained seated for a moment, idly picking up one of Moody's strange little trinkets before losing interest.
Then he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a piece of parchment.
He spread it flat on the table.
After a quiet incantation, black ink began to spread across the surface, forming lines and shapes—
A complete map of Hogwarts.
Tiny labeled dots moved across it—fast, slow, weaving through corridors and grounds.
Draco's gaze sharpened slightly.
Two dots—both labeled Crouch—were drawing closer to each other.
"It's time," he murmured.
He rose to his feet.
Walking to the corner of the room, he stopped before a heavy chest secured with seven locks.
His index finger tapped against it rhythmically—
A steady, deliberate pattern.
Then he turned and left the office without another glance.
"Do your best."
At the entrance of the Great Hall, Pansy spoke softly, her cheeks tinged faintly pink.
They had just finished lunch together, and Draco was now heading toward the Quidditch pitch.
"Of course."
He nodded lightly. "Goodbye."
He didn't mention that he already knew what was coming.
Crossing the grounds at a brisk pace, he soon reached the stadium.
The Quidditch pitch no longer resembled its usual open field.
Instead, it had been transformed into something else entirely—
Walls.
Countless winding, twisting walls, stretching in every direction like a living labyrinth.
Draco was the first champion to arrive.
Partly because he needed to maintain appearances—for Moody's sake.
He had to look concerned.
Fleur arrived second—
And the moment she spotted him, she froze.
Then, almost instinctively, she slipped behind a nearby tree.
She still hadn't recovered from what had happened earlier.
Before, she could maintain a cold, distant attitude toward him.
But after that…
After what she had done—
She didn't know how to face him anymore.
"Oh! You're both early," said Ludo Bagman cheerfully, strolling into the center of the field in his neat black suit.
"But we'll wait for everyone before explaining the task. Fair is fair, after all."
He clapped his hands suddenly.
"Ah—here they are!"
He waved enthusiastically.
"Hello!"
Viktor Krum and Harry Potter climbed over the last wall and approached.
"Well?" Bagman said brightly. "What do you think?"
He gestured around them.
"Coming along nicely, isn't it? In another month, Hagrid will have these hedges twenty feet high!"
Seeing their less-than-pleased expressions, he quickly added,
"Don't worry—once it's over, the pitch will be restored to normal!"
He beamed at them.
"I think you've already guessed, haven't you?"
There was a brief silence.
Then—
"A maze," Krum said gruffly.
"Exactly!" Bagman clapped his hands again.
"A maze! The third task is simple. The Triwizard Cup will be placed at the center. Whoever reaches it first… gets full marks."
Fleur, still avoiding Draco's direction, asked quietly,
"So all we have to do… is get through the maze?"