15 Ch. 15: Alliance
The Auror's claim that Moody had been summoned by Fudge was met with skepticism by Jon. He was certain that Barty Jr., unlike the real Moody, wouldn't be hunting dark wizards without an ulterior motive.
The motive was glaringly clear: Jon had eliminated over a dozen Death Eaters. From Gibbon's demise to the eradication of the Death Eaters in Azkaban, Jon's actions were far from covert. Barty Jr., masquerading as Moody, would undoubtedly be aware of this.
Even the most fools would comprehend that Jon's battle is against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Yet, the Ministry of Magic remained obstinately fixated its attention on Jon.
Jon regarded the counterfeit Moody with a sardonic half-smile, stating, "What an honor it is to receive a visit from the legendary Auror, Mr. Alastor Moody!"
Barty Jr. advanced, his gait peculiar as he trod upon the rain-soaked ground. He uncorked the bottle in his hand, took a swig, and gruffly demanded, "Enough with the pleasantries. Surrender!"
He brandished his wand, adding, "You've piqued my interest, you young whelp!"
Barty Jr.'s impersonation of Moody was uncannily accurate, from his mannerisms to his voice, which had fooled many for a considerable time. His bottle contained not wine, but a Polyjuice Potion that maintained his Moody guise.
Jon recalled from the film that the potion's taste was so revolting it nearly induced vomiting in the three protagonists. Yet, Barty Jr. could casually sip it from a wine bottle, a testament to his efficiency.
"Show me what you're made of, boy!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Without further ado, Jon unleashed the Killing Curse on Barty Jr. A peculiar green light erupted from Jon's wand, accompanied by a resonating hum. "Mad-Eye Moody" crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
This was one of the Unforgivable Curses Jon had learned from the Death Eaters' memories.
[Ding! You have eliminated another Death Eater, incurring 50 penalty points]
Jon heard the system's prompt in his mind.
In terms of lethality, the Killing Curse proved more practical than Jon's Hellfire. Although Hellfire could instantly incinerate its victims, it required transformation into the spirit of vengeance form. The Killing Curse was more convenient in this instance.
The sight left the three Aurors dumbstruck.
He had audaciously used one of the Three Unforgivable Curses, and had slain Mad-Eye Moody?
"What have you done, you monster?!" an Auror bellowed.
"Compose yourself," Jon advised calmly, "That man was not Mad-Eye Moody."
Upon hearing Jon's words, the Aurors scrutinized the corpse of "Moody" on the ground.
They watched as "Moody"'s facial muscles contorted wildly, his body gradually morphing into a gaunt middle-aged man.
"By Merlin's beard! It's Barty Crouch Jr.!" an Auror exclaimed in disbelief.
"Indeed, and he's... a Death Eater!" Jon revealed the Dark Mark on his hand as he spoke.
"Could he have been impersonating Mr. Moody all this time?" an Auror stammered.
"Exactly, and he intended to exploit Mr. Moody's identity to infiltrate Hogwarts and execute his plan!" Jon confirmed.
The Aurors were visibly shaken by Jon's revelation.
"But Mr. Vinson, why did you kill him?" an Auror queried.
Jon shook his head, replying, "I'm merely hunting Death Eaters. Those I killed in Azkaban were all Death Eaters!"
An Auror exclaimed, "By Merlin's beard! So you're not a dark wizard? The Ministry of Magic has misunderstood you. We'll vouch for you and rectify this injustice!"
"Rectify?" Jon chuckled, "Even if I'm absolved for killing Death Eaters, I've robbed Gringotts, liberated the dementors from Azkaban, and just now, I used an Unforgivable Curse in your presence. Can I be absolved for all that?"
The Auror was momentarily speechless.
Jon brandished his wand once more.
"Mr. Vinson, what are you doing?" an Auror asked anxiously.
"Regrettably, I can't leave any witnesses," Jon replied, waving his wand at them.
"Damn it!"
"Obliviate!"
A flash of red light, and the three Aurors collapsed simultaneously. Jon pointed his wand at the unconscious Aurors again.
"Obliviate!"
Jon cast the Memory Charm on them, erasing their recollection of the event.
He then turned to face the pet store behind him. The owner was staring blankly in Jon's direction.
The night's events had been overwhelming for her, but she would soon forget them.
"Obliviate!"
Having resolved the situation, Jon returned to Barty Jr.'s body.
Barty Jr.'s heinous crimes had condemned his soul to Ghost rider's punishment, and Jon had acquired Barty Jr.'s memories and magical power.
From his memories, Jon learned about Barty Jr. and Wormtail, as well as the intricate details of Voldemort's resurrection plan.
As Jon sifted through these memories, a detailed plan of his own began to take shape.
"I've figured out how to infiltrate Hogwarts," Jon smiled.
He then collected Barty Jr.'s wand and his bottle of Polyjuice Potion.
A ball of flame sprang from his fingertips, reducing Barty Jr.'s body to ashes in an instant.
.....
In the heart of London, Jon found himself in a secluded, somewhat rundown rental house, as per Barty Jr.'s memories.
After a thorough search, Jon discovered his target in a compartment beneath the staircase: a massive box secured with seven locks, as if it ... contained something of immense danger.
With a flick of his wand, Jon cast a spell to unlock the box.
One by one, the locks disengaged, each revealing an additional layer of the box. After all seven locks were undone, the box was encased in seven layers of ... wood, resembling a staircase.
Finally, the top layer of the box sprang open. Jon peered inside, only to find an old man with a single leg and eye, sitting at the bottom of the box, sipping wine. It was a sight that was both pitiful and ... bizarre.
"Mr. Moody?" Jon called out, his voice laced with a strange mix of surprise and sympathy.
It was clear that Barty Jr. had been visiting frequently to harvest Moody's hair for the Polyjuice Potion.
"Relax, Mr. Moody! I'm not Barty Jr.," Jon reassured the ... captive Auror.
"I'm Jon Vinson," he continued in a firm tone, "And I'm here to rescue you and to propose a partnership. No, that's not quite right... I want to collaborate with you!"
--------------------
A/N: I know this work is still very new, but your opinions matter a lot to my progress, please write a review đ.
-----------------------
(A/N: If you want to see more chapters, go to my Patreon to see more chapters ahead.
patreon.com/TheMightyZeus
-----------------------
