40 34: Imposter Amongus

The air in the room grew heavier with each breath. Strange lights danced in the corner of my vision. Magic poured off Dumbledore like a flood. Even though he was focused on the imposter, the rest of us were almost swept along with it. Still, Dumbledore's control shined through and we were saved from the worst of the pressure.

Even my first confrontation with Umbridge in the Great Hall couldn't hold a candle to Dumbledore's rage. If I was a storm then, he was a hurricane now. He was a force of nature and he didn't even seem to break a sweat.

Magic and reality itself bent to his will. He was a colossus, a Titan of myth and legend. The weight of his intent spilled over the whole room, coating everything like a heavy quilt. Even averted, I could feel it pressing down on me. The girls must have been struggling to stay upright. I didn't even want to imagine what Barty Jnr was feeling.

This was the difference between Tier 6 Magic and Tier 8. I moved with magic infusing my being. Dumbledore lived and breathed with magic. If I swam through the mystical currents of magic, it was as if Dumbledore was born to them. Another step or two and he would become magic itself.

His soul flexed and vibrations rippled through reality, "Hello, young Barty. Since you were so kind as to join us, I have a question for you. Where is my friend?"

"Holy fuck…" Heather muttered, supporting Hermione against the pressure.

Luna huddled close to me, taking shelter beneath the cover of my magic. Her eyes were screwed closed. Aurora and Septima faired slightly better but did the same. Bella seemed relatively unaffected. Tonks struggled but stood strong. Gabrielle was affected but in the opposite way from the rest of us. She was practically glowing as the plentiful magic in the air fed the Veela fire inside her.

Barty choked and gagged, physically unable to speak through the pressure of Dumbledore's intent. His body froze, going completely stiff. His muscles couldn't even spasm or twitch. The world itself waited for his answer at Dumbledore's command.

His answer came in stuttered, choking gasps, "T-T-T-Tru-nk…!"

Dumbledore smiled genially, fooling no one, "Thank you, Barty. That wasn't so hard, was it? Please, keep that same spirit of cooperation for my companions."

He took a step back and instantly, the weight of the world disappeared. It was like magic. One second, Barty was being crushed. The next, Dumbledore's control reasserted itself with force. Even the sudden absence of pressure seemed to rock Barty though as he gasped for air that wasn't crushing him from the inside out.

"I'll hand him over to you for the moment, Atlas my friend," Dumbledore said as casually as can be.

I glanced at the one who had the second biggest stake in this situation, "Tonks?"

Tonks cleared her head with a shake and a stony expression settled onto her face, "Yeah, let's get some answers."

We stepped up to the former imposter and I asked, "So, Barty… how are you even alive?"

"My Da," He spat, surprisingly open and forthcoming after Dumbledore's show of force. Or maybe he just hated his father that much and was more than willing to throw Crouch Snr under the bus.

"He helped you escape Azkaban?" Tonks pressed further, falling into her interrogative role easily.

Barty scoffed, "Helped me escape. Helped hide me. Helped me by keeping me under the Imperius Curse for 10 years."

Tonks was rocked back on her heels by that information, "Merlin… I'm not remotely qualified to deal with that packet of beans."

"Why even impersonate Moody in the first place?" I picked up the questioning when Tonks faltered.

Barty's face lit up and insane, broken laughter poured out of him, "Ahahahahahaha~! For bigger things than you could ever understand, boy~!"

"What do you mean?"

He just continued to laugh. And laugh. And laugh. Barty Jnr laughed until his eyes rolled back in his head. It was clear we weren't getting any more information out of him this way.

Bella stepped up to the plate, "Don't be a wanker, Barty."

Slowly, Barty stopped laughing, "B-Bella…? Perfect! Help me escape and smite the nonbelievers!"

Bella scoffed, "Not on your life. I've got my mind back now. And that's my perfect baby boy you're refusing to cooperate with. So shut up and answer his questions. Otherwise… I may just have to get… persuasive…"

Barty blinked, "You have a son? Rebastan or Ruldophus?"

"Neither. They were too busy trying to knock each other up to worry about me. Thank Maeve, Morgana, and Magic for that," Bella rolled her eyes. "No, my beautiful Atlas is pure Black. Look, isn't he perfect~?"

"Uh, Bella…" I ventured. "Maybe tone down the pleasant catching up a bit?"

"Oh… Right," Bella shook her head, "I'm sorry, baby. You know how I get when I can talk about you."

She turned to Barty with a smile that made him shiver, "So why are you here, Barty? Be honest. I'm still the same woman you knew. Only now, I have someone else to devote myself to. Someone sooooo~ so much better than the Dark Idiot."

"Lies!" Barty denied. "No one's better than Voldemort! He took us in when no one else would!"

"No, he took you in, Barty. I was forced to obey him by a sycophantic husband. That husband is now very dead. Answer the question, Barty."

"Y-You're unfaithful. You're weak! You're scared of what the Dark Lord can truly be!" Barty started to laugh maniacally again. "He'll show you soon enough! You'll see! You'll witness his return and come crawling back to him! Ahahahahaha~!"

As suddenly as he started, Barty stopped laughing and became deathly serious, waxing poetic, "Hark, fools, hast thou seen true darkness? The cold void that pulls at thine soul? The promise? Of power? Of freedom? Of oblivion?

"Mine Master embodies all. He is not generous. He is not kind. He is not merciful. Everything will fall before him. Lord Voldemort is immortal, eternal. He shall live to see the end of all things.

"The world thinks him gone. Fools, all of you. He lurks in the shadows, just over the horizon. He will return. It is already written. Set in motion by my hand. The world will once again know fear."

Bella rolled her eyes, unceremoniously breaking the gravitas Barty was trying to build, "Translated from Barty-speak: My Dark Idiot is so big and powerful. You should, like, totally be afraid, ya know? Also, he's, like, totally coming back. That was me, by the way. I did that. Daddy Voldemort will be so proud of me."

It worked. Any menace Barty was trying to cultivate disappeared into thin air. He was left with a look of betrayal on his face that soon settled into an expression that was totally not a pout.

"… Uncool, Bella."

Bella shrugged, "Sorry, Barty. I like you but so long as you follow that Dark Idiot, I have no sympathy and mercy for you. That goes doubly if you try to hurt my baby boy or his coven."

"This is the most unorthodox interrogation I've ever seen," Tonks whispered to me out of the corner of her mouth.

I nodded, adding, "And somehow it's working…?"

"Let me guess," Bella continued. "The Dark Idiot is after the Potter girl again? Sorry, Heather."

Even with the worrisome implications of Bella's question, Heather was trying and failing to hide her giggles at this whole thing, "No, no, you're doing great, Bella! Keep-… Snrk~! Keep it up!"

"H-He won't fail again!" Barty insisted almost petulantly. "Potter is the key! She'll bring Voldemort back into the world just as she temporarily saw him out of it!"

That brought Heather's laughter to an instant end and her face scrunched up in disgust, "The way you said that makes it sound like you're going to make me birth Voldemort or something. Just… No. No on so many levels."

"Not like that, you stupid girl! There's a ritual!" Barty spat. "You couldn't write a more ironic twist! It's Brilliant! Poetic!"

"Is it though?" Heather asked skeptically and cynically.

Barty Crouch Jnr was supposed to be a powerful and skilled Dark Wizard. He was one of Voldemort's most loyal supporters. If I met him in a duel, I'd likely have to pay him the respect he deserved. But right now? I couldn't see him as anything other than a pathetic theater kid.

"Hold on," Hermione cut in. "Are you the reason Heather was entered into the tournament?! I'll gut you like a fish!"

I caught her easily before she could charge in and start whaling on Barty. The girl was too protective of Heather for her own good sometimes. Getting more information out of Barty came first right now. Once it was done, I'd be more than willing to help Hermione with her sudden vengeful mission.

Hermione struggled slightly in my arms. Eventually, though, she settled into a pout. The glare she kept sending Barty was vicious but ultimately ineffective.

"Tsk tsk," Bella tutted. "You messed up now, Barty. She's a feisty one. Reminds me of Lily Potter to be honest. Remember her? Remember how viciously meticulous she could be if someone harmed her friends and loved ones?"

Barty scoffed, "She's just a girl. All will fall before Lord Voldemort. You think you've won? Even if you eliminate me, the Dark Lord will find a way."

Something about that set me thinking. Barty was right. Not about Hermione being 'just a girl'. I'd no doubt he'd pay for that comment. But that Voldemort wouldn't stop trying to get a body back no matter what. And I did have a quest to take care of him for good. This situation presented an opportunity like the quest said it would. Now, how to use it to great effect…?

< Quest Completed: The Hunt for Moody >

< Condition(s): First, Dumbledore. Now, Tonks? Alastor Moody isn't displaying Constant Vigilance?! Is this the beginning of the end?! Figure out what's happened to Mad-Eye Moody! >

< Rewards: +5 to Awareness, Opportunity (use it wisely) >

< Awareness 42+5=47/100 >

< Opportunity… >

The 'interrogation' continued as I thought…

"If you know how pointless your efforts are, why do you keep going?" Tonks asked.

Barty sneered, "He is my lord. He is the one I have chosen to follow. Through death itself. I have not lost faith like the others. The cowards. Everything I have, everything I am, goes into seeing him return. Then… his true darkness will grace the weak, the impure, the unfaithful."

"It's a shame you chose the Dark Idiot," Luna said innocently. "You could have been a great Henchman."

"I am a great Henchman!" Barty protested, more offended than he was throughout the whole rest of the interrogation.

Luna shook her head sadly, "No, you're a great minion. Dark Lords don't have Henchmen. They have minions and sycophants and cannon fodder. I bet he doesn't even give you a health plan."

Barty sputtered at a loss for words, "Wha-! I-I-! N-No-…"

"And it's such a shame," Luna continued. "You have the gravitas and theatrics down to a spell. Honestly, you'd be an inspiration if… you know…"

"I am an inspiration!" Barty snapped. "I'm my lord's greatest advocate! You won't find a more loyal Death Eater! The others cower in their Pure-Blood ivory towers, dreading my lord's return. But me?! I'm really out here doing his bidding, his dirty work! Come the Third Task, you'll see! You'll watch as my lord rises from the dead and shows the Wizarding world its place!"

"And would the Third Task be when this ritual you mentioned is taking place?" Septima spoke up, asking as nonchalantly as she would ask a question in class.

"Likely after the Third Task," Aurora added. "I'll bet he plans to set a trap for Heather there and the real ritual will take place somewhere else."

"Ah, good hypothesis, Aurora," Septima complimented before turning her questions back to Barty. "So where is the real ritual supposed to take place?"

Looking over at the two of them, it was clear they were taking notes on each and every one of Barty's answers. Their questions were casual like this was a lecture instead of an interrogation. They weren't giving Barty any respect. To be fair, he was practically a declawed kitten at this point. With Dumbledore, Bella, and me here, he wouldn't be trying anything any time soon.

"I-… What-…? Hey!" Barty cried in indignation.

Dumbledore stepped back into the conversation with amused chuckles that robbed Barty of every sense of agency he presumed to have, "My, my, this is quite entertaining. Don't you agree, Alastor?"

Moody — the real one — limped along at Dumbledore's side and replied with a barking laugh, "Not the kind of revenge I'd usually go for, but who am I to complain when it seems to be driving this little shit mad?"

"Moody!" Tonks launched herself at her mentor, nearly knocking him over in the process. "Thank Merlin you're actually okay."

"Good Lord, girlie," Moody grunted. "Careful there. Sitting in a trunk for six months didn't do my old bones any favors."

Tonks jumped back with a yelp, rubbing her side where Moody hit her with a slight Stinging Hex, "Ah! Dammit, Mad-Eye! You haven't even been back for a whole minute yet!"

"Constant Vigilance!"

"I could say the same to you," Tonks glared, slugging him in the shoulder.

"Just goes to show you how important my lessons are! Even I can get caught out. Never let your guard down!" Moody said.

Dumbledore smiled slightly, "I think you can cut her some slack, Alastor. She was the one who spearheaded this whole rescue operation. If it wasn't for her, you would have spent the rest of the year in that trunk."

Moody glared at his older friend, "You tellin' me you can't even tell me apart from a Death Eater? You didn't notice nothin'?"

"Oh, I noticed something. I just didn't know what I noticed. I never even suspected an imposter. I simply thought you were having a bad year for your mental health. That the nightmares and such had returned. I was too busy trying to get your imposter into impromptu therapy sessions with me. Even then, young Barty had me fooled, unfortunately. Truly, he missed his calling as an actor…"

In the background, Barty seemed to collapse in on himself at that last comment, "Da, you bastard…"

"Still seems like you're losing your touch in your old age, Albus," Moody replied to Dumbledore with a glare of his magical and original eyes.

"I suppose you're right," Dumbledore chuckled. "But you know as well as I do that we live in a society of prats and cretins. They just wouldn't accept being led by anyone else while I'm still alive and kicking."

"You used to have no problem telling people to stuff it," Moody harshly pointed out.

"I wouldn't put it as such…" Dumbledore hedged.

Moody's smirk was almost cruel and knowing, "Yeah? What was it you told the previous Minister when she asked you to endorse her that last time?"

Dumbledore hesitated almost sheepishly, "… That even against Fudge, she'd have a better chance of winning if she ran for Fourth Year Prefect… A position that doesn't exist…"

Moody barked a laugh, "Ha! That's right! You tellin' me you've gone soft, Albus?"

"I wouldn't say he's gone soft…" I absently commented, still focusing most of my attention on the plan that was formulating in my mind. "Just more than a touch mad. You should hear how he opens Wizengamot sessions…"

Moody eyed me curiously, his gaze intense enough to pull a bit more of my attention from my thoughts, "A young Wizard who actually speaks his mind around you? Where'd you find this one, Albus?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, more than happy to turn the teasing onto me, "Oh, my! I just realized how behind you are, Alastor. You've never actually met Atlas here. He's had… quite the year…"

Rolling my eyes, I stuck a hand out to greet Moody properly, "Atlas Black. Hogwarts Assistant Professor, Heir Black, Heather Potter's guardian and coach for the Triwizard Tournament, unofficial coven leader, and all-around nuisance for Pure-Blood Lords since about six months ago."

Moody took my offered hand cynically, only focusing on me with his real eye. His magical eye darted around, cataloging everything in sight, "Well met, Black. Seems you managed to get raised right in that mess of a family. I'd imagine you're from a hidden branch or something…?

"And don't think I didn't see you, Bellatrix! No idea what you're doing here but you ain't done your usual yet and no one else is freaking out. I've got my eye on you though!"

Dumbledore shook his head fondly, "Yes, you really are quite behind on current events, Alastor… Bellatrix has managed to break the control of her contract and is turning over a new (or should that be old?) leaf. She's currently making up for time with her long-lost son."

"If your wand or hand so much as twitches in my mother's direction, I will drop you faster than a sack of bricks," I warned, serious as sharpened steel. "Albus' friend or not, I certainly trust her a Hell of a lot more than I trust you. Who's to say you're not still an imposter trying to double-bluff us?"

Pure intent built with my threat. My magic flexed. The air around me shimmered. Sparks passed from my hand into his. Moody held my gaze through the flare of power.

Tonks gasped, "Atlas!?"

Suddenly, Moody cracked the first smile I'd seen on his scarred face, "That's more like it! Constant Vigilance! You've got potential, kid. Right wicked potential. We'll see if we can really hone that edge."

"Thank… you…" I said slowly, letting my threat fade.

"Someone sit on the prisoner so he doesn't get any ideas while we talk!" Moody barked an order.

"On it~!" Luna chimed.

Breath was driven from Barty's lungs, "Oof!"

"Oh, hush. I'm certainly not heavy. And you shouldn't complain. I outrank you on the evil hierarchy, after all. Henchwoman beats minion every time~" Luna finished in a singsong voice that was equally as mocking as it was endearing.

"You dare-?! The indignity! This will not stand! You've made an enemy here this day, girl!" Barty declared.

"Luna, he didn't mean to literally sit on-…" I started before pausing to reconsider. "Actually, never mind. Good job. We don't want him getting any high and mighty ideas about his place in the evil hierarchy."

Luna beamed a smile at me, "I serve to please, Professor~!"

I blinked, "That… didn't sound quite right."

"Bah! Forget that, Black. Just the usual Lovegood oddities," Moody interrupted, waving off my slight confusion. "We got bigger things to talk about at the moment."

"Yeah, what are we going to do about the Third Task? And this guy?" Heather asked. "Am I just supposed to walk knowingly into a trap?"

The rest of the plan I was working on clicked into place in my brain, "That's it! Hey, Mad-Eye, how are your acting skills?"

"Decent enough, I reckon. But I ain't gonna be stepping up on a stage any time soon if I can help it," Moody grumbled. "Guess it depends on what role I have to play."

"How about playing someone who's pretending to be you?"

Moody turned that sentence over in his mind for a few moments before laughing out loud, "… Ha! I think I see where you're going with this, Black! Don't know why you want me to do that but I can see the first bits of a plan here."

I grinned at him, "We'll be springing the trap. On purpose. On our own terms. And hopefully, we'll take care of Voldemort once and for all."

"Uh… we're doing what…?" Heather got stuck trying to process the idea of ridding her life of Voldemort for good.

"The Dark Idiot has his trap. We'll be playing along but only partially. He won't have any idea that he's walking into our trap instead. A ritual destroyed one of his Horcruxes already. We just have to find the perfect one to finish the job. Let Moody take his place back but keep doing everything Barty was doing as his imposter. Then we bide our time, set up the trap, and execute," I explained simply.

"You'll need a lot more information to pull all of that off properly," Moody advised.

Everyone turned to Barty at once. He paled, stuck under Luna as she casually kicked her feet into his side. 

"Y-You'll get nothing more from me, y-you philistines!"

"So…" I said leadingly. "Veritaserum or Imperius? No offense, Albus, but I don't really want to get Severus involved with this plan."

Bella stepped up eagerly, "I'll cast the Imperius on him and make him answer every single question we ask! I won't let you blacken your soul if I can help it, Atlas!"

"Heh, blacken… Black…" Heather chuckled, channeling her Godfather.

Dumbledore stepped up in turn, smiling almost fondly, "There is no need for anyone to blacken their souls. Allow me. I am a Master Legilimens. I don't mind pulling young Barty's mind apart to get what we need. I'm quite excited about this plan of yours, Atlas. I'm sure you understand why."

The twinkle in his eyes intensified. He stopped in front of Barty, causing Luna to leave her perch and skitter over to my side. Weight fell over the room — and most of all, Barty — again. Barty visibly panicked, struggling as his instincts pushed him to flee. His face might as well have been carved from stone though. No doubt he'd slammed any Occlumency shields he had as far down as they could go. They did nothing.

Barty's shields may as well have been sheets of paper in his mind. In the face of Albus "Too Many Fucking Names" Dumbledore, he never stood a chance. Dumbledore's mental probe was practically visible. A spear made of twinkles and sparkles, lancing from his eyes into the eyes of Barty Crouch Jnr.

He went stiff. Dumbledore obviously wasn't gentle. He foamed at the mouth. Dumbledore tore through his mind. His body spasmed. Dumbledore ripped every bit of information from every one of his hiding places. His eyes cried tears of blood. Dumbledore vented magic into the air around him. Barty Crouch Jnr all but fell over dead there and then…

When Dumbledore pulled back, Barty was left limp and seemingly mindless. The rest of us were left to shiver uncomfortably at what we'd just witnessed. There was no denying it. Dumbledore was terrifying when he was being vengeful. As Barty slowly began to stir again, Dumbledore turned back to us.

He chuckled casually as if nothing was wrong, the information he'd gained twinkling in his eyes, "Yes, I must say… Quite excited, Atlas…"

IIIII

I groaned in that space between sleep and awareness. Something wasn't quite right. Even my addled mind could tell that much. I tried to roll over and was surprised when I could. There wasn't a body weighing me down while I slept like usual. Where was Luna…?

Septima was here. As was Bella, curled up in cat form at the foot of the bed. The others usually slept in their own rooms. It was only that fact that kept me from having to have my bed expanded multiple times over already.

Luna usually slept smack dab on top of me. And she liked to spread out as much as she could to absorb all of my body heat and make herself a cuddly nuisance. She was just lucky I didn't sleep on my side. That gave her much more space to work with.

It was pretty damn noticeable when she wasn't here. Movement by the door to my quarters drew my attention. Groaning again, I rolled over and off the bed. I gave Septima a little peck and a whisper while I grabbed my wand.

"Go back to sleep. I'll handle it."

She moaned in reply, still more asleep than awake. Turning back to the room, I saw a petite shadow had frozen in front of the door.

"Luna?" I asked, still whispering. "Couldn't sleep?"

In the low light, I had to get close to see her sheepish expression, "No… Sorry… Now is just the best time for Snorkack hunting…"

"In the Castle?"

"In the Room of Requirement. I feel I'm close to a breakthrough!" Luna whispered with hushed, nervous excitement. "Snorkacks may just be native to the Room itself! That's why me and my father could never find them in the wild!"

"OooooOOOOohhh…?" I yawned, blinking the rest of the sleep out of my eyes. "Why didn't you say so?"

"I-… Y-You're not mad…?"

"Mad? Luna, I know how much these creatures mean to you and your dad. Until there's proof either way as to their existence, I'll stay skeptically optimistic. Hell, the Muggle world is discovering new species every year. I can't imagine a world where magical creatures are easier to find than mundane ones."

I barely had time to say all of that before Luna launched herself into my chest. She clung to me tight as a limpet. Her sniffles seemed to echo in the dark silence of my quarters. She rubbed her face against my bare chest, unaware or simply not caring about the mess she was making. I wrapped my arms around her in return. It seemed even with all the support Luna had now, there were still long-implanted issues that plagued her mind.

"Now, if you were going into the Forbidden Forest at-…" I paused. "What time is it anyway?"

"3:27 AM," Luna muttered.

"Right… Prime Snorkack hunting hours, of course… Anyway, if you were going into the Forbidden at 3 AM, I probably would have stopped you. At least to ensure you had someone else with you to watch your back. But just the Room? I trust Hogwarts to keep you safe there."

"Does that mean you don't want to come with me this time…?"

I thought for a moment, "On one hand, it is very late. On the other…"

Luna turned her face up to look at me with pleading puppy dog eyes. Oh, that wasn't fair. Wasn't fair at all. Those soulful eyes… That adorable face…

"Don't you dare, Missy-…" I started to warn.

Ah, fuck, too late. There goes the quivering lip. Must resist… Hngh-! It was no use. Any desire I may have had for more sleep went out the window immediately in the face of Luna's not-quite earnest pleas. I knew there was a healthy amount of purposeful cunning behind those eyes. But I also knew there was an even greater amount of genuine desire to share this with me.

I sighed, "Haaa… Fine. We'll go Snorkack hunting instead of getting an appropriate amount of sleep."

Luna's patented Pout #4 disappeared in an instant, replaced with a bright smile, "Yay~! This will be great~! I'm pretty sure I've narrowed down their nesting grounds already! The Room gives me the same room every time I ask it to do its Room-y thing. You'll see! It's beautiful! Like a fairy wonderland!"

She went off in hushed whispers, leading me out of my quarters and practically dragging me down the halls toward the Seventh Floor. Despite myself, I couldn't help but smile. Sleepiness was slowly starting to leave my body, pushed away by Luna's infectious enthusiasm. If worst came to worst, I could always take a Pepper-Up Potion with my morning tea. Seeing Luna this happy was more than worth that little sacrifice.

Before I knew it, we were in front of the blank wall that signified the Room of Requirement when not in use. Luna let go of my hand and paced in front of the wall, still babbling to me as she did.

"And-! And I've even found tracks last time~! I didn't have enough time to follow them to their source, but I have a good feeling this time~! We'll go in all like 'Hello…?' and then, bam! Snorkack tracks! And we go 'How interesting…' and follow them to the source! And we find fur and droppings and horn marks along the way like 'Hmm…'! And you have a magnifying glass and deer stalker for some reason and I have a bowler hat and a cane and-!"

The Room's door appeared at that moment, cutting Luna off in the middle of her run-on sentence. She immediately darted inside. I followed more cautiously, shaking my head in fond exasperation. I certainly wasn't tired anymore. I'd like to see anyone try and sleep through Luna's excited babbling.

The moment I stepped through the door, my breath caught in my throat. Purple. Everywhere. As far as the eye could see. Purple leaves. Purple grass and ferns and shrubs. Even the sky seemed to be stuck in a perpetual version of purple twilight. Stars were just starting to shine through it, twinkling on and off forever against the darkness. Was it even a real sky? Did the Room conjure this place out of nothing or was it real somewhere?

"Wow…" I exhaled breathlessly. "Luna, wha-… how'd you even find this place?"

"Well, you know how the Room can provide anything?" Luna asked, not waiting for an actual answer. "I figured I could ask it for a place where I could search for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and other creatures.

"It gave me this forest. It even matches my dreams and my mother's diary! I only started dreaming of this place after coming to Hogwarts and Mummy's diaries say it was the same for her. Her family was known for dream visions. I think Hogwarts was showing her this place on purpose because she hadn't even heard of Snorkacks until she met Daddy!"

"I… don't even know where to start there…" I said. "Different dimension? Pocket reality? A space native to the magic of the Room of Requirement itself? This place is fascinating, Luna."

"Isn't it~?" Luna beamed. "Ah! Look, more tracks~! C'mon, let's go~!"

I found myself being pulled along. Periodically on our path, worryingly large animal tracks appeared. Each footprint was larger than a dinner plate, pressed into the grass and dirt under a great weight, and sporting marks that could only indicate claws of some kind. Luna still followed each one religiously, putting all of her faith into them leading her to the creatures of her father's stories.

We occasionally found tufts of purple fur and feathers of all things stuck to greenish-brown bark. They just pushed Luna's excitement higher. She was practically vibrating as she skipped along, pulling me behind her. I kept my head on a swivel, not trusting this place as much as Luna seemed to naturally. Nothing seemed malicious but we certainly weren't alone here.

The shadows seemed so long in the perpetual twilight. The whole world took on a certain hue. Pink and purple, vibrant as paint on canvas, shaded everything in sight. Whistles and clicks filled the air, echoing from here to there and back again. Strange-looking birds flitted between the trees, cast in shadows as if they were just a mirage.

This really was a whole world in itself. Secreted away for years, decades, or even centuries, there was no denying it had taken a life of its own. Life thrived here, untouched by the outside world. A whole ecosystem that had never seen the light of day. Protected as it was by the Room of Requirement, this place barely seemed real.

It made me wonder just how much we were still underutilizing the Room of Requirement. We were barely scratching the surface of what it could offer. Training rooms? Pools? Comfortable sitting rooms? How about an entire pocket dimension with its own native wildlife? What else could the Room of Requirement and Hogwarts herself be hiding?

I saw our goal before Luna did. I froze in place, refusing to be dragged along any farther. Luna was focused on the tracks on the ground. She tapped her chin cutely, pondering where to go next. When I stopped, she looked back at me.

She gasped as she followed my gaze, "Ah~! Oh my, oh my, oh my~!"

She kept her voice down to not disturb the creature we'd come across, "Atlas, Atlas~! It's really here~! What do we do, what do we do?!"

"We… try… very hard… to keep from… getting gored through… by that horn…" I said slowly, barely believing my eyes.

"Oh, calm down, Atlas. Daddy says Snorkacks are very docile creatures," Luna dismissed, already moving forward.

I stopped her, having to pick her up completely in the process, "How about we confirm that out for ourselves before doing anything rash?"

She pouted in my arms, "Oh, pooh…"

I defended my course of action, "It looks like a hippo. I'm not taking any chances. You don't mess with hippos."

There between the trees and foliage, a gigantic creature grazed peacefully. Clad completely in purple — natural camouflage, perhaps? — It almost blended into the surroundings. Something that big should never have been that unassuming and unnoticeable.

Fur coated every inch of its body. A line of feathers ran down its spine like a ridge of spikes. It was large, bordering on fat. But I could tell there was a thick layer of muscle beneath all of that fluff and fat. It really did look like a purple hippo and nothing about the creature scared me more than that fact.

Its face was flat, almost bill-shaped like a duck, with a wide jaw. Grasses and whole bushes disappeared into that constantly chewing mouth. A pair of vicious, vampire-like fangs stuck up from its bottom lip. The rest of its teeth were flat and almost brutal to look at.

Then there was the body part that was its namesake. The horn protruded from its forehead, spiraling like a Unicorn's and as long as a man's arm. It sparkled in the low twilight. As we watched, something just as sparkly as the horn itself dripped down its length.

"It's true… You really can milk a Snorkack's horn…" Luna muttered breathlessly.

"How the hell…? Is it like snake venom…? No, never mind," I shook my head. "Luna? I'll be honest. That thing terrifies me."

Luna giggled, "Don't be silly, Atlas. It should be perfectly harmless. Here, listen. I'll call it over with Daddy's Snorkack call. Maaaauuuuuoooooooooo~!"

She was calling out before I could stop her. The Snorkack's head rose almost leisurely. It was as if the creature knew it had all the time in the world. Still chewing, it began to lumber over to us, shaking the ground with each step of its massive body.

Luna wiggled free of my grip to greet the Snorkack, "Hello, big fella~! Aren't you just so handsome~?! Yes, you are~! Can I pet you?"

The Snorkack seemed to preen and nod permission. Luna reached out to stroke its soft fur. A low rumble sounded in its chest, vibrating Luna through her contact with its fur.

< New Perk Unlocked >

< Seer of the Unseen: You have found the unfindable. The Snorkack greets you fondly and wishes you luck in all of your endeavors. See the Unseen. +2 to Awareness, +2 to Luck, +3 to Perception, +3 to Willpower >

< Awareness 47+2=49/100, Luck 49+2=51/100, Perception 33+3=36/100, Willpower 45+3=48/100 >

While the Perk was welcome, its wording raised some questions in my mind, "Uh, Luna? How intelligent is a Snorkack supposed to be?"

Luna cocked her head, still petting the creature, "According to Daddy, about the same level as the Merpeople. Practically sapient. Of course, the Ministry would never acknowledge that fact even if they knew they existed… Close-minded fools…"

I nearly recoiled in surprise as the Snorkack smirked, "That's… Do they have a society?"

"Don't be silly, Atlas. Snorkacks don't care about something as meaningless as that. So long as they have grass and leaves to munch on, they're happy. They're solitary creatures as well. Much like Dragons. Do you think a Dragon cares about something like property taxes or the collective good of society?"

"… No, I suppose they wouldn't," I allowed myself an amused smirk. "But they could have a society if they wanted?"

"Of course," Luna nodded. "It just wouldn't be anything like one we would recognize. They're not Humans. Witches and Wizards already have trouble recognizing House Elf society and they're the closest magical species to us on a day-to-day basis. And don't get me started on how the Goblins are treated. We wouldn't know where to begin when it comes to Snorkacks or Dragons."

I allowed myself to absorb her words as Luna lost herself in the Snorkack's soft fur. It wasn't as if I was ignorant of the intelligence levels of the different magical species. But I suppose I didn't give the subject as much thought as it truly warranted. Thankfully, Luna was here to remind me of that and keep me honest and open-minded.

"… I'm gonna ride it," Luna eventually broke the comfortable silence with firm conviction.

"Luna, no!"

As I tried to prevent her from mounting it, the Crumple-Horned Snorkack just looked like it was the most amused one there…