Orli barely managed to restrain herself from bursting into the classroom while Snape was teaching. She waited in the shadows of the corridor outside, only entering to find him after the lesson ended and all the students had filed out.
"Waters?" Snape was using his wand to clear the cauldrons of their oddly-colored contents when he spotted her, surprise flickering across his features. "You should be in class this period."
"Professor," Orli took a deep breath and cut straight to the point. "A Death Eater named Avery has infiltrated the school."
Snape's wand hand froze mid-motion. He crossed to her in three swift strides. "How did you discover this? Have you seen him?"
"No, Harry did," Orli shook her head. "Remember how I found Peter Pettigrew? Last night Harry saw Avery's name on the Marauder's Map—right there in your office."
"Potter?" Snape's expression sharpened with understanding. "So he really was lurking in that corridor last night, wasn't he? He told you everything he overheard?"
"Yes, Professor," Orli confirmed, then pressed on urgently. "What exactly was stolen from your office?"
"Some African tree snake skin, a few ounces of fluxweed juice, a jar of powdered bicorn horn..." Snape recited as he recalled the missing items, then suddenly stopped dead.
"Polyjuice Potion," Orli said.
"Polyjuice Potion," Snape echoed simultaneously.
"Which means Avery could be masquerading as anyone in the school right now," Snape muttered, his brow creasing deeply. "What about Potter's map?"
"Moody borrowed it," Orli replied, her irritation evident. "I'm suspicious of that Moody—he just happened to turn up near your office last night. Isn't that too convenient? And why did he need to take the map?"
"If you suspect Moody, this requires Dumbledore's intervention. Without his authority, that old madman won't cooperate with anything you propose." Snape's frown only deepened.
Two hours later, they stood together in Dumbledore's office.
A small vial of potion sat upon the headmaster's desk.
"So you believe it's quite possible that Avery used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Alastor?" Dumbledore lifted the bottle, contemplating it thoughtfully. "And this is?"
"A rapid-acting antidote for Polyjuice Potion," Snape replied tersely.
"Polyjuice typically lasts about an hour," Orli elaborated. "If someone consumes it regularly in large quantities, the effects can be prolonged significantly. But the moment they drink this antidote, the Polyjuice Potion will cease working immediately."
Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from the spiral staircase leading to the headmaster's office. Through the gaps in the steps, Orli glimpsed Mad-Eye Moody appearing, limping as always. His rumpled waistcoat was covered by his battered old traveling cloak, his wooden leg sat at an awkward angle, and he leaned heavily on his walking stick as usual.
"Heard someone fancies buying me a drink?" Moody entered the office, his normal eye fixed on Dumbledore while his large, unnatural blue eye whirled frantically in Snape and Orli's direction. He looked utterly exhausted—as if he hadn't slept properly in months. His eye bags sagged, and his complexion was ghastly.
"Alastor, did you not rest well last night?" Dumbledore asked, studying him carefully.
"Age catches up with everyone—can't keep my energy up like I used to. Always feeling drowsy these days," Moody replied dismissively, finding a chair and dropping into it without ceremony. "So what's all this about then?"
"Oh, nothing too serious, Alastor," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling behind his spectacles. "We simply need you to drink a small potion."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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