The Other Moody was back, rubbing the nub of his leg with more of that balm. The real Moody watched from the corner of the floor, his back to the wall, studying the mannerisms of this strange imposter. The Polyjuice was on a very tight schedule and well kept-up-with so that Moody's features never melted away and the Other Moody's true identity stayed secret, hidden. Yet there were moments... when the polyjuice was near it's limit... that Alastor was near to being able to pin point a familiarity. Something would twinge on the edge of his memory and he'd find himself squinting at the fake Moody, trying to draw a recollection out of the depths of his mind.

Not that identifying the imposter would be of much help. After all, Alastor had no hope of getting out of the dungeon space he was locked in. But at least he'd know and when the impostor slipped up... when he at last found a way out... then Alastor would have all he needed to point out the one who'd done it to him.

For now, he'd keep him talking.

So far, Alastor had learned that the Triwizard Tournament names had been drawn as scheduled ahead of the term. Not only had the three champions been selected, but the unprecedented fourth champion had been named as Harry Potter... which was precisely what Albus Dumbledore had been worried about.

Indeed, the tournament had been part of the reason Dumbledore had asked Moody on staff for the term. Igor Karkaroff was settled as the headmaster of Durmstrang Academy and had been since the 70s. However, he'd also been a known follower of You Know Who in the 70s, hadn't he? And Albus had been concerned - with whispers of the Dark Lord circulating, however quietly - he'd worried about having a man with Karkaroff's history at the school unchecked. And so Mad Eye had been called on... and for all anyone on the surface could see, he was there.

Little had Dumbledore known that the one to look out for was no Karkaroff at all, but the very one who was supposed to be keeping an eye on him.

The plan was good, Moody had to admit. Who would ever suspect the Great Mad Eye Moody? Especially when Igor Karkaroff was an easy scape goat to point to?

And whoever would have thought that anyone would think to put the kid's name in under a fourth school to achieve the result of hoodwinking the Goblet of Fire?

"Just got to figure out what the Ministry's got up it's sleeves for 'em..." The Other Moody was muttering to himself.

Form what Moody had gathered, this imposter was a devoted follower of Voldemort in the past, encouraged by the events at the World Cup and the current whispers to make an attempt on the Potter boy's life.

It wouldn't be the first time an ex-death eater would make a pitch at having revenge in the name of their so-called lord. Time couldn't erase the bum-hurt grudges of wronged crazy people, Moody supposed, even if it meant attacking innocent children. More than once over the years Mad Eye had set aurors sentinel over Privet Drive just to keep an eye after a threat had been made. The boy was safe at the house, under the powerful magic that his mother had set, but there were times that wizards trailed the muggles as they went about their daily lives to see to it that Harry was safe.

Suddenly, overhead, there was a loud banging and shouting and the Other Moody looked up, scowling, and he grabbed onto the prosthetic, hurrying to shove it on. He swore and grunted with pain as he staggered up the stair. The prosthetic hurt like hell when it wasn't put on right, Moody knew, and he thought that it served the bastard right for mistreating his limb like that. The imposter nearly fell climbing over the top of the stair and out.

The Other Moody slammed closed the door? Lid? to the dungeon and Alastor was plunged into dark.

"Wotcher, Mad-Eye!" Tonks declared the moment the office door opened.

Charlie looked at Tonks with incredulity. He would never be used to Tonks calling him Mad-Eye to his face, no matter how close she was to the man it seemed wildly inappropriate. He looked nervously between Tonks and the old auror.

Although Tonks knew Mad-Eye exceedingly well, and Bill often spoke about Mad-Eye nearly as fondly as Tonks did, Charlie had only met the man a few times himself. Most people were put off by Mad-Eye's grizzled features - the chunks of flesh that had been torn out and grown over. But those hardly intimidated Charlie. Being in dragon training, he'd seen several faces that had similar scars and trenches. Many of the more advanced trainers had limbs missing even, and he'd been warned going into dragon training that it wasn't for keeping a pretty face. No what bothered Charlie about Mad-Eye was exactly that - his mad eye. The way it swiveled about unnerved Charlie Weasley quite a lot and made him think of the old adage about parents who had eyes in the backs of their heads. It was especially weird when Mad-Eye made a comment about seeing through walls and ceilings. It made Charlie wonder what else Mad Eye could see through and he felt very self conscious and uneasy 'round the old man.

"What are you doing here?" Mad-Eye demanded. Charlie noticed he winced when he stepped back to let them in, stepping awkwardly on his prosthetic leg.

"What am I doing here?" Tonks repeated with a laugh, spinning about as she set herself on top of a large trunk, perching and folding her legs before her like a pretzel. She grinned, "You old grump! And here I thought you'd be asking why I hadn't been 'round YET."

Mad-Eye grunted something under his breath and thumped over to where she sat, bending down and spinning the combination locks on the front of the trunk, giving her an evil eye as his thumbs twisted the runes out of order.

Charlie hovered by the door.

"It's been mighty busy 'round the Ministry without you," Tonks said. "Loads of cases piling up, lots of paperwork. Not mine of course. I get mine all copied up and handed in real timely like. But Savage on the other hand --" Tonks grinned at him.

Mad-Eye was glowering at her.

"Alright, stay cranky, old man. I didn't come just for a little catch-me-up anyway." She waved a palm at Charlie and Mad Eye glanced back over at him, then turned to look at Tonks with a bushy blonde eyebrow raised high. "Have you heard about the fourth Champion at the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Hasn't every one?" grumbled Mad-Eye, "All over every edition of the Daily Prophet since it happened, isn't it?"

Tonks held onto her ankles as she continued, "Harry Potter's only fourteen."

"I'm aware," Mad-Eye said.

Tonks said, "Well isn't that suspicious? Had to be of age, didn't they? So how's he a Champion?"

"You think we aren't doin' everything we can to figure it out?" Mad-Eye asked in a challenging grumble.

Tonks nodded, "Well, what are your theories?"

Mad-Eye glowered, "Somebody's put it in, obviously. Most likely Karkaroff. We've got our eye on the man." He studied Tonks harshly.

Tonks grinned. "I'm sure you'll catch whoever's done it, you brilliant old sod. You always get your man. And bugger to 'em is what I say. You're the best dark wizard catcher there is, ever was!"

Something glimmered in Mad-Eye's regular eye, a flash of frustration, and his tongue darted at the corner of his mouth irritably. "Yes well be that what it may... I oughtn't be discussing such sensitive information with you anyhow." He staggered across the room, still wonky on his leg, and grabbed a flask from the desk, unscrewing the lid and knocking back a long swig of whatever was inside.

Tonks tilted her head. "Little early, isn't it?"

He swallowed and recapped the flask, slipping it into his cloak pocket. "You'd do fine to mind your own business, girl."

He'd been speaking gruffly through the whole conversation, but that particular snap seemed to surprise Tonks and Charlie recognized her face as being hurt. He puffed his chest up. "She's just trying at looking out for you, Moody, you haven't got to be so rough on her."

Mad-Eye's mad eye turned to look at Charlie slowly. "You're Bill Weasley's brother," he said.

"That's right," Charlie said.

Mad-Eye nodded slowly, then frowned and turned back to Tonks. An apology wasn't coming, but he was a bit gentler 'round the edge when he said, "It's just very sensitive. We don't know for certain what's on and until we do I ought not to be discussing it with... outside influences."

"Well that's not really what we came for either, honestly," Tonks said. "How come you're letting Harry Potter play if he isn't old enough?"

Mad-Eye muttered, "Binding magical contract."

"But surely there's some loophole. He doesn't meet requirements! And now Charlie's dragon's going to be involved and Zuzu's a real nightmare, let me tell you -- I --"

Charlie was making slashing motions with his throat at Tonks. The fact that the dragons were involved was still top secret, after all, not to be revealed to just anyone - but she'd already bowled it out before he'd managed to get her attention and Mad-Eye didn't miss a beat.

"Dragons?" Mad-Eye turned quickly to look at Charlie with interest now.

Charlie flushed and said, "I... um... can't elaborate," he said.

"But the fact of the matter is that's not fair to expect Harry Potter to be fighting like a man when he's only a kid, Mad-Eye! Certainly there's some way to get him out of the tourney, hey?"

"And why do you care so much?" asked Mad-Eye, "What's he to you?"

Again, Tonks looked surprised. "Well I thought after - you know - after what happened in June..." she paused. Then she squinted at him. He was giving her a funny look. "I just don't think it's right and I don't know, I thought maybe you wouldn't either but if you think it's fine then who to say it's not, right?"

Charlie spoke up, "But --"

"No Charlie, I trust Mad-Eye," Tonks said. "He'd never put Harry Potter in danger unnecessarily. Not after what happened in June. With Sirius Black." She paused. "Right?"

There was a flash again in Mad-Eye's natural eye, the mad one spinning about. "That's right. Been in enough danger with Sirius Black on the loose. But we're monitoring the situation close as could be. I assure you."

Tonks slid off the trunk she was sitting on and nodded, grabbing hold of Charlie's arm so tight he was sure to get a bruise off it. "Come on Charlie, you heard him, Harry Potter's going to be alright, we're worried for nothing."

"But - you said that Sirius Black -- ow!"

Tonks had wrenched his wrist and pulled Charlie out the door into the corridor.

"I'll come and visit you for our usual Fish Finger Fridays this week! Promise!" She sang.

"Uh huh," Moody grunted.

"Shall I bring Ketchup or Tartar?"

Moody grouched, "Ketchup on fish fingers! Whoever heard of such nonsense?"

She waved and yanked the door shut, then whirled about to face Charlie. "Come on, Cha-Cha." Tonks hurried to pull him along after her down the corridor.

"But we didn't get him to help? We barely even asked him to! We didn't even argue -- Harry doesn't wanna be in the tournament! And even if he does, he --"

Tonks yanked him into an empty classroom and shut the door, casting a sound shield against the door and turned to face him. "That ain't Moody," she said pointing accusingly at the door.

Charlie blinked in surprise, "Huh? Of course it's --"

"Cha-Cha there is no such thing as Fish Finger Fridays, I made it up.... and if there was, he would want ketchup. Not tartar."

Charlie looked utterly confused.