HP: Dangerous Professor from Azkaban

Chapter 301 - 301: 302: Constant Vigilance!

Moody had even served as a special instructor for new Auror training. Although he only appeared a handful of times, his almost paranoid security inspections left a lasting psychological scar on every group of trainees.Sagres still remembered attending one of Moody's lectures on identifying and dealing with common Dark Arts traps.

Back then, although Moody was already covered in scars, he had possessed an overwhelming presence, and his magical eye had left an especially deep impression on Sagres. Moody had lost it during his final mission before retirement, trading it for the lifetime imprisonment of three Dark wizards.

Looking at this "Moody" now, drinking from a hip flask, acting rough and abrasive while his magical eye spun wildly in every direction, a faint trace of emotion flickered through Sagres's eyes.

Time and war had left marks on everyone. In only a few years, the Moody before him had become older and even more paranoid than the instructor Sagres remembered, his overwhelming suspicion seeming to have worsened considerably.

He also remembered the man's favourite phrase—

"Constant vigilance!"

Moody, who had been speaking with several professors, suddenly raised his voice and barked the words loudly.

A few students seated near the front of the tables, who had been secretly listening in, jumped so hard that their forks clattered into their pumpkin soup, splashing orange liquid across the table.

None of them bothered wiping it away. They simply held their breath and kept listening.

"Yesterday, some Dark wizard actually tried to attack me again..."

Moody's voice boomed through the hall. His normal eye remained fixed on the professors he was speaking to, while his magical eye continued spinning ceaselessly.

He gave a heavy snort, took a long swig from the hip flask he always carried, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Right in my own front garden! My instincts immediately told me something was wrong. The air smelled of Dark magic."

His voice lowered slightly, as though recalling the tense atmosphere of the moment.

"I pretended not to notice anything and kept walking with my staff. Thud, thud, thud. But every nerve in my body was stretched tight! My ears were listening for the slightest sound, and my nose was sorting through every strange trace of Dark magic beneath the stink of rubbish!"

Snape listened expressionlessly, though a faintly mocking look appeared on his face, as though he considered the story exaggerated.

"Then I heard it—"

Moody grinned, or at least something close to a grin.

"Breathing. Right behind a filthy rubbish bin! Whoever it was tried to suppress it, but not well enough!"

His magical eye suddenly froze in place, as though piercing through time itself and returning to yesterday's scene.

"I didn't hesitate! Not even for a second! Spun around, drew my wand, and cast a Blasting Curse immediately!"

"BANG!!!"

He shouted the sound effect loudly enough to make several students jump again.

"The spell hit the rubbish bin dead on! Blew it to pieces!"

A note of triumph entered Moody's voice.

"Rotten cabbage leaves, mouldy potato peelings, shredded newspapers, empty Butterbeer cans, and all sorts of unknown sticky rubbish exploded everywhere like a volcanic eruption of garbage! Covered the entire wall!"

"And then? Did you catch the attacker, Alastor?" Professor McGonagall asked with concern.

Moody's face darkened immediately, and his magical eye began spinning wildly again.

"No..."

He shook his head.

"I'm getting old, Minerva."

He sounded deeply irritated by the admission.

"That slippery bastard! Used the explosion and flying rubbish as cover and Apparated away! Didn't even leave behind a footprint. Clean, efficient... definitely a professional."

He stabbed a sausage with his fork, inspected it suspiciously for several seconds, then finally shoved it into his mouth and chewed viciously.

"But I hit him! I'm certain my spell grazed him! Even if he isn't dead, he'll definitely be suffering!"

Moody declared confidently.

"What does that prove? It proves they're becoming bolder and bolder! They dared to come to my house! Constant vigilance!"

He practically roared his famous catchphrase at the end, his booming voice echoing throughout the Great Hall and instantly silencing all whispers.

At the Gryffindor table, the trio, like everyone else, had been completely drawn into Moody's thrilling story.

Harry found it even more nerve-racking than facing some actual Dark wizards, while Hermione clearly admired Professor Moody's quick and decisive reactions.

Ron, however, wore a rather strange expression. He leaned closer to the other two and lowered his voice until only they could hear him.

"Oi, listen," Ron whispered, his eyes secretly flicking toward the staff table. "What he said... isn't entirely true."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked in confusion.

"My dad got home really late yesterday because he was dealing with this exact thing."

Ron swallowed the pie in his mouth before continuing quickly.

"Moody really was incredible back in the day. He caught loads of Dark wizards, that part's true. But now... well, some people at the Ministry think he's become a bit... overly paranoid."

Hermione frowned immediately. "Ron, you shouldn't talk about a professor like that, especially after everything he's been through!"

"I'm not saying it!" Ron protested. "My dad said it! He said there wasn't any Dark wizard attack on Moody yesterday at all! Moody just convinced himself someone was trying to attack him, so without even checking properly, or rather, when there wasn't anyone there in the first place, he cast a Blasting Curse and blew up a public rubbish bin!"

Harry and Hermione both stared at him in shock.

"And then?" Harry asked immediately.

"And then?"

Ron looked as though he wanted to laugh but didn't quite dare to.

"Then the blasted rubbish bin exploded like an angry Pixie and started spraying rubbish everywhere! Rotten junk flew all over the place! But that still wasn't the end of it. Professor Moody thought the attacker was still nearby, maybe hiding beneath the rubbish, so he ran around in the middle of the garbage storm waving his wand and yelling things like 'It's you!' and 'Come out! I know you're there!'"

Hermione's mouth fell open, her face filled with disbelief.

"A few nearby Muggles heard the explosion and shouting, thought something terrible had happened, and called the police."

Ron continued, "The Muggle police arrived and found the whole place destroyed, with a strange old man waving a stick around and shouting like mad. They were just about to step in when Ministry officials, including my dad, arrived in time, Obliviated the Muggles, and cleaned everything up."

"Merlin's beard..." Hermione muttered faintly, as though her entire worldview had just taken a hit.

"So," Ron concluded while picking up his goblet of pumpkin juice, "there was never any Dark wizard attack at all. It was a complete disaster caused entirely by himself. My dad said the Ministry even warned him afterwards and told him that the next time he decided to 'maintain constant vigilance'... he should probably make sure there was actually a target before casting a spell."

Harry glanced toward the staff table. Professor Moody's magical eye was fixed intently on Professor Greengrass.

Harry immediately felt that the man really was somewhat paranoid, especially when he realised Moody's normal eye was also staring directly at him without blinking.

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