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FOURTEEN
VERITASERUM
SUDDENLY, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE ENTERED the office followed by Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall. The fake Moody had been stun and unable to move, however, Valentina remained in place and made no intention to move.
"Valentina, if you may please step back," said Dumbledore, "I think you will find he isn't going anywhere."
"I can't," she said.
"Valentina, please," Dumbledore tried once again. "I understand your pain, but you need to step back so that we can get some answers."
A few moments passed. Valentina stayed in her place, debating her next move. Finally, she lowered her wand and stepped back.
Professor McGonagall was trying to haul Harry out of the room, Valentina too. Dumbledore stopped her.
No," he said sharply.
"Dumbledore, they ought to — look at both of them — they have been through enough tonight —"
"They will stay, Minerva, because they need to understand," said Dumbledore curtly. "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. Harry needs to know who has put him in the ordeal he has suffered tonight, and why. Valentina needs to know who is responsible for the murder of her loved one."
"Moody," Harry said. He was in a state of disbelief. "How can it have been Moody?"
"This isn't Alastor Moody," said Valentina quietly.
"You have never known Alastor Moody," said Dumbledore. He turned to Harry. "The real Moody would not have removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. The moment he took you, I knew — and I followed."
Dumbledore bent down over Moody's limp form and put a hand inside his robes. He pulled out Moody's hip flask and a set of keys on a ring. Then he turned to Professors McGonagall and Snape.
"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here."
If either Snape or McGonagall found these instructions peculiar, they hid their confusion. Both turned at once and left the office. Dumbledore walked over to the trunk with seven locks, fitted the first key in the lock, and opened it. It contained a mass of spellbooks. Dumbledore closed the trunk, placed a second key in the second lock, and opened the trunk again. The spell books had vanished and quills, and what looked like a silvery Invisibility Cloak. Valentina continued to watch as Dumbledore continued to go through each of the locks, each revealing something different. Finally, he placed the seventh key in the lock and threw open the lid. Valentina heard Harry let out a cry of amazement. She too, was shocked.
