The Prince's Tale

[9] Right and wrong under different positions - Alastor Moody

【"Should I let a heinous Death Eater go?" "What about me? Should I forgive the murderer of my brother, then kneel before your robes and weep and say words of gratitude?"]

After recovering from a serious illness, I followed Edward to the Ministry of Magic again.This time, no one looked at me strangely, and no one whispered behind me.But I still felt very uncomfortable, as if those people would tear off their hypocritical masks at any time, treat me coldly and greet me with harsh words.I clung to Edward's sleeve like a timid child.

You may not believe it, but I came to see Tiffany Hale today.The Wizengamot had executed her, and tomorrow she was being escorted to Azkaban.

I suddenly remembered how much I hated her back then.I hate her arrogance, and I hate my humility in front of her even more.But I came to see her on purpose today... When she saw me, she had a surprised expression on her face.Then I guessed that maybe I was the only one who came to see her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

"I wanted to thank you." I tried my best to look more sincere, but Tiffany still turned her head coldly.

"I don't understand what you're talking about," she said stiffly.

I laughed and squatted down to look at her. "You know who I am, but you don't tell anyone. Do you?"

She didn't speak.I take this as the default.

"I would like to take the liberty to ask, how did you know my identity?"

Tiffany turned her head and gave me a mocking smile.The smile finally made her look a little bit like the Tiffany Hale I remembered.

"I have seen many wizards who tried to hide their identities, and you should be the worst one among them," she seemed to open the door, although the words she said were still so unpleasant, "You have only been in the pharmacy for a few days, I knew you were using a fake identity."

This time the surprised person was replaced by me.

"How—how is this possible?" I exclaimed, watching Tiffany's face grow increasingly mocking.

"Your tone of voice, the way you walk, your beautiful handwriting all suggest that you are well educated. It contradicts all the nonsense you told old Mr. Brown that you never went to school. And your The habit brought out from the old life—do I need to say more? In order to pursue a good taste, you will use a silver balance to weigh the quality of each ingredient one by one when making tea—”

"That's probably because of my profession—" I tried to argue, and Tiffany waved impatiently.

"The notepads you use have always been expensive silk notebooks, and all your clothes except work clothes are bought at a tailor-made clothing store—"

"But a lot of girls do—" I argued, and she waved again impatiently.

"You spend a lot of money and do whatever you want, and you don't look like a child from an ordinary wizarding family." She gave me a sideways look, as if finally proving the fact that a fool knows but I don't.

I opened my mouth and was finally speechless, so I had to look at her as if admitting defeat.

"You don't like me at all, why didn't you report my identity?"

"Didn't you also report on me?" She asked back, turned to look at me, a faint smile crossed her cheeks, "Also, I never said I didn't like you."

"But--"

"I've always been like this," she held her head up. This action made me feel a little dazed, as if I was back in the small pharmacy in Diagon Alley. A senior pharmacist, "After so many years of practice, you are the only pharmacist I brought up. Jane, you are not as mediocre as you think."

This sentence is so familiar.I remember a lot of people saying similar things to me.William had said it, and Professor McGonagall, who taught Transfiguration, had said it, and so had Edward.But I have always considered myself cowardly and willing to be ordinary.

I don't know if I should be flattered that Tiffany Hale thinks so highly of me.

"Why didn't you report on me?" I asked persistently, "Also, how did you know that I knew your identity?"

Tiffany gave me a resigned look that made her look a little more approachable.

"You are useless," she was forced to look away, and said something that made me a little annoyed, "As for how I know you know..." She looked at me meaningfully.

"Okay, visiting time!" an Auror came up to me and said.I know, I don't have much time left.I racked my brains for a good-bye that I could say, but I couldn't find anything else but "good-bye."

"Before the Ministry of Magic found us, Severus denounced William Prince to the Dark Lord," Tiffany suddenly looked up at me with an inexplicable expression on his face, "so the Dark Lord deliberately sent Prince to The most dangerous battlefield. I think you should know." She said sarcastically.

My heart seemed to miss a beat.I was led out of the chamber by the Aurors.The figure of Tiffany Hale gradually faded away, but what she said kept circling in my heart.

Severus reported William Prince to the Dark Lord... So the Dark Lord deliberately sent Prince to the most dangerous battlefield... He was denounced, and his death was deliberately planned...

No, I want to tell all this, while Tiffany is still there, while she can still testify...

I ran to the Auror headquarters on the second floor, trying to find Edward Jones among the messy and noisy crowd.I don't know why, but I want to tell him about this first, and I want to hear his opinion...

"Excuse me, is Jones there?" I grabbed a wizard holding a stack of newspaper clippings and stopped him from hurrying past, "Edward Jones?"

"He just went out," said the wizard in a slightly sympathetic tone, "and was sent out on his first day at work—"

I was suddenly as sensitive and disturbed as a cat whose tail has been stepped on.

"Sent out on a mission?" There was panic in my voice.I thought of William for no reason.He was deliberately sent to the most dangerous battlefield...

"Yeah, yeah, you're here to look for him?" He looked a little impatient as I was still holding on to his arm, and he glanced over the silver badge on my chest, and saw it The name (Jane Prince), "What do you want him for?" He showed the suspicious look I was familiar with.I think I should be righteous, but when I meet his gaze, I can't help being timid and shrinking back.

"There's something I want to tell him—well, to discuss with him, actually—" I falter.

I could see that he clearly didn't believe what I said.

"Merlin, don't bother him anymore, okay?" He looked at me like he was looking at a troublemaker who always burned the bottom of a cauldron, "That's enough for him! Is Jane Prince— —”

"Who is she?" A stern and rough voice came from behind.I turned my head suddenly, and was taken aback by the strange appearance of the visitor.

The face under the dark gray hair seemed to have been re-carved with a wooden knife, but it was obviously a wooden knife that could not be blunted, and the person in charge of the carving didn't pay much attention to this work.A chunk of his nose was missing, and every inch of his face seemed scarred.

"Jane Prince?" His piercing eyes scanned the silver badge. "For your brother's business?" He got right to the point.

I nodded mechanically and stared at his face intently. Although I knew it was impolite, that face seemed to have a different kind of magic that could attract other people's eyes.

"Honestly, I don't really believe that he can turn his back on his ways in the end," Alastormoody said in a low voice, "A dark wizard with strong spells... We have suffered a lot from him."

I felt a nausea in my stomach for no apparent reason.I suddenly lost the desire to speak, and just wanted to escape from this place that made me feel hopeless and suffocated.

"—several Aurors got into St. Mungo's because of him."

"I didn't come here today to hear about his crimes," I was surprised to hear my voice was even, without a trace of timidity, "I just visited Tiffany Hale." I stopped on a whim to hear What Moody says about her.

"She's a cunning witch," said Moody, gladly granting me my wish.But I felt a little uncomfortable when I heard it.

"She told me that it was Severus Snape who betrayed William to the mysterious man, so he was sent to the most dangerous place—" I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions, " — That's why you have the chance to kill him!" I still couldn't hold back the sharpness and accusation in my tone.

"Snape?" Moody said mockingly, staring at me closely. "Looks like an old chap, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?" I said coldly.

"Albus Dumbledore vouched for him, proving that he is actually a double agent and provided us with information." Moody snorted disapprovingly, as if his old friend's guarantee couldn't get rid of him Suspicious of Snape.

"Impossible!" I yelled, and at least half the room dropped their stuff and turned to look at me. "I mean—if he's a double agent, he'll know my brother is just like him." ——Right? He wouldn't, he wouldn't be able to reveal my brother's identity to the mysterious man!"

"Prince has never been negligent in his duties as a Death Eater," Moody growled. "I know you can't take it, kid, but it's the truth!"

"Fact?" I repeated sarcastically. "What is the fact? The fact is that you treated a repentant person in the cruelest way, and let the person who betrayed him go unpunished!"

"Should I let a heinous Death Eater go?" growled Moody, his mutilated face grim, but I stared at him fearlessly.

Now almost everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and watched with bated breath as I argued with Moody.I caught a glimpse of quite a few of them already gripping their wands.If I dared to pull out my wand, I'd be hit by dozens of well-trained Auror spells before I did so.

I felt a deep sense of exhaustion.

"What about me?" I said softly, "Should I forgive the murderer of my brother, and then kneel before your robes and weep and say grateful words? You think you are saving the wizarding world noblely, but the essence and Those Death Eaters are no different."

A young wizard behind Moody finally couldn't stand the ridicule in my words, and drew his wand, as if he wanted to cast a jinx on me in public.But Moody blocked him back.I'm not grateful for Moody's blocking.On the contrary, I glanced at them one by one with contempt and disgust. There were two fierce dragons in my usually docile eyes, and they might lose control and spit fire at them at any time.

I leave in complete silence.Before leaving, the voice of whispering came to my ears again.

"……Poor man."

"I dare say it's the eighth of the month?"

When I walked to the door, I suddenly remembered my original purpose of coming here.I turned back and walked up to Moody, amused to see the vigilance of the people around me again.

"Don't tell Edward I've been here," said the last breath of my strength, "Edward Jones—you know—please don't tell him."

I ignored the surprise and doubt on their faces, and I no longer had the strength to care whether they would agree to my request.I think this is probably the only thing I can do for Edward.

Decades later, when I was relieved of everything back then, I did feel a bit of regret for my recklessness that day.But you can't expect a person whose heart is filled with the pain of the loss of a loved one to immediately show understanding and tolerance for the culprits, even if there are excusable circumstances.It's just that when many years passed and I experienced something, I couldn't help admiring Alastormoody when he blocked the young wizard.