—————A—————

"When is the next task again?" Draco asked as he shifted the golden egg in his grip.

"About a month from now," Harry replied, rubbing his hands together to ward off the chill. "I haven't made any headway with it. All it does is screech when I open it."

"May I hear it?" Luna asked.

"No!" Aurora, Ginny, and Ron all shouted, having had enough of hearing the cursed thing already.

"It may help to get a fresh perspective," she said with a light smile, and while she had a point, Aurora just couldn't imagine listening to the screech one more time.

"Think Krum's morning swim is related?" Draco asked, glancing toward the Black Lake from where they all sat near the castle.

"Dunno, but he's bloody mad for diving in, ain't he?" Ron commented, looking at Draco as if he forgot for a moment he was supposed to hate him.

"It's way colder where he's from," Ginny said with a shrug.

"Chatting him up?" Draco teased, and Ginny's cheeks went nearly as red as her hair.

"Shut it," she mumbled, though Aurora shot the redhead a knowing smirk.

While Ginny had yet to truly tease her about what she'd seen at the ball, Aurora had heard her fair share of jabs. Ginny had taken to pointing out every sprig of mistletoe around the common room and anywhere in the castle as they passed. The teasing doubled if Fred was around, though he seemed to think it was all a laugh. However, there were plenty of times when Ginny was nowhere to be found, and Aurora was now coming to understand exactly where her friend had been disappearing to.

"Have you tried putting it underwater?" Luna said thoughtfully, breaking up what could have very well been another argument between the Weasley siblings.

Everyone turned to look at her, and she grinned slyly. "Well, it does seem a bit odd that Viktor is taking a chilly dip every day, even if Bulgaria is much colder. And one of the prefects said that Cedric has been visiting the prefects' bathroom very frequently lately. If it's as horrid as you all say it, it could be Mermish."

"A bath sounds better than diving into the lake," Harry mused. "But the tubs in the tower aren't deep enough to hold the egg."

"Which is probably why Diggory used the prefects' bathroom," Draco pointed out.

"But I'm not a prefect," Harry reminded him. "None of us are, and the bathroom has a password."

"Leave it to me, then."

—————S—————

A bloody awful racket threw Severus' mind a good nine years in the past in his half-awake state; he immediately had his wand in hand, charging to his children's rooms. They, of course, were not infants, let alone in their beds, and the noise he heard was not an alarm.

His relief was short-lived; the sound still meant that there was something going on not far from his rooms. Quickly grabbing a pair of lounge pants and a robe from his room, he dressed as he moved to see what was going on in the hall.

He headed toward what sounded suspiciously like a banshee. Determined as he was, he nearly missed the fact that there was light in his office. He paused, staring suspiciously at the crack under the door. He didn't set strong wards on it, the entrance to his rooms only accessible to his wife and children, and while his private stores were accessible through it, it was also accessible via the corridor a floor above.

Severus opened the door and found it empty, ransacked, and the door to his stores ajar.

The abrupt end of the shrieking caught Severus' attention. Shutting the door, he moved to continue his investigation, now assuming the two incidents were linked.

He climbed the stairs from the dungeons and rounded the corner to find Filch shouting about something Peeves had been up to.

"Filch, what is going on?"

"It's Peeves, Professor," Argus said in a whisper, a hint of glee in his eyes that negated his tone. "He threw this egg down the stairs."

Severus slowly climbed the stairs, examining the golden egg in Argus' hands. It was the clue for the Triwizard Tournament; it was wet.

A flutter caught his eye, and Severus saw the piece of parchment on the stairs. Without a doubt, he knew exactly what it was, who the egg belonged to, and who was listening to every word in this corridor.

Silently summoning the Marauder's Map to himself, he snatched it out of the air and peered down at what was displayed before him.

Peeves was nowhere near him and Argus, but a mere five feet away was a huddled clump of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Draco Malfoy.

Arching his brow at the parchment, Severus folded it and tucked it into his pocket. He then turned his attention to Argus, who looked longingly in the general direction the trio was hiding in.

"Peeves could not have gotten into my office," he said, getting the old caretaker's attention.

"This egg was in your office, Professor?" Argus asked.

"No, but it will be," Severus said as he took the egg from Argus. "And I'm sure its owner would like to reclaim it, lest they are too cowardly to admit they lost such a precious item. In the meantime, there is a miscreant who broke into my office. We need to find them."

"But Professor, you see, the headmaster will have to listen to me this time. If Peeves is stealing from students—"

"Then he will need to be reported, yes. However, finding the one breaking into a professor's office is far more important, don't you agree?" Severus said through clenched teeth, losing his patience. When Argus still looked unsure, Severus pointed down the corridor. "Go. Search that way," he commanded, leaving no room for argument.

Reluctantly, Argus sauntered away.

When he was gone, Severus said in a low, but clear voice, "Twenty points from Gryffindor, and ten points from Slytherin for being out of bed well past curfew. You will be in my office tomorrow promptly after dinner, the three of you. You will get your egg, then, Pott—"

Severus was cut off by the distinct sound of a clunk, clunk, clunk coming down the stairs.

He hoped that the three idiots on the stairs did not move or breathe the wrong way as the not-Moody appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Out in your pajamas, Snape?" Moody asked gruffly. He seemed to have spotted the trio of miscreants; his frown of confusion would have been comical if Moody were actually Alastor.

"A noise near my chambers disturbed me, I came to investigate. Argus Filch was here with this," –Severus gestured with the egg—"I sent him on his way in an attempt to find the little blighter that attempted to steal from a champion, or a champion that thought themselves above the rules."

Moody narowed his good eye. "Is that so?"

"It would appear so, no? Unless, of course, said blighter has already made it back to their common room. Or maybe, though unlikely, they left their precious egg where it could be easily stolen. Regardless, I will be holding on to it for safekeeping in my office. Though it is hardly safe with so ... many ... break-ins."

"Your office been broken into, has it?" Moody asked.

Severus shrugged. "Probably a student, I dare say." He eyed the impersonator in front of him. "It's happened before: boomslang skin, lacewing flies, knotgrass. Students attempting to brew ... Polyjuice Potion." He watched for a tick or a twitch from the man. "The last student to attempt it turned herself into a cat."

There was the faintest of snorts, and Severus' hand tightened on the egg. They hadn't left, the fools.

"Potions ingredients, eh? Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?"

Severus' eyes narrowed. "You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," he said softly. "As you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself."

Moody grinned in a way that he'd never seen Alastor direct at him. He'd seen it, of course, when the great Auror caught a Dark wizard and sent them right where he wanted.

"Auror's privilege, Snape. Dumbledore told me to keep an eye—"

"On Potter. For any danger that lurks around him. Dumbledore trusts me," Severus replied. There was something there, something so, so close to the surface that he believed he could figure out exactly who this impostor was with just one more hint.

"'Course Dumbledore trusts you," Moody growled. "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me? I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?"

Had his hand been free, Severus may have grabbed his left arm, giving away the thing that shamed and scared him. Proof, his wife would say, that he was one of the bravest men she knew. Instead, he clenched his left fist, and stared the man down.

Whoever he was, he was someone who knew Severus had the Dark Mark, but not someone who knew his true allegiance. One of the Death Eaters, then, who claimed the Imperius Curse or other forms of coercion in order to escape Azkaban. Someone who would have been privy to the record of his trial or thought him a coward. That was a long bloody list.

"Get back to bed, Snape," Moody commanded.

"You don't have the authority to send me anywhere. I have as much right to walk this school after dark as you do."

"Prowl away. I look forward to meeting you in a dark corridor one day." Moody stared him down menacingly.

Severus waited, catching sight of a foot out of the corner of his eye as the trio of idiots made their way upstairs. He waited until they were gone, vaguely wondering how the hell Draco was going to make it back to his own common room. Once they were safely away, Severus blinked.

"I think I will return to bed," he said casually.

Just as he tried to turn away, Moody's walking stick swung out and stopped just before making contact with Snape's leg.

"That egg belongs to Potter, and I think we both know it," Moody hissed.

"Does it? I was unaware it was labeled. Or perhaps it was done with invisible ink that only your silly little eye can pick up on?"

"You holding it can be dangerous to Potter's chances in the tournament. If he ain't got the clue figured out—"

"Then Potter is as lazy, arrogant, and self-assured as his father. Traits that had the elder killed," Severus countered.

"Dumbledore is very interested in who has got it out for that boy," Moody said, lowering his stick and stepping closer. "And so am I, Snape. Very interested."

"Indeed," Severus drawled. "Well then, you can ask just about anyone in Gryffindor, and perhaps the rest of the school. If there is one thing that seems universally accepted, it's that I have it out for the boy, and have since his toes touched the flagstone." When Moody's eyes narrowed in thought instead of accusation, Severus thought it best to step away. "I will be turning in. As you were, Moody."

Nothing more was said, thankfully, and Severus made his way back to his suite.

Once behind his heavily warded door, he set the egg on a side table before heading to the fireplace. He paused, uncertain if he should bother the headmaster, wondering if he was asleep. Running a hand through his hair, Severus dropped it heavily at his side, where a crinkle of parchment came from his robe pocket.

The map. He had the map! Pulling it out, Severus unfolded the active parchment to seek out the headmaster's office. He was stopped short by the sight of Bartimaeus Crouch near the Gryffindor common room.

"Bloody fucking hell," Severus grumbled, folding out the map with new purpose. He caught sight of the three boys just before they disappeared on the seventh floor. With the knowledge that they were safe and Barty Crouch wouldn't think to find them in the room, he turned his attention to the headmaster's office.

Despite the late hour, Dumbledore was awake.

Setting the map on a sofa, Severus wasted no time grabbing some Floo powder and heading for Dumbledore's office. He emerged, brushing soot from his sleeves, to find Dumbledore pacing with an amused grin to his face.

"The last time I saw you come through the Floo barely decent was when Hermione went into labor with Leonidas," Dumbledore commented.

"Bartimaeus Crouch," Severus blurted out, making the mirth to drain out of Dumbledore's face, "he's impersonating Alastor."

"How do you know?"

"I'm sure you're aware of a certain map of the school?"

"I did not think it was passed down to Harry."

"It was thought lost, but it surfaced again last year. It's what led Lupin to believe that Black was after Potter. And once again, it is revealing an intruder. Though why we are allowing Potter to hold on to it is beyond me."

"Perhaps you, Remus, Sirius, and Hermione can create a version for us," Dumbledore mused, smiling briefly before concern clouded his face. "There is a memory I have been watching, over and over, since the start of the year. Perhaps you can provide me with a fresh perspective?" He waved his hand toward the Pensieve.

"What is it?" Severus asked as he approached the basin. He gripped the sides and prepared to dive in.

The last thing he heard before failing through was Albus saying, "Igor Karkaroff's trial."

—————A—————

"It's not detention," Draco insisted as he, Ron, and Harry joined Aurora, Ginny, Luna, and Neville out in one of the courtyards. It was snowing, and most students opted to stay inside where it was warm and dry, but the seven took the opportunity to meet where curious Slytherins wouldn't notice their prince cavorting with the enemy.

"We have to be in his office by a certain time, sounds like detention to me," Ron grumbled. "'Sides, Snape would never not make us do something ghastly after catching us out that late."

"So, you're the reason my dad's in a right foul mood," Aurora said.

She'd had Potions with him first thing in the morning, and while he was normally snappish and strict, he'd been an absolute terror. And while Aurora was never exempt from his contempt, it was a rare occasion she lost house points, especially for something as silly as speaking loud enough to her partner that others could hear her and cheat as a result.

"We got caught coming out of the prefects' bathroom last night. Someone," Draco explained, glaring at Ron, "insisted I couldn't carry the blasted egg."

"You'd tamper with it," Ron argued.

"And what difference would it make?" Harry asked as the group moved to a small alcove with benches nestled just out of reach of the snow. "I already know the clue. I doubt I'll need to carry the egg around for the task, especially when it sounds like I need to be underwater."

"So, Snape caught you? How did you explain the three of you taking a bath together?" Ginny asked with a smirk, crossing her arms.

Ron's face scrunched up as he looked at his sister like he'd eaten something bitter and she was to blame.

"We wore bathers," he spat.

"All the better since Myrtle was there," Harry commented, and Draco visibly shuddered.

"Moaning Myrtle watched the three of you take a bath?" Ginny said.

"She watched Diggory, too, apparently," Draco sneered. "Why would a ghost have an interest in watching people bathe?"

"Probably because she's forever stuck as a teenage girl," Aurora said with a shrug.

"Ghosts can't have the same feelings we do, though. There are no bodies for such feelings to happen," Luna explained.

"But ghosts keep their personalities," Aurora pointed out. "She might have been a bit boy crazy."

"You think we'd have heard about a peeping ghost girl by now," Neville said with a blush.

"She mostly haunts the second-floor girl's lavatory," Ginny pointed out.

"She made it up to the fifth floor."

"I bet there are spells," Aurora said. "Keeping her out?" she added when everyone looked confused. "My dad has wards that keep ghosts out of his chambers. And portraits, come to think of it. Leo was right terrified of the ghosts when he was little, but I'm fairly certain the wards were in place long before that. If the Bloody Baron wanted my dad for something, he would hover outside the door."

"That makes me feel a bit better about taking a shower every morning," Harry said, though Ron and Neville both nodded vigorously.

"Where were you this morning, anyway?" Neville asked as an afterthought. "I was gonna ask you at breakfast, but you got in late."

"We stayed in the Room of Requirement," Harry replied. "We'd nearly gotten close to Malfoy's common room when, well..."

"Snape and Moody showed up," Ron said. "And that was after Filch."

"We could've gotten past your dad with just a lecture, once he sent Filch on his way. But Moody?" Draco reasoned.

"I think it may have been the opposite," Harry said. "Snape was being pretty reasonable, despite everything, but I doubt he'd have let us go."

"He didn't. Which is why we have detention," Ron grumbled.

"It's not detention," Draco insisted again.

Before any further arguments could sprout about the topic, the bell chimed, signaling the end of the break.

—————S—————

Roughly seventeen hours after being woken by the Merlin-forsaken egg in the corridor, Severus waited in his office for the start of their "appointment."

He'd taken half an hour with Filch and Crouch, another hour in Dumbledore's office discussing what they would do, and a restless time trying to get back to sleep. It was nights like that that he wished Hermione still lived in his rooms during the year.

Rubbing his weary eyes, he was unsure what he would do when the dunderheads came in. They probably had a hundred questions, since Potter must have seen Crouch on the map.

There was a soft rap on the door, and Severus let out a heavy sigh.

"Enter," he called, straightening in his chair.

Draco entered first, head held high, shoulders straight. Weasley followed, glaring the whole way. Potter seemed fairly stoic, all things considered.

The three boys all took their seats, though despite the procession, Potter sat in the middle.

He let silence hang over them until Weasley started to fidget.

"I would like to know what was so important that the three of you were out after curfew with an object that was clearly meant to drive a man insane with the wish to go deaf."

Draco looked at the Gryffindors, Weasley looked at his feet.

Potter took a deep breath and bravely met Severus' gaze. "The egg needed to be opened under water. I don't know about the Slytherin dorms, but the tubs in Gryffindor Tower barely cover your knees."

"This doesn't really explain the need for a midnight swim. And where, precisely, did you three go?"

"The prefects' bathroom. Draco found out the password."

"Indeed. I shall have to speak to the prefects about discretion. And I suppose you three decided after midnight would be the best time to go where you do not belong? Then again, I suppose three young men in a tub, away from your common rooms..."

Severus watched as Draco paled, looking all the world like a terrified little boy who'd just been caught doing something wrong. Severus just about scoffed, having known the boy was gay since he was a toddler. There was a reason Lucius was adamant that Aurora marry into the family despite her inferior blood status.

Weasley's lip curled, and his face took on a nice shade of green. It was nearly amusing.