Moody's gravelly voice echoed through the garden clearly, ensuring that every person present could hear his accusation despite the ambient sounds of fountains and rustling vegetation.
A flash of cold light passed through Dumbledore's blue eyes as his fingers tightened around the Elder Wand concealed within his robes. He stepped forward, his shiny robes fluttering slightly in the night breeze that had begun to pick up across the grounds.
"Igor," He said calmly, "I believe the current circumstances require a complete explanation from you."
Karkaroff stumbled backward several desperate steps, his formal robes catching on decorative shrubbery as his back pressed against the cold stone surface of one of the garden's decorative statues.
He appeared genuinely cornered, like a trapped animal facing inevitable capture.
His pupils contracted to extreme as he trembled visibly and launched into frantic explanation, his words tumbling over each other with panicked speed.
"Albus, I thought you of all people should understand—I'm no longer aligned with the Dark Lord's cause! I abandoned that allegiance years ago when I provided testimony to the Ministry! I have absolutely no idea what's happening with this mark or why it's burning tonight..."
Upon hearing this obviously desperate denial, Moody released a cold, harsh laugh that had no trace of genuine humor at all.
He took one heavy step forward, his wooden leg striking the cobblestones with an thud as he interrupted Karkaroff's increasingly rambling protests.
"Stop playing these boring games, Karkaroff," He snarled with contempt dripping from every word. "Do you seriously think I didn't hear your conversation with Snape? 'He gave me one final chance'—those were your exact words, spoken from your own mouth just moments ago!"
"You were following me!?" Karkaroff's face turned even more pale. Cold sweat had soaked completely through his collar, creating dark stains that spread across the cloth.
Snape raised his wand in a sharp defensive gesture, his face seem to show extreme tension.
"Moody, I strongly suggest you think very carefully about the serious accusations you're making," He said silkily
"Accusations?" Moody's magical eye spun wildly in its socket as the tip of his wand began to glow with gathering magical energy.
"I witnessed two Death Eaters engaged in conspiracy with my own functional eyes! Snape, is your Dark Mark burning as well tonight? Perhaps we should examine your left arm while we're conducting this investigation?"
Dumbledore's gaze became exceptionally sharp, his entire demeanor shifted from gentle concern to something approaching authority. He raised one hand in a gesture that got instant silence from all parties, then glanced meaningfully toward Adrian with an almost unnoticeable wink.
Adrian understood the unspoken instruction and immediately turned his attention toward the students who continued to gather at the edges of the confrontation.
"Everyone!" He announced with magically amplified voice that resounded through their nervous whispers. "Return to the Great Hall immediately! This is not a spectator event!"
The students began dispersing with obvious reluctance, continuously stretching their necks to look back over their shoulders as they walked away, clearly feeling they were missing some earth-shattering revelation that would become legendary Hogwarts gossip.
Once Dumbledore had confirmed through a quick observation spell that no one remained within eavesdropping range, his sharp gaze swept carefully back and forth between Snape and Karkaroff.
"A burning Dark Mark certainly provides some evidence of new connection to Voldemort," He observed calmly and said, "but it doesn't necessarily tell us everything we need to know about current allegiances or intended actions. We need a considerably more professional and definitive method of examination."
"What about Veritaserum?" Adrian suggested at what seemed an appropriate moment in the conversation. "I imagine Professor Snape should have some to spare."
"Carrying Veritaserum for private use is strictly illegal under Ministry regulations," Snape replied coldly, his expression revealing absolutely nothing about whether he actually possessed such contraband.
Adrian gace a slight shrug of skepticism. He would never be naive enough to believe that Snape didn't maintain a private collection of Veritaserum and various other restricted potions in his personal laboratory.
This man's secret inventory of contraband substances and dark artifacts was probably wide enough to keep him imprisoned in Azkaban for multiple consecutive lifetimes.
If not for Dumbledore's protection and the headmaster's absolute confidence in his renewed loyalties, Snape certainly wouldn't be able to operate with such brazen confidence regarding borderline illegal activities.
Upon hearing Adrian's sharp suggestion, Moody broke into a fierce grin that revealed yellowed teeth and made his scarred face appear even more intimidating.
"How remarkably convenient," He said with obvious satisfaction. "I happen to be carrying a bottle of Veritaserum on my person at this very moment."
As he spoke these words, he took out a small sparkling vial from an inner pocket of his formal robes. The container glinted with silver light in the moonlight.
Adrian mentally offered applause for such thorough preparation.
Worthy of a legendary former Auror, always equipped for any investigative possibility that might arise.
Though admittedly, carrying Veritaserum casually on one's person during a formal social event did seem somewhat extreme and paranoid, even by Made-Eye Moody's professional standards.
Adrian had previously assumed that apart from himself, no other faculty member would engage in such obviously excessive precautionary measures.
Watching Moody approach him with the vial of truth serum held in threatening fashion, Karkaroff's panic escalated to completely new levels of desperation.
"No! You absolutely cannot do this to me!" He shrieked while turning his terrified gaze toward Dumbledore with desperate appeal. "Albus! This procedure is completely illegal under international magical law! You must stop him immediately!"
At that precise moment, Dumbledore appeared to develop sudden and deep interest in the moon visible in the night sky above them. He tilted his white-bearded head back at a pensive angle, gently stroking his long silvery beard as if engaged in deep astronomical observation, behaving exactly as though he hadn't heard Karkaroff's desperate cries at all.
Recognizing that Dumbledore had deliberately chosen not to intervene on his behalf, Karkaroff's expression transformed into something approaching complete despair.
He shifted his pleading gaze desperately toward Snape, seeking support from his former colleague and fellow Death Eater. However, Snape merely stood in stiff silence several feet away, his gloomy expression revealing absolutely nothing about his internal thoughts or whether he felt any feeling to help.
Karkaroff had completely exhausted his available options and potential allies.
Of course, he still had to make some attempt at escape, driven by the survival instinct that overrides rational thought in moments of extreme panic.
Karkaroff suddenly spun around and tried to rush away from the confrontation, his formal robes were tangling around his legs as he stumbled toward the garden's exit.
"You have no legal authority to conduct this interrogation! I'm leaving immediately!" He shouted with desperate audacity.
However, he managed only two frantic steps before a massive silvery-white figure swooped down from above like divine lightning.
Ray spread his enormous wings to their full span and landed with grace directly on the stone path ahead, completely blocking Karkaroff's escape route.
The magnificent Thunderbird raised his proud head, dangerous light flashing in his keen eyes as his neck feathers bristled with aggression. His imposing physical presence made it clear that the road ahead would not be permitted to walk under any circumstances.
"Get out of my way, you damned beast!" Karkaroff shrieked with complete hysteria, magical sparks shooting from the tip of his wand as he prepared to attack the creature blocking his freedom.
Adrian certainly had no intention of allowing this desperate fool to harm Ray.
"Expelliarmus!" He casted with swift precision.
Karkaroff's wand flew from his trembling hand with a sharp cry, tracing a graceful arc through the air before being expertly caught in Ray's sharp beak.
Deprived of both his main means of defense and his last hope of escape, Karkaroff's eyes lost all their remaining light and energy. His legs gave out completely and he collapsed to the cold cobblestones in now-ruined formal robes.
Moody walked forward grimly, grabbed the defeated man roughly by his collar with one hand, and forcibly tilted his head back before pouring the entire contents of the Veritaserum vial directly into his gasping mouth.
"Drink every drop!" His voice emerged hoarse and vicious, carrying the tone of someone who had conducted countless such brutal interrogations.
Observing this scene with detachment, Adrian felt the dosage was somewhat excessive by normal standards as typically just three or four drops of properly brewed Veritaserum would be sufficient for effective interrogation of average subjects.
The amount Moody had just fed would probably keep Karkaroff under the potion's absolute compulsion for several consecutive hours.
Karkaroff coughed violently as the silver liquid invaded his throat, excess truth serum ran down the corners of his mouth to stain his already-soaked collar. His eyes gradually became empty and unclear, and his facial muscles slackened.
At this critical moment, Dumbledore's thoughtful gaze finally shifted away from his astronomical observations and returned to focus on the subdued prisoner before them.
Moody released his grip on Karkaroff's collar and stepped back slightly to allow proper observation of the interrogation subject.
"Karkaroff, tell us the complete truth about your activities. What specific task did Voldemort assign to you?"
Under the irresistible compulsion of concentrated Veritaserum, Karkaroff spoke with mechanical precision, his voice sounding empty of all emotion or voluntary control.
"To continuously monitor the students and faculty of Durmstrang Institute for potential Death Eater recruitment, and to ensure through whatever means necessary that Harry Potter successfully entered the Triwizard Tournament as a competing champion."
Adrian felt no particular surprise at this revelation, he had suspected from quite early in the school year that Karkaroff had somehow tampered with the Goblet of Fire's protective enchantments to force Harry's participation in the tournament.
However, the confirmation that Voldemort had specifically targeted Durmstrang students for recruitment was information somewhat outside his initial expectations, though it made considerable strategic sense upon reflection.
After all, students educated in that school's atmosphere of dark magic tolerance would indeed represent ideal candidates for Death Eater propaganda and service.
Dumbledore's expression remained perfectly calm and neutral, his face revealing absolutely none of his internal thoughts or emotional reactions to these revelations.
"Then explain how Voldemort established contact with you," He continued the interrogation. "And more importantly, why did you choose to follow his instructions rather than reporting this new activity?"
Adrian narrowed his eyes and focused intense concentration on Karkaroff's slack facial features, recognizing that these particular questions represented the most strategically important information they could possibly extract.
Under continuing Veritaserum's compulsion, Karkaroff responded with the same mechanical honesty.
"Communication occurred directly through the Dark Mark branded into my flesh. The Master has always had deep hatred for those he considers traitors to his cause, but he graciously offered me one final opportunity for redemption.
If I could successfully complete the task he assigned, I would be forgiven for my past cooperation with Ministry authorities and allowed to resume my proper place in his service."
Moody spat contemptuously on the ground near Karkaroff's collapsed body, his expression conveying absolute disgust.
"Pathetic traitor," He muttered with venomous contempt.
"One final question," Dumbledore said with a slight nod. "What is Voldemort's current state and level of power?"
"The Master... he is now in... he... he..."
Karkaroff's previously slack face suddenly contorted with obvious agony, his facial features twisting into a mask of pain. Strange gurgling sounds began emerging from his restrained throat, as if some invisible obstruction had appeared to prevent speech.
Simultaneously, the Dark Mark branded into his exposed left arm began glowing with increasing vivid intensity, the twisted serpentine pattern pulsing with malicious magical energy that seemed almost alive.
Adrian immediately recognized what was occurring: Voldemort was somehow preventing Karkaroff from revealing critical information about his current condition, probably through some complex curse embedded within the Dark Mark itself.
The next second, Karkaroff's entire body began convulsing with violent intensity, his limbs began jerking irregularly against the cobblestones. His eyes rolled back completely in their sockets, exposing only the whites in a disturbing display.
White foam began spilling from the corner of his mouth, mixing with the residual Veritaserum in a grotesque combination.
Almost instantly after these violent symptoms manifested, his body went completely limp and utterly still.
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