HP: Wormwood and Lightning Wood

When West returned to the cellar, Snape was standing in the storeroom, meticulously counting the potion ingredients on the shelves.

The potions professor held a shriveled piece of African tree snake skin in his hand, the distinctive fishy smell of the snake skin lingering in his nostrils.

"What's wrong?" West put down the tray of food he was holding and asked, puzzled.

"Some materials are missing," Snape said coldly as he finished the inventory. "Basilisk skin, lacewings. Damn it. If I find out who it was... I'll make them pay."

"Basilisk skin and lacewings?" West's brow relaxed, and he chuckled. "Even the best-laid plans can have flaws."

"Hmm?" Snape asked, puzzled. "Do you know who it is?"

"That needs verification," Westra said, pulling Snape's hand and a smirk playing on his lips. "Soon, we'll know the answer."

Snape scoffed, "Playing coy."

Wester led Snape into Moody's office and cast a Disillusionment Charm on them.

Fortunately, Moody was taken to the principal's office by Professor McGonagall and hasn't returned yet.

"What does this mean?" Snape followed West into the office, surveying the layout with a mocking expression.

Moody's office was dimly lit, with a walnut desk piled high with documents, quills lying haphazardly on parchment, and a corner of the "International Auror Tactical Code" peeking out from underneath.

A tall bookshelf against the wall was filled with books on magic and law, as well as documents on defense against dark magic. A dark magic detector rotated silently on the bookshelf.

Everything was normal.

West took out his wand. "At noon today, Moody had some trouble with Harry and the others in the Great Hall. I smelled Basilisk skin on him, Severus."

He looked thoughtful. "He cast a scent-concealing spell on himself, but unfortunately, it didn't work much for me. Now that I think about it, he probably wanted to cover up the smell of the compound decoction."

A look of worry crossed Snape's face. "You mean, Moody stole my ingredients to concoct a compound potion?"

Snape quickly narrowed his eyes and dismissed his earlier guess, "He's not Moody."

West cast a spell to stop the movement. An old box suddenly appeared in the corner.

West used magic to break the lock on top, opened the box, and found a locked compartment inside.

West, Snape: ...

After West unlocked the seventh lock, a space about ten inches deep appeared, which had been enchanted with a seamless stretching spell.

A familiar person sat quietly inside, looking dazed and pale.

Snape frowned in disbelief. "This is... Alastor Moody."

"He's been cursed with an Imperius Curse," West concluded quickly, observing Moody's dazed expression.

The next second, West closed the box without hesitation, intending to restore everything.

"What are you doing?" Snape grabbed his hand and hissed.

"Restore it? What if the fake Moody finds out?" West blinked. "Let's not alert him."

Snape's expression was complicated. He glanced at Moody again. "Is there any other way?"

"Of course, if you wish to save him, Severus." West waved his wand, and Moody was lifted up by a silent levitation spell.

Suddenly, a familiar sound of footsteps rang out, accompanied by the thud of a wooden prosthetic leg hitting the floor.

The fake Moody's is back.

West and Snape exchanged a glance.

With a soft thud as the door opened, two spells slammed directly into the fake Moody's face.

Before the fake Moody could utter a single word, he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut and fell unconscious.

Snape went over to examine the fake Moody, and casually cast a few more Stunning Curses.

West asked considerately, "Should I inform Dumbledore?" As he spoke, he released the Patronus.

Staring at the enormous basilisk, Snape remained silent; he didn't know how many students would be alarmed if this thing were released.

The black snake noticed Snape's gaze and excitedly swam to Snape's feet, circling his calves and hissing.

"No need, I'll do it." Snape sighed, waved his wand, and a silver-white doe leaped from the tip of his wand and ran towards Dumbledore's office.

Snape was about to check on Moody's condition when West stopped him with a single sentence.

"This guardian deity... looks familiar, Severus," West said softly.

Snape froze, looked up, and found West staring at him with a faint smile on his lips.

He had completely forgotten that this kid had met Lily's guardian angel.

The giant snake at Snape's feet keenly sensed its master's emotions. Suddenly, it raised its head and hissed, tightening its grip on Snape's calves and straightening up, almost completely enveloping Snape in its shadow.

West casually took Snape's stiff hand and squeezed it.

Snape pursed his lips, his heart tightening.

"Even though I already knew, I'm still a little jealous. What should I do?" West chuckled softly, his eyes narrowed.

Snape was puzzled by the first part of West's statement. West had never seen his Patronus, so how did he know?

But Snape soon had no time to ponder those words; the eerie light emanating from West's eyes sent chills down his spine.

Danger! Run! Otherwise you'll be eaten in the next second.

West leaned closer, their noses almost touching, their red and black hair intertwined. "Severus, is it too much for me to charge a little interest?"

He gripped Snape's waist and pulled him close.

Snape suppressed the strong urge to push the person away, his eyes slightly closed, his dark eyelashes trembling incessantly, revealing his extremely nervous state.

"Severus..." A dark glint flashed in West's eyes as he lowered his head...

"Cough cough cough..." A series of coughs rang out.

Snape immediately snapped out of his daze and shoved West away.

West: ...

The black snake vanished into thin air, and Snape regained his freedom of movement.

"Tsk." West looked up expressionlessly, his gaze cold, toward the corner where the sound had come from.

Because the fake Moody lost consciousness, the Imperius Curse on the real Moody began to wear off. Moody was gradually regaining consciousness.

"Let go!" Snape whispered, giving West a hard squeeze on his waist.

West snorted coldly, barely resisting the urge to cast a sleeping spell on Moody, and reluctantly released Snape.

Snape took out a bottle of potion and poured it down Moody's throat. Moody's breathing gradually calmed down, and his weakness caused him to fall into a coma again.

As luck would have it, Dumbledore also arrived at the scene, and Fawkes perched on his shoulder, chirping softly.

"What is this?" Dumbledore stared at the two Moodys on the ground and fell silent.

The compound decoction's time limit had expired, and the fake Moody's face changed. The pain gradually disappeared, his skin became smooth, and his mutilated nose and legs grew back.

The magical fake eye jumped out of its socket, and a real eye took its place.

The fake Moody transformed into a middle-aged man with pale skin and messy, light-yellow hair.

Snape stood frozen in place. "Crouch."

"Barty Crouch Jr." Dumbledore added, frowning.