Chunks

...they heard Mrs. Weasley shriek, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THAT'S THE GENERAL IDEA?" - OotP, Ch 23, pg 507

Alastor now saw why everyone had left the room; Molly was vicious. He barely thought that and when he saw Potter, Ganger and the Weasleys sneak out of the ward. Now, even he had no wish to stay near her. He followed Remus's example and stayed in the ward but avoided Molly to talk to one of the other patients. The only patients in the ward were Arthur, the werewolf and a woman with a chunk missing from her leg. Since he was smart enough to no get involved with two werewolves, who already seemed to be arguing, he walked away to the woman with the chunk missing from her leg, keeping his magical eye on Molly.

The woman had been watching the two argue and seemed to be surprised that Alastor was walking toward her. She was even more shocked when his magical eye swirled toward her. She was stammering, "Wh-wh-what d-do you w-want?"

Alastor laughed in his rough way and the woman might have fainted. "What do I want? I don't want anything; I just rather not to be in her line of fire." He jerked a thumb at his back pointing at Molly, and as if on command, Molly's voice rose yet again.

The woman seemed to have regained her voice. "Alright...any specific reason you didn't just leave?"

"And leave her alone to unleash her wrath on that poor guy? No, I'd better stay and make sure she doesn't go too crazy."

The woman watched Molly screaming for a bit and seemed to understand what Alastor had meant. "I see...." She held out a hand, "I'm Agatha Smythe."

Alastor surveyed her outstretched hand critically and limply took it. "Alastor Moody."

With wide eyes, Agatha jerked her hand away. "You're Mad-Eye Moody!"

Alastor visibly sighed and his magical eye was very literally rolling. "That is how I'm known." He glared at her, much in imitation to Severus.

Agatha gasped. "Not that I have nothing against that," she said hurriedly.

"Good," Alastor said shortly. He seemed harsh but to himself, he was really smiling. His eye landed on her injured leg. "How did that happen?"

She seemed prepared to give a comeback but smartly bit her tongue and answered, in a hurt voice, "What difference does it make to you?"

"Well, it depends, if you tell me what did that to you, I just might be able to help you." In truth Alastor had no way in helping her but he was curious as to what had happened to her.

"That's what everyone says but really they have no way of helping me."

Alastor's curiosity seemed to overcome him, first time in a while that had happened. "Fine, I'll tell you how I lost my part of my nose. I tracked down Evan Rosier who had been suspected of being a Death Eater. I was going to take him in but he refused and we fought. I got him with the killing curse but he still managed to rip of part of my nose with his unnaturally sharp nails. Happy? Now you know I lost part of my nose."

Agatha seemed quite flustered at his outburst. "You know how you bring up Death Eaters is very suspicious seeing as how now You-Know-Who is back."

This time it was Alastor who got a surprise. He would have to talk to Dumbledore about this. Alastor put his Auror attitude on. "Death Eaters are everywhere. So how did you injure your leg?"

Agatha sighed. "One of my Hippogriffs got a little crazy and he seemed to think that tearing my leg apart was necessary."

That was not what Alastor had expected and he was reminded of Hagrid and Sirius with their Hippogriffs. He knew that he would be able to help her like he had previously told her. "Well, aren't you glad that you told me?" She seemed skeptical. "I can help you."

Agatha had not expected him to be able to help her and said, "You can? How?"

"Yes, I can I'd just have to talk to a friend." Sirius would surely give him an antidote. "I could send it to you and what to do with it."

"Would you?" Alastor nodded. "You wouldn't believe how much it means to me."

Alastor paused, listened and looked back at Molly with his magical eye. "They stopped arguing. I'd better go back. I'll keep in touch with you."

"Sure, I'd like that." Agatha smiled at him.

Alastor smiled halfheartedly back at her and headed toward Molly. The Order had a potential recruit and Sirius's pet would prove useful. Alastor was very flustered, more than he had ever been but all was right in the world.