my best friends brother - fred weasley

xiii. unforgivable

Our first Defense Against the Dark Arts class for the year was completely different to last years. Professor Lupin resigned from his role, once the secret got out that he was a werewolf. This years teacher was Alastor Moody, a famous Auror, know for being a bit out of the box. Many of the students referred to him as mad-eye Moody due to his magical eye. I finally had my class with the trio this year, as I sat down next to Hermione in class, he didn't waste any time beginning the lesson. 

"When it comes to the dark arts, I prefer a practical approach. Which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are? And how they received the name."

"Three sir, they are deemed unforgivable because using any one of them will-" Hermione speaks up for the class.

"Will earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban." Moody finishes for her. "The ministry says you're too young to know what these curses are, I say that you need to know what you're up against. You need to be prepared. You need to find another place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr Finnigan." He shouts.

"No way, he can see out the back of his head." Seamus mumbles back, earning him a piece of chalk thrown straight into his face. 

"And hear across classrooms!" Moody responds, adjusting his jacket. "So, which of the curses should we see first? His eyes lock on Ron, next to Harry. "Weasley. Give us a curse."

"Well," Ron gulps. "My dad did tell me about one, the Imperius curse." Moody looks straight into his eyes.

"Your father would know all about that, wouldn't he?" He says quietly before continuing. Hermione looks at me and I give her a confused look back, shrugging my shoulders. 

"Caused the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps I'll show you why." He walks over to his desk, reaching into a jar and pulling out a Whip Spider. "Imperio." He aims his wand at it, and starts controlling it. he sends it over to students desks, on their heads and in their faces. Ron lets out a whimper as it gets closer to him. 

"What should I have her do next? Jump out the window?" He laughs, before his expression goes cold. "Drown herself?" He drops her just above a bucket of water, before moving her back into his hand. "Scores of witches and wizards claim that the only did You-Know-Who's bidding, under the influence of the Imperius curse." He looks straight at me again, making me shift in my seat uncomfortably. "But how do we sort out the liars? Another curse?" He looks at Neville, whos sitting in front of him.

"The Cruciatus curse." Neville mumbles.

"Yes! Excellent, come come!" Moody jumps. "Particularly nasty, the torture curse." Neville stands next to him, as he points his wand at the spider and shouts, "Crucio!" The spider lets out a high pitched squeal, crumbling under the curse. Neville looks more and more uncomfortable and upset as Moody continues to torture the Spider.

"Stop it! Can't you see its bothering him? Stop it!" Hermione shouts at the professor to break his focus on the spider, he stops and apologises to Neville, sending him back to his seat. Mood brings over the spider to our table, placing it between our books. 

"Perhaps you can give us the last Unforgivable curse, Miss Granger?" She shakes her head without a word. "No? Avada Kedavra." A green light shoots from his wand, killing the spider instantly, it curls up on our desk as he walks back to the front of the room. 

"The killing curse, only one person is known to have survived it. And he's sitting in this room." He stares at Harry and everyone turns their heads. 

"Brilliant isn't he?" Ron says in awe, as we walk down the stairs of the building. "Completely demented and terrifying, but brilliant."

"There's a reason why those curses are unforgivable." Hermione snaps, clear that the lesson upset her. "And to perform them in the classroom. I mean, did you see Neville's face?"