Annabeth Chase the Triwizard Champion

Chapter Nine

Hermione watched the jar of spiders with a mixture of excitement and nerves. She knew the three unforgivable curses, but she didn't know how she felt about seeing them in action.

Next to her, Ron recoiled in his seat. Hermione turned her head to look at him, and something else caught her eye.

Sitting to the side, Annabeth had her hand in a fist. Her jaw was clenched, but she held her head high. Hermione only understood what she was doing after a second. Annabeth was trying to hide her fear.

Hermoine didn't know what to think of that. Of all people, Annabeth was the last person Hermioine would expect to be scared of spiders.

She tilted her head slightly, then turned her attention back to the front of the room.

***

Annabeth hated spiders. She really hated spiders.

Technically, she wouldn't kill Arachne for another fourteen years, but did the spiders know that? What had Hecate said? That time was linear? Could the spiders somehow sense that she had killed their mother, no matter when it was going to happen?

Moody opened the jar and reached inside, scooping up a spider like it was nothing. He held it in his palm for a second, then pointed his wand at it.

"Imerio," he said.

The spider stood up straight. Annabeth suppressed a shudder as it leapt off Moody's hand on a thread of spider silk, doing a sort of trapeze routine. Then it extended its creepy little legs and did a backflip, landing on the desk and launching into a pinwheel of cartwheels.

It stood up on two legs, the other ones splayed out like demons, and launched into what looked like a tap dance.

The entire class was laughing, but not Annabeth. She was horrified. Was this what wizards could do to each other?

"Think it's funny, do you?" Moody, who wasn't laughing either, growled. "You would like it, would you, if i did this to you?"

The laughter died like someone had hit the off switch.

"Total control," Moody continued as the spider curled into a ball and rolled around. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats..."

Annabeth realized she was gripping the hilt of her dagger under her robes. She didn't let go.

"Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the imperius curse. Some job for the ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will. The imperius curse can be fought, and i'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better to avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE"

Everyone jumped, but Annabeth only tightened her grip on her dager.

Moody picked up the spider and threw it into the jar. Unfortunately, it was still alive.

"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"

Only two hands rose in the air.

"Yes?" Moody said, pointing to a pudgy boy on the side.

"There's one— the Cruciatus Curse," the boy said quietly.

Annabeth sat straighter. Cruciatus. Torture. As much as Annabeth wanted to see a spider suffer, this seemed intense. Of course there would be a torture spell. Why not?

Moody reached into the jar again and scooped up another spider. He plopped it down on the desk, and it stayed still. Stupid spider.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Moody saud, "needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea." he pointed his wand at the spider and said, "engorgio!"