THE FURIES ▸ Draco Malfoy

Chapter Seven: APATE

◤ ❝Fear is, after all, the most present emotion felt within the human heart. The only combatant capable of destroying it is hope...but so many have lost hope and suffered their fears because of it.❞ ― Albus Dumbledore◢

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CHAPTER SEVEN: APATE

October 2, 1996

       "Today, we will be learning about the Unforgivable Curses."

Andromeda glanced up from her quill, having been picking away the dry ink that was on the tip of it and placing it on Theo's parchment when she heard what came out of Professor Snape's mouth. A cold chill ran down her spine at the mention of the Unforgivable Curses. Only a month ago she would be jumping with excitement over the idea of learning more about the Dark Arts. Instead, her stomach just bubbled with dim interest. At least they were moving onto something that didn't involve nonverbal spells. They'd been working on perfecting them since the start of the semester, and Mia was about to lose her mind if she had to listen to Snape talk anymore about things she already learned. True, she knew about the Unforgivable Curses, but she also knew there was still a lot she could learn about them. No longer for her own enjoyment, but for her safety. As much as she hated to admit it, Snape was the perfect person for that. 

"You have been introduced to these curses before in your curriculum for this class, I believe...although the methods of how you were taught had less to do with theory and more to do with practicality. However, the Unforgivable curses are more than just practicality. They are varied in their technique and held to a great sentence because of their capabilities. Now, who can inform the rest of the class on the three curses, and what those curses do?"

Mia hesitated, something unlike her as her breath got caught in her throat. She wasn't particularly keen on answering that question. She noticed that there were a few hands raised, some Gryffindor and some Ravenclaw, but many of those in the room stayed still. All of them knew what the curses were by now. They had seen enough evidence in the Daily Prophet and Quibbler about the war to distinguish them and what they did to their victims. It was just another unfortunate reality on how much things had changed since their fourth year when Barty Crouch Jr. first exposed them to the curses.

"There is the Cruciatus Curse, sir," Parvati Patil said, speaking out when Snape called on her. "It causes terrible pain to its victim." 

She flinched instinctively, her skin crawling at the memory. It was more than just terrible pain. It was poison seeping into one's bloodstream and splinters cracking in their skull; it was never-ending, insufferable and blistering inside of their bones until they pass out from the pain. As Patil spoke, she felt eyes on the side of her face and barely glanced over to see Draco staring already. Nothing was said between them, but they knew that the other was recalling their time back in the dining hall of the Malfoy manor. Their ears ringing with each other's screams. The Cruciatus curse was treacherous enough on its own, but when Bellatrix Lestrange was behind it, the pain was unbearable.

They were not the only two to know the effects of the Cruciatus curse from a Lestrange, either. Neville Longbottom shifted uncomfortably in his seat from the front of the classroom. Mia would have pitied the boy if she could. It seemed like it would be worse to lose a parent to their own mind than to death. Andromeda knew her father was no longer suffering. Longbottom had to wake up every day never knowing the terrors that haunted his family. Wavered, Mia blinked and tried not to imagine how many more ended up like Longbottom's parents. How many crimes she was linked to because of the mark scarred into her skin.