Slytherin Army [HP]

23. Death to All Arachnids

The entire class of Slytherins jumped as Mad-Eye Moody slammed his fist into his desk. Defence Against the Dark Arts had never been this intense.

Drew expected great things after Moody had Transfigured Draco into a ferret and bounced him around, causing him to sulk around for hours, and she was not disappointed.

The professor's scarred face twisted as he glared straight at Torch, "Are you paying attention, boy?"

Duncan dropped his comb with a clatter, face nearly as white as his bleached hair. He'd apparently thought he'd been safely out of view behind Goyle's large figure. "Y-yes, sir."

They all heard the clunk of Moody's clawed wooden leg as he paced the front of the room, "So...do any of you know about the Unforgivable Curses?"

There were a few murmurs of assent, and most people nodded.

"Of course you do," Moody grinned, and his face only contorted further. "Who would like to name them?"

The Slytherins were quiet. Drew, of course, found out about them in third year when she was talking about Sirius Black with Cyndee. She didn't really want to say them, though.

Isabell had her hand raised. When Moody called on her, she shot a worried glance at an unnaturally uncomfortable Eliza and answered, "Imperius Curse, Cruciatus Curse...Killing Curse."

"Ah yes," Moody's eyes had an odd glint in them. "Very good." He trudged to the back of his desk and opened a drawer. He took out a container with what resembled three dead spiders. He put it back and pulled out another jar, this time with live ones.

Moody caught one and held it out for them to see. "Imperio."

The class watched in stunned silence as he made the spider roll over, then swing on a web from his fingers like a pendulum. It dropped onto the desk and tapdanced.

It was funny for a few seconds until Drew saw how completely not in control the arachnid was.

Someone at the back giggled, and another person elbowed her into silence.

"Total control," said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself jump up and down. "I could make it rip its own legs off, throw itself into a fireplace...Cast it on a fellow human and you could make them do anything...anything you want..."

Mercifully, the professor released the curse and tossed the spider back into the jar. His fake eye whizzed about, focusing on every one of them as he spoke. "The Curse can be fought, and I'll teach you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone jumped again.

"Now..." Moody said, "the next one. The Cruciatus Curse. What does it do?"

This time Isabell did not volunteer the information, so Malfoy said, "Pain. It makes the victim experience excruciating agony."

"Yes, correct. It may sound quite fun...but it's really not."

Moody brought out the second spider and cast the Enlargement Spell on it, but before he could cast the curse Eliza shrieked, "Stop!"

The class froze, staring at her.

Eliza only turned up her nose, "I just don't see why this is necessary, that's all. Can't we go straight to learning the defence?"