𝙰𝚗 𝙰𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚃𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚝 ( 𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙿𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 )

Chapter 4.

The week went by fast, and I started to get a grip on my classes. They were going well. Harry and I walked with each other to every class because our schedule was, oddly, exactly the same. I've found out that even after this long week, Harry still hasn't quite opened up, he's quiet, and sometimes I feel as if he's limited with me. I've tried not to let it bother me, but I'm failing miserably. As I entered Defense Against the Dark Arts with Harry I saw Hermione had gotten there before us, her nose was in the book and she was already working on the upcoming chapter.

"Is it okay if I sit with you?" I asked Hermione, she glanced up and nodded. Harry sat at the desk behind us with Ron.

"Where have you been? It's Wednesday. Professor Moody is going to be very angry that you've decided to show up on a Wednesday." She questioned me, I pulled my book out and flipped to the page Hermione was on, then placed the note Professor Snape wrote for me in front of her. She read over it carefully. "Teachers pet." She snarked warmly at me.

"No. I have an excuse. I'm a little behind on potions because in America we weren't on this curriculum. So Professor Snape wrote me a note." I smiled and pulled the letter back, moments later Professor Moody walked in and folded his arms aggressively waiting for the class to settle down. I rose from my desk and approached him handing him the letter.

"What's this?" He said roughly, reading through the letter. He let a huff out and tossed it on the desk to his left. "Lucy Matthews, huh?" I nodded.

"Is your father, Mathias Matthews?" He asked curiously.

"Yes... how did you—" He held his hand up to stop me.

"Alastor Moody, Ex-auror, Ministry malcontent, and your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher." His glass eye moved around quickly observing me, I gave him an awkward smile and went back to my seat.

"Does he know your father?" Hermione whispered curiously while I pulled my ink and quill out.

"I don't know, he didn't confirm or deny."

"Everyone silence! Class has begun." Moody snapped and pulled out his wand folding his arms together behind his back, he looked at every student as he slowly walked around the front of the classroom.

"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach." The Professor stopped walking and leaned on the front of his desk.

"But first, which of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"

"Three, sir." Hermione spoke abruptly to him. He began writing on the board.

"And they are so named?" He wrote aggressively, the chalk began to squeak on the board from his fast paced movements.

"Because they are unforgivable. The use of any one of them will—"

"Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct." He finished his writing on the board and turned to us, "Now, the Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different!" He yelled at us, making some students leap back in their seat, Ron dropped his quill behind us. "You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared. You need to find a new place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnigan!" Moody shouted even louder at Seamus while turning back to his board to write, we all jolted our gaze towards Seamus.

"No way. The old codger can see out the back of his head." Seamus said in disbelief.

"And hear across classrooms!" Moody threw a chalk stick at Seamus causing all of us to duck. Moody marched towards the front desks.

"So which curse shall we see first?" Moody but his lip looking for his victim. "Weasley!"

"Yes?" He jumped at his loud words and looked up.

"Stand." Moody ordered. He sat up slowly in fear. "Give us a curse."

"Well... my dad did tell me about one. The Imperius Curse."

"Oh, yeah, your father would know all about that. Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why." Moody trotted over to a desk filled with glass jars and reached in the second smallest one, pulling out a trilling insect.

"Engorgio." He pointed his wand, the insect grew three times it's original size so the whole class could see it. "Imperio!" The insect wasn't moving on its own, wherever the wand pointed the insect went. Moody put the insect all over the students desk in front of us, then on Crabbe's head. He squinted in fear and the class started laughing.

"Don't worry! Completely harmless." Moody said as he tossed the big onto Ron's head.

"Oh, no." He whimpered, the bug wrestled around in hair shoulder length hair.

"If she bites... she's lethal!" Moody said with a humorous tone. I looked at Hermione.

"How is it completely harmless then?" I said in shock, she shook her head as she watched Ron almost cry. Malfoy who was laughing obnoxiously two tables over.

"What're you laughing at?" Moody said and aimed the bug into his head, he squealed and screwed his eyes shut.

"Get it off of me!" He yelled to Goyle who was sitting next to him.

"Talented isn't she?" Moody asked drawing the bug away from all the students and into the air. "What should I have her do next? Jump out the window?" He placed the bug near the window, "drown herself?" Then held her over a bucket of water, she trilled in horror and continued to throw herself everywhere. The students fell silent. Moody pulled her away and put her back into his hand.

"Scores or witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperius Curse. But here's the rub: How do we sort out the liars? Give me another curse." Everyone raised their hands.

"Longbottom, is it?" He pointed to Neville who was at the table exactly in front of us. Neville stood with hesitation.

"Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for herbology." Neville nodded in agreement.

"Th-there's the um... The Cruciatus Curse."

"Correct! Correct. Come, come." Moody said excitedly. "Particularly nasty. The torture curse." He pointed his wand at the bug again, while Neville stood on the opposite side watching it. "Crucio!" She began squealing in pain and Neville closed his eyes in fright of the spell. Moody didn't stop and kept the curse dragging on for too long.

"Stop it! Can't you see it's bothering him? Stop it!" Hermione yelled in anger, Mad Eye ignored her and kept hurting the bug, and Neville's sanity. I watched a tear fall from Neville's face. So I rose from my seat.

"Stop! Now!" I yelled determined to stop him, Moody looked at me with resent. Then placed the bug on my book.

"Perhaps you could give us the last curse, Ms. Matthews." He stared deeply into my eyes.

"No. No, I can't." I didn't break gaze with the Professor, he sighed and pointed his wand at the bug on my Defense Against the Dark Arts book.

"Avada Kedavra!" Green light shot out from his wand and onto the insect, she shrieked and flipped over, I watched her legs twitch and her make her last noise. I bit my lip and closed my eyes. "The killing Curse. Only one person has been known to survive it, and he's sitting in this room." Everyone looked at Harry, but I held my gaze with Moody.

"I know you know the curses." Moody stated.

"Why do you assume that?"

"Because of who your mother is, Ms. Mathews." He turned away and went back to his desk. I sat back in shock, all eyes returning to me. I gathered my belongings and stormed out of the room, while Harry followed.