Let them wonder

Chapter 13 - DADA

Hermione P.O.V

After Transfiguration ended me and Cedric left for DADA with our hands interlocked. Our friends catch up to us. Harry and Mace notice our hands and share a smirk to each other.

"What are you two smirking at?" Cedric asks noticing the two boys faces.

"Nothing..." Harry says causing Mace to snigger from beside Cedric. Me and Cedric look at the two of them confused.

"Are you two together or something?" Ron says intervening into the conversation.

"No why?" Cedric says.

"Just the fact that you were both late to McGonagall's lesson doing Merlin knows what and now you are both holding hands while walking to DADA like you're a couple." I feel my cheeks heat up as a blush finds its way to my cheeks. Cedric looks at me, noticing my blushed face he smiles.

We arrive at DADA and take our seats. It's our first lesson with Professor Moody. I sit in the row on the right next to Neville with Cedric and Mace in front of me. Harry and Ron on my left and Dean and Seamus behind me.

Everyone is in the middle of their own conversations when a middle aged man with a robot eye walks in. The class falls silent as they watch the new professor walk to the front. He looks around the room before speaking.

"Alastor Moody. Ex Auror. Ministry malcontent. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me. Goodbye. The end. Any questions?" No one says anything and I look around to see scared expressions on Ron's and some other students faces.

"When it comes to the dark arts...I believe in a practical approach but first who can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?" The man asks as he starts writing on the blackboard. No one says anything so I speak up.

"Three sir."

"And they are so named."

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

"Earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban. Correct. The ministry says you're too young to know what these curses do. I say different. 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 Mister Finnigan."

I turn around and Seamus lets it a deflated sigh. "Oh no way the old codger can see at the back of his head." I turn to see Professor Moody throw the piece of chalk and it lands in front of Neville. I gulp and look at the teacher kind of nervous.

"So what curse shall we see first?" There's a moment silence before he yells. "Weasley!"

"Yes." Ron says sounding scared.

"Stand." Ron does as he's told. "Give us a curse."

" Well my dad did tell me about one...the imperious curse." He says with a slight tremble in his voice.

"Oh yeah your father would know all about that." Ron hangs his head almost like he's embarrassed. "Gave the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why."

I feel a funny feeling rise in my stomach almost like fear. I push it down and continue paying attention to Professor Moody.

Professor Moody opens one of the jars at the front.

"Hello." He says in a sweet voice and picks up what looks like an amblypygid. He points his wan at the creature and says "Engorgio." The creature grows to the size of his hand. "Imperio." He points his wand to Dean and Seamus's table and then the amblypygid leaps in front of the two boys. Dean looks at the insect with a terrified expression. Everyone giggles and then the insect lands on Crabbe's face and crawls up to his head. He puts his hands on his head trying to shoo the creature away.

"Don't worry. Completely harmless." Without another though Professor Moody points his wand Padma and Pavarti's table and the creature lands right on Pavarti's arm. Her breathing starts to quicken as the insect crawls up her arm and on to her shoulder. Everyone continues laughing and Professor Moody points his wand in Ron's direction and the amblypygid is right above his head.

"If she bites...She's lethal." He laughs and the insect is on his head. Ron looks up in horror and I can hear Malfoy laughing his head off from the other side of the room. Professor Moody notices and looks in Malfoy's direction.

"What are you laughing at?" He points his wand at Malfoy and the next thing I knew was he was asking Goyle to get the amblypygid off of his face. Everyone laughs except me.

"Talented isn't she?" Professor Moody says. "What shall I have her do next...jump out the window?" He says and points his wand to the window and not even a second later the creature hits the window pane. Everyone falls silent and I feel my breath hitch. "Drown herself?" He says pointing his wand to the bucket below the window and the amblypygid is trying not to fall in. Professor Moody points his wand to his hand and within seconds he has a hold of the creature.

"Scores of wizards and witches have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding...under the influence of the imperious curse but here's the rub. How do we sort out the liars?" No one says anything. "Another...Another... up, up come on." I look around and see people putting their hands up before Professor Moody speaks again.

"Longbottom is it?" I turn to look next to me and see the boy nod nervously. "Up." He stands up hesitantly before looking up at the professor. "Professor Sprout tells me you have an attitude for herbology." Neville just nods. "T-t-there's um the cruciatus... curse." he says sounding scared. "Correct. Correct. Come, particularly nasty." Neville walks up to the amblypygid looking quite pale.

"The torture curse." Neville looks quite horrified whilst looking down at the creature. "Crucio." Professor Moody says and the creature on the desk starts making crying noises causing Neville to wince and look away. I can't watch it anymore and before I know it I yell.

"Stop it. Can't you see it's bothering him. Stop it." Professor Moody looks at me before stopping the curse. The amblypygid and Neville sigh in relief. I see Ron, Harry, Cedric and Mace look at me. I sigh and sit back in my chair.

Professor Moody picks up the creature and walks towards me. "Um." He clears his throat before setting the creature sown in front of me. I feel tears sting my eyes but I push them down.

"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse Miss Granger?" He says and I look up at him and shake my head. I don't speak because I know that the tears will escape. I look down at my book. "No?" There's a moment of silence before he says "Avada Kedavra." As soon as the spell hit the amblypygid I feel my blood run cold and my heart stops.

"The killing curse." I look over at the creature dead in front of me before looking away again. "Only one person is known to have survived it and he's sitting in this room." I hear Professor Moody walk towards Harry and he gets his flask and takes a drink from it before heading back to the front of the classroom.

The rest of the lesson passes in blur. As soon as the bell rings I'm the first person out.