The Kind Hufflepuff

Chapter 36: Unforgivable Curses

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The Kind Hufflepuff - Year Two

Chapter Thirty- Six: Unforgivable Curses

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A month had passed of these pureblood classes and Cali began to dread more and more, the classes transitioning from etiquette to history. Many of the classes in the last month focused on families of the purest blood and the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Cali had never wanted to hear about these families as much as she had been and was affronted with the realization that her own family did not even make the list despite their adamancy about being of the purest blood. She had wondered what had prevented her family from making the list, wondered if there was filthy drama surrounding it and wondering if there was even a way to truly track how pure your blood even was or if it was all circumstantial.

"I hate this class," Cali whined to Greta, her head on the girl's lap.

"Then don't go," Greta shrugged.

"You think I'll be alive if I just bail?" Cali asked her.

"No," Greta laughed. "You'd be dead."

"It's time," Daisy interrupted the group, popping her head into the room.

"Thanks Daisy!" Cali smiled brightly, ducking out of the room to begin her walk to the Slytherin Common Room.

"It could be worse, it could be worse," Cali mumbled to herself repeatedly through the short walk, thankful that the Slytherin Common Room was so close, otherwise she was sure she would have chickened out of going to these stupid classes as she received baffled looks from Slytherins who knew there was nothing so close to their dorms for this small Hufflepuff to be going to, though some of them seemed like they were used to her attendance as this had been a repetitive thing for quite some weeks now.

Regulus met at the entrance, bringing her into a tight hug like normal. "I'm fairly sure the only reason I come to these classes now is for your hugs," Cali joked quietly, wrapping the boy into a tighter hug before she buried her face into his chest, breathing in the scent of eucalyptus and sandalwood that she had grown to love.

"He said today would be a more interesting lesson," he warned into her ear, watching as a Slytherin walked out of the entrance into the hallway before he pulled her from the hug.

"That's not good," Cali mumbled in response, allowing Regulus to grab her hand as he guided her into the common room. The chill hitting her skin like an attack, goosebumps developing as she continued to walk to the back of the Common Room. She was surprised to see the smile on Lucius Malfoy's face as they approached him, not even reacting to their intertwined hands like he typically did. His smile was wide and sinister, his eyes glinting in a way that terrified her. She wondered what she had just signed up for as she hesitantly took a seat beside Regulus, who she noticed was almost frozen as he watched Lucius' expression.

"Hello," Lucius greeted after a few moments, his smile never dropping.

"Hi," Cali replied, timidly.

"Hello," Regulus greeted as well, his voice cooler than Cali's had been.

"Don't worry, we're moving on from the history today," Lucius told them, almost warmly. "We're instead going to discuss unforgivable curses. At least, that's how they're commonly referred to. They were made illegal by the Ministry in the early 1700's. The ministry believed they were too cruel to be allowed to exist," the blood in Cali's body ran cold as she realized what the lesson was today. She ripped her hand away from Regulus finally, much to the delight of Lucius who watched the interaction as Cali's entire body straightened, her eyes running around the room as she tried to understand what was happening. Regulus' eyes had widened, his gaze never leaving Lucius and he wanted to grab Cali's hand once more. Wanted the reassurance that she was fine, but he knew that he couldn't, that would be a sign of weakness, and this was not the time to do that.

"Calista," Lucius hummed. "Do you know what the three unforgivable curses are?"

Cali's eyes ran back to Lucius, her mind going wild as she refrained from answering though she did know the answer. "No?" Lucius asked, false surprise running through his voice as he began tapping his fingers on his knee, creating a tapping sound that added to eeriness of the interaction. "The three unforgivable curses are Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Killing Curse," he informed them, Cali was disgusted to see the delight in his eyes as he informed them of the evil curses.

"They're actually quite delightful little spells," Lucius smiled. "I was taught to use them this past summer," his eyes trained on Regulus who seemed to understand the implication of the statement more than Cali did. "The muggles I practiced on..." He trailed off, reminiscing.

Cali stood up abruptly, without even thinking about her actions. Lucius' smile dropped as his eyes narrowed at the girl, challenging her for what she would do next. Regulus sat frozen, not wanting the girl to say or do anything but unable to convince himself to move, his mind reeling from the information that had been revealed. "You've used the curses?" Cali asked, tears springing to her eyes. "On muggles?"

"Well, of course I did. I had to practice the curse on somebody, didn't I?"

"Why would you use the curse at all?" Cali asked, a single tear spilling from the corner of her eye that she desperately wiped away as quickly as possible. Regulus watched as Lucius stood, towering over the Hufflepuff as Lucius laughed, hollow and empty but a laugh nonetheless.

"Because they're muggles. Muggles shouldn't exist. They are dirty, bottom of the food chain. Nonmagical people, even creatures like Filch should be long gone. Those that breed mudbloods and squibs should be killed as well. Only the purest will survive," Lucius hissed into the girl's ear, barely loud enough for Regulus to even hear but he could see her fists begin to clench, trying to hold back her frustration and anger.

"They are nothings, they are nobodys," Lucius continued. "It's time you learn that," he growled into the girl's ear before she took a deliberate step back, her fists unclenching as her jaw clenched instead. Her eyes narrowed as she scoffed at the Slytherin.

"They are human beings, they didn't deserve to have those disgusting spells used on them," Cali growled at the man. "How would you feel if somebody used the spell on you? Which is possible for the record, I know plenty of Purebloods that use that disgusting curse on their very own blood," Cali continued, her eyes dark. Regulus realized what she was referring to and stood up, grabbing the girl's elbow to prevent the girl from the continuing.

"Cali," Regulus whispered into her ear, desperate to calm her down.

"Let her go," Lucius growled to Regulus. "She is filthy blood," he declared. Regulus immediately dropped her elbow, stiffening as he wondered what was about to happen. "You are never to be around this bloodtraitor again," Lucius ordered Regulus before he grabbed Cali's arm and forcefully dragged her out of the Slytherin Common Room.

The word blood traitor echoed in Cali's mind as she wondered what was about to happen, knowing it wouldn't be long before the declaration reached her father's ears. Blood traitor, blood traitor, blood traitor.