Luna Mia || Theodore Nott

Chapter: 22

After the weekend, we had our first DADA class. We shared this class with the Slytherins this year. With a massive thud, Moody dropped a textbook onto Neville's desk, the same textbook on everybody's desk; The Dark Filorces: A Guide to Self-Preotection.
"I see you all slogged down to Flourish & Blotts like good little boys and girls and bought the textbook.  Congratulations... it'll make a fine doorstop. I'm Alastor Moody, ex-Auror, Ministry malcontent and your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?"

"Well that was an introduction" I heard Blaise whisper from behind to which Nott tried to hide his snicker. Me and Katie sat together on the table, the two slytherins "coincidentally" sitting on the table behind us. Elle was sitting on the far end of the classroom, right were Malfoy and Adtoria were sitting, and next to that slytherin she was dancing with at the party. It was so obvious that both of them were trying to piss eachother off, as they still hadn't talked since the fight.
"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. You may wonder what I mean by that. I'll show you. But first which of you can tell me..."
Moody takes a sour tug on his flask, snatches up a specimen jar and watches a spider scuttle within.
"... how many unforgivable curses there are?"
We all trade uneasy glances.
"What?" Katie whispers to me, and I just shoot her a concerned glance. Finally, Hermione's hand rises tentatively.
"I might've known. Go on, Granger."
"There are three sir-  how did you know.."
"Your name? I know a bit more than that. You're on top of you class correct?"
"Yes, sir.."
"Naturally inquisitive?"
"Yes..."
"Socially inept?"
"Well..."
"And... Muggle brorn." Moody's eye then rakes us all.
"I'm not about to walk into a room full of strangers without doing background. Constant vigilance!"

He jabs his staff into the floor, right in front Harry, which makes the whole class jump startled.
"The devil likes disguises. Never forget that." He now addresses Harry.
"Well that's not creepy at all" I heard Nott whisper from behind.
"Again Granger. How many Curses?"
"Three"
"And they're so named...?"
"Because they're unforgivable. The use of any one of them-"
"Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct. Now, the Ministry says you're too young to see 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 gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr. Nott"
Nott blinks, caught in the act.
"Blimey. The old codger can see out of the back of his head.." he whispers
".. and hear across classrooms. So which shall we see first? Weasley!" I had a really bad feeling about what was going to happen next, the pit in my stomache growing.
"Y-yes?" Ron stuttered.
"Give me a curse."

I watch uneasily as Moody returns to the specimen jar, reaches inside and lets the spider run up his hand.
"Well.. my Dad once told me about one.. The imperius curse."
"I expect your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a fair bit of grief some years ago. Perhaps this will show you why: Imperio!"
As Moody waved his wand, the spider leapt from his palm onto Parvati's shoulder. As she shrieaks, Moody flicks his wand and the spider bounds from Seamus to Dean to Lavender, on and on, the students howling in amusement as it finally lands on a horrified Ron. Moody grins, them summons the spider back to his palm, where he slowly circles his wand over it.
"Talented, isn't she? What should I have her do next? Jump out a window? Drown herself?"
One by one, the students' smiles dry up, understanding that this was not a game, this man was out of his mind.
"Scores of witches and wizards claimed they only did You-know-who's bidding while under the imperius curse. Here's the rub: how do you sort out the liars?" He let's his words sink in. "Another!" He scans the forest of hands, when his eye rotates with particular interest on... Me.
"Black, why don't you tell us another one" I froze, my heart sinking in my chest. He knows. No one knew about my real father's identity other than Katie and Elle, the boys , and the golden trio. I felt as if someone dumped me in freezing water.
"Ah, my bad, Miss Lupin" He kept his eye focused on me, making it very clear that this was not in fact a mistake. I felt Nott's leg nudge mine under the table. I took a deep breath to compose myself before answering.
"There's the Cruciatus Curse."
"Yes. Particularly nasty."
Moody steps forward, looming over me and drops the spider onto my desk. My heart hammers in my chest, knowing what's coming.
"Crucio!"
The spider twitches, legs trembling violently. Moody stands utterly motionless, eyes fixed on me, while my eyes were transfixed by the spider's misery. My hands clenched the corners of my desk so hard that my knuckles turned white.
"Stop it." Nott says in a threatening tone.
Finally, Moody drops his wand. The room is silent, and I can hear my heart beating in my ears.

"Perhaps you could give us the last Unforgivable Curse, Mr. Nott"
Nott glances at me, shaking his head.
"Avada Kedavra!"
There is a flash of green light, a rush of air, and the spider rolls onto it's back. Dead.
"The killing curse. There is no blocking it. Only one person is known to have survived it. And he's sitting in this room."
As the others turn their eyes to Harry, I stare at the dead spider on my desk, trying to catch my breath as Katie clutches my hand in a comforting manner, and Elle sends me worried glances from over the room.

The events of the class left me shaken the whole week. After class that day, Nott asked me if I was okay, and I insisted I was fine, although I was still shaken but wouldn't admit it. I tried to distract myself from thinking about it by studying. So as I entered the library to do some homeworks, I saw Harry, sitting alone on a table, seemingly lost in thought. I decided to sit with him and ask him about the tournament.
"Earth to Harry, do you copy?" I said as I sat next to him. He snapped out of his thoughts as he finally noticed my presence.
"Hey Sara, sorry I was thinking."
"Figured so"
"How are you after, you know.."
"I'm good, a little shaken but I'll survive." He nodded.
"How did he know though?" I knew what harry meant; how did Moody know that I was a Black.
"I honestly have no idea, let's just blame it on him being really creepy. Now enough talking about me, tell me how are things going with you and this tournament." A flash of sadness crossed his face.
"Everyone thinks I put my name on purpose, even Ron, can you believe that?"
"What?" I was genuinely shocked that Ron  could believe such a thing about his best friend. "Blimey I didn't for one second think you would do such a dumb thing"
"Yeah well apparently everybody else does. And they're giving me hell for it, as if I don't already have enough on my plate having to figure out how to survive this thing. Can you believe that the first task is retrieving an egg from a freaking dragon! And people think I willingly want to challenge a mother dragon." I could tell that Harry was stressed l, the tournament combined with losing the trust of his best friend taking a toll on him.

"Hey come here" I pulled him into a tight hug, which he returned back. As we pulled apart, I took his shoulder and squeezed it in a reassuring manner.
"I know that you will get through this. Ron will come back to his senses eventually, as will the others. And you will survive, like you always end up doing do you hear me? I believe in you Harry Potter."
He cast me a grateful smile. "Thank you Sara, really"
"Don't mention it. Now go show them what you got."