tradition

04

As the bell rang to signal the start of class, the students filed into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. The room, with its dark, foreboding atmosphere, seemed to reflect the stern demeanor of the new professor standing at the front. Alastor Moody, known for his grizzled appearance and magical eye, surveyed the students with a frown etched deeply upon his face.

"Alastor Moody. Ex-Auror... Ministry malcontent... and your new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. I am here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?" he barked, his voice gravelly and intimidating.

The students exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what to expect from their formidable new teacher. Moody's stern expression didn't waver as he continued, "When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach." This declaration only deepened their confusion. What were they going to learn? What were they going to do?

"But first, which of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?" Moody asked, his magical eye scanning the room.

Hermione's hand shot up, and without waiting to be called on, she answered, "Three, sir."And they are so named?" Moody prompted, turning his attention to Georgia.

"Because they are unforgivable. The use of any one of them will—" Georgia began, but Moody cut her off sharply.

"—earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct," he finished, his voice cold and final.

"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, and you need to be prepared! You need to find another place to put your chewing gum beside the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnigan!" Moody shouted, his magical eye swiveling to lock onto Seamus.

Seamus groaned and muttered under his breath, "No way. The old codger can see out the back of his head." In a fit of rage, Moody tossed a small piece of chalk at Seamus's head and shouted, "And here across classrooms!" The students ducked instinctively, fear rippling through the room. Briar nervously tapped her foot beneath her desk, her heart pounding. "So which curse shall we see first?" Moody asked, his tone almost gleeful.

Ron looked at Harry with fear in his eyes, mirroring the unease of his classmates. "Weasley! Stand," Moody commanded, his voice brooking no argument. Ron slowly stood up, his legs trembling. "Give us a curse," Moody demanded, his magical eye fixed on Ron. Ron stammered, avoiding eye contact with the intimidating professor. "Well... my dad did tell me about one. The Imperius Curse," he said quietly.

"Oh, yeah, your father would know all about that. He gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why," Moody said, walking over to a small table with glass jars containing various insects and bugs. He carefully plucked out a small spider and pointed his wand at it. "Engorgio." The spider grew to twice its original size.

"Imperio." Moody directed his wand, guiding the spider throughout the classroom. Neville and Georgia flinched as the spider landed on their table, its spindly legs moving erratically. Moody flicked his wand again, and the spider leaped onto Vincent Crabbe's head, causing the boy to gasp in horror and cry out. Padma Patil shrieked as the spider crawled up her shoulder. Ron, who Briar knew to be terrified of spiders, grabbed onto Harry as the spider danced on his head. Draco Malfoy, who had been laughing at the scene, gasped as the spider landed on his face. "What're you laughing at?" Moody cackled. Harry clapped his hands, amused by the spectacle, and even Briar let out a small chuckle, making Harry grin.

"Talented, isn't she? What should I have her do next? Jump out the window? Drown herself?" The class, which had been laughing moments before, fell silent. "Scores of 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?" Moody asked, his voice heavy with meaning.

"Give me another curse."

Georgia looked at Neville, who began to raise his hand slowly. "No, Nev." Georgia grabbed his hand and put it back down. "Longbottoms... let's see... both of you. Up." Moody's command was firm, and the twins reluctantly stood.

"Professor Sprout tells me that you, Neville, have an aptitude for Herbology," Moody said, his tone almost conversational. Neville nodded hesitantly, glancing nervously at Georgia. "Th... um... there's the Cruciatus Curse," Georgia spoke up, her voice trembling.

"Correct, correct. Come, come." The two Longbottom twins followed Moody to the front of the class, their faces pale with fear. "Particularly nasty curse, the torture curse," Moody said, pointing his wand at the spider. Georgia let out a shaky breath, her eyes wide with dread.

"Crucio." The spider writhed in agony, its legs twitching violently. Neville cringed, and Georgia covered her mouth, letting out a muffled sob. The sight of the spider's suffering was too much for them. Briar, watching her friends' distress, gripped her desk until her knuckles turned white."Stop it! Can't you see it's bothering them? Stop it!" Briar shouted, her voice breaking the tense silence. Harry looked at her in surprise, noting the fire in her eyes. Moody, however, paid no attention and continued to inflict pain on the spider.

Briar stood up, her voice louder and more forceful. "I said, stop it, you monster!" Moody finally released his grip on the spell, the spider ceasing its tortured movements. He picked up the creature and brought it to Briar's desk, placing it on her textbook. "And what is the last curse, Miss Rose?" he asked, his tone almost taunting.

Briar shook her head, her lips pursed tightly. She refused to answer. Harry watched her with a mixture of admiration and concern. Normally, Briar would be eager to answer any question a professor asked, spending hours in the library preparing. Her reluctance now spoke volumes.

"Avada Kedavra!" Moody said, and with a flick of his wand, the spider was dead. The class looked at the lifeless creature solemnly. Harry, however, kept his gaze on Briar, who couldn't bring herself to look at their teacher or the spider.

"The Killing Curse. Only one person is known to have survived it... and he's sitting in this room," Moody said, walking over to Harry's desk. Harry met his gaze with a grim expression. Moody took a flask from his coat pocket and drank its contents.

~

As the class came to an end, Briar and Eloise comforted Georgia and Neville, who stared out a window, still unsettled by the previous events. "Hey, it's okay. Do you want to go to the common room?" Eloise asked gently. Georgia nodded, and Eloise and Briar hugged her tightly. "He's brilliant, isn't he?" Ron said, his voice echoing throughout the spiral staircase. "Completely demented, of course, and terrifying to be in the same room with, but he's really been there, you know? He's looked evil in the eye," Ron gushed, despite his fear of Moody.

Hermione scoffed. "There's a reason those curses are unforgivable. For him to even consider doing it in a classroom... I mean, did you see Georgia and Neville's faces?" she said, stopping abruptly as she spotted the twins, Eloise, and Briar. Moody pushed past the students and took hold of Neville's shoulder. "Neville, son? Are you all right? Let's have a cup of tea. I want to show you something," he said, his tone surprisingly gentle.

Briar shook her head and grabbed Georgia's hand. "With all due respect, Professor Moody, I think you've done enough," she said, defending her friends. Neville shook his head and placed his hand on Briar's shoulder.

"I'm okay, thank you," Neville said softly before following Moody back up the stairs. "Let's go back to the common room, please," Georgia said weakly. Briar and Eloise nodded and led Georgia down the stairs and back to the cozy Gryffindor common room. While Briar and Eloise comforted Georgia in their dorm room, Hermione picked out a few Muggle books that she thought Georgia might enjoy. 

"Here, it might take your mind off things," Hermione said, handing the books to Georgia, who took them gratefully. Georgia sighed, her voice soft and troubled. "I just... I can't wrap my head around it. My parents went through that... even worse... how can someone do such a horrid thing?"

Briar shook her head and wrapped her arms around Georgia again. "I don't know, but we're here for you. We'll get through this together," she said, her voice full of determination and comfort. As the evening wore on, the group of friends sat together, the warmth of their companionship easing the tension of the day's events. They talked about everything and nothing, their laughter and conversations a balm to their frayed nerves. Outside, the sky darkened, stars twinkling above Hogwarts, a reminder of the light that could be found even in the darkest of times.