Novus Orbis | Fred Weasley x Insert | ON HIATUS

Chapter 20 - The Goblet of Fire

They don't have a chance to see the Goblet until the mid afternoon that next day, because among others, they first have the class that everyone is most interested—and nervous—to experience: Defence Against the Dark Arts.

They enter the classroom roughly on time after breakfast, books in arms, chattering away quietly about order forms for the items they plan to sell. Sitting at an empty desk, Y/n sets down her belongings, shifting in her cloak to get comfortable on the hard wood seat.

"I'm still pretty proud of the handiwork on the order forms," she's saying to Fred, as he sits down beside her. "It took so long after your mum—" but she doesn't have a chance to finish what she is saying, because the door above them that leads to the office, designated for the professor, opens and then slams so loudly and abruptly that it startles everyone in the room.

"Alastor Moody," comes the gruff voice, as the man limps down and around and scratches out his name on the board. "Ministry malcontent. And your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me, end of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?" He leaves barely any time for answers (of which there are none) before he continues. "When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach. As sixth-years, it's high time you saw the illegal curses and what they look like. The younger ones aren't supposed to be old enough until then, but I'll deal with that, because I say different. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful." At this, Y/n diverts her engrossed attention to sneak a glance at Fred. But he's just as invested as she is. His face is scrunched a bit in focus, his eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed in anticipation. "So far, from what I've been told, you've dealt with Boggarts, Red Caps, Hinkypunks, Grindylows, Kappas, and Werewolves, among other things, right?" A general murmur of assent comes from around the classroom. "Right. Very, very behind on dealing with curses. Going to bring you up to what you need to really know on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with the Dark Arts, special favour to Dumbledore...and then I'm going back to my nice, quiet retirement.

"I see some of Weasley's sons in here...your father got me out of a tight corner a few days ago." Y/n can see the twins' faces flicker with recognition. "Good man. Right then. Straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. According to the Ministry, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses, as well as what illegal curses themselves look like, as I said before." He stops in his lecture, taking a swig from his small capped vial and looking around the room at them. As he says his next words, he pulls a glass jar from under the table, in it, a small wolf spider. "So...do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

Y/n hesitates to raise her hand. She knows this, because Hermione read about it extensively and then talked to her about it. But hesitation is enough—the professor's unnerving eye is caught, and he swings around to look her dead in the eye.

"You. Answer. Or guess."

"The unforgivable curses, sir..."

"And they are so named?"

"Erm...because they're unforgivable. Use of any of them will get you sent to Azkaban."

"Correct." The man's answers are sharp as a tack, quick to the point, no-nonsense. "So, which curse will we see first? Weasley!" He points at Fred. "Give us a curse."

"Our dad told us about one, once," he replies, "the imperious curse."

"Ahh, yes, 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."