Spells and Visions; A Harry Potter story

Chapter 4: Stand as Giants

Defence Against the Dark Arts wasn't any better than Muggle Studies. Because, just like Muggle Studies, it wasn't at all what it was supposed to be. This wasn't Defence, it was literally Dark Arts itself.
I walked into the classroom, along with the Slytherins, and a surprise waited there for us. All the students that had received detention that day or the day before, were lined up against the wall, fear in their eyes.
A wizard as ugly as his sister walked up to us. That would be Amycus Carrow.
"Sit down, everyone!" he called. "You won't need your books, just your wand."
Neville glanced at me. I saw what he thought; it probably wouldn't be as fun as Lupin's lessons.

"Here's what we're going to do. These students," he pointed to the ones along the wall. "have disobeyed orders, and therefore deserve to be punished. Now, those unhelpful punishments won't do, they'll just make the same mistakes again. Instead, let's do something else. Let's see... you! What's your name?"
"Seamus Finnigan, sir," I heard from behind me.
"Come here, with your wand."
Seamus did as he said, and walked quite confidently to the front of the class.
"I want you to pick a student, one who looks especially rebellious, and perform the Cruciatus Curse on them."
Soft gasps came from the class.

I tried to pierce Seamus's brain. Don't do it. But I didn't need to. Seamus shook his head.
"I'm not doing that."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, I'm mot doing that. That's mental. Why would we perform the Cruciatus Curse on students?" he said, totally stunned.
"Because I'm the teacher, and I'm telling you to!" Carrow bellowed. "Now do it, or face the consequences!"
But Seamus kept standing as still as he did before.
"Go on! It's not all that serious, it's supposed to be fun!"
"Fun?" Seamus called out. "You call torturing fun? Oh, wait, I forgot, you are a Death Eater, but for us, normal people, that means nightmare."
Seamus seemed relaxed, but he was red in the face with anger.
For a second, Carrow wasn't able to answer. Then he regained his senses.
"How dare you! I'm your teacher! Do you want to get detention too? Fine, let's do it! You, what's your name?"
"Goyle, sir."
"Come here, prove to be a decent student, and perform the Cruciatus Curse on your classmate."
Goyle didn't hesitate a second. Not out of fear, but he sincerely seemed to enjoy it.
"Crucio!"
I glasped my hand for my mouth.
"No!" Neville said, but his voice didn't come above Seamus's screams. After a minute or so, of both Goyle and Carrow looking satisfied at a screaming Seamus on the ground, Carrow held up his hand and it was silent again.
"Twenty points to Slytherin. Twenty points from Gryffindor, however. If you want to pass this class, you should do what you are told. Class dismissed."

Most of the students didn't know how fast to get out of the class. Some lingered, by the door, to see if Seamus was okay. Neville and I walked to him, ignoring Carrow, and helped him up.
"You're not the first one to know what that feels like," I said in a low voice, when Carrow had gone to his desk.
"Thanks, guys," he said with a shaky breath, when he stood again.

"We've got to do something about this," I said, when we were out of the classroom.
"No," Seamus said. "We can't give in. No matter how much pain it causes us, we can't be idiots like Goyle."
"I agree," Neville said. "If we all work together, they should find out they're in the minority."

~

It got worse the next few days. During another Dark Arts lesson, we were forced to do the very same as before, and this time, I was the chosen one.
"You know what you have to do," was all he said, when I stood in the front.
"I may be a Black, sir, but that doesn't mean I'm a Death Eater."
"What?"
"I've endured the Cruciatus Curse cast by family members, I'm not afraid of you. I don't know if you recall, but I fought you last year. And your sister."
Carrow looked at me, and then turned his face in disgust.
"What a waste," he said. "You're the daughter of Sirius Black?" he scoffed. "I expected more. When I look at you, I'd almost say you are a Death Eater. Anyway, who wants to go this time?"