Melanie Rosen: Year 4 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 9 A Mad Lesson

Professor McGonagall gave Lenora and me each a double detention and a long lecture about how the rules for the Triwizard Tournament exist for the safety of the students. She also mentioned that previous competitors have died.

After we were dismissed from her office, Lenora marched straight down the hall without saying two words to me. I sighed and made my way back to the Gryffindor common room. I sat on the couch with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and ended up telling them the whole story.

"I can't believe you, Melanie," Hermione started with her arms crossed. "The school year's hardly even started and you've already landed in detention."

"I think I've held off longer this year than before," I pointed out, looking up, causing Harry and Ron to snicker. "Besides, you were the one that wanted me to try to be friends with Lenora again."

Hermione shook her head. "I didn't mean get into trouble with her."

I shrugged. "Well, that was kind of our thing."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something else but Ron spoke first, "Oh lay off, Hermione. It's just one detention. No big deal."

xXx

Later that week, we had our first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with Professor Moody. I sat down next to Hermione in the front center. Harry and Ron sat at the table to our left and Seamus and Neville sat at the one to our right. I noticed Draco made an effort to sit as close to the back as possible. Most Slytherins did, except Lenora and Blaise, who sat around the center.

The first thing Moody did was order us to put away our books, saying we won't need them. Several students, Hermione in particular, appeared startled by this. Our new professor then went on to explain that even though we actually had a decent teacher last year, we are far behind in dealing with curses. Moody concluded by he had a year to catch us up.

"Wait, you're not staying?" Ron asked him.

"Why not?" I followed up, feeling slightly disappointed.

Moody eyed both of us, but spoke to Ron first, "You're Arthur's boy. Your dad helped me out of a situation a few days ago. I'm grateful for that." His magical eye then moved to me. "You're related to Richard Chamberson, correct?"

"He's my uncle," I answered quietly, but still firmly.

Moody continued to gaze at me as though he were trying to figure something else out. I grew more uncomfortable, not wanting to say anything else about my family.

Our new professor finally finished with, "Good man. If there were more people in the Ministry like him, then the Ministry would likely be a much better place."

My breathing returned to normal as Moody continued with the lesson. "Today, we will be discussing the Unforgivable Curses."

"Will we be allowed to practice them in class?" Lenora asked aloud.

Moody turned his head and moved his magical eye to her, answering, "Not unless you desire to wind up in Azkaban Prison."

"Well, she likely will end up in prison one day," Pansy remarked in a prissy tone.

"I'm starting to see why your other professors have a hand raising policy," Moody grumbled. "From now on, if you have a question or comment, please raise your hand. Now, can anyone tell me about the Unforgivable Curses?"

Ron raised his hand first. "My dad told me about one. It's called the Imperius Curse..."

"Ah yes, that one gave the Ministry a lot of trouble back in the day," Moody confirmed, as she pulled out a glass jar from his desk. It contained a spider. I noticed Ron shift in his seat out of the corner of my eye. I leaned in closer, looking at the spider curiously.

Moody released the spider from the jar and pointed his wand at it. "Imperio."

The spider began to do back flips amongst other tricks. Most students laughed.

"You wouldn't think it so funny if it were happening to you!" Moody growled, resulting in immediate silence.

"Some people are strong enough to fight off this curse, but most are not," Moody went on to explain. "Better to just avoid it completely. Now, can anyone tell me another curse?"

Naturally Hermione's hand went up, but to most people's surprise, so did Neville'. Our professor called on him.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Neville answered in a soft but sure tone.

Moody nodded and used a charm to make the spider grow so we could all see better, before uttering the spell, "Crucio."

The spider began to twitch horribly. It's entire body soon twirled in agony. I could feel my breaths grow rapider as I watched the poor creature. I glanced to my right and noticed I was not the only one bothered by this. Neville's skin had pretty much transformed to white, while his clammy hands rested on top of his desk shaking.

"Neville?" I questioned, leaning towards him. "Are you..."

"Stop it!" Hermione cried out to Professor Moody. "Can't you see it's bothering him?"

Moody immediately lowered his wand to stop the curse. He then reduced the spider back to its normal size.

"Can anyone tell me the third Unforgivable Curse?" Moody asked quietly.

This time Hermione's hand was the only one to rise up.

"You seem like an intelligent girl and I'm sure you know the answer," Moody said to her while shifting his eye, "but I want to hear from somebody else." His eye fell to me. "How about you, Miss Rosen?"

"Er, I don't know," I answered, honestly.

"Come on, think about it," our professor encouraged. "What's something terrible someone could do to another person?"

I asked quietly, looking down at my desk, "Is there a curse that kills people?"

"Correct." He nodded with approval. "Avada Kedavra is known as the Killing Curse."

Moody uttered the curse and a green light shot from his wand, hitting the spider, which landed right in front of a squeamish Ron. Professor Moody then blushed the creature's dead body off the desk.

"There is no counter curse or any way of blocking it," Moody explained, stepping towards Harry and Ron's table. "Only one person is known to have survived this curse and he's sitting right in front of me."

At the end of the lesson everyone left rather quietly. I imagined most people were shaken from just what we learned. I understood but at the same time I did appreciate what Moody was trying to do. It was just something else that disturbed me. I recalled how Moody gazed at me after I told him who my uncle was. Also, wanted me to be the one to reveal the Killing Curse. Why did that matter?

Only one notion came to me, a rather disturbing one that is. Our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher knows who I really am.