The Potter Twins and the Goblet of Fire {4}

12. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons

"I push it down, push it down" ~ Chandalier, Sia

I wake extremely early the next morning with a plan to defuse the Sirius situation and hopefully improve Harry's sudden bitterness. I dress in the pale dawn light and leave the dormitory without waking anymore. In the common room, I take a piece of parchment from the table and begin writing.

Dear Sirius,

I think we just imagined our scars hurting. We were half asleep when we wrote you last time. There's no point in coming back, we're both okay. Don't worry about us, our heads feel entirely normal.

- Haylee

I then climb out the portrait hall and begin silently making my way to the Owlery and send the letter along with Hedwig, who goes quite eagerly after I give her a treat.

I give a sigh of relief, knowing that this was the best possible outcome.

*~*

"That was a lie, Haylee," Hermione says sharply when I tell the others what I did over breakfast. "Neither of you imagined your scars hurting and you know it!"

"So what?" Harry asks, thankfully extremely grateful. "He's not going back to Azkaban because of us."

"Drop it," Tay and Ron say in unison, staring at Hermione. They pause for a moment and stare at each other with wide eyes.

"God, we're turning into them," Tay laughs, pointing at us.

Thankfully Hermione does drop the subject, and for the next couple days I try my hardest to try and forget about this entire situation, but that doesn't stop my heart from racing every time I see a snowy white owl fly into the Great Hall.

I only wish that I still had Quidditch to distract me from everything, and every time I see my Firebolt sitting uselessly in the dormitory, I can't help but sigh.

On the other hand, our lessons are getting much more difficult and demanding, in particular, Defence Against the Dark Arts.

To our surprise, when we enter the classroom we discover that Moody intends to use the Imperius curse on us, so he can demonstrate it's power and see whether any of us resist it.

"But - but you said it's illegal, Professor," Hermione says uncertainly, as Moody clears away the desks with a sweep of his wand. "You said - to use it against another human was - "

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," says Moody, his magical eye swivelling around. "If you'd rather learn the had way - when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely - fine by me. You're excused. Off you go."

He points on gnarled fingers towards the door. Hermione goes very pink and mumbles something that I don't pick up, and stays put. Ron, Harry, Tay, and I share a grin. Hermione would rather eat Bubotur pus than miss such an important lesson.

I notice Draco go slightly pale at the idea; Moody could easily make him act like a ferret, and I wouldn't put it past him.

Moody begins to beckon students forward in turns and puts the Imperius Curse on them. I watch as, one by one, my classmates do the most extraordinary things under it's influence. Dean hopes three times around the room, whilst singing the national anthem. Lavender imitates a squirrel, and Neville preforms a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he most certainly could not do in his normal state. Not one of them are able to fight the curse off, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it.

"Miss Potter," Moody growls. "You next."

I move into the middle of the classroom, wondering what embarrassing task he's going to make me preform. He points his wand at me and says, "Imperio."