Finding Yourself : Fred Weasley

7

     I sit down at the table next to Cedric and rub my eyes. I didn't sleep very well last night. It took me forever to fall asleep, and when I finally did I woke up at every little sound. This happens every year for the first week. It just takes some getting used to.
     Cedric flashes that award-winning smile at me. "How'd you sleep?" He asks while holding a cup of orange juice out to me. I take it and sip at it. I shrug. "Alright. How about you?" "Alright. Are you ready for class?" I lightly laugh. I look at the food and decide against it. I feel sick in the mornings when I tired like this.
     "I wish. I'm too sleepy for anything," I reply while rubbing my eyes. "I agree. We will get back in the swing of things soon enough," he says with a smile.
     I walk into Defence Against the Dark Arts with Cedric and Reno and look around the classroom that is redecorated every year for the new teacher who takes over. We don't ever have the same Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher two years in a row. Some students have said the position is cursed and that's why. Who knows though.
      It is quite unfortunate for them though because so far the only one that hasn't met a dark fate from Harry Potter has been last years professor, Remus Lupin. The first one, Quirrell, was killed. Then there was Lockhart, who was very daft and way too full of himself. He followed Harry down into The Chamber of Secrets and got his memory erased. 
     So far Lupin has been my favourite professor. I would spend quite a bit of time talking with him after and in between classes. He is the only professor who I have told about my family. Last year there was a lot that went on though, and per usual, not good stuff. 
    Dementors were circling the grounds and getting all in everyone business due to the escaped prisoner, Sirius Black. He was never caught, but luckily we no longer have the dementors here. 
     Lupin would probably still be teaching here if word wouldn't have gotten out that he is a werewolf. I'm not even really sure how it got out. I figured it out about halfway throughout the year. I didn't really care though so I kept it to myself. for that and because it isn't my business to talk about, and that is some really personal stuff. I never even tried to bring it up with him. Until the end of the year that is, when everyone knew.
      This year it's pretty empty, there are weird objects that I don't know how to describe sitting all around the room. We, unfortunately, were some of the last ones to walk in, because there are only like three seats open.
     Cedric walks over to the open seat that is next to some of his Hufflepuff friend that we would play Quidditch with. I look at my options. I could either sit next to Fred, across from Cedric or sit next to two Gryffindor girls who's names I can't remember. Reno walks over and sits next to the girls. He has always been a bit of a flirt. I lightly sigh and walk over and set my stuff next to Fred.
    "Hey West," he and George say at the same time. I turn a light red for some reason. "Hello," I say quietly.
     Before either of us can say anything else the door closes a bit loudly then the sound of a soft clunk goes through the room as it falls silent.
     Mad-Eye Moody walks past everyone to the front, with him being so close now I can see a wooden foot under his robes. Reno and I glance at each other at the same time, our look doesn't last long before we both draw our attention to the front of the room.
     I start to open my book, ready for him to tell us a page number. "You can put those away, you won't need them," He says as he sits down at his desk. I hesitantly put away my book, as does everyone else.
     He takes out some parchment and looks down it before looking at us. He starts to call names. I mentally prepare myself for when he says mine. When the twins both are called I know I'm next alphabetically. "West," He says looking around the room. I slightly raise my hand. "Present," I say quietly. He looks at me for several extra uncomfortable seconds. When he finally looks back at the parchment his magical eye stays fixated on me for a longer time.
     "Right," He says once everyone is finished. "Professor Lupin left me a letter listing everything that you covered last year. But you are behind on curses. Lucky for you I can show you what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with dark magic. So straight into dark curses and paying attention in class Mr Weasley."
     Everyone looks at Fred and George who are looking at some papers under the desk. Moody's magical eye staring at them. I guess it can see through the wood...
    He pauses and looks around the room before continuing. "Curses, the many strengths and forms. How many of you have seen an illegal curse?" He asks. No one says anything.
    "Exactly. 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. So do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"
     A couple of hands raise, including Cedric. Moody points at Cedric. "Diggory was it? Your father is Amos Diggory, correct?" Cedric lightly nods. "Yes, sir." "The first unforgivable curse Mr Diggory?" "The imperius curse," Cedric answers.
    "Yes, yes. That one gave Ministry a lot of trouble," Moody stands and opens his drawer and gets out a large glass jar with three black spiders inside.
     "If only Ron was here," George whispers amused. Moody reached into the jar, catches one of the spiders and holds it in the palm of his hand. He points his wand at it and mutters, "Imperio!"
     The spider jumps from Moody's hand on a string of silk and begins to swing forwards and backwards as though swinging on a swing set. It stretches out its legs and does a backflip, breaking the stream and landing on the desk. There it begins to spin in circles until Moody jerks his hand and wand up, then spider rises on two of its back legs and does what looks like a tap dance.
     The room is filled with laughter. I don't laugh, that is a dark curse if that's what it can do to a spider image what it can do to any one of us. "Think it's funny huh? You wouldn't think so if it were you," Moody says darkly. The laughter quickly dies down.
     "I have total control. I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats. Endless possibility." The room goes even more silent at the dark thought.
      "Years back there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius curse. Tough job. Trying to sort out who is being forced to act and who was acting of their own free will, claiming to be forced. The Imperius curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how. But it takes real strength of character and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can," he says in a low voice.
     "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" He yells suddenly, causing everyone to jump back a bit out of surprise. He picks up the spider and puts it back before pulling out another. "Anyone, know another illegal curse?"
     Reno raises his hand, he seems a little too eager to be participating in class. Especially given what the lesson is. "Mr Reyonalds?" Moody calls.
     Reno sets his hand down "The Cruciatus curse," he says while sounding pretty confident in his answer. Moody nods and points his wand at the next spider in his hand.
     I fiddle with the sleeves on my robes. When I get really nervous or uncomfortable I have a habit to scratch my arm, and the past year I've been trying to break it. Cedric and Reno would help me by holding one of my hands to comfort me, but with them across the hall, I can't take either of their hands.
     "This will need to be a bit bigger so everyone can see it properly. Engorgio!" The spider gets larger until it is a little larger than a tarantula. He looks at everyone to make sure we are watching before pointing his wand to it again. "Crucio!"
     The spider's legs bend against its body and it rolls over and begins to twitch all while it rocks side to side. No sound is coming from it, but in its mind, I imagine it's screaming.
     I instinctively reach my left hand over and take hold of Fred's right hand and hold it tightly. His hands are warm and calloused, while mine are soft, sweaty and cold. I know, what a great combination. His hand is limp in mine for a few seconds, I imagine he is probably really confused, and I can see out of the corner of my eye him looking at me.
     I can't bring myself to look away from the spider now as it begins to shudder and jerk more violently. After a couple of seconds, he looks back ahead and tightens his grip on my hand.
     And after a few more long seconds Moody raises his wand away. The spider's legs relax there continues to twitch slightly. He points his wand at it again and says quietly, "Reducio." And the spider shrinks back down to its normal size.
      My heart of pounding for some reason, I don't loosen my grip on Fred's hand. I want to, for his sake and my own, but I can't. This is going to take a lot of explaining later.
      Moody once again starts to speak, but much softer this time. "Pain. You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus curse. That one also used to be very popular. Anyone else know the others?"
       I don't look around the room to know that no one is raising their hand. No one wants to speak. I think for a few seconds before slowly raising my right hand slightly, only getting to my shoulders. Moody looks at me for a few unnecessarily long seconds before speaking. "Miss. West?"
      My throat is suddenly very dry as I try to speak. Fred's grip on my hand tightens slightly. "Avada Kedavra," I say so quietly that I worry he didn't hear. He nods and his magical eye stays on me as he gets out the last spider.
     "The killing curse," he says while setting the spider on the desk, it starts to run as if it knows what's coming. He points his wand at it and yells, "Avada Kedavra!" There is a flash of bright green light that comes from his wand and to the spider. I hold Fred's hand a lot tighter and for a few seconds, I forget to breathe. The spider rolls over onto its back, unmarked and dead.
     "Not nice at all. There is no counter curse. There is no blocking it. No one survives. Only one known person had ever survived it." Everyone knows who he's talking about, even me. Harry Potter. The boy who lived.
     "Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it. You could all get your wands out now and point them at each other and say the words and I doubt any of you get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter, I'm not here to teach you how to do it.
      " Now if there's no counter-curse then why am I showing you? Because you got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" He yells again. And again, the entire class jumps.
        "Now, those three curses, Avada Kedavra, Imperious and Cruciatus, are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. Most of all you need a practice constant, never-ending, vigilance. Get out your quills and copy this down."
      Mine and Fred's hands finally part as we both get out our quills and some parchment. For the rest of the class, we take notes on the three curses. And when it gets near the end of class everyone starts to put away their things. Moody's magical eye is looking at me for a few seconds before he finally does.
    "I'm surprised that you knew that curse, Miss. West. Given you are raised in a Muggle house. You must have your real mother's intellect," he says in a normal speaking voice. My entire face goes red. What does he mean by that? How does he know that about me? My real mother?
     The bell sudden rings and I quickly gather my stuff. I don't want to explain the hand this to Fred right now. Cedric is looking at me, he must have heard what Moody just said. I am pretty sure Fred and George did as well.
      "Charlie," Fred says quietly. I stand and quickly walkout, not waiting for Cedric, Reno or anyone.

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For anyone curious, this is what I see when I picture Reno.