Through The Veil「 The Veil Trilogy Part Ⅱ 」✔

[08] ALAS!tor Moody

We were quite excited for our first Defense class with Professor Moody because so we had heard millions of rumors about him, each one quite wild than the previous, and we wanted to see for ourselves how he really was like as a teacher.

I hope that he isn't anything like Lockhart or Snape, but I couldn't raise my expectations a lot because the only Defense teacher we had who fulfilled all of them was poor Moony who was forced to give in his resignation due to our Potionsmaster who had snitched on him. 

Just imagine someone who can not get a proper job in the Wizarding World and then finally Professor Dumbledore appoints him as teacher but then a school year's grudge and a passion for obtaining that very post urges another teacher, who has had absolutely no problems whatsoever in his current field, to snitch up and get him sacked out.

Brutal to the point of infinity.

But don't get me started on my hate towards Snape because then I won't be able to stop and considering that Professor Moody could be here any moment, I don't want my concentration to be diverted.

"Alas!tor Moody is approaching," George remarked dramatically in a heavy accent though he kept his voice down because Moody sure was intimidating and he didn't want to get caught out on the first day. 

Fred who was sitting with Angelina on the desk beside us understood his joke and gave a thumbs up. Looks like the twins have thought to assign a title to Professor Moody as well but they're being slightly discreet about it because surely they've heard more stories of him from Bill than I have.

The second he stepped into the classroom, there was a total pin drop silence and all the students were all facing ahead. He took a chalk and wrote his surname in capital on the board.

"Alastor Moody. Ex Auror, your new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me and I agreed. Goodbye, end of story, the end!" 

His voice thundered through the classroom and none of the students dared to move even. It's funny seeing that even Fred and George were sitting up very straight, instead of looking out for ways to create a ruckus in class.

Much contrary to his previous statement, he added in a slightly calmer tone, "any questions?"

No hand went up in the air so he thought best to resume with the lesson. George leaned over to whisper something in Fred's ear but the Professor's mad eye that was whizzing in its socket seemed to have spotted them.

"Weasley!"

All three of us straightened in our seats immediately.

"Is anything more important than this class?"

"No, Sir," the three of us replied in unison. 

His eyes landed on me suspiciously, "are you a Weasley too?"

"Yes, Sir."

His gaze didn't falter yet it was making me quite uncomfortable besides his eye rolls around in his socket so sickeningly that if I focus on it, it can clearly drive me dizzy.

"Very well then," he finally retrieved the cold hard stare as if he had deduced the answer he wanted, "your father works in the Ministry and your elder brother has worked alongside me. Curse breaker at Gringotts, isn't he?"

We merely nodded in reply.

"Then I suppose you would know very well that I do not tolerate disobedience and inappropriate behavior whatsoever. No mischief will be tolerated. I believe in a very practical approach when it comes to the Dark Arts so all of you have to be on your own guard."

Then facing rest of the class he spoke up, "the warnings are equal for all of you. Today we will be studying about the Inferi."

Right under his name he chalked out the word Inferius.

"Which one of you will tell me what is an Inferius?" Cedric raised his hand up and seeing him, Moody nodded, "so the Hogwarts champion has to take the lead. Yes, boy?"

"An Inferius is a dead body reanimated by the Dark Arts," he answered, sitting down in his seat when the Professor gestured him to.

"Reanimated by the Necromancy branch of the Dark Arts... Yes... Inferius. The world saw the very first mass amount of Inferi during the First Wizarding War, created by none other than Lord Voldemort himself."

A slight gasp sounded in the classroom upon hearing his name but Moody only grunted in reply as if it was nothing.

"These corpses brought back to life are mere puppets under control of the Necromancer who reanimates them, Inferi vary in appearance but the aspect used to distinguish them is their cloudy white irises," he explained and some of us began to take notes, "the Inferi devour those who they are set upon but have no will of their own. They are, as we say, devoid of life."

He swished his wand transfiguring the board to a screen and projected an image of zombie like creatures causing havoc upon the poor humans who ran from them helplessly.

"Since I can not show you a real Inferi, here is the closest representation. Witherstone Abbey, 1978, attacked by a mass of Inferi during the First Wizarding War."

The sight was horrifying as the skeletal figures ripped and tore through the people, killing them indiscriminately. Most of the students recoiled in horror and disgust.

Deciding that we had had enough dosage, the Professor finally turned the screen back to the wooden board and faced us, "now that you all have seen the terrors these creatures can cause, it is also necessary to know how to ward them off. An Inferius can only be destroyed by fire, for no spell has been found to render dead flesh impervious to burning."

Then his eye landed on me once again.

"Weasley, you, stand up. Give us a spell which can be used against an Inferius."

I mentioned the simplest charm I knew that could create fire, "Incendio."

"And what if there is an army of Inferi? Merely Incendio will not be enough," he gestured me to sit down, "in such cases if the caster is skilled he can use the curse Fiendfyre. Or the charm Firestorm. Your task is to research on the two and submit it in the next class. Lesson dismissed."

There was still some time in the bell to ring but he grabbed his hip flask taking a deep gulp from it before exiting the class. After everyone was sure that he had left, we all drew out a sigh of relief. 

The man sure was extremely intimidating and I can tell that learning Defense this year is going to be much different than I had expected.

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