The Girl Who Found Hope [2]

Year 4 - 10

All years had been raving about the DADA classes with Professor Moody, but Cassiopeia and her friends didn't have it until Thursday of the first week. Cassiopeia was sitting beside Draco, waiting for the class to begin. The Professor then walked in and stood at the front of the class, everyone went silent.

"Alastor Moody." He introduce, writing his name on the board. "Ex-Auror, Ministry malcontent. And your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me, end of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?" No one dared to say anything in the room. So, Professor Moody carried on with the lesson. "When it comes to Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which one of you can tell me how many Unforgivable curses there are?"

"Three, Sir." Hermione and Cassiopeia replied in unison.

"And they are so named?" Professor Moody asked as he wrote that there were three curses on the board.

"Because they are unforgivable." Hermione replied.

"The use of any one of them will-" Cassiopeia continued, but Professor Moody continued her sentence.

"Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban. Correct." Professor Moody replied, his writing becoming aggressive. He turned back to the class. "Now the ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different! You need to know what you're up against, you need to be prepared." By this point Professor Moody had turned to write something else on the board. "You need to find somewehere else to put your chewing gum other than the underside of your desk, Mr Finnigan!" Everyone turned to Seamus, apart from the Professor. Seamus sighed.

"No way. The old codger can see out the back of his head." He whispered not so quietly. Professor Moody turned and threw the chalk at him.

"And hear across classrooms!" He yelled. "So, what curse shall we see first? WEASLEY!"

"Yes?" Ron whimpered out.

"Stand!" The Professor ordered. "Give us a curse."

"Oh, my dad did tell me about one. The Imperious Curse." Ron replied.

"Oh, yes. Your father would know all about that. Gave the Ministry quite a bit of gried a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why." Professor Moody replied, he then walked to the edge of the classroom where there were creatures. He reached into one jar and brought out a spider. "Hello, aren't you a little beauty. Engorgio!" The spider then became bigger in his hand. "Imperio." He casted, and with that the spider flew out of his hand. It went around the room, first Professor Moody made the spider land on Crabbe's head. Everyone in the class laughed, except Cassiopeia and Hermione. Professor Moody then brought the spider onto one of the Patil twins' hand. "Don't worry, she's completely harmless." Then he brought it onto Ron's head, he whimpered. "But if she bites... she's lethal!" He laughed. But he heard Draco laughing too. "What are you laughing at?" And he brought the spider onto Draco's nose. This got a good laugh from Harry and Ron. "Talented isn't she? What should I have her do next? Jump out the window?" He sent the spider against the glass of the window, at this everyone stopped laughing. Then he dangled it over a bucket of water. "Drown herself?" He then brought the spider back to his hand. He looked around at them all. "Scores of witched and wizards have claimed they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the imperious curse. But here's the rb, how do we sort out the liars? Another... Another... Come on. Come on." Some of the students raised their hands, including Cassiopeia and Hermione. But Professor Moody picked Neville. "Longbottom, is it?" Neville nodded. "Come, come. Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for Herbology." Neville nodded.

"There's the Cruciatus Curse." Neville replied.

"Correct, correct. Come, come. Particularly nasty. The torture curse." Professor Moody replied. He put the spider on the teacher's desk and as asked, Neville stood beside it. He pointed his wand at the spider. "Crucio." He casted. Straight away the spider began to squeal in pain. It writhered on the table, squealing and squealing. Everyone was bothered by the curse. But no more than Neville, his face was contorting with pain as he looked away from the spider, but the squeals could still be heard.