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"So which curse shall we see first" the new professor questioned. Astrid thought he was a little looney, but she knew he was a brilliant Auror so she withheld her judgement.
"Weasley" he said suddenly, standing in front of the twins and looking down on Fred.
"Sir" the boy nervously replied.
"Stand" the man said promptly, Fred rising from his seat. "Give us a curse."
"My dad told me about one" Fred began, swallowing quickly. "The Imperius Curse."
"Oh yes he would know about that one. Gave the ministry quite some trouble a while back" the professor replied, turning to the board and over to a small cage that held a tiny mouse.
"Perhaps this will show you why" the man began as he placed the mouse in front of him. He pointed his wand to it and Astrid clenched her jaw. "Engorgio. Imperio."
He moved the mouse around to wherever he pleased, it being forced to follow his every action. Students screamed as the mouse landed in front of them, crawling up their sleeves before moving to different students.
"What should I have her do next? Jump out the window?" he moved the mouse quickly to the window, it hitting it with a thud and a screech. Astrid bit her lip, watching the poor creature struggle against the curse.
"Drown herself?" he then moved the mouse above a pot of water. Astrid squeezed her eyes shut before Casey placed her hand on the girls arm. Astrid opened her eyes to see the mouse back in the mans hand.
"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did you-know-who's bidding under the Imperius Curse. But here's the rub, how do we sort out the liars?"
The class looked to each other nervously before the man started up again.
"How about you Ms. Carter?" he questioned a Gryffindor girl. The girl stood looking around.
"There's the um, Cruciatus Curse" she said meekly.
"Correct!" Professor Moody exclaimed urging the girl to come to the front. "A particularly nasty one. Crucio!"
The mouse began squealing in pain, turning to it's side with feet kicking around. Astrid gripped the table tightly. The girl who was in the front stepped away doing what Astrid had been doing, clenching her jaw and closing her eyes. The squeals from the mouse filled the eerie silence of the class. Astrid couldn't take it anymore.
"Stop it!" she yelled out, everyone's head turning to her. "Can't you see it's bothering her? And you're hurting it! Stop it!
The man turned to her and released the creature, who fell to the desk defeated. The man brought the suffering mouse to her desk and laid it in front of her. She could tell it was in pain and suffering as she looked down at the poor animal. She knew it was wrong to let it die slowly like that.
