Weasley Charm | Fred Weasley

Chapter 4-8: The Unforgivable Curses

"Alastor Moody. Ex-Auror. Ministry malcontent. And your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me, end of the story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?" Moody asked, scanning the room while his glass eye whizzed madly from one corner to the other. "When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. First, which of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"

"Three sirs," Delaney said reluctantly, feeling a pit grow in her stomach about today's lesson.

"And they are so named?" Moody asked.

"Because they are unforgivable. The use of any one of them will-" Hermione answered this time but was cut off.

"Earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban. Correct. 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, you need to find another place to put your chewing gum beside the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnigan," Moody shouted, causing the first row of students to jump.

"The old codger can see out the back of his head," Seamus tried to whisper to his partner but the classroom was so silent it was easy to hear.

"And hear across classrooms!" Moody shouted, throwing his piece of chalk toward Seamus. "So, which curse shall we see first? Weasley!"

"Yes," Ron said nervously.

"Stand," Moody paused as Ron stood up, "Give us a curse."

"Well, my dad did tell me about one. The Imperius Curse," Ron muttered, inclining his shoulders as if to shield himself from his new professor.

"Yea, your father would know all about that. Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why," Moody turned back to his desk. "Engorgio," Moody whispered, pointing his wand at the small bug in his hand. Said bug then grew three times its normal size.

"Imperio!" He then began to move the bug around the room with the command of his wand. "Don't worry, it's completely harmless. If she bites, she's lethal," Moody laughed along with the rest of the class as the large bug now hovered over Ron's head. "What are you laughing at?" Moody asked, placing the bug on Malfoy's face. "Talented, isn't she? What shall I have her do next?"

Delaney stopped laughing as he said this. For she knew where the lesson was headed. That pit in her stomach grew, like a monster waiting to strike in the dark.

"Jump out the window? Drown herself?" Moody asked, now bringing the bug back to his desk. "Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperius Curse. But here's the rub—how do we sort out the liars?"

The class grew so silent the sound of a pin drop would be heard by everyone.

"Another, another. Come on. Longbottom is it?" Moody asked as he pointed to Neville. "Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for Herbology."

Neville nodded his head, his reluctance to mention the next curse was clear as day on his face. "There's the Cruciatus Curse."

"Correct, correct! Come, come," Moody said, issuing Neville over to his desk. "The torture curse. Crucio!"

The bug that lay on Moody's desk began to squeal with pain. Neville winced at the sound of this. Delaney knew it was because his parents were put under the curse for information many years before. Remus told her that torture led them to life in St. Mungos.

"Stop it! Can't you see it's bothering him? Stop it!" Delaney shouted. Her hands grew clammy in her lap because she knew what curse was next.

Moody quickly looked at her before he moved his wand away from the squealing bug. His eyes flicked towards Hermione at her side. "Perhaps you could give us the last Unforgivable Curse, Miss Granger."