white roses // neville longbottom

thirty-eight

"alastor moody." mad-eye says introducing himself to the class. "ex auror..ministry malcontent...and your new defense against the dark arts teacher." moody say. neville keeps his arms tightly crossed and mine are in my lap. "when it comes to the dark arts i believe in a practical approach. but first, which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?" moody asks. "three sir." hermione says. "and they are so named?" moody asks. "because they are unforgivable. the use of one them will." "will earn you a one way ticket to azkaban, correct." moody says. everyone is tense. "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 a another place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, mr finnigan!" moody says. all of us turn to seamus. "no way. the old codger can see out of the back of his head." he says. moody throws a piece of chalk at seamus. "and hear across classrooms!...so which curse shall we see first?" moody asks. "weasley!" "yes?" "stand." ron warily stands up. "give us a curse." moody says. "well, my dad did tell me about one. the imperius curse." ron says. "oh yeah your father would know all about that. gave the ministry quite a bit off grief a few years ago. perhaps this will show you why." moody says and walks to a table. he opens a jar and grabs a spider looking thing from it. "engorgio." he says and it grows twice it's size. "imperio." he says and flings the thing to neville and i's desk. we both back up. he flings it to crabbe's head. then on parvati's hand. then to ron's head. and then straight on draco's face. everyone was laughing while he flung the creature around. goyle tries to get it off of draco. "what should i have her do next? jump out the window?" moody asks and flings the bug. "drown herself?" he dangles the bug just above a bucket of water. he brings her back to his hand. "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?" moody asks. he asks for another curse. neville glances at me and back to moody. he slowly raises his hand. "up." moody says and neville slowly stands up. "professor sprout tell me you have an attitude for herbology." neville nods. "there's the um..the cruciatus curse." my heart stops. "correct, correct, come. come." moody says bringing neville to the bug. "the torture curse." he says. he points his wand at the bug. "crucio." he says menacingly. the bug lets out a shrill squeal that almost makes our ears bleed. almost like that of a mandrake. neville's face contorts. the bug writhes. neville looks as if he's in pain. i stand up. "stop it! cant you see it's bothering him? stop it!" i yell. moody looks at me and stops the curse. i feel the hot tears on my cheeks and i sit down and wipe them, embarrassed. "avada kedavra." he says and kills the bug. "the killing curse. only one person is known to have survived it. and he's sitting in this room." alastor hobbles over to harry. this man is insane.

i try and talk to neville as we walk out of d.a.d.a. "neville are you ok?" i ask and reach for his hand. he moves it out of the way. he has a blank stare on his face. he stops by a window and just looks out. "nev.." i say. "did you see nevilles face?" hermione asks walking down the steps. i look at her. moody walks through us. "son? you all right? come on. we'll have a cup of tea. i want to show you something." moody says. neville seems to look right through me and follows moody. that really upset him..