The Potter Twins

Chapter 6

"Ah, yes," said Moody appreciatively. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse." Moody leaned heavily on his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it. I watched as Ron recoil next to Harry slightly Ron hated spiders. I looked at Moody again as he reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, he held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"

The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, the spider rose onto two of its hind legs going into what was unmistakably a tap dance. Everyone was laughing everyone except Moody and me.

It was wrong to do that any living creature. Whether they were human or not. And Moody must of thought that too. Considering when he was a aruar he only used them as a last resort. With how the class was acting I wouldn't be surprised if he showed them the dark side of the curse.

"Think it's funny, do you?" he growled. "You'd like it, would
you, if I did it to you?" The laughter died away almost instantly. I sighed knowing something like this would happen. "Total control," said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats . . ." I shivered at that thought. Not wanting to think what could happen to me or what I would do under the curse influence.

Ron gave an involuntary shudder.
"Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse," said Moody, and I knew he was talking about the days in which Voldemort had been all powerful. "Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being
forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will." I glanced around the room and wonder if anyone from my year had parents who were Deatheaters that were able to stay out of Askaban.

"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone jumped. I bit my lip nervous knowing that I would struggle with it. Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar.

"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?" Hermione's and mine hands flew into the air again and so, to my slight surprise, did Neville's. The only class in which Neville usually volunteered information was Herbology, which was easily his best
subject. Neville looked surprised at his own daring. "Yes?" said Moody, his magical eye rolling right over to fix on
Neville.

"There's one the Cruciatus Curse,"said Neville in a small but distinct voice.
Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes. I shifted in my seat uncomfortable with how the class was going.

"Your name's Longbottom?" he said, his magical eye swooping down to check the register again. Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further inquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move. And I couldn't blame it.

"The Cruciatus Curse," said Moody. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "Engorgio!" The spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula. Abandoning all pretense, Ron pushed his chair backward, as far away from Moody's desk as possible.
Moody raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, "Crucio!"

At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but I was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming. Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently.