The Sun, Moon & Stars

73. S.P.E.W

It was the following Thursday, and the fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherin's were seated and ready in the classroom before their new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, 'Mad-Eye' Moody,  had even deigned to show up.

"I mean, he's not very punctual is he? Professor Lupin always showed up on time." Hermione muttered.

Most of the students were not pleased last June to learn that Remus Lupin wouldn't be returning to his position the following September, but most could also accept this fate. They didn't have a great track record with Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, so to receive an education from somebody like Remus Lupin for even just a year was miraculous. Others didn't take it so well. Hermione, for one, had been bashing Moody since the moment he showed up late to the welcome feast earlier this week.

Professor Moody arrived shortly after Hermione's third comment on his tardiness. The clunking sound of his wooden staff echoing from the corridors beyond the classroom door told everybody inside he was coming before he even entered.

"You can put those away." Was the first thing he grunted, eyeing the open textbooks, as the wooden door slammed shut with a wave of his hand, "You won't need them."

They slid their books back into their bags. Some looked curious, others timid.

"Right then." He cleared his throat, after finishing the attendance, "I've got a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough education in tackling dark creatures. Boggarts, Red Caps, Hinkypunks, Grindylows, Kappas, etc — yes?"

There was a general murmur of agreement.

"But you're behind," He stated firmly, tossing the clipboard onto his desk aimlessly, "very behind — in curses. So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other, and I've got one year-"

"You aren't staying?" Ron blurted.

Moody's magical eye snapped over to him, before he cracked a smile, the first one any of them had seen from him, "You're Arthur's son, eh? Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago...yeah..."

"Anyway! Curses." He said so suddenly many of them flinched, "They come in many strengths and forms. According to the Ministry, I'm supposed to teach you counter-curses and leave it at that. Illegal curses aren't supposed to be taught until you're in sixth year, but Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better."

"A wizard who is about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to give you warning. He's not going to be nice, or polite, or wait for you to get ready. You need to be prepared." He continued, pacing the front of the room, "You need to be alert and watchful. And you need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."

Lavender flinched and her cheeks flushed beet red, surprised by the ability of his magic eye, which could evidently see through solid wood, sliding the horoscope article she had been showing Parvarti under the desk back into her bag.

"So...do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

"Erm...my Dad mentioned one once. The imperius curse, I think? Or something." Ron mumbled, apprehensive.

"Ah, yes." Moody nodded, "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius curse."

Moody wobbled over to the desk, slid open a drawer, and pulled out a large glass jar. A humongous black spider crawled around inside it, which elicited a shriek from Lavender.

Ophelia saw Ron silently recoil, squeezing closer to Harry — he hated spiders, after all.

Moody reached into the jar, took the spider out, and pointed his wand at the creature in his hand, "Imperio!"