Interstellar || Draco Malfoy

19 || Unforgivable Curses

I settled into my seat beside Draco in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the sight of the dark decor. Draco looked bored out of his wits already, twirling a quill in his hand as he watched me.

"What is it?" Draco whispered.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "The classroom just seems... uninviting."

"It's Defense, Mona." Draco rolled his eyes. "It's not meant to be inviting."

"I guess." I sighed. "I'm also going in blind. The new professor hadn't assigned any reading for the term, and even though I am ahead, I have no idea what to expect."

"You'll be just fine, Mona." Draco said softly. "You're the smartest person I know; this class is going to be easy for you."

Before I could respond, the new professor stormed into the classroom. He scanned the classroom with his enchanted eye before picking up a piece of chalk, scribbling his last name across the black board.

"Alastor Moody." The professor introduced himself over the sound of chalk scratching the black board. "Ministry malcontent, and your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm here, because Dumbledore asked me; end of story, goodbye, the end! Any questions?"

Draco and I shared a look of disbelief at our new professor as he broke the piece of chalk in his hand before tossing a piece over his shoulder.

"When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach." Moody continued. "But first, which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?"

"Three, sir." Hermione answered, trying to avoid the harsh glare of our professor.

"And they are so named?" Moody pressed, standing beside Hermione's desk.

"Because they are unforgivable." Hermione blurted, her voice shaking. "Use of any one of them will-"

"Will earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban. Correct." Moody nodded, using the chalk he still had to write the numbers one, two, and three down the black board. "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 somewhere else to put your chewing gum oher than the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnigan!"

"No way!" Seamus groaned. "The old codger can see out the back of his head."

"And hear across classrooms!" Moody snapped, throwing the chalk in his hand at Seamus Finnigan's head. "So, which curse shall we see first? Weasley!"

"Y-yes?" Ron Weasley stuttered.

"Stand." Moody commanded. Ron clumsily pushed his chair out and stood, looking away from Moody. "Give us a curse."

"Well," Ron cleared his throat. "My dad told me about one. The Imperious curse."

"Ah, yes." Moody nodded, seemingly remembering his past. "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 moved toward one of the jars kept on his desk, pulling the lid off of the one closest to him. He gently picked up the spider housed inside, waving his wand to make the spider bigger. He waved his wand again, muttering the imperious curse before forcing the spider to float around the classroom.

"Don't worry, completely harmless." Moody grinned sadistically. "But if she bites, she's lethal."

Draco started to laugh at the frightened expressions of our classmates, catching the attention of Professor Moody. He forced the spider to dangle in front of Draco, dangerously close to his face.

"What are you laughing at?" Moody growled as Draco flinched away from the spider. Suddenly, the whole classroom erupted into laughter. Everyone seemed entertained by the floating spider, aside from me; the poor spider had no control of his actions, and even though I disliked spiders, no creature deserved to have it's free will taken from it.

"Talented, isn't she?" Moody asked, flinging the poor creature towards the open window. "What should I have her do next? Jump out the window?"

The laughter died down as Moody hovered the spider over a bucket of water. I looked away from the spider as it squeaked loudly.

"Drown herself?" Moody pressed before moving the spider away from the bucket of water. "Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only do- did, you-know-whose bidding under the influence of the imperious curse. But, here's the rub, how do we sort out the liars? Another, another, come on, come on. Longbottom, is it? Up!"

Neville stood up and joined Moody's side, looking down at the spider resting on a pile of books.

"Professor Sprout tells me you have a knack for herbology." Moody said, eyeing Neville.

"There's the, um, the Cruciatus curse." Neville stuttered, shaking slightly.

"Correct! Correct!" Moody cheered, making me feel sick to my stomach. "Particularly nasty, the torture curse."

Moody placed a hand on Neville's shoulder as he uttered the torture curse. Neville's eyes screwed shut the second the spider's pained squeals started, and within five seconds Neville was shaking like a leaf. Having heard and seen enough of the suffering happening in the front of the class, I stood from my seat, knocking it to the floor with a slam.

"Stop it!" I demanded, feeling tears gather in my eyes. "Can't you see it's bothering him? Stop it!"

Moody stopped the curse, shooting me a look. He examined me for a moment before picking up the poor spider and placing it on my desk in front of me.

"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse, Miss Littlesea." Moody suggested. I shook my head, looking down at my desk as I wiped the tears from my cheeks. Moody cast the killing curse on the spider, leaving its body in front of me before turning towards the class. "The killing curse. Only one person is known to have survived it; and he's sitting in this room."

As soon as Moody walked toward the front of the classroom, I picked up my bag and rushed out of the classroom. Draco followed after me, gently grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the crowd of students eagerly leaving Moody's classroom.

"Mona, are you alright?" Draco questioned, furrowing his brows at the tears on my cheeks. I shook my head, rushing forward and wrapping my arms around his torso. Draco shushed me as he wrapped an arm around me, gently rubbing my back.

"What's the matter, Mona?" He asked softly into my hair.

"I, I just." I cried. "The sound of the spider suffering, and the look on Neville's face..."

I trailed off, pulling my hands from behind Draco's back. I rested them between our bodies, playing with my new charm bracelet to try and calm myself down.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Draco apologized, placing a soft kiss to my forehead. I blushed and sighed deeply.

"I'll be alright, Draco." I told him, gently pulling myself from his grasp. "It was just a lot to process at once."

"It's okay if you aren't alright, Mona." Draco reassured, grabbing my hand as we started to walk down the stairs.

"I know." I nodded. "Let's just get out of here."