Nico di Angelo and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter 10: The Imperius Curse

Nico returns within a few weeks, surprisingly enough. He explained to the trio that he couldn't stand being home longer than that. He refused to say more.

"Well, I have some great news for you!" Hermione says, grinning as she pulls out a leaflet. "I've created an organization to free the house elves from the centuries long enslavement they've been put through."

Behind her, Harry and Ron roll their eyes. She hands him the leaflet with a bright look on her face.

"Spew?" Nico raises his eyebrow, looking at her.

"S. P. E. W.! It stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare." She explains. "It's two Sickles to join."

Nico sighs, but reaches into his pocket and pulls out the money, placing it in the hand of the girl, who now looks amazed. "And Elves are those little things? The ones that clean the castle at night?"

"How'd you know that?" Hermione asks.

He shrugs. "I'm usually awake at that time. They make good conversation if you talk to them. But they always seem happy to be cleaning."

"But they're not." Hermione pins an S. P. E. W. badge to his chest. "They just think they are."

"Wouldn't they know?"

"No. They've been trained to only feel happy serving."

Nico just nods slowly. "Alright... and this doesn't mean I have to talk to people, right?"

"If you want to recruit-"

"I dont."

Hermione nods slowly. "Alright... well... class is... it's starting."

The class settles instantly when Professor Moody walks in, Nico taking off the pin and slipping it into his pocket.

"Today," He eyes the class. "I will be putting all of you under the imperius curse."

This is bad, Nico thinks. He really does not want to be controlled.

"But- but you said it's illegal, Professor." Hermione pipes up as the desks are cleared away with the swipe of a wand.

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like. If you'd rather learn the hard way, when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely, fine by me. You're excused. Off you go."

Hermione blushes intensly, and Nico can't help but feel a ping of pity for her.

In turns, Moody calls students in front of the class and puts them under the imperius curse. Nico had to say he was impressed when Neville Longbottom performed an incredible gymnastics routine. Finally, Harry Potter got called up.

That doew not go so well, or so he thought. Nico watches as Harry headbutts the table, crashing to the ground. However, Moody seems pleased.

"Now that's more like it!" He sounds like he's celebrating.

Moody makes an example of Harry, putting him through it again and again. Finally, sore and battered, Harry is allowed to sit down. Nico, as amusing as he found this, doesn't want him to get a concussion.

"You. di Angelo. Get up here." Hermione pats his arm as he stands, going up to the front.

He breathes, looks at the Professor, and then everything fades away with a whisper of "Imperio".

༄

How pleasant. There is no pain here. No screams or pleads of the dead, dying, and forgotten. Here, Nico can rest. Here, Nico can be free.

"Do a somersault."

Yes. That sounds nice.

Nico gets down on his knees, putting his hands on the ground. He folds up, going to roll.

Stop! This is a vulnerable position! Defend. Defend!

Nico scrambles to get back up, falling over in the process.

"Roll over."

No.

"Do a somersault!"

No!

༄

Nico is laying on the floor.

Why? He thinks, looking up as the ceiling spins above him.

"Dizzy." He whispers, closing his eyes.

"Yes! That's right! Exactly like that!" He can hear someone, Professor Moody?, yell. Someone, Hermione, helps Nico up. Luckily, class is over.

"You two," Professor Moody points at Nico and Harry, looking at each of them individually. "Keep that up. No one will be able to touch you!"

"The way he talks, you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second." Harry grumbles as they leave   the class.

"You might." Nico shrugs. They might at Camp Half Blood, or even at Camp Jupiter.

When trying to get to dinner that night, I thought they are unable to proceed due to the sizeable crowd gathered by a large sign. Ron stands on his tiptoes to read it aloud for the the shorter members of the group.

TRIWAZARD TOURNAMENT

The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o clock on Friday 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early-

The sign goes on to give instructions on how to proceed from there.

"Only a week away!" A hufflepuff emerging from the crowd exclaims in excitement. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go tell him."

"Cedric?" Ron's face is blank as the hufflepuff scurries away.

"Diggiry." Harry elaborates. "He must be entering the tournament."

"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" Ron scoffs as they make their way into the hall. Nico had stopped caring about sitting at his table and just sits with them now.

"He's not an idiot, you just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch." Hermione says. "I've heard he's a really good student. And he's a prefect."

Nico, not knowing anything about this Cedric, just listens.

"You just like him because he's handsome." Ron teases, and Nico isn't sure whether or not he meant harm with it.

"Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!"

Ron fakes a cough. "Lockhart!"

"Lockhart wasn't that good looking." Nico interjects, carefully slicing an apple.

"What?"

"Is this Cedric actually handsome, or is he meh like Lockhart."

The three stare at Nico, who realizes how he said might come across.

"I- I mean," He shrugs uncomfortably, heat rising to his cheeks. "I really couldn't see how the girls found Lockhart attractive."

"He's good looking." Ron says blankly. "But that doesn't mean he'll be a good champion."

"Of course not."