To Be So Lonely

20

Moody then tossed the spider across the room for it to land on Draco's face. Which was cue to the Gryffindors to laugh just as loudly as he let out a high-pitched scream that even made some of the Slytherins bring cover mouths to hush their laughs. He turned pink from the embarrassment after slapping the spider away from his face.

Moody proceeded to showcase the second spell. The Cruciatus curse. This time particularly picking on a tall Gryffindor boy. Nel didn't remember ever speaking to him, but she did remember stealing his toad in the Hogwarts express during their first year. The Professor proceeded to torture the spider with magic. The arachnid wriggled and squeaked loudly with pain. Its limbs crumbling up and bending in unnatural ways as he did so.

Longbottom stood seeming as if he himself was the one being tortured. A look of twisted pain crossed his features as his eyes blankly starred at the spider. Nobody said anything. Students held their breaths.

Disturbed, Nel didn't realize she was leaning over her desk to take a look closer at the spider with morbid fascination.

"Stop it!" Granger interrupted. "Can't you see it's brothering him? Stop it!" She shrieked as she looked back at the disturbed boy.

The professor ceased his torture and saw the pained expression on the student's pale face. The spider which was still crying out and squeaking was placed in the desk before Hermione who looked at it horrified.

"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse Miss Granger?"

Equally disturbed. Hermione shook her head weakly, biting back painful tears in empathy for the spider. Other marveled in disbelief at the fact that Know-It-All Granger had grown quiet from the distressing experience.

"The Killing Curse," A soft voice which sounded loud in the deafening silence in the room turned all heads to the Slytherin side of the room. Tracey looked at her desk mate with some concern in her surprised eyes.

"Ah," Moody again lifted up the spider and instead placed it in front of her desk. "The Lestrange girl, are you?"

"It's Saintday," She corrected. "The one and only," Nel added in what would've been usually been a playful tone but this time came out a serious.

"Interested in the Dark Arts?" He leaned in close. His twitching large blue eye starring down, almost as if memorizing every inch of her face. Despite the uneasy closeness the girl remained composed and silence was her answer. Moody brought a flask to his lips and took a long sip before trembling and turning his attention back to her. Bet whatever is in there isn't pumpkin juice, that's for sure.

"Professor Flitwick says you're quite adept at Charms," he licked his lips, or his tongue stuck out she wasn't sure which was which uncontrolled gesture he had done. "As does Professor Babbling." The Professor of Study of Ancient Runes. An elective which most students dreaded but the Slytherin actually found to be interesting despite the thick textbooks she had to read.

"I'm interested in spell works and the origins of them," She finally answered with her hands knitted together resting on the desk.

"Very well then," Mad-Eye gave a step back. "If you could demonstrate the third and final Unforgivable Curse?"

Murmuring scattered around the room at what the Professor was suggesting. Was that ethical? Let alone legal? Eager eyes watched in morbid fascination, some betting hostile Saintday wouldn't hesitate in killing the spider.

Nel looked down at the spider which miserably twitched before her on the desk. If anything, it would be a mercy kill.

"No," She refused sternly.