-Naomi's POV-
Tuesday, September 16th 1994 we had dark arts with our new professor. I had been talking to Cedric and he said that professor Moody was even better than professor Lupin, which I doubt. Me and Neville were walking down the corridor packed with students, when Draco pulled me to the side. Neville didn't notice and carried on walking without me.
"What do you want, Draco?"
"I know that bruise isn't just from an accident at home. You can tell me you know"
"Listen, Malfoy. I would, but I still don't fully trust you after last year. Maybe in time, I will learn to trust you."
"That's understandable. Okay. So, dark arts?"
We started walking to our lesson together.
"Yeah"
"I hope this professor is better than that mutt we had last year."
"Draco, please don't call professor Lupin a mutt."
"what's your interest in him anyway?"
"interest? What do you mean?"
"I mean, you were the professor's pet last year. Why?"
We walked into the class and I saw that Neville was already sat by Dean, so I sat by Draco instead. Neville looked at me and mouthed 'sorry' before turning back to the front.
"Little? You're sitting by me?"
"Well, Neville's sitting by Dean, so....."
"I mean, this could be an opportunity to get to know each other more?"
"Sure. My parents are divorced, I'm an only child, I have a cat called Fiore-"
"Your parents are divorced?"
"yup"
"oh, I'm sorry about that- What are you looking at Potter?"
Just then, professor Moody came in. He started writing on the chalk board which went through me. He introduced himself, rather aggressively if you ask me.
"Now, which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?"
Hermione answered.
"3 sir."
"And they are so named?"
"Because they are unforgivable. The use of only one of them will-"
"Earn you a one. way. ticket. to. Azkaban! Correct. Now the ministry says you're too young to see what these curses can do. I say different! You need to know what you're up against. You need to be prepared. You need to find another place to stick your chewing gum, Mr Finnigan!"
He turned around and looked.
"aw, no way. The old nutter can see out the back of his head?"
"And hear across classrooms!"
He threw the chalk that he was using at Seamus which Draco sniggered at. I jumped slightly when he threw it.
"So.... which curse shall we see first? WEASLEY!?"
"Yes!?"
"Stand! Give us a curse"
"well, my dad, who works at the ministry, told me about one. The imperious curse?"
"Yes, your father would know all about that one. Gave the ministry a bit of trouble a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why"
He walked over to his desk and got a small scorpion spider out then made it bigger. He put the curse on it and made it go onto Neville's and Dean's desk, causing people to giggle and laugh. He then made it go on Crabbe's forehead. He then made it go on Padma's hand which made her nearly scream before making it go and land on Ron's head.
"What are you laughing at!?"
He made it go onto Draco's face which caused him to desperately grab my arms as he panicked, telling me to get it off him.
"Ha ha ha, what should I have 'er do next? Jump out the window?........"
He made it slam into the piece of glass on the side of the class.
"Drown herself?"
He put her just above a bucket of water. Then he made her come back to him and held her in his hand, ridding her of the curse.
"You see, lots of witches and wizards claim that they were only doing you-know-who's bidding under the influence of the imperious curse. So how do we sort out the liars?"
People started putting up their hands, including....... Neville. He was hesitant to at first.
"Longbottom, is it?"
Neville stood up.
"Professor sprout tells me you have a knack for Herbology."
He nodded before saying.
"there's the....... the cruciartis curse."
"Correct, correct! Come, come."
He went to his desk and put the insect down, Neville walking up to his desk then stood looking down on the bug.
"Crusio!"
As the bug squealed in pain, Neville gripped Moody's desk so hard that his knuckles went white. I could see the pain in his eyes as he attempted to look away. His breathing got shaky and I was forced to step in.
"STOP IT! CAN'T YOU SEE IT'S BOTHERING HIM!? STOP IT!"
He looked at me, then at Neville and stopped. Neville was still staring at the desk with that same look in his face even when Moody took the bug over to me.
"And perhaps you can give up the last unforgivable curse, miss Little?"
I shook my head as I looked at the bug he now had placed on my desk.
"the killing curse. Avada kedavra!"
The bug gave one last little squeal and then laid upside down, dead on my desk. I looked back over to Neville and saw that he was still in the same spot as before, staring down at the desk. As I was about to say something, the bell went and I got up then walked over to Neville.
"Nev?......"
He ignored me and just packed up his things then left. I went back over to Draco who was now with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Draco. Can you believe what just happened? Honestly. And didn't he say using one would get you in Azkaban? He just used all 3! It's totally barbaric."
Draco nodded and just left me so I went over to Harry, Ron and Hermione.
Na: "hey guys."
He: "that was brave of you, Naomi. Telling him to stop like that."
Na: "what else was I going to do?"
We started waling out into the corridor when someone said something again.
Ha: "Why'd you think it bothered him so bad?"
Na: "I'm not sure."
He: "He's a great teacher and all, but using the 3 unforgivable curses in one class. It's totally-"
Na: "Barbaric, exactly what I said. I mean did you see Neville's face!?"
Just then Ron tapped me and pointed to Neville, who was leaning against the wall looking out of a window which had water pouring down it.
Na: "Neville? Are you okay?"
He ignored me again. I heard that familiar wooden clanking sound on the hard stone stairs coming from behind us. Professor Moody put his hand on Nev's shoulder and Nev looked back at him.
"Come with me sonny, we'll have a cup a tee."
Neville nodded, still with the same blank expression on his face and followed him back up the stairs.
Na: "I really hope he's okay."
R: "Me too. Moody is a nutter, but he's bloody brilliant."
Ha: "I agree with Ron. Other than using the killing curse in our first lesson with him, I think he could be even better that Professor Lupin-"
Na: "How could you say that!? Professor Lupin was an incredible teacher. Moody just traumatized Neville! Yes, he's a werewolf. But he's the best Professor I've ever had!."
Ha: "Naomi."
Na: "what?"
Ha: "just an opinion."
Na: "right. Sorry"
We got back to the common room and Harry, Ron and Hermione went up to their dorms. I decided to stay down and wait for Neville to come back. I waited for around 2 hours when he came back. He looked at me and took a long blink before coming over to me and sitting next to me.
"you waited."
"what else was I supposed to do?"
"I figured you would be in your dorm, talking to Hermione."
"no. Neville, why did you-"
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"okay"
He leaned his head on my shoulder and put his books down. I then held his hand and rubbed circles on it with my thumb.
"What happened in Moody's office?"
"we spoke. He lent me this book on Herbology as well. It's really interesting."
I smiled and yawned before resting my head on his.
"tired?"
"Mhm"
"you should get to bed"
"can I sleep with you?"
"I want to be alone tonight."
This was really unlike him.
"oh, uhm........ okay"
He then got up and kissed my cheek before picking his books up and going up to his dorm. He didn't smile once. Shortly after, I went up to mine to be greeted by Hermione and Lavender. We spoke for a bit before I fell asleep.
-Neville's POV-
When I got into my dorm, almost everyone was asleep. Harry and Seamus were awake though, talking amongst themselves. Harry smiled at me and Seamus just waved. I waved back but couldn't smile. How could I? I had just watched someone preform the same curse that made my parents not know who I am. What's even worse is that all I could see when I looked at that poor bug, and heard it squeal in pain, was my mum and dad. Their screams and cries as they tried to get free of the curse. I hated thinking about it. I laid down in my bed and stared at the ceiling thinking of what it would be like if they hadn't been in the order and gotten themselves in this way. If I still had my parents. Maybe my life would be better. I didn't sleep that night. I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried. Maybe I should tell Naomi. She is my girlfriend after all.