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❛CHAPTER THIRTEEN
the curses and
the champions❜
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PERCY had his head resting on his arms, his eyes were drooping a little as he was exhausted like always nowadays. Hermione sat next to him, flipping through her Defense Against the Dark Arts as she waited for the lesson to begin. Miya sat beside Neville Longbottom, the two were engrossed in a conversation in sign language. Who knew Neville knew how to communicate that way. Though just as Percy seemed to finally almost fall asleep, the door to the classroom flew open with a loud bang, immediately waking Percy with a jolt.
"Alastor Moody, ex-auror, ministry malcontent, and your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Professor Moody began, finishing something he was writing on the blackboard. "I'm here because, Dumbledore asked me. End of story. Goodbye. The end. Any questions."
No one raised their hands, but Percy did sit up. He heard of Moody, but he felt something was off about him, he just didn't know what yet. Percy always hated DADA, and right now he just wanted to leave the classroom, he didn't feel safe with Moody.
"Now when it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which of you can tell me, how many Unforgivable Curses there are?" Moody called, turning swiftly around to face the group.
"Three sir." Hermione states, earning a stiff nod from the professor.
"And they are so named?" Moody pushed.
"Because they are unforgivable, the use of any of them will-" Hermione started though she was quickly interrupted.
"-Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban. Correct." Moody states, the anger in his voice very obvious. "Now the Ministry says your too young to see what these curses do, I say different! You need to know what your up against! You need to be prepared, you need to find another find another place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnigan!"
"Oh no way, the old codger can see out of the back of his head." Seamus muttered, and Percy let a snigger as Moody threw a piece of chalk across the room.
"And hear across classrooms!" Moody yelled, turning around on his heel. "So, which curse shall we see first."
Percy's smile fell, and all amusement left his body at Moody's words. His body tensed up at the mention of seeing the curses. It would be different if they only talked about them, but seeing them? His mind went to places we wished he could forget. Hermione grabbed his hand in reassurance, seeing how his mood shifted so suddenly.
"Weasley?!" Moody yelled, making the boy jump.
"Yes?" Ron asked, already clearly scared of him.
"Stand." Moody commands, and Ron does as he's told and stands up from his seat. "Give us a curse."
"Well my dad did tell me about one," Ron hesitantly said. "The Imperius Curse."
"Oh yeah, 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 stated, moving towards his desk and takes a spider that he enlarged from a jar. Moody casts the curse on it, and Percy watches as he forces the creature to jump around the classroom. Moody places it on top of the Thayer boys book, and mentions something about it being harmless. Percy stared at his eyes, and suddenly saw the fear in its eyes, confused at to what was happening to it. "Joking he's lethal!"
Moody forces it away from the boy and sets it right on top of Draco's face who was laughing at what was happening. Immediately he stopped and a look of fear took over his face.
"Talented isn't she! What should I have her do next, jump out the window!" Moody yells, throwing the spider right into the closed window. Everyone went quite as she fell from the window, trying to regain herself as she shook off the pain. Moody went very serious then. "Drown herself?"
Percy felt his anger bubbling to the surface as he watched Moody place the spider close to a cup of water. He hated spiders, but nothing or no one should be forced to do something like that. To suffer like that. To be forced to do things it has no control over.
"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed they old did, You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperious Curse but, here's the rub. How do we sort out the liars? Another?" Moody asked, placing the spider down, and turned when Neville slowly raised his hand. "Longbottom, is it?" Neville nods and stands as Moody ushers him up. "Professor Sprout tells me, you have a an aptitude for Herbology.
Neville nods once again for speaking almost forced. "T-theres the um, Cruciatus Curse."
"Correct, correct, come, come." Moody instructs, and Neville looks around the room and meets the saddened gaze of Percy for a second.
Moody casts the curse on the spider once again, which immediately screeches in pain.
Percy whimpered in pain at the sound, and covered his ears. The creatures screeches still echoed loudly in his head, and memories of when Elijah Thayer would use that curse on him came into mind. Tears welled in his eyes and a few fell, as he felt as if he was back in the basement of Thayer Manor, lying on the ground as he was struck with the curse repeatedly by the male.
"Stop it!" Hermione screams. "Stop, can't you see its bothering him!" Her eyes moving from the Longbottom boy and Thayer boy, who were both in quiet distress. But seeing Percy in pain hurt her deeply.
Moody immediately stops and turns and forces the spider on top of Hermione's books in front of her. "Perhaps you could give us the last Unforgivable Curse, Miss Granger?"
Hermione only shook her head in response, on the verge of crying as tears welled in her eyes.
"Avada Kedavra." Moody states, the curse hitting the spider that let's out a final screech before going completely still. "The killing curse. Only one person is known to have survived it, and he's sitting in this room."
All eyes turn onto Harry Potter who stared at the now dead spider. Percy started to breath normally now, and Hermione gripped his hand for dear life. But even though she was holding it, the tenseness and discomfort never went away, not until he was as far away from that classroom as he could be.
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PERCY sat at the Slytherin table, in between next Emi and his youngest brother, Wadsworth. The hall quietens down as Dumbledore stepped forward.
"Now the moment you've all been waiting for! The Champion Selection!" Dumbledore yells, waving his hands and the lights slowly dim, giving the hall a blue glow from the Goblet of Fire.
Dumbledore walks over with his hand outstretched, all that could be heard around the hall were the whispers from students and crackling of the fire. Dumbledore places his hand on the cup for a second, before stepping back with his hand still outstretched. The flames glow a magenta before a single parchment is shot out, which Dumbledore grabs with ease.
"The Durmstrang Champion is... Viktor Krum!" Dumbledore announces, and loud cheers from the Durmstrang erupt, congratulating Krum as he walked towards the older man.
Percy clapped for the man that he knew had been trying to get with Hermione. The fire turns magenta again and another parchment is shot out.
Dumbledore catches it with ease once again. "The Champion for Beauxbatons... Is Fleur Delacour!"
Percy looks over to Fred who, with quite a bit annoyance, threw a bag of candy at him, which he caught with ease.
Wadsworth looked at him. "What's that all about?"
"Me and Fred had a bet on which lass would win, I got it right." Percy told him, handing the bag to his little brother so he could choose some.
Dumbledore reads the final parchment that was throw out. "The Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory!" Percy clapped and hoped for the best for the Hufflepuff. "Excellent! We have our three champions! Only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions! Thid vessel of victory!" He turns quickly around. "The Triwizard Cup!"
Dumbledore points to the cup, which its covering is pulled off and revealed to everyone as it shines.
Percy then notices Snape's confused gaze, and looks towards the Goblet, which its fire flickers in and out as if conflicted on what to do. Albus also turns turns and the hall goes deadly quiet as two more pieces of parchment are thrown into the air by the magenta flames. Dumbledore catches both and his eyes widen.
"Harry Potter." He whispers, so quietly that the werewolf almost didn't catch it. "Harry Potter and Perseus Thayer!"
Percy tenses up at his name, and all eyes flicker from him to Harry. His friends look at him wide eyed, completely confused at what they heard. Dumbledore yells their names again in anger, and Semi pushes Percy up, forcing him to walk towards the angry man.
He grabs the parchment from Dumbledores hand, the older mans gaze burning holes into his head as well as everyone else in the great hall. He goes and stands next to the other three, staring at the parchment that clearly has his name written on it. Harry comes and stands next to him, and the two look at each other with absolute confusion.
EDITED: OCTOBER 9TH, 2021
AUTHORS NOTE
hope everyone enjoyed this, anyway have a good day or night and stay safe everyone!
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