The Adopted Weasley

7~ Defense Against the Dark Arts

All the fourth years arrived early to their first DADA class, eagerly waiting for class to start.

Everyone took out their books, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection, and waited, unusually quiet. After a bit, they heard Moody's distinctive footsteps coming from down the corridor and entering the room looking as strange as ever.

"You can put those away." he growled, stomping over to his desk and sitting down. "Those books, you won't need them."

They slowly returned their books to their bags, Ron looking excited.

Moody took out a register and tossed his grey hair back out of his scarred face, then began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical I school around fixing on each student as he or she answered.

He lingered on Grace for a moment before moving on.

"Right then," He said when the last person declared themselves present. "I have a letter from Professor Lupin about this class seems like you had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling dark creatures, you've covered, boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappa, and werewolves. Is that right?

There was a murmur of agreement.

"But you're behind, very behind, on dealing with dark magic." Said Moody. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year teach you how to deal with dark-"

"Wait, you're not staying?" Ron blurted out.

Moody looked at Ron for a second, they were all worried about what he would do but then he smiled which didn't really make him look happier, but it was good to know that he wasn't a complete grump.

"You'll be Arthur weasley son, eh?" Moody said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago... And yeah I'm saying just one year, special favour to Dumbledore, one year, then back to my quiet retirement." He gave a harsh laugh and clapped his hands together.
"So straight to curses, they come in many strengths, and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter curses and leave it at that, I am not supposed to show you what illegal dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then, but Professor Dumbledore got a higher opinion of your nerves, and he reckons you can cope. I say the sooner you know what you are up against, the better. How are you supposed to protect yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal course on you, isn't gonna tell you what he's about to do, he's not gonna do it nice and polite. You need to be prepared, you need to be alert and watchful, you need to put that away, Miss. Brown when I am talking."

Lavender blushed and quickly put away her horoscope that she had been showing Parvati under the desk, obviously Moody's eye could see through the wooden desk as well.

Now, can anyone tell me an unforgivable curse? There's three of them."

Grace looked down, she knew all three very well.

Several hands rose tentatively in the air including Ron and Hermione. Mody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender.

"Er," Ron said tentatively. "My dad told me about one called the Imperius curse?"

"Yes." Said Moody appreciatively. "Your father would know about that one, gave the ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the imperius curse."

Moody stood and open his desk drawer, and took a glass jar with three large black spiders inside of it. Grace noticed Ron recoil slightly where he was sitting with Harry and Hermione, Ron hated spiders.

Moody reached into the jar and caught one of the spiders, holding it in the palm of his hand so they could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"

The spider jumped from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk, and begin swing backward and forwards-

Everyone had begun laughing, except for Grace.

Grace had put her head on her desk and was trying not to cry. Too many memories running through her head, and none of them good.

After a moment, Moody interrupted the laughter.

"Think it's funny, do you?" He growled. "You'd like it then, wouldn't you, if I did it to you?"

The laughter died away almost instantly, Grace slowly looked up. Neville was looking at her, concerned, not realizing she was upset.

"Total control." said Moody quietly, as the spider balled up and began to roll over and over. "I can make it jump out the window, drown itself, or throw itself down one of your throats. Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius curse." Said Moody,

Grace knew that he was talking about the days in which Voldermort had been All-powerful.

"Some job for the ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced into action, and who was acting of their own free will. The imperius curse can be fought, for a little while, no one can withstand for long. But you can last long enough for them to realize you're not worth taking, you could break free and spoil everything for them.
I'll be teaching you to do just that. But it takes real strength of character. Not everyone's got it, better to avoid the curse if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE." He barked and everyone jumped

"Alright, next curse!"

To everyone's surprise, Neville's hand rose and Moody called on him.

"I know one... the Cruciatus curse." Neville said distantly.

Moody looked at him for a long time.

"Your name is Longbottom?"

Neville nodded, looking nervous, but Moody just nodded and grabbed the next spider, making it bigger, about the size of a tarantula.

Moody raised his wand and said. "Crucio!"

Grace started shaking, she could hear the spider screaming, she was sure, as it writhed in pain. It was taking everything not to scream herself.

"Stop it!" Hermione shouted.

She wasn't looking at the spider, but Grace and Neville, especially Neville, who was pale and clutching the desk so hard his knuckles were white.

Moody stopped and Grace slowly put her hand on Neville's, trying to bring him some comfort, she had no idea why he was affected by it so much, but she understood what he was feeling.

Moody shrank the spider, then put it back in the jar.

"Pain." Said Moody softly, "You don't need thumbscrews or knives when you know this curse, this one was very popular too." He sighed slightly. "Alright anyone know any others?"

Hermione's hand went up, alone and Grace closed her eyes for a moment, knowing what was coming.

"Avada Kedavra."