ENIGMATIC • 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄

LX. Not-Moody

"Alastor moody. Ex-auror..." he trails off as he writes his name on the board. "... ministry malcontent... and your new defense against the dark arts teacher."

"I am here because dumbledore asked me. end of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?" Moody asks as I grin in amusement.

"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 asks as lavander glares at the man.

"Three, sir." Lavander answers as moody walks towards the board.

"And they are so named?" Moody asks as lavander sighs.

"Because they are unforgivable. The use of any one of them will—" lavander gets cut off by moody.

"Will win you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct." Moody seems to grow annoyed as he writes the word on the board.

"Now, the ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different!" Moody exclaims as I shake my head with a sigh.

Not complaining, but why did dumbledore hire this man again?

"You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared!" Moody explains before a gryffindor puts some chewed gum under the table.

"You need to find another place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, mr. Finnigan!" Moody exclaims as the class turns towards him.

"No way... the old codger can see out the back of his head..." finnigan mutters as moody turns towards him, throwing a piece of chalk at him violently as I cover my mouth in order to not laugh.

"And hear across classrooms!" Moody snaps as a grin forms on my face.

"So which curse shall we see first?" Moody asks as he walks forward.

"Weasley!" Moody snaps as Weasley looks up at him fearfully.

"Yes...?" Ron whispers as I glance towards the two.

"Stand." Moody demands as Ron slowly stands. "Give us a curse."

"Well... my dad did tell me about one..." Ron mutters as moody urges him to continue. "The imperious curse..."

"Oh, yeah, your father would know all about that. Gave the ministry quite a bit of a grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why." Moody says with a grin as he walks towards some insects, grabbing a spider.

"engorgio." Moody casts as the spider grows bigger.

"Imperio!" Moody yells again as the paided jumps onto the front desk, I look in amusement as he makes the giant spider jump of crabbes head.

"Don't worry. It's completely harmless." Moody says joyfully as he makes the spider jump on a girls shoulder, scaring the shit out of her.

"If she bites..." he trails off as he taunts Weasley by leaving the spider of his head. "She's lethal!"

Draco laughs as moody casts a glare towards him, "what are you laughing at?!"

The spider jumps on Draco face as I snicker.

"Talented, isn't she! What should I have her do next?" Moody asks as the classroom laughs.

"Jump out the window?" Moody asks as he flings the spider towards the window, making the class go silent.

"Drown herself?" He asks, holding the spider near the water as it almost drowns before quickly making the spider go back to him. I stare in awe at the complete control over the spider.

"Scores of wizards and witches have claimed that they only did you-know-who's bidding under the influence of the imperius curse. But here's the rub: how do we sort out the liars?" Moody asks as most stare in suprise.

"Another, another. Up, up, come on." Moody says as some students raise their hands.

"Longbottom, is it? Up." Moody demands as neville stands up.

"Professor sprout tells me you have an aptitude for herbology." Moody says as neville nods shakily.

"Th-there's the, um... the cruciatus curse..." neville mutters as I stare blankly at the boy.

"Correct, Correct! Come, come." Moody exclaims as neville steps forward hesitantly.

"Particularly nasty..." moody mutters as he sets the spider down.

"The torture curse.... Crucio!" Moody casts as the spider squeals in pain, neville grits his teeeh as the spider writhes around.

"Stop it! Can't you see it's bothering him? Stop it!!" Lavender exclaims as moody glances at neville before stopping the curse.

"Hm.." moody murmurs as he lays the spider on lavanders book.

"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse, Miss brown." Moody says as lavander shakes her head.

"No...?" Moody asks as lavander looks down at the spider. "Avada kedavra!"

I look at the now dead body of the spider as i tilt my head, thinking back to that night.

"The killing curse. Only two people are known to have survived it... and they're sitting in this room." Moody says as he walks towards me before taking out his flask and chugging the drink.

"After class, miss potter." Moody says before walking back to the front.

———

I stay after class as I raise an eyebrow at the professor who leaned against the desk.

"Well, do you need anything Professor?" I ask as moody sighs before his body fades into the form of barty.

I stare at him blankly before a grin forms on my face.

"I suppose now it makes sense why an 'ex-auror' used unforgivables in a classroom." I say as I sit on my desk, barty grins.

"Whatever, kid, just figured that it would be better to tell you this in person rather than through a letter. The dark lord plans to have me enter yours and Harry's name into the goblet of fire." Barty explains as I groan in annoyance.

"Of course! I just can't have one normal year, can I?!" I complain childishly as barty grins in amusement.

"Also, stop traumatizing poor neville. He already isn't liked by his classmates." I explain as barty groans in annoyance but nods.

"Whatever." Barty mutters with an eye roll as I grin.

"I'll talk to Tom about a plan, see you later." I say with a wave before walking out of the classroom.

———

"Well, the new professor is bat-shit crazy!" Hermione mutters to me as we walk down the stairway.

"Poor neville, he's already the outcast and now this... he just can't catch a break." I mutter before I notice neville staring out a window.

"Neville?" Hermione asks in worry as Draco leans against the wall.

'Moody' comes walking down the stairs as he puts a hand on Neville's shoulder.

"Son? You all right? Come on, we'll have a cup of tea. I want to show you something." Moody explains as neville sighs and follows him.