From the very first day of the new term, the so-called "Malfoy White Ferret Incident" had stirred up all of Hogwarts, and its aftermath showed no sign of settling down even the following day.
The moment Draco Malfoy stepped into the Dark Arts classroom, the room erupted into murmurs.
"…Long-haired ferret."
"Long-haired ferret, haha."
"Long-haired ferret… pfft."
"Is this bullying or what!?"
Draco finally cried out, unable to take it any longer. At that exact moment, Professor Moody entered the room, glaring at the students with his overwhelming presence and that constantly whirling magical eye.
"Put your textbooks away."
Professor Moody barked the order with intimidating force, as though the incident from the other day had never happened. Only then did the classroom finally quiet down.
"I've received a letter from your previous professor, Lupin. It seems you've already learned the basics of facing dark creatures."
As he spoke, Professor Moody spun his magical eye, fixing his gaze on the students.
"But you're behind. Severely behind when it comes to handling curses. My job is to drag you up to at least the bare minimum."
After speaking in his raspy voice, Professor Moody clapped his gnarled hands together with a sharp smack.
"Now then, many of you probably know which spells are punished most severely in the wizarding world."
The fact that almost everyone raised their hand was, frankly, classic Slytherin quality. That's just how it is.
"Celestia, give me one."
"The Imperius Curse."
When I answered immediately, Professor Moody let out a small chuckle.
"Your mother would know it well. She's used it to keep more than a few people from ending up in Azkaban."
It was fairly blatant sarcasm, but coming from Alastor Moody, a former Auror, it was understandable. Having Death Eaters slip away at the very last moment after cornering them would make anyone bitter, like having the prize snatched right out from under you.
"Now, the Imperius Curse allows you to control your target however you wish."
As he said this, Professor Moody reached into a jar and grabbed a large black spider. Placing it on his palm, he pointed his wand at it and muttered a single word.
"Imperio. Obey."
The spider leapt from his hand and began tap dancing on the desk. While some of the boys grinned and giggles escaped from the girls, Professor Moody let out a low growl.
"You find this amusing? Would you be happy if I did the same to you?"
The laughter vanished instantly as Professor Moody pinched up the spider.
"However, this curse can be resisted. Of course, it's best never to be hit by it in the first place, but never let your guard down."
Continuing on, Professor Moody pointed to Tracy Davis, who was seated near the edge, and told her to name another forbidden curse.
"The Cruciatus Curse. It inflicts pain."
"Correct. I'll show you what that looks like."
Once again, Professor Moody aimed his wand at the spider.
"Crucio. Suffer."
The atmosphere in the classroom immediately shifted. Even the usually smug Draco Malfoy and the bold Pansy went pale, while Zabini and Daphne grimaced. Meanwhile, Crabbe and Nott leaned forward with keen interest, prompting Millicent and Tracy to recoil from them.
"Pain. With the Cruciatus Curse, there's no need to tear out fingernails or burn skin during torture. It was once widely used."
"But," Professor Moody continued.
"That was in the past. These days, Veritaserum or Legilimency is far more reliable for extracting information. Now, it's mostly used to immobilize an opponent through pain, or simply to make them suffer. A curse for those with bad taste."
With the explanations of the Imperius Curse and the Cruciatus Curse finished, it was finally time for the last of the forbidden spells. As expected, everyone raised their hand.
"Nott, answer."
"Avada Kedavra."
Ah, Professor Moody smiled with his twisted mouth.
"And the effect?"
"The target dies."
"Perfect."
With that, Professor Moody grabbed the spider once more. It struggled desperately to escape his grip, and the moment it was placed on the desk, it scurried frantically toward the edge.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Professor Moody's voice thundered through the room, followed by a blinding flash of green light.
The flash struck the spider directly, and in the next instant, it lay on its back. There was no visible wound, but it was unmistakably dead.
As the students stared in stunned silence, only Professor Moody's voice echoed through the classroom.
"It's not a pleasant thing. Worse still, these forbidden curses have no counter-curses. There's no way to block them. Only one person has ever survived being hit by this."
Who he was referring to needed no explanation.
"However, using these curses requires immense magical power. Even if you cast them at me, you'd be lucky to make my nose bleed."
In other words, being able to use an unforgivable curse at all is proof of considerable magical strength.
"Now then, these three Unforgivable Curses. Casting even one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That is what you will be facing. You must understand the worst-case scenario. Only then will I teach you how to fight. But above all else, always, constantly, stay vigilant!"
From there on, the class was spent entirely taking notes on the Unforgivable Curses. The moment the bell rang and we stepped out of the classroom, the mood flipped, and excited chatter erupted.
"Did you see that spider twitching? That was messed up!"
"I know, right? That was insane."
"And when Moody killed it, it was over in an instant!"
"Exactly. That guy really knows what he's doing."
The students spoke animatedly, as though they had just witnessed a spectacular show.
"I never thought we'd see that in a fourth-year class… for better or worse."
As for me, I couldn't deny the fact that while I felt instinctive fear, my curiosity had also been stirred. After all, very few wizards can use the Unforgivable Curses, and even in Hogwarts, with its long history and traditions, this was likely the first time they had ever been demonstrated in class.
However, showing forbidden curses in front of students was only the beginning. The content of the second lesson was even more shocking.
◇◆◇
"For today's lesson, I'll be casting the Imperius Curse on each of you to see whether you can resist it."
The moment Professor Moody said this, the entire class was left speechless.
"Um… isn't that just outright illegal?"
"Dumbledore wants you to experience firsthand what it's like."
"If that's the case, wouldn't Headmaster Dumbledore end up in Azkaban too?"
"..."
When I said that, Professor Moody fell silent and rummaged through his desk, pulling out a stack of documents.
"I anticipated this, so I checked with the Ministry of Magic and prepared consent contracts."
Despite his rough appearance, Professor Moody apparently had a meticulous side. He began handing out the documents to each student, and I immediately examined the contents.
—————————————
Consent Agreement Regarding the Special Lecture on Defense Against the Dark Arts
This agreement is entered into today between a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (hereinafter referred to as Party A) and Professor Alastor Moody of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (hereinafter referred to as Party B), under the following terms.
Article 1 (Content of Agreement)
Party A commissions Party B to conduct a special lecture on Defense Against the Dark Arts (hereinafter referred to as the Special Lecture), and Party B accepts this commission.
Following the conclusion of this agreement, the content of the Special Lecture conducted between Party A and Party B shall be governed by this agreement, unless special provisions are separately agreed upon.
Article 2 (Confirmation of the Special Lecture)
During the Special Lecture, Party B shall use the Imperius Curse, one of the Unforgivable Curses, on Party A.
While Party A is under the effects of the Imperius Curse, all actions taken by Party A shall be deemed to be under Party B's instructions, and Party B shall bear full responsibility for Party A's actions.
Article 3 (Duration)The duration of the Special Lecture and the validity of Article 2 shall be limited to the class hours of Defense Against the Dark Arts conducted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Article 4 (Termination of Agreement)
Party A may immediately revoke this agreement at their own discretion, even during the contract period, and withdraw from the lecture.
Party B shall bear no instructional responsibility following Party A's termination of the agreement.
(Sections omitted below.)
—————————————
Toward the end, it stated that Headmaster Dumbledore would serve as the joint guarantor, and there was a signature line at the very bottom.
"Hm… there don't seem to be any procedural issues."
After reading the contract thoroughly and signing it, I noticed that the other Slytherins immediately followed suit, signing one after another.
＊＊＊
After that, Professor Moody began casting the Imperius Curse on each student one by one, and before long the classroom was filled with bizarre behavior.
For example, Crabbe and Goyle put on lifelike impressions of a pig and a gorilla, Draco Malfoy moonwalked flawlessly around the classroom three times, and Daphne suddenly started singing death metal at the top of her lungs. It was chaos of a surprisingly high level.
"Celestieria, you're next."
When it was finally my turn, Professor Moody swung his wand and shouted,
"Imperio. Obey!"
The moment it hit me, I realized it.
Ah, this spell is bad.
It felt unbelievably wonderful.
All memories and worries were gently wiped away, and an indescribable sense of happiness enveloped my entire body, like suddenly coming into possession of tens of thousands of Galleons overnight.
"Hehehe…"
There was no trace left of the cool, genius beauty. The occasional "fufufu" slipping from my lips made me look like a petty crook dazzled by money. Completely unhinged, honestly.
Then Mad-Eye Moody's voice seemed to echo directly into my completely loosened brain.
"Can you hear me… I am speaking directly… to your mind…"
His voice continued.
"Dance."
(…Okaaay.)
In a state that felt like I had smoked some extremely questionable herbs, I took his words lightly and thought, "I see, dancing. That dance party thing isn't far off anyway, so why not use this as practice?" With that carefree mindset, I started stepping into a dance.
As I vaguely registered everyone around me staring, another voice suddenly spoke somewhere in my head.
"There's really no need to dance here and now, is there? Let's not do today what we can do tomorrow."
I see, I see. That does make sense. But then another voice followed immediately, a devilish whisper.
"Why not charm everyone with your dancing and captivate both boys and girls? You might gain some useful pawns."
Hmm, that also sounds reasonable in its own way… but before long, an angel replaced the devil in my head.
"If you're going to dance anyway, you should charge an admission fee. And while you're at it, sue Moody for harassment."
Angel…?
＊＊
In the end, during the lesson focused on the Slytherin students, myself included, not a single student managed to break the Imperius Curse on the first attempt.
"There's no need to take it to heart. Unless they are a well-trained Auror, even a fully qualified wizard cannot easily resist the Imperius Curse."
In other words, Professor Moody emphasized just how powerful and dangerous Dark Magic truly was.
"In all my previous classes, the only student who broke the curse immediately was Harry Potter."
At that, Draco scowled bitterly, while Crabbe muttered something surprisingly reasonable like, "Being compared to Potter isn't exactly fair…"
"There are individual differences, but in my experience, some Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students develop strong resistance to the Imperius Curse at an early stage."
According to Professor Moody, Gryffindor-style resistance comes from a strong rebellious streak that instinctively pushes back against others, while Ravenclaw-style resistance comes from immersing oneself so deeply in one's own world that outside interference is repelled. Different vectors, but both are effective ways of resisting the Imperius Curse.
"However, when it comes to growth through training, I believe Slytherin has the greatest potential."
Because many Slytherins are realists, they tend to hesitate and observe before instinctively resisting or retreating into themselves. As a result, they are often swept along at first.
"I'll say this plainly. You are weak."
At the provocative words, a few students, including Goyle, openly showed their displeasure. But when they were glared at sharply by the magical eye, they hurriedly looked away, prompting Professor Moody to grin crookedly.
"Yes, that's it. You avert your eyes from your own weakness, yet your pride is disproportionately high. And when you're forced to make a stand, you immediately cling to short-term self-preservation. That is why you cannot break the Imperius Curse."
After shutting down all rebuttal with an unassailable argument, Professor Moody continued.
"Listen well. The key to breaking the Imperius Curse is controlling yourself. You must objectively assess the situation, including your own weaknesses, and then possess the firm will to break the spell."
That was likely the true form of Slytherin adaptability.
We had thought he disliked Slytherin, so his words of encouragement instead left us confused. Professor Moody continued speaking.
"After careful consideration, making resolute decisions based on sound judgment. That is also a trait many Slytherins possess. Separate yourself from the immediate situation and your emotions, think calmly about what must be done, and then act. With enough training, the day will come when you can break the Imperius Curse."
The tone was different from his earlier intimidation, and faced with his seriousness, even the previously defiant students now listened intently, unwilling to miss a single word.
"You must know the worst-case scenario, accept your own smallness, and then act with an eye toward the future. Do not become self-deprecating, but do not get carried away either. Always be prepared. Never let your guard down!"
As Professor Moody's familiar catchphrase thundered through the classroom, the bell signaling the end of class rang out at the same time.
＊＊＊
"Hey, don't you think this year might be another lucky one?"
After class, Millicent said that to me as she hugged her textbooks.
"He pokes at us a lot, but it feels like we might actually get the hang of it."
I nodded in agreement as Millicent staggered forward, still taking three steps ahead and two back because the spell's effects had not fully worn off.
('Don't get carried away,' huh…)
For someone like me, steadily growing into the perfect, enviable prodigy, those words gave me pause. The fact that I lagged behind Harry in resistance to the Imperius Curse, and the reality that the recent White Ferret Incident was at least partly caused by complacency, could not be denied.
"Never let your guard down."
Keeping those words close to my heart, I let my thoughts drift toward the coming Triwizard Tournament.
(End of chapter)
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