Chapter 7
Professor Moody
Thankfully, the storm had moved on by morning although heavy clouds still remained covering the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall. It was early—too early according to Neville but Orion had just been too eager to see Cedric to stay in the Gryffindor Tower any longer. Luckily, for Orion at least, Cedric had joined them shortly after they arrived and gave them all of the details of what they missed in the Hufflepuff Common Room last night.
Apparently, many of the Hufflepuffs shared Mr. Diggory's belief that Cedric was an ideal choice for Champion—especially with the extra tutelage he had received from Remus over the years. Orion had to cringe as Cedric grumbled about 'Hufflepuff pride' and peer pressure. He knew the Hufflepuffs didn't intentionally mean to make it harder for Cedric. They were just eager to finally have some attention. The Hufflepuff house was traditionally overlooked. The last 'glory' they had was their Quidditch win against Gryffindor last year and that was overshadowed by the Dementors invading the pitch.
"So you're saying there isn't another Hufflepuff who's going to enter the Tournament?" Neville asked dumbfounded.
"Oh no," Cedric said with a laugh. "Everyone who can, will enter. It's the younger years who are hoping I get selected more than anyone else because of the Seeker's Challenge."
Orion quickly scooped more eggs on his plate to avoid the glare Cedric sent his way. It wasn't like it was Orion's fault that the Hufflepuffs were so eager for even the slightest recognition or that Cedric was too afraid to disappoint anyone. "If all the attention bothers you, tell them," Orion said bluntly. "If you become Champion, it'll only get worse."
Cedric frowned in thought. "You're right," he admitted. "If I can't deal with the pressure now, there's no way—"
"—now stop right there," Orion interrupted. "You haven't been selected and you may not be selected. Every single seventh year student is eligible along with any other sixth year who has birthday before the names are selected. Do you, Cedric, want to enter the Tournament?"
Cedric thought about it for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I want to make my dad proud of me," he admitted.
"That's not what Orion asked," Neville said with a frown. "If your dad hadn't said anything, would you still want to enter?"
Cedric was silent for a long moment as he pushed his eggs around on his plate. "I—I don't know," he said softly. "I've never liked attention. I know this won't be anything like what you've had to face over the years, Ori, but…"
"Mr. Diggory," Professor Sprout said as she approached. "As a prefect, you should know that class selection—"
"—for sixth years is this morning," Cedric interrupted tiredly. "I'm sorry, Professor. I forgot."
Professor Sprout's face shifted to a look of understanding. "Ah, yes, I imagine you do have a lot on your mind," she said then glanced down at the parchment in her hand. "Have you thought of what classes you want to take this year? Do you still wish to be an Auror?"
Orion stared at Cedric in surprise. Cedric had never revealed that.
"Er—I'm thinking about it," Cedric said cautiously.
Professor Sprout smiled. "Well, your O.W.L results were certainly high enough," she said approvingly. "You applied for Herbology, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Potions. Would you like to add any others?"
"I don't think so," Cedric answered although it sounded more like a question than an actual answer.
"Very well," Professor Sprout said as she handed Cedric's schedule over. "Mr. Diggory, I believe your friends have a very good point. You should only enter in the Tournament if that is what you want."
Orion, Neville and Cedric stared at Professor Sprout in surprise as she turned and walked back to the Hufflepuff table. "Well, what do you know?" Neville asked at last.
"Black, Longbottom," Professor McGonagall's strict voice snapped them out of their daze. She put a handful of schedules down between them. "I trust you will make sure Potter, Weasley and Granger receive their schedules."
"Er—sure, Professor," Neville said then fingered through the schedules, pulling out his and Orion's. "I wonder where they are," he added as soon as Professor McGonagall moved on to the next group. "It isn't like them to be this late."
"We're not late" Ron grumbled as he collapsed in a chair across from Neville. "We were cornered by the Creevey brothers and they wouldn't shut up."
"Ron," Hermione reprimanded although there wasn't any force behind it. "Please. Dennis was just excited to meet Hayden."
"Sorry that we missed it," Neville said as he handed out the schedules. "We're outside all morning today. Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins."
"Double Divination this afternoon," Hayden groaned. "Just what I need on my first day."
"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" Hermione asked as the buttered herself some toast. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."
"Or have the afternoon off," Orion said with a grin as he looked at his own schedule. "Great! I'll be able to finish some of Remus' assignments before we're loaded with schoolwork."
Ron stopped shoveling food into his mouth and stared at Orion. "Loaded?" he asked in horror.
Cedric nodded. "Fourth year is all about preparation," he said knowingly. "With your O.W.L.s next year, the teachers try to prepare you for what's to come so next year isn't such a big shock."
"How bad is it?" Hayden asked nervously.
Cedric shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just say you'll probably be grateful Quidditch is canceled, especially if the new captain would have been anything like Oliver Wood." He glanced at his watch. "Well, I should get going. Have a good first day and Ori, Neville—I'll see you later, all right?"
"Sure," Neville said with a grin. "Maybe we can meet in the library and work on that list Remus gave you."
Cedric returned the grin before turning and leaving. Orion and Neville shared a look before returning to their breakfast. No matter what Cedric decided, they would be there to help him—it was the least they could do.
"So wha' was Diggory sittin' here for?" Ron mumbled through a mouthful of toast.
"Just talking," Orion said with a shrug.
"Is he going to enter in the Tournament?" Hayden asked curiously.
"He's thinking about it," Orion answered. "There's a lot that comes with the Tournament that many people don't even consider."
"Like what?" Ron asked dumbfounded. "It's a thousand Galleons! What else is there to consider?"
Orion stared at Ron with a raised eyebrow. "How about the pressure that comes with being Champion?" he asked dryly. "The entire school will be counting on whoever is selected to win. Of course he or she will be cheered if they do well but they will also be ridiculed if they fail. Think of how Draco loves to taunt you, Ron, and multiply that to include the majority of the students in this school."
Hayden shuddered. "That settles it," he said firmly. "There's absolutely no way I'll ever enter. Ron, you're on your own."
Ron scowled and didn't say anything for the rest of breakfast and throughout the entire journey to greenhouse three for Herbology where they spent the entire time collecting pus from bubotubers. Orion and Neville worked at a table with Susan Bones and Justin Finch-Fletchley who asked question after question about the Seeker's Challenge. Needless to say, Orion was relieved when the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson.
After Herbology, the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs separated. The Hufflepuffs returned to the castle for Transfiguration while the Gryffindors ventured across the sloping grounds towards Hagrid's small wooden cabin. Hagrid was already waiting for them with Fang at his side. As they drew closer, Orion noticed several open wooden crates on the ground at Hagrid's feet. There were odd rattling noises that almost sounded like small explosions coming from the crates. That couldn't be a good thing.
"Mornin'!" Hagrid exclaimed with a grin. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this—Blast-Ended Skrewts!"
Orion stared at Hagrid with a raised eyebrow. He never assumed to know everything but he knew an awful lot about Magical Creatures. It was a popular subject of Remus' when Orion had been younger. If Remus had never mentioned them, which meant that they were fairly new—perhaps too new. Would Hagrid attempt to create a hybrid creature? Possibly.
"Come again?" Ron asked dumbfounded.
Hagrid pointed down at the crates.
"Eurgh!" Lavender squealed as she jumped backward.
"Only jus' hatched," Hagrid said proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"
Orion's eyes widened. This was just wrong on so many levels. New creatures needed to be studied in a secluded environment by trained witches and wizards—not children. Hagrid was only asking for disaster and, knowing Hagrid like Orion did, wouldn't listen to anyone until someone was seriously hurt. Hadn't Hagrid learned from last year? Hadn't he realized how quickly everything could come crashing down?
"And why would we want to raise them?" Draco asked coldly as he arrived with the rest of the Slytherins. When Hagrid looked dumbfounded at the question, Draco continued, "I mean, what do they do? What is the point of them?"
Hagrid looked like he was thinking hard for a moment before answering, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things—I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer—I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake—just try 'em out with a bit of each."
"First pus and now this," Seamus muttered grumpily.
It was extremely difficult for Orion to keep his mouth shut throughout the class. Several students were burned when the ends exploded while others were poked by the stingers. By the end of class, Orion silently vowed to find a time to talk to Hagrid. If the wrong people found out, Hagrid could really be in a lot of trouble.
"Well, at least the skrewts are small," Ron said as they walked back to the castle for lunch an hour later.
"They are now," Hermione said anxiously, "but once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long."
"But it won't matter if they end up being useful, right?" Ron asked eagerly.
"Somehow, Ron, I don't think they'll be anything but a pain," Hayden said with a sigh as they walked up the stone steps. "Honestly, who'd want to deal with something that had three ways of hurting you?"
"Maybe we should sneak out there at night and stomp on the lot of them," Neville offered.
Walking through the Entrance Hall and into the Great Hall, Orion had to admit that Neville's idea sounded really tempting although they probably wouldn't be able to pull it off without getting caught by Hagrid. If only Hayden still had the Invisibility Cloak…
They sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to lamb chops and potatoes. Hermione stared at the food curiously before turning to Orion. "Ori, you have house elves, right?" she asked.
Orion nodded slowly, eyeing Hermione suspiciously. "Two," he said. "Mindy and Toby. Dad got rid of the old family house elf after adopting me then found Mindy and Toby to help out at home. If they hadn't been there I probably would have starved. Dad can't cook to save his life."
Hermione frowned. "But—they're paid, right?"
It was Orion's turn to frown. "Paid?" he asked incredulously. "Hermione, offering a house elf payment would be insulting them. They need to be bonded to someone—their sanity depends on it. Take my family, for example. My grandmother wasn't exactly the nicest person. She believed in the whole pureblood supremacy that Voldemort was preaching. Kreacher, the family elf, shared her beliefs—including her hatred for my dad. His ultimate goal was to join his ancestors mounted on the wall."
Hermione cringed. Orion couldn't blame her. "Gross, I know," he said bluntly. "Needless to say, that wasn't a healthy environment for a house elf and Kreacher paid the price for it. It's not like that with Mindy and Toby. They really are happy to work for Dad. He treats them well—better than most people would ever consider treating a house elf."
"But it's still slave labor!" Hermione insisted.
Orion let out a sigh as he ran a hand down his face. "Hermione, I told you years ago—the wizarding world isn't perfect, remember?" he asked in frustration. "Having a devoted house elf is a privilege which is why many prefer to treat their house elf well. Those who don't have allowed segregation to cloud their judgment."
Hermione let out a huff. "It's just not fair," she grumbled.
Orion fought the urge to remind her that life wasn't always fair. He really didn't want to get into a fight about the shortcomings of the wizarding world. It would be different if house elves actually wanted change but most refused to even consider it. The smallest of change could very well take generations to implement and Orion had a feeling that Hermione didn't have that amount of patience.
When the bell rang to signal the start of afternoon lessons, Hayden, Ron and Neville set off for Divination while Hermione left for Arithmancy. Orion wasted no time hurrying to the Gryffindor Tower to grab his fifth year material before seeking out the library. This was probably the only chance he would have to work on his extra assignments before the 'Hogwarts assignments' began. Luckily, Madam Pince was the only person in the library so Orion had the entire place to himself.
He started with Charms—his easiest subject followed closely by Defense Against the Dark Arts. Herbology wasn't as easy but it was rather straight forward. Potions, on the other hand, was probably the most intricate class taught at Hogwarts. There were so many different factors to remember when making a potion—ingredients, temperature, preparation, and assembly. One mistake could cause disastrous results but even that was still easier for Orion than Transfiguration—the one subject that Orion struggled with.
Focusing completely on his assignments, Orion nearly jumped out of his seat at the sound of the bell signaling the end of afternoon classes. He packed everything up quickly and hurried out to try to meet up with Neville. It was difficult to maneuver through the crowds but thanks Ron's height and red hair, it was easy to find the fourth year Gryffindors in the line of students descending the staircases towards the Great Hall.
"Miserable old bat," Ron said bitterly as Orion joined them. "That'll take all weekend, that will…"
"Lots of homework?" Hermione said brightly as she also joined them. "Professor Vector didn't give us any at all!"
"Well, bully for Professor Vector," Ron grumbled.
"What happened?" Orion asked curiously.
"We were learning about the planets today and—well—Ron mad an inappropriate comment," Neville said quietly.
"It was a joke!" Ron protested. "It's not my fault Trelawney doesn't have a sense of humor."
"Ron, we joke all the time in Divination," Hayden countered. "That—well—I'm surprised that's all Trelawney did."
Orion's eyes widened. It must've been bad for Hayden to speak up. "I don't think I want to know," he said as they reached the Entrance Hall.
"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"
Orion let out a resigned sigh as he turned with everyone else to see Draco standing there with Vincent Grabbe and Gregory Goyle. They all looked extremely pleased about something which was never a good sign for any Gryffindor.
"What?" Ron asked shortly.
"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Draco said holding up a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking loudly so that everyone could hear. "Listen to this! Further Mistakes at the Ministry of Magic. It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
Orion and Hayden quickly repositioned themselves to stop Ron from doing something thick.
Draco noticed and smirked at Ron. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Wealsey. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed then straightened the paper with more force than necessary and read on. "Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley was called in to aid decorated Auror, Sirius Black and newly reinstated Auror, Frank Longbottom clear up a disturbance at the residence of 'Mad-Eye' Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder."
Orion's eyes narrowed. Rita Skeeter was really going too far this time.
"Unsurprisingly," Draco continued, "The present Aurors and Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Several memories had to be modified and Mr. Weasley was forced to rely on Aurors Black and Longbottom to deal with the policemen. With Mr. Weasley's incapability to handle Muggles, this reporter has to wonder if Mr. Weasley is in the right department."
Draco flipped the paper over and held it up. "And there's a picture, Weasley!" he announced. "A picture of your parents outside their house—if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"
Orion and Hayden immediately grabbed an arm when Ron took an angry step forward. "Ron, it's not worth it," Orion warned.
Ron angrily pulled his arm away from Orion. "You're one to talk!" he snarled. "You don't have a mother!"
Gasps filled the Hall as Orion took a shaky step back. If only he didn't have a mother. Orion would prefer that than one who didn't want him. "Thank you for reminding me," he said quietly then turned and met Neville's wide eyes. "The halls are a bit crowded, don't you think?"
Neville snapped out of his shock. "Er—right," he said then turned quickly and led the way through the crowd to the Great Hall.
As they entered, both could hear Hermione's outraged voice echoing to the point that it was impossible to make out what she was saying. As soon as she was finished, silence filled both Halls. Orion let out a resigned sigh and moved for the Gryffindor table only to feel a hand on his left shoulder.
"Come on, Ori," Cedric said with a compassionate look on his face. "I sat with you at the Gryffindor table this morning. You both can sit with me at Hufflepuff tonight—both of you can."
Orion let out another sigh but this time it was in relief. The longer he could put off having to face Ron—or Hayden—the better. Deep down, Orion knew that Ron really didn't mean to be cruel but that didn't change the fact that Ron had lashed out in anger without thinking.
"Are you all right, Ori?" Cedric asked as they sat down with Cedric's friends.
Orion nodded as Hermione joined them, sitting down with a huff. "Honestly," she said angrily but was cut off from saying any more by a loud BANG followed by several screams. All heads turned towards the large doors. Some even started to rise to their feet in alarm.
There was a second loud bang before a loud voice put an end to all movement. "OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"
Orion froze. "That was Uncle—er—Professor Moody," he gasped.
"Then I think we should stay here," Cedric said cautiously. "We had class with him this afternoon."
"Really?" Neville asked eagerly. "How was it?"
"Intense," Cedric answered. "It was like the complete opposite of Remus. Both of them really know what they're teaching but Remus made you feel comfortable enough to ask questions while Moody—you don't want to interrupt him."
"LEAVE IT!" Professor Moody's voice echoed into the Great Hall.
"Oh, that can't be good," Ethan Ackart, a tall, dark haired boy sitting across from Cedric said. "Who do you think it was? Malfoy or Weasley?"
Everyone stared at each other before grinning. "Malfoy," they all said together.
"I don't think so!" Professor Moody roared.
Cedric glanced at the dark haired boy. "What do you think, Ethan?" he asked with a grin. "Should we check it out?"
"No way!" Ethan said quickly. "I value my life too much for that."
Orion stared at Cedric with a raised eyebrow. "Professor Moody would never harm a student," he said firmly.
"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall's shocked voice quickly silenced Orion and caused many of the Hufflepuffs to break out in laughter.
"He may not actually 'harm' a student but that doesn't mean he'll just give detentions," Cedric countered. "Did your dad ever tell you what he was like in the Auror department?"
Orion shook his head. "All Dad ever told me was that Auror training was intense," he said thoughtfully. "You know, I suppose nothing would surprise me. Something must've snapped Dad out of his prankster ways."
Cedric and Neville let out a snort. "Ori, nothing will snap your dad out of his prankster ways," Neville said candidly. "He just knows to keep it out of the office."
Chatter filled the hall as students started to enter and moving towards their designated tables. Everyone took that as a sign that the show was over and started filling their plates with food. Orion quickly picked out Justin, Ernie, Susan, and Hannah hurrying to where they were sitting with excited looks on their faces. Orion and Neville shared a look. That couldn't be good.
"Ori! You missed it!" Susan Bones exclaimed as she sat down beside Hermione. "Moody turned Malfoy into a ferret!"
Orion dropped his fork, his mouth falling open in shock. "What?" he gasped.
"Well, no one was happy with Weasley for—er—that comment but Malfoy said he'd rather have no mother than someone like Ron's mum," Justin said quickly. "Potter then got in the middle of it and made fun of Malfoy's mum. That was when it got ugly. Potter tried to pull Weasley away but Weasley wouldn't move. Malfoy tried to curse Potter when his back was turned but missed then the next thing we knew Malfoy was gone and a blond ferret was in his place. Moody was furious—kept calling Malfoy a coward."
Orion let out a snort. That was actually being kind. Draco was nothing but a spoiled brat who was too dependent on his father solving his problems for him. Of course, it also didn't help that Professor Snape didn't discipline the Slytherins properly but it seemed that only Draco excessively used that to his advantage.
"Professor McGonagall then came and turned Malfoy back and scolded Moody," Susan said with a grin. "The funny part was that Moody didn't care. He just took Malfoy to see Snape—saying that he had wanted to talk to Snape anyways…but…why?"
"Maybe he knows Snape's a git and wants to threaten him," Ernie Macmillan said with a grin.
That was wishful thinking. Professor Snape hated being told how to do his job and how to take care of his students. If anything, Professor Moody cornering Professor Snape will only make classes all the more unbearable for the students that Professor Snape wasn't exactly fond of. Orion could only hope that he wasn't on that list.
There was certainly a change in the atmosphere over the next two days. Orion, Neville and Hermione weren't speaking to Ron which left Hayden caught in the middle. Hayden had tried to make Ron apologize but Ron was apparently still angry that Orion didn't understand how severe Draco's insult had been.
Professor Snape had been absolutely vindictive during potions, assigning Hayden and Ron detention. Thankfully, Orion managed to prevent Neville from receiving a similar fate while Professor Snape had been reprimanding Ron. Neville was the type of person who thrived in calm atmosphere and Potions was anything but calm when Professor Snape was on a rampage.
Orion, Neville and Hermione arrived to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson early on Thursday and picked three seats right in front of the teacher's desk. As they pulled out their copies of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, Orion noticed Hayden and Ron taking seats a few rows back by Seamus and Dean. It wasn't long before they heard Professor Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor. Silence filled the room as Professor Moody entered, his magical eye quickly scanning the room.
"You can put those away," Professor Moody growled as he approached his desk and sat down, "those books. You won't need them." He waited as everyone returned their books to their bags then began to call out their names. "Right then," he said when the last person had declared themselves present, "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding on tackling Dark creatures—you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?"
There was a soft agreement. It seemed that everyone was too frightened to speak up.
"But you're behind—very behind—on dealing with curses," Professor Moody said. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark wizards."
"You're not staying?" Ron blurted out.
Professor Moody eyed Ron for a long moment. "I'm just the one year," he said. "Special favor to Dumbledore…One year, and then back to my quiet retirement. So, straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I'm 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's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. Yu need to be prepared. Yu need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."
Lavender jumped and blushed as she quickly shoved a roll of parchment into her bag.
"So…do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"
Several hands rose in the air, including Orion's. Professor Moody pointed at Orion even though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender.
"The Imperius Curse, Professor," Orion said, fighting to keep a smile off his face.
Professor Moody seemed to notice and smirked. "Yes, your father and I had a lot of problems with that one," he said then opened his desk drawer and took out a glass jar that contained three large black spiders scuttling around inside it. No one moved as Professor Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders and held it in the palm of his hand so that everyone could see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"
Orion stared in horror as the spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze then preformed a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk. Orion had learned about the Unforgiveable Curses years ago as a part of learning about Voldemort. The Imperious Curse, in Orion's mind, was the worst of the lot. People could be made to do anything—even kill their own family and be helpless to stop it.
Everyone was laughing as the spider started to cartwheel in circles only to stop, rise on two of its hind legs and tap dance. "Think it's funny, do you?" Professor Moody growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"
Silence filled the room.
"Total control," Professor Moody said softly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats. Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse. Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will. The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"
Everyone jumped.
Professor Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and put it back into the jar. "Anyone else know one?" he asked. "Another illegal curse?"
Orion noticed Neville's hand slowly rising and he knew why. It had taken Frank Longbottom nearly twelve years to completely recover from overexposure to the Cruciatus Curse.
"Yes?" Professor Moody asked, his magical eye fixing on Neville.
"The Cruciatus Curse," Neville said nervously.
Professor Moody stared at Neville for a moment before shifting both his eyes to the rest of the class. "The Cruciatus Curse," he said as he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea. Engorgio!"
The spider grew until it was larger than a tarantula. Orion quickly elbowed Neville. Neville shakily met Orion's gaze. "Close your eyes," Orion hissed through his teeth.
Neville didn't hesitate slamming his eyes shut just as Professor Moody raised his wand, pointed it at the spider and muttered, "Crucio!"
At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body, it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. Orion had to look away. He knew that Professor Moody was trying to force the class to realize how dangerous things could be but this was really going too far, wasn't it?
"Reducio," Professor Moody muttered and Orion chanced a glance only to be relieved to see Professor Moody putting the spider back into the jar. "Pain," Professor Moody said softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus curse…That one was very popular too." No one even moved. "Right…anyone know any others?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Orion saw Hermione shakily raised her hand.
"Yes?" Professor Moody asked.
"Avada Kedavra," Hermione whispered.
"Ah," Professor Moody said with a slight smile. "Yes, the last and the worst. Avada Kedavra…the Killing Curse." He put his hand into the jar and, with some difficulty, managed to grab the third spider. It was almost like the spider knew what was coming and that was evident when the spider tried to scuttle away the moment Professor Moody released it on the desktop and raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"
There was a flash of blinding green light and a rush of sound, as though a vast, invisible something was souring through the air. In the back of his mind, Orion felt then need to wait for high pitched laugher followed closely by screams of pain but it never came. The spider just rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead.
Orion could only stare with wide eyes. How could Professor Dumbledore have approved this?
Professor Moody swept the dead spider off the desk. "Not nice," he said calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. A set of twins were the only known survivors of the curse with one still alive today and he's in this room."
Orion fought to keep his gaze forward and Professor Moody's normal eye focused on Hayden while his magical eye shifted from Hayden to Orion. Was it possible? Had Sirius told Professor Moody or had Professor Moody already known?
"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it," Professor Moody said. "You could all get your wands out now, point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. Bit that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it. Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"
The entire class jumped again.
"Now…those three curses—Avada Kedavra, Imperius and Cruciatus—are known as the Unforgivable Curses," Professor Moody continued. "The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. Get out your quills…copy this down…"
The rest of the lesson was spent taking notes on the Unforgivables. No one spoke until the bell rang. Relieved, Orion rose to his feet only to be stopped by Professor Moody.
"Mr. Black, please stay behind," Professor Moody said gruffly.
Neville and Hermione hesitated but Orion motioned for them to follow the rest of the class. Professor Moody didn't move until they left the room and the chatter decreased to an indistinct buzz of noise. Orion took the opportunity to try to meet Professor Moody's gaze in order to gage why Professor Moody would single him out.
"I should tell you, Mr. Black, that your father hasn't changed a bit over the years," Professor Moody said gruffly. "He still talks about you every moment he has." Orion flushed. "He mentioned that you are working ahead in material—fifth year, I believe."
"I'm actually almost finished with fifth year, sir," Orion said cautiously. "I just have Transfiguration left."
"Sir?" Professor Moody scoffed. "Since when have you called me 'sir'?"
Orion grinned sheepishly. Professor Moody had him there. "Well, I figured you didn't want me calling you 'Uncle Al' here. Dad made it clear that I'm not supposed to give you a hard time."
Both of Professor Moody's eyes stared at Orion for a long moment before he spoke. "Your father also made it clear to me that you may need your 'Uncle Al' from time to time this year. So, he finally told you…I suppose it came as quite a shock—knowing who you used to be."
Orion shrugged his shoulders. "I try not to think about it," he said honestly. "It's just better that way."
"Is it?" Professor Moody growled. "Are you satisfied with having so many questions unanswered?"
Orion frowned. What had Sirius told Professor Moody? Sure, he'd like questions answered but not at the expense of the Potters knowing that he was aware of the overly large skeleton in their closet. They would only want to spend more time with him. "For now," Orion said at last.
Professor Moody seemed to realize that Orion didn't want to discuss the topic any further. "I suppose you know better than anyone else," he acquiesced. "Just know, Orion, that I'm here if you need a reprieve."
Orion let out a shaky breath. "Thanks for the offer, Uncle Al," he said with a weak grin. "Just—please don't treat me any different in class or with any of the other teachers. They don't know…"
"Understood, Orion," Professor Moody said with a nod. "Now, I believe dinner is waiting."
Orion bid goodbye and hurried to the Great Hall. He didn't know whether to be grateful or frustrated. Sure, Sirius trusted Professor Moody but Orion hadn't seen the man for years. It wasn't like he could just suddenly confide everything. Perhaps that was why Professor Moody wanted to talk so early within the term—it would give them time to become reacquainted.
Entering the Great Hall, Orion was thankful that Neville and Hermione had saved him a seat. Hayden and Ron were seating further down with Seamus and Dean, something that was a relief to Orion. At least now he could answer the questions Neville and Hermione were bound to have without worrying about them overhearing.
"So," Hermione began cautiously as Orion quickly filled his plate. "What did Professor Moody want?"
"He just wanted to catch up," Orion said with a shrug. "I met him years ago, before he retired."
"Really?' Hermione asked eagerly. "What was he like?"
"About the same," Orion said honestly. "I think he's the reason Dad never held much back from me. Uncle Al always believed it was better to be prepared than coddled. I never thought he'd go as far as demonstrating the Unforgivables, though. The Ministry would be furious if they knew."
"What would the Ministry do?" Hermione asked.
"Worst case scenario?" Neville asked. "Put Moody and Dumbledore in front of the Wizengamot and then 'convince' the school governors to remove them from their posts. The Ministry rarely interferes in Hogwarts affairs mostly because no one wants to cross Dumbledore—they need his help too often for that."
"The thing I'm worried about, though, is why now?" Orion asked thoughtfully. "Why does Professor Dumbledore feel we need to know this now of all times?"
Neville stared at Orion for a long moment before speaking. "I don't like that look," he said nervously. "You're about to make the rest of us look like idiots, aren't you?"
Orion shook his head. "It's just—think about it for a minute. First, Pettigrew escapes and is still at large, then that witch at the Ministry goes missing—what's her name?"
"Jorkins?" Neville asked in confusion. "But Ori, your dad said that—"
"—I know," Orion interrupted, "but stick with me for a moment. Death Eaters at the World Cup, the Dark Mark, Professor Dumbledore bringing Alastor Moody out of retirement…doesn't it seem to be leading up to something?"
"Er—what?" Neville asked in confusion.
"I thought the Death Eaters ran away when the Dark Mark appeared," Hermione interjected.
Orion frowned. She had a point. Perhaps he was jumping to conclusions. It just felt like Professor Moody knew the worst was coming and it would be coming soon. It made Orion wonder—what if Professor Dumbledore felt the same way? Perhaps this was why Professor Dumbledore really asked one of his closest friends to spend a year teaching children. There was danger and it could be coming to Hogwarts.
Suddenly, something as adolescent as the Triwizard Tournament didn't seem so important.
