disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just Arabella. Hope you all like it!
The Unforgivable Curses
The next two days passed by with little to no incidents. Neville had melted his sixth cauldron in Potions and Snape had given him detention. At this point, it was quite normal. Snape was always an awful teacher and his vindictiveness for Gryffindor students seemed to intensify over the summer. Arabella was sure that it also had something to do with Mad-Eye. He was a scary bloke and Snape always seemed to hate whoever got the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. Whenever they were around each other, Snape seemed to be avoiding Mad-Eye's gaze, magical or normal. It was quite interesting to see Snape squirm a little, though she did wish he would go a bit easy on Neville.
The Gryffindor fourth years were looking forward to Mad-Eye's first lesson. They were all getting very tired of the upperclassmen praising his class with longing and wistfulness. It was time for them to experience his class once and for all. They all arrived early on Thursday and waited in line before the bell even rang. The only person missing was Hermione, but she turned up just in time.
All of them hurried into the classroom. Harry and Ron took the front desk with Arabella and Hermione right behind them. Everyone around Arabella took out their copies of The Dark Forces: A guide to Self-Protection, and waited. Arabella opted to keep hers in her bag. Knowing Mad-Eye, his first lesson would be something practical rather than textbook based.
Soon enough, they heard Mad-Eye's clunking footsteps coming down the corridor. There was a strange sensation building up at the pit of her stomach. She didn't know what he had planned, but she was sure it was going to be memorable.
He entered the room and growled at all of them. "You can put those books away. You won't need them."
Everyone returned their books to their bags. Hermione seems unsure as Mad-Eye took out a register and began to call out names. Once the last person raised their hand, he tucked the list away and began.
"Right then, I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've have a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures – you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right? But you've behind – very behind – on dealing with curses. 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 –"
"What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out.
Mad-Eye's magical eye swirled around to stare at Ron, who looked completely anxious. After a couple minutes, Mad-Eye smiled and Ron looked relieved.
"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh? Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago… Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favour to Dumbledore… One year, and then back to my quiet retirement."
If it wasn't for the fear of getting cursed on their first lesson, Arabella would have gave a loud snort. A little over a year ago he vowed to retire for good and now he was coming back to teach kids. Soon enough he would be back at the Ministry, training the next batch of Aurors or somehow fighting a small war in some distant farm. He was set in his ways. There was no quiet for him.
"So – straight into it," Mad-Eye said. "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've 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. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."
Lavender jumped and blushed. It seemed as though she was showing her complete horoscope under her desk to Parvati.
"So… do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"
Arabella's heart began to beat faster, but she still raised her hand in the air. She wasn't the only one. Mad-Eye pointed at Ron.
"Er," said Ron carefully, "my dad told me about one… Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"
"Ah, yes," said Mad-Eye admiringly. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."
Mad-Eye got to his feet, opened his desk, and took out a glass jar. There were three black spiders inside it. He reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered "Imperio!"
The spider leapt from his hand and began to swirl backwards and forwards on a fine line of silk. It stretched his legs and did a back flip, landing on the desk where it began to do cartwheels in circles. Arabella frowned as everyone around her laughed when the spider began to tap dance.
"Why aren't you laughing, Black?" growled Mad-Eye. "Does this spider not amuse you?"
Arabella shook her head and muttered, "No, it doesn't."
"What if I make it jump out of the window or drown itself, or throw it down one of your friend's throat? Would the spider get a laugh out of you then?"
The laughter died instantly at those images.
Arabella shook her head once more and said, quietly, "There's nothing funny about that."
Mad-Eye nodded and looked around the class as the spider balled itself and rolled over. "Total control. I could make it do anything. You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you? 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 around Arabella jumped in their seats as Mad-Eye threw the spider back into the jar.
"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"
To Arabella's utter and complete surprise, Neville raised his hand. The only class he participated in was Herbology.
"Yes?" said Mad-Eye.
"There's one – the Cruciatus Curse," said Neville in a small voice.
Arabella took in a sharp breath. She knew what was coming next. Her arms began to burn and sting at the thought.
"Your name's Longbottom?" asked Mad-Eye, staring intently at Neville.
Neville nodded nervously but Mad-Eye asked him no more. He turned back to the front of the class and reached for another spider. It remained motionless and helpless on the desk.
"The Cruciatus Curse," said Mad-Eye. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea. Engorgio!"
The spider swelled and was now as big as Mad-Eye's palm. Arabella and Ron pushed themselves away from their desks. She knew Ron was terrified of spiders, and she knew that it was coming…
Mad-Eye raised his wand, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, "Crucio!"
At once, the spider began to roll over and twitch horribly. Its legs bent upon its body, and the spider was rocking from side to side. It was merely a spider being tortured before them. Arabella was sure it wanted to scream, just like she did all those years ago, screaming and crying. She gripping the desk tightly, remembering her small voice calling for someone to save her, tear streaming down her face, throat raw, the need for someone to come in and take her away, for someone to make it all –
"STOP!"
She wanted someone to stop it and save her all those years ago. She couldn't do it then. She was just a child.
Everyone looked at her. Arabella was sweating and her arms were burning and itching. She was taking in deep breaths and suddenly remembered something. She whipped around and looked at Neville. His hands were clenched upon the desk, wide eyed and horrified.
Mad-Eye raised his wand, breaking the connection. The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch.
"Reducio," he muttered. The spider reduced and he put it back in the jar. "Pain," he said softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse… It was a popular one once… There aren't many people who can claim to survive it… Some go insane, out of their minds, some are killed right afterwards…"
He stared intensely at Arabella with both of his eyes. She glared right back at him with pure hatred. Of all people, he was the one putting her though this.
"Right… anyone know any others?"
Arabella looked around. From the looks on their faces, they were all wondering what was going to happen to the last spider. They saw the spider do things against its will and tortured for their own knowledge. They seemed almost terrified at what was going to happen next. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed to know what was going to happen, but she didn't dare raise her hand. She looked as though she would have liked to be far, far away from this classroom.
Mad-Eye put his hand into the glass jar. The last spider squirmed frantically in his hand and he quietly walked towards Arabella's desk, to her absolute repulsion. The spider thrashed on the desk and Arabella felt as though she was about to throw up.
"The last spell," Mad-Eye said simply.
Arabella didn't say anything. She didn't move. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't do anything but stare at the poor spider.
"Black," growled Mad-Eye. "I need the last spell."
Arabella shook her head. She couldn't do it.
"I require the last spell, Black," whispered Mad-Eye. "You do remember, don't you?"
Arabella felt a muscle in her neck twitch. She clenched and unclenched her fists a couple times before finally looking up at Mad-Eye. She felt the need to scratch her old friend's eye out or to curse him from here to the Great Hall and back. She wanted to run to her dormitory or the forest and scream until her throat was raw and red and bleeding.
But she simply looked Mad-Eye in the eye and said, "Avada Kedavra."
What else could she do? She couldn't deny him this. She's dreamt about those words for so many years. She knew the answer. She knew the consequences. Several people around her jerked and looked uneasy, including Hermione.
"Ah," murmured Mad-Eye with a twisted smile. "Yes, the last and worst. Avada Kedavra… the Killing Curse." He then raised his wand and roared, "Avada Kedavra!"
The bottom of her stomach exploded. She didn't look away. She didn't see the point. There was a flash of green, blinding light with a rushing should and it was done. The spider rolled over onto its back – dead. Several students stopped themselves from crying out while Ron threw himself away from the spider. Mad-Eye swept the dead spider off Arabella's desk and onto the floor.
"Not nice," Mad-Eye said calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."
Mad-Eye stared directly at Harry, and everyone followed suit. Harry, however, was staring at the blank blackboard absentmindedly.
Arabella looked at the dead spider on the ground. The small thing was scared and subjected to some sort of experiment that it never wanted. She couldn't do anything. She couldn't stop it from dying. Maybe she should have said something to Mad-Eye, made him see it her way. The others, they didn't need to see that curse. He could have just told them about them, explained to them. They shouldn't have… they didn't need to… why would he do this to her? He's been her friend for years. She looked up to him. He knew just as much as Remus or Andromeda how much it all hurt her and affected her.
But, in the end, the others still didn't know. They didn't understand. Seeing the spider was nothing compared to another human, another wizard. The pain, the green light, the lifeless body… Bellatrix giddy with excitement… Men circling around, blood-thirsty… Cold, loud voices… Blood, so much blood… Even after all these years, everything and everyone was still clear in her head.
Sometimes she would dream about revenge. Payback. She remembered their faces, she remembered their names. She would hunt them the way they hunted her mother. She wanted them to feel what she felt. She wanted them to feel the pain that occurs when someone was taken in front of them. She wanted them to know that they could do nothing about it. They would watch it occur. All that pain and misery and emptiness and hopelessness… she wanted them to understand what she had gone through. Azkaban was nothing for the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange… it was child's play for her. It just… it just wasn't fair.
With some effort, Arabella brought herself back to the present and listened to Mad-Eye.
"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind – you could all get your wands out not and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. But 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've facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" The whole class jumped. "Now… those three curses – Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus – are known as the Unforgivable Curses. 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…"
They spent the rest of the class taking notes on the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang. When Mad-Eye dismissed them, the left the classroom in a hurry to discuss what had occurred. Their voices were in awe and Arabella wanted to scream.
"Did you see it twitch?"
"– and when he killed it – just like that!"
This wasn't some sort of theater show or circus. This was as real as it could possibly get without Mad-Eye plucking someone out of Azkaban. It wasn't funny, it wasn't nice. It was terrible.
"Hurry up," Hermione said tensely.
"Not the ruddy library again?" said Ron.
"No," said Hermione curtly. "Neville."
Neville was standing alone up a side passage, staring at the stone wall opposite him. He still looked horrified and wide-eyed.
"Neville?" Hermione said gently.
Neville looked around. "Oh, hello." His voice was much higher than usual. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it? I wonder what's for dinner, I'm – I'm starving, aren't you?"
"Neville, are you all right?"
"Oh, yes, I'm fine." His voice seemed to be getting higher. "Very interesting dinner – I mean lesson – what's for eating?"
Ron seemed startled by this. "Neville, what –?"
But the clanking noise came behind them and they all turned to see Mad-Eye limping towards them. They fell silent and waited, watching him anxiously.
"It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville, low and gentle. "Why don't you come up to mu office? Come on… we can have a cup of tea…"
Neville looked terrified at the prospect. He didn't move nor speak. He looked at the others, silently pleading with them. Mad-Eye turned his magical eye on Harry.
"You all right, are you, Potter?"
"Yes," said Harry, almost boldly.
Mad-Eye then turned to Arabella and said, "How about you, Black?"
Arabella stared at the stone floor and shrugged her shoulders. There was a lot she could say to him. She could tell him how she felt and where he could shove his walking cane. But nothing seemed appropriate in front of her new professor.
Mad-Eye gripped Arabella's shoulder, looking at her and Harry. He then said, almost softly, "You've got to know. It seems harsh, don't think I don't know. But you've got to know. No point pretending… well… come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you."
With one last look at the others, Neville had no choice but to follow Mad-Eye.
"What was that about?" said Ron.
"I don't know," said Hermione thoughtfully.
They then set off for the Great Hall.
"Some lesson, though, eh?" said Ron. "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right –"
Ron fell silent at the looks on Arabella and Harry's faces. Arabella quickly walked the other direction, making her way towards the Gryffindor Common Room. The room was empty for the time being and she managed to get a comfortable armchair next to the fireplace. She couldn't stop thinking about those curses. He was more practical than anything, Mad-Eye, but it didn't stop her mind from racing.
As she stared into the fire, the common room slowly began to fill up. It became noisy in seconds with so many of them talking to each other about their classes, the professors, their crushes and secret admirers. Arabella sunk lower into her chair, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. She wondered if any of them had heard what happened in class, or saw it themselves. She wondered if they experienced the same thing she did.
As soon as her mind began to race, Harry and Ron appeared in front of her, carrying a table closer with their book bags.
"Might as well get our Divination stuff out of the way," said Harry, taking out some paper and ink.
Arabella smiled at them and did the same, thankful that they did not bring up what happened earlier. An hour later, they made very little progress. Arabella's brain felt as though it was going to shut down if she looked at those charts one more time.
"I have no idea what this is supposed to mean," said Arabella, her head on the table.
"You know," said Ron, whose hair was on end because of all the times he had run his fingers through it in frustration, "I think it's back to the old Divination standby."
Arabella and Harry looked at each other.
"What – make it up?" said Harry.
"Yeah." Ron threw his old notes onto the floor, took out some new parchment and started to write. "Next Monday, I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter. You know her – just put in loads of misery, she'll lap it up."
"Right," said Harry, crumpling up his paper and starting fresh. "Okay… on Monday, I will be in danger of – er – burns."
"And I'll meet someone," said Arabella, uncertainly. "Someone dangerous that will act like my friend, because of… Venus and Mars clashing."
"Okay, Tuesday," continued Ron, "I'll… erm…"
"Lose a treasured possession," said Harry.
"Good one," said Ron, coping it down. "Because of… erm… Mercury. Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?"
"Yeah… cool…" said Harry, "because… Venus is in the twelfth house."
"I'll get caught between two friends," said Arabella, scribbling it down furiously, "trying to pick sides."
"And on Wednesday," said Ron, "I think I'll come off worst in a fight."
"Aaah, I was going to have a fight," said Harry. "Okay, I'll lose a bet."
"Because…" struggled Arabella, "because you bet Ron was going to… win?"
"Don't sound so surprised, would you?" Ron told her.
"And you could make a really bad decision that would jeopardise your friendship with us," Harry told Arabella.
They continued to make fake predictions for another hour. Arabella was going to meet someone new that she would trust, but that trust would soon dissolve as they would betray her, showing the snake underneath the skin. She would then be caught between two friends, make a really bad decision that could ruin her friendship with them, get one of the biggest shocks of her life, break her body and get kidnapped.
The common room slowly began to empty as people went to bed. Fred and George were sitting together, head bent over a piece of parchment. They were working silently, which was strange for Arabella. They were usually noisy and the center of attention. Arabella quickly turned away, not wanting them to get the idea that she was eavesdropping.
Shortly after, Fred and George rolled up their parchment, bid them goodnight, and went off to bed. They had been gone ten minutes or so when the portrait hole opened and Hermione climbed into the common room. She was carrying a bundle of parchment in one hand and a box in the other. The box rattle as she moved closer to them.
"Hello! I've just finished!"
"So have I!" said Ron triumphantly.
Hermione sat down in an empty armchair and pulled Ron's predictions towards her. She didn't seem all too impressed with it as she said, "Not going to have a very good month, are you?"
"Ah well, as least I'm forewarned," yawned Ron.
"You seem to be drowning twice."
"Oh am I?" asked Ron, looking at his predictions. "I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff."
"Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?"
"How dare you!" said Ron in mock outrage. "We've been working like house-elves here!"
Hermione raised her eyebrows and Ron added, hastily, "It's just an expression."
"What's in the box?" asked Harry.
"Funny you should ask," said Hermione. She took off the lid and showed them the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all different colours, but they all bore the same letters: S.P.E.W.
"'Spew'?" asked Harry. "What's this about?"
"Not spew," said Hermione impatiently. "It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."
Arabella picked up one of the badges and turned it over in her hand. "You've just started this, haven't you?"
Hermione nodded with a proud smile.
"Yeah?" Ron was mildly surprised. "How many members have you got?"
"Well – if you three join – four," said Hermione.
Arabella raised her eyebrows. "And what makes you think we would go around this school with badges that say 'spew' on them?"
"S-P-E-W!" said Hermione hotly. "I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status – but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto." She held the bundle of parchment at them. "I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."
"Hermione – open your ear," said Ron loudly. "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!"
"Our short-term aims," said Hermione, ignoring Ron and speaking more loudly than him, "are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."
"And how do we do all this?" asked Harry.
"We start by recruiting members," said Hermione happily. "I thought two Sickles to join – that buys a badge – and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron – I've got you a collecting tin upstairs – Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting, and Arabella, you'll be my VP and our recruiter. You could start by putting up posters and spreading the word about S.P.E.W."
There was a pause. Ron looked temporarily dumbstruck while Hermione beamed at them. Arabella thought it was a nice idea, but she doubt Hermione even talked to a single house-elf before. She looked at Harry, who simply smiled and shrugged.
The silence was finally broken by a soft tap, tap on the window. Arabella looked and saw a snowy owl perched on the windowsill.
"Hedwig!" shouted Harry.
He launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull the window open. Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room, and landed on top of Harry's predictions. Arabella looked closely and saw two pieces of parchment tied to her leg.
"About time!" said Harry, hurrying after her.
"She's got an answer!" said Ron excitedly.
Harry hastily untied them and tossed one to Arabella before taking a seat to read.
"What does it say?" said Hermione breathlessly.
Harry opened his first. It was very short and looked like it was written in a great hurry.
Harry –
I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore – they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. I'll be in touch soon. Keep your eyes open, Harry.
Sirius
Arabella stared back at Harry as he looked up.
"He's flying north?" whispered Hermione. "He's coming back?"
"Dumbledore's reading what signs?" said Ron, confused.
"Remus might have told Dumbledore about it," said Arabella. "But – Harry, what's wrong?"
Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist. "I shouldn't've told him!" he said furiously.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Arabella said, surprised and perplexed.
"It's made him think he's got to come back!" said Harry. He slammed his fist on the table and Hedwig landed on the back of Ron's chair, hooting crossly. "Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for you," Harry snapped at Hedwig, "you'll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food."
Hedwig was clicking her beak expectantly at him, but soon gave him an offended look and took off through the open window. She cuffed him around the head with her wings as she went.
"Harry," began Hermione, in a sort of appeasing voice.
"I'm going to bed," said Harry shortly. "See you in the morning."
He stormed off towards his dormitory, leaving the three of them in silence. Arabella, Ron and Hermione looked at each other.
"We'll just have to give him some time," said Hermione, sighing. "He'll come to his senses one way or another."
Ron didn't look as though he believed her as they both went to bed. Once Arabella was sure she was absolutely alone, she opened her own letter and read quietly.
Arabella –
I'm sure you've heard. I'm flying north immediately. Do not worry about me. I will stay hidden. Watch out for Harry. His scar hurting is a strange sign. If it happens again, take him straight to Dumbledore. Remus managed to tell him about it as well before contacting me. Mad-Eye's out of retirement – go to him as well if you see or hear anything strange. A lot of unusual things have been occurring recently, things that I am not happy to hear about. I'm worried about the both of you. Take care of each other, protect each other. Stay in contact and keep out of trouble.
Sirius.
Thank you so much for reading! Tell me what you guys think!
