"Alastor Moody. Ex-Auror, 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?" Alastor's eye searched the room, "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?"
Hermione Granger speaks up, "Three, sir."
"And they are so named?"
"Because they are unforgivable. The use of any one of them will…" She stopped, obviously uncomfortable.
"Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct." Alastor finished for her. "The Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different! You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared! You need to find another place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, Mister Finnigan!"
"No way," a brunet said from near the back of the room, "The old codger can see out the back of his head."
Alastor chucks his chalk at his head, angrily growling back at him, "And hear across classrooms! So," he walked up to Harry Potter, who was sitting in front, "which curse shall we see first?" Andromeda's eyebrows furrowed. Since when did Alastor approve of this method of teaching? Even he's not that crazy. "Weasley!"
"Yes?" He squeaked out from his seat next to Harry.
"Stand. Give us a curse."
"Well, my dad did tell me about one. The Imperius Curse."
"Oh, yeah, your father would know all about that one. Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why." He stomped back up to the front of the room. Surely Albus didn't approve of this. He scooped a whip spider out of a jar on the desk, "Hello. Lovely little beauty. Engorgio. Imperio!" He forced the spider to fly toward the students. "Don't worry. It's completely harmless. If she bites, she's lethal."
"Professor!" Andromeda stood quickly, unwilling to let the morbid show continue. Alastor stopped, the spider suspended in midair. "This is not appropriate! These curses would traumatize grown men! It's not appropriate for children to experience. It's especially cruel to the spider." His eye whipped around in its socket.
"And you are?"
"Andromeda, Professor." He straightened his back and looked at her with his one real eye.
"I am showing these children the effects of the Unforgivable Curses. It's important to their education."
"I won't be staying around for that." And with that, she gathered her books and left. "Anyone else who has a problem with it can leave, as well." Multiple students stood and hesitantly walked out, glancing at the ex-Auror at the front of the room as they stepped past.
He didn't recognize me? He's seen me at this age. Crazy old bastard. Someone walked up and tapped her shoulder.
"Th-thanks for stopping him."
"No problem. It was messed up. I doubt Professor Dumbledore actually approved it." She paused at the bottom of the stairs.
"Yeah. Aren't you a fifth year? Why were you in that class?"
"Had a free period. Figured I'd keep myself busy. Didn't really work out, though."
"I guess not. I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom." He awkwardly stuck out his hand.
She took it, "Andy. Well, Neville Longbottom, I'm going to go talk to another Professor about it and check out the rest of the castle. Wanna come?"
"Um, no thanks. I'm gonna use my new free time to check out the greenhouse. Good luck, though!" They exchanged smiles and went in opposite directions.