Chapter Eighteen: Abracadabra Yourself, Weasley
Jamie Devereaux Bruce was a good student. Teachers liked her, liked how she always did the reading and worked hard. It was one of the reasons she was named a Prefect. Jamie also always liked her teachers. She was even one of Professor Snape's more tolerated pupils, despite the few times her and Fred Weasley had gotten detention due to antics in his class. This, however, was not the case for Professor Moody.
The Gryffindor boys seemed completely in awe with the new battle-scared professor. The girls seemed slightly more apprehensive, but respectful. Jamie Devereaux wanted to get as far away from him as she could. There seemed to be a dull head throb come into her mind whenever he was around, and she didn't know what from. She suspected his magical eye was behind it. In Scamander's book The Vanishing of Veela Men she had read a small passage about magical items around male Veela. Some of the more powerful enchanted objects that were made to detect lies and deceit acted out around Veela like Devereaux. But the author had just stated it was unlikely they would work on male-Veela, not that it would give them a migraine.
The migraine, plus the fact that Jamie was exclusively eating chocolate so as to avoid House-Elf food, made the blonde particularly testy. She wanted to think this was why she didn't like Alastair Moody in that moment. However, when the scarred wizard wrote on the board behind him a title of "Unforgivable Curses" Jamie Devereaux knew that she would not be attempting any kind of relationship with the former Auror.
"You are sixth-years. Two years away from being thrown into the real world. You might have passed your OWLs, you might have even done well. I'm here to tell you that those scores don't mean anything." Professor Alastair Moody began his first class at Hogwarts. Fred and George Weasley exchanged smiles with one another at this announcement, and Jamie heard Fred's deep voice whisper 'Wicked' to his twin. "You might as well throw those scores out the window as far as I'm concerned." The new DADA teacher continued, "None of you are prepared for what is out there and what awaits you. Professor Dumbledore has coddled you all long enough. Now he has put me in charge of getting you ready. Of informing you of what waits for you outside these walls. It's not all fun jobs and growing old. Some of you might never grow old." That alarming news rang through the class room as the magical blue eye seemed to spin around before, once again, resting on Jamie Devereaux.
The blonde witch didn't know what to think about this pronouncement. His speech, which had to have been rehearsed at least once, was running through her mind. The idea of this unknown awaiting her after graduating made her think back to what McGonagall had unwillingly admitted to Jamie last year. That Dumbledore was planning on using her as a weapon. Maybe this unknown threat was what she was intended to fight. Moody limped across the room, looking strained with his wooden leg, and headed toward a cage filled with spiders. He took one gingerly in a scarred hand and placed the small spider on his desk. He then looked back up at all the sixth-year students. Everyone was staring, enraptured in his lecture. Jamie, somewhat reluctantly, was also eager to hear what else this wizard was going to say. She had never been in a class where a teacher had spoken to their students like this. It was shocking, but invigorating.
Moody addressed the class again, "Who of you have heard of the Unforgivable Curses?"
Many people's hands shot in the air and Jamie immediately felt a sense of dread. The only Unforgivable Curse she knew was the Imperius Curse. The blonde witch primarily knew about it because her own persuasive talents were made in comparison to the effects that the curse had on people. Mallory of all people—who often sat in the back of classes and completely ignored what was going on—was pointed at by Moody, prompting her to answer what the first curse was, "The Imperius Curse."
Professor Moody nodded and then proceeded to use the curse on the spider. There was laughter across the room as their professor made the small spider jump from person to person and dance across tables. Moody silenced the laughter with a sharp hand in the air, "You think it is funny? Imagine you were under this curse. Imagine someone had complete control over your actions and your words. Years ago the ministry had a very big problem of dark wizards putting ministry witches and wizards under the Imperius. They infiltrated and took control from within. It's not so funny when you think about it like that, is it Mr. Weasley."
The smile that was on George Weasley's lips died instantly and he shook his head, "No, sir."
"Do you know another one?" Moody asked the red-head. George Weasley nodded, something of fearful anticipation behind his eyes, "The Cruciatus Curse."
There was silence in the room as the ex-Auror enlarged the spider before torturing it. The poor creature let out a pained squeal and the headache that was in the back of Jamie's head resurfaced even stronger than it had been before. She wanted to get out of the classroom, and she had no idea why. Being here felt wrong. Seeing these curses felt wrong. There was also a part of her, a very scary part that Jamie had never felt before, that wanted to try them out for herself. She wanted to test the limits. Jamie Devereaux wanted to feel powerful.
"Next one?" Alistair Moody asked, both his eyes looking around the classroom. It was Alicia who's hand caught his eye, "You." Alicia sat in the desk in front of Jamie and Angelina.
"Avada Kedavra." Alicia said slowly, almost like the words themselves held the weight of the world in them. Jamie snorted from behind Alicia. The combination of her hunger strike, her headache, and the terrifying thoughts she was having being exposed to the Unforgivable Curses made Jamie believe she was hearing things.
"Abracadabra?" Jamie whispered, looking at Alicia with her lips quaking a bit from constrained laughter. Jamie immediately knew her outburst was a mistake. That unnerving eye was focused on her again, and the closer Professor Moody got to her the more her headache killed. "Is there something amusing about the killing curse, Miss Bruce."
Jamie clenched her lips together tightly, trying to control herself. "No sir. I'm sorry."
Professor Moody placed the spider in front of Jamie and, pointing his wand at the small being said, "Avada Kedavra," forcefully. There was a flash of green light and the spider, still completely in-tact and looking just as it did when it was alive, was dead. Jamie stared at the little insect. She tried to focus on the horrible thing she had just witnessed. Tried her hardest not to do what both her and Loren Bruce did in situations of uncomfortable strain. Her body shook as she took in a deep breath, but her own lips deceived her. The tiniest giggle escaped her mouth. It was nervous and breathy and completely unintended.
Angelina internally groaned at her best friend, hoping that Professor Moody would ignore Jamie Devereaux's strange reaction to the death of the little spider. The magical blue eye focused hard on the blonde witch. It was as if the eye was trying to read the mind of Jamie and figure out exactly what she was thinking. If it could have read her mind, all it would have seen would be a muggle magician in a sparkling bow-tie saying 'Abracadabra' to an audience of people and unintentionally committing mass murder. This image, while horrible, was not helpful in Jamie's attempt to contain her smile.
Hermione Granger was hunched over the beginning of the manifesto for S.P.E.W. Next to her was a very determined Jamie Devereaux Bruce. Hermione was surprised at how eager Jamie was to assist. While she had always thought Jamie was nice, Jamie was also an older girl who often kept to her close group of friends. She rarely was without Cedric Diggory, and had spoken to the fourth year Gryffindor sparingly. But, Jamie was adamant about helping Hermione in any way she could, and was even the one to design the badges that they had ordered for everyone.
"There!" Hermione said in a flourish, "I think it's done! Now all there is left to do is for you to sign." Jamie immediately grabbed one of her muggle pens and signed the bottom of it.
"I think if we bring the House-Elf situation to all the Muggleborns first we can get enough rise out of them and then Dumbledore will have to give them pay and sick days." Jamie stated, confident in her and Hermione's logical and determined approach for their Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.
"Please tell me you gave up on the hunger strike like me?" Hermione asked worriedly.
Jamie waved a hand, "I figured that since we are making moves to help and support House-Elves it would be better if I didn't die from starvation just yet."
Hermione giggled at Jamie, enjoying the blonde's sardonic sense of humor and fired-up personality. The two of them headed back to the Gryffindor common room only to see Ron, Harry, and the two Weasley twins still there.
Fred Weasley watched Jamie Devereaux walk through the portrait of the fat lady. She had a smile on her face from something Hermione was talking about, but it quickly fell when it caught sight of Fred sitting there. The Weasley twins were not in the best of moods. They were currently forming a strongly worded letter to Ludo Bagman about their bet that had still gone unpaid. The pair of them had spent their life savings—the savings they were going to use to start up their Weasley Wizard Wheezes production.
Jamie's smile fell at the sight of Fred Weasley because he had been strategically ignoring her since school began. Whenever he did speak to her, it was because he had to. Or he just ignored her presence as he spoke to the people around her. Fred was acting like he was mad at her, which was absolutely ridiculous considering if anyone had the right to be mad, it was Jamie. She was the one who actually like him and couldn't be with him. He was only upset because she had thought he had a crush on her and Jamie called him a puppy dog. The blonde believed that Fred's fragile male ego had been effected that day after their OWLs and was still mad at her for it.
Jamie was deep in thought and she hadn't been listening to Hermione's pitch of their manifesto until Ron Weasley said, "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!"
The blonde's mouth opened in indignation, "They are uneducated and have been brainwashed by a wizard society that has enslaved them for centuries simply because it is convenient for them." Her nose sharpened slightly at this as she looked from Ron to Harry. Both fourth-year boys looked uncomfortable. They didn't want to upset Jamie, but they were unable to tell her that they agreed with S.P.E.W's aims.
Fred and George stood up at Jamie's pitched ranting. Fred's arms were crossed and he sighed at Jamie, "Seriously, Bruce, you're fighting a losing battle. If you told any of the House-Elves at Hogwarts that you wanted to pay them, they would be insulted and have a fit."
Jamie's hands met her hips now, looking up at the red-head, "Well what about the ones that don't feel that way? What about the ones that are mistreated by their owners, Weasley? They deserve to be freed and for their voices to be heard." There was so much emotion in her voice that Harry Potter found himself reaching for a spew pin without thought. "None of them asked to be House-Elves!" Jamie threw her hands in the air at this fact, getting slightly worked up. The truth was, Jamie Devereaux identified with the small creatures. Because she too was part creature. "Of course you, Mr. Pureblood, wouldn't understand."
"Oh shut up!" Fred said instantly, "Don't throw in my face something like that. I didn't ask to be a Pureblood." Fred said in a high-pitched and winey voice that was meant to insult Jamie.
She scrunched her nose, "Maybe not, but your ignorance shows you do nothing to help those below you. You could use your status for good but what do you do instead? Prevent me from helping muggles that are in pain or House-Elves that are enslaved."
"I saved your life, Jamie." Fred stated, getting closer to the little blonde witch. The on looking Gryffindor's watched as heat seemed to steam from both of their ears. The tension in the air was palpable as both of them looked like they were about to strangle the other. "Stop trying so hard to make me out as the bad guy. You're the one who is so stubborn you can't see that running head first into a group of Death Eaters is a bad idea. You've never even met a House-Elf. How can you fight for them when you don't even know if they need you."
"They need a voice, Fred. They might not need me but they need a say. Why are you so heartless?"
"She ran toward Death Eaters?" Hermione asked nervously, looking at George. The twin that wasn't glaring at Jamie Devereaux nodded in response to Hermione's question.
"I'm heartless?!" Fred said, so loudly it caused Crookshanks to jump away from the table. "You laughed at the death of a spider. I don't think anyone, human or elf, would want you to speak for them." Fred Weasley said. He used a finger to poke her shoulder and pushed her a little farther away from him. She stepped back and gasped in outrage.
Jamie Devereaux's cheeks were red. "You know what?" She asked. Jamie wanted to tell him that at least he hadn't spent his summer curled up in bed unable to cry because of all the emotions he felt. At least he didn't have tutoring sessions where a teacher further exemplified just how much of a creature he was. At least he was a pureblood human and wizard, and not some weird muggle-Veela-male-female combination that Jamie Devereaux was. Instead, the only thing that she could think to say in her frustrated state was this: "Abracadabra yourself, Weasley." She glared, before storming up to the girls dormitory.
Ron watched Jamie's retreating figure, confused. "Did she just try and use the killing curse on you?" He asked, bewildered.
"It's a muggle thing. I think I know why she laughed in class." Hermione said, immediately knowing the difference with what Jamie said and the curse that was a one-way ticket to Azkaban.