We are sitting at the lake. Just a few minutes till we have to head to DADA. Vin is talking about the niffler he was paired up with during care of magical creatures. "Gosh, Vin, you sound smitten," I say sarcastically.

Hermione looks up from her book. "I cannot believe you tried to steal it at the end of class."

Vin rolls his eyes. "I just thought it would make a great pet."

Hermione looks with a raised eyebrow at Vin. "The niffler would wreck anything in its search for gold and things that are shiny, how could you think it would make a great pet?"

Vin objects softly. "We made a great team." At that moment Kevin - the bowtruckle bit his hand. In pain Vin pulls his hand away. "What did you do that for?"

Hermione shares a look with Greg. "And I thought my friends were part-time idiots," she mutters.

I chuckle. "Think little Kevin is a little jealous." I tease. "Ow!" Kevin did not have a broad sense of humor and had thrown a tiny piece of wood into my eye.

Pansy gave Kevin an appraising look. "Well, you can say whatever you want about Kevin, but he's got good aim." The small bowtruckle stood a little taller. "He's like a smaller version of Cassius Warrington."

"I am heading to class," Hermione then interrupts, while smiling shyly at Greg. I am looking curiously at them. Greg then quickly gives her a hug. She then quickly strides away with a big book under her arm.

Greg stands a bit lost. "We uh, should probably head to class as well."

"We'll start our first school lesson of the year with a bang if so to speak!" I immediately recognized Flitwick's squeaky voice. "Can anybody tell me the incantation for the exploding charm?" Many hands were raised. We had class with the ravenclaws. "Yes, Lisa Turpin?"

"Bombarda, sir," she answered confidently.

"Yes! Very good! Ten points to Ravenclaw," Flitwick said happily. "Does someone else know something about the wand movements?"

Greg raises his hand. Flitwick immediately notices Greg's raised hand. "Yes, Gregory Goyle, please share your knowledge with the class!" Flitwick is smiling broadly as he jumps of a pile of books and walks towards were we are sitting. I look a bit surprised at Greg. Normally he was not keen on being in the spotlights during class. Greg hesitates, then shows a rather unelegant looking wand movement that trails three-quarter of a circle and then jabs downward. "Yes, yes, very good!" Flitwick claps in his hands. "Ten points to Slytherin."

Flitwick then starts talking about the spell and wand movements in more detail. "Let's practice the incantation without wands, shall we? Just to make sure, it is bom-BAR-da. Say after me: bombarda."

"Bombarda," the class repeats.

"Good, good," Flitwick says. "Again."

"Bombarda," we say again.

"Very well," Flitwick says. He then starts breaking down the wand movements. "In contrast to most charms we have practised the correct wand movements are rather unelegant. First you almost draw a circle with your wand, fast and smooth... See, like this." He shows the wand movement. "Well, try it out, all of you. Very good, Pansy. Padma, try to make the movement a bit faster and remember in one go."

I concentrate on trying the wand movement myself. I feel like I am getting the hang of it.

"Yes, yes," Flitwick interrupts. "Okay, I think most of you have the feel for the first part of the wand movement." He again shows us what we had just practised. "Now the second part is a sharp, downward jab, almost a stabbing motion." He then shows the jabbing motion, then quickly followed by a gentle called out "Bombarda" that breaks a porcelain vase. Pieces shatter in all directions. I shut my eyes closed as a piece is headed directly my way, but when the blow does not come I open my eyes and see that all students were shielded by a charm. "Okay, now try the wand movement without the incantation."

Later one by one we were called forward to try the charm in front of the entire class, while flitwick carefully held up shield charms. It was a really cool class. I had always wanted to blow something up. Of course as a child I had accidently blown up some things, but never on purpose. I used to shatter the glasses filled with milk when I was really young and I did not want to drink it.

I felt nervous walking to the front of class. I smirked at the vase. I was determined to shatter it. I energetically did the wand wavement. "Bombarda!" My heart rate speeds up as I see it shatter. I smile broadly, feeling a bit breathless.

Next was DADA. Professor Moody limped forward. "I am your new defence agains dark arts teacher. I am here because Dumbledore asked me to, end of story." He looked just as grim as he did when he entered the great hall during the welcoming feast. "Put away your books," Moody shouts gruffly. "I believe in a more practical approach. I have heard last year you covered most dark creatures, but your knowledge of curses is falling behind. I have one year to cover the subject." He preens at the class. "Dumbledore agreed with me it would be best to show what you are up against, instead of just learning the counter curses." He looks darkly. "First, can anybody tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?"

"Three, sir," Granger answers.

"Can you tell me why they are called unforgivable?" Moody then asks.

"Because they are unforgivable" Granger says, "The use of one of them will..."

"Lead to a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct Granger," Moody interrupts. "The ministry thinks you are too young to see what these curses do, I say different. You need to know what you are up against. You need to be prepared. Constant vigilance!"

Moody then turns his back to the class and looks at the chalk board. He then abruptly turns and chucks a chalk towards the back of class. "You need to find another place to stick your chewing gum, mister Finnigan, instead of the back of your table."

"Does he have eyes on the back of his head or something," Finnigan blurts out.

"Which curse shall we see first.. Mister Weasley! Stand up." Moody then shouts. "Give us the first curse."

"Well," Weasly answers hesitating, "My dad did tell me about one, the imperious curse.

Moody nodded gruffly. "Mhmmyeah your father would know all about that.. it gave the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why." He then walks forward and tilts up a spider from a glass container. His wand is pointed at the spider. I feel uncomfortable. First Moody enlarges the spider and then he casts imperio on it, making it dance, jump on tables. Patil screams when the spider lands on her desk looking at it with large eyes. I chuckle a bit hesitantly. The spider then jumps on other students.

I guffawk. "What are you laughing at?" Moody bursts out, the spider lands on my face, I feel two hairy legs on my chin, one on my lip, three on my cheeks, one on my eyelid and one on my nose. "Get it off," I say feeling my heart fluttering rapidly. I want it of me.

"Talented isn't she," Moody shouts. "What shall I do next, flick her out of the window?" The spider is finally off me. It does not fly out the window, but lands on the glass, then the spider is bungling above a glass. "Let her drown herself?" Moody then almost whispers. "Many witches and wizards claimed they only did you-know-whos bidding because they were under influence of the imperious curse, but here's the thing, how do we sort out the liars?"

"Another one now, come on," Moody urges the class. "Neville Longbottom, isn't it? Up. Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for herbology. Can you tell me one of the others?"

"The cruciatus curse," Neville answers.

"Come, come," Moody urges Neville closer. "The torture curse," he whispers. "Crucio." The spider starts wrenching and it lets out a painful squeak. Neville looks pale and covers his ears with his hands. For a minute he looks frozen and unable to move.

Granger then interrupts Moody, who looks concentrated to the spider. "Stop it, can't you see it's bothering him? Stop it."

Moody clears his throat and picks up the spider puts it on Granger's desk. "Well, perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse?" She shakes her head, looking teary. "Hmm, no? Avada kedavra." Moody then looks at Potter. "The killing curse. The only person to have survived it is sitting in this room."