"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Professor Moody shouted, making the class jump for the hundredth time as he limped up the classroom. Penny rolled her eyes as she got out her parchment and quill from her bag as she sat at the rear of the classroom. Juno had curled up on the adjacent table to bask in the warm May sun that streamed through the window. "You can put those away Miss Black" Moody said as he began writing on the blackboard. "Do that again" He went on as Penny gestured rudely at the back of his head "And I will remove that finger plus five points from your House" He finished turning back to the class.
"Just testing for blind spots Professor" Penny said shrewdly as Heather and Theo sniggered. When Moody's magical eye swivel led towards him, Theo hastily coughed into his hand.
"Well when you have finished checking for weaknesses could we please return to the lesson?" Moody growled, gesturing the board behind him. "The Unforgivable Curses" Penny read, her heart sinking rapidly. "Now, we have been covering a few of the basics in hexes and hex deflection, which at your age is about as advanced as we are going to go." He began, his voice gravelly. "However, as I shall only be your teacher for another couple of months, I feel it is my duty to at least show you the worst thing witches and wizards can do to one another. SO" He said loudly, making the front row jump again. "There are three curses that the Ministry deem Unforgivable, and use of any of them on another human would earn you a life sentence in Azkaban. Can anyone name one?" Moody asked, his magical eye fixing on Penny, who stared ahead defiantly. She didn't feel like playing his game today. Sat at the front Michael Corner raised his hand tentatively, brushing his shoulder length black locks out the way.
"Yes?" Moody snapped at him, who shrank nervously away.
"There is one.. Imperial curse?" He stammered.
"The Imperius curse, but yes." Moody said, pulling a large jar onto his desk. In it were three large spiders, running around frantically. Opening an eye Juno peered at them with lazy interest as she basked. Pulling a spider out Moody drew his wand and pointed it at the spider. "Imperio." He muttered. Immediately the spider started acting erratically, rolling in a ball, doing acrobatics on a silk thread. The whole class began laughing, except Moody and Penny, who wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Think its funny do you?" Moody asked quietly, silencing the class immediately. "The Imperius Curse allows someone to have completely control over another person. Some can fight it, some cannot. Some would kill their own mother without hesitation, or be preventing from carrying out their true wishes, without being able to resist no matter how hard they try." Moody said with such a bitter tone Penny felt there was something personal in that sentiment.
Before she could dwell however Moody threw the spider over the top of the class, most of whom ducked away, to Juno who snapped it out of the air gleefully, swallowing it whole. "Another curse." Moody demanded, this time both eyes on Penny as he limped down the classroom, placing the jar on Penny's desk. "Miss Black?" The scarred Professor prompted, looking down at Penny who glared back sullenly. "A curse. You know the next one. Your mother showed true proficiency in it." The Professor added cruelly as Penny remained silent stubbornly despite the whole class now eyed her.
"The Cruciatus curse." A dreamy voice answered from across the class. Looking round Penny saw Luna sat at a desk by herself, apparently unperturbed by Moody's displeased stare. Moody grunted an irritable assent at the blonde before dragging another spider from the jar, and placing it in front of her. Penny flashed the blonde a quick smile as a thanks, Luna beaming happily back at her before Penny looked back at the arachnid in front of her.
"The Torture Curse." Moody went on as he increased the size of the spider. "A larger size is needed for you to appreciate the reality of it. Crucio." Moody snarled as red light shot out his wand at the spider. Instantly its legs buckled and it began twitching convulsively, Juno opened her eyes to hiss unhappily clearly able to hear what the class could not. Penny went pale as screams echoed unbidden in her head, watching the spider she could almost see the Longbottoms thrashing before her. Moody didn't raise his wand from the spider, which convulsed worse than ever, its many eyes bulging in its head as Penny gripped the edge of her desk tightly.
"That's enough." Penny barked, her bloodless face determined even as those around her stared. "Stop." She ordered as the Professor watched her carefully, his wand still on the spider which laid splayed out helplessly. At last he removed his wand, the spider still convulsing even as he threw it back in the jar.
"There was once a boy who asked the same thing of your mother. Do you think she listened?" He virtually whispered before raising his voice to the class again as he picked up the jar and moved back to the front of the class.
"That curse is evil" Juno commented slithering onto the window ledge. "I don't want to listen anymore." She said before sliding down the stone roof and out of sight. Penny briefly felt the compulsion to do the same.
"The last curse. The worst curse. This time a favourite of your father's." Moody carried on looking back at Penny whose face was still unnaturally white as she looked away from the window. This time Theo raised a shaking hand.
"Yes?" Moody snapped at him.
"Avada Kedavra." Theo whispered, his face also pale as Moody nodded, grabbing the final spider and dropping it on the desk.
"Yes. The Killing Curse." Moody said as the spider darted across the desk. "Avada Kedavra!" Moody snarled, a strange hiss and a flash of green and the spider fell off the desk and onto the floor, lifeless. "Not pleasant. But you need to know." Moody said as he pocketed his wand, Penny still staring where the spider lay dead. "There is no blocking it. No surviving it. There is only one person ever known to have lived through a direct hit, which is why he is known as The Boy who Lived." Moody carried on as Penny pulled a face. "So why do wizards duel so much if it can be ended so easily?" Moody went on. "Well first of all, the curse requires considerable power behind it and not everybody possesses that power. Most of you could try to use it on me now and I'd barely bleed. With some exceptions." He added, as people followed his gaze to where Penny sat scowling. "Secondly, the costs can be great if you miss your target. Most hexes and curses can bounce but only usually once, the force behind this curse is enough that it can bounce a number of times, potentially hitting you or your allies. If you use that curse, you'd better not miss." He concluded gravely. "But I am not here to teach you how to do it. I am showing and telling you all of this, because you have to know." He finished before he turned and began writing on the black board.
As the lesson ended, Moody dismissed the class with the warning that he intended to place the Imperius Curse on each of them the following lesson so they best research it beforehand. Penny rose to leave with her class mates but was stopped by the scarred Professor.
"No, Miss Black, you will stay." He instructed her.
"Why?" Penny asked bluntly, her eyes narrowing at him.
"Because I said to." Moody growled back. Scowling Penny plonked herself back on her seat. Though she didn't admit it, the Professor intimidated her. Both Tonks and Snape had referenced his power, even if with differing opinions. She didn't fancy being on the receiving end of his wrath just yet. She waited silently for him to return to his desk but to her surprise instead he turned a chair round and sat opposite her at her desk.
"Can I help you Professor?" Penny asked politely, the sarcasm barely audible in her tone. For a moment Moody remained silent, both his eyes considering her, apparently deep in thought on how to proceed.
"Did I anger you with my comments?" Moody asked her finally, his concern surprising Penny a little.
"About my parents?" Penny said as he nodded. "I have sort of gotten used to it in the last few months." She shrugged dismissively. He wasn't fooled, Penny concluded as he watched her closely.
"Living in the shadow of your parents legacy can place unfair expectations on ones shoulders." Moody said bitterly, Penny raising an eyebrow. "Tonks informs me you are quite the duellist." Moody said abruptly, Penny tried to keep her expression causal. "Ever considered a career as an Auror?" He asked as Penny rolled her eyes. More questions, she thought with annoyance.
"Considered yes." Penny said shortly.
"Well if you were interested I would not mind giving you some…extra tuition." Moody offered carefully, both his eyes staring intently at her. Penny gave the Professor a piercing look, trying to judge his motives. It was tempting, Penny thought, like Tonks and her bunker this offer could lead to far more advanced and challenging magic than the mediocre stuff her lessons were covering. But the thought of spending extra time with this strange man made her skin crawl.
"Why would you do that?" Penny asked sharply, her gaze pressing even deeper into the lopsided man. He hesitated before he answered.
"Sometimes I take extra interest when I see potential in someone. Ask Tonks." He answered, with a slight bite of impatience. Penny watched him closely. Although his statement didn't seem to be a direct lie, Penny felt there was more to it than that.
"That's not the only reason. Tell the truth." Penny ordered forcefully, irritated as a flicker of amusement crossed the Professor's face.
"I am curious about what you can do." He admitted with a twisted smile. That was true, Penny concluded, but it didn't reassure her. He wanted to know the limits of her power, she deduced. What her weaknesses were. Knowledge she didn't feel like arming him with.
"Thank you for the offer." Penny said politely. "But I will pass." She finished as his expression took on one of disappointment, and a strange amount of anger at her rejection. Grunting impatiently he pulled another jar from his pocket, containing a large tarantula.
"Then indulge me this one thing." He said, circling his wand on the desk forming a small clear perimeter before scooping the spider into it. "It's not a human so I won't tell anyone." He promised before looking expectantly at Penny. The young witch paled slightly as she realised what he was asking.
"No." She said firmly as his face got more annoyed.
"I want to know if you can." He pressured as the spider began running frantically at its perimeter, desperately trying to escape the barrier.
"I said no." Penny repeated as Moody raised his wand.
"Crucio." He snarled making the spider convulse horribly.
"Stop it!" Penny said in alarm, Moody watching her unflinching as the spider's legs curled and flexed uncontrollably. "I'll tell Dumbledore!" Penny threatened as Moody laughed bitterly.
"Go ahead. Won't be the first time we disagree on methods." Moody said confidently as the spider shuddered and its legs started snapping off. Penny watched in horror, her mind whirling rapidly. Raising her wand she pointed it at the spider.
"Arania evanasca!" She said, the spell striking the spider which disintegrated into ash immediately. Breathing heavily Penny looked up at the Professor warily, who stared at her as if stunned before his face split into a smile and he roared with laughter.
"Clever!" He shouted as Penny recoiled from him in disgust. "Very clever!" He repeated as he swept away his perimeter with his wand. "I should be angry at your disobedience, but thinking outside the box is what makes your cousin so skilled." He concluded as he watched the very wary student. "Not buckling under pressure, power, intelligence and defiance." He said in a much quieter tone as he stared at her. "You may go." He said, the young witch shooting from her seat immediately. "Yes Miss Black," He went on so quietly Penny barely caught it as she exited the classroom. "You will be an asset to whichever side you fight in the war to come." He whispered as the door snapped shut with a loud click.
Hi guys, sorry this update has taken so long. Getting married in September so busy busy! Anyway hope it was worth the wait, the story is progressing, even if very very slowly. Let me know your thoughts!