A/N: hey, I knew you deserved another chapter, so here it is, just a few
days after the last one, and that's even with me being overworked. Of
course, I'm absolutely mad to be posting, I dunno, five? stories at once,
but still. This ones twice as long as my usual ones, so I deserve lots of
nice reviews, right? Now enjoy!
"Today's lesson," Professor Serdaigle announced seriously to the sixth year Defense Against the Dark Arts NEWT class, "is on the Unforgivable Curses. Professor Dumbledore feels that it is essential that you know what they're like and every preventive measure known to us because he knows full well that You Know Who uses them frequently and without mercy on his victims. Later on in this lesson, its good that we have the whole afternoon for this because I don't want to have to repeat it, I will cast on each and every one of you the Imperius curse for you to experience."
"Please Professor," Lily Evans said quietly, raising her hand. "But isn't that illegal?"
"Yes, absolutely, but I have been given a special permit for the use of the Imperius curse for the duration of this lesson. That should tell you how important it is for you to learn, since the Ministry, myself and the Headmaster are all in complete accord with each other. In a class of ten, with only one under the Imperius at any one time, it should be perfectly safe, even if I did have cruel tendencies. I am sure that you could disable me and my victim within minutes should that proves necessary. Now, we'll start at the beginning. What are the Unforgivable Curses?"
The ten students looked at each other in anticipation. That Professor Serdaigle, normally a fun, relaxed teacher, was in this mood had been interpreted by them all as an indication of how serious this lesson was going to be. All of them had an idea, but no one wanted to be first to raise their hand. At last, Lily Evans's arm rose slowly and shakily above her head.
"Miss Evans?"
"They're the curses that are so horrible they've been banned in every form and in any circumstance. There is no excuse for using them at all. If you do use them, you get an automatic and irreversible life sentence in Azkaban without a trial with no Appeal possible under wizarding law."
"Very good, Miss Evans. That is an excellent definition. Now, what are the three curses? Mr Black?"
"The Imperius Curse," Sirius said, looking intently at the young teacher, surprisingly focussed. Harry had always considered him as laid back in everything in this younger form; this was obviously not always the case.
"Yes, that's one. Rumor has it that You Know Who has many wizards and witches controlled under this curse. Deemed by many the least significant of the three because it causes no injury, I would disagree and say that it is the worst. It takes away your free will and forces you to obey the every command of the caster, whatever they are and whoever this wizard may be. I personally would rather have a quick death under the third curse or be tortured myself than suffer as I watched myself torturing my own family, unable to stop myself however much I wish to. Most of you would no doubt agree with me. It is possible for you to fight this curse, although it is difficult, and it is something that it is vital you learn if humanly possible. Another curse please, Mr Jamieson?"
"Cruciatus," Harry said, deciding to follow the normal 'scale' on which the three were ranked.
"The pain giving curse," Professor Serdaigle said softly, "Giving the most intense pain that has driven people mad and, in many cases, killed them outright after hours of agony. It is rumored that this too can be fought off, although I've never managed it myself or heard of anyone who can. Mr Potter, the final curse?"
"Avada Kedavra," James whispered, looking tense.
A hush fell on the already silent room, the atmosphere was suddenly heavy. James knew all too well that that was how his parents had perished. Harry shivered as he looked at the strangely calm, blank face, knowing that his father himself would one day die under the curse with his young wife with following moments afterwards. Professor Serdaigle made a noticeable effort to control himself before attempting to speak again.
"The death curse. No one has ever survived this (*Harry decided not to correct him on this*). Your only hope, indeed anyone's only hope, is to dodge and hope it misses you. There is no time to defend against it, and no shield will stop it. Take out your quills please and we'll not that down."
They silently wrote down his dictation. Every one among them knew the extreme effects of these curses. Every one of them knew someone who had suffered and probably died under them or who had lost a family member to them. Harry was the only one who could remotely be called relaxed - he'd spent all summer training under Mad Eye Moody, why should he be worried?
At last, the bell rang once, signaling the end of the first half of the afternoon lesson. Very slowly, very apprehensively, they put down their quills and put their parchment neatly away in their bags. Then they sat up behind their desks, not looking at each other, just staring at the teacher in the hope of relief.
It began.
"Now," said Professor Serdaigle," I'm going to ask each of you in turn to come up to the front, where I will place you under the Imperius curse. I want you to try your best to overcome it, but I warn you now that very few wizards can, particularly on their first attempts. We'll go down the register, so Mr Black, would you please come over."
Sirius pushed back his chair and very slowly, very reluctantly walked up to the front.
"Imperio!"
His normally expressive face went blank and he dropped down onto all fours, crawling very slowly around the room on his hands and knees until he cam to James. Very, very slowly he licked his friend's hand. Then Professor Serdaigle lifted the curse, and Sirius stood up, grimacing in disgust.
"When did you last wash your hands, James?"
The class laughed, some of the tension leaking away from them. The teacher smiled.
"Well done Mr Black, I could see that you were fighting it hard. You managed to slow it down considerably, always a good sign. By the end of this year, you'll be able to free yourself of it in moments. Miss Bones?"
Mary Bones, and Lily Evans who came after her, showed no signs of any resistance at all and performed their assigned tasks without any hint of reluctance.
"Mr Jamieson. Harry walked up confidently, almost jauntily. He'd been able to do this since he was fourteen years old, after all. He wasn't afraid in the slightest.
"Imperio!"
//Swim// a voice whispered in Harry's head. He smiled faintly and the class stared at him, intent on not missing anything. //SWIM// it insisted. He shook his head and more than one of his fellow classmates gasped.
"Sorry Professor, quite impossible with no water," he explained. The rest of the class stared at him in amazement, while Professor Serdaigle looked at him with growing respect.
"Can you describe to us how that felt, Mr Jamieson, since you were so successful?"
"It felt peaceful, as if it was the right thing to do. Then it was like a voice in my head, telling me to do it. I just decided that it was stupid and didn't."
"An excellent description, ten points to Gryffindor. However, it takes a very strong will to deny the 'voice' as you call it. Mr Black, would you go along with that description or is there something that you'd like to add?"
"It was peaceful, he'd right. It was kind of like really calm music. It felt to me like I was having an argument in my head, but I seemed to be losing."
"Good point, an argument. Some people won't even feel that. Mr Lupin, would you come up now? You can sit down now, Mr Jamieson, congratulations."
Remus went up looking considerably more confidant having seen Harry shake it off so successfully, but he sang the national anthem with great enthusiasm. Peter walked on his hands around the room, although he swore afterwards that he'd never even managed a simple cartwheel before.
James Potter, who told them later that he'd been told to bow to Snape, fell on his face in an attempt to prevent himself from obeying, and Professor Serdaigle was as pleased with him as he had been with Sirius. Snape however, despite his known affinity for Dark Magic, was an obedient zombie under its effect. The class was very relieved when everyone had been and the ordeal was over. While it had been funny to watch, it was creepy in the extreme.
There was a moment's uncertainty, then Snape raised his hand boldly and asked,
"Sir, aren't you going to show us the Cruciatus Curse as well?"
"Are you seriously suggesting, Mr Snape, that I cast the Cruciatus Curse on a student?"
"I wouldn't mind," Harry said bravely. He felt it was much better that they should all see someone under that curse as well and he'd already spent most of his summer suffering under the after effects. If anyone could deal with it, it was him.
"Really, I couldn't," the teacher stuttered, completely taken aback.
Snape had no such doubts.
"Crucio!" he yelled, pointing his wand at Harry with an expression remotely resembling glee. Harry gritted his teeth. He could do this. It was just like with Moody. . . A cold wave went through him and he felt a twinge of pain in his hand. He concentrated still harder. The pain vanished completely. Snape was staring at him. So was everyone else in the room.
"Twenty points from Slytherin, Snape, and detention for a week!" Professor Serdaigle snapped after a moment's pause. "Mr Jamieson, come outside."
Harry stood up and followed him out of the room, confidant he could deal with anything to come up.
"Yes Professor?"
"Harry you've experienced those curses before, haven't you?"
"Yes," he replied boldly, deciding it would be worthless to try and conceal it. He stuck strictly to the truth. "I did it in my fourth year at my old school and my teacher worked on it hard with me all of last summer holidays."
"Has it ever been cast on you by anyone other than your teacher?"
"Yes, Professor. You Know Who cast it on me at the end of my fourth year, when he attacked me."
"Congratulations on surviving, not many have. I won't press you for any details." "My godfather was killed."
There was an uncomfortable pause.
"I'm sorry for that. Are you finding this class disturbing for you?"
"No Professor, I think its good that people learn about them. If you have a Pensieve, I'm happy to put my memory of the first time I had Cruciatus done on me in it. That was before I learned to fight it off, and so long as I don't have to see it, I don't mind."
"That's generous of you. It's always best to learn from experience, and this is a way of doing it without casting the curse. Fifty points to Gryffindor for coping so well with Snape's curse. Go up to Professor Dumbledore's office, and ask if he would bring down his Pensieve for our use during this lesson."
"Yes sir."
Harry walked off, guessed the password correctly and went in. Professor Dumbledore quickly agreed, after ensuring that Harry knew exactly what he was doing. Then, he supervised Harry as he focussed on just the moment when the curse was on him and put it into the misty bowl. He couldn't, of course, reveal anything on either side of it. Professor Dumbledore submerged himself in the memory, and came out looking tense.
"That's the correct memory, I'm sure, Jamieson," he said at last. "I'll bring it down myself, and supervise its use. I wouldn't want the students to see that memory completely unsupervised. It was bad enough for me."
He walked off, and Harry looked back to see the Pensieve floating precariously along behind them. Back in the classroom, the others cautiously experienced the memory while Harry watched stolidly, determined not to show any emotion about it. Lily returned to herself looking very pale and hugged Harry, much to his surprise. She never showed her feelings to that extent.
"I'm so sorry for you, that must have been awful! You looked so young!"
"I was fourteen, but I'm over it now." "Did you used to wear glasses? You looked really like James does."
"Well, yeah, I did, but I don't need to anymore."
"It's possible we're cousins, Lily," James said, interrupting, much to Harry's relief. "Mine is quite a big family, and I know I have lots of distant cousins I've never even heard of."
"Today's lesson," Professor Serdaigle announced seriously to the sixth year Defense Against the Dark Arts NEWT class, "is on the Unforgivable Curses. Professor Dumbledore feels that it is essential that you know what they're like and every preventive measure known to us because he knows full well that You Know Who uses them frequently and without mercy on his victims. Later on in this lesson, its good that we have the whole afternoon for this because I don't want to have to repeat it, I will cast on each and every one of you the Imperius curse for you to experience."
"Please Professor," Lily Evans said quietly, raising her hand. "But isn't that illegal?"
"Yes, absolutely, but I have been given a special permit for the use of the Imperius curse for the duration of this lesson. That should tell you how important it is for you to learn, since the Ministry, myself and the Headmaster are all in complete accord with each other. In a class of ten, with only one under the Imperius at any one time, it should be perfectly safe, even if I did have cruel tendencies. I am sure that you could disable me and my victim within minutes should that proves necessary. Now, we'll start at the beginning. What are the Unforgivable Curses?"
The ten students looked at each other in anticipation. That Professor Serdaigle, normally a fun, relaxed teacher, was in this mood had been interpreted by them all as an indication of how serious this lesson was going to be. All of them had an idea, but no one wanted to be first to raise their hand. At last, Lily Evans's arm rose slowly and shakily above her head.
"Miss Evans?"
"They're the curses that are so horrible they've been banned in every form and in any circumstance. There is no excuse for using them at all. If you do use them, you get an automatic and irreversible life sentence in Azkaban without a trial with no Appeal possible under wizarding law."
"Very good, Miss Evans. That is an excellent definition. Now, what are the three curses? Mr Black?"
"The Imperius Curse," Sirius said, looking intently at the young teacher, surprisingly focussed. Harry had always considered him as laid back in everything in this younger form; this was obviously not always the case.
"Yes, that's one. Rumor has it that You Know Who has many wizards and witches controlled under this curse. Deemed by many the least significant of the three because it causes no injury, I would disagree and say that it is the worst. It takes away your free will and forces you to obey the every command of the caster, whatever they are and whoever this wizard may be. I personally would rather have a quick death under the third curse or be tortured myself than suffer as I watched myself torturing my own family, unable to stop myself however much I wish to. Most of you would no doubt agree with me. It is possible for you to fight this curse, although it is difficult, and it is something that it is vital you learn if humanly possible. Another curse please, Mr Jamieson?"
"Cruciatus," Harry said, deciding to follow the normal 'scale' on which the three were ranked.
"The pain giving curse," Professor Serdaigle said softly, "Giving the most intense pain that has driven people mad and, in many cases, killed them outright after hours of agony. It is rumored that this too can be fought off, although I've never managed it myself or heard of anyone who can. Mr Potter, the final curse?"
"Avada Kedavra," James whispered, looking tense.
A hush fell on the already silent room, the atmosphere was suddenly heavy. James knew all too well that that was how his parents had perished. Harry shivered as he looked at the strangely calm, blank face, knowing that his father himself would one day die under the curse with his young wife with following moments afterwards. Professor Serdaigle made a noticeable effort to control himself before attempting to speak again.
"The death curse. No one has ever survived this (*Harry decided not to correct him on this*). Your only hope, indeed anyone's only hope, is to dodge and hope it misses you. There is no time to defend against it, and no shield will stop it. Take out your quills please and we'll not that down."
They silently wrote down his dictation. Every one among them knew the extreme effects of these curses. Every one of them knew someone who had suffered and probably died under them or who had lost a family member to them. Harry was the only one who could remotely be called relaxed - he'd spent all summer training under Mad Eye Moody, why should he be worried?
At last, the bell rang once, signaling the end of the first half of the afternoon lesson. Very slowly, very apprehensively, they put down their quills and put their parchment neatly away in their bags. Then they sat up behind their desks, not looking at each other, just staring at the teacher in the hope of relief.
It began.
"Now," said Professor Serdaigle," I'm going to ask each of you in turn to come up to the front, where I will place you under the Imperius curse. I want you to try your best to overcome it, but I warn you now that very few wizards can, particularly on their first attempts. We'll go down the register, so Mr Black, would you please come over."
Sirius pushed back his chair and very slowly, very reluctantly walked up to the front.
"Imperio!"
His normally expressive face went blank and he dropped down onto all fours, crawling very slowly around the room on his hands and knees until he cam to James. Very, very slowly he licked his friend's hand. Then Professor Serdaigle lifted the curse, and Sirius stood up, grimacing in disgust.
"When did you last wash your hands, James?"
The class laughed, some of the tension leaking away from them. The teacher smiled.
"Well done Mr Black, I could see that you were fighting it hard. You managed to slow it down considerably, always a good sign. By the end of this year, you'll be able to free yourself of it in moments. Miss Bones?"
Mary Bones, and Lily Evans who came after her, showed no signs of any resistance at all and performed their assigned tasks without any hint of reluctance.
"Mr Jamieson. Harry walked up confidently, almost jauntily. He'd been able to do this since he was fourteen years old, after all. He wasn't afraid in the slightest.
"Imperio!"
//Swim// a voice whispered in Harry's head. He smiled faintly and the class stared at him, intent on not missing anything. //SWIM// it insisted. He shook his head and more than one of his fellow classmates gasped.
"Sorry Professor, quite impossible with no water," he explained. The rest of the class stared at him in amazement, while Professor Serdaigle looked at him with growing respect.
"Can you describe to us how that felt, Mr Jamieson, since you were so successful?"
"It felt peaceful, as if it was the right thing to do. Then it was like a voice in my head, telling me to do it. I just decided that it was stupid and didn't."
"An excellent description, ten points to Gryffindor. However, it takes a very strong will to deny the 'voice' as you call it. Mr Black, would you go along with that description or is there something that you'd like to add?"
"It was peaceful, he'd right. It was kind of like really calm music. It felt to me like I was having an argument in my head, but I seemed to be losing."
"Good point, an argument. Some people won't even feel that. Mr Lupin, would you come up now? You can sit down now, Mr Jamieson, congratulations."
Remus went up looking considerably more confidant having seen Harry shake it off so successfully, but he sang the national anthem with great enthusiasm. Peter walked on his hands around the room, although he swore afterwards that he'd never even managed a simple cartwheel before.
James Potter, who told them later that he'd been told to bow to Snape, fell on his face in an attempt to prevent himself from obeying, and Professor Serdaigle was as pleased with him as he had been with Sirius. Snape however, despite his known affinity for Dark Magic, was an obedient zombie under its effect. The class was very relieved when everyone had been and the ordeal was over. While it had been funny to watch, it was creepy in the extreme.
There was a moment's uncertainty, then Snape raised his hand boldly and asked,
"Sir, aren't you going to show us the Cruciatus Curse as well?"
"Are you seriously suggesting, Mr Snape, that I cast the Cruciatus Curse on a student?"
"I wouldn't mind," Harry said bravely. He felt it was much better that they should all see someone under that curse as well and he'd already spent most of his summer suffering under the after effects. If anyone could deal with it, it was him.
"Really, I couldn't," the teacher stuttered, completely taken aback.
Snape had no such doubts.
"Crucio!" he yelled, pointing his wand at Harry with an expression remotely resembling glee. Harry gritted his teeth. He could do this. It was just like with Moody. . . A cold wave went through him and he felt a twinge of pain in his hand. He concentrated still harder. The pain vanished completely. Snape was staring at him. So was everyone else in the room.
"Twenty points from Slytherin, Snape, and detention for a week!" Professor Serdaigle snapped after a moment's pause. "Mr Jamieson, come outside."
Harry stood up and followed him out of the room, confidant he could deal with anything to come up.
"Yes Professor?"
"Harry you've experienced those curses before, haven't you?"
"Yes," he replied boldly, deciding it would be worthless to try and conceal it. He stuck strictly to the truth. "I did it in my fourth year at my old school and my teacher worked on it hard with me all of last summer holidays."
"Has it ever been cast on you by anyone other than your teacher?"
"Yes, Professor. You Know Who cast it on me at the end of my fourth year, when he attacked me."
"Congratulations on surviving, not many have. I won't press you for any details." "My godfather was killed."
There was an uncomfortable pause.
"I'm sorry for that. Are you finding this class disturbing for you?"
"No Professor, I think its good that people learn about them. If you have a Pensieve, I'm happy to put my memory of the first time I had Cruciatus done on me in it. That was before I learned to fight it off, and so long as I don't have to see it, I don't mind."
"That's generous of you. It's always best to learn from experience, and this is a way of doing it without casting the curse. Fifty points to Gryffindor for coping so well with Snape's curse. Go up to Professor Dumbledore's office, and ask if he would bring down his Pensieve for our use during this lesson."
"Yes sir."
Harry walked off, guessed the password correctly and went in. Professor Dumbledore quickly agreed, after ensuring that Harry knew exactly what he was doing. Then, he supervised Harry as he focussed on just the moment when the curse was on him and put it into the misty bowl. He couldn't, of course, reveal anything on either side of it. Professor Dumbledore submerged himself in the memory, and came out looking tense.
"That's the correct memory, I'm sure, Jamieson," he said at last. "I'll bring it down myself, and supervise its use. I wouldn't want the students to see that memory completely unsupervised. It was bad enough for me."
He walked off, and Harry looked back to see the Pensieve floating precariously along behind them. Back in the classroom, the others cautiously experienced the memory while Harry watched stolidly, determined not to show any emotion about it. Lily returned to herself looking very pale and hugged Harry, much to his surprise. She never showed her feelings to that extent.
"I'm so sorry for you, that must have been awful! You looked so young!"
"I was fourteen, but I'm over it now." "Did you used to wear glasses? You looked really like James does."
"Well, yeah, I did, but I don't need to anymore."
"It's possible we're cousins, Lily," James said, interrupting, much to Harry's relief. "Mine is quite a big family, and I know I have lots of distant cousins I've never even heard of."