Chapter 27: Unforgivables.
Today.
"That was…" Remus stopped for a moment to calm his breathing. "That was good. You've made great progress."
Rose dropped her wand and collapsed beside him on the sofa. "My muscles are killing me and my head hurts. Where did you learn to use the Imperius like that? It was very hard to shake it away."
"I'm not very proud to know how to cast the Imperius but Dumbledore trained me, he said it might be usefull to the order. Besides I can say the same about you." He had the grace to look frightened. "How does that feel to be one of the only ones who has a license to cast the unforgivables?"
"They are not unforgivables when they are used for medical reasons." Rose faked hurt face. "I once caused a man to feel his legs again after placing him uder the Cruciatus curse."
"Really?" Remus was surprised. "You never told me about it. When did it happen?"
Rose shrugged and looked in his eyes. "I don't remember but I didn't like doing it very much."
"Did you ever use the killing curse?" He moved closer to her and reached out to massage her shoulders lightly. "You're awfully tense."
"I didn't. I never agree to sign any paper that even suggested to take a patient life out of mercy. I think Mary did it once and the look she had on her face was horrible enough." She sighed when he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly, closing her eyes and relaxing softly.
They've been training for a week now ever since he brought her the books from the library. Every morning, too early for her own liking, he would wake her up and they would go out to the grounds for an hour of circling the grounds. At the first two days they just walked but afterwards they started running. It did good for her unshaped body but it left her very tired afterwards.
Of course, Remus with his 'condition' didn't have a problem with running and he looked much more alert then she had ever seen him.
And they dueled. Every day after dinner they trained spells and curses and dueled. Sometimes he took her to an empty classroom but she prefered to stay in his rooms and avoid the students. She didn't understand why she prefered it, maybe she was trying to make up for lost time. But she thought that the real reason was the fact that she was still grieving and the possibility to see Lily and James's son again was frightening.
"I've been meaning to ask you something." He removed his caressing hands from her shoulders and turned her so that they faced each other. "Dumbledore wants me to teach the unforgivable curses to the sixth and seventh years. I thought maybe you could help me in demonstrating."
Rose shook her head. "I can't." She whispered, her voice shaking.
"Why?" He asked, looking at her with his bright eyes. "You have to let go, Rose. You have to live on. You can't hide in my rooms for the rest of your life."
He knew he touched a soft spot when she raised her eyes and glared at him. "I am not hiding." She spat, getting up from her position on the sofa.
"No? You don't even eat meals in the great hall with me. The only time you leave the room is early morning for a run. Rose, you have to get better and you won't accomplish it staying inside all day long."
She was still glaring at him when she sat back in her place, looking into his eyes. "What exactly do you want me to do?"
"I want to demonstrate the Imperus curse and maybe some dueling. Nothing too dangerous." He smiled. "The last time they saw the unforgivables the professor was a death eater and the last time they saw a dueling it was in Harry's second year."
"Alright, I'll do it." She nodded. "But mark my words, Professor Lupin, if you'll end up on your ass or something like that it will be entirly your fault!"
Remus grinned broadly. "I can't wait." He growled playfully, offering her his hand. "It's a date then, Monday morning, nine o'clock in my office."
She found herself matching his grin while shaking his hand firmly. "It's a date."
Then. September 1980.
Sirius could hardly believe their bad luck. He stood hidden between a few large rocks that covered the shores. Altough it was a shore there was no sand and no sun, only large, silent rocks. The entire place made him shake. Even from outside the prison, you could sense the Dementors powers. Even from that distance they could draw away all your happiness.
He didn't even want to think how Remus was doing inside.
They faked a battle and allowed Remus to get stunned and then watched when the hooded death eaters took him away, obviously aware of the fact that he was a werewolf and an order member. In his pocket, Remus held a handkerchief that was really a sofisticated portkey, designed to be activated exactly a week after he was captured.
But the week went by and Remus didn't show up. Alastor Moody, the newest member of the inner cycle, who replaced Rose, tried to persuade them out of their rescue plan but Sirius, James and Lily nearly killed the auror. They will not abandon their friend and Moody better get that fact inside his head.
In the general view of things they had to do this. It wasn't just Remus anymore. If they manage to get a hold of Azkaban again they might prove to the wizarding community that they can still fight, that they still have hope.
Sirius breathed hard when he saw Moody signaling him and moved forwards towards the large stone walls. Several aurors were already inside and he could almost feel the wards breaking down. He and Moody and several more aurors were supposed to make sure their surroundings remained quiet and death eaters free.
There was little noise from the inside and then Sirius nearly jumped with surprise when he saw hundreds of Dementors flying away from the prison gates, trying to escape the island. Sirius and his group of aurors immediately jumped forward, trying to stop them. Behind the Dementors came another group of aurors, chasing after them.
"Sirius!" Frank Longbottom shouted. "We can't let them get off the island!"
"Expecto Patronum!" Sirius screamed and watched when a silver ray from his wand took the shape of a huge silver wolf. The wolf rushed forward, making the Dementors to flee from him back towards the prison gates. The black figures glided backwards into the prison and a moment afterwards another group of aurors came out of the gates, James runing ahead of them.
"Sirius! We have control on the prison. I'm gonna stay here until we'll build new wards and take over the Dementors again.
"Remus?" Sirius asked quickly.
"Still alive, take him to St.Mungo's. He has a fever and we have to make sure he'll be bale to transform in a safe place. The full moon is three days from now." James wiped sweat and dirt from his forehead. "He looks like shit, Sirius."
Sirius nodded as he watched another auror floating Remus on a comforter. Remus looked pale and sweaty, his entire face bruised and filled with blood. He kept on mumbling things, shaking violently. "I'll take him, don't worry James. Just finish here as quickly as you can."
"I will. I'll leave instructions to Moody and join you at the hospital."
Sirius floated Remus to a boat where other injured prisoners were, some in better shape then others. Remus still talked nonsense and Sirius cleaned his face when he opened his eyes a little. His grey eyes were filled with pain and he tried to talk, his own voice betraying him. "Rose?" He asked, his voice nothing but a hoarsed whisper.
"No, Remus, it's me Sirius." Sirius' throat clenched when the slight glimse of hope dissappeared from his friend's eyes and he closed them, sighing with pain. Sirius caressed Remus' hair lightly, noticing the blood between the brown and silver hairs. "Oh, Remus…" He whispered.
Today.
"That's right Mr. Weasley. Five points for Gryffindor. Indeed the origin of the killing curse was used for medical reasons only until times came and it was used for other, darker means. Because of that the three unforgivable curses were banned for use and the punishment for using them is a life time in Azkaban. Can anyone think of a better use for the Cruciatus curse other then simply causing pain? Harry?"
Professor Lupin smiled at the young man but Harry didn't really know answer. He knew for sure that their defence book didn't contain that information. "I…I…" he stammered a little and got annoyed at Hermione who suddenly raised her hand.
"Yes, I know it wasn't in the books, Harry. But why don't we think together? What does the Cruciatus curse do?"
Hermione raised her hand even higher and Ron elbowed her, earning a death glare. "It…" Harry fumbled with his words. "It's stimulate the nerves." He said quietly and professor Lupin smiled.
"That's right, Harry, it over stimulate nerve ending, especially the synapse between nerves and the skeletal muscles. If used long enough it will effect inner organs and the brain." His gaze moved to Neville as the young wizard's eyes widened. "So what good can we do with the Cruciatus? Mr.Longbottom, can you think of something?
Neville cleared his throat, his face flushing. "Well, I guess it can help in cases where the patient can't move his body."
"Excelent." Lupin smiled even more. "Can anyone think of a better use for the Imperius Curse?"
The class reamained silent as the students thought for a moment. Remus risked a look at his wife and saw her smiling at him, obviously enjoying. Hermione raised her hand and he turned to look at her. "Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Well…maybe in cases of mental illness, when the patient is a risk for himself?" She asked.
"Yes, very good." He nodded. "The Imperio has a lot of usage in the medical area, especially with patients who tend to harm themselves or their surroundings." He waited for them to finish writing and then continued. "I had in mind to show you a little demonstration. I will not teach you how to use the curse but how to fight it. What most people don't know is that it's possible to fight both the Imperious and the Cruciatous curse and I am not talking about just resisting it but fighting to get out of it's effect." He stopped to look backwards at his wife and she smiled and nodded. Raising his wand, he uttered the curse. "Imperio." Rose's eyes turned wide and empty as she waited for instructions. Some of the students gasped with surprise and Lupin spoke again. "Get up and come over here." His tone was calm and collected. "When one is casting the Imperio curse he must control his voice." He explained the class, his voice still quiet. "Any evidence of negative tones might alert the victim to the fact that the voice in his head is not friendly and it might provoke response." Rose moved to stand infront of him. "Rose know me well enough to trust me so if I want to see some response I'll have to provoke her quite badly." He half smiled to the class and then turned towards her again. "Go to the window and jump." He ordered.
A collective gasp could be heared when she quietly went towards the window, Lupin's wand still aimed at her. She hesitated when she opened the window. Did she really want to jump? Didn't it mean that she'd die? "Jump." She heared his voice again, softly caressing her ears. But…no…she didn't want to jump. She turned and found herself face to face with him.
"Jump."
No, I don't want to jump. Her mind argued.
"Jump out of the window." He repeated.
NO, I WILL NOT! Her mind screamed and she raised her wand.
"Stupefy!" She shouted suddenly and a jet of red light shot from her wand. Remus bearly managed to avoid the curse and stumbled to the ground, laughing. The students looked at him as if he had lost his mind but Remus just breathed hard and accepted the hand his wife offered him. "That was close, I'm sorry." She said quietly.
"It's quite alright." He smiled and dusted his robes. "Well, as you can see," He turned to his students. "Rose managed to get free from the effects. The key for it is to hex the caster himself. While casting any unforgivable curse the caster uses his wand to channel the magic, it is impossible to dissarm him while he still have power. So naturally the best way is to get him off balanced a little."
The bell rang and he smiled. "Alright no homework for today. I hope next time would be a practical lesson. I'll see you all next Thursday.
The students left the class, hurring for their bext lesson and Remus turned to grin at his wife. "That was brilliant. I don't want to think what would have happen to me if I didn't avoid that hex."
Rose laughed. "I enjoyed, Remus, your students love you very much."
"You think so?" He flushed a little.
"I always thought you'd make a great teacher." She said, sitting behind his desk.
"I have class with my second years now." He said. "If you want to go…"
"No." she shook her head. "If you don't mind, I'll wait in your office and we could go grab some lunch together."
Remus smiled at her and nodded. "I'd love to." He said and looked after her when she entered his office, quietly closing the door behind her. His mind was still thinking of her and wouldn't let go, not even when he started his lesson.
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