Moody's classroom day. With a massive thud, Moody drops a textbook onto Neville's desk, the same textbook on everybody's desk.

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection.

"Alastor Moody".

He writes his name on the board, turning back to students.

"Ex-Auror. Ministry malcontent. And your new defense against the dark arts teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me, end of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?"

Moody's blue eyes scan the silent classroom, and land on Harry. Harry stares back, willing himself to hold the old warrior's horrifying visage. Moody turns away. Take his flask.

"When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which of you can tell me..."

Moody takes a sour tug on the flask, snatches up a specimen jar and watches a spider scuttle within.

"... how many unforgivable curses are there?"

The students trade uneasy glances. Finally, Hermione's hand rises tentatively. As his real eye continues to stare at the spider, Moody's blue eye rotates onto Hermione.

"Three sir".

Moody's circling around the class.

"You're top of your class, correct?" Hermione nods, Moody stops, eye raking over the others. "Again, Granger. How many curses?

"Three".

"And they are so named?"

"Because they are unforgivable. Use of any one of them will..."

"Will earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban. Correct. Now the ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say something different! You need to know what you're up against, you need to be prepared, you need to find somewhere else to put your chewing gum other than the underside of your desk Mr. Finnigan!"

Seamus blinks., caught in the act. Whispers. "Aw no way, the old codger can see out the back of his head".

Mad-Eye throws the chalk in anger.

"... and hear across classrooms. So. Which curse shall we see first? Weasley!"

"Y-yes.." Ron whimpers as his eyes look up at Moody.

"Give us a curse".

Ron watches uneasily as Moody returns to the specimen jar, reaches inside and lets the spider run up his hand.

"Well, my dad did tell me about one... The imperious curse".

"Ahhh yes, your father would know all about that. Gave the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why".

Mad-Eye pops open a jar with a spider in it. "Hello. What a little beauty. Imperio!"

As Moody waves his wand and sends it around the class, the spider leaps from his palm onto Parvati's shoulder.

"Don't worry. Completely harmless". The class is unsettled.

As she shrieks, Moody flicks his wand and the spider bounds from Seamus to Dean on and on, the students howling with amusement if finally lands on a horrified Ron.

Moody grins, then summons the spider back to his palm, where slowly circles his wand over it.

"Talented isn't she? What shall I have her do next? Jump out the window? Drown herself?"

Mad-Eye has the spider over a bucket of water, it's wriggling. One by one, the students' smiles dry up.

"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did you-know-whose bidding under the influence of the imperious curse. But here's the rub, how do we sort out the liars? Another.. another.. Come on come on".

He scans the forest of hands, when his eyes rotate with particular interest on . . . Neville.

"Longbottom is it? Up". Neville Longbottom stands. "Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for herbology".

Neville nods shyly. "There's the um... The cruciatus curse".

"Correct! Correct! Come come. Particularly nasty. The torture curse".

Moody steps forward, looming over Neville and drops the spider onto his desk.

"Crucio!"

Mad-Eye begins torturing the spider with magic, it squeals.

The spider twitches, legs trembling violently. Moody stands utterly motionless, eyes fixed on Neville who seems transfixed by the spider's misery.

Hermione's eyes drift from the spider to Neville's hands, which are clenching the corners of his desk so hard his knuckles are turning white.

"Stop it! Can't you see it's bothering him, STOP it!"

Finally... Moody drops his wand. This room is silent. Mad-Eye stops. Neville is disturbed. Mad-Eye picks up the spider which is still making a noise.

"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse Miss Granger".

Hermione glances at Neville, shakes her head. He casts a spell ... "Avada Kedavra!" ... There is a flash of green light, a rush of air and the spider rolls onto its back.

Dead.

"The killing curse. Only one person is known to have survived it. And he's sitting in this room".

He approaches Harry's desk. As the others turn their eyes on him, Harry looks up and sees Moody studying him.

Moody's tongue nervously probes the corner of his mouth as he takes out his flask and turns away.

Spiral staircase outside Moody's classroom moments later. Harry, Ron and Hermione drift from class.

"Brilliant isn't he! Completely demented of course. Terrifying to be in the same room with, he's really been there you know".

"There's a reason those curses are unforgivable, and to perform them in a classroom. I mean did you see Neville's face".

Harry lets out a short warning whistle up ahead with a near shot, they see a boy on the stairs facing the window, standing by a stained glass window, his face running in rainy blue light as he gazes vaguely beyond. Hermione gently approaches behind him.

"Neville?"

Moody limps past them, places a leathered hand on Neville's shoulder.

"Son. You alright?" Neville nods. "Come on, we'll have a cup of tea. I want to show you something".

Hermione watches Neville and Moody walk back inside the classroom, the trio then make their way down the spiral staircase.

"I'm going to the library".

"What?" Ron shouted. "We've been bloody mad haters by Moody and you're going to the library".

Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry nods and smiles as he drags Ron away from Hermione. "She's mental, Harry".

"What do you expect from Hermione, Ron? Come on. We've gone somewhere beside the library. It would be fun".

Hermione drops her books on the table with a loud THUD. Madam Pince looked up at her.

"Are you alright Miss Granger?" she asked. "Someone must be having her periods today".

Hermione sighs and walks to Madam Pince's desk. "Just this. Professor Alastor Moody just gave Neville's hard time".

"Unforgivable curse?" Hermione shoot up her eyes. "He's the ex-Auror Miss Granger what do you expect laying low and sing sweet song for his students in classroom".

"Defence Against Dark Arts Teacher, yes. Professor Lupin's doesn't make one of us like that".

"Lupin's is a soft old man, Miss Granger. Never comparing. When you get to know Moody you know why he'll do that".

Madam Pince smiled. "Any book you like, Miss Granger?"

Hermione gathers her books in arm, then walks to the end of the shelves, the usual table. For what she was shocked.. books in her arm scattered on the ground, her eyes locked at Snape who sat on her table... Reading.

Her mouth slightly opened. Blink her eyes thinking it was just her dream or she was probably tired after class but no.. Snape exists sitting on that table.

He didn't look up at her, even the loud THUD on the ground completely made someone annoyed to hear.

Hermione slowly backed away between the shelves not wanting Snape to notice her presence around him.

"Hello Miss Granger". Snape looked up at her. "Care to join me in here, there's plenty of chairs here".

He smiled. Snape is smiling? He didn't smile, he can't smile. Snape doesn't know how to smile. Since when? Like forever.

"You sit on my chair, Professor".

"Do I?" He looked around. "I didn't know that everyone could sit here".

He loved to see Hermione hesitate around him and bite her lips. That makes her more beautiful than ever.

Yes. Hermione Granger turns out to become the most beautiful woman he ever laid his eyes on after Lily's.

Hermione is everything he lived for.

"Well.." Hermione gathered her books back in arm. "You can have that seat, Professor. You're right. Everyone can sit here whenever they like".

She turns to walk but.. "What on Merlin are you doing in the library, Professor!"

"Is there any password?"

"NO! As I know you never left. You are always spending your time in Dungeons rather than outside".

Snape humming. Hermione spoke again. "And I'm glad.. finally you did go outside. Rather than dungeons".

"Thank you for caring about me. Dumbledore asks me to find something to amuse myself and I choose a library which I can read. And new potions".

Snape shows her the book he read. "I believe something is bothering me. Something or someone trying to steal ingredients from my office".

"You suspect me, Professor?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Because I know you will, that makes you turn into a cat in your second year. How I forget. You ask Mr. Potter to blow up one of the cauldrons in my class, everything is chaos, then you sneak into my office and steal the ingredients".

Snape smirk. "How talented a little witch stole from my office".

"I didn't!" She lied. "Why should I do that? Pfft... I don't have to steal it while I can get by myself".

Snape laid the book he read on the table, he pushed the chair and walked towards her. His eyes fell on her.

"Prove it!"

"Because I'm the brightest witch, which Professor Lupin, others Professor even Dumbledore compliment me with, among other students.. I'm the best. This insufferable know it all you called are always the best".

She grit her teeth. Snape smirking. "And this insufferable know at all is mine.."

"In your dream!"

She grunt. Eyes jerked on him, turned her feet.. Hermione left the library.