"Looks like we have Defense against the Dark Arts first with the Slytherins, followed by double Herbology with Hufflepuffs," Mary says as each student receives their class schedule for the year. She was sitting with Sirius, James, and Lily at the Gryffindor table.
"You are short a class McDonald." Sirius points out, looking over her shoulder. "You dropped Divinations."
"I spoke to McGonagall before summer and got an intern with Madam Pomfrey instead." She says turning slightly red.
"Intern? What's that?" James asks curiously.
"It is a muggle term to say that you are shadowing someone in their job." Lily explains.
"But you are always in the Hospital Wing helping her anyway, why do you need to intern?" Sirius asks.
"Do you really want me in Divinations after what happened last year?"
"No I suppose not. Though, it was kinda nice for the heads up." James points out, remembering that particular full moon.
"Yeah, well this year will be perfect." Mary answers with a reassuring smile and then points to the bottom of the schedule. "See, look. We get to take our apparition tests this year if we so choose."
"Mhmm..." James sounds unconvinced, glancing at his watch. "Not wanting to sound like Flower or anything (He grins at Lily when she rolls her eyes), but we should probably meet the others in class."
Mary manages to sit next to Luke in the classroom just shortly before their new Defense against the Dark Arts professor came into the room to start class.
"Good morning." The professor says as he sets down a jar that held what looked like spiders – that Mary shivered once seeing. "My name is Jared Dawlish. An Auror asked by Professor Dumbledore to come teach. As some of you may know my son, John, is in this room, but I will let you know that I will not play favorites."
Mary looks over her shoulder to see a Slytherin who she had never spoken to before burry his head into his book. Mary caught Mulciber's eye, who was sitting behind John, and he winks at her before she sends him a look of disgust and turns back at their professor.
"As an Auror I have special permission to show you what I will be today. As many of you might have been noticing in the Daily Prophet there have been rumors of a dark wizard gaining power, so you all need to know how to defend yourself. Now can anyone name me the Unforgivable Curses?"
There was a hesitation before a few hands slowly raised into the air. Professor Dawlish points to a pair of students. "What are your names?"
"I'm Frank and this is Alice." Frank Longbottom says as hands lower back to the desks.
"And your curse?"
Alice glances at Frank for a moment before answering. "Well there is the Cruciatus Curse."
"Brilliant! Good first choice." Dawlish says before opening the jar and coaxing a spider onto his hand. Using Engorgio he makes the spider grow before setting the spider down on their table and casting the curse, "Crucio."
At once the spider began to whither and twitch in pain. A few students screamed, but both Frank and Alice managed to watch the spider for a while. Alice started crying after a while before Sirius yells at Dawlish. "Hey! Will you stop? Can't you tell that it is bothering them? What kind of professor are you?"
Silently the Professor walks the spider back up to his desk to exchange to a different one. He then walks over to Sirius and enlarges the spider. "Perhaps you can give us another one Mr. Black."
Mary could have sworn there was a flash of hatred in Sirius's eyes before he replied. "Imperius Curse."
"Imerio," Professor Dawlish says quickly and in a moment the spider started to dance. A few people laughed, to at which Dawlish flicked his wand to hover the spider a bucket of water. "What shall I make it do? Drown itself? Or maybe have it crawl down one of your throats." He says softly as he lowers it back into the jar. With the laughter completely stopped now, the room was as if a Silencio charm was casted. Professor Dawlish reached into the jar and managed to catch the last spider, enlarging it he sets it on Mary's and Luke's desk.
Knowing the question that was on the tip of his tongue Mary shakes her head. Mary couldn't take her eyes away from the spider. Though Mary didn't hear him she figured Luke had given the answer because in a sudden flash of green the spider that sat in front of her was curled up, dead. When she finally takes her eyes off the spider, her face was drained of color and realizes that the professor was talking again.
"The first as provided by Mr. Longbottom and Miss. Fortesque, is a curse that inflicts pain on the victim. The second as so generously given by Mr. Black, gives the caster the availability of complete control over the victim. And finally the third given by Mr. Harper is the killing curse, the one curse that no one can survive." He pauses to look over the faces of his students. "Dark wizards like to torture you before killing you, so over the next few weeks I will be teaching you how to fight the Cruciatus and Imperius Curses."
After class was finished the group met Sirius in the hall (he had left after Dawlish explained the curses) and started toward the Green Houses. Sirius was muttering angrily to himself, "Why in hell is he teaching that in school!? Sure it is defense against the dark arts, but really! And with the Slytherins in class! He is just encouraging them to use it!"
"Padfoot… calm down." James says hesitantly.
"I will not calm down! I know perfectly well how those spells are used! My own mother used them on me before I got sick of it and left! You bloody well know this, Prongs! That professor has no bloody right to use those curses on us! Auror my ass!"
Mary stops walking to dig into her bag for one of the potions she always keeps on hand. She catches up and hands it to Sirius. "Here. Drink this."
"What is it?" He snaps, but takes it from her anyway and glancing at the blue tint of the potion.
"Just trust me and drink it. It will help." She says softly.
Sirius scowls at her gentle tone, but downs the calming draught in one go. As he hands Mary the empty vial the potion takes effect and his ugly scowl was quickly replaces by his normal goofy grin. He drapes his arms around Lily's and Charlotte's shoulders as the group makes their way out the front doors of the castle and across the grounds for Herbology.