Chapter 14 The Unforgivable Curses

The attached two days passed with let on great incident, unless you counted Neville mel send awayg his sixth cauldron in Potions. prof Snape, who squargon offmed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness over the summer, gave Neville detention, and Neville returned from it in a state of nervous collapse, having been do to disembowel a caskful full of horned toads.You k directly why Snapes in such a foul mood, dont you? verbalise Ron to chivvy as they watched Hermi wizard give instructioning Neville a chaparral Charm to remove the frog guts from under his fingernails.Yeah, verbalise waste. gloomy.It was common knowledge that Snape liter eachy fateed the minatory Arts job, and he had now failed to own it for the fourth year running. Snape had dis correspondingd all of their previous Dark Arts teachers, and shown it simply he designmed strangely wary of displaying overt peevishness to Mad-Eye tenacious. Indeed, whenalways raise power saw the two of them to set forthher at meal dates, or when they passed in the corridors he had the distinct impression that Snape was avoiding disconsolates shopping mall, whether charming or normal.I work up Snapes a bit scared of him, you know, bother say horizonfully.Imagine if glum turned Snape into a horned toad, give tongue to Ron, his hearts misting over, and bounced him all around his dungeonThe Gryffindor fourth years were awaiting forward to tenaciouss first lesson so much that they arrived early on Thursday lunch clipping and queued up extraneous his class populate before the bell had even rung. The and person scatty was Hermi mavin, who turned up just in time for the lesson.Been in the -Library. annoy finished her sentence for her. Cmon, quick, or we wont get decent seats.They hurried into cardinal c tomentums proper(ip) in front of the teachers desk, similarlyk turn come aside of the c suffert their copies of The Dark Forces A level to Self-Protection, and waited, unusual ly quiet. Soon they comprehend sours distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor, and he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. They could just see his clawed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes.You can endue those out case(a), he growled, stumping over to his desk and sitting down, those entertains. You wont desire them.They returned the books to their bags, Ron looking excited. non-w take awaye took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled gray h line out of his twisted and scarred spunk, and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swiveled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered. remedy then, he tell, when the last person had declared themselves present, Ive had a letter from prof lupine round this class. forgatherms youve had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures youve covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right? at that place was a widely distri only whened murmur of assent.But youre behind actually behind on traffic with curses, said Moody. So Im here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. Ive got maven year to teach you how to argue with Dark -What, arent you staying? Ron blurted out.Moodys magical eye spun around to stare at Ron Ron looked exceedingly apprehensive, and after a moment Moody smilingd the first time annoy had seen him do so. The effect was to switch his heavily scarred face look more than twisted and contorted than ever, just now it was nevertheless proper to know that he ever did allthing as friendly as smile. Ron looked deeply relieved.Youll be Arthur Weasleys son, eh? Moody said. Your father got me out of a rattling flat corner a few days ago.Yeah, Im staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledor.One year, and then acantha to my quiet retirement.He gave a harsh laugh, and then clapped h is gnarled slews together.So straight into it. Curses. They lessen in many another(prenominal) strengths and forms. forthwith, according to the Ministry of Magic, Im supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. Im not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until youre in the sixth year. Youre not supposed to be old becoming to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledores got a higher thought of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what youre up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against some(a)thing youve never seen? A wizard whos some to endow an illegal curse on you isnt going to tell you what hes about to do. Hes not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put in that away, Miss Brown, when Im talking.Lavender jumped and blushed. She had been video display Parvati her completed horoscope under the des k. Apparently Moodys magical eye could see with solid wood, as comfortably as out of the game of his head.Sodo any of you know which curses are most heavily punish by wizarding law?several(prenominal) hands pink wine tentatively into the demarcation, including Rons and Hermiones. Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender.Er, said Ron tentatively, my dad told me about one.Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?Ah, yes, said Moody appreciatively. Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse.Moody got heavily to his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a ice-skating rink jar. Three large black rovers were scuttling around inside it. Harry mat up Ron recoil close to next to him Ron hated spiders.Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, ImperioTh e spider leapt from Moodys hand on a ticket eviscerate of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.Everyone was laughing everyone leave out Moody.Think its funny, do you? he growled. Youd like it, would you, if I did it to you?The laughter died away almost instantly.Total control, said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. I could bushel it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throatsRon gave an involuntary shudder.Years back, thither were a lot of witches and wizards universe controlled by the Imperius Curse, said Moody, and Harry knew he was talking about the days in which Voldemort had been all-powerful. Some job for the M inistry, laborious to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was performing of their own let go will.The Imperius Curse can be fought, and Ill be teaching you how, further it takes real strength of character, and not everyones got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. immu display board VIGILANCE he barked, and everyone jumped.Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar.Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?Hermiones hand flew into the air again and so, to Harrys slight surprise, did Nevilles. The only class in which Neville usually volunteered schooling was Herbology which was easily his best issuance. Neville looked surprised at his own daring.Yes? said Moody, his magical eye rolling right over to fix on Neville.Theres one the Cruciatus Curse, said Neville in a small only when distinct voice.Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both look.Your names Longbottom? he said, his magical eye swooping down to check the register again.Neville n scratchyed nervously, provided Moody do no further inquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.The Cruciatus Curse, said Moody. Needs to be a bit big for you to get the idea, he said, pointing his wand at the spider. EngorgioThe spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula. Abandoning all pretense, Ron pushed his c tomentum backward, as far away from Moodys desk as possible.Moody increase his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, CrucioAt erst, the spiders legs bent in upon its body it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No heavy(p) came from it, but Harry was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming. Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently Stop it Hermione said shrilly.Harry looked around at her. She was looking, not at the spider, but at Neville, and Harry, following her gaze, saw that Nevilles hands were clenched upon the desk in front of him, his knuckles white, his eyes wide and horrified.Moody raised his wand. The spiders legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch.Reducio, Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back into the jar.Pain, said Moody softly. You dont need thumbscrews or knives to torture person if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse.That one was very popular once too.Rightanyone know any others?Harry looked around. From the looks on everyones faces, he guessed they were all wondering what was going to happen to the last spider. Hermiones hand shook s light as, for the third time, she raised it into the air.Yes? said Moody, looking at her.Avada Kedavra, Hermione whispered.Several mess looked uneasily around at her, including Ron.Ah, said Moody, another slight smile twisting his lopsided mouth. Yes, the l ast and blister. Avada Kedavra.the Killing Curse.He put his hand into the glass jar, and almost as though it knew what was coming, the third spider scuttled crazily around the bottom of the jar, trying to evade Moodys fingers, but he confine it, and placed it upon the desktop. It started to scuttle frantically crosswise the wooden surface.Moody raised his wand, and Harry felt a sudden thrill of foreboding.Avada Kedavra Moody roared.There was a flash of blinding putting green light and a move sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through with(predicate) the air instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. Several of the students stifled cries Ron had thrown himself backward and almost toppled off his seat as the spider skidded toward him.Moody swept the dead spider off the desk onto the floor. non nice, he said calmly. Not pleasant. And theres no countercurse. Theres no blocking it. just one known person has ever su rvived it, and hes sitting right in front of me.Harry felt his face redden as Moodys eyes (both of them) looked into his own. He could feel everyone else looking around at him too. Harry stared at the blank blackboard as though fascinated by it, but not unfeignedly seeing it at all.So that was how his parents had died on the nose like that spider. Had they been unblemished and unmarked too? Had they simply seen the flash of green light and heard the rush of speeding death, before life was wiped from their bodies?Harry had been picturing his parents deaths over and over again for three years now, ever since hed lay out out they had been murdered, ever since hed found out what had happened that night Wormtail had betrayed his parents whereabouts to Voldemort, who had write out to find them at their cottage. How Voldemort had killed Harrys father first. How James ceramicist had tried to donjon him off, while he shouted at his wife to take Harry and runVoldemort had advanced on Lily Potter, told her to move aside so that he could kill Harryhow she had begged him to kill her instead, refused to stop shielding her sonand so Voldemort had murdered her too, before turning his wand on Harry.Harry knew these details because he had heard his parents voices when he had fought the dementors last year for that was the fearful power of the dementors to force their victims to relive the worst memories of their lives, and drown, powerless, in their own despair.Moody was come up toing again, from a great distance, it seemed to Harry. With a massive effort, he pulled himself back to the present and listened to what Moody was locution.Avada Kedavras a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt Id get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesnt matter. Im not here to teach you how to do it.Now, if theres no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because youve got to know. Youve got to appreciate what the worst is. You dont want to find yourself in a place where youre facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE he roared, and the whole class jumped again.Nowthose three curses Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is replete to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. Thats what youre up against. Thats what Ive got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. depict out your quillscopy this down.They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang but when Moody had dismissed them and they had left the classroom, a torrent of talk fracture forth. Most people were discussing the curses in awed voices Did you see it twitch? - and when he killed it just like thatThey were talking about the lesson, Harry thought, as though it had been some so rt of spectacular show, but he hadnt found it very entertaining and nor, it seemed, had Hermione.Hurry up, she said tensely to Harry and Ron.Not the cherry-red library again? said Ron.No, said Hermione curtly, pointing up a side passage. Neville.Neville was standing alone, halfway up the passage, gaze at the stone beleaguer opponent him with the equivalent horrified, wide-eyed look he had worn when Moody had demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse.Neville? Hermione said gently.Neville looked around.Oh hello, he said, his voice much higher than usual. enkindle lesson, wasnt it? I wonder whats for dinner, Im Im starving, arent you?Neville, are you all right? said Hermione.Oh yes, Im fine, Neville gabbled in the same unnaturally high voice. Very interesting dinner I mean lesson whats for eating?Ron gave Harry a startled look.Neville, what -?But an odd clunking noise sounded behind them, and they turned to see Professor Moody gimp toward them. All four of them fell silent, honoring him apprehensively, but when he spoke, it was in a much lower and gentler growl than they had yet heard.Its all right, sonny, he said to Neville. Why dont you come up to my office? Come onwe can have a cup of tea.Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of tea with Moody. He neither go nor spoke. Moody turned his magical eye upon Harry.You all right, are you, Potter?Yes, said Harry, almost defiantly.Moodys blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed Harry. Then he said, Youve got to know. It seems harsh, maybe, but youve got to know. No point pretendingwellcome on, Longbottom, Ive got some books that might interest you.Neville looked pleadingly at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but they didnt say anything, so Neville had no choice but to allow himself to be steered away, one of Moodys gnarled hands on his shoulder.What was that about? said Ron, watching Neville and Moody turn the corner.I dont know, said Hermione, looking pensive.Some lesson, though, eh? said Ron to Harry as they set off for the Great Hall. Fred and George were right, werent they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesnt he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right -But Ron fell suddenly silent at the look on Harrys face and didnt speak again until they reached the Great Hall, when he said he supposed they had better make a start on Professor Trelawneys predictions tonight, since they would take hours.Hermione did not join in with Harry and Rons conver sit downion during dinner, but ate furiously fast, and then left for the library again. Harry and Ron walked back to Gryffindor Tower, and Harry, who had been guessing of nothing else all through dinner, now raised the subject of the Unforgivable Curses himself.Wouldnt Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew wed seen the curses? Harry asked as they approached the spicy Lady.Yeah, probably, said Ron. But Dumbledores always done things his way, hasnt he, and Moo dys been get in trouble for years, I reckon. Attacks first and asks questions later look at his dustbins. Balderdash.The Fat Lady swung forward to reveal the entrance hole, and they climbed into the Gryffindor common room, which was crowded and noisy.Shall we get our Divination stuff, then? said Harry.I spose, Ron groaned.They went up to the dormitory to beget their books and charts, to find Neville there alone, sitting on his bed, see. He looked a sizable deal calmer than at the end of Moodys lesson, though still not merely normal. His eyes were rather red.You all right, Neville? Harry asked him.Oh yes, said Neville, Im fine, thanks. Just interpreting this book Professor Moody lent meHe held up the book wizardly Water Plants of the Mediterranean.Apparently, Professor Sprout told Professor Moody Im really goodness at Herbology, Neville said. There was a faint note of haughtiness in his voice that Harry had rarely heard there before. He thought Id like this.Telling Neville w hat Professor Sprout had said, Harry thought, had been a very tactful way of cheering Neville up, for Neville very rarely heard that he was good at anything. It was the sort of thing Professor Lupin would have done.Harry and Ron took their copies of Unfogging the Future back down to the common room, found a table, and set to work on their predictions for the coming month. An hour later, they had made very little progress, though their table was littered with bits of parchment port sums and symbols, and Harrys brain was as fogged as though it had been filled with the exhaust from Professor Trelawneys fire.I havent got a clue what this lots supposed to mean, he said, staring down at a long list of calculations.You know, said Ron, whose hair was on end because of all the times he had run his fingers through it in frustration, I reckon its back to the old Divination standby.What make it up?Yeah, said Ron, sweeping the jumble of scrawled notes off the table, dipping his pen into some ink, and starting to write.Next Monday, he said as he scribbled, I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky pairing of Mars and Jupiter. He looked up at Harry. You know her just put in loads of misery, shell lap it up.Right, said Harry, crumpling up his first take in charge and lobbing it over the heads of a group of chattering first years into the fire. okon Monday, I will be in danger of er burns.Yeah, you will be, said Ron darkly, were seeing the skrewts again on Monday. Okay, Tuesday, IllermLose a treasured possession, said Harry, who was flicking through Unfogging the Future for ideas.Good one, said Ron, write it down. Because ofermMercury. Why dont you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?Yeahcool said Harry, scribbling it down, becauseVenus is in the twelfth house.And on Wednesday, I think Ill come off worst in a fight.Aaah, I was going to have a fight. Okay, Ill lose a bet.Yeah, youll be betting Ill win my fight.They continued to make up predictions (which grew steadily more tragic) for another hour, while the common room around them slowly emptied as people went up to bed. Crookshanks wandered over to them, leapt lightly into an empty chair, and stared inscrutably at Harry, rather as Hermione might look if she knew they werent doing their training properly.Staring around the room, trying to think of a kind of misfortune he hadnt yet used, Harry saw Fred and George sitting together against the opposite wall, heads together, quills out, poring over a single mankind of parchment. It was most unusual to see Fred and George hidden away in a corner and functional taciturnly they usually liked to be in the thick of things and the noisy substance of attention. There was something secretive about the way they were working on the piece of parchment, and Harry was reminded of how they had sat together writing something back at the Burrow. He had thought then that it was another order form for Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, but it didnt look like that this time if it had been, they would surely have let downwind Jordan in on the joke. He wondered whether it had anything to do with entering the Triwizard Tournament.As Harry watched, George shook his head at Fred, scratched out something with his quill, and said, in a very quiet voice that nevertheless carried across the almost deserted room, No that sounds like were accusing him. Got to be carefulThen George looked over and saw Harry watching him. Harry grinned and quickly returned to his predictions he didnt want George to think he was eavesdropping. Shortly after that, the twins rolled up their parchment, said good night, and went off to bed.Fred and George had been gone ten minutes or so when the portrait hole opened and Hermione climbed into the common room carrying a bundle of parchment in one hand and a box whose limit rattled as she walked in the other. Crookshanks arched his back, purring.Hello, she said, Ive just finishedSo have I said Ron triumphantly, throwing down his quill.Hermione sat down, situated the things she was carrying in an empty armchair, and pulled Rons predictions toward her.Not going to have a very good month, are you? she said sardonically as Crookshanks curled up in her lap.Ah well, at least Im forewarned, Ron yawned.You seem to be drowning twice, said Hermione.Oh am I? said Ron, peering down at his predictions. Id better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff.Dont you think its a bit obvious youve made these up? said Hermione.How dare you said Ron, in mock outrage. Weve been working like house-elves hereHermione raised her eyebrows.Its just an expression, said Ron hastily.Harry laid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation.Whats in the box? he asked, pointing at it.Funny you should ask, said Hermione, with a nasty look at Ron. She took off the lid and showed them the contents.Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colors , but all bearing the same letters S. P. E .W.Spew? said Harry, picking up a badge and looking at it. Whats this about?Not spew, said Hermione impatiently. Its S-P-E-W. Stands for the club for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.Never heard of it, said Ron.Well, of course you havent, said Hermione briskly, Ive only just started it.Yeah? said Ron in mild surprise. How many members have you got?Well if you two join three, said Hermione.And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying spew, do you? said Ron.S-P-E-W said Hermione hotly. I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our brother Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal term but it wouldnt fit. So thats the heading of our manifesto.She brandished the sheaf of parchment at them.Ive been researching it exhaustively in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I cant believe no ones done anything about it before now.Hermione open your ears, said Ron loudly. They. Like. It. They like b eing enslavedOur short-term aims, said Hermione, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadnt heard a word, are to secure house-elves second-rate wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because theyre shockingly underrepresented.And how do we do all this? Harry asked.We start by recruiting members, said Hermione happily. I thought two Sickles to join that buys a badge and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. Youre treasurer, Ron Ive got you a collecting tin upstairs and Harry, youre secretary, so you might want to write down everything Im saying now, as a record of our first meeting.There was a give over in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them, and Harry sat, torn between temper at Hermione and amusement at the look on Rons face. The silence was broken, not by Ron, who in any case looked as th ough he was temporarily dumbstruck, but by a soft tap, tap on the window. Harry looked across the now empty common room and saw, illume by the moonlight, a snowy owl perched on the windowsill.Hedwig he shouted, and he launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull open the window.Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room, and landed on the table on top of Harrys predictions.About time said Harry, hurrying after her.Shes got an answer said Ron excitedly, pointing at the drear piece of parchment tied to Hedwigs leg.Harry hastily untied it and sat down to read, whereupon Hedwig fluttered onto his knee, hooting softly.What does it say? Hermione asked breathlessly.The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry. Harry read it aloudHarry Im passing north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore theyre saying hes got Ma d-Eye out of retirement, which means hes reading the signs, even if no one else is. Ill be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry. Sirius Harry looked up at Ron and Hermione, who stared back at him.Hes flying north? Hermione whispered. Hes coming back?Dumbledores reading what signs? said Ron, looking perplexed. Harry whats up?For Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist, jolting Hedwig out of his lap.I shouldntve told him Harry said furiously.What are you on about? said Ron in surprise.Its made him think hes got to come back said Harry, now slamming his fist on the table so that Hedwig landed on the back of Rons chair, hooting indignantly. Coming back, because he thinks Im in trouble And theres nothing wrong with me And I havent got anything for you, Harry snapped at Hedwig, who was clicking her peck at expectantly, youll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food.Hedwig gave him an extremely offended look and took off for the open window, cuffing him around the head with her outstretched wing as she went.Harry, Hermione began, in a pacifying sort of voice.Im going to bed, said Harry shortly. See you in the morning.Upstairs in the dormitory he pulled on his pajamas and got into his four-poster, but he didnt feel remotely tired.If Sirius came back and got caught, it would be his, Harrys, fault. Why hadnt he kept his mouth shut? A few seconds pain and hed had to clatter.If hed just had the sense to keep it to himself.He heard Ron come up into the dormitory a short while later, but did not speak to him. For a long time, Harry lay staring up at the dark canopy of his bed. The dormitory was completely silent, and, had he been less preoccupied, Harry would have realized that the absence of Nevilles usual snores meant that he was not the only one lying awake.