"Every single one?"
"That's right. Every single one!"
—Two hours earlier—
Moody's wooden leg thumped back and forth across the front of the classroom as his good eye sharply scanned the pale, tense faces before him.
The air still seemed haunted by the image of the spider writhing in agony under the Cruciatus Curse, as well as the soul-stirring silence brought by the blinding green light of the Killing Curse.
"You must understand! When facing these curses, especially the Imperius Curse, theory alone is useless! You need to experience that feeling for yourselves before you can learn how to resist it!"
He took a swig from his hip flask, his gaze blazing as he stared at the students.
"Now, stop looking so frightened! I told you, I'll cast the curse on each of you. Don't pull those faces! Under my control, it's perfectly safe! Only by personally experiencing what it's like to be controlled can you hope to push it out of your mind if you ever encounter it in the future!"
The classroom immediately erupted into an uproar. Fear and resistance were written plainly across every face.
Even in the name of education, using an Unforgivable Curse on students was far beyond what most of them could accept.
"P-Professor..."
Hermione Granger's voice trembled slightly, but she still bravely raised her hand.
"Professor Greengrass already gave us a very detailed explanation last year about the three Unforgivable Curses, including their history, the legal reasons they are classified as 'Unforgivable,' and methods of resisting them."
Moody's normal eye instantly narrowed, while his magical eye swivelled and locked onto Hermione. The invisible pressure made her flinch.
"What did you say, Miss Granger?"
He frowned, sounding somewhat incredulous.
"Someone has already given you a... theoretical lesson on the Unforgivable Curses?"
"Y-Yes, Professor."
A strange silence immediately settled over the classroom.
A muscle twitched in Moody's face, and his magical eye spun several times, as though he were thinking rapidly.
Several seconds later, he let out a short, hoarse laugh that sounded more like a cough.
"Sagres Greengrass?"
He repeated the name, his tone carrying a mixture of surprise, scrutiny, and an inexplicable hint of approval.
"He taught you how to resist the Imperius Curse?"
"Yes, Professor."
Hermione quickly elaborated, trying to make the matter sound more in line with educational regulations.
"He emphasised that the key to resisting the Imperius Curse lies in willpower and establishing psychological defences beforehand, but he never cast the curse on us."
Moody stood silently for a moment, his normal eye sweeping across the students as though assessing both the truth of their words and the implications behind them.
"...He did the right thing."
Moody finally spoke, his voice steady, causing the students to collectively breathe a sigh of relief.
"Constant vigilance! Knowing your enemy's weapons in advance is always better than seeing them for the first time on a battlefield! Sagres understands that very well."
However, his tone abruptly changed, and his magical eye began darting around again.
"But!"
He slammed his staff heavily against the floor.
"Theory alone is nowhere near enough! Resisting the Imperius Curse requires repeated practice, just like training a muscle! Everyone responds differently! Sagres gave you the method, which is excellent! But now, I want to see how well you've trained those 'muscles'!"
It was clear he had no intention of abandoning his lesson plan because of this.
He drew his wand and pointed it directly at the Hufflepuff boy standing closest to the front of the classroom.
"Come on, let's start with you! Don't worry, it's just a simple demonstration... Imperio!"
An invisible force struck the boy instantly.
The fear vanished from his face. His eyes became vacant and unfocused, and a strange look of contentment appeared.
"Jump onto the table and crow like a rooster," Moody ordered.
The boy obeyed without hesitation. He awkwardly climbed onto a desk, threw back his head, and loudly crowed several times.
A few stifled gasps and nervous laughs came from the students, but fear was far more common.
Moody lifted the curse, his magical eye sweeping coldly across the classroom.
"You think that's funny? You won't when it happens to you! This curse can take away the most important thing you possess—yourself! It can make you willingly do anything, even the things you hate most and fear most! And the worst part is that you might even enjoy it!"
The boy came to his senses, realised what he had done, and immediately turned scarlet. He practically fell off the desk, looking as though he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
"Watch carefully!"
Moody barked.
"This is the Imperius Curse! It makes you feel very... happy. Very relaxed. You don't need to think. You only need to obey! Learn to recognise that feeling! Remember it! Then resist it!"
Without giving anyone time to recover, he began flicking his wand repeatedly.
"You! Bang your head against the wall. Gently!"
"You! Smear ink all over your face!"
"You! Stand up and read your textbook aloud!"
The classroom descended into a bizarre chaos.
One student after another fell under the curse, carrying out increasingly ridiculous and embarrassing actions.
Whenever the curse was lifted, what remained was humiliation, lingering fear, and a profound sense of helplessness.
Harry felt his stomach tighten.
Compared with Professor Greengrass's theoretical explanations, Moody's approach was far more brutal, direct, and humiliating.
Professor Greengrass had taught them how to defend themselves through calm analysis. Professor Moody, on the other hand, seemed determined to throw them into deep water and force them to struggle their way out.
At last, the terrifying wand pointed towards Harry.
He swallowed hard.
"Harry Potter! Your turn! Let's see whether the Boy Who Lived has a will as strong as the stories claim. Imperio!"
Instantly, an incredibly pleasant and relaxing sensation flooded Harry's mind.
All his worries, pressure, and fear seemed to disappear.
A warm, seductive voice echoed deep inside his head.
Relax... good... that's it... dance... it's easy... it's fun... laugh... climb onto the table and sing a song...
That foreign thought almost tore Harry's own will from its roots.
No.
Harry struggled.
He didn't want this feeling.
Get out!
He roared internally, desperately resisting the warm current that was trying to drown him.
His arm twitched, but it didn't rise. His knees bent slightly, but he ultimately didn't jump.
A flash of genuine surprise and approval appeared in Moody's eyes.
"Good! Very good! Potter resisted! Do you see? You can all do it! Focus your willpower! Push it out!"
He lifted the curse.
Harry gasped for breath, fine beads of sweat covering his forehead. He felt utterly drained, yet a powerful sense of accomplishment surged within him.
Moody immediately turned his wand towards the next student.
"Your turn, lad!"
Ron's face turned pale, his expression full of dread.
"Imperio!"
Ron's eyes instantly became vacant and unfocused, and a calm yet unsettling smile spread across his face.
Moody observed each student's reaction while loudly explaining,
"Do you see? Do you feel that power? It's whispering to you! It's telling you that surrendering is easier! That obedience is easier!"
Moody's "practical lesson" continued, and the classroom witnessed one humiliating display after another.
By the end, the room was in complete disarray.
The students who had experienced the curse gasped heavily as though waking from a dream, their faces filled with fear.
Many slumped in their chairs, cold sweat running down their faces. Neville was quietly sobbing, while Parvati Patil wiped tears from her eyes.
A deathly silence settled over the classroom, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing.
The bell had rung some time ago, yet no one moved from their seat.
"Theory is important."
Moody's voice finally shattered the silence.
"But sometimes, a practical experience leaves a deeper lesson about survival than any lecture ever could."
He paused, his normal eye sweeping meaningfully across the room.
"Professor Greengrass gave you the map. I..."
He tapped his chest.
"...I led you through the swamp myself."
"Class dismissed!"
With that, he turned and walked out of the classroom, his wooden leg striking the floor with a steady thump, thump, thump, leaving behind a room full of students who were still deeply shaken.
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