Family Matters

Jason smirked to himself as he walked into the common room with Hermione and Hari. “Good thing I turned seventeen this summer. I think I might enter my name in the Goblet.”

Hermione and Hari turned to look at him with concern. “But you could die, Jay,” Hermione said.

Jason shrugged carelessly. “Did it once, why not do it again?”

Hermione let out an uncharacteristic snort. “And when exactly did you die? Last time I checked, you're not Voldemort.”

“How do you know I’m not?” Jason leaned down to stare at the young witch.

The staring contest was intense, emerald green eyes versus chocolate brown. 

Hari paused, wondering who would win— until Hermione poked Jason in the eyes.

“Jesus Christ, Hermione! I was joking!” Jason collapsed to his knees, holding his eyes. “Now I’m blind. I’m crippled. How could I ever compete if I can’t see?”

Hari chewed on the information Jason had spilled. Bruce said Jason was injured gravely, but was it possible he sugar-coated it? He was vague while explaining the whole situation to him. 

“Well, I'm just glad the attention won’t be on me this year. I would appreciate it if my brother just focused on his studies with me this year.”

Jason pouted, still holding his eyes closed and flopping on the red plush. “Fiiiiinnnnneeeeeee.”

“Everyone walks on that carpet, you know. With their shoes on.”

-------

The unhinged Professor hobbled into the room the next morning turning there book in his free hand. “Flourish and Rlotts, like good little boys and girls, bought the textbook. Congratulations, it'll make a fine doorstop.” The book landed on the desk with a loud thunk, “ I'm Alastor Moody,” He began to write on the chalkboard, “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?”

The children sat not making any noise, the man personally made the hair on the back of Hari’s neck stick up. Hermione nervously played with the corner of her parchment.

“When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach.  But first, which of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?” The batty man picked up a jar with a spider in it.

Hermione swallowed before she answered the question, “Three, sir.”

“And they are so named?” Placing the container down, the wiry haired man turned away to write on his board.

“Because they are unforgivable.” Her voice trembled slightly. “The use of any one of them will-

“Earn you a one-way ticket to Azakban, Correct.'' He turned back to the class, “Now, the Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different. You need to know what you're up against. You need to be prepared. You need to find another place to put your gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnegan!” 

Seamus was shocked that the professor saw him with his back turned, “Blimey. The old codger can see out of the back of his head.” he muttered

Chalk was launched across the room, thunking Seamus in the head, “And HEAR ACROSS CLASSROOMS! So which curse shall we see first? Weasley!”

Ron squeaked out a yes.

“Give me a curse.” He opened the lid, letting the spider crawl onto his hand, enlarging it for the classroom to see with ease.

“Well . .. my Dad once told m-e about one ... The Imperius Curse.”

 “I expect your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a fair bit of grief some years ago. Perhaps this will show you why: Imperio!” Moody casted the spell on the arachnid, making it leap to Parvati’s shoulder, who let a shrill shriek. “Don’t worry she’s completely harmless!” Moody continued to move the arachnid around the room from Seamud to Lavender finally to Ron. The poor lad looked like he was going to faint, while his classmates howled with laughter.

The spider flew back to the professor, “Talented, isn’t she? What should I have her do next? Jump out a window?” The humor faded from the room instantly, “Drown herself?” 

“Scores of witches and wizards claimed they only did You-Know Who's bidding while under the influence of the Imperius Curse. Here's the rub: how do you sort out the liars?” 

The question burned Hari, how do you sort out a liar from a crowd?

“Another!” Moody barked, his eye spinning in circles only to land on Neville, “Longbottom, is it? Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for Herbology.”

The shy boy nodded as he picked at the sides of his thumbs, shaky he began to name a curse, “There's. . . the Cruciatus Curse.”

“Yes. Particularly nasty.” Hummed the professor, placing the spider on Neville’s desk. “Crucio!” 

Hari wanted to cover his ears from the innocent screams of the spider, its legs violently trembling, pincers trying to attack an invisible enemy. Neville stood there transfixed on the hurting creature. Hari, personally, had enough of this.

 “KNOCK IT OFF!!”

The curse ended, and Mad-Eye’s gaze was locked with him. Hari surprised even himself as he stalked up to Neville’s desk and took the spider into his hands. “We get it. The next one is the killing curse—you don’t need to harm this spider any more. You’ve hurt it enough!”

His summer growth spurt had brought him to eye level with the wild-eyed adult. “Mr. Potter, I’m trying to teach an important lesson. Not all of us will have another chance to see it before it kills us.”

“Seeing it now, or seeing it before it kills you won't matter, unless you know of a counter curse. This spider doesn’t need to die to prove you're a professor who is compensating.” Hari didn’t peel his eyes from Moody’s, “I heard you were one of my parent’s friends, tell me, would they rather us see how they died? Or learn to protect ourselves so we don't?”

Moody sneered, “Congrats Gryffindor, Mr. Potter just lost you ten points.” As the Professor hobbled away Hari called out, “It’s Mr. Black-Potter to you.”

Lucky the bell had rang signaling the class had ended.

Hermione collected Hari from his standoff with the professor who looked ready to pop a blood vessel, but class had ended before he could throttle the insolent student, “Hari! You’ve been around your brother too much!”

“The guy is a bloody git, Hari did the right thing standing up to him.” Draco sneered as he peeked his girlfriend’s cheek. “What are you going to do with that thing?” He pointed to the spider that made its way up into Hari’s curls.

“Keep it for now, I guess. Or maybe give it to Jason, Hedwig might try to eat the poor thing.”

------

Lily stood in the classroom in disbelief. How could Alastor show such a thing to children?

"How is he not going to Azkaban? He used all three curses. He has three one-way tickets to Azkaban," James mumbled. "This isn't the Ali I know. Sure, he was all about 'Constant Vigilance!'” James struck a pose, pretending to creep along the side of a wall. "But to show kids this?"

Regulus was sitting in the corner of the room. "Maybe it's because that isn't Moody."

"What do you mean, Reggie?" James asked, walking over to the lounging Black heir.

Lily mused out loud, "He is drinking from that flask often, like Polyjuice Potion, judging by the frequency."

"I also followed him yesterday. He threw some food into a locked trunk in his office," Reggie added, not looking up from his book, Mind Control and Ways to Break It.

"If that’s not Moody, then who is it? We have to do something!" James exclaimed, worried for his baby boys.

He was met with eye rolls and sighs. "Jamie, once again, we are dead, and the only person we can talk to is being controlled."

James screamed, a common occurrence these days. It was hard to be a man of action when you weren't technically a man anymore.

"At least he's comforting Neville," Lily mused to herself.