Moody picked up a large glass jar from the podium, inside which were several spiders.
They struggled against the glass, their slender legs constantly waving.
"Now." Moody held up the jar, his magical eye fixed on the spiders inside.
"Who can tell me what the most wicked Dark Arts are?"
The classroom fell silent.
Ernie hesitated for a few seconds before raising his hand.
Moody's normal eye looked over.
"Speak."
"The Imperio." Ernie's voice was slightly nervous.
"And the Crucio, and... the Killing Curse."
Moody nodded, the scars on his face twisting into a strange arc.
"Very correct. Ten points to Hufflepuff."
He unscrewed the lid and reached inside to grab a spider.
The spider struggled between his rough fingers, its eight legs kicking wildly, but to no avail.
Moody placed the spider on the podium, raised his wand, and chanted the Spell in a low voice.
"Imperio!"
The spider's body suddenly stiffened, then began to writhe.
It stood up, supporting its body on its two hind legs, while the remaining six legs swung in the air.
It looked like it was tap dancing, its movements comical and ridiculous, like a puppet on strings.
Laughter erupted in the classroom.
Moody's magical eye spun around in its socket, and he asked in a coarse voice.
"Is this funny?"
The laughter immediately stopped.
"Imagine if it were you being controlled?" Moody limped to the edge of the podium, looking down at the students.
"I could make you jump off a building, drown yourself, or stab your own throat with a knife."
His voice was kept low, every word chillingly cold.
"And you couldn't do anything but watch yourself fall completely into my hands."
The atmosphere in the classroom instantly solidified, and the faces of the students who had just been laughing turned pale.
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Moody's eyes; all he wanted was to intimidate these kids first.
Suddenly, his magical eye noticed a certain direction.
Charlie had his head down, hands folded on the desk, his head slightly drooped, breathing evenly.
[tyrant points +1 +1 +1...]
Moody's expression froze.
Seriously, I admit you're strong, but I'm here trying to scare you as your Professor. Can't you show some respect?
"It seems Charlie here believes he understands the Imperio so well that he doesn't need to listen to the lesson."
Charlie's eyes snapped open, he raised his head, and said seriously.
"Teacher, you flatter me."
His tone was so natural it was as if he hadn't been the one sleeping moments ago.
A few muffled laughs came from the classroom. Ernie and Justin turned their heads, their shoulders shaking.
Moody's rough face twitched.
"Do you think I was praising you? Forget it. Since you know the Imperio so well, tell me, how should one counter it?"
Charlie sat up straight.
He naturally knew the answer to this question, as the system had previously drawn the Imperio.
"First, the best way is not to be hit," Charlie said.
"You can use Transfiguration to create obstacles, or conjure plants to block the Spell."
He paused, then continued:
"If you are unfortunately hit, you can also resist it, but it requires extremely strong willpower."
"Very good." Moody withdrew his gaze, unscrewed his hip flask, and took a swig.
"The answer is completely correct, but because you were sleeping in class, the points are gone."
Charlie sighed in relief. No matter when, being called out in class always caused panic.
After being woken up, he was genuinely alert and no longer sleepy.
Moody turned and walked back to the podium, placing the spider back on the desk.
"Next, is the Crucio."
"Cruciatus Curse!"
The spider's body instantly stiffened, then began to convulse violently.
Its eight legs kicked wildly, its body rolling across the desktop, the silent scream seeming to pierce the air.
The laughter in the classroom vanished, replaced by suppressed silence.
Hannah covered her mouth, her face pale. Justin turned his head away, daring not to look. Even Ernie, usually worldly, looked somewhat terrified.
When Moody stopped casting the Spell, the spider lay half-dead on the podium, its eight legs curled up in a ball.
Moody looked expressionlessly at the spider, his rough, hoarse voice echoing in the classroom.
"The Crucio, ultimate pain. Using this Spell to torment others is easier than any torture device."
He paused, then his magical eye turned toward the students in the classroom.
"You-Know-Who's Death Eaters love this trick the most."
The atmosphere in the classroom was so oppressive it was suffocating.
Moody reached into the glass jar and grabbed another spider; the previous one was already motionless.
The new spider struggled between his fingers, its six legs kicking wildly. Moody placed it on the podium and raised his wand.
"Finally, the most wicked Dark Arts."
"Avada Kedavra!"
A blinding green light shot out from the tip of the wand, hitting the spider.
The spider's body instantly flipped over, its eight legs pointing skyward, motionless.
No struggle, no convulsions—it just died.
Several students desperately suppressed the urge to scream.
Moody casually swept the spider's corpse onto the floor, as if sweeping away a speck of dust.
"Now I have some very bad news for you," Moody said, his gaze sweeping across the class.
"The Killing Curse has no counter-Spell and no way to reverse it. To be hit by the Spell is instant death."
"Only one person has ever escaped this Spell, and you all know who that is."
Charlie knew, of course.
He had heard others speak of the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, many times.
Moody continued.
"However, the Killing Curse requires powerful magic to be truly lethal. If you used it on me, I might only get a nosebleed."
He limped to the edge of the podium.
"Many people think I shouldn't teach you this. But my view is different—only by understanding your opponent's methods can you defend yourself."
"But you must remember, you absolutely cannot use these Spells on innocent people." His voice was very low.
"If you use them, the cells of Azkaban await you."
His magical eye began spinning wildly, scanning the expression of every student, as if searching for anyone who showed undue desire for this power.
"What are you waiting for? Write it down!"
The students hastily lowered their heads, quills scratching against parchment.
Ernie quickly took notes, and Justin's hands were trembling slightly.
Only Charlie still had his hands folded on the desk, making no movement.
[His Majesty ignored the Professor's request, tyrant points +5]
Moody's magical eye stopped on Charlie.
"Charlie, why aren't you writing?"
Charlie raised his head, his tone calm.
"I know these few Spells just by looking at them; there's no need to write them down."
Moody sneered.
Bragging. No matter how much of a genius he is, he couldn't possibly learn them just by seeing them once.
Furthermore, Hogwarts doesn't teach the Three Unforgivable Curses, and Charlie isn't from a Pure-blood Wizard family. Where could he have learned them?
Moody sneered again, his magical eye fixed on Charlie.
"Is that so? Then prove it to me."
"If you can truly cast them, all your Defense Against the Dark Arts Class homework for this semester will be waived."
Charlie showed no reaction to this.
But Ernie suddenly looked up, his eyes shining.
He was the one who did all that homework!
Ernie looked at Charlie with longing. Big Brother! You must do it!
Charlie glanced at his excited little brother, reached into his robes, and pulled out his wand.
"Alright." He looked up and asked calmly.
"Who should I use them on? You?"
"On the spider!" Moody roared.
Regardless of whether Charlie could do it, he didn't want to face Charlie's wand.
"Didn't you say you'd only get a nosebleed at most..."
Ignoring Charlie's muttered words, Moody grabbed a spider from the glass jar, walked up to Charlie, and placed it on the desk.
Charlie raised his wand, pointing the tip at the spider.
"Imperio."
The spider's body stiffened, then began to dance.
"Cruciatus Curse."
The spider convulsed violently, its eight legs kicking wildly.
"Avada Kedavra."
The green light flashed, and the spider was motionless.
The entire process took less than three seconds.
The classroom was silent.
Moody's magical eye stopped spinning, and his normal eye was fixed intently on Charlie.
This kid actually learned the Three Unforgivable Curses just by seeing them once? What terrifying Dark Arts talent!
Charlie put away his wand, his tone still calm.
"Shouldn't Hufflepuff be getting points now?"
Moody was stunned for several seconds before finally nodding mechanically.
"Twenty points to Hufflepuff."
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