NABC Ch356- Are You Sure?
Ch356- Are You Sure?
Ch356- Are You Sure?
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As Harry returned to his half eaten toast, the sound of hundreds of owls swooping into the hall shifted the room’s focus. Letters and packages rained down onto the tables, and conversation shifted to excited chatter about the latest supplies and care packages from home. Harry glanced up as a dark brown owl dropped a neatly folded copy of the Daily Prophet onto his plate. He unfolded it and scanned the front page.
“Anything interesting?” Blaise asked, noticing Harry’s eyes narrowing slightly.
“Same old nonsense,” Harry replied, setting the paper aside. The headline was another one of Skeeter’s inflammatory articles, this time taking aim at Hogwarts’ decision to host the Triwizard Tournament. Harry didn’t need to read further to know it would be full of exaggerations and baseless criticisms.
“You would think she would run out of things to complain about,” Tracey said, craning her neck to glance at the paper.
“She’s probably saving the best for later,” Harry said, finishing his toast. “Come on, we got Herbology first.”
The next few days passed without any trouble. Each night, Harry oversaw the students running through the mental defense training he devised. The simulated Imperius Curse exercises were going well—no real spells involved yet, just controlled, safe simulations. It wasn’t perfect, but it gave everyone a chance to practice without the pressure of an actual curse bearing down on them. The progress was promising, though the real test would come when Moody started using the actual Imperius Curse during class.
Despite the constant talk of curses and dark magic, things at Hogwarts settled into a relatively normal rhythm. Morning classes ran as usual, with nothing more exciting than Hagrid showing off his Blast-Ended Skrewts in Care of Magical Creatures. Most students weren’t thrilled about the creatures, but Hagrid’s enthusiasm couldn’t be dimmed, even by the occasional outburst of flames from the skittish hybrids.@@@@
"Think one of those Skrewts could take out a troll?" Tracey muttered as the group filed out of the paddock after class, keeping a wary eye on the smoldering pen behind them.
“Depends,” Daphne replied. “Would the troll die of laughter before or after it gets burned alive?”
"Guess we’ll never know," Harry said, smirking as he dusted soot off his robes. "Unless Hagrid decides to unleash them on the school grounds."
The group chuckled, except for Hermione, who looked vaguely concerned at the idea of loose Skrewts running around. "Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that," she muttered.
The next day, the tension was palpable as Defense Against the Dark Arts approached. Whispers filled the corridors as students speculated about what the lesson would be like. Most were nervous or excited, though a few looked downright grim.
Harry didn’t lift his arm.
“Not bad,” Moody muttered, his wand still raised. “But we’re not done yet.”
The pressure intensified again, the voice pushing harder this time. Lift your arm. Do it. There was no threat, no pain, just that same calm insistence. But the spell faltered entirely.
Good,” Moody said gruffly, lowering his wand. “Very good. But I know you already created an Occlumency shield.”
Harry chuckled lightly, brushing a hand through his hair. “To test my own technique, I lowered all my guards, Professor. I assure you, if I hadn’t, the result would’ve been different.”
Moody’s lips twitched into a strange grin. “Why don’t you show me, then?”
Harry tilted his head, considering for a moment. “Are you sure?”
Moody snorted, waving off the hesitation like it was a pesky fly. “Imperio!”
The spell shot toward Harry, but the moment it hit, Moody stumbled back with a sharp cry, clutching his head. He staggered a step, his wooden leg scraping noisily against the stone floor. Blood trickled from his nose as his magical eye whirled violently before stopping altogether.
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