19 Ch. 19: The Unforgivable Curses.
Jon had had enough. With a flick of his wand, he sent the spider scurrying from Malfoy's dampened trousers.
Malfoy, humiliated before the entire student body, glared at Jon and spat, "You'll pay for this, you mad old fool. My father will hear about this!"
"Ah, your father? Lucius Malfoy?" Jon retorted, "Had it not been for certain interventions, I would have had him rotting in Azkaban years ago!"
Draco's father was a Death Eater, a man of two faces, much like his son. Their family was notorious for their fickle loyalties, swaying like grass in the wind.
However, being a Death Eater meant his days were numbered. He would inevitably face Jon's judgment.
Seeing his threat fall flat, Malfoy had no choice but to retreat to his seat, seething with anger.
Jon paid him no mind and resumed his lecture.
"Many wizards have claimed they served You-Know-Who under the influence of the Imperius Curse. But the question remains, how do we discern the liars?"
As Jon concluded, the students grasped his implication.
"What about the other unforgivable curses? Enlighten us!" Jon called out.
Many hands shot up, but Malfoy's remained down, still nursing his wounded pride.
"Mr. Puddle-Pants!" Jon called, earning a round of laughter.
"What more do you want?!" Malfoy shot back, his pride stung.
"Relax, lad. Just name another curse," Jon instructed.
Malfoy pondered, then said with a venomous glare, "I'd love to use the Cruciatus Curse on you, if given the chance."
"Ah, indeed! A truly torturous spell!" Jon feigned surprise, "Step forward, Mr. Malfoy!"
Reluctantly, Malfoy ascended the stage.
"This is the Torture Curse," Jon explained, gesturing towards the spider he had previously controlled with the Imperius Curse.
"Crucio!" Jon cast the Cruciatus Curse on the spider. It writhed in agony, emitting a distressing sound.
Malfoy's face paled at the sight. Not out of empathy, for he lacked such a trait, but out of fear that he might be the next victim of the Cruciatus Curse.
Seeing Malfoy's trembling form, Jon pressed on, "Mr. Malfoy, there's one last curse. Can you tell us what it is?"
"The... the final curse is... is..."
Malfoy was too terrified to speak.
"Avada Kedavra!" Jon shouted. A chilling green light struck the spider, which ceased its struggles and lay lifeless.
Malfoy, overcome with fear, retreated to his seat, tears streaming down his face.
"Don't be a coward, kid!" Jon taunted.
Harry and Ron, witnessing their rival's humiliation, couldn't help but smile, their opinion of the new teacher improving.
Once the students settled, Jon continued, "This class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, isn't just about learning the Unforgivable Curses. Next, I'll teach you some techniques to counter these spells."
Jon paused, then said, "First, I need a volunteer. Mr. Potter!"
Upon hearing his name, Harry stood and replied, "Yes, sir!"
Despite his newfound respect for Jon, Harry was still wary of the eccentric teacher.
"Tell me, Mr. Potter, do you remember all three curses?" Jon asked.
"Yes sir, I remember!" Harry responded respectfully.
"Excellent. Please join me on stage," Jon instructed.
Harry hesitated, then complied.
"Now, draw your wand and cast those three spells on me!"
The classroom erupted in whispers and gasps.
"Silence!" Jon commanded, and the room fell quiet.
"Go ahead, Potter. Don't worry about me. Do as I instruct," Jon reassured.
After a moment's hesitation, Harry asked, "Which one should I use?"
"Your choice," Jon replied.
Harry drew his wand, pointing it at Jon.
"Hold on, almost forgot!" Jon interjected, producing another wand. "Use this one instead."
Harry accepted the wand, glancing back at Ron and Hermione who were frantically shaking their heads, urging him not to proceed.
"Don't worry. If anything goes wrong, it's a teaching error. You won't be expelled or sent to Azkaban," Jon reassured.
Harry took a deep breath, aimed the wand at Jon, and before he could cast a spell, Jon added, "Remember, if the first spell fails, immediately cast the second. Understood?"
Harry nodded.
After a tense moment, Harry shouted, "Imperio!"
Choosing the least harmful of the three, Harry cast the Imperius Curse. Jon swiftly deflected it with a spider.
"Expelliarmus!" Jon disarmed Harry, his wand clattering to the floor.
That was why Jon had provided a different wand. The Disarming Charm could potentially damage the wand's core.
"Alright, you may return to your seat, Mr. Potter," Jon said, to Harry's relief.
"The Unforgivable Curses have a significant flaw: they can only harm one living thing at a time," Jon explained, returning the spider to its jar.
"So, if someone casts one of these curses at you, use a nearby living thing as a shield. Then, while they're off guard, counterattack!"
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