Maryanne, who had been fiddling with a new hair clip, was startled by Moody's sudden question. She looked up to find his unsettling magical eye fixed on her, as if it had been watching her for some time.
She stood up, trembling slightly, her face flushed. "I've heard of it... I think it's the Killing Curse?"
"Very good. Sit down. But next time, keep that little trinket away during class," Moody replied, his normal eye turning back to the class while his magical eye lingered on her. "Yes, the Killing Curse—Avada Kedavra—the most feared of Curses. But that's a lesson for sixth years and above. We'll focus on other curses for now."
Moody's gaze swept across the room again. "Now, does anyone know of any more common dark magic?"
Several hands shot up. He nodded at Kanna.
"Er... there's the Corrosion Curse," she said, her voice a bit hesitant.
"Ah, yes. Standard dark magic," Moody confirmed, nodding approvingly. "Corrodes flesh and bone—a favorite of dark wizards everywhere."
He drew his wand and gave a quick flick toward the lectern. Instantly, a purplish sludge oozed across its surface, causing the wood to bubble and melt as if it were being poured over with acid. Students in the front row leaned back, looking apprehensive.
Another wave of Moody's wand restored the lectern to normal.
"Anyone else? Any other curses?" Moody asked.
More hands went up, and he pointed to a student at random.
"Horn-growing Hex!" the student offered.
"Barely dark magic," Moody replied. "It's more of a restrictive jinx and technically not illegal if it doesn't cause harm."
"I know one, Professor," another student called out. "Fiendfyre Curse."
"A solid choice. Nasty stuff," Moody said with a nod.
"Swelling Head Jinx!"
The classroom buzzed with excitement as Moody encouraged more contributions. The students seemed to forget their initial fear of his scarred face, eagerly raising their hands to show off their knowledge of dark spells and curses.
However, some of these students really knew the answer, some had heard it from others, and some just made up a spell on the spot... but Moody saw through them immediately.
When he sensed the timing was right, Professor Moody clapped his hands to signal everyone to put theirs down.
"Alright, back to business," he said. "These dark magics, without exception, can cause serious trouble. By rights, I should be teaching you a variety of counter-spells now, as both the Ministry of Magic and your textbooks recommend. But I disagree.
In my view, the best counter-spell is to stop your enemy's dark magic from hitting you in the first place. So, for this first lesson, I've decided to teach you the simplest and most practical defensive charm!"
He turned to the blackboard and began writing with a flourish, but everyone knew that his magical eye was undoubtedly keeping an eye on them through the back of his head. No one dared to whisper; they all sat up straight. Soon, Moody finished writing and turned around, pointing at the board.
"The Shield Charm, the most effective defensive charm," he said. "A wizard proficient in the Shield Charm can fend off 90% of dark magic. It's also a basic requirement for anyone wanting to become an Auror.
If any of you are thinking about becoming an Auror after graduation, remember this: only those who master the Shield Charm are even allowed to sit for the Auror exams. Otherwise, regardless of how many qualifications you have, you'll be turned away."
Some students immediately took out their quills and began to take notes seriously.
"Professor..." one student raised their hand and asked, "can the Shield Charm block the Killing Curse?"
Moody's magical eye rotated to lock onto the student.
"In theory only," he replied. "But the Killing Curse is unique. It's not just magic; it carries the malice within a person's heart—that's what gives it its true power. And this malice is far more terrifying than raw magical force. To block the Killing Curse with the Shield Charm often requires many times the magical power of the attacker.
The gap in power is like you trying to use the Killing Curse against me... To be blunt, that wouldn't just be pointless, it'd be downright foolish, because you never know if your opponent is as weak as they appear.
So, when facing the Killing Curse, the best response is to avoid it, not to resist it..."
The sound of quills scratching against parchment filled the room. Although this information was typically taught only to advanced students, Moody didn't stop anyone from taking notes; instead, he waited quietly.
When they had all finished, he waved his wand, and lines of small, glowing text appeared on the blackboard along with a diagram of wand gestures. The lines pulsed with energy, showing the precise motions required for casting the Shield Charm, including the directions and angles of wand movements.
"This is your homework," Moody said. "It's also my summary of Shield Charm techniques. I expect you to write it all down. We'll do practical exercises next lesson, and if anyone's theory is lacking..."
He grinned, his scars twisting, making him look even more menacing.
"Trust me, you'll regret it.
Of course, I know some of you won't bother, but that's fine. I'll just inform the Hospital Wing to have a few beds ready in advance..."
Silence fell over the classroom. For the remainder of the lesson, everyone was too busy copying down the notes from the blackboard to utter a single word, right up until the bell rang.
Moody limped out of the classroom, the clunk of his wooden leg growing fainter and fainter until it vanished.
The moment he was gone, chatter erupted from every corner.
Aside from a few students who looked worried, most were thrilled and could hardly wait for Friday—the only day they'd have their second Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.
"He's amazing, isn't he?" said Mikel as he left the classroom, glancing at his parchment covered in notes. "He knows all kinds of dark magic inside and out. I made up a spell so convincingly, but he saw through it... Not everyone can be a fraud like that Lockhart."
Kyle looked at him for a moment, debating whether to tell Mikel that the spell he had invented already existed—it was actually called the "Vanishing Spell."
After all, making objects disappear on contact is exactly what the Vanishing Spell does. Just as the Transfiguration Spell can't conjure food, the Vanishing Spell doesn't work on anything living. It wouldn't have taken Moody to spot that; any wizard with a hint of sense would know that spell was made up.
Otherwise, the Killing Curse would have been dropped down to second place on the list ages ago. After all, in terms of sheer practicality, it's a rather inefficient spell.