CH 18

There are only three curses that will get you a lifetime ticket to Azkaban if performed, or attempted, on another human being.' Harry shared a wary glance with Ron, Neville had heard correctly. 'Can anyone name any of them?'

'The Imperius Curse,' Malfoy suggested with only the slightest hint of a sneer.

'You'd know all about that one, wouldn't you, boy?' the ex-auror barked. 'I'd wager your father told you about it, he used it as an excuse to escape that very same ticket to Azkaban.'

Malfoy had the common sense to stay quiet for once, but Harry had little doubt that would be referenced in his coming letter home.

Professor Moody levitated the spider out of the jar and onto the desk. 'Nasty curse the Imperius, it gives complete control of the victim to the caster. The ministry had terrible trouble with it, because it's hard to tell when anyone is under its effects. It is, however, the only one of three that can be defended against as a strong-willed wizard or witch can fight it off.'

The scarred ex-auror raised his wand, a thick, notched piece of wood and pointed it at the hapless spider. 'Imperio,' he growled.

To the amusement of most the spider careened around the room, scuttling over students and dancing on desks.

Neither Harry nor Ron laughed. Harry knew from his book the unpleasant truth of the curse and Ron, well Ron was still afraid of spiders.

'Another curse?' their teacher asked as the spider obediently crawled back to his desk.

'The Cruciatus Curse,' Neville whispered. He looked even more pale than he had during breakfast and Harry thought he glimpsed his hands trembling within his sleeves.

'Yes, Mr Longbottom, the torture curse, its incantation is crucio.' The ex-auror's magical eye froze on Neville's face. 'I will not be demonstrating that one in front of the eyes of children.'

He scooped the spider up and poked it back into the jar with the tip of his wand. 'And the last one?' he finished, returning his wand to a holster along his forearm.

'The Killing Curse,' Ron murmured.

'Speak up, Weasley,' the professor snapped. 'You are correct. The Killing Curse. It cannot be deflected, or magically blocked; its only survivor is Mr Potter.' Professor Moody regarded both him and his scar with an air of suspicion for a moment then looked down to screw the jar lid back on. Harry noted he had not told the class the words for the killing spell. It was probably for the best or Malfoy and his lackeys would be out practicing it on small animals before the end of the day.

'Blimey,' Ron whispered. 'That was an intense lesson.'

'The lesson has not ended, Mr Weasley,' Professor Moody retorted from the front of the class where he was tucking the jar of spiders back under his desk. 'There is a very lengthy chapter on hex-deflection in the text I recommended for this year, read it before next lesson, either in here or wherever you please.'

He turned and stomped into his office and Harry glimpsed an array of fascinating looking glass and mirror-like artefacts.

I wonder what those do?

'Come on,' Hermione tugged at his arm. 'I want to check on Neville.'

'I've got to go get started on Flitwick's essay,' Harry apologised. 'I don't want to fall behind.' Hermione gave him a look of disapproval as he hurried off. Harry decided not to turn back and snap at her; it wasn't like he was abandoning Neville. He had to get better to protect friends like Neville from Voldemort.

Myrtle's cubicle was quiet and empty when he reached the first floor bathroom. Nobody actually ever used the place. In fact, now that he thought about it, the only people who had come in here had been him and his friends when they were up to something illicit.

And Ginny.

He vanished the dust on the stairs down to the chamber so he wouldn't have to see her footprints again. The feeling of helplessness he recalled from chasing after her was not something he wanted to re-experience.

Harry vengefully vanished the ink stain as well. Salazar Slytherin would probably appreciate him removing the last remnant of Tom Riddle from his Chamber of Secrets.

'I'm back,' he told the statue in parseltongue.

'Oh, joy,' he heard the portrait announce from within, 'company.'

Despite the comments of the snarky painting of Salazar Slytherin he strode across the bridge eagerly. There was so much he wanted to try.

'You are back,' the ancient painting remarked as he entered. 'That seemed very quick, decided not to go class then.'

'It's been over a day…' Harry trailed off uncertainly.

'How am I supposed to know,' the wizard demanded. 'There aren't any windows and the last I knew the year it was the mid-twentieth century.'

'The century is almost over,' Harry informed him.

'Like I care,' Slytherin retorted. 'I'm a painting. I will exist until I am destroyed, time means little to me now.' Harry raised an eyebrow and wondered how bad Godric Gryffindor must have been if he was the childish one.

'For those who have less time and might wish for more, however, I have a pleasant surprise.' Salazar gestured at his desk with his wand, accidentally dislodging his living serpent necklace.

'A time-turner,' Harry whispered in awe. Hermione had used one last year, but it had required a lot of forms and specific ministry approval from what he'd gathered. This small, golden hourglass might well be the most valuable thing in the chamber.

'Yes,' Slytherin responded testily as his snake slithered back around his shoulders. 'It can't be removed from the Chamber of Secrets, I enchanted it.'

'That's a good thing, very farsighted of you.' Harry could only imagine how much harder it would be to deal with Voldemort if he had one of these.

'I did it so Godric would stop stealing it,' Salazar admitted abashedly. Harry fixed him with a disbelieving stare. 'It's true,' the painting insisted, 'I would never have admitted it otherwise.'

'I thought the two of you were supposed to be enemies not involved in some war of pranks?'

'I did not carry out pranks,' Salazar objected, thoroughly displeased by even the idea. 'We had a healthy spirit of competition. I made all the wards around the castle with Rowena, so he transfigured and enchanted all the gargoyles and suits of armour. When I created the Headmaster's office with Helga, he and Rowena snuck off to make some secret room of their own. They were very proud of it. Especially when I couldn't find it,' he groused.

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