Chapter Thirty Six

Madison had to prepare herself for the Defense lesson on Thursday. Even as she walked into the classroom she wasn't entirely sure she was ready and able to cope with watching the unforgivables. Taking a deep breath she sank into the seat next to Theo, who gently placed his hand over hers, moving it away quickly when Moody/Crouch stormed into the room.

"You can put your books away, you won't need them," Crouch stated, his voice a low growl as he limped over to the desk and sat down. Crouch called roll, letting the magical eye swing around the room and find each individual person. "Right then," he said, tucking the list into a drawer and focusing both eyes on the students. "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class." As Crouch spoke, going over what they knew and didn't know, Madison let her own eyes drift to Crouch's - really Moody's - wand. She'd wondered over the summer if there would be a way they could get it away from him right before the fourth task, or at least during it, but she shook the thoughts away as Ron spoke loudly behind her, making her jump.

"You aren't staying?" the redhead was protesting, and a glance toward where Harry and Draco were sitting told her they, at least, thought that was a good thing.

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Crouch said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago. Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore. One year, and then back to my quiet retirement." He let out a laugh, before diving into the subject of the lesson- dark curses.

Madison handled the Imperius Curse quite well, she thought, though she was sure the nail imprints in her hand would not go away for some time. But when Neville raised a shaking hand and told the class of the curse that had made him no better than an orphan, the curse that once had him drooling and out of his mind right next to his parents, she squeezed her eyes shut and pretended she was anywhere but that room.

Unfortunately, her mind was no longer in the room, going back to a field covered in bodies and blood, and a single voice rising above it all, screaming in pain -

Madison wasn't quite aware of her chair falling to the ground behind her as she raced out of the classroom, the door barely shut when she started to vomit onto the stone ground, her mind going through that awful day over and over, like a movie on repeat - Bellatrix laughing, laughing, as she tortured Neville, as Harry's body lay mere feet away, as -

"Miss Reyes?" McGonagall's voice broke into her mind, and she took several shuddering breaths as she looked up at the professor, tears streaming down her face. "Are you alright?"

A sob escaped her as she shook her head eyed the mess on the floor. A quick scourgify later, she was leading Madison away, in the direction of the hospital wing. They'd made it to the end of the hall when the classroom door opened and Neville rushed out, his own face pale and sweaty.

"Mr. Longbottom?" McGonagall looked between the two students, both clearly having a strong reaction. "What in the heavens is going on in there?"

"He's using the unforgivables," Hermione said, her voice sharp. Madison hadn't even seen her come out behind Neville. "Professor Moody is, I mean."

"On what?"

"Spiders," Madison managed as she took another step, her legs feeling weak. "It's just spiders, but - all those people-" Her sentence broke off as she sobbed heavily again, a hand covering her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound.

McGonagall pursed her lips. "Miss Granger, please escort Miss Reyes and Mr Longbottom to the hospital wing for a calming drought." With those final words, McGonagall turned on her heel, marching toward the Defense classroom.

Madame Pomfrey gave them the calming droughts before sending Hermione on her way. Madison and Neville sat on opposite beds, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Neville spoke.

"I never knew them, you know? My parents." Madison looked up at him as he sighed, shifting on the mattress. "I was just a baby when - when they were hurt." Madison didn't know what to say as he went on. "My dad... He's worse off then mum is. I talked to their healer last summer. Do you know what that means?" She mutely shook her head. "It means he was under it more then mum. When they - when the aurors got to the house, they were laying next to each other."

"I'm so sorry," Madison whispered, and Neville shrugged, fidgeting with the sheets, twisting it into a knot in his fist.

"I always wanted to make them proud. Gran's said they were really good aurors, that the only reason Bellatrix Lestrange and the others got the drop on them was they didn't have their wands on them. If they'd had their wands - " He broke off, sighing. "Seeing the spell today, seeing it in use, I mean..." When he looked back up at Madison, tears were shining in his eyes. "How could Professor Dumbledore have given him permission?"

"I don't know." Madison couldn't quite look him in the face.

"Thank you, though."

Madison looked up at him, confused. "For what?"

"Walking out. I - I wanted to, but I wouldn't have been brave enough if you hadn't left first."

"Oh," Madison said quietly. They sat quietly for the next half hour, before the bell rang for dinner. As they went to leave, Madison turned to him. "If you wanted - you could say you left to see if I was okay." Neville smiled at her thankfully as they joined the crowd heading to the Great Hall.

"Some lesson," Ron was saying, as they joined him at the Gryffindor table. "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right -"

"Ron," Madison said sharply, and his sentence trailed off. "I don't think it was that great of a lesson, and I'm not sure Neville or Harry think it was, either."

"Besides, I'm sure Moody and Dumbledore are going to get in a lot of trouble if the ministry finds out he showed us the curses," Hermione said, her own voice soft as she looked over at Neville, who was absentmindedly picking at his food. "It was horrible." She pushed her own plate and stood up. "I'm going to the library. See you guys later."

She took off, and Neville soon followed, though Madison doubted he was going to the library.

"How are you doing?" Theo asked her quietly, and she just shrugged, setting her fork down. She stood up. "Where are you headed?"

"Just - I don't know. I'm sorry." And she took off.

Madison tried not to think about Neville's face, then and now, tried not to hear the pain in his voice. She'd managed to settle down - right around the same time Crouch announced he'd gotten permission to use the imperius curse on them.

Part of her had hoped Dumbledore would put a stop on it, knowing what he did, but clearly luck had not been on her side. And so she found herself frozen in her seat as Hermione protested.

"But - but you said it's illegal, Professor," she was saying, as Crouch moved the desks away from the center of the classroom. "You said - to use it against another human was -

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," Crouch snapped at her. "If you'd rather learn the hard way - when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely - fine by me. You're excused. Off you go." He pointed to the door.

Even Madison couldn't quite bring herself to stand up and leave the lesson, even as her fellow classmates were put under the spell and made to do the most insane things. Though others laughed as Dean Thomas hopped around the room, Madison watched with narrowed eyes, heart racing in her chest.

"Potter, you next," Crouch said after Neville walked, shaking, to his seat. Madison watched as Harry nervously walked up to the defense professor. She had to turn her head as Crouch lifted his wand.

The lesson ended nearly an hour later, with poor Harry limping out of the classroom. "The way he talks, you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."

"Yeah, I know," muttered Madison, glancing back at Crouch standing by the classroom door.

"Talk about paranoid," Ron said, with a shake of his head. "No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry. Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted 'Boo' behind him on April Fools' Day? And when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else we've got to do?"

Madison shook her own head as they reached the transfiguration classroom. "I'd rather read up on it than be put under it. I don't see how that would help build a tolerance, or whatever."

Soon enough, it was a nearly Halloween, and the announcement that the delegations from the other schools would be arriving went up in the entrance hall.

"You know, I forgot this means Viktor's coming," Madison said over breakfast the morning of October 30th, the day they were all to arrive. "He'll be with the Durmstrang students, won't he?" She directed her question towards Theo, who paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth. He set it down quickly in his bowl.

"You know, I hadn't thought about that," he mused. "I should write him, offer to let him sit with us during dinner."

"You should," Ron, who hadn't quite gotten over his star struck attitude when it came to the quidditch player, said instantly. "He can sit by me."

Hermione laughed. "I think he'd rather sit by his brother than you, Ron." Ron pouted, but couldn't hide his excited grin.

His grin vanished as Fred and George sank into seats near them, complaining about - someone? "If he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever," George was saying.

"Who's avoiding you?" Theo asked curiously, but the twins just shook their heads, and Harry quickly changed the subject as Draco came over to join them.

"Have you had any ideas on how to enter the tournament?" The twins exchanged a gloomy look.

"McGonagall won't even tell us how the champians are chosen," Fred told them with a sigh. "Says it's some kind of surprise."

"She told you to shut up and transfigure your raccoon," George corrected him.

Ron let out a wistful sigh. "I wonder what it would be like to be chosen, yeah? Fame and glory and all that."

"I think we've all had enough events for a lifetime," Madison said quickly, thinking of his jealousy when Harry's name had come out of the goblet. "I don't think any of us should enter this contest."

"She's right," Hermione said. "It's dangerous. There were deaths last time they had the triwizard tournament."

"I sure don't want to do it," Harry said. "I have enough fame and glory, don't you think?" Draco nodded, covering Harry's hand with his. Madison quickly looked away, catching Seamus Finnaginn's interested look. He saw Madison eyeing him, and quickly looked away from Harry and Draco.

"Well, I think it'll be exciting to watch," Draco piped up. "I wonder what dangerous tasks the champions will face?"

"There should be dragons," Theo said seriously, but the rest of the group shook their heads.

"I don't think even Dumbledore would allow another dragon onto the grounds," Harry said firmly, and Madison resisted the urge to giggle as she finished up her breakfast.

"I'll be in the library if anyone needs me," she stated, standing.

"I'll come with you," Theo said, dropping his spoon and standing. They waved goodbye to the others and took off, laughing to themselves.

Please, pretty please review?