Through it all, Eira sat quietly, her lips curved in an amused smile. She noted the awkward stiffness in their movements, the way their personalities seemed wiped away under the curse. Yet it was hard not to laugh with the rest of them; the sight of her classmates hopping, squawking, and toppling over was ridiculous. Even the most confident Slytherins faltered when Moody's wand turned their way, none able to resist the invisible hand tugging at their minds.
Finally, Moody's gaze settled on Eira. He raised his wand and pointed it directly at her. "White," he said, his tone sharp. "Imperio."
A streak of bright blue jet of light darted toward her, and immediately he spoke a command. "Dance. Spin. Sing about the wonders of Beauxbatons while hopping on one foot."
Eira's lips curved into a small smile, almost imperceptible. She lifted her wand slightly and muttered an incantation under her breath, activating her Occlumency. The bright blue jet of light hit her, but it bounced harmlessly off an invisible barrier, leaving her entirely unaffected. Her protective artifacts glimmered faintly, reinforcing her mental defenses.
Moody's eye narrowed, rotating slowly as he observed her. He attempted a second command. "Wave your arms like a lunatic and shout that the Slytherins are the greatest house in the world!"
Eira remained perfectly still, her expression polite but detached. There was no movement in her eyes, no hint of obedience. She was in full control, completely immune to the Imperius Curse.
Moody's wand lowered, his scarred face twisting into something sharper than approval. His magical eye whirled in its socket, fixing on Eira with unnerving intensity.
"Why did you defend against my Imperius Curse?" he barked suddenly. "Did you use Occlumency?"
Eira sat straighter, folding her hands neatly on the desk. "Yes, Professor. You didn't specify that we weren't to defend ourselves. So I simply did what I was trained to do."
Moody stalked forward, his wooden leg thumping heavily against the stone floor. He loomed over her desk, normal eye narrowed while the magical one spun restlessly.
"Fourteen years old," he muttered. "And you've already mastered Occlumency." He bent closer, his voice gravelly and low. "Suspicious. Very suspicious."
He lingered a moment longer, studying her with the kind of scrutiny that made several students hold their breath. Then, with a grunt, he turned away and stumped back to the front of the classroom.
"Listen to me, all of you," he growled, slamming his staff against the floor for emphasis. "Do not mistake it. Most of you cannot resist the Imperius Curse, not with Occlumency, not with anything. Only a witch or wizard who has mastered the art of Occlumency completely can hope to fight it off. Most of you don't have the discipline, and you'll crumble the moment someone stronger pushes inside your head."
A heavy silence followed, broken only by a nervous cough from the back. Eira allowed herself the faintest smirk. She could feel the eyes of her classmates flicking toward her, but she kept her gaze fixed forward, composed, as though nothing unusual had happened at all.
Moody turned toward Harry next. "Potter," he said. "Step forward."
Harry's stomach twisted as Moody's wand swung toward him.
"Imperio."
The blue light struck, wrapping around him like invisible chains. For a moment, everything felt strangely wonderful. His thoughts lightened, his body seemed to float, and a voice in his head spoke clearly and firmly.
'Run to the front of the classroom. Jump on that desk. Shout that you are the bravest wizard alive.'
His legs twitched, ready to obey. He lurched halfway across the room before something inside him screamed in protest. 'No. I do not want to. That is not me.' His body jerked awkwardly as he fought against the command. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he strained, trembling with the effort to hold himself back.
The voice pressed harder. 'Do it. Jump. Shout.'
Harry gritted his teeth. "No," he hissed under his breath, planting his feet firmly on the stone floor.
Moody flicked his wand, canceling the curse. "Well, well," he growled, his scarred face twisting into something like approval. "That is more like it. Another way to fight the Imperius is sheer willpower. You have to want to resist. Potter managed it. Not perfectly, not yet, but he pushed back. That is what counts."
Harry wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, trying not to notice the stares from the other students. He still felt shaken, but a flicker of pride warmed him beneath the unease.
Next was Ron. Moody's gaze fixed on him like a predator. "Weasley. Stand."
Ron groaned, reluctantly stepping forward. "Imperio."
The green light wrapped around Ron immediately. Moody grinned slightly. "Now, Weasley, march like a chicken, flap your arms, and sing a song about how spiders are your best friends, since it seems you are afraid of spiders a lot 🕷️ ."
Ron's face turned bright red. He flailed his arms wildly, clucking and stomping, singing a bizarre and humiliating tune. The other students, trying not to laugh, had to bite their lips to avoid reacting loudly. Hermione buried her face in her hands, shaking her head, while Harry struggled to keep a straight face.
When Moody snapped his fingers to release Ron, he collapsed into the nearest chair, gasping and muttering, "Never. Never again."
The lesson continued, with students being placed under the Imperius Curse one by one, each performing ridiculous, awkward, or embarrassing actions, while Eira remained untouched, observing the reactions quietly. She noticed how some Slytherins struggled to resist but ultimately obeyed, how some Gryffindors fought the commands and faltered halfway, and how each student's embarrassment seemed to grow exponentially under the gaze of their peers.
"Pathetic," Moody growled. "Utterly pathetic. Half of you danced like puppets, the rest of you folded the moment I pressed against your minds. If this had been a real fight, you would already be dead. That is the reality. Out there, no one is going to let you off with a laugh and a round of applause."
The students shifted uneasily, some staring at the floor, others glaring at their desks as though they could disappear into them.
Moody's eye fixed first on Harry, then on Eira. His mouth twisted into something that was not quite a smile. "Two of you managed to show something. Potter resisted, not cleanly, but enough to fight back. White blocked it altogether. The rest of you ought to take a hard look at yourselves and understand how far behind you really are."
He stumped forward a step, slamming his staff against the floor. "You think a Dark Wizard will give you time to hesitate? You think you will get a chance to plead or to run? No. One spell. That is all it takes if you are weak. And most of you proved today that you are weak."
A nervous silence fell over the room. Even Ron, who had been snickering earlier, kept his head down. Hermione looked troubled, biting her lip.
He said nothing more on it, turning back to his teaching desk. "Take this lesson seriously. Strong will, sharp mind, and discipline are the only things that will keep you alive."
The lesson dragged on, the classroom filled with stiff atmosphere, whispers, and occasional groans as students executed the commands. Eira took careful mental notes of how the Imperius Curse affected different temperaments and personalities, analyzing the subtle signs of mental strain, hesitation, and submission.
By the end of the class, Moody had demonstrated the Imperius Curse thoroughly, had caused more than a few students to perform humiliating acts, and had made a mental note of Students level at defenses against the Imperius Curse.
He finally lowered his wand and addressed the class. "That is enough for today. I hope you have learned something about the power of this curse, about resisting it, and about recognizing its effects. Remember, it is not just a spell; it is a weapon, a tool of control. Those who underestimate it will suffer. Mr. Potter, your composure and resistance are exemplary. Well done. Everyone else, reflect on what you have learned today and remember that control over your own mind is just as important as control over your wand."
Then he gave the class one last sweeping glare, his magical eye spinning in its socket. Then he slammed his staff against the floor. " Now off you go. Out, out, out of my classroom!"
The students wasted no time scrambling for the door, muttering to one another about how strange and exhausting the lesson had been. Ron grumbled under his breath about spiders, Harry rubbed the back of his neck with a faint scowl, and Hermione was already scribbling furiously in her notes as she walked.
Eira gathered her things, her lips curved in a small smile at the chaos around her. As she stepped toward the door, Tracey appeared at her side and looped her arm through Eira's. "Let's go," she said with a grin. "Lunch. I'm starving after all that ridiculous dancing and twitching about. My legs feel like they're not mine anymore."
Eira let out a soft laugh. "Well, at least you made a convincing puppet. I half expected Professor Moody to start charging admission for the show."
Tracey laughed with her, tugging her along toward the Great Hall. "If he does, he'd better split the profits with me. I put on a performance worthy of an award."
Together, the two slipped out with the last of the students, their laughter echoing faintly in the stone corridor.