A couple of weeks had passed and their classes were not getting easier.
Honestly, they shouldn't be getting easier, because then people would be allowed to slack off, or they felt they deserved the right to, but Lucifer and Hermione had no trouble with the increase in difficulty, though.
They were one of the few who felt that way.
One class that had been particularly more demanding and difficult was Defense Against the Dark Arts.
To their surprise, Professor Moody had announced that he would be putting each of them under the Imperius Curse, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects or not.
"But - but you said it was illegal, Professor," Hermione voice her uncertainty as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room.
"You said- to use it against another human was-"
"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," Moody said, his magical eye swiveling onto Hermione and fixing her with an eerie, unblinking stare.
"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 then pointed his gnarled finger toward the door.
Hermione felt her cheeks burning from embarrassment, "I-I didn't mean I wanted to leave..." She muttered quietly.
Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put them under the Imperius Curse.
Lucifer watched as, one by one, his classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence.
Dean hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem.
Lavender imitated a squirrel, which Hermione must have gotten a real kick out of when he heard her laugh almost evilly.
Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he would certainly have not been capable of in his normal state.
When Hermione had been called on, Lucifer watched her nervously step forward.
When the spell had been used, Hermione then proceeded to put on a short, one-person play of a small scene from Macbeth.
It had actually been entertaining to watch, even though Lucifer was sure Hermione wouldn't have been able to do it without someone in her mind telling her to do so.
When Hermione was done, her face turned beet red after Lucifer explained what it was she did, "Your acting was superb, though."
She found herself unable to smile at that, while deciding to get on her Occlumency once again.
"Potter!" Moody growled, "you're next."
Lucifer watched Harry step forward and Moody said, "Imperio."
Harry had bent his legs, but then halted.
For a second, nothing happened, but then Harry performed something Lucifer was sure that's not what Moody had told him to do in his mind.
He had jumped forward, but it looked like he tried to stop himself, and ended up going headlong into the desk.
"Again , that's more like it!" Moody's gruff voice was heard saying, "Look at that, you lot... Potter fought it! He fought it, and he damn near beat it! We'll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention - watch his eyes, that's where you see it - very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling you!"
Moody then had Harry go through it a few more times, each time Harry managed to not completely listen, until the last attempt, when he managed to throw it off entirely.
"Good, very good. Morningstar, you're next!"
Lucifer stepped forward.
When he was where everyone else had stood before him, he closed his eyes and waited.
He heard Moody say the spell and waited.
Everyone else had been affected almost immediately, but for him, he felt no different.
He didn't even hear a voice in his head like the spell description said was supposed to happen, "I'm asking you to try," Lucifer said coolly.
"Imperio," Moody had said for the fourth time, and the result was the same, nothing happened.
"Remarkable. In all my days as an Auror, I've never seen anyone unaffected by the Imperius Curse. Then again, I've never met anyone of the Ambrosius Bloodline before this school year, either!"
"You see that, everyone? Morningstar here is not affected by it in the slightest. I never even got into his mind to give him a command. Now I don't expect any of you to be like this, so don't think I'll expect this from all of you, but mark my words, we will work on this at least through November as a side study alongside your main Defense work, until progress is made," Moody said avidly.
"Morningstar, since this doesn't work on you, don't worry about having to practice."
After class, a lot of them were feeling uncertain about everything, and Harry was hobbling out.
"The way he talks," Lucifer heard him say, "you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."
"Yeah, I know," Ron answered him, who was skipping on every alternative step as a result of what Moody had him do when under the Curse.
"Talk about paranoid."
"Well, when you've lived as long as him, and are a veteran in your line of work capturing Dark Wizards, you might be a little paranoid too with how many enemies you'll have made," Lucifer said in Moody's defense.
The month soon changed to October and they were in Transfiguration Class with McGonagall, their Head of House, with the Ravenclaws, just like how it was last year.
When the class had voiced their dissatisfaction with the increase in school work, she explained why.
"You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" She told them, her eyes glinting dangerously behind her square spectacles.
"Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer-"
"We don't take O.W.L.s until our Fifth Year, though, Professor," Dean said indignantly.
"Maybe not, Mr. Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Miss Granger and Mr. Morningstar remain the only two in this class who have managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that your pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!" McGonagall had not been pulling any punches, though she never did.
Hermione had turned pink again, and seemed to be trying to not look too pleased with herself, but when she looked at Lucifer, she saw that he was almost indifferent looking.
In fact, with most of the classes, she recalled that Lucifer didn't have to put forth much effort for the current year as far as spell work was concerned, because he had basically mastered every Fourth and Fifth Year spell.
So, when Professor Flitwick told them to read three extra books in preparation for the Summoning Charm, books he and Hermione had already read, Lucifer didn't even bother opening them, giving him more time to focus on other work.
Professor Binns of History of Magic, their only Ghostly Professor, had them writing weekly essays on Goblin Rebellions.
It wasn't hard work, just absolutely tedious.
Professor Snape had them all research antidotes, or more specifically, forced them to because he hinted at the possibility of poisoning them before Christmas to see if their antidotes worked.
Lucifer didn't appreciate basically being held hostage for it, but he said nothing as Potions was one of his best subjects, even if the Professor was his least favourite.
Even Hagrid surprisingly piled on the work.
The Blast-Ended Skrewts had grown at an alarming rate, despite no one having figured out what they eat.
Hagrid had been delighted at the progress and as part of their 'project' he suggested that they come down to his hut on alternate evenings to observe the Skrewts and make notes on their extraordinary behavior.
"I will not," Malfoy had said flatly when Hagrid had proposed the idea, "I see enough of these foul things during lessons, thanks."
Hagrid's smile faded into a scowl, "Yeh'll do wha' yer told," he had growled, "or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book... I hear yeh make a good ferret, Malfoy."
The Gryffindors and even some of the Slytherins, roared with laughter.
Malfoy flushed with anger, but said nothing else, the painful memory of Moody's punishment still fresh in his mind.
They returned to the Castle in much higher spirits at the end of their lessons; seeing Hagrid put Malfoy in his place was more satisfying than it should have honestly been.
Their classes had just ended for the day before the Weekend started, and upon returning to the Entrance Hall, they found themselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students that had congregated there.
All milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase.
Ron and Lucifer were the only two able to see over the heads in front of them, but only from standing on their tiptoes.
Lucifer was the one who read the sign aloud for them:
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