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st。 That's what I've got to teach you to fight。 You need preparing。 You need arming。 But most of all； you need to practice constant； never…ceasing vigilance。 Get out your quills。。。 copy this down。。。〃
They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses。 No one spoke until the bell rang…but when Moody had dismissed them and they had left the classroom； a torrent of talk burst forth。 Most people were discussing the curses in awed voices…〃Did you see it twitch？〃 〃and when he killed it…just like that！〃
They were talking about the lesson； Harry thought； as though it had been some sort of spectacular show； but he hadn't found it very entertaining…and nor； it seemed； had Hermione。
〃Hurry up；〃 she said tensely to Harry and Ron。
〃Not the ruddy library again？〃 said Ron。
〃No；〃 said Hermione curtly； pointing up a side passage。 〃Neville。〃 Neville was standing alone； halfway up the passage； staring at the stone wall opposite him with the same horrified； wide…eyed look he had worn when Moody had demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse。
〃Neville？〃 Hermione said gently。
Neville looked around。
〃Oh hello；〃 he said； his voice much higher than usual。 〃Interesting lesson； wasn't it？ I wonder what's for dinner； I'm…I'm starving； aren't you？〃
〃Neville； are you all right？〃 said Hermione。
〃Oh yes； I'm fine；〃 Neville gabbled in the same unnaturally high voice。 〃Very interesting dinner…I mean lesson…what's for eating？〃
Ron gave Harry a startled look。
〃Neville； what…？〃
But an odd clunking noise sounded behind them； and they turned to see Professor Moody limping toward them。 All four of them fell silent； watching him apprehensively； but when he spoke； it was in a much lower and gentler growl than they had yet heard。
〃It's all right； sonny；〃 he said to Neville。 〃Why don't you e up to my office？ e on。。。 we can have a cup of tea。。。〃
Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of tea with Moody。 He neither moved nor spoke。 Moody turned his magical eye upon Harry。
〃You all right； are you； Potter？〃
〃Yes；〃 said Harry； almost defiantly。
Moody's blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed Harry。 Then he said； 〃You've got to know。 It seems harsh； maybe； but you've got to know。 No point pretending。。。 well。。。 e on； Longbottom； I've got some books that might interest you。〃
Neville looked pleadingly at Harry； Ron； and Hermione； but they didn't say anything； so Neville had no choice but to allow himself to be steered away； one of Moody's gnarled hands on his shoulder。
〃What was that about？〃 said Ron； watching Neville and Moody turn the corner。
〃I don't know；〃 said Hermione； looking pensive。
〃Some lesson； though； eh？〃 said Ron to Harry as they set off for the Great Hall。 〃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…〃
But Ron fell suddenly silent at the look on Harry's face and didn't speak again until they reached the Great Hall； when he said he supposed they had better make a start on Professor Trelawney's predictions tonight； since they would take hours。
Hermione did not join in with Harry and Ron's conversation during dinner； but ate furiously fast； and then left for the library again。 Harry and Ron walked back to Gryffindor Tower； and Harry； who had been thinking of nothing else all through dinner； now raised the subject of the Unforgivable Curses himself。
〃Wouldn't Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew we'd seen the curses？〃 Harry asked as they approached the Fat Lady。
〃Yeah； probably；〃 said Ron。 〃But Dumbledore's always done things his way； hasn't he； and Moody's been getting in trouble for years； I reckon。 Attacks first and asks questions later…look at his dustbins。 Balderdash。〃
The Fat Lady swung forward to reveal the entrance hole； and they climbed into the Gryffindor mon room； which was crowded and noisy。
〃Shall we get our Divination stuff； then？〃 said Harry。
〃I s'pose；〃 Ron groaned。
They went up to the dormitory to fetch their books and charts； to find Neville there alone； sitting on his bed； reading。 He looked a good deal calmer than at the end of Moody's lesson； though still not entirely normal。 His eyes were rather red。
〃You all right； Neville？〃 Harry asked him。
〃Oh yes；〃 said Neville； 〃I'm fine； thanks。 Just reading this book Professor Moody lent me。。。〃
He held up the book： Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean。
〃Apparently； Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology；〃 Neville said。 There was a faint note of pride in his voice that Harry had rarely heard there before。 〃He thought I'd like this。〃
Telling Neville what Professor Sprout had said； Harry thought； had been a very tactful way of cheering Neville up； for Neville very rarely heard that he was good at anything。 It was the sort of thing Professor Lupin would have done。
Harry and Ron took their copies of Unfogging the Future back down to the mon room； found a table； and set to work on their predictions for the ing month。 An hour later； they had made very little progress； though their table was littered with bits of parchment bearing sums and symbols； and Harry's brain was as fogged as though it had been filled with the fumes from Professor Trelawney's fire。
〃I haven't got a clue what this lot's supposed to mean；〃 he said； staring down at a long list of calculations。
〃You know；〃 said Ron； whose hair was on end because of all the times he had run his fingers through it in frustration； 〃I think it's back to the old Divination standby。〃
〃What…make it up？〃
〃Yeah；〃 said Ron； sweeping the jumble of scrawled notes off the table； dipping his pen into some ink； and starting to write。
〃Next Monday；〃 he said as he scribbled； 〃I am likely to develop a cough； owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter。〃 He looked up at Harry。 〃You know her…just put in loads of misery； she'll lap it up。〃
〃Right；〃 said Harry； crumpling up his first attempt and lobbing it over the heads of a group of chattering first years into the fire。 〃Okay。。。 on Monday； I will be in danger ofer…burns。〃
〃Yeah； you will be；〃 said Ron darkly； 〃we're seeing the skrewts again on Monday。 Okay； Tuesday； I'll。。。 erm。。
〃Lose a treasured possession；〃 said Harry； who was flicking through Unfogging the Future for ideas。
〃Good one；〃 said Ron； copying it down。 〃Because of。。。 erm。。。 Mercury。 Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend？〃
〃Yeah。。。 cool。。。〃 said Harry； scribbling it down； 〃because。。。 Venus is in the twelfth house。〃
〃And on Wednesday； I think I'll e off worst in a fight。〃
〃Aaah； I was going to have a fight。 Okay； I'll lose a bet。〃
〃Yeah； you'll be betting I'll win my fight。。。
They continued to make up predictions （which grew steadily more tragic） for another hour； while the mon room around them slowly emptied as people went up to bed。 Crookshanks wandered over to them； leapt lightly into an empty chair； and stared inscrutably at Harry； rather as Hermione might look if she knew they weren't doing their homework properly。
Staring around the room； trying to think of a kind of misfortune he hadn't yet used； Harry saw Fred and George sitting together against the opposite wall； heads together； quills out； poring over a single piece of parchment。 It was most unusual to see Fred and George hidden away in a corner and working silently； they usually liked to be in the thick of things and the noisy center of attention。 There was something secretive about the way they were working on the piece of parchment； and Harry was reminded of how they had sat together writing something back at the Burrow。 He had thought then that it was another order form for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes； but it didn't look like that this time； if it had been； they would surely have let Lee Jordan in on the joke。 He wondered whether it had anything to do with entering the Triwizard Tournament。
As Harry watched； George shook his head at Fred； scratched out something with his quill； and said； in a very quiet voice that nevertheless carried ac