Chapter 493: Obsession and Mood Swings
For a while, the hottest topic at Hogwarts was Sirius Black. The Daily Prophet featured a full page of news on him nearly every day, and waiting for the morning owl delivery had become a daily thrill for some students. Adding to the excitement, Harry was receiving packages almost every morning. They contained everything from sweets and clothes to strange novelty items, all sent by his newly free and doting godfather.
But for fifth-year students, the mounting schoolwork left little time to indulge in gossip. Their professors seemed determined to outdo one another in pushing them to the limit, piling on increasingly difficult assignments. Even Kyle, despite his skills, found himself caught up in the relentless workload. Some professors, such as Snape in Potions and Moody in Defense Against the Dark Arts, never excused him from assignments.
After two weeks of practicing the Shield Charm, Professor Moody announced a test. Initially scheduled for the previous week, the test had been delayed due to disastrous results—students had fumbled incantations, hesitated in casting, and blanked out on the spell gestures entirely. Moody had been so exasperated that he postponed the test, giving everyone an extra week to prepare.
"This time, I'll be using the Leg-Locker Curse," Moody warned from the lectern, his magical eye swiveling across the room. "If you can't successfully block it, then you'll be spending the rest of your day hopping like frogs."
Nervous murmurs spread across the classroom, though a few students looked unfazed.
"Some of you are probably thinking, 'It's just the Leg-Locker Curse, easily undone, and if I can't block it, no big deal,' right?" Moody grinned, his scarred face contorting, making his expression even more unnerving. "But clear that thought out of your heads now. This isn't your average Leg-Locker Curse; it's designed for Auror training. The usual counter-spell won't work."
With that, he instructed the students to line up along the sides of the room, calling them forward one by one to face the curse.
As the test began, Kyle noticed that the extra practice seemed to have paid off. Professor Moody was casting at a slowed pace, which helped; the first two students managed to deflect the curse with a sturdy Shield Charm, sending it bouncing back in a shimmering arc.
However, the third student stumbled. Likely overcome with nerves, he blanked on the incantation entirely, and his legs immediately snapped together. Forced to hop back to his spot, he tripped, nearly taking a face-first dive into the floor.