Alaric knew that this "Mad-Eye Moody," was actually Barty Crouch Jr., not the real Moody but a child of Bartemius Crouch Sr., disguised using Polyjuice Potion.
He was a fervent Death Eater and had been imprisoned by his father using the Imperius Curse, but had since escaped.
The Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup was his handiwork, and the real Moody was now his captive.
Undoubtedly, this lesson was a macabre display orchestrated by Barty Crouch Jr., intended to intimidate the young wizards present.
Now, everyone looked visibly shaken, clearly affected by his success in leaving a deep impression. They all now held a profound awe for this fake Moody.
Although aware of Barty Crouch Jr.'s true identity and motives, Alaric had no intention of exposing him.
Everything he did played into Alaric's plans, as he hoped to ultimately lead Harry to Voldemort, facilitating Voldemort's return.
However, seeing Hermione looking visibly frightened, Alaric felt somewhat displeased with this imposter.
"Don't be afraid, Hermione," he set down his alchemy notes and comforted the girl, patting her gently.
"It's just an Unforgivable Curse, nothing to fear. Besides, the magical resistance of dragons renders them mostly ineffective."
"Is... is that so," Hermione visibly relaxed. "I'm not scared, just... I think it's a bit much for a first lesson."
Hermione, as expected, was no longer afraid, even managing to be a bit sassy.
Alaric patted her head and chuckled, "If you find Professor Moody unpleasant, let me scare him for you."
At that moment, Moody was demonstrating the Killing Curse.
"The Avada Kedavra curse requires a strong foundation of magical power.
You can all take out your wands, point them at me, and say the curse. I doubt I'll do more than get a nosebleed. But that's okay. I'm here to teach you how to say the curses."
"Is that so?" Alaric suddenly stood up, looking at Moody. "Do you really want me to try it on you?"
"This..." Moody—no, Barty Crouch Jr.—looked at Alaric and involuntarily took two steps back.
He feared Alaric because he had witnessed Alaric transform into a dragon that night, breathing fire and killing over a hundred fake Death Eaters in one go, forcing him and a few leading real Death Eaters to flee.
The impervious defense against hundreds of spells and the lethal dragon breath had even scared this hardened Death Eater.
Now, seeing Alaric again and hearing his words, Barty Crouch Jr. was understandably terrified.
Unlike the other young wizards, rumors and eyewitness accounts had proven Alaric's strength.
If he cast the Killing Curse, Crouch himself would not escape. On the other hand, he also wondered if Alaric had discovered something, considering his immense power.
But seeing "Moody" retreat, Alaric pressed on, pulling out his wand and saying,
"Apart from Avada Kedavra, how about the Cruciatus Curse and the Imperius Curse? Let me try them on you, see if they have any effect."
"Are you... joking... right?" As Alaric advanced, Crouch continued to step back, sweating coldly on his forehead.
"If you... use the Unforgivable Curse on me, you'll... you'll be sent to... Azkaban."
Mentioning Azkaban seemed to give him strength, bizarrely enough.
How ridiculous. A Death Eater opposed to the Ministry actually attempted to threaten someone with Azkaban.
However, at this moment, Barty Crouch Jr. had no other choice.
At Alaric's words, he smiled mockingly and said dryly, "It was just a joke I made to you all."
"That joke wasn't funny," Alaric said coldly, giving him a meaningful look.
"I think it's best if Professor Moody refrains from such dangerous jokes in class.
Otherwise, misunderstandings could arise, leading to consequences nobody wants to see, wouldn't you agree?"
That look made Crouch feel exposed.
"You're... right," the fake Moody gritted his teeth. "Alaric's... suggestion is valid. You can sit down now, Ravenclaw gets ten points..."
Alaric nodded in satisfaction and returned to his seat.
There was still no discussion in the classroom, but everyone's gaze towards Moody had changed. No longer fear and awe, now it was disbelief and disdain.
Although everyone acknowledged Moody's genius in Ravenclaw, prior to this incident, no professor besides the legendary Lockhart and Quirrell had ever feared or tried to appease Alaric.
Yes, it was clear they were trying to please Alaric.
After Alaric sat down, Hermione immediately excitedly whispered in his ear, "Oh my goodness, how did you do that?
I mean, how did you make Alastor Moody so afraid of you?
I checked his records yesterday; he's considered one of the greatest Aurors of modern times, having defeated numerous notorious dark wizards in battle and captured enough Death Eaters to fill half of Azkaban.
How could a retired Auror like him be so intimidated by you?"
Seeing Hermione back to her lively self, Alaric smiled contentedly and casually replied.
"Maybe it's because of the lesson I gave them last time at the Ministry. The Aurors know I'm not to be trifled with."
That was obviously a rather strained answer, and Hermione was somewhat dissatisfied with it, but no matter how she asked, Alaric brushed it off.
In reality, if it were the real Moody, he would never fear Alaric like this. He was a tough, brave man who had faced death many times over.
This incident caused a stir among the young wizards regarding their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Some believed Moody was just submissive in the face of power, while Gryffindor lions insisted Moody was merely being magnanimous and unwilling to argue with Alaric.
However, Alaric's prestige among the young wizards grew stronger.
There were rumors that Alaric was a more powerful dark wizard than Voldemort himself, capable of instilling fear in even the most seasoned Aurors with just a glance.
It was undoubtedly an exaggeration, but it reflected Alaric's immense reputation among the young wizards.
All older students were thankful that Alaric had announced he wouldn't participate in the Triwizard Tournament; otherwise, with such a formidable opponent, they would have no heart for competition at all.
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