Noticing Hermione's murderous glare, Malfoy let out a shrill "Eek!" and backed away.
Hermione ignored him.
She slowly raised her wand and unleashed the Avada Kedavra she had spent so long charging.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The green light instantly struck the cute, girly "Hermione."
"Hermione" burst like a punctured balloon, turning into a cloud of black smoke that slowly dissipated.
Lupin's mouth fell open and stayed that way for a long time, as though he couldn't believe what he had just seen.
He looked at Hermione, then at the students around him, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Granger, did you just..."
Lupin pointed at the dissipating black smoke and stammered out his question.
Hermione had been beside herself with anger. Now that she had come to her senses, she finally remembered she was still in class.
Suppressing her emotions, she said casually, "It was just the Avada Kedavra Curse. Aside from Dementors, it's the easiest way to deal with dark creatures."
"Why bother learning all those flashy spells?"
Hermione shrugged, looking as though it were perfectly obvious.
It was as if she had just cast Expelliarmus rather than the Killing Curse.
Lupin felt his entire worldview being shaken.
He looked at the students around him.
They, too, were somewhat stunned.
What was this? When I get ruthless, I even Avada myself?
Then they remembered it was Hermione, decided it wasn't so strange after all, and regained their composure as though this were an everyday occurrence.
A few even looked approving.
Lupin rubbed his temples.
He felt as though he had stepped into another world.
Had Hogwarts' approach to teaching already become this... progressive?
Or was he really behind the times?
Was using Unforgivable Curses against dark creatures the fashion now?
Lupin took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.