Chapter 214

Chapter 214

The name of the Killing Curse froze the classroom in an instant.

“There’s no need to be so tense,” Professor Lupin said with a quiet laugh. “I merely believe we should set aside one lesson to discuss the Killing Curse and several other forms of magic that are evil and astonishingly destructive.”

“The spells themselves are not so frightening. What should frighten us are the wizards who use them to harm innocent people.”

“For example–He Who Must Not Be Named…”

Fear appeared on the faces of most young wizards. The few Muggle-born children noticed the atmosphere around them and looked rather bewildered.

“To tell the truth, I am puzzled. And what puzzles me?”

“This is something you ought to have learnt in first year. Yet when I looked through the lesson plans left by the two professors before me–no, to be precise, only one of them left any lesson plans…”

Several sniggers suddenly sounded among the students, then vanished at once.

“Neither of them ever taught you about this branch of magic…”

Professor Lupin took several deep breaths. His gaze swept across every student and paused briefly upon Harry.

“I believe I must make up this missing foundation.”

“Three forms of magic are infamous throughout the wizarding world. They have become the very symbols of Dark magic. Can anyone name these three Dark spells?”

Silence filled the room. The young wizards pressed their lips together, wariness and fear plain on most faces.

“Does no one know? Or are all of you afraid?” Professor Lupin chuckled. “Let me ask a different question. What do you believe Dark magic is?”

Only after a long silence did more than a dozen arms rise.

“Mr Thomas, you answer.” Lupin selected a student at random.

Dean Thomas plainly had not expected to be chosen. He stood, glanced first towards the Slytherins, then answered loudly.

“Professor, I think Dark magic is a branch of magic whose spells are generally evil, twisted and insane.” Dean inhaled deeply, then let out the breath. “Wizards who learn them usually enjoy using them to torture innocent people for amusement or to achieve some terrible purpose.”

His voice grew louder as he spoke, and his eyes repeatedly swept towards Slytherin, as though its students were precisely the shameful Dark wizards who delighted in tormenting the innocent.

“Anyone who uses that sort of magic belongs in Azkaban! We should study Defence Against the Dark Arts properly and wipe out those scum!”

Professor Lupin neither nodded in agreement nor shook his head in denial. He simply waved Dean back to his seat.

“Does anyone have a different answer?”

The little Slytherins’ hands shot into the air. Dean’s repeated looks had angered them, and they were desperate to refute the Gryffindor.

“You, then. Draco Malfoy, is it?”

Draco clearly had not expected Lupin to choose him either. His raised hand remained motionless for a moment before he stood, adjusted his hat and cast a glance towards Gryffindor.

“I don’t accept what that stupid lion said.”

“Who are you calling a stupid lion?!” Dean slammed his hands on the desk and surged to his feet, glaring.

“Whoever answered,” Draco sneered.

Dean opened his mouth to retaliate.

“Mr Thomas!” Professor Lupin had to intervene. “Sit down. Let us hear Mr Malfoy’s differing opinion.”

Dean sat with an aggrieved expression.

Malfoy turned back smugly and looked directly at Lupin beside the teacher’s desk.

“My father told me that Dark magic and so-called white magic are both simply magic. Neither is superior. What matters is where you use it and what you intend to achieve.”

“Sometimes, we ought to use our brains.” Draco tapped his temple, then gave Gryffindor another contemptuous glance. “Instead of charging forwards without a plan like a troll. If Dark magic can achieve the necessary goal at the necessary moment, then it is certainly not evil, twisted or insane.”

“I’ve finished.” Without waiting for Professor Lupin’s response, Malfoy sat down.

Lupin showed no irritation at Draco Malfoy’s attitude. He looked towards the other two Houses, selected several students in turn and invited them to answer.
The frozen atmosphere created by mention of the Killing Curse and Voldemort disappeared. The classroom began to resemble a debating hall.

Even students Professor Lupin had not chosen discussed their opinions below.

“One thing is certain: anyone who uses Dark magic gets locked in Azkaban by the Ministry. That proves Dark magic itself is evil and frightening! My dad works at the Ministry, and he’s told me plenty about it.” Morn loudly pressed his views upon Justin.

“Don’t Muggles have wanted criminals too? There was a Muggle reading from a sheet of paper in one of those recording orbs.”

“That’s true… but…” Justin appeared to disagree.

The classroom became a noisy mass, every argument finding supporters and opponents.

No one noticed that Professor Lupin had not called upon another student for quite some time.

“Children.” Professor Lupin’s voice was faint against the clamour, yet reached every young wizard with perfect clarity. It was the first time he had displayed his magical skill in class.

Lupin was part of Dumbledore’s elite little fighting group, wasn’t he? Suer thought. He really must not be underestimated.

The students gradually fell silent and turned towards Professor Lupin, who supported himself against the edge of the desk with one hand.

“Everything you have said is correct.” Professor Lupin smiled and nodded. “Yet all of it is also wrong.”

“Or rather, far too one-sided.”

“Mr Thomas says Dark magic is evil and twisted, and anyone who uses it belongs in Azkaban. If so, every person in this room–myself and Headmaster Dumbledore included–ought to be in Azkaban under Dementor guard at this very moment.”

The students erupted in shock and began talking again.

“Why would you say that, Professor?” Dean Thomas called.

“Dark magic is a broad term. I am sure Professor Filius Flitwick has told you that a wizard’s emotions are an important part of casting magic.”

“Dark magic is a collective term for magic imbued with negative emotion.”

“Let me use a spell all of you can cast as an example: the Levitation Charm.”

The example astonished everyone, and the room filled with conversation again.

“Don’t rush. Why do I say the Levitation Charm can also become Dark magic? As Mr Malfoy said, neither Dark nor white magic stands above the other. In truth, the boundary between them is indistinct.”

Draco Malfoy immediately rose and bowed towards his fellow Slytherins, smugness written across his face. Suer could only shake his head.

“As I was saying.” Lupin gave Malfoy a single look, and the boy obediently sat. Spoilt as he was and unfamiliar as he seemed with life’s harsher lessons, he retained at least a little respect for his professors.

“Dark magic is a general term for magic carrying negative emotion. Imagine lifting an innocent Muggle, or a defenceless wizard, high into the sky with the Levitation Charm out of pure malice. You then let that person fall freely to their death. At that moment, the Levitation Charm you cast becomes Dark magic.”

“So, Professor…” A young Ravenclaw witch raised her hand and stood. “Is Dark magic essentially a form of power, with the difference lying in whoever uses it?”

“Oh, that is an excellent question, Miss Boot.” Professor Lupin motioned for her to sit. “This returns us to Mr Malfoy’s point: the purpose for which magic is used. If that purpose is corrupt, driven by powerful malice or even intended to take a life, then the spell becomes evil and frightening when you use it to reach that goal.”

“We generally call those who do so Dark wizards.”

“Power itself possesses neither good nor evil. The difference lies in its user. Of course, there are exceptions: spells that are intrinsically evil, terrifying or even insane. The pure Killing Curse, for example, can rob a wizard of life for no reason whatsoever.”

“Can you cast the Killing Curse, Professor?”

The question came from a Gryffindor, and the classroom became quiet enough to hear a pin fall.

“I can.” Professor Lupin’s answer drew a collective gasp. Compared with the other two Unforgivable Curses, the Killing Curse had gained still greater fame through the bald, socket-faced terrorist who had championed it.

“That is perfectly normal.” Professor Lupin smiled faintly. “I use it only when facing someone utterly vicious. No rule says I must refuse to defend myself against a person trying to take my life.”
“The Killing Curse is an extremely useful spell. It requires pure malice from the wizard, but makes no particularly severe demand upon magical power.”

Professor Lupin’s expression turned grave.

“That assumes you do not become addicted to the sense of absolute power it grants you. I sincerely hope none of you ever faces a day when you must use it.”

“Can you teach us?” someone called from among the Slytherins, concealed by the crowd.

“Of course… not.” Professor Lupin shook his head sternly. “In my view, none of you has any need or qualification to use it. There are many powerful spells capable of protecting you. Why pursue a purely Dark spell that will drag you into darkness?”

“Remember, what I have discussed today already exceeds the proper scope of this lesson. I do not wish our next meeting to take place in Azkaban!”

His voice carried warning and severity, utterly unlike its usual warmth. The young wizards fell silent as frightened cicadas.

Suer keenly sensed a thread of magic in Professor Lupin’s words.

“Let us return to the subject. Harmful spells are divided into three levels: jinxes, hexes and curses. The Killing Curse belongs to the highest level and can easily take a wizard’s life. What, then, do we mean by the next level, hexes?”

“The Bat-Bogey Hex and Densaugeo are examples. These spells inflict a degree of harm upon the target without killing them.”

“And what is a jinx? The Impediment Jinx, which you have already learnt, belongs to this level.”

“There is also purer magic created specifically to take life or inflict torture. Such spells do not belong to these three ordinary categories. They are generally regarded as pure Dark magic. The Cruciatus Curse, one of the Unforgivable Curses, is a representative example.”

“You have all offered lively thoughts on Dark magic, each with its own insight. Now I shall explain my view.”

Professor Lupin lightly waved his wand and wrote a word in shining magic before him: “Reverence”.

Then he wrote another: “Defence”.

The young wizards did not entirely understand the two words, but they remained silent and listened.

“We must always approach Dark magic with reverence. During my travels in the East, I heard a saying: ‘It may be admired from afar, but never handled disrespectfully.'”

The Ode to the Lotus. I know that one… Suer commented inwardly.

“We may learn the principles behind Dark magic, but it is best that we do not practise it.”

“Next comes defence, the subject of this class. It is the central purpose of Defence Against the Dark Arts and what I shall teach you this year.”

“Defence follows reverence. In other words, we must understand these spells with a reverent attitude, then find ways to defend against them. That is what you ought to learn.”

Professor Lupin glanced through the window. Dusk was approaching.

“That will be all for today. I had planned to introduce a new Dark creature–a banshee–but it must wait until our next lesson.”

“I shall not intrude upon your pleasant weekend. There is no homework.”

Several students who loathed homework immediately cheered.

“Not so quickly,” Professor Lupin said. “After class, I want you to consider carefully what Dark magic is and how you should respond when you encounter it. This is a very important question.”

“People will certainly tell you that studying Dark magic is the quickest shortcut to strength. As your professor, I would rather see you plant your feet firmly and climb one step at a time. To borrow something else I heard during my travels:”

“No shortcut leads to success. Often, when you believe you are standing upon one, the abyss is already staring back at you.”

“Class dismissed!”