"Leave your power stones to get an extra chapter."
The Unforgivable Curses
"Professor McGonagall asked me to teach theoretical lessons as well, not just practical ones, so today we will talk about the Unforgivable Curses," Einar said as he flipped through the Defense Against the Dark Arts book, using it as a guide.
"Does anyone know how many there are?" he asked quickly.
"Three, professor," Hermione answered immediately.
"And why are they called that?"
"Because they are unforgivable. If a wizard were to use them, they would be quickly arrested by the Aurors and sent to Azkaban," Hermione explained swiftly.
"Mm, exactly. So, can you tell me what they are?" Einar asked as he sat on his desk, observing each of the students.
As expected, Hermione raised her hand instantly, making Einar smile slightly. Pointing at her, he signaled for her to answer.
"One of the three curses is the Imperius Curse. It's a spell that allows the caster to control another person, forcing them to obey their will," Hermione said confidently.
"Good answer. The Imperius Curse can control a wizard to such an extent that it becomes difficult to detect whether they are being manipulated. From what I understand, after the fall of a certain individual," Einar paused with a look of distaste, "many wizards used the excuse of having been under this curse to escape punishment..."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"It is said that when a person is under the Imperius Curse, a sensation of happiness overwhelms them, making them obey without question. To break free, one must shatter that happiness, which can be extremely difficult for someone without strong willpower. Remember this: sometimes, freedom is obtained by breaking the illusion of happiness," he said, his gaze momentarily lost in thought as he recalled something from his past. He quickly shook his head and changed the subject.
"Tell me another curse. And this time, someone other than Hermione should answer. I don't want her carrying the entire class… though, of course, she has earned ten points for Gryffindor," he added with a smile.
Under Hermione's gaze, Harry hesitantly raised his hand.
"Harry," Einar said, pointing at him.
"There's the Killing Curse… sir," Harry responded cautiously.
"Correct. The Killing Curse, better known as Avada Kedavra. It's a spell that instantly kills its target, and to cast it, the user must truly desire with all their soul to see their target die. This requirement is what corrupts dark wizards. It's a special spell: it leaves no marks, not a single drop of blood, and as far as anyone knew, no one had ever survived it… until Harry did," Einar said, looking at him with interest.
"Now, the last one. Let's get this over with," he said with evident annoyance, as these spells had no respect for him either as a warrior or as a wizard.
Neville timidly raised his hand, evident doubt on his face.
"Neville," Einar said, giving him the floor.
"There's the Cruciatus Curse, sir," Neville murmured, his voice trembling.
"Good. The Cruciatus Curse, or Crucio, is just as horrible as the previous one. It's used to torture people, and like Avada Kedavra, it requires the caster to truly desire to see their victim suffer. This spell also leaves no marks, which suggests that, like the Killing Curse, it's a direct attack on the soul. But unlike Avada Kedavra, which simply takes life, this curse shatters or damages the soul. That's why those who have been tortured with Crucio and survived often suffer irreversible effects," Einar explained, observing the impact of his words on the class.
"Damage to the soul, sir?" Hermione asked with interest. Teachings at Hogwarts rarely covered topics related to the soul, and any magic that affected it was usually considered dark and forbidden.
"Well, I'm not the best at explaining these topics, but a friend of mine once told me that a healthy soul depends on a healthy body and mind. Let's look at it this way: the Killing Curse probably steals or destroys the victim's soul the moment it strikes, leaving the body empty and lifeless, which explains why it leaves no physical traces.
On the other hand, the Cruciatus Curse doesn't kill, but it does fragment or tear the soul apart little by little. People who have been subjected to it repeatedly end up with severe mental problems or even die, even though they haven't suffered any visible physical wounds. It's a clear symptom of deep soul damage," Einar concluded.
Neville lifted his gaze with a glimmer of hope in his eyes and quickly asked,
"Then… if the soul, as you say, could be healed, could a person who has been left with mental problems from the Cruciatus Curse fully recover?"
Einar observed him in silence for a few seconds, understanding what he was truly asking.
"It's a possibility… but it's still just a theory of mine," he finally said.
Neville lowered his gaze for a moment, visibly affected, but even so, a trace of hope remained in his expression.
"As I said earlier, using any of these curses requires a deep and dark mindset. Repeated use causes these thoughts to take root and intensify in our minds. And, obviously, a person who constantly thinks about killing or making others suffer will end up with a much more twisted and corrupted mind than someone who simply kills with a dagger.
That's why I advise you to think twice before using any of these spells… Though, of course, winning a one-way ticket to Azkaban doesn't sound fun either."
Einar spoke seriously, leaving a heavy silence in the classroom. Shortly after, the lesson ended, and the students began to leave. However, before everyone was gone, his eyes landed on Neville, who was walking with his head down, visibly deep in thought.
"Neville, stay behind," he said quickly.
Some students hesitated for a moment, curious, but eventually left the room, leaving the two of them alone.
"What do you need, Professor?" Neville asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
Einar sighed.
"Your expression tells me you want to research soul magic… That's why I had to stop you. Sometimes, that kind of research leads to very dark places… like necromancy or worse."
"I… I just want to learn how to heal souls, sir. I'm not interested in anything else," Neville replied quickly.
Einar studied him in silence for a moment before saying,
"If you explain your reason and it's a good one, I might be able to help you."
Neville clenched his fists and, after a brief hesitation, whispered with a shaky voice,
"It's my parents, sir… They were tortured with the Cruciatus Curse for so long that they don't even recognize me… or anyone else."
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
Einar gazed at him intently, processing his words.
"I see… I'm very sorry, Neville. If their souls were damaged that deeply… Not even I, nor my friends, could come close to fixing it…" he murmured, lost in thought.
After a few seconds of contemplation, he moved swiftly and began pulling books from his bag"or rather, magical tomes.
"Restoration Magic, Alteration Magic, and Illusion Magic…" he listed as he arranged them in front of Neville. "These contain spells from three different magical schools. Some of them might help you with your parents."
Neville stared at the books in awe.
"Healing spells like Healing Hands can regenerate the body. Detect Life will allow you to accurately examine the damage to their souls. And illusions like Calm or Happiness could help stabilize their minds and reduce the chaos within them."
Einar looked at him seriously before continuing,
"If you promise me that only you will learn these spells and that you will use them to help others… and that you will dedicate yourself fully to healing your parents… I will lend them to you. Perhaps, with enough effort, you can find a way to mend their souls."
Neville swallowed hard, moved by the opportunity.
"I've never seen books like these before, sir… They must be very valuable. I don't know if I deserve them…" he whispered, though his eyes betrayed his desire for that knowledge.
Einar smiled knowingly.
"Don't worry. In the future, I'll choose people to teach similar magic. You're just getting a small head start. But in return, I want you to change your wand and give your best in my classes. Besides learning about this magic, do we have a deal?"
Neville nodded firmly.
"Yes, sir. I promise."
"Good. If you have any questions, you can always come to me."
Neville took the books with determination and ran out of the classroom, hope shining in his eyes.
Einar watched him leave and smiled softly. He wasn't worried about anyone trying to steal the tomes or Neville losing them. All his books were protected by enchantments that would make them return to him in case of any mishap.
"I hope they work for you… and for your parents," he murmured, watching Neville's figure disappear down the hallway.
"---------------
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