"What is black magic?" Ryan started with the most basic question.
"Destructive and evil magic is called black magic," Hermione answered after thinking for a moment.
"This is exactly how the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook defines it. As expected of our resident know-it-all—you've practically memorized the entire syllabus," Ryan said, teasing her slightly. Then he continued, "But in reality, the key factor in identifying black magic isn't destruction—it's evil. Take fire spells, for example. They can help us create warmth and light, but they can also cause deadly fires. Yet we don't classify Incendio as evil magic."
"Exactly! That's why I think the essence of black magic lies in the intent—the malice behind casting the spell," Hermione argued. "And that's why I don't support you learning it. I don't want to see my friends becoming dark wizards."
"But according to its definition, black magic is any spell fueled by negative emotions toward a target. It's undeniable that magic laced with negativity tends to be more powerful. The stronger the emotion, the greater the spell's effect."
Hermione frowned. "What exactly are you getting at?"
"I'm saying that not all negative emotions should be deemed evil," Ryan explained, flipping to a bookmarked page in his third-year Dark Magic textbook. He pointed to a specific spell. "Look at this. It requires the caster to feel strong aversion toward the target to generate a repelling force field."
"Aversion is a negative emotion, but does that make the spell evil? I don't think so. If anything, this bit of negativity is a small price to pay for the protective power it offers."
Hermione took the book from him and skimmed through the pages. After a while, she sighed. "I suppose that makes sense. It's no wonder this book is used in one of the top three European magic schools. The spells it contains aren't overly cruel. And, honestly, I'm sure even Hogwarts professors know a few spells like these, but they only study them for defense purposes."
She looked at Ryan seriously. "My concern isn't about the spells themselves. It's about us. We're still young. Our minds aren't fully developed, and the temptation of power can be overwhelming. That's why Hogwarts limits access to books on black magic to senior students. By the time we're older, we can study these topics under proper guidance—but only to defend against them."
Ryan nodded. "So what do you think we should do? I just want to learn powerful spells to protect myself and my friends. Last year, facing danger without the means to fight back was a terrible feeling."
"I get it. But the best way to resist dark magic isn't by using dark magic—it's through practice. Theoretical knowledge alone won't help in real combat," Hermione said. "We should train in self-defense spells. But I don't think we should study black magic directly. Things aren't bad enough to warrant such extreme measures. Last year's events were an anomaly."
She paused, then added, "That being said, I won't stop you from reading these books. If you're determined to learn about dark magic, then at least do so with the goal of recognizing and countering it. But let's make one thing clear—there's no need to cross a dangerous line. Other forms of magic can be just as powerful as black magic. We should study together and hold each other accountable to make sure no one goes down the wrong path."
Ryan was surprised. He had expected Hermione to object outright. Instead, she had turned the argument around and was trying to persuade him. Her words struck a chord with him.
After a moment of introspection, he realized his thinking had been flawed.
Yes, he had knowledge of future events, which gave him an advantage. But that knowledge also trapped him. Knowing that war was coming made him impatient, eager to grow stronger as quickly as possible. But he had forgotten a crucial fact—he had access to the Myriad Realms Store. He had time. He had resources. There was no need to recklessly dive into black magic when he had safer, more reliable ways to gain power.
As someone with a mental age of over thirty, he should have been more clear-headed. Yet, here he was, nearly being outwitted by a teenage girl. The realization made him feel ashamed.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I almost made a mistake. I appreciate you keeping me on the right path. I promise—I won't learn any of the black magic in these books."
To prove his sincerity, he handed the Dark Magic textbooks to Hermione for safekeeping. She looked relieved.
With that settled, they moved on to other topics before eventually parting ways for lunch.
That evening, as Ryan reflected on their conversation, he reaffirmed his decision. Black magic was dangerous—not just because of the spells themselves, but because of their long-term effects. The mental damage caused by delving too deep into it wasn't worth the risk.
However, magic still needed to be practiced. It was like swimming—no amount of theoretical knowledge could replace actual experience.
But where could he train without being monitored by the Ministry of Magic?
After some thought, Ryan realized Plants vs. Zombies was the perfect place. It had plenty of training targets, and since he hadn't checked in for a while, he was also curious about the state of his home there.
Taking advantage of his free time in the afternoon, he went to the library and copied a large amount of industrial knowledge related to daily life. These were meant as gifts for Dave and the others. The zombie apocalypse world was slowly stabilizing, but rebuilding civilization was no easy task. If he could provide useful information to speed up their progress, he would.
During dinner, Ms. Sally turned to Ryan and asked, "I've been meaning to ask—why do you go to the library every morning during summer break? The local library doesn't have books on magic, does it?"
Ryan, who was eating pasta, quickly swallowed before replying, "I've been doing homework with a classmate, Mom."
"A classmate? Oh, you mean Dentist Granger's daughter? You mentioned she ranked first in your year," Mr. Lambert chimed in.
"Uh, yeah. I didn't beat her in the exams last term," Ryan admitted in a low voice.
His mother smiled. "That's good. Studying with someone better than you is a great way to learn. We were actually worried that you might become overconfident since you always had top grades in primary school."
Ryan was about to protest, but his parents continued offering advice on humility and learning attitudes.
As he listened, he realized that his previous assumptions had been wrong. He had always thought that European and American parents were more relaxed about academics, but now he saw the truth—education was important everywhere.
Author's Note:
In the previous book, Professor McGonagall used the Imperius Curse to control a Death Eater. This is classified as an Unforgivable Curse-level black magic spell. Clearly, at least some Hogwarts professors are knowledgeable about black magic—not necessarily because they practice it, but because they study it for defense purposes. Of course, this excludes figures like Snape, who had a background in dark magic.
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