Dylan truly wasn't aware of this. While he usually researched potion ingredients and had read quite a few books on magical creatures, those books didn't provide much information about unicorns.
Perhaps this was to prevent too many people from learning about unicorns through books and then, driven by evil thoughts, attempting to hunt them.
He figured he'd have to ask about this during Professor Snape's private lessons.
Dylan's gaze shifted to the brilliant star on the system panel.
—A deep, dark shine.
"There's still one max-level spell left to unlock."
And it was a Dark spell.
Dylan sighed inwardly.
With a thought, he focused his gaze on the shining star.
Boom!
A stream of rapidly changing data reflected in Dylan's pupils as it flickered across the system interface.
Suddenly, a pillar of purple-black light tore through the sky, and countless fragments of star-like bodies, engulfed in eerie blue flames, rained down like a storm—only to transform into bats upon hitting the ground.
Seeing such a dramatic display, Dylan thought he had unlocked some extremely sinister Dark Magic. But then, the system's notification rang out:
**[Message]: Congratulations! You have mastered the max-level spell—Bat-Bogey Hex!**
For a moment, Dylan found himself staring at Quirrell standing right in front of him. As soon as he cast the spell, a bat shot out of Quirrell's nose with a *whoosh*.
Then another. And another…
How much snot did he even have?!
Dylan twitched at the corner of his mouth, processing the magical information that was now flowing into his mind.
"Bat-Bogey Hex?"
He paused.
At the mention of this spell, the first person that popped into his head was Ginny.
"I remember Ginny was particularly skilled at using this spell."
But—
"This counts as Dark Magic? Hmm… I suppose it kind of makes sense."
Dylan understood that the wizarding world generally classified Dark Magic into three levels:
1. **Jinx** (low-level hexes)
2. **Hex** (mid-level dark spells)
3. **Curse** (Unforgivable Curses)
Dark Arts were actually taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts class—though usually just Jinxes, like the Leg-Locker Curse, the Tickling Charm, or Disillusionment Charms.
A classic example would be Quirrell's Jinx during the Quidditch match when he targeted Harry—the **Bewitching Hex**.
By definition, these spells weren't truly Dark Magic, but some were regulated by the Ministry of Magic due to their difficulty or potential harm.
In this context, Dark Magic didn't necessarily mean the spell itself was evil, but rather that it could cause harm and could be misused by Dark Wizards.
On the other hand, **Hexes**, considered mid-level Dark Magic, were genuinely malicious spells.
Unlike Jinxes, Hexes were significantly more lethal and could cause damage that regular healing spells couldn't reverse.
Examples included **Fiendfyre, Sectumsempra, Reducto**, and… the **Bat-Bogey Hex**.
Though the Bat-Bogey Hex wasn't particularly harmful to humans, it could kill small animals—even some magical creatures.
Because of this, the Ministry of Magic strictly regulated Hexes.
If a Hex caused harm, the offender could be summoned before the **Wizengamot**—the highest court in the wizarding world.
Using them improperly could result in severe punishment.
However, only truly gifted wizards could learn Hexes—like Dylan.
Many wizards simply lacked the talent to master mid-level Dark Magic. After all, most people were ordinary.
As for **Curses**, they were the **true** Dark Magic—the **Unforgivable Curses**.
Dumbledore famously claimed he never used Dark Magic, and what he meant was that he never used **Curses**.
Jinxes and Hexes had counterspells, but Unforgivable Curses didn't. The damage they caused was irreversible—there was no countercurse to stop them.
These spells were designed solely for **killing** and **inflicting pain**.
Using them would almost certainly lead to being hunted by **Dementors** and ultimately imprisoned in **Azkaban**—the most terrifying prison of all.
The reason the wizarding world used Dementors to pursue those who cast Unforgivable Curses was because these spells often twisted the caster's mind and soul.
A polluted soul could no longer summon a **Patronus**.
—That's why Dementors were so effective against these individuals.
Of course, there were exceptions.
For example, Harry cast the **Cruciatus Curse** yet was still able to summon a Patronus.
That was because, like Snape, Harry had a strong enough **wizard's soul** or a deep enough **emotional anchor** to protect his soul from corruption.
For Snape, that anchor was always **Lily**.
Then there was Dolores Umbridge.
She was evil enough, yet her soul remained unaffected by Unforgivable Curses.
—Because she was **genuinely** happy in her pursuit of power and authority.
That's why she had a **Patronus**—a cat.
Pure evil was something that even Unforgivable Curses couldn't taint.
Beyond these three categories, there was one more class of spells: **Charms**.
Charms were simple to learn, harmless, highly functional, and widely used in everyday life.
Examples included **Wingardium Leviosa, Expelliarmus, Lumos**…
Dylan had learned most of these spells effortlessly, and whenever he used them, he was already at an advanced level.
—The head of Ravenclaw House, **Professor Flitwick**, was a **Charms Master**.
His mastery of Charms was so advanced that he could defeat enemies using only Charms.
During their private lessons, Dylan had even heard Professor Flitwick recount how he won the **Dueling Championship** solely through Charms.
"If the wizarding world classifies the Bat-Bogey Hex as Dark Magic, fine. But **you're** the system—how are you following their standards? At least give me some *real* Dark Magic! Maybe not an Unforgivable Curse, but at least something sufficiently evil."
—Like the ancient Dark Spells from centuries ago.
"…Forget it. I guess Bat-Bogey Hex is what I get."
Dylan shook his head. If the system wouldn't give him ancient Dark Magic, then next year, once he got a certain someone's signature, he'd just check the **Restricted Section** himself.
**"But this curse shouldn't have any effect on Voldemort, right? He doesn't even have a nose—how could he have boogers?"**
The Bat Booger Hex turns a person's boogers into bats.
—But clearly, it wasn't going to work on Voldemort.
**"And finally, my advanced spell refinement task."**
Dylan exited the achievement panel and clicked on the small wand icon.
**[Message]: You have completed the Cruciatus Curse refinement task!**
**[Message]: You have unlocked a new trait for the Cruciatus Curse—Endless Agony!**
Dylan quickly looked at the description of this new trait.
---
### **[Endless Agony]:**
When you cast the Cruciatus Curse, the unlucky victim struck by your spell will not only experience immediate, excruciating pain but will also be afflicted with a lingering pain curse.
For a period of time, the victim will continue to suffer from periodic pain—crippling chest pain.
Though the pain will be slightly less intense than when the curse was first cast, it will still severely affect their mobility and mental state.
**[Note]: One hit, full-day suffering~**
---
**"This..."**
Dylan stared at the description of the new trait, feeling an itch in his fingers.
He was tempted to test it on Quirrell right away.
**"I wonder, if I hit Quirrell with fifty or so Cruciatus Curses, would he die from the pain?"**
But since he hadn't seen any system achievements pop up, he figured that probably wasn't the case.
**"If it won't kill him, will it still cause continuous suffering?"**
If it did, then this trait wouldn't be all that special—he could just blast his target with repeated spells anyway.
Sleepiness crept in.
Dylan couldn't fight it off anymore.
**"Sleep, sleep."**
He closed his eyes and immediately drifted off.
---
By the time he woke up, the sun had risen.
Once again, Harry and the others were the ones to wake him up.
**"Hey, Dylan, you actually slept in this late again?"**
Ron looked at Dylan suspiciously. **"You didn't sneak out last night, did you?"**
Dylan put on an innocent face. **"Of course not! I would never sneak out. If Filch caught me, I'd get detention with Malfoy."**
**"That's true."** Ron suddenly got excited as he recalled something. **"But you don't know how thrilling it is to be chased by Filch through the hallways at night!"**
Dylan shot him a glance. **"Then I hope you get caught next time. That way, you can have an even more thrilling experience—maybe getting chased by an Acromantula or a deadly Horned Serpent in the Forbidden Forest."**
Ron's eyes widened. **"No way, Dylan! How could you curse me like that?"**
**"You're not having some kind of prophecy, are you?"**
Dylan rolled his eyes, threw off his blanket, and sat up.
**"Relax. As long as you don't break school rules, you won't run into anything like that."**
Harry muttered, **"Well, that's a problem. Ron breaks the rules almost every day."**
Ron turned to glare at Harry. **"Oh, like you're any better?"**
Harry just grinned and ran out of the dorm. **"Come on, let's go fill our stomachs!"**
Dylan got dressed.
**"Scourgify!"**
With a quick cleaning spell on himself, he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out of the dorm with Neville, Ron, and the others.
---
After class, Hermione dragged Harry and Ron to the library to study.
Since Dylan didn't have much homework—and wasn't the least bit worried about exams—he just sat beside them and read *The Dark Parasite: An Analysis*.
This book detailed the magical principles behind soul splitting and parasitic possession.
Take Voldemort, for example. After fragmenting his soul multiple times, he used an ancient and forbidden ritual to attach his weakened spirit to Quirrell.
This process involved breaking through the host's mental defenses and exploiting psychological weaknesses—like Quirrell's obsession with and fear of Dark magic—to establish a parasitic connection.
The book also described different methods of Dark parasitism.
Using Voldemort as an example again, he first approached Quirrell in an invisible soul form, gradually eroding his thoughts and embedding his presence deep within Quirrell's subconscious.
As the parasitism deepened, Voldemort gained increasing control over Quirrell's actions.
At first, he may have only influenced Quirrell's decisions occasionally, but eventually, he could fully take over his body.
The book even included diagrams of magical circles and runes used in parasitic rituals, illustrating symbols designed to facilitate soul transfer and suppress the host's consciousness.
Dylan noted that these symbols had the power to guide a soul's movement and imprison the host's mind.
**"This is useful stuff. Maybe I'll get a chance to use it in the future."**
—Of course, he wasn't planning to possess anyone. That would be way too disgusting.
—Being wrapped in a sweaty, stinking turban all day and night? He'd be marinated in that smell.
Just imagining it was nauseating.
Probably only a noseless freak like Voldemort could tolerate it.
---
### **"The consequences of possession..."**
Dylan didn't just skim through the book—he studied it carefully over the next few days.
When he reached the later chapters, he realized just how disturbingly detailed the book's descriptions of Dark parasitism were.
It made him feel even more disgusted by Quirrell's current state.
Dark parasitism inflicted severe suffering on the host, both physically and mentally.
For example, as Voldemort gradually consumed Quirrell's original personality, Quirrell's body also began to deteriorate—his back growing a second face was a terrifying testament to this parasitic horror.
Furthermore, parasitism carried a dark aura that disrupted magical balance.
During Voldemort's possession, Hogwarts frequently experienced eerie magical disturbances, and students and staff alike could sense an unexplainable fear lingering in the air.
After spending a few more days finishing *The Dark Parasite: An Analysis*, Dylan was left shaken.
Not just because of how disturbingly detailed the book was about Voldemort's possession of Quirrell—which made his stomach churn—but also because he gained a much deeper understanding of the evil and horrors of Dark magic.
Splitting and parasitizing a soul was not only a violation of life and the essence of magic itself but also a complete disregard for human will and dignity.
Dylan felt a sense of unease.
Voldemort had been willing to do anything to achieve his goals, using Quirrell as nothing more than a tool for his resurrection, completely ignoring the man's will and life.
That was certainly in line with the Dark Lord's reputation.
But... that was all.
**"A so-called Dark Lord who's barely clinging to life, forced to rely on parasitism just to survive? Tsk, pathetic."**
Dylan possessed several top-tier dark magic spells, especially when it came to the Unforgivable Curses. He didn't believe he was any weaker than Voldemort.
And he certainly wouldn't allow himself to end up like Voldemort was now.
—After all, it wasn't like he was trying to rule the entire wizarding world or insisting that only pure-blood wizards should survive.
If people wanted to live, they could. If they didn't, well, that was their choice. What did any of that have to do with little Voldy, anyway?
Even now, Dylan couldn't understand what Voldemort was trying to accomplish with such a massive operation.
After thinking it over, he figured the most reasonable explanation was that Voldemort just wanted to crown himself emperor of the wizarding world.
He wanted to concentrate all power in his own hands and, in the end, use it to pursue immortality.
"But in a magical world like this, no matter how powerful magic is, you could still be overwhelmed with sheer numbers. It's not like a cultivation world where absolute power reigns supreme."
Besides…
Who in this world could still match old Dumbledore's combat abilities?
If Voldemort actually fought Dumbledore, there was no guarantee he would win. So how was he supposed to become emperor?
"Eh, whatever. It's not my problem anyway. Voldemort is Harry's responsibility. I'll just use him to farm achievements and complete missions when I can."
(End of Chapter)