In the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the young wizards put down their quills. Their gazes shifted between Professor Watson by the window and Professor Moody at the lectern, who had just told them something remarkable. Confusion stirred in their minds.
'What was going on?'
Professor Moody had just demonstrated the three Unforgivable Curses, showing them why these spells were strictly forbidden. But then, Professor Watson offered a different perspective.
Harry couldn't help but wonder if Professor Watson was unhappy with Professor Moody and trying to undermine him. However, he quickly dismissed this thought. Given Professor Watson's current status in the wizarding world, he hardly needed to resort to such clumsy tactics to assert his authority. Yet, he had claimed that these three infamous dark spells weren't as terrifying as people imagined, and that they could even be resisted!
The young wizards in the room were no strangers to the Wizarding world. Many, like Ron—came from long-standing wizarding families. They had grown up hearing tales of magical feats and terrors alike, passed down through generations like precious heirlooms. Among these stories, the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Killing Curse stood out as the epitome of dark magic—spells so horrific that they were spoken of only in fear.
Moody stood at the lectern, staring at Bryan. He wasn't enraged at being contradicted in front of the young wizards. On the contrary, his normal eye held an inexplicably strange look.
"Why don't you come up and share your insights, Professor Watson?" Moody's gravelly voice broke the silence.
The invitation itself wasn't unusual, but something in Moody's tone caught Harry's attention. The usual harshness of the professor's voice had softened slightly, carrying an undercurrent of... was that tenderness? Harry blinked in surprise, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him.
A quick glance around the room confirmed that he wasn't alone in his confusion. Many of his classmates, including Hermione looked equally perplexed. Even Professor Watson himself seemed taken aback, his eyebrows rising slightly in surprise.
Ron leaned over to Harry, whispering, "Did Moody just sound... nice? Blimey, I thought I was hearing things."
"You're not the only one," Harry murmured back, his eyes still fixed on the two professors.
Hermione shushed them both, her quill ready to take notes on whatever was about to unfold.
Moody, apparently realizing his uncharacteristic slip, quickly cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice had regained its usual gruff timbre. "We're all waiting for your insights, Bryan," he growled, his magical eye swiveling to take in the entire class. "I want to see what novel ideas you can come up with. Of course, an ordinary wizard using an Unforgivable Curse on you wouldn't stand a chance—you're not easily hit. But these young ones don't have your skills, Bryan. They still need to remain vigilant!"
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" several students muttered under their breath, mimicking Moody's frequent exhortation.
Bryan's lips quirked into a small smile as he pushed himself away from the wall.
"Remaining vigilant is a given," he agreed, his voice calm. He began to move between the rows of desks, his steps slow and deliberate. "But I don't want to see you over-mystifying certain spells. That will only deepen the fears in their hearts."
Professor Watson didn't rush to the lectern to compete with Professor Moody for position. He paced between the rows of seats with his hands behind his back, seemingly pondering how to help the young wizards understand. Finally, he stopped beside Harry's seat.
"Now, let's approach this from a different angle. Setting aside the effects of a spell," Bryan began, his voice pitched to carry to every corner of the room, "I prefer to trace the roots of magic. The Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, the Killing Curse – these spells known as the three Unforgivable Curses... First, you need to understand their essence. Or rather, how do they actually work?"
His gaze swept across the sea of young faces before him, each one a mixture of curiosity, nervousness, and eagerness. It was clear he was expecting—hoping for—some kind of response. But how could anyone possibly know? Harry thought to himself, noting the deepening furrow in Professor Moody's brow that indicated the difficulty of Professor Watson's question.
In any other class, a professor's question was like a gauntlet thrown down, a challenge that demanded to be met. For Hermione, at least, that's how it usually was. Her hand would shoot into the air before the question was even fully formed, her mind racing ahead to formulate the perfect answer. But even she remained silent now, her brown eyes wide with anticipation as she waited for Professor Watson to continue.
Harry felt a surge of frustration building inside him. He wanted to leap to his feet, to grab Professor Watson by the collar of his shimmering robes and demand the answer. His parents had died under the Killing Curse. If there was truly a way to resist it, if he could understand it... perhaps his parents, wherever they were now, would feel some measure of peace knowing their son could protect himself from their fate.
The silence stretched on, broken only by the soft creaking of wooden chairs as students shifted uncomfortably, and the distant hooting of an owl from somewhere on the castle grounds. Professor Watson's expression softened slightly, a hint of disappointment flickering across his features as he realized that this group of fourth-year wizards—and one grizzled ex-Auror—couldn't provide the answer he sought.
With a small sigh, he continued, his voice taking on a more educational tone. "The three Unforgivable Curses, in terms of classification, can all be defined as darker spiritual magic. They target the mind or soul of life – that's the general idea--"
Seeing the confusion etched on many faces, Professor Watson began to pace again.
"The following views are my personal opinions and may not be entirely correct. After all, researching and discussing these three spells is illegal. But they're close to the truth -- We all know that life is composed of a physical shell and a soul, and between them exists an extremely mysterious and complex connection. Throughout history, both Muggles and wizards have been studying this connection since we became aware of the soul's existence. Unfortunately, no one has been able to fully understand this connection to date--"
As he spoke, Bryan made his way back to where he had been standing earlier, near the window. The late afternoon sun, now lower in the sky, streamed through the curtains, bathing him in a warm, golden light. The radiance turned his soft gray hair into a halo of spun gold, giving him an almost angelic appearance that seemed at odds with the dark subject matter he was discussing.
"The soul," he continued, his voice taking on a more philosophical tone, "gives life to the physical shell. It's the source of thought and spiritual/mental power. The three Unforgivable Curses, simple to cast yet difficult to resist or heal, are so potent precisely because they don't attack the physical body--"
He paused, noticing the looks of utter bewilderment on most of the young faces before him. Moody, standing silent and imposing at the front of the room, was probably the only one who could barely grasp the depth of what Bryan was saying.
Recognizing the need to simplify his explanation, Bryan changed tack. "Let's talk about the Imperius Curse first--"
Bryan glanced at Draco, whose face had become uneasy. This unfortunate young man had personally experienced being under the Imperius Curse, controlled by Peter Pettigrew for several months.
"With the Imperius Curse, the caster uses magical power as a medium to overlay their will onto the victim's thoughts/wills. Notice, everyone? There are two key points here: magical power and thoughts/wills--"
He paused, allowing the information to sink in before continuing in a more matter-of-fact tone. "The Imperius Curse is the least damaging to the victim among the three Unforgivable Curses, because it affects thought, which is the most superficial of the three closely related aspects: thought, mind, and soul. From the two key points I just mentioned, you can infer two things. First, using the Imperius Curse to control a creature with stronger magical power than you carry risks. Second, using this spell to control someone with more resolute thoughts/will than you are is also risky -- If you do this, even if the victim doesn't use any magic to resist your control, they might still break free--"
A wave of understanding seemed to wash over the classroom. Students nodded, some scribbling hasty notes on their parchments.
Draco, however, looked far from pleased. His pale face had taken on a slightly greenish tinge, his lips pursed tightly as if he had tasted something sour. According to Professor Watson's explanation, both his magical power and his thoughts had been thoroughly defeated by that despicable Peter Pettigrew.
"Additionally, regarding the Imperius Curse, I'll add one more point--" Bryan said, his tone measured and calm.
"In a sense, it's actually very easy to identify a wizard under the Imperius Curse -- If you use the Imperius Curse on someone, it means your thoughts and magical power enter that person's body. A wizard with keen perception can easily see through this--"
"Professor Watson!" Hannah Abbott immediately raised her hand as soon as Bryan finished speaking.
"If I understand correctly--" Hannah asked curiously, "Is there some kind of magic that can help people resist the control of the Imperius Curse?"
"Indeed--" Bryan nodded with a smile. "There is an ancient magical technique that can effectively resist all types of mental control spells. Of course, learning it requires a certain talent. We'll talk about that later. Now, let's discuss the Cruciatus Curse--"
At the mention of this spell, Neville, whose complexion had just begun to improve, turned pale once again.
Due to his persistent training in physical education class, Neville looked much more fit than he did in the first half of third year. His cheeks had become leaner, and his body more toned. However, the confused look in his eyes often made him appear as endearingly naive as ever.
For instance, right now, he was staring blankly at Bryan, his pale lips quivering.
"The Cruciatus Curse—You all just witnessed Professor Moody's demonstration." Bryan said impassively. "Simply put, this spell inflicts pain – extreme, unbearable pain – that cannot be overcome by willpower alone. Does anyone know why?"
A heavy silence descended upon the classroom. The students exchanged uneasy glances, each hoping someone else would volunteer an answer. Harry found himself instinctively looking towards Hermione. He half-expected to see her hand shoot up, eager to share her encyclopedic knowledge. But even Hermione, usually so quick to respond, seemed hesitant.
Then, to everyone's shock – including his own, it seemed – Neville's hand trembled its way into the air. Even Professor Watson seemed surprised by this scene as he raised an eyebrow before responding after a few seconds.
Finally, Professor Watson nodded, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity as he said, "Mr. Longbottom, ah... share your thoughts with us."
Neville's face contorted as if he was battling an invisible force. When he spoke, his words came out in short, strained gasps, as though each syllable was being forcibly extracted from his lungs.
"You just said—" he began, his voice barely above a whisper. He paused, gulping for air like a man drowning. Ignoring the mocking and surprised looks, his shoulders were slightly hunched as if trying to make himself smaller, less noticeable.
"Thoughts—mind—soul," he continued, each word punctuated by a shaky breath. "The Imperius Curse controls the thoughts. The Cru-Cruciatus Curse, I think, attacks the mind—"
"Very good, Mr. Longbottom. Five points to Gryffindor," Bryan nodded approvingly at Neville and awarded him points. Normally, except in Professor Sprout's class, Neville rarely had the chance to earn praise or points more than twice a year in other classes. However, Neville didn't seem particularly happy. His gaze remained fixed on Professor Watson's face, his pupils flickering with anticipation and fear.
"As I mentioned at the beginning of our discussion," Bryan elaborated, pacing slowly in front of the class, his footsteps echoing in the attentive silence, "all three Unforgivable Curses can be classified as mental dark magic. The pain inflicted by the Cruciatus Curse isn't manifested in a physical sense that we can observe or touch. It operates on a much more insidious level, bypassing the surface thoughts and tormenting the victim's very psyche in an almost tangible way. This is precisely why willpower alone cannot resist this pain,"
Perhaps it was the almost academic way Professor Watson approached the subject, but gradually, the young wizards in the room began to adopt a more rational perspective. The initial fear started to give way to a sort of morbid curiosity. They began to view the Cruciatus Curse not as the terrifying, Ministry-feared spell it was, but almost as if it were just another charm they might learn in Professor Flitwick's class – albeit a particularly nasty one.
But this shift in atmosphere didn't affect everyone. Two students remained visibly disturbed: Neville and Harry. Their eyes followed Professor Watson's every move as he continued to pace around the classroom, their gazes a mixture of anticipation and dread.
"Because the Cruciatus Curse's damage occurs at such a fundamental level," Bryan elaborated, his voice taking on a grave tone, "the trauma it inflicts is exponentially more challenging to heal than conventional injuries. The scars it leaves are not visible to the naked eye, but they run deep, often lasting a lifetime—"
He abruptly paused in his explanation; his attention drawn to a raised hand in the sea of attentive faces. "Yes, Miss Abbott?"
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