The Return to Hogwarts

2023-10-06

In the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the young wizards all stopped writing with their quills. They looked at Professor Blaine by the window for a while, and then at Professor Moody on the podium, who had just told them some amazing things. They were filled with doubt.

what on earth is it?

Professor Moody had just personally demonstrated the three Unforgivable Curses to them, making them understand why these spells were strictly forbidden, but in the blink of an eye, Professor Blaine offered a different perspective.

Professor Blaine was unhappy with Professor Moody, so he was undermining him?

Harry couldn't help but think this, but then he quickly dismissed the idea. Given Professor Blaine's current standing in the wizarding world, he wouldn't need to demonstrate his authority in such a clumsy way. Yet, he actually said that these three infamous dark arts weren't as terrifying as people imagined, and that they could be resisted!

These young wizards weren't newcomers to the magical world; many came from wizarding families. Ron, for example, had heard some basic magical knowledge from his father, Mr. Weasley. And among those passed-down experiences, the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Avada Kedavra were definitely terrifying spells.

Moody stood on the podium staring at Amosta. He wasn't angry or embarrassed at being refuted in front of a group of young wizards. On the contrary, his normal eye held a strange, incomprehensible look.

"Why don't you come up and share your insights, Professor Blaine?"

Moody said.

really weird!

Harry felt a sense of confusion. When he heard what Professor Moody said to Professor Blaine—not because the content was strange, but because of the voice—even though Professor Moody's voice was still that hoarse, deep voice, Harry could detect a hint of gentleness in it.

He wasn't the only one who seemed taken aback; many people, including Professor Blaine, cast astonished glances at Professor Moody. Moody, clearly realizing his mistake, quickly cleared his throat and shouted gruffly,

“I and these little guys are waiting for your brilliant insights, Amosta. I’d like to see what novel ideas you can come up with. Oh, of course, even if a wizard casts an Unforgivable Curse on you, they can’t do anything to you. You can’t be hit so easily. But these little guys don’t have your abilities, Amosta. They still need to be on guard at all times!”

"It's only natural to remain vigilant."

Professor Blaine stood up from his stool, met the young wizards' gazes, and smiled slightly.

"But I don't want to see you over-mystify a certain magic, as that will only deepen your inner fears."

Professor Blaine didn't rush up to the podium to take Professor Moody's seat. Instead, he paced back and forth between the two rows of seats, hands behind his back, seemingly pondering how to make the young wizards understand. Finally, he stopped beside Harry's seat.

"Leaving aside the effects of a spell, I prefer to trace the roots of magic. The Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Avada Kedavra—these are known as the three unforgivable curses. First, you need to understand the nature of these three spells. Or rather, how exactly do they work?"

Professor Blaine spoke calmly, completely unlike the solemnity and intimidation Professor Moody displayed when discussing the three spells. He scanned the young faces around him, seemingly anticipating something.

How could anyone possibly know?

Harry knew from the bulge between Professor Moody's eyebrows how difficult Professor Blaine's question was, and he thought to himself.

In class, a professor's question is like throwing a stone at a proud rooster—a complete provocation that demands a response. That's how it was for Hermione, but even she fell silent on Professor Blaine's question, eagerly awaiting the answer.

Harry desperately wanted to stand up and grab Professor Blaine by the neck, demanding the answer. His parents had died from the Avada Kedavra curse; if there were any way to resist it, perhaps knowing that would bring them some comfort.

Perhaps finally realizing that his group of fourth-year wizards, plus a retired Auror, couldn't answer his question, Professor Blaine let out a slightly disappointed sigh and said unhurriedly,

"The three Unforgivable Curses, in terms of classification, can all be defined as mental magic. They target the mind or soul of a being, or something like that."

Faced with a multitude of bewildered faces, Professor Blaine began pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.

"The following views are my personal opinions and may not be entirely correct. After all, researching and discussing these three types of magic is illegal. However, they are generally close to being correct. We all know that the body and the soul make up life, and there is an extremely mysterious and complex connection between the body and the soul. Throughout history, whether Muggles or wizards, once we realized the existence of the soul, we have been studying the connection between the two. But unfortunately, no one has been able to see through this connection so far."

Professor Blaine strolled back to where he had just been listening to the lecture, standing in a ray of sunlight that shone through the curtains, the brilliant sunlight turning his soft gray hair golden.

"The soul gives life to the body; it is the source of thought and spiritual power. The three unforgivable spells, though simple to cast, possess an irresistible and incurable effect precisely because they do not attack the physical body—"

Moody was probably the only one in the classroom who could barely understand what Amostella was saying; the rest of the young wizards looked completely bewildered. Professor Blaine clearly noticed this, paused, and changed his approach.

"Let's talk about the Imperius Curse first—"

Amostella glanced at Draco, whose expression was rather unnatural. This unfortunate young man had personally experienced the feeling of being under the Imperius Curse; he had been controlled by Peter Pettigrew for several months using the Imperius Curse.

"The Soul-Stealing Curse—the caster uses magic as a medium to overwrite the mind of the cursed with their own will. Did you notice, everyone? There are two key points here: magic and mind—"

Professor Blaine said in an obvious tone,

"The Imperius Curse is the least harmful of the three unforgivable curses because it affects only the most superficial level of the mind—the transition from thought to heart to soul. From the two key points I just mentioned, you can deduce two things: first, using the Imperius Curse to control a being with greater magical power than yourself carries risks; second, using this spell to control a being with a stronger will than yourself also carries risks—if you do so, even without the cursed being using any magic to resist your control, they might still break free—"

This time, most people started to understand.

Draco pursed his lips, looking rather displeased.

According to Professor Blaine, his magic and intellect were utterly defeated by that despicable Peter Pettigrew.

"Also, regarding the Imperius Curse, I'd like to add something—"

Amosta said calmly.

"On some level, it's actually quite easy to spot a wizard under the Imperius Curse—if you use the Imperius Curse on someone, it means your mind and magic are entering that person's body, and a wizard with keen perception can easily see through that."

"Professor Blaine!"

As soon as Amusta finished speaking, Hannah Abbott immediately raised her hand.

If I understand correctly--

Hannah asked curiously, "Is there some kind of magic that can help people resist the control of the Imperius Curse?"

"That's true--"

Professor Blaine smiled and nodded.

"There is an ancient magical technique that can effectively resist all mind control spells. Of course, it requires a certain talent to learn, which we'll discuss later. Now, let's talk about the Cruciatus Curse—"

Upon hearing this magic, Neville, whose expression had finally calmed down, turned deathly pale again.

A tribute to the greatest wizard of our time: Principal Michael Gambon!

Chapter 520 Neville's Problem

2023-10-06

Because of his consistent training in physical education class, Neville looks much more capable than he did in the first semester of third grade. His cheeks have become much thinner, and his body is much more sturdy. However, the bewildered look in his eyes often makes him seem like a simpleton.

For example, right now, he stared at Professor Blaine, his expression blank, his pale lips trembling incessantly.

"The Crucifixion Curse—you all just saw Professor Moody's demonstration—"

Professor Blaine said calmly,

"Simply put, this magic causes pain, extreme pain, that cannot be overcome by willpower alone. Does anyone know why?"

Harry expected another moment of silence, or perhaps Hermione would raise her hand to answer, but to his astonishment, Neville actually raised his hand, albeit unsteadily. Even Professor Blaine was surprised; he raised an eyebrow and responded after a few seconds.

"Mr. Longbottom, oh, tell me your thoughts—"

"You just said—"

As if someone were choking him, Neville gasped for breath, ignoring the mocking and surprised stares, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"Thoughts—Mind—Soul, the Soul-Stealing Curse controls a person's thoughts, the Drill, Drill the Heart Curse attacks my mind—"

“Very good, Mr. Longbottom, five points for Gryffindor.”

Professor Blaine nodded approvingly at Neville and gave him a bonus. Normally, aside from Professor Sprout's class, Neville might not receive praise or bonuses more than twice a year. But Neville didn't seem particularly happy; his gaze was fixed on Professor Blaine's face, his pupils reflecting a mixture of expectation and fear.

"As I said at the beginning, all three Unforgivable Curses can be defined as mental black magic. The Cruciatus Curse does not cause physical pain; it bypasses the surface of the mind and destroys the spirit of a creature in a near-tangible way. Therefore, willpower alone cannot resist this kind of pain."

Perhaps because Professor Blaine's tone was too calm, the young wizards also became more rational. They seemed to have forgotten that they were dealing with the Unforgivable Curse, which the Ministry of Magic feared like a tiger, but merely a simple functional spell in Charms class.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as Neville and Harry.

They all stared at Professor Blaine, who was pacing around the classroom again, with eyes that were filled with both anticipation and fear.

"Because the Cruciatus Curse damages closer to the core, the wounds it inflicts are much harder to heal. What's wrong, Miss Abbott?"

Hannah Abbott of Hufflepuff raised her hands, tossing her two blonde braids behind her head, looking somewhat panicked and uneasy.

“You told us we don’t need to be too afraid of them—I mean, the Unforgivable Curse—but the knowledge you’ve shared—I mean, it seems to confirm the Unforgivable Curse. We can’t resist them—”

Ernie, who was next to Hannah, nodded, but then he noticed that Professor Blaine's gaze was fixed on them, so he quickly shook his head to clear himself of the matter.

"If I were to use Transfiguration to turn your backpack into a knife right now and stab you in the neck, do you think you could withstand it, Miss Abbott?"

Professor Blaine said calmly.

"Of course not!"

Professor Blaine's words made Hannah feel as if a cold blade was really at her throat. She shuddered and quickly returned to the question, while Hermione nodded thoughtfully on the other side.

"So, do you understand?"

Professor Blaine continued,

"Many dark magic spells and offensive incantations, once you're hit, you're completely finished, with no chance of healing or resistance. From this perspective, the Imperius Curse and the Cruciatus Curse at least won't kill you immediately; in fact, there's a chance to turn the tide and be healed after being hit—"

Neville and Hannah were sitting very close, so Amosta immediately noticed Neville's constricted facial features.

"What's the problem, Mr. Longbottom?"

When faced with this problem, Neville's gaze darted away. He dared not meet Professor Blaine's eyes, and stared at the "Defense Against the Dark Arts" spread out on the table, stammering.

“Neville—” Hermione warned anxiously, “Professor Blaine is speaking to you!”

Many people heard Hermione's warning, but Neville ignored it, his fists clenched tightly under the table, his body trembling slightly.

Harry also stopped hoping for the last of the three Unforgivable Curses and stared at Neville in astonishment, not understanding what was going on with Neville.

"Perhaps—" Professor Moody, who had been rather unassuming on the podium, suddenly spoke up after Professor Blaine began to speak, saying thoughtfully.

"Mr. Longbottom wants to know if there is any possibility of healing a wizard injured by the Cruciatus Curse?"

Neville abruptly raised his head, staring at Professor Moody in horror, only to be met with a meaningful smile.