A certain broken Hogwarts

Chapter 72 The Unforgivable Curse (Part 1)

"You seem quite reluctant to accept my guidance, Irving?"

Voldemort's gaze held a chilling light, and although he used a question, his tone was one of certainty.

Don't you know whether I'm willing or not? Given the previous example of the Guardian Angel Spell, who would dare let you teach them? Who knows what kind of crazy tricks you'll pull? Besides, if I hadn't successfully cast the spell last time, I might have been paralyzed on the spot by the backlash…

Irving avoided the other person's gaze, silently cursing in his mind while firmly shaking his head.

"You should feel honored, Owen," Voldemort said softly to himself, his bloodless fingers slowly tracing the edge of the table. "I can not only help you quickly master the spells you want to learn, but also lead you to explore the deep and fascinating art of darkness."

"There are very few people in this world who have the honor of receiving personal instruction from the Dark Lord. Almost every master of dark magic is self-taught, because those pedantic professors will not teach you these things. They will only scream stupidly and punish you in their own self-righteousness... Oh, or perhaps you can become an apprentice and experimental subject of some dark wizard."

Didn't I say I didn't want to learn dark magic right now? So you also have the talent for selective deafness? Owen nodded solemnly, thinking to himself.

"You have great talent; don't waste it." Voldemort looked him over with admiration and satisfaction, like a true professor proud and expectant of his prized student. But deep in his eyes, he skillfully concealed a hint of impatient desire and greed.

Owen nodded obediently, but inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine from the other man's gaze. If Voldemort's previous look at him was like that of someone looking at an interesting toy or prey, his current gaze was more like that of a hungry diner eyeing a meal about to be served.

Of course, this could be his misperception, since the other party is actually a master at hiding his emotions.

"I understand, Professor. I won't let you down." Owen blinked, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

"Very well, then let's start with the Ironclad Charm today." Voldemort nodded slightly.

"Professor, I've learned the Armor Charm," Owen said with an elegant smile. He had been focusing on practicing the charms the other had promised to teach him, and had successfully mastered the Armor Charm and the Explosion Charm. Owen had gone to great lengths to prevent Voldemort from teaching him so diligently.

"That's perfect, we can move on to the extracurricular activities now," Voldemort said with a half-smile.

Irving's smile faded; all he wanted to do now was to tank.

"The Ironclad Charm, armor protecting the body, ah, it is indeed a decent defensive spell, capable of resisting and even reflecting most low- to mid-level spells, as well as physical attacks." Voldemort's expression suddenly turned cold and mocking. "But even with such a simple spell, why is it that the vast majority of wizards have failed to master it? Magical abilities are innate, yet they despicably defile this talent and bloodline. How lamentable..."

Although he spoke words of regret, his expression was one of utter disgust, as if he were talking about a swarm of bedbugs wriggling in a stinking ditch.

He glanced at Owen again, then changed the subject: "The most famous advanced version of the Ironclad Charm is a super-strong armor that provides even greater protection and can also be used to enhance the defense of buildings. But both the Ironclad Charm and its advanced versions have obvious weaknesses, and a skilled wizard will always find a thousand ways to break through its defenses."

"Irving, tell me your thoughts," he said calmly.

Owen pondered for a moment, setting aside the jumbled thoughts in his mind, and entered a serious, academic mode. He organized his thoughts and said, "The biggest weakness of the Ironclad Charm is that it is an active defensive spell. This means that it is very useful in direct combat, but it is difficult to deal with sudden attacks, because the wizard simply does not have time to cast it."

He rested his chin on his interlaced fingers and continued, "Similarly, the Ironclad Curse cannot defend against invisible curses that target the wizard himself. In fact, it can only defend against spells with tangible paths."

"The defensive power of the Armor Charm varies from person to person. A wizard with high magical power can break through the defenses of some ordinary wizards even using the most basic spells." As he spoke, Owen glanced at the guy opposite him. Wizards like the Dark Lord and Dumbledore could easily break through the Armor Charms of most wizards with just a Disarming Charm.

"Finally, the Ironclad Curse's defense has its limits; it simply cannot defend against truly advanced spells." Owen lowered his eyes, looking at the dark wood grain on the table.

"For example?" Voldemort asked with a grin.

"For example, the three Unforgivable Curses, and even stronger curses," Owen said slowly.

"You've done a good job with your homework, so let's start with the Unforgivable Curse." Voldemort's tone carried a hint of pleasure.

Ah, here it comes. Owen knew that any contact with Voldemort would inevitably involve some gossip, after all, the other man was a seasoned gossip enthusiast...

"Do you know why they're called the Unforgivable Curses?" Voldemort said softly.

"Because they have no counter-curse, the cursed person can only passively endure it," Owen said calmly. "The Cruciatus Curse will cause the cursed person unbearable pain, even madness and death; the Imperius Curse controls the mind of others, and it is difficult for outsiders to detect and break; the Killing Curse kills the cursed person instantly."

"Of course, I think the most important reason is that these three spells are not that difficult to cast. A wizard can use them as long as he is ruthless enough. Once they are abused, they will greatly disrupt the harmony and stability of the wizarding world. That is why they are listed as unforgivable spells. Once they are found to have used them on people, the caster will be sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban. The purpose is to deter people with severe punishment."

Irving stated his opinion clearly and calmly, then looked up at the other person.

"A very interesting point. Indeed, peace and stability are more important than anything to those old-fashioned people..." Voldemort hissed. "But that's not the whole reason. When the wizards first put these three spells together, there was no such thing as the Unforgivable Curse."

"Oh?" Hearing something he didn't know before, Owen changed his sitting posture with interest, crossing his right leg over his left.

"They're not exactly profound spells. Anything that a large number of people can master can't be that sophisticated." Voldemort slowly added something to the cauldron on the table, and the aroma in the air grew even stronger.

"But not being profound doesn't mean it's unusable. On the contrary, if you can defeat someone with the least cost and the simplest spell, there's no need to use more complex magic." He made no secret of his admiration. "Therefore, I personally prefer these few spells."

Is this why you're always gossiping about melons? Irving nodded elegantly.

"Most importantly, these three spells are actually the foundation of a class of magic—" Voldemort gave him a strange look, a sinister smile on his face, "soul magic. The three so-called Unforgivable Curses are actually the simplest known spells involving the soul."

"The soul, what a mysterious and profound realm. To touch it is to gain knowledge, increase power, and even attain immortality!" Voldemort's voice rose. "And these three spells are the cornerstones of the study of the soul. They are simple, yet closer to the essence of soul magic, and therefore all the more difficult to resist."

"Today, we'll start by learning these three spells," he said slowly. "I've always believed that the best defense is offense."

(End of this chapter)