Re:HP-A New Life

I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.

https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon

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Chapter Twenty-Five: The Allure of Darkness

Nymphadora Tonks Black adjusted her Auror trainee robes and settled into her seat, her parchment ready and quill poised. The anticipation in the lecture hall was palpable. Today's speaker was none other than Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, a legend among Aurors. Retired from active duty, Moody's career was the stuff of legend, filled with stories of capturing Dark wizards and surviving countless near-death encounters.

The heavy doors of the hall creaked open, and Moody stepped inside. The room fell silent instantly. He was exactly as the stories described—rugged, imposing, and slightly terrifying. His magical eye rotated in its socket, scanning the rows of trainees, while his real eye fixed on the group with a stern intensity.

Moody stomped to the front of the room, his wooden leg clunking against the stone floor. He leaned on his cane, surveying the room like a predator sizing up prey. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"Good morning," he said in his gravelly voice. "I'm Alastor Moody. If you don't know who I am, then you've got no business being here."

The room tensed. Moody's reputation preceded him, and no one dared to challenge his authority.

"For those of you who do know me," he continued, "you know I've spent my life hunting down Dark wizards. I've fought curses you've never heard of and seen things that would keep you awake at night. Today, I'm here to talk about one of the most misunderstood subjects in magical law enforcement: Dark magic."

Moody began pacing, his wooden leg thudding rhythmically. "Now, you might think you know what Dark magic is. Spells that make your skin crawl, rituals in forbidden tomes, the kind of magic only Death Eaters use. But let me tell you something: Dark magic isn't just about the spells you cast. It's about intent."

Tonks leaned forward, her quill scratching rapidly as she took notes.

"Dark magic," Moody said, stopping to fix his gaze on a trainee in the front row, "isn't defined by the words you say or the wand movements you use. It's defined by what you want that spell to do. A simple cutting charm, for example—diffindo—isn't a Dark spell. It's designed to cut, and that's all it does. But cast that charm with the intent to cause harm, and you've got yourself a cutting curse. The difference? A cut from a charm can heal naturally. A cut from a curse? That's going to need a counter-curse, and even then, it might leave a scar."

The class exchanged uneasy glances, and Tonks felt a chill run down her spine.

"Dark magic comes in two forms," Moody continued. "Spells that are dark because of their nature, and spells that are dark because of their effects. Let's talk about the latter first."

He waved his wand at the chalkboard, where the name of a spell appeared in bold letters: Imperius Curse.

"The Imperius Curse," Moody said, pointing at the board, "is a prime example. It's not a dark curse by nature—it's just a spell to control someone's actions. But its effect makes it one of the most dangerous spells in existence. To cast it, you have to completely dominate the target's will with your own. That takes skill, power, and the absolute belief that you have the right to control someone else. It's not inherently dark, but in the wrong hands, it's catastrophic."

He tapped the board with his wand, and another spell appeared: Cruciatus Curse.

"Now this," he said, his voice turning grim, "is a curse that's dark by both nature and effect. The Cruciatus Curse isn't about control or defense. It exists for one purpose: to inflict pain. To cast it effectively, you have to want to hurt someone. You have to enjoy their suffering. That kind of magic leaves a mark—not just on the victim, but on the caster."

Tonks shivered, imagining the horrors Moody had seen in his career.

"But the most dangerous Dark magic of all," Moody said, his tone dropping to a near whisper, "is the Killing Curse."

He let the words hang in the air, the weight of them settling over the room.

"The Killing Curse—Avada Kedavra—is a spell that requires immense skill, power and finesse. But if you don't have that, All it takes is hate. If you hate someone enough to want them dead, you can cast it. That's the allure of Dark magic. It feeds on your emotions—your anger, your fear, your hatred—and gives you power in return. But that power comes at a price."

Moody tapped his chest with his cane. "Every time you use Dark magic, it takes something from you. A piece of your soul, a bit of your humanity. And the more you use it, the harder it becomes to stop. Before long, the darkness isn't just in your magic—it's in you."

The room was silent, save for the scratching of quills and the occasional uneasy shuffle.

"That's why we study it," Moody said, his voice rising slightly. "Not to use it, but to understand it. To know its weaknesses. To know how to fight it. You can't fight something you don't understand."

He paused, looking around the room with both eyes. "Now, any questions?"

A trainee in the front row hesitated before raising her hand. "Professor Moody, is it possible to recover from using Dark magic? To undo the corruption?"

Moody's expression softened slightly, and he nodded. "It's possible, but it's rare. Love, forgiveness, redemption—they can heal wounds, even those caused by Dark magic. But it's not an easy road. For most, once they've crossed that line, there's no coming back."

The class sat in somber silence as Moody dismissed them.

As Tonks gathered her things, she couldn't help but think about everything she'd learned. Dark magic had always seemed like something distant, a danger lurking in the shadows. But Moody's words had brought it closer, making her realize how easily it could tempt even the best of witches and wizards.

As she left the lecture hall, she made a silent vow. No matter what challenges lay ahead, she would never let the darkness take root in her.