Chapter 44

After our common room added a Dark Magic study area as requested, Severus finally began discussing Dark Magic more freely. He seemed quite anxious about the exams, though I had no doubt he'd excel. Severus spent more time studying now, balancing his potion experiments as well. I couldn't understand how he managed it all, but he seemed to plan his time down to the minute.

To help me learn Dark Magic, he lent me a notebook filled with his notes. It was densely packed, and the edges were worn, showing it had been well-used for years. As I touched the silver embossed logo on the lower right corner of the cover, it felt familiar. When I flipped to the front page, I saw a string of familiar handwriting:

"To dear Severus, heading to Hogwarts — January 9, 1970, with envy, Sawyer."

I laughed, remembering that this was the birthday gift I gave Severus for his eleventh birthday, five years ago. At the time, I didn't know I was a witch and thought I wouldn't see him for a long time. I gave him a notebook to remind him not to forget me, his good friend, when he went to school. After we both ended up at Hogwarts, I never saw him use it, and I forgot about it. Now I realized he'd been using it secretly, wearing it down significantly. Did he see my handwriting every time he took notes on Dark Magic? I even noticed he had added protective magic to preserve the ink.

I stole a glance at Severus, who was frowning over a thick hardcover book. A warm feeling spread through me. Did he really value me that much? He hadn't added protective magic to the cover but kept my somewhat messy handwriting intact. Allow me a moment of self-indulgence.

Severus's notes were concise but packed with crucial information. Judging by the dates, this thin notebook contained over a year's worth of Dark Magic study and insights.

I read the notes with admiration, soaking in the high-value content. Magical theory was interconnected; the primary difference between Dark Magic and other magic lay in their forms and the emotions driving them. Understanding it wasn't hard, especially with Severus's thorough summaries. I absorbed his notes quickly.

Unlike when studying Charms and Transfiguration, I didn't rush to practice spells. Instead, I focused on understanding the theoretical aspects of Dark Magic first, believing it would help with my healing studies—my original intent for learning Dark Magic.

I didn't intend to abandon spell practice entirely, though. Mastering them would be a form of strength. I'd find time to practice slowly. Given my previous record, it wouldn't be difficult.

Over the next three months, I read through a third of Severus's notes, with him continually adding more. Among the entries, I found something particularly interesting: a record of Severus creating his own spell, which seemed like a prank spell.

Severus was truly talented. Creating a spell wasn't easy. Most existing spells were ancient, with few new ones recorded in magical history. Though Severus based his spell on existing ones, it was still his invention, even if it was just a prank spell. Yet, I had never seen him use it.

I brought the notebook to him, pointing at the entry. He was stirring a cauldron filled with a strangely murky blue liquid. After adding some powder, the liquid turned clear.

Severus put down the stirring rod, glancing at the page I indicated. "I used that once to stick someone's tongue to the roof of their mouth. If you remember, in third year, when Black suddenly couldn't speak…"

It clicked for me. "That was you?" I giggled. Madam Pomfrey diagnosed Sirius with an unknown curse and scolded him, assuming he was experimenting with prank spells. Poor Sirius couldn't explain himself and spent a day in the hospital wing before the curse wore off.

Severus adjusted the fire under the cauldron. "Yes, it was me." He nodded, clearly pleased.

"How did you do it? I remember you were next to me at the time. I didn't hear you cast a spell…" I realized, "Was it a non-verbal spell?"

"Yes, a simple spell like this is easy with a non-verbal incantation, as long as you focus." Severus turned to a page. "This one requires non-verbal casting. Try it; it should help with learning non-verbal spells."

He pointed to a spell labeled "Levicorpus," meant to be silently cast with an upward flick of the wand.

Looking around, I pointed my wand at the chair I had just been sitting in and silently cast the spell.

A flash of light, and the chair was hanging upside down in the air.

"That easy?" I asked, puzzled. "Did I do something wrong? This spell seems like an upside-down Levitation Charm."

Severus chuckled. "No, it's meant for humans. It hooks the ankle and suspends the person upside down. It also immobilizes them until the counter-curse is used." With a flick of his wand, he released the spell, and the chair fell to the floor.

"Others have learned this spell. I used it on a Slytherin who ambushed me. The next day, he tried to befriend me to learn the spell. Soon after, it spread among some boys, though no one knew I created it."

"Really? I had no idea…" I was surprised. Boys and their games weren't my interest since I was seven.

I laughed suddenly. "I can imagine Potter and his friends using this spell, admiring the creator."

Severus paused, then laughed, mischief sparkling in his eyes. "I'd love to see their faces if they found out."

"Oh, you're wicked!" I pretended to be shocked. "That's too cruel!" I couldn't help but laugh. "But it suits them!"

Severus shook his head with a hint of regret, eyes on the bubbling liquid. "It's too conspicuous."

"True, you prefer being subtle." I righted the fallen chair and sat down, continuing to flip through the pages. Severus began adding more ingredients to the cauldron.

"Severus, you seem to create mostly prank spells," I observed after noting a few examples. "I thought you'd prefer more powerful ones."

"Prank spells are easier and less harmful for school use," he said, turning off the fire and washing his hands. "But check the recent pages; I'm working on a new spell with significant impact."

I found the pages, filled with notes on slicing, severing, and splitting curses.

"Wow, you're combining them? This could be deadly. Could it cut someone in half?" I asked in awe, almost cradling the notebook.

Severus chuckled, "No, I aim for broad but shallow wounds." He pointed to an entry. "It's explained here."

Relieved, I said, "Good, because cutting someone in half would be brutal. Without immediate treatment, they'd die. The intestines would spill out, and there'd be half-digested food. Gross…" I wrinkled my nose.

Severus turned green, imagining the scene. He coughed, "That would be worse than the Killing Curse. I couldn't handle that."

"Even if it could cut, it could be reattached if treated quickly, like with splinching. The Ministry has specialists for that, but it requires powerful wizards to heal," I explained, realizing the impracticality. "But by the time they respond, the victim would bleed out. Basically, anyone hit by such a curse would die unless they were incredibly lucky."

Severus looked at me dryly. "Even if I could create such a curse, I couldn't stand the sight of intestines."

I laughed, seeing I'd grossed him out. "Okay, enough of that. Tell me about your new spell. You said it causes wide wounds. Have you considered the healing?"

"Quick-healing charms should work, but we'd need to test it to be sure," Severus said, cleaning his workspace. I helped. "Even with fast healing, the blood loss and muscle spasms would incapacitate the victim."

I was impressed. "Anyone knowing about this would want the spell and its creator. You're a walking time bomb."

"Severus, would you ever tell anyone about this spell?"

He saw my concern and assured me, "No, I wouldn't. Apart from you, no one will know. Even if we join the war, this remains our secret weapon."

He said "we," implying we'd face everything together like a family. It was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard.

Severus looked puzzled as I stared at him. Just as he was about to speak, I threw my arms around him.

"Severus, how can I love you so much?!"

I was satisfied to see his ears turn red, feeling his awkward embrace. He stammered, unable to speak.

The next moment, I pressed my lips to his in a deep kiss.