Second Chance part 4

White Magic vs. Dark Magic – The Choice That Defines a Wizard

Before moving on to my last two wishes, I turned to the goddess with a question that had troubled me for years: Which magic is stronger—white magic or dark magic?

Whenever I watched Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts, I often wondered why the Dark Lords, Grindelwald and Voldemort, placed such special emphasis on dark magic.

Grindelwald, the first Dark Lord, practiced necromancy—he even reanimated the dead Qilin and manipulated it into choosing him during the Supreme Mugwump selection ceremony. Voldemort, the second Dark Lord, created seven Horcruxes, an ancient and forbidden act of dark magic, and even used another dark ritual to restore his body and regain his powers in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

In contrast, Harry Potter fought against Voldemort using spells like Expelliarmus and other defensive charms. The most powerful white magic we, as Harry Potter fans, know of is the Patronus Charm—an ancient magic used to ward off Dementors and fight against negative emotions. This spell had multiple uses, from communication and protection to channeling the purest emotions of the caster.

But as I thought more about it, I realized that the world I was about to reincarnate into wasn't a movie or a book—it was a real world. A world filled with elves, dwarves, and Atlanteans, each possessing their own strengths and magical abilities.

It would be foolish of me to enter this world without a powerful form of magic. After all, not every being would simply smile at me—some would want to kill me.

Every Harry Potter fan knows that as soon as Harry entered Hogwarts, his seven-year journey of war against Voldemort began. His first year saw Voldemort attempting to return. His second year had the Basilisk lurking in the Chamber of Secrets. The third year brought Dementors and Peter Pettigrew. The fourth year saw Voldemort's return. The last three years were an outright war between him and the Dark Lord.

But this wasn't Harry Potter's world. There was no guarantee of survival. Unlike Harry and his two best friends, I didn't have the protagonist's halo to protect me at every critical moment.

So, I shared all these concerns with the goddess.

She patiently explained, "Since humans cannot carry the full blessings of gods, they devised a way to study magic, dividing it into two categories for convenience. Both white and dark magic have their own strengths and weaknesses."

She went on to explain that white magic does no damage to the soul, making it the safest path for a beginner to step into the world of magic. On the other hand, dark magic was more powerful in terms of attack. Its strength depended entirely on the wielder's will—whether they desired to harm, kill, or manipulate others.

This will to destroy gave birth to the development of spells like the three Unforgivable Curses, necromancy, Inferi (reanimated corpses), and other dark arts. The more a person desired destruction, the stronger their dark magic became.

White magic, despite its safety, was rarely studied deeply. Over time, it was divided into subcategories like Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, and Alchemy—all of which were used to counter the dark arts.

Even in Harry Potter, Dumbledore's legendary duel against Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic was proof of white magic's potential. He transfigured water into a protective sphere to shield himself and Harry from Voldemort's dark magic.

Ultimately, it all came down to one simple truth: Magic itself was neither good nor evil. It was the wielder's choice that defined its nature.

I hesitated for a moment before asking the goddess, "What if, for my fourth wish, I enhance my white magic and gain special charms and traits, instead of completely abandoning dark magic? I can use jinxes and hexes (minor forms of dark magic), but never curses—the true dark arts. In exchange, I could receive additional white magic abilities, like a stronger Patronus, healing magic, or even reality manipulation, which would allow permanent Transfiguration."

Seeing the hesitation in my voice, the goddess seemed to understand my inner conflict.

I had never viewed total dark magic—or curses—positively. Neither in my past life nor even now.

Dark magic, in my eyes, had always brought suffering and loneliness. It made people turn against their own families, lose friends, and walk an isolated path.

Every dark magic user inevitably corrupted their own soul.

Every curse cast by a wizard stole away the joy and peace from innocent people. I still remembered how the Longbottom family suffered—how Neville's parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom, were tortured into insanity by Voldemort's Death Eaters. They spent the rest of their lives in St. Mungo's Hospital, unable to recognize their son, while Neville was raised by his grandmother, Augusta.

Despite their tragedy, the Longbottoms were heroes in the wizarding world. They had fought valiantly in the Order of the Phoenix, while Neville carried on their legacy.

But what about the countless others?

How did the world truly move on after the Second Wizarding War? How did the survivors rebuild their lives after losing friends and family to the Unforgivable Curses?

In my past life, I had already been deprived of love, family, and friendship. The idea of using dark magic—the very force that robbed innocent people of their happiness—disgusted me.

I had no interest in following a path that led to isolation and destruction.

And so, I had made my decision.

For my fourth wish, I would strengthen my white magic, gain exclusive abilities tied to it, and abandon curses completely.

I would fight darkness with light.

Fighting darkness with light may seem like a noble decision, one worthy of admiration, but without any offensive power, how could I hope to stand against dark creatures or Death Eaters? They wouldn't hesitate to cast deadly curses on me or my companions.

As I pondered over this dilemma, the goddess silently stood up and walked a short distance away. She bent down and picked up a black stone. Sensing her gaze upon me, I looked up to find that she had already returned to my side. Without a word, she extended her hand and placed the stone in my palm.

I examined it closely. It was rough, with sharp edges, and had no particularly unique features. No matter how many times I turned it over, it remained nothing more than an ordinary stone.

Then, with a simple wave of her hand, the stone changed. Its dark color faded into a brilliant white, its sharp edges softened into smooth, rounded curves, and it became a polished, shimmering gem.

A realization struck me like lightning.

If I hesitated to use dark magic, why not convert dark magic into white magic?

If I combined this with the Sunshine System, it would make the perfect wish.

I looked up again, only to see that the goddess had returned to her pavilion, sitting gracefully by the warm fire. It was as if she had known all along what I could and could not do, what I truly wanted, and the reasons behind my choices.

Everything about me was transparent to her.

The sight of her, illuminated by the fire's soft glow, surrounded by the vast moonlit night, radiating an aura of wisdom and majesty, reassured me once again. She was helping me, guiding me, even when I didn't realize it.

Taking a deep breath, I made my request.

"Goddess, for my fourth wish, may I have a skill or trait that allows me to convert every dark magic I learn into white magic? And… every dark creature I defeat, may they be purified and transformed into mythical creatures to serve as my summons?"

The goddess raised her head and gazed at the sky. Instinctively, I followed her gaze.

Above us, the deep black sky stretched endlessly, a vast canvas carrying the full moon and countless stars. It looked like a dark veil cradling the moon and its shining companions.

Then, her voice rang out.

"Why are you so keen on having summons? You have already been granted a Phoenix and Celebi as your partners, and yet now you wish for even more summons, that too of mythical beasts?"

I remained silent, still staring at the sky, but my mind drifted back to my past life.

Before the accident at the orphanage, we had kittens and puppies—animals abandoned on the streets by their owners. The people in the community would bring them to us, and we took care of them.

Our orphanage even had a pet café, though not in the literal sense. It was just a large room on the first floor connected to a backyard full of trees and plants. I spent countless hours there, playing with the animals and teaching the younger children how to bond with them.

But then… the accident happened.

The explosion engulfed the back of the building in flames. Every animal—every living creature in that pet café—died within seconds.

I only learned about this a week later, after I regained consciousness in the hospital. By then, there was nothing I could do.

Maybe that tragedy left a scar on me, preventing me from keeping pets in the future. I had convinced myself that I was too busy, that I had too much work to do, that I didn't have the time to care for an animal.

But now, a gentle breeze brushed against my face, pulling me back to the present. I shifted my gaze from the sky to the goddess and finally replied,

"Who doesn't want a life full of fluffies?"

The goddess laughed—a soft, genuine laugh that warmed my heart.

It wasn't a laugh of mockery.

It wasn't a laugh dismissing my trauma.

It was the kind of laughter that comforts, that reminds you that no matter what, deep down, you're still a child at heart.

For the first time in my life, I found someone's laughter truly reassuring.

"Granted," she said. "The skill to convert high and ancient dark magic into white magic, as well as the ability to purify vile dark creatures into strong mythical summons, is now yours. However, once they become your summons, they will rely on your magic to survive. They will be immortal—unless you die. In that sense, their very existence will be tied to yours."

And with that, my fourth wish was complete.

Now, only one final wish remained.

Once it was granted, I would leave this place and step into my next life.

My heart began to race.

Was I nervous? Excited? Or… was I feeling sad?

The goddess had presented herself as an old woman, yet she exuded an aura of unfathomable wisdom and majesty. Despite meeting her for the first time, I found myself reluctant to leave her presence.

Perhaps… I still craved care, love, and companionship.

Sensing my distress, the goddess simply smiled and gave me a small nod, as if to reassure me not to dwell on such thoughts.