Chapter 11 Professor Lynn, who studied Dark Magic,
didn't wait long in the robe shop. Soon, he saw Fawkes walk in carrying a money bag.
"Let's go, Bellok. Something seems to have happened at Gringotts. If you've finished buying your things, we'd better leave quickly."
Lynn picked up Umaru's cage, greeted Madam Malkin, and then headed towards the Leaky Cauldron with Fawkes.
"What happened? I saw a lot of goblins in Diagon Alley looking for someone."
"I don't know the specifics, but judging from the goblins' actions, someone must have stolen something from Gringotts."
"Isn't Gringotts supposed to be very well guarded?" "
Nothing in this world is absolute. In the eyes of a skilled wizard, Gringotts' defenses are actually full of loopholes. It's just that no one wants to provoke those goblins."
The number of customers in the Leaky Cauldron was noticeably less than when Lynn and Fawkes had arrived.
Old Tom was wiping glasses at the bar, glaring at the goblins guarding the door and fireplace, seemingly blaming them for all the customers running away.
Lynn and Fawkes had barely entered the bar when one of the goblins glared at them rudely.
"Don't mind them, Bellok. Would you like something to drink?" Fawkes led Lynn to a table, and before Lynn could speak, he called over Old Tom.
"We're outside, you'll have orange juice. Tom, a butterbeer and an orange juice
, please." Old Tom brought them the beer and orange juice on a tray, adding a grumble.
"These ugly creatures are guarding all the exits of Diagon Alley. They say a thief stole from Gringotts, but they're scaring away all my customers. Who wants to drink while they stare at them like that?"
"Don't worry, Tom. If word gets out about the Gringotts theft, the goblins will suffer far more than you do."
"What does that have to do with me? I only care about how many Galleons I missed out on. Who cares about them?"
Old Tom muttered as he returned to his bar with his tray, looking quite annoyed.
"Never mind that for now." After Tom left, Fawkes placed the money pouch in the center of the table.
"There are 500 Galleons in this pouch, making a total of 525 Galleons including the one I gave you before. This is all my investment in you."
Lynn weighed the pouch in his hand; it was very light, probably enchanted, as it didn't look like it contained 500 gold coins.
Fawkes continued, "This money is enough for you until graduation, provided you don't buy anything expensive."
Lynn put the pouch back on the table. Although he didn't know much about the exact purchasing power of Galleons, he roughly understood that 525 Galleons was a considerable sum.
"I can't live with myself taking money and not doing anything. Now you can finally tell me what you're researching, right?"
When asked about his research, Fawkes hesitated for a moment, then became much more serious, looking intently at Lynn.
"I'm not afraid to tell you, many people in the wizarding world know what I'm researching."
"It's forbidden for wizards, yet it's the pinnacle of magic; wizards call it Dark Magic."
Whether it was a misperception or just a memory, Lynn felt the air around him freeze when Fawkes mentioned Dark Magic.
"It's not something related to Dark Magic, but Dark Magic itself.
I can't tell you the specifics yet, but I can guarantee that my purpose in researching it is absolutely not to harm anyone. Otherwise, Dumbledore wouldn't have wanted me to be a professor at Hogwarts."
Although he had already guessed it, hearing Fawkes speak of the magic that wizards called forbidden still left Lynn speechless.
Dark magic is extremely powerful, with the three Unforgivable Curses being the most formidable. These forbidden spells can directly take a person's life, torment them to the point of wishing for death, and completely control their actions and thoughts.
However, these exaggerated effects are not the reason they are called dark magic.
The truly evil aspect of this magic is its ability to subtly and gradually alter the user's mind.
It can make a dark wizard unknowingly become irritable, easily angered, strange, and even insane.
Ultimately, it completely changes a person's personality, to the point that even their closest relatives wouldn't recognize them.
With repeated use, it can even make you unrecognizable—that's the most terrifying aspect of dark magic.
And Fawkes' audacity in using a forbidden aspect of wizarding as a research target was something Lynn had to admire inwardly. "
You're really something else.
" ""You're really something else."
"You may not understand dark magic yet, and you may not know what it's all about. I'll give you enough time to learn," Fawkes said earnestly, looking at Lynn.
"After Hogwarts starts, if you regret it, you can come back to me and return the 500 Galleons. That way, our deal will be void. As for the 25 Galleons, consider it my personal donation to you; after all, I think you're quite agreeable."
Although dark magic had a terrible reputation, Lynn had no aversion to researching it. Aside from his exceptional talent for it, it would be a waste not to use it.
The idea that dark magic can influence a person's character depends on the individual.
The most typical example is Snape, the double agent between Hogwarts and the Death Eaters.
Before he turned to Dumbledore after his lover's death, he was a legitimate dark wizard, a staunch supporter of the Dark Lord, and a core member of the Death Eaters.
He used dark magic with ease, employing Avada Kedavra with such fervor that his eyes practically glowed green. He was even so dark-sounding that while still at Hogwarts, he created the incredibly powerful Dark Magic spell, Sectumsempra.
Yet, this same person, whose heart was so dark that some questioned his very existence, endured all criticism and tirelessly infiltrated Voldemort's inner circle. He hated his enemy's son to the core, yet he was compelled to care for him because he was also his lover's son. Even until his death by snakebite, he remained remorseful for the mistakes he had made that led to the death of his beloved.
This, perhaps, is what Dumbledore meant by the power of love.
Although… Snape could be a bit erratic at times, generally speaking, he wasn't affected by the Dark Arts, or rather, even if he was, it didn't change him much.
Lynn had absolute confidence in his willpower.
This confidence wasn't blind; after all, he had truly experienced death.
"I've bought quite a few books about magic and will make my own judgment during the rest of the summer vacation."
Lynn didn't make a direct promise, as that would seem impatient and lacking in composure.
Fawkes nodded, then stood up.
"Alright, that's all for today. I'm glad to have met a student like you. See you at Hogwarts."
Lynn also stood up.
"I'm a professor too. Thank you very much for today."
Hearing Lynn's gratitude, Fawkes' eyes narrowed into slits with a smile.
"You're welcome, Mr. Bellok."
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