Chapter 4:

Dark Magic

Harry Potter: Hufflepuff, Marauders' Era

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If there was anything worse than waking in the world from the story he remembered, it was arriving during the Marauders' era.

Earlier periods might have been worse: the era of Grindelwald, the generations before him, the age of the Founders, or any time before the International Statute of Secrecy.

Still, Callan could not say he was pleased with the Marauders' era.

The First Wizarding War had already begun quietly in 1970, and it was only 1971 now.

The Order of the Phoenix had also been founded in 1970, though whether it had formally clashed with Voldemort's side yet was hard to say.

The locations of the Horcruxes were uncertain too.

Lucius Malfoy was still at school. Bellatrix had only graduated in 1969, so she had probably not received any particular reward yet. Regulus Black would enter Hogwarts a year after Callan, which meant Salazar Slytherin's locket should not have been hidden away yet.

Nagini was somewhere out there, but not worth worrying about too early.

As for the ring set with the Resurrection Stone, Callan remembered that Tom Riddle had still been wearing it when he asked Professor Slughorn about Horcruxes.

So, pessimistically, the only Horcrux whose location Callan could confirm was Ravenclaw's Diadem. Voldemort had hidden it in the Room of Requirement in 1956, during his return to Hogwarts to ask for a teaching post.

One confirmed target against four unknowns.

Excellent odds.

For Voldemort.

But compared with those future problems, Callan was more concerned with the present.

His involvement with Petunia had been accidental. Whether poor Harry would be born at all was not something Callan cared about all that much.

Still, preventing a pair of sisters from growing apart was something he was occasionally willing to do. It was not too difficult. He only had to pinch off the first visible sprout before it could grow. The rest would depend on Lily and Petunia themselves.

Some things, however, were not so easy to change.

Especially beliefs that had already taken root.

"So all three of these books are about Dark magic?"

Callan threw aside the last book he had picked up, displeasure written clearly on his face as he questioned Snape.

"What's wrong with Dark magic?" Snape asked as if the answer were obvious. "It's powerful. It has enough force behind it. Don't tell me you're like those old fools who think all Dark magic is bad."

Callan did not answer. He only looked Snape up and down, measuring him.

Lily and Petunia, sitting nearby, looked completely confused.

Lily was the first to ask, "What is Dark magic?"

"Something you should not touch," Callan said, his tone firmer than it had ever been. "At least not now."

He snatched up the three books and turned as if to leave.

Snape grabbed him at once, furious. "What are you doing? I didn't bring those for you!"

Callan shoved him back, then frowned as he explained to the startled sisters.

"In magic, power isn't everything. But there are still basic lines between right and wrong. Dark magic is powerful, yes. But it is also evil. When a wizard casts Dark magic, he has to gather the matching malice inside himself. It might be cold cruelty. It might be surging anger. It might be..."

He paused.

"Murderous intent."

"Those books do not have anything like that!"

Seeing Lily's expression change, Snape hurried to explain. "They are only basic ideas, and some tiny hexes. They barely count as pranks. None of them need what he is talking about!"

Callan nodded. "That is true. I only skimmed them, but Snape is not wrong. If it is only these, they will not cause too much trouble."

"But."

His voice lowered, persuasive and dangerous, as he guided Lily's thoughts along.

"Lily, imagine a child who is still growing up. What happens if that child uses hexes every day? If they deliberately stir up anger day after day from the age of five, what will years of that do to them?"

"Can you still tell whether the anger came from the hex, or whether you have become someone who is simply used to being angry every day?"

"If five years cannot shake your will, what about ten? Twenty?"

"Time changes everything. But some people..."

Callan deliberately glanced at Snape.

"Some people always ignore the power of time. In the end, without even realizing it, they destroy everything they have, even themselves, until they become someone else entirely."

"Someone filled with anger, coldness, cruelty..."

His voice softened.

"And sorrow."

"From now on, I need to check any books you bring before Lily or Petunia reads them. I hope you two follow that as well. At the very least, do not read anything Snape secretly brings without telling me."

After saying that, Callan took the three books to the other side of the little woodland, sat cross-legged, and began reading quietly.

Lily looked back and forth, then asked the still furious Snape, "Is what Callan said true?"

Snape glanced at her and forced down the anger in his chest, trying to sound calm.

"How could that be true? He exaggerates everything. He has done that before, hasn't he? If it were really that dangerous, how could I bring them for you to read?"

His voice grew smaller toward the end. Under Lily and Petunia's suspicious looks, he quickly changed course.

"And look. He took the books away himself. If they are dangerous, why would he read them?"

"Because..."

Callan had somehow returned. Only a few minutes had passed. He tossed the three books back and explained, "I was checking whether there was anything worth learning from them."

Then he made no attempt to hide his contempt.

"But if this is the level of Dark magic you plan to bring in the future, I advise you not to bother. The theory is barely more than a few lines. The rest is a heap of petty pranks. I cannot see the slightest need to study them."

"Remember. Next time, bring books on proper spellwork."

"I am not your servant! Don't order me around!"

Snape shouted through gritted teeth.

Callan did not even look at him. He turned to Lily instead.

"As for Dark magic, I advise you to stay properly cautious. No matter when you encounter it, no matter what book it comes from, caution is necessary."

"Most Dark magic will not turn you evil all at once. It eats at your will, your mind, and your heart, bit by bit. That is not immediate, but it is far more frightening. Because by the time you notice it, it may already be too late."

"Dark magic will absolutely make you more extreme. And sometimes, extreme and evil are only different names for the same thing."

"Nonsense, Lily! He is talking nonsense!"

Snape seemed to think of something. He pointed at Callan.

"He told me to bring magic books yesterday. He told me to do it. He planned this on purpose, just so he would have an excuse to lecture me and make me look bad in front of you. He planned all of it!"

Callan looked at Snape with pity, then said loudly to Lily and Petunia without the slightest attempt to hide it, "See? He is already in the first stage of Dark magic erosion. He has begun talking nonsense."

Then he leaned closer to Lily and added, "And now comes the second stage. He is about to start hitting himself."

Lily burst out laughing before she could stop herself. She clapped a hand over her mouth at once.

Petunia was not so merciful. She laughed openly, looking at Snape as if he were an amusing clown.

That look cut deep. Combined with the closeness between Callan and Lily, it filled Snape with anger. His eyes sharpened, and his glare locked onto Callan.

Suddenly, the branches above the three of them cracked.

Petunia looked up and screamed. Even Lily backed away in fear.

Callan, however, remained where he was. He watched Snape with an amused look.

The branches that should have fallen instead slowed in the air, floating one by one until they gathered between the two boys in a small pile of wood.

"Oh. Quite a lot of them."

Callan sounded theatrically surprised. He glanced back to reassure Lily and Petunia, then walked up to Snape.

Snape had already been stunned by the fear in Lily's eyes. Regret and grief rushed through him.

"This is your fault!"

The anger in Snape's eyes did not fade at all. He glared at Callan. "You did this on purpose!"

Callan slowly shook his head and placed a hand lightly on Snape's shoulder.

"How can it all be my fault? I only said a few words. The person who tried to hurt Lily was you, Snape."

"Look at those branches. Do you still not understand? Even without me, there would be someone else. One boy or another. Someone like that will always appear."

"Would you hurt Lily again simply because of people like that?"

"Only you decide what you do. Control has always been in your hands."

Callan's voice lowered.

"Admit it, Snape. You are angry enough already. Dark magic will not calm you down again. It will only feed that anger."

Callan suddenly gripped Snape's collar, drawing quiet gasps from the two girls behind them.

"Remember what I told you. Dark magic makes you more extreme. And sometimes, extreme and evil are only different names for the same thing."

"And that evil is not only what outsiders see. You yourself may one day look at what you have become and think you are unbearable. Pain and regret will follow you for the rest of your life, until only death can free you from them."

Snape had gone completely still.

"No."

Callan seemed to consider something, then added softly, "Perhaps even death would not be enough."

"Remember my words, Snape."

Callan repeated it one last time, then turned to the two girls.

"It seems today's meeting has to end here. As for Snape, I believe he's learned his lesson. Leave the branches here as a warning."

Lily and Petunia hesitated. In the end, Lily quietly named another time. She gave Snape one last look, still shocked by what he had done, then gripped her sister's hand and ran off.

"Well. That is that."

Warmth returned to Callan's face. With a trace of regret, he straightened Snape's collar for him.

"Fortunately, the two ladies are willing to give you one more chance. Otherwise, even I might not be able to help you. I believe two sincere gifts would help make up for what happened today. They do not have to be precious. They only need to show thought."

"Lily... won't accept two gifts."

Under Lily's strange look, Snape seemed to have lost all strength.

"Lily and Petunia," Callan corrected, eyeing him with irritation. "Give up your prejudice against Muggles. If all Muggles were as bad as your father, do you think the Statute of Secrecy would be so lenient?"

"Not all Muggles are that vile. At the very least, Mr. Anthony was a decent man."

"What did he do?" Snape asked quietly.

"He took me in and kept me from starving. That is enough."

Callan said it lightly. "Of course, he also gave us orphans enough respect that we did not lose our dignity while living. That version may sound more impressive."

"You ended up with a father like that because of bad luck. That is all. The fault is his. If you spread that prejudice to every other Muggle, that is simply foolish."

"Do you know how many Muggles there are? They already outnumber us by thousands to one. Before long, it may be tens of thousands to one."

"Luck?" Snape repeated.

He seemed not to have heard anything after that.

Callan raised a brow. "Yes. Only luck."

"All right. I will see you at the next agreed time."

Just as Callan turned to leave, Snape asked, "Why do you dare read those books?"

"Oh?"

Callan stopped and turned back. He let out a soft laugh and looked toward the pile of branches.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I am stronger than you."

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