Story Title: A Father-in-Law's Influence
School: Durmstrang
Theme: the exploration of academic information that is considered secret or dangerous, and also consider what comes from this.
Main Prompt: [Action] Searching
Side Prompt: [Quote] "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney
Year: 3
Word Count: 1082
Beta(s): Bellwhether, KeepSmiling1
There were only a few weeks left before Christmas, and the homework was piling up. While most students seemed to be taking advantage of the lesson-free days by roaming the castle and surrounding grounds, the Slytherins seemed to be mostly congregated in the Slytherin common room. There, the students seemed to have formed a natural divide according to year. The younger years were mostly chatting and playing games, with the odd person still finishing homework. The older years, but especially the 5th and 7th years, were all busy with schoolwork—library books lying around the tables for students to reference at a moment's need.
Despite looking as if all their focus was on the one assignment in front of them, this was not true for all seventh years. No matter how much she tried, Bellatrix couldn't focus on her homework.
The summer holidays that had just recently passed had been one of the best in a long time. Bellatrix remembered the time before Hogwarts, when she didn't have any pressure from her parents, when she was allowed to be just Bellatrix. But she also remembered the summer before her first year, when the family lessons were increased. She could still remember hearing her sisters play in the room next to the library as she sat having her extra lessons; she remembered that she had wanted nothing more than to rejoin her sisters at that time. Things had improved as they grew older and her sisters joined her, but she had still hated all the extra lessons. This summer had changed all of that.
Bellatrix was now seventeen and officially an adult. She still had her lessons, but they had been mixed with outings with Rodolphus, her betrothed. There was no way the two could say they were in love or even liked each other; the betrothal was purely to help both families. But even though there was no love between the two, the betrothal did give Bellatrix more freedom. Instead of spending all of her time at the Black Manor, she had been expected to spend time with both Rodolphus and with his family.
It was during one of these outings that her soon to be father-in-law had introduced her to the dark arts. "You know, Bellatrix, the path to success is simple," he told her. "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. The dark arts are the most effective means of doing that." Bellatrix immediately fell in love with the new form of magic.
The only problem with that was that the ministry approved lessons seemed ridiculously boring by comparison. Bellatrix wanted more; she wanted the danger, the power that came from the dark spells.
After what felt like the millionth time for Bellatrix, she let out an internal sigh, and put down her quill. Slowly pushing her chair back, she stood up and made her way out of the common room, aware of all eyes on her.
*hphphp*
Bellatrix walked along the shelves in the library. She was currently searching through the defense section, hoping to find something on the dark arts; however she had no such luck. As Bellatrix made her way through the last line of defense books, she reached the metal gate at the end—the Restricted Section. Bellatrix needed to get in there, but professors were less likely to grant access to a Slytherin than to a member of any other house. . The Ravenclaws had it the easiest; the older they became, the more trust they received, and the easier they had it to enter the restricted section. The Hufflepuffs had the same amount of trust but hardly ever went into the Restricted Section, their interest not piqued by subjects found in the rarely pursued section . The Gryffindors had it harder as they were known to act before thinking, but at least the teachers didn't look at them with mistrust. Being in any of those three houses meant getting into the Restricted Section ranged from easy to hard. In Slytherin it was near to impossible; nobody trusted them enough.
*hphphp*
It was the middle of the night, and most of Hogwarts inhabitants were asleep. Every room was silent. Every room, except the library. The Restricted Section to be more specific. The Restricted Section of the library counted one person; Bellatrix Black.
*hphphp*
Once again the Slytherin students had congregated in their common room, all of them except for Bellatrix. Bellatrix was sitting on her bed in the dorm, with the green curtains drawn around her, looking through the book she had brought back with her from the library. She was currently reading up on the Dark Arts, hoping to find more information. It didn't take her long to find an interesting part in the book.
The Dark Arts weren't always named such. Before spells were divided into dark and light spells, they were classed as harmful and non-harmful spells. At that time, the spells were classed on the basis of if they did or didn't do harm to the person they were cast on. As the years passed and more spells were invented, people came to the realization that the spells didn't necessarily fit in those categories. Spells to help patients were found to be better classed in the harmful category and vice versa.
At this point in time, it was decided to re-sort the spells into different categories, later called dark and light spells. The class of dark and light, however, did not take into account the effect of the spell on the receiver of the spell. Therefore light spells exist that do harm, and dark spells exist that help a person.
Bellatrix read the last sentence with delight. If the divide between dark and light wasn't on whether they cause harm or not, she could study harmful spells at Hogwarts and when someone made the comment that they were dark, she could quote that line. That one line would make it easier for her to get away with studying the dark arts.
Unfortunately for Bellatrix, she didn't read the last paragraph of the chapter.
Dark and light spells are based on the effect they have on the caster. Years of study have shown that some spells will affect the caster. Prolonged use can lead to the insanity of the caster as the spells influence the mind. Spells with this effect are classed as Dark Spells; not due to the effect on the receiver, but due to the effect on the caster.