I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

There is an unexpected danger to dark magic.

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"Alright class, last time we talked about the dangerous of the Dark Arts in a magical sense. Today we're going to talk about the dangers in a physical sense."

The students looked at each other and whispered to one another. The grey cat that sat on the teacher's desk looked up, tail slowly swishing back and forth.

"Professor, didn't we talk about that last time too?" a student asked while holding up her hand. "Like curse scars and disfigurements?"

The Professor smiled. "Technically yes and take 5 points for remembering last lesson." He continued speaking while the student blushed happily. "Curse scars and injuries caused by the Dark Arts certainly leave sometimes irreparable damage to the victims of the spells, but today I'm going to talk about something a little more mundane but no less impactful. In this case, I mean to the casters themselves."

"You mean the person using the Dark Arts?" another student asked.

"Precisely. We all know that continued use of the Dark Arts warps a person's mind and soul, tainting their magic. However, the use of them also causes physical changes to the caster and user. Allow me to show you this." He waved his wand and a picture was projected on the wall. It showed a stunningly handsome man with high cheekbones, soft brownish-black hair, and a smile that was just shy of arrogant.

An audible sigh was heard from the students. Many of the girls swooned and a few boys did as well.

"Now I am not interested in gents but even I'll admit this bloke is very good looking," the Professor said. "However, consider this." He waved his wand again.

The class gasped at the next picture. It was the same man but changed. His skin was waxy and pale. His eyes a deep crimson red. His hair was thin. His smile was predatory.

"And this." Another wand wave. The last picture showed a face that was recognizable but not one anyone could connect to the first picture. The skin was paste white, scaly even. The handsome nose was gone, replaced by slits. The eyes were blood red and slitted. Not a single hair remained on the skull.

The class was horrified.

"This is what your face looks like on Dark Arts," the Professor said with a shudder. "Now, magical strength is a wonderful thing, as is knowledge, but is that the face you'd want forever? Would you be willing to look at that thing in the mirror everyday? Not me. I'll keep my average looking mug over being able to cast a Stunning Jinx that can knock out fifty people at once."

The class giggled.

He waved his wand again showing a beautiful woman. Her eyes were bright, her smile equal parts cheery and seductive. Full lips invited certain thoughts. Her hair, full and lush. Another picture appeared showing the same woman but utterly shriveled and wasted. Her eyes were wide and manic, devoid of any allure. Her lips were non-existent. Her once delicate cheekbones jutted out like cliffs.

"Now I wouldn't be much of a Professor if I didn't show a counter-point." He waved his wand and the next picture showed a man who grinned wide. His eyes sparkled and invited trouble and warmness. His hair was long and curled in just the right way. His skin was pale but in a pleasant way, one that did not speak of anything sickly. "This man never used the Dark Arts at all. He had them used on him a lot, but see how he retained his objectively good looks despite the ill intent behind the spells."

The class took notes while the cat rolled her eyes.

When the students left, chatting about their surprisingly interesting class, the Professor grinned at the grey cat. The cat leapt off the desk and transfigured into a scowling elderly witch. "How'd you like the lesson Headmistress?" he asked.

Headmistress Minerva McGonagall snorted and rolled her eyes. "Really Potter? Physical looks as a deterrent?"

Harry Potter, Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, grinned wider. "Call it additional incentive."

"How terribly vain."

He snorted. "You know as well as I do that the vast majority of Magical folk are hilariously vain. I can mention more than a few people just off the top of my head."

She refused to smile though the corners of her lips twitched. "You're not wrong," she conceded. She looked the projected pictures and shuddered at the first two. "Still, using Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Lestrange, aren't you inviting some kind of trouble?"

He shrugged. "Somehow I think they'd be flattered that they haven't faded into obscurity."

That made her lips twitch more. She looked at the last picture fondly. "I do approve of using Sirius Black as a reason to remain in the Light. He was rather proud of his physical looks."

Harry smiled. "Oh yeah, I still find bottles of hair care products all over Grimmauld."

That made her laugh. She shook her head and tried to give him a stern look but failed miserably. "He would approve of the use of his picture as well."

"If he was still here, he'd come in and model in person."

"As if he needed his ego inflated any more." She sighed gustily. "Very well Potter. I will say that your lesson, while silly and unorthodox, has a compelling point."

"Hey, when we have no Dark Lords or Ladies for the next century, you'll thank me for helping prevent the rise of the Dark Arts."

She guffawed at his look of insincere sincerity.