Crucio

--Study.

It was a study, not a secret chamber.

This was something Snape hadn't heard before, but from his angle, he could see bookshelves packed with books on the winding staircase. Cyberlina was telling the truth.

Cyberlina turned and entered the study, raising her wand and lighting all the torches inside.

Harry dazedly followed Cyberlina into the study—he had been stunned by Cyberlina's gaze just now.

Snape didn't notice Harry's daze; he was just urgently waiting for him to step off the stone slab beneath his feet and enter the study.

"CRUCIO"

These were the words carved into the stone slab.

An Unforgivable Curse he was all too familiar with.

Combined with the ancient marks left on the ground around him and that terrifying door, he had already guessed how the door was passed before Cyberlina changed it.

So, who suffered the Cruciatus Curse when Cyberlina entered back then?

Snape actually wanted to rule Cyberlina out, but when he thought of Mr. Gaunt, whom Dumbledore described as someone she loved madly and obeyed without question, arriving with her, he felt that Cyberlina might have suffered it herself. But would that Mr. Gaunt, who detested dark magic, have used the Cruciatus Curse on her?

Snape put away his chaotic thoughts, put his wand back into his sleeve, and stepped into Slytherin's study.

Directly facing the entrance was the old man's stone statue. The malicious, upward lighting made it look sinister and terrifying. On either side of the statue were two winding staircases leading to the mezzanine filled with bookshelves.

Harry stood at the top of the stairs, looking at Cyberlina on the mezzanine in disbelief, exclaiming, "So... you invited me out for a night tour... to ask me to read?"

"It's just a balance between work and rest. Didn't we just finish exercising? Your brain is active, perfect for reading now." Cyberlina held a book in her hand, smiling teasingly.

Snape glanced at the two of them without a word, his expressionless face ascending the other staircase. He only glanced at the bookshelves in front of him before spotting a supposedly lost spellbook. His interest was immediately piqued, but before taking the book down, he looked at Cyberlina, who was talking to Harry, and asked, "May I borrow this book?"

Cyberlina turned her head, raised the book in her hand, and waved it at him, "You can't take it away, Professor."

"What about the duplication charm?"

Cyberlina smiled, "You can try."

Snape then understood that the books here were all under a prohibition charm, making them impossible to copy.

Looks like I'll have to transcribe it...

Snape took down the spellbook he fancied and asked again, "How long can I stay here?"

"As long as you want, as long as you're not hungry. The house-elves can't deliver food here." Saying this, Cyberlina looked at Harry, "You too, Harry. It's Saturday tomorrow anyway, so neither of you has class."

Harry nodded in surprise, his earlier gloomy expression completely gone—because Cyberlina had just given him a book about broom flying techniques.

"Unfortunately, your poor Potions Professor still needs to grade the homework of those little monsters who are full of Asphodel," Snape said expressionlessly, a cold arc forming at the corner of his mouth. "I guess the great Mr. Savior wants to pity the busy old professor and submit a blank assignment to lighten his workload?"

Harry froze, his surprised expression stiffening on his face, then slowly turning into one of bitter resentment. He had forgotten that he still had homework to write, and not just in one subject. But whether out of dissatisfaction with Snape or pity for himself having to write homework, Harry subconsciously said, "I didn't have any malicious thoughts about making it easier for you."

Snape's eyes widened, and he immediately took two steps forward. Harry, realizing something was wrong, immediately hid behind Cyberlina.

"Oh... poor Harry," Cyberlina said, looking at Harry with amusement, then at Snape. "Poor Severus."

"Sekri!" Snape's sharp gaze shot directly at Cyberlina.

Cyberlina raised her hand, "I'm your little assistant, Professor. I'll help you grade homework!"

"You can't."

"I can, you know." Cyberlina maintained her smile.

Snape looked at her gloomily, his lips pursed, saying nothing.

Harry looked at Snape's expression and leaned further behind Cyberlina—Merlin! Although he knew Snape must be furious right now, the atmosphere made him inexplicably want to laugh! And he always felt that Snape seemed to be holding back his anger in front of Senior Sekri... Hmm, it must be his imagination.

"Alright then." Cyberlina sighed, walked to the bookshelf behind Snape, glanced at the spellbook in his hand, and then skillfully took down an ancient potions book and handed it to Snape. "Busy Professor, would you prefer reading or grading homework?"

"..." Snape grumbled for a long time, finally managing one word, "...Book."

Harry was now certain that Snape was indeed holding back his anger! But this absurd fact was worse than not confirming it!

Cyberlina smiled and handed the book in her hand closer to him. Snape, with a displeased expression, took it. Then, he walked forward a few steps and patted Harry's messy head with a little force—Stupid Potter! Don't think he didn't see him snickering—he snorted coldly and walked down the stairs. He had noticed a table below earlier, where he could transcribe things.

Sensing Snape's intention, Cyberlina waved her wand, and an oil lamp, a blank notebook, and two quills appeared on the table. Snape, who was about to take out the parchment he carried with him, paused and retracted his action, naturally sitting down and opening the blank notebook—prepared by his little assistant, he used it with peace of mind.

Harry, who had been hit, knew he was in the wrong. Gritting his teeth but not daring to turn back, he opened the book he held, The Techniques and Magical Applications of Broom Flying, which was old but not dilapidated.

For a moment, the study was filled only with the sounds of paper and candlelight.

Cyberlina looked at the two people engrossed in their books and showed a gentle smile, then lowered her head and opened the book she had been holding since entering the study—Slytherin's Spellbook.

As people age, they tend to forget things. Some matters required her to reconfirm.

Slytherin's study was a treasure trove for the two old Slytherins well-versed in dark magic, but for a second-year Gryffindor who was still resistant to dark wizards, it could easily be a source of fright.

Harry didn't notice anything wrong with the book in his hand at first, until he saw—

[There is pressure in the air that hinders spellcasting. If necessary, one must reverse the broom or hang upside down to cast a spell to hit the opponent.]

Harry was stunned and began to flip forward to the content that had felt awkward earlier—

["Tailfluffed" can be used on a broom, causing its tail to explode and hinder balance.]

[When pursuing, one can lure the opponent to fly higher. The higher the altitude, the harder the broom is to control.]

Harry closed the book and picked out a few more from the bookshelf, only to find that they were all about dark magic. He fell silent for a moment. But then he remembered that this was Salazar Slytherin's study, and it made sense.

"Senior Sekri," Harry walked up to Cyberlina, his face looking very grim. "I don't think any of the books here are suitable for me."

"Why?" Cyberlina had closed the book in her hands as soon as Harry approached her, pressing the letter she had taken out onto the cover.

Cyberlina's calm demeanor made Harry frown. He suddenly realized that Senior Sekri had deliberately let him come into contact with these dark magic books.

Why?

Because she was a Slytherin?

But that was no reason to make him come into contact with dark magic!

That was dark magic!

Had Sekri already become an evil dark wizard!?

The young man before her said nothing, but his expression told Cyberlina everything.

"What is Gilderoy Lockhart's current title to you?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts—" Harry answered subconsciously, then stopped. He frowned at Cyberlina. "Defense Against the Dark Arts is to help us resist dark magic, not to learn it!"

"Then I can only say that your two professors so far have been terrible." Cyberlina smiled at him. "Do you think Headmaster Dumbledore is a good person?"

"Of course!" Harry felt that Cyberlina's words were full of hostility towards Dumbledore, and his tone immediately became sharp. "He is the greatest White Wizard! Don't you dare slander him!"

Cyberlina raised an eyebrow in surprise at his defense of Dumbledore.

"I'm not denying Dumbledore, Harry. I'm just saying that he's very good at dark magic."

As if ignited by her words, Harry took a step forward and glared at Cyberlina. "You're slandering him! As expected, no Slytherin is a good person!"

Harry felt like he had been deceived, deceived by Cyberlina's pretense of goodness. This evil Slytherin wanted him to fall into darkness.

He felt sad, he felt angry.

He didn't understand why Cyberlina was doing this to him.

"I am not slandering him. No one knows better than I do whether Albus's dark magic is good or bad." Cyberlina remained unmoved, showing no anger at Harry's words, still smiling at him. "Parseltongue is considered an evil existence. Are you evil, Harry?"

Harry paused, then suddenly turned his head away, avoiding Cyberlina's gaze.

"You're not even sure who you are?" Cyberlina feigned surprise.

The almost provocative words made Harry grit his teeth, but he still chose to remain silent. Angrily, he turned to leave, only to find Snape standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at him expressionlessly.

This is a trap!

—Harry's expression seemed to say.

Snape sneered. "Mr. Great Savior, please shake that empty head of yours and listen. Do you really think you have the ability to make two professors rack their brains to trap you here?"

Snape had never treated Cyberlina as a student and subconsciously blurted out the word "professor." Harry, still caught up in his feelings of being "deceived," didn't notice the word. He felt a strong sense of crisis from Snape's demeanor and his mind raced in reverse. The suspicion he had towards Snape in his first year resurfaced.

Could it be—they were sent by Voldemort to seduce him?

"Harry, do you remember what I told you? No matter what magic or skill it is, its use and outcome depend on the user."

Harry paused, then turned back to look at Cyberlina. He found that her light golden-brown eyes were looking at him with the same gentleness and kindness as when she had first said those words.

"I... I can't do anything about Parseltongue, but I won't learn dark magic!" Harry said firmly to Cyberlina. "I will never become a dark wizard like Voldemort!"

Cyberlina looked puzzled at his words. After a few seconds, she suddenly realized. "Harry! You're confusing things!"

"...What?" Harry frowned, confused. "What am I confusing?"

"You're confusing dark wizards and bad wizards." Cyberlina placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Voldemort is indeed a dark wizard, but in the context of what you just said, you should have said 'bad wizard'."

"Is there a difference?" Harry was still frowning, but he was clearly calmer than before.

"Dark wizards are those who study and use dark magic. Wizards who raise dark creatures are also considered dark wizards. The Ministry of Magic's Aurors need powerful magic to arrest wizards who commit evil deeds. The Dementors in Azkaban also require specialized Aurors to train them. They are all considered dark wizards. So... do you think these Aurors who protect others and guard bad guys are the same as Voldemort?"

Harry was stunned.

Snape frowned and looked at Cyberlina. He had no idea what she was doing. Outside the study, he had been wondering if Cyberlina, like Dumbledore, intended to train Harry, but what did her words mean now? Was she trying to guide Harry to learn dark magic?

Snape was deeply conflicted, his thoughts in turmoil, but he made no move to stop her.

"Harry, tell me, what is dark magic?" Cyberlina's voice was gentle, with a guiding tone.

Harry opened his mouth, but couldn't answer anything.

"I think the Dark Mark is the leader among dark magic. In the Standard Book of Spells, the Dark Mark is divided into evil curses, poisonous curses, and curses. I think you should be familiar with 'evil curses' and 'poisonous curses,' as many of them are used by students for pranks—even quite a few Gryffindor students—are they the 'dark wizards' in your concept?"

Harry was speechless.

"The three Unforgivable Curses should be classified as 'curses'—oh, do you know what the three Unforgivable Curses are?" Cyberlina continued without waiting for Harry's answer. "Crucio, Imperius Curse, and—" She gently touched the scar on Harry's forehead. "The Killing Curse."

The cold touch on his forehead made Harry flinch back a step.

"The magic I used to light the brazier when I came in could also be considered a curse."

Harry: "!" He had wanted to learn that just now!

"The duplication charm Severus mentioned earlier when studying ancient texts also counts."

Snape: "?" How did he get involved?

"So, Mr. Potter, please summarize, what characteristics of dark magic can you learn from the Dark Arts?"

Harry pondered for a moment, then lowered his head: "I don't know, Professor-- Sekri... Senior."

"Irreversibility," Cyberlina looked at Harry seriously. "The consequences they cause are irreversible, and the items they form cannot be destroyed-- undeniably, this is absolutely dangerous."

"Then--"

"Don't rush, Harry."

Cyberlina moved her fingers, and a book floated from the bookshelf to her. She tapped in the air, and the floating book automatically turned to a page facing Harry.

Harry looked at the book and then his eyes widened abruptly. He took two steps back again.

"Use it on me, Harry," Cyberlina said without a trace of a smile, her face full of solemnity.

"No, no--" Fear appeared in Harry's eyes.

"Use it on me, Harry!" Cyberlina took two steps forward, her tone leaving no room for refusal.

Harry picked up his wand, but his face still showed refusal.

"Harry--" Cyberlina continued to approach.

Harry remained silent, gripping his wand, his eyes fixed on those gold-brown eyes devoid of any smile.

"Harry!"

Harry closed his eyes.

"Harry-- Potter!"

"Crucio!"

Harry, eyes tightly shut and arms raised high, head bowed, shouted loudly-- then he suddenly opened his eyes, his whole body turning cold as if his heart had stopped-- what had he just done.

Silence surrounded him. Harry stared intently at his toes, feeling the world spin and tremble. He couldn't tell where he was or who he was, only that he couldn't breathe. The tremor and chill from his tailbone made him almost unable to stand, let alone think.

"A perfect spell, marvelous magical talent--"

Cyberlina's praise, full of smiles, came from above him. Harry's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground uncontrollably, his wand rolling away. He propped himself up with his arms, instinctively taking deep breaths, sweat and tears dripping together, forming wet spots on the ancient stone floor.

"But useless."

Harry slowly raised his head. In his blurry vision, he saw Cyberlina's usual smiling face.

"This is another characteristic of dark magic," Cyberlina kindly helped Harry up and adjusted his glasses. "If you don't have strong malice, you can't use powerful dark magic."

Harry's mind was still hazy. He heard Cyberlina's words clearly but couldn't understand them. He could only frown and look at Cyberlina with great concentration.

Hurried footsteps sounded on the stairs. Harry felt his mouth being forced open, and then a liquid with an indescribable taste was poured into it.

Watching Harry's eyes gradually clear after drinking the antidote, Snape breathed a sigh of relief, then turned his angry barrage onto Cyberlina.

"Are you insane! If you've lived long enough, apparate to Azkaban yourself! There are plenty of beasts there who use the Killing Curse! Don't waste your life at Hogwarts! I really suspect you've been living in a troll's den for the decades you were missing, letting its snot fill your brain!"

Harry, just regaining consciousness, heard this string of curses and subconsciously looked up, only to see Snape, half-supporting him, glaring at Cyberlina with icy, sarcastic eyes.

"Forcing a twelve-year-old child to use an Unforgivable Curse-- Ha! Truly a powerful 'professor,' Professor Cyberlina Sekri. That's the Cruciatus Curse! Not the Levitation Charm, not child's play, and certainly not something for you to flaunt your abilities! How dare you-- how dare you teach it to a child who hasn't even mastered basic spells! It's truly a miracle that Dumbledore became the greatest White Wizard under your tutelage, exhausting all the luck accumulated by the British wizarding world over thousands of years!"

Cyberlina blinked, looking at Snape with a bit of daze, then mechanically raised her arm and began to clap: "You really are good at scolding, Severus."

Her tone was full of admiration.

Snape: "..."

Snape turned his head and found that Harry, who had also recovered, was looking at him with an equally adoring expression.

"..."

Snape snatched the Boy Who Lived from Cyberlina's grasp, pushed him away, and then waved his hand in disgust.

These two-- they're all crazy!