The Dangerous Three Unforgivable Curses

After easily subduing the sixth-year students, the seventh-year students, perhaps having heard rumors, became extremely well-behaved.

Li Wei had no intention of delving deep with this group. They only had one year left, and focusing on details would waste too much time, even potentially disrupting the magical understanding some had built over seven years.

Li Wei's approach was to provide them only with past exam papers, overwhelming them with a flood of practice questions, aiming for everyone to achieve an 'O' grade in next year's exams.

He had no sympathy for the students in the three upper years, having informed them early on about the decision for monthly exams.

Although the students didn't understand, they had Professor Quirrell as a terrible example.

For now, they could grudgingly accept Li Wei's methods.

After all, their understanding hadn't yet been subjected to the rigorous twice-weekly assignments and monthly tests. While their minds had received the information, they hadn't yet grasped what they would truly face in the coming year.

By the end of the first week, Li Wei's reputation was quite good.

The younger students were overjoyed. They were finally learning something useful in Defense Against the Dark Arts. In both classes, Li Wei used a test-and-answer format, followed by using Transfiguration to have them confront dark creatures and attempt to deal with them using their existing spells.

Only after the test would he teach them spells in a targeted manner.

The older students, though they grumbled about Li Wei's heavy workload, were still within the bounds of what they could tolerate.

During dinner that evening, Professor McGonagall sought out Li Wei to understand the situation. She subtly gleaned some student evaluations of Li Wei from them and, upon confirming that most of the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, finally relaxed.

It seemed Li Wei could handle the position, and she wouldn't have to worry about Defense Against the Dark Arts education this year.

On Friday, after dinner.

Li Wei and his two assistants returned to the office and cast a silencing charm on the door.

From this moment until Sunday afternoon, the three of them would not leave the office.

It was time to restart the project that had been interrupted by Dumbledore's appearance last time.

Qiao Weili waved his wand, and sheets of parchment spontaneously attached themselves to the wall, beginning the meeting.

"Professor, based on our research this week, combined with the experimental data sent by scholars from the Society, we can currently tentatively propose a hypothesis.

This is the [Emotion Catalysis Hypothesis].

We hypothesize that magic is relatively inert under normal conditions, and strong emotions can significantly lower the 'activation energy' for magical reactions, making it easier to mobilize and release power far exceeding normal levels.

Extending from your initial idea—that the power of the Unforgivable Curses depends on the magnitude of our malice.

Through experiments conducted by the Society, we found that different spells require different emotional catalysts.

Taking the Three Unforgivable Curses as an example, while different emotions can have some effect on all three spells, there are also significant differences.

The Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra)—requires a powerful intent to kill, a cold, unquestionable desire to take life. Calm malice is more effective than anger.

The Imperius Curse (Imperio)—requires extreme dominance, an arrogance that views others as mere playthings. The caster must firmly believe they are superior and have the right to strip others of their free will.

The Cruciatus Curse (Crucio)—requires a sadistic pleasure derived solely from the suffering of others. Any hint of pity or hesitation during its casting will significantly reduce its effect, while the more one enjoys the process, the more effective the curse becomes.

Li Wei's brow furrowed deeper as he listened. This research conclusion differed greatly from his original expectations.

Li Wei had previously dismissed the notion that dark magic could affect one's soul. Almost every powerful wizard had studied dark magic, and Dumbledore was a master of it, yet they hadn't become twisted.

The Killing Curse was one thing, but the negative effects of the Imperius Curse and the Cruciatus Curse were somewhat alarming. If an upright wizard were to rely heavily on these two curses during wartime, and as he had predicted, strengthen the curses by using spells that amplified negative emotions, then even the most upright person would likely become inhuman after prolonged emotional influence.

The pleasure of completely dominating another person, even if experienced only occasionally, could easily lead to personality distortion.

Li Wei listened quietly to Qiao Weili's report and asked, "What are your thoughts on this result?"

Following the established order of speaking, Qiao Weili stepped forward first and said, "From the research results, our previous understanding of dark magic was flawed.

The Three Unforgivable Curses are indeed extremely evil spells. Even the least impactful, the Killing Curse, I don't believe we should continue researching them."

As Qiao Weili stepped back, Jiamer stepped forward.

"I disagree with that idea.

Powerful wizards should be able to perfectly control their emotions.

This residual malice and personality distortion is precisely the best way to practice Legilimency.

As long as the frequency of practice is controlled and a calming draught is used to soothe the mind, I believe this is the method of improvement you have been searching for, Professor, and we shouldn't miss it. Of course, the final decision rests with you, Teacher."

Li Wei listened quietly to both their opinions and nodded. Their statements were indeed consistent with their respective personalities.

However, he then shook his head and said, "This training method is indeed highly feasible, but in my opinion, it's no different from playing with fire.

Once or twice might have no impact, but if it becomes habitual, there will certainly be a painful price to pay one day."

As he spoke, an idea suddenly flashed through Li Wei's mind. Trying this training method now was too dangerous and completely unnecessary.

But what if, one day, when the need to improve his strength became urgent, it wouldn't be too late to try this method?

Li Wei suddenly felt a sharp jolt, like an electric shock, at the back of his neck, causing a painful numbness.

If even he could subconsciously have such thoughts, what about others?

Even if the vast majority of the twenty-four students thought the same as him, this was not something that could be decided by a simple majority. What if, by some accident, the future Dark Lord was born among them?

After all, these students were all very intelligent, not to mention that many had followed him for over ten years. Their knowledge and practical skills were far superior to those of Hogwarts graduates.

Thinking this, Li Wei immediately made up his mind and summoned the house-elf Barton through their soul contract.

The next moment, with a crackle like a firecracker, Barton, dressed in a black butler's uniform, Apparated.

"Master, Barton awaits your command."

"Barton, please go to the Society for me and bring me the Portkey for Society Number Two."

The house-elf nodded and quickly disappeared.

"Teacher, are you going to..."

"Hogwarts, apart from house-elves, cannot Apparate. We'll take the Portkey to the Society later. I want to put a complete stop to this research."

Realizing Li Wei's seriousness, his two assistants looked somewhat flustered—the last time they saw Li Wei like this was when Dumbledore had attacked.

"Teacher, don't worry, the situation might not be that serious. The previous conclusion was derived from their experimental data; others might not be able to think that deeply."

"No, since I already understand how dangerous the Three Unforgivable Curses are, I won't harbor any wishful thinking about this matter."

As they spoke, Barton reappeared, holding a black bowler hat.

"Barton, please watch the house."

Li Wei stepped into the Portkey first, his figure quickly vanishing.