Dark Magic LV4; Will's Advice

Though he had been prepared for it, Lupin was soon stunned by the depth of Will's knowledge.

Will had thoroughly mastered the first- and second-year Defence Against the Dark Arts textbooks. He could even recite most of them. Lupin had thought tutoring him would be as simple as teaching a child, but he soon discovered otherwise.

If he hadn't been an excellent student himself, there were questions he might not have been able to answer.

Will always raised a string of questions. Many touched on Dark Magic taught in the upper years, and answers straight from the textbook never satisfied him. He often committed an afternoon's worth of theory to memory, then began picking out its problems.

"I want to learn Finite Incantatem."

"If the boundaries between Jinxes, Hexes, and curses are flexible, changing with a Wizard's intent and the force of the spell, why are the Unforgivable Curses classified as curses? And why are the 'curses' in our textbooks different from what other countries call 'curses'?"

"Why are the most powerful Dark Magic spells classified as curses?"

"Could Finite Incantatem restore a body blown apart by Confringo?"

In practice, though, Will only asked Lupin to teach him the third-year curriculum and parts of the fourth-year one. After all, of Hogwarts' Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, Lupin was the most reliable.

He didn't study anything too advanced. Will knew Lupin would never teach him that sort of Dark Magic. For now, he was simply getting as far ahead in Hogwarts' Defence Against the Dark Arts curriculum as he could. In the years ahead, aside from Lupin's third-year classes, the subject would be a complete mess.

Will didn't want those teachers influencing him too much, and studying on his own was far slower than having someone teach him.

[You gained new Dark Magic knowledge. Dark Magic experience +1]

[You gained new Dark Magic knowledge. Dark Magic experience +1]

[You gained new spell knowledge. Charms experience +1]

[You gained new spell knowledge. Charms experience +1]

Time flew. A little over ten days of lessons was nowhere near enough, but Will had gained plenty from them.

For one thing, his Dark Magic had reached LV4.

[Your Dark Magic has advanced to LV4. You may choose one of the following additional abilities.]

A. Dark Resistance: When you are attacked by Dark Magic, you can temporarily resist 20% of its effect, delaying its onset. The duration of the delay depends on the spell's power.

B. Dark Echo: When you cast Dark Magic, a single spell's effect increases by 15%. If the target is already taking ongoing Dark Magic damage, the effect increases by an additional 5%.

C. Dark Surge: Each time you cast Dark Magic, its effect may randomly decrease by 20% or increase by up to 30%. Your Dark Magic may undergo a beneficial or harmful change.

All three were powerful. A would make him harder to take down and give him more room for error. B would strengthen his Dark Magic and work well with his LV3 Unrelenting Malice.

As for C, Will had no interest in gambling, no matter how strong it might be.

After a long deliberation, Will chose B, Dark Echo. Sometimes the best defense was a good offense.

Two days before Will was due back at school, early in the morning.

"I should be going, Will." Lupin carried a suitcase and wore a neat new set of clothes, bought with the money Will had given him.

At first, Lupin had refused to accept a "tutoring fee." Will had saved him too, and he felt awkward taking the boy's money.

But Will had said, "You've got five Knuts to your name. What are you going to live on after I leave for school?"

That finally persuaded the embarrassed Lupin to accept it.

"So soon?" Will put down his book. He still had a few days before he had to leave for school.

In truth, Will hadn't expected to persuade Lupin to stay. They weren't that close. At most, he could have Lupin teach him a few lessons and help him gain experience. Besides, if even Harry couldn't make Lupin stay, what chance did Will have?

"Yes. All good things come to an end. See you in the summer, Will."

Will had enjoyed Lupin's company, and they agreed to have another round of lessons over the holidays.

"What about until then? Aren't you going to look for work?"

Will's question seemed to strike a nerve.

"You don't understand. Werewolves become noticeably weak around the full moon—pale, listless. Plenty of Wizards can tell from those details that a colleague is a Werewolf." Lupin explained, feeling that Will was making it sound too simple.

"No one said you had to find work in the Wizarding world, Lupin."

Lupin looked at Will in surprise. "You mean I should look for work in the Muggle world?"

"Why not? Plenty of Wizards work among Muggles. They do well and earn enough to support their families. The many mixed Wizarding and Muggle families at Hogwarts are proof they can make a good life for themselves."

"But I'm a Werewolf, Will. I'm a Werewolf," Lupin stressed grimly.

"But you're also a Wizard. There are plenty of spells that could conceal what you are. A Locking Spell could keep you inside your room,

a Silencing Charm could keep your howls from escaping it, and a Muggle-Repelling Charm could keep Muggles from ever noticing the room.

You could build yourself a decent basement.

A sturdy set of shackles could hold you when you turn into a Werewolf. Without Wolfsbane Potion, you'd lose your reason, and without your reason, you couldn't undo the shackles. Once you came back to your senses, though, you could use Wandless Magic to cast an Unlocking Charm and free yourself."

Will wasn't going to support Lupin, and Lupin wouldn't want him to. But Will was trying to find him a job.

There were two benefits to that. For one, Lupin knew a great deal. During the holidays, he could teach Will plenty and help him gain a lot of experience.

For another, Lupin was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. By bringing him onto his side, Will could influence Dumbledore's opinion of him to some extent.

"Green's Bookshop is hiring. It's an entirely Muggle bookshop. You could apply while those clothes still look presentable.

You could ask for time off on full-moon nights. If the owner refused, you could use a Memory Charm or something to make him forget you'd missed work. Besides, I don't think you can spend your whole life wandering."

Will managed a smile and handed Lupin a business card.

His words gave Lupin pause. Lupin took the card...