Madeline Palmescoff Tue May 24, 2011 3:00 pm
Madeline cleared her throat. The storm was getting closer and some of the students had begun getting rowdy.
“Ahem,” she began. “Welcome to History of Magic. History is not as dead as you think.
“History is alive. The effects of actions long ago still resonate throughout our present world. They continue to shape our environments, beliefs, political and social systems. It's not just about dates and odd names; with death and destruction, persecution and treachery, love and war, poverty and riches, History of Magic is a fascinating and enriching story of how we became who we are. Wizards and Witches. Muggles and Mystical. And some of it might surprise you.
“Our best defense is a solid foundation in history. So much of what is current in our world today, has happened before. With an excellent grasp on history, we can avoid making the same mistakes over again. In learning about these events and important advancements throughout time, we will also learn about the consequences of these actions and question how life could have been different if certain actions and events were to never to have taken place.
“I hope you come to appreciate history in its many aspects. It is the only subject in which the past can change the future.
“This class will focus on a Survey of the Dark Arts: A look at the rise and fall and rise again of the Dark Arts throughout the ages.
“We will cover the early beginnings of Dark Magic, the creation of the Unforgiveable Curses, Famous Prisons, and Grindewald. The latter half of the class will focus mainly on Voldemort and recent Dark Arts activity over the past thirty years.
“You will be graded for this course. All class work will be given orally and graded. I will be looking for good grammar, complete sentences, knowledge of your topic, etc. Oral reports should be between 200-1000 words. Longer reports are not given more weight.
“Your total grade will be posted at the end of term along with your accumulated coven points.
“Grades of Outstanding, or O, will have earned 101+ percent and 25 coven points.
“Grades of Exceeds Expectations, or E, will have earned 90 percent and 20 coven points.
“Grades of Acceptable, or A, will have earned 80 percent and 15 coven points.
“Grades of Passing, or P, will have earned 70 percent and 10 coven points.
“Grades of Dreadful, or D, will have earned 60 percent and 5 coven points.
“Grades of Troll, or T, will have earned 50 percent and 0 coven points.”
Madeline crossed to the front of her large desk and picked up her textbook.
“Please open your books to Chapter One.” Madeline read aloud,
“Magic is an imperfect science, imperfect meaning that it is unpredictable and its production relies solely on the level of understanding and personal power of the witch or wizard trying to use it. Since it is not something that can be measured by any normal means, it continues to be an area of guesswork and interpretation. There is no surefire way to tell which wizards and witches are born with greatness; nor should magic be the sole measure of that, as character and other attributes add so much more. What is important to know though is that each magical being is born with both light and dark magic within them and it is in this magic that intent is created.
“Light magic, or as some call it Good Magic, Benign Magic ,White Magic, or Friendly Magic, is fairly self-explanatory. This particular type of magic focuses on the positive energies of a person’s being and the world around them. While many wizards and witches hold light magic and dark magic close to equal amounts, very few have white magic in spades. It is the underlying belief in the wizarding world that only one wizard of the light can be alive at the same time that a wizard of the Dark is. When one dies, another is born, either literally, or the seeds that are already implanted in that person’s magical core activate.
“On the other hand, there is Dark Magic. It is also known as Evil Magic, Maligned Magic, and Black Magic. This particular form of magic focuses on the negative energies of a person’s being and the world that surrounds them. Dark Magic is at its most powerful when it is invoked through raw emotion. It is also nearly impossible to control at its peak, and as a result very few witches and wizards learn to manipulate emotion as to where they can use the magic at will. Dark magic is generally what is used when young children exhibit accidental magic. It is also important to point out that while accidental magic is a form of dark magic, the acts that are the result need not necessarily be considered so. To actually cause pain and harm would require the actual harnessing of the negative emotions and at such a young age, children just don’t seem to know how to do that without a wand.
“A prime example of the activation of the Magic within one’s core is that of Grindewald and Lord Voldemort. Grindewald was the darkest wizard of his time until his defeat in 1945 by the Light Sorcerer, Albus Dumbledore. It was around the death of this Dark Wizard that the final stirrings in the core of Lord Voldemort awakened and helped him to find his calling in Dark Magic. It is important to point out that while he was already studying dark magic prior to Grindewald’s defeat, it was not until after the sorcerer had been killed that Tom Riddle made his final descent into Dark Magic when he killed his grandparents and father later that same year. It is with the murder of his family on his hands that sealed the seeds of black within him that had been awakened and forever claimed him to the darkness.
“Dark Magic generally employs one’s knowledge of herbs, potions, and spell work. At its worse, there are the three unforgiveable curses, each of which violate those who they are placed upon, or could possibly inflict death. Sacrifice, blood letting, and abnormal eating and sleeping habits are hallmarks of Dark Magic. Their common uses have misled many in the thought that those three areas constitute all there is to this art. As with everything else, it is a bit more complicated than that. Those three things are just a small part of the bigger world that Black Magic encompasses. The actual uses, types, and bands of wizards and witches that use Dark Magic is a subject best saved for students in their O.W.L. year or higher. This book will take a look at some of the more spectacular uses of Dark Magic and its impact throughout history.
Madeline put down her book, marking her place at the end of the chapter. She looked out into the classroom and smiled. “I hope you were all paying attention,” she said, flicking her wand at the chalkboard. The chalk began writing:
1) What is magic?
2) Where is intent created?
3) Light Magic is known as all of the following except:
a) Benign Magic
b) White Magic
c) Harmless Magic
d) Friendly Magic
4) Dark Magic is invoked through ______ _________.
5) What kind of magic is a lesser form of Dark Magic?
6) When were the seeds of Dark awakened in Tom Riddle?
7) What are the hallmarks of Dark Magic?
“Please pick one question," she said," and answer fully and completely, keeping in mind my rules at the beginning of my lecture."