Chapter 12

It was well past midnight when Victoria was sneaking through the library, the musty smell of old parchment entering her nostrils. The library was cloaked in darkness, aside for a faint glow of moonlight filtering through the high windows. Victoria’s mission was clear – retrieve the books on Professor Moody’s list from the restricted section. So far she had only managed to get two of the books on the list of Professor Moody. She sighed as she walked to the gate that separated the library from the restriction section. A feeling of unease settled over her. “He definitely would”, she thought rolling her eyes at the thought of Professor Moody's predictably unconventional teaching methods. She observed the gate, not trusting it one bit.

Victoria contemplated her options.. She could have asked assistance from a teacher or librarian, but the names of some of the books made her feign in confusion. They seemed much darker than an ordinary textbook, and she didn’t want to spread it to the whole school that Professor Moody was giving her extra courses after class. Which means she had to sneak in during the night and look for the books herself. She took her wand out of her pocket. “Alohomora” she whispered. To her surprise the gate swung open without resistance.

She avoided making contact with the cold metal gate, fearing it would notify any teacher upon touch. Noting the lack of security measures she raised an eyebrow. “ It should have been more guarded,” she thought to herself, “perhaps enchanted with counter curses.” She smiled proudly realising she was already beginning to think like a curse-breaker. While she ventured deeper into the restricted section, her wand illuminated with a soft glow.

Retrieving the list from her pocket she scanned the titles once more. “Cursed Chronicles: Forbidden Techniques for Breaking the Unbreakable" by Lilith Grimblewick “ She raised an eyebrow as she looked around. The title seemed quite promising and eery at the same time. She knew Moody had his eccentric ways, but she recalled he still was an auror. If his use of the unforgivable curses was not sufficient as an argument to state this, this book would have been the trigger. The air seemed to grow colder around her, and a shiver ran down her spine as she reached for the cursed tome. She looked in concentration at the book. Steadying herself and taking her wand as she tried to put a spell analysis on it, just how Moody had learned her. “Cursed”, she concluded, wanting to groan in frustration. This was a very good way to put her in her place after making good progress. She didn’t hesitate and started to try to unravel the curse. Slowly as if pulling a thorn out of a finger she started pulling some dark magic out. Anger started to fill her body. She gritted her teeth, trying to keep focusing. But the more she delved into the curse, the more it seemed to consume her.

With each passing moment, the fury grew, threatening to overwhelm her. Victoria took a step back, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. She forced herself to stop, bringing trembling hands to her hair as she struggled to regain control.

Victoria tried to steady her breathing as a storm of rage was starting to boil within her, making it difficult to keep concentrating. The effect of the curse didn’t seem to stop as whispers started to fill her head. “Merlin”, she muttered under her breath, fury bubbling to the surface as she glared at the cursed tome before her.

“Consider this a warning” she hissed through her clenched teeth , her voice laced with anger as she tightened her grip around her wand, determined to try again. As she found the knot in the magic the whispers started to get louder, echoing relentlessly in her mind. The anger was too overwhelming to feel any sense of accomplishment as she started to dissolve the knot. Each flick of her wand was deliberate as she felt the resistance weakening. As the knot dissolved so did the screams in her head, while the magic dissipated out of the book. Victoria sank to the ground, her forehead glistening with sweat, as a wave of exhaustion crashed onto her like a tidal wave.

After what felt like an eternity, Victoria mustered the strength to push herself upright, leaning heavily against the nearest bookshelf for support. Every muscle in her body ached as she reached out for the book. Her fingers brushed against the cool leather cover, a shiver running down her spine at the touch. She carefully tucked it under her arm. She relished in the small flicker of pride and acknowledging that replenishing her strength would be the best call.