Closed The Darker Side

[Weston Stirling]

It was the first week of classes, and Weston had headed to the library in an attempt to get a head start on his studies. He did this every year, and while it hadn't helped the last twelve semesters, maybe the thirteenth was the charm. He needed to do well on his NEWTs. They would determine what kinds of jobs he could get next year, which meant they would basically determine his whole life. It was an overwhelming thought, one that Weston was trying not to panic over.

Unfortunately, in searching for a DADA textbook (he had left his in his dorm), Weston had quickly gotten distracted by a slim paperback that had been crammed near the back of the shelves. It was a book about famous cursed objects, and the descriptions were quite graphic. It didn't take long for Weston to grow absorbed in his reading, and when he suddenly heard movement behind him, he jumped and looked up. His gaze landed on a professor, and he smiled at her. "Hi Professor." He was about to return his attention to the book when he realised that she'd come from the Restricted Section, and his eyes darted towards the forbidden shelves. "Is it true that there are cursed books in there?" he asked perhaps a little too eagerly.

 

[Professor Gabrielle Moncrieffe]

Gabrielle had taken to lurking the Restricted Section. The reading was far more interesting, and while she didn't intend on using any dark arts the idea of cultivating an image of being the History professor who knew ways to curse you for handing in an essay too late amused her. She wasn't nearly as intimidating looking as Professor Borisyuk, she had to hold her own somehow. Mostly, though, she was just curious as to what sort of knowledge was deemed forbidden. Old tomes even muggles feared like the Necronomicon, or slanderous tomes too inappropriate for children like the Malleus Malificarum. Now she had somewhat free reign, browsing the Restricted Section was a pleasant break from lesson planning.

She barely hesitated when the student, probably a 6th or 7th year looking at him, asked her about the books. "Absolutely," she deadpanned - though as far as she could tell, there wasn't much that could actually hurt someone just by opening it. A few like the Monster Book of Monsters though. "I've just barely escaped a curse of having my voice stolen, and I'd never be able to lecture again. Why, do you want to read one?" Gabrielle was a bit too enthused about the prospect of getting students into the restricted section, but she reasoned that it was more an enthusiasm for students wanting to broaden their horizons and face the darker aspects of the world armed with knowledge.

 

[Weston Stirling]

Weston's eyes went wide as the moon. "Really?" he asked, impressed. Losing your voice wasn't the most impressive curse out there, but at least it was something. He definitely wouldn't want his voice stolen from him, and he wasn't even a professor who had to give lectures. "How'd you escape?" It occurred to him that although they'd gone over various curses in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Maxwell had never taught them what to do if they actually came across a cursed object. It was probably a good thing that all the cursed books at the school were locked away.

The professor's question caught Weston off guard. "Uhhh... maybe?" He had never thought reading the books in the Restricted Section was an actual possibility. "I don't want to get cursed though," he added with a frown. Seeing a cursed book would be awesome. Getting cursed himself would not. "What are the book in there even about?" He glanced back at the shelves, but of course, the books were too far away to make out any titles.

 

[Professor Gabrielle Moncrieffe]

((aaaaa i'm so sorry))

Gabrielle sometimes realized her humour might have been a bit too dry, but persisted with it anyway. She supposed it was part of the age thing. Once you hit a certain point in your life you stopped caring as much. Which wasn't to say that she didn't care at all, more that she didn't feel a need to pretend to be anything other than she was. She cared about the students quite a bit, just didn't necessarily show it very well. "Just had to stop reading before the end of the page." She shook her head, shrugging. "It's mostly quite safe. You get a few books in the same style as The Monster Book of Monsters, though, so you have to be extremely careful with how you handle them. But don't you worry, from my understanding there's nothing in there that's actually cursed. It's what curse-breakers are for." It wasn't often that books tended to be cursed, typically curses seemed to prefer more showy objects. Or anything with a grand story behind them, as opposed to contained within their pages.

Gabrielle couldn't help but smile at the curiosity. Okay, maybe she was leading a little, but curiosity was never a bad thing. Acting on curiosity to do something terrible, that was different, but merely wanting to know more wasn't bad or wrong, and she'd defend that stance to her dying breath if she had to. But she figured no students, especially older ones, would be so foolish as to try anything like hatching a basilisk again. "Magic books even muggles have tales of, like the Necronomicon or Malleus Malificarum. Some things that are inappropriate for children. Essays on dark arts that may be a little more...encouraging than they should be." The school did a good job at discouraging the use of the Unforgiveable Curses, at least, but other curses were a little borderline. "I've been looking at some more...varied mythologies. Alas, I think the tales of Maui would get knocked back for fourth years, as they might not be old enough yet."