The Unknown of the Order (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Dark Power

"Maybe to distract us?" offered Diego. "Lead us in the wrong direction so the Death Eaters can go about their business without us interfering."

"Seems like a lot of work when I'm willing to bet they know the killing curse," said Talbott. 

Tulip had calmed down enough to speak at a somewhat normal level. 

"They're still Dark Wizards. If you ask me, we should have knocked them out and left them to the inferi."

Diego nodded. 

Part of Sarah wanted to agree, but she said, "Let's stick with them for a little longer. Until we get word from the Order on what we should do next, at least. If nothing else, we'll be able to offer a nice report on what they've been up to, and see what Moody thinks about it."

"Agreed," said Talbott. 

Tulip hmphed, but said nothing. 

Once Sarah was convinced she'd calmed down enough to be left alone, she exited the tent. The others had retreated into their own tent, but she found Jacob hiding around the back. He was seated with his legs out in front of him, ankles crossed, and he picked up bits of vegetation from the forest floor and tossed them away idly. 

"Hey," she said, without any emotion. 

"Hey," he answered, just as blankly. 

"You can summon inferi."

"Yep."

"You can also come back from the dead."

"In a manner of speaking."

"You have one of these horcrux things, don't you?"

"I had one," he admitted. "You can only use it once. Duncan was able to keep it hidden for me in the prefect's bathroom, as well as acquire the necessary ingredients for the potion I required."

She nodded. Part of her didn't want to hear a word of this, but the other was overcome with curiosity. 

"What else can you do?"

"Lots of things," he said. "I can teach you sometime if you want."

"No thanks, I'm not interested in selling my soul."

He chuckled darkly. Sarah realized she hadn't heard his laugh, a genuine, happy laugh, since before he disappeared. 

"You don't know how true that statement is."

"Then why?" she asked, frustration finally slipping into her flat tone. "Why practice the Dark Arts if you know what it will do to you?"

Jacob dropped the leaf he was holding and met her eyes. 

"Why do you care about what it does to me? I'm not your brother."

Sarah almost laughed. Coming from his mouth, she realized how stupid it sounded. If it came down to it, she would die for him, and he already had died for her. The two of them were connected, and not just because they were siblings. Blood was thicker than water, but they were bound by a substance thicker still. Both of them had witnessed true evil, and survived it because they relied on one another, even if only briefly. 

"I know what you've heard about Dark Magic, how it corrupts those that cast it into becoming monsters, and maybe that's true for most people, but not for me," he continued, after Sarah had remained silent for a time. "Every choice I've made since I discovered what R actually was has been to destroy evil or to protect you. I use Dark Magic because it is powerful and useful, and I've never once had an inkling to start killing muggles or torture bunny rabbits."