(ABANDONED FOR NOW) Late Nights on the Astronomy Tower (Draco x Hermione)

V. Good Company

The only way to find out, she knew, was to go to the Slytherin common room and wait him out. But what if he didnt leave tonight and it was a waste of time? She would need to bring a book. Quiet, yet still able to make her feel the least bit productive.

She found herself hidden behind a tapestry in a little nook in the wall where no one could see her in the darkness of the dungeon. She had her psychology book and her little notebook to write definitions and theories down to review later. The psychology book had not helped her with Malfoy, but she kept reading it because it was interesting. You never heard about psychologists or mind healers in the wizarding world because they were only really needed in wartime when people were being tortured and enslaved and then in need of deep psychological help. There was no war at the moment, but there was something brewing with Voldemort and the death eaters. They had already tormented those muggles, what would they do next?

She continued with chapter three.

"There are three curses which wizards have been studying for years. Their direct link to our emotions has baffled scholars for years. The "unforgivable curses" must be meant. The performer of these spells must have so much hatred for the wizard they intend to hurt in order for the spell to work at all. Rage and detestment must drive the minds of these wizards. They must have cruel intentions.

So why is this? Wizards have been asking that question for years. However, it is difficult to legally study spells which are outlawed in the wizarding world. The curses were banned from use in..."

There was a big section about the history of the unforgivable curses and their history, why they were banned and all. Hermione skipped some of that. She didn't need to know about all of the people who were tortured hundreds of years ago before the Ministry stepped in. She continued reading to the section about how naturally powerful wizards are more likely to suffer from episodes of distress and madness as they grow older. This baffled her. She had never heard of that. Dumbledore seemed fine and he was the most powerful wizard she could think of. It did say "more likely" so she kept it in mind and did not dwell on it.

Then she got to another part about dark magic. There were a lot of them, she realized. It seemed that dark magic had the biggest connection to emotions out of all types of magic. This part was about insanity. Many dark wizards had been driven to insanity in the later years of life due to the effect dark magic has on the soul. It literally rips it to shreds. Hermione wondered why anyone did dark magic with the effects it could have on you before she got to the next paragraph.

"Severe dark magic is not to be 'tested' or 'once attempted.' Once you have harmed another wizard with these spells, it is difficult to turn back and do what is referred to as 'light' magic again. As stated in Chapter Two, dark magic tends to infect the minds of those who attempt it without extreme caution. The user begins to crave it, although it is technically tearing them apart from the inside out."

This chapter went more into depth about why dark magic is so addictive and why it is a common cause of hysteria and psychosis. It was very interesting to read about. It stated that wizards were never meant to use this kind of magic, it wasn't intended for their species. That was why it caused such sickness and ruined a wizard completely.

According to her pocket watch, the time was 11:04 p.m. when she heard footsteps leaving the Slytherin common room. She almost jumped at the sound after the rustling and walking noises had ceased completely after 10:00 which was the curfew. She cautiously moved the tapestry out of the way and gazed at the back of the curfew breaker's head. It was just a Slytherin prefect, probably on patrol, watching for students out of bed, students like Hermione. Great, now she would have to be cautious going back to her common room.