Chapter 472: Unforgivable Curses

"So… does anyone know which spells receive the harshest punishments under wizarding law?" Mu Di said, Bai Lang looked at the professor, and Ron Weasley was called upon to answer, "Uh, it's like this," Ron Weasley said uncertainly, "My dad once told me about a… something called the Soul‑Extracting Curse, right?"

Mu Di praised Ron Weasley, then spouted nonsense, while Bai Lang watched his demonstration—using an unlucky spider. As expected, under Mu Di's spell "Soul Projection!" the spider began a ridiculous Tatu Bag dance. All the students laughed, but Mu Di did not laugh.

"You think this is fun, don't you?" he asked in a hoarse voice, "If I do this to you, would you like it?" The laughter vanished almost instantly. "Completely under my control," Mu Di whispered—at that moment the spider rose and began rolling back and forth, "I can make it jump out the window, drown itself, or leap into the throat of any one of you students…" Bai Lang laughed, "Professor, I'd like to try."

"Please cast the Soul‑Extracting Curse on me; I really want to know what it feels like to be controlled like that—you're not going to hurt me, are you?" This fake Mu Di still had to conceal his identity, so he could not possibly harm any student at this moment; such a good opportunity, how could Bai Lang not use it to test the effects of these curses? Mu Di's strange eye turned back, staring intently at Bai Lang.

"Mr. Lang En… I don't know whether you possess extraordinary courage or a ridiculous desire for self‑expression," Mu Di said, not quickly, "Sorry, Professor, I suppose we'll encounter something like this sooner or later…" Bai Lang saw Mu Di's gaze, which was rather odd, more like the curious stare of a large feline. Mu Di paused for a moment, and the other students also looked at Bai Lang.

"Fine, I'll make you do the Tatu Bag dance, Soul Projection!" Mu Di pointed his wand at Bai Lang, and a beam of light struck him. Bai Lang only felt a strange force trying to drill into his mind, and another force tugging at his muscles, but as the roar of a white tiger echoed in his thoughts, all of it vanished. "Hmm?" Bai Lang raised his hands and looked, "Seems like nothing happened?"

Even Mu Di's strange eye flashed with surprise, let alone that good eye. Almost every student threw their heads back in astonishment; it was their first time seeing the Soul‑Extracting Curse, and also the first time seeing someone actually resist it. "You have a strong spirit, child. Add five points for Gryffindor!"

"Anyone else know any spells? Unforgivable curses?" Hermione Granger raised her hand high again, and Neville Longbottom also raised his hand, "Go ahead." Mu Di said, his magical eye whirring, fixing on Neville.

"There's one—Heart‑Piercing Curse," Neville said softly but clearly. Mu Di stared at Neville with intense focus, this time both eyes on him. "You're Longbottom, right?" he said, the magical eye lowering to check the roster. Mu Di produced a second spider, "Heart‑Piercing Curse. It needs to be enlarged so you can see it," he said, pointing his wand at the spider, "Grow quickly!"

The spider had grown to about the size of a dog. "Heart‑Piercing, Bone‑Cutting!" Mu Di whispered, and the light struck the spider. Instantly, all its legs retracted, pressed against its body. It flipped, its torso convulsing violently, swaying side to side. Neville's hands clenched the table tightly, his knuckles whitening, his eyes wide with terror.

Mu Di raised his wand, and the spider's legs loosened but still twitched. "Shrink quickly," Mu Di muttered. The spider returned to its original size, and Mu Di placed it back into the bottle. "Extreme pain," Mu Di said softly, "If you can cast the Heart‑Piercing Curse, you won't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone… this spell was once very popular." Bai Lang raised his hand again, "I also wish to experience it personally, Professor, so that later…"

Mu Di's eyes stared at Bai Lang, his voice almost a roar, "Oh? Mr. Lang En, do you think you can endure it? Good! Tough guy—maybe you'll truly create a miracle? After all, you blocked that tiny Soul‑Extracting Curse." Bai Lang stepped forward, "Stand here! Kids. You all step out, so when Mr. Lang En falls later you won't get hurt." He signaled Neville and Ron Weasley to come out, ready to support Bai Lang.

"Heart‑Piercing, Bone‑Cutting!" Mu Di said, and a white light struck Bai Lang. "It does hurt quite a bit, but…" Bai Lang's body contracted, his features twisted. The energy of his Golden Bell Shield surged spontaneously, and the sharp qi of the Southern Dipper White Tiger Fist tore the rampant magic inside him—Bai Lang stood up again, "If you get used to it, it's just like that." His features relaxed, and he smiled.

"Good tough guy." Mu Di also gave a fierce smile, "Good tough guy!" Yet he didn't add five points for Gryffindor. When Neville grabbed Bai Lang's arm, Bai Lang saw his gaze as if looking at a deity. Almost everyone applauded, cheering Bai Lang's tough‑guy act.

"Alright… anyone else know any spells?" Hermione Granger raised her hand a third time, though it trembled slightly. "Go ahead." Mu Di looked at her and said, "Avada Kedavra." Hermione whispered, "Ah," Mu Di said—his crooked mouth twitched, showing a faint smile, "Yes, that's the last and also the most powerful spell. Avada Kedavra… the Killing Curse."

He produced a third spider, "Avada Kedavra!" Mu Di shouted. A dazzling green light blinded everyone, accompanied by a chaotic noise as if an invisible massive creature swooped through the air—at the same time, the spider flipped over, lying on its back on the table, unscathed yet unmistakably dead. Bai Lang this time didn't want to try—even if Mu Di would later explain the subtleties, he didn't need to. "Just by looking at that green light, I could dodge it."

"Avada Kedavra requires a very powerful magical foundation. — You can all draw your wands, point at me, and utter the spell; I suspect at most I'll just get a nosebleed. But that's fine. I'm here to teach you how to cast it." Mu Di said, and Bai Lang added quietly, "Also extreme hatred and the intent to kill a person."

"Alright… these three spells—Avada Kedavra, Soul‑Extracting Curse, Heart‑Piercing Curse—are all called Unforgivable Curses. Using any of them on a human is enough to spend a lifetime in Azkaban. That's what you need to defend against. That's what I'm going to teach you to defend against. You must be prepared. You must be vigilant. Most importantly, you must stay alert at all times, never relax. Take out your quill… record all this…" I have to say, the fake Mu Di turned out to be the most reliable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Bai Lang had met in four years…