The door to the Restricted Section closed behind them with a dry click. Viktor walked ahead, with Hermione and Daphne following, trying to keep up. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the empty library.
— So, what did you learn in there? Tell me! — Hermione couldn't help but ask as they stepped into the corridor. Her eyes were burning with curiosity, and her voice held impatience.
Viktor frowned, his face taking on a serious expression. He shook his head.
— There are very few decent spells there. Most of them are curses that can cause harm. I could have learned them, but I decided not to. I'm already a little crazy, and if I go completely off the rails because of them and turn evil, the world will have one more dark lord. Okay, if I turn out like Grindelwald, that's still fine, but if I become like Voldemort... — Viktor paused and grimaced in disgust. — Ugh, no, being noseless doesn't suit me. It would ruin my angelic appearance.
Hermione stopped dead in her tracks.
— What's wrong with his nose? — she asked.
Daphne began to laugh softly.
— Did I say something funny? — Viktor asked.
— Yes... — she replied, still laughing. — I think it's funny that you, who know so much, are still just a normal kid, like everyone else.
Viktor raised an eyebrow.
— First, I am a normal kid, and second, what the hell do you mean by that?
Daphne burst into full-throated laughter again, covering her mouth with her hand.
— Viktor, I think you finally broke her, — Hermione whispered, utterly confused.
Viktor shrugged.
— No, she's fine. She just knows something I don't, so she's happy. Don't interrupt her, let her enjoy the moment.
Daphne stopped laughing, wiped away her tears, and asked:
— Viktor, do you really believe that if a wizard uses dark magic, they become evil?
Viktor looked at her in surprise.
— Well, yeah. Even Snape warned me to be careful in the Restricted Section.
— Listen, — Daphne looked at both of them, — those are just tall tales that adults tell children so they don't mess around with dark magic. My family has used this kind of magic for centuries, but we're not considered dark wizards.
Hermione frowned.
— But Ron said that only dark wizards use dark magic.
— Ha-ha-ha-ha! — Daphne laughed again. — Weasley should be more careful with his words. I heard that before his mother got married, she was a very talented witch and often used magic that wasn't exactly 'white.'
Viktor fell into thought, and a film frame flashed in his mind. He remembered the furious Molly Weasley, whose pain from losing her son transformed into incredible power. With a scream of "Not my daughter, you bitch!" she easily killed Bellatrix Lestrange.
At the time, Viktor was amazed: how could an ordinary housewife, who was described as quiet and caring, defeat one of the most powerful and loyal Death Eaters? But now, after Daphne's words, everything fell into place. He understood: she won by using some powerful dark spell.
Hermione frowned, trying to process everything. Viktor, seeing her racking her brain, decided to explain it more clearly for her.
— Hermione, Daphne means that dark magic is like a weapon from the human world. Every self-respecting gangster has a gun, but that doesn't mean the gun turns everyone into a gangster. Police, soldiers, and security guards also use weapons.
Daphne nodded, confirming his words.
— Yes, Mom even said that during the fight against You-Know-Who, the Ministry gave Aurors the authority to use the Unforgivable Curses on captured Death Eaters.
Viktor pouted, walked up to Daphne, and flicked her on the forehead. Daphne clutched her forehead.
— What was that for? — she asked.
— Why didn't you tell me this before?! — Viktor replied. — I wasted so much time in there because of Snape's warnings, trying to find something useful but not too dangerous. Now I'll have to go back again.
Hearing him, they both exclaimed in unison:
— No, don't!
Viktor raised a hand, calming them down.
— Don't panic. I've learned from my previous mistakes, so I'll only go there at night.
Hermione frowned.
— So, after breaking a school rule by entering the Restricted Section, you've decided to do it again, and at night, no less?
Viktor smirked:
— And who am I hearing this from? Isn't it the one who was recently punished for walking around at night?
Hermione pouted.
— That was for a good reason!
Viktor nodded.
— Yes, of course, asking Hagrid a question could not have been done during the day.
Hermione wanted to find an excuse but couldn't. Giving up, she just sighed.
— Fine, do what you want. I have to go, — she stood in front of Viktor and held out her hands.
Viktor raised an eyebrow and stared at her, but then he shook his head and handed her his diary. Hermione took it with a smile.
— Thank you, — she turned and left.
Daphne watched with envy as Hermione took the diary away.
— Why did you even write something like that? — she asked Viktor.
He thought for a moment, and memories flashed in his mind.
— What if we ended up in some cinematic universe? You know, like in fan fiction. That would explain our superpowers, — Viktor number 2 asked with shining eyes.
Viktor, who was lying on the bed and trying hard to lift a mug with his mind, looked at him in surprise.
— Well, where do you think we ended up?
— Let's see... mmm... oh, I know! We're in Marvel! Our adoptive parents are from Hydra. After its collapse, they took us in because they already knew about our abilities.
— I don't know, it looks more like we're in X-Men, and we're mutants.
— No, then they wouldn't have locked us up in a mental institution for our story! — Suddenly, Viktor number 2 shrieked. — A-a-a-a! I get it!
Viktor frowned in annoyance.
— Can you stop yelling? So, what did you figure out?
Viktor number 2 smiled widely.
— We're in a mental institution.
Viktor looked at him like he was an idiot.
— Are you stupid? We already... — His eyes widened. — Oh, I get it. You mean like in Shutter Island? And we're actually just crazy people who think we're sane?
— Yes! In reality, we're just two insane twins, — Viktor number 2 nodded triumphantly.
He thought for a moment and asked, — So, are you a real person too?
Viktor number 2 nodded. Viktor jumped off the bed, stretched, and sighed.
— I don't know... I liked the Marvel idea better.
— Well, now we know which twin is incurably insane, — Viktor number 2 concluded.
Viktor frowned indignantly.
— And why am I the one who has to be incurably insane?
— Well, think about it, — Viktor number 2 explained. — There has to be some kind of plot progression. I think one of the twins will recover and take care of the other for the rest of his life.
— And why do I have to be the one who stays crazy?
— Who else? It's not me who believes I have telekinesis and dreams of getting into Marvel.
— Hm, fair point, — Viktor agreed.
Thinking, he walked over to the nightstand, took out a clean diary he had stolen from one of the doctors, and sat down at the table.
— What are you doing? — Viktor number 2 asked.
— Well, knowing you, you won't take care of me for long and will get rid of me at the first opportunity. So I'm writing down how to properly care for me for the next institution I end up in.
— Oh! "Instructions for Viktor"! — Viktor number 2 exclaimed.
— "Instructions for Viktor"? That's a good title, — Viktor wrote the title down. — Wait, are you really going to abandon me if you get better?
— Well, yeah, — Viktor number 2 replied casually. — I'm still young, I have my whole life ahead of me. At first, out of emotion, I would take you, of course, but then, when I get tired, I'll definitely get rid of you. Maybe even stage some kind of accident. Like: "My God, I was so careless, I didn't even notice my crazy brother went to take a bath with a plugged-in hairdryer." — He theatrically wiped away tears.
Viktor thought about it and nodded.
— Well, I guess I'd do the same. — Then he clapped his hands with a smile. — Alright, let's begin. Point one: "What to do if Viktor is sleeping..."
Viktor snapped out of his memories and smiled.
— I was just bored.
Daphne gave him a strange look, then, sighing, asked:
— Sometimes I just want to crack your head open to understand what's going on in there.
Viktor laughed, patted her on the shoulder, and as he walked away, he added:
— Good luck. My brain is a mystery even to me. If you can figure it out, I'll be grateful.
Daphne just stood there, watching him leave.
After reaching his room, Viktor sank onto his bed and began to think about Daphne's words. If using dark spells doesn't affect a wizard, what's stopping him from mastering something truly powerful? For example, the three Unforgivable Curses.
Suddenly, scenes from the movie flashed in his memory. Death Eaters transforming into wisps of black smoke and moving from place to place with incredible speed. Viktor immediately wanted to learn how to do that too. But looking like a dark wizard was not part of his plan. And then it hit him.
He smiled, looking at the ceiling. What if he changed the color? Made the smoke not black, but white, like black and white—yin and yang. Although, if he can change the color, he could do something more interesting. His eyes lit up.
— I'm going to be Crowley, — he said with a wide smile on his face.