“And I knew that there was some dark corner of me that would enjoy using magic for killing—and then long for more. That was black magic, and it was easy to use. Easy and fun. Like Legos”

“I didn't want to believe that killing was deep inside of me. I didn't want to think about the part of me that took a dark joy in gathering all the power it could and using it as I saw fit, everything else be damned. There was power to be had in hatred, too, in anger and in lust, in selfishness and in pride. And I knew that there was some dark corner of me that would enjoy using magic for killing—and then long for more. That was black magic, and it was easy to use. Easy and fun. Like Legos.”

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?”

“The price for using dark magic is death, so that goes a long way toward deterring users.”

“There might be a charm in the black arts section of the library, but black earth magic used nasty ingredients—like indispensable people parts—and I wasn’t going to go there.”

“They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer.”