Counter-Curse and Compound Magic

As the lesson began, Quirrell tossed out a question: "Vizet, do you understand what a 'Counter-Curse' is?"

"Counter-Curse?" Vizet recalled the books he had read. "There's a Universal Counter-Curse in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Two."

Some time ago, Professor McGonagall had also used this spell to dispel the effects of the Engorgement Charm, leaving a deep impression on him.

Quirrell smiled in satisfaction. "That's enough! The Universal Counter-Curse is a representative example of a 'Counter-Curse.' In theory, it can counter every spell in The Standard Book of Spells."

"It's called the Universal Counter-Curse, so naturally it's extremely versatile," he explained. "The more spells from The Standard Book of Spells you completely master, the more types of magic you'll be able to counter."

"The Universal Counter-Curse is like a master key. It can always open the 'lock.' To deal with the widespread use of this magic, wizards developed Compound Magic."

"Replace it with a more complicated 'lock,' combine various types of magic and link them together—that's the basic concept behind Compound Magic."

"I see!" Vizet suddenly understood. "It's like drawing a picture. If you combine all sorts of shapes, you'll get an intricate design."

"Excellent analogy!" Quirrell praised him. "Now that you understand the basic concept, it's time to officially begin studying the Affliction Curse."

He summoned a quill and writing board with a wave of his hand. As he organized the principles behind the Affliction Curse, the quill automatically converted the key points into words and wrote them on the board.

As a type of Compound Magic, the Affliction Curse combined quite a few evil curses and Poison Curses.

The evil curses and Poison Curses were linked together one after another, forming the most powerful curse. It gave one the feeling of a quantitative change leading to a qualitative change.

During the lesson, Vizet realized that Quirrell was far from simple. His theoretical foundation was extremely solid, and even obscure material could be explained in simple words.

It seemed that his experiences during Summer Vacation had affected him too deeply, causing the students to develop a distorted perception of him.

Quirrell's voice grew even hoarser. "Vizet, don't you have another class this afternoon?"

"That's right!" Vizet nodded. "I have a Transfiguration class this afternoon."

"Then let's stop here for today!" Quirrell's tone held a hint of regret. "If you have time, you can find these books and read them."

He flicked his fingers, and a freshly inked note flew toward Vizet.

Vizet read the book titles aloud. "A Guide to Medieval Witchcraft, The Mad Magic of the Weird Wizard, The Poison-on-Poison Collection?"

"It's missing a signature!" Quirrell pulled the note back and signed his name. "The originals of these books are all in the Restricted Section. Without a professor's signature, Madam Pince won't let you in."

He handed the note back to Vizet. "Give it to Madam Pince. She'll understand."

"Professor Quirrell, thank you so much for sacrificing your lunch break!" Vizet carefully put away the note and offered his heartfelt thanks.

A noticeable flush appeared on Quirrell's pale face.

He waved his hands repeatedly and said in a raised voice, "I'm a professor! It's my duty!"

"But... do you really think I taught well?" he asked tentatively, his expression somewhat unsure.

"Of course I do!" Vizet nodded emphatically. "At my age, I probably wouldn't have had any chance to come into contact with this material."

"Even if I had, understanding it would have been extremely difficult. Without your step-by-step guidance, I probably wouldn't have been able to master this knowledge."

"That's wonderful!" Quirrell laughed sincerely. "Then I'll give you a little assignment..."

"Summarize the evil curses I taught you today and combine them into a phrase that you think is appropriate and flows smoothly when spoken."

Vizet thought of the contents of his notes. "Could this be the structure of Compound Magic?"

"Looks like you really did understand it!" Quirrell smiled even more brightly. "That's right! That's precisely the purpose of the assignment."

"All right." Vizet nodded repeatedly. "I'll complete it diligently."

"Good..." Quirrell began to say something, but a sudden, excruciating pain struck the back of his head. "Tsk!"

To keep his contorted expression from being seen, he immediately turned around and desperately restrained his trembling body.

Voldemort had awakened. He didn't want Vizet to discover his secret.

Vizet noticed something was wrong and pressed him. "Professor Quirrell, are you all right?"

Quirrell waved his hands repeatedly, forcing the words through clenched teeth. "You... should go back! Come again... at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon!"

"All right. Please be sure to take care of yourself!" Vizet set down a Chocolate Frog, then exhaled softly. "Professor Quirrell, you really did teach well! Keep it up!"

The door closed, leaving only Quirrell's painful gasps in the office.

Whether from pain or relief, Quirrell shed two streams of murky tears.

He walked to the mirror again, pulled off the Cloth Strip on his head, and revealed Voldemort's snake-like face.

"Quirinus... it seems you still haven't corrected your attitude!" Voldemort's voice was full of mockery. "Crying? Were you moved by someone telling you 'you're very good'? Or was it because of a piece of candy?"

"Don't be so naive! He praised you only because I granted you the secrets of the Affliction Curse! Without me, you wouldn't be able to accomplish anything at all. Understand?"

Quirrell realized something, and his body trembled violently.

He wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes and said respectfully, "Yes... my Lord! I understand!"

"Hmm." Voldemort responded with satisfaction. "How far have you gotten?"

Quirrell hurriedly replied, "I introduced him to the basic concepts of Compound Magic and let him see the evil curses and Poison Curses it requires."

"Hmm?" Doubt colored Voldemort's tone. "Quirinus... I don't believe that's what I told you to do, is it? I told you to have him master the Affliction Curse as soon as possible!"

"Uh..." Quirrell endured the agony in his head and struggled to ask, "But if we do that... he'll be eroded by the curse!"

"You're worried about the Obscurial being eroded by the curse?" Voldemort let out a strange laugh. "Have you forgotten what an Obscurus is? He was born to be a Dark Wizard!"

"The Obscurus itself is the ultimate curse! I'm excavating his potential, excavating that one-in-ten-thousand Obscurus talent!"

"Is that so?" Quirrell knelt on the ground, panting heavily as sweat soaked through his robes. "My Lord... are you planning to cultivate him?"

Another violent headache struck, and Voldemort's contemptuous voice rang in his ears. "Quirinus, I don't need to explain anything to you! Just focus on doing your own job!"

"Continue observing that Harry Potter and find what truly sets him apart. The same goes for that Obscurial. Have him cast the Affliction Curse as soon as possible, rather than master this magic. Understand?"

"Also... find time to enter the room on the Fourth Floor and see what's inside! You've only acted once, on the night the school year began. Your efficiency is far too low!"

Quirrell painfully closed his eyes and said respectfully, "Yes... my Lord!"