"Tell me about the Blood Curse."
Dumbledore said with concern, "It's a rather unusual curse."
"It happened during a hunt. I got too close to Mount Auricino..."
Quirrell began telling the story he had made up long ago. Dumbledore listened patiently, nodding now and then. Only when Quirrell had finished did he speak again.
"May I take a look?" he asked, gazing at Quirrell through his half-moon spectacles.
"Uh... Of course. It would be wonderful if you could lift the curse for me." Quirrell sounded pleasantly surprised.
Voldemort, concealed within the Blood Curse and watching everything from afar, immediately chose to fall dormant, revealing nothing that might give him away.
"I'm not an expert on curses." Dumbledore rose, his floor-length purple robes trailing behind him as he moved. "But I can take a look. Perhaps there's something we can do."
Quirrell nodded repeatedly, but at the same time, he had already activated his Legilimency defenses—not to stop Dumbledore from examining the Blood Curse, of course, but to keep him from seeing his true memories.
"You might feel a little dizzy, but it'll pass quickly," Dumbledore said softly. He waved the Elder Wand twice through the air, then pressed it against Quirrell's head.
It seemed to be a spell similar to Legilimency, but with some difference. At least, it didn't dredge up Quirrell's memories. Instead, the Blood Curse's mark flickered in Quirrell's eyes.
"This Vampire is stronger than I expected." Dumbledore stooped and leaned close to Quirrell's eyes, studying them carefully.
With his free hand, he pulled Quirrell's eyelids apart to reveal more of the Blood Curse's pattern. It resembled a bite, with the upper and lower fangs particularly prominent. An evil aura lay buried deep in Quirrell's eyes.
"It must have been a female Vampire. That's good news, at least."
Whoosh.
The Elder Wand swished again, and the Blood Curse vanished from sight.
"As far as I understand curses, the Blood Curse has taken hold. There's no way to remove it. If anyone could solve this problem... perhaps the person who cursed Defense Against the Dark Arts has a way."
Dumbledore's words made Quirrell shudder. He looked frightened, but gritted his teeth and said nothing.
"Rumor has it that he's in the Forbidden Forest too. You didn't see him?" Dumbledore asked, seemingly offhandedly.
"Do you mean... The Dark Lord?" Quirrell asked, fighting another shiver.
"Voldemort. I prefer to call him that," Dumbledore said, watching Quirrell.
Quirrell shrank back like a startled rabbit, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and didn't cry out. Thanks to his acting teacher's lessons, he did a good job. Dumbledore didn't notice anything amiss.
"I didn't see him... Headmaster, please don't say his name again," Quirrell said.
Dumbledore smiled and didn't press the matter. Instead, he changed the subject.
"Perhaps you could try getting along with that Vampire. Love can soften her heart—and her curse."
As he spoke, Dumbledore looked Quirrell up and down. "It seems you've already started trying."
Quirrell smiled awkwardly and rolled one shoulder, as if he were only just recovering from his fear.
"All right, let's leave that aside," Dumbledore said, ending a topic that made Quirrell uncomfortable. "We should talk about the curriculum."
Quirrell immediately straightened up, looking as if he had prepared himself thoroughly.
"First, I'll increase the practical work," Quirrell said loudly. "My experience in the Forbidden Forest made me realize where I fell short, and showed me the shortcomings in the Defense course too."
Dumbledore nodded, giving Quirrell an encouraging look.
"My lack of skill with defensive and offensive spells made things very difficult for me at first. If I hadn't brought plenty of Potions, I think I might have died out there."
"That sounds like a dangerous journey. Be more careful next time," Dumbledore cautioned him.
"Yes, I will." Quirrell responded, then continued explaining his ideas.
"Second, I'd like to coordinate with the Charms and Herbology professors—and, ideally, Professor Snape as well."
"Charms can be used for defense and offense, while many plants studied in Herbology are themselves sources of danger in places as hazardous as the Forbidden Forest. And Potions... well, they really can save your life."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement.
"Lastly..."
Quirrell's gaze turned to the Sorting Hat, and he looked hesitant.
"Go ahead and tell me what you're thinking. We're discussing ideas, aren't we?" Dumbledore encouraged him.
Quirrell nodded and gathered his thoughts before speaking again.
"Lastly, not all students are suited to fighting head-on... Of course, I don't mean that they're cowardly or anything. It's just..."
Quirrell looked a little embarrassed. People had often mocked him for being timid in the past. Though he had improved a lot, he still wasn't used to talking about something that made him feel ashamed.
"I understand. Please go on." Dumbledore tapped Quirrell's cup with the Elder Wand and refilled it with some more drink, which did a good job of easing Quirrell's embarrassment.
"Thank you." Quirrell let out a long breath. Once he had calmed down, he continued.
Dumbledore nodded slightly, signaling that he didn't need to hurry.
"I think different students should have different ways of fighting." Now that he had calmed down, Quirrell began to lay out his ideas.
"Brave Gryffindors are suited to dueling and fighting head-on. They could even incorporate hand-to-hand combat into their fighting. Their founder wielded a wand in one hand and a longsword in the other."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by the originality of Quirrell's idea.
"Take us Ravenclaws, for example. Most of us have memorized a great many spells while still students, but we lack practical experience. I think we're better suited to winning through cleverness."
"Like your recent trip into the Forbidden Forest?" Dumbledore asked.
"Exactly." Quirrell nodded firmly. "If I hadn't read enough travel journals and prepared thoroughly—especially with Potions—I don't think I would have made it out of the Forbidden Forest."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement.
"As for Slytherins... In my view, their magical power is greater than that of ordinary wizards. Pure-bloods really do have that advantage, so powerful magic suits them better."
Quirrell's words made Dumbledore furrow his brow. He clearly disliked that way of putting it, but in the end, he nodded.
"Most Pure-bloods do have stronger magical signatures than wizards from the Muggle world. But I hope you won't instill that idea in your students," Dumbledore said after some thought.
"Of course I won't. Besides, I'm not a Pure-blood myself, but with constant practice, my magic is no weaker than that of most Pure-blood wizards," Quirrell said proudly.
Dumbledore nodded again, then asked curiously, "And what about Hufflepuffs? Some people think they aren't good enough."
"Teach them a consistent fighting style."
Quirrell answered without hesitation. Clearly, he had thought this through.
"Hufflepuffs aren't as brave as Gryffindors, as clever as Ravenclaws, or as magically powerful as Slytherins, but... they aren't afraid of hardship, and of the four houses, they're the most persistent students."
Dumbledore nodded slowly in agreement.
"Have them find a set fighting style that works for them, then drill it constantly. They don't need too many spells, and they don't have to choose especially powerful ones. As long as the spells are useful and flow well together, that's enough."
Quirrell spoke excitedly. "And with their persistence, I even think that if they keep training like this until graduation, most students from the other houses wouldn't be able to beat them in a sudden fight."
"That's a very clear plan," Dumbledore praised him loudly. "I even think that if it's carried out well, the combat ability of Hogwarts graduates as a whole will improve."
Quirrell was quite excited to hear that. Though the idea had been Voldemort's, Dumbledore's approval still made him feel proud to have been part of it.
"Still, there are some complications..." Dumbledore began slowly, bringing the excited Quirrell back down to earth.
Before you continue