A strange fragrance drifted through the Headmaster's Office. The moment Voldemort stepped inside and took a breath, he felt much more alert.
"What is this?"
Voldemort asked curiously, glancing at Professor McGonagall nearby.
"A kind of potion to perk me up. Snape said I shouldn't drink any more Pepperup Potion, so I switched to this." Dumbledore rubbed his temples.
"Sorry, Headmaster. It must be because of the board members. Are they still giving you trouble? If you can't handle it..."
Before Voldemort could finish, Dumbledore waved a hand to cut him off.
"I can deal with that, but that's not the only problem." He waved a hand again. "Let's not talk about that. Tell me your idea. What kind of obstacle do you want to design?"
"A Troll, Headmaster."
Voldemort didn't press the previous issue. He gave his answer directly—the book had a Troll in it. It was the standard answer.
"A Troll?" Professor McGonagall sounded surprised. She had never expected Voldemort to choose that.
"Why?" Dumbledore asked.
"I thought there'd be fewer professors who chose physical attacks. A Troll would catch them off guard." Voldemort shrugged and offered a completely made-up excuse.
He couldn't imagine why anyone would put in a weakened Troll that even a first-year could defeat. But that was a question for the brainless Quirrell—and Old Bee. He was surely involved, too.
"Good choice. It works well in terms of both strength and appearance." Dumbledore nodded, approving the decision.
Professor McGonagall didn't object either. She had shown the unique trust Dumbledore placed in her, and when Voldemort saw that he didn't object, he figured it was more or less settled.
But he had another idea.
"Actually..."
Voldemort spoke up, drawing both their attention again. "I have a bold idea."
They both looked at him curiously. Dumbledore