Evolutionary Direction of the Confundus Charm

"Master, I, I today..."

Inside the tightly shut Defense Against the Dark Arts office, Quirrell had already removed his turban and was trembling nervously, his expression suggesting he might burst into tears at any second.

"I have already told you, this is not your fault."

The pale face on the back of his head spoke in a soft, comforting whisper: "Since you have taken the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, you must fulfill your duties without reservation and with all your might. You cannot show the slightest flaw that might allow Dumbledore to see through you."

"Remember, the ultimate goal is to obtain the Philosopher's Stone. The process in between is of no importance—whether it is infiltrating Gringotts or cursing dark wizards... Once you present the Philosopher's Stone to me and allow me to regain my body, you will receive glory and rewards beyond your imagination..."

Under his comfort and encouragement, Quirrell seemed to relax significantly: "I will certainly fulfill your expectations, Master!"

"That is my good servant."

Knock, knock, knock.

"Professor Quirrell, are you in? I have a question I would like to ask you..."

The office door was knocked upon without warning, followed by a vague, young voice—this nearly startled Quirrell out of his skin. He waved his wand swiftly, causing the turban to once again shroud Voldemort's face: "What should I do? Master?"

"Naturally, explain it to him like a professor, then send him away." Voldemort said with some impatience: "Must I teach you even this?"

"Yes... yes..."

Quirrell raised his wand and flicked it, opening the office door. Upon seeing the student standing behind it, he squeezed out a smile: "Ah, K, Mr. K, what can I do for you?"

"Professor,"

Avada pulled the door shut behind him and placed a piece of parchment on the desk: "It's like this. While previewing the second-year textbook, I discovered an interesting spell between a jinx and a standard charm called the 'Confundus Charm'. It can misalign the subject's senses to achieve some peculiar effects..."

"Y-yes, that is correct." Quirrell nodded with a dry laugh.

"Then, I studied this spell carefully and found that it seems to have some room for improvement. Afterward, I went to the library to look up information on other spells similar to the Confundus Charm. By referencing the Obliviate charm and some simple minor illusions, I summarized this..."

He pushed the parchment on the desk toward Quirrell: "According to my deductions, if the Confundus Charm were improved to its limit in this direction, it seems it would produce a very terrifying... no, I should say a very peculiar effect. But didn't you say in class that some jinxes, if improved further, gradually become Dark Magic? So I wanted to come and confirm it with you."

"Very well, let me see..."

Quirrell picked up the parchment and read it in a distracted manner, while Avada, seizing this opportunity, began to operate Occlumency while desperately attempting to analyze the mutated spiritual structure of Voldemort.

To analyze this mass of spiritual energy, I must start with four stages and analyze them one by one: from the structure of a normal person's spiritual energy, to the damage caused by Dark Magic erosion, then to the mutations triggered by certain magical transformations, and finally the damage from a split soul... Only by peeling the cocoon layer by layer like this can I finally complete the analysis of the entire structure.

The most basic structural framework is still the human mind; that hasn't changed. The parts for memory, thought, and emotion are all there, but the emotional part is severely damaged, especially the positive emotions... There is also a certain degree of damage to the thinking aspect.

I don't have many samples of Dark Magic erosion; this part will require more effort...

The structure here is very similar to Professor Baker, it must be a mutation brought about by soul splitting... but it is more complex and more unstable. After all, he split his own soul into seven pieces...

My previous guess was wrong; his spiritual structure bears no resemblance to a ghost. Now I have even fewer samples...

Damn it, the amount of information is too large. Even after drinking the Wit-Sharpening Potion bought in Diagon Alley in advance, my brain is still not enough; both memory and calculation are failing. And now, I probably won't be able to squeeze out time to analyze the Diadem or research talent optimization...

While he was desperately analyzing, Quirrell was looking at the parchment he had brought, and a few drops of cold sweat began to seep out on his forehead involuntarily. There was no helping it; the content on this page was truly astonishing...

"What is it, Quirrell?"

Voldemort's voice rang directly in his mind: "I sense that you seem very shocked. What did that student show you?"

"Master, you, you look..."

Quirrell tremblingly shared his vision with Voldemort: "This second-year student has independently, independently researched the prototype of the Imperius Curse!"

That was correct. What Avada used to attract Quirrell's attention was precisely the result he had obtained from the Diadem in the previous school year—the prototype of the Imperius Curse. He had grafted it onto other principles, using the logic of the Confundus Charm, the Obliviate charm, and other illusionary arts to piece this prototype back together, disguising it as a result he had researched starting from second-year knowledge. It was effectively shooting the arrow first and drawing the target later.

"Oh?"

Voldemort became interested at once and began to read the paper carefully through Quirrell's vision. Avada, noticing that his spiritual energy had begun to change significantly, nervously maintained his Occlumency while struggling to control his facial expressions, taking the opportunity to memorize more dynamic samples...

"Interesting, very interesting..."

"Quirrell, lend your body to me for a moment."

"Yes... yes, Master."

Quirrell suddenly raised his head to look at Avada. The expression on his face was no longer the nervousness from before, but a calm and confident air of certainty: "Can you tell me how you came up with this line of thought?"

Damn it!

The moment Quirrell looked up, Avada stopped his analysis and immediately exerted his Occlumency to the fullest!

Why did Voldemort log in himself?! Is the appeal of this paper of mine really that great?!

At first, he only wanted to pique Quirrell's interest so he wouldn't be repelled, allowing himself more time to observe Voldemort's spiritual energy—now it seemed he hadn't gauged the degree of this "interest" well.

"Ahem."

Avada straightened his expression and faced the person before him with the attitude of a thesis defense: "It is like this. During my research into the Confundus Charm, I discovered..."

As Avada spoke, Quirrell—no, Voldemort—listened intently, occasionally raising questions at key points, which Avada would then explain. For a time, the entire Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom truly became a thesis defense site. Aside from the fact that both the mentor and the student were harboring ulterior motives, it could not have been more perfect.

"A brilliant idea, an exquisite line of thought. Without a doubt, you are a genius, Mr. K."

"You have an exceptionally outstanding talent for the study of spiritual energy. I can tell you in advance that the end point of this line of thought you are pondering is a very powerful magic. If you had been born before this magic was created, you would even be recorded in history books because of this single paper... You can certainly continue researching along this path; it will be of great benefit to you... How about this."

He pulled open a drawer, took out a piece of parchment, wrote something on it, and handed it to Avada: "I recommend you go to the Restricted Section to find a book. The content inside is deeply related to the field you are currently researching; perhaps it can bring you inspiration and insight. This is the authorization slip."

"Go back now. If you have any questions, you are welcome to ask me at any time. I like talented students."

Voldemort, controlling Quirrell's body, sent Avada out with a smile. The moment he locked the door, his expression shifted from calm back to nervousness—Quirrell's consciousness had returned.