Breaking Curses and Composite Magic

At the start of the lesson, Quirrell threw out a question. "Wizet, do you know anything about so-called 'counter-spells'?"

"Counter-spells?" Wizet recalled the books he had read. "There's a General Counter-Spell in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2."

Some time ago, Professor McGonagall had also used that spell to remove the effects of Engorgio, leaving a deep impression on him.

Quirrell smiled in relief. "That's enough! The General Counter-Spell is a representative 'counter-spell.' In theory, it can break all the magic in The Standard Book of Spells."

"It's called the General Counter-Spell, so naturally it's extremely versatile," he explained. "However much of The Standard Book of Spells you can fully master, that's how many kinds of magic you can break."

"The General Counter-Spell is like a master key. It can always open the 'lock.' To deal with the spread of this magic, wizards researched compound magic."

"Replace it with a more complicated 'lock,' combine and link all kinds of magic together—that is the basic concept of compound magic."

"So that's how it is!" Wizet suddenly understood. "It's like drawing. When you combine all kinds of shapes together, you get a complex pattern."

"A very excellent comparison!" Quirrell praised. "Since you understand the basic concept, it's time to formally begin learning the Chronic Curse."

He waved over a quill and a writing board. As he sorted out the principles of the Chronic Curse, the quill automatically turned the key points into words and wrote them on the board.

As a compound magic, the Chronic Curse combined quite a few jinxes and hexes.

It linked jinxes and hexes ring by ring, then formed them into the most powerful curse. It rather had the feeling of quantitative change leading to qualitative change.

During the lesson, Wizet discovered that Quirrell was not simple. His theory was extremely solid, and even obscure content could be expressed in simple words.

It seemed the summer trip had affected him too deeply, which had caused the students to misjudge him.

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

"That's right!" Wizet nodded. "There's still a Transfiguration Class this afternoon."

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

He flicked his fingers, and a slip of paper with the ink not yet dry flew toward Wizet.

Wizet read out the book titles on it. "Guide to Medieval Sorcery, Mad Magic of the Eccentric Wizard, Collection of Fighting Poison with Poison?"

"It's still missing a signature!" Quirrell drew the slip 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 slip back to Wizet. "Give the slip to Madam Pince, and she'll understand."

"Professor Quirrell, thank you so much for sacrificing your lunch break!" Wizet solemnly put the slip away and thanked him from the bottom of his heart.

An extremely obvious flush appeared on Quirrell's pale face.

He waved his hands again and again, saying in a raised voice, "I'm a professor! This is all what I should do!"

"But... do you really think I teach well?" he asked tentatively, his expression somewhat lacking confidence.

"Of course it's true!" Wizet nodded hard. "At my current age, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to come into contact with this content at all."

"Even if I could come into contact with it, it would probably be very difficult to understand what it means. Without your step-by-step guidance, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to grasp this knowledge."

"That couldn't be better!" Quirrell smiled from the bottom of his heart. "Then I'll assign you a little piece of homework..."

"Summarize and organize the jinxes I taught you today, and combine them into a phrase you think is appropriate and smooth to pronounce."

Wizet thought of the contents in Notebook. "Could this be the composition of compound magic?"

"Looks like you really have mastered it!" Quirrell smiled even more happily. "That's right! That is precisely the purpose of the homework."

"All right." Wizet nodded repeatedly. "I'll definitely complete it carefully."

"Good..." Quirrell opened his mouth, intending to say something, when a sudden sharp pain came from the back of his head. "Hiss!"

To avoid exposing his ferocious expression, he immediately turned around and tried hard to restrain the trembling of his body.

Voldemort had awakened. He did not want Wizet to discover his secret.

Wizet sensed something wrong and pressed, "Professor Quirrell, are you all right?"

Quirrell waved his hand repeatedly, his voice forced out through the gaps between his teeth. "You... go back! Saturday... come again at two o'clock Saturday afternoon!"

"All right. Please make sure to take care of yourself!" Wizet set down a Chocolate Frog, let out a soft breath, and said, "Professor Quirrell, you actually teach very well! Keep it up!"

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

Whether from pain or comfort, two lines of turbid tears ran down Quirrell's face.

He walked to the mirror again, tore off the cloth strips 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. "Shedding tears? Were you moved by one sentence of 'you're good'? Or because of a piece of candy?"

"Don't be so naive! He praised you only because I bestowed upon you the secrets of the Chronic Curse! Without me, you couldn't do anything at all. Do you understand?"

Quirrell realized something, and his body trembled violently.

He wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes and said with the utmost respect, "Yes... Master! I understand!"

"Mm." Voldemort responded in satisfaction. "How far have you taught him?"

Quirrell hurriedly said, "I took him through the basic concept of compound magic, and also showed him the jinxes and hexes that need to be used."

"Mm?" Voldemort's tone was questioning. "Quirinus... I don't seem to have told you to do that, did I? I told you to have him master the Chronic Curse as quickly as possible!"

"Uh..." Quirrell endured the severe pain in his skull and struggled to ask, "But like that... he'll be eroded by the curse!"

"Are you worried that the Obscurial is being eroded by the curse?" Voldemort gave a strange laugh. "Have you forgotten what an Obscurus is? He was born a dark wizard!"

"The Obscurus itself is the ultimate curse! I am digging out his potential, digging out that one-in-ten-thousand Obscurus talent!"

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

Another violent headache struck, and Voldemort's contemptuous voice rang by his ear. "Quirinus, I do not need to explain anything to you! Just do your own job!"

"Keep observing that Harry Potter and find out what truly makes him exceptional. And that Obscurial too—make him cast the Chronic Curse as soon as possible, not master the magic. Do you understand?"

"Also... find a time to enter that room on the fourth floor and see what exactly is inside! You only acted once on the night school began. Your efficiency is truly far too low!"

Quirrell closed his eyes in pain and said with utmost respect, "Yes... my master!"