Blood-Stained, Quirrell

The Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts's office.

"Ahem, ahem, very good, I've finished explaining the details of this magic, ahem..."

Quirrell coughed incessantly and struggled to finish speaking.

His hand, which he used to cover his mouth, appeared very thin, and his skin looked even paler.

Lucien gestured with his wand in the manner of a famous spellcaster, then asked with "concern":

"Professor, you don't seem to be feeling well. Why don't you go to the Hospital Wing to see Madam Pomfrey, or Professor Snape? His potions should be..."

"No, no need, I'll be fine after a while."

Quirrell waved his hands repeatedly, then immediately changed the subject, clearly not wanting to get entangled with anyone more about his health issues.

"This curse Bloody Wounds wounds on the target's surface, and these wounds are difficult to heal, cough cough..."

"So, cough cough, please don't use it on your classmates."

After saying that, Quirrell gave a smile that was hardly more like a grimace.

Lucien faced the practice puppets in the room, waved his wand, and lightly drew an "X" shape starting from the upper left corner.

"Bloody Wounds"

Swish--

More than a dozen crimson blades shot out from the tip of the staff, aiming at the puppet's head, neck, and other parts, respectively, and were driven away.

Almost simultaneously, the sound of cutting rang out, and several cuts of varying depths appeared on the surface of the puppet in an instant.

The wounds from the repeated blows were deeper, and the relatively thin neck was completely severed.

"Sizzle sizzle--"

Lucien narrowed his eyes, watching the red liquid flowing from the blades, causing a slight corrosive sound on the puppet's surface.

It's quite powerful; its direct lethality is sufficient, and it also inflicts a certain amount of poison.

Hmm, but it still feels somewhat lacking.

It seems there's room for improvement.

Seeing Lucien's practice, Quirrell couldn't help but nod, praising him softly:

"Great job, Lucien, your talent is truly extraordinary."

"It's common for beginners to be able to unleash two or three blood blades, but you were able to unleash more than a dozen on your first practice session, and the accuracy was impeccable. That's impressive."

"Professor, you explained it in great detail."

Lucien replied politely, "This isn't flattery; Quirrell's strength is considered elite among adult wizards."

Furthermore, he possesses a solid theoretical foundation and offers insightful explanations and analyses.

"However, Professor, I feel that this spell still has some aspects worth exploring?"

Lucien shared his feelings and speculations.

Quirrell smirked after hearing Lucien's words.

He was right. As a Ravenclaw with exceptional talent, Lucien had an almost instinctive thirst for knowledge.

Quirrell simplified the Dark Magic bestowed upon him by his master to a certain extent, deliberately deleting some content and leaving behind noticeable flaws.

Lucien, who possessed extraordinary talent in Dark Magic, indeed discovered the shortcomings of this spell, just as Quirrell had predicted, and even proposed some ideas for improvement.

After Voldemort's attempt to influence and control Lucien with a variant of the Imperius Curse failed and he was outmaneuvered, he instructed Quirrell to change tactics and instead lure Lucien into learning Dark Magic, hoping to make him sink deeper and deeper into this path, until...

Once Lucien has tasted the sweetness of Dark Magic and wants to delve into more profound and advanced Dark Magic knowledge, he will naturally discover who truly stands at the pinnacle of this path!

Voldemort relished the feeling of making geniuses and the strong submit to him; he wanted Lucien to truly recognize his power and authority.

And Quirrell did exactly that after receiving Voldemort's instructions.

Subtly weave in some knowledge about Dark Magic during regular tutoring sessions, gradually guiding Lucien.

Only recently has Quirrell begun attempting to teach relatively complete Dark Magic.

To Quirrell's great surprise, Lucien did not object!

Lucien's progress in this area of knowledge was so rapid that even Quirrell was astonished.

But after teaching him a few times, Quirrell also ran into trouble.

That is, Lucien learned too fast and too easily!

Having been a student for many years and a former outstanding Ravenclaw graduate, Quirrell knew very well that knowledge that was too easy to grasp often didn't leave a deep impression.

Only through thorough thinking and exploring deeply challenging problems can we stimulate students' interest and motivate them to actively delve into the subject.

Quirrell believes this is even more true for a genius like Lucien.

"Lucien, that's a good question. Keeping your mind active is Ravenclaw virtue."

"That's certainly a wonderful idea. Hmm, perhaps we could give this magic a try..."

Through discussions with Lucien, Quirrell patiently revealed the true nature of this magic little by little.

Try your best to make Lucien feel that this is the result of your hard work and research.

Time slowly passed by--

"Yes, a potion!"

"This magic can not only be used as a simple spell, but it can also be combined with potions!"

Lucien's eyes gleamed with genuine excitement.

This type of complex magic is not common.

Magic itself is naturally rare and precious, but what should be valued even more is the thought process behind it.

Combining spells and potions.

It's not impossible to develop other uses based on this magic.

Lucien took out a small bottle and sprinkled the pale black liquid inside into the air while waving his wand.

This time, however, the wand's trajectory started from the bottom right corner, drawing an "X" shape, and the final stroke was noticeably curved.

"Bloody Wounds"

As the blood-red blade appeared out of thin air, it absorbed the medicinal liquid, causing a black tinge to appear inside the blade.

The area where the puppet was cut during this practice session became stained with the magic potion attached to the Blood Blade. More tiny fragments kept falling to the ground, but they were completely corroded before they even hit the ground.

Seeing this, Quirrell's smile widened even more.

The effects of this potion look pretty ruthless.

Haha, someone who carries around this kind of magic potion doesn't seem like a well-behaved child.

"Lucien, you are truly an amazing young wizard. This is the first time I've ever worked with a student to discover a new application of magic."

Quirrell smiled with great satisfaction, trying his best to appear kind and approachable.

If you ignore his gaunt and battered face.

Lucien also tried to make his eyes appear sincere and earnest, employing acting techniques taught by his drama teacher, mixing a touch of emotion into his technique as he spoke:

"This is all thanks to your patient guidance; your teaching skills are truly..."

While verbally praising the business, they were secretly criticizing it.

Heh, finally willing to hand over the complete magic to me.

No wonder this magic seemed inadequate, or even flawed.

So they were deliberately holding back.

Well, not exactly, Quirrell still taught him.

Teach the incomplete version first, then teach yourself the complete version...

No, the second half is less about teaching and more about guiding oneself.

It's just like a teacher and students researching and discussing problems together.

Why did Quirrell go to such lengths?

To make the learning process less easy?

That means we can teach slower and less.

Hmm, is this creating difficulties for himself?

Lucien glanced at Quirrell, who wore a faint smile, and a hint of satisfaction appeared on his pale face.

If difficulties in the learning process are intentionally created, then...

Was he trying to make a deeper impression of this magic?

Dark Magic...

Wow, they're quite willing to put in the effort.

Continuing to practice his magic, Lucien created vortexes in his eyes and compressed them to their smallest size.

During the inquiry, he quickly used his Eye of Magic Sight to observe Quirrell and examine the Magic Circuit within his body.

Things have changed again.

It's shrinking, it's twisting.

Is this the consequence of being possessed by Voldemort?

Speaking of which, the Magic Circuit belonging to Voldemort that I observed during the Quidditch Match were truly unique and bizarre.

Its Magic Circuit are very different from those of other adult wizards.

Well, Dumbledore different too.

Is this one of the reasons why their strength far surpasses that of ordinary people?

While practicing waving his wand, Lucien asked in a student-like manner:

"Professor, I recently read about the Magic Circuit within a wizard's body in a book..."

Here it is (*,,ºัωºั,,)

After Lucien left the office.

Quirrell looked troubled and asked cautiously:

"Master, Lucien is asking about Magic Circuit, but I don't know much about that..."

A somber, low voice echoed in Quirrell's mind:

"Heh, you piece of trash, of course you don't understand. Magic Circuit are fundamental to wizardry!"

"I knew I wasn't wrong. That kid's thirst for knowledge is something else entirely. No wonder he's Ravenclaw."

The voice in Quirrell's mind paused for a moment, then continued:

"I will bestow upon you some knowledge about Magic Circuit."

"Teach him just a little bit, and once Lucien knows who has imparted the most abundant and valuable knowledge to him over the past year, he will understand who he should follow..."

Quirrell readily agreed, eager to complete his master's task as quickly as possible.

Help Voldemort rebuild his physical body, and then gain freedom of body and soul.

At first, things were fine, but as time went on, Quirrell was horrified to discover that his body, his magic, and even his soul were gradually withering away!

This process is completely unstoppable!

This was completely different from what Voldemort had initially agreed upon, but Quirrell didn't know what to do.

By the time he realized it, his life and death were already in the hands of the remnant soul within his mind.

Therefore, the only option is to speed things up and get Voldemort to achieve his goal as soon as possible.

Quirrell believed that the Dark Lord, who had once brought immense terror, would not care about his weak and mediocre body after regaining his physical form, and that would allow him to get rid of him...

"How's the tracking of those two Unicorn in the Forbidden Forest going?"

Upon hearing Voldemort's sudden question, Quirrell couldn't help but shudder and quickly replied:

"Almost there, almost there, my master. One of them should be female, a pregnant female, it..."

"Very good!"

"Very good, very good..."

Voldemort's voice inexplicably turned cold and harsh, giving Quirrell a headache.

"You've done very well, Quirinus. The unborn Unicorn fetus possesses the purest and cleanest life force."

"That will help me regain more power, Sorcerer's Stone, hahahaha..."

"Once I return to my former glory, I'll make you Minister for Magic. Isn't that your long-held wish? Hahahahahaha..."

Quirrell, enduring the pain, kept agreeing and pandering to Voldemort's fantasies.

But his heart was ice-cold.

Quirrell knew perfectly well that drinking Unicorn Blood could replenish life force and prolong the life of the dying.

But the price is a curse upon the drinker, a curse that will haunt them for the rest of their lives!

That half-dead state is hardly better than death!

Now that Voldemort is only a soul, he naturally cannot drink the Unicorn Blood. So who should drink it...?

On my way to the library.

Lucien heard a clear, crisp call:

"Lucien, I've been waiting for you."

Turning my head, I saw a blonde girl walking towards me from around the corner of the corridor.

Why did Daphne Greengrass contact me?

We chatted a few times at the beginning of last semester, but didn't communicate much afterward.

Why is it happening again right after Christmas?

Asking for Christmas presents?

No, she didn't give herself a gift either.

"Greengrass, is something the matter?"

Lucien wanted to find an excuse to leave quickly, but an intuition made him stay.

Since his experience of becoming Animagus, Lucien has placed even greater emphasis on the book "Inspiration and Divination".

I've been practicing meditation according to the methods in the book for a while now, and it's been very effective.

Daphne walked over to Lucien with her hands behind her back.

"Lucien, you're very popular, not only in your own house, but also in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, you have friends you can talk to, but..."

Why do you only associate with Malfoy in Slytherin?

Upon hearing this unexpected question, Lucien looked at Daphne, completely baffled by the girl's thought process.

Isn't it obvious? He simply didn't want to get involved with those troublesome Slytherin.

Malfoy had proactively brought the books and "friendship fee," and his behavior in class had also been relatively stable.

As for being popular, it's simply because I've helped other classmates with their studies in different classes.

This is a very common occurrence.

At most, it's just that I teach a little better, and they like listening to me.

Why didn't this lead to any interaction with Slytherin?

Lucien remembered that once in Herbology, he was assigned to be with the Slytherin students.

The person was in a flustered state, and Professor Sprout hinted that he should help the student.

Lucien didn't mind at first; it's normal for classmates to help each other.

After hearing Lucien's suggestion, the guy straightened his collar with his muddy hands and said:

"It is your honor to serve Zabini."

Lucien paused for a second upon hearing those words.

This was the first time he had ever heard such words, and it took him a while to process them.

So, the second after hearing those words, Zabini was planted in the ground.

Of course, thanks to his good Home Tutoring, Lucien pulled the thing out under Professor Sprout's astonished gaze.

Ultimately, that class became one of the rare instances where Lucien didn't receive any extra credit.

However, no points were deducted.

Professor Sprout explained to him gently after class that plants can be grown in the soil, but humans cannot.

So Lucien had a pretty deep impression of that class.

Since then, he has become even more determined that it's best not to mess with those Slytherin.

When faced with Daphne's question, Lucien paused for a few seconds, then said quietly:

"Do you know how Slytherin interact with others?"

Daphne simply nodded and quickly replied:

"I know, arrogance, smugness, condescension..."

"He looks down on any wizard weaker or poorer than himself..."

"The dignity and honor of Pure-blood surpasses everything, Muggle-born wizard and Half-blood wizards alike..."

"..."

Listening to Daphne's rambling, Lucien was even more confused about the girl's thought process.

Doesn't this child understand perfectly?

However, as she spoke, Daphne suddenly paused, pointing a finger at herself.

"I know it very well, because I'm that kind of person too."

Lucien's gaze remained calm as he observed the girl's composed demeanor.

So, what exactly are you trying to say?

Daphne smiled politely and elegantly.

"Lucien, I already know from Draco."

"I want to communicate with you honestly, and I shouldn't face you with deception and lies, so..."

Daphne extended her hand from behind her back and handed the book to Lucien, her smile widening.

Are you satisfied with my tuition fee?

"Mr. Grafton?"