Counter-Curse, Sugar-Coated Bullets

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

"Professor, would you like to teach me this magic?"

When those words popped into his mind, Quirrell was initially stunned.

This, this is, is it Lucien?

Was he using a variant of the Imperius Curse?

Why does Lucien know this Dark Magic, and how did he learn it?

How could he possibly have learned that!

Countless questions exploded in Quirrell's mind; what had just happened was completely outside his plans and expectations!

Quirrell really couldn't understand it. He had spent over ten days, enduring the pain of being corrupted by Dark Magic, to finally master the spell.

How did Lucien learn it?

Did he learn it after hearing it read once?

Are you kidding me!

Quirrell's gaze was unfocused; he truly couldn't understand what had just happened.

"Professor, or is this magic not for teaching purposes...?"

What is this incantation used for?

These words jolted Quirrell back to his senses, and he too noticed the tip of Lucien's wand peeking out from under the sleeve of his right hand.

For some reason, Quirrell recalled his last magical sparring session, and that eerie, maniacal laughter. A sharp pain shot through his head, and he forced a weak smile.

"Yes, it's for teaching purposes."

Lucien stood up, his eyes still devoid of any smile, staring intently at Quirrell:

"Oh, then why not just teach directly? Professor, aren't you giving a lecture?"

"And this magic... well, it feels a bit unusual."

Quirrell broke out in a cold sweat; he didn't know how to answer.

He was also afraid that if he were exposed and his master's plans were ruined, his fate would be...

Overwhelmed by helplessness and fear, Quirrell opened his mouth several times but could not utter a word.

Just as Quirrell saw Lucien put his left hand behind his back and slightly raise his right hand, his expression suddenly changed.

A smile spread across Quirrell's face.

"This is a magic spell I created myself, and it works quite well."

"The requirements for beginners are quite high; at the very least, one must be able to sense the fluctuations when using this magic."

"But unfortunately, I've never met a student who can learn this magic."

After a slight pause, Quirrell looked at Lucien with a hint of surprise and relief.

"I never expected you to have such talent, Lucien! It truly surprises me!"

Seeing Quirrell's change in behavior, Lucien had already witnessed it once, immediately realized what was happening.

Oh, it's Tom logged on again.

I wonder if this frequent possession and talking will hasten his decline?

Sensing magical fluctuations?

The implication is that she was simply testing her talent to see if she could learn the magic.

Tsk tsk, the "surprise" and "gratification" in their eyes are quite convincing.

If it were truly a talented young wizard, they would probably believe this explanation.

They truly believed they were the lucky ones favored by the teacher, geniuses who had passed the teacher's test.

But I'm sorry, I've seen the plot and I know what Quirrell has on the back of his head.

Heh, let's just muddle through for now, and then we'll talk about it when we go have afternoon tea with Dumbledore.

I wonder how Dumbledore will handle this. Does he really have to wait until Harry defeats Voldemort?

"Is that so, Professor? Then what exactly is the effect of this magic?"

Upon hearing this question, Quirrell felt that Lucien had taken the bait and become interested in magic.

"This is a magic spell to improve your focus; it can eliminate distracting thoughts and allow you to concentrate."

The trick is...

Lucien initially thought Tom was talking nonsense, but he didn't intend to expose him.

It's highly likely to be Dark Magic used to influence the mind and control the body; how could it be disguised as magic to improve concentration?

But as the explanation went on, Lucien's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

This sounds like it might actually be feasible?

No, he's not a good person, how could he possibly be testing the students' talents?

Judging from Quirrell's confident demeanor, Lucien had a rough idea of what was going on.

Could this be an application of anti-spells? This Dark Magic was probably developed by Tom.

If normal use controls the mind and body, can reversing this really help improve concentration?

As "Quirrell" finished explaining, Lucien finally confirmed what he had said, and his eyes narrowed involuntarily.

It's true! This Dark Magic really does have a counter-spell, and the syllables chanted are exactly the same, only the order has been adjusted in a few minor details, which are very subtle.

Quirrell smiled and looked at Lucien.

"So, isn't this magic interesting?"

Lucien looked at Quirrell with a serious expression, and couldn't help but admire the other's talent.

Tom is truly extraordinary in his creativity with magic, especially Dark Magic. According to the system's standards, his Dark Magic talent is probably at least SS-level.

His confident demeanor suggested he was certain she would be drawn to this magic and want to learn from him.

"It's truly amazing, Professor. Your mastery of magic is truly admirable."

Upon hearing Lucien's words, Quirrell slightly raised his chin, his expression completely unlike anything Quirrell would normally display.

That pride, that confidence, that domineering air of believing oneself to be unparalleled in the world.

"Lucien, your talent... well, it's excellent, the best I've ever seen."

"So, are you interested in learning from me, learning that magic I just saw, learning real, powerful, and magical magic?"

When he said this, Quirrell's voice suddenly became magnetic, as if making people nod in agreement.

However, Lucien was not affected and simply began to think quickly.

Sure enough, he suggested that I learn from him.

Hehe, learn this magic, learn this Dark Magic?

After learning this, you'll probably need to learn more Dark Magic.

Well, no, at least not openly.

Tom might be crazy, but he's not that stupid.

It seems they plan to do it gradually, mixing some knowledge of Dark Magic into normal magic.

Then, little by little, he led himself into the abyss of Dark Magic.

Tsk, what a sugar-coated bullet.

Candy is edible, but cannonballs...

"Professor, I'm delighted to receive your recognition. It would be my honor to learn more from you!"

As he spoke, Lucien put on a joyful, excited, and slightly shy expression, behaving just like a child who had received the professor's appreciation and recognition.

Ha, it's just acting, anyone can do that.

I didn't hire my own drama Home Tutoring for nothing!

Hearing Lucien's words and observing his performance, Quirrell nodded.

"Very good, let's continue the lesson."

"..."