Beating the Challenge Ahead of Time

Easter break arrived before they knew it.

Over the past month or so, Skylar had Dobby retrieve the Dragon Egg and the diary for him. He hid the Dragon Egg in a locked cabinet in his dormitory, while he read the diary with great interest.

It turned out that Professor Quirrell had once been a gifted academic, exceptionally well-versed in magical theory. Yet his weak, timid, and nervous nature had often made him the target of bullying and ridicule in Ravenclaw. Dissatisfied with himself and eager to prove his worth, he had gradually developed an interest in the Dark Arts. Deep down, he harbored a desire to make the whole world see him in a new light.

What truly interested Skylar was that, after the end of the 1990 school year, Quirrell had resigned from his post as Professor of Muggle Studies. Using the excuse of gaining firsthand practical experience, he had embarked on an adventure across Europe and Africa.

In truth, his real purpose had been to seek out traces of dark wizards—partly out of curiosity, and partly due to his longing to be recognized as someone important. At the very least, Quirrell had imagined himself becoming the man who tracked down Voldemort. Better still, perhaps he could learn from Voldemort the means to ensure he would never be mocked again.

In Germany's Black Forest, he had encountered Vampires and Hags—evil witches with faces covered in warts who loved eating children—and gotten himself into some trouble. He had also helped a prince in Africa deal with a troublesome Zombie. So all of that had actually been true. Skylar clicked his tongue in amazement, recalling that in his previous life, most readers had believed those stories were merely inventions of Quirrell's.

The diary described in painstaking detail everything he had seen and experienced during his travels throughout Europe and Africa. This further proved that Quirrell was a sensitive, reserved, introverted man who liked putting his thoughts into writing.

The diary abruptly ended after he learned by chance that Voldemort's lingering soul was likely haunting the forests of Albania. If nothing unexpected had happened afterward, Quirrell must have truly encountered Voldemort and fallen under his control. That was why he could not write about that part—and did not dare to.

However, several of the final pages contained fragmented, disjointed notes. Skylar had a feeling they would prove extremely useful, so he summoned every ounce of patience he had and slowly sorted through and rearranged them, trying to restore them to their original form.

Thanks to the deciphering skills and patience he had developed in his previous life, Skylar's efforts were finally rewarded. Before Easter break arrived, he successfully reconstructed the scattered notes—this was the first skill Quirrell had learned from Voldemort.

When Quirrell had encountered Voldemort, Voldemort had been extremely weak. In his condition at the time, he had been unable to do anything to Quirrell. He could only offer Quirrell a few small favors first, then lure him into the abyss of corruption with the temptation of greater power.

This skill was Voldemort's Spellcasting Technique. Skilled wizards all mastered certain unique spellcasting methods. Back when Dumbledore had still been a student, he had already created his own personal spellcasting technique and won the Barnabas Finkley Award for Exceptional Spellcasting Technique with it.

A powerful spellcasting technique not only made casting smoother, but also reduced magical energy consumption by improving the precision of one's magical control.

After spending two days mastering the technique, Skylar could not help marveling that it truly was a spellcasting technique created by Voldemort. Using it, Skylar could cast two spells in rapid succession in a single instant. At the same time, he found that his casting had become as smooth as flowing clouds and running water, far more natural and effortless than before. In certain situations, if he needed to cast combinations of multiple spells, this technique would shine brilliantly.

[Voldemort's Spellcasting Technique learned!]

Unfortunately, Quirrell's diary recorded no further skills he had learned from Voldemort. Apparently, Quirrell had shaken hands with Harry at the Leaky Cauldron before the school year began. Skylar guessed that after the break-in at Gringotts, Voldemort had possessed Quirrell, leaving him too afraid to casually record his experiences and thoughts in the diary again.

At one in the morning that night, Skylar met Daphne and Meredith in the Slytherin Common Room.

Daphne could not help asking, "Skylar, lack of sleep is a woman's greatest enemy. Why did you call us out in the middle of the night?"

Skylar replied mysteriously, "Do you remember what the Headmaster said on the first day of school?"

Meredith frowned. "You mean..."

Skylar cleared his throat. "The forbidden area on the fourth-floor corridor. Professor Dumbledore said that anyone who did not wish to die a painful and unexpected death should stay away from it. I've already looked into it. Several professors set up challenges there to keep students from entering. So, what do you say? Interested in an adventure? We can also take the chance to test how well the two of you perform in actual magical combat."

The moment Daphne heard the word adventure, she became so excited that she wanted to set off at once. Meredith was more cautious. She hesitated before saying, "We're sneaking out this late, and we're going into an expressly forbidden area. What if Filch or one of the professors catches us?"

Skylar smiled. "Don't worry. I prepared for that a long time ago." As he spoke, he lightly tapped Daphne on the head with his wand. Her whole body shuddered, and she discovered in shock that her body had blended into her surroundings.

Meredith, as the daughter of a prominent family, was quite well-informed. Her expression immediately turned astonished. "My goodness, you've already mastered the Disillusionment Charm? That's an Auror-level spell!"

Skylar gave a confident smile. "I've tested this spell on rats plenty of times. Other than Professor Dumbledore, I'm confident I can fool any other professor at Hogwarts." He then cast a Silencing Charm on Daphne as well, ensuring that she would make no sound when she walked.

This was a spell at the level of a fifth-year student, but after seeing the Disillusionment Charm, Daphne and Meredith were no longer surprised.

Having witnessed Skylar's abilities, the two girls were filled with confidence in this adventure. Yet they also felt a heavy pressure in their hearts. Skylar's performance was simply too outstanding.

Both girls came from prominent families and had been taught from childhood to uphold their family's honor. Their future marriage partners were especially important. If they could find a partner with both an illustrious background and exceptional talent, it would bring tremendous benefits to both themselves and their families.

Skylar before them perfectly matched their requirements—he was from the wealthy and powerful House of Malfoy, possessed extraordinary and rare magical talent, and had a handsome appearance and a gentle, refined temperament. He was practically the perfect man from a dream.

The only problem was that they might not be worthy of him. Setting aside family background, Skylar's demonstrated talent and potential alone showed that he was no ordinary person. From the way he conducted himself, it was not difficult to infer that Skylar was a man of great ambition, someone destined to accomplish great things.

If that was the case, then his future lawful wife would also need talent and fame worthy of his status. Neither girl was foolish. In fact, they were far more mature and perceptive than boys in such matters. They understood each other's thoughts as clearly as if reflected in a mirror. Though their friendship remained unchanged, that did not stop them from secretly competing with one another. Even if the two of them truly ended up sharing one husband someday, neither would give up the position of lawful wife.

Skylar knew absolutely nothing of the girls' private thoughts. Neither the Skylar of his previous life nor the Skylar of this one was particularly adept at matters of the heart. In his previous life, he had been absorbed in adventures all over the world and had never found a sincere, lasting relationship. In this life, he spent most of his time building his strength and making plans.

After placing a Disillusionment Charm and Silencing Charm on all three of them, Skylar led them through the dim, unlit corridors to the end of the fourth-floor forbidden corridor.

Skylar pulled a music box purchased in the Muggle world from his pocket. He had also duplicated several more music boxes and handed them to the two girls. Daphne and Meredith looked completely bewildered, unable to understand what was going on.

Skylar wound the spring, and the music box began playing a crisp melody. "The first challenge behind this door is a Three-headed Dog Hagrid imported from Greece. It's an extremely dangerous beast, with combat strength comparable to that of a dragon. Wizards often tame them to guard vault entrances. A Three-headed Dog can only be defeated by more than five adult wizards, but it has one little-known weakness—it cannot resist music. The moment it hears music, it falls asleep. This music box can last around twenty to thirty seconds. Later, take turns winding the spring to keep the music playing and the Three-headed Dog asleep."

Once the girls nodded to show that they understood, Skylar arranged their order, then took out his wand and tapped the lock. In a low voice, he said, "Alohomora!" With a click, the lock opened.

As the door creaked open, no deep barking reached their ears. The instant the music box began playing, the great dog's eyes started drooping. It swayed unsteadily a few times before quickly collapsing onto the floor and falling into a deep sleep.

"See that trapdoor behind the Three-headed Dog? Open it, quickly." Skylar began directing the girls. "Remember, don't let the music stop. I have no desire to be torn to pieces."

As the two girls nervously approached the three enormous heads, they could feel the hot, foul breath pouring from the dog's mouths. Daphne frowned slightly. "Ah, its body is pressing down on the trapdoor."

An idea suddenly struck Meredith. She used the Levitation Charm they had learned in class to move the Three-headed Dog's body off the trapdoor, then bent down and pulled the ring on it. The door swung open at once, revealing a pitch-black hole below. A proud smile appeared on her face.

Skylar nodded in satisfaction, signaling for the girls to take turns winding the springs on their music boxes. He then looked between them and asked, "We can't see anything below, and there's no ladder. We'll have to jump straight down. Who's going first?"

Clear hesitation appeared on Meredith's face. The dark passage below gave her very little sense of security. While she was still undecided, Daphne gritted her teeth and said, "I'll go first." She was about to leap down when Skylar stopped her.

"Having the courage to face the unknown is a good thing, but recklessness is another matter. In this situation, it would be best to cast a Cushioning Charm on yourself before jumping. I'm sure you know it, right?" Skylar stared at Daphne. Daphne let out a breath of relief and nodded. Though she was not as capable as Skylar, she had already mastered quite a few spells for a first-year student, and the Cushioning Charm happened to be one of them.

After Daphne jumped down, there was a strange, muffled impact as she landed on something soft. She groped around, her eyes still not adjusted to the dimness. She only felt as though she were sitting atop some kind of plant, then called up toward the opening, "No problem! It's a soft landing! You can jump!"

After Skylar jumped down, Meredith followed. Only the music boxes above remained, still playing, though the music would soon stop and the sleeping Three-headed Dog would eventually awaken.

Though Devil's Snare awaited below to cushion their fall, Skylar had no desire to plunge headfirst into it. He cast the Cushioning Charm and abruptly slammed on the brakes in midair, stopping himself forcefully in the air. Seeing this, Meredith followed his example, casting a Cushioning Charm on herself. She hovered beside Skylar before drifting slowly downward like a feather.

Skylar pointed at the plant on the ground and asked, "Take a look at this plant. Do you recognize it?"

Meredith thought for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something. She said in surprise, "It's Devil's Snare!"

At that moment, the Devil's Snare began winding around all three of their legs. Daphne desperately tried to tear the vines off her body, but the more she struggled, the faster and tighter they wrapped around her. Meredith hurriedly stopped her. "Don't struggle. The more you struggle, the tighter Devil's Snare will bind you." She pondered hard for a while longer before saying, "Devil's Snare likes darkness and dampness. It fears fire and light."

The three of them used the Fire-Making Spell to drive away the Devil's Snare. Looking rather disheveled, Daphne said irritably, "Were you two deliberately watching me make a fool of myself? If you knew how to deal with it, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Skylar flashed an infuriating grin. "Didn't I say it already? These challenges are meant to test whether you can flexibly apply what you usually learn in real combat, rather than merely use it to answer exam questions. Besides that, I think it's important to train your ability to remain calm and think clearly under all kinds of circumstances. If you had thought calmly just now, you would have realized that this challenge was really only at a first-year level."