Kane's Wonderful Tentacle Room

Dumbledore saw Kane about to knock on the door and reached out to stop him.

"Aren't you going to prepare some backup plans? I mean, what if Professor Quirrell doesn't intend to let you leave so easily?"

Kane paused mid-knock. "So you brought me here directly because you wanted me to hurry up?"

"I merely wanted you to familiarize yourself with the way here. Although I don't think Professor Quirrell is very likely to tear off the mask, what if he does?"

With that, Dumbledore left, handing the choice over to Kane.

And Kane... naturally took good advice to heart. He hurried back to his dormitory and quickly handcrafted a set of Panpipes from the Mandrake he had just acquired.

But these Panpipes were somewhat different from what he had imagined. Or rather, they came with an additional... special method of use.

Besides the tangible Panpipes he could touch, the Spirit Particle Disintegrator had also produced a spellbook for him.

The moment Kane opened that spellbook, before he even had time to read it, a string of complex knowledge suddenly flooded his mind, teaching him how to use a wand and magic to create the same hypnotic effect as playing the Panpipes.

He waved his wand to test it. As it glided through the air like a conductor's baton, an absurd and eerie sound emerged from some unknown corner. By the windowsill, Kane's Hujin and Harry's Hedwig immediately curled up and fell soundly asleep.

Ron's Owl, however, escaped unharmed, because Ron was the only one in the dormitory with family, and his Owl was the only one that needed to deliver letters home.

"Hmm, surprisingly practical." Kane stuffed both the Panpipes and his wand into his pocket, picked up the Feathered Hat, and headed toward Professor Quirrell's office.

In Quirrell's office, he faced a mirror. Reflected within it was an utterly pale, noseless, hideous face.

This was his daily routine. Voldemort would first explain magical knowledge to Professor Quirrell, then speak of his grand ambitions. Once that was over, they would discuss the detailed plans and preparations for stealing the Philosopher's Stone.

Finally, it would end with ten minutes of Voldemort's exclusive PUA package.

But today, the atmosphere between mirror and man was somewhat delicate. Voldemort was not a good-tempered person. On the contrary, in order to maintain his so-called outward elegance, he always vented his anger on the only servant he could currently vent it on.

Poor Quirrell had missed his chance to lure Kane into his office and study his unusual Shadow Magic because Kane's talent was simply too great. As a result, he was now being scolded over a mistake that could hardly even be considered his fault.

Knock, knock, knock.

Quirrell, who had been listening to Voldemort's teachings, jerked in fright.

"Go open the door." After saying that, Voldemort vanished from the mirror, returning Quirrell's own reflection to him.

Kane curiously watched Quirrell open the door. After hearing Dumbledore confirm that Professor Quirrell was not a good person, all he felt toward this professor was genuine curiosity.

What kind of extraordinary villain could convince Dumbledore himself to let him remain at this school?

Quirrell, on the other hand, reacted quite differently. The moment he saw Kane, his whole body trembled with excitement. It was difficult not to suspect...

"Q-quick, come in, child." Quirrell dragged Kane into the office without further explanation, then slammed the door shut.

Professor Quirrell was quite skilled at household magic, or perhaps manipulation magic. The entire office swiftly and orderly transformed into the most suitable arrangement for receiving guests.

"Quirinus, don't forget your primary duty. Find out where that strange Shadow Magic of his comes from. Make him use that Swamp Magic again, and I'll be able to sense its secrets." Voldemort began assigning his daily task inside Professor Quirrell's head.

Quirrell hurriedly agreed in his heart. His hand paused as he poured Kane tea. "I-is there something wrong with that spell? That Swamp Magic?"

Kane naturally had no idea what schemes master and servant were plotting. He merely took the Feathered Hat from his pocket. "I only came to give you a gift. Perhaps you might want a different hat to wear."

The faint excitement in Quirrell's heart immediately faded at the sight. What he needed was Kane's magic, not some ridiculous hat.

But Voldemort's voice inside his head said something entirely different. "Take that hat! I can sense an extremely strange kind of magic on it!"

Quirrell, who had been about to pull a long face, had no time to change expressions before firming up his cheeks again. He smiled like a man-eating tree and swiftly accepted the Feathered Hat.

Unlike Quirrell, whose mood had just risen and fallen dramatically, Kane suddenly felt a little regretful. The mixture of Professor Quirrell's garlic stench and the office's incense was truly unbearable for ordinary people.

The thought he had outside the door of asking Quirrell some useful questions instantly disappeared as well.

He could ask Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, or Dumbledore. Asking anyone was still asking. There was no need to suffer here with Professor Quirrell.

With that thought, Kane stood up. "Professor, since I've delivered the gift, I suppose it's time for me to make my... painful departure. Bye—"

Unfortunately, Kane had not even finished saying goodbye before Quirrell, under the threat of a simulated Cruciatus Curse inside his head, grabbed Kane's arm.

"D-don't go. In exchange for your gift, I-I'll explain magic to you. Is there any spell you d-don't understand?"

Kane turned back and gave him an awkward smile that did not look particularly polite. "It's not that I don't want to stay. It's just that I feel like my nose is about to give birth."

Just as Professor Quirrell wondered what magical ailment it was for one's nose to be about to give birth, and whether Kane needed to be sent to St Mungo's Hospital, Voldemort spoke up again inside his head. "Your smell, Quirinus, is too unpleasant."

Quirrell immediately understood. With a wave of his wand, the windows opened, and a breeze blew in, carrying away most of the office's odors.

Kane promptly removed his pained expression. Fine, perhaps he could stay for a while before the next wave of smell emerged, because he really did have a few questions about Swamp Magic that he needed to ask.

"Regarding Swamp Magic..." Kane had barely finished his opening line when Professor Quirrell hurriedly said, "You can use it first! Then I'll see what the problem is."

As Quirrell finished speaking, even Voldemort, who had been carefully sensing the Feathered Hat, withdrew his power from it and began focusing on Kane himself.

Kane did not waste any time. He took out his wand and waved it, and a swamp instantly appeared inside Quirrell's office. Unlike Quirrell, who was wondering why Kane's swamp was a different color from everyone else's, Voldemort saw far more.

"I can sense that this swamp has life. Ask him what is going on."

Quirrell perfectly acted as a messenger. "Th-this swamp has life?"

Kane glanced at Quirrell in surprise. This man had some skill. Of course, it was also possible that the person behind him had some skill.

After hiding his thoughts away, he continued, "This swamp does indeed have life."

The instant he finished speaking, two spiked tentacles abruptly shot out of the swamp, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws as they attacked anything within reach.

"My problem now is that I can only summon this swamp on the ground. What I really want is to summon it on walls and ceilings, creating a true swamp space. That way, any enemy inside would be surrounded by tentacles coming from every direction and..."

Kane suddenly stopped, because he saw the strange expression on Quirrell's face.

"Umm... forget I said anything. Goodbye, Professor Quirrell." Kane turned to leave, only to have Professor Quirrell grab his arm again.

"Wait, the magic you're imagining can b-be done. Take this book list. It'll h-help you." Quirrell swiftly wrote several book titles on a piece of parchment.

Just as he was about to hand it to Kane, Voldemort finally discerned the true nature of both the swamp and the Feathered Hat, and hurriedly spoke up. "Keep him here!"