Professor Quirrell

"This is a monarch butterfly. It feeds on Cardiac Glycoside Flower pollen and accumulates large amounts of toxins in its body. Just a little of its wing dust can cause unbearable itching. Even scratching your skin raw won't stop it. It's also one of the few long-lived insects. In late autumn, it settles inside a cave and evaporates all the moisture in its body. When the weather warms in spring, it absorbs moisture from the air and comes back to life."

"Whoa, that's amazing. I really want..."

His black obsidian eyes gleamed with intense interest.

"You want it? If you catch the Golden Snitch again in next term's Quidditch match, this monarch butterfly is yours!"

"Promise?"

"Robin Sear, are you questioning a professor's integrity? Take your paper and leave before I lose my temper. And don't let me catch you wandering around the Castle in the middle of the night again!"

"Yes, Professor Snape!"

Luo Bin quit while he was ahead. On the way to the Great Hall, he unfolded his paper. Tch, not a single wrong answer, and someone made it sound like I'd barely scraped a pass.

Perhaps he was too engrossed in his paper, or perhaps Hermione was simply too hasty. Their shoulders collided, and the one who had run into him fell over. Luo Bin pulled her to her feet and asked, "Is someone chasing you?"

Brushing off her wizarding robe, Hermione shook her head. "No. Sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you. I'm in a hurry to get to the Library. You know, Harry and I still have no idea who Nicolas Flamel is!"

Suddenly, as though something had occurred to her, her eyes lit up. "Oh, goodness, how could I forget you? Another person means another pair of hands. Robin Sear, would you like to help me find the mysterious Nicolas Flamel?"

The quest line involving the unique copy of the Flower Fairy Care Manual and drawing out a Flower Fairy was still in its early stages. He really had no time or attention to spare. Besides, Luo Bin already knew what Nicolas Flamel did!

Nicolas Flamel, born in 1330, was a famous alchemist and the creator of the Philosopher's Stone. According to legend, the Philosopher's Stone could not only turn any metal into gold, but also grant eternal life.

Having lived for hundreds of years, Nicolas Flamel was living proof. Otherwise, Voldemort would never have risked returning to Hogwarts and manipulating Quirrell in an attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

After a few twists and turns, the Main Character Group would soon find the relevant information. What was more, they would end up saving Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback, because of it.

"Sorry, Hermione. Besides my required first-year classes, I have private lessons with Professor Snape, and Quidditch practice twice a week. I really don't have any time to spare."

"All right, then," Hermione said dejectedly, lowering her eyes.

"Don't lose heart. I'm sure you'll find a clue!"

Her low spirits quickly passed, and she was soon her fiery self again. "I think so too. Harry and Ron are waiting for me in the Library, Luo Bin. I'd better go!"

With that, she strode away on her long, slender legs, bustling off with an energy that suited her perfectly.

"Nicolas Flamel—I... I know who he is. Robin Sear, c-come somewhere with me. I... I'll tell you all about the alchemist's achievements!"

The speaker was Professor Quirrell. Timid and awkward, he avoided eye contact with a guilty look, all but wearing the words "I mean you harm" across his face. He gave the impression of being an easy target for bullies.

Indeed, even a mouse scurrying into the classroom could frighten him into leaping onto his desk and shrieking.

But Luo Bin knew that Quirrell's timidity, cowardice, and nervousness were all a disguise.

In the original story, Quirrell was intelligent and widely read, with a solid grounding in theory. He had therefore yearned for first-rate practical experience. While traveling in Albania, he encountered Voldemort, who was living as a parasite in rodents, and was persuaded to join the dark forces. An outstanding young wizard had become Voldemort's loyal servant.

Tch, what a waste of a winning hand!

"Sorry, it's Harry Potter who's interested in Nicolas Flamel, not me. Professor Quirrell, I suggest you try your luck in the Library!"

The protagonist's blood was Quirrell's particular bane. Luo Bin doubted he would dare go.

"You're close to them. Telling you is the same as telling them. Come with me!"

Apparently growing anxious, he abandoned persuasion and grabbed Luo Bin instead. Out of the corner of his eye, Luo Bin saw Quirrell's turban trembling violently. Whatever was hidden inside seemed very excited.

Uh, the Philosopher's Stone hasn't been destroyed yet. Surely Voldemort isn't thinking about stealing someone else's body already?

"Let go, Quirrell. Let go now!"

A wand pointed straight between Quirrell's eyebrows, promising a curse the very next second if he refused to release his grip.

"N-no, I... I meant no harm. Right, Luo Bin?" he said, shrinking back, his voice trembling.

Luo Bin smoothed the wrinkles Quirrell had tugged into his wizarding robe and walked over to Snape. "Yes, Professor Quirrell meant no harm. He only wanted to take me to some secluded little corner where no one else was around, so we could have a proper discussion about Nicolas Flamel's secrets."

Anyone hearing that would assume the worst. Quirrell waved his hands frantically in front of his chest. "N-no... it's not like that..."

"Quirrell, Dumbledore made it clear that no one was to reveal the secret beneath the Living Wood. Come with me to the Headmaster's Office. And you, Robin Sear—what are you doing lingering in the Entrance Hall this late? Have you finished your homework? Memorized the potion-brewing procedures? Made every correction marked on your paper?"

"Don't be angry, Professor. I'll go back to the Dormitory and study right now!"

With that, Luo Bin ran off. Snape glared at Quirrell and dragged him up to a tower platform.

"Quirrell, I told you to leave my student alone. Are you determined to cross me? Don't forget, once your secret gets out, you'll be facing a lifetime in Azkaban."

"I... I didn't want to do this either. B-but it was the master's order. If... if he could join us, it would..." Quirrell stammered timidly, cowering in a corner.

"Even now, you still haven't worked out where your loyalties should lie, have you? Listen carefully. If you lay a hand on another student, even if it isn't Robin Sear, I won't spare you!"

Snape seized him by the collar and spoke through gritted teeth.

"Ah! It hurts, it hurts! I... I can't breathe..."

The whites of Quirrell's eyes grew bloodshot as he choked. Realizing that Snape truly meant to kill him, he hurriedly begged for mercy. "All right, all right! I... I promise. I swear by God of Law Merlin, if I ever hurt another Hogwarts student, may... may I be reduced to dust!"

Thud! Whump!

Snape released him. Quirrell's back slid down the stone wall, and he slumped onto the floor. A biting chill shot from his tailbone to the crown of his head, but he made no move to get up.

"Quirrell, God of Law Merlin will be watching you!"

Snape gave a cold snort, plucked a little black-and-white beetle from the stone wall, and strode away. Two minutes later, he stopped in an empty corridor and addressed the beetle coldly. "Listen carefully. Return the parent Silk-Spirit Beetle before nine tomorrow morning!"

With a tap of his wand, he conjured a glass bottle and put the beetle inside, then continued striding forward. This time, however, the hem of his robe did not swing quite so fiercely!

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin Dormitory, Luo Bin put away his sound-amplifying horn. He had expected his eavesdropping to be discovered. Still, what a shame about the Silk-Spirit Beetle Parent-and-Child Insects—he hadn't finished playing with them yet!