Quirrell cursed Voldemort in his heart.
Normally, unless Quirrell was mad enough to eat unicorn droppings, Voldemort would have already punished him with a Cruciatus Curse.
This time, however, Voldemort actually felt a little guilty.
What he had just done was indeed not very decent.
But if he personally dealt with these love-struck little wizards and something went wrong…
Just imagining it made Voldemort shudder.
Compared to this situation, eating that cursed "unicorn special meal" almost seemed acceptable.
There was no helping it.
Quirrell would have to suffer again.
After cursing inwardly for a while, Quirrell had no choice but to act.
He did not want to be caught by this crowd either.
What else could he do?
Run.
Still wearing the invisibility cloak and maintaining his concealment spells, Quirrell tried to escape from the encirclement of Slytherin students.
But no matter where he ran, the arrows on the pink parchment accurately pointed to his position.
"Darling, be good. Stop running. You cannot escape me."
"Come out obediently. I will treat you well."
"I have waited for this day for so long. This year, I will take you home and marry you!"
One line after another came from the Slytherin students, making Quirrell's face turn pale with terror.
What sin had he committed to deserve this?
And what was wrong with these students?
They had clearly been fooled by such crude parchment tricks and had been offering life force to Voldemort every night.
How were they now able to find him?
Could they really see through the invisibility cloak and Voldemort's concealment magic?
Was tonight not supposed to be the triumphant night when they took the Philosopher's Stone?
How had it turned into this?
But soon, Quirrell no longer had the luxury of thinking.
Earlier, in the trial room, Fluffy had broken more than ten of his bones. His entire body was covered in injuries.
In this state, how could he play hide-and-seek with a group of excited teenagers?
The Slytherin students had indeed lost some life force, but right now they were in such a feverish state that they seemed to feel no fatigue at all.
Quirrell, on the other hand, was growing slower and slower.
At last, panting hard, he failed to break free and was surrounded in the corridor.
The Slytherin students closed in step by step, all wearing strange smiles.
"Darling, caught you."
"Now I get to punish you, right?"
"You always said you wanted to see me. Today, I will let you see."
Quirrell trembled from head to toe.
At this point, he finally could not hold on any longer.
If things continued, he had a feeling he would be finished.
This scandal might be recorded in Hogwarts history forever.
Quirrell canceled the concealment spell, removed the invisibility cloak, and revealed himself. He snapped furiously, "What are you all doing?"
"Who is playing this prank?"
"Do you not know that every student is supposed to stay away from the fourth-floor corridor? I am patrolling here, and you dare obstruct a professor?"
"Slytherin will lose fifty points for this!"
To be fair, House points still held enough power to shock young wizards.
The Slytherin students froze. None of them expected the arrow to point to Quirrell.
Was this some kind of prank?
Before they could think it through, Quirrell seized the opportunity to escape.
The students in front instinctively began to make way.
But in the next instant, their pink parchment heated again.
Lines of writing appeared one after another.
"Hi hi hi, you must have seen Professor Quirrell by now, right?"
"This is the surprise I prepared for you."
"To be precise, I have fallen for Professor Quirrell."
"My heart now belongs completely to Professor Quirrell."
"Do you not think Professor Quirrell's big turban is mysterious and charming?"
The moment those words entered their eyes, the Slytherin students' breathing stopped.
Then their eyes turned red as they stared at Quirrell as if they wanted to tear him apart.
Quirrell's heart sank.
"You…"
"How dare you look at a professor like that?"
"Move aside! I still have important matters to attend to. If you do not move, I will deduct more points from Slytherin!"
But the Slytherin students did not react at all.
Their faces twisted with grief and fury.
"What use are points if I have lost her?"
"Without her, what meaning does this world have?"
"My love, my moon… how could you leave me?"
"It hurts. It hurts so much!"
In the next second, figures rushed toward Quirrell one after another.
The corridor instantly fell into chaos.
And in an unnoticed corner, the invisibility cloak Quirrell had removed silently vanished into thin air.
…
Sensing another thread of fortune settle over him, Theodore's eyes showed satisfaction.
At his current level, this kind of small trick against Voldemort and Quirrell brought him only a tiny amount of fortune.
But who would ever complain about having more?
More importantly, Theodore now held the invisibility cloak in his hands.
As expected of one of the Deathly Hallows, it was truly extraordinary.
Theodore could see an extremely ancient spell attached to it.
Even Dumbledore's Disillusionment Charm was far inferior to the magic woven into this cloak.
This was almost certainly something left behind by an existence that had crossed the limit of ordinary wizards.
"Death…"
Theodore thought of the time he had changed Ollivander's fate. Back then, he had sensed the aura of Death.
However, the moment the Judge's Brush appeared, Death had wisely retreated without even showing itself.
A strange look flashed through Theodore's eyes.
"The legend says that gathering the Deathly Hallows grants power beyond Death."
"Perhaps there really is something hidden behind that old story."
But Theodore soon stopped caring.
Whether Death had arranged something through the Hallows or had some deeper origin did not matter much.
As long as it belonged to the realm of the dead, it would have almost no power before the Judge's Brush.
Compared to Death, Theodore cared far more about the result of his Heaven's Secret calculation.
The invisibility cloak could increase his chances of surviving a journey into the Old One's domain.
Now that the cloak was in his hands, the System screen refreshed.
[You schemed against the incarnation of Daoist Duobao and obtained another unusual treasure from him: the hide of the ancient demon Meng Ji.]
Theodore paused.
Information about Meng Ji flashed through his mind.
The Classic of Mountains and Seas recorded Meng Ji as a beast from Mount Shizhe, shaped like a leopard and extraordinarily skilled at hiding.
During the great war between witches and demons in the Primordial World, ordinary concealment arts were almost useless. But Meng Ji's ability to hide surpassed common technique and could be considered an exception.
This invisibility cloak was actually identified by the System as the hide of the great demon Meng Ji?
Its origin in this magical world was clearly not simple.
Theodore carefully examined the cloak's material. Surprise deepened in his eyes.
With his current knowledge and the Celestial Eye's ability to perceive all details, he could identify almost any magical creature material from this world.
But the fur used to make the Deathly Hallows invisibility cloak was not ordinary unicorn hair. It was something far more unusual.
If he observed carefully, he could even feel a faint spatial fluctuation within it.
It seemed this hide possessed the ability to blend into space.
Beyond that, there was also a trace of madness so faint it was almost gone.
Even though it was only a wisp, Theodore could sense the ferocity within it, like an endless, unsatisfied hunger.
There was no doubt.
The material used to make the invisibility cloak came from a vicious creature with spatial power.
Theodore's eyes brightened.
Now he understood where the one extra chance calculated by Heaven's Secret came from.
The Dao of Space was vast and profound, often something only Great Luo Golden Immortals could touch.
For example, the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Barrier refining method he had obtained contained principles of spatial sealing. It was a profound technique created by Taiyi Zhenren after reaching the Great Luo realm.
The Pure Glazed Bottle refining method also contained the mystery of holding Mount Sumeru inside a mustard seed.
Theodore had previously tried to receive these parts of the techniques, but even with his current strength, the System still judged that he had not reached the level required to comprehend them.
But now, with this cloak containing a faint trace of spatial mystery, Theodore might be able to use it as a doorway into the Dao of Space.
If he succeeded, even by luck, his strength would rise sharply.
Thinking of this, Theodore smiled and returned to the dormitory.
Harry was pacing anxiously inside.
The moment he saw Theodore return, he rushed over.
"Theodore, how did it go?"
"Did that bad person succeed?"
Theodore smiled slightly and raised his hand. The invisibility cloak appeared in his grasp.
"Do not worry. Up to now, the dark wizard after the Philosopher's Stone has not even passed the first trial."
"And I brought your cloak back."
Harry immediately relaxed, joy returning to his face.
If his cloak had been used by a villain to steal the Philosopher's Stone, the responsibility would have weighed heavily on him.
Fortunately, the worst had not happened.
After a moment of thought, Theodore asked Harry if he could borrow the cloak for a while.
Harry blinked.
"The cloak?"
"With your strength, Theodore, shouldn't you be able to hide perfectly even without it?"
But after only a brief pause, his expression brightened further.
"Of course you can use it!"
"You have always helped me. It is rare that I finally have something that can help you. Use it as long as you need."
Theodore smiled.
After thinking for a moment, he made a suggestion.
"I cannot borrow it for free. Besides, your current magic is still far from the Disillusionment Charm."
"Without the cloak, many things will be inconvenient."
"How about this? I can refine one of your usual outfits into a magic artifact…"
"In your terms, something like an alchemical item. I can add various enchantments to it."
"Dustproof, waterproof, some defensive ability, and an invisibility effect close to the cloak's. That way, you will not have to worry about being without it."
"You can think about the style and functions you want, then tell me."
Harry's eyes lit up.
"Anything?"
"No restrictions?"
"Then I know what I want. Theodore, enchant this set for me!"
He excitedly pulled a short robe-like outfit from his trunk, along with matching accessories, and looked at Theodore with anticipation.
"Besides invisibility, dustproofing, waterproofing, and defense, I mainly want adjustable color and transparency effects on the legwear."
"Can you do that?"
Theodore nearly choked.
Enchanting legwear?
He glanced around, suddenly feeling a little guilty.
Back then, he had merely pushed Harry slightly into experiencing the "Harley" role.
How had the Boy Who Lived ended up like this without him noticing?
Would someone try to fight him over this?
After a moment, under Harry's expectant gaze, Theodore still nodded.
"Fine. No problem."
"I can even add a charm-enhancing restriction to the outfit. Do you want that too?"
Harry's eyes shone.
"Max it out!"
…
The next day, in a Hogwarts classroom, Snape frowned and, for once, directed his venom at the Slytherins.
"You are all very bold today."
"Half of you dared to miss class?"
"Excellent. Slytherin will lose twenty points for this."
"Now tell me. Where are the missing students?"
The remaining students looked at one another, then answered cautiously.
"They… seem to be in the dormitory."
"They have been crying all morning, saying they do not want to live anymore."
"They keep saying it hurts, that it hurts terribly. They are acting almost possessed."
Snape's expression turned grave.
So many students missing class was already abnormal.
Combined with this reaction, could it be some curse, infection, or other strange magical condition?
Thinking of how many Slytherin students had recently looked exhausted and distracted in class, Snape, despite his usual sharp tongue, did not dare dismiss it.
"Self-study."
With that, he went straight to Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore had also heard about the Slytherins missing class.
His expression was equally serious as he followed Snape to the Slytherin dormitories.
Was this Voldemort's doing?
That madman had always been unscrupulous, but he was usually more tolerant toward pure-bloods, especially Slytherin students.
Why would he target them?
When Dumbledore and Snape arrived at the dormitory and examined the students' condition, their expressions gradually became stranger.
"It is not a curse."
"No hallucinogenic potion."
"No obvious trace of dark magic either."
"Then what happened to them?"
Snape's face darkened as he questioned a student sobbing bitterly nearby.
"Speak. What exactly happened to you?"
The student's eyes were red. He burst into tears.
"I… I lost my love!"
"My beloved fell for someone else! My moonlight has left me!"
"I will never have her!"
"It hurts. It hurts so much. What is the point of class? What is the point of life?"
"Head of House, do you understand this kind of pain?"
Snape stared at him in disbelief.
Then his face turned iron-blue.
"Slytherin loses fifty points!"
The student spread his hands indifferently.
"Points? What use are points?"
"Take them if you want."
"I have lost my love. The world is ruined."
Then he looked toward Dumbledore.
"Headmaster, do you understand this pain?"
Dumbledore's hand clenched suddenly, and a cold light flashed through his eyes.
A long silence followed.
Dumbledore and Snape, both slightly shaken, looked at the Slytherin common room and dormitory full of sighs, sobs, and despair.
For the first time, they felt truly helpless.
If it were dark magic, curses, or potions, they would have ten thousand ways to solve it.
But heartbreak?
Neither of them had managed to walk out of their own.
How could they guide these students?
They were more afraid of leading them deeper into the pit.
"This is troublesome," Dumbledore said, frowning. "Matters of the heart are always the hardest to untangle."
Snape said coldly, "Then give them love potions. A group of little wizards knows nothing about love."
"Let them transfer their attention. Perhaps they will recover."
Dumbledore's cheek twitched.
"Severus, that idea is far too extreme. We cannot use love potions on students."
"One or two would already be a serious problem. With this many students, it would become a disaster."
Then his eyes turned thoughtful.
"However, redirecting their attention may not be entirely wrong."
"The question is, which young witch at Hogwarts has enough charm to make all of them look elsewhere?"
Snape sneered inwardly.
In his heart, only Lily, warm as the sun, could possibly have such power.
As for other young witches?
Impossible.
Until the next moment, a figure suddenly appeared in Snape's mind.
Harley.
If it were Harley…
Perhaps it really could work.
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