Harry only felt as if his heart was submerged in an icy lake, gradually taking away the warmth from his body. His stomach was contracting, his mouth was filled with a bitter taste, and he even felt like vomiting.
"So... Quirrell is... is..."
"Voldemort," Vid reminded him: "To be precise, he is possessed by Voldemort."
A gasp echoed through the room, and Michael said, pale-faced: "Don't mention that name again, Vid."
Vid said helplessly: "If you're scared of even a name, how do you manage not to tremble in front of Professor Quirrell?"
"How can that be the same?" Michael retorted: "Professor Quirrell is cowardly, but that person... that person he..."
Michael shivered, silently closed his mouth, as if having difficulty breathing.
Vid looked at the others, only to see that they all had a look of discomfort, even Hermione appeared very frightened.
——It's truly bizarre.
Vid thought.
——They dare to confront that person face to face, yet they don't dare to mention his name?
Harry, however, had no such qualms, he straightforwardly said: "So Voldemort wants to make a comeback, and he didn't just send two henchmen to steal the Philosopher's Stone for him... he actually came himself..."
"Yes—came secretly as an appendage, hidden behind Quirrell's head," Vid said: "Constantly wrapped in the smell of garlic, even having to endure some mischievous students throwing snowballs at his face. Just think, they thought they were ambushing the cowardly Quirrell, but they were actually hitting Voldem... uh... the Mysterious Man's face..."
Considering most people's emotions, Vid didn't directly say Voldemort's name anymore. His words made everyone feel both frightened and amused again, even Harry couldn't help but laugh.
"But..." Harry said hesitantly, "Why didn't Dumbledore allow you to tell me? I mean, I have the right to know the truth, don't I? Voldemort killed my parents!"
"Dumbledore was protecting you, Harry," Hermione explained: "He seemed worried that after you knew the truth, you would... would go seek revenge on the Mysterious Man, which would be too dangerous."
Harry was a forgiving person, and hearing that the headmaster did this out of concern for him, his hidden rage gradually dissipated. However, he still didn't understand: "Then why not just capture that guy now? While he's unprepared, everyone strikes together, it's not like Quirrell and Voldemort can escape, right?"
"I guess—well, just a guess—based on what Professor Dumbledore has said..." Vid said: "Eleven years ago, that person indeed died, but for some reason, he didn't die completely, a bit like a ghost, unable to be trapped, nor can he be killed. If we act rashly, we'd probably only get Quirrell, Voldemort would still escape—"
"Don't say that name, Vid," Michael whispered.
"...Alright," Vid continued: "The Mysterious Man still has the ability to come back a second, third time... you never know when he might appear..."
Someone shivered silently.
"—Think about it, it's like knowing there's a poisonous snake in your house, but not knowing where it is. It could leap out of the shadows at any moment to bite you... compared to that scenario, it's more reassuring to keep the snake under your watch, isn't it?"
"But... isn't Dumbledore worried that Quirrell could really steal the Philosopher's Stone, then Voldemort would regain his former power, and might even become immortal?" Harry asked again.
"—I said don't mention that name," Michael muttered, saying: "Since Dumbledore knows everything, he must have set up a trap in the place protecting the Philosopher's Stone, just waiting for Quirrell to steal it! But that guy is too cautious, he hasn't acted even after procrastinating for so long."
"Maybe he also found out it's a trap?" Leian suddenly said: "But the desire for immortality keeps him hovering near the bait, reluctant to give up…perhaps he's also waiting for a foolproof opportunity..."
"What kind of opportunity would be considered foolproof?" Theo asked.
"Certainly—" Harry clenched his fist: "When Dumbledore leaves the school! Because Dumbledore is the only person he fears!"
...
In the following days, young wizards began to pay unprecedented attention to Dumbledore's itinerary. If they saw the old wizard with the white beard in the dining hall, the rest of the day would be peaceful; if not, they'd immediately become anxious, trying all means to inquire whether Dumbledore had gone out from other professors.
However, soon they had to devote most of their energy to another matter—the exam week had arrived.
To students, exams are as terrifying as the Dark Lord in a sense, even for Hermione who usually excelled in her grades.
Most subjects at Hogwarts had exams divided into written papers and practical sections. The written exams took place in a large classroom that could accommodate the whole grade year, requiring the use of new quills under an Anti-Cheating Spell; practical exams varied widely, with professors setting their own tests, for instance, Professor McGonagall asked students to turn a rat into a delicate snuffbox.
To Vid, all exam content was very simple, practical tests felt more like a personal showcase. Judging by the satisfied smiles of the professors, he was sure to have a brilliant report card.
The last exam was Magic History—ever since Vid's Magic History scroll was organized, he rarely spent time on this subject, only cramming knowledge points before the exam. After finishing the paper, Vid confirmed his accuracy rate was over ninety percent, which was sufficient for him.
Today was Thursday, the day Professor Morry taught him Alchemy. After the exam, students cheered, feeling finally free, while Vid greeted Michael as usual, heading to the Astronomical Tower.
Professor Morry was tinkering with a microscope, and upon seeing Vid enter, he exclaimed: "Look, how marvelous—Muggles use this machine to observe various tiny structures, including the millions of cells in the human body."
He enthusiastically taught Vid how to prepare slide specimens, adjust light and focus. Vid didn't mention he had learned all of it before, following Professor Morry's steps to observe worm eggs and moth wing slices, before talking about his recent progress in Alchemy.
"I want you to take a look at this—"
Vid said, retrieving a box from his bag. At this moment, he noticed the Friendship Book beside him was slightly warm, he paused his actions briefly, then closed his bag, placing the blue-gray box, only the size of a pencil box, on the table.
Professor Morry's eyes lit up: "You've succeeded so quickly?"
"I've only achieved a preliminary result."
Vid reached out to open the box, revealing a few quills and ordinary pens inside, visible at a glance, seeming to be it. Then he closed the lid, pointed his magic wand, and the pencil case turned like pages, expanding, stretching, elongating...
Moments later, a wardrobe taller than a man stood in the center of the room.
Vid opened the door, smiling: "Professor, maybe you'd like to go in and have a look?"