"Little one, I didn't expect you really were a wizard," the tumor on the wolf's neck rasped.
"But if you want to learn magic, you'll still need a wand… That won't be difficult. Many wizards have died in this forest. Whether you can find their remains while staying alive is another matter."
…
The scene before Lykos suddenly froze.
Then the wolf vanished.
The dense leaves around him began to change rapidly—falling, turning yellow. Countless golden leaves drifted through the air, covering the ground in a soft, crumbling carpet.
"Lykos, your magical talent is even better than I imagined."
It was the same hoarse voice.
But perhaps it was only an illusion—this time, the voice sounded more confident.
Lykos turned his head and froze.
The tumor-ridden wolf was gone.
In its place stood a massive black bear.
A patch of fur was missing from its stomach, revealing bare skin—just like the tumor earlier.
Three cracks split across the bald patch, forming another crude human face.
The upper two slits suddenly opened, revealing a pair of crimson eyes.
"In that case, those boring little tricks aren't worth learning!"
"I believe… I should teach you something far more powerful."
…
The scene froze again.
This time, however, the forest's season did not change.
The surroundings looked almost the same, as if very little time had passed.
When the suspended yellow leaves began drifting downward again, Lykos realized he was holding a wand.
In a daze, he felt words forming on his lips—
The next instant, a dazzling green beam burst from the tip of the wand and shot toward a nearby tree.
A squirrel had just poked its head out of a hollow in the trunk.
The small creature's eyes filled instantly with green light.
Thud.
The squirrel fell from the trunk into a thick pile of crisp leaves.
More leaves drifted down soon after, covering its small body completely.
It never moved again.
…
The image froze once more.
This time, the swirling leaves transformed into falling snow.
The trees stood bare, their branches coated with silver frost. Occasionally a gust of wind would shake loose clumps of snow, which dropped softly to merge with the snow blanketing the ground.
"Haha… hahaha…"
A raspy laugh echoed behind him.
Lykos turned around and saw a thick viper coiled around a tree trunk.
Strangely, it had not gone into hibernation despite the winter.
The viper lifted its head, revealing pale yellow scales beneath its chin.
Those scales were split into three cracks again.
Compared to before, the eyes and mouth formed there looked far more vivid.
"Hahahaha…" the face laughed wildly. "Learning an advanced dark spell in three minutes… Lykos, your talent for dark magic is unparalleled in my lifetime."
"Listen carefully. With your talent for dark magic, combined with my guidance, you will become a great dark wizard."
"Lykos—so long as you obey me, I will make you the next Dark Lord!"
…
When the leaves turned green again, the forest had changed noticeably.
It seemed quite a long time had passed.
Standing beneath a tree, Lykos saw a young wizard lying on the ground.
The man clutched his head in agony, occasionally screaming in terror.
"Silence, Quirrell!"
The hoarse voice rang out again.
"From this day forward, I am your master. If you wish to live, you had better accept reality."
The wizard gasped for breath and slowly lowered his hands from his head.
Lykos watched as the man's hair began falling out rapidly until his scalp became completely bald.
Then three cracks split open on the back of his head.
Two narrow slits resembling snake nostrils appeared—something that had never been there before.
Together they formed a horrifying face.
"Ah… the magic of an adult wizard. I have waited eleven years for this moment!"
The monstrous face laughed with satisfaction.
Even though Lykos knew he was inside a dream, a chill still ran through him.
If he had not been a young wizard with unstable magic—
If he had been an adult wizard—
Voldemort might have already seized his body.
At that moment, Voldemort's crimson eyes narrowed.
"Wait… Lykos, come here."
Lykos felt his feet moving on their own.
He walked directly behind Quirrell, standing before Voldemort.
"Ah… it seems your talent isn't limited to dark magic…"
The hoarse voice sounded pleased.
"I've picked up a natural Occlumens."
A sinister smile appeared on Voldemort's twisted face.
"Excellent. Excellent!"
His voice grew excited.
"In that case, I need not worry about Dumbledore discovering your secret…"
"Listen carefully, Lykos. We will soon travel to Britain. Quirrell will arrange for you to enter an orphanage."
"When the owl brings your letter of admission, you will become a student of Hogwarts."
As if suddenly remembering something, he abruptly seized control of Quirrell's body.
Raising a wand, he pointed it at Lykos.
"Extend your left hand, Lykos."
Inside the dream, Lykos's arm moved uncontrollably, stretching out before Voldemort.
He felt the cold tip of a wand press against the inside of his forearm.
"I hope this Dark Mark will remind you at all times—your first identity is a Death Eater."
"Only after that… are you a student of Hogwarts. Do you understand?"
…
"Ah—!"
Lykos shouted as he jolted awake from the dream.
The Dark Mark on his left forearm throbbed faintly, and the moment when the mark had been branded in the dream still lingered vividly in his mind.
He looked down at his arm.
The bandage covering the Dark Mark was still intact.
The neat bow tied by the blonde witch named Cassandra remained firm and perfectly tied.
Lykos slowly exhaled.
He realized something important.
The scenes in the dream were most likely real events—memories hidden deep within his subconscious.
In other words, the previous owner of this body had met Voldemort years ago in the forests of Albania.
And under Voldemort's guidance, he had learned many dark spells.
That explained everything.
No wonder he had been able to cast a complete Killing Curse.
It wasn't his ability—it was the previous owner's muscle memory.
Lykos's eyes suddenly lit up.
If that was the case…
Then the Killing Curse probably wasn't the only spell he could perform.
There were likely many other dark spells hidden in his body's instincts.
Excited, he jumped out of bed, planning to find somewhere to test other spells.
At that moment, Draco suddenly sat up groggily from the opposite bed.
"Lykos… what time does our first class start again?"
He glanced at his expensive wristwatch.
"Hmm… looks like it's eight forty…"
The two of them stared at each other.
Instantly, both of them woke up completely.
"Oh no—we're going to be late!"