Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 211: Think More
My proficiency with the Strange Wizard Chess and the Planning Map is constantly increasing, but it's increasing even faster with Squirrel Cookies.

Every time Sheen gazed at the increasing proficiency of the Squirrel Cookie, he would become slightly lost in thought.

But this lapse in concentration was short-lived, as Sheehan soon found his attention diverted by the large number of orders from Weasley & Grimm's Magical Tricks Company.

Fortunately, he's been practicing making some weird wizard chess pieces lately, otherwise Manager Gert's owl would probably be sending him debt collection whistle letters every day.

The popularity of the Strange Wizard's Chess set wasn't limited to Hogwarts; wizards who couldn't get their hands on the Transformers cookies simply took some special items with them—like the Strange Wizard's Chess set.

But to their surprise, they became hooked on the game in just two minutes.

"It's normal for a knight to fall in love with a queen;"
It's interesting that the bishop burned his own guards as heretics.
It's conceivable that reckless castle soldiers might uncontrollably advance one more step;
What do you mean, a knight got drunk and assassinated our king in the middle of the night while he was having an affair with the enemy queen?!

Wizards are naturally very curious about such outlandish objects, otherwise the dung bomb wouldn't have been a bestseller for so long... Its inventor, Aberrick Groening, was even included in the Chocolate Frog Cards, alongside figures like Nicolas Flamel.

Sheen unleashed his imagination when creating Wizard Chess, and the strangeness of Wizard Chess truly exceeded expectations.

This has led to a significant increase in the strategic depth of Wizard Chess, and it also retains the Wizard Chess proficiency system—the more familiar a wizard is with Wizard Chess, the better they can control it.

These elements, including character development, strategic gameplay, and outrageous settings, have propelled it to the top of the current British wizarding entertainment scene.

The Weasley brothers' unauthorized promise that new characters would be added to Wizard's Chess every month further extended the game's lifespan.

If we ignore their wailing and pleading for Sheen to design a new piece every month, Sheen will be more interested.

The Weasleys & Grimm Wizarding Arts had made a fortune, and the Weasley brothers used the money to buy new books and new alchemical artifacts, and also sent a lot home.

Although Mrs. Weasley didn't spend a single penny, she was still extremely pleased and insisted that the twins make sure to take Sheehan to the Burrow no matter what.

Sheen was initially curious about the flying car and was about to agree, but he stopped himself:

"I need to ask the professor."

Gemini couldn't understand why, but they still happily counted the gold gallons as they walked away.

Before leaving, the Gemini said mysteriously:

"Our business has kept us from selling a single Wizard Chess set for a whole month—"

Fred tossed the original wizard chess box into the air.

"We paid the patent fees, but we never expected them to still try to sabotage us. But guess what—"

George took the Wizard's Chess from Fred.

"They were inexplicably cursed, turned into a bunch of elephants or something, and the Ministry of Magic still hasn't found out who did it."

The two of them stared at Sheen:

"Great Green! Partnering with you was the best decision Weasley ever made!"

The two of them pretended to bow, then disappeared in a flash.

Only a somewhat confused Sheen remained.

Another week has passed.

Sheen's proficiency in the strange Wizarding Chess game has reached the [Expert] level, and during this time, the most discussed topic in Hope Hut has been Professor Quirrell.

“We absolutely cannot let him steal the Philosopher's Stone. And we need to find out why he wants to steal it.” Justin was always the first to speak.

"Turning lead into gold? But Professor Quirrell is a professor of Muggle studies. A Ravenclaw with his intelligence shouldn't be so short of money."

Hermione frowned.

"Oh, come on, Hermione, you can never have too many Galleons... Look at Fred and George, all they do besides train is figure out how to do business, and I heard they each have a warehouse full of Galleons..."

Ron muttered, looking at his old books and robes, feeling a deep sadness no matter how he looked at them.

"Or...immortality..."

Justin said in a low voice.

To be honest, he never imagined that the magical world would have such a magical creation.

As the group pondered, Sheen touched the squirrel-shaped biscuit in his hand, and the crackling sound of the fireplace pulled him back to the principal's office.

"His talent deserves attention... He needs this scholarship, he needs to be seen, even if only once, so I recommend him for it..."

Is Professor Quirrell really referring to a wizard named Grimm?
The letter of recommendation was tucked away at the bottom of Sheen's closet, and he would always overthink it.

"Sheen...why do you think Professor Quirrell wanted to steal the Philosopher's Stone?"

Justin turned around and asked, "When they're in trouble, it's always a good idea to go to Sheehan."

But this time, Sheen remained silent for a long time.

Justin saw him deep in thought and didn't ask any further questions.

He then began discussing Professor Quirrell's past with Hermione and the others.

"He was once a talented and learned Ravenclaw. As for why he became like this, it is said that it was because he encountered a vampire."

Hermione had gathered a lot of information, and she was currently holding a notebook and talking.

“Yes—otherwise, there’s no way to explain his stuttering and that awful garlic smell.”

Ron said, still shaken.

So... what kind of person is Professor Quirrell?
Dumbledore's exact words to Harry were:
"Quirok's heart was filled with hatred, greed, and ambition. He sold his soul to Voldemort. He would feel unbearable pain if he touched someone who bore such a beautiful mark..."

But Professor Quirrell was able to shake hands with Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. Does this mean that he hasn't completely fallen from grace?
One wrong choice can lead to a permanent tragedy.

Sheen placed the squirrel cookies and his diary keychain together; his notebook was blown open by the wind, and the writing inside was clearly visible:

Quirinas Quirrell, in Rowling's Reflections—

Quirino is a little-known Roman god, though he is often associated with war—Quirrell is not as docile as he appears. "Quirrell" is very similar to "Squirrel"—small, cute, and harmless—and also to "quiver," reflecting the character's inherently tense and anxious nature.

Animal-shaped cookies only allow the same wizard to retain his will.
Sheen didn't know if he could accurately guess the professor's reincarnation, but doing it was better than not doing it at all.

Because of a letter of recommendation, he kept thinking about what would happen if Professor Quirrell, who was not in control of his own destiny, had another chance to choose.
Sheehan didn't know that the only thing he understood was that a tiny squirrel cookie could only last for three minutes and was of no use except for getting a squirrel to run to the principal's office to confess everything and beg for help.

(End of this chapter)