Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

Chapter 139 Quirrell

The sparse sunlight pierced through the scattered branches and leaves, barely illuminating this land that had endured a brutal battle, the ground covered with scorched pits of varying depths.

Scattered everywhere were fragments of the eight-eyed giant spider's carapace of various sizes, gleaming with a dark luster. Many of the monster's limbs were still alive, twitching slightly unconsciously. Thick, dark green fluid had soaked into the soil and low vegetation, leaving behind wet, dark stains.

At the edge of the devastated grounds, Penny, dressed in Hogwarts uniform, sat on a section of ancient oak stump that had been magically melted and carbonized.

His condition clearly indicated that he had just finished an intense battle. His once neat and crisp school uniform robe was torn and damaged in many places, covered with ash, wet mud, and several conspicuous clumps of slime. His hair was messy and sticky, with a few withered leaves mixed in.

But in stark contrast to his disheveled appearance, the boy's expression was relaxed and at ease, with no trace of panic or lingering fear in his eyes, but rather a sense of calm and leisure.

Dumbledore's sharp gaze swept over Puni and quickly landed on a row of potion bottles neatly stacked beside the remnant. The familiar style of the containers and the sealing method caused a glint to flash in his azure eyes behind his crescent-shaped spectacles.

This dangerous battle in the forbidden forest was a life-or-death crisis for others, but for Puni, it was more like a highly profitable resource gathering.

Puni looked up at Dumbledore as he approached. His voice was clear and steady, even carrying a hint of excitement. He showed no signs of exhaustion, clearly indicating that the rare materials he had acquired had put him in an excellent mood.

"Good evening, Principal. The situation on the ground is completely under control, although the site has been severely damaged."

Dumbledore walked slowly forward, deliberately avoiding a spider's severed limb that was still twitching slightly. The limb was slightly hot from being roasted by the flames and made a sizzling sound. He glanced at it lightly without lingering.

"Puni, you certainly had a very fulfilling day off. Why don't you tell me what happened here?" Puni succinctly recounted the entire incident.

Professor Calder deliberately disguised himself as Hagrid to infiltrate the Forbidden Forest and set a trap, intentionally provoking conflict.

The two engaged in a fierce magical battle, and in the end, Calder was killed by the backlash of the forbidden curse he had unleashed.

Out of extreme caution, he added, "I can confirm that there is no longer any threat to survival in this area."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows almost imperceptibly, without delving into the deeper meaning behind the statement or asking whether there were any other hidden witnesses. From Penny's calm demeanor and certainty, he understood the conclusion of the matter. He turned and looked around the open space, and sure enough, he could not see any trace of Calder.

He nodded slightly: "I can tell you handled it extremely well."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his wand with elegant movements and systematically cleared the entire battlefield with his extremely skillful magical techniques. The fallen trees were all restored, the scattered pebbles were returned to their original positions, the scorched and barren land was revitalized, the remains of monsters were melted away, all the arrows left by the centaurs were cleared away, the pungent odor mixed in the air was purified, and a fragrance of forest grass and trees spread.

Puni wanted to point out that the dark ash in the corner of the arena was the last trace left by Calder, but Dumbledore's spellcasting was extremely fast, and he wiped away all traces in an instant, even skipping the subsequent burial process.

After the battlefield was cleared, only extremely valuable and scarce supplies remained at the scene.

Several intact fangs of the eight-eyed giant spider, as well as several bottles of pure venom sealed by Puni, are all expensive and rare core materials for potion making. It would be a waste to discard them, so he carefully kept them.

The old man and the young man, both understanding each other perfectly, lowered their voices and discussed how to proceed.

"The staff from the Department of Accident Investigations of the Ministry of Magic will arrive at the school first thing tomorrow morning to investigate the case," Dumbledore said calmly. "In particular, Dolores Umbridge is extremely particular about rules and regulations and is very strict about the details of all kinds of accidents. She will definitely question people at every level and hold them accountable repeatedly."

Puni blinked slightly, having a good understanding of the bureaucratic style of the Ministry of Magic. He knew that the core function of such departments was superficial, focusing on maintaining a stable posture in public rather than actually investigating the truth.

"We can simply categorize them as accidents," Puni decided.

Dumbledore smoothly refined his public statement, revealing no trace of grief: "Then let's announce it to the public: an unknown fire broke out in the Forbidden Forest, and Professor Calder, in his efforts to extinguish the fire and protect the Forbidden Forest's ecosystem, unfortunately perished from the backlash of uncontrolled magical flames. The entire school will deeply regret this."

"This explanation is flawless and can withstand any investigation," Puni readily agreed. He had already eliminated any potential threats at the scene, and with Dumbledore setting the tone, this secret confrontation between teacher and student would finally be sealed away.

"Things are always unpredictable." Dumbledore said in a light tone, smoothly changing the subject. "The position of Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor is temporarily vacant. Several professors are willing to take over the course temporarily in the short term. We will then slowly select suitable candidates for the long-term position."

"Hagrid was lured to the depths of the Forbidden Forest by a diversionary tactic. He encountered some setbacks along the way, but fortunately he was unharmed. He is currently resting in a cabin, still regretting that he has fallen into the trap."

Dumbledore did not inquire further about the details of the centaur tribe involved in the fighting. He simply stated that the school would fulfill its inherent responsibilities since its founding, formally recognize the legitimacy of the existing centaur territory, and that Hogwarts would always accept all friendly magical races to inhabit the area around the school and jointly protect the ecological balance between the Forbidden Forest and the school.

Puni did not disclose his private arrangements.

Taking advantage of the Forest Ban incident, he had already reached a cooperation agreement with Ronan the Centaur, with the Lestrange family behind him acquiring all kinds of usable magical materials from the Eight-Eyed Giant Spider, while providing the Centaur tribe with excellent production tools and living supplies, achieving a stable cooperation that would benefit both sides.

With the cleanup work finished, the two walked side by side toward Hogwarts Castle.

"By the way, a professor on campus urgently needs a batch of rare potion ingredients. He doesn't want to reveal his identity, so he asked me to convey his wish to discuss cooperation with you privately. We can arrange the meeting in his office."

"I'm very happy to cooperate and can visit you anytime." Puni agreed. With scarce and exclusive resources at his disposal, he knew this was an excellent opportunity to leverage the connections and resources of the professors on campus, paving the way for his future studies and development, and easily seizing more hidden advantages.

The following morning, Hogwarts Great Hall was filled with the aroma of breakfast. Dumbledore's steady voice suddenly echoed throughout the hall as he announced the passing of Professor Calder. The official cause of death was attributed to Professor Calder's efforts to extinguish a sudden wildfire in the Forbidden Forest.

He tragically died while protecting the safety of the school campus.

With this solemn declaration, he reiterated the school rules, strictly prohibiting all students from entering the forbidden forest without permission and urging them to refrain from any dangerous attempts.

When the news spread, the students all murmured their regrets.

In everyone's perception, Calder's teaching style is rigorous and rigid, and he is serious and unsmiling. The classroom atmosphere tends to be serious and oppressive. However, it is undeniable that the Defense Against the Dark Arts he taught is extremely practical. He is the teacher who has taught the most practical and effective teaching methods in all his years of teaching.

Everyone sighed, lamenting that they had finally found a practical and responsible teacher, only to have him leave so suddenly in such an unexpected way.

Immediately afterwards, Dumbledore announced a temporary teaching adjustment plan, with Quirrell, who was originally in charge of the Muggle Studies course, temporarily taking over the teaching of the remaining Defense Against the Dark Arts for the semester.

This impromptu arrangement once again caused a stir among the students, who whispered among themselves, filled with a mixture of helplessness and curiosity about the new teaching arrangements.

Quillo, sitting in the teacher's seat, was extremely excited. His entire aura became tense. Facing the gaze of all the teachers and students, he frequently paused, intermittently promising that he would do his best to complete the teaching task.

His past courses on Muggle Studies, along with Professor Binns' History of Magic, were considered the two most tedious courses in the entire school.

Binns' lectures were always uneventful, making them a perfect time for students to take a break from class.

When Quirrell gets emotional, he stutters and gets nervous, making both of their classes utterly uninteresting.

Snape, in the adjacent position, was in a completely different state, his expression more gloomy and somber than usual.

He lowered his eyes and stared at the golden plate in front of him, a sense of oppression emanating from him, his eyes revealing an undisguised sense of loss and resentment.

At the long table in Ravenclaw, Penny and Cho Chang leisurely enjoyed their breakfast.

With the school administration concluding that the fire was an accident, life at Hogwarts quickly returned to a superficial calm.

The Ministry of Magic did not conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, but merely sent an Auror with Hagrid into the Forbidden Forest for a simple patrol and evidence collection, which was a perfunctory matter.

Even the Daily Prophet, which is always keen to capture campus hot topics, chose to remain silent. Both sides tacitly suppressed all doubts and attributed all the changes to the influence of the curse left by the Dark Lord, thus smoothing over the storm.

Daily teaching continued as usual, and the rigorous atmosphere in the potions class remained unchanged.

Snape maintained his extremely demanding teaching style, no longer limiting himself to teaching students outside of Slytherin, but treating all students with extreme rigor, often resorting to harsh reprimands and deducting points from their houses.

Over time, the entire student body began to hope that Snape would be transferred to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, thus escaping the endless harshness and oppression of Potions class.

The potions classroom in the basement is cold and damp all year round, with the air filled with the pungent smell of dozens of herbs, powders, and brewing potions that lingers for a long time.

Dressed in a wide black robe, Snape moved silently and lightly among the rows of crucibles, his robes brushing the ground, continuously casting a heavy, oppressive atmosphere over the entire classroom.

"Everyone, open your textbooks." The cold, indifferent tone echoed in the silent classroom, its penetrating power instantly tensing the students in the front row who were focused on their work.

"The key to operating this medicine is to maintain seven counterclockwise rotations. Any deviation of even one rotation will ruin the medicine."

He suddenly stopped in front of a student's desk, his sharp aura startling the student so much that the student's wrist trembled, almost causing the student to throw all the raw materials in his hand into the crucible.

"The backlash and damage caused by failed potion-making are the most common risks in potion-making training. Don't you even know that?"

His gaze slowly swept across the entire room, finally settling on Puni.

That gaze was sharp and profound, carrying a sense of scrutiny and inquiry.

Puni sensed the gaze lingering there, and the three-second stare made the atmosphere even more tense.

Snape pursed his thin lips, his emotions growing increasingly complex. In the end, he didn't point out any mistakes or make any comments. He silently looked away and continued to inspect the other students' refining operations.

Puni lowered his eyes slightly, cleared his mind of distractions, and focused on refining the potion in his hands.

Holding a small silver knife, he squeezed plant juice and mixed raw materials, each movement steady, precise, and without the slightest error.

His extensive practical experience has enabled him to master the refining techniques for various basic medicines.

Once the medicine is fully brewed, it has a uniform and translucent sheen and emits a pure aroma that perfectly matches the textbook description; the finished product is flawless.

Snape leaned closer and sniffed, but no surprise showed in his eyes; he had long since figured out Puni's solid foundation.

His critical gaze scrutinized the complete finished potion repeatedly. In the end, he neither deducted points nor gave any praise. He silently turned and walked to the next desk, his attitude still cold and distant.

Compared to the always strict and taciturn Snape, Quirrell, who was temporarily filling in as a substitute teacher, became the focus of attention for all the students.

Everyone knew about the special spell that taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, and that every teacher in the position would encounter various misfortunes. Students often speculated about who would teach the class next year and secretly sympathized with the unlucky professor who had taken over temporarily.

Quirrell, who has returned to the Defense Against the Dark Arts lecture platform, seems to be in significantly better condition.

Although his voice still trembles slightly, his previously severe stuttering problem has been greatly alleviated, and he is much more composed when lecturing.

"Today's lesson will focus on reinforcing the basic disarming spell. Watch the demonstration closely, disarm you!"

He raised his hand and waved his wand, sending out a neat red beam that steadily struck down the wooden stick in the hand of the training dummy in the center of the classroom. The entire spellcasting action was standard and smooth.

After entering the practical session, all students took turns to practice, each having three chances to cast spells, which were used to hone their spell proficiency and casting skills.

When it was Puni's turn to go on stage, he flicked his wrist and made a clean and crisp movement.

"Disarm you!"

A condensed and swift red light shot out from the sky, extremely fast and powerful. It not only knocked away the props in the mannequin's hands, but the strong magical impact also pushed the heavy mannequin backward, the base scraping against the ground with a screeching sound.

The classroom fell into a deathly silence. All the students turned to look at Puni, their eyes filled with shock and admiration. Even Quirrell was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses.

"Very, very good, excellent control of the force, Mr. Lestrange." He stammered his praise, then remembered the classroom rules of reward and punishment and quickly added, "Ravenclaw, ten points."

It's easy to see that Quirrell struggles to keep up with the pace of the course, and his mannerisms are quite awkward.

Seeing his distressed appearance, the students felt even more sympathy for him.

After all, every single one of the instructors of this course has encountered various setbacks.

The warm June sun enveloped the entire Hogwarts Castle, its bright rays covering every brick and stone, casting a gentle warmth over the campus.

However, the lazy and relaxed summer atmosphere did nothing to dispel the tense atmosphere on campus.

Final exam week has quietly arrived, and a depressing atmosphere, a mixture of ink and anxiety, permeates the corridors and common rooms, enveloping every student.

Everyone was on edge, reviewing the key points with all their might, and striving to make a final push for the school year's final assessment.

In the common lounge, students could be seen engrossed in their studies.