Chapter 25 — Voldemort Plans Another Way Out
So, when the other professors heard the commotion and hurried to the scene, this is what they saw:
Three Gryffindor first-years were doing everything they could to attack the troll, aiming for its tiny, cocoa-bean-sized brain. Hermione fared slightly better, knowing a number of simple spells, while Harry and Ron could only manage some levitation-type charms that looked thoroughly unprofessional.
The troll's skin was thick and tough. It was extremely annoyed by their harassment, but there was little it could do to retaliate. Every time its massive club swung toward the students' heads, Dracula would freeze it in an instant.
The troll didn't understand why, but instinctively, its desire to attack faded, gradually relieving the pressure on Harry and the others.
Professor McGonagall, frantic with worry, had arrived as fast as she could, only to witness this bizarre scene. She couldn't help but turn to Dumbledore beside her:
"Albus, I don't think Professor Dracula's teaching methods are suitable for these poor children!"
"Perhaps Professor Dracula simply has his own teaching methods," Dumbledore replied with a small cough and a light chuckle to McGonagall.
What could Dumbledore do? He was desperate too! Was he really going to expel a Hogwarts landlord over a minor teaching method issue? Would Hogwarts even be able to continue operating then?
Meanwhile, Dracula noticed the troll growing fatigued. For the sake of this poor teaching "tool," he told Harry and the others to stop their actions.
"That's enough for now. Remember to handle danger according to what I've taught you," he said.
The three little ones nodded eagerly, then scrambled behind McGonagall and Dumbledore, as if afraid Dracula would assign them another high-stakes practical exercise.
Dracula shook his head with a faint smile and turned to the professors arriving in a hurry—Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape. Aside from the headmasters and house head, Professor Quirrell also followed behind, his expression unsettled, his thoughts unreadable.
"What on earth were you children playing at?" McGonagall asked sternly, turning to the three Gryffindors, her voice icy with anger. "Consider yourselves lucky that Professor Dracula noticed in time. Otherwise, you would have been crushed. Why didn't you just stay in the dormitory?"
Snape gave Harry a sharp, piercing look, carefully checking his eyes for injury. Seeing they were unharmed, he exhaled sharply in annoyance.
Hermione was about to take all the blame herself when her eyes suddenly widened in terror.
"Miss Granger, are you planning some trick like those troublemakers too?" McGonagall said, seeing Hermione's frightened expression. She assumed Hermione was about to divert attention like the Weasley twins, and her tone was sharp.
Harry and Ron immediately mirrored the same fearful expressions.
"Professor, watch out!" Harry shouted.
McGonagall turned in time to see a massive wooden club crashing down toward Dracula.
Even with its limited intelligence, the troll had gradually realized, through repeated teasing, that Dracula was the true culprit behind its torment.
It decided to take out the annoying man first, and then deal with the bothersome little wizards.
The club fell heavily. Everyone present reacted too slowly, expecting Dracula to fall victim, just like all past Defense Against the Dark Arts professors before him.
But the next moment, Dracula lightly lifted his hand and caught the club effortlessly.
The troll's face turned red with exertion, the floor beneath it denting slightly, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not pull the club from the seemingly thin, pale fingers of Dracula.
Dracula casually glanced at it and suddenly released his grip.
The troll lost control, yanked the club out, and slammed it heavily onto its own forehead.
And then it fainted.
Dracula then nonchalantly looked toward Harry, who had just sounded the warning, and asked with a light chuckle:
"Is something the matter, Mr. Potter?"
"N…no, Professor," Harry swallowed and shook his head repeatedly.
Witnessing Dracula catch the troll's massive club barehanded, not just the three students, but even McGonagall and Snape were left in stunned disbelief.
"It's late. Time to return to rest," Dracula said quietly, ignoring their expressions.
He walked forward, taking a handkerchief from his pocket to carefully wipe his hands, then set it ablaze and reduced it to ashes.
As he passed Quirrell, Dracula gave him a meaningful glance before slipping past and disappearing into the shadows, where the moonlight did not reach.
…
That night, in the cramped assistant professor's office.
Quirrell removed the ever-present purple turban and knelt on the floor, trembling all over.
On the back of his head, Voldemort's ferocious face raged, venting anger and frustration.
"You incompetent fool! You're utterly useless! You couldn't even see Dracula's precautions!" Voldemort shouted harshly. "If I hadn't noticed the mark he left on your shoulder, would you have blindly run into the fourth-floor restricted area?!"
"Ma…Master, I truly didn't notice anything unusual…" Quirrell said weakly.
"Even if you didn't notice, when Dracula touched your shoulder in that abnormal way, didn't it strike you as odd?" Voldemort demanded. "Your pathetic act has been completely exposed. Even Severus has noticed something strange about you now."
"Damn it! Why did I have to possess you, and not Severus!"
Voldemort now cursed both Quirrell and himself in equal measure.
But he could not reveal his identity in front of Severus, who had once been a loyal Death Eater.
On one hand, his weak state in Quirrell's body would not only be humiliating in front of former subordinates but could seriously damage his authority, possibly even provoking rebellion.
On the other hand, Voldemort had been in hiding for eleven years. During that time, Severus had earned Dumbledore's trust. Voldemort could not risk believing Severus would remain as loyal as before.
Thus, his only hope lay with this utterly unreliable Quirrell.
"This isn't safe anymore. I can't remain in Quirrell," Voldemort muttered to himself. "Besides, his life force is nearly exhausted. I must find another way out!"