The dramatic beam struggle Lucien had imagined — something straight out of legendary wizard duels — never happened.
The instant Lucien cast his spell, Voldemort casually flicked his wand as well.
"Expelliarmus."
The two disarming charms collided for barely a fraction of a second before Lucien's spell shattered instantly.
But Lucien had already anticipated that outcome.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
"Diffindo!"
"Accio!"
"Lumos Maxima!"
Spell after spell burst from Lucien's wand without pause.
Back in Austria, he had experienced countless assassination attempts. Most of them had been resolved by Vinda Rosier and the other Saints before they reached him directly, but those encounters still gave him valuable experience in life-and-death combat.
His spells flew rapidly as though magical power cost nothing at all.
Compared to Lucien's full concentration, Voldemort appeared almost leisurely.
Yet the admiration hidden within his scarlet eyes became increasingly obvious.
The precision of Lucien's timing.
The control behind every spell.
The sheer speed of his adaptation.
None of it should have been possible for an eleven-year-old child.
More terrifying still, Voldemort could clearly sense Lucien improving during the fight itself.
The understanding of dark magic they had discussed earlier in class was already being integrated directly into Lucien's combat instincts.
"Expelliarmus!"
As the duel continued, Lucien's magical reserves finally began weakening.
Voldemort seized the moment casually.
A crimson flash shot forward and instantly knocked Lucien's wand flying from his hand.
"Mr Grindelwald," Voldemort said calmly, "I must admit something."
"You are the most talented young wizard I have ever seen."
His voice carried genuine admiration now.
"And your talent extends beyond magic alone. Your understanding of human nature is equally extraordinary."
Then his gaze sharpened slightly.
"Are you truly so certain I won't kill you?"
Lucien calmly bent down and retrieved his wand.
Not a trace of panic appeared on his face.
"This is Hogwarts," he replied evenly. "You would never risk losing your opportunity for resurrection merely to kill me."
He looked directly into Voldemort's eyes.
"Besides… only a living Grindelwald can provide greater value to you."
For several seconds, Voldemort simply stared at him.
Then he suddenly laughed.
A loud, genuine laugh.
"You're even smarter than I expected."
His eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Mr Grindelwald, your intelligence has earned you another opportunity."
Voldemort slowly spread his arms.
"Become my disciple."
"With the names of two Dark Lords standing behind you, you are destined to become the future ruler of the magical world."
To Voldemort's surprise, Lucien showed no visible excitement whatsoever.
Instead, he merely glanced at him calmly.
"Mr Voldemort," he said lightly, "there's no such thing as something for nothing."
He tilted his head slightly.
"If you want to become my teacher, shouldn't you at least prepare a decent gift for our first meeting?"
Voldemort chuckled softly before tapping his wand once.
The office, damaged heavily during their duel, immediately restored itself completely.
Then a thick notebook flew from a nearby drawer and landed directly on the desk.
Lucien picked it up casually.
But after only a few pages, his expression changed slightly.
The contents were extraordinary.
Dark magic theories.
Advanced spell structures.
Combat insights.
Even Lucien, after years studying under Grindelwald, couldn't help feeling shocked by the depth of knowledge inside.
"These are some notes and magical insights I compiled over the years," Voldemort said calmly.
"Consider them your first gift."
Lucien immediately bowed respectfully.
"Thank you for the gift."
Then he raised his head slightly.
"Teacher."
Voldemort's smile widened instantly.
For perhaps the first time since his resurrection plans began, he genuinely looked pleased.
"From today onward," he declared proudly, "the Death Eaters welcome their second master."
He stepped closer.
"Every Saturday afternoon, you will come to Quirrell's office."
"I will personally teach you what true dark magic really is."
"Yes, Teacher."
Truthfully, Lucien wasn't particularly resistant to becoming Voldemort's disciple.
No matter how ruthless or insane Voldemort might be, his magical knowledge and foundation were undeniable.
If Voldemort wanted to use him?
Fine.
In exchange, Lucien would happily take everything the Dark Lord knew.
Besides, with his knowledge of future events, fooling a weakened parasitic Voldemort wouldn't be difficult at all.
After discussing several magical topics further, Lucien finally noticed how late it had become and prepared to leave.
Just before he reached the door, Voldemort spoke again.
"The next time you come," he said slowly, "I expect information regarding Mr Potter… and the secrets hidden on Hogwarts' third floor."
Lucien paused briefly.
"You'll have it, Teacher."
After Lucien left, Quirrell's body immediately collapsed onto the bed as though all strength had been drained from him.
Sweat soaked his robes completely.
Trembling violently, he reached beneath his pillow and pulled out a bottle of potion before drinking the entire thing desperately.
Only then did his complexion improve slightly.
"M-master…"
Quirrell panted heavily.
"Lucien Grindelwald can't be trusted. Why… why reveal your identity to him?"
"What if he tells Dumbledore?"
"No."
Voldemort's answer came instantly.
"He won't."
Absolute confidence filled his voice.
"He's intelligent. I recognised it the moment I first saw him."
Voldemort's tone grew colder.
"Someone like him would never remain satisfied with the current world."
"Dumbledore could never truly trust a Grindelwald. And Grindelwald himself would never cooperate with Dumbledore either."
He gave a faint laugh.
"A newcomer untouched by suspicion is far easier to use."
"My disciple inherited his father's gift for manipulating hearts. With only a few clever methods, he can guide countless fools into risking their lives to obtain whatever lies hidden on Hogwarts' third floor."
Quirrell still looked uneasy.
"But… we have no way to truly control him…"
Perhaps because he was in a good mood, Voldemort surprisingly didn't punish him for questioning again.
"Do you really believe the notebook I gave him was harmless?"
A dangerous smile appeared on Quirrell's face.
"I told you already. He's extremely intelligent."
"And the greatest weakness of intelligent people…"
His voice lowered slowly.
"…is arrogance."
"The corruption caused by dark magic is not something a first-year student can resist forever."
Back in the Slytherin dormitory, a familiar system notification suddenly appeared before Lucien's eyes.
[Congratulations, Host, for becoming Voldemort's disciple.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Heir of the Death Eaters]
[Reward: 100 Achievement Points]
[Congratulations, Host, for receiving guidance from both Voldemort and Grindelwald.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Future Dark Lord]
[Reward: 200 Achievement Points]
[Congratulations, Host, for becoming successor to both the Saints and the Death Eaters.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Terror of the Wizarding World]
[Reward: 200 Achievement Points]
[Current Achievement Points: 600]
"Six hundred points…"
Lucien's eyes brightened immediately.
"That's enough for a five-pull."
"System. Start the draw."
The familiar pack-opening interface appeared before him.
One card after another opened beneath endless blue skies and white clouds until finally—
Purple light erupted.
[Congratulations, Host.]
[Rewards Obtained:]
[Reparo (Level 2)]
[Densaugeo (Level 3)]
[Oppugno (Level 2)]
[Finite Incantatem (Level 3)]
[Special Reward Obtained: Transfiguration (Level 5)]
Lucien's expression immediately changed.
This draw was absurdly valuable.
Finite Incantatem alone was an incredibly advanced counter-curse. During the legendary Fiendfyre incident in Paris, Nicolas Flamel and countless elite wizards had once relied on Finite Incantatem to suppress the spreading magical destruction.
As for Transfiguration…
That was one of the most fundamental yet terrifying branches of magic in existence.
Simple to learn.
Almost impossible to master.
True masters of Transfiguration could turn clothing, threads, furniture, or even the battlefield itself into deadly weapons.
Calling it a purple-tier reward was practically unfair.
"This is a massive jackpot."
[Remaining Achievement Points: 100]
[Detected: Host possesses multiple compatible spell branches.]
[Would you like to fuse them?]
"Fuse."
Instantly, enormous quantities of magical knowledge flooded Lucien's mind.
It felt as though he had personally transformed into countless magical masters, experiencing their years of study and experimentation firsthand.
[Host possesses exceptional magical talent.]
[Comprehension upgraded to Super-Magic Level.]
[Reparo upgraded to Level 3.]
[Densaugeo upgraded to Level 4.]
Lucien slowly raised his wand toward the wooden table nearby.
Magic surged outward.
The wooden table twisted rapidly before transforming into a heavy iron basin.
Then the basin floated upward and smashed violently against the floor with a loud clang.
A satisfied smile finally appeared on Lucien's face.
"The fundamentals of Transfiguration are complete at last."