Chapter 46: Quirrell's Harvest
After leaving the basement, Tver did not go to investigate the situation on the third floor. Instead, he went straight back to his office, portraying himself as an excellent and unsuspecting professor.
Now was the time to keep a safe distance from Quirrell.
Then, this professor, as innocent as a rabbit, took out a large parchment - "Everything Is Permitted" - and suddenly a large ink blot appeared on it.
From the center of the ink blot extended black lines, continuously outlining all the buildings within the Hogwarts castle grounds.
However, this professor's understanding of the school was not profound, so the details were a bit rough. Some lines were thick, some were thin, and some lines were tangled messily.
But these details were inconsequential. The key was that there were thirty names floating above, slowly moving on the map.
The Weasley brothers were lingering in the kitchen, probably looking for the house elves to ask for food.
Cedric happened to be on his way to the kitchen. With a flash, the three met in the kitchen.
There was also one name shining brightly, exceptionally prominent - Harry Potter. He was staying still in the common room, surrounded by the name of Hermione Granger.
Tver moved his wand to Harry's name, and with a flash of gold, a clear voice came from it.
"...I was just a second away from hitting the monster before Malfoy!"
"I saw that! Hermione was clearly creating an opportunity for you, but Malfoy snatched it!" It was Ron's voice.
"So, are you two not fighting anymore?"
"If she wasn't so arrogant."
"If he stopped bad-mouthing me." Hermione's voice finally spoke up.
The three bickered for a while, but their relationship ultimately returned to harmony, discussing tonight's lesson like friends.
After confirming that the badges and map functions were working properly, Tver put away the parchment - "Nothing Is True."
This was a magic map created by Tver, imitating the concept of the Marauder's Map, but with badges as the medium. He made some minor improvements based on the principle of the Sneakoscope, allowing him to hear the voices of the badge wearers.
As for "Everything Is Permitted" and "Nothing Is True," they were his favorite mottos, so he used them as incantations for the map.
The next key was Quirrell, as long as—
"Knock, knock, knock."
A sudden knocking interrupted Tver's thoughts, prompting him to glance reluctantly towards the door. It was Quirrell, and his odor permeated through even the closed door. Whether intentional or not, he always seemed to find his way here when Tver was avoiding him.
Nevertheless, Tver had no choice but to open the door. Letting him continue knocking would attract unwanted attention.
As the door cracked open, Quirrell swiftly darted inside with an uncharacteristically agile step.
Closing the door gently behind him, Quirrell confidently took a seat in front of Tver.
Tver tucked away the parchment, his expression unreadable, creating a stark contrast with Quirrell's demeanor.
"It seems like you had quite the success tonight?"
Quirrell's satisfaction was palpable, evident in the involuntary trembling of his legs.
"Of course. I've discovered that only one person was paying attention to that corridor. Care to guess who?" Quirrell's tone dripped with smugness.
"Snape."
"What?" Quirrell's thigh stopped trembling abruptly, his voice filled with disbelief. "How did you know?!"
Tver looked at Quirrell with a knowing smirk. "Why don't you share your findings first?"
After a moment of recollection, Quirrell hesitantly recounted, "After leading the students and professors away tonight, I discreetly made my way to the third floor. Instead of entering, I opened the door and hid nearby to observe. Not long after, Snape hurriedly arrived and, upon seeing the open door, rushed inside."
Quirrell chuckled with a mix of malicious glee and contorted expression. "He even got scratched by that three-headed dog. Limped out, he did."
"So, you wanted me to help you delay time tonight just to confirm this?" Tver shook his head in exasperation.
"Isn't that enough?!" Quirrell rose abruptly. "Now that we've avoided Snape, we can go for the Philosopher's Stone!"
Tver sighed inwardly, shaking his head. "Have you considered that besides Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore's right-hand person is none other than Snape? All this commotion just to confirm something so predictable."
Disappointment was evident in Tver's tone.
"I... I…"Quirrell stuttered for a moment, unable to utter a single word.
He felt rather foolish about tonight's events. Being followed by Snape earlier made him feel like he was using a cannon to kill a mosquito — a total waste of time.
"Enough with the stammering. What's your next move?"Tver cut in.
"Why should I tell you?"Quirrell suddenly became defensive.
"Then don't bother asking for my help next time. I work hard to prepare lessons for the students, unlike you, who act like Filch."
Quirrell panicked. He knew he couldn't match Tver's strength or intellect. Without Tver, he wouldn't make as much progress.
"Wait, I've been investigating Snape's setup. It seems to involve some potions!"
"Are you daft? Snape, the master of potions, needs your confirmation on potion matters?!"
"Well, um, alright,"Quirrell chuckled awkwardly. "You handle the chessboard, I'll take care of the potions. Once we solve these challenges, we'll get the Philosopher's Stone!"
Tver glanced at Quirrell's slightly pale face with a hint of amusement.
'It's me, only me who can obtain the Philosopher's Stone.'
"Well, I'll leave it to you to work harder. Remember, the Philosopher's Stone is our priority. Don't mess around with trivial matters," Tver advised.
Quirrell nodded absentmindedly and left the office cautiously.
"He won't last much longer," As soon as Quirrell left, the ring eager to speak. "Half of his life force has been absorbed by the main body, much like your situation, or even worse. He may live a few more months, but most likely no longer than half a year."
Tver took out the ring and toyed with it in his hand.
"I recall that absorbing life force into a soul can create a semi-corporeal entity. So why does your main body keep clinging to Quirrell?"
"Ha, it's for a quick escape, of course!"
The ring's explanation made sense to Tver.
In a soul state, only by creating a Horcrux could one be bound. But with a semi-corporeal form, he had at least ten ways to trap Voldemort.
"So, Voldemort knows this is a trap against him too?"
"Of course. Except for that fool Quirrell, who wouldn't see this as a trap? It's like needing a sign at the door saying 'Philosopher's Stone Inside'. Well, maybe that fool Quirrell is aware too…"
Tver ignored the ramblings of the chatty ring and instead looked at the symbol on his wrist. This was Dumbledore's cunning plan. But even if it was a trap, he would step into it!
"By the way, your main body can't deal with this curse either?"
The ring stopped abruptly, then chuckled.
"You forget? Curses are evil prophecies. Once tainted, there's no escaping~"