74. Snape: This Boy Has The Appearance Of A Demon King, And He Will Give Voldemort Another Blow.

Facing Dumbledore's cryptic hint, Snape found it difficult to breathe. It felt as though he had just emerged from the water only to be forced back under.

Destiny and prophecy filled his mind, along with an overwhelming sense of self-blame. Lily, Harry's mother, how did she die? The answer was clear - because Snape had revealed the prophecy to the Dark Lord.

There were two families at stake - Harry's and Neville's. In the end, Voldemort's choice was obvious. Snape's heart ached with pain. He was the one who had killed Lily.

Snape had two main motivations that supported his survival. First, to completely vanquish the Dark Lord, seeking vengeance for Lily and seeking redemption for his sins. Second, to protect those eyes, referring to Harry's famous green eyes. With these two goals in mind, Snape was willing to die.

And Dumbledore, knowing Snape's thoughts, despite Snape's questionable actions and moral character, had placed the utmost trust in him. In the face of greater interests, factors such as right and wrong, good and evil, faded into insignificance.

Walking out of the principal's office in despair, Snape bumped into Wayne, who had just descended from the Gryffindor Tower. To Snape's surprise, Wayne's previously depressed expression was gone.

"Professor, it's not curfew time yet," Wayne reminded.

Snape confronted Wayne, resulting in five points being deducted from Hufflepuff. While it partially lifted Snape's spirits, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that Wayne didn't seem to care about the points. Perhaps Hufflepuff, as a whole, didn't truly value scores, which diminished Snape's satisfaction.

Wayne, playfully glancing at Snape's torn trouser legs stained with blood, teased, "Did you get chased by a dog? The esteemed Headmaster of Slytherin can't handle a three-headed dog? How about I teach you some magic spells for self-defense?"

Snape's smile froze, and he carefully observed Wayne. "Have you been to the fourth-floor corridor?"

"Don't make baseless accusations," Wayne responded innocently, raising his hands. "I am a law-abiding student. How could I defy the principal's ban?"

Ignoring Wayne's nonsense, Snape walked ahead, all while his mind hatched a plan. He suspected that Wayne was the one who had previously wounded the three-headed dog so badly. What a little monster. Looking at Wayne, Snape couldn't help but see him as a rising...demon king. In the eyes of Snape, anyone coming out of Slytherin was seen as a potential Dark Lord, while anyone from Gryffindor was seen as a future hero or savior. But what about Hufflepuff? The two of them stopped communicating until they reached the fork on the first floor. Wayne was going back to the dormitory toward the cafeteria, while Snape was heading to the potions office.

"Ahem!"

Snape couldn't bear it any longer and purposely coughed twice, extending two fingers to make his meaning clear.

Wayne suddenly realized, "Sorry, Professor, I almost forgot."

As he said that, he took out a dragon skin bag and searched through it for a long time before finally retrieving two small finger-sized pocket glass bottles.

"These contain Acromantula venom, Professor. It's what I promised you earlier."

Snape looked incredulous.

The two bottles combined were not even enough for an ounce!

Wayne innocently forced the two small glass bottles into Snape's hands. "Just confirm if these are the two bottles."

"But what I meant..."

What he wanted was the large bottle Wayne had previously shown him!

"Oh, what are you doing? Just two bottles, don't be so stingy. Goodbye, Professor."

Wayne swiftly left.

Snape was stunned for a while, anger building up inside him.

"Lawrence, you fool!"

There were no secrets at Hogwarts, especially among those involved in the incident. Ronald had five older brothers who were remarkable, and a younger sister who the entire family adored. As the sixth child, he wasn't taken seriously. Despite his above-average academic performance and the attention garnered by his best friend, Mr. Savior, Hermione, Ronald had become somewhat transparent. So, when presented with an opportunity to make his mark, Ronald wouldn't miss it. However, he still had some sense of decency and narrated the story mostly based on facts, excluding the part about him being trapped in the bathroom.

The next day, the entire school knew.

Gryffindors weren't creators of gossip; they were spreaders. The Weasley twins waited specifically for Wayne at the entrance of the auditorium. The moment he stepped through the doors, they magically released a shower of petals into the sky and cheered, "Here comes the hero who defeated the trolls!" Thunderous applause erupted from the Gryffindor table. The young wizard had singled out the troll and become the hero who saved the school. This kind of notoriety was beloved by the young lions.

Wayne blushed because the truth had died. Everyone in the auditorium, including the professors at the guest table, was now looking at him.

Wayne glared hard at Ronald, who was standing next to Harry, and then said to the twins, "Let's discuss it, clean up Ronald, and I'll give you a bottle of thinking potion."

"What are you talking about?" George looked angry. "Ronald is our younger brother!"

"Two bottles!" Wayne quickly increased the price.

"Deal," Fred responded quickly. "How mature do you want it to be?"

"Just take care of it yourself, don't kill anyone."

"It's your turn!"

The twins were gone, but Hufflepuff's little badgers came around again.

None of them knew what had happened yesterday; they only knew that Wayne had come back later. They kept asking questions here and there.

"The Water Prison Spell?" Cedric thought for a while. "I have heard of this spell. It is a very advanced magic that requires extremely high levels of transformation and magic skills."

"Ah, once you can triple transform, you can use this magic spell," Wayne said casually. "You are the first in the third grade, it must be very easy for you."

Cedric turned green. Is this even human speech? It is a triple transformation. He has just barely mastered the transformation of living things into living things now, and it is still too early for double transformation.

What surprised Wayne was that Quirrell had been seriously injured and his head was almost crushed last night, but he still insisted on coming to class today, although he had changed his turban.

I don't know if Voldemort has passed away.

The little wizards did not come to the usual classroom but were taken to another larger classroom on the third floor.

"Today... today you can freely practice meditation, concentration, and the body-fixing mantra."

After stammering, Quirrell just sat aside and closed his eyes to rest.

It seems that today Quirrell is the nervous one, not the confident one.

However, in the practical class, the little wizards were able to cast spells at will, which made them even happier.

"Professor Quirrell, are you alive?" Wayne came to Quirrell's side and asked with concern.

Quirrell opened his eyes and forced a smile. "No, it's nothing serious."

"How is your phoenix doing lately? Is the trachoma cured?"

"Not yet." Wayne shook his head regretfully and changed the topic. "But I have collected a lot of Fawke's tears. Do you need them?"

"Of course," Quirrell gritted his teeth secretly but still did not refuse.

No matter how small a mosquito's legs are, they are still flesh. Voldemort can hardly hold on during the intense classes recently.

"Then what magic spell did you use in exchange?" Wayne waved a small bottle in front of Quirrell's eyes. Quirrell hesitated, and at that moment, Voldemort woke up and took over his body.

"How about the Fire Spell?" Voldemort still whispered in Quirrell's tone, attempting to persuade Wayne. "Don't be afraid. Although fire is considered black magic, it is essentially just flame."

He tempted Wayne further, saying, "If you had used the Fire Spell last night, the troll would have been burned to ashes long ago. Why waste so much magic power? What kind of water prison did you use?"

Voldemort was curious to see how Dumbledore would react if Wayne was bewitched and transformed into a dark wizard. He believed that Wayne showed extraordinary talent and could be valuable under his influence.

He used to possess power, but since Wayne crushed it underfoot yesterday, he had been treated like a mere carpet by the young wizard. Now all he wanted was to eliminate this nuisance.

"Fire," Wayne replied coldly, causing Voldemort's heart to sink. Was Lawrence repulsed by black magic? How did Voldemort manage to corrupt him?

Wayne furrowed his brows in displeasure and said, "Professor, do you honestly think I would stoop to using such a low-level spell like Fire? There are at least ten books in the forbidden section that document more impressive fire spells. Your lack of sincerity is disappointing."

Voldemort took a deep breath and started to question his life choices. Fire was an extremely potent black magic attack, requiring less magic power and granting a wide attack range. Yet, even this was subject to disdain.

"What do you want then?" Voldemort asked helplessly.

"The last Mind Net was good," Wayne replied casually, playing with his fingers. "If not, thunder magic will do. Any other lost magic would suffice."

Voldemort pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Come see me after class."

Satisfied with the agreement, Wayne left contentedly. At the end of the class, Volde handed him a piece of parchment.

"Here are some insights I have on continuous casting. It should be helpful, right?" Volde said.

There is no fixed casting time for magic spells, but if the same spell is cast repeatedly, one's stamina may diminish, resulting in spell failure.

It's somewhat similar to exerting great effort, then declining, and finally exhausting oneself.

Wayne accepted the parchment, intending to review it later. He also remembered that he had given Quirrell Phoenix tears.

Wayne was not one to be careless in important matters. He understood Dumbledore's nature very well, knowing that when he saw a potential "shining point," he would be quite lenient.

Voldemort stared at Wayne's departing figure coldly, holding the small bottle of Phoenix tears.

Nobody had ever been able to blackmail him twice in a row.

After acquiring the Philosopher's Stone and being revived, his first task would be to kill Harry and then Wayne Lawrence.

And Dumbledore...

He could beat him to death.

In the afternoon, as the last Potions class came to a close, Wayne briskly made his way to the principal's office, with Snape keeping a close eye. Fortunately, Dumbledore happened to be inside.

"Professor, I have some questions about continuous casting," Wayne said, using the same phrasing as before, and proceeded to list the skills taught by Voldemort, eagerly waiting for the old man's response.

Dumbledore, being an experienced man, quickly surmised the source.

"Professor Quirrell taught you?" he inquired.

Wayne happily replied, "Yes, I traded Fawke's tears for his teachings."

Fawkes, who was perched on his stand, seemed displeased with the situation. It flew down and pecked Wayne's hair, creating a messy ball of strands.

"Oh, what are you doing, Fawkes? If you cause trouble again, I won't let Fox play with you."

Reluctantly, Fawkes released Wayne after understanding his threat.

Dumbledore continued to smile. "Professor Quirrell is truly an exceptional Ravenclaw student, and his insights into continuous spell casting are unique."

"However, please release Fawkes. He is about to reach nirvana, but he doesn't have enough tears for you."

Wayne understood Dumbledore's meaning.

There is no problem with this transaction. It is better to avoid Quirrell in the future.

Wayne decisively agreed.

After the boy left, Dumbledore gently stroked Fawkes' feathers and sighed. "What a clever little wizard."

In the library, Hermione and Cho sat in the corner, completing their homework.

When I get tired of writing, I'll whisper for a bit, as long as Mrs. Pince doesn't hear me.

After the troll incident, Hermione took the initiative to reconcile with Cho. They didn't explicitly discuss it, but their relationship returned to normal.

Softly, Hermione asked, "Cho, did Wayne tell you what he plans to do tonight?"

"No." Cho shook her head. "It's a mystery. He only told me to leave the tower promptly at ten o'clock."

Hermione's heart also began to itch, joining in the condemnation of a certain boy.

*******

Night fell, ten o'clock.

Wayne first went to the Gryffindor Tower to find Hermione, then proceeded to the Ravenclaw Tower to locate Cho.

"Where are we going?"

"The Forbidden Forest."

"Isn't it dangerous?" Hermione rubbed her arm. "The book says the Forbidden Forest is filled with dangerous magical creatures."

"Don't worry." Wayne reassured her. "I promise not to harm them."

The young witch opened her mouth.

No, I mean the magical creatures are the dangerous ones!

But in the end, curiosity overcame fear. Hermione had been longing to explore the mysterious Forbidden Forest for quite some time.

Moreover, with Wayne by their side, even trolls can be easily defeated, so the Forbidden Forest shouldn't pose much of a danger.

Wayne chose not to apparate using Fox but instead planned to take a stroll through the Forbidden Forest.

"Follow me."

The three of them arrived at a blank picture frame on the third floor. Wayne retrieved his wand and lightly pointed it at the frame.

Suddenly, a door handle grew directly from the picture frame. Opening it revealed a dark passageway.

"Come on."

Wayne led the way, his wand casting a guiding light for the two young witches.

By the time they emerged, they had arrived at the owl hut.

To the west lay Hagrid's hut, and to the east was the Quidditch pitch.

"We need to avoid Hagrid's cabin." Wayne reminded them, and Cho and Hermione nodded excitedly.

This was their first time venturing out of the castle at night. When they turned back and gazed at the castle under the serene night sky, it was adorned with mottled lights, creating a quiet and peaceful ambiance.

The two of them followed closely behind Wayne. The lights were still on in Hagrid's cabin, and they could catch a glimpse of his enormous figure through the window, seemingly cooking something.

To prevent being discovered, Wayne spared no effort in using his powers to put any passing creature to sleep, even a tooth.

Finally, the three of them entered the Forbidden Forest. Hermione, full of curiosity, asked Wayne, "Where are we heading?"

Wayne remained silent, refusing to reveal their destination. "Just follow me," he replied cryptically.

The full moon hung high in the sky, and along their way, they encountered various enchanted creatures—cats, Bowtruckles, Fire Crabs, Silent Birds, and Hawklaps.

The unicorns resided in a secluded area deep within the Forbidden Forest. To move faster, Wayne used the Light Body technique on all three of them, enabling them to travel quickly as if they were flying.

As they arrived at an open field with only two hills in sight, Hermione suddenly pointed towards the right hill. "Look, something is emerging from there!"

Wayne, realizing the significance of the full moon, swiftly pulled them into hiding and cast the Disappearance Charm.

"Tonight is the night of the full moon, we are in luck," Wayne whispered.

At that moment, a horde of tiny creatures emerged from a cave on the hill.

These creatures had round heads, large eyes, long necks, and four short legs.

Both Cho and Hermione were captivated. "How adorable!" they exclaimed simultaneously.