The Bard at Hogwarts

Feeling the solid touch in his palm, Ino couldn't help but relax.

At the same time, he looked around and felt more at ease after seeing the portrait hanging on the wall.

"Good evening! Professor Quirrell."

Turning around and looking at the end of the corridor, a figure wrapped in a turban was clearly visible under the candlelight on the wall.

"Don't be nervous! As a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, I can't help but want to praise excellent and studious students. This is a normal chat."

It's hard to imagine that a person who stutters when speaking normally can communicate in an elegant tone and clear logic at this moment.

At this moment, Quirrell's tone was a little inexplicable, as if he was explaining something to someone, and as if he was explaining his harmlessness.

"Professor! Although I also want to chat with you, the curfew is coming soon. If possible, I don't want to violate the school rules."

After hearing the deliberate tone, Ino had already determined that the real Voldemort was here this time, not Quirrell, who was like a puppet.

Although he held the second dice left by Teacher Hans, he really didn't want to be overly involved with Voldemort, or waste this precious dice, without a core conflict of interest.

"Of course! Good students will never violate school rules, and they will also be loved by professors."

Possessed by Quirrell, Voldemort spoke in a strange tone.

"Good students should study hard and read more books! But remember not to go to the forbidden book area, let alone get involved in black magic, because black magic is powerful, but it will corrode those who are not firm in mind."

Perhaps he noticed something, or really considered the curfew time, anyway, Voldemort manipulated Quirrell to say this, and then turned and left.

Quirrell's back gradually went away until it disappeared at the end of the corridor.

On the other side, Ino did not relax his vigilance because of Quirrell's departure.

Although he knew that the other party would not take action in the castle, he was unwilling to gamble when it came to his own safety.

He held the dice tightly in his hand, and did not relax even when he entered the Slytherin common room.

Only after he entered the dormitory and closed the door did he slowly loosen his hand.

"Huh... a dark wizard doesn't study dark magic, but studies psychology instead!"

Ino lay on the bed tiredly, sighing in his heart.

It seems that Tom's transformation into the Voldemort who commands the support of all is not only based on extraordinary strength.

Or in other words, strong strength is only the most basic prerequisite.

Just like the few short sentences just now, it seems very simple, but he knows very well that if it were another little wizard of the same age, he might have been secretly influenced.

It's not some advanced magic, and perhaps Voldemort in the castle would not dare to act recklessly, so the communication just now was just a psychological speech skill.

When it comes to instructions that start with "don't do something", people often only focus on the things that are instructed later.

Just like God instructed Adam not to get close to the apple tree, or instructed the little wizards not to get close to the corridor on the fourth floor.

And just now Voldemort not only instructed about dark magic, but also mentioned powerful and mentally unstable people.

It seemed like a normal statement, just like a professor admonishing a good student.

But under these three hints, it is easy for a proud and talented little wizard to go down a road of no return.

…

"Hey! Let's have summer vacation soon."

At this moment, Ino was looking forward to summer vacation, because it meant that he would never see Tom in full condition again.

Starting from next year, perhaps only the paranoid Voldemort would be left.

This was not a fantasy. Today's contact also made him guess about the Horcrux. It seemed that the damage of the Horcrux not only reduced Voldemort's chance of resurrection.

A glimpse of the whole picture, judging from Voldemort's ability just now, it is unlikely that he would make those clumsy moves in the later period.

…

And the experience tonight also made him miss those trips that lasted more than half a year in the fantasy world.

He used to feel boring and tedious, but now he hopes to come more times, and even urgently wants to enter some long epic stories.

After all, the growth of magic power is always linked to time.

It doesn't take too much, two or three times a year, maybe you can reach the standard of an adult wizard, and you won't be as passive as today.

After coming to Hogwarts for so long, Ino felt a sense of powerlessness for the first time.

Even Voldemort in the state of possession still gave people a feeling of being unmatched. Just like an animal encountering a natural enemy, just facing it will be like a thorn in the back.

That's why he just took the dice and didn't take out the wand.

After all, the pretentiousness of being fierce on the outside but weak on the inside has no practical use except for being funny.

…

Meanwhile.

On the other side of the castle.

The Gryffindor common room was very lively, and everyone was celebrating today's hard-won victory.

As the hero of today, Harry was unprecedentedly supported.

This was different from the past, when others supported him because of his name. This time Harry won it through his own efforts, which made him extremely enjoyable.

Enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by people and the pleasure brought by fame.

However, when everyone in Gryffindor was laughing and having fun, no one noticed that an elderly farmer was missing from a pastoral landscape painting hanging in the corner of the common room.

On the other side, although Hermione was also sitting on the sofa outside the common room, she not only did not participate in the celebration, but also seemed a little worried.

Everything that happened in the Quidditch field had confirmed that Snape was the murderer behind the scenes, and also confirmed that Snape was the one who planned to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

Speaking of the Philosopher's Stone, Hermione couldn't help but think of Ino. After continuously passing notes, she successfully got information about Nicolas Flamel from Madam Pince, and thus deduced that the Philosopher's Stone was hidden on the fourth floor of the castle.

"I have to tell Ino earlier to keep him away from Snape... If I had known earlier, I would have saved some money to buy an owl."

Hermione shook the messy hair on her forehead in some distress.

Speaking of the owl, she thought of the note left in the library, and she didn't know if it was seen in time or lost by Madam Pince.

With countless worries in her heart, she glanced at the lively scene in the common room.

Hermione stood up angrily and walked towards the dormitory without looking back.

...

It seems that many people are destined to have trouble sleeping at Hogwarts tonight.

On the eighth floor of the castle, the principal's office.

Dumbledore, wearing lavender printed pajamas, was sitting on a chair at this moment, holding a walnut box, and looking for something seriously.

At the same time, various letters were scattered on the large desk.

After a long time.

A lilac-colored gold-stamped envelope was picked out.

When the envelope was opened, a beautiful cursive handwriting that showed personality came into view.

Just looking at the font, it is not difficult to imagine how arrogant the person who wrote this letter was.

However, Dumbledore did not take a second look at this gorgeous letter, but turned his head to stare at the Forbidden Forest under the night.

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