Bab 41: Chapter 41: Who is she?
After awarding points, "Quirrell" resumed his lecture.
Luke, however, remained on high alert, not relaxing his guard until the class was finally over.
When the bell rang and he followed the other students out of the classroom, he didn't look back at the professor still standing at the front.
With his current lack of strength, the best thing he could do was stay as far away as possible.
As Luke left, Professor Quirrell's eyes followed his back until he was completely out of sight.
The moment the last student exited, the confidence and pride on Quirrell's face vanished.
Replacing it was the same cowardly, nervous, and fearful expression he'd worn before.
He jumped out of his chair as if he'd been burned, glancing around in terror, as though he was being watched by some invisible force.
Then, in a hurried and panicked manner, he rushed into a small door at the back of the classroom, which led to his office.
With a loud "bang," the door slammed shut.
Quirrell collapsed onto the couch, his face full of worry and fear, his posture hunched, looking utterly exhausted—like a college student forced to run 3,000 meters after pulling an all-nighter.
"M-Master, wasn't that a bit too risky? Even if you wanted to observe him, you didn't have to personally teach the class. I-I could have kept him behind after it ended," Quirrell stammered.
"Fool"
A cold and arrogant voice echoed in his mind.
"A sudden appearance of an heir from the Gaunt family, and after he made such a statement at the opening feast—you think Dumbledore wouldn't be watching him closely?"
"If you had kept him back, wouldn't that have immediately raised suspicion about you?"
Quirrell trembled at Voldemort's sharp rebuke.
"But, teaching a good lesson like that all of a sudden..."
"Then, I'll be the one teaching from now on,"
Before Quirrell could finish speaking, Voldemort cut him off.
Quirrell's already pale face drained of even more color, making him look almost like a corpse.
"B-but that—that's bad for your recovery"
Quirrell stammered, his voice trembling as though on the verge of tears.
"You mean bad for 'your' health, don't you?"
Voldemort sneered again, but in the next moment, his tone softened.
"Don't worry, Quirrell. You are my most loyal servant right now. How could I be so cruel to you? We are one now. Using your body to teach is merely a way to avoid Dumbledore's suspicions."
"I'm very interested in Luke Gaunt because of his last name. He's now the heir to the Gaunt family. He could become a very useful servant. And if not a servant, then perhaps a very suitable body."
"The day he becomes my new vessel is the day you'll be freed, Quirrell. Once I'm fully resurrected, I'll grant you power, status, and everything you desire."
"You helped me at my weakest. The Dark Lord never disappoints his most faithful servants."
Voldemort's words echoed in Quirrell's mind, both convincing him and branding on his very soul.
———
The second class of the morning was Charms. This gave Luke a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. At least for this class, he wouldn't have to deal with boredom—or worse, danger.
"Hopefully the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes will go back to normal after this..."
Luke silently prayed to himself.
"Luke, why did you stop me just now?"
Taylor, walking beside Luke, asked quietly, in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Luke looked at Taylor's innocent and clear eyes and smiled. "Don't you believe that I'm the savior?"
Taylor nodded. Her grandmother had said so, and of course, she believed her.
"Then just trust me," Luke said seriously. "You don't need to know about this for now, and more importantly, don't tell anyone else or use your ability to peek into Professor Quirrell's mind."
He gave her a serious warning. "Some of the things I know, Dumbledore is definitely aware of too, so don't worry. Nothing too serious will happen."
Although Dumbledore often appeared indifferent in the face of many issues, Luke had to admit the old man's level of control was impressive. He figured that, for now, the situation hadn't gone beyond Dumbledore's expectations.
At least for the moment, Luke didn't need to directly face Voldemort in a head-to-head confrontation.
That's what Luke thought, unaware that the time when he'd have no choice but to confront Voldemort head-on was fast approaching.
Taylor looked at Luke with suspicion, a sharp gleam gradually emerging in her sky-blue eyes. But seeing Luke's firm gaze, she slowly withdrew that light and nodded.
She hadn't activated her Legilimency ability. First, because Luke knew Occlumency, meaning there was no way for her to read his thoughts unless he allowed it.
Second, because she had chosen to trust Luke—and if she had made that decision, she intended to trust him fully. She was certain her grandmother would never put her in harm's way.
Seeing Taylor withdraw her ability, Luke sighed for a moment.
He had been ready for Taylor to try and read his mind. Luke knew Legilimens often struggled with mistrust and tended to rely on their ability when dealing with the world around them.
The fact that Taylor chose not to look into his thoughts meant she had ultimately decided to trust him. This made Luke feel wary.
"Come on, it's time for class."
The two of them fell behind the rest of the Slytherin students, but no one noticed their exchange. After the conversation, they gradually caught up with the rest of the group as they made their way to the Charms classroom.
The students poured into the room in a rush.
This classroom was quite unique. It resembled more of a conference hall or a demonstration area than a typical classroom.
There were semi-circular tiered desks on either side, while a large round space at the back was set up with tables and a blackboard.
A short man stood there, shorter than some of the students, yet the smile on his face was natural and confident.
The Slytherins were among the first to arrive for class. They were sharing the lesson with Gryffindor. Unlike the carefree lions, the snakes were more punctual.
However, among the relaxed Gryffindors, there were a few students who were just as attentive to time and quite excited about this class—especially since it was a joint session with Slytherin.
Just as Luke found a seat near the front, Taylor, like in the previous two classes, sat beside him.
A curious voice suddenly called out nearby, startling Luke.
"Luke, who is she?"
*****
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