Winter was receding from Devonshire in March, temperatures were warming, snow was melting, and tender shoots were emerging from the muddy ground, rejuvenating the earth.
A young man in a windbreaker appeared without warning. He kicked the freshly sprouted young shoots back into the soil and walked slowly towards a nearby house.
With a creaking sound, the door of the house was pushed open.
"It seems like it's time for some repairs," the young man murmured. He went straight to the kitchen, hung his damp windbreaker on the rack beside the fireplace, and took out his wand from his pocket, reigniting the fire.
A small black snake slithered out of the young man's windbreaker pocket and settled by the fireplace to warm itself.
Now, it wasn't yet time for the snake to awaken from its winter slumber, but the young man had no better option. He preferred being attached to the snake rather than a mouse.
This young man's name was Quirinus Quirrell. Not too long ago, he had just returned to the UK after his world travels and was currently preparing to apply for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.
This time, Quirrell wasn't alone. He had someone—or rather, something—else with him.
Or to be precise, a snake.
He was attached to the snake's body, and he had been given many names: the one whose name couldn't be mentioned, the Dark Lord, or... Voldemort.
Yes, the infamous Lord Voldemort.
Of course, to show his obedience, Quirrell had been referring to him as "master." This was the title Death Eaters used for Voldemort.
Although Quirrell didn't particularly like using that term, he needed to appear respectful, at least on the surface.
At this moment, Quirrell was striving to learn more magical skills from Voldemort, in order to ensure he wouldn't become a laughingstock again.
Sitting in an armchair, gazing at the flames in the fireplace, he took a sip of his tea. The flames danced in his eyes, much like his current emotions.
Everything was different now.
Once a weak and small student at Hogwarts, Quirrell had been mocked and teased by his peers. He grew tired of that version of himself and vowed to change.
Soon after graduation, he aspired to become a competent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He knew that many feared the position due to rumors of curses, but Quirrell believed those were baseless claims. He thought he could overcome the so-called curse and earn everyone's respect.
However, Dumbledore didn't immediately accept Quirrell's application. Instead, he suggested that Quirrell embark on a journey around the world to gain more knowledge and insight before coming back to him.
During the years of his world travels, Quirrell gradually became interested in dark magic. Of course, his interest remained limited to the theoretical aspect. Yet, he soon realized that the theoretical dark magic was rather absurd, much like his previous dream of becoming a fearsome dark wizard.
Finally, Quirrell began to dream about tracking down Voldemort and learning more magical skills from him.
He shifted his travel plans and went to the Albanian forest, rumored to be Voldemort's hiding place. However, nobody knew for sure if that was true.
However, to Quirrell's surprise, he actually encountered the legendary Voldemort. The renowned Voldemort was currently forced to inhabit the bodies of small rodents, rendering him quite weak.
In Quirrell's eyes, this was ridiculously amusing. He also realized that his fantasy might come true. While Voldemort tried to persuade him to join the forces of darkness, Quirrell expressed his desire to learn more magical skills from Voldemort. In return, he offered to help Voldemort restore his physical form.
As expected, Voldemort agreed to this arrangement.
This left Quirrell feeling rather smug, thinking that the infamous Dark Lord was not as intimidating as he had imagined. He believed he had the capability to master Voldemort.
As long as he learned the advanced magic skills, he was sure he could become a powerful wizard who commanded respect, no longer insignificant like so many others. He was tired of mediocrity, tired of being belittled and ridiculed. He aimed to become a figure that everyone would look up to, akin to Dumbledore and Voldemort.
As for Voldemort, this fallen Dark Lord seemed nothing more than a disposable pawn by that point. Quirrell could even consider handing him over to Dumbledore.
During his travels, Voldemort did indeed teach him many magical skills. Unfortunately, Quirrell pathetically found himself capable of mastering only a small fraction of them. Yet, these skills were enough to make him a formidable wizard.
Throughout his continued world travels, Voldemort remained by his side.
Occasionally, they engaged in conversations. While Quirrell dismissed most of Voldemort's words, he couldn't deny that some of what Voldemort said made sense.
In the world, there were no absolute good or evil, right or wrong. Being labeled the Dark Lord merely meant using violent means in the pursuit of power.
Voldemort never believed he had done anything wrong. To him, those without power were simply worthless, and worthlessness was a crime.
Quirrell could relate to this sentiment.
Voldemort promised Quirrell that when he mastered the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he would grant Quirrell an appropriate position as a reward for aiding in his physical restoration.
In that moment, Quirrell's heart was moved. If Voldemort became his backing, everything would change again.
From then on, Quirrell started accepting Voldemort's guidance and executing his orders. Undoubtedly, this dark wizard's modus operandi brought Quirrell numerous benefits.
Voldemort also shared many hidden secrets with him, including the fact that the legendary alchemist Nicolas Flamel was still alive, as well as the existence of the Philosopher's Stone, which granted eternal life.
Voldemort told Quirrell that he needed the Philosopher's Stone to ensure his own immortality. In exchange, Quirrell would receive a substantial amount of gold as a reward.
With Voldemort's assistance, Quirrell spent a long time and finally located Nicolas Flamel's residence in Paris, France. However, it seemed that Flamel had sensed their surveillance and remained hidden in a secure location, eluding their grasp.
Soon enough, Dumbledore arrived. Quirrell didn't dare to show himself and continued to control Muggle surveillance around Flamel's dwelling, keeping himself hidden.
Yet, a vexing turn of events occurred. With Dumbledore's help, Nicolas Flamel disappeared without warning.
Quirrell and Voldemort had to exert significant effort to trace the clues. Flamel had settled in Devonshire, and his abode was protected by the Fidelius Charm, making it impossible for them to locate him. The secret-keeper was Dumbledore.
Quirrell had been observing Flamel's house for quite a while, occasionally spotting Dumbledore visiting him.
Flamel had also detected his presence, but was uncertain of the identity.
While Quirrell and Voldemort pondered how to obtain the Philosopher's Stone, circumstances took another twist. Rumor had it that the Stone might be hidden in Gringotts.
This information had been acquired through the interrogation of a fairy.
Stealing the Stone from Gringotts wasn't going to be easy. Moreover, Quirrell needed to verify the authenticity of this information, as Dumbledore was already aware that someone was interested in the Stone and might have set a trap to ensnare him.
Furthermore, Gringotts was heavily fortified; scarcely any wizard had managed to pilfer from the bank and escape unscathed.
Quirrell ruefully discovered he didn't possess such capabilities. Voldemort seemed to think the same way and was trying to mold him into a competent ally.
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(End of this chapter)