Chapter 378: A Difficult Situation
Chapter 378: A Difficult Situation
"I thought Dark Arts Defense Against the Dark Arts would turn into a mess." Fred whispered, voicing the thoughts of many students in the classroom.
While Professor Quirrell's teaching skills were far inferior to those of the previous two Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, he managed to scrape by and impart some useful knowledge to the class.
Of course, some professors also selectively added new teaching materials according to their own needs, such as that senior fraudster, Gilderoy Lockhart.
Standing at the lectern, Professor Quirrell was describing the characteristics of Inferi and the series of responses one should take upon encountering them. He had once told the class that his scarf was a gift from an African prince, given as a token of gratitude for helping him escape the clutches of the Inferi.
However, no one really believed the story Professor Quirrell was spinning.
As the students jotted down the relevant knowledge, they unanimously turned their gazes toward Albert, as if awaiting something.
"Do you have any... questions, Mr... Anderson?" Professor Quirrell stammered, addressing Albert who had raised his hand.
"Professor, I'd like to know what the difference is between zombies and the legendary undead," Albert asked. "And how do we distinguish between them?"
He paused, perhaps to allow Professor Quirrell to catch his breath and listen clearly, before continuing, "And what should we do if we encounter the undead?"
"D-difference?" Professor Quirrell actually disliked Albert's question, but this genius always managed to ask pertinent and reasonable queries. The rapid-fire questions were making him dizzy.
The students felt a bit of sympathy for Professor Quirrell, but they relished even more watching Albert "trouble" him.
Through Albert's questions and Professor Quirrell's answers, they could learn quite a bit of useful knowledge, perhaps even more than what was taught during the regular lesson.
"The undead are 'cursed corpses that have been resurrected' and transformed into 'terrifying puppet' servants that can be controlled by Dark Wizards," Professor Quirrell stammered in response to Albert's inquiry.
This student, hailed as Hogwarts' most brilliant, asked questions every lesson, and at some point, it became a fixture of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
Professor Quirrell regretted answering questions initially, but it was too late now. If he didn't respond, the students would fixate on him with expectant gazes—a level of focus unprecedented during his lessons.
"...the Dark Magic created by that-which-must-not-be-named."
Everyone could sense Professor Quirrell's body trembling uncontrollably as he uttered the name of the Dark Wizard whose name was taboo. His voice shook with it.
"Back then, You-Know-Who killed many Muggles and used their bodies to create large numbers of undead," Professor Quirrell said hoarsely. "To be honest, this isn't a pleasant topic."
"As for the difference, the undead are corpses, puppets that can only follow a Dark Wizard's orders. Inferi, on the other hand, retain some consciousness from their previous life, and their essence is more akin to that of a ghost. Of course, there's little need to worry about encountering Inferi here in Britain."
"Professor, what should we do if we encounter the undead?" Albert asked patiently after letting the professor finish.
"The undead haven't been seen for a long time," Professor Quirrell said uneasily. "Ever since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named lost power, the undead have disappeared."
"However, that doesn't mean the undead have been completely eradicated," Albert continued. "As long as there are people who master the magic of creating the undead, we may still encounter them. I've checked the relevant records, and information is scarce. The undead serve as 'fighters or guards who do not care about their own safety' and have 'many uses'."
"Yes... yes, as 'fighters or guards who do not care about their own safety', Inferi are quite useful." Professor Quirrell stammered in agreement. "Encountering a horde of Inferi would indeed be dangerous."
"However, Inferi fear fire and light." Quirrell added, "Flames can burn them, and bright light can cause them to retreat into the shadows, becoming confused and uncontrollable."
"Professor, can we stop or destroy Inferi by blasting their heads off with spells? I mean, can we just blow them away?" Albert inquired, viewing the Inferi as puppets, somewhat similar to the zombies from Resident Evil. As he spoke, several students unconsciously touched their heads.
"Well... I haven't encountered Inferi myself, so I'm not quite sure if that would work..." Professor Quirrell stumbled over his words, "If we ever do come across them, I suggest that Mr. Anderson refrain from reckless experimentation. As 'fighters or guards who do not care about their own safety', Inferi should be dealt with using correct and safe methods. Otherwise, being entangled by them could spell disaster."
Albert nodded, acknowledging his advice.
While there were many witches and wizards capable of wielding wands and conjuring flames, not everyone could drive away Inferi with fire.
Albert even doubted if the light from a simple Lumos spell would be enough to make the Inferi retreat.
Encountering a lone Inferius was manageable, but a group of them might require a hasty retreat.
Back then, even Harry Potter had struggled to handle them.
From Albert's limited memories, he recalled the time when Harry and Dumbledore went in search of the locket horcrux in a cave, and they encountered a horde of Inferi. It was only after Dumbledore conjured a massive fire that they were able to drive them away.
Indeed, if one ever encountered a group of Inferi, the best course of action would be to cast a light spell and make a quick escape. After all, dealing with foes that didn't fear death was no easy task.
"By the way, why do you always like to give Professor Quirrell a hard time?"
Fred finally asked the question that had been on his mind after class.
"I feel that Professor Quirrell isn't living up to his potential." Albert replied seriously, "He is also a very talented professor."
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Anderson." Professor Quirrell managed a faint smile as he walked by.
"Suck-up."
Catrina muttered under her breath as she watched Professor Quirrell's retreating back.
"Don't forget, he answered all the questions I raised." Albert reminded her, "What we see on the surface might not be the whole truth."
This judgment stemmed from Quirrell's exploits—to escape the pursuit of the Gringotts goblins and make them believe that a Dark wizard was responsible, he must possess considerable skill. Otherwise, the goblins would have killed him.
Moreover, the most crucial point was the powerful fire, the so-called Devil's Fire. It was incredibly difficult to control, and since Quirrell could use it to burn through the vault door, he couldn't possibly be weak.
In a sense, any wizard daring enough to play with Devil's Fire and survive must be considered quite powerful.
The man must have a high level of proficiency in Dark Magic, undoubtedly stronger than Albert at the moment.
Of course, there was also another reason.
Albert had discovered a new task related to Professor Quirrell in the system:
Be a Good Student.
Your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher seems to be hiding a big secret. You sense that he is not as incompetent as he appears. In the guise of a curious student, probe and uncover his hidden strengths. Strive to ask him a hundred questions.
5/100 Reward: 10,000 experience points, 1 skill point, and gain a specific skill from the target.
Indeed, this was the primary reason behind Albert's persistent questioning. He needed to complete the task and ask all his questions before Quirrell was defeated by Harry.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
