https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-74-The-First-Year-Textbooks-Don-t-Teach-the-Aronia-Charm/13439675/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-76-Ding-Your-Headmaster-Dumbledore-is-on-His-Way-to-Support-You/13439701/
Chapter 75: What Does It Mean to Slap Someone's Face?
Chapter 75: What Does It Mean to Slap Someone's Face?
As the two figures disappeared into the flames, Ivan opened his mouth, intending to stop them.
Because to return, they would have to pass through those berserk chess pieces. The four of them had already had a hard time getting here, let alone just Hermione and Ron.
However, staying here didn't mean absolute safety either. If Harry and Ivan won, it would be fine, but if they lost, they would be trapped in this enclosed space with no chance of escape from Quirrell and Voldemort.
"Let's go", Ivan sighed, deciding to focus on his own safety first.
Harry nodded solemnly and gulped down the small bottle of potion, looking like he was about to face certain death. However, with Ivan by his side, Harry felt a bit more confident compared to the original scenario.
Soon, Harry noticed that Ivan was muttering some strange incantations. With a light tap of his wand, Ivan's figure quickly vanished before his eyes.
On the empty platform, apart from the flames rising all around, Harry was left alone.
"Ivan? Are you still there?" Harry suddenly felt a bit panicked.
"I used the Disillusionment Charm. The effect is similar to your Invisibility Cloak. I'm right beside you now", Ivan's voice sounded in his ear.
Harry calmed down a bit. Although he couldn't see Ivan, he didn't ask him to reveal himself. They would have a better chance of success with one visible and one hidden.
Even if he would be used as bait, Harry didn't mind. In his view, Ivan didn't have the same responsibility or obligation to face the Dark Lord, unlike himself, who had been dragged into this situation.
Before stepping into the Black Flames, Ivan seemed to remember something and spoke again.
"Once we're inside, no matter what you see, don't panic too much, and don't immediately engage in a conflict. Try to get close to Quirrell or Voldemort, then restrict his movements. Grab his hand or slap his face, anything to prevent Quirrell from drawing his wand."
Harry was confused. Restricting movement made sense, but what did it mean to slap someone's face?
To block his vision?
Harry couldn't quite figure it out but agreed anyway. He wasn't like some old-fashioned wizards who thought fighting without magic was beneath them.
Just charge in and get it done.
Ivan felt a bit more at ease. As long as Voldemort still wanted the Philosopher's Stone, he wouldn't attack Harry immediately. Once Harry got close enough, they would win.
"Redeem Experience Card", Ivan mouthed silently.
[Ding, redeemed, deducted 100 Academic Points.]
With the prompt, Ivan's brain processed information much faster, and his senses became more acute.
Facing Voldemort, Ivan couldn't afford to relax. He pushed himself to the limit.
Taking a few steps forward into the range of the Black Flames, the scorching heat hit him. This strange fire maintained a high temperature even without a fuel source.
Fortunately, the Fire-Resistant Potion worked well, and a thin layer of water automatically appeared around his body, blocking the flames and heat.
Moving forward, they entered a large room with twelve massive pillars around the perimeter. In the center stood a huge mirror, and a wizard in a black robe, hood pulled tightly over his head, stood in front of it, his back to them.
Perhaps sensing the movements behind him, the figure in the black robes slowly turned around. Harry's eyes widened in horror as a chill ran up his spine from his feet to his head.
Ivan almost lost control of the Disillusionment Charm.
What kind of face was this?
The face was covered in pitted, burned marks, with no unscathed skin from top to bottom. The white bone on his forehead was clearly visible.
The two eyes were exposed without the protection of eyelids, and the most bizarre thing was that this burned face seemed to overlap with a ghostly snake face. Only the word "grotesque" could describe it.
Ivan swallowed hard. Although he had long suspected that Quirrell and Voldemort couldn't have escaped unscathed from the attack by him and Norbert, he hadn't expected Quirrell to be so severely injured, and yet still alive.
"Harry... Potter!" A low, raspy voice emerged from Quirrell's burned mouth, filled with anger, surprise, and even joy.
"Are you Quirrell, or Voldemort? Why does your body look like this?" Despite his overwhelming fear, Harry quickly forced himself to calm down and, following Ivan's previous instructions, began to approach Voldemort step by step.
"Why do you ask?" Voldemort's already volatile emotions grew even more enraged.
It was Quirrell, that useless fool!
He had struggled so much to deal with a Unicorn, and not only did he fail to drink its blood, but he also got hit head-on by a Fire Dragon that came out of nowhere.
He had barely managed to block the attack, but the fall was severe. Before he could recover, the place he was hiding in was set ablaze with large-scale Flame Spells, mixed with scorching dragon breath!
Quirrell, the idiot, was knocked out cold, and his wand slipped from his grasp. If Voldemort hadn't taken full control of this body and cast a wandless spell to regain his wand and escape in time, this body would have been burned to a crisp.
What infuriated him even more was that he never saw the attacker's face. To use such large-scale Flame Spells in the Forbidden Forest, even among his Death Eaters, there were few wizards this insane.
Voldemort had already lost all patience with Quirrell. After crudely repairing this damaged body with dark magic, he suppressed Quirrell's consciousness.
Although this state couldn't last for long, as long as he successfully obtained the Philosopher's Stone, he would regain everything he had lost!
The key to breaking Dumbledore's magic was right in front of him, and Voldemort could hardly contain his excitement.
Harry had already closed his mouth. He knew the person in front of him was not Quirrell but Voldemort. Despite his fear, he continued to slowly approach according to the plan, his legs trembling.
"Yes, come closer, this is truly a surprising meeting." Voldemort's gaze was filled with eagerness as he looked at Harry, but his expression darkened as if he sensed something.
"But before that, it's best to clear out a certain intruder first."
Harry's face changed, and the moment he heard this, Ivan quickly darted towards a nearby stone pillar for cover.
(End of Chapter)
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