Quirrell lay on the ground, bound by the spell, the Mask of Pain still clinging to his face. Suddenly, the mask flickered with a green glow, and a surge of magic burst out, breaking through Dumbledore's restraint.
"Sectumsempra."
Snape had not relaxed his guard for even a second. The spell struck Quirrell in the side, slicing into his waist. Quirrell clutched the wound, and within a second, blood seeped through his fingers.
He collapsed again, powerless. This time, the mask slipped off his face as well. His features twisted together, grotesque and distorted.
"S-save me… Professor…" Quirrell reached out toward Dumbledore, his face filled with terror.
Dumbledore still had many questions for him. He gave Snape a slight nod, signaling him to counter the spell and keep Quirrell alive.
Snape complied. The blood flowing from Quirrell's wound reversed, seeping back into his body, and the torn flesh began to heal.
Just as everyone thought the situation was under control, Quirrell screamed again.
Dark green snake-like patterns began to emerge from the back of his head, slowly spreading across his face, forming an eerie and horrifying sight.
"I don't want to die! Professor, save me!" Quirrell covered his face in terror.
Sean activated his Magic vision. A spell was activating at the back of Quirrell's head. There was no need to guess—this was Voldemort's failsafe. Only the dead kept secrets.
Once Voldemort's soul moved a certain distance away from Quirrell's body, the spell would trigger. The dark green patterns had already spread down to his neck.
Quirrell clawed at his throat, veins bulging across his forehead, his face turning red as if he were being strangled.
Seeing that Quirrell was about to die, Professor McGonagall stepped forward, but Dumbledore stopped her.
"Don't touch him. The curse will spread. If you touch him, it will transfer to you."
"So it's a curse…" Sean thought. It was his first time encountering one.
Curses were extremely rare. They typically required specific conditions to activate, and their removal was far more complicated than countering ordinary dark magic.
Most dark spells had corresponding counter-spells. Those without one became Unforgivable Curses. But breaking a curse wasn't as simple as casting a reversal—it required fulfilling certain conditions, just like triggering it.
The five of them could only watch as the snake-like curse strangled Quirrell to death.
The moment his breathing stopped, the markings faded, and the curse ended.
"This is the Serpent's Kiss Curse. The only way to save him would be to transfer the curse to another person," Dumbledore explained.
A life for a life. A truly vicious method.
Quirrell was dead. Voldemort had escaped.
The outcome wasn't far from the original course of events—just far more dangerous along the way.
But Haerpo's wand had been hidden somewhere in the school, and Voldemort had already allied with Haerpo. They would surely find a way to retrieve it.
Quirrell's body was taken back to Hogwarts. Hagrid secretly buried him in the Forbidden Forest, near where the three-headed dog had once been laid to rest.
To avoid drawing attention, Chris wasn't sent to the hospital wing. Instead, she was taken directly to Hagrid's hut. When she woke, her face was pale, her eyes unfocused. Ever since Quirrell had knocked her unconscious, she had remained unaware of everything that happened.
"Professor, can we tell Chris the truth?" Sean asked.
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. But no other students must know."
With permission granted, Sean turned to Chris. "Rest for a bit. I'll explain everything to you soon."
Chris sat dazed, while Yaya crouched quietly beside her. Sean followed Dumbledore outside.
"I've discussed it with my old friend Nicolas," Dumbledore said suddenly. "We've decided to destroy the Philosopher's Stone."
"The breach at Nurmengard proves it's no longer safe. We don't know the intruder's purpose, but leaving the Stone intact will only invite more trouble."
Sean wasn't surprised. Destroying the Stone seemed like the best solution.
"I've already retrieved it from Nurmengard and handed it to Hoff. He'll take it to France and give it to Nicolas, who will destroy it personally. The French Ministry will announce that Nicolas Flamel has destroyed the only Philosopher's Stone."
The public announcement would let Voldemort know the Stone was gone, but Sean felt it might drag Nicolas Flamel into danger.
"Professor, will Voldemort go after Nicolas Flamel?" Sean asked.
Dumbledore fell silent for a moment before replying, "My boy, Nicolas has lived for over six hundred years, sustained by the Elixir of Life. By choosing to destroy the Stone, he has chosen to end that long existence."
"He's prepared to face death?"
"Yes," Dumbledore said softly. "Originally, both the Stone and Quirrell were part of a test for Harry. Now that both are gone, I believe the test should still continue."
Sean froze. He hadn't expected that. He thought with the Stone destroyed, Harry's role this year would be over. But clearly, Dumbledore still intended to shape him.
"So this is the protagonist's privilege…" Sean thought.
"Harry has already asked you about the Stone, hasn't he? I need you to guide him—to lead him toward protecting it. The trials will be set up again soon," Dumbledore said.
"But Professor, you just lifted the restriction on the third-floor room. With Harry and his friends' personalities, they've probably already checked it out and figured out the Stone was moved," Sean pointed out.
"They trust you. A few hints from you will be enough to send them back," Dumbledore replied.
Sean sighed inwardly. He still agreed, but something about it felt off. It was as if he had become a background NPC, helping the protagonist level up.
"Oh, and Professor—Adam, the one Quirrell mentioned. If he knows everything, then he must know where the wand is hidden," Sean added.
"I'll have the castle's ghosts assist in locating him. A being like that existing within the castle is… unsettling."
Later that day, Hoff quietly left Hogwarts with the Philosopher's Stone. Sean explained everything to Chris and warned her to keep it a secret.
"Especially from your grandfather," Sean emphasized.
"Okay." Chris nodded firmly.
Meanwhile, Voldemort, possessing a rat, struggled his way back to Knockturn Alley. In that pitiful state, he was mercilessly mocked by Haerpo.
"I've already helped you locate the wand, but Dumbledore has placed a spell on it. It can't be taken out of Hogwarts," the rat spoke.
"You've found Adam, haven't you?" Salazar asked.
"Yes. He told me where the wand was."
"Then explain—how did you end up like this?" Haerpo asked sharply.
At first, Voldemort had kept the Philosopher's Stone a secret from Haerpo. There was only one, and he wanted it for himself. But after being deceived by Dumbledore, he revealed its resurrection properties in a fit of rage.
"Nicolas Flamel? A French alchemist, right?" Haerpo and Salazar were both ancient beings, far older than Nicolas. While they hadn't paid him much attention, they had heard of him.
"Can his Philosopher's Stone really restore life?" Haerpo asked skeptically.
In magic, potions, and alchemy, Haerpo prided himself on being among the greatest in history. He found it hard to believe that someone like Nicolas could create something capable of true resurrection.
"I've tested it myself. If it hadn't been a fake, I would have fully revived," Voldemort said. As his body disintegrated earlier, he had already realized the problem lay with the Stone.
He was convinced that a genuine Philosopher's Stone could restore him completely. That was why he was willing to share the information with Haerpo—to gain his help.
But his goal wasn't Nurmengard. Even if the Stone was there, there was only one, and both he and Haerpo needed resurrection.
So Voldemort said, "Find Nicolas Flamel. Make him hand over the method to create the Philosopher's Stone."
Haerpo smiled coldly. "It seems we've overlooked a master alchemist all these years. It's time we paid him a visit."
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