Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 28 Summoning

It was past 1 a.m. when we came down from the astronomical tower.

Of all the courses at Hogwarts, astronomy was the one Ike disliked the most. A group of young wizards craning their necks to look at the stars in the middle of the night was, in itself, a rather silly thing to do.

Things are a bit better now, the weather is getting warmer, and I don't have to keep warm all the time. Winter was just unbearable.

Walking alone towards the dormitory, with Stewart and the others not far behind, it felt like Christmas had come back to the past.

The difference is that now everyone pays attention to Ike's whereabouts from time to time.

"I've got some problems..."

"If one day I leave without saying goodbye, be sure to go find Professor Flitwick immediately!"

"Please believe me, I will never hurt you..."

Ravenclaw wasn't stupid, so Stuart and Terry didn't say anything, but just quietly told Michael and Anthony.

After that night, Ike tried his best to go in and out with the group, and he would give advance notice when he wanted to leave alone.

Everyone was waiting for the moment when Ekko would suddenly disappear.

Although it was somewhat agonizing, requiring them to constantly keep an eye on Ike's movements, perhaps the young wizards all harbored a yearning for adventure deep down, and this somewhat espionage-like activity actually made Stuart and the others quite enjoy it.

The peace continued until May, when everyone started to feel like giving up.

For more than two months, Ike has not had any problems, nor has he suddenly disappeared. If we didn't believe that Ike wouldn't make such a joke, we would have given up long ago.

Even so, it has reached its limit.

Ike was also at his limit; he suddenly couldn't understand what Quirrell, or rather Voldemort, was thinking.

Given Comrade Voldemort's current state, using the Soul-Stealing Curse to control himself silently and without force would inevitably increase the burden on him and Quirrell, as can be seen from Quirrell's increasingly worse complexion and the increasingly strong strange smell.

It's like someone who's already half-dead and barely clinging to life in bed, and then they insist on getting up and jumping around a bit; they're practically dead by now.

"Maybe I went to find the unicorn sooner..." Ike calculated the days and felt it should be about time.

Dark magic comes at a price, and the burden on both of them is even greater for someone like Voldemort who forcibly attached himself to Quirrell's head. If Ike is not mistaken, the trip to the Forbidden Forest is imminent.

On the first Saturday of May, Ike was chatting with Stuart and others in the common room as usual when a strange, alluring voice suddenly popped into his head.

"11 o'clock, no forest access, don't let anyone see you..."

For a moment, Ike's eyes lost focus, then returned to normal.

I frowned and glanced at the clock on the wall; there were still about two hours left.

Ike remained calm and waited until he returned to the dorm around 10 p.m., when Stuart and Terry were already in bed. He then walked to the dorm door and glanced back at the two of them.

Stuart and Terry noticed Ike's unusual behavior and became more attentive. Ike looked at the two of them, then cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, leaving behind a line of golden text, and pushed open the door to leave.

"If I'm not back in three hours, go find Professor Flitwick in the Forbidden Forest!"

Stuart slammed his fist on the pillow in frustration, then turned to Terry and said, "What the hell is Ike doing? We should go find the professor right now!"

"He has his own plans," Terry reassured him. "We should trust him; he won't do anything he's not sure about."

"Go to sleep, go to sleep, we'll talk about it in three hours." Stuart set his alarm, pulled the covers over his head, and forced himself to sleep.

Ike was already quite adept at nighttime excursions; after learning the Disillusionment Charm, he would sneak off to the Forbidden Library every two or three days. Of course, in the last two months, he would explain his destination to Stuart and Terry before leaving, and even take them along on trips. The Forbidden Forest, however, was a first for him since arriving at Hogwarts.

The Forbidden Forest is an absolutely dangerous place, filled with towering trees that stretch as far as the eye can see, a diverse array of tree species, and an unknown number of magical creatures. Who knows how many dangerous creatures Professor Sylvanus Kettleburn and Hagrid have released into it over the decades?

The forbidden forest was pitch black at night. Although the moon was very bright, it was not visible through the dense foliage.

Ike raised his hand and cast a Night Vision Charm on himself. It was a minor spell not found in the "Standard Spells" book. Ike had found it in a book about dangerous areas in the wizarding world in the library. It had been written in the corner of the page by a student from who-knows-which year. It was very useful at night.

"forward……"

"To the left..."

"To the right……"

Guided by the voice that kept popping into his head, Ike found Quirrell, who was standing with his back to him, in a place where the trees were not too dense.

After dispelling the illusion spell, Ike, holding his wand, bowed respectfully.

"professor."

Quirrell was dressed in a long, black robe that completely covered his head. The strange smell was gone, but he still gave off a sense of impending death and extreme danger.

Turning his head to look at Ike, Quirrell slowly said, "Mr. Streid, as clever as you are, you should already have guessed what I did to you."

"Yes, Professor." Ike maintained his bow, his tone steady, almost mechanical, "The Soul-Stealing Curse. I've read about its effects in books, and it happened to me."

“I’m curious, Mr. Stradivarius,” Quirrell said, gripping his wand and staring at Ike. “I believe you can break free of the Poison Curse, yet you still choose to heed my call…”

"Now, tell me your thoughts!"

"Of course, I'll find a chance to kill you!"

Ike inwardly grumbled, wishing Avadaga's fiery flames would smother his face, but on the surface, he feigned fervor, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said, "Only by your side can I learn true magic..."

"Please continue to teach me magic, great Dark Lord!"

Without flinching, Ike met Quirrell's gaze with unwavering determination and fervor, like the most devout believer.

"Good boy..." a weak voice rang out, "Quirok, it's time to let this child see his master..."

"But Master, you are now..."

"Let him see me!"

"Yes, Master." Quirrell pulled back his hood and turned around, revealing a distorted, ugly, and pale face to Ike. Ike took two steps forward, still kneeling on one knee, looking up at the face with even greater fanaticism.

"The great Dark Lord, Ike Strayder, salutes you!"

"Hehe~hehe~hehe~"

"Child, look into my eyes and tell me..."

"How did you find out?"

Ike looked directly at Voldemort without hesitation: "In the wizarding world today, besides Dumbledore, only you can cast the Unforgivable Curse silently and without flamingos!"

"Only you possess such a high level of mastery of dark magic!"

"Heh heh heh~" Old Fu revealed a terrifying smile. "Very good, very good, you haven't disappointed me, little Ike..."

"As you can see, I'm very weak right now, so weak that I even need to cling to someone else..."

"But I will return!"

"When I return, I will personally mark you with the Dark Mark..."

"This is the Dark Lord's promise!"

"It is my honor, great Dark Lord!" Ike replied, bowing his head.

"Get up, child..." Voldemort was satisfied. Ike stood up upon hearing this, still staring fervently at Voldemort's face.

"Now, there's something I need your help with, Quirrell. I don't think you'll let me down."

"Of course, the great Dark Lord!"

"Very good...very good..." After saying so much, Voldemort became even weaker, and his voice grew softer and softer. Ike watched as Voldemort closed his eyes, and Quirrell put his hood back on at the opportune moment.

"Let's go, Ike, we're pressed for time." With that, Quirrell led the way into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

"Okay, Professor..."

Ike agreed, following closely behind Quirrell, his face still bearing that fanatical expression.

A panel suddenly appeared in front of me:

Soul-Stealing Spell Lv2, already learned!

Occlumency Lv2, mastered!

I played billiards all night and lost every single time. I guess I'm just bad at it but addicted.

There will be more later.

(End of this chapter)