"Ugh, Henry, ugh—" Draco stuck his head out from the ditch, shouting Henry's name.

  "Go! Find Hagrid!"

  Hoare noticed Quirrell's attention shifting to Drad shouted urgently.

  Hearing this, Draco scrambled to his feet and dashed towards the only point of light in the distance.

  Quirrell raised his wand, intending to stop him.

  Hoare pointed his wand directly at Quirrell, and a golden beam grazed Quirrell's shiny forehead, striking the tree behind him.

  With a loud bang, the tree exploded.

  Quirrell g the shattered tree in surprise, feeling the powerful magic.

  This student before him not only mastered wandless, silent magic, but his magical power was also parable to that of an adult wizard.

  This was certainly not something a first-year student should possess.

  Could it be, Quirrell thought, Polyjuice Potion.

  That was the only expnation for his prowess.

  "Your oppo is me!" Hoare raised his wand, wiping the sweat from his face.

  "Heh." Quirrell let out a sinister ugh, "Since you wish to die so badly, I'll grant your wish."

  Hoare held his wand in his right hand and shouted, "Petrificus Totalus."

  In his mind, he focused on Quirrell and silently cast "Lumos!"

  Quirrell rubbed his waween his thumb and forefinger, ting in a straone, "Avada Kedavra!" His magic emitted a green light.

  Just as he uttered the words, a blinding light suddenly burst forth, causing Quirrell's eyes to sting.

  As Quirrell's intation was halfway through, Hoare took a quick step back, diving into the cave where Draco had just hidden.

  He estimated that Draco should have reached Hagrid's hut by now.

  He didn't have much time left.

  Before Draco returned with help, he o deal with Number 2 and earn the gratitude and reward of the uni.

  Hoare pulled a dagger from his pocket.

  The dagger was small but extremely sharp.

  It had just helped Hoare dig up tless herbs.

  The green light hit precisely where Hoare had been standing, shattering the ground.

  Even though the Forbidden Forest was as bright as day, the gring green light couldn't be ignored.

  Ohe green light passed.

  Hathered all his magid aimed at the faint silhouette in the light, "Quirinus Quirrell, e here."

  Voldemort's intimidation oed in others' tales; Hoare could only occasionally glimpse a sliver of past darkness.

  But as for how powerful the man with a snake face was now, Hoare wasn't sure.

  His soul had been split into pieces, so naturally, his magic couldn't be intact.

  For example, the previous Number 1 Voldemort, Hoare remembered clearly, was very weak, uo use particurly powerful magic.

  Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up vanishing without a trace.

  He wasn't sure about this one, let's call him Number 2 for now.

  If his magic was strohan Number 2's, he could forcibly summon him.

  If not, it meant Number 2's magic was stronger, and he'd have to use other tricks, like Dumbledore's grand summoning.

  Time ticked by, and Hoare felt the air around him was unusually quiet.

  Just whehought he had failed.

  He heard, "Bang!" "Bang!" "Ah!" "Bang!" "Ah!" sounds.

  It was like... someone was crashing into trees?

  Just as Hoare was curious about what was happening outside.

  "Bang!"

  A figure fell in front of Hoare.

  Hoare raised the dagger and stabbed without hesitation.

  The dagger sliced through Number 2's abdomen as easily as cutting through tofu.

  He stabbed and withdrew, stabbed and withdrew, repeating this seven ht times.

  Only then did Hoare stop.

  He could ensure he wounded Quirrell but not fatally.

  After all, he still needed Quirrell to prove his innoce.

  Good, Hoare thought to himself.

  It seemed Number 2 was nothing special after all.

  Hoare tossed the bewildered Number 2, who hadn't reacted at all, to the ground and kicked away the wand he was feebly holding.

  Number 2 looked down at his abdomen in disbelief, then looked up at Hoare, speaking in a surprised tone, his voice pleasant but with a disturbingly straonation.

  "Henry William, how you use a dagger!"

  At this moment, Number 2's abdomen had a rge hole, revealing his deg insides, emitting a ing stench.

  H it briefly, and everything suddenly became clear.

  No wohe sensation wheabbed was se.

  No wonder Number 2, having takehe body, still o severely wound the uni and drink the cursed blood.

  Because his body was no different from a scarecrow.

  Despite such a miserable state, Hoare felt no sympathy.

  He forcefully broke Number 2's limbs, and amidst Number 2's screams, dragged him by the foot and threw him in front of the dying uni.

  Hoare crouched in front of the uni, and it tried to nuzzle Hoare's hand with its horn.

  "It says, you take its blood, flesh, and ans as a token of gratitude."

  Hoare was startled and quickly looked up at the speaker.

  It wasn't a person; it had the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse—a taur.

  "Hello, please don't be armed, my name is Firenze." Firenze pced a hand on his chest and bowed.

  taurs are naturally temperamental and wary of humans.

  But the human before him was a youngling, aaurs do not harm younglings, regardless of species.

  Moreover, Firenze could see that this youngling had a pure soul.

  He tinued, "Unis are very pure creatures, and it sensed yoodwill."

  Hoare silently turned his gaze back to the uni lying in his arms, its beautiful eyes gradually losing focus.

  Firenze urged from the side, "Uni blood only be taken while it's alive."

  H Firehen took out a bottle and dagger, colleg what he needed.

  After finishing everything, the uni nuzzled Hoare's hand with its hor time, letting out its final call.

  Hoare inally inteo bury the remaining uni, but Firenze refused, saying its kin would e to take it home.

  Unis wouldn't be buried elsewhere; they only wao return home.

  "e on, child, I'll take you out." Firenze urged, looking at Hoare.

  Hoare took off his robe and covered the uni with it.

  Firenze lifted him onto his back, and Hoare used a Levitation Charm to carry Number 2.

  The three of them headed towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

  Hoare wasn't in the best of moods.

  He hadn't expected the uni to be aware of his ulterior motives all along, yet it was still willing to sacrifice itself.

  The uni believed he had a kind soul, but in truth, he just wao quickly develop the Squib potion to sell.

  If he succeeded this time, perhaps he could sell it cheaper.

  sider it a good deed.

  Hoare mentally ducted experiments with the uniaterials he had just obtained, along with the previously firmed ingredients.

  In his mind, it was like a rge Potions room.

  Dozens of cauldrons started simultaneously, with time sped up tenfold.

  Each cauldron had a slightly different formu, produg differeions.

  If it didn't work, he'd start over.

  After hundreds of experiments.

  Finally, in Hoare's mind, he calcuted an almost perfeu.

  And outside, only a few minutes had passed.

  Hoare opened his eyes, a glint of gold fshing through them.

  Outside the Forbidden Forest, people were rushing over.

  Hoare shouted, "Headmaster! Headmaster! I've got it!"

  0Niffler0