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Forget it, never mind! Focus!" Devlin shook his head.
He cleared his mind of distractions and refocused on Quirrell's spell demonstration. At this point, Quirrell suddenly stopped. He looked up at the class, his eyes nervously flicking to the outside.
"Well, considering we have new students, I will repeat what I said before class," Quirrell said. Devlin noticed him swallow hard. "According to the Ministry of Magic's regulations, there is no need to teach so-called 'illegal Dark Arts' to current students. They believe the world is very safe now, and we should train more talents for... uh... production, yes... that's what they say."
Quirrell paused, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, but obviously, as you all know, things have changed a bit, so this week I submitted a new lesson plan to Headmaster Dumbledore, and he was very happy... more than I expected."
"But in order for this course to proceed smoothly, please do not publicize it."
Quirrell's voice wavered with unease. He avoided looking at the students, instead focusing on the window, as if expecting someone to burst through at any moment.
After a tense pause of more than ten seconds, Quirrell nodded slowly.
"Well, it seems... everyone understands. Then let's continue. Next, we will demonstrate the Imperius Curse."
Some students couldn't help but chuckle at Quirrell's anxious behavior, while others started laughing outright. However, Devlin furrowed his brow in confusion.
"So, the Ministry of Magic still believes that the three Unforgivable Curses should not be demonstrated in school?" he wondered. "Then why did Quirrell say he made a mistake when he showed me the lesson plan before?"
Devlin had a vague sense that something was off, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what Quirrell was trying to do.
Meanwhile, Quirrell was oblivious to Devlin's thoughts. He lifted a toad and placed it in his open palm for everyone to see.
With a quick motion, he pointed his wand at the creature and muttered, "Imperio!"
Immediately, the toad's body stiffened. It leapt violently from Quirrell's hand, landing on the first row of desks with a loud thud. The students in the front row screamed in surprise, but the toad didn't seem to notice them. Its limbs began to move in a gentle rhythm, as if swimming in the air.
It was as if the toad were performing some complex, automated dance. Its eyes were wide open, but it showed no signs of awareness or self-control. The toad continued its bizarre movements, shaking and twitching its body in strange, mechanical patterns.
Quirrell waved his wand again, and the toad's behavior shifted. It began to use only its belly to touch the table, its limbs kicking incessantly. The toad spun uncontrollably, like a toy top. Finally, Quirrell waved his wand once more, and the toad stopped spinning and jumped back into his hand, resuming its strange movements as if performing a solo show.
While the students in the first row were still trying to recover from their shock, the rest of the class found the toad's antics hilarious. Laughter filled the room, and for once, Quirrell seemed to be enjoying the attention. His class, usually dull and uneventful, had become unexpectedly lively.
Devlin, however, didn't join in the laughter. He could barely suppress a smile at the toad's ridiculous behavior but remained focused on Quirrell. As a "Magical Genius," he instantly understood the spellcasting method and even the counter-curse for the Imperius Curse. He only needed one test, and he'd likely master it.
Thinking to himself, he grinned. "Ayr, don't blame me. Next time I sneak off to Hogsmeade, I'll be sure to bring you a pile of fudge flies!"
He couldn't resist the urge to practice on Ayr, who always seemed like the perfect candidate for experimentation. He chuckled to himself at the thought.
The laughter in the classroom soon died down, but Quirrell, who seemed to be enjoying the classroom atmosphere, didn't seem to notice. He continued to make the toad dance, twisting and contorting it into a series of hilarious movements.
He finally turned to the class with a nervous look and said, "Perhaps you don't quite understand the history. Many years ago, many wizards were controlled by the Imperius Curse. At that time... you couldn't trust anyone, no one..."
The students who had been laughing moments ago suddenly grew silent. The room fell uncomfortably still.
"Haha, but fortunately, we believe that large-scale control events will never happen again," Quirrell quickly reassured them, though his attempt at comfort seemed unconvincing.
Quirrell looked at the class, his expression shifting to an unexpected seriousness.
"Everyone," he said, his voice trembling, "just like with the Cruciatus Curse I just demonstrated, those who are timid or believe they cannot bear it can close their eyes. Oh, and this time, you might also want to cover your ears."
Several students, clearly uncomfortable with the warning, quickly covered their ears. Though they kept their eyes open, eager to witness the next demonstration, they were hesitant.
"Because," Quirrell continued, "the spell I'm going to demonstrate next... is the Cruciatus Curse."
Devlin could feel the atmosphere in the room change. Quirrell's tremor was now more pronounced, and it seemed as though he was struggling to push through some horrific memory. But he quickly recovered, taking a deep breath and walking to the podium where Marcus had already placed the second toad. It lay there quietly, unaware of what was about to happen, its lack of reaction almost reminiscent of Ayr's usual behavior.
Quirrell raised his wand, his hand shaking as he pointed it at the toad. Devlin, intent on learning the spell, didn't follow the other students' advice to cover his ears. How could he learn the Cruciatus Curse if he couldn't even hear it clearly?
Quirrell suddenly lowered his arm sharply, and the students gasped in unison, but nothing seemed to happen.
"Sorry, sorry... uh, perhaps this way, you all can't see it very well. Let me enlarge it," Quirrell stammered.
Devlin couldn't hide his frustration. "No, Professor Quirrell, are you doing this on purpose?" he thought to himself.
Quirrell, ignoring the students' mutters, waved his wand to enlarge the toad.
The creature grew rapidly, soon larger than a bench. The class, now able to see it clearly from the back row, fell into an uncomfortable silence.
Quirrell took another deep breath, clearly steeling himself. With trembling hands, he pointed his wand at the toad and said softly, "Crucio."
As soon as he spoke the incantation, the toad's body seemed to shrink in on itself. A blood-curdling scream echoed through the room—a sound of such unimaginable pain that the students who hadn't covered their ears now regretted it deeply.
The toad's limbs flailed wildly, and its shrill cries echoed painfully through the air. Its movements were erratic, its body contorted in agony.
Devlin didn't flinch, his eyes fixed on Quirrell's wand. He noticed the professor's trembling hand slowly steadying as the toad's screams continued, gradually becoming as controlled as if Quirrell were merely holding a spoon. The faintest red gleam flickered in Quirrell's eyes, though none of the students could see it clearly.
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