Chapter 84: Practice, Two-Faced Man, Temptation

When Ciel decisively refused him, Harry's eyes had shown disappointment. But now, the information Ciel provided made his eyes light up. The Succubus Queen and Dragon Maid? Just the title sounded exciting. Ciel was a good sort! Then Harry quickly said, "If you're going to Hagrid's, get in touch with me first. Hagrid really values you... he said he needs to tidy up his hut properly before you go." Ciel thought for a moment. Today's commotion was too big. Even if he was going to Hagrid's, he should probably let things calm down for a couple of days. It would be good to wait until Professor Sprout's anger had mostly subsided. Immediately, Ciel said to Harry, "Let's make it this weekend. I can't just leave the castle right now. Otherwise, my aunt might be furious." Harry showed an understanding expression and hurried away. He couldn't wait to find that copy of Advanced Potion-Making and check out its sensational content. Ciel also left the Quidditch pitch. With a glimmer of hope, he headed towards the greenhouse, thinking he might be able to sneak in some work before Professor Sprout locked him out. But Professor Sprout seemed to have anticipated his thoughts. Her actions were very swift. When Ciel arrived at the greenhouse entrance, the door closed directly on him. A voice left by Professor Sprout was heard from above. "Ciel, you really made me angry this time. Go back, and don't even think about coming here to work overtime until you have thoroughly reflected on your mistakes!" Seeing this, Ciel gave a wry smile. Well, it seemed there was really no way around it. He probably didn't need to try Professor Snape's side either. Aunt Sprout was serious this time. But now he couldn't enter the greenhouse, and there was no work for him in the Potions classroom. He might even be locked out of the abandoned broom warehouse. So where should he go now? For a moment, Ciel, who was used to a tight schedule, felt a bit lost. After a moment, he took a deep breath. His gaze fell on his system panel, which was much more luxurious than before. Compared to when he first enrolled, he now had several Gold and Silver Tier spells. However, from the insights he gained from the Half-Blood Prince's textbook and Professor Flitwick's answers, he understood them in theory but didn't feel he had thoroughly grasped them yet. The luster on those abilities on the system panel still seemed somewhat illusory and hazy. This indicated that although Ciel knew them, his foundation wasn't solid. Not firm enough. Ciel had experienced this in his academic life in his previous life as well. For example, some complex formulas... Ciel did understand them and could use them, but there was always some sluggishness, a feeling that it wasn't very solid. When it was really time to use them, he still felt a little unconfident. That meant he hadn't fully digested them. He hadn't made them his own instinct. Ultimately, it boiled down to one thing... not enough practice. Thinking of this, Ciel made up his mind. "Since I have free time, I'll polish my spells. I'll try my best to truly turn the insights from the Half-Blood Prince's textbook and Professor Flitwick's guidance into something I've completely digested." Then he found an empty classroom. He took a deep breath and gripped his ash wood wand. His mind gradually focused, detaching from the events of the past few days. He concentrated on the task at hand. His mind became as calm as still water. Ciel gently waved his wand, starting practice with the first spell he had learned—the Soil-Loosening Charm. "Terra-Laxus!" No fancy operations. Just the most basic practice of incantation, gesture, and intention as one. After each casting, he would chew over and reflect on it from the most fundamental aspects. Then came the next practice. Was it boring? Of course, it was. Practicing new skills always brought anticipation. In comparison, repeatedly practicing skills he already knew was incredibly dull. But Ciel remained focused, not missing any detail he could sense. When his mind finally felt a bit numb, he would switch to another spell for the same practice. He understood one thing... brilliance is the eruption after enduring long periods of silence. Time passed minute by minute. The night grew deeper. The lights in the corridors dimmed. On Ciel's system panel, the slightly hazy, illusory luster was being polished like sandpaper, gradually becoming solid and transparent. Meanwhile, in the late night of Hogwarts, other people were wandering. A figure wearing a large turban hurried away from the fourth floor, looking disheveled. Quirrell's face was extremely ugly. That three-headed dog was simply a nightmare! Thick-skinned, immensely strong, and tirelessly energetic. On top of that, its resistance to magic was ridiculously high. Ordinary magic hitting the three-headed dog was like a gentle breeze. Quirrell had found another chance to try again today. He still ended up fleeing from the three-headed dog in a disheveled state. This made him somewhat worried. At this rate, it would be troublesome. When would he ever get the Philosopher's Stone? The Dark Lord, even while possessing him, was growing weaker day by day. This made Quirrell increasingly anxious. Just then, he saw that a light was still on in an empty classroom ahead. The sound of spell incantations came from within. His eyes lit up. He suddenly remembered the owner of this voice. "Ciel Sprout?" He also recalled the traces of Ciel beating up the troll on Halloween night. Magic couldn't deal with the three-headed dog. What about brute force? Even if Ciel could only briefly contend with the three-headed dog, Quirrell only needed one opportunity to get to the next trial! In Quirrell's view, for a young wizard with weak talent like Ciel, temptation was very simple. Now Ciel was alone in the classroom. His opportunity had come. Immediately, Quirrell quickly walked towards the classroom. Ciel was practicing the Lumos Charm. Suddenly, the charm illuminated a pale face outside the classroom door. Ciel's heart skipped a beat, and his hand tightened for a moment. After a moment, he called out, "Professor Quirrell? What are you doing here so late?" Quirrell's face was full of admiration as he stammered, "I-I couldn't sleep, s-so I came out for a walk. Saw you practicing spells here. G-good, very good. I admire hardworking young wizards like you. Th-three points to Hufflepuff." As he said the words for giving points, Quirrell walked into the classroom. Then his tone changed, carrying a hint of regret. "But practicing like this is too, too inefficient. And practicing these spells is useless... they are all weak spells. If you want to learn, I know some quick-to-learn, powerful spells. Come to my office, I can secretly teach you." By the end, Quirrell's voice wasn't so stuttering. His face was full of temptation. Ciel's heart went cold. He hesitated for a moment but still shook his head. "No, thank you, Professor. I'm not even proficient with the spells I have now. I'd better practice what I have first." Quirrell's eyes instantly showed dissatisfaction, but it was quickly concealed. He smiled admiringly. "Good, very good. Very down-to-earth. But you can come to me anytime to learn some truly powerful magic, you know?" Then Quirrell turned and left. Although rejected by Ciel, he wasn't too discouraged. In his view, he had certainly succeeded in planting a seed in Ciel's heart. At this age, compared to repeatedly practicing those boring spells, quick-to-learn, powerful magic was extremely tempting. When Ciel got very bored and pained from practice, wouldn't he think of what he had said? Not shaken once, not fooled twice. After three or four times, could Ciel still resist coming to him? He had been through this stage himself; he certainly understood young wizards' minds. A triumphant smile curved Quirrell's lips. This was like fishing. The delicious bait had been cast. He just needed to wait patiently. This fish, Ciel, would sooner or later take the bait on his own. The first day passed, and Quirrell's expression was calm. The second day passed, and although Quirrell was somewhat surprised, he was still confident. But the third day, the fourth day... Ciel still showed no intention of coming to him. This made Quirrell suddenly lose his composure. What? He got nothing?! Quirrell took a deep breath. On the fifth night, he couldn't stand it anymore and went to find Ciel again. At this time, Ciel was still repeatedly practicing those same basic spells. This made Quirrell unable to help but ask, "C-Ciel. Why haven't you come to find me? What's so good about practicing these basic spells? I can teach you more powerful magic." Ciel sighed inwardly. He was really being targeted. Would Quirrell ever stop? But on the surface, Ciel still looked bewildered. "Powerful magic? What's the use of that?" Quirrell's tone rose, his words full of temptation. "It has many uses. You can get high scores on exams. You can gain the admiration and pursuit of others. You can make a name for yourself. And..." he said eerily, "have you forgotten your parents' blood feud? With powerful magic, you can avenge your parents with your own hands." After a moment of silence, Ciel's face was still full of innocence. "But Professor, I'm a Hufflepuff. Why do we Hufflepuffs need to get such high scores in exams? Passing is enough. As for making a name for myself, being sought after... that's what other Houses pursue." Quirrell's expression froze. He was still not giving up. "Then your parents' blood feud... are you content with that?" Ciel shook his head. "The Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot have already made their judgment. As members of the wizarding world, we must understand the law, abide by the law, and respect the law. I believe that under the wise leadership of Minister Fudge and under the protection of the great Headmaster Dumbledore, the wizarding world's sky is one of fairness and justice. Professor, we can't harbor thoughts of taking the law into our own hands." Quirrell hadn't even finished listening before he felt the veins on his temples throbbing. He couldn't take it anymore. He slammed the door and left. He was completely broken. In the corridor, Quirrell panted as he walked away, cursing in his heart. "Incorrigible! Useless wood! This little badger is useless wood! This is why we Ravenclaws hate Hufflepuff!" At this time, Ciel took a deep breath. His tense heart finally relaxed a little. But his expression was still solemn. Quirrell had already targeted him. Even if he was temporarily frustrated, he would probably come back. His gaze fell on the system panel. After these five days of polishing, the luster on his spells had become solid. There was no longer any illusory haze. However, this was still far from enough to deal with Quirrell's threat. Ciel clenched his fists. "I have to find Hagrid. The matter of expanding Goldfish Vine production... must be accelerated!" [Chapter Complete] *** Want more? Check out my Patreon for: ✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories ✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics ✓ Early access content [email protected]/meowthtl ???? Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter! Thanks for reading and supporting the story