Harry Potter: Shadow Eminence

Chapter 24

Exams were nearing, and the stress of studying was mounting, with assignments accumulating.

Yet, this was trivial for Brian.

He adhered to his study schedule, practicing spells in the Room of Requirement, expanding his knowledge in the library, and occasionally sneaking into the restricted section under his invisibility cloak to discover intriguing books.

Malfoy found new entertainment, persistently ridiculing Harry and the others by deducting points, doing so daily. Witnessing Harry's anger yet powerlessness invigorated him for the rest of the day, making even the heavy assignments seem less bothersome.

Harry, conversely, felt the opposite; he had been lethargic lately, feeling like a rat crossing the street.

Brian noticed this but could only shake his head in despair. Malfoy appeared to view it as a daily stress relief activity.

He took some time to brew the last few bottles of vitality potion with the available ingredients, waiting for the right moment to present them to Quirrell. However, Brian believed that Quirrell's sorry ass couldn't be saved by the vitality potion anymore; he looked completely feeble.

"Oh no... I can't go on... please..." Quirrell wept to himself.

"Alright... alright..." he eventually relented, his voice quivering.

Quirrell resembled the façade he typically displayed.

This was the second time Brian heard Quirrell pleading with the Dark Lord.

Clearly, Quirrell had struggled, not wanting to let the darkness fully engulf him.

But it was also clear that he had repeatedly failed and ultimately allowed his soul to descend into the abyss.

Brian heard Quirrell's murmurs and sighed inwardly.

Ever since Quirrell encountered the Dark Lord and decided to serve him, he had already crossed a point of no return.

He couldn't resist the Dark Lord's power, merely watching himself sink deeper and deeper, ultimately leading to death.

Brian had to take this as a warning. In fact, he was constantly teetering on the brink of danger.

Brian adjusted his expression and approached Quirrell.

"Professor Quirrell, this is the potion for you," he said gently.

"Ah, Walker, thank you, but I believe I no longer need it," Quirrell ceased sobbing and regained his composure, though his voice still quivered slightly.

"I need your assistance, Walker," he looked intently at Brian.

"Oh?" Brian inquired with curiosity.

"The Dark Lord requires unicorn blood to restore his strength, Walker," Quirrell stated flatly, "but unicorns can always keenly sense darkness and malice, and they keep their distance from me; I can't locate them."

"What can I assist you with?" Brian tilted his head.

"When there are more people, I can better conceal my malice," Quirrell said coldly, "I need you to accompany me into the Forbidden Forest."

"I was planning to sneak after Rubeus Hagrid, but he possesses an animal-like sharpness and could easily thwart my plans."

"The Dark Lord needs you, Walker," Quirrell said calmly.

"So am I not malevolent towards unicorns?" Brian was somewhat confused.

"No, they are more about avoiding the darkness in people's hearts," Quirrell sneered, "Regardless, Walker, you don't harbor darkness in your heart."

Brian regarded Quirrell's seemingly malicious gaze and nodded gently.

"Of course, I will assist you, Professor Quirrell," Brian slightly bowed, concealing his deepening gaze beneath his black hair.

After returning to the common room, Brian sat in the armchair by the window, staring vacantly at the deep lake outside, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest.

"Quirrell is getting deeper into trouble; the malice in his eyes is so apparent," Brian thought. "Inviting me along this time really didn't consider my safety."

"He knows I might get harmed in the Forbidden Forest or exposed to Dumbledore. But he can't worry about that anymore; the Dark Lord needs to regain strength, and Quirrell's body can't endure much longer." Brian chuckled, "In his eyes, I'm merely a pawn that can be discarded at any moment."

"Actually, reporting to Dumbledore would be the safest option, a quick resolution." Brian contemplated, "But it seems there's no harm in playing along. After all, I could gain some witness points."

"Although Dumbledore knows Quirrell has issues, he is still hunting for bigger prey and isn't personally monitoring Quirrell, just having Snape keep an eye on him." Brian smiled, "How confident he is. Anyway, Quirrell can't escape his grasp."

"Um... witness points..." Brian tapped the armrest, "What should I do?"

"The timing for finding the unicorn is hard to control. However, the Dark Lord definitely won't be satisfied with just one unicorn; perhaps there will be an opportunity?" By the time Malfoy and the others are in detention, the actors can take their positions.

"Another issue is that in the original story, it was Neville who was in detention, but now it's Ron."

"Will this cause any impact?" Brian's eyes sparkled with thought, "If there's a chance, I could test this out. After all, Neville's role this time isn't very significant."

"If I can prove this, it would indicate that the system's requirements for actors aren't that strict. It only needs to ensure the main actors are present, even if it's just Harry Potter."

"Then, there will be a lot of operational space next year."

Brian's gaze was profound.

Daphne gently sat beside him and asked in a cheerful tone, "What are you thinking about, Brian?"

"Thinking about how to do some bad things," Brian replied with a smile.

"Haha, you're really funny," Daphne said with a smirk, gently stroking Daisy's fur.

"What if I really am thinking about doing some bad things?" Brian looked at her with calm black eyes.

"Well, I think... you must have a reason you can't avoid," Daphne pondered, "But regardless, you wouldn't do anything to hurt your friends, right? So I will support you."

Seeing Daphne's serious little face, Brian couldn't help but smile.

"So, as long as it's not hurting friends, you'll support me? Even if it's something very evil?" Brian asked.

Daphne's little face wrinkled as she thought for a long time, "As long as it's not betraying friends, I think I'm willing to support you."

"Having a friend like you makes me feel honored, Daphne," Brian sighed.

"You too," Daphne slightly raised her chin, revealing a swan-like graceful curve. She smiled serenely.

"If it's important to you, then go ahead and do it," Daphne said, looking at him with some concern, "I'll cheer for you."

"Ha... I was just joking, Daphne," Brian chuckled, "You don't really think I'm going to do something evil, do you?"

Daphne shot him a glare with her blue eyes, huffing, "Fine, do whatever you want. I won't pay attention to you anymore."

With that, the little girl, holding Daisy, skipped away lightly.

Brian shook his head slightly, but the smile on his face gradually faded.

He turned to look at the massive water creature passing by the window, his gaze slowly filled with darkness.

He was destined to do things that would disappoint his friends, wasn't he? Or rather, he had never truly opened his heart to anyone. He could only use lies to cover everything up, comforting himself that the ending would be good.

In this world, he would ultimately let many people down.

"But I am always on the right path."

When he becomes strong enough, everything he desires will come rushing to him.

...

Brian was dressed in attire suitable for walking in the woods, wearing a black hooded cloak and a mask, arriving at the edge of the Forbidden Forest under the cover of an invisibility cloak.

In the distance, Hagrid's hut was illuminated, and the faint sound of barking could be heard.

Brian tucked the invisibility cloak into his pocket and concealed himself behind a large tree, waiting for Quirrell to arrive.

Soon, Quirrell walked across the clearing toward him. He was also wearing a hooded robe, hiding his face beneath the hood.

Brian's gaze behind the mask scrutinized Quirrell, who was panting heavily, like an aging, dying old wolf.

"Come with me," he said, reaching out to grab Brian's shoulder, his voice hoarse.

His hand trembled slightly but was extremely strong, gripping Brian's shoulder painfully.

"Am I really not going to let the unicorn escape from me?" Brian doubted in his heart.

"I've long chosen a dark path," he thought, "everything is just for myself."

He could never face this world with an open heart.

He did not deny his selfishness.