I Swung a Sword at Hogwarts

"Look at this beautiful creature." 

Quirrell held a long-jointed insect in his hand, wearing an expression of extreme delight. 

John felt a shiver of disgust. 

Stroking the insect, Quirrell's face twisted into an evil smile. "John, my boy, now, please tell me the names of the three Unforgivable Curses." 

Glancing at Quirrell's wand, John pondered for a moment before saying, "The Killing Curse, the Imperius Curse, and the Cruciatus Curse." 

"Good boy," Quirrell praised. 

Then, pointing his wand at the insect, he said, "Now, I'll teach you these supreme spells." 

"Imperio." 

A flash of light passed, and the insect in his hand became incredibly obedient. 

Quirrell's eyes glowed with a strange light. "The Imperius Curse, a spell that makes a wizard obedient, even to the point of death." 

Under his control, the insect jumped into a nearby water basin and didn't struggle, even as it began to drown. 

Then it jumped out and approached a candle, allowing the flame to scorch its joints without any resistance. 

John watched this scene, feeling a chill. 

The Imperius Curse was more straightforward and brutal than brainwashing, allowing instant control over a person. 

"Come back." 

Calling the insect back into his hand, Quirrell pointed his wand at it and cast the second curse. 

"Crucio." 

The insect screamed, and even though its expression couldn't be seen, it was clear it was in extreme pain. 

The shrill cries echoed in the classroom, making John's face darken with discomfort. 

Quirrell, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying it. 

"Listen to that, such a wonderful sound." 

The feeling of total control was so delightful that Quirrell had not hesitated to become Voldemort's follower to gain this power. 

Dark magic corrodes the mind, and after gaining such power, Quirrell's mind had become twisted. 

In the moonlight, Quirrell couldn't see John's face clearly, but he believed the young wizard was also captivated by this formidable power. 

Stopping the spell, Quirrell's eyes gleamed with malevolence as he placed the insect on the table and cast the final Unforgivable Curse. 

"Avada Kedavra." 

A green light shot from his wand, instantly taking the insect's life. 

"Controlling minds, torturing bodies, commanding life and death—these three curses hold immense power." 

Quirrell grabbed John's hand, his expression becoming fervent. "Such a wonderful power! The Dark Lord has high hopes for you. Do not disappoint him." 

"I will not disappoint your teachings," John said, lowering his head, which greatly pleased Quirrell. 

He now trusted John to the extent that he believed John would never betray him. 

Having learned the Unforgivable Curses, John had one foot in the Death Eater camp. 

In the coming days, John had to practice. 

The danger of the Unforgivable Curses lay in their simplicity; one only needed malice to learn them. 

John used the Cruciatus Curse, directing his malice towards Quirrell, which greatly satisfied him. 

... 

"Damn it, this is disgusting." 

John submerged himself in the water of the bathroom, unable to shake off the cold feeling. 

He felt as if dark magic was eroding his mind. 

This made him increasingly irritable. He slapped the water's surface, drenching his head to cool off. 

"Quirrell won't last long. I need to get rid of him as soon as possible." 

The school year was nearing its end, and John didn't remember the exact dates of the first book but knew it was before the House Cup. 

If he could endure this semester, Quirrell would become irrelevant. 

As for dark magic, John reassured himself that it wasn't necessarily evil. At least it provided another means of self-defense. 

Using Unforgivable Curses was a serious crime punishable by Azkaban, but John doubted the professors didn't know them. 

None of the professors seemed twisted. As long as he had enough self-control, he wouldn't become the next Voldemort. 

Comforting himself, John finally relaxed. 

Leaving the bathroom, he changed his clothes and left the common room. 

Casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself, he went out for some air to calm down. 

He arrived at the Room of Requirement and began his alchemy experiments inside. 

Quirrell's demonstration of the three Unforgivable Curses had made him realize he needed to enhance his amulet. After a night's work, he added a new function. 

Protection against the Imperius Curse. 

This was the maximum he could manage at the moment. As for the Cruciatus Curse, he figured he could withstand it if necessary. 

It would just be a matter of enduring the pain. 

However, the Imperius Curse was nearly impossible to guard against, so he added an early warning function to his amulet. If he was ever hit by the curse, a hidden mechanism would trigger, allowing John to regain clarity immediately. 

This was a precaution against Quirrell possibly using the Imperius Curse on him, as he suspected Quirrell would become increasingly ruthless. 

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Quirrell extended an invitation to John. 

To the Forbidden Forest. 

John's face couldn't help but change at this, as he suspected what this might entail. 

"Professor, what are we going to the Forbidden Forest for? I mean, I've patrolled the Forbidden Forest many times and found nothing." 

John tried to bluff his way out, but Quirrell had no intention of letting him off easily. 

"In the pursuit of knowledge, you'll find that only practice reveals the truth." 

Quirrell's face was paler than usual today, as Voldemort had weakened again and needed unicorn blood to sustain himself. 

A life as fragile as Voldemort's at this point was no better than a rat's; he had no desire to expose himself to John in such a state. 

When John showed reluctance, Voldemort's voice emerged. 

"Stop arguing with him." 

The voice came from the back of Quirrell's head, making John's heart sink. 

Quirrell's face showed a respectful expression as he raised his wand, and a beam of light from the Imperius Curse hit John. 

The amulet on John's wrist glowed briefly before dimming. 

John's mind felt scrambled before reassembling, leaving him staring blankly at Quirrell. 

Seeing this, Quirrell believed he had succeeded and respectfully addressed Voldemort, "Master, we will now go and find the unicorn." 

Since the last unicorn killing, the Forbidden Forest's unicorns had gone into hiding. 

Some time had passed, and a few unicorns were beginning to emerge again. Quirrell had found some traces. 

Leading the way, Quirrell had John follow behind. 

Quirrell aimed to drag John into an inescapable abyss, while John knew it wasn't time to turn against him yet, so he continued to feign being under the curse. 

Fortunately, Quirrell did not make John perform the killing after finding the unicorn. John hadn't yet learned the Killing Curse, which spared him some trauma. 

But John could only watch helplessly as Quirrell killed the unicorn. His eyes flickered with intense emotion, but he refrained from drawing his wand. 

In the Forbidden Forest, any movement could make him the next target of the Killing Curse. 

After this hunt, Voldemort's life was extended. 

Quirrell took John back and placed the unicorn's horn in his hand, telling him it was his kill. 

John played along, acting like a bewildered child experiencing the turmoil and eventual twisted satisfaction of having killed. 

Voldemort believed it wouldn't be long before John became an excellent Death Eater. 

Now, it was just a matter of letting this situation ferment. 

Killing a unicorn was a grave crime, one a young wizard wouldn't dare tell the professors about. 

Voldemort was confident. 

John, on the other hand, got a brief respite from learning with Quirrell. 

One day, Ron was bitten by a dragon. 

Harry and the others knew they had to get rid of it quickly; by Saturday night, Norbert would be sent away.