There were many curses recorded in his grandfather's notes, but the one Sean had chosen was the most complex. Not only did it require the target's teeth, hair, and blood, but it also necessitated the fresh blood of a sufficiently powerful magical creature. Such a cumbersome process and preparation resulted in ultimate secrecy.
This curse only took effect at night and could only be detected during its initial onset. In other words, when Tarquin was startled awake in the middle of the night, it had been his last chance to survive. If he had gone to Madam Pomfrey at that time, it might have been possible for the curse to be discovered.
However, even if the curse had been discovered, if the cursed ground where Sean performed the ritual could not be found and the cursed seed eliminated, the curse on Tarquin still could not have been lifted. Even if magical means were used to save Tarquin's life, he would only have been able to spend the rest of his days bedridden.
Therefore, when Sean completed the curse and successfully returned to his room, he knew that Tarquin would no longer be an obstacle to him. It was at this moment that Sean suddenly realised that, compared to the other three houses, he was truly suited for Slytherin.
Standing in a corner of the common room, Sean looked at the body of Tarquin being taken away. His face showed the perfect blend of worry and confusion, no different from the other bewildered young wizards.
Blaise stood next to Sean, looked at Sean's expression, and whispered, "Nice expression."
"I still have six years at Hogwarts. When it's time to fit in, I still need to fit in a bit."
After a moment of silence, Blaise asked again, "You were busy for more than half a month. Was this what you were busy with?"
Sean was not surprised that Blaise could see that this matter was related to him. Blaise knew many things about him and understood him quite well. What's more, Blaise seemed carefree, but in reality, many things were kept in his heart; he just didn't want to show it.
Sean trusted Blaise, so he nodded and said, "I prepared a little something. Now it seems the effect was quite good."
Nodding slightly, Blaise said, "This matter ends here. Don't tell anyone else about it in the future. I will also forget what happened today and treat it as if it never happened."
"Okay... Thank you."
"I told you, between the two of us, there's no need to say thank you."
The two looked at each other, smiled, and stopped discussing the matter.
Early the next morning, the news about Tarquin spread throughout Hogwarts, and at the same time, the news that Tarquin had died of a sudden illness also spread. In the afternoon, someone from the Hunter family, Tarquin's family, came to take his body away. With them came a wizard hired by the Hunter family to investigate the cause of death.
Naturally, the investigation found nothing. After all, if Dumbledore, Snape, and Madam Pomfrey could not find anything, it would be difficult for other wizards to uncover the truth. This wasn't a slight on their abilities; rather, it was a testament to the curse's extreme secrecy. It might not have been discoverable before the victim died, and after death, it was a complete wrap-up; nothing could be found at all.
From this, Sean gained a new understanding of the various magics recorded in his grandfather's notes, and at the same time, he gained a new understanding of his grandfather himself, who was able to write this note. Being able to document so many powerful spells, Sean was quite curious about his grandfather's experiences when he was young.
It should be noted that the notebook only recorded various knowledge and conjectures about magic, but there was no record of his grandfather's life and experiences when he was young. Obviously, this was an intentional omission by Gavin when he wrote the notes.
Late at night, Sean closed the notes in his hand and prepared to rest. Based on the recent movements of Harry and the others, Sean felt that it wouldn't be long before they passed through the trapdoor.
Of course, according to Sean's understanding of this matter, Harry and the others would take action after the final exams. In other words, Sean could relax a little before the exams and didn't need to watch too closely. Moreover, Sean also had some thoughts about the exams; at least in some key subjects, he wanted to get a sufficiently good grade.
Closing his eyes, Sean gradually fell asleep.
And just as Sean had fallen asleep, a figure appeared in Hogsmeade.
Dumbledore walked down the streets of the village and went straight to the Hog's Head. He looked at the pub with a complicated expression on his face, a mixture of guilt, regret, loneliness, and anticipation.
Without entering, Dumbledore just looked at the door of the Hog's Head, waved his hand gently, and something like golden dust appeared out of thin air, flowing in the open space in front of the door.
As this golden dust flowed, scenes began to play in reverse, like a memory being rapidly unwound. These regressive images, under Dumbledore's control and accompanied by his slowly turning right hand, rewound faster and faster until the scene where Tarquin was beaten appeared.
Dumbledore clenched his right hand into a fist, and the rewinding picture stopped abruptly.
With a deliberate gesture of his hand, the scene immediately started playing at a normal pace. Dumbledore continued to control the direction and progress of the image, and finally saw the drunkard that Sean had transformed into using Polyjuice Potion. He watched the scene where the drunkard took the beaten and blood-stained teeth of Tarquin before leaving.
"Indeed…"
Muttering to himself, Dumbledore drew a line in front of him with his right hand, and the constantly rotating golden dust immediately moved away in one direction. Wherever it passed, the image of the drunkard quickly leaving appeared from time to time in the golden dust, like slides in a projector.
Dumbledore took one last look at the Hog's Head and happened to see a figure inside the window, a figure similar in build and size to Dumbledore himself. He smiled and nodded at the figure. Dumbledore did not linger and followed the trail of the golden dust.
Dumbledore followed the trail. He saw the shadow in the golden dust take another potion and then transform into a female Hogwarts student. He also saw that person transform into a boy using the same method. Just as Dumbledore wanted to continue tracking, the golden dust suddenly scattered.
Looking at the final position of the golden dust, Dumbledore muttered to himself with some regret, "Magic is not omnipotent after all. After taking Polyjuice Potion multiple times, the aura has also changed, and the backtracking spell can no longer trace it. If this person were from outside the school, it would be one thing, but if they are from within the school, do they have any relationship with Quirrell? If not, who is this person, and why did they kill Mr. Hunter?"
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