Voldemort's Command

Quirrell was left alone in the office. He suddenly jumped up, his face contorted as he clutched the back of his head.

Quirrell gritted his teeth and finished casting spells on the door before ripping the turban off his head.

"Isn't that how it should be?" Voldemort let out a raspy "ho ho" laugh. "Do everything exactly as I say..."

"Show him the Cheering Charm, then slowly guide him to learn this magic... Quirinus, I hope you can always be this obedient."

Quirrell glanced at Voldemort in the mirror out of the corner of his eye; that hideous face made him shudder.

"Of course... my Master!" Quirrell looked at the Chocolate Frogs on the table and said painfully, "I will always follow your commands until you regain your strength once more."

"Very good!" A hint of smugness entered Voldemort's voice. "Regarding the checkpoint behind that room, along with the three-headed dog, have you found a way past?"

"There are clues! Professor Sprout must have set up Devil's Snare..." Quirrell shivered, saying tremulously.

"As for that three-headed dog... I asked Professor Kettleburn... he doesn't know how to deal with a three-headed dog..."

"Is that so?" Voldemort sighed softly. "If even the Care of Magical Creatures professor doesn't know how to get past a three-headed dog... then go find someone else!"

Quirrell hurriedly asked: "Master... do you have an idea?"

"That gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid!" A look of loathing appeared on Voldemort's face. "His head is filled with knowledge regarding Magical Creatures!"

"Find a way to get close to him! He has a loose tongue; I'm afraid just a few words will get him to open his mouth and reveal the three-headed dog's weakness! Yes! Do exactly that!"

"This..." Quirrell looked troubled. "Master, you seem very familiar with him... is there a good way to get close?"

"His tastes are disgusting..." Voldemort showed an expression of revulsion. "I remember clearly... he loves large and ugly Magical Creatures best."

"Find him a young animal of some rank, then pour him some wine, and he'll tell you everything!"

"Will that really work..." Quirrell's voice was full of worry. "Furthermore, a young animal of such rank won't be cheap..."

"Quirinus, do you seem to be disobeying again?" Voldemort laughed hideously. "I've already shoved the plan into your mouth; aren't you going to think of a way to execute it?"

"Un... Understood!" Quirrell hurriedly begged for mercy. "I will certainly do my utmost to complete this task!"

Sunday afternoon was the time for Snape's private lesson.

Today the office was somewhat empty; there were no baskets of flesh and blood materials to process, nor bundles of herbs that needed urgent washing.

In the middle of the office sat a table, upon which was a cauldron, weighing tools for processing materials, and dozens of neatly arranged potion ingredients.

Wizette scanned the potion ingredients on the table and immediately felt a sense of familiarity.

Snape sat to one side, propping up his chin as he gestured toward the table: "Begin!"

Wizette nodded in understanding, walked to the cauldron, and carefully identified the ingredients on the table.

Snape was indeed going to have him categorize the materials; those notes from that night hadn't been in vain.

He recalled the potion formula he had memorized that night and kept the necessary ingredients.

"Glacius!" He deployed a magical energy field, placing the unused materials inside it without a single slip.

Once everything was done, Wizette returned to the cauldron and began to evaluate the materials on the table.

"State their uses!" Snape crossed his arms. "Along with the specific processing methods."

"Yes, sir!" Wizette replied.

He first held up a handful of flowers and herbs, saying steadily: "Lavender needs to be made into a tincture. Cut the lavender flowers and leaves into small pieces and place them in alcohol to soak."

"The soaking time depends on the thickness. Usually, it needs to soak for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place, and it needs to be shaken regularly to ensure full extraction."

"Use the Summoning Charm to remove the flowers and leaves, and finally filter through three layers of mesh to ensure no impurities remain, then store the tincture in a cool, dark place."

"Filtering through three layers of mesh is how *you* operate," Snape said coldly. "A single Summoning Charm is enough to remove all impurities!"

"Yes, I still have much to learn, and my magical proficiency awaits improvement." Wizette responded with practiced ease, then picked up a jar wrapped in black cloth.

"Moon-Dew Honey needs to be harvested at night. A bright full moon night is the best time for harvest. When using it, direct contact with sunlight must also be avoided..."

"Bodhisattva Moonstone is best crushed on a bright full moon night; this way it can achieve maximum effectiveness..."

"Wormwood, the method for making the infusion is similar to the tincture, but morning dew must be used..."

He introduced all the materials in a very orderly fashion. Throughout this, Snape remained silent, only his right knee occasionally twitching.

From Wizette's understanding of Snape, as long as Snape didn't speak, it basically signaled affirmation, so Wizette did not pause.

"Rote learning, very much in line with my impression of Ravenclaw." Snape lowered his hands, his voice low.

"Since you can understand to this extent, those potion ingredients won't be considered wasted."

"But that is only the basics. Even a Troll, after long-term training, could guard a vault door. If a potion master only knows how to follow patterns, I suggest they change professions immediately."

Using a Troll as a comparison was very much Snape's style. Wizette didn't mind; he had learned how to find the key points in these words.

"Professor Snape, may I ask if I no longer need to process materials?"

"Of course not! You've only succeeded in not being related to a Troll; the materials that need processing still must be processed." Snape still showed no change in expression.

"The Soul-Soothing Potion, that is the name of the potion you drank in the hospital wing. A high-level potion, its effect is to profoundly soothe the spirit and compensate for the damage the soul has endured..."

Wizette's spirit was bolstered by this. The content Snape was discussing wasn't superficial textbook knowledge, but deep potion theory.

He had heard parts of this theory before, but they were always mentioned in passing, rarely explained so clearly and systematically.

He tried to comprehend these words, forming a general concept of deep potion theory—

When a wizard can truly understand potions, regardless of which ingredient is added or which is missing, they can ensure the final quality of the potion is unaffected through technique, understanding, or finding substitutes.