bioinnovel Chapter 75 Insignificant People
Chapter 75 Insignificant People
Chapter 75 Insignificant People
The next day, a bombshell piece of news quickly spread to every corner of the campus.
According to this unsubstantiated report, Quirinas Quillo, who had been missing for several days, has been found in a restricted area on the right side of the fourth floor corridor.
It turns out that he was not defeated by the curse of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but lost to his own greed and ambition.
Who would have thought that the seemingly cowardly and frail Professor, a useless fellow who couldn't even dodge the Weasley twins' magical snowball, was actually a thief who broke into Gringotts and tried to steal the Philosopher's Stone!
All morning, the students having lunch in the auditorium were discussing Quirrell and the Philosopher's Stone.
Professor Paul Bernard was pleased that some people were explaining to others what the Philosopher's Stone actually was.
Some people are analyzing Quirrell's motives and purposes for doing this, trying to find out what the rumors didn't address, after all, this isn't Quirrell's first year teaching at the school.
Soon after breakfast, an equally explosive piece of news, though from an unknown source, broke out: it turned out that the person who stopped Quirrell from stealing the Philosopher's Stone was Harry Potter.
The famous Harry Potter, the Harry Potter who survived a great calamity!
Six months later, Harry, whose savior aura had gradually faded, was once again surrounded by students, just like at the beginning of the school year.
Harry, lying unconscious in the school infirmary, was like a monkey in a zoo, once again being intensely observed.
Suddenly, the school hospital was bustling with people, even more so than during the seasonal change of the year.
Even though Mrs. Pomfrey stood with her hands on her hips at the entrance of the school hospital like a mother hen protecting her chicks, it couldn't dampen the students' enthusiasm. Everyone wanted to see the blood-stained glory of the hero who stopped Quirrell's conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Belvina Black, the other protagonist in the sensational news, has been largely ignored and rarely visited.
Children who haven't yet left the ivory tower seem to have a deep understanding of the importance of titles and what kind of content can grab attention.
Belvina Black, a former high-ranking official in the Ministry of Magic and now an elective course professor, has made her students realize, with just a few occasional magical demonstrations in class, that this seemingly ordinary female professor is not just for show, but truly capable.
Moreover, their family's scholarly tradition is undeniable; they're genuine OG (or 0G) scholars, which would be considered extremely disrespectful in beautiful Sicily.
Professor Blake's height is also considered 0G, Little Gaode's mother.
With such a background, beating a nobody like Quirinas Quiro would be a piece of cake; it's a pure case of dimensional subversion, with absolutely no story to tell.
Indeed, even after learning Quirrell's true colors and knowing that his "good-for-nothing" persona was just a facade, the students still found it difficult to change their impression of him in a short period of time.
It must be said that Quirinas Quiro is far ahead of everyone else on the track where he disguises himself as a loser, making him truly unique.
Compared to Professor Black beating up the outlaw Quirrell, it sounds more exciting and is more likely to attract attention to first-year students bravely fighting against evil forces.
A true wizarding version of Home Alone, or perhaps the return of the savior?
Regardless, Harry Potter, still in a coma, has returned to the top ranks of Hogwarts, becoming a hot commodity in the eyes of all the students. The snacks and gifts he received while lying in the school hospital were enough for Dumbledore to eat for a month!
However, Harry Potter's popularity did not last long, and he quickly fell from being a savior to a target of public criticism, especially among Gryffindor students.
During the last stretch of the Easter break, the Gryffindor students, known for their strong likes and dislikes, almost stopped mentioning Harry. Even when they had to, they would refer to him as "The Seeker."
The culprit behind all this was Rupert Hagrid, the master of making trouble.
After Harry recovered and was discharged from the hospital, he immediately began his unfinished plan: to send Norbert the Norwegian spineless dragon away.
So, on a dark, overcast midnight, Harry, Ron, and Hermione carried the box containing the baby dragon and painstakingly climbed all the way to the Astronomy Tower to deliver Norbert to Charlie's friend.
Perhaps because the Philosopher's Stone was no longer in danger, or perhaps because the dragon, a major threat, had been eliminated, Harry and his friends left the Invisibility Cloak behind when they left the tower. Even more absurdly, without the Invisibility Cloak, they were caught red-handed by Filch!
Therefore, Professor McGonagall reluctantly deducted fifty points from each Gryffindor student's house grade.
In an instant, Gryffindor became Gryffindor, completely losing their eligibility to compete for the House Cup, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione became outrageous sinners.
Hermione Granger became silent, only appearing when answering questions in class; the silly girl seemed to be trying to win back her lost house points in this way.
Ron Weasley also became very silent, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, as if only in this way could he make the Weasley's youngest son feel better.
It's important to know that the Weasleys are all Gryffindors. The eldest son, Bill, is the head of the student council, an excellent student, and a renowned academic achiever.
The second son, Charlie, is the Quidditch captain and once led the school to victory in the Quidditch Cup; the third son, Percy, is a well-known good student and a model student, whose vocabulary doesn't include the word "deduction".
Even the most mischievous Weasley twins, Fred and George, never lost fifty points at once.
At this moment, Ron even considered digging a hole and burying himself to prevent Mrs. Weasley from doing it herself.
The saddest person must be Harry Potter. He went from being a highly regarded "hero" to a rebellious "sinner" in less than a week.
As Harry slid from heaven to hell, self-blame and guilt tormented him. He squandered half a year's worth of Gryffindor's efforts. Disappointment and pain were inevitable. Almost everyone pointed fingers at him, and Harry even felt that he was more despicable than Quirrell.
Even the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students didn't give Harry a friendly look. Only the Slytherin students welcomed and thanked him, but Harry didn't want that cheer or applause at all.
After Harry's ordeal, the Easter holidays came to an end, and Hogwarts became busy again.
Professors are busy preparing for the upcoming exams; students are not only engrossed in their studies but also facing mountains of homework.
That morning, it was time for another Muggle Studies class, but instead of sitting by the window as usual, Belvina stood by the Black Lake with her hands behind her back, waiting for the students to arrive.
Before long, groups of three third-grade students arrived at the Black Lake. They were all covered in hoods and had no trace of the youthful vigor they should have.
With nine weeks left until the exam, the piles of homework and the early review plans of the top students are suffocating the teenagers, making them all feel incredibly bitter and resentful.
That's why Belvina prepared a special Muggle studies class. She was going to lead her students in playing Muggle children's games—no, not playing, but learning. Who says that games played by Muggle children aren't Muggle studies?
Besides, it's all about happy education; how can it work if people aren't happy?
Under Belvina's guidance, some boys were playing baseball and others were throwing beanbags, while some girls were playing shuttlecock and others were playing hopscotch.
If Belvina herself didn't know how to jump rope, she would have even planned to play it with the young wizards.
The heavy workload came crashing down on them. At first, the students by the Black Lake were a little hesitant to play freely, but as baseballs were hit and sandbags were accurately struck, their competitive spirit was ignited.
Soon, the noisy voices of boys rose from the shore of Black Lake. They shouted loudly, constantly directing their companions, while baseballs and sandbags flew back and forth in the air.
The girls also abandoned their reserve, forming a circle and kicking the shuttlecock high into the air before catching it steadily. They kicked it back and forth, quickly working up a sweat.
When they witnessed Belvina's superb skills, they cheered even more. With her fancy moves of twisting, turning, bouncing, and jumping, Belvina attracted a group of young female fans.
Unfortunately, the happy times are always short-lived, and the Muggle Research Class, which has transformed into a Muggle Games Class, is about to end.
Belvina clapped her hands, gathering the students back together, and prepared to lead them back to the castle.
The students who arrived dejected were now beaming with joy. Some were covered in sweat, and some were panting, but the relaxation in their eyes was genuine.
A professor who could connect with students, an adult who wouldn't spoil the fun—the students' affection for Belvina deepened, and this affection went beyond just her profession as a teacher.
Belvina originally intended to say a few polite words and then lead the team back to the castle, disbanding the group once they reached the entrance hall. However, someone started clapping, and soon the applause became a continuous chorus.
The inexplicable applause left Belvina somewhat bewildered. It was just playing a game together; why the applause?
After the applause subsided, the Gryffindor conspicuous bag was the first to jump out. Fred Weasley said, "Professor, we've all heard about it."
His brother George followed closely behind, saying, "You defeated Quirrell and successfully stopped him from stealing the Philosopher's Stone."
After he finished speaking, applause rang out again.
Amidst enthusiastic applause, Cedric Diggory said, "Professor, Dad said you're the most wonderful witch he's ever met, and I completely agree!"
In the past, Belvina would have politely complimented him, saying that Mr. Diggory's knowledge of magical creatures was something she could never catch up to in her entire life.
But now, Belvina has accepted this excessive praise without refusing it.
Although Belvina didn't think defeating Quirrell was something to be proud of, and the event itself was tinged with tragedy, no one wanted to see a once kind person fall into an endless hell.
"Professor, don't you have anything to say?" a student chimed in. "Don't you have any thoughts? That's the Philosopher's Stone!"
The only Philosopher's Stone in the wizarding community remained unharmed under Belvina's protection, something some students considered something to boast about for a lifetime.
"I do have some thoughts on this," Belvina said, "but they're probably not what you're thinking."
As she spoke, Belvina drew her wand and gestured in the air, writing words. Even when writing in the air, her handwriting remained delicate and neat.
The students by the Black Lake followed the movement of the magic wand, reciting sentences composed of golden letters, one word at a time.
"Power resides in the human heart; it exists if you believe, and it does not exist if you do not believe. Even the smallest person can cast a huge shadow."
Where did Quirinus Quirrell go wrong? Was it because he listened to Voldemort's instigation, because he had designs on the Philosopher's Stone, or because he overestimated his abilities?
No, at least that's what Belvina thinks.
Quirinas Quiro's original sin was cowardice and weakness, which Belvina believed was the root cause of his downfall.
If Quirrell had stood up for himself the first time he was mocked for his stutter, the first time he was bullied, he might not be in this situation today.
Be brave enough to resist, dare to fight back, and make those who bully you pay the price they deserve, instead of hiding away and wallowing in self-pity, fantasizing about proving yourself one day, or hoping that others will lend a helping hand.
Only those who have the courage to stand up are qualified to receive help from others, and are worthy of others' effort and time.
If Quirrell had had the courage to confront the bullying and fight back against the bullies, things might have been different.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Belvina said seriously, "I don't want to see you laughing at Quirrell's arrogance and foolishness. I want to see you learn a lesson from him."
Belvina paused for a moment, then continued, "After all, this is the most meaningful lesson he could give you."
As soon as the words were spoken, some students laughed a few times. But when they realized that everyone else was very serious, the students who had laughed quickly stopped laughing and made themselves serious and attentive.
Belvina continued, "What I want to say is that when you encounter injustice and unfairness, you should have the courage to resist it. Never expose your weaknesses or show your vulnerability, because that will not bring you mercy, but only deeper pain."
The students looked at each other. They could understand what Professor Blake meant, but they didn't quite understand why he would say such a thing.
"Power comes from the heart. It doesn't care about your birth, whether you're pure-blood, half-blood, or from a Muggle family. It doesn't care which house you come from, whether you're a brave Gryffindor, a shrewd Slytherin, an honest Hufflepuff, or a wise Ravenclaw."
Belvina continued, "Power is determined only by yourself. When you have a strong heart and the courage to overcome everything, you will gain unparalleled power. You will be Albus Dumbledore in your own story."
Applause rang out again, and the students clapped and cheered loudly; this time they understood.
Even the smallest person can cast a huge shadow. Why should we wait for others to lend a helping hand? Can't we help ourselves?
After saying that, Belvina looked directly into the eyes of every student present. Some turned their heads away under her piercing gaze, while others bravely met her cold eyes.
Finally, Belvina smiled and shared her conclusion, her tone gentle yet incredibly firm.
She said softly, "Since the world needs heroes, why can't I be a hero?"