In fact, the Boggart transformed into more than just Voldemort.
James Potter's corpse. Lily Evans begging, blocking the Killing Curse, and falling. Voldemort telling Lily to move aside, laughing maniacally, and casting the Killing Curse. All of these were part of the Boggart's transformation.
However, Basil only allowed the Boggart to imprint a specific part—the [Voldemort (False)] casting the Killing Curse.
To achieve this, Basil even gave up the image of Lily Evans dying to cast the Sacrificial Protection.
When he tried to imprint only a part, he discovered it was all or nothing within a specific sequence unless he actively filtered it.
He couldn't have both Lily and Voldemort.
Perhaps he could get Lily from Snape.
But that would likely just be Lily's corpse.
Besides, the Boggart's power probably couldn't penetrate the mind of an Occlumency master like Snape.
Basil was depressed for another reason, too.
Although almost everyone heard Harry point at Quirrell and scream "Voldemort!" before fainting...
And everyone gasped, suspecting something was wrong with Quirrell...
And Quirrell looked like he was about to faint from terror...
And Snape pointed his wand directly at Quirrell's throat...
The Voldemort on the back of Quirrell's head didn't make a move.
Dumbledore didn't apprehend him on the spot either.
Instead, he overruled the panic, patted Quirrell on the shoulder as if comforting him, and announced the end of the feast.
He then had Hagrid take Harry to the Hospital Wing.
Why was Dumbledore so calm?
He should have roared, "Harry! Harry Potter!" and personally carried Harry to the Hospital Wing!
Because of this lack of dramatic escalation, Basil only received 500 Gems.
Depressed, he followed the crowd out of the Great Hall, led by Percy towards the Gryffindor common room.
Everyone was panicking.
Fred and George didn't even have the heart to crack jokes.
Except for Ron.
First, because he saw that Harry was already awake and struggling to get up when Hagrid carried him out. He was fine.
Second, because, in his words, "I can't stand seeing Professor Quirrell misunderstood."
The result was that by the time Percy led them to the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor (eighth floor in US terms), said the password "Caput Draconis," and the portrait swung open...
Almost every Gryffindor student had heard Ron's "Voldemort Power Resonance Theory."
Percy, who was busy leading the way and fending off Peeves the Poltergeist, hadn't paid attention to what Ron was saying.
He only noticed that after Ron spoke, everyone calmed down.
He walked up to Ron and patted his shoulder. "Well done, Ron! Truly worthy of being a Prefect's brother!"
Basil stifled a laugh as he walked past a confused-looking Ron.
After climbing through the portrait hole, they entered the Gryffindor Common Room.
Basil looked around.
The room was empty except for the new students and Percy.
Because there were classes tomorrow and everyone was exhausted from the journey, the older students had already gone to bed.
The room looked cozy: circular, full of squashy armchairs, with a large fireplace dominating one wall.
The walls were covered in scarlet tapestries depicting witches, wizards, and various animals.
Near the exit was a bare noticeboard.
Basil looked to the other side of the room.
There were two doors.
Percy was leading the girls toward the door on the right.
And vanished through it with them.
Basil was stunned. He grabbed Ron. "I thought boys couldn't enter the girls' dormitory?"
When Hermione was lecturing them earlier, she mentioned that the girls' dormitory stairs were enchanted.
If a boy tried to walk up, the stairs would turn into a slide after a few steps.
He vividly remembered Hermione looking smug as she said, "According to 'Hogwarts: A History', the founders believed girls were more trustworthy than boys."
Ron nodded. "That's true. The great Ravenclaw believed adolescent boys were too dangerous. Percy can enter because he's a Prefect, and it's the first day of term. Prefects are allowed entry at this specific time to guide students. The Head Boy can enter too."
"I've decided!" Basil pumped his fist. "I'm going to become a Prefect!"
"Excellent! I knew I wasn't wrong about you!" Percy, having returned from the girls' dorms, beamed with approval.
"Ron, you should learn from Basil."
Then he turned to the other first-years. "Everyone, follow me."
Five minutes later, Basil lay on a four-poster bed hung with deep red velvet curtains, panting for breath.
"Gryffindor Tower... I finally understand why it's called a tower. That spiral staircase is endless. And why is our dormitory at the very top?!"
His ambition from moments ago had vanished.
Now, he just wanted to sleep.
---
Headmaster's Office.
The greatest white wizard, Albus Dumbledore, sat in his high-backed chair.
Elbows on the desk, chin resting on his steepled fingers.
His blue eyes, behind half-moon spectacles, were calm, like a steadily burning flame.
Opposite him, Severus Snape paced back and forth in front of the desk.
"Dumbledore! What are you thinking?"
"McGonagall and the others might not know, but I saw it! The Dark Lord is on the back of Quirrell's head!"
"If it weren't for that boy, I wouldn't have known!"
"Remember what you told me yesterday? 'Keep an eye on Quirrell, he seems a bit off.'"
"You knew something was wrong with him long ago!"
"And yet you did nothing!"
Dumbledore blinked and spoke calmly. "This is a gamble between Tom and me. He knows that I know him. And I know that he knows that I know him."
Snape was furious. "A gamble! Have you forgotten that you are the Headmaster of Hogwarts?!"
Then he sighed.
He knew he had to follow Dumbledore's decisions.
And Dumbledore's decisions were usually right—the best option available.
That was why none of the Headmaster portraits, who were feigning sleep but listening to everything, spoke up to object.
"What is the wager?"
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes. "Quirinus Quirrell's life. And my chance to capture him once and for all."
Snape stepped forward. "Can't we do it now?!"
He was incredibly agitated. A flame of joy, intense enough to burn down the room, flickered in his cold eyes.
Dumbledore shook his head. "Voldemort has used extremely evil and mad Dark Magic to ensure his immortality. Quirrell's current body is merely a hostage and a consumable item that allows him to flee this castle instantly."
"My chance to catch him lasts only for an instant. The moment he obtains the Philosopher's Stone and pours his soul into it to forge a perfect body."
Snape stepped back. "Just capture?"
Dumbledore said calmly, "Just capture. Until certain conditions are met, I cannot kill him."
---
The sun had just peeked over the horizon, and the morning mist still hung in the air when Basil woke up.
Although his body was still that of a normal 11-year-old boy before the [Red Dragon Blood] was ignited...
It had been optimized to some extent.
Not just the defined muscles, but his energy levels were higher and recovered faster.
With just four or five hours of sleep, he felt completely refreshed.
He was briefly surprised to see that his three plain black work robes now had the Gryffindor crest stitched onto them.
Then, he looked around the dormitory.
Like the common room, the dorm was circular.
Crimson carpet covered the floor, and deep red hangings decorated the walls.
Five four-poster beds stood against the walls.
Their trunks were placed at the foot of their beds.
To his left was Ron. To Ron's left was Harry (empty). To Harry's left was Neville. To Neville's left was Seamus. And to Seamus's left was Basil again.
The five beds formed a circle.
In the center was a large hexagonal table with five high-backed chairs.
Underneath was a red rug embroidered with a golden lion.
There were two doors: one was the entrance, the other led to their shared bathroom.
Basil got dressed and got out of bed.
Harry's bed was empty.
Harry must have spent his first night at Hogwarts in the Hospital Wing.
---