A Trio of Serpents

9: Quirrell

Tumblr has been blowing up the past few weeks. Holy moly. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

Summary: One problem down, many exams to go.

With the issue of Norbert out of the way, the trio could focus on the Philosopher's Stone. But it wasn't easy with the upcoming exams; Hermione couldn't concentrate on anything else and was driving everyone mad with her constant fretting.

One day, Harry overheard Tracey mutter to Daphne, "And we were all on her for her blood status!"

Malfoy was furious he had failed to get Harry caught with the dragon, but he didn't seem to realize why or how. So Jayson was safe from the new wave of resentment, but the trio wasn't.

He seemed more determined than ever to get them on the professors' bad side, uncaring of the no-bullying policy, which barely made a difference when it came to him. When they were the same corridor, Malfoy would taunt the trio hoping to get a rise out of them. It almost didn't work, but then Malfoy said something about Harry's dead parents and Ron lunged at him. Only Harry and Sid's hold on him stopped him from breaking Malfoy's nose. But it was enough for Snape to give Ron detention and an excuse to be more disdainful toward Harry than usual. Neither Sid nor Malfoy faced repercussions, Sid because Snape had nothing against him and Malfoy because he had conveniently not heard the taunts mere meters away.

About a week before exams, Harry was walking back from the library when he heard whimpering coming from a classroom.

"No — no — not again, please —"

A second voice spoke, but Harry was too far away to distinguish it properly.

"All right — all right —"

Quirrell rushed out of the room, not even noticing Harry, and strode in the opposite direction.

Harry peeked inside. The room was empty, but he saw a door ajar on the other side. Whoever Quirrell had been talking to must've gone through, although Harry hadn't been able to recognize the other voice. But something made the hairs on the back of his neck raise. He couldn't place the feeling, but it sent him running back to the dungeon and telling Ron and Hermione about it.

"But you didn't see anyone?" Hermione checked.

"No, but there had to have been someone with him," Harry insisted.

"Maybe we should tell Professor Dumbledore," Ron suggested.

"And risk getting in trouble?" Hermione said.

"Better to get in trouble than be dead," Ron pointed out, and Hermione reluctantly agreed.

It was pure luck Dumbledore passed them in an otherwise deserted corridor the next day. Or maybe it wasn't; Harry did get the impression Dumbledore was at least close to omnipresent.

"Professor, thank goodness we found you!"

"The school's in trouble, sir!"

"Someone's gonna break in!"

Their words were barely discernible, and the headmaster raised a hand to silence them. "Please. I ask only one of you speak at a time. Harry?"

"The Philosopher's Stone, sir," Harry said. "I know we shouldn't know about it, but please, listen. We think it's in danger — I mean, we don't have a lot of proof, but with the Gringotts break-in, and Hagrid mentioned he was talking to this stranger who was very interested in three-headed dogs —"

"Someone was threatening Quirrell," Ron broke in.

Dumbledore took in their worried faces. "Professor Quirrell, you say?"