Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 206: How is Quirrell Still Alive?

“We just went to talk to Hagrid for a bit, and you already know who Nicolas Flamel is?” Ron asked, stunned, as he and Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room. Neither of them had expected Hermione to spring such a revelation on them as soon as they got back.

“Where on earth did you find that out?” Harry asked, wide-eyed.

“On Dumbledore’s Chocolate Frog card!” Hermione replied impatiently. “You two go on about how many cards you’ve collected, and yet neither of you noticed this!”

Hearing this, Harry’s eyes widened in realization. No wonder he’d felt like he’d seen the name before! Now he remembered—he’d seen it on the train. Dumbledore was the first card he’d ever collected.

“Also, I found this,” Hermione continued, pulling out a thick, worn book and flipping through its pages in front of them.

“Nicolas Flamel—the only known maker of the Philosopher’s Stone!”

“What stone?” Harry and Ron asked at once.

“Oh, come on, don’t you two ever read... Just look for yourselves!” Hermione shoved the book toward them and continued, “I bet that big dog is guarding the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Harry and Ron felt like two novices being guided through a dungeon by an expert player. They had just managed to read through the information she provided when they looked up and realized Hermione had practically solved the whole mystery already. Not only had she found Nicolas Flamel, but she’d even guessed what was hidden under the trapdoor.

The Philosopher’s Stone... no wonder Snape was after it. A stone that could create gold and grant immortality was something anyone would covet.

“And what about you two…” Hermione said, closing the book. “Did Hagrid tell you anything about what happened yesterday?”

“No,” Ron replied, sounding frustrated. “Hagrid wouldn’t say a thing. No matter what we asked, he wouldn’t give anything away.”

“But we did find out that Hagrid seemed to be hurt,” Harry added, thinking back. “There was a bottle of Essence of Dittany in his room. I remember it from Herbology class; it’s supposed to be good for treating wounds.”

“Essence of Dittany?” Hermione frowned, her suspicions deepening. So Hagrid’s reason for going to the Hospital Wing wasn’t to help Madam Pomfrey—he must have gone because he was injured. She’d been right all along: Hagrid was definitely connected to what had happened yesterday.

“Maybe we could ask Kyle again,” Ron suggested.

“No use,” Hermione shook her head. “If he wanted to tell us, he would have already. Besides, do you really think he’ll slip up like Hagrid might?”

“Hermione’s right,” Harry agreed. He wasn’t eager to go talk to Kyle, either—especially with everything going on in Quidditch.

Since Ravenclaw’s shocking win over Slytherin, Slytherin had no chance of winning the championship anymore. And since Ravenclaw had been shut out in their first match, their overall score wouldn’t be enough to win, even after this victory.

This meant that the upcoming game between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor was crucial—whoever won would clinch the championship early. Tensions between the two houses had plummeted to an icy low, and Harris and Wood had nearly come to blows in the corridor.

With things this tense, even if they went to Kyle, he might not even want to talk to them. Harry had no desire to make matters worse.

Seeing that Harry and Hermione were against the idea, Ron gave up on it too.

...

When they went to class the next day, everyone was surprised to see Professor Quirrell again. Contrary to the many rumors circulating, he hadn’t fallen prey to the supposed ”Curse of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor” that seemed to strike every year. For many students, this was a huge letdown. They had been hoping that if Quirrell were out, the end-of-term exam might be cancelled.

Still, some keen-eyed students noticed that Professor Quirrell’s arm was bandaged heavily, including his wrist, and his face looked paler than usual. He explained to the class that he had taken a tumble down the stairs two days prior while rushing somewhere.

This prompted another round of sighs from the students…

Kyle overheard a nearby Slytherin mutter, “With the mood this dark, all he managed was a broken arm…”

Whether because of his injury or another reason, Professor Quirrell didn’t bring his “teaching assistant” this time. Instead, he led the class in a simple reading lesson. Anyone who didn’t know better might have mistaken the class for History of Magic.

But even Professor Binns at least read the passages himself. Quirrell, on the other hand, had the students read aloud while he sat at the podium, appearing to doze off.

The students were clearly unimpressed. Who couldn’t read? Earning a salary for this was almost scandalous. If there were a ”Worst Professor” award at Hogwarts, Quirrell would be the clear champion. Even a Crup as a substitute teacher would have done a better job. Why Dumbledore hadn’t fired him was a mystery to everyone.

If Defense Against the Dark Arts was becoming dull, Potions class was downright painful for Kyle. Snape’s attitude had soured even further since the Ravenclaw-Slytherin match, almost as if he were taking out his frustrations on Kyle. His point deductions were severe, often starting at five points with no apparent limit.

Though some of these points were restored later, usually due to Kanna’s intervention, Kyle found himself repeatedly tempted to grab Mikel’s cauldron and drop it on Snape’s head. He refrained, however, since his own potions were precise and wouldn’t have much impact on Snape even if dumped on him. Mikel’s, on the other hand, was another story—his potions were like Schrödinger’s concoctions: their effects unpredictable until fully brewed, and hard to remedy.

Harry was also feeling the sting of Snape’s criticism, though his point deductions were not as severe as Kyle’s. In fact, after hearing about Kyle’s ordeals, Harry’s own grievances with Snape seemed trivial, and his spirits lifted considerably. Now, even if he ran into Snape outside of Potions class, he could keep his composure.

“Fred and George were right,” Harry remarked with a smile while playing a game of Wizard Chess. “It seems like Snape really does dislike Kyle more.”

“If that’s the case, maybe we actually have a shot at winning the House Cup!” Ron added eagerly.

“If Snape keeps bothering the Hufflepuffs, it’ll be perfect for Gryffindor,” he went on, his excitement evident.

“Ron, don’t jinx it,” Harry replied, guiding his knight to take a pawn. “We’ll win fair and square, even if Snape isn’t the one refereeing our match!”