Chapter 79 : The Unexpected Enemy
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The days passed quite quickly after that and soon it was the time for the second game of the season. Maybe the Snitch felt that Harry's heart was far too troubled to stay tuned into the game for long and it decided to indulge him quickly; maybe he just had talent enough to pull it off. No matter what, it seemed to be the fastest Snitch catch anybody present could recall; no team had time enough to score a single point as the green eyed wizard caught the elusive golden ball in less than four minutes. Oliver was ecstatic, jumping up and down with joy; they were now first in run for the house Cup, right in front of Slytherin.
His parents couldn't make it this time but Sirius could, much to Harry's amusement; the dog animagus was looking at him with awe and was already planning his career as a professional Quidditch player. Adrian was actually agreeing and that didn't much help Harry's case.
After some light conversation with him and Remus -who looked unimaginably pale, only three days after the full moon- he decided to put his Nimbus back in the lockers before returning to the castle, parting ways with his godfather and honorary uncle who would accompany Adrian back to Hogwarts before leaving the castle.
He was walking quite lost in thought, surprisingly not because of the Stone or Voldemort for once; from something Sirius had let slip out for his parents' second honeymoon and the cross look on Moony's face that caused him to change the subject faster than Harry could blink, it seemed that their trip hadn't been quite the success. He had just exited the lockers when a hooded figure left the castle quite in a hurry; hood or not, he would recognize Severus anywhere. At the same time the sound of a different pair of footsteps snapped him out of his reverie and he instinctively hid inside a closet. The second pair of footsteps turned out to belong to no other than Adrian.
The hazel eyed boy entered the lockers and came back with a school broom a few seconds later -apparently not having managed to pry Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand as the green eyed wizard had placed enough spells on it to not even bulge from its position; some nastier ones too did someone decide to be persistent. Hoping on it, he followed the potions master from above. Harry sighed in frustration and went back to retrieve his own broom. Why, oh why did this have to happen every single time?
Taking the long way around, Harry followed his brother by air, having an odd sense of déjà-vu. His brother finally landed on a tree next to the sound of Severus's voice and Harry landed noiselessly in a thick breech tree right behind his brother; he could just make out two shapes in the dark clearing beneath them.
"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private. The students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone after all." The potions master stated coldly. "Have you found a way to get past Hagrid's beast yet?" Severus asked and Harry didn't need to hear the stuttering to know it was Quirrell who answered. Seems that Severus had decided to have that conversation after all, the boy thought with a smirk.
"B-b-but Severus, I…"
"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell." The potions master stated, making Harry want to applaud.
"I-I don't know what you…"
"You know perfectly well what I mean." Quirrell seemed to be shaking, Harry noted. Good. The green eyed wizard tried to hear what Severus said next, but a loud hoot from an owl, hidden somewhere among the trees prevented him from doing so.
"… just like the troll incident on Halloween. I'm waiting." Oh, Sev had confronted him about the Halloween fiasco. Harry wondered what could Quirrell possibly have to say to that.
"B-but I d-d-don't…"
"Very well. We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie." And on that tone, he pulled his cloak's hood over his head again and left the clearing and what appeared to be a petrified Quirrell behind him. Harry waited for both the Defense teacher and his brother to leave before flying back to the school himself and running to the Gryffindor Tower. At least now, he imagined, Adrian would abandon the foolish notion of Severus being behind it all. His hopes had proven to be for naught as, while he was on his way to the Common Room, he caught his brother, Ron and Hermione running into an empty classroom; a little eavesdropping later and the green eyed wizard was ready to hit his head against the wall. Hard.
Apparently the whole confrontation in the forest had convinced Adrian of quite the opposite. He now seemed to think that not only Severus was trying to steal the Stone -apparently the trio had already realized it was the Philosopher's Stone that was guarded under that trapdoor- but now he was certain that it was the potions master that had let the troll into the school -cursed owl and its hooting!- and that Quirrell was what was standing between him and his goal. To put it simply, he was convinced that Quirrell was the one protecting the Stone and Severus the one out to get him. Bloody prejudices! Harry walked sullenly back into the Common Room where he was engulfed by his partying housemates that congratulated him for such an exemplary win. Severus was going to love this, Harry thought sarcastically.
As it turned out, Severus didn't, even with his caustic humor. What both of them found amusing however was catching the trio with their ears stuck on the door of the forbidden corridor, trying to listen if Fluffy was still there, alive and well.
"You know," Severus stated during one of their weekly swordfight practices "what I find interesting is that your brother believes that, in a fight between me and that Cerberus, I'd win." Harry, who was caught mid-swing, almost lost his balance from the mental image. What they didn't find amusing was their inability to act further.
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