Good Quirrell

Tver was well aware that the students had mixed feelings about him—they complained verbally but were always eager to participate when it came to the light ball game. Moreover, he had more pressing concerns now.

From that night's encounter, it was clear that either Snape or Dumbledore—one of them definitely possessed special skills that allowed them to sense the anomaly on the third floor. If the Philosopher's Stone were to be stolen, Dumbledore would likely be all over the outside.

Fortunately, he still had his good friend Quirrell.

...

As night fell, the castle returned to a calm atmosphere.

"Nothing is true."

Tver carefully stored the Magic Map.

Following the time agreed with Quirrell, he made his way to the Forbidden Forest under the cover of darkness.

This was his "second visit" here, and perhaps due to the magic left by Helga, he felt an inexplicable affinity with the forest. He could distinctly feel where Quirrell was. Following the trail, he found Quirrell chasing a unicorn.

The poor creature was frantically trying to escape, blood streaming from its wounds, but Quirrell seemed to be toying with it, using various spells to block its escape routes.

Once all routes were blocked, the unicorn realized it had nowhere to run and could only face Quirrell directly.

Tears of sorrow ran from the corners of its eyes as the unicorn stared defiantly at the wizard intent on harming it.

"Poor little creature, remember to stay far away from me in your next life," Quirrell's wand twirled in his hand, "Avada Kedavra!"

A flash of green light passed, and the unicorn resignedly closed its eyes, expecting to feel pain. However, seconds later, it felt no discomfort.

Opening its eyes, it saw a golden shield fading in front of it.

"Don't be so hasty; didn't we agree to act tonight?" Tver emerged from the shadows, smiling at Quirrell, "I've heard that killing brings misfortune to one's subsequent actions."

The unicorn was momentarily confused by the scene before it but realized it had survived and quickly fled into the dark depths of the Forbidden Forest.

"So, before we even start, you're thinking of weakening my strength?" Quirrell's pale face twisted slightly, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes, his wand never lowering.

Tver paid no heed. As if oblivious to Quirrell's expression, he casually extended his hand to set up a "Silencing" charm around them, as though they were truly close partners.

After all was set, Tver approached Quirrell with a smile.

"Seems your master is quite harsh, forcing you to drink unicorn blood to sustain your life," he said, hands in front of him to show he meant no harm. "Don't worry, why don't we discuss tonight's plan?"

Quirrell's eyes twitched, and after a long stare, he replied grimly, "Ten minutes ago, Dumbledore received a letter from the Ministry of Magic and has left Hogwarts."

"Good, what about the other professors in the castle?"

"Aren't you responsible for that?!"

"Sorry, spending too long as a professor, I've developed a bit of a habit of asking questions," Tver smirked. "I'll stay here personally, pretending to target Harry Potter during his detention tonight. It'll create enough commotion to draw everyone's attention to the Forbidden Forest."

Quirrell nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent, after obtaining the Philosopher's Stone, we'll use the secret passageway to Hogsmeade and leave this place far behind!"

"Yes, leave far behind."

The two exchanged insincere smiles.

Unbeknownst to them, behind a nearby large tree, Harry and Ron's faces were ashen, too terrified to even breathe.

Trembling, they tried to speak several times but couldn't until Tver and Quirrell had left the area. Only then did they dare to exhale.

"Attack... us," Ron said, his teeth chattering in fear, making a clacking sound, "Professor Fawley wouldn't really do that, would he?"

"Didn't you hear? It's all a pretense. The professor is pretending to target us to draw the other professors away so Snape can steal the Philosopher's Stone!"

Harry was scared too but didn't show it, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Should we go and warn the other professors now?" Ron asked anxiously.

The idea lingered in Harry's mind for a second before he dismissed it.

"That won't work. Professor Fawley is watching. If we go straight to the professors, and if we run into him, our word as students won't carry as much weight as his! Not only would we fail to alert the professors, but we might also expose ourselves! Think, what should we do? If only Hermione were here, she's so smart, she'd definitely have a good idea!"

He paced in place, tapping his head as if to knock the right idea loose.

At that moment, Ron calmed down, slapped Harry lightly, and said, "Then why don't we just go find Hermione?"

The two exchanged glances.

"..."

After a brief awkward moment, they ran back the way they had come without another word. Not long after they left the Forbidden Forest, a loud "bang" echoed behind them, like thunder, startling them even though there was no visible flash of light.

"This must be the professor starting his diversion; we have to hurry!" Harry's resolve only strengthened with the urgency of the moment.

Inspired by his determination, Ron nodded firmly.

Oddly, they encountered no one else on their way back—not a curious student, nor a professor in sight.

They didn't have time to ponder this anomaly. As they hurried back to the common room, another thunderous explosion erupted from the Forbidden Forest, shaking the castle itself.

With each boom, Harry saw flocks of birds scattering from their nests in panic through the window, mirroring the tumult inside him.

In the common room, the few students present rose from their seats, looking out the windows curiously.

Some students even wanted to head out to the Forbidden Forest to see what was happening for themselves.

Percy immediately stood at the door, sternly preventing those eager to venture out, especially his mischievous twin brothers.

"It's curfew; you can't go out!"

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, realizing the professor's plan was in motion. They didn't dare waste any more time and quickly located Hermione, who was watching them anxiously from not far away.

"Did something happen?" Hermione, ever the perceptive one, could tell something was amiss from their serious expressions.

"Our detention was in the Forbidden Forest, searching for an injured unicorn!"

Harry quickly and quietly relayed their recent ordeal to Hermione.

Hearing that Professor Fawley and Snape were planning to steal the Philosopher's Stone tonight made Hermione tremble slightly.

"But... but the Stone is guarded by the three-headed dog, isn't it?"

"Although I really despise Snape," Harry said reluctantly, "you have to admit, he probably has a thousand ways to make that fierce beast as tame as a puppy."

"So what do we do now?" Ron asked anxiously, his fists clenched tightly.

"Professor Dumbledore isn't at school; we should tell the other professors. With them here, they surely won't let Snape steal the Stone," Hermione suggested hesitantly.

Ron immediately shook his head in objection.

"I bet all the professors are in the Forbidden Forest right now. By the time we find them, Snape will have turned everything into gold!"

Harry suddenly felt an unparalleled calmness, his gaze firm as he looked at his two friends.

"So, we have to stop Snape ourselves!"