"Sorry, Aunt Petunia."

Chapter 15: Uh-Oh!

"I see," Professor Quirrell said once the door snapped shut behind the group. "I oughtn't have worried about you attempting to enter the Restricted Section of the library, Miss Granger. You all had the much more ambitious goal of breaking into the Forbidden Corridor instead."

You couldn't not wince at that tone.

Fidgeting slightly, they all remained quiet.

"Not even going to try and make an excuse?" Professor Quirrell raised an eyebrow.

"We got lost?" Ron proposed weakly.

"Then I shall personally escort you to the Great Hall. And I trust that after dinner you will be able to find my classroom with no trouble?"

What else could they possibly do but nod and follow him downstairs?

Professor Quirrell then paid them no mind when they reached the Great Hall, moving swiftly towards the Teachers' Table. Moments later, both Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape turned to glare at the group.

The Gryffindors' Table, sitting right there up front, did not seem particularly inviting at the moment. Instead, Harry followed Draco to the Slytherins' Table. The rest of their group was quick to join them, squeezing themselves in at the end furthest away from the teachers.

If any of the Slytherins wanted to protest, one look at their guilty faces and another at the furious professors had left them generous enough not to mention anything.

Only Ron seemed to have any resemblance of an appetite left, the rest barely poking at their plates.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape left the Hall early, heading somewhere in a rush. Harry had an uncomfortable suspicion that they maaaaay have been going to check on the traps.

It was all too soon before their dinner was over. Professor Quirrell, who had spent the last ten minutes leaning on the wall behind their backs, snapped his book shut.

"If you'll follow me," he said, moving towards the exit.

At least they probably wouldn't get expelled?

Somehow, the way to Professor Quirrell's office seemed to take forever and no time at all simultaneously.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape weren't there yet. Harry was rather torn on whether or not that was a good thing.

The five of them settled into one of the middle rows (as far as they could get without making the teachers want to stalk closer) and waited silently.

Meanwhile, Professor Quirrell sat on his desk - Hermione seemed rather scandalized by that - grading papers. For some reason, all of them were brightly colored, from neon pinks to the most radioactive greens.

Harry suspected that that might be why the classroom felt somewhat... off. He could feel that it was different, but he just couldn't put his finger on why exactly it was...

"Is it just me or is the garlic smell missing?" Ron pouted. "Aww, man."

Everyone - including Professor Quirrell - looked at him.

"What?" he said, squirming under the attention. "I liked it. Always made me think of my mum's roast beef."

"We just had dinner," Hermione said.

It was a fair point, but then again, when had Ron ever not been thinking about food?

Ron just shrugged.

"I'm afraid the smell will not be making a return," Professor Quirrell said, turning back to his papers.

"Are you not afraid of vampires anymore, sir?" Draco asked, sounding genuinely curious.