Harry Potter and the Girl Who Never Died

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Norwegian Ridgeback

They went back to the school on the Hogwarts express the next week, a day before spring term started. The boys reluctantly left their brooms at the Riddle Manor, with Tom who promised to take good care of them. Hermione rolled her eyes, though she had the exact same reaction when Camellia asked if Hermione would like to leave her books at the manor so that she won't rip it by accident. She took the books with her, if you haven't guessed already.

Gryffindor was up against Hufflepuff for another quidditch tournament, and if they didn't win this one, they would be dead last. After the last attempted murder from Quirrell to Camellia, Severus had decided to referee, which made many questions rise from both the teacher's and student's side. He simply cast the questions aside, saying that

''I just want a nice clean game that is all.'' Not a single person believed him, other than Camellia and her group. 

After the game had ended, with Hufflepuff's seeker losing against Harry, Severus saw from the corner of his eyes, Quirrell leaving for the forbidden forest. 

He rushed after the distinct purple turban, and cornered him to a giant ash tree. 

"... d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus..." Quirrell started. This made him confused. He hadn't talked to Quirrell at all. 

''What on earth are you talking about?''

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Quirrell, his mask broken, letting his true side free. His voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all. Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

''You stupid traitor! What is it that you want!?''

"You don't want me as your enemy, Severus," 

"I don't know what you're-"

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

Quirrell left Severus to think over what just happened in the last few seconds. 

"Very well," Quirrell cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."

Now he understood what the purple turbaned man meant. That was a message from Albus...

Albus was getting suspicious of him. That couldn't be good. 

~oOo~

Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Draco, Neville, Camellia, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside. Quirrell was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which surely meant that the Stone was still safe. 

Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Sorcerer's Stone. She had started drawing up study schedules and colour coding all her notes.  The rest wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away."

"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

"But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it's an A."

"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me..."

Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements. Moaning and yawning, they spent most of their free time in the library with her, trying to get through all their extra work.