Finding The Way {A Harry Potter FanFiction}

Chapter 10: The Man With Two Faces

Phoenix POV {A/N:Eventuly, I will have other POV’s}

“You!” Harry gasped, gripping my hand, I was half cowering behind him, prepared for Snape.

It was Quirrell.

The sad, scared, stuttering Professor who’d been attempting to teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts all year. He’d get so scared half way through the lesson, he’d stop, and take a few deep breaths.

“Me,” The Professor said calmly. “I wondered whether I’d be meeting you here, Potter.” He looked at me. “And I see you brought a friend. Phoenix, isn’t it?” He asked, turning to face us properly.

“You and your brother…Leo, isn’t it? Yes…Yes…He was hard to sway. Has too much muggle blood in him.” He snapped, disgusted.

“But I thought-Snape-” Harry stuttered. I was still thinking about his ‘Hard to sway’ comment.

“Severus?” Quirrell asked. He laughed, and this laugh wasn’t the timid, stuttering giggle. This was a high, sharp laugh that made him sound mad.

"Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"

Harry couldn't take it in. His face was full of utter disbelief. His hand was so tight on mine it hurt. But I didn’t say anything. He looked like he wouldn’t hear me if I asked.

“But Snape tried to kill me!” Harry exclaimed.

“No no no,” he laughed. “I tried to kill you!” he said, suddenly harsh. “Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a counter curse, trying to save you."

“Snape was trying to save Harry?” I asked, confused.

“Yes! You insolent girl!” he snapped at me. Then abruptly stopped, like he was listening. “Had you been in Slytherin, you would have been torn to shreds. But that fool of a hat…” he stopped, and looked back at the mirror.

“Funny, really...” Quirrell continued. “He needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular...and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."

My eyes widened, and I gasped as I saw ropes appear out of thin air and wind around Harry and myself. My wrist screamed in protest, and I whimpered.

“You ok?” Harry whispered to me. I nodded slowly.

“Yeah, you?” I asked back quietly.

“’um fine,” he mumbled. I could tell was lying.

“Liar,” I said under my breath. He sent me a look, as if to say ‘Is this really the time?’

"You're too nosy to live, Potter…and…White. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."

"You let the troll in?" I asked, still not believing this…Timid man did all of this.

"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls -- you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off -- and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly.”