"Have you figured out how to subdue Hagrid's monster?" Snape interrupted Quirrell, who was muttering incoherently.
"B-but Severus, I--" Quirrell's pale face seemed to grow even whiter.
"You don't want to make an enemy of me, Quirrell," said Snape, his face grim as if he might attack him any moment.
"I--I--don't know--" Harry could see Quirrell slowly backing away from Snape's intimidating presence.
"You know perfectly well what I mean," Snape cut him off again, and then threatened, "Your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."
"B-but I--I c-can't--"
"Very well. We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decide where your loyalties lie." Snape waved his hand dismissively, his face cold, and turned swiftly, covering himself with his cloak as he strode out of the Forbidden Forest.
Just then, the sound of an owl's hoot nearly made Harry fall from the tree. After steadying himself, he looked down to see Quirrell standing alone, as still as a statue.
Harry then mounted his broomstick and flew back to the castle undetected.
After returning the broomstick to the broom shed, Harry hurried up to the Gryffindor common room on the eighth floor, where he found Ron and Hermione still excitedly discussing.
"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione demanded sharply, sounding displeased.
"We won! You won! We all won!" Ron, however, didn't think too much of it and clapped Harry on the shoulder enthusiastically before continuing to shout, "Haha, I punched Malfoy in the eye, and Neville took on Crabbe and Goyle single-handedly! He's still unconscious, but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be alright."
Harry looked bewildered, clearly unaware of the conflict between Ron, Neville, and Malfoy's gang while he was focused on catching the Golden Snitch during the Quidditch match.
"Never mind that, come and celebrate the victory with us! Everyone's waiting for you; we're having a party. Fred and George nicked some cakes from the kitchens!" Ron didn't seem bothered by Harry's confusion and tried to pull him along.
"Not now, let's find an empty room. I've got something to tell you!" Harry regained his senses, his breathing quickening as if remembering something important.
The trio found an empty room, and after making sure Peeves wasn't around to cause trouble, Harry recounted his experience of following Snape.
"So our analysis was correct; whatever Fluffy is guarding is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape wants to get it by threatening Quirrell. You see, he asked Quirrell if he knew how to get past Fluffy, clearly wanting to go through the trapdoor!
And Snape mentioned Quirrell's 'bit of hocus-pocus,' which probably refers to the other enchantments protecting the Stone. Maybe there are many spells and charms, and Quirrell put up some anti-Dark Arts spells. Snape needs to break them to get the Stone!"
"So if Quirrell can't resist Snape, the Stone's not safe?" Hermione sounded panicked, clearly doubting Quirrell's ability to withstand Snape.
"If that's the case, the Stone will be gone soon," Ron nodded in agreement, also skeptical of Quirrell's capabilities.
"Should we tell Professor Eisen?" Hermione suddenly suggested, her eyes sparkling with an unknown enthusiasm.
"But he's just an Astronomy teacher. Can he really stand up to Snape?" Ron scoffed, dismissing Hermione's idea as pointless.
"But don't you think Professor Eisen is really good at magic?" Hermione puffed out her cheeks, seeming to take offense on Eisen's behalf. Of course, who could blame her when the handsome professor often showed off his magical skills.
"Alright, you might be right. Let's tell Professor Eisen!" Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, recalling Eisen's impressive displays of magic, and agreed to Hermione's suggestion.
The next day, the trio sought out Professor Eisen in his office right after an early breakfast in the Great Hall.
"What can I do for you?" Eisen looked puzzled to see the three of them.
"Professor Eisen, do you remember when we were looking for Nicolas Flamel before?" Hermione prompted at Harry and Ron's prompting.
"Yes, you thought Snape was trying to steal something belonging to Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel. Have you found anything?" Eisen considered for a moment before recalling.
To be honest, pretending to be oblivious was quite challenging. He had to separate what he knew from the plot and what the trio revealed to him, being careful not to mix them up.
"Yes, Professor Eisen, we discovered that what Snape wants to steal is the Philosopher's Stone!" Hermione revealed their findings, and Harry and Ron nodded vigorously in agreement.
"The Philosopher's Stone? The one that can turn any metal into gold and produce the Elixir of Life?" Eisen feigned surprise.
"Exactly, if Fluffy is guarding the Philosopher's Stone, it makes sense for Snape to want to steal it!" Ron chimed in, seeming to provide a justification for Snape's motives.
"But didn't you say Fluffy bit Snape during the troll incident? How can he steal it now?" Eisen felt a headache coming on. To be honest, the trio's deductive abilities were formidable, and Eisen even thought they could rival Sherlock Holmes.
"Harry saw Snape sneaking into the Forbidden Forest after the match ended yesterday..." Hermione continued, but upon seeing Eisen's furrowed brow at the mention of the Forbidden Forest, she quickened her pace and recounted what Harry had witnessed.
"So Harry overheard Snape asking Quirrell how to get past Fluffy?" Eisen wanted to scold Harry for venturing into the dangerous Forbidden Forest but was distracted by the plot's development.
"Yes, if Snape learns how to subdue Fluffy, he'll be able to steal the Philosopher's Stone!" Harry blurted out the conclusion impatiently. Clearly, as Snape's most despised student, he didn't want the Potions Master to succeed.
"Let's just hope Quirrell doesn't cave in to Snape," Ron shrugged, muttering under his breath, evidently doubting Quirrell's resistance.
"I see. So what do you want me to do? Confront Snape directly? But you must understand, everything so far is just speculation without direct evidence," Eisen pointed out a crucial issue.
Indeed, all of this was merely the trio's deduction, piecing together circumstantial evidence that seemed to implicate Snape, not direct proof.
Even if Eisen agreed with their assessment, he couldn't act directly. Moreover, he knew Snape wasn't trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone but rather to prevent Quirrell from doing so.
(Chapter Ends)
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