Forbidden Corridor - PG - Chapter 3: Don't Turn Away From Me - »
Author: Sydella Shields

The next day marked the start of classes, even though it was their fifth year at Hogwarts it was still quite hard to find their way around the 142 staircases, especially since they liked to move around. At Hogwarts people from the same house and year always have their required classes together, sometimes mixed with another house of that year.

"We only have 3 minutes to get to Transfigurations! Come on!" Jonathan shouted frantically to his two best friends. They ran down the corridor and somehow made it to their seats on time, which was very good because the Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall, was extremely strict. After that they had the ever-dull History of Magic with the school's only ghost teacher, the one who didn't really notice that he was dead, just kept on teaching.

Then it was time for lunch. Angelica took tiny sips of her ice-cold pumpkin juice as everyone around her devoured the splendid food around them.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Angie? You've got to keep your strength up," Adalita said.

"Yes," Angelica went on in a bit of a whisper. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts next and I'm somewhat worried."

"Ah don't worry! It'll be fine," Jonathan added as he grabbed another apple from the ever-full golden bowl. Angelica sincerely hoped he was right.

Once they got to Professor Quirrell's classroom however, Angelica was not the only one worried. The classroom stank of raw garlic, which was not at all like the room used to smell. But Angelica quickly forgot about the horrid smell when Quirrell gave her a tiny smile.

"T-t-today, we'll b-be s-s-studying we-werewolf bites and how to t-t-treat them." Professor Quirrell finally got out with a slight twitch of the eye.

"Didn't we study this ages ago? And when did he start stuttering?" Alicia asked Angelica quietly.

She nodded, but didn't mind it really, it just felt good to be in his presence again. After they had completed the lesson, class was dismissed. "I'm so glad classes are over for today," Adalita sighed with relief and exhaustion.

But then Quirrell's voice stopped them. "M-m-miss M-morrissey, could you p-please stay a m-moment?" he piped up.

Jonathan and Adalita gave her a happy, yet confused smile and left the room. Angelica took a deep breath and walked over to Quirrell's desk.

"S-sit down A-a-angie," he beckoned with a quivering arm.

She sat down and tried to force a sentence out of her mouth. "So glad to have you back, Professor."

He made his face into something resembling happiness. "Ye-yes, well," he stammered. "I wa-wanted t-to know how m-my favourite s-student was d-doing."

His eyes flickered. Angelica was shocked. "Me? Ah, I'm alright, I suppose..." It was hard to figure out what to say when the thing she was thinking could never be exposed.

Quirrell got a sudden look of paranoia, and kept glancing over his shoulders as a cold breeze fled through the room. After he determined the coast was clear he looked straight into her eyes and said, "I met someone imp-p-portant while I was on l-leave."

Angelica's eyes widened. "Who, Professor?"

Suddenly Quirrell grabbed his head in agony and looked very ill. "LEAVE!" he shouted at her.

"Are you alright? Should I get Madame Pomfrey?" Angelica asked, scared. He shook his head vigorously and began sobbing. Angelica grabbed her belongings and ran out with tears streaming down her face.

"What happened to you?" Oliver, who happened to be walking down the hall asked. Angelica said nothing but dropped her books and threw her arms around him. He comforted her the best he could, that is until Professor Snape mysteriously appeared.

"Well, well, what have we here?" He said, with the look on his face he usually he usually had before taking house points away. He was a very strict teacher, and most often he enjoyed deducting points for every reason imaginable. "Morrissey, what class have you come from?" he asked his eyes glittering with rage.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," she muttered, sniffling.

"Of course," Snape said knowingly. "I must have a little chat with Professor Quirrell..."

And with that he swooped off down the hall, his black robes trailing behind him. Oliver and Angelica gave each other a perplexed look.

"And he didn't even take away points?" Adalita asked in disbelief at dinner that night.

Angelica shook her head. "I know, it's almost as is he was trying to be kind."

"I find this quite strange. He must have an ulterior motive," Jonathan announced.

"What's the big fuss?" asked Percy, coming back to the human world from gazing at the Ravenclaw Prefect Penelope Clearwater. Angelica and Oliver tried to explain the day's events in what became a very jumbled manner.

Then Angelica noticed something. "Look," she said motioning her head to the teacher's table. "Professor Quirrell isn't looking at anything but his food. What do you reckon is going on?"

Everyone else shrugged and went back to eating, but Angelica couldn't help but be worried.

"There was a break in at Gringotts!" Katie Bell announced, putting down the Daily Prophet.

"That's old news!" Percy said, trying to hush things up in a proper way, though it seemed to trouble everyone else.

"Look over there..." Jonathan discreetly motioned towards Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, who were in a heated discussion. "You don't think they know something, do you?"

Adalita made a face. "They're just kids, they only got here yesterday! They're probably upset over their first encounter with Snape!" She smiled and everyone laughed.

Everyone but Angelica.

Chapter 4: In a Sense it's Innocence »

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