Chapter 139: Quirrell and Harry
Quirrell didn't need to avoid others — the remaining two or three customers in the bar were already making a wide berth around him.
Those who knew him recognized him as a Hogwarts professor, but to those unaware, he might have seemed like an escapee from a mental ward.
Looking at Quirrell, who seemed to be suffering from a severe case of paranoia, Eda held back her impatience and asked again, "Professor, although I haven't taken your Muggle studies class, I'm a student at Hogwarts. What happened? Are you in some kind of danger?"
Quirinus Quirrell seemed to finally regain a sliver of composure. Stammering, he replied, "I-I'm fine. I just… just remembered something f-frightening."
His words were mumbled and unclear, his gaze constantly avoiding others. Even as he spoke, he couldn't stop trembling, his teeth clattering so loudly that Eda worried he might accidentally bite his own tongue.
Eda returned to the bar, poured a large glass of brandy, and placed it on the table in front of Quirrell. As for why she chose brandy and not whiskey or another drink — well, brandy was cheaper.
Quirrell cautiously approached, staring at the glass for a long moment before daring to take a small sip. Realizing nothing happened after his first taste, he tilted the glass back and gulped it down like a parched donkey.
After downing the entire glass of brandy, a faint flush of red spread across his otherwise pale face. The alcohol seemed to give him some courage, though he still nervously glanced around the room as if expecting the other patrons to suddenly transform into vampires or werewolves.
While some people's stutters could be considered endearing, making them appear cute or delicate, Quirrell's stutter was nothing like that. There was no charm in it.
Unlike the graceful, soft-spoken individuals that one might find endearing, Quirrell was simply a cowardly, timid, and unattractive man.
At that moment, Tom, the old barkeeper, walked over and quietly asked Eda, "What's going on? This professor.. He's scaring away our customers."
Eda shrugged helplessly and said, "There's nothing I can do. He looks at me like I'm some terrifying beast. Maybe I'm just too good-looking, and seeing me makes him feel extremely inferior, so he's avoiding me."
Tom, of course, didn't believe Eda's nonsense. He took a couple of steps toward Quirrell, but when Quirrell flinched and instinctively backed away, Tom stopped, maintaining a safe distance.
"Professor Quirrell, would you like me to contact Professor Dumbledore or Minister Fudge?" Tom asked. "You don't look well at all."
"No, absolutely not! I can handle any problem myself! I don't need anyone's help!" Tom's suggestion seemed to touch a nerve. Quirrell's voice rose sharply as he refused, and interestingly, he didn't stutter at all when he said it.
"In that case, let me help you upstairs to rest. You seem exhausted," Tom said, his tone calm and measured.
"A-Alright. I… I suppose I could use some rest," Quirrell finally relented.
Tom slowly raised his hands, making sure not to startle Quirrell, then carefully helped him toward the stairs. As they moved, Tom glanced back at Eda and said, "Eda, it's getting late. You should head home."
Eda was still suspicious about Quirrell's behavior, but she didn't press further.
It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble, especially without Professor McGonagall around to back her up.
She figured it would be best to wait until she returned to Hogwarts before thinking more about it.
However, when Eda arrived for her shift at the Leaky Cauldron the next day, Quirrell was nowhere to be seen. Tom told her that he had left at dawn, looking much better than before — at least not as dreadful as he had the previous night.
A talented adult wizard, and a professor at Hogwarts no less, should be someone outstanding. But Quirrell was anything but.
He was just too strange.
He seemed terrified of everything, as though the entire world was out to kill him. Eda even suspected that Quirrell must have gotten his job at Hogwarts through some backdoor connection with Dumbledore. Otherwise, how else could he become a professor?
What annoyed Eda the most was that Quirrell had remembered to settle his accommodation fees, yet conveniently forgot to pay for the brandy!
Her irritation grew tenfold on July 31st, when she received her paycheck.
She was supposed to get 42 Galleons, but instead, she only received 41 Galleons and a few pathetic silver Sickles. Old Tom had deducted the cost of the brandy from her wages!
Ugh! Fucking Asshole of a Professor!
Rotten, evil capitalism!
Greedy, despicable Tom — a heartless penny-pincher!
That day, the Leaky Cauldron welcomed a particularly important guest, though Eda was too preoccupied to care. Her heart ached for the money she had "lost" for no good reason.
As the bar became busier, Quirrell made another appearance. It had only been ten days since his last visit, but he seemed like a completely different person. The fear that once consumed him was gone, and he could now hold conversations with others without trembling.
If it weren't for Quirrell's slight stutter and lingering timidity, Eda might not have recognized him at all.
But before she could confront him about the brandy, the bar's door swung open once more, and a massive figure appeared in the doorway.
Seeing the familiar silhouette, Eda reached under the bar and pulled out a small barrel.
She asked, "The usual, Hagrid?" This small barrel was specially prepared for Hagrid. For most people, it would be a keg, but for Hagrid, it was just a large mug.
The broad figure belonged to Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. There wasn't another soul in all of Britain with a physique quite like his.
"Ahaha~ not today, Eda," Hagrid replied. "I'm on Hogwarts business."
Hidden behind Hagrid's towering frame was a boy. Only when Hagrid stepped aside did Eda get a clear view of him — a boy with a mess of unruly black hair and striking emerald-green eyes.
"Oh? I told you we'd meet again," Eda said with a warm smile. "Welcome back, Harry Potter!"
Harry gazed at the girl behind the bar. She was the same girl he had seen at the amusement park, still just as beautiful. Her golden hair was swept up at the back of her head, revealing her slender, graceful neck.
"It's been a while…" Harry mumbled.
"You know Harry, Eda?" Hagrid asked, surprised. "You never mentioned that!"
"Just a chance encounter," Eda replied casually. She took out a piece of parchment and a quill, then handed them to Harry. "Harry, could you do me a favor? Sign this for me — just write, 'Happy Birthday, Ginevra Weasley,' and add your name at the end."
"Eh? Oh, sure," Harry agreed, a bit bewildered. Under Eda's guidance, he carefully wrote the birthday message and signed his name.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the bar shifted. The other patrons quickly noticed the boy hunched over the parchment. Whispers grew louder as they recognized just who was standing there — Harry Potter!
Chairs creaked and scraped across the floor as the bar's patrons stood up, eagerly lining up to shake Harry's hand. Everyone was overwhelmed with excitement, and when Harry recognized Dedalus Diggle, the little old man was so thrilled he practically bounced off the floor.
Even the timid Quirrell reached out to grab Harry's hand, stammering his words as he spoke. Through the bits and pieces of Quirrell's anxious chatter, Eda confirmed that he indeed would be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts next term, even after being like this.
It was ironic — for someone so fearful, accepting the job of a DADA professor was unexpectedly brave.
The buzz about Harry Potter didn't die down even after he and Hagrid had left the bar. However, Eda pushed aside her thoughts about Quirrell for the moment. She had something more pressing to do.
Sure enough, the ever-astute Tom appeared at Eda's side, holding a bottle of butterbeer in his hand. Eda rapped her knuckles on the bar, capturing the attention of the patrons. She called out loudly, "A toast to Harry Potter's return! To Harry Potter!"
"To Harry Potter!" the crowd echoed enthusiastically.
The bar filled with the sound of clinking mugs and cheerful laughter. Harry's name certainly had its perks, and Eda couldn't deny she had taken advantage of it — twice now.
With the toast complete, Eda's gaze swept over the bar, searching for Quirrell. But he was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't sure when the professor had slipped away, and for now, her hopes of getting that brandy money back would have to wait.
Still, she couldn't shake her curiosity about Quirrell. The stark contrast between the two times she'd seen him, along with his strange and extreme behavior, left her intrigued.
What exactly had happened to Hogwarts' newly appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?
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