Chapter 38: Quirrell

Amidst the deafening noise of the Quidditch pitch, Orli ran toward the professors' stand, just in time to hear the crowd's collective gasp.

It was Harry!

He was clinging desperately to his broomstick, which appeared to have gone completely out of control. The broomstick was jerking and twisting wildly, carrying Harry higher and higher, even away from the pitch.

Faster, faster! Orli pushed her way through the crowd, finally spotting Quirrell's large purple turban. Fixing her eyes on Quirrell's back, she hurled the magical hand warmer in her hands with all her strength.

The jam jar shattered against Quirrell's robes, scattering the blue flames in all directions. His robes caught fire, and Quirrell let out a howl, jumping up in panic.

Orli quickly looked up to the sky. Thank goodness, Harry's broomstick had stabilized. He was now precariously climbing back onto it at a height that made Orli feel dizzy just watching. She knew she could never pull off such a daring maneuver.

By the time she finally returned to the Gryffindor stand, Hagrid had already taken the empty seat next to Hermione. They seemed to be saying something to Orli, but the roar of the crowd drowned out their words.

Everyone was looking toward the pitch, so Orli turned her head as well. She saw Harry landing on all fours on the ground, coughing as if he were about to vomit. A glint of gold fell from his mouth into his palm.

# Harry: "I caught the Snitch!"

Harry shouted, holding the golden ball high above his head.

The match ended in chaos, with people chattering noisily as they made their way back to the castle, discussing everything that had happened. But by then, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Orli had already been led to Hagrid's hut.

# Ron: "Everyone saw it—Harry's broomstick went haywire!"

Ron exclaimed to the group.

# Ron: "Orli, where did you go? You missed it! It was so close—Harry nearly fell to his death."

# Hermione: "I used binoculars to look, but I couldn't spot anyone causing trouble. All I saw was Quirrell shouting and flailing in the professors' stand. Something strange was definitely going on over there."

Hermione added.

# Orli: "Actually, I think this has something to do with Quirrell."

Orli explained.

# Orli: "I noticed him muttering while staring at Harry, so I threw the magical hand warmer at him and set his robes on fire. After that, Harry's broomstick went back to normal."

# Harry: "Are you sure? Why would it be Professor Quirrell?"

Harry looked puzzled.

# Harry: "He seems so timid. And why would he want to kill me?"

# Ron: "Do you think this could have something to do with Snape?"

Ron speculated.

# Ron: "Maybe Quirrell's commotion just happened to interrupt Snape's curse?"

# Hermione: "Don't forget, this isn't the first time Harry's broomstick has acted up. During flying class, the broom Harry used carried Orli into the air."

Hermione said thoughtfully.

# Hermione: "And Snape was near the Forbidden Forest at the time."

# Harry: "I agree. Snape seems more suspicious. His leg is injured, and we've already suspected him of trying to get past that three-headed dog to steal something."

Harry nodded in agreement.

Oh, for Merlin's sake. No matter how the conversation went, they always ended up suspecting Snape. Orli felt so frustrated she could bang her head against a wall. She realized that with Snape constantly drawing suspicion and animosity, it was nearly impossible to shift their focus to Quirrell, no matter how hard she tried.

# Hagrid: "How do you know about Fluffy?"

Hagrid slammed the teapot down heavily.

# Hermione: "Fluffy?"

Hermione immediately latched onto the key detail.

# Hagrid: "Yeah, Fluffy. I bought him off a Greek bloke last year in a pub. Dumbledore's just borrowing him to guard—"

# Harry: "Guard what?"

Harry asked eagerly.

# Hagrid: "Enough questions! That's top secret, understand?"

Hagrid said gruffly.

Orli stared at Hagrid in disbelief. What was Dumbledore thinking, entrusting Hagrid with a secret? His loose lips were practically a sieve! It was almost as if he was intentionally dropping hints to pique the kids' curiosity.

Unless… A thought occurred to her. Perhaps the whole Philosopher's Stone affair was meant to be a test of Harry's abilities?

Before long, Hagrid shooed them out of his hut. His big mouth had let slip another key detail: *Nicolas Flamel*. Now, the half-giant had locked himself inside, sulking.