A hurt Malfoy, a tongue-tied Potter

"A private chat?" Flitwick put down his notes, glanced at Harry, then nodded. "Of course, Mr. Potter."

Malfoy held her textbooks in her arms. She had already taken half a step toward the door, but turned back at those words.

Harry looked at her, softening his tone a little. "Draco, could you wait outside for a moment?"

The girl's gaze moved from his face to the professor, then back again.

Hadn't things been going perfectly well when we were practicing magic together just now?

Why did something suddenly come up that required sending me away?

"Hmph, it's not as though I have to listen!" She raised her chin and walked out, clutching her textbooks.

The door closed softly.

Flitwick set his wand beside the desk and motioned for Harry to sit.

"All right, now you can tell me what this is about."

Harry did not sit down immediately.

He looked at the professor who had just spent so long patiently teaching him, running through his prepared words once more in his mind.

"It's about Halloween night, Professor."

Flitwick's expression grew more serious. "The troll?"

"Yes. Professor Quirrell said the troll was in the dungeons."

"But where we finally encountered it was outside the exhibition hall, on the same floor as the Great Hall."

The professor paused briefly and pulled over a blank sheet of parchment. "You think there's an issue with those two locations?"

"Trolls move around, so I know that doesn't prove anything," Harry replied. "And I didn't see how it entered the castle."

"But everything was in chaos that night. The professors had to find the troll, and the prefects had to take everyone back to their dormitories."

"If someone wanted to go somewhere people normally couldn't freely approach..."

Flitwick's quill hand slowly stilled. "You're worried someone deliberately created that chaos?"

"Yes, Professor." Harry paused briefly, but still spoke that name. "And I think there are some things about Professor Quirrell's actions that warrant checking."

Silence settled over the office for a moment.

Rather than answering immediately, Flitwick carefully studied the first-year student before him.

"Mr. Potter, suspecting a professor is a very serious matter."

"What else did you see?"

"Nothing more." Harry shook his head.

Those memories from the original story could not simply become evidence he could lay before the professor.

But...

This was enough.

Harry had never expected the professors to decide something was wrong with Quirrell based on a few words from him alone.

All he wanted was to make them a little more vigilant.

After all, this was Hogwarts.

As long as Professor Flitwick began watching for anything unusual about Quirrell, the other professors might naturally notice something too.

As for investigating...

Of course that should be left to these experienced adult wizards!

Why should a little first-year wizard who had only just started school go picking a fight with Voldemort?

He could have the professors keep watch while he peacefully ground his proficiency.

After all, why do something himself when calling in backup could solve it?

"I just think these things should be investigated properly. If it happens again, not everyone may be able to hold on until a professor arrives."

Flitwick looked at him, his expression gradually softening.

"I understand your concerns." The professor lowered his head and noted down several locations. "The change in location and the fainting may each have their own explanation."

"But why the troll entered the castle, and whether there were any gaps in the defenses that night, certainly require further verification."

Watching the quill touch the paper, Harry felt a little more at ease.

"As for Professor Quirrell, I'll pass your questions on to the headmaster as well."

"I'll check that night's movements with the other professors, and inspect the castle's defenses." Flitwick looked up. "Now, tell me carefully: which corridor did you and Mr. Weasley take?"

Over the next few minutes, Harry recounted everything he remembered.

Flitwick questioned him in great detail, especially about the things he had witnessed himself.

When the final line was written, the professor folded the parchment and placed it on top of his notes.

"I'll speak to Professor McGonagall today, then we'll explain the situation to Headmaster Dumbledore together."

"If anything new comes up, you can come to me."

"Thank you, Professor."

This time, there was not the slightest hint of a joke in Harry's voice.

When Harry left the office, Malfoy was standing beside the window.

The window frames cast slanting shadows across the stone floor. Holding her books, the girl stood at the boundary between light and shade.

At the sound of the door, she immediately looked up, then quickly returned her gaze to her textbook.

"Finished?"

"Yes. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"I wasn't waiting for you." The girl closed her book, her gaze finally settling on his face again. "Potter, what exactly are you hiding from me?"

Harry's steps faltered slightly before he gave her his familiar smile.

"What, does Miss Malfoy even have to police what I ask my professors?"

"Who wants to police you?"

Normally, by this point, the young miss would probably have started glaring at him or raising her chin to argue.

This time, however, the girl simply looked at him.

"You only promised yesterday that you'd call me if you ran into trouble." Malfoy looked into his eyes. "Potter, do you think I can't help at all?"

Harry's smile froze for an instant.

The next joke he had prepared suddenly would not come out.

Harry remembered the troll's descending club, and the moment the girl had nearly been trapped at the doorway.

What lay behind Quirrell was far more dangerous than that troll.

And...

Harry could not help glancing at the girl before him.

Long platinum-blonde hair, beautiful gray-green eyes, and a face drawn slightly taut with displeasure.

Although he was somewhat reluctant to admit it.

He really did...

Not want her caught up in those dangerous things...

At least, not before he was strong enough himself.

"So you're still not going to tell me?"

Malfoy suddenly spoke.

Harry opened his mouth.

"Draco, I just..."

"Enough!"

The girl cut him off sharply.

We'd already been through so much together.

Dueled together, gone on adventures together, even agreed to practice magic together from now on.

I'd thought...

At least we counted as friends now.

Yet that idiot Potter wouldn't even tell me a single honest word!

Hmph!

Fine, don't tell me!

As if I'm desperate to know!

Malfoy drew a deep breath and raised her chin again, a cold smile appearing on her face, plainly edged with pique.

"Then do take your time thinking, sir!"

Harry froze slightly.

Sir?

Before he could react, the girl had already hugged her textbooks back against her chest,

"After all, you're the famous Chosen One, the brilliant Mr. Harry Potter!"

"A great personage like yourself must have plenty of secrets you can't let other people know, mustn't you?"

Toward the end, the girl's voice unconsciously grew quieter, but she quickly schooled her face again.

"Hmph! Who cares about your stupid business!"

With that, Malfoy spun around and strode toward the stairs without looking back.

Her long platinum-blonde hair swayed gently with her steps.

Yet those noticeably quicker footsteps silently announced the young miss's current mood...

Very bad indeed!

Harry stood where he was, watching the girl's retreating figure, unable to find anything to say for a moment.

This time... I seem to have really upset her.

And this wasn't like her usual furious bristling.

This time, I keep feeling... Draco seems a little hurt?

Harry helplessly rubbed his forehead.

I just didn't want her to get into danger.

How did things end up like this instead?

Harry followed her and opened his mouth, but in the end, he still said nothing.

They walked all the way to the corner, the atmosphere still a little delicate.

Then two Gryffindor students coming toward them abruptly stopped talking.

They looked at Harry first, then at Malfoy.

The corners of one student's mouth slowly rose. "Nicely done, Potter!"

Harry blinked. Before he could work out what was happening, the other student had already given him a thumbs-up and exchanged an odd look with his companion.

"Er... thanks?" Harry answered hesitantly.

The two grinned even more broadly.

Malfoy had still been thinking about what had happened earlier, but at this, she could not help turning her head.

"What has the famous Mr. Potter done now?"

"What could I have done today besides come here?"

The girl glanced at him. "I wasn't there afterward."

Harry: "..."

Great. Clearly, this still wasn't over.

But once they went down the stairs, things grew increasingly strange.

Not far away, several Slytherin students stood beside the corridor. At the sight of Malfoy, they immediately straightened a little.

"Miss Malfoy!"

The girl instinctively raised her chin. Just as she was about to respond, one of them added admiringly, "Just what we'd expect of you!"

Malfoy paused briefly, then suddenly felt a little better.

Had word already spread about my receiving guidance from the professor today?

Or had they heard about how I went back to rescue someone on the night of the troll?

Whichever it was, these people finally had some discernment.

"Mm." The girl gave a reserved, composed nod.

Harry looked at her, then at the students. He was just about to keep walking when he noticed their gazes shift to him in perfect unison.

They looked at him, then at Malfoy, their smiles immediately growing more pronounced.

Harry stopped short.

No, this was exactly like those two earlier.

"Is there something wrong with my hair?" he asked quietly.

Malfoy turned her head for a look. "As messy as ever."

"I just want to know what they're looking at."

At those words, Malfoy finally stopped too.

She glanced again at the students nearby. They had been huddled together saying something, but immediately shut their mouths when the two looked over at the same time.

Their mouths were closed, but they had not managed to wipe the smiles off their faces.

The girl's brows slowly drew together.

Was it that funny to see me standing with Potter?!

Harry already had a rather bad feeling.

Ever since becoming Seeker, he had attracted plenty of looks in the corridors, but there was clearly something else in those gazes today.

In particular, whenever he moved a little to the side, those students looked at Malfoy.

When Malfoy walked ahead, they hurriedly looked back at him.

Harry looked at the girl, who happened to turn her head just then.

They looked at each other for a moment. This time, neither cracked a joke first.

Harry did not want to draw another crowd of onlookers around himself in the corridor.

Just ahead was the staircase landing. Upward led toward Gryffindor Tower, while the other side led down to the underground corridor.

"I'll head back to Gryffindor and take a look first," Harry said.

Malfoy nodded at once. "This young lady has something to attend to as well."

For once, the two agreed.

Harry turned and went upstairs. Over the past two days, Ron had been telling the troll story to anyone he could corner.

Originally, he had thought there was nothing wrong with his friend wanting to tell it.

Now, he suddenly very much wanted to know just what the fellow had been saying.

Meanwhile, Malfoy's eyes gradually narrowed as well.

Goyle and Crabbe had stayed in the Great Hall at noon today. Those two girls ought to know very well why those Slytherin students had looked like that.

The girl hugged her textbooks tightly, her footsteps growing faster and faster.

"Goyle, Crabbe..."

"You two had better not have been up to anything behind this young lady's back!"