After two consecutive Quidditch wins, the Gryffindor common room was in complete chaos.
The fire in the stove was burning brightly, and its warm light filled the room.
A group of lion cubs, holding Butterbeer, laughed and sang around the Quidditch Cup, their cheers echoing throughout the room.
In the quiet corner, Draco and Hermione leaned against each other, not joining in the noise, just quietly cuddling together.
He brushed the stray hairs that had fallen across Hermione's forehead.
She looked down and listened to Draco speak in hushed tones.
The lively atmosphere of the room was kept outside by the two of them, creating their own little, gentle world.
Just as it was quiet, the door to the lounge was gently pushed open, and Harry walked in from outside.
His expression was calmer than others, not like someone who had just finished celebrating, but rather as if he were carrying a heavy burden on his mind.
Ron spotted him immediately and waved, shouting, " Harry! Where did you go? Everyone's waiting for you to toast!"
Harry didn't answer, but his gaze passed through the noisy crowd and landed directly on Draco and Hermione in the corner.
He didn't stop, walking straight over. " Draco, Hermione, come with me for a moment, I have something important to tell you."
As soon as he showed this expression, the team members who were making a ruckus around him immediately quieted down and looked over curiously.
You just won the championship, so why do you look so preoccupied?
Someone wanted to ask a question, but seeing Harry's serious expression, they swallowed their words and silently watched the three of them walk out of the Great Hall.
Seeing Harry's determination, Ron wasn't about to be left behind. He shoved the biscuit in his hand and hurriedly followed after him.
He muttered to himself, "Wait for me! How could I be left out if something happened!"
Harry led them through several quiet corridors and pushed open the door to an empty, unused classroom.
As soon as Ron stepped inside, he turned around and closed the door tightly.
He listened carefully to the sounds outside, and only after confirming that no one was around did he turn around, his face even more somber than before.
"I overheard something I shouldn't have heard in the Forbidden Forest behind the stands," Harry said.
"I heard Snape talking to Professor Quirrell... Snape's tone was very harsh, like he was interrogating him, forcing him."
Ron's heart leaped into his throat, and Harry took a deep breath and uttered the most crucial words:
Snape asked him, "Do you even know how to subdue Hagrid's Fluffy?" He added, "... he knows Quirrell has some secret trick up his sleeve, and if he doesn't tell me, I'll expose him."
These words struck Ron like a thunderbolt; his eyes lit up, and he nearly jumped for joy.
"See that! I told you! I said it a long time ago! Snape is definitely suspicious! My guess was right! I wasn't just guessing!"
He paced back and forth excitedly, gesturing wildly.
After having my suspicions confirmed for so long, I felt like I was floating on clouds, finally able to hold my head high.
Hermione didn't get excited; she was observant and seized on the most crucial point of doubt, asking:
"Don't be so happy yet, there's something that doesn't make sense."
" Professor Quirrell is such a coward, always trembling with fear, how could he possibly know how to subdue Fluffy?"
"That's a guardian Hagrid set up; we only found out by getting him to Hagrid while he was drunk."
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, instantly falling silent. They opened their mouths, but couldn't utter a single word.
Ron scratched his head, forcing a wild guess. "Could it be... that Hagrid accidentally let it slip and Hagrid overheard it?"
Hermione immediately added, "Alright, then so be it."
"If Snape was really in cahoots with Professor Quirrell, why did he turn around and interrogate Quirrell? Wouldn't it have been simpler for him to join forces?"
Ron was taken aback by the question, and mumbled in a low voice, "Maybe... they broke up?"
But even he himself felt uneasy saying this, and his voice grew softer and softer until he finally shut up.
The classroom fell silent, filled only with puzzled questions.
Harry looked at the three people in front of him and asked, "Then... who is the one who really has a problem?"
Hermione listened to Harry's confusion and bewilderment, but she didn't respond immediately. Instead, she glanced at Draco discreetly.
That glance was so quick, almost imperceptible.
Draco met her gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips.
She didn't speak or nod, but that slight smile was enough to calm Hermione down.
She understood, withdrew her gaze, and calmly began to analyze the situation with the two of them:
"Let's set aside the complicated details for now and make some assumptions."
"If Professor Quirrell really has a problem, then Snape's actions just now seemed like he was stopping him."
"But if Snape is the problem, then his logic in interrogating Quirrell just doesn't make sense."
These words were like a ray of light, instantly illuminating the fog before my eyes.
Upon hearing this, Harry almost blurted out, "Then that means... the only problematic candidate is Professor Quirrell!"
He felt a wave of fear mixed with relief, and couldn't help but whisper, "Luckily, I came to talk to you two right away."
" Ron and I have always oversimplified things. If we had just relied on our own guesswork, we might have gone astray by now."
Ron stood there, stunned, his mind racing, and it took him a long time to process the unexpected truth.
He murmured in disbelief, "No way... Snape was... watching Quirrell?"
He used to think of Snape as the worst person, but now that the truth has been revealed, he's still a little confused.
But then, after a moment's thought, Ron slapped his forehead and suddenly realized:
"No wonder! No wonder Professor Quirrell always stutters during lectures, is so timid in the face of trouble, and performs terribly... It turns out he's not useless; he's just putting on an act to lower everyone's guard!"
Seeing that the two had finally steered their thoughts back on track, Draco leaned gently against the wall and calmly asked the most crucial question at hand:
So what are you planning to do now?
The atmosphere in the empty classroom instantly became heavier after Draco's question.
Harry clenched his fists, his brow furrowed.
"I think... we should tell Professor Dumbledore about this first. If Professor Quirrell is really colluding with outsiders, then the Philosopher's Stone is in great danger."
Ron chimed in, "Right! Reporting directly to the professor is the safest course of action! It saves us from making wild guesses and almost wrongly accusing Snape."
Hermione shook her head slightly and said calmly:
"No, we have no evidence. The professor might not believe us based on just a conversation. If we alert him, it might give the people hiding in the shadows a chance to make their move."
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Draco again.
Draco began his charade. "Telling Dumbledore isn't wrong, but it's not exactly smart either."
" Old Dumbledore knows better than you what's happening in the castle. He's not moving; he's waiting for the perfect moment."
Harry paused, then asked, "You mean... Professor Quirrell already knew Quirrell had something going on?"
"Otherwise, why do you think Hagrid would take the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts and then lay down layers of protection at Hogwarts?" Draco retorted.
" Snape is watching, Dumbledore is watching, it's just the few of us wandering around inside."
Ron's mouth dropped open. "Then... then we're not going to do anything?"
"Of course not," Draco denied.
"What we need to do is guard the most crucial spot. We'll appear only when someone actually tries to break through the Trapdoor and touch the Philosopher's Stone."
Hermione chimed in, "You mean, we have to stop him ourselves?"
"That's right." Draco looked at her, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes. "We can't just wait for that stone to fall into the wrong hands."
After listening to Draco's advice, Harry's previously panicked heart suddenly calmed down.
"Okay, let's do it this way." Harry nodded firmly. "We'll keep a close watch on the fourth-floor corridor, and meet up immediately if there's any movement."
Ron also straightened his back, though he was still a little scared inside, he wasn't intimidated at all:
"Count me in! This time I won't just guess; I'm going to do something legitimate!"