Chapter Three of A Loyal Friend. Enjoy!
Scott stopped as he walked past an unused
classroom. He thought he heard someone pleading for something in the room as he
listened in.
"No...please...don't make me," came Quirrell's
stuttering voice.
Before Scott could comprehend what Quirrell could possibly be
doing, Scott quickly had to step away from the door as he heard Quirrell's
footsteps approaching it and didn't want to be discovered listening in on what
had been happening in that room. The door opened and Quirrell exited it,
straightening his turban and heading in the direction of his classroom. Behind
Quirrell, Scott heard three sets of footsteps moving away from the door on the
opposite side of the unused room and what he thought was Hermione's voice.
"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.
"Snape could have been threatning him. Let's wait up for
him," replied what sounded like Ron's voice.
Scott then set off for his next lesson and decided to take Dumbledore's
advice after Defense Against the Dark Arts that day and question Quirrell about
any unusual doings he had seen.
Later that day, as the rest of his class packed up, Scott
deliberately took his time packing his things away so he could try to stop Quirrell
and attempt to question him before he could get away. The bell rang and the
rest of the students scrambled to get out of the room. Quirrell sat at his
desk, sorting through homework assignments with very shaky hands. Scott noted
Quirrell's shaking hands and approached his desk.
"Professor Quirrell?" he asked soothingly. "Is
there something the matter?"
"Mr. P-p-peck," Quirrell stuttered. "I'm n-n-n-not
sure w-w-w-what you m-m-m-m-mean."
"It's just that earlier today I was walking past one of the
unused clasrooms and I thought I heard you begging somebody not to have you do
something and I was wondering if you needed help with anything."
"Oh," Quirrell replied, his eyes glancing around
nervously. "T-t-that was j-just me asking y-y-young Fred W-w-weasley not
to s-scare me in the way that he d-d-did. Nothing to w-w-worry about."
"I see. Are you sure you don't need help with anything
though?" Scott asked, trying his best to press the issue to get Quirrell
to talk.
Quirrell hesitated for a moment. "C-come to think of
i-i-i-it, could you p-p-p-provide me with a mus-musical instrument-t? I require
one f-f-for an obstacle c-course I w-w-w-wish my third y-years to do while they
t-t-take their ex-ex-exams."
Scott considered this for a moment before responding. "I'm
sorry, Professor I don't have any musical instrument for you. I'll go now,
sorry to bother you."
"N-n-not at all. Have a g-g-g-good d-day."
Getting up from the seat in front of Quirrell's desk, Scott exited
the classroom and proceeded down into the dugeons to tell Snape what he had
just heard. Since classes had just ended for the day, Scott guessed that Snape
would still be down in his classroom, cleaning up after the lesson was over
before heading to dinner. When he reached the potions classroom, he knocked on
the door.
"Enter," came Snape's drawling voice. Scott opened the
door and entered the classroom. Snape was sitting down at his desk, looking
over potion samples when he looked up and saw Scott entering the room.
"Ah, Mr. Peck, sit down." Scott sat down and Snape turned his attention
to him. "What can I do for you?"
"It's about Quirrell," Scott replied. Snape nodded,
inviting him to continue. "Earlier today, I was walking past one of the
unused classrooms and inside it, I heard Quirrell begging something or someone
to not make him do something. Taking Professor Dumbledore's advice, I
questioned him about it after class was over a few minutes ago and he gave me a
very strange answer. He told me that Fred Weasley had played a prank on him and
was asking him not to play that particular joke on him again. Naturally I
didn't believe him and so I tried to see if he needed help with anything."
"Did he tell you anything?"
"Yes, he asked if I had a musical instrument he could borrow.
He said he needed it for his third year examination or something which I also
didn't believe."
"I see," Snape said, considering what Scott had just
told him. "Thank you for telling me this, Mr. Peck. Professor Dumbledore
should be informed at once. It seems that Quirrell has somehow managed to find
out everything he needs to know about getting at the stone and need the musical
instrument to stop the first obstacle. Now, do not tell anyone what you have
seen. Rest assured that I will tell Professor Dumbledore at once what you have
told me. Still, I want you to continue keeping an eye on Quirrell and while you
are at it, Potter, Weasley and Granger. I believe that suspect something about
the Stone."
"Oh, Professor, I almost forgot. I heard them when Quirrell
had left that classroom. They said they think that you are somehow involved
with stealing the Stone, I think and they were going to wait for
Quirrell."
"Very well, then they have deduced that someone is trying to steal the
Stone, they just don't know who. Very well, keep an eye on Quirrell and the
three of them and report to me at once anything that you find."
"Yes, sir."
A week later, Scott and the rest of the first years had finished
their end-of-the-year examinations and would spend the rest of the year waiting
for their exam results before the year would end. As he walked down the seventh
floor corridor taking a walk, he overheard three voices discussing plans.
Recognizing the voices as Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's, he stopped before he
turned the corridor and listened in on their conversation.
"That's it, it's happening tonight," said Harry.
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, sounding skeptical.
"Yes, it's going to happen tonight. He's found out everything
he needs to know from all the teachers and he will try it tonight now that
Dumbledore is gone. Let's go, if Snape is going after it tonight, we'd better
get ready, it's nearly sundown."
His instincts kicking in, Scott turned around and ran to the
dugeons. He quickly rapped on the potions room door and entered before Snape
had said "Enter." Scott ran into the room and stopped short of
Snape's desk, who looked up in suprise.
"Mr. Peck! What is it?"
"It's happening tonight," he gasped, nearly out of
breath from running down seven floors.
"Dumbledore's gone and they know
that Quirrell, but they think it's you, knows everything now and they plan on
going after you, I mean Quirrell as soon as night falls."
Snape suddenly stood up quickly. "Thank you for telling me
this, Mr. Peck. I shall inform Professor Dumbledore to return to the school at
once. Please return to your dormitory and I shall summon you back when we have
figured everything out."
Scott nodded and headed back to Ravenclaw tower, wondering what
was going to happen. He entered the Common Room and found it packed full of his
fellow students, dinner had just ended for them all. Ignoring his friend's
request to play a game of chess, Scott went upstairs to his dormitory and sat
on his bed, thinking about what was happening and slowly drifted off to sleep.
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The next morning, Scott awoke when he something very bright stood
next to his bed. He sat up and saw a doe in a whitish form standing in front of
him, recognizing it as a Patronus. Wondering whose it was, the doe suddenly
spoke in Snape's voice.
"Mr. Peck, meet at once in Professor Dumbledore's office.
Something has happened and we need you to come here at once. Professor
Snape."
The doe faded and Scott got out of bed, dressed quickly, and left
the common room, heading for Dumbledore's office. He said the password to the
stone gargoyle and was admitted quickly after he knocked on the door. Scott
strode into the office and sat down in front of Dumbledore's desk, next to
Professor Snape again."
"Scott, thank you for coming so quickly," Dumbledore
said. "I want to thank you for your service to the school. Thanks to you,
Professor Snape was able to contact me immidiately at the Ministry and I was
able to return in time to stop Professor Quirrell from stealing the stone and
from hurting young Mr. Potter."
"It was no trouble," Scott replied.
"You did your part well. Now, there is something that we have
to ask of you, even though it is with great reluctance that we do so."
"I will do it, Headmaster, no matter what it is."
Dumbledore sighed. "Well, our suspicions were correct in that
Quirrell was acting under the influence of Lord Voldemort. Now, we know that
Voldemort is somehow alive, we also know that it is only a matter of time
before he returns. Professor Snape, you see, is a former Death Eater who turned
spy for me near the end of the War eleven years ago. He has agreed to return to
Voldemort's inner circle once the Dark Lord returns and will appear to have
been acting under the Dark Lord's orders to remain here at Hogwarts, spying on
me when in reality, he was spying for me.
Now, here is the hard part, Voldemort will need at least one Hogwarts student
to be working for him when he resurfaces. I have seen you play your part well
for me this year, so well that you managed to deceive Quirrell, who was acting
with Voldemort possessing him, that I believe you are the suitable candidate
for being that student Voldemort wants. However, it is with the greatest regret
that I allow you to do so. I will of course, be taking measures to protect your
family should anything happen to you whilst you are spying on Voldemort for me.
Are you prepared to work for me and Professor Snape, while maintaining that you
are working for the Dark Lord?"
Scott considered his choice for a moment. He knew that he managed
to deceive Quirrell, without raising suspicions, but was not sure if he could do
the same for the most powerful Dark Wizard in history.
"I will do it, Professor Dumbledore."
"Very good," Dumbledore replied. "Professsor Snape
will be giving you privatel lessons over the summer to help you for when you
need to hide your true alliegance from the Dark Lord and he will teach you
advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts to prepare you for the long road ahead.
Once again, I thank you for your service. Now, if you please, return to your
Common Room and enjoy the rest of the school year, I must check with Madam
Promfey on Harry's condition."
Scott turned and left the office and made his way back to Ravenclaw
Tower. As he did so, he realized that he was becoming Dumbledore's man
through-and-through and would eventually have to confront the most powerful
Dark Wizard of all time. He didn't know what the future would bring him but
thought to himself that it was going to be one hell of a ride.
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