章 90: Quirrell
Despite Professor Quirrell's less-than-stellar performance in class, Anthony still trusted his magical abilities. After delving into the nature of souls himself, Anthony had to admit that Quirrell was a genius, demonstrating profound insights in their few discussions.
Quirrell was far from a nerdy academic—though prone to nervousness, his interactions with Anthony revealed extensive practical experience in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Anthony sometimes found his ideas novel and daring, but Quirrell always managed to find flaws, pointing out the unreliability of Anthony's experiments.
As they ascended the stairs, Anthony filled Quirrell in on the situation. "I found a passage leading straight to the basilisk's lair, but the door to its chamber is sealed."
"How—how can you be sure it's a sn-snake—a basilisk?" Quirrell asked.
"I saw a shed snakeskin. It was enormous, exactly like the description in that 'Fantastic Beasts' book you lent me. You know the ghost next door, Professor Quirrell? Moaning Myrtle? She was a victim of the basilisk. But I haven't found records of any other victims since her death, so it's likely dormant."
Professor Quirrell followed silently.
Anthony noticed his gaze lingering on the rope and snake in his hand. "The book says that humans and regular snakes can communicate with basilisks through Parseltongue. You'll understand when you see the wall, Professor Quirrell. The password is probably in Parseltongue."
The rope was his backup plan for finding his way out after dealing with the basilisk—a very Muggle approach. But he had to admit, magic was convenient. With a simple Transfiguration, his belt had transformed into a sturdy rope.
....
To avoid revealing the secrets of the house-elf and the Weasley twins, Anthony simply explained that he had stumbled upon the Room of Requirement, which contained a passage leading to the basilisk's lair. After pacing back and forth three times, the door had appeared, causing Professor Quirrell to jump and tremble.
"Are you alright?" Anthony asked with concern. "If you're not feeling well, you should head back to your room and get some rest."
"I'm fine," Quirrell said, his voice shaking as if facing a terrifying monster instead of a door. But he didn't retreat.
Anthony looked at him worriedly, then opened the door to reveal the dark hole. "It's down here."
He then wished for a place in the room to rig a tightrope... He could use the rope to mark the path he'd taken and climb back up...
As if on cue, he spotted an iron ring on the wall, sturdy and just the right size for his rope.
"Perfect," Anthony said, threading the rope through the ring and securing it with a figure-eight knot.
He loosely held the rope and said to Quirrell, "I'll go down first, Professor Quirrell. It's quite a long way. If you're worried, you can hold onto the rope."
He sat at the cave entrance and slid down again. The rope uncoiled rapidly, and he even had to extend it twice while dangling mid-air.
Then he felt a tug on the other end. Quirrell was bravely descending.
Anthony waved a hand to extinguish the nearby soul fire – no need to make poor Professor Quirrell even more nervous – then picked up the spectral rat that had crawled onto his shoe and pocketed it.
The rat rummaged around in his pocket, finally settling into a comfortable position in the corner. Anthony poked it with a finger.
Finally, Professor Quirrell reached the bottom. His free hand held his wand steady, casting a bright Lumos to illuminate the tunnel.
"Very powerful Lumos, Professor," Anthony couldn't help but compliment him.
Lumos was one of his most frequently used spells – usually for entertainment rather than illumination – but he could never achieve the same stable, wide-reaching light as Professor Quirrell.
With Quirrell's help, the tunnel felt less dark and oppressive. As they chatted, Anthony followed the ghostly guidance towards the main tunnel.
Perhaps seeking a distraction from the looming threat of a dangerous creature, Quirrell seemed far more curious about the Room of Requirement than the basilisk itself.
"How—how did you find this place, Professor Anthony?" he asked.
"As you know, Professor Quirrell, I've been tracking magical creatures in the school, mainly out of concern for what might be lurking about," Anthony explained. "But finding this passage was pure coincidence. I suppose I'm just lucky."
If the Room of Requirement hadn't deposited him in the Hog's Head Inn's courtyard, he would never have discovered its ability to create passages, nor would he have thought of using it for waste disposal.
However, his quest hadn't been fruitless. At least when he saw the shed snakeskin, he immediately recognized where he was and what awaited him behind the wall.
"Luck—luck," Quirrell mumbled.
Anthony glanced at him. Under the Lumos light, a complex mix of emotions flickered across his pale face.
Quirrell continued, "It's still very—very impressive, Professor Anthony. I don't think even the school—the Headmaster might not."
"I can't take all the credit," Anthony admitted. "Actually, someone else told me about this place." He hesitated, deciding not to mention the kitchen encounter. "It was originally used for storage."
Quirrell stopped abruptly, the light from his wand flickering. He broke out in a cold sweat, as if in immense pain.
"Store what?" he asked, his voice strained.
"Professor, you really should see Madam Pomfrey," Anthony said, trying to steady him.
But Quirrell dodged his hand, his gaze unwavering. "No—it's fine. I-I'm always like this."
Anthony relented and answered his question. "I don't know. I haven't explored it." The house-elf had only told him it had been used for storing odds and ends for centuries. He was already busy enough this semester and didn't have the energy to run a lost-and-found for generations of students.
"You—you haven't?" Quirrell asked, still agitated.
"I haven't," Anthony confirmed. "What's wrong, Professor Quirrell? Are you worried about something?"
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