37: Chapter 37 Nott's Unintentional Information

The Library in the afternoon was quiet enough to hear the scratching of a quill across the register.

Allen Potter sat against the wall, with 'a brief history of spatial magic' spread out before him, and 'The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1' pressed beside it.

Draco flipped through two pages and snapped the book shut.

"I don't understand, why do you always sit here?"

Allen didn't look up.

"No one shouts for Harry here."

Draco's expression relaxed.

"That's a good reason."

Crabbe pushed a thick book to Goyle.

Goyle opened the first page and pushed it back.

"No pictures."

Draco glared at him.

"Can you two do something students are supposed to do?"

Crabbe thought for a moment.

"Does eating count?"

"Shut up."

Allen turned a page.

"You should go."

Draco frowned.

"Why?"

"You can't sit still."

"I can."

Madam Pince looked up from behind the circulation desk.

Draco swallowed his words and stood up a moment later.

"Fine, I'm going to the Common Room."

Crabbe stood up immediately.

"Does that mean we can eat?"

Goyle picked up his schoolbag.

"You can't eat in the Library, but you can outside."

Before leaving, Draco looked at Allen.

"You're not leaving?"

"No."

"Waiting for someone again?"

"Waiting to finish the book."

Draco stared at him.

"Every time you say that, something happens afterward."

Allen let his gaze fall back onto the page.

"Then you should leave even more."

Draco snorted and left with Crabbe and Goyle.

After the footsteps faded, another chair was pulled out.

Theodore Nott sat opposite him, holding an old book with worn-out covers.

"Malfoy left quite obediently."

Allen turned the page.

"He's just afraid of Madam Pince."

Nott glanced at the circulation desk.

"This lady is more difficult to deal with than Flint."

"Flint at least makes mistakes."

"Madam Pince does too."

Allen looked up.

"For example?"

Nott put the book down.

"She believes most students come to the Library to read."

Allen looked at him for a moment.

"You didn't come to borrow books today."

"Neither did you."

"I have a book in front of me."

"Your eyes aren't on the book."

Allen closed the book halfway.

"You observe too diligently."

Nott placed his hand on the spine of the book.

"People in Slytherin should be a bit more diligent."

"That doesn't sound like something an eleven-year-old student would say."

"Neither do you."

The two stared at each other across the table.

In the distance, pages turned, and Madam Pince's quill continued to scratch across the register.

Nott was the first to look away.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts Class is getting worse and worse."

Allen turned back to his book.

"Professor Quirrell wasn't that good to begin with."

"It's worse now."

"He stutters."

"Stuttering doesn't affect lesson preparation."

Nott opened the old book, revealing a blank piece of parchment tucked inside.

"Last week he was talking about Red Caps and dragged Grindylows from the lake into it too."

Allen said, "It's normal to make mistakes."

"He even got the counter-spells for both of them backward."

"The students didn't notice?"

"Granger noticed. She raised her hand to correct him, and he nearly dropped his chalk into his water cup."

Allen looked toward the spot where Gryffindors usually sat.

"She will remember."

"She already has."

Nott tapped his fingertip on the edge of the page.

"There's one more thing."

Allen didn't ask.

Nott waited a few seconds.

"You don't want to know?"

"You want to tell me."

Nott chuckled.

"Quirrell has been going to the Third Floor often recently."

Allen flattened the page.

"The Third Floor is quite large."

"Near the corridor on the right."

"It's not strange for a Professor to patrol the Castle."

"Patrolling at two in the morning?"

Allen looked up.

"The light of the Library fell between them, and the edge of the old book cast a narrow shadow. Madam Pince behind the circulation desk was flipping through the register, and no one approached this table."

Nott looked at him.

"I couldn't sleep that night, so I came out for some air."

"Getting air in the Slytherin Dungeon?"

"There are corridors outside the Common Room too."

"And then you went from the Dungeon to the Third Floor for air?"

Nott closed the book.

"You've been to the Library at night; you should know the Castle's stairs are unreasonable."

Allen didn't deny it.

"Did you see him go in?"

"No."

"Then what did you see?"

"I saw him coming back from the Third Floor."

"Maybe he got lost."

Nott raised an eyebrow.

"A Hogwarts Professor getting lost next to the forbidden area?"

Allen said, "Maybe he was just nervous."

Nott's smile faded.

"Nervous people don't go to the Third Floor at two in the morning."

Madam Pince coughed from afar.

Nott opened the book, pretending to read.

Allen also lowered his head.

A moment later, Nott continued.

"When he came back, the hem of his robes was dusty, and there was a smell of old bandages mixed with garlic."

Allen's fingertip stopped on the edge of the page.

"He smells like garlic usually too."

"This time was different."

"You smell things very carefully."

"I don't like him passing by me."

Allen looked at him.

"Are you afraid of him?"

Nott answered quickly.

"I don't trust him."

"Reason?"

"He doesn't seem like a person who teaches."

"How many teachers have you met?"

"Enough to tell if a person has their heart in the classroom."

Allen closed the book.

"Saying this as a first-year student easily invites trouble."

"That's why I'm only telling you."

"Why me?"

Nott glanced at the parchment by Allen's hand.

"Because you are watching him too."

Allen didn't move.

"On what basis do you say that?"

"On the day of Quidditch, other students were looking at Harry, but you were looking at the Professor's bench."

"I was looking at Professor Snape."

"You looked at Snape, and you also looked at Quirrell."

Allen turned back to the page.

"Your memory is good."

"You act well too."

"Acting as what?"

"Having no interest in anything."

Allen looked at him.

"You've said too much today."

Nott tucked the parchment back into the book.

"Because I wanted to see if you would pretend not to know."

"Know now?"

"You didn't deny that Quirrell has a problem."

"I didn't admit it either."

"That's enough."

Allen said, "What do you want?"

Nott waited for a Ravenclaw to leave with their books before speaking.

"An exchange."

"What do you want to trade for Quirrell's movements?"

"You know what is in the corridor on the right side of the Third Floor."

Allen pushed the book away a little.

"You overestimate me."

"Flint thought so too."

"Flint is stupid."

Nott looked at him.

"Quirrell isn't stupid, Snape isn't stupid, and Dumbledore is even less so, yet you dare to sit here waiting for news."

Allen asked, "You think I know?"

"I think you at least know that the corridor shouldn't be explained by just a 'forbidden to enter' warning."

"Many places are forbidden for students to enter."

"Professor McGonagall wouldn't single out ordinary places on the first night of school."

Allen was silent for a moment.

"There is something behind the door."

Nott waited.

Allen added.

"Something alive."

Nott's hand stopped at the edge of the book.

"Is it dangerous?"

"Enough to make students turn back."

"Did the Professors put it there?"

"You ask too much."

Nott nodded.

"That's enough."

Allen looked at him.

"Your turn."

Nott opened the blank parchment.

"Quirrell has been near the Third Floor three times this week: once after dinner, once before curfew, and once after midnight."

"You saw all of them?"

"I saw two. The other time was told by a second-year Hufflepuff who ran into Quirrell when he was coming back from night patrol."

"Credible?"

"He's timid; he wouldn't dare tell such a lie."

"Anything else?"

"In Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, he has started to avoid content other than Vampires."

"Is he afraid of questions?"

"He's afraid of Granger."

Allen said, "Not surprising."

"He's even more afraid of Snape."

"The whole school is afraid of Snape."

"When he looks at Snape, his hand touches his turban first."

Allen stopped writing.

"Are you sure?"

"Twice in a row, once in the Great Hall, once in the corridor."

Allen didn't ask again.

Nott pushed the book closer.

"You know there's something wrong with that turban?"

"You think I would know what's inside a Professor's turban?"

"I think you would investigate."

Allen said, "Investigating a Professor is more dangerous than investigating a student."

"You are already investigating."

"So you came to warn me?"

Nott looked up.

"I came to confirm if I misjudged the person."

"Result?"

"Didn't misjudge, but it's not safe either."

Allen accepted this statement.

"You're the same."

Nott lowered his head to flip through the book.

"I don't like being seen through."

"Then you shouldn't have sat in front of me."

"You don't like it either."

"So we're even."

Madam Pince walked over from behind the circulation desk and stopped between two rows of bookshelves.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Nott, if you intend to chat, the door is over there."

Nott picked up his quill.

"Sorry, Madam, we were discussing homework."

Madam Pince looked at Allen.

"Mr. Potter?"

Allen flipped 'The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1' to the page on the Levitation Charm.

"Charms Class homework."

Madam Pince stared at them for a moment, then turned back.

Nott waited until she sat down before speaking.

"She doesn't believe it."

Allen said, "But she has no evidence."

"That sentence sounds like Slytherin."

"I am in Slytherin."

Nott closed the book.

"If Quirrell continues to get close to the Third Floor, what will you do?"

"Watch."

"Just watch?"

"Just watch for now."

"When will you stop just watching?"

Allen dipped his quill in ink.

"When he crosses the line."

"Where is the line?"

"You don't need to know."

"Does Malfoy know?"

"No."

"He will want to know."

"He will be stopped."

Nott looked toward the Library entrance.

"He listens to you."

"He can listen to reason."

"That's harder than being obedient."

Allen didn't deny it.

Nott put away the old book.

"If I see Quirrell go to the Third Floor again, I'll tell you."

"Condition."

"If you discover any changes in what's behind the door, tell me too."

Allen looked at him for a moment.

"Only tell you the changes."

"Deal."

"Don't go see it yourself."

Nott asked, "Is this a reminder or a warning?"

"Depends on how you understand it."

Nott stood up.

"Then I'll take it as a reminder."

Allen said, "You'd better take it as a warning."

Nott's movement of taking the book paused for a beat, then he left with the book.

Allen wrote a few lines on the parchment.

"Quirrell, Third Floor right corridor, increased nocturnal activity."

"Defense Against the Dark Arts Class quality declined, avoids Q&A, fears Snape."

"Nott usable, need to take precautions."

After the ink dried, the parchment was folded and, shielded by the book, pushed into the narrow slit in front of his palm.

In the Portable Space, the Void looked up, its tail tip touching the new file.

Allen closed the book, and sleepiness washed over him.

"Nott's value is higher than expected."

"So is the trouble."