Chapter 43

From then on, Harry and Ron dedicated themselves to observing the forbidden corridor on the fourth floor every day. Whenever Hector walked back to the Gryffindor common room with them, Harry and Ron would deliberately take a detour past that hallway. According to Harry, they were verifying whether Fluffy was still inside growling; at the very least, it confirmed that Snape had yet to find a way to deal with Fluffy. Not only that, but their perception of Professor Quirrell had also shifted. Ron, who had previously called Quirrell a coward more than once, now started persuading others not to mock him. As for Harry, whenever he saw Quirrell, he would offer him an encouraging smile. This left Quirrell feeling exceptionally awkward whenever he encountered them. Hector saw him pull a stiff, forced smile in response more than once, only to hurry away as if fleeing. Later on, Hector and his friends rarely saw Quirrell at all, but their accidental run-ins with Snape increased sharply. Snape was always striding purposefully through the school, which only solidified Harry and Ron’s suspicions.