Before heading into the Great Hall for dinner, Alistair always made a habit of glancing at the staff table, starting with Snape sitting at the very right, followed by Madam Pince, Professor Sprout, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall... and Professor Flitwick.
To Snape's left sat the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—a post that changed every year, though Alistair paid little attention to who filled it. This year, the professor was Quirrell.
Snape still wore his usual stern expression, eating in stony silence. Every cut of his knife and every bite he took was uniform in size, as if he were preparing potion ingredients rather than enjoying a meal.
Chapter 73