Chapter 174: Do You Dare to Accept?
The professors spent the entire night searching the castle, opening every door and investigating every hidden passage. They scoured every corner of Hogwarts, but no trace of the Troll was ever found.
With no Troll to be seen, Quirrell became the target of everyone's frustration. Under the professors' scrutinizing gazes, he cowered in a corner, muttering through choked sobs, "I... I might have made a mistake. You know... the underground classroom is very dark... maybe it was just armor... or a statue..."
"There is no Troll in the underground classroom," Snape snapped coldly, his face twisted in displeasure. "And I don't think any normal person would confuse armor with a Troll."
"But... but I... no... I don't..." Quirrell stammered, struggling to find the words. He truly didn't know what had gone wrong. The Troll had been right there, and he'd let it go! How could a Troll, over ten feet tall, simply vanish without a trace or a sound? Was Hogwarts truly so dangerous?
"Perhaps you've been overthinking things lately, and your mind is playing tricks on you," Snape said suddenly, a sinister edge to his tone. "I recommend a potion. How about tomorrow? I'll bring it to you personally, and I guarantee you'll feel 100% better."
"No... Severus... no..." Quirrell shook his head furiously, stammering, "I—I have some potions myself... so I wouldn't want to trouble you..."
The last thing Quirrell wanted was to drink something Snape handed him. Who knew if he'd add Veritaserum or some other sinister ingredient?
"It's no trouble at all, just a refreshing potion," Snape continued, not letting him off so easily. He seemed to relish the opportunity to be helpful.
"N-no... really..." Quirrell stammered, cold sweat breaking out as he looked at Snape's unyielding expression. He worried Snape might actually try to force-feed him the potion.