Chapter 126: "DADA Class and Gryffindor Troubles"

As the students headed to their classes on the second day, Harry was particularly eager. His morning was scheduled for Defense Against the Dark Arts. While he wasn't necessarily looking forward to the class itself, he was very interested in encountering Quirrelmort.

The other students were also buzzing with anticipation because Professor Quirrel, previously known for being a competent Muggle Studies professor, was taking over DADA. After a couple of years with incompetent teachers, everyone was hopeful for better instruction.

But the excitement had waned slightly due to unsettling rumors about Professor Quirrel's new mannerisms, including a stutter and an odd smell of garlic permeating his classroom. Despite this, the students were optimistic about his teaching capabilities.

Upon finally entering the classroom, the first thing that struck everyone was the overwhelming smell of garlic. It filled the room, pungent and unmistakable.

"I heard the garlic is to protect him from a vampire he encountered in Romania during his travels. He's supposedly terrified it might follow him here," whispered one student, trying to justify the strange smell.

Another student added, "Yeah, and did you know? Professor Quirrel was quite the adventurer last year. Rumor has it that an African prince gifted him that turban as thanks for dealing with a problematic zombie."

Rumors and wild stories circulated, each trying to rationalize Professor Quirrell's eccentricities. Harry, knowing the truth about the dark presence lurking beneath Quirrell's turban, wondered how everyone would react if they ever discovered that Voldemort, the feared Dark Lord, was hidden behind that simple turban. It would certainly make for an unforgettable story.

Yet, even Harry was puzzled by some aspects of Quirrell's behavior—like his new stutter and the overpowering smell of garlic that filled his classroom. Such peculiarities seemed counterproductive, drawing unnecessary attention instead of allowing a smooth infiltration of Hogwarts.

Harry speculated if there might be another explanation. Perhaps Voldemort's presence at the back of Quirrell's head prevented him from performing simple hygiene tasks like bathing. Maybe Voldemort saw such personal care as demeaning, leading him to ban Quirrell from bathing. If that were the case, the strong smell of garlic could be a desperate attempt to mask an even worse odor. This thought led to the vampire rumor and Quirrell's feigned fear of them to justify the garlic, adding layers of deception.

Imagining the truth behind these oddities amused Harry. He even thought about teasing Voldemort with these guesses one day.

Ultimately, these were all speculations. The true reasons for Quirrell's behavior were known only to him and Voldemort. For Harry, though, these curiosities were less important. His focus was on preparing mentally to delve deep into Voldemort's memories—a task that demanded his full attention and calm.

As the Defense Against the Dark Arts class began, Professor Quirrell greeted the students with a stuttered introduction, "Hello... every... one. I am Prof.. fessor Quirr...el. Your De..." His voice faltered as he spoke, causing some students to exchange skeptical glances.

Despite the initial doubts raised by Quirrell's stammering, the content of his lecture was surprisingly solid. The concepts he taught were clear and well-presented, which was unexpected for many in the classroom, including Harry.

Harry was genuinely surprised by Quirrell's ability to deliver such structured and insightful lessons. It made him wonder if Voldemort, who was currently inhabiting Quirrell, had a hand in crafting the lectures. This thought led Harry to muse that perhaps Dumbledore should have allowed Voldemort to teach at Hogwarts all those years ago, given his apparent aptitude for it, despite the obvious risks.

Realizing he was getting distracted by his thoughts, Harry decided it was time to concentrate on his main goal.

He began a legilimency probe directed at Quirrell. This time, he discovered a faint mental shield protecting Voldemort's mind. Fortunately, Harry had previously tampered with Voldemort's defenses during the sorting ceremony, which gave him an advantage. Thanks to that earlier interference, Harry could now bypass the mental shield effortlessly, without Voldemort detecting his presence.

Once inside Voldemort's mind, Harry began navigating through its fragmented depths. It was challenging; many of his initial forays into Voldemort's memories led him to scenes where Voldemort was torturing his victims or punishing his Death Eaters. It seemed more likely to encounter memories of torture than to find useful information.

Watching these scenes was tough, so Harry chose to exit any memory as soon as he recognized a wartime Voldemort. Harry knew those memories were going to be the most evil.

However, Harry didn't stop trying to sift through the memories. Even if he didn't unearth any valuable knowledge immediately, he hoped to discover certain key locations. He needed to find the cave filled with Inferi, as Harry intended to retrieve Regulus's remains and considered the Inferi as potential targets for practice.

He was also curious about the Gaunt house, needing to know about the traps laid there so he could secure the resurrection stone and the Horcrux hidden there.

Harry was also hoping to find a way into Bellatrix's vault without having to break into Gringotts and souring his relationship with the goblins.

Harry believed that Voldemort, cautious and cunning, would have devised a contingency plan for retrieving the Horcrux should Bellatrix meet her end in battle, risking the Horcrux passing into another's hands. Such an oversight would pose a significant threat to Voldemort's security.

Gringotts' vault access rules were notoriously stringent, and not even Arcturus, the patriarch of Bellatrix's family, had the right to access her vault unless all potential heirs were deceased. This included the Lestrange brothers, who were first in line.

If Harry couldn't find any information in Voldemort's memories about an alternative way to access the vault, he would be forced into a dire choice: first eliminate the Lestranges and Bellatrix, allowing Arcturus to claim the vault and retrieve the Hufflepuff Cup Horcrux.

Despite several attempts, Harry's search yielded no fruitful memories, and he grew weary. The limitations of his mental strength meant he had to pause his use of legilimency until the next Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Harry knew probing Voldemort's scattered memories would be an arduous task, yet he remained patient. With a full year's worth of DADA classes ahead, he was prepared to take his time.

The day's lesson on vampire defense concluded, leaving the class with mixed feelings. Some students, able to ignore Quirrell's stammer, appreciated the depth of the content. Others found the session tiresome and irritating.

With the class over, the students dispersed, each reflecting on the lesson as they returned to their dormitories for some well-needed rest.

When Harry entered the great hall for lunch, he found the place buzzing with activity and noise. Everyone seemed to be talking about something shocking.

As Harry looked around, he noticed everyone pointing at the Gryffindor points hourglass.

Unlike the other houses' hourglasses, which showed positive points around 30, the Gryffindor hourglass had an unbelievable negative 80 points. It was very unusual, especially since the school year had just started.

Curious, Harry joined Reggy at the Ravenclaw table to find out more.

Reggy greeted him with a knowing look. "Harry, your brother really has some guts, doesn't he?"

"Really? What happened? Do the negative points in the Gryffindor hourglass have something to do with him?" Harry asked, intrigued by the gossip swirling around.

Reggy nodded, "You guessed right. It all started in their first potions class. Just like we had on our first day, Professor Snape started off by questioning your brother. Charles couldn't answer any of them. Then, Professor Snape, as he tends to do, made some sharp comments about his performance. Your brother didn't take it too well. From what I've heard, he actually mocked Snape's grooming habits right to his face. He even justified his disrespect by saying that since his father and Snape were enemies, it was alright for him to treat Snape poorly. He ended up calling him 'Snivellus.'"

Roger chuckled and added, "Insulting a professor on just the second day of school. Charles truly embodies the courage of Godric Gryffindor."

Everyone around them burst into laughter at Roger's joke.

Harry mused, "Gryffindor House must be regretting having him by now. Considering the long-standing conflict between Snape and James Potter, this feud looks set to continue for a while. If Charles doesn't change his behavior, Gryffindor might find themselves stuck with negative points for a long time."

"Good for us, right?" Reggy chimed in cheerfully. "One less house in the competition."

Roger agreed, "Serves them right for boasting the last two days about getting the 'Boy Who Lived' sorted into their house. I'm enjoying their current dismay."

The expressions on the faces of the Gryffindor students were indeed sour. They were upset about the loss of points but felt powerless. Charles was the celebrated 'Boy Who Lived,' and his popularity shielded him. No one in Gryffindor could reprimand him without risking backlash from his numerous fans.

Harry simply smiled at the unfolding drama and turned his attention back to his meal. For him, food and the tasks ahead were more important than the ongoing gossip. With so many potential developments involving Charles throughout the year, Harry knew he needed to stay focused and not let these distractions waste his valuable time.