Chapter 42: Ending The School Year On A Positive Note (2/2)
Quinn turned to face Friar and smirked, ”Well, do you believe me now?”
Friar nodded as he stared at the blue light he could see in the vault. He pointed at it and asked, ”What is that?”
Quinn looked inside the vault and answered, ”That is Absolute Zero.”
Friar looked at Quinn, confused, ”What is that?”
Quinn shook his head and spoke, ”Don't worry about it. Just know that it is freezing. Much colder than where I am standing. It is the reason behind all the cold in the vault.”
Both stared at the blue light.
The dead because it was something that the ghost had wanted to see in a long time, but it took centuries, and now Friar had finally seen it.
The living because it reminded him of the time he spent here and the future of new findings.
After a while, the pair left the Icy corridor and went back to the fifth floor.
Friar looked at Quinn and spoke, ”I believe congratulations are in order.”
”Thank you,” replied Quinn.
”Now, let me tell you about the next vault,” said Friar, but Quinn shook his head and said,
”No.”
Friar frowned and asked, ”What do you mean, no?”
Quinn sighed and answered, ”I spent a lot of time this year on this vault and would like a break. If you tell me the clue to the next one, I will end up thinking about it. So, for now, hold that clue. When I return next year, we will continue.” Quinn didn't want to take on another vault clue and then spend his summer break contemplating on it.
Friar watched Quinn before speaking, ”Alright. I respect your decision. I will give you the vault clue next year when you return.”
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- (Scene Break) -
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After talking to Friar, Quinn spent a week going to sleep early and didn't break curfew. He just relaxed and read some books for light reading.
And, in that week, one day, Quinn went to the Great Hall for breakfast. His eyes fell upon the High table, and he noticed Quirrell wasn't at breakfast.
Alarm bells rang in Quinn's mind as Quirrell had been punctual at eating breakfast in the Great Hall. Quinn looked at the Gryffindor table and saw that Ron, Hermione, and Ivy were sitting close to each other and were talking in hushed voices. Harry Potter was missing from the group.
Quinn's brows raised, and he thought, 'Oh, damn. Harry did in Quirrell, didn't he? I missed it, huh.' Quinn leaned onto the table and rested his upper body on it, arms crossed.
'Well, whatever, nothing to do with me,' thought Quinn. He lost interest in the Philosopher's stone after his failed attempt to get a look at it. He realized that even if he was present at Quirrell versus Harry, he wouldn't have been able to swipe the stone.
In the books, Dumbledore had gotten there just when Harry had cremated Quirrell into ashes, and Quinn didn't want to take the risk of being there at that moment. He wasn't confident in hiding from Dumbledore. So, Quinn had given up on getting the Philosopher's stone.
'But, I would have loved to meet Nicolas Flamel,' thought Quinn. He was very jealous of Lia when she told him that Flamels gave an annual lecture at Beauxbatons, and she had gotten to talk to the alchemist and his wife during her school days.
Quinn gave a last look to the Gryffindor table and thought, 'Maybe I should go visit the hospital wing.'
Eddie looked at Quinn and asked, ”What is up with you? You have been weirdly loose and relaxed for the past few days. It is creeping me out.”
Quinn turned his face towards his roommate and raised his hand. His hand went behind Eddie's ear, and when he brought it back, he had a chocolate ball in his hand.
”Carmichael, you worked hard for the exams. You deserve sweets for breakfast. Go on, have this chocolate,” said Quinn.
Eddie took the chocolate from Quinn and exclaimed in awe, ”How do you that?! Making things appear from nowhere. Did you learn some advanced conjuration spell?”
Quinn lazily smiled and said a single word, ”Magic.”
”Hey, I want a chocolate too,” said Marcus from across the table.
Quinn smiled and spoke, ”Check your right pant pocket.”
Marcus put his hand in his pant pocket, and his eyes widened as he pulled out a chocolate ball, ”Now, how did you do that?!”
”Like I told you, magic,” was all Quinn said because a magician never revealed his secrets.
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- (Scene Break) -
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Quinn's mood had improved considerably, and he danced his way into the hospital wing. In his hand was a small crate with numerous vials of various potions.
”Madam Pomfrey, I have come to visit~,” said Quinn, looking for the matron.
The medi-witch poked her head from one of the curtains and sighed, ”What is it, Mr. West? I am busy.”
Quinn grinned as he walked towards the matron, ”Madam Pomfrey, you always say that. We don't talk anymore. It is like you are avoiding me...”
Quinn's voice trailed at the end as he saw that Madam Pomfrey wasn't alone. On the bed laid one Harry Potter, and on his bedside sat Professor Lily Potter and her husband, James Potter. On the other side of the bed, Ivy Potter stared at him.
”Uuuu...” uttered Quinn. He looked at Lily and greeted, ”Good afternoon, professor.”
”Good afternoon, Mr. West,” greeted the older redhead.
Quinn felt a gaze on him and looked at the source to find Ivy Potter staring at him. Quinn tilted his head and did a barely noticeable shrug as if telling her, 'I told you so.'
He looked at Pomfrey and said, ”I bought some potions and was thinking we could have some afternoon tea, but it seems you are busy, so let's do that later.” He lifted the crate slightly and asked, ”Where should I put these?”
”Put them beside my table,” said the matron.
Quinn nodded, and with a last cursory glance at the Potter family, he left.
After Quinn left, Lily looked at Pomfrey and asked, ”How do you know Mr. West?”
Pomfrey sighed as she checked on Harry, ”He was in an accident and had to stay here for a while. From then on, he comes by every week pestering me on Healing magic.” She once again sighed and said, ”That child talks a little too much for my taste.”
She still remembered how Quinn talk to her while admitted here. When she said that his loud voice, while she worked, was disturbing other patients, he started to use magic to deliver his sound directly to her ears.
She, on multiple occasions, had to face weird looks from other patients and questions about why she was talking to herself. She had to take away Quinn's wand to stop his talking.
”What about those potions?” this time, the inquiry came from Ivy Potter. She was extremely curious about the person who knew about the restricted area.
”That child brews potions for the hospital wing every time he comes for a visit. It is his way to thank me for answering his questions,” replied the matron.
”Potions? You are saying that he is brewing medical potions? He doesn't look much older than Harry or Ivy,” asked James Potter.
”Mr. West is great at brewing potions. His potions stand up to standards, so there are no problems with the quality of the potions,” revealed the matron.
Quinn, who knew nothing about the conversation, walked to the A.I.D office while humming a happy tune.
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A/N [1]: We have reached 1 MILLION views. Hell yeah! This week, we averaged around 25th position on the power stone ranking (fanfiction category).
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A/N [2]: I got an excellent response in the last chapter. I will be sure to feature the use of Absolute Zero, or more specifically cold. Theories and uses derived from Absolute Zero.
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Quinn West - MC - Relaxed, Chill, Happy.
Friar - Hufflepuff ghost - Excited for the coming year.
Poppy Pomfrey - Matron - Likes Quinn even though he is noisy.
Ivy Potter - Potter Princess - Slightly suspicious of Quinn.
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