Chapter 107: The Slip, Hoverboard, Leader (1/2)
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The link is also in the synopsis.
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[The chapter is edited by my Editor: Alan_Loo/AlanL]
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”Were you the one who saved us in the Chamber of Secrets?”
Quinn, who was planning to brew a batch of muscle-protein nutrient potion and prepare an Essence of Dittany for his wounds, stilled for a split-second; he wasn't expecting this question, the thought that Ivy Potter would ask him this hadn't entered his mind.
There were still sometimes where Quinn didn't associate the decision and actions he had made last year with himself. So when Ivy threw this sudden bomb at him, he genuinely stopped for a moment.
But his acting skills came in clutch as there were no sudden actions from Quinn's side as he gained composure almost instantaneously and glanced up at Ivy, following the eye contact with a confused tilt of his head.
”Pardon me? Ms. Potter, I might have told you about the Chamber's location, but I haven't been to the actual Chamber of Secrets. I only know that its entrance is somewhere inside Myrtle's lavatory, so believe me when I say that I didn't save you,” said Quinn before putting on an expression of curiosity. ”I actually don't know what happened down in the mysterious Chamber of Secrets. Can you tell me what happened?”
He had no intention of ever telling anyone that he had been down in the Chamber of Secrets. It would raise many questions that Quinn currently didn't want to answer. Even now, there were glass vessels full of Basilisk venom and multiple Basilisk fangs, locked away in his suitcase, secured for the day when Quinn needed them.
Ivy didn't respond and continued to stare at Quinn for a solid few seconds before turning her back to Quinn and walking towards the office door.
”We're leaving,” said Ivy to Hermione.
Quinn turned towards Hermione and nodded to her as a goodbye, who returned it before following Ivy to leave.
After they left, Quinn groaned as he got up from his barstool. ”That was sudden. At least I handled it smoothly,” sighed Quinn. He limped to the workshop and spoke as the door opened. ”Now, let's get my body fixed.”
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- (Scene Break) -
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Hermione and Ivy walked away from the A.I.D. office. As Quinn had said, there was still some time left in the dinner feast, and both were walking to the Great Hall.
”...Ivy?” probed Hermione, glancing at her silent and contemplative best friend. Hermione could guess it was about her question to Quinn but still asked. ”What are you thinking?”
The question had been sudden as most of Ivy's abrupt actions when dealing with Quinn, but Hermione had to give it to Ivy because she asked questions that she was curious about or found useful.
Ivy didn't look at Hermione as she replied, ”... He was the one who saved us. It was Quinn West who destroyed Riddle's diary.”
”But West said he didn't.”
”He did, and he was lying,” spoke Ivy, still not looking at Hermione as she continued. ”He mentioned something that only someone who has seen the Chamber's entrance would know.”
”He did?” furrowed Hermione, trying to recall what Quinn said, but nothing popped out to her.
”Yes, West said that the Chamber's entrance was somewhere in Myrtle's lavatory, and that implies that he had never seen the entrance, but then he slipped up. He asked me what happened to us in the Chamber.”
”Yes, but how is this him slipping?” asked Hermione, confused.
”It's the words he used; he didn't use something like 'inside' the Chamber but used 'down in' the Chamber,” said Ivy, finally turning to Hermione. ”West claims that he had never seen the entrance, so how does he know that the entrance is a tube that goes 'down' to the Chamber?”
Last year's event had led Ivy Potter to think a lot about her interactions with Quinn West. And one thing that she had perceived about Quinn West was his carefulness with words. He chose what to reveal carefully.
”Usually, he wouldn't make such a slip, but West was clearly hurt and uncomfortable. With those injuries, he unknowingly let that slip. From that, we not only know that he has seen the entrance but also has been inside there.”
Ivy was convinced that her reason was correct.
”He was the one who saved us. I am sure of it.”
And just as she thought last year, this made things complicated.
To Ivy Potter, Quinn West was a person who never did anything without a reason or some kind of self-interest. So why would he come down to Chamber of Secrets when he knew that there was a deadly monster like the Basilisk present there.
After thinking a lot about it, Ivy couldn't think of a reason Quinn would come down to a dangerous place. There was nothing inside there that would be worth it for Quinn to risk his life.
She didn't want to think that Quinn did it selflessly, without any profit, and that made things complicated.
Ivy Potter was conflicted.
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- (Scene Break) -
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”Come on, run faster; this pace isn't good enough. Show me some spirit. You want to play as soon as possible, right?” said Quinn as he moved behind a slightly panting and sweating Eddie.
”What... are you... doing? Why are you pushing me today?” asked Eddie as he huffed and puffed.
Eddie had attended the Ravenclaw Quidditch team tryouts for the Chaser position. With his daily workouts with Quinn, mixed with his own flying sessions, Eddie passed the tryouts with flying colors and was by far the best Chaser applicant from the lot that tried out.
It turned out that Eddie was like a game character who completed all the side-quests before attempting the main boss because the result from three months of persistent workouts, broom training, and the daily grind had allowed Eddie to breeze through anything that was put in front of him.
Eddie was innately tough and didn't seem to scare away from incoming Bludgers and didn't dodge too early, which could lead to missing opportunities and was one the biggest problem with new Chasers. During the tryouts, Eddie's Bludger dodges were so close yet so smooth that the people watching were in awe while sweating at the sheer fearlessness that he displayed.
It had prompted Quinn to yell out, ”Mad Lad!” a ton of times from the stands.
But that wasn't even the crazy part about Eddie's tryouts. It was his Quaffle-throwing skills that had everybody in shock.
It turned out that Eddie had a way with the Quaffle. He was able to swing the Quaffle in every possible direction. Eddie was so damn good that none of the Ravenclaw Keeper applicants couldn't block a single throw from Eddie.
And it didn't get any better when the official Ravenclaw Keeper switched in to test him. Eddie, the Quaffle-bender, successfully scored every single time he threw the ball.
In fact, Eddie's performance was so good that he was already better than the three starting Chasers. And the only reason he wasn't on the team was that the Chaser position required teamwork.
Unlike Seeker and Keeper, Chasers and Beaters had to work together to keep the Quaffle and Bludgers moving.
Eddie needed to be inducted into the Chaser system to function on the team. The team was already planning to make Eddie the primary scorer because of his Quaffle throwing skills.
Eddie thought that now that he had joined the team, he could relax a little, but it seemed Quinn had different plans.
”You passed the tryouts, but if you want to be the best chaser, you need to be able to handle the beating from other chasers, who will try to fly into you to knock the Quaffle out of your grasp. You need stamina and strength to withstand those blows, so we are upping your training,” replied Quinn while still following behind Eddie. ”Don't think now that you have made the team, you can relax. Nope, to attract the ladies, you need to shine, and I am going to make you shine on that field.”
Eddoe turned his head back towards Quinn and looked down at Quinn's feet. ”And what the hell is that?!”
Quinn was 'following' behind Eddie, but he wasn't running like Eddie was. Beneath Quinn's feet was a dark-blue skateboard deck-shaped structure with bronze streaks, but without the other components like the truck and the wheels.
And Quinn was standing on a wheeless skateboard that hovered off the ground and gilded behind Eddie as he ran.