Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of Rowling's work.
A Kind Word
Oh, hello. Nice of you to drop by. I haven't had anyone to talk to lately. Anyone at all.
The other ghosts don't like me, you see. Not even old Binns. Well, he doesn't like anyone either. Anyone at all, really.
You see this classroom? It used to be mine. Yes, I was professor here at Hogwarts. For five years. That's a long time. No, it is. You don't think so now, but wait…wait until you're dead.
What did I teach? Muggle Studies, mostly. I was rather good at it and no, I'm not bragging. But I never liked Muggle Studies. It's a boring subject. Only the Arthur Weasleys of the world seem to find any pleasure in it. But that's not the point. I received tenure after four years. Put in my time, I did.
My second subject…now that was something. Even Snape was after the job. Defense Against the Dark Arts. I even took a sabbatical just to prepare for it.
Erm, no, it didn't go particularly well. I lasted a year. Well, not a full year, about ten months. But a lot can happen in ten months! Children are born in less time.
Am I boring you? I think that's why no one ever talks to me. Really. My students said I was boring too. They don't even remember me now.
Sometimes, I'll float around the Great Hall just to listen them. Yap. Yap. Yap. Oh, I hear all about who's snogging who . Nothing about me, though. Not a mention. Not a word.
And I could go for a kind word now and then.
The staff? They don't bother with me either. That's worse. I was in love with one of the professors here, a sweet, young girl who teaches International Magic. But she's forgetting me too, I think.
How did I die? Wouldn't you rather hear how I lived? I assure you, it's a much more interesting story.
No, don't go! All right, all right, I'll tell you. Sorry, it's just a sensitive topic for me.
I was a teacher at the time…yes, yes, I've told you that already. But tt's important for you to understand. I was a professor, a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. And I worked hard to get the job.
That sabbatical I mentioned? Yes, well, that's where the trouble started. I was in Albania when I fell in with the wrong crowd, the one your mother always warns you about. This wasn't just the wrong crowd, it was the worst crowd. And I took one of them back with me to Hogwarts.
Not a smart idea, I know. I was full of smart ideas back then, but I'll admit, that one wasn't exactly brilliant.
And it's amazing how one bad idea leads to another. And another. And another. I started doing things…
Lying, stealing.
That's not so bad?
I attempted to kill one of my students, a boy named Harry Potter. How does that sound?
Then there was the rather nasty business of drinking unicorn's blood.
So how did I end up dead?
Eh, it wasn't pleasant. I tried to steal something, something the Headmaster had hidden in the school. But Harry Potter…yes, an eleven year old boy….stopped me.
I would blush if I could.
So yes, that's how I died. Trying to steal the Sorcerers Stone. I failed. But you would think even failure might be noteworthy?
Nope.
And I have the proof now.
Do you even know my name? I bet you don't. It's Professor Quirrell. Professor Slatero Quirrell.
See, you've never heard of me.
It's because nobody speaks of me. Not the staff. Not the students. Not even that girl I loved.
I think I'm being forgotten and I don't want to be. Of course, it would be nice to be lauded or reviled, for that matter, but to be forgotten….
It just isn't fair.
Sometimes, I think that girl I loved remembers me. I float into her office after hours and watch her sitting there. Every now and then she'll look up and stare at nothing, but really, she's looking at me.
But she never speaks my name.
Is it so much to want a kind word?
Maybe.
Maybe you think I'm evil. Maybe you think I deserve worse. But I'll tell you this, there is nothing worse.
Oh, you have to leave?
Oh.
Well, it was very nice talking to you. Hope I wasn't too boring. Wait…just, wait, before you go.
If you happen to see her, that girl I loved, pass along a word from me, a kind word.
She'll remember me…I hope so.
Author's Note: So, this is somewhat of a "Consumed" tie-in, though not entirely. I do hope you enjoyed it, although it is very different from most of my fics.
Thanks so much for reading! If you have a free moment, please leave a review. I'd love to hear from you.
Have a great weekend!