CHAPTER 11: A TALE OF TWO PROFESSORS
"Good day," Artemis greeted the twitchy professor in the corner. The man practically jumped out of his skin. "My apologies for interrupting your reading. Might you be Professor Quirrell?" The Squib genius eyed his fellow instructor coolly. Not what I would expect, he remarked with some disappointment.
"Y-y-yes, I am," Quirrell stammered back. "And—if you d-don't m-m-mind my asking—who are you?"
"Professor Fowl. I expect we'll be seeing each other often. May I disturb you longer, or should I leave you to your reading?" Artemis was trying to be civil. If there was one thing he learned from the world of business, it was that connections were important everywhere. Gold was not the only power in existence.
To his surprise, Quirrell eagerly set down his book—Artemis read the title, A Compendium of Dark Creatures—and motioned to the seat across from him. The two teachers sat at a small round table.
Come to think of it, Artemis noticed, he hardly looks any older than me. He knew from his recent studies on history that wizards had extremely long lifespans, so he still dared not ask his new colleague's age. Instead he asked, "What subject are you teaching, Quirrell?"
"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," he murmured. If Artemis was pale from lack of sunlight, this man was pale from constant fear. "B-but let's not talk about me," he quickly changed the subject. "What about you, P-P-Professor Fowl?"
"History of Magic. I must say, it is quite fascinating. Of course, your specialty sounds highly interesting, as well," Artemis had been practicing casual conversation ever since his security company became a big deal. Over time, he became more comfortable being himself, and that actually helped. Now, though, he wondered if that was enough. Quirrell was constantly fidgeting, and he had an eye twitch, to boot. "I hope you don't mind if I sit in on your classes from time to time." There, I used a contraction. Surely, that must help him relax! Unfortunately, he was wrong.
"I'm f-f-flattered," Quirrell seemed bashful, but it also sounded like he really didn't want to talk about his own subject. "I've c-considered switching over to a different…N-Neverm-mind." His voice trailed off. Artemis lifted an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything.
Will he really be teaching my brothers Defense Against the Dark Arts? Artemis was unsure whether he should laugh or tremble at the thought of that. He could picture Myles and Beckett trying to fend off werewolves with this man's stutter, and he almost burst out laughing. I can simply learn about it and help them, if Quirrell proves inadequate.
"W-was that your f-f-family just now?"
"Yes. My brothers will be attending our school," Artemis leaned back and steepled his fingers subconsciously. "I have been their private teacher ever since they were toddlers, so I take great pride in their intellect. I must warn you, though, they can be a handful. Just let me know if they give you any trouble at all…Um…" He was never one to say 'um', but he noticed Quirrell went corpse-white. "Professor Quirrell?" Artemis furrowed his brow. "Shall I get help? You seem unwell."
"N-n-no! I m-m-mean…" his stutter got worse, and he was shaking like a leaf, "I-I think I'll g-g-go m-m-mys-self. Th-thank you." He scrambled to pick up his book and, for some reason, pulled out his wand. He was trembling so much, Artemis couldn't get a good look at it. "G-G-Goodbye, P-P-Professor F-Fowl." Quirrell backed out of the Leaky Cauldron, managing to hold his wand up like he was prepared to use it.
What an odd professor, Artemis frowned. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Tom," he called across the pub to the bartender, "but I must be on my way, as well."
Quirrell…Quirrell the Squirrel XD. I just realized how he's so nervous at the mention of Dark Arts ever since trying to gain practical experience, and I thought it would be perfect to watch him interact with Artemis, whose core persona may remind several people of dark forces! I might almost be sad when it comes time to…never mind.
"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts": This is exactly how Rowling wrote it when he answered Harry's question, "What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" in the book.
By the way, does anyone here talk or act a bit like Artemis? I…I realized when writing this that I do sometimes…most of the time, actually…BUT I do not seem to give off the same air as him. I tend to be formal and behave a bit like him, but I'm also sweet and somewhat bubbly, so it's hard for anyone to be scared of me :). I like it that way, too! I also use contractions more frequently, though I usually like to do so depending on how it flows with surrounding words and situational context.
QUESTION: Are you more like Artemis or Professor Quirrell? How so?