Quirinus Quirrell was rarely caught off guard.
He was a smart man, he liked to think (he was a Ravenclaw, after all, and had no end of wit), and it didn't occur to him that there would one day be a problem he couldn't rightly solve. You could imagine how this realization affected him. He should have known one day he would be bested, he knew. He just didn't realize it would be by a student. But he didn't have time to chastise himself.
He whispered to his master.
" My Lord," said Quirinus, softly. " We may need to rethink our plan... Those girls - "
" Will not think it off for a teacher to be a guardian of the Philosopher's stone," hissed his master. " But I am surprised at you, Quirrell. I did not expect for you to tell them of the stone."
Quirinus' lip quirked, but his master could not see it. At least, he didn't think so. Perhaps they shared this body more deeply, more intricately than even Quirinus could understand. His master was very gifted... Very powerful...
" The Mirror of Erised won't work," Quirinus whispered, " for men like us... And the Potter girl is rarely out of trouble. Her list of detentions with Severus, for example - "
" Does not ensure she will go after the stone," growled Voldemort harshly. " Will that other girl not find it odd that a teacher, stammering though he may be, would release information of the stone?!" His tone was mocking and evil. Quirinus whimpered.
" My Lord - "
" This shall not affect our plans... You will release the troll on Hallowe'en. They will not know of your part in the guardianship... This will not be odd, to them... Consider yourself lucky, Quirrell," said Voldemort. " Now... Go to Dumbledore... Cover your tracks... Impertinent little girls will disobey your command to forget the matter." Quirrell nodded
" Yes, my Lord."
" Ice mice," Quirinus said to the gargoyle, who jumped out of the way instantly. Quirinus walked into the office, up the spiral staircase, reciting in his head, Remember what the girls told you
He was going to have to lie about his memory.
Remember what they told you
Headmaster Dumbledore was an old man, who's blue eyes twinkled in delight whenever Quirinus walked into his office, which Quirinus thought was quite foolish. Perhaps he was losing his mind with age, welcoming people into his office nolens volens, as though the beginning of a war was not to come. The whispers of The Dark Lord in Albania were not baseless, after all. The thought made Quirinus want to smirk, as he would be at Lord Voldemort's right hand, he was promised, and Dumbledore would be nothing but a memory.
He cleared his mind and entered the office with a meek gait.
" H-H-Headmaster D-D-Dumbledore," he said anxiously, jumping when Dumbledore's sparkling blue eyes met his. " I-I-I come with a w-w-warning..."
" Quirinus," said Dumbledore in a welcoming manner. " I daresay, I thought you may have come to volunteer for this Hallowe'en's decor."
Quirinus kept his mind clear of satire.
" H-H-Hermione Granger and her friend Miss P-P-Potter know of what is hidden in the third corridor." Dumbledore bowed his head in acknowledgement.
" I see... How did this happen?"
" T-T-They came to my office, t-t-to tell me they b-b-believed that H-H-Harry Potter might come t-t-t-to see of our most valuable secret. Said t-that he knew t-that the object of the f-f-failed Gringotts r-robbery was hidden here in the castle..."
" May I have that memory, Quirinus?" Asked Dumbledore, not unfriendly, but quite serious.
" Of c-c-course, Headmaster Dumbledore."
Shaking, Quirinus rose his wand to his head, and shut his eyes, clearing his mind of everything but the false memory.
In a flash, he saw what Dumbledore would see.
He was in his office when a knock came to his door, and shaking he stood from his desk and opened the door, his chain secure.
" M-M-Miss Granger, Miss P-P-Potter," he had said. " H-How unusual it is to see you at my d-d-d-door."
" Professor Quirrell," said Hermione Granger, " Can we come in? We have important information about the..." She turned to Magnolia Potter nervously, " A-about... well, we don't want to say it out here."
Quirinus was intrigued, and his curiosity overpowered his fear of his students' sudden appearance at his door. He shut his door, undid the latch and let them in.
His room smelled heavily of garlic.
" W-w-what is troubling you, Miss Granger?" He asked, shutting the door.
" It's about the forbidden corridor on the third floor, professor," she said, " We know the object of Gringotts' failed robbery is there, and we think a student is going to try to steal it."
Quirinus looked surprised.
" H-How could you possibly know about the stone?" He asked, then clasped his mouth shut in surprise.
He imagined Hermione's silver tongue.
" There's no place safer than Gringotts than Hogwarts," she responded.
Yes, he could imagine her knowing that.
Quirinus stammered, " W-w-who could p-possibly be trying to steal from Hogwarts, Miss Granger?"
He imagined Magnolia, stepping in to take the lead away from her brother.
He could imagine that, as well.
" We don't know," Magnolia said, eyes piercing and wide. " But if Hermione and I figured it out, any seventh year can, and we don't want someone to steal... You said, the stone?"
Quirinus cut the memory there, like with a hot knife.
A perfect occlumens he was.
He watched as Dumbledore played the memory in his Pensieve, unbeknownst to the elderly man, staring with wide, killer eyes. He returned to his rattish, skittish form when he watched his elder dip his head back away from the memory-viewing object.
" You told them of the stone yourself?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
If Quirrell could blush on command...
" I-I-I am s-so sorry, Headmaster... I was unprepared, I w-w-was..."
Dumbledore rose his hand patiently.
" I understand, Quirinus. We are all caught of guard by Miss Grangers cleverness," he said. " But, you lie, Quirinus. Harry Potter was never mentioned."
Quirinus was annoyed with having to spell this out for the old man.
" You d-d-don't find it off that she s-s-stepped in at the time she d-did?" Dumbledore bowed his head.
" Perhaps..." Dumbledore sat down. " Cockroach Cluster, Quirinus?"
Quirinus politely declined.
Dumbledore ate one in momentary silence.
" I believe," he finally said, " That Miss Granger and Miss Potter should have come with you, Quirinus. It is very important for them to understand how serious this is, and that they must keep what they know secret."
Quirinus nodded.
" Will you do me the service of fetching them for me?" Dumbledore asked further.
" O-o-of course, Headmaster."
