Quid Pro Quo
Waiting inside the pub after a quick shopping for clothes and other supplies, Harry and Quirrell found themselves facing each other, each holding a steaming cup of tea in their hands. Harry remained silent staring down at the dark liquid, lost in thought. So lost he was that he failed to hear his teachers voice, and it was only when Quirrell snapped his fingers in front of the boy that he looked up.
"Potter, p-pay more attention," reprimanded his teacher.
"Sorry, Professor. I just... " Harry's hands tightened their hold around the cup. "I was thinking about the blood test."
"I figured as much." He paused for a moment, watching the young wizard with clinical eyes. Then he tilted his head. Something's off in the kids magic, he noted. However, he couldn't put his finger on what it was. How odd... "Tell me, M-Mr Potter, is there something that upset you?" the older wizard inquired.
The raven had the feeling that it wasn't really a question and more of an order. Should he tell him? He doesn't feel as ashamed as he expected when thinking about the Dursley. If he was honest with himself, all he could feel right now is rage shimmering inside him. "I guess so," the boy softly admitted. Biting his lower lip, Harry contemplated on what to share. "My guardians, they've been receiving my money - my parents' money. I didn't know it until now. And they haven't exactly been... how to put it? Kind to me. They could afford to pay for my needs but they never did. They knew what I was and what happened to me and my parents, but they never told me. So yes, professor, I am upset." He concluded with hopeful but hard eyes staring directly into his teacher's eyes. The fire inside him made him share more than he initially wanted. Does it even matter? The boy couldn't help but think. Bitter, oh so bitter and furious at the unfairness of all. Feeling so... powerless. He huffed, unable to calm himself.
"You're angry." Quirrell stated. He stared at his young student for what appeared to be long minutes but were mere seconds. "Sulking won't h-help you. If you really despise your relatives t-that much, why don't you find a way to-to escape from their hold?"
"You really think I can do that?" Harry looked both skeptical and confused. His gaze turned to his still warm cup of tea. "My parents are dead, my godparents are unavailable, apparently, whatever that means. And my magical Guardian is someone I've never met. How? How am I supposed to escape from the Dursley?" He spat out their names as if they were poison.
"You're going to give up without even trying?" His teacher questioned, bringing his body closer to the younger wizard and looking at him over his interlocked fingers, his cup left forgotten. Dumbledore made a grave mistake.
Something about those words struck a cord to the young wizard. Memory after memory went past his mental eye. The Dursley insulting him, pushing him, holding his arm or his shoulder a bit too tightly. Aunt Petunia looking at him with hatred and disgust. With fear. Cutting his hair. His hair growing back. Hitting him with the frying pan. Being sick, alone. Falling sleep while crying, or when his stomach was rumbling. Burning his hand when learning how to cook. Falling down the stairs. Bruises everywhere, pain getting worse until he stopped feeling. His uncle's furious red face, his meaty hands over him, pulling his hair, punching him, shouting at him. Shoving him inside his cupboard. So much hate. He was alone. The Dursley never cared about him, they never will. And he survived all on his own. But I don't have to be.
"No." He finally whispered. The young wizard hastily put the cup down on the table, afraid that he would break it when his hands started to shake. "I've never given up and I'm not starting now." He saw from under his fringe how the corners of his teacher's mouth moved up. It made him feel like he did something right. It felt good.
"In that case, Mr Potter, show me what you can do. But don't hesitate to ask me for h-help or answers." His intense gaze relaxing at last.
"Thank you." Harry smiled at professor Quirrell, grateful.
"Now t-that this topic is over, there's something else we need to discuss." The serious tone on his teacher's voice made Harry pay attention again in their conversation. "It is-it is obvious you don't know anything about your fame and your role on the l-last war. Nor do you know anything about the wizard world." Harry nodded in understanding. "Which means you'll have a big d-disadvantage if you truly wish to go to Hogwarts."
"Wait," the raven hastily interrupted his teacher, immediately apologising at receiving a disapproving look, "what do you mean by 'if I wish to go to Hogwarts?' Is there any other option?" Internally, Harry already knew about the existence of other magical schools, somehow, but he assumed he had to go to Hogwarts regardless of what he wanted or what he thought. He was told his parents already decided he would go there, and so he never even considered any other option. Wait, when was I told that?
His teacher took a moment before replying, evidently not having prepared any answers related to this beforehand.
"There are many w-wizarding schools around the word. The ones situated in Europe and known as the best ones are: D-Durmstrang, Beauxbatons and Hogwarts. Most children go-go to the one their parents went when they w-were younger, most of the times creating a family tradition. H-However, there's many other children who choose different paths. Depending on their o-own beliefs, the language they talk or learned, and w-where they live, they'll choose either stay on the school that was chosen by their guardians o-or they go to the their preferred one. Hogwarts is quite known for being the better and safest one." He added quickly the following," Don't get it wrong, what other people say doesn't have to necessarily be true. Hogwarts isn't as safe as some preach, that's why I'm making sure you're well informed before starting." The time traveler nodded at Quirrell to continue when he stopped. "I'll lend you some books related to these topics after the rest-after the rest of the shopping is done. Now, a-about what I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted." The green-eyed boy looked down sheepishly. "Your lack of knowledge will make it easier for people to manipulate you and for misunderstandings to occur." His teacher softened his voice. "You'll need to learn about wizarding culture in order to make sure you understand their behaviour and what to do in different occasions. There's also the matter of your life being in danger despite what some might believe. You'll need to protect yourself properly for any situation." He explained patiently.
All of this was making the young wizard very dizzy, not at all what he expected to hear today. Or ever. At least, not coming from his teacher. He took a sip from his tea, grimacing it had cooled down. "Alright." Nodded Harry in agreement and understanding.
"The most important part is that you don't let anyone dictate you on what to do in regards of the war. You're still a child, not a soldier, and so shouldn't be included in it. If you find yourself in any danger you have two options: to protect yourself or to run. In case of the last, it'd be better to find a teacher or any other competent and trustworthy adult. In the case there's no one available, run to a place you can hide and wait for the right opportunity to either escape or attack."
"Who would attack me, sir?" That's something that has been bothering Harry since his teacher arrived. He looked down sadly, "I mean, I'm just a kid like you said. And I know there's a war, but I didn't do anything."
Quirrell starred at Harry's hunched shoulders in contemplation. I could help my Lord. I could, but should I? He decided to test his idea, and if everything goes well perhaps the kid won't need to be his Lord's enemy.
"That would be your parents, Lily and James Potter. They got themselves involved in the war despite having a child to take care of, never mind the fact that they were too young for both things." The DADA professor mentioned the last part in a mumble that the raven managed to hear. "They were recruited by Albus Dumbledore, -that would be the Headmaster. Something happened at some point, however, and they were killed. It is believed that someone, a friend perhaps, betrayed them." Harry listened patiently, making a mental note of every question he had. "As for who could attack you, that would be Voldemort, the leader of the Dark Side, although that would depend on what happens and your own decisions. Anyone can be the enemy in these times, I'm afraid. Voldemort is called the Dark Lord, He Who Should Not Be Named, or You Know Who. The last two used by those who are afraid to say his name."
"Why would people be afraid of a name?" The green eyed boy made a face, bewildered.
Quirrell hummed before replying a partial truth. "During a period of time, the Dark Lord's name was cursed. Anyone who said his name could be found, or so it is said."
"And what does Dark Lord mean?" So many new terms, and yet it feels like he already knows all of them.
"Maybe another time. Let's talk about something else, Mr Potter," his teacher suggested. Taking the boy's nod as acceptance, he continued. "The differences between muggles, muggleborns, halfbloods and purebloods. Muggles are those who don't have magic. Muggleborns are knows as those wizards and witches who had magic but have muggle parents. Some people use the term mudblood, which is frown uppon. Halfbloods are those who came from at least a magical parent and a muggle or a muggleborn one. Purebloods, as the name implies, are those who have both magical parents, no muggles on their bloodline. According to them, that is." The teacher remarked dryly.
"And what am I?"
"You're a half blood, same as me. It is important, however, to note that even between the purebloods there're distinctions. But that you'll learn from one of the books." Quirrell paused for a moment, clearing his throat. "My explanations had taken quite a long time, more than I intended. I'll just explain this last thing while we ask for dinner and then we'll go to sleep. We can book a room in the Leaky Cauldron, so that won't be a problem."
"Okay." Accepted the raven, a bit disappointed. He loves learning more about the Wizarding World, even though most of them he'll have to read later on. "Is there a unique dish in here?" Wondered the boy, interested on at least trying new foods.
"There are, yes."