CHAPTER FIVE
Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept
coming back for more.
A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of
his eyes was twitching.
“Professor Quirrell!” said Hagrid. “Harry, Professor Quirrell will
be one of your teachers at Hogwarts.”
“P-P-Potter,” stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry’s
hand, “c-can’t t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you.”
“What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?”
“D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts,” muttered Professor
Quirrell, as though he’d rather not think about it. “N-not that
you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?” He laughed nervously. “You’ll be
g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I’ve g-got to p-pick up a
new b-book on vampires, m-myself.” He looked terrified at the
very thought.
But the others wouldn’t let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to
himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At
last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.
“Must get on — lots ter buy Come on, Harry.”
Doris Crockford shook Harry’s hand one last time, and Hagrid
led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard,
where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.
Hagrid grinned at Harry.
“Told yeh, didn’t I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor
Quirrell was tremblin’ ter meet yeh — mind you, he’s usually trem-
blin’.”
“Is he always that nervous?”
“Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was
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