How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I coughed suddenly. It wasn't to warn her. It was a nervous cough, and I hadn't meant it to happen. (9.22)
As brave as Tom is—would you chase a witch in the middle of the night?—his basic fears still manifest themselves unintentionally. You've probably felt the same thing before. You break out into a nervous sweat during a speech or a test that you thought you felt confident about. Sometimes, your body is more scared than your mind is.
Quote #8
When I got close enough, I did something that I can still remember vividly. I still have nightmares about it. But what choice did I have? It was her or me. (9.38)
In this instance, Tom is afraid of himself. He's scared to find out that he has it in him to kill a person, even if that person is a witch.
Quote #9
What if [Mother Malkin had] broken free of her bones and her spirit had possessed Ellie's baby at the very moment of birth? (12.51)
Here's one of those instances where Tom cooks up the worst possible scenario. Alice rationally explains to him that a possessed baby couldn't really do much harm, so if Malkin were to possess anyone, it wouldn't be the baby. But fear and common sense aren't BFFs. You'll never see them eating at the same lunch table.