I'm very sorry for not sticking to my deadline. I also can no longer rememebr my deadline. *sweatdrop*

I'll try harder to keep on top of postings next time. But for now, here's the next chapter!


As the wizarding school year commenced, the train was primarily filled by one persistent whisper;

"He should be eleven this year, right? So where's Harry Potter?"

Ron Weasley sat on his own in a carriage down the end of the train, interrupted only by the Sweet Cart Lady (whom he regrettably turned away), by a nervous boy his age looking for a toad and by a witch his age doing the same.

He was struck, for the first time, just how unlike the Burrow Hogwarts could be. He was, after all, for the first time truly alone.

October rolled around, and Ron Weasley was making his way down to the Halloween feast with Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. He loudly complained about their year's busy-body witch, that is: know-it-all Hermione Granger. A stifled sob caused the trio to turn and catch a few of the Gryffindor girl's death glares and a bushy brown head of hair rushed away from the scene. The boys laughed it off and headed for the feast.

Part way through the Halloween feast, they were interrupted by the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor bursting in through the doors and announcing the presence of a troll. Ron did what most panicked students were doing and followed the Gryffindor prefects back up to the Gryffindor Tower.

No one thought to wonder where Hermione Granger was.

She had no one friendly enough to spare her a thought.

Professor McGonagall's stiff demeanor was cracked after the troll was subdued and they finally identified the student that must have been hiding under the sinks.

Professor Dumbledore insisted on taking on the morbid task of informing Dr and Dr Granger of their only daughter's untimely death. The Granger's silently swore never to send another child off into the magical world again.

The Forbidden Forest soon becomes host to thrilling and chilling rumors once more as one of the older students swears up and down that they saw a Norwegian Ridgeback flying in the forest. The staff have their own disturbance as an unusually melancholy Hagrid mopes about the grounds. The Headmaster tells them all that he'll just need some time.

Called away by an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic, it was only moments after Albus Dumbledore arrived in London that he realised how big a mistake such an action was. With all due urgancy, he made his way back to Hogwarts and stopped for nothing as he charged through every defense protecting the Sorcerer's Stone. Every defense except, of course, the very last one. His own defense.

"Quirinus Quirrell."

The tubaned man turned to fall under the off-center gaze of a deadly serious Headmaster.

"And, I presume, Tom Riddle."

The hiss from under the turban was more than enough to confirm Dumbledore's assumption. Professor Quirrell was appointed to his position for a reason and he puts up a formidable fight, especially with Voldemort aiding him. But in the end he is trying to defeat Albus Dumbledore and his fight is a lost cause.

Quirrell is subdued and sentenced to the Kiss by the Ministry. Albus has an emotional discussion with his long time friend Nicholas Flamel and the Sorcerer's Stone is destroyed.


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