Chapter 7 – Voldemort

As soon as Harry entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom with Draco, he felt a murderous pain shoot through his scar.

Dumbledore must have spoken to Quirrell, he thought to himself, as he was forced to go down on his knees by the pain.

He vaguely registered that Quirrell sent Draco to fetch Madame Pomfrey, and Draco reluctantly complied. Unfortunately, that left him alone with Quirrell, as no one else had turned up for the class yet.

"So, young Harry Potter, you can feel my Master, can you? How appropriate. You nearly had us thrown out of the school. Luckily, my Master can out-smart Albus Dumbledore any day." Quirrell knelt on the floor next to Harry, and smiled unpleasantly. "My Master wishes to teach you a lesson."

Fortunately for him, Professor Snape happened to be in the vicinity, and rushed to his aid.

"Potter! What are you doing here?" Snape cried.

"Oh, be quiet, Severus, the boy is in pain," Quirrell snapped at him.

Snape's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you would like to explain why he is in pain?"

"Really, Severus, must we pretend? Do you not know? Can you not feel your arm?"

Snape was white as a ghost. "Where is he?"

"Right here, I believe," came a soft voice, and three pairs of eyes turned to the newcomer.

Harry felt slightly better at the sight of Albus Dumbledore crackling with power. He backed away from Quirrell and pressed himself against the wall.

Snape drew his wand and Dumbledore held out his hand. Quirrell's turban unravelled and Harry whimpered at the horrific sight in front of him. There was another face sticking out from the back of Quirrell's head. A terrible, malicious, and yet somehow familiar face – red-eyed, slit-nosed.

"Voldemort..." Harry whispered. "That's why my scar ached."

"Quite right, Harry Potter," came a soft, hissing voice from that awful face.

"Run, Harry," Dumbledore said, as he attacked. Snape jumped in, right beside him.

Harry staggered to his feet and stumbled away from the fight, sticking close to the wall and avoiding being hit by any stray curses. As he turned into another corridor, he felt his legs give away and he slid down the side of the wall, trembling.

"Harry!"

Hermione and Susan had just arrived for class. Hermione knelt next to him and taking a deep breath, Harry quickly explained.

"I'll tell everyone class has been cancelled," Susan said. "Hermione will help you to the Hospital Wing, Harry."

Harry Potter...

A horrible voice floated into his head, and Harry stiffened. Hermione looked at him solicitously.

You will not escape me, Harry Potter...I have killed your beloved Professors, and I am coming for you and your little friends...come to me, Harry Potter, if you want anyone else to live...

Harry stopped breathing.

"He's killed Dumbledore and Snape," he said dully. "Find McGonagall. Find Flitwick. Get them to alert the Ministry."

"You're coming with us, Harry," Hermione said firmly.

"DO AS I SAY FOR ONCE! HE'S AFTER ME, AND ANYONE WITH ME IS GOING TO GET KILLED!" Harry closed his eyes and drew a rugged breath. "Please. Go."

And without looking at either of the girls, he staggered back to the corridor he had emerged from. He barely heard the triumphant "Avada Kedavra!" as he saw the familiar green light from his nightmares rushing towards him. I hope the girls find McGonagall...she'll save as many as possible, was his last conscious thought.

XXXXXX

Harry found himself sitting on a bench at a too-bright, too-white platform of King's Cross. He heard someone crying quietly and looked around. A horrible, malformed creature, the size of a baby, was sobbing under the bench.

"Who are you?" Harry asked softly.

"You can't help him, Harry."

Harry looked up into the face of Albus Dumbledore. No, this was not Dumbledore, but probably someone related to him. This was the old man who had been in his hawk dream.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The old man chuckled. "A figment of your imagination."

"Am I dead?"

"Not yet."

"Voldemort shot me with the killing curse."

"Yes, but he ended up killing a part of his soul...that creature under the bench. You can go back, Harry."

"How did he..." Harry frowned. "Wait a minute – I had a part of his soul?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"When he tried to kill you, your mother invoked very ancient magic by sacrificing herself and the curse rebounded on him. It also fragmented his soul, which then latched on to the only living thing it could find – you."

Harry shuddered.

"Do not worry, Harry, you will be all right. Now, off you go." The old man patted him on the back and Harry was suddenly back at Hogwarts, blinking up at the frantic – and very much alive – faces of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape.

"You foolish boy," a very white-faced Snape whispered. "Why did you come back?" Harry noticed that his shoulder was bleeding profusely.

"He said that he'd killed you – and Professor Dumbledore, and..."

"He spoke to you?" Dumbledore asked him sharply.

Harry nodded tiredly and rubbed his eyes. He explained what had happened. He did not notice the concerned look exchanged by Snape and Dumbledore.

A silver doe shot out of Snape's wand and galloped away.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"A message to Professor McGonagall. I am sure your friends are frantically explaining things to her now," Snape told him.

"What happened to Quirrell?" Harry asked.

"He died."

Harry nodded and leaned back against the wall.

"Ah, Poppy!" he heard Dumbledore say. "Just the person we need! Thank you Mr. Malfoy. Please tell your friends Harry would be in the Hospital Wing."

Blackness engulfed Harry and he heard no more.

XXXXXX

"The boy was a horcrux?" Minerva asked incredulously, her face very pale.

Albus nodded grimly. "Thankfully, we do not have to worry about that anymore."

"He needs to learn Occlumency. He cannot have the Dark Lord speaking to him in his head," Severus said.

The three adults sighed.

"Poor child," Minerva said.

"You must teach him, Severus," Albus told him. "Minerva and I shall, meanwhile, look for the remaining horcruxes."

"We need more people...the Order..." Minerva began.

Dumbledore held up a hand to cut her off. "We cannot have the Order know about the horcruxes; it must be kept as confidential as possible."

"We need more people, Albus, to help us while Severus is teaching Harry."

Albus looked thoughtful for a moment. "We have to bring in Remus Lupin."

"No," Snape growled. "Not your pet werewolf!"

"Severus," Albus said warningly.

"No."

"Harry needs more reliable adults in his life."

"The werewolf nearly killed me!" Severus sprang up from his chair. "How can you even think of bringing the beast here?"

"You can give him your wolfsbane potion," Albus said gently.

"We do need another Defence teacher for the rest of the term, Severus," Minerva said kindly. "And it would be good for Harry to have someone who knew his father well, too. I know you speak of Lily to him...but should he also not learn about James?"

"So he can torment Snivellus again?" Severus asked angrily.

"Severus! You know better than everyone that Harry is not his father!" Minerva looked shocked.

"Fine! Do whatever you want!" With that, Severus stormed out of the room.

XXXXXX

Harry was discharged from the Hospital Wing in two days, after much complaining on his part. He felt fine, and he could see no reason why Madame Pomfrey insisted on keeping him there and forcing abominable potions down his throat.

He felt relaxed. Voldemort was gone, at least for some time to come, and one of his soul fragments was destroyed when he had tried to kill Harry. Dumbledore allowed him to meet Coron whenever he wished, and Coron was more than happy chatting with Harry and Seri. Dumbledore had spoken to the ghosts about Tom Riddle, and the Grey Lady, Ravenclaw's ghost, had pointed them to another soul fragment of Voldemort, hidden in Ravenclaw's lost diadem. The Professors had found it, and Coron had destroyed it. Coron had also mentioned a diary which Tom Riddle used to write in when he came to the chamber of secrets, and when Harry informed Professor Snape about it, he remembered such a diary in the hands of Lucius Malfoy. Somehow, the Professors had managed to get that as well, and Coron had happily obliged by sinking his fangs into it.

Three soul fragments destroyed. Four more to go, if Voldemort had achieved his aim. Harry was content to enjoy his school days and play Quidditch, and leave the actual search to his Professors. Additionally, he was taking extra lessons with Professor Snape to learn Occlumency, so that Voldemort would not trick him my entering his mind again.

Best of all, they had a very nice new Professor for DADA. And Professor Lupin had been his father's friend at school.

All in all, Harry was happy, and looking forward to winning the next Quidditch game.