Shoutout to angstar54 for the advice on whether or not to have Harry tell the others. Boy is he in for it, though. A very special thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers out there, and to all of you readers who have stuck with me as I've worked to expand upon the wonderful work of smoshfan777. I'm of the opinion that addressing the abuse that Harry's received from the Dursleys is an important thing to do, in some way or another. In this story, I see it not being as insurmountable or bad a struggle for Harry, but despite his support system, I still think it's important that he handle that shit. Do you want that to come up with his friends in the next chapter, from a professor, later on, or not at all? xoxo Merpl

Chapter Nine: Hit Him!

I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.

Harry and Hermione followed their potions professor to his office. As they navigated the halls, Harry looked around, nervously, noting every portrait and paying close attention to all of the smudges on the walls. When they reached the office, Harry looked nervously around at the shelves lined with jars, and he wasn't looking forward to the discussion that was to come at all.

As soon as the door was closed, the worried professor asked, "What is this about, Mr. Potter?"

Harry filled him in about everything that he had discovered.

When Harry was done talking, Snape looked at both of them with stern eyes and asked.

"How is it possible that a first-year managed to take the Stone?"

Harry blushed slightly and, not wanting to get Tony in trouble, said, "It's a long story, but I figured that since it was under protection, that somebody might be trying to steal it. One of my house elves helped me, but I don't want him to get in trouble."

Snape looked pensive as he took in Harry's words.

After a moment, in which, Harry and Hermione looked at each other nervously, Snape said, "A house elf. Of course we would miss - Do not worry about anything. I will attempt to bring the situation– under control as quickly as possible. Thank you for telling me this. Now, if that is all, would you and your girlfriend go to your dormitory. I have business to attend to."

Harry, unused to having friends, much less the thought of a girlfriend, stammered. "I-She's-."

Snape looked as though he was about to smile and said, "Mr. Potter, if you would."

Harry nodded and followed Hermione out of Professor Snape's office.

Hermione looked happy that Harry had listened to her. "Thanks, Harry."

Harry looked confused as he realized something.

"I wonder why he didn't ask about the Stone."

Hermione replied, "He probably thought that it would be safer with you."

Harry looked pensive as he thought of Snape's actions. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about Hermione. He knew he cared about her, and that she had been the first person to show him love, but Harry didn't know exactly what love was, and he wasn't sure if he felt that way about Hermione. He felt lucky that she hadn't said anything either way, as Harry wouldn't have been able to handle that.

A soft voice cut into his musings. "Are you sure you don't want to tell the others?"

"Hermione, the fewer people know, the safer we are. I don't want to put us at risk, okay?"

They went over to meet Terry, Sue, and the others at the library, and set to their actual homework, relieved that the stone had been taken care of. Harry joked around with Terry about the many uses of the Bezoar ("Yeah, will a bezoar heal me if I'm constipated?" "You're full of prunes, mate!") and Anthony and Sue reenacted scenes between Merlin and Morgana for them all. Parvati and Padma mostly just worked ("Hey Pav, what can you tell me about the uses of dragon's blood?" "Well, it's got twelve uses. What do you need to know?") and those interactions set the tone for their study session. All in all it was a good time.

The next day, the Ravenclaws had Defence Against the Dark Arts. Harry and his friends got to the classroom before anybody else.

The minute that Harry had stepped into the classroom, a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead, causing him to fall almost instantly.

"Harry? What's wrong?"

Harry started gasping as Professor Quirrell looked at him curiously.

Harry tried to get up as the pain in his scar vanished slightly. Before he could rise, Quirrell grabbed his arm roughly.

"Professor! What are you doing?" asked Hermione, slightly confused.

"Shut up, you silly girl!" yelled an unseen voice.

The voice seemed as though it was coming from Quirrell himself.

Petrified, he watched as Quirrell let go of his arm, reach up and begin to unwrap his turban.

Parvati shrieked as Quirrell turned slowly on the spot, and Terry let out a terrified moan.

Harry would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound.

Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.

"Harry Potter." it whispered.

"I know that you have the Stone. Why don't you be a good boy and give it to me."

Harry stumbled backward as Quirrell started walking backward at him.

"Give me the Stone. NOW!"

"Never!"

Harry sprang towards Hermione and said, "RUN! ALL OF YOU."

Hermione had a better plan. She whispered to the others to act afraid, and asked Sue, the fastest runner among them, to go for help. Silly little girl, she was not. Hermione had faced that kind of treatment from the boys who had bullied her in grade school for far too long. Sue darted out of the classroom.

As Harry was about to help his friends to follow her, he felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Harry's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled, struggling with all his might, and, to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him.

Harry noticed that Quirrell was somehow dissolving into nothing just as the pain in his scar receded. At that, his friends truly were, gobsmacked.

There was chaos in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom as Voldemort, Quirrell and Harry were all yelling. Hermione very nearly cried out.

Harry was tackled to the ground by Quirrell, who then pinned him to the ground with his knees.

Voldemort yelled, "Kill him!"

Before Quirrell could do anything, Harry reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face, as Hermione and the others pummelled Quirrell at her cry of "Hit him!"

As Quirrell rolled off of him, Harry fainted.

The last things Harry heard were Voldemort yelling and "Potter!"

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