A nice game of chess


Right after detention the golden trio had gone to the Gryffindor common room, they were around the fireplace, Harry was standing.

'Why did he help me? He could just run away.' Harry thought to himself, he was thinking about the attack and why Malfoy had helped him get up. 'I just don't understand, I mean he hates me.' Harry was shocked with himself about how sad that thought sounded. 'I mean, I hate him too of course!' But the thought didn't even fool Harry. But his thoughts were cut off when he started to think about what happened in the forest besides Malfoy's strange behavior. He told the group about it.

"You mean, You-Know-Who's out there, right now, in the forest?" Hermione asked.

"But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong. Snape doesn't want the stone for himself, he wants the stone for Voldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll-He'll come back." Harry said.

"But if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to kill you, do you?" Ron said worriedly.

"I think if he'd had the chance, he might have tried to kill me tonight," Harry said.

"And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions final!" Ron said.

"Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard who can rank out Voldemort, and the one he has always feared?" Hermione said.

The boys shrugged.

"Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore's around, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched." Hermione said.


"I've always heard Hogwarts' end of the year exams were frightful, but I found that rather enjoyable." Hermione said.

"Speak for yourself. All right there, Harry?" Ron asked in concern.

"My scar. It keeps burning." Harry said.

"It's happened before," Hermione said.

"Yeah, but not like this," Harry complained.

"Perhaps you should see the nurse," Ron said.

"I think it's a warning. It means danger's coming. Uhh!" Harry said and rubbed his scar, while he was doing that he saw Hagrid across the field at his hut. And a thought hit him. "Oh. Of course!" Harry said and he ran for the hut.

"What is it?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one?" Harry said.

"I mean, how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before? Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg? What did he look like?" Harry asked Hagrid.

"I don't know. I never saw his face. He kept his hood up." Hagrid said.

"The stranger, though, you and he must have talked," Harry said.

" Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him. I said, after Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem." Hagrid said not understanding why he was asked all of this.

"And did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked.

"Well, of course, he was interested in Fluffy! How often do you come across a three-headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him. I said the trick with any beast is to know how to calm him. Take Fluffy, for example, just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep." Hagrid said with a smile, but when he noticed what he said…

"I shouldn't have told you that." He said and the trio took off. "Where you going?! Wait!"


"We have to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately!" Harry said after running in McGonagall's' classroom.

"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of myths and left immediately for London." McGonagall said.

"He's gone?! Now? But this is important! It's about...the Philosopher's Stone." Harry said panicked.

"How do you know," McGonagall asked shocked he knew about it.

"Someone's going to try and steal it," Harry said ignoring her question.

"I don't know how you three found out about the stone, but I can assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly." McGonagall said.

"But- Harry said but was cut off.

"NOW." McGonagall said.


"That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy." Harry said worriedly.

"And with Dumbledore gone- Hermione began but stopped when Snape suddenly appeared behind them.

"Good afternoon. Now, what would three young Gryffindors such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?" Snape asked.

"Uh...we were just..." Hermione stammered.

"You want to be careful. People will think you're up to something. Snape said.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione asked Harry.

"We go down the trapdoor. Tonight." He answered.


It was nighttime and Harry came down the Griffendor Stairs with Hermione and Ron. They began to walk to the door when they heard croaking.

"Trevor?" Harry said while looking at the toad.

"Trevor shhh! You shouldn't be here!" Ron said, a bit panicking that anyone heard the croaking.

"Neither should you! You're sneaking out again, aren't you!" Neville said standing up from the chair.

'Wow, I hadn't even noticed him.' Harry thought. Harry's vampire powers were getting a little stronger after drinking blood for months, and he could hear, smell and see thinks far quicker than normal. Not that quick, his body still needed to recover from eating human food for so long and according to Hermione that could take a long, long time, it could even take years! But at least he'd know for sure that the powers would come at least before his 18th.

But since Harry's powers were on full alert, he should have been able to detect Neville, but he hadn't. And when he looked over at Hermione he saw the shock in her eyes too.

"Now Neville listen. We were-

"No! I won't let you! You'll get Griffendor in trouble again! I-I'll fight you." Neville said.

Ron started to laugh.

"You, PFFT, I mean that you could fight me alright but, a werewolf and vampire? You must be nuts!" Ron said while cracking.

"I sure as hell can! It's in my blood! I'm a hunter!" Neville said, shocked he said it out loud.

They were all quiet. Harry could see in Neville's eyes he was waiting for them to rip him to shreds, and it pained him, he wanted to comfort him but was stopped by Hermione.

"Neville, I'm really sorry about this and don't worry we won't say a thing," Hermione said and took Rons' hand and with it his wand, just like in charms.

"Petrificus Totalus." She said while pointing the wand to Neville. Neville immediately froze and fell on the ground not moving.

"YES! It worked!" Hermione said enthusiastically. "But how does it work- she was cut off by Ron.

"You're a little scary sometimes…you know that? Brilliant…but scary." He said and Hermione blushed.

When she did that Ron started smelling weird again, Harry just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Let's go." Harry said what was followed by a "Sorry" to Neville.

"Sorry," Hermione said.

"It's for your own good, you know." Ron said and the three left.


"Ow! You stood on my foot!" Hermione said to Ron, the three were all under Harry's invisibility cloak.

"Sorry," Ron responded.

"Give me your hand Ron," Hermione said, and Ron gave her his hand.

"Your other hand Ron, you know the one with the wand," Hermione said.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," Ron said ashamed.

"Alohomora," Hermione said pointing the wand at the door.

Ron and Harry knew that Ron did this spell before but they just didn't want to ruin Hermione's fun that she could do magic (with Rons' help).

'And because Ron probably will set something on fire.' Harry thought.

They got inside.

"Wait a minute… he's…snoring." Harry said and the cloak flew off. "Snape's already been here."

"Uh. It's got a horrible breath! Ron said.

"We have to move its paw," Harry said.

"WHAT?!" Ron said.

"Come on. Okay, push!" Harry said.

They opened the door.

"I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign. If something bad happens, get yourselves out…" Harry said and noticed that it was really quiet. "Doesn't it seem a little… quiet?" He whispered.

"The harp, it stopped playing. Hermione whispered.

"Ew! Yuck! Ugh." Ron said and all three looked up and saw Fluffy standing there, very much awake.

"Jump! Go!" Harry said and jumped in the hole.

"Ahh!" Ron screamed. "Whoa. Lucky this plant-thing is here, really."

"Whoa!" Harry said when the plant began to move towards them. "Oh. Ahh!" The plant was tying them up.

"Stop moving, both of you. This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster." Hermione said.

"Kill us faster?! Oh, now I can relax!" Ron yelled.

Hermione smiled at him and was sucked down below.

"HERMIONE!" They both yelled.

"Now what are we going to do without here scary, brilliant brain?!" Ron asked Harry in complete panic.

"Just relax!" Hermione yelled.

"Hermione! Where are you?!" Harry yelled.

"Do what I say. Trust me." She said.

Harry relaxed and was sucked through.

"AHH! HARRY!" Ron yelled.

Harry fell down and saw Hermione.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Harry answered.

"Help!" Harry heard Ron yelling.

"He's not relaxing, is he?" Hermione asked.

"Apparently not," Harry said.

"We've got to do something!" Hermione said.

"What?" Harry said.

"Ah! I remember reading something in Herbology! Wait, Fuck, that's for wizards!" Hermione started to panic. "Ehrm… ehh… what do I do! Ahh, Fuck it, I can always try!" Hermione said and her sharp werewolf claws and yellow eyes appeared.

She jumped up and started to claw her way through the vines. Ron fell.

"Well… at least… it worked." Hermione said out of breath.

"Ron are you okay?" Harry asked.

"Yeah." He answered

"Okay, good," Harry said.

"Whew. Lucky we didn't panic!" Ron said.

"Lucky Hermione has werewolf claws that can, apparently, cut through those vines," Harry said.


After they've gone through a weird flying keys…thing, they walked into a dark room with broken pieces all around.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all." Hermione said.

"Where are we? A graveyard." Harry asked.

"This is no graveyard. It's a chessboard." Ron said.

"There's the door," Harry said but when they walked towards it, the pawns brought up swords from behind.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room. All right. Harry, you take the Bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the Queen's side castle. As for me, I'll be a knight." Ron said and they all took their place.

"What happens now?" Hermione asked.

"Well, white moves first, and then...we play," Ron said and a pawn from the other side moved forward.

"Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like...real wizard's chess, do you?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"You there! D-5!" Ron said and a black pawn moved forward, diagonal to the white pawn. The white pawn raised its swords and smashed the black one.

"Yes, Hermione, I think this is going to be exactly like wizard's chess!" Ron said.


The game continued, Harry looked at the game and there was only one move left.

"Wait a minute," Harry said.

"You understand right, Harry. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me...then you'll be free to check the King." Ron said.

"No, Ron! No!" Harry yelled.

"What is it?" Hermione asked not noticing what Ron is planning.

"He's going to sacrifice himself!"

"No, Ron, you can't! There must be another way!" Hermione yelled.

"Do you want to stop Snape or not? Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Hermione, you. Knight...to H-3. Ron said.

Ron's horse moved forward, slid and stopped.

"Check," Ron said.

The Queen turned and advanced. Ron breathed faster, clutching the steel reins. The Queen stopped and… SMASH! Ron went flying off the horse and landed on the floor, unconscious.

"RON!" Harry yelled and Hermione wanted to walk over to him. "NO! Don't move! Don't forget, we're still playing." Hermione moved back. Harry walked the diagonal in front of the King. "Checkmate." He said and the Kings sword fell onto the ground.

"Victory." Harry breathed out and then the two ran to Ron. "Take care of Ron. Then, go to the owlery. Send a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right...I have to go on." Harry said.

"You'll be okay, Harry. You're a great creature, you really are." Hermione assured him.

"Not as good as you." He said.

"Me? Books, cleverness, and claws? There are more important things. Friendship, and bravery. And Harry, just be careful." Hermione said.

Harry nods and stood up, walking away.


"You?" Harry asked, looking over at Quirrell, who turned around. "No. It can't be...Snape. He was the one…

"Yes. He does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to me, who would suspect, "p-p-poor s-stuttering Professor Quirrell?" Quirrell said.

"B-but, that day, during the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me."

"No, dear boy. I tried to kill you! And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse, really his kind is just unbelievable."

"Snape was trying to...save me?"

"I knew you were a danger right from the start. Especially after Halloween."

"Th-then you let the troll in."

"Very good Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon, he went to the 3rd floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone." Quirrell turned back to the mirror and Harry's scar began to hurt.

"But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never. Now...what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the stone. But how do I get it?"

"Use the boy." A sudden voice tells.

"Come here, Potter, now! Tell me. What do you see?"

Harry looks in the mirror. He sees himself. His mirror self-brings his hand into his pocket and takes out a red stone. The mirror self-winks and puts the stone back. Very subtly, Harry reaches into his pocket. There is a lump. He gasps.

"What is it?! What do you see?!"

'FUCK, what do I do?!' Harry thought.

"I-I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup."

"He lies." The voice said again.

"Tell the truth! What do you see?!"

"Let me speak to him." The voice asked.

"Master, you are not strong enough."

"I have strength enough for this." The voice said.

Quirrell unwrapped his turban and on the side opposite his face, another face is planted. "Harry Potter. We meet again." The voice said.

"Voldemort," Harry said immediately knowing it was him.

"Yes. You see what I have become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another. A mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can. Something, that conveniently enough, lies in your pocket!" Voldemort said.

Harry turned and tried to run.

"Stop him!" Voldemort commanded.

Quirrell snapped his fingers and fire erupts all around the room. Harry was stuck.

"Don't be a fool! Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?!" Voldemort starts again.

"Never!" Harry said.

"Haha. Bravery. Your parents had it too. Tell me, Harry, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together, we can bring them back. All I ask for is something in return." Voldemort said and Harry took the stone from his pocket. "That's it, Harry. There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the stone!"

"You liar!" Harry yelled.

"Kill him!" Voldemort commanded.

Quirrell soared into the air and smashes into Harry, one hand on Harry's throat. They fell to the steps. The stone falls out of Harry's reach as Quirrell choked him. Harry strained and squeaked. Suddenly, Harry put his hand on Quirrell's, trying to get him off. Smoke curled from under his hand.

"Ahh! Ahh!" Quirrell screamed, his hand crumbling into a mountain of black ash.

"What is this magic?"

"Idiotic Nimf! Get the stone!" Voldemort commanded.

'Oh, but that's handy, pfft, mind joke.' Harry thought to himself.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Quirrell screamed again when Harry put his hands back into Quirrell's' face.

Quirrell backed up, then his face, which was horrendously burned, crumbled as he walked forward. His whole body went to ash. He fell to the floor.

Harry looked at his own hands and hurried over to the stone. He picked it up and sighed when he heard something. Harry turned around seeing a dust cloud with Voldemort's face. The cloud rushed forward, right through Harry.


"Good afternoon, Harry. Ah. Tokens from your admirers?" Dumbledore asked looking over at Harry who's in a hospital bed.

"Admirers?" Harry asked.

"What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. Ah, I see your friend Ronald has saved you the trouble of opening your Chocolate Frogs." Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Ron was here? Is he all right? What about Hermione?" Harry asked in concern.

"Fine. They're both just fine." Dumbledore answered.

"But, what happened to the Stone?" Harry asked.

"Relax, dear boy. The stone has been destroyed. My friend Nicholas and I had a little chat and agreed it was best all around." Dumbledore answered.

"But Flamel, he'll die, won't he?" Harry asked.

"He has enough Elixir to set his affairs in order. But yes, he will die." Dumbledore said.

"How is it I got the Stone, sir? One minute I was staring in the mirror, and the next...

"Ah. You see, only a person who wanted to find the Stone, find it, but not use it, would be able to get it. That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me that's saying something." Dumbledore said still smiling.

"Does that mean, with the Stone gone, I mean, that Voldemort can never come back?" Harry asked.

"Ah, I'm afraid there are ways in which he can return. Harry, do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him? It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you, and that kind of act leaves a mark. No, no, this kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin." Dumbledore said.

"What is it?"

"Love, Harry, love."

"Ah. Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. I was most unfortunate in my youth to come across a vomit-flavored one, and since then I have lost my liking for them. But I think I could be safe with a nice toffee… Mm. Alas. Earwax." Dumbledore said.


After Gryffindor won the house cup, the students were getting on the train.

"Come on now, hurry up. You'll be late. Train's leaving. Go on. Go on. Come on. Hurry up." Hagrid said.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione said.

"One minute," Harry said and walked over to Hagrid.

"Thought you were leaving without saying good-bye, didja?" Hagrid said and gave Harry an album. "This is for you."

Harry opened the album and saw a picture, moving, of him as a baby with his parents. They were all smiling and waving. Harry smiled.

"Thanks, Hagrid," Harry said and hugged him tightly.

"Oh. Go on...on with you." Hagrid said. "Oh, listen, Harry, if that dolt of a cousin of yours, Dudley, gives you any grief, you could always, um, threaten him with giving him less blood.

"But Hagrid, we're not allowed to use any of our powers out of Hogwarts let alone bite him and I've never actually bitten anybody. You know that." Harry said.

"I do. But your cousin doesn't, does he? Eh? Off you go." Hagrid said while smiling.

Harry walked away, back to the train door where Hermione and Ron were waiting.

"Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?" Hermione said.

"I'm not going home. Not really." Harry said.


Hello :)

So I want to thank (yes again) everybody who reads this story etc. And thank you very much for reviewing.

Alright, so, next chapter is going to be in Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets timeline thingy, but I'll probably skip a lot more, and after that probably much more.

And for the ones that are looking for the M rating stuff... yeah, that kinda will take some time BUT it'll happen.