Harry never could imagine how he got through the exams with Voldemort hanging over his head like the Sword of Damocles. To top it off, he had been having shooting head-aches ever since the encounter with Voldemort. His scar had been aching continuously almost as if warning him of some impending danger. Harry had written back to Ragnok thanking him for his help and promising that he would keep his advice close to heart.
Harry spent a lot of time with the unicorn who seemed to be recovering quite well under Hagrid's care. Harry had started calling him Argentum and the unicorn had started responding to the name. Harry and he had developed quite a rapport. Surprisingly Argentum did not allow anyone besides Harry and Hagrid to touch him.
The exams had been a walk in the park for Harry, almost. Herbology and Astronomy were a bit tough but nothing that he couldn't manage. Defense was rather easy if boring and Harry's forgetful potion came out just right. Snape didn't look too happy after the exam which could only mean that all the Gryffindors had indeed passed. Professor Flitwick asked them to make a pineapple tap-dance across the table which Harry managed just fine and he even received a smile from Professor McGonagall for his snuffbox.
By far Ron and Harry's easiest exam had been History, their last paper. They just re-read all the homework pieces that they had submitted and appeared for the exam, by the end of which they were fairly certain that they were probably going to top the class in History.
It was they were coming out of the History paper that something suddenly struck Harry and he stopped in his tracks.
"What happened Harry?" Hermione asked.
Harry didn't reply for some time. "Ron, dragon-eggs are non-tradable items right?"
"Yes."
"How odd is it? Hagrid always wanted a dragon egg and he happens to meet a dragon-dealer just like that in a pub and wins the egg?" Harry finished saying and immediately started running towards Hagrid's hut.
Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.
"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"
"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off.
"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"
"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off."
He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.
"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head --that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."
Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas. "What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"
"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember.
"Yeah... he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after... so I told him... an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon... an' then... I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks... Let's see... yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."
"And did he -- did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Well -- yeah -- how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep --"
Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.
"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey -- where're yeh goin'?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.
"We need to find Professor Dumbledore. It's gone too far now. So far we believed that no one could go beyond Fluffy but that is not true now. That stranger had to be either Voldemort or whoever his accomplice is."
"What are you three doing inside?" It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Harry and Ron thought.
"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"
Harry swallowed -- now what? "You wouldn't believe it if we told you Mam."
Harry immediately flinched as Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared. "Well, he is not here. He just left for London on important ministry business. So please tell me what is this all about."
Harry's heart sank. This was bad. Dumbledore wasn't here; the only wizard that Voldemort was afraid of wasn't there anymore. He took a deep breath and decided to go for it.
"We think that someone is going to try and steal the Philosopher's Stone today."
Whatever it was that Professor McGonagall was expecting it wasn't this. The stack of books that she was carrying fell from her hands.
"H….How do you know about the Stone?"
"The question is Mam, what are you going to do about it now. After, we have warned you." Harry replied.
Professor McGonagall looked stumped for a moment. "It is too well protected. Professor Dumbledore will be informed as soon as he returns. Now don't concern yourself over it and stay away from the corridor." She picked up the books and swiftly left.
Harry knew that no-one would believe them. But he expected Professor McGonagall to at least listen him out.
"Do you think she would have believed us if we had told her about Voldemort's involvement?" Ron asked.
Harry was about to reply when a cold voice interrupted him.
"What are you doing inside on a fine day like this?" It was Snape. "I hope you are not up to something Potter, Gryffindor are rock-bottom on the House Cup."
Harry wondered if someone who showed so much malice against, well everyone but Malfoy was really innocent. Suddenly inspiration struck.
"Professor." Harry called out. "Can I ask you a question?"
Snape looked as if Harry had grown an extra head or something and then surprisingly nodded.
"Do you remember the Welcoming Feast, Sir?" Snape had a look of surprise on his face which was mirrored by both Ron and Hermione. Snape nodded again so Harry continued. "Did you use legilimency on me then?"
Now, Snape looked totally dumb-struck. Harry was sure that if anything Snape surely did not expect this. Snape looked suspiciously from Ron to Hermione and back to Harry.
"What do you mean Potter?" But Harry did not answer and instead kept on looking at Snape. After a few moments, Snape broke eye-contact and answered. "No, Potter I did not."
Harry still had a blank look on his face. But his heart was actually leaping into his mouth. "Who was responsible for the broom incident?"
Now Ron and Hermione looked as if they wanted to drag Harry away. Snape however had a stony look on his face. Before Snape could answer, Harry pushed on.
"Was it Quirrel?" Now Ron and Hermione looked as if they believed that Harry had completely lost it. Snape did not reply, but the look that came over his face gave all the answers that Harry needed.
Harry spun around and started walking off. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Ron and Hermione hesitate for a moment and then they followed him. Snape looked on for a moment and then he too spun and walked off in the opposite direction. Ron and Hermione caught up with Harry a moment later and practically shoved him into the wall to stop him.
"What the hell was all that about mate?" Ron began but Harry shushed him.
"Not here. We will talk at Peeves'."
The trio reached Peeves' classroom in the Charms corridor and luckily Peeves was right there as usual changing the obscenities on the black-board.
"Peeves we need your help."
"Of course, Scarhead Peeves is always ready to help. What is Peeves doing?"
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione for a moment and then outlaid the plan. "All right Peeves. You remember the third floor corridor from where you saved us from Filch." Peeves nodded so Harry continued. "Can you please go and keep watch there for us? If someone enters the room where we were hiding will you come and tell us immediately?"
Peeves nodded. "Peeves can do that Scarhead. But where should I come to tell you?"
"We will be right here in your classroom." Harry replied. Peeves mock saluted Harry and went off.
"All right Harry, explain now." Hermione finally demanded.
Harry took a deep breath and was wondering as to how he would word the explanation.
"Ron, you remember how I had told you that I felt a sharp pain in the scar during the Welcoming Feast?" Ron nodded so Harry continued. "After the incident with Voldemort my scar has been aching in similar fashion. Whenever Snape had probed me before my scar had never hurt. I just realized that when I saw Snape. That was the only explanation for the similar aches in the scar; Voldemort was responsible for it both times."
Harry paused for a moment and let the implications of his declaration sink in. It was then that he realized what kind of a conclusion he had come to; he had just declared that Voldemort was in the Great Hall mere feet away from Professor Dumbledore.
"But how Harry, Professor Dumbledore can see through invisibility cloaks. And what was all that about Quirrel. The man can barely complete a sentence without stuttering. How can he be helping You-know-who?" Ron spit out. He clearly did not believe it, Harry looked at Hermione she had a thoughtful look on her face.
"I can't tell you how Voldemort was in the Great Hall. It has to something with Quirrel that is all I am sure about right now. Voldemort might be I don't know possessing him or something."
"How did you end up with Quirrel?" Hermione had finally asked a question.
"It was a shot in the dark. I remembered Hagrid telling me that Quirrel had spent some time away from school and came back as a stuttering and jumpy man instead of a confident one that left. Snape and I guess Professor Dumbledore suspected Quirrel too. I simply asked that question to check Snape's reaction and his face told me all I wanted to know."
The three were quiet for a few moments. Each one, thinking over the exact implications of Harry's words, they were simply enormous. If Voldemort came back it would be total chaos.
"If Professor Dumbledore doesn't turn up, what are we going to do?" Hermione asked.
Harry didn't reply. He knew exactly what he would have to do. The question was, could he risk his only friends to stop Voldemort. What if they were harmed in some way. He could never live with that. They were his only friends.
"I will go after him if Peeves comes and tells us that Quirrel has gone down the trapdoor. I can't force you guys to come. It will be ……."
"Shut-up Harry we will come with you. We are in this together." Hermione said.
"Yeah mate, besides whom do you think we are Slytherins, to run away from a friend?"
Harry smiled for the first time in a couple of hours. Trust Ron to bring in Gryffindor pride and courage everywhere.
"Well we will have to be prepared to face the fact that we might have to actually go in. I will get the invisibility cloak and something to play music. I don't fancy facing an awake Fluffy. Hermione stay here in case Peeves comes back and Ron would you please go and get some food from the kitchens. It might actually be a totally false alarm you know."
Ron and Hermione nodded so Harry got up and started the walk to the Gryffindor common-room and Ron went off to the kitchens. Harry retrieved the invisibility cloak and the flute that Hagrid had given him for Christmas and went back to Peeves' classroom. Ron too had returned by then and by the looks of it got enough food to last them a couple of days.
"What? The house elves were rather generous, I can't help that." Ron said in self-defence as Harry and Hermione both started laughing.
They waited nervously in the classroom waiting for Peeves to show-up. Hermione actually got out her defence book and started reciting from it. Finally 10-minutes past curfew, Peeves showed up.
"Scarhead you were being right. Someone, Peeves cannot tell who went into that door five minutes ago."
Harry, Ron and Hermione were on their feet in moments.
"All right Peeves thanks for that, we really owe you for that." Peeves only smiled awkwardly and sailed through the blackboard. "Lets go guys."
The three got under the invisibility cloak and slowly started to make their way towards the third floor corridor. They reached the door and found it open and a harp playing magically in the background. Fluffy was out like light.
"Last chance to back….." Harry began but stopped after getting a 'look' from Hermione. They dumped their bags outside the door and Harry stuffed the invisibility cloak into his bag. They reached the trapdoor and opened it. It was completely dark in there.
"I will go in first. If I somehow don't make it don't come after me, run off to the owlery and send Hedwig to Professor Dumbledore." Ron and Hermione were clearly not pleased at that but they nodded anyways.
Harry took a deep breath and hoped that this wouldn't be the last decision of his life jumped in. A couple of seconds later his fall was broken by something soft. Not really in a trusting mood, Harry jumped away from the soft landing. It was actually a creeper, Harry couldn't recognize it but he didn't like the way it kept on moving around.
"All right guys, jump in. It is a soft landing but the moment you land get up and get off these vines, I don't like them very much." Harry hollered up to the trapdoor. A moment later Hermione jumped down and immediately rolled off the vines which had began moving again, almost as if trying to catch Hermione.
"Any idea about what it is Hermione?" Harry asked.
Hermione was silent for a few moments and then nodded. "It's Devil's Snare, it strangles a victim."
"Well it's at least not fast to catch a victim. Jump down Ron but once again roll off the vines immediately."
Ron jumped down and tried to stand-up but the vines were quicker this time and managed to get a hold of Ron's legs. Harry watched in horror as Ron fought to pull the plant off him, but the more he strained against it, the tighter and faster did it wound around him.
"Stop moving Ron! It's the Devils' Snare." Hermione ordered her voice clearly panicky.
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.
"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.
"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Ron gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... what did Professor Sprout say? – it likes the dark and the damp."
"Incendio!" No sooner had Hermione pronounced that, Harry whipped out his wand and cast the fire spell at the plant. Almost as soon as the fire struck the plant the vines began retreating and Ron broke free of the plant.
"Lucky you like Herbology Hermione and damn lucky Harry likes to read-up on charms not in the syllabus." Ron pronounced.
"Well let's keep moving. I hate to say this, but Professor Sprout's hurdle is bound to be the easiest." Harry said as he took another look at the Devil's Snare and then moved on through the only way forward.
They were traveling for almost 10minutes now and the only thing they heard was the dripping of water and the echoes of their footsteps. Suddenly Harry heard a soft rustling and clinking sound coming from up ahead. They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.
"They are all keys." Harry suddenly exclaimed.
"What?" Ron asked as he tried the door but it did not budge even after he tried the 'Alohomora'-charm.
Harry spotted some brooms in a corner and everything became perfectly clear. "Grab a broom, the keys will probably fly away or something. Since Quirrel must have already come through here we are probably looking for a key with damaged wings."
Harry and Ron mounted the brooms began encircling the chamber. No sooner had they started flying the winged-keys started flying around too. The keys simply flew at the eye-level of the person who was flying the highest. It made looking around almost impossible. But Harry wasn't the youngest seeker for nothing. The 'charm' on the keys was brilliant but there was one small mistake. They were all flying at the same speed. Within two minutes Harry had spotted and caught the slow-flying key.
No sooner had they opened the door the key flew back rather awkwardly now. The next chamber was completely dark. After all three had stepped into it lights came on and a giant chess-set was revealed.
"Professor McGonagall." Harry said. "Well Ron looks like it's time to see whether you can defeat McGonagall's chess set."
Ron nodded grimly. Ron took the place of a black knight and Harry and Hermione were ordered to be a bishop and a castle. Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?
"Harry -- move diagonally four squares to the right."
Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.
"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."
Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.
"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think let me think..."
The white queen turned her blank face toward him.
"Yes..." said Ron softly, "It's the only way... I've got to be taken and then Harry can checkmate the king."
"NO!" Both Harry and Hermione cried out.
"I had promised myself that I wouldn't allow you two to be harmed Ron. There has to be another way. C'mon."
Ron didn't reply instead he simply stepped forward. The white queen pounced on him and struck Ron hard on the head with her stone arm. Ron crumbled to the floor. He looked completely knocked out but at least he was breathing.
Harry moved three spaces to the left and stopped before the white king who removed his crown and threw it at Harry's feet and the chessmen parted leaving the door open for Harry and Hermione. Throwing one last look at Ron, the two rushed up the passageway. Harry mentally counted out the Professor's who had participated so far. Only Quirrel and Snape were left besides Professor Dumbledore.
They had reached another door.
"All right?" Harry whispered.
"Go on."
Harry pushed it open. A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."
He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.
"Snape's." Harry said and then stepped over the threshold. No sooner had both Harry and Hermione stepped over a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.
Hermione stepped forward and grabbed a piece of paper which had a riddle on it. But Harry wasn't looking at the riddle but completely concentrating on the bottles.
"Hermione, can you figure out the riddle?"
Hermione read over it once again. "I think so."
"Good, decide which one takes you back and then go back and wake-up Ron. Take the brooms from the keys' chamber and get out. Then get to the owlery and send Hedwig to Professor Dumbledore and then tell Professor McGonagall about this and ask her to somehow seal Fluffy's chamber."
"What…..wait. How do you know which bottle can take you through?" Hermione asked almost sounding insulted that Harry had figured out the puzzle before her.
"Snape is smart but not smart enough. He has filled all the bottles to the brim and only one is standing almost empty. Also, when you go back take that bottle with you. If Quirrel is indeed successful it might help in trapping him."
"But….what if you need to return?" Hermione asked in a shaky voice.
"It's a one-way ticket down there Hermione;" Harry said pointing towards the door leading forward. "I am no match for Quirrel and if Voldemort is there, it's game-up."
Hermione was clearly about to cry. "A…..t At least let me figure out the puzzle. It is a muggle puzzle I have read it in a book somewhere. That way we can be sure."
Harry nodded so Hermione concentrated on the puzzle and after a few minutes she had a triumphant gleam on her face.
"Got it," she said. "You are right the smallest bottle will get us through the black fire -- toward the Stone and that rounded bottle at the end of the line will get us back."
"Drink up Hermione and take back the damn bottle."
Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.
"Hermione!"
"Harry -- you're a great wizard, you know."
"Yeah I know. Now don't give me a bighead, Snape would love it."
Hermione actually managed to smile at that and then hugged Harry again. She then gulped from the bottle and went through the purple fire with the bottle. Harry took a deep breath and wondered if he would ever see her and Ron again. But there were bigger things at stake here; if Voldemort got the stone seeing them again wouldn't matter. Ginny. Harry suddenly remembered her, no he couldn't die. He hadn't even spoken to her yet. Shaking his head, he grabbed the bottle and gulped the potion in it and bracing himself for anything stepped through the fire.
The chamber was rather small as compared to the others and standing in one corner looking into a mirror was Quirrel.
"Hello Quirrel." Harry called out and Quirrel jumped. Harry thought that Quirrel must have been sleeping to not have noticed the fire. Quirrel turned around and Harry noticed that he wasn't looking like the nervous, unsure man they had all gotten used to.
"Potter." Quirrel said in an uncharacteristically loud and confident voice. "I was wondering whether I would see you here today."
"Well for someone expecting company while trying to steal you were mighty oblivious towards the door."
Quirrel's face crunched-up in pain. "I was concentrating Potter. Dumbledore is away and you are hardly a match for me." Barely finishing the sentence Quirrel snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and were about to wrap around themselves tightly around Harry when simply out of instincts, Harry jumped away and the ropes fell to the ground.
"You need to be quicker Quirrel. Don't you know, I caught a snitch within 30-seconds of the whistle?"
Quirrel had a look of total fear on his face now. Harry wondered why in the world he didn't try that again or why the hell was Quirrel looking afraid? Frankly, Harry had got rather lucky the first time.
"By the way, where the hell is Voldemort anyways? I know that he was in the Great Hall during the Welcoming Feast."
Quirrel had completely frozen now. It was almost as if someone had petrified him. For a moment Harry wondered, if he could actually whip out his wand and use the full body bind on him. But he threw away that idea, Quirrel could somehow do wandless magic, he was absolutely no match for that.
Suddenly a high voice spoke out somewhere from around Quirrel.
"Let me speak to him face to face----"
"Master you are not strong enough----."
Suddenly Harry realized where Voldemort had been. He was actually possessing Quirrel.
"I am strong enough for this."
Quirrel turned around and began unwinding his turban. Harry froze but only for a second. He took the small time-window to take a look at the mirror and he froze. He saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket -- and as it did so, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow -- incredibly -- he'd gotten the Stone.
Suddenly Harry realized that Quirrel had finished unwinding the turban and had turned around and Harry was now facing 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.
"See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapour ... I have form only when I can share another's body... but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds... Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks... and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... Now... why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"
Swiftly Harry realized what was transpiring. Voldemort could do legilimency too and he knew that Harry had the stone. He blurted out the first word that came out to his mind.
"What the hell is the problem with you Death-Eaters? First damn Snape and now you; can't you keep your legilimency to yourselves?"
Unless Harry was mistaken, Voldemort actually looked impressed. "You seem to be a worthy adversary Harry Potter, why don't you join me. The two of us, together can rule the world."
"Gee thanks for the offer, but I have a Quidditch match to play in a couple of days and I don't think that Professor McGonagall would be too pleased if I joined your sorry band, so thanks but no thanks."
"Don't be a fool, Harry Potter;" snarled Voldemort. Better save your own life and join me...or you'll meet the same end as your parents... They died begging me for mercy..."
"Yeah sure and Professor Dumbledore and you were the best of mates." Harry calmly replied back.
For one moment a shadow passed over Voldemort's face. "Yes boy, your parents were brave... I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight... but your mother needn't have died... she was trying to protect you... Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."
Harry froze. Voldemort had given him more information about his parents than anyone else. But he ignored that feeling. He realized that Quirrel was walking backwards towards him and subconsciously he too was walking backwards and now was very close to the black fire.
"No one ever dies in vain Voldemort. Even if the two of you, if I can call you 'two' manage to kill me today, it won't be in vain." Harry suddenly whipped out his wand and got out the blood red stone and levitated the stone vertically out of his hand first and then moved it horizontally into the black fire.
"NO!" Voldemort screamed. "STOP him Quirrel."
But it was too late, by the time Quirrel managed to turn around and pull out his wand, the magical fire had done it's job. A second later a huge explosion rocked the chamber and Harry was thrown back into the chamber. Harry felt at least a couple of bones in the legs break and a lot of ribs crack. His head was hurting like hell too.
Harry was surprised that he was still conscious though totally dazed and he was lying face down. He groaned and then turned around, only to see Quirrel standing over him with his wand pointed dead at Harry's throat. Great Harry thought, he didn't even have a wand at least he couldn't feel it anywhere on his body nor was it visible.
"I told you Voldemort no one dies in vain. No one with their heart in the right place that is."
Voldemort's face laughed a high cackle. "I have many ways to return Potter."
Harry watched as Quirrel flinched when Voldemort laughed. Seizing the opportunity and ignoring the pain in his body, Harry swiftly raised his right hand and grabbed the wand out of Quirrel's hand and did the only thing that made any sense to him. He loudly snapped it.
"Sorry about that Quirrel but I don't think a duel between a Professor and a First year student was fair."
"KILL him Quirrel!" Voldemort was clearly furious now.
"B….But how master, I don't have my wand—"
"Strangle him you fool……he's an 11-year old."
Quirrel stepped forward and grabbed Harry by the neck. The moment Quirrel's hand touched Harry's skin, Harry experienced an enormous spike of pain in the scar that practically knocked him out. But it went away within a moment as Quirrel screamed and yanked his hands away as if burnt. Through the haze he saw that Quirrel's hands were indeed burnt.
"I can't touch him master without….." began Quirrel but Harry did not give him any opportunity to complete the sentence. He somehow managed to jump up and latched on to Quirrel's neck. The pain that Harry felt was beyond measure. He felt as if his head would burst any moment. Quirrel's screams were actually hurting his ears in addition to all the other physical pain that he was feeling.
Suddenly Quirrel screamed out even louder if that was even possible. Harry felt Quirrel's body trembling and shivering tremendously and then Quirrel stopped screaming and shaking underneath Harry. Harry stopped feeling the pain though his head was throbbing like mad. On an impulse Harry felt the back of Quirrel's head, it was smooth again. Voldemort had left Quirrel to die and fled barely alive, again. Harry pushed himself away from Quirrel and smiled to himself. He felt his eyes closing involuntarily; well if he was going to die he wanted to die smiling. A moment later he felt darkness overcome him.
Harry felt something. It was a smell. It was the smell of clean linen. That's interesting he thought, what in the world does clean linen have to do with being dead. Then he heard voices. Voices, which were familiar and also unfamiliar to Harry.
"Is he going to make it Albus?" It was a feminine voice but somehow Harry couldn't place it due to the tone. It was as if he had never heard that tone.
"Poppy says it will take three or four days, but he will make it." Harry had heard the voice but again couldn't place it.
"He warned me but I simply refused to believe him." It was the familiar yet unfamiliar feminine voice again.
"No one would have. He was not supposed to know about the stone leave alone the fact that someone was trying to steal it." The familiar male voice again.
"At least Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger emerged perfectly all right out of all this. But if something happens to him….." The caring and compassionate feminine voice again. Harry let out a mental sigh of relief; Ron and Hermione were all-right.
"Nothing is going to happen to him Minerva." The male again.
"What about the stone Albus?" Harry had never heard that voice before; it sounded old yet was very rich and certainly belonged to a male.
"I have no idea, Nicolas. The mirror does not contain it anymore so Harry must have got it out; I doubt that Quirrel could have got it out. Just as I entered I saw the black shadow which I can only presume to be Voldemort run away, so he doesn't have the stone either." Harry knew the voice. It was Professor Dumbledore's voice.
He was not dead. Professor Dumbledore couldn't die after-all. He was alive. Voldemort had run away. Harry suddenly found everything rather funny and started laughing. Laughing out loud. Four people swung towards Harry. Harry almost felt their gazes and tried to open his eyes. The light around him was blinding and he shut his eyes again. It was silent around him. He slowly started opening his eyes millimeter by millimeter and he could open his eyes completely now. He groaned loudly, his head was still throbbing and so were his legs.
His vision was blurred. Somebody put his glasses on and put them on. He looked around and saw Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall an old lady and an old man all staring at him as if he was some kind of a miracle. Nobody spoke anything and Harry was wondering who the other two persons were, they did look a couple the way they were holding hands. Professor McGonagall suddenly spoke up.
"You are not supposed to be awake, Mr. Potter." Harry heard the tone of her voice and realized that the caring and compassionate and kind feminine voice that he had heard earlier was actually Professor McGonagall and burst out laughing.
Everyone around the bed looked taken aback. Professor McGonagall spoke up again. "What exactly was funny in my question Mr. Potter?"
Harry laughed even loudly at that. "Do you know Mam how strange it is to hear you speak in a kind and compassionate manner? For a moment I thought that I was going mad or something." Harry finished and started laughing again only this time Professor Dumbledore and the old couple joined in too and after a moment Professor McGonagall smiled a bit too.
"Well Harry, I am quite glad that your sense of humour hasn't suffered any damage but how are you feeling physically?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
Harry did no reply immediately but looked at the old couple and suddenly remembered Professor Dumbledore addressing the man as Nicolas. They were the Flamels.
"Oh shit!" Harry barely realized that he had just sworn in front of his Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress. "Can you make the stone again? I think I destroyed it when I held it in that black fire thing." Harry said addressing the Flamels.
The Flamels looked stunned at first, looked at each other and smiled. It was Nicolas Flamel who spoke up. "I see what you mean Albus; you really don't miss a trick do you Mr. Potter?"
"Er……I do miss a few tricks Sir, but aren't you angry or something that I destroyed the stone?"
"You do miss a few tricks Mr. Potter? Well lets hear what exactly did you miss?" Nicolas Flamel pushed.
To say that Harry was surprised would be quite an understatement. Here he was thinking that the Flamels would be mad at him for destroying the stone but Nicolas Flamel was all enthusiastic about knowing what Harry had done wrong.
"Er….I….we thought at first that Snape….." Harry began.
"Professor Snape, Harry." Professor Dumbledore interrupted.
"Er, yes him was trying to steal the stone and trying to kill me but we were wrong."
"Why did you change your mind Mr. Potter?" Nicolas Flamel pushed on.
Harry wondered whether he should tell them all about death-eater Snape but he decided not to. "It was all too easy. Sna…..Professor Snape is evil but not foolish, if he really was after the stone I don't think we would have ever found out. Though he does need to stop borrowing puzzles straight from muggle books not to mention stop filling all bottles to the brim."
Harry saw Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel exchange a smile. Professor Dumbledore turned to him and asked him. "If you don't mind telling us Harry, would you please tell us what happened after you went into the mirror-chamber?"
Harry nodded and told them all the events. Leaving out the specifics of the conversations, though. Suddenly he remembered something. "Why couldn't Quirrel touch me?"
Dumbledore looked at Harry for a moment before answering. "Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrel, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."
Suddenly the four occupants of the room besides Harry became very interested in the floor, giving Harry enough time to rub the tears off. But Harry wasn't finished, "Sir why did Voldemort want to kill me when I was a mere child?"
Dumbledore looked very gravely at Harry. "I cannot tell you that Harry not today. I don't want to and I won't lie to you, but the truth is a beautiful thing and it needs to be handled very carefully."
Harry was not happy but he knew that arguing would get him nowhere. "Can I use that line next time I get into trouble with the school-rules?"
"No." Professor McGonagall was unbelievably quick to the draw. Harry smiled and Professor Dumbledore and the Flamels didn't shy away from laughing.
"Well, it was worth a try." Harry said. "But sincerely Sir and Mam aren't you mad about the stone, I mean won't you die without it?" Harry asked the Flamels.
"We will, Harry." It was Perenelle Flamel who spoke up for the first time. "But it's time to move on now. To someone so young dying might sound like an immense occurrence but really it is nothing but a pathway to the next big adventure."
Harry was quiet for sometime. He was surprised that someone could take death so easily and with such grace. "I don't really like the fact that I am personally responsible for the deaths of three people before I am even 12." Harry said in a very soft voice.
"Don't feel guilty at all Harry. Quirrel had written his own death sentence when he allowed Voldemort to possess him. Quirrel would have died the moment Voldemort left his body. "Professor Dumbledore replied.
"If it makes you feel any better Mr. Potter, I can indeed make another Philosopher's Stone. It is our choice to move-on now. Living for more than half a millennium can be quite tiring." Nicolas Flamel added.
"Oh." Harry was silent for a while. "Would Voldemort have died if he had not left Quirrel's body?"
"Perhaps yes, perhaps no Harry. Perhaps you would have died along with him if you had held on for so long. No one can tell for sure." Dumbledore replied.
"Well I couldn't die today; I still have to win the Quidditch Cup, right?" Harry looked up expectantly at Professor McGonagall trying hard to ignore the throbbing pain in his head and legs.
Professor McGonagall only smiled. "I take back my words Harry."
"Which words?"
"You are a perfect combination of both your mother and father." Professor McGonagall replied. Harry did not reply but the four did take another long look at the floor.
"Well, Mr. Potter it has been an absolute pleasure meeting you. I can't say that we might meet again however please remember that we couldn't be more glad that the stone was indeed destroyed and kept out of Voldemort's hands." Nicolas Flamel said extending his hand and Harry shook it after a moment and then shook hands with Perenelle Flamel too.
"Albus we will wait for you in the office if you do not mind." Nicolas Flamel said and when Professor Dumbledore nodded the Flamels left the infirmary.
Professor Dumbledore exchanged a look with Professor McGonagall and then looked at Harry. "Harry, I must admit that I have never been more proud of any students in all my time at Hogwarts. Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger and yourself managed to tackle obstacles that were meant to be impossible to tackle for fully qualified wizards. The three of you went after it even though you were completely aware of all the dangers associated dangers which I was not aware of myself. All I can say is, 'Well done' and "I am sorry'. I totally failed to protect you; I was not even in the same country when you needed me."
"Oh, don't worry. I didn't tell you about Voldemort in the forest either. Let's call it even Sir."
Professor Dumbledore only smiled at that. "Well Harry I need to get going, knowing Madame Pomfrey I dare say I will be seeing you at the Leaving Feast."
Professor Dumbledore smiled and left the infirmary leaving Harry alone with Professor McGonagall. Harry wondered where exactly was this conversation going to go ahead, he had a feeling that it was going to be another set of apologies.
"I am extremely sorry too Harry. After knowing you for almost a year, I should have at least heard you out. I ……"
"Don't Mam; I will go mad if you continue in that apologetic tone for another moment." Harry replied and Professor McGonagall actually smiled at that again.
"Well then Mr. Potter I will leave now and allow Madame Pomfrey to take care of you. Good Night, well good-day actually."
Harry watched Professor McGonagall leave and waited for Madame Pomfrey to turn up. He had a feeling that she wasn't going to be too pleased about the whole 'thing'. It really had been quite a thing. Thinking about it, he realized that he had got the best deal possible. The stone was destroyed, Voldemort was back to wherever he haunted, Ron and Hermione were alive and well and he himself was alive if a bit beaten-up. Yeah the best deal possible. Now only if he somehow got to play in the last Quidditch match of the season.
"Mr. Potter how exactly did you wake up, you shouldn't have done that for quite some time?" Madame Pomfrey had arrived.
"I think the Professors were talking a bit loudly, that woke me up." Harry replied playfully.
Madame Pomfrey only harrumphed at that. "You really like the infirmary don't you, Mr. Potter?"
"I like being around a seer, maybe some seer-qualities might rub off on me. That would be nice." Harry replied without missing a beat.
"Very funny, Mr. Potter now please use that mouth to take this sleeping potion and a blood replenishing potion."
"No problem, Mam." Harry was quite glad to take the sleeping potion actually. He doubted that he would ever be able to sleep with the headache. No sooner had he gulped down the potion that he felt his eyes close and sleep overcame him within seconds. When Harry woke up next it was dark in the infirmary. It was clearly night-time. The pain in Harry's head had subsided quite a bit and was now just a dull throb returning after a few minutes. His legs felt completely fine if a bit stiff. Harry still felt tired so he simply rolled over and once again fell into a deep sleep.
The next time Harry woke there were voices around him.
"Stop eating the chocolates Ron, they are meant for Harry." A bossy voice was ordering someone around.
"Well he is asleep isn't he? Besides it's not like he's going to mind it or something." It was Ron and the bossy voice had to be Hermione. Harry smiled inwardly and opened his eyes.
"Yeah, I don't like chocolates too much anyways."
"HARRY! You are awake." Hermione practically screamed.
"Nah, he is sleep-talking." Ron replied mischievously.
"Ha-ha, how are you feeling Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Would you mind giving me my glasses?" Harry asked and Ron handed him his glasses. Harry slipped them on and looked around. Ron and Hermione were sitting on both sides of his bed and around the bed was, what looked like half the candy-shop.
"How are you guys doing? And what is, with all the candy?"
"Well you know, it is supposed to be a secret as to why you are in the infirmary. So obviously, each and every Hogwarts' student knows that you stopped Quirrel from stealing something very, very, very valuable that Dumbledore was hiding. You are a hero. Just a real-life hero now instead of a hero about whom everyone had read in storybooks." Hermione replied.
"So the chocolates are tokens of appreciation from a lot of people." Ron finished.
"Great just what I need more attention. I would love to see Snape's face right now though. But what about you guys? I couldn't have done it without you." Harry said.
"Oh don't worry we got chocolates too, just not as much as you. You almost lost your life after all. Though I got to accept, having people continuously staring and pointing at you is really unnerving." Ron replied. Harry was quite surprised. He had thought that Ron would be jealous but he was being perfectly happy about everything.
"What about the match?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione exchanged uncomfortable looks.
"It's in an hour and a half Harry. But we have no seeker. Nobody wanted to play in your stead." Hermione replied rather quietly.
"Ron get my Quidditch robes and the broom….."
"NO Harry, Madame Pomfrey has not cleared you to play. You have barely woken up." Hermione interrupted.
"Ron my broom, invisibility cloak and robes. Do you want us to win or not?" Ron took one look at Hermione, but Gryffindor winning preceded everything and he set off towards the tower. "And Hermione I feel perfectly all-right. I am going to play. I am not going to allow Voldemort to disrupt my normal life."
Hermione didn't look convinced at all and spent the next ten minutes trying to convince Harry not to play.
"C'mon Hermione I really am perfectly all-right. Madame Pomfrey had said that I wouldn't wake up for three or four days but I was up within three hours." But that was obviously a very wrong thing to say.
"Harry! How can you be so irresponsible; I will not allow you to play. What if something happens to you in the air?"
"Hermione are you going to report me?"
Hermione's face showed a huge internal battle raging. "You know that I won't."
"Then cheer up and lets go and win a match."
Ron returned a minute later. Luckily he had returned under the invisibility cloak so Madame Pomfrey's suspicions were not drawn. Harry grabbed the robes and Hermione went outside the covers to allow Harry to put them on.
A moment later Harry was standing by the window. "Okay guys return the invisibility cloak and then proceed to the stadium. There's still a whole hour for the match so no one should see me go. Don't mention me playing to anyone, not even Wood." Harry told them and then simply jumped out of the infirmary window mounting the broom as he fell. A second later he was in the air and dashing off towards the Quidditch pitch.
There were a few students heading towards the pitch, so Harry increased his altitude. Harry knew that even though his legs might not be quite ready to walk again, his body was sure ready to fly again. He reached the stadium and dived towards the dressing rooms. Within a few minutes he was in the Gryffindor dressing rooms waiting for the team to arrive. Harry took the opportunity to take a shower. The shower really refreshed him and now he was sure that he was ready to face a grueling match of Quidditch.
Half an hour before the match the remaining Gryffindor Quidditch team arrived in the dressing room. All with rather morose and pessimistic looks on their faces. The six had just entered the room when Harry began.
"Why the long faces guys? We are a damn good team. We have a brilliant keeper-captain. Three un-chasable chasers and a pair of human bludgers who are pretty good with the bloody bludgers. We are good guys and we are going to win so let's see some passion and excitement and craziness guys. Lets do it."
No one spoke for a few moments. Everyone was staring at Harry with wonder in their eyes and wonder on their faces. They were still standing on the threshold of the dressing room. Finally the twins were the ones who recovered first.
"Your speech is better than Wood's, you got the job next year." That was all that was needed and everyone started laughing and Wood rushed to Harry and gave him a thundering back-slap.
"How did you get out of the infirmary? Madame Pomfrey said that……." Angelina began.
"Yeah, she also predicted that I would be knocked out for 3 or 4 days but I was up within 3 hours."
"Yes good for us…….I mean you." Wood began. "Well guys we have got a great chance now. Gryffindor hasn't won since Charlie left but this is our chance to win. We have our seeker back with us and it is going to be an absolutely brilliant match now. A brilliant match that we have to win. The Ravenclaws won't be expecting us to field a seeker so just like the first match we will have the element of surprise working for us. Girls get in a few goals before the Ravenclaws recover. Let's go out there and win." Wood finished and the entire team cheered.
Ten minutes before the start of the match, the Gryffindor team was lined up in the tunnel. The twins rounded off on Harry. "Do we get to know the whole story?"
"Can you handle the whole story?" The twins nodded. "Well I will tell you the moment Madame Pomfrey discharges me from the infirmary."
"Whoa…….you snuck out from Hospital Wing little Harrikins…..got to hand it to you really play with fire and get away with it." The twins exclaimed.
Harry only laughed as he heard Lee announcing the teams. Ravenclaw was the first one to be presented and they were greeted with an enthusiastic cheer.
"Now ladies and gentlemen, as you all know we have a depleted Gryffindor team playing without a seeker today and I present Wood the keeper and Captain and three chasers Bell, Johnson and Spinnet. The beaters the two and only two the Weasley twins."
Great applause greeted the Gryffindors as the entire Gryffindor house was out to show their support to the team.
"A…..And what do we have here? Harry Potter has taken his place right next to the Ravenclaw seeker. Ladies and Gentlemen we have a match on our hands. Whuu hu Harry is playing and Gryffindor has a seeker. The cup is ours…."Lee couldn't stop himself.
"Jordan you are supposed to be unbiased." Professor McGonagall tried to correct him as she looked furious making Harry wonder if that was because of Lee or due to him being on the field.
Madame Hooch blew the whistle and the teams were off into the air to a loud roar from the crowd and an even louder roar from Lee on the magical microphone. As usual Harry tuned out the commentary as he flew into the air. Harry flew straight over the pitch and got into his usual position overlooking the entire pitch. No sooner had he started circling the pitch, the Ravenclaw seeker Alvin, Harry couldn't remember his last name was right onto his tail.
Harry increased his altitude a bit and Alvin immediately increased his altitude to be practically next to Harry. Harry increased his speed but Alvin was with him within a few moments again. Harry was quickly getting irritated with the Ravenclaw seeker. Alvin's strategy seemed straight-forward; 'let Harry do all the work and he would simply follow Harry around'.
Harry also realized that Alvin clearly had a faster broom. It looked like a Nimbus but didn't have a number on its side like Harry's. Must be a prototype or something Harry thought. He had to do something, if it came to a sprint for the snitch Harry would probably end up losing. Alvin needed to be taken out of the equation or at least be made wary of following Harry.
Harry encircled the stadium once and inspiration struck, 'once again'. Harry faked a look of concentration and streaked from high up in the air towards the staff box. Alvin started following him straightaway. Harry heard Lee mention something about the seekers seeing the snitch and as it happened, the entire stadium including the players immediately had their sights on the seekers.
But Harry had not seen the snitch. He was faking it. He continued heading towards the staff box and Alvin was right on his tail. Gradually Harry decreased his speed a bit. Alvin was almost half-way ahead. They were almost to the staff box and the speed was really dangerous when Harry extended his hand. Alvin was completely surprised now, he couldn't see the snitch but Harry had indeed extended his hands. The moment of confusion and the lack of concentration cost him dear.
Harry was faking with his hands but his sight was set straight on the approaching staff-box. Barely a moment before he crashed into the staff box, Harry yanked his broom up and shot clean of the box and back into the air.
The same couldn't be said about Alvin. His confusion over not spotting the snitch that Harry had extended his hands to catch ensured that he never saw Harry's next maneuver nor did he see the fast approaching staff box. A moment after Harry had streaked back into the air, Alvin crashed straight into the staff-box's seats with a loud crunching sound. Most of the Professors had luckily vacated their seats a few moments before the crash but the same couldn't be said about Alvin. He looked totally dazed and could barely stand up.
Suddenly Harry didn't feel so great about getting rid of him but hell, Alvin had been the one insisting on following Harry around everywhere instead of doing some work himself. Harry started encircling the pitch again. Harry heard Jordan commenting on the move that he had just pulled.
"Bloody Hell that is an International move, I can't even remember it's name and 11 year old Harry Potter has pulled it off without breaking a sweat. Whoa Merlin! He is damn good. Ha-ha the Ravenclaw seeker is out of action; that will teach him not to simply follow around Harry Potter." Lee could hardly control himself and Professor McGonagall was over in the staff-box overseeing Alvin's extraction from all the wood.
Harry smiled as he saw the scoreboard which read, 30-0 for Gryffindor. The Ravenclaws were clearly not at their best after seeing their seeker being beaten up within the first couple of minutes of the game. The Gryffindor chasers were unrelenting and whenever an occasional Ravenclaw chaser got close enough to the goal, Wood kept it away. Half an hour into the game and the score was 90-0 for Gryffindor. The Gryffindors knew that the Cup was theirs, especially with only one seeker in the air but the snitch still had to be caught.
40-minutes into the game, Harry saw a golden shine, from near the middle of the pitch. Harry streaked towards the centre of the pitch and very comfortably caught the snitch. The match was over and even as Madame Hooch blew the whistle, the entire Gryffindor team was heading straight towards their seeker. Wood was clearly and unabashedly crying his heart out. The twins actually had a smile on their face which was neither mischievous nor was it deceiving, it was the first genuine, happy smile that Harry had seen on the twins' faces. Harry couldn't quite make out Angelina's face under all her hair which was blowing in her face. Katie and Alicia both had tears in their eyes and were smiling at the same time. Harry had never felt this happy ever. They had won the Quidditch Cup against a hell a lot of obstacles beginning from a jinxed broom, to an unfair referee to the seeker being hospitalized. Yes, it was a victory worth savouring for life.
After a midair group hug that lasted for quite sometime, the teary-eyed Gryffindor team headed over towards the staff-box or rather what was left of the staff-box. Professor Dumbledore stood there with the gigantic, glittering Quidditch Cup held in his hands. Wood went over to him and Professor Dumbledore handed over the Cup to him and the Gryffindors in the crowd burst into the loudest cheer that Harry had heard on the Quidditch pitch. Wood held up the Cup in the air and then passed it to the twins who handled it literally as if they were handling a small child. They kissed it and handed it to the girls who too kissed it one by one. Finally Angelina passed the Cup to Harry.
Harry held it in his hands and knew that it was by far the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, next to Ginny of course. Harry cursed internally as he thought of Ginny, she would be in Hogwarts next year he would see her soon but he shook those thoughts away as he heard Wood calling him.
"Hey, Harry hand over the Cup to Professor McGonagall."
"What? Why me?" Harry asked nervously.
""You were undisputedly the best player that the team had that's why, now go hand over the beautiful lady to Professor McGonagall." Wood replied.
Harry clutched the Cup in one hand and mounted his broom. "Grab a broom Mam. It's the Quidditch cup after all it's only fair that I hand it over to you in the air." Harry didn't give her a chance to reply instead flew right over to the spot where all the Gryffindors had assembled on the pitch.
Professor McGonagall looked on nervously to Harry's great surprise. But then Wood mounted his broom and signaled her sit behind him. She looked unsure for a moment but then mounted the broom and sat down behind Wood. Wood immediately flew over to Harry and the rest of the team followed them like a guard of honour.
"I hope the Cup remains with you for a lot of years Mam." Harry said as he handed over the Cup to Professor McGonagall.
She smiled genuinely as she took the Cup from Harry's hands and actually raised it too, leading to more cheers from the assembled Gryffindors. "Mr. Potter we are going to talk about you running away from the infirmary mind you." She warned.
Harry only smiled and saluted her as he flew down to meet up with Ron and Hermione. The party in the Gryffindor Common room lasted practically all night. Even Percy did not have the heart to stop anyone from celebrating. There was enough food in the common room for an entire Army. Ron had indeed managed to convince the elves that 'Scarhead' hadn't eaten for days and was very hungry and they had supplied literally tons of food. Madame Pomfrey had actually come to the Common room to get Harry to return to the infirmary but when she saw him hogging out on innumerable types of food, she decided that he was fit enough.
Professor McGonagall too had come to the common room as a cat of course, the next day when not a single Gryffindor turned up for breakfast only to find all Gryffindors enjoying a 'breakfast' consisting of stuffed roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, vegetables. On closer inspection she also noticed 'plum pudding' as deserts. They were having a Christmas dinner for breakfast.
"Mr. POTTER!" She screamed out the moment she came back into the common-room as herself.
"Yes Mam." Harry had an innocent look on his face. "Is there some problem?"
"Would you kindly accompany me to my office?" The last thing that she wanted was for the rest of the house to know about the kitchens and the house-elves.
"But Mam, I am having breakfast." Harry replied putting on a very innocent look on his face.
"NOW, Mr. Potter!" Harry practically dropped the plate and ran behind Professor McGonagall.
They reached her office and Harry took his usual seat at her table and as usual waited for her to begin the 'proceedings'.
"Who is responsible for the food Harry?"
"The same guys responsible for all the food in Hogwarts, Mam." Harry brazenly replied hoping that Professor McGonagall was still happy over the win.
She frowned for a moment and then smiled. "All Gryffindors must be down for dinner. I will forgo lunch as I sincerely doubt that anyone would be hungry in time for it. Is that clear?"
Harry nodded. That was going to be a problem. Ron, the twins, he and surprisingly Hermione had managed to convince the house-elves to have a special late-breakfast and a special dinner for the Gryffindors that had been delivered to the common room before anyone got up in the morning. For dinner, Harry had provided the house-elves with a cook-book provided by Hermione. Why Hermione had a cook-book was a mystery but Harry let that pass. Yes so much effort had already been expended on dinner it couldn't be allowed to go waste. Well they would just have to modify dinner a bit.
"You can leave now, however I want the entire Gryffindor house at dinner or I will place you in detention for the remaining two days of the term. Is that clear?"
"Crystal clear Mam." Harry nodded and got up to leave for the kitchens the house-elves needed to be informed about the change in plans.
Just as Professor McGonagall had predicted no-one in Gryffindor was really hungry at lunch-time. Only some of the prefects and the Weasleys of course turned up in the Great Hall for lunch. Harry, Ron and Hermione headed to dinner with more than twenty minutes still left for it to begin. But they wanted to be early for it. Most Gryffindors knew that something big was up for dinner and they hardly wanted to miss it. So ten minutes before dinner began the Gryffindor table was filled to capacity.
As soon as the dinner time began everyone's attention in the Great Hall was riveted onto the Gryffindor table. The High Table and the remaining three house tables had the normal non-feast dinner laid out in front of them. At the Gryffindor table it was completely different.
There were pizzas on the Gryffindor table. Pizzas of practically every single type possible were there. There were Pepperoni, Margherita, Neapolitan, Hawaiian and Harry lost count after that. Harry was rather surprised by that he had expected one type of pizza 'mass-produced'. The elves had mass produced what looked like all the types. Along with the pizzas there were fruit juices, 'sweetened fruit' juices as Ron had out it. There was silence at the Gryffindor table for a few moments and then everybody practically started to gobble up the pizza closest to them. It was total frenzy at the Gryffindor table as everyone tried to get a slice of every possible type and then tried to get an entire pizza of the type that they liked the most. Five minutes later everyone at the Gryffindor table was eating absolutely quietly and concentrating solely on ingesting food and drinking the various fruit juices.
All this of course wasn't missed by the rest of the Great Hall and suddenly their dinner didn't look inviting at all and they were all glaring daggers at the Gryffindors. Up at the High Table there were some very angry Head of Houses none angrier yet lost than the deputy Headmistress.
"Albus, do you have any ideas?" Professor McGonagall asked.
He only smiled benignly. "None at all. Let us just enjoy our dinner and let them enjoy theirs." Dumbledore thought that he really needed to have a talk with the house-elves again.
A buzzing soon grew in the Great Hall. The students from the remaining three houses were clearly not impressed and were probably exchanging angry words among themselves. A couple of seventh year Slytherins got up and approached the Gryffindor table. For a moment Harry thought that they were going to grab a pizza from the table, but of course grabbing food was supposed to be well below the Slytherins and grabbing food from the Gryffindors was nothing short of a crime. They were insulting someone but obviously it was not working as everyone at the Gryffindor table was concentrating on eating the pizzas. Malfoy too came over near Harry and started saying something. Harry tuned him out after the first three words and focused on the pizza and surprisingly Ron had swallowed the Gryffindor pride and was instead keen on swallowing the pizzas.
The insulting kept on increasing for about ten fifteen minutes but amazingly absolutely no one from the Gryffindor table was responding. Fourty minutes after dinner began Harry looked around the table and saw that everyone was clearly full and just toying around with the last or the second last piece of the pizza. He met the twins' eyes and they decided to get up. Seeing the twins, Ron, Hermione and Harry get up all the Gryffindors decided that it was time to get up. Almost as one the Gryffindors got up and left the Great Hall in perfect order. And no sooner had the last Gryffindor got up from the benches; their table was gleaming crystal clear again.
The twins, Ron and Hermione were rather popular in the common-room that night. Everyone knew that Harry was involved too but it seemed that everyone had decided that he did not deserve accolades for such insignificant things such as special dinners and Christmas dinners for breakfast.
"Well that was one hell of a dinner Hermione. I didn't think I would like pizza but it was really nice." Ron said as he sat massaging his stomach.
"You like everything edible Ron." Hermione replied.
"No I don't." Ron replied back.
"All right guys stop it. Boy you have started to argue like hell. Brilliant day with brilliant meals and the pizza idea was brilliant Hermione." Harry cut in what seemed to be becoming a full blown argument.
"Hermione, you do realize you have broken as many rules as we have." Ron said suddenly.
"No I have not. I have not broken a single rule unnecessarily." Hermione replied. Harry tried to tune out of their bickering. He had a feeling he was going to need a lot of practice with that.
Surprisingly Harry wasn't called in for the 'proceedings' over the pizza incident. Hagrid had come over to visit Harry in the common-room. He wanted to profusely apologize for letting Harry into such danger only due to his big mouth. Apparently Hagrid had even offered to resign. But Harry blew it off saying that Quirrel would have found out nonetheless remembering Voldemort's legilimency. Hagrid also gave Harry an invaluable gift. It was a photo-album of Harry's parent's from their school-days and up to their wedding. Harry broke in to tears when he saw it and Hagrid knew what it meant to him.
Soon it was time for time for Harry to pack his trunks and for the exam results to be declared. Not surprisingly Hermione had topped every subject except History of Magic and Potions. Ron had topped History with Harry coming in second. Surprisingly Harry had actually topped Potions; Harry thought that Snape would commit suicide sometime during the summer due to it.
The Leaving Feast was brilliant and even though the Gryffindors didn't win the House Cup they enjoyed the second feast in three days. Harry paid a last visit to Argentum who seemed to be recovering brilliantly though Hagrid said that perhaps he would never be able to gain his full powers he would still be very fast. In no time they were in the Hogwarts express and within a few hours at King's Cross waiting for a guard to let them out of the magical barrier. "You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you -- I'll send you an owl."
"Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to." People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:
"Bye, Harry!"
"See you, Potter!"
"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.
"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry. He, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together.
"There he is, Mom, there he is, look!" It was Ginny Weasley, but she wasn't pointing at Ron but at Harry. Harry saw her and froze. She had grown up a bit but she still looked as beautiful as ever. She was saying something but Harry couldn't make it out. Harry's heart was beating rather fast and that was all that he could hear. He shook himself out of the moment and approached Ginny and Ron's mother.
Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them. "Busy year?" She asked congenially.
"Yes, quite a busy one." Harry replied trying hard to ignore his fast beating heart and a voice at the back of his mind which was telling him to look at Ginny.. "Thanks for the sweater Mrs. Weasley; it is…….it was, I kind of lost it in the explosion. But it really was brilliant. Thank You for that."
"It was nothing dear." Mrs. Weasley replied getting a bit red at Harry's appreciation. "The twenty thank-you notes did convince me the first time mind you." She said smiling and Harry saw the reflection of the twins' smile in it.
"Eh……that wasn't me…."
"Don't worry about it Harry. They have been up to worse."
"Ready, are you?"
It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.
"You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.
"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day." He walked away.
Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione and a last look at Ginny who was looking everywhere but at Harry.
"See you over the summer, then and for Merlin's sake owl me as frequently as possible."
"Hope you have -- err -- a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.
"Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer..."