Chapter 12:
Harry didn't go looking for the mirror again, like Dumbledore had asked and the invisibility cloak didn't resurface for the rest of the holidays. Alicia didn't even mention it, she hadn't told Ron about her and Dumbledore's talk but she was sure Harry had consulted him. Whether either were able to understand what they were talking about, though Alicia found it pointed out clearly, was another matter.
Alicia wasn't the only one who couldn't stop thinking about what the mirror had shown her, Harry had begun to have nightmares. He told Ron and Alicia and Ron only had one answer.
"You see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could drive you mad,"
Hermione was just a lot worse however, she'd returned the day before classes restarted and was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Filch had caught you!"), and disappointment that he hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was. Alicia had tried to get the mirror out of her head and Hermione off her back by spending as much time as possible looking.
They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Harry was still sure he'd read the name somewhere. Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Harry had even less time than the other three, because Quidditch practice had started again. Alicia still came during the morning or evening practices, refusing to sit down and read or do nothing as her mind drifted back to the mirror. Or more importantly what she'd seen in it.
Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasleys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic, but Harry was on Wood's side. If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in seven years. Quite apart from wanting to win, Harry found that he had fewer nightmares when he was tired out after training.
Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just gotten very angry with the Weasleys, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.
"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"
George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words, however Alicia, being quick and trying to catch Wood's words, used a hover charm to save him.
"Thanks." he muttered before turning back to Wood above them. "Snape's refereeing? When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."
The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too.
"It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."
"Are you kidding? Snape will find the tiniest thing to pick on you for, he might even make a few rules up. Especially it it's to do with Harry." Alicia said, she was frantic. If Snape had tried to kill Harry before, and now he refereeing…
"Alicia, you're not even playing," Wood reminded her
"I might as well be." she grumbled, crossing her arms "I would if I could."
The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Harry and Alicia headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where he found Ron and Hermione playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something Harry and Ron thought was very good for her.
"Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Harry sat down next to him, "I need to concen—" He caught sight of Harry and Alicia's faces. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."
"Snape's refereeing the next Quidditch match." Alicia said ever so quietly but quickly to the two.
"Don't play," said Hermione at once.
"Say you're ill," said Ron.
"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.
"Really break your leg," said Ron.
"Ron!" Alicia disagreed
"What? Madam Pomfrey will fix it."
"Then it isn't worth trying is it?" she rolled her eyes
"I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."
"I'm sure Alicia could take your spot." Ron pointed
"What?" Alicia asked shocked "I might know all their training moves but my eyes might not be nearly as good at spotting the snitch!" she said frantically
"Have you spotted it in their training?" Ron asked knowingly. Alicia kept her mouth shut, she'd been proud when she'd been able to spot it from the stands.
At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognised at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor Tower.
Everyone fell over laughing except Alicia and Hermione, the latter leaping up and performed the counter-curse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling.
"What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Alicia, Harry and Ron.
"Let me guess, Malfoy." Alicia rolled her eyes annoyed. Neville nodded
"I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."
"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"
Neville shook his head.
"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.
"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."
"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.
Harry felt in the pocket of his robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Hermione had given him for Christmas. He gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.
"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."
"It doesn't make a mistake." Alicia said strongly in agreement "I have a new hex I want to try, if you'd like." Alicia smirked. Then she beamed "I'll teach it to you and you can do it!" Neville looked frightened by the idea, he wasn't all that confident in his skills. But Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile all the same as he unwrapped the frog.
"Thanks, Harry, Alicia… I think I'll go to bed… D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"
As Neville walked away, Harry looked at the Famous Wizard card.
"Dumbledore again," he said, "He was the first one I ever —"
He gasped. He stared at the back of the card. Then he looked up at Ron and Hermione.
"I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here — listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"
Alicia and Hermione shared a knowing look before Hermione jumped to her feet.
"Stay there!" Hermione said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks and ask Alicia what she was on about before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.
"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."
"Light?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.
At last she found what she was looking for.
"I knew it! I knew it!"
"Why the hell didn't we think of this?" Alicia asked annoyed with herself "It was so obvious."
"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.
"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"
This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected and Alicia sighed disappointed.
"The what?" said Harry and Ron.
"Oh, honestly, don't you two read? Look — read that, there." She pushed the book toward them, and Harry and Ron read:
The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosophers's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.
There have been many reports of the Philosophers's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).
"See?" said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"
"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."
"But to do it under Dumbledore's nose?" Alicia wondered
"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"
"Jeez, imagine being that old…" Alicia muttered
The next morning in Defence Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Harry and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Philosophers's Stone if they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that Harry remembered about Snape and the coming match.
"I'm going to play," he told Ron, Alicia and Hermione. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them… it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."
"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Hermione.
"We'll just have to think of something in case." Alicia said to Hermione, who nodded determined.
Alicia spent just as much time in the library as they had when looking for Flamel, determined to find something useful just in case. When the match drew near, she was confident and went with Harry to the change rooms before wishing him luck out the front with Ron and Hermione.
The three then found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had brought their wands to the match. Little did Harry know that Ron and Hermione had been secretly practicing the Leg-Locker Curse while Alicia had been in the library. They'd gotten the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville, and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt Harry.
"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve.
"I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag."
"You can't blame her for worrying." Alicia muttered to him, however as she turned back to to the stands, something silvery stood out in the crowd. As she squinted to make it out she noticed it was Dumbledore.
"Hermione, look." and she pointed. Hermione's face was severely relieved at the sight and she grinned, the gloom diminishing. There was no mistaking that silver beard.
"Snape will never try something now." Alicia laughed
"I've never seen Snape look so mean," he told Hermione. "Look — they're off. Ouch!"
Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.
"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."
Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.
"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"
Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him. Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.
"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money — you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."
Neville went bright red as Alicia gripped her wand angrily. Neville turned in his seat to face Malfoy.
"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said,
"You tell him, Neville."
"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."
Ron's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Harry while Alicia was about to swing at the pale hard boy before she noticed Harry diving.
"I'm warning you, Malfoy — one more word —"
"Ron!" said Hermione suddenly, "Harry — !"
"What? Where?"
Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as Harry streaked toward the ground like a bullet.
"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.
Ron snapped, but he wasn't the only one. Before Malfoy knew what was happening Alicia had spun and grabbed his collar before her fist made contact with his nose, a crack sounding through the cheers and blood spilling over his white face. He groaned in pain before Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.
"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed as Alicia turned back to the game, wiping her knuckles on her robes. Hermione leaped onto her seat, pulling Alicia with her, to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape — she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle.
Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches — the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.
Alicia's wand was to her throat before let out a loud cheer which the Gryffindor's repeated.
The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.
"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front.
Alicia was gone for the stands as Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. The game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, he saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped — then Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Dumbledore's smiling face.
"Well done," said Dumbledore quietly, so that only Harry could hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror… been keeping busy… excellent…"
"Well done Harry!" And Alicia flung her arms around his neck. He noticed the smudged red on her hand and pulled her away to look at it.
"What happened?" he asked. She just laughed.
Alicia sat at dinner waiting for the Gryffindor star but he didn't turn up.
"Wonder where he is…" she muttered
"Probably at the change rooms still." Ron shrugged
"I wanted to hoist him up again with everyone else and make even more of a scene in front of the Slytherins." Alicia muttered. Ron only grinned, Madam Pomfrey had fixed his nose, which had been bleeding badly after his fight with Malfoy, in a heart beat already.
It wasn't until after dinner that Harry turned up and Hermione jumped him immediately.
"Harry, where have you been?" she squeaked.
"You missed dinner," Alicia reminded him
"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, Alicia gave him a blood nose and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right — talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."
"Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this…"
He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, then he told them about Snape and Quirrell in the Forbidden Forest, Snape threatening the defence against the dark arts teacher about Flamel's Stone.
"So we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy — and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus-pocus' — I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through —"
"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.
"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron
"We're doomed." Alicia said simply in agreement.
