Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of... not me. I am not in any way profiting by this story, but merely taking the opportunity to play in JK's sandbox for a bit. Any resemblance to any living person, etc, is completely unintentional. The quote attributed to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is directly quoted from said book and is also the property of JK Rowling and Scholastic and so on.
HP – HP – HP
The four first years made their way towards the forbidden corridor, none of them daring to speak. Their breathing was short and ragged, but that, too, was kept quiet. There were worse things than Filch and Mrs. Norris prowling the night. Their footsteps echoed softly down the empty halls, and every scuff of a show on stone nearly caused Harry to wince. He was very much aware that each noise could be the one that gave them away.
By some stroke of fortune, Harry and his friends made it safely to the door that led to Hagrid's pet. Harry concentrated hard, waving his wand in the required motions for the unlocking spell. He barely held in the relieved sigh when he heard the tell-tale click of the door unlocking. They hadn't increased the protections on the door.
As quietly as they could, the first years slipped into the room. They let the door shut behind them- there was no going back.
Harry turned his gaze to the massive monster that awaited them, and would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire. Fluffy was on its back, with all four paws stuck straight up towards the ceiling, occasionally batting at something unseen. It's three heads were snoring softly, and the center head had a copious amount of drool leaking to the floor.
"That is the most horrifyingly cute thing I've ever seen," Megan said in her quietest whisper as the other Hufflepuffs gaped.
"You and Ron Weasley survived that thing?" Justin asked, his voice breaking into a higher pitch- though thankfully still a low volume. Fluffy snorted in its sleep, causing the four to back up as one.
"How are we supposed to get past that thing? It's asleep on the trap door," Ernie said in a low tone, pointing ahead to the right, where one of Fluffy's heads was firmly planted on the trap door.
"I think we'll have to wake it up and lead it away from the door," Harry said grimly.
"Harry, I should point out that your plan is horrible," Ernie said, his eyes still fixed upon Fluffy.
"Not sure what else we can do. Unless you think we can move its head without waking it up," Justin said, though the greenish tint to his face said that he liked the plan as little as Ernie did.
"I can try to levitate its head, but I'm pretty sure it'll wake up if I do that. And it's pretty big. I'm not sure I'll even be able to lift it," Harry said, frowning intently at Hagrid's beast.
Megan sighed- quietly. "If we're going to do it, let's do it. But we should split up a bit, make it harder for it catch us if it wakes up, yeah?"
Harry nodded. "Ready?"
Megan, Justin, and Ernie moved from under the invisibility cloak, which Harry quickly stowed away, and took up positions around the room. As they moved about, Harry noticed that Fluffy's snores were starting to become softer.
Once the three were in position, Harry focused as intently as he could on the levitation spell. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he said, his voice nearly a shout as he put everything he had into the spell. He knew that speaking louder- or shouting- didn't enhance the power of most spells, but he was far too tense to regulate his volume as he poured as much strength as he could into the spell.
Fluffy's head- at least, the one that was atop the trap door- shot straight up, jerking its body upwards as well. Unfortunately, while Harry had successfully levitated the head from the trap door, the rest of the monster was still firmly on the ground. At least it's still on its back, Harry thought.
Justin, who was closest to the trap door, sprang into action, loudly casting an unlocking charm as he ran towards it. Harry considered that to be a good idea, as they had no way of knowing if the door was locked or not. Justin threw the trap door open and dove through, a shouted "Hurry!" following the boy into the darkness.
Ernie was next, and had already started moving as soon as Harry cast his spell. He wasn't as fast as Justin, though, and had to dodge the other two upside down heads as he ran towards the now open trap door. Harry winced as he saw the dog catch a piece of Ernie's robe, but Ernie was moving fast enough that Fluffy wound up simply tearing a chunk off of the robe, and Ernie was propelled head first through the hole in the floor.
Unfortunately, Megan and Harry were not fast enough. Though Fluffy was still upside down, and seemed to be held in such a position by Harry's levitation spell holding its head aloft, it was still thrashing about enough that any run towards the trap door was an iffy proposition at best.
Megan rejoined Harry, who was still maintaining his spell, near the wall. They were just out of range of Fluffy's snarling heads, though it was a near thing.
"Got any more ideas, Harry?" she said, rolling her eyes towards the angered dog as she pointed her wand at it.
Harry's thoughts raced as he struggled to hold his spell. It was already quite taxing to lift something as heavy as Fluffy's head and neck. Now that it was actively struggling to free itself, it was much, much harder to maintain his focus and strength. The only thing he knew about the dog, he'd merely dreamed of. True, it was a realistic dream, but Harry wasn't sure that things were so desperate that he'd have to rely on a dream to save them.
The head he was holding jerked several feet towards them as Harry's focus started to slip. Perhaps it was that desperate after all.
"Music," he blurted as he redoubled his efforts to hold Fluffy in place. "Might put it to sleep!"
If Megan was surprised by this information, she was too worried about the now much closer Fluffy to show it. To Harry's very great surprise, she started singing a silly sounding song about a wand. Harry didn't recognize the song- his studies about the wizarding world thus far had focused more on magic, and the last war- but he had a sneaking suspicion that the song was saying something other than what it seemed.
Fortunately, either Megan's singing was quite good, or Fluffy didn't really care what sort of music it heard. Slowly, the heads began to sway in time with Megan's song, and Fluffy's eyelids started to droop. Harry and Megan made their way to the trap door as quickly as they dared, and jumped down through the trap door.
They didn't have far to fall. Harry and Megan impacted on some sort of soft, slimy substance that immediately gave way beneath them, causing them to sink several feet into it. It was nearly pitch black- the only light provided was the dim illumination from the trap door above. Harry could only barely make out the top of Megan's head- the rest of her had sunk into whatever it was they were standing in. Nearby, he could see Justin struggling mightily to free himself. Just beyond, Harry could see Ernie's feet kicking in the air, and he could hear Ernie's muffled voice coming from below the surface.
Harry's wand was still gripped firmly in his hand, but he had to struggle to free it from the thing he was caught in. As he did, he felt its grasp on him grow tighter. It wasn't quite painful, yet, but he suspected that its grip would only grow stronger.
Megan was quicker than he; her wand was held aloft, and a muffled "Lumos" from the girl lit up the small room.
Harry and his friends were trapped in some sort of plant. Harry knew that herbology was not his strong point by any means, and try though he might, Harry couldn't think of whatever this thing was.
In the meantime, he decided that the sooner he got this thing to let him go, the better. Harry struggled as much as he could, trying his very best to get free, or at least get his other arm free of it. It seemed as though the more he struggled, though, the fiercer the plant's grasp became. Soon, it had wrapped up his entire body, save for his wand arm. In those few moments, the plant had snaked several vines around Harry's head, covering his mouth entirely. Its tight grip on his chest made breathing difficult, though he could still draw air in through his nose- at least, for now.
His friends were faring no better. Megan shrieked loudly as the plant slowly drew her down, prompting renewed snarls from the beast above them. Ernie's muffled complaints were sounding more frantic and his kicking feet more erratic, and Justin was thoroughly trapped as well, unable to move anything other than his head.
"Fire!" Justin shouted as his own struggles with the plant grew more frantic. "It's devil's snare, it's afraid of fire!"
Harry needed no more prompting. If they didn't try something, they were dead. Harry's mouth was completely covered by the vine, and he couldn't speak, but he wouldn't give in so easily. A flick of his wand as he focused mentally on the word of the spell. Incendio! His wand lashed out, and pale, flickering gout of fire appeared above him. Distantly, he heard Fluffy yelp and whine, and the dog's shadow receded from above the trap door.
Pale and weak though it was, the fire was enough. The plant quickly released Harry, and he fell through to the floor below. He quickly rushed over to where he thought Ernie was, and flicked his wand again, spitting out another pale fire. He awkwardly caught Ernie with his free arm, not wanting his friend to hit the hard stone head first. He nearly fell himself, but was able to get the purple-faced Ernie safely to the ground. Two more fire spells freed his other friends, leaving the quartet staring up at the plant that had nearly eaten them all.
"Between you and me, the plant was worse than the monster," Ernie said as he regained his breath. Megan nodded her agreement. Justin, on the other hand, was walking a slow circle around the room, shaking his head.
"Why aren't we dead?" he asked, causing Megan to flinch.
"Don't say things like that," she said, but it was a quiet, frightened whisper.
"I mean it," Justin said. "Look, Dumbledore's a great wizard, yeah? Most powerful since Merlin and all that?" He glanced at Ernie, who was nodding while looking rather unsure of where Justin was going with this. "So why are we still alive? We're first years, yeah? We've already gotten past two of the traps. How many more are there? Shouldn't there be, like, wards and deadly spells and stuff? I mean, when you think about what this is supposed to be guarding..."
Ernie nodded, slowly. "Yes. Yes, I see what you mean. An artifact of this magnitude should certainly warrant better protections than what first years could overcome. Even brilliant first years like us." Megan snorted, but Ernie paid her no mind. "But I'm sure Dumbledore has his reasons. Perhaps the Hogwarts wards limited the protections he could use? Ancient magic can be very unpredictable sometimes."
But this simply raised more questions in Harry's mind. Why were they being so successful already? Why weren't there traps designed to stop dark wizards, rather than just challenging enough to be dangerous to first years? Was this another situation like the Forbidden Forest? Whatever the case, Harry knew that when this was over, he was going to have more questions for the Headmaster.
"So, what, are we just going to turn back? Run away like a Slytherin faced with a fair fight?" Megan asked, interrupting Harry's musings. Her hand were planted on her hips, and she made sure to catch all three boys with a challenging glare. "We came down here for a reason. I don't think that reason's changed, has it?"
Harry sighed, and shook his head. While this was looking more and more like a setup to him, if the goal was drawing out Voldemort once more, he'd willingly play along- this time.
"She's right. Whatever else is going on, we can't let Quirrell get the stone. We have to go on," he said. His wand was out once more, and he gave it an angry flick towards the door, which flew open as though struck by a troll. He strode through, followed closely by his friends.
The tinkling of what sounded like a hundred tiny bells above him caught Harry's attention as they entered the brightly lit room. The room was tall, taller in fact than the rooms with Fluffy and the devil's snare combined. It was capped with a tall dome, and it was within this dome that the bell noises were coming from. What had to be over a hundred winged keys were flapping idly about, lazily circling the top part of the room.
"Birds," Megan said, her voices breathless with wonder. "Beautiful, shimmering birds."
"They're keys. Winged keys. I bet that's what that broom is for," Harry said, pointing at the broom near the door at the other side of the room.
Megan squinted as she tried to get a better look at her 'birds.' "Are you sure, Harry? They sure look like birds to me." Harry shook his head.
The room was very narrow, and a few long strides brought him to the other door. A massive lock adorned the doorknob. Harry confidently tried the unlocking spell, but was disappointed when it fizzled against the lock. The door remained obstinately locked.
"Harry, mate, how are you doing that?" Justin asked. Megan and Ernie were also staring at him.
"Doing what?" Harry asked, his attention only half on his friends as he turned his gaze towards the winged keys. The answer was rather obvious, but Harry knew that maneuvering in such small quarters would be dangerous.
"Unlocking things. Casting fire about. You haven't said a single spell aloud since we started, except the levitation spell," Justin said as Megan rolled her eyes.
Harry frowned. He really hadn't thought about it at the time, but he realized his friends were correct. "I... I really don't know. I just am," he said, feeling a bit silly for giving such a lame excuse. But the truth was, he had no idea how he was doing it.
"He is the Boy-Who-Lived," Ernie said. It was Harry's turn to roll his eyes. "No, Harry, hear me out. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named came after you for a reason, right? Maybe he realized that you were going to become a powerful wizard, and wanted to get you before you became a threat to him. He would have to know that you wouldn't help him when you grew up- the Potters have always stood against the dark, and, well, your mother was a muggleborn, so..."
Harry shrugged. It was as good an explanation as any, and they didn't really have the time to figure it out now regardless.
"I'm going to fly up there and try to find the right key. I'm guessing it's got to be one of the ones up there. I need the rest of you to keep an eye out, and be ready to help if something else happens." Without waiting for a response, Harry mounted the broom and flew almost straight up, directly into the mass of keys. They scattered, but it only took Harry a moment to catch sight of the one he was looking for. One of its wings was bent, and it looked rather worse for wear as it flapped feebly away from him.
But while Harry might not be on the quidditch team yet, he still had spent quite a bit of time practicing and wasn't the reserve seeker for nothing. The key was nowhere near as challenging to catch as a golden snitch, and within moments he had the key firmly within his grasp.
He flew down quickly, careful to avoid crashing into the walls, but still wanting to enjoy the dive a bit. It had been too long since he'd been flying, and while flying inside of a building wasn't the same as flying in the open skies, he'd take what he could get. Fortunately, it seemed as though finding the key was the only 'obstacle,' pathetic as it was, and soon Harry and his friends were safely through the door and into the next room.
"A chessboard," Megan said flatly. As Harry entered, he saw that Megan was dead on. The room was nothing more than a larger-than-life chessboard, complete with massive stone chess men.
"A bloody board game?" Justin said, looking rather incredulous. "You've got to be kidding me."
Harry shook his head and strode across the board. As he neared the other side, though, the king leveled his sword at Harry. Stone or no, the sword was obviously honed to a keen edge.
"We have to play, don't we?" Megan asked, looking disgusted. Justin nodded.
"Looks like it," he said, glancing around the board as though looking for a place where he was less likely to be skewered.
"No way. Not a chance," Harry said angrily. "I'm tired of playing games."
"Do you have another way across?" Ernie asked, looking hopeful.
"Maybe he can use his Boy-Who-Lived powers to blow up the pieces!" Megan said, rolling her eyes, though Harry detected a hint of a question in her voice too.
"Not any Boy-Who-Lived powers, no," Harry said, before Ernie and Megan could start bickering. "But it's time to see just how good this invisibility cloak is, don't you think?"
HP – HP – HP
The quartet walked as quietly as they could across the chessboard, covered fully by Harry's invisibility cloak. He was somewhat grateful that this particular adventure happened this year instead of next, as he doubted the cloak would cover all four of them with another year's growth added in. As it was, they had to move carefully, lest an errant foot or hand slip free and become visible.
Much as they had at the start of their 'adventure,' the Hufflepuff first years stayed as quiet as they could. The near-certain knowledge that the 'deadly traps' seemed in fact to be more of tests had steeled their resolve, though, and there was a confidence in their walk that hadn't been there earlier in the night.
Harry's breath caught as they reached the opposing king, but the stone chess man didn't so much as twitch as Harry and his friends slipped by it. Another silent unlocking spell at the far door, and the four of them were in one of the most foul-smelling places Harry had even been in. In fact, it smelled oddly familiar.
Harry didn't see the danger until it was almost too late. On some level, he must have heard the whistling of the massive club through the air, because as the hairs on his neck tingled, Harry dropped awkwardly to the ground, shouting a warning to his friends as the club impacted the door they'd just come through.
If anything, this troll was even larger than the other one Harry had seen. The top of its head nearly scraped the ceiling of the low, dungeon-like room, and its club was half again as large as the one wielded by the Halloween troll. This troll was, thankfully, only equally as smelly as the first one, though.
Justin and Ernie both had enough time to duck out of the way. Megan was not so fortunate. The troll's club thudded solidly into her side, sending her careening into the far wall without a single sound uttered. She impacted the wall with a dull thud and slid bonelessly to the ground, unmoving.
"Megan!" Harry and Ernie cried out in unison, as Justin dodged a second swing of the troll's club.
As Justin distracted the troll, Ernie rushed forward to Megan. Harry let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he saw Ernie's look of relief. He turned towards the troll, which was staring at Justin in puzzlement, obviously wondering why he hadn't been flattened yet.
Harry's blood was boiling. Megan was a good friend- one of his very first, in fact- and this troll had nearly killed her. It was trying to kill Justin, and Ernie, and himself. He could feel his heartbeat pounding, throbbing all the way up to his ears. He didn't know many true attack spells, but right now, he didn't care. He just wanted to hurt the troll, as it had hurt his friend.
Harry wasn't sure what spell he cast, or even if he'd cast a spell at all. One moment he was stalking towards the troll- who had just managed to clip Justin with its club and was reaching back for the killing blow- and the next, his wand was up, tip smoking, and the troll was sliding down the wall opposite Megan. Like Megan, it didn't even stir as it slumped to the floor.
Harry and Justin both rushed towards Megan and Ernie. "Is she..." Harry blurted out as they reached the pair on the floor.
Ernie shook his head. "She's... she's alive. But we have to get her to the Hospital Wing right away. I don't know the first thing about healing."
Harry nodded. "Justin, you take Megan. Ernie and I will go on." Justin looked ready to protest, but his grimace of pain was obvious to Harry. "You're hurt. Even if this is the last obstacle, there's still Quirrell ahead."
Ernie started. "Ahead? I thought we were trying to beat him here?"
"It was the key. Its wings were all bent up. Someone was here before us, and I'm betting it was Quirrell." Ernie and Justin paled.
"Then you'll need me, Harry. You'll need all the help you can get," Justin said, trying to stand up all the way, but unable to hide his wince.
"Then what about Megan?" Harry asked, and Justin's eyes dropped. "Take my invisibility cloak, in case the chess men take issue with you coming back.
Justin, looking defeated, finally gave in and nodded. "Alright, Harry, if you're sure."
"You did really well, Justin. But we have to look after Megan too."
Justin took a deep breath, wincing as he did, and nodded again. He once more met Harry's eyes. "Be careful, alright? I don't think it's fun and games anymore."
As Justin carefully lifted Megan up, Harry said, softly, "Me either."
Harry waited a moment to make sure Justin had made it safely past the chess board before turning towards the next door. He took a deep breath and strode forward, deftly unlocking it and peering inside.
It was a tiny, almost cozy room, but where the room with the troll was stifling, the room ahead was merely compact. There was a long table with several, differently sized vials atop it. Near the vials was a small note. Upon seeing that there was no obvious danger, Harry and Ernie entered the room.
Unlike previous rooms, the door did not slam shut behind them. Instead, a fire sprang forth both ahead and behind them, trapping them in the room. Harry and Ernie quickly brought their wands to bear, glancing cautiously around the room.
After a tense moment of waiting, no other threat seemed forthcoming. Ernie slowly lowered his wand, and Harry reluctantly did the same. Compared to the last few rooms, this one seemed almost safe.
Harry and Ernie went to the table, and Ernie picked up the note. Harry leaned to the side, so he could read the note as well.
"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onwards neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."
(Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
Ernie let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's not too bad, is it, Harry? Just a bit of a logic puzzle then. Sit tight, I'll have this one solved in just a moment!" Ernie stared at the bottles for several minutes, counting under his breath and muttering.
Harry, in the meantime, was studying the room, and the fires. They didn't seem to be emitting any heat, but Harry was not foolish enough to try to touch one and test it. The black flames ahead seemed somehow more ominous than the purple flames behind, but both danced about wildly even while they stayed confined to their respective doorways.
"I've got it! At least, I'm reasonably sure I've got it," Ernie said. Harry walked back over to his friend. "This one, on the far right. That one will take you back. And, I'm pretty sure it's this one, here," he said, pointing at the fourth one from the left, "that will bring you forward. Though, it could be the third one. But I'm almost certain it's this one."
"Er, if you're wrong, wouldn't it be bad?" Harry asked as he frowned at the vials. He realized, belatedly, that he was wrong. This room was not safe at all. It was just as dangerous as the others. It was simply more insidious.
"I have a bezoar in my pocket, Harry. Really, all proper potions masters- and aspiring potions masters- should have one on them," Ernie said reproachfully, and Harry could vaguely recall being questioned about bezoars, along with the Drought of Living Death and in Snape's first potions class. "Especially you, given how much Snape likes you. He'll probably get around to poisoning you one of these days." Harry laughed, as did Ernie, but it sounded hollow.
Harry reached for the 'go forward' potion, but Ernie stopped him and lifted the tiny vial himself. "I'll test it, Harry. If I'm wrong- and I'm almost certainly not wrong- you'll need to use the other one to face Quirrell. I'm, well... I'm not as important as you, am I?" Ernie asked, with a heavy sigh.
"Stop it. You're just as important as I, Boy-Who-Lived or not."
"It's alright, Harry. I'm a Hufflepuff. I suppose I should be used to being the backup, yeah?"
"I'm a Hufflepuff too, Ernie. Let the other houses think what they will, but as far as I'm concerned, all of you are heroes."
"Thanks, Harry. That means quite a bit. But I'm still doing it." Before Harry could react, Ernie lifted the vial to his lips and took a tiny sip. "There, see, nothing to it," he said with a smile. Then he collapsed to the ground.
"Ernie!" Harry called, dropping to the ground beside his friend. Ernie's lips were already blue, and he didn't appear to be breathing. Harry hurriedly rifled through Ernie's pockets, and quickly came up with a small, dull looking rock. He instantly recognized the bezoar, and shoved it into Ernie's mouth. Immediately, Ernie's cheeks starting gaining some color back, and he took a deep, shuddering breath.
However, Ernie did not awaken. He did seem to be breathing normally, though, and was no longer pale and colorless. Harry turned back towards the vials, and lifted the other vial that Ernie had indicated. "I hope your second guess was right," he muttered before drinking the potion.
He felt as though a cool breeze had gently touched him, and his skin immediately was covered in goosebumps. He leaned back down to Ernie, who was now snoring loudly. Despite being to all appearances asleep, he would not rouse no matter how hard Harry shook him. Harry stood back up and approached the black fire.
Cautiously, Harry extended his hand out towards the black flame, touching it as briefly as he could with a single finger. Nothing happened. "Looks like you were sort of right, Ernie," Harry said, and with a steadying breath, strode through the flames with his wand at the ready.
HP – HP – HP
"Hello, Harry Potter," Quirrell said as soon as Harry emerged from the flames, which dissipated shortly after he stepped through. Quirrell's wand, like Harry's, was drawn, and his stutter was noticeable in its absence, but it was not Quirrell's wand that Harry was staring at. Neither was it the magic mirror that Hannah and Harry had found what seemed an age ago, though he was surprised to see it there. What caught Harry's attention was Susan, who was standing next to Quirrell, her face vacant, devoid of all expression.
"Susan!" Harry shouted as he started to rush towards her.
"Ah! I wouldn't do that, Potter," Quirrell said, idly gesturing his wand towards Susan. Harry froze in his tracks.
"Let her go, Quirrell! This is between you and me," Harry said, barely keeping his voice from turning to a growl.
"Now why should I do that? You and your little friends have been quite the little nuisances. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to break into my office, and I truly did not anticipate you going running to Sprout like a good little Hufflepuff."
"What's Susan got to do with it? Let her go!"
"You've forced my hand, Potter. It will only be a matter of time before Dumbledore detects my imperious curse on your head of house. It was my great fortune that Dumbledore decided to search for my master in the forest tonight. But you... this is price you pay for interfering in my plans. Kill him!"
Susan didn't hesitate. She leveled her wand at Harry and attempted a full-body bind. Harry's shock at Susan suddenly attacking him nearly ended the fight before it began. At the last moment, he dodged to the side. Susan's curse passed through the black flames harmlessly.
"This is your punishment, Potter. You kill your little girlfriend, or she kills you. You should not have interfered with the Dark Lord!"
Susan's spells were relentless, and it was all Harry could do to dodge. Despite the fact that Susan, like Harry, knew no lethal spells, she seemed determined to catch him with whatever she could, and Harry was hesitant to cast anything back at her, as he was unsure of what Quirrell had done or what effect his own magic might have.
Another volley of spells sent Harry sprawling. Susan's tripping jinx had been well cast- Harry and his friends had all spent time mastering the spell- and he simply couldn't get out of the way in time. He found himself staring at the mirror as Susan closed in behind him, and couldn't help but think that things had not turned out as he'd thought. He'd hoped he could rescue the stone from Quirrell, and keep his friends safe. He'd done neither.
His reflection, on the other hand, seemed to be in much better shape. It was standing tall, Susan nearby, and was putting a reddish stone into his sock, where it would be hidden by his pant leg. In that instant, Harry felt a cool, smooth stone touching his calf.
Behind him, he heard Susan cast another full-body bind, and as fast as he could, Harry turned over. "Protego!" Once more, his shield charm worked, and a translucent silver barrier formed between him and Susan. Susan's hex ricocheted off the shield and impacted the mirror, shattering it.
"No! You foolish, foolish boy! The stone!" As Harry scrambled to his feet, he saw Susan shaking her head, looking thoroughly confused.
"Harry?" she said, her voice trembling.
Quirrell was not idle. He pointed his wand at Susan's back. "Avada Kedavra!" he said with a snarl. Harry had no idea what the curse would do if it hit Susan, but wasn't willing to take the chance. He dove forward, driving Susan painfully to the ground, as the sickly green curse- a color he remembered far too well- sailed over his head.
Harry and Susan quickly got to their feet, and Harry shoved her towards the doorway as he felt his wand blasted from his grip.
"Harry Potter," said a second voice. It was high and thin, and tickled at the edge of his memory. Almost against his will, Harry turned once more to face Quirrell, who looked almost as afraid as Harry felt.
"Master, you cannot-" Quirrell said, but was interrupted.
"Do not presume to direct me. Young Harry has fought bravely, and deserves to see the face of his doom."
Harry and Susan stood transfixed as Quirrell slowly, painstakingly unwound his turban. Beneath the turban, Quirrell was bald, but neither Harry nor Susan could miss what appeared to be a second face sticking out of the back of their professor's head.
"See what I have become, Harry?" it asked, as Quirrell turned so that it could face him. Harry's scar immediately came alive with pain as he met the thing's gaze. "I have become less than spirit, cursed to share the bodies of others. Unicorn blood has sustained me, certainly, but the Stone will allow me to live once more."
Harry immediately wished that the stone had been destroyed with the mirror, rather than somehow finding its way to his sock.
"So you have it, then, Harry. If you give it to me, I will allow you and your friend to leave. You will live another day. Never let it be said that Lord Voldemort is not merciful."
For a brief moment, Harry considered it. He was more terrified of the thought of his friends dying than he was of his own end. He felt Susan's hand find his and give a tight squeeze, before letting it go.
"I... I would rather die than let Harry give in to you!" Susan shouted.
Voldemort laughed. The sound grated on Harry's ears, and sounded wholly unnatural. "Foolish girl. So quick to embrace death. So be it!"
Quirrell spun around, a curse already on his lips, and Harry did the only thing he could think of. He dove, trying to tackle Quirrell to the ground before he could finish his curse.
Despite the fact that Quirrell was a grown man, and Harry a rather small 11-year-old boy, when Harry grabbed hold of Quirrell, the possessed professor cried out. Three voices screamed in unison, and Harry felt his scar split open. He could vaguely hear Susan calling out his name as he held firm to Quirrell. He felt her pulling at him, trying to get him free, but he refused to let go.
Finally, after long, agonizing moments, Quirrell fell backwards. The burning in Harry's scar increased dramatically for a moment as he felt something pass near him, and then all but vanished.
Quirrell was a smoking ruin. It looked as though the man had caught fire. However, Harry noticed that the second face was nowhere to be seen. He was sure, however, that Quirrell had to be dead.
"Harry... Potter," he gasped through cracked, broken lips. Susan made a sound of alarm, and Harry spun to face the man again, raising his wand. "I am... saved."
Harry blinked in shock, but did not lower his wand. "I was weak... I could not face the pain. I... joined him, rather than suffer. But I am free. Thank you, Harry Potter."
Finally, Harry lowered his wand. This was no longer his enemy. He was just another victim of Voldemort.
"Come away, Harry. You should not bear witness to death at such a young age."
Harry turned once more to face the Headmaster. The old man seemed rather out of breath, and was accompanied by Professor Sprout. He reached out to Harry, who numbly stepped forward and allowed himself to be led away by Sprout. As he, Susan, and Sprout left, he could hear Quirrell one last time. "Tell him..."