"Nicholas Flamel." Bill read out to the hall.
"You guys finally find out who he is!" Dennis said excitedly.
The trio exchanged amused smiled, they still couldn't believe after all that time in the library they found out who he was on a chocolate frog card.
Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again,
"Thank goodness," Molly said quietly.
and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of his trunk.
"Harry!" The twins yelled shocked.
"Just because we don't want you near that mirror is no reason not to use the cloak." Fred pouted.
"You're supposed to have fun and terrorize the teachers." George added.
"Like Snape." Lee Jordan added smiling.
"Misters Weasley and Mr. Jordan!" McGonagall reprimanded.
Molly was sending her twin sons disapproving looks.
Harry wished he could forget what he'd seen in the mirror as easily, but he couldn't. He started having nightmares.
"Oh Harry," Hermione said sighing.
'The nightmares are worse now.' Harry thought sighing sadly.
Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.
Everyone shot Harry pitying looks which he was ignored.
Remus and Sirius both internally cringed.
Snape kept his emotionless mask up, but he couldn't imagine seeing his precious Lily's face for the first time then watching her die over and over again in his mind.
"You see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could drive you mad," said Ron, when Harry told him about these dreams.
"Ron being the rational one." Fred said mock shocked.
"The apocalypse is near!" George shouted causing the Gryffindors to chuckle and their mother to give them a disapproving look once more.
Hermione, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed,
"Of course," Draco sneered.
Harry and Ron shot glares towards Draco.
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.
"Oh of course." Fred said slapping his forehead.
"It's OK to sneak out if we find out something Hermione wants to know." George said.
Hermione scowled. "It's not like that, it's just if he was going to sneak out I would've liked if he would've found what we needed to know."
Harry and Ron rolled their eyes, they'd heard all this before.
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.
"Bloody chocolate frog card," Ron mumbled.
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 two, because Quidditch practice had started again.
Oliver perked up at the mention of quidditch.
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,
"He was." Alicia, Angelina, Katie, Fred and George said causing Oliver to huff.
but Harry was on Wood's side.
"What?" Alicia, Angelina, Katie, Fred and George shouted.
"You were on Wood's side?" Alicia asked incredulously.
Harry shrugged. "I'm sure it will be explained why."
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.
"Oh," Alicia muttered sadly.
"I guess it wasn't so bad then," Katie said.
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.
"That's no way to behave during practice!" Charlie exclaimed causing Bill to roll his eyes.
"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing
"What?" Those who hadn't been there shouted.
"Why would you referee Severus?" Remus asked. "You've never liked quidditch."
"Yes why?" Moody grunted.
Snape glared at Remus and Moody. "I was told too."
this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"
"Biased git." Fred muttered.
George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words.
The hall began laughing.
"Well who could blame me," George muttered.
"Snape's refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."
Snape sneered.
The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too.
'Of course.' Snape thought scowling at the Gryffindor table.
"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."
Ron snorted. "Like that would stop him.
"Ronald!" Molly reprimanded while Snape turned to glare at him.
Which was all very well, thought Harry, but he had another reason for not wanting Snape near him while he was playing Quidditch…
"Why?" Vincent Crabbe asked.
Everyone turned to stare at him in disbelief, remembering what happened during his first match.
"Because I really believed he tried to kill me in my first match." Harry answered shrugging. "I had no way of knowing whether or not he would try again."
"I wasn't trying to kill you Potter!" Snape snapped.
Harry turned to his potions professor. "I know that now but I didn't then."
The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Harry 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.
Hermione turned to glare at Harry. "Excuse me?"
"Losing every now and then is good for people Hermione," Harry said.
"Yeah, you can't be good at everything," Neville said.
Ron snorted. "Not that she loses gracefully mind you."
Hermione turned her glare to Ron as those who heard chuckled.
"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's face. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."
George and Fred snorted.
"That's nice." Fred said sarcastically.
Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Harry told the other two about Snape's sudden, sinister desire
"It was not sinister!" Snape snapped.
"I know that now." Harry rolled his eyes. "But from our perspective it looked that way and you didn't exactly go out of your way to make us think otherwise."
Snape just glared at Harry and narrowed his eyes.
to be a Quidditch referee.
"Don't play," said Hermione at once.
"What?" Oliver shouted. "Harry not play quidditch? Are you mad?"
Charlie stared at Hermione as if she's grown three heads. "But its Quidditch. He has to play!"
"I didn't realize that the game was more important than Harry's life!" Hermione snapped.
Charlie and Oliver looked slightly sheepish when she put it that way.
"Say you're ill," said Ron.
"Won't work," Sprout said. "Poppy can tell when a person is faking."
"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.
Fred snorted. "You go to a magical school Hermione." Hermione blushed.
"Really break your leg," said Ron.
"Ron," Molly sighed.
"Madam Pomfrey would fix it in a minute," Neville said.
"I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."
"We really should of had one." Harry said sighing. "Having a bad seeker would of been better than us having to forfeit that last match."
Oliver rubbed his neck awkwardly. "You were just such a brilliant seeker, I didn't think we needed one."
Umbridge sneered. 'The Potter boy does not need his ego inflated any more than it already is.' Snape was thinking similar thoughts.
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 recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.
Three of the tables began laughing but stopped when they noticed all the glares coming from the Gryffindor table.
Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the counter curse.
"Thank you Hermione," Neville said.
"Of course Neville," Hermione told him smiling.
Molly glared at Ron and Harry. "You two laughed at him?" She asked in a dangerously calm voice.
"No!" They both shouted.
"They really didn't Mrs. Weasley," Neville told her.
Molly looked at them a moment longer then nodded.
Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling. "What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry and Ron.
"Let me guess?" Fred asked pretending to think.
"Malfoy." Fred and George both said.
"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."
"Mr. Malfoy!" All of the teachers sans Umbridge and Snape yelled.
"If we were allowed to hand out punishments during this you would be in detention and have points taken." McGonagall said sternly, glaring at the young Malfoy heir who was tinging pink from all the glares he was receiving.
"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"
"You should have Mr. Longbottom." McGonagall said her lips were thin with disapproval.
Neville shrugged. "It would have just made him try to do it more."
More glares were sent to Malfoy.
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."
"That didn't come out the way I meant to." Ron mumbled shrinking back from all the glares he was receiving.
"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.
"Don't say that Neville!" Neville's friend yelled, causing said boy to blush.
"The hat put you in Gryffindor for a reason." Dean told him. "One day you're going to do something to make Malfoy eat his words."
"Thanks guys," Neville said.
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.
The majority of the girls in the hall were now glaring at Malfoy, several boys were snickering but quickly stopped once girls began to glare at them instead.
"You really are such a sweet boy," Molly said approvingly.
"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."
The adults smiled at Harry while the Slytherins and Snape glared at him.
"I don't think all Slytherins are evil." Harry was quick to say. "I was trying to make him feel better."
Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.
"It really did make me feel better," Neville said quietly.
"Thanks, Harry… 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.
Remus smirked knowing what was on 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'!"
"What?" Most of the hall yelled.
"For the love of ..." Charlie exclaimed. "After al that searching and it was on the back of a bloody chocolate frog card!"
"I can't believe it," Ernie muttered.
The trio shook their heads.
"I still can't believe I didn't remember that." Harry said. "After all Dumbledore was my first card."
Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.
Hermione raised her eyebrows at Harry who just shrugged.
Many people snorted.
"Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Obsessed with books much." She muttered too quietly for anyone other than Slytherins to hear.
"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."
Many people snorted.
"Light?" George asked incredulously.
"If that's light I'd hate to think what you consider heavy reading." Fred said shaking his head.
"Mental." Ron said shaking his head, remembering how big the book was.
"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!"
"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.
Those who knew Hermione and Ron snickered.
"So like them." Ginny said in between her laughter.
"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"
"We already know that," Millicent said.
"Yes but we only know that because it's the title of the book." Lisa said rolling her eyes. "They didn't know that."
"What is the Sorcerer's Stone?" Colin asked.
No one answered so Bill just continued to read.
This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected.
Hermione sighed sadly.
"The what?" said Harry and Ron.
"Oh, honestly, don't you two read?
Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged while Hermione rolled her eyes.
"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 Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold.
"Wicked!" Dennis exclaimed.
It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.
"Wow." Many people said in awe.
"That wouldn't be good in certain people's hands," Padma said.
"No Miss Patil it most certainly would not be," Dumbledore said gravely.
There have been many reports of the Philosopher'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).
"Bloody hell," Fred said quietly.
"That should not of been in a school!" Molly said glaring at the headmaster.
"Not now Molly dear," Arthur told his wife.
"See?" said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Sorcerer'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!"
"Like a school is a much better place to hide it." Hermione said to quiet for anyone but Harry and Ron to hear. "If three kids could get it."
"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."
'I wouldn't want it.' Snape said thinking about living forever without Lily.
"I wouldn't," Harry said.
Snape stared at Harry shocked, most teenagers would say they wanted to live forever given the chance.
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?"
"Not quite," Charlie said chuckling.
The next morning in Defense 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 Sorcerer's Stone if they had one.
Harry shrugged off the looks they were getting. "It was a lot more productive than listening to Quirrell."
"Anything was more productive than listening to Quirrell," Ron muttered.
"It isn't like anyone could understand him with that stutter," Dean pointed out.
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 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."
"Only you would think it's better to be killed than to lose face in front of the Slytherins," Hermione said sighing.
"Foolish Gryffindor pride," Snape sneered.
Harry mock glared at Hermione then really did glare at Snape.
"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Hermione.
Fred snorted.
"I don't think that helped," Wayne said snickering.
As the match drew nearer, however, Harry became more and more nervous, whatever he told Ron and Hermione.
Ron and Hermione both sighed.
"You don't have to keep everything to yourself mate," Ron said.
Harry was now the one sighing. "I know.
The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a biased referee?
The old Gryffindor team smirked, they still won with Snape as a referee.
Harry didn't know whether he was imagining it or not, but he seemed to keep running into Snape wherever he went. At times, he even wondered whether Snape was following him, trying to catch him on his own.
Everyone in the room turned to the potions master with raised eyebrows.
"For Merlins sake." Snape snapped. "I was not following him."
Moody was staring suspiciously at Snape. 'He most likely knew they were poking around.'
Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture, Snape was so horrible to Harry.
The adults sans Umbridge, Percy and Fudge turned to glare at Snape.
"You really need to learn to treat the students fairly Severus," Flitwick said.
Dumbledore gave Snape a disappointed look. "We will be discussing this later Severus."
Snape just glared at everyone but said nothing.
Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Sorcerer's Stone?
"No." Snape said silkily. "I however did know the three of you were up to something."
Harry didn't see how he could — yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.
"It's called legilimency Harry and Professor Snape does indeed know how to do it." Dumbledore informed him.
Anticipating his question Snape snapped. "And no Potter I was not using it on you."
Amelia frowned and gave Snape a curious glance. 'He better not be using it on students.'
Harry knew, when they wished him good luck outside the locker rooms the next afternoon, that Ron and Hermione were wondering whether they'd ever see him alive again.
"So dramatic," Charlie chuckled.
Hermione and Ron blushed.
This wasn't what you'd call comforting. Harry hardly heard a word of Wood's pep talk as he pulled on his Quidditch robes and picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand.
Oliver looked offended, causing his old quidditch team to snicker at the look on his face.
"I was just nervous Oliver." Harry told his old quidditch captain.
Oliver nodded his head.
Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had both brought their wands to the match.
Snape turned to glare at Hermione.
"What were you going to do?" Euan asked looking amused.
Hermione was turning red from all the looks she was receiving. "Whatever we had too." She said in a small voice causing Snape's glare to intensify.
Little did Harry know that Ron and Hermione had been secretly practicing the Leg-Locker Curse.
Snape scowled. "Do you two know how dangerous that would have been to perform on someone on a broom?"
Ron shrugged. "We thought you were trying to kill out best friend."
Molly turned to glare at her son.
"We weren't going to let Harry get hurt." Hermione said quickly. "We would of only used it as a last resort."
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.
The room burst out laughing.
"I would have paid money to see that," Fred gasped out, holding his sides from laughter.
Snape did not look amused.
"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."
"I wasn't nagging. I was just nervous," Hermione said defensively.
Harry and Ron rolled their eyes.
"You must be nervous a lot then," Ron muttered. "Oi!" He yelled when Hermione smack the back of his head.
The twins snickered.
Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Harry aside.
"Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favor Hufflepuff too much."
"Smart," Charlie said.
"The whole school's out there!" said Fred Weasley, peering out of the door. "Even — blimey — Dumbledore's come to watch!"
Amelia looked surprised. "You came to watch a quidditch match Albus?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I was there to ensure that nothing would happen to Mr. Potter's broom."
Harry was about to thank the headmaster then he remembered he was being ignored by him, a wave of anger course through him but he pushed it down.
Harry's heart did a somersault. "Dumbledore?" he said, dashing to the door to make sure. Fred was right. There was no mistaking that silver beard.
Dumbledore let out a soft chuckle and stroked his beard.
Harry could have laughed out loud with relief, he was safe. There was simply no way that Snape would dare to try to hurt him if Dumbledore was watching.
Dumbledore smiled at Harry's trust in him, then he sighed. 'I doubt Harry trust me much these days.'
Perhaps that was why Snape was looking so angry as the teams marched onto the field, something that Ron noticed, too.
"Or maybe it was because I had made a fool out of myself when it wasn't needed," Snape snapped.
Dumbledore just sighed and shook his head.
"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.
"No need to guess who," Dean muttered.
It was Malfoy.
"Here we go again." Charlie said shaking his head.
"Why doesn't anyone intervene?" Fleur asked Bill.
"We made it a point to sit away from any teachers or prefects in case we had to curse Professor Snape." Hermione answered for him. "And Malfoy doesn't tend to attack when adults are around."
Fleur nodded in understanding so Bill went back to reading.
"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."
"Sure you didn't." Fred said glaring at the Slytherin. The twins hated Malfoy always picking on the trio.
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.
"George!" Molly yelled.
George just shrugged not looking sorry at all.
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.
"Really Severus," McGonagall huffed.
Severus just stared at her blankly.
"It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents,
Snuffles was growling angrily towards the Slytherin table.
Snape had to keep himself from glaring at his godson.
By now everyone who didn't believe Harry to be a liar was glaring at Draco.
then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money
"Can't you come up with any new material Malfoy?" Ginny snapped.
— you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."
Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.
"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.
"You tell him Neville!" The Gryffindors cheered.
Neville blushed.
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."
Draco was shrinking back from all the glares, even Luna Lovegood was glaring at him.
Ron's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Harry.
"Thanks Ron," Harry said sighing.
"Of course," Ron said.
"I'm warning you, Malfoy — one more word—"
"Oh just hex him already!" Charlie snapped.
"Charlie do not encourage your brother to fight!" Molly scolded.
"He's being a prat!" Charlie said as if this made it alright.
Molly glared at him and he shut up.
"Ron!" said Hermione suddenly, "Harry —"
"What's wrong?" Molly asked worriedly.
"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.
"Go Harry!" The Gryffindors cheered.
"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "You really really need new material."
Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground.
The adults in the room sent Ron disapproving looks while the students cheered.
"Go Ron!" Bill, Charlie, Fred, George and Ginny yelled.
Malfoy was glaring between Ron and the book.
Umbridge tisked and wrote something on her clipboard. 'With any luck I'll get the Weasley boy expelled as well.'
Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.
"Go Neville!" The Gryffindors cheered.
Neville blushed bright scarlet.
"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat 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.
Several people snorted.
Hermione turned pink from all the stares. "I was so worried about Harry that I blocked everything else out."
Harry smiled and gave Hermione a half hug. "That's our Hermione," Harry said fondly.
Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches —
"Darn." Fred said shaking his head.
"If only you would've hit him." George said.
Molly gave her sons a stern look. "Fred, George he is your teacher, you don't have to like him but you have to treat him with respect."
the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.
The Gryffindors erupted into cheers.
The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.
"How long?" Charlie asked.
"I believe it was six minutes and two seconds." Hooch said smiling proudly.
Charlie turned to stare at Harry in shock. "Are you going to play professionally?"
"I would be nice." Harry's grin faded and he sighed. "But most likely won't happen what with Voldemort or his death eaters always trying to kill me."
The room went quiet as 3/4 of the hall gave him pitying looks.
"Lies!" Umbridge yelled after a moment of silence, most of the hall turned to glare at her. Fudge pulled her down to get her to shut up.
"I know it's lies Dolores but most of the people in this room believe him." Fudge whispered in Umbridge's ear. "Once we start reading about all of his lies we'll be able to discredit him. Wait until them." Umbridge thought for a moment then nodded her head.
"We have these books Harry." Hermione said gently. "Two and a half of them are of the future. We should no how to defeat him, then you can do whatever you want."
Harry gave her a small smile. "We'll see."
Bill waited a moment then continued to read.
"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 Parvarti Patil in the row in front.
Parvarti and Hermione exchanged small smiles.
Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. He couldn't believe it. He'd done it, 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…"
Snape spat bitterly on the ground.
"Ew." Several girls said disgusted.
Harry left the locker room alone some time later, to take his Nimbus Two Thousand back to the broom shed. He couldn't ever remember feeling happier. He'd really done something to be proud of now – no one could say he was just a famous name any more.
"You've done a lot to be proud of," Remus said.
"I know." Harry sighed. "But I hate it when people only see me as the boy who lived."
Some people looked shocked at that but not as many as there would've been yesterday. Reading what they have so far most of the people in the hall were beginning to see that he hated his fame and that he most likely wasn't lying about Voldemort.
The evening air had never smelled so sweet. He walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in his head, which was a happy blur: Gryffindors running to lift him onto their shoulders; Ron and Hermione in the distance, jumping up and down, Ron cheering through a heavy nosebleed.
"Were you alright?" Molly asked worriedly.
"I was fine mum," Ron said.
Harry had reached the shed. He leaned against the wooden door and looked up at Hogwarts, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor in the lead. He'd done it, he'd shown Snape…
And speaking of Snape…
Harry cringed and shot a look at his potions professor who had turned to glare at him.
"What exactly are you going to do Potter?" Snape asked in a dangerously low voice.
"Um..." Harry shrugged sheepishly.
A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Harry's victory faded from his mind as he watched. He recognized the figure's prowling walk. Snape, sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner — what was going on?
Some people shot Snape suspicious looks. Moody focused both his eyes on the furious looking potions professor.
Harry jumped back on his Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding silently over the castle he saw Snape enter the forest at a run. He followed.
Most of the hall groaned.
Snape looked as though he wanted to hex Harry.
"My Gryffindors," McGonagall said sighing. She knows that yelling won't do any good right now.
'So much like James and Lily.' Sirius thought fondly.
The trees were so thick he couldn't see where Snape had gone. He flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until he heard voices. He glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering beech tree.
"That's my seeker!" Oliver said proudly. "Brilliant at flying."
Angelina, Alicia and Katie began laughing at the disbelieving look Snape was sending Oliver.
He climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to his broomstick, trying to see through the leaves.
"You could've been seriously hurt!" Molly yelled.
Below, in a shadowy clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too.
"You do seem to have an awful lot of one on one conversations with other men in secluded places," Neville pointed out.
Everyone turned to look at Neville in shock. "What?" Neville turned red realizing what he just said.
"I can't believe Neville just said that." Fred said in awe.
"Longbottom!" Snape shouted. This caused most of the hall to burst into laughter.
"Hem Hem." Umbridge said after two minutes. "Continue reading please Mr. Weasley."
Bill mentally cringed at being addressed by Umbridge. 'I get a bad feeling about her.' Then he began to read.
Harry couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever. Harry strained to catch what they were saying.
"You shouldn't be listening in the first place," Snape said through gritted teeth.
"… d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus…"
"So he doesn't get caught again?" George asked in an innocent voice causing people to chuckle and Snape to move his glare to him.
"George!" Molly yelled.
"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape,
Fred and George wiggled their eye brows suggestively causing the Gryffindor boys around them to snicker and the girls to roll their eyes.
his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all."
"Indeed they are not." McGonagall said sending a stern look at the trio who just smiled innocently in return.
Harry leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.
"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"
"Why would you need to know that?" Moody asked suspiciously.
Snape just ground his teeth together and said nothing.
"B-b-but Severus, I —"
"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step toward him.
"That just made you seem like the bad guy," Kingsley pointed out.
"I wasn't expecting anyone to be listening." Snape snapped.
"This is the son of James and Lily Potter we're talking about." McGonagall said. "We really should've known better."
Those who knew James and Lily besides Snape chuckled.
"I-I don't know what you—"
"You know perfectly well what I mean."
An owl hooted loudly, and Harry nearly fell out of the tree.
"Thank goodness you didn't," Molly said quietly.
He steadied himself in time to hear Snape say, "— your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."
"I had to miss the most important part," Harry grumbled quietly.
"B-but I d-d-don't —"
"Bloody stutter was annoying," Ron muttered.
"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."
He threw his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Harry could see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified.
"I would've been too if Professor Snape would've been yelling at me like that," whispered a first year Hufflepuff.
Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked.
"I didn't now what to think, he was gone ever so long." Hermione said. "And we still thought Snape was trying to kill him so I was worried."
Ron nodded. "We were just about to go looking for him when he came in."
Harry smiled at his best friends.
"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed!
"Go Nev." Dean said looking impressed causing Neville to blush.
He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right, talk about showing Slytherin!
Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Boys."
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."
"Students aren't allowed in the kitchens." Umbridge said in her sickly sweet voice as she jotted something down on her clipboard.
The twins glared at her then bent together and started to whisper.
'Probably devising a prank of some sort.' Harry thought, smirking at the thought of someone pranking Umbridge.
"Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this…"
"Of course you just had to tell them everything immediately didn't you?" Neville asked amused.
"Of course." Harry, Hermione and Ron all said at once causing those who heard to laugh.
He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them,
"Smart." Remus said nodding his head, Snuffles barked in agreement.
Harry shook his head. 'Sooner or later someone will realize Snuffles acts way to human to be just a dog, I should probably talk to Sirius after this book.'
then he told them what he'd seen and heard.
"So we were right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it.
Snape sneered. "If I was trying to steal the stone, Quirrell would be the last person I would've asked for help."
"Can't blame him." Harry muttered. "Quirrell was an idiot."
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,
"You are much too smart for your own good," Sprout said.
"Just like Lily," Remus said fondly.
Harry smiled at the mention of his mum.
and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through —"
"I'm sure Severus would be able to get through anything Quirrell would've put up," McGonagall said.
"Thank you Minerva." Snape said. "At least someone finds me being after the stone ridiculous."
"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.
This caused all those who had Quirrell as a teacher to laugh.
"That's the end of this chapter." Bill said marking the page and closing the book. "There are only four chapters left."
Dumbledore stood up and motioned for silence. "Thank you Mr. Weasley. We will now have dinner then finish the remainder of this book. Tomorrow morning we will begin book two." He waved his hands and dinner appeared on all the tables.
As soon as dinner appeared on the tables conversations broke out like wild fires all around the hall.
"I can't believe Hermione Granger set Snape on fire!" Sally-Anne Perks was saying to her friends.
Over at the Hufflepuff table Ernie and his friends were discussing the Mirror of Erised.
"That mirror was horrible." Susan said shaking her head.
"I know." Hannah said sadly. "I couldn't imagine not knowing what my parents looked like then seeing them for the first time in a mirror then dreaming about them getting hit by the killing curse."
Several different conversations were going on at the Slytherin table.
"Harry doesn't seem that bad." Tracey was saying to Daphne and Astoria.
"He doesn't." Daphne agreed. "I actually feel bad for him." Astoria nodded her head in agreement.
"Potter getting even more attention." Draco sneered to Crabbe and Goyle. "I bet he's loving it."
"You don't believe what he says about not liking the attention." Blaise asked.
"Of course not." Draco spat. "It's just a ply to get more attention."
Blaise and Theo exchanged looks then went back to eating.
Over at the Gryffindor table Neville was being congratulated for getting one over on Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.
"I can't believe you took them on by yourself." Dean said in awe causing Neville to blush.
"I wonder what's coming next?" Harry asked.
"Well." Hermione said. "What happened in our first year after that game?"
Harry looked thoughtful. "Crap!" He whispered harshly.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Norbert," Harry hissed. Ron and Hermione paled.
"Not only will we get in trouble but so will Hagrid and Charlie," Harry said. Ron and Hermione groaned.
"Brilliant," Ron said sighing.