183

The Man With Two Faces

Chapter 14

Then he turned the doorknob and we were inside the next chamber. There was a small staircase. A small staircase was something I could handle. We walked down it, and then there was a corner to turn. We could hear soft chatter. We'd see Snape right when we rounded the corner. Harry put his hand on my back. We were in this together. By now I was really starting to feel like we had a real friendship going. I took a deep breath.

But when we turned the corner we saw that it wasn't Snape there.

I gasped, but then Harry covered my mouth with his hand. He pulled me back behind the corner. "Shh," he told me. "It's okay," he said. "You wait here." He was trying to be brave, but I could tell he was afraid. "I thought that if it was Snape, we could both take him on together," he continued. "But it's not, so I want you stay here. Just stay here."

Harry gave me a stern look and then slowly passed the corner.

"Evening, Potter," Professor Quirrell said in an evil tone of voice.

"So it's you," Harry said in response.

"So you brought a friend along," Quirrell said. He wasn't even stuttering! "I heard her. Just a moment ago. It's Miss Perry, isn't it? But you're hiding her like a real gentleman, aren't you, Potter? Bring her out. Let's see just how long she lasts once I get a hold of her."

"You're not going to touch Carly," Harry growled at him.

Quirrell chuckled wickedly. My heart was pounding. He knew I was there. I slumped down against the wall that was covering me.

"Never mind her, then," Quirrell said. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter."

"But…" Harry said, his voice sounding shocked. "I thought Snape-"

"Severus?" Quirrell interrupted with a cold, sharp laugh. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an over-grown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering, P-Professor Quirrell? I knew all along that you and your little friends had fallen for my trap- you with all your warm smiles, and Perry with all her flattery. And you despised Snape right from the start."

"But Snape tried to kill me!" Harry shouted.

"No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at the Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed to do it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you," Quirrell said.

So many thoughts were racing through my brain. It all actually started to make sense now! I wanted revenge… I wanted to jump out from behind this wall and take Quirrell, myself. But Harry didn't want that.

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

"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really… he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular… and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."

He snapped his fingers and then I heard a loud noise. I peered past the wall and saw that ropes had sprang out of thin air and had wrapped themselves around Harry! Apparently Quirrell had seen me looking.

"Don't just stand there, Miss Perry," Quirrell called, just as I hid right behind the wall again. "You're missing out on all the fun. Come and join the party."

"Harry," I sobbed loudly, not caring whether Quirrell heard me or not. He already knew I was there, so what was the point anymore?

"It's alright, Carly," Harry said struggling to break free from the ropes. "No matter what happens to me, you stay behind that wall."

My heart was pounding fast. I wanted so bad to kill Quirrell, even though the thought of coming out from behind the wall and confronting him scared me to death. But I wanted to save Harry. But he didn't want me to come out, and I wanted to listen to his orders.

I heard the sound of Quirrell's footsteps getting closer to Harry, and therefore, closer to me. "My, my, I must say. You're quite the ladies' man, Potter," he said in a teasing voice. "This young lady here is practically willing to risk life and death for you." I could tell he was staring right at the wall I was hiding behind.

"You don't think about her," Harry snapped at him. "Just tell me: why did you want to kill me?"

"You're too nosy to live, Potter," Quirrell explained. "Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd see me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."

"You let the troll in?!" Harry growled at him.

"Certainly," said Quirrell. "I have a special gift with trolls- you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everybody else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off- and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly."

"You creep!" I shouted, finally coming out from behind the wall. I stood there in clear view for Quirrell. "How dare you have done all these things to the school! Dumbledore's going to find out about this."

"Carly," Harry said weakly. "Carly, why did you…?"

"No, no, no, that's alright, Potter," Quirrell chuckled calmly, with his hands together behind his back. "She has every right to be mad, especially since she's going to die tonight. Now, wait quietly, children, I need to examine this interesting mirror."

Then Quirrell turned around and looked into an elegant mirror.

"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," he murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this… but he's in London… I'll be faraway by the time he gets back."

I turned around and saw the door behind me. There was no leaving. I hadn't taken a drink from the potion that gets you through the purple fire. And how could I leave Harry here? Quirrell hadn't even tried to trap me, or block the doorway, because he knew I would stay here with Harry.

"I saw you and Snape in the forest-" Harry said suddenly.

"Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was onto me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me- as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side…"

He came back from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it. "I see the Stone… I'm presenting it to my master… but where is it."

Harry struggled against the ropes binding him. I ran over to him and once and tried to take them off of him, but then one of them jumped off of him and grabbed me! Now we were both trapped. The two of us.

"But Snape always seemed to hate me so much," said Harry.

"Oh, he does," said Quirrell, casually. "Heavens, yes. Both of you. He was at Hogwarts with both of your fathers, didn't you know? He hated Mr. Potter and Mr. Perry with a passion, but he never wanted you dead."

"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing," Harry said. "I thought Snape was threatening you."

Suddenly a spasm of fear fell across Quirrell's face. "Sometimes," he said. "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions- he is a great wizard and I am weak-"

"That's for damn sure," I interrupted.

"Shh!" Harry snapped at me. Then he looked at Quirrell again. "You mean he was there in the classroom with you?"

"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. "I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was them, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it… Since them, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me."

He shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the Stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me… decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me…" His voice trailed off. He cursed under his breath. "I don't understand… is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"

Harry suddenly tried to walk to his left, but the ropes held too tight to his ankles. He tripped and fell over. Quirrell ignored him. I quickly helped Harry back up to his feet. "What does this mirror do?" Quirrell asked. "How does it work? Help me, Master!"

Harry and I grew very quiet, as a voice answered. It was a terrible voice! It wasn't Quirrell's, but it still seemed to be coming from him!

"Use the boy…" the voice said. "Use the boy."

Quirrell turned around. "Yes- Potter- come here."

He clapped his hands once and the ropes fell off of Harry. Much to my surprise, they fell off of me too. "Come here," Quirrell said again to Harry. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see." Quirrell stepped close behind Harry, like he was guarding him from me.

I stood there, still as a statue, my heart pounding loudly.

"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"

"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," Harry said his voice shaking. "I- I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."

Quirrell cursed again. "Get out of the way," he said pushing Harry aside. Harry turned around and gave me a panicked look. I gave him a look of confusion back. He pointed anxiously at his pocket. I gasped. He'd gotten the Stone! The Stone was inside Harry's pocket. I kept quiet.

"He lies!" the terrible voice said again. "He lies!"

"Potter, come back here," Quirrell said as Harry started toward me. "Tell me the truth! What did you see?"

"Let me speak to him," the awful voice said. "Face-to-face…"

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough… for this…"

Harry grabbed onto my upper arm and squeezed it hard. There was tons of fear in his eyes. His face was snow-white. He stared ahead at Quirrell, as the teacher began to remove the turban from his head. I stayed by Harry's side. After all, we were in this together. Suddenly Quirrell turned around and there was the most terrible face I'd ever seen on the back of his head. It was a chalk white face with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake. It looked just like the face I'd seen in that dream about me and Harry using our wands against Lord Voldemort.

"Harry Potter…" it whispered.

I then grabbed Harry's arm and tried to pull him backward, but he didn't budge. He wasn't moving. Was he even breathing? His face was blank and emotionless. I didn't know what he was thinking.

"See what I've become?" the face asked. "Mere shadow and vapor… I have form only when I can share another's body… but there have always been those willing to let me have their hearts and minds… Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks… you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest… 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?"

"He'll never give it to you!" I shouted. Harry squeezed my arm tighter.

Voldemort's face chuckled airily. "You should stay out of this, girl," he said. "It won't do you much good to stand up to me. After all, I am the most powerful wizard in the world and you can't even turn a mouse into a snuffbox."

He continued laughing evilly as Harry nodded kindly at me. The face glared at us when he saw the kindness on Harry's face. "Now… Potter!" Voldemort snapped. "Don't be a fool. Better save your own life and your little girl friend's life and join me… or you'll meet the same end as your parents… They died begging me for mercy."

"LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly.

"How touching," Voldemort hissed. Quirrell was walking backward toward us, so that Voldemort could get a better look at us. "I always value bravery… 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."

"NEVER!" Harry yelled. Harry grabbed me by the wrist and the two of us ran toward the chamber door.

"SEIZE HIM!" Voldemort screamed.

The next thing we knew, Quirrell had grabbed Harry by his other hand and held tight to his wrist! I screamed. Harry gave me a harsh shove toward the door. "Get the others!" he told me. "And get help!"

Then he yelped in pain. I could see the scar on his forehead was glowing! I couldn't leave Harry, even though he'd told me to get help. I just stood there, my eyes widened in shock. I'd never seen something so horrible. I wasn't going to leave him here. I would have to do something.

But suddenly Quirrell let go of Harry! I watched as Quirrell hunched over in a ball, looking at his hands, which were burning. He cried in pain. "Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again.

I put my arm around Harry's shoulders and helped him over to the door. But Quirrell had gotten up again, and lunged at Harry. While he lunged at him, he shoved me out of the way violently with his arm. I fell onto the ground, the back of my head banging onto the hard floor. I moaned and rubbed the back of my head in pain. I looked up and saw that Quirrell had both of his hands on Harry's neck. Harry's scar was so bright it almost blinded me to look at it!

"Master, I cannot hold him- my hands- my hands!" Quirrell yelled.

And then Quirrell got Harry onto the ground, pinning him down with his knees. Quirrell's hands were burned, raw, red, and shiny.

"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.

I didn't know what to do as Quirrell lifted his hand to perform a deadly curse. Just then Harry reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face!

"AAAARGH!" Quirrell cried, rolling off of Harry, his face beginning to boil too. He could not touch his bare skin without suffering terrible pain. Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on tight.

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" Voldemort demanded.

"Harry! Harry!" I screamed.

Just then someone knelt down beside me and put their hand gently on my arm. I looked up and saw the face of Professor Dumbledore, smiling down at me. He winked at me. I felt happiness flow through me. I smiled brightly back up at Dumbledore. I knew Harry was going to be okay.

"Professor Snape," Dumbledore said then, over his shoulder. "Take Miss Carly back up to the castle. I'll stay here and finish the job."

I looked behind Dumbledore and saw Professor Snape standing there, with a grim expression on his face. "Yes, Professor," he said. I stood up and then ran up to Snape as Dumbledore walked over toward Harry.

"Professor Snape!" I said out of breath. "I'm so sorry! I can explain-"

"You can explain on the last day of school while you're finishing your exam, Miss Perry," Snape said, not using as harsh as a tone of voice as I'd heard him use before. "Now let's get out of here before things get ugly."

I nodded eagerly. Never before had I been so happy to go somewhere with Professor Snape. I followed closely behind him as he opened the chamber door and he put out the black and purple fire with his wand.

"I have so much to tell you, Professor Snape," I said as we walked through the room with the giant chessboard.

"Save it for later, Miss Perry," he said in response.

Save it for later? Ugh! I was here with him right now, and there was still a ways away until we got back up to the castle. I had so much to tell him, and he was going to make me wait. Let's face it: Snape was a pretty disappointing guy, but he was also a pretty cool guy.

So I had to hold everything in that I wanted to say for the rest of the way back up to the castle. Snape made one of the Devil's Snare plants start growing with his wand, and he then told me to get on with him. We got onto the plant and it brought us up to the trapdoor from the third-floor corridor in the castle. Fluffy wasn't anywhere in sight. He'd been put away.

When we were out of the third-floor corridor, Snape said, "You'd best get to Gryffindor tower right away. Your friends are rather worried about you, and Filch will write you up another detention if he finds you about."

"Thank you so much for everything, Professor," I said shaking my head with disbelief at how amazing this guy was. "It should have been you I've was flattering all along- with how you've been standing up to Quirrell-"

"These things don't have to be discussed, Miss Perry," he interrupted.

"Good night, Professor Snape," I said smiling kindly.

"Good night, Miss Perry," he replied, not getting rid of that frown.

I smiled one last time and then hurried off. I hurried up the staircase and got to Gryffindor tower. I arrived at the Fat Lady portrait. "Pig snout," I told her. The portrait swung open, and I got inside the common room.

Hermione and Ron both grabbed me! I was apart of a big hug now. I hugged both of them back for a long time. I just held onto them. I wanted to cry. I wanted to tell them everything. "You guys…" I said faintly.

"Oh, Carly, it must have been awful!" Hermione cried. "I feel so embarrassed right now. I mean, who would have thought it was Quirrell behind this the whole time and not Snape? I should have figured it out, myself. Why couldn't I have seen it for myself?"

"What happened down there?" Ron asked me curiously.

"You guys, it was awful," I said attempting to wipe a tear off of my bright red face. "I saw Voldemort and everything! I was so scared!"

Their eyes widened and they turned pale when I said this.

"You mean to say… you actually saw You-Know-Who?" Ron asked.

"Yes, and it was terrifying," I said.

"Did he try to hurt you?" Hermione asked.

"Well, not really," I said. "But he tried to kill Harry- well, actually Quirrell tried to kill Harry. But then Dumbledore came to Harry's rescue, and Snape brought me back to the castle."

"Yeah, we know," said Ron with a smile.

"Dumbledore's bringing Harry up to Madam Pomfrey's," Hermione explained. "He'll be staying there a couple days until he recovers from this experience. He says you don't have to though. He told us you seem to him like the 'kind of girl that bounces back easily'. You're fine with us."

The three of us laughed then, and it was another happy moment. We all hugged again. We felt safe and carefree then. We were all here, and we knew Harry was alright. Now we could finally relax for once.