-scene break-
Harry's temper had flared, Fred had said, and the common room had agreed that... that Ron for all his loud mouthed ill mannered attitudes was a very... very good chess player. It was kind of annoying actually. It still got them past the chess trap, which was the actually important thing he supposed.
Despite all logic after they'd gotten past the magic chess set they stopped and started standing around talking. The harp had been already there when they got here, they had figured Snape had left it... Snape didn't really seem like a harp person.
"You should all go back," Katie was urging them, more kindly than Harry had any intention of doing, she was asking. He... just as soon as he finished examining the enchanted chess pieces was going to be telling them to go away. Katie was at least making hte argument to take the unconcious people with them.
This was charms work... he was relatively sure, hmm maybe professor Flitwick played chess. In which case the Ravenclaw's were probably already ahead of them. He was still assuming that there had to be Ravenclaw students ahead surely they couldn't be that late. They needed to keep going on, press forward. "We're going on ahead. All of you should go back to the common room,"
"Bollocks that we're not leaving you to go on ahead with that snake!" Dean Thomas shouted pointing a finger at Daphne, voicing the opinions of some of the other Lions. Most of the older years had had the good sense not to bring it up.
Harry's hand flashed outward, and there was a rippling of air, "I do not want or need your help, you got this far, but face facts we-" There was a rumbling abruptly as the door slammed cracking another strike came down on it as the Gryfindor's turned. Trolls... three of them as big if not bigger than the one from Halloween. This was bad.
"Harry," Katie whispered.
One, one wouldn't have been that big of a problem... three though at one time that... that was a bit more troublesome. Getting around them was going to be the key. Harry took a step back, this had to be part of the defenses it was so clever it had to be planned. Already Richard was shouting for everyone to back up, and concentrate on one. It was a sound idea, "You three take the one on the side,"
"But-"
He flicked his hand, "Just slow it down," Dozens of high focused bluish white fire arrowheads formed in front of him, eyes he thought just aim for the eyes. The bolts hissed outward from his hand. Almost as quickly Harry cursed angrily.
Fred, or George had apparently taught Ron that magic smoke spell. It was thick and black, and spreading out without any real change in apparent thickness. It also caused more than a few people to start choking and coughing, not something one wanted when dealing with three giant monstrous trolls. On the positive side at least the trolls couldn't see either, which was a good everything was concerned.
The trolls seemed to be roaring and grunting... which was probably some kind of primitive communication between them. Most of what he heard was troll, the language, involved pointing and some kind of grunting. Richard hoped the gesturing was a key part in the language because he was pretty sure he'd just bumped against the back of the chess board.
There were a couple of blasts of fire coming in from his right, most of them going clearly astray, though maybe were some were hitting giving the angry roars. Whatever the case Harry had learned his lesson not to get close, he could try phasing, but he really didn't want to risk the timing on it stationary objects were one thing. Still there were a few other options, the wall of rotating blades... though that probably wasn't the best idea especially with Weasley's damned smokescreen. Lightning was useful for disorientation, but he didn't have any idea how much he needed to stop their hearts.
There was a crash. The sound of stone shattering. Not that he could see it, but surely it had been one of the troll's blindly smashing at one of the charmed chess pieces. It was good sign when the chess pieces didn't immediately begin attacking everything in sight, hopefully they wouldn't start either that would be bad. The problem was Harry wasn't quite sure how easy it would be to dispell the smoke, given it was one thick, and two magical in origin.
The trio of girls attacking the troll on the right weren't having much luck. As it was the magical smoke wasn't helping to hit anyway. The smoke had been fast to spread out in the room, and there were three of the things as if one wasn't enough.
The other Gryffindors were having even worse luck. The oldest of the lot had a wider option of spells to draw form, and options that were more likely to be useful, but even so even a single fully grown mountain troll was considered a considerable threat to even an adult wizard. One the trolls gave a deafening roar as something apparently hit. There was no real telling with the way the smoke was obscuring their line of sight. Still atleast the smoke was doing something.
Harry grimaced, still at least it was a stone floor it made raising it easier. Still the trolls could clearly smash the stone into pieces so it risked the danger of shrapnel. He really wished that damned smoke would go away it was irritating his eyes. He choked a bit as he inhaled another breath, still the troll in front of him couldn't escape, he'd tagged it a good dozen times with enough bolts of acid to wear it down considerably. Thick skin didn't mean much when you had acid burning through it and into fatty, and muscle tissue alike. The only downside was he'd need to actually need physical contact to force atrophy the troll's muscles and Harry wasn't going to risk that. He swiped his hand again carefully clustering the bolts at a height where only the troll would be hit. It was good thing these ugly bastards were twelve feet tall, he could aim high even in the poor visibility.
There was another roar, and then Harry realized he could feel it. The sense of raw magic while he was here at Hogwarts was all encompassing so he hadn't noticed it at fire. The whole building, the stone, the air, and the wood along with everything else was saturated but this was something else entirely. His wrists burned as his fingers shook, this creature was going to die its cursed black aura would be snuffed out, crushed, burned. Stones rippled snarling pushing up reaching towards the ceiling. This dark miasma in the troll it was familiar, kill it.
Su did not assume she knew what was going on, one minute there had been steady barrage, volley after volley of dense blasts and now this. Maybe Harry was just impatient, or it was possible that something about the scarred troll he was facing had set him off... she couldn't say for sure. Now though... whatever the cause the ground stones were rippling up, and she wasn't sure if Harry was altering the castle or if he was really burning the magic to make new stone.
Daphne stumbled back cursing,. Her fire bolt flew straight up, in the direction her wand had been pointing. Katie grabbed her, and pulled her back, and the Slythering first year looked at her, "We've got to do something." She had really been expecting that they were just holding the second troll off until Harry could finish the first one.
There was a solid contact, Harry could feel it as the stone slammed into the troll's side. He'd missed the second one, sending into the wall, not that it mattered. The troll snarled slamming at the rock, but it was where Harry wanted it. Orange red fire glowed, heating as the air shifted hot and popping as he focused his magic into it. A part of him knew he shouldn't have bothered with spending the extra magic, this multipart spell, but the troll from halloween had been such a pain... and this thing needed to die. Molten earth contained in the fiery mass... lava. He could already feel it draining the magic to keep the earth superheated, but there. There was a rippling snap as the fire burned, and then a howl, but from the wrong troll.
Trolls weren't supposed to use magic. That wasn't possible... the dead troll dropped ripped nearly in twine from the nearly meter long shard of black glassy stone.
The fragment of Voldemort's soul cursed angrily, the language thoroughly butchered by his current host's injuries. He'd assumed that the other fragment had been exagerating, but that clearly wasn't the case... and here he was without a wand. Angrily the dark wizard's soul fragment pumped even more tainted black energy and hate into his host body. His host took a step forward, and swung downward. The club howled with fire exploding outward.
Harry considered dodging, but he already had the stone up, and it really was easier to just stay put behind the very rough stone and pour his magic into the shield. Still that was one troll down, and two to go. One normal, he hoped, and one evil troll?... whatever. He heaved a breath, before coughing on the still present smoke.
The shard of Voldemort's sould considered its options. He'd assumed the other piece had concealing things, and in perhaps someplaces exagerating but the philosopher's stone was just too good of a tool to pass up just because of some suspicions. So again he poured all his impotent rage, and fury into a wave of fire. Potter seemed to have taken the same trick and modified significantly, but simplicity at times was really the easiest measure in these fights.
Stones blacked, and grew hot under the heat of the fire. His host body roared might muscles flexing as brought the tree limb that served as a club down. The wood though was still cool to the touch massive and secure in its magic. The other Gryffindor's weren't an issue they'd be nothing, Po-
That was as far as the possessed troll got as it stepped forward another stone column came up slamming forward stopping the thoughts. Harry knew that he had to finish this quickly, otherwise things really would get out of hand. This needed to end.
The stones were the easiest to hit the troll with considering they came directly out of the floor. They took more energy but at least he was hitting. Now if only he could get rid of that massive club, and all that fire. Luckily there wasn't anything to burn... well not much.
For the other Gryffindors, and Su and Daphne they had no idea of what happened, most were still struggling with the last troll. Abruptly though there was a stench, a horrid smell, and the roar of fire all around.
Stone was solid, earth was the element of unyielding willpower. The mountain would not bend to any amount of howling wind. Stone came up from the earth, in three and four feet tall segments aimed at the trolls thighs, and hips. Growing stone was not easy, but it was worth it once the thing was trapped.
The troll heaved its chest struggling. The soul fragment knew what was coming, he didn't have the room, or the ability to charge not with all the rocks around him like this. Trolls were not particularly dextrous. The fire came, but there was a taint to it, something different than the first waves of attack that been sent. Voldemort cursed his host's body
Taking the last remaining troll down had been a mess. Still Richard thought they had everything well in hand now, as he stood on top of the unconcious thing's chest. Blood was leaking from its nose, eyes, ears, and a nasty wound on its head. "Ron go ahead drop that smoke," He barked, waving his hand in fruitless gesture. Ron had the good sense to at least look sheepish.
There was another roar of defiance from the last troll, Harry surely had to be taking his time. Then there was another blast of fire, from the Troll, and no doubt Harry's response, and Katie wondered what was going on.
The way the fight ended was more or less unsatisfactory. Harry's 'tainted fire' might have retarded healing, magical healing especially, but acid worked well too apparently. Still by the time they finally got the smoke cleared Harry was busy trying to burn something beside the dessicated troll's corpse, doing well enough job too given the piece of metal was almost completely liquified. What lay ahead of them none could say, but Harry wasted no time in in pulling one of his gloves off and touching the last troll.
All the Gryffindors though were less sure of their reasoning for coming. So it was easier to convince them to go back. Harry leaned back catching his breath. The last troll was still alive, if only barely. It was no longer his problem, though he really wished Su would stop asking questions about earth manipulation while he was trying to catch his breath. While certainly more expansive than his previous uses it was not his first demonstration of the technique. "Stone is unbending will, but also unrelenting fury," Harry liked to wax poetic at times. "Fine come on," He stated moving on and away from the three trolls. At least it was just them, and what stood as the next challenge was nothing.
A wall of fire? Dumbledore's challenge perhaps, but only because he didn't think Snape liked riddles. Harry didn't bother, the fires, two purple and black, died snuffed out with little wait. Daphne and Su went on ahead as Harry poked at the paper.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm taking the bottles," He said, well most of them except the one the two flame protection potions which Daphne had identified. The wine and the poison though, his...
She raised an eyebrow, "Where are you going to put them." He paused... ah that was going to be a problem. So naturally he wrapped them up in robes, and foisted them off on Katie.
"Lets go," What was through the corridor was not what he was expecting.
Su, and Daphne were out cold. Quirrel standing around looking at himself in a mirror, and there were absolutely no other Ravenclaws in sight. Harry groaned and rifled around in his jacket for a couple of gold coins... stupid bet.
Quirrel turned, "oh," He barely raised his wand before a fire bolt struck the mirror.
"Well at least I made a little bit up on betting it wasn't Snape," Harry grunted altering his bare hand to focusing on Quirrel.
The defense professor steadied his hand. "I should imagine, that that ruckus was you dealing with the trolls," He flinched his eyes twitching rapidly, and there was a muffled sound. Quirrel's head hurt as the Dark Lord angrily growled and demanded things of him.
That same tainted feel flared. He hadn't noticed it before, presumably because it'd been inactive and well Quirrel's class was boring thus there really hadn't been a point to paying attention. Now though Quirrel had his full attention, while the defense teacher was clumsily unrolling his turban. There was another face on the back of Quirrel's head. That wasn't weird at all.
The second face licked his chapped lips, "This is what I've been reduced to, because of you Potter the greatest wizard in history and I'm stuck possessing this bumbling oaf." Quirrel shuddered, "I had expected my horcrux to be enough, but I suppose that been proven wrong."
"Whats a horcrux?" Katie asked. Harry shrugged, he didn't know.
Quirrel started to say something, but the seccond face cut him off, "Not now Quirrel," He snapped irritably, Voldemort had been waiting for this for ages. "You've been busy fighting the remaining Death Eaters, they're nothing they lack organization. I knew something was up then, the Troll at Halloween confirmed though what I thought. The prophecy was correct, I had made the right choice in attack tonight though proves it further had I waited to get the Philosopher's stone this would be-"
That was as far as he got dozens of energy kinetic, and fire pulses rained from both of Harry's hands. "About that, I don't see the rock," He commented the sneak attack hadn't been something Quirrel would have been able to block too much raw magic. Voldemort though his shield did a better job of stopping the fire... of course the wrist probably wasn't supposed to turn that way.
"Dumbledore's final defense it seems is trapping the stone in the mirror," Voldemort continued, a bit more warily this time. Quirrel's body wouldn't have nearly the durability of the troll the fragment of his soul had been possessing. h with the unicorn blood, amongst other things strengthening him... it came another wave of magic. Potter clearly didn't care about the mirror. Each bolt was a narrow tappered arrow head of bright orange fire. It was the smaller red white spheres that Voldemort realized to get away from when the first one exploded like a tiny sun for several seconds. His flame freezing charm the only thing that kept it from being dangerous. Yes Snape had been correct to emphasize anti fire spells, and protections.
Harry turned his hand getting closer with every step. The philosopher's stone? He'd expected something else, why put your secret for immortality here, it didn't make sense. Still whatever counter attack that Voldemort was preparing to unleash abruptly faltered as Katie added her own fire to the mix. In that sole instant of sudden shock, the gap in the possessed man's defenses were just wide enough. There was a sudden scream as thick so green, that they could be black vines lashed out. Harry hadn't found away to do this with anything other than plants. Voldemort screamed and writhed at the invasion of foreign magic, and if Harry was surprised by the unique reaction to his magic, and his blood it wasn't visible. Harry didn't care about the spark, or the crinkling and burning of the flesh.
-scene break-
Nobody... well the student body didn't know it was Quirrel. Quirrel had just been written off as yet another casualty of a Death Eater attack, which was definitely a propaganda victory to be sure. In other news Gryffindor had done well enough over all. The last Quidditch game of the year last had come and gone and the last bits of points were waiting to be tallied as soon as the last finals were graded... At least Quirrel had finished grading his paperwork. All things considered it looked like Ravenclaw would be winning the house cup this year.
Harry unfolded the letter he'd gotten two weeks ago... the letter from Cassiopea Black... Malfoy had apparently gotten a secondhand copy from his father recently. That had been a bit annoying... sure they were related, and there was that whole Christmas dinner thing, but still.
The last couple days had been well troublesome. It'd been boring. All their exams were done, the threat to stone was gone, but Mars in the night's sky was still bright. Whatever was to come, was still coming the centaurs warned. For now though that wasn't his problem.
Pomfrey had confined him for three days in the hospital wing, obstensibly for the rather severe case of magical exhaustion he had. That didn't bother him... they hadn't let him keep the bottles though that annoyed him the most. The other downside was any experimentation was sidelined until he was free from the harpy. So all that left for him was the letter to read over again. At least he would have plenty to do this summer... and there was so much to do.
Dumbledore's entry lacked any particular pomp or circumstance, nor was any particular spectactle given to the other heads of house. "I believed we would find you here mister Potter, I did not wish to unduly disturb the school year," but he'd managed to put this off until now. There was no getting around it now the governors were insisting... well some of them. It didn't matter that what he'd done was completely legitimate, or that there was prescedence for it. Oddly it was the Hufflepuff Alumni on the board that were being the most insistent. It was an odd situation, but Dumbledore wasn't concerned.
Snape on the other hand. Well he had his own reaons for being concerned. Potter was, had been looking through that letter. He for one didn't think it was good sign at all. Lucius had sent Draco a copy because he thought it was important, the Black family was an old pureblood line. Severus on the other hand would have preferred if his godson avoided Potter.
McGonnagal who was on the other side of Dumbledore had the Sorting hat, and she was followed closely by the charms master, who was carrying the stool which was half his height. This whole affair was a waste, it would have made sense to McGonnagal perhaps if it was still the beginning of the year, but now at the very end it was pointless.
Dumbledore took the time to go over some of the more colorful reasons why the sorting hat had been devised, and why it was the norm. He, the headmaster had considered his options about the whole situation with Voldemort and the Philosopher's stone. He'd considered bringing it up, but in the end the discussion hadn't happened. Harry didn't seem to care about the Philosopher's stone, or even Voldemort afterwards. Whatever defenses had burned Quirrel had worked in tandem with Harry's binding plants, which was odd because Harry hadn't minded he'd failed to take Quirrel prisoner either. McGonnagal had just wanted to launch a tirade, but he'd managed to sideline that at least for a time, she might still go ahead with it.
The sorting hat was old. There was a saturation of magic in it as old as the stones in the castle. The headmaster had said Godric Gryffindor had enchanted the hat to resolve sorting issue, even after the founders were gone. The four houses represented the ideals allegedly of the founders, students were sorted based on attitude. Enchanting a hat... it was something out of a book, still Harry supposed it served the purpose well enough.
"Well thank you for that, Mr. Potter." The hat grunted snarkily in his mind, "You're a bit late coming to me, of course once upon a time classes started with the spring." and no doubt in all the history of the school the start of classes had changed many times. "I've not sorted your friend either, curious a place here in Hogwarts halls would be his right. Still the question is where to put you with all your summer born fire. Your books speak well towards Ravenclaw, and all ambition to reign of Slytherin, yet an oath said, bound like iron speaks of Hufflepuff, and a lion's fury, with no fear at heart is Gryffindor born, and true." The hat whispered quiet in his mind.
The discussion went back and forth, and the teachers' waited in the silence. The hat agreed that Hufflepuff was less of a match, and Slytherin for all ambition was close still.
"Just to Gryffindor," Harry grunted, he didn't particularly care, and the hat seemed intent on dragging this out. He didn't see a point to it, earlier in the year it might have mattered, but he'd been here a whole year.
The hat hemmed and hawwed a bit, "This is why we sort people at the start, still you are used to it so thus to Gryffindor you go." That was that, for all the hat's comments on the other houses, and other things it was done.
Dumbledore nodded. That would certainly satisfy the board, or not, but at least there was nothing they could do now. McGonnagal took the sorting hat back, and extended a formal welcome into Gryffindor house. "Harry if I may I know you have that letter still, perhaps now with the school year ending is a better time to talk about it?"
-scene break-
The end of the year feast had been boring affair. Slytherin had been in a sullen mood. Ravenclaw had taken the House cup, mostly thanks to points from the finals. The difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin's final score a mere eleven points. That was the note on which the school year ended, well along with a moment of silence for Quirrel at the end of the year feast.
In the end Dumbledore had made the descision not to give Gryffindor the house cup in a last minute victory of points. McGonnagal had been greatly relieved all things considered. Without that bit of drama all that was left was the train ride home.
There wasn't any telling what lay ahead. Quirrel being killed... attributed to Death Eater activity had even gotten covered by the newspaper. Most people... rather most students didn't even get the Prophet or other papers reguarly, instead the main information was rumors.
Daphne sat down as they waited for the train to pull away from the station, and Katie took the spot beside her, seeing as Tracy had grabbed the other side, "This year was way more interesting than last year." She declared, people were a lot more relaxed now that results of the exams were out... well most people. School being over also helped. "So whats the plan for summer?" Finding out one of the most liked teachers in the school had been possessed by an evil wraith of a dark lord had been kind of an issue.
"There is a luncheon in about a week, and then beyond that..." Harry leaned back, well Cassiopea Black's gathering was really the only thing definitive. He needed to stock up on food, get a bunch of books on carpentry, and farming... and well he was behind on summoning too. The first year of Hogwarts had pretty much wrecked his schedule, then again finding out about the wizarding world in general had totally turned everything on its head both for good and bad. "and there are a bunch of other things as well.
Slowly the train started to pull away from the station. A year done, like Dumbledore had said, and there was still a lot on everyone's mind. Still the whole summer was laying ahead. Su apparently had some kind of family thing as well, seh'd probably be busy until the end of June, or early July even.
Tracy expected to get stuck in something similiar, but she, Daphne and Katie were still making plans for some kind of end of the school year commiserating in the form of a shopping trip. Harry was going to definitely skip that. "So the plant on fire thing?"
The other three perked up looking to Harry, "The vines aren't normally on fire. The fire, it was the addition of a kind of permanent defense enchantment that triggered." He did his best to make it sound like he knew what he was talking about, the lets set Quirrel on fire for touching me... well Harry didn't have clue where that bit had originated. He vaugelly understood how it worked, to the point of process but not so much why it had triggered.
"Automatic defense?" It was worth a small fortune for Harry's ego at least that that was the part they chose to latch on to. Daphne had spent the last year as Harry's potion's partner, so she'd seen the bag plenty.
Katie had too, so from a theoretical stand point it was easy to guess. Through out the lessons Harry had not been rather clear on manipulating magic worked, but still they had a picture. The idea of the bag went completely opposite to Harry's usual fire creation. "So its what constantly getting energy from you?"
"Thats how magic works, my bag draws off ambient energy," when it couldn't feed off his, "taking a small but constant flow to power. The shield is only solid when it needs to be, or in this case only sets things on fire when conditions are met." All of that he could confirm, so he held out a hand, "It responds to a triggering condition, but," His hand glowed red and orange fire curled against his finger tips, "this is impermanent fire it lasts only until its fuel is exhausted." It was why making rocks, and water took more out of him relatively speaking. "Making something permanent without a physical form not easy," So don't try it... geez had that blown up in face when he'd first gotten started.
Daphne glanced at the bag, "But the bag is physical,"
"It is,"
She had seen the bag up close, but still went through with picking it up, there was nothing particularly obstentatious about it, no clear arcane marks. Harry did her a favor by pumping the bag with a 'contrast', magic, highlighting the 'shield'. "can we learn this next year?" For a little while there was some all around discussion over just what they should try and learn.
Harry sat back, and watched the countryside roll by as the train worked its way south, down the rails, and on the way to London. The warning from the centaurs still hung, last night Mars had been bright. War was still coming, but who cared about that. Harry had so many potential topics to look into, spells to craft, books to read, and if the Death Eaters wanted to fight well... It wasn't like they'd been all that impressive.
Far, far away from the steaming red scarlet engine working its way south there were people who would disagree with that. After the fall of Voldemort on that Halloween's night more than a decade ago the Death Eater's had fractured. Some of the inner circle had bribed their way free, some had gone to jail, and some had slipped away in the night. From the ashes of Voldemort's fall smaller bands of Death Eaters got together lead by different wizards.
An end of an era was here, and none of the free members of the Inner Circle doubted that in the years to come there would be changes... in the mean time Rosier had a little old lady to kill. Another young wizard was making his way across the north sea on a boat bound for Norway.
Dumbledore however, well the old headmaster was looking forward to the International Confederation of Wizards gathering in Paris this year. It was going to be positively splendid, all bright lights and cheer.
-scene break-