Percy gradually became aware of the fact that he wasn't dead. Then he blinked a couple of times and noticed that he was in the hospital wing, for the second time this year; at a distance, he could hear the sound of Ron, his stubborn voice carrying easily through the quiet space. "I'm fine, Neville! Merlin's pants, you could give Lavender a run for her money at being smothering - "

Percy sat bolt upright. "Ron!" He nearly yelled. Neville, who was standing next to Ron's bed, jumped about three feet and made a terrified whimpering noise, which sent a spike of sharp guilt through Percy. He'd hexed the poor kid, and Neville had only been trying to do the right thing; an apology was probably in order. But first things first. "Ron, where are Fred and George? What happened?"

"They're fine," Ron said immediately, prioritizing correctly, and then gave a quick summary of the story. "We're not sure what happened to you, but I got them out with levitation charms and Fluffy almost bit my arm off, and then I didn't even have to go to the Owlery because we ran into Dumbledore halfway across the third floor. He turned up in the hospital wing with you a half-hour later looking right angry about something - dunno what - and by then Madam Pomfrey had already put the twins to rights. She made them stay overnight because of maybe concussions, but they got to leave like two days ago, I'm still here because like I said, Fluffy nearly took my arm off - "

"Two days ago?" interrupted Percy, shocked.

Ron blinked. "Oh - yeah - you've been out cold for like three days, Perce. Mum was in a right state when she found out what happened - "

"Mum was here?" Percy interrupted again.

At that, Ron looked almost confused. "Well, yeah, obviously," he said, "I mean, they send letters home when we get detention, of course they told Mum. I think McGonagall Floo-called her, actually, she turned up about five minutes after Dumbledore did. And then we had to try to explain to everyone what happened, and I think Mum couldn't decide whether to be really angry or really proud of us, it was sort of funny, actually. She'll be over the moon to hear you're up. What happened? Dumbledore said you duelled Quirrell?"

Percy made a face. "Duelled is a strong word," he said wryly. "More like accidentally didn't get murdered by." He made a helpless gesture. "Apparently the nifty magic mirror reflects Killing Curses. All I did was duck."

"On the contrary," said Dumbledore, "you did a great deal." Percy startled and turned around in a hurry. The Headmaster had just, as far as Percy could tell, materialized out of nowhere. Though, he supposed that they hadn't exactly been paying a great deal of attention to their surroundings, and so Dumbledore had probably just walked up behind Percy while he wasn't looking.

"What?" said Percy. What had he done? Hex Neville? Seriously endanger himself and several other students? Not die?

"Voldemort attempted to possess you, Mr. Weasley," explained Dumbledore, bright blue eyes twinkling behind his glasses, "and failed. That, in itself, is a remarkable accomplishment for you."

"Er," said Percy. "Oh." Then he remembered why Voldemort had tried to possess him. "What happened to the Stone? Where did You-Know-Who go? Was he colluding with Snape?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "The Stone is quite safe, Mr. Weasley," he said. "Voldemort has retreated, thankfully, and with any luck we shan't see him again too soon. And no, Professor Snape," he gave Percy a pointed look, and Percy winced, "was very much on our side. Indeed, he has been monitoring Professor Quirrell all year, in case of just such a scenario as the one that took place this past weekend. It was he who warned me that you and your brothers had become involved."

Percy frowned at Dumbledore. Something was nagging at him, a piece of the puzzle not quite fitting. "The Stone is safe," he said, "how, exactly?"

The Headmaster somehow managed to look humbly smug, which was something Percy had never seen anyone achieve before. "Ah," said Dumbledore, "that is the question, isn't it." He smiled at Percy. "You noticed, I take it, that Professor Quirrell was looking into the Mirror of Erised and seeing only himself with the Stone, not how to acquire it?"

Percy nodded. "Something like that. So, what, was it hidden under the floor or something?" He paused. "Or was it in the Mirror somehow?" Dumbledore nodded, twinkling, and opened his mouth to explain, but something was off, again, and Percy was barely listening as Dumbledore explained to a fascinated Ron and Neville how the Mirror would only produce the Stone for someone who wanted to get it but not actually use it. It sounded clever, hiding the Stone in the mirror, a perfect thing to tell people. Everyone would assume that they couldn't get the Stone simply because they were inadequate, but if you thought about it for a few moments... Percy was thinking of Bill and his tomb-raiding stories. The treasure's never in the chest - it's always somewhere else, and the chest is booby-trapped. There might've been a fake, perhaps, in case anyone managed to show really impressive levels of selflessness, but - "No," said Percy, drawing everyone's attention again, "it wasn't there at all, was it!"

Ron looked taken aback. "What?"

Dumbledore raised a curious eyebrow, clearly wondering how Percy had figured this out. Percy, his theory confirmed, exploded indignantly. "That's why you and McGonagall kept telling us 'oh don't worry everything's fine' even when everything was obviously not fine! It's not there!"

"Astute deduction, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore finally, looking mildly surprised but slightly impressed. "I hope you will accept my assurance, this time, that Nicolas Flamel's treasure is indeed much safer than it may have appeared." To Percy's distinct outrage, he smiled benignly. "But you have still won a great victory, for all that the prize you fought for did not exist. Voldemort has been beaten back."

"But he's still out there," said Neville, rather quietly. "He could still come back."

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Indeed," he said, "but if he should try again, and be beaten back again, and yet again, perhaps he never shall."

Percy made a face. "Fine," he said darkly, "but next time I'm not doing it."

To his great annoyance, Dumbledore just smiled at him, and said, "No one can force you to be a hero, Mr. Weasley," and then drifted away.

June 11, 1992

(letter delivered by Muggle post)

To Hermione Granger

Hope this gets to you. I dunno how Muggle post works, I'm having Dean deliver this.

On behalf of all the first-year Gryffindors, but especially on behalf of me, because I was the worst:

We were stupid and awful.

We're sorry.

- Ron Weasley