Chapter 43: Voldemort
The group of four arrived in a dark room. Suddenly, torches lit up and the light their flames brought with them revealed an odd sight. There were twelve stone figures, hunched over in front of them, two figures with drawn swords held below their hands, a set of people on horses, another set of people on the top of what appeared to be towers, and a final set of people holding staffs.
"What is this?" Sora asked, "A graveyard?"
"No, it's not." Ron replied, a smile stretching across his face, "It's a chessboard!"
Sora looked down and saw that the floor was comprised of black and white squares.
"There's the door!" Hermione shouted, pointing just over the King. They made to advance, but all the pawns drew their swords to block their advance. They froze in their tracks as the pawns sheathed their swords.
Ron looked over at the black side of the board before saying, "Looks like we have to play to get across. Harry, you're the king-side Bishop, Hermione, you're the queen-side castle, Sora, you'll be the queen-side knight, and I'll be the king-side knight."
The mentioned pieces Ron mentioned on the black side walked off the board before standing still. Sora and Ron got onto the abandoned knights as Harry stood to Sora's right and Hermione on his.
"What now?" Harry asked.
"Well, white moves first." Ron said, "Then…we play."
One of the white pawns slid forward two spaces.
"Ron, is this going to be like ACTUAL Wizard Chess?" Hermione asked, nervously.
Ron pointed to the middle pawn and ordered, "You there! MOVE!"
Their pawn slid forward until it was diagonal from the pawn that just moved. The white pawn drew its swords before plunging it into their pawn, shattering its stone body.
"Uh…yes, Hermione." Ron replied, nervously, "I think this is going to be EXACTLY like Wizard Chess."
—
The game was nearing its end. The black pieces were scattered across the board, but were being taken out by the White Queen, one at a time. Sora was placed just in front of the Black King, cutting off his retreat.
Ron was looking more and more determined as the game progressed. Often he noticed situations where one of his three friends were in danger and managed to take the piece threatening them just in time.
He looked at the Queen and then at the King before sighing.
"Looks like there's no other option." Ron said, "If I move, their Queen will take me, then Harry's free to check the King."
"Ron, what're you talking about?" Sora asked.
"What's he saying?" Hermione asked from the other end of the board.
"He's going to sacrifice himself!" Harry replied.
"No, you CAN'T!" Hermione shouted, "There must be another way!"
"Do you want to get to the Stone or not?" Ron asked. He then looked at Harry and said, "It has to be YOU. Not ME, not Hermione, YOU. Knight to E-5!"
Ron's horse then moved forward until it stood just a few squares next to the Queen.
"Check." He said in a quiet voice, bracing himself for the oncoming attack.
The Queen turned around to face Ron before slowly sliding forward until it was directly in front of Ron. She drew her sword before impaling Ron's horse, shattering it and causing the redhead to fall on the ground and lie still.
"RON!" Sora shouted.
Hermione made to run to her friend's aid, but Harry pointed a finger at her and shouted, "Don't move! We're still playing!"
Harry then slowly walked in a diagonal pattern until the king was just one square away from him.
"Checkmate." Harry simply said.
The king dropped his giant sword. It hit the ground with a loud 'CLANG'. They won the game.
Sora jumped off his horse as the three converged upon Ron's motionless form. Hermione checked his pulse.
"He's alive." Hermione said.
"Whew. Thank goodness." Sora said.
"You two have to go back." Harry said, "Find the broom back in the Key Room and send an owl to Dumbledore. Ron's right…it has to be me."
"No." Sora simply said, "I'm coming with you. Whatever my Keyblade's looking for is right ahead."
"But…"
"Free will." Sora said, "No stopping me."
"You're a great wizard, Harry." Hermione said.
"Not as great as you." Harry replied.
Hermione scoffed, "Me? Books and cleverness. You're greater than me because you have better qualities—friendship and bravery. Now, no matter what happens, don't let Voldemort take that stone."
"I won't." Harry said before running to the door, Sora right next to him.
—
Harry and Sora had walked through a dark corridor for what felt like hours. Sora's Treasure Seeker constantly pulling him forward as its golden light steadily got brighter and brighter. They finally came into a circular room where a large mirror stood. The mirror had a golden lining, ended in clawed feet, and an inscription in a language Sora couldn't decipher on the head.
Standing in front of it was a man with purple robes and a turban wrapped around his head.
"You." Harry gasped.
The man turned around with a cynical sneer on his face.
"ME." He said, "I wondered when I'd be seeing YOU, Mr. Potter. And I see you've brought a Keyblade Master with you."
"Wait, what?" Sora asked, "Who are you and how do you know about my Keyblade?"
"My name is Professor Quirrel." The man replied, "And thanks to my master, I know about your special blade."
"But…Snape…" Harry stammered.
"I know. He DOES seem the type, doesn't he?" Quirrel asked, "Next to him, who would suspect p-poor stut-stuttering Professor Quirrel?"
'Who's Snape?' Sora thought.
"B-but at the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me." Harry said, trying to make sense of everything. Sora was still lost.
"No, no Mr. Potter. I tried to kill you." Quirrel corrected, "If Miss Granger hadn't set fire to Snape and broke my eye contact, I would have knocked you off that broom…even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse trying to save you."
"Snape was trying to save ME?" Harry asked, "He always seemed to HATE me."
"He did." Quirrel replied, "And I wouldn't have had so much difficulty if that dog had bitten his leg off properly when I let the troll in on Halloween."
'And I thought I was confused back in Toy Zone…' Sora thought.
Harry suddenly winced as his hand flew to his scar.
"He wouldn't leave me alone after that." Quirrel continued, "But he didn't understand. I'm NEVER alone…never. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see how this interesting mirror works." Quirrel turned over to the mirror and seemed to murmur, "I see the stone…I'm presenting it to my master…but how do I GET IT?"
"Use the boys…" came a weak voice.
Quirrel wheeled around to face Harry and Sora, "YOU TWO! COME HERE, NOW!"
Mind blanked by fear, Sora and Harry walked forward until they were about a few feet in front of the tall mirror. Sora stared as his reflection smiled and pointed to Harry's pocket. His reflection summoned the Treasure Seeker, which began to glow and vibrate next to Harry's pocket. Sora's reflection winked before dismissing the Keyblade and getting Sora's pale fear face.
Harry's hand felt his pocket. His green eyes widened in surprise.
"What do you see?" Quirrel asked, impatiently.
"I…" Sora stammered, but couldn't get the right words out.
"I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore." Harry said, "I-I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."
"He lies!" the voice accused.
Quirrel wheeled over to the two shouted, "TELL THE TRUTH!"
"Let ME speak to them…" the voice said.
"Master, you're not strong enough." Quirrel said.
"I have strength enough for this." The voice replied.
Sora just stared, confused and scared again. What was going on NOW?
Quirrel grabbed part of the wrapping of his turban and began to slowly unwrap it. His head was completely bald and looked unusually small without the turban. He then pulled off the final fold. Harry's hand flew to his scar as he let of a hiss of pain and Sora nearly screamed in terror.
Where there should have been the back of a head, there was instead a face. It was pale white, had burning red eyes with slits of pupils, and snake-like slits for nostrils instead of a nose.
"Harry Potter and the Keyblade Master…" the other head said to the two in front of it, "I am glad you could join us…"
"Who-who're…" Sora stammered again. He couldn't help it or put a finger on WHY. Something about this other face sent terror directly into his heart.
"Voldemort…" Harry simply said.
"Yes." The face, Voldemort, replied, "You see what I have become? What I must do to survive? Live off another, a mere PARASITE. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can…something that you have in YOUR POCKET."
Harry immediately wheeled around as did Sora. The two tried running away, but Quirrel snapped his fingers. Flames immediately erupted from the entrance, cutting off their exit.
"Why suffer a painful death when you can both join ME and live?" Voldemort asked.
"NEVER!" both Sora and Harry shouted in unison.
Voldemort gave a small scoff before saying, "Courage. Key-wielders are known for it, so were your parents. Together, we could bring back your parents and destroy the Seekers…or find the ancient treasure before them."
Harry's hand slowly slid to his pocket and pulled out a small, blood-red stone. Sora's Treasure Seeker suddenly appeared in his hand and pointed directly at what Harry pulled out—the Sorcerer's Stone!
"Yes, Harry." Voldemort said, "There is no good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it. Just give me the stone!"
Harry then clutched the stone tightly in his fist. Sora looked over at his partner and was about to tell Harry to not do it, that it wasn't worth it. But Harry seemed to be a step ahead of him.
"LIAR!" Harry shouted.
Voldemort's immediate response was to shout at Quirrel, "KILL HIM!"
Quirrel flew at the two with his hand outstretched.
"HARRY!" Sora yelled, activating a Limit Break.
"FLOOPENDO!" Harry shouted, sending a burst of sparks from his wand. They pelted Quirrel, full in the face. Harry then thrust out his wand to touch tips with Sora's Keyblade.
"FLOOPENDO!" Harry shouted.
"LIGHT!" Sora shouted.
Sparks of pure light flew at Quirrel and pelted him multiple times in the chest. He screamed in pain before falling to the ground (1). However, Quirrel stood up and grabbed the two by the necks. Harry reached out his hand and grabbed Quirrel's hand. The professor screamed in pain before releasing the two as if his hand had been burned…which wasn't TOO far from the truth.
Sora massaged his neck and saw that Quirrel's hand had been turned into some form of gravelly material and crumbled away into dust.
"WHAT IS THIS MAGIC?" Quirrel shouted.
"FOOL! GET THE STONE!" Voldemort commanded.
Harry then got an idea. He lunged forward as Sora summoned his Keyblade. Harry's hands clutched Quirrel's face as Sora's Keyblade went through his chest. He screamed as his entire body turned into the gravelly substance and crumbled away.
Sora and Harry looked at each other, grinned, and let out a few chuckles.
Sora's Keyblade immediately pointed at the Sorcerer's Stone. A beam of light shot out of the tip and hit the stone. It slowly pulled away, dragging a small piece of parchment with it.
'I guess this is the map fragment…' Sora thought.
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"What I came here for." Sora replied. He held out his hand, which Harry shook, "Y'know, once you've been so close to death with someone before, I don't think you'll forget about him."
"Yeah. I think so, too." Harry replied.
Their shake ended as a smoke-like substance began to emerge from Quirrel's remains. The two looked over and saw that it had taken on the same form as Voldemort's face. It let out a scream before flying straight through Harry. Harry let out a scream as he fell to the ground, unconscious. Voldemort flew off through the corridor.
"Harry?" Sora said, shaking Harry, "HARRY?"
Sora suddenly began to glow with golden lights as he slowly faded from this world.
Giant Chess Set
A set of chess pieces that were set up by the Transfiguration Professor so that they would grow to gigantic sizes. The only way to get past them is to beat the white side in a game. They made their only game in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Professor Quirrel
The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Normally, he's very timid and stammers, but he showed his true nature when he sought the Sorcerer's Stone after sharing his body with Voldemort. He met his end when he came into contact with a special protection spell created by Harry's mother's sacrifice. He appeared in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Voldemort
The most powerful Dark Wizard in centuries. He killed MANY people during his reign, including Harry's parents. However, when he tried to kill Harry, he was stripped of his body and went into exile…until ten years had passed. Then, he met Quirrel, who allowed him to share his body. He sought the Sorcerer's Stone to become all-powerful again. He began his rampage in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
I just couldn't resist throwing in this world. I am an avid Harry Potter fan, after all.
Sorry that this one was pretty short.
