Chapter 19: Quirrell's Defeat
"It seems I have a guest," Professor Quirrell said to himself after Harry entered the room. The boy wasn't as quiet as he hoped he would be.
"So… You're the one after the stone?" Harry asked feigning surprise. He figured playing the role of surprised first year would be a good idea for buying time.
Professor Quirrell gave a chuckle. There was no sign of the cowardice he was famed for at Hogwarts. "Yes. It is me. Who did you think it would be?" he asked in a mocking tone. His stutter wasn't present. It was further proof of what Naruko said. He had been faking it the whole time.
"Professor Snape…" Harry admitted in supposed shock. It was partially true. He had thought it was Snape, even if he started leaning towards Quirrell.
"Ahhh yes. Severus does seem the type. With the way he skulks about, it's no surprise people would suspect him. It was annoying though… He knew from the start what I was up to," Professor Quirrell said.
"Not even Dumbledore knew?" Harry asked. He was a little surprised by this.
"That old goat is well past his prime. He had no suspicion at all. He should have known I was up to something though. I almost blew it since I didn't have a stutter during the interview," Quirrell said with a chuckle.
"What did you say caused it then?" Harry asked as he blinked in disbelief.
"Simply claimed I took trip in celebration where it developed after an uncomfortable meeting with a vampire," Quirrell said. He looked to Harry and waved his wand.
Harry didn't move because he was shocked at that. He never really had a wand trained on him before now. He did not like the feeling.
"I don't mind your chatter, but I need to make sure you don't get any funny ideas," he said.
Quirrell then turned back to the mirror and started examining it again. "What is the trick…" he muttered to himself.
Harry looked around the area taking in his surroundings. The room was circular and there were several pillars around the area. The mirror was in pretty much the dead center and the room was rather large.
Harry knew what the trick was to the mirror, but he wasn't about to blow it. What good would it do if he tried to get the stone first? He was just a first year and barely knew any magic. Quirrell would know tons of magic. He was purposefully a terrible professor, but he still knew enough to get the job and teach OWL and NEWT level classes.
"Were you the one who jinxed my broom? I thought Snape was doing it to kill me," Harry asked after a moment. His plan was to keep him talking. Keep him distracted.
"Yes it was. I was trying to kill you. You and your friends were already becoming a nuisance by that point. I find it rather ironic Professor Snape was the one trying to save you, despite how much he hates you. It was amusing how your little friend with the frizzy hair set fire to his robes at least," he said.
"Why did he want to referee the following match?" Harry asked.
"To keep a better eye on you. It was foolish really. Dumbledore may be past his prime, but I wouldn't have tried anything that overt in front of him," Quirrell answered as he glanced over at Harry.
"What do I do about this insufferable mirror?" Quirrell grumbled as he looked back at it.
"You did the troll too," Harry said.
"Well. It seems you finally caught on. Not surprising since you are here. I've always had a gift with trolls. If anyone actually thought about it for a moment, they might have realized I was behind it. By that point, other than Snape, no one suspected p-p-poor s-s-stuttering Quirrell," he said with a smirk.
"Why were you whimpering in your office earlier? There's no way that was acting as well," Harry stated.
Quirrell seemed to grow fearful at that. "I messed up too much. Too many close calls. My master… Punished me. He's always with me. Near me. Knows what I'm doing at all times!" he was getting a little panicking now.
"Must figure this out. Must figure this out. Got to get the stone. I see myself giving it to my master! Where is it?!" Quirrell was unraveling now.
"The boy… he knows," a different voice said.
Harry's eyes widened at hearing that voice. He wasn't sure where it was coming from.
"What is the trick, Potter!" Quirrell spat out.
"I don't know what you're talking about?! I just see a mirror," Harry said in a panic. It wasn't really an act either. He did not want to be involved further in this. What if something happened and the mirror decided to give him the stone anyways? Dumbledore's trick wouldn't matter then!
"He lies…" the second voice said. "Let me see him…" the voice said.
"No! You're too weak, Master," Quirrell begged.
"I've strength for this," it said.
Quirrell seemed to go into a daze as he started to unwrap his turban. "As you wish, my Master," he said in defeat.
Harry watched in horror as the turban came undone. There was a second face where the back of Quirrell's head should be. The face had red eyes, slit nostrils, and seemed gaunt and weak.
"Do you see? This is what has become of me, Harry. This is what you did to me that night," the face said.
"You're Voldemort?" Harry asked in surprise.
"You dare speak the Dark Lord's name?!" Quirrell spluttered in anger.
"Still. Quirinius," Voldemort commanded. Quirrell seemed to whimper for real as he seemed to bow to his master. "You truly are brave, Harry. Your parents were brave as well," Voldemort said.
His eyes then narrowed a little. "They died foolishly…" he said.
"They died fighting you!" Harry said.
"It wasn't much of a fight. Your father threw his life away. Your mother didn't need to die though. She could have lived," Voldemort said.
"She knew what you were. She knew what to do!" Harry said.
"She didn't even fight… didn't even raise a wand for infant son, Harry," Voldemort said. "I hope you aren't so foolish. You are so young, Harry. You can make this right. Tell me how you get the stone. I will let you be by my side," he said.
"You'll have to make me!" Harry said in defiance.
"It truly is a pity. You are just as foolish as your parents. I suppose that comes with being in Gryffindor. House of the Brave? More accurate to call it the House of the Reckless and Foolish," Voldemort said in pity.
"Force him to look into the mirror," Voldemort ordered.
"Yes, Master," Quirrell answered in glee.
[-] [-] [-]
Naruko was looking at the flames again. She wasn't having much luck getting past them. She decided she would face Voldemort here after all. To avoid giving him any ideas, she would do what she could to back up Harry as her priority and focus.
He needed all of the help he could get. A super awesome kunoichi with a penchant for seals backing him up? That sounded like a pretty good amount of help.
The problem she was currently having was how to get through. She experimented with a few clones with no success. The memories… weren't pleasant. It wasn't burning up. It was like some kind of cold fire. It was freezing, but also burning. It only made sense because of magic.
Naruko looked to the empty potion vial Harry unintentionally left for her. It was a long shot, but maybe she could get it to refill. Naruko hummed in thought. It was a plan and seemed to be her best shot. Using the replacement jutsu didn't work with these magic flames.
The problem with this plan was adding an appropriate seal. It was always tricky and usually messy at best when you were adding to someone else's seal. She would also have to hope a general refill seal would work somehow. You usually had to be more specific when it came to seals. This wasn't truly seals though. Thanks to her ancestors' gift she knew with the right leverage and approach runes could be added to or changed to an extent.
"Well… Only one thing to do," she said to herself.
She pulled out some sealing paper and quickly got to work.
[-] [-] [-]
"What do you see? Potter!" Quirrell demanded.
"I see… I see Professor Dumbledore. He's handing me the house cup. We won it!" Harry said in a fake answer. What he actually saw was a bit embarrassing. It was him and girl seeming to resemble Naruko and a bunch of kids were running around them.
There were other people there as well with them. Some of the kids belonged to them Harry could tell. He recognized some of the others, Hermione and Ron in particular. They weren't the only ones present though. He didn't recognize the other people. He could only guess they were people he didn't know, or maybe it was the mirror telling him his heart's desire was to have a big group of friends who all had children who got along well.
"He lies!" Voldemort shouted.
[-] [-] [-]
"Got it! I think…" Naruko said and felt happy for a moment. The potion vial refilled after she placed it on the designated spot. There was enough for two people.
"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" she said and hoped there wouldn't be another version of Red at a time like this.
"What's up boss?" a clone asked with a smile.
"Test this potion and see if it lets you through," Naruko said.
"O-o-okay, Boss…" the clone replied before gulping and doing as ordered. It was a clone of Naruko, so it knew how poorly the previous attempts went. "Whoa… This is kind of trippy…" the clone said.
"Well. Go on," Naruko urged.
The clone nodded and closed her eyes before facing the flames.
There was a sudden pop sound just past the flames. This time, Naruko grinned in victory. She quickly took the remaining potion and ran through the flames without getting burned.
"You better not be dead!" Naruko thought to herself as she ran through the far too long corridor. She hoped the little surprise she gave Harry would help buy her time to get there.
[-] [-] [-]
It was obvious Quirrell was no longer in the mood for talking. As he forced Harry to look into the mirror, the boy jammed an elbow into the two-faced man's gut. Quirrell was momentarily distracted as he grunted at the surprise attack.
Harry noticed a small paper ball fall out of his robe pocket at that moment. It was fizzing. Harry had no idea what it was, but he dashed forward and closed his eyes. He had a feeling it was a present from Naruko. She probably slipped it in when she hugged him before he went through the flames.
Harry hid behind a pillar in the room. Just as he was out of sight, there was a bright flash and concussive blast. Harry barely covered his ears just enough to not be affected by the flashbang. Harry would have marveled at what seals could do, if he didn't have other concerns at the moment.
Quirrell howled at the effects of the explosion. He was momentarily blind and when it passed he saw afterimages or something. At the moment, be could only hear a ringing sound that was slowly dissipating and his master's angry yells inside his head.
"Fool! You let him get into hiding!" Voldemort mentally screamed to Quirrell. He had no idea what that was, but it was clearly Quirrell's fault for being useless. It seemed he was spared some of the effects due to his current state. It was one of the only times he was thankful for it.
"Find him!" Voldemort shouted as soon as he realized his vessel's senses were back in working order.
Quirrell fumbled around a little trying to pick up his wand. It seemed Voldemort's senses were limited in his current state as well, since he didn't know where Harry was. Harry used this blessing to reach a different pillar. He did his best to keep track of them without giving himself away.
"We will find you, Harry," Voldemort wheezed out. He was attempting to goad the boy into giving himself away. "I offer you one last time to join me. That was cleverer than I figured a first year could do," he wheezed out.
Harry thought about shouting something in reply, but realized that would give him away. He quickly tried to think of what to do. He really needed to learn some Taijutsu or any hand to hand after this. Maybe he could get an old karate manual or something at least.
It seemed wizards, even the more powerful ones, relied heavily on their wands. "Damn it all… I really wish I was already a ninja wizard or something," he thought. He was sure Naruko would be able to just decimate these two. Voldemort was severely weakened and Quirrell wasn't used to facing someone who knew how to fight.
Quirrell started to narrow down which pillar Harry got behind. He didn't notice as Harry changed pillars a couple of times while he was distracted. At least the boy knew how to be decently stealthy. That was something he learned many years ago when trying to keep away from Dudley and his friends.
"Found you!" Quirrell shouted thinking he had the boy. It was another mess up. "You really are sneaky… Like an annoying mouse," he said.
"He moved pillars! You fool," Voldemort shouted.
Quirrell tried a different one, but Voldemort was looking as well this time. "There he is… the pillar directly opposite of you," Voldemort whispered into Quirrell's mind. It was annoying how useless the man was to Voldemort. He had a perfectly healthy body yet he was useless!
Quirrell came over to the pillar Voldemort indicated.
Harry figured his time was up. He wished Naruko gave him more than one present. He did notice there seemed to be a lot of dust and dirt here. He wasn't sure if it would work or not, but he had a little plan. He listened as Quirrell came closer. Harry crouched hoping it would give him just a couple of seconds at least.
Quirrell was close now. He was grinning. Soon this would all be over and his master would be free again. He held his wand steady and jumped around the corner. Harry wouldn't escape this time. "There you are!" he said and was taken aback when he saw Harry was crouching. He adjusted his aim.
Before Quirrell could act, Harry shot raw magic while he thought wind at the ground around him. A huge dust cloud blew up around him. Quirrell was not ready for this.
Harry punched him as he coughed due to the dust. Quirrell winced but got ready to cast a spell. Harry didn't want that though. He quickly closed the distance between them and grabbed the man's exposed wrist so he couldn't aim his wand.
Both of them hissed in pain!
Harry felt as if his hand was burning.
Quirrell was shaking a little as his face went white and he saw his wrist. It was as if he just suffered a bad burn. He couldn't even hold his wand properly at the moment because of the pain.
"Get him! Stop fooling around!" Voldemort shouted from the back of his head.
"Master… It burns…" Quirrell whined.
Harry got an idea. It was a stupid idea most likely, but he was desperate. Harry quickly grabbed Quirrell again. He cried in pain, but Quirrell seemed to be in even greater pain!
Harry couldn't really take too much though. He was losing his grip already. It was too much for him. He was on his knees and his hands were throbbing and trembling in pain.
Harry thought this was it. He was dead. Quirrell was in pain but seemed to still have enough focus to try one last spell. Harry's sight was out of focus as he looked up at the man.
A blonde blur suddenly came in and seemed to sail through the air. "Harry!" Naruko shouted as she kicked the side of Quirrell's head.
Quirrell couldn't even groan in pain or register what happened as he went sailing into the wall. The impact was hard enough in his current state it instantly killed him and bent his neck at a really disturbing angle. Voldemort wasn't even aware of what was going on at the moment either.
"Naruko…" Harry said weakly as he collapsed to the floor.
"Harry!" Naruko cried and checked over his body. His pulse was still there, but his hands were badly burned. He seemed to pass out from pain.
Naruko looked around as she heard the sound of something crumbling. She gave a wince as she saw the body of Possessed Quirrell start to turn to dust. That was odd. Then it got weirder.
There was a terrible shriek of some kind as a dark mist seemed to fly from the fast decaying body. The mist seemed to have someone's face. The face didn't have a nose, but had red eyes. Naruko could only guess that was Voldemort's face.
"I will return… Lord Voldemort doesn't die…" a weakened wheezing voice cried as the mist exited through a vent.
Naruko would have thought about following it or something, but she was more concerned with Harry at the moment. "Damn it… Why didn't I have a couple of healing potions with me at least!" she scolded herself.
Naruko heard steps rushing her way. She looked to the entrance and got ready to jump into action. She wasn't sure if this was another trap or maybe Voldemort already found a new body. She could see him somehow possessing one of the chess pieces or something.
She was relieved when she saw a familiar beard and half-moon glasses. Dumbledore quickly looked around and at the mirror in particular. "He's hurt! He needs help. I couldn't get here any sooner," she said.
Dumbledore nodded and cast a silent spell causing Harry's body to float. "We'll take him to Madam Pomfrey right away. Ron and Hermione are already seeing her," he said.
Naruko sighed and followed. She looked around and nodded. "I don't know everything that happened. You'll have to ask Harry about that, but Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort. He's in some kind of mist form now and really weak. Quirrell turned to dust pretty much after I sent him flying with a kick to the side of his head, and Voldemort escaped" she said.
Dumbledore nodded to her. "I'll speak to him and speak to you again as well. I'll get in contact with Sarutobi and see about making post mission arrangements. Thank you for helping keep the stone safe. Something more permanent can be done now. Hogwarts wasn't meant to be a long-term home for it," he said.
"I'll tell you all I can," Naruko said. She gave a brief smile to herself. This would be a mission after all it seemed. She frowned as she worried about Harry.
"You can stay by his side... for as long as Madam Pomfrey will allow," the Headmaster said to her with a slight smile.
"So just visiting hours then…" Naruko said with a pout as Dumbledore gave a small chuckle and nodded to her.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry groaned as he sat up. It was blurry around him. That meant his glasses were off. Soon someone handed them to him. Harry placed them on and blinked a couple of times.
"You're up!" Naruko then gleefully said as she hugged him tightly.
Harry was surprised how tight it was. He returned it and just as it was getting difficult to breathe, Naruko let go and sat back. She was still grinning broadly before handing him a cup of water.
"I have to be if I felt that hug," Harry said after a couple of sips of extremely refreshing water.
"You've been out for two days," Naruko said.
"Really?" Harry asked in shock.
"Yep," Naruko said.
"Were you watching over me the whole time?" Harry asked.
"Just during visiting hours. Ron and Hermione dropped by a lot as well," Naruko said.
"I'm surprised you didn't find a way to keep a night long vigil," Harry said with a chuckle.
"I thought about it, but decided Madam Pomfrey would be very thorough in keeping the place clean. Any shadow clones I would have used would have been forcefully dismissed. It wouldn't matter how they were disguised," she said.
"I can see that," Harry said. "So… Is he dead?" Harry asked after a moment.
"Dumbledore said to me he was already dead having given himself to Voldemort like that. If that wasn't the case, I'm pretty sure disintegrating means you're dead. I've never seen that before," Naruko said.
"Did I...?" Harry asked in worry.
Naruko held his face and looked into his eyes with full sincerity. "No. You did not. If anyone did, it was me when I kicked him like that. As I said though, Dumbledore explained Quirrell was little more than a walking corpse by this point," she said.
Harry felt a relieved hearing that.
"Besides… That was a do or die situation, Harry. You shouldn't feel ashamed to fight with all your might to survive," Naruko said to him. She sighed, "Especially because Voldemort will always seek you out until he is dead for sure this time."
"I still don't like the idea of killing though," he admitted.
"And you never should. I'm a kunoichi. I've killed before… I don't like the idea of it. But there isn't much I won't do for my important people. Killing is still a last resort though," Naruko said.
"Important people?" Harry questioned.
Naruko gave him a smile. "Yep. Important people. You, Hermione, Ron, Jiji, Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, my teammates and others are my important people. They're the people who matter most to you. Everyone should have important people. That's what makes life worth all the struggle," she said.
Harry seemed to nod to that. It was still a little jarring at times to realize just all Naruko had been through in her life already. Harry sighed.
"What's wrong?" Naruko asked.
"I just feel like I'm behind I guess," he said.
Naruko studied him for a moment. "I don't know if it will help with what you're feeling, but I will be finding a few ways to up your training. Keeping up with the routine we started here will really help out with that. You're about at the point you will start to notice some results at least. The first few months are difficult to keep your drive through, unless you have a good reason already," she said.
Harry was in thought for a moment. "I just hope summer with the Dursleys won't ruin it all…" he said.
"It will be up to you to make sure that doesn't happen. I don't know what all you go through with them. But even if you spend most of your time in your room, you can still do a number of the things we've been doing so far," Naruko said.
"That is some good news. I won't be able to do anything about magic though," he said.
"From what I've heard, most won't. Hogwarts sends out a reminder every year underage magic is forbidden. Not even those living in the magical world are allowed to use it over summer. I can't say how effective the Ministry of Magic is about enforcing those rules though," Naruko said.
Harry gave a scoff. "I bet Malfoy gets all kinds of special magic training and lessons over summer," he said.
"Maybe. But do you really think he would bother to take advantage of that? Even Sasuke, the original, only did basic stuff outside of classes. He preferred to sulk the whole time instead. We don't even have anything keeping academy students from training outside of class. We barely have any regulations about when you can start the academy and graduate from it," Naruko said.
Harry hummed in thought. "I think you might be right about that," he said. He really couldn't see Draco putting in extra effort unless something really made him do it. He would just complain. If his parents mentioned how Hermione did better in classes than him, Draco would just say it's because the teachers like her because she's their favorite or something like that.
Harry looked around his bed and noticed the large pile of things. "What's all this?" he asked.
Naruko gave a chuckle. "Gifts. Everyone is unclear on the details, but they know Quirrell did something bad and you stopped him and he's gone," she said. She then snickered a little as she added, "I think Ron helped himself to a couple of chocolate frogs. I was even tempted."
Harry shook his head in amusement.
"I will admit…" Naruko started. "If there was ramen… I would have probably levied a ramen tax. Or taken compensation for watching over you during visiting hours," she said with a grin.
Harry laughed to that.
"Oh good. I was hoping you would be awake," Dumbledore said as he entered the Hospital Wing.
"Headmaster?" Harry asked in surprise.
"He's been checking every so often to give you a debriefing," Naruko said with a smirk.
"I prefer to call it a discussion on recent events," the headmaster said as he sat down in a chair he conjured up while Naruko giggled.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry frowned after the debriefing was finished. It was good to hear the stone was permanently dealt with at least. He didn't like it when Dumbledore mentioned he would have to return to the Dursleys until at least his birthday… every year. That was most of the summer.
He really didn't get this whole 'blood protection' Dumbledore said his mother did. He didn't think his mother would ever be so desperate to do something like that. His mom had to know what his aunt was like and having someone with magic around was a bad idea. She would know his life would be hell. There had to be a better way.
Naruko seemed to be in thought on the matter.
"Is there something on your mind? I really don't want to waste so much of summer at Privet Drive," Harry said with a grimace.
"I might have a couple of ideas… I would need to work on them though. You might have options next summer at the earliest... but not this summer. Sorry," she said.
"You have nothing to be sorry about Naruko. I might be dead if it wasn't for your little gift," Harry said.
Naruko blushed a little. "Sorry about sneaking that in there. I figured that would be for the best. Who knows? It might be possible to read other people's minds with magic. I've had ninja training on how to keep that from happening. You haven't," she said.
"What is the training?" he asked.
"Keeping your emotions in check. Not getting rid of them, but keeping them in check. I always thought you could just fight your way out, but then I learned there are ways to get information that keep you from fighting. So… I started learning how to keep emotions and information and such guarded from others," Naruko said.
"I guess I can try the emotions thing. I never really thought about magic users being able to pick information out of your brain…" Harry said a little worried.
"It might just be my being a ninja and the healthy paranoia that comes with it. Personally, I wouldn't ignore the possibility, but I wouldn't let it take over my life," she said.
"What should I do?" he asked her.
"Continue doing meditation stuff. Clear your mind before going to bed and what not. That way you can actually get a good night's sleep too," Naruko said with a nod.
"I will. Whenever you come up with a plan regarding the protection, let me know. I wish I could just go to Konoha with you or something instead," Harry said.
"I live on my own in a small apartment. Like a one bedroom/one bathroom apartment. There's also the fact it is a ninja village. Things can happen and that's not even taking into consideration an enemy village attacking," Naruko said.
Harry grimaced to that. "Maybe not the best idea then. I would like to at least visit sometime," he said in hope.
Naruko smiled to him. "That wouldn't be so bad. Another thing that would take a lot of planning though. I have a way to go between here and the hidden countries. It is limited and I don't even know how it fully works," she said.
"I'm sure you can figure it out," Harry said with a grin.
"At the very least, we can try to make it so you can spend most of the summer with either Ron or Hermione instead of staying at the Dursleys," she said with a smile.
"I would like that!" Harry said cheerfully.
They might have talked longer, but Madam Pomfrey came in and chased Naruko off. She did promise to send the others his way as she left the hospital wing.
[-] [-] [-]
Over the next two days Harry was visited by plenty of people. The whole Quidditch team arrived, even though Oliver was in tears they lost the last game and the cup. Slytherin took the easy way out and just racked up points, since Gryffindor didn't have a seeker to end the game on their terms.
"We left you a special present in your room, Harry," Fred said.
"It was actually our mother's ideas," George said.
"Think of it as a souvenir from Hogwarts," Fred started with a grin.
"It's only slightly used," George replied with a matching grin.
"We even cleaned it ourselves," Fred said.
"Well… mostly…" George replied.
"Will either of you two say what it is?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Where would be the fun in that?" Fred whined playfully.
Ron shook his head. "It's a Hogwarts toilet seat," he answered.
"Awww…. Ronnikins ruined the surprise," George said in mock disappointment.
"Why would I want that? Would it even make it out of the castle?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
The twins actually blinked a couple of times. They each wore thoughtful expressions. "We should have tested that…" Fred said.
Naruko giggled as she said, "Yeah. You could have sent one to your mom or Ginny. Or better yet… your dad. Ron told us he works at the Ministry of Magic." Naruko, Harry, and Ron laughed to the idea of Mr. Weasley getting a Hogwarts toilet seat mailed to him in the middle of the day at work.
George gave a grin. "Ohhhh! I like her thinking twin of mine," he said.
"Perhaps we misjudged her after that botched prank," Fred said.
"Botched prank?" Naruko asked.
"The one who did on Slytherin. 9 out of 10 on humor and creativeness. 5 out of 10 on execution. You succeeded in pulling it off, but were caught and given detention," George said while Fred nodded in agreement.
"Oh?" Naruko asked as she gave a mischievous grin.
The twins were caught off guard by her expression.
"Are you suuuureee? I didn't have a reason to get caught on purpose?" Naruko asked.
The twins looked to each other in confusion. They still didn't have an answer to that as they left.
Hagrid came by as well. He was in tears and apologizing to Harry for running his blabbing hole. "I should have never run me stupid mouth. It's all my fault," he said.
"I'm sure he would have figured out a way eventually," Harry tried to reassure him. Hagrid may be right, but Harry really liked the giant of a man. Harry blinked a couple of times and smiled to that thought. He was pretty sure Hagrid was one of his important people.
"It may not be much. Since I was putting it together anyways… But I got something for ya," Hagrid said as he handed a leather clad album to Harry.
Harry opened it and gasped as he smiled. It was a collection of pictures of his parents as students. He flipped through it quickly. "Its amazing, Hagrid!" he said before giving the giant of a man a hug. Hagrid chuckled good naturedly as he carefully patted Harry on the back.
"Hagrid's for sure one of my important people. Hermione, Ron and Naruko are as well," Harry thought to himself.
"Took me some time, but I got in touch with the old gang. They had plenty of pictures to pass along. I wanted to give it to ya for Christmas, but that just wasn't enough time," Hagrid said.
The two then briefly looked through the album together. "This is at their wedding…" Hagrid said as Harry looked at a picture of his parents standing on a podium together. His father looked nervous and his mother looked beautiful. There was also a man with a dark beard giving a roaring hearty laugh as he patted Harry's father on the back.
"That was their best man…" Hagrid said. He blew his nose into his giant tablecloth handkerchief. "Sorry… Seeing them like this… They died so young… Such a shame. They'd be proud of ya though. That I'm sure," he said.
"Thanks again, Hagrid," Harry said with a grin.
[-] [-] [-]
The closing feast was amazing. The food was great and extra tasty. Harry savored it because he was sure it would be the last good meal he had for a while yet.
The only downside to it all was how smug Draco/Blonde Sasuke looked at his table. Slytherin won both the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup. The hall was decorated in silver and green to celebrate. Most people didn't seem to really care, but it really bothered Ron. Not enough to ruin the feast entirely, but it still bothered him.
"Sickening really. Look at him over there gloating… As if he is the sole reason Slytherin won the House Cup," Ron grumbled between bites of wonderful food.
"I just don't bother looking at Blonde Sasuke. I had enough of the original to last several life times… Still can't believe I was married to him in that stupid living dream thing," Naruko said with a pout.
Hermione just made a soft sound in agreement, but was blushing for some reason Harry didn't understand. Naruko looked to her best friend and shook her head. She kind of felt sorry for Hermione. Hermione deserved someone better than a reformed Blonde Sasuke to be the man of her dreams. She got the details after the stone incident. She really liked the idea of them going on double dates with Hermione, but Blonde Sasuke being decent was too much of a stretch in her mind.
Dumbledore stood up and the hall quieted down. "Another year has come and gone. It seems only yesterday we were sorting our new first years. Alas, the year has come to an end. As many of you have already heard, Professor Quirrell will not be returning to the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts next year. As the points stand, Slytherin is the champion of the House Cup this year," he said.
Many of the Slytherins cheered. Malfoy looked extra smug and banged his goblet on the table. A few of the cleverer Slytherins picked out the words 'As the points stand'. That was too leading for their liking. Professor Snape didn't look pleased either.
"Yes. Well done Slytherin," Professor Dumbledore said as they cheered again. "However…" he started.
All of the cheers from Slytherin died a quick and sudden death at that word. Draco froze in place mid goblet bang and frowned to the headmaster.
"Recent events must be taken into account," he started again. Most students were looking to each other in curiosity.
"Is he really about to do what I think he is?" Naruko asked quietly. She had mixed feelings about that. It would be nice to win the Cup, but this felt a little… off… to her.
"To Mr. Ron Weasley, I award thirty points! For the greatest game of wizard's chess this school has ever seen," he said.
Ron was in shock. He was thankful he put his fork down after Dumbledore said the word however. He did not want to be the center of attention with a bite of food half way to his mouth. That wasn't cool at all. People started to cheer and several patted him on the back. His face was as red as his hair.
"To Miss Hermione Granger, I award thirty points for keeping focused and calm while facing a devil and ensuring others' safety," he said.
Hermione blushed to that. She wasn't sure if that was an appropriate award for warning her friends when it came to the devil's snare. She wouldn't refute the points though.
"For Mr. Harry Potter, I award forty points for pure nerve and courage against insurmountable odds," the headmaster said.
Harry was surprised by this. Several students were cheering for him, even Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw was. The Gryffindors were cheering up a storm. They were now tied with Slytherin for first place. If only they had one more point!
"Many times, when we think of bravery and courage, we think someone standing up and standing strong when the chips are down. We think of never backing down or standing aside when facing a threat. Never showing fear or weakness. It takes a certain courage to know when to put pride aside and let others take the lead or shine in your place. To in a way, show they are the best for handling a situation and not you. For doing so, I award Miss Naruko Uzumaki fifteen points," Dumbledore said.
Naruko blushed a little in happiness as people cheered for her. She had mixed feelings about the last-minute points, but she liked it when people cheered for her instead of jeering at her. She also felt it really was a reach to give her points like that. It was obvious to her Ron was the man for job when it came to the chessboard.
It still didn't sit right with her that Dumbledore was playing favorites. She didn't really get why he was either. Maybe it was his way of thanking Hermione, Ron, and Harry. They didn't get credit for mission like she did. These thoughts didn't matter to the others though.
Apart from the Slytherins, everyone was cheering in the hall. Slytherin lost! Gryffindor won! It was finally the end of Slytherin's seven year winning streak. It was for this reason Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were cheering just as loud as Gryffindor earlier.
Gryffindor on the other hand, were cheering louder than ever. Naruko was pretty sure they would be tossing the four of them up and down in celebration, if they weren't in the middle of Great Hall at a meal. Everyone was cheering and congratulating the group in any way they could.
"I believe a change in decoration is called for," Professor Dumbledore said as clapped his hands. The green and silver snake banners were replaced by scarlet and gold lion banners. There was a new round of cheers to that. The Slytherins' jeers and shouts of disapproval were drowned out by everyone else.
Harry was elated. He couldn't believe they won the House Cup! It was a good feeling. He had never won something as impressive as this in his life. He was celebrating just as much as everyone else.
He did feel a certain sadness deep down though. Harry knew he would sorely miss Hogwarts. He had never been a big fan of summer, but now he partly dreaded it. Most would be thrilled to return home after so long. They could sleep in. They would have no assignments due within the week. They didn't have to attend any classes or have exams either.
Harry however, wouldn't mind having all of that year-round, if it meant he never returned to the Dursleys again. He chose to push those thoughts to back of him mind for now. They were for dwelling on later. For now, he would celebrate the remaining school year, no matter how little was left.
[-] [-] [-]
The ride back from Hogwarts was enjoyable, but thankfully uneventful. Their grades from the exams were about what Harry expected. Hermione got top in the year apart from DADA, that one was a close tie between Harry and Naruko. Ron had done well enough, but seemed to be relieved he didn't score higher in his classes.
"Did you forget the whole mind and body both being important thing?" Naruko asked Ron with a giggle.
"Never! I just don't want the twins thinking I'm turning into Percy or something," Ron said with frown.
"It isn't that bad to do well in your classes. You shouldn't let other people scare you from doing as perfect as you can," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes.
Ron frowned at that. "I wonder how Draco did? You want to go and ask him, Hermione?" he asked with a smirk. Hermione blushed and turned a little angry at him. He didn't know what the deal was there, but he did know it got to Hermione. When she got snippy like she did at times, it was a good way to get back at her.
"Hermione is right, Ron. You shouldn't let the twins hold you back. You can score well and not turn into a mini-Percy," Naruko said. Hermione seemed to swell to that and almost smirked at Ron.
"That being said… There is a certain merit to hiding your true capabilities. Get your enemies to underestimate you," Naruko said.
Ron nodded to that. He was about to smirk again, but Harry spoke up this time. "I see what you're saying, but that means you should be sure to know the material the best you can. You just don't have to bring attention to yourself. It isn't an excuse to slack off," Harry said.
"True. You have the right of it there, Harry," Naruko replied with a smile to him. Ron and Hermione both seemed to step down from their smirking and righteousness at those words.
As they stepped off the train, Ron turned to Harry and said, "Remember. You will be coming to visit after your birthday. I'll make sure mom and dad figure something out the Dursleys can't say 'No' to."
Harry smiled. "I only wish we didn't have to wait that long," he said.
Ron nodded in agreement to that. "I kind of wish you two could come over as well," Ron said looking to Hermione and Naruko.
"I really missed my parents. I want to be with them as much as I can during breaks," Hermione said. Ron understood that and didn't pester her about it.
"I'll be busy. Got to make up for lost time. Plus… I have yet to figure out a way to go between here and the Hidden Countries at will. You two have fun though. And you enjoy the time with your parents, Hermione," Naruko said giving each of them a big smile. She did wish she could see them before school started again, but she appreciated getting to meet them at all. She wasn't stuck in the ninja countries and she had more important people in her life after coming to Hogwarts.
"Boy! Get over here!" Vernon bellowed soon after they all exited the platform.
"I really don't like him, and I just now saw him," Naruko said with a frown and a small low almost growl.
"Try to… Find some enjoyment over summer break…" Hermione said with a worried frown before quickly meeting her parents. She immediately started to talk them excitedly about her school year.
"We'll get you out of there, Harry. Don't you worry," Ron said to his friend as he clasped his friend's shoulder briefly.
Harry smiled as an idea came to his mind. "Ohhh. I'll enjoy my summer," Harry said.
"What do you mean?" Naruko asked.
"The Dursleys don't know we aren't allowed to use magic during the break," Harry said as he grinned widely to Naruko and Ron.
"Ha!" Ron laughed as he gave a nod of approval to his best friend.
"Just don't get too carried away," Naruko said as she gave a mischievous giggle to Harry's idea.
"I won't. Wouldn't want to ruin the fun after all," Harry said as he made his way to a very impatient Vernon Dursley. Harry was pretty sure the only reason the man didn't shout again is because he didn't want to make a bigger scene than he already had.
Yes. Summer was starting to look up for one Harry Potter. Maybe this would be the best summer yet, for The-Boy-Who-Lived. Harry was ready to find out.
A/N: Thus ends year one! I hope it was enjoyable for everyone. A reminder that this will be a two part story. The first part will be years 1-3 and rated Teen. The second part will be year 4 and on. it will be rated Mature, but mostly for safety.
I tried to do something different with Harry's confrontation with Quirrell. Because of what Firenze said to Naruko, I felt her coming in there and curb stomping Quirrellmort wouldn't make sense. Firenze essentially told her if she encountered Voldemort too soon it would lead to him growing far more powerful. I don't see Voldemort as being the type to need ninja training to a find a way to use aspects of it in his own manner. I also felt it was too soon for Harry to be the Ninja Wizard he wants to be by this point.
As I'm sure some have realized, summer will take a decent amount of time. I have to decide if I do the Wave Arc or not, since Naruko isn't on team seven and doesn't need to learn the "Precious People" lesson or how harsh the ninja world is. We will have the Chunin Exams and the Konoha invasion as well. I might even find a way to quickly squeeze in the Tsunade Search, but I will have it shortened a good bit from canon. I have a good reason for it to go much smoother here already in mind. This is all reason why I mentioned the school year is different and summer starts at the beginning of June. The wonders of an AU!
I hope everyone is staying healthy and taking proper precautions during this time. With limited options, at least there is a lot of fanfic to read.
