Authros Note: Thanks for all the support and the kind reviews. I can't believe how many seem to read this story and how many are following it and seem to read within less than 24 hours after an update.

Shadow Phoenix

Chapter 9

The stone

A few weeks later the only good thing that happened is that Albus sneaked Harry an invisibility cloak for Christmas that supposedly had belonged to his real father in the past. But even that is overshadowed with Hermione still convinced that Snape is the culprit behind the broom incident. She is talking about hardly anything else and tries to convince Harry who just grins and tells her that it's silly to think that. When she insists that Hagrid might have seen Snape focus on Harry and mumble to himself Harry agrees to see the half giant with her and Ron. Leaving Draco behind since he refuses to enter that shack of a home.

Sadly for Hermione Hagrid agrees with Harry saying that even if they saw him mumble he would probably have tried to save Harry. Hermione doesn't give up easily and even points out the blood she obviously had seen on Halloween on his leg and claims that Snape must have gotten it fighting the troll when he let him in.

Harry just rolls his eyes saying "He was worried that the troll was a distraction and went to check on Fluffy who is guarding something."

"And what is it guarding?" Hermione asks "And who or what is Fluffy? Who knows if he lied about it!"

"Fluffy is mine." Hagrid replies "And I don't know how you know about Fluffy but what he's guarding is no one's business but Dumbledore's and Nicolas Flamel's."

"Who's that." Hermione questions.

"No one." Hagrid grumbles "It's no one you need to know. Just forget I said anything, shouldn't have said anything."

All three look curiously until they hear a sound from a cauldron above the fire. "What's that?" Harry asks and sees Hagrid put on a pair of pot gloves before he removes a strange egg shaped stone from the cauldron.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ron asks after a moment, "But Hagrid they are illegal!"

The next moment the stone moves and Harry realises that it's not an egg-shaped stone, it's an egg that looks a bit like a stone and is way bigger than your average chicken egg. The egg moves again and a crack appears before the snout of a little dragon pokes through. The rest breaks apart quickly and a little Dragon is looking at them. Hagrid coos at the little baby dragon on his table and talks to it until the dragon seems to sneeze and Hagrid's beard is on fire. "You have a dragon?" Harry asks praying that Fluffy isn't one of those.

"I got it from a man down in the pup, looked happy to be rid of it." Hagrid says, "Isn't he cute?"

"Hagrid, your house is made of wood," Hermione points out, "Don't you think that a fire breathing Dragon is a little dangerous?"

"A little?" Ron squeaks.

"Isn't Charlie a Dragon handler?" Harry asks to change the topic even though it happens, "And if I remember correctly Dragon naturally live in groups. I believe this little one would be happiest in one and with Charlie he would be protected from poachers."

"But wouldn't he miss his mummy?" Hagrid asks petting the little dragon.

"I'm sure you can get them to let you visit him." Harry suggests trying to talk Hagrid into giving the Dragon away. "But parents should always think of their children first and want what is best for them and I believe he needs much more space than this building and the forest is too dangerous until he's much older and he'd be the only Dragon there and who'd protect him when you're busy doing something for Dumbledore?"

"You might have a point." Hagrid mumbles.

"How about Ron writes Charlie and asks him to contact you. He could probably tell you more about where he would live and what it be like there for your little Dragon." Harry suggests.

"Norbert." Hagrid interrupts.

"Norbert then," Harry agrees, "I'm sure you'll do the right thing for your little Norbert. Just like every good parent would do. And if you need help to get him there you can just let us know but I'm sure Albus would help too."

"Okay." Hagrid sighs, "But I won't send him away without being sure that he'll be safe."

"Of course, not." Harry pacifies. "Like I said, Charlie will contact you and tell you everything you need to know and you could write back if you still have any worries and questions. Charlie has learned to deal with Dragons and you know how much he loved caring for magical creatures and that he'll never endanger any of them and wouldn't let anything happen to Norbert."

Hagrid nods and Harry gets Hermione and Ron to leave soon after to make sure that neither of them gets hurt by the dragon and returns towards the owlery.

Hermione helps Ron to quickly write a letter that will make sure that Charlie writes just the right things to get Hagrid to let the Dragon go.

The next few days Harry is glad that Hermione seems to be too busy with going down to Hagrid to talk some sense into him to try and talk sense into Harry and make him believe that his own dad wants him dead which is more than ridiculous. She's also in the library by herself a lot and Harry assumes that she's trying to find out more about Dragons that she can use to convince Hagrid. Since Ron doesn't want to be around Draco too much he's with Dean and Seamus a lot since Harry and Draco are studying together and talking about different things until Harry goes back to his dorm after dinner which is when Ron usually talks Quidditch with Harry.

A bit over a week goes by until Hermione shows up with Ron one evening telling Harry that Charlie got Hagrid convinced and that since the Dragon is illegally in the country they're trying to get him out in secret.

"And how are we going to do it?" Harry asks.

"Charlie has some friends that are traveling close by and will go to him. They are Dragon handlers that were here on holidays. He'll tell them to stop by on their brooms at the highest tower we need to get Norbert there."

"I'm in." Harry tells her. "When will they be here?"

"Tonight!" She replies, "At midnight."

Harry glowers, "Couldn't have given me some notice, could you?" He sighs, "Oh well, I'm sure it'll be fine."

That night they are all trying to get the Dragon from Hagrid towards the highest tower of the castle. They just have one problem, once at Hagrid's hut, they must get the Dragon into a cloth that is fire prove. Charlie had sent one that can be used to transport him. But in the attempt to get the Dragon inside, Ron gets bitten and his hand isn't looking to good. And while Ron and Hermione know about him being Felix, they don't know that his tears are working the same or how much like a real Phoenix he already is. On top of that, Hagrid doesn't know anything about it. Harry decides to play it save and tells Hagrid to get Ron to the infirmary, he'll have to make up some excuse how he found him already hurt and how he might have gotten a funny looking bite that won't get him in trouble. Once they are gone Hermione says, "We can't get him there alone."

"I know." Harry replies, "I'll get help, wait here."

Harry leaves and quickly turns before he flashes to Draco. Luckily, he's alone in his bed with the bed curtains drown closed. He casts a silencing charm after turning and says, "Draco wake up, I need your help."

"What is it?" Draco mumbles sleepily.

"Hagrid has a dragon, we're trying to get rid of it but Ron got bitten. We need your help to carry it." Harry sums up.

"A dragon?" Draco questions, "Has he bloody lost his marbles?"

"Possibly." Harry just shrugs, "Now, I'm going to try and help him even if I have to flash Norbert up the Astronomy tower but some more might find out about my little secret. Will you help me so I don't have to go that far?"

"You are a dunderhead." Draco sighs, "Just let me get dressed so I can try and keep you out of any unnecessary trouble."

Harry just moves his hand and Draco's Pyjamas are transfigured into proper and warm robes, "Can we go now?"

"Who else knows how much you can actually do?" Draco questions with a raised eyebrow.

"No one." Harry says, "You told Hermione and Ron that I'm downplaying in class, but I doubt they know how much."

"Keep it that way." Draco orders.

Harry just shrugs and turns before he Flashes Draco right outside of the hut. He enters with him and says, "I got back up. I had told Draco about it and that we might need help so he was close by."

"Great thinking." Hermione praises happy that Hagrid finished wrestling the Dragon into the cloth before he took Ron to Madam Pomfray.

"And you're sure that thing can't get out of that?" Draco asks while they try to carry the Dragon in the cloth towards the Castle.

Charlie said so." Harry replies, "He's a dragon handler and should be a reliable source."

"He better be." Draco grumbles, "If I get bitten too, you're going to pay for it Potter."

"Yeah right." Harry grins, "You'd be worse if it bites me."

"Possibly." Draco grins back at him, "But I'd still make you pay big time."

"And how?" Harry questions.

"Don't know," Draco muses, "Maybe making you my personal slave for a week."

"I'll better make sure it bites me instead than." Harry mumbles now inside the castle, "In that case you'll be taking care of me instead."

"And constantly complain about you being an idiot for getting bitten and taking this risk in the first place and I will tell your dad how you got that bite too." Draco warns.

"Then we better make sure no one gets bitten." Hermione mumbles hoping to silence the boys.

They stay quiet for now and manage to get to the Astronomy tower without any problems. Charlie's friends are already there and taking the Dragon between them while they fly away.

On their way back the three hear some steps and are hiding in an unused room. Harry uses a spell he learned a while ago from the youngest of his four Phoenix teachers to make sure no one will enter the room but doesn't say anything to make sure Hermione won't notice anything. After a while he sees Draco stand in front of a mirror staring into it.

"What's that?" Harry asks quietly to make sure Hermione won't figure out that they could throw a party in here without getting caught.

"I'm not sure." Draco says, "But I do hope it shows the future."

Harry steps next to him and looks at it for a moment before he says, "I doubt it."

"Why?" Hermione asks standing behind them. "Oh, are you sure?"

"Reasonably." Harry sighs, "I don't know what you're seeing but I'm seeing my family. Dad, both of them, my mum and I think my grandparents too."

"Too bad." Draco sighs, "What do you see Granger?"

"Myself," She says, "I just finished Hogwarts with an O in every subject and I'm praised for being the best student ever."

"What do you see Draco?" Harry asks.

"Something I really wish would come true." Draco just sighs, not willing to tell Harry that he is seeing the two of them getting married in beautiful dress robes with flowers and lots of people around them. He sighs, "But I doubt it's any more realistic than what you two are seeing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione grumbles.

"That this school had lots of great students and to be praised for being the best of them all would be degrading the accomplishments of the others." Draco points out, "Even if you have an O in everything you're doing, it still wouldn't make you any better than all the others who manged to get an O in at least nearly everything they did. And even IF you manage to get an O in every subject Hogwarts offers, which I doubt is possible due to the number of subjects you can choose from later, it still would be impossible to be considered the best in every subject and to call you the best would imply that."

She just glowers at Draco while Harry tries to calm them, "But we all know that you will do great Hermione so calm down. I'm sure Draco didn't mean to offend you." He looks back at the mirror, "But maybe you can show your intellect by telling us about this mirror and why it might be here?"

"I have no idea." She grumbles, "But I will find out."

"Go nuts," Draco mumbles, "Saves me the bother."

"We should try to get back unnoticed." Harry sighs.

"Can't you turn into Felix and flash us?" Hermione suddenly remembers. "You did flash in and out of Snape's class room didn't you? I read about it in Hogwarts a History."

"I'm in Hogwarts a History?" Harry questions surprised.

"It is mentioned that the castle seems to attract rare magical beings considering that the Headmaster has a Phoenix and a shadow Phoenix seems to be around the current Potions master after he got the position for some time." Hermione replies, "It's in the last chapter about current developments at Hogwarts."

Harry just rolls his eyes and looks at Draco who shrugs. "Yeah, I could flash us, but one at a time."

"Fine, do him first, then we can both go to Gryffindor together." Hermione orders.

"Quit pushing him." Draco grumbles, "You have no right to order him around and you have no idea how magically draining flashing in his Phoenix form is and how much more it is when taking someone and where do you think I've been before he got me or how he got me?"

"I'm sorry." Hermione blushes, "I didn't mean to order him it was just an idea. It's fine if he can't."

"Don't worry Hermione," Harry grins, "Draco is just overprotective. I'll be fine flashing you separately."

After that Harry turns into Felix and flashes Draco back to his bed and turns back to give him a hug and thank him for his help before he changes his robes into his pyjamas and returns to Hermione to flash her back too. Once they are at the common room Harry turns back into himself and is about to say good night when Hermione says, "He is a death eater isn't he?"

"Who?" Harry asks confused.

"Snape." Hermione replies "He's got the dark mark and that means he's working for you-know-who. I know that Dumbledore said he was a spy for him but he might have been a double spy only pretending to be on Dumbledore's side."

"He's on my side." Harry replies, "He wouldn't do anything that might hurt me."

"But you said that Fluffy is guarding something, right?" Hermione says, "I know what it is. I found out that Nicolas Flamel is an Alchemist that produced the Philosophers stone. Harry if Snape is getting that for him, he could come back."

Harry watches her for a moment before he says, "Than we need to know who really is trying to get it for Voldemort. Because it's not Dad. He cares about me and nothing anyone can say will ever make me believe differently and Hermione, you don't know him as well as I do and you don't know me as well as he does. Dad knows about me being Felix. He saw me flash more than once and fly with my wings more than once. He knows that knocking me off a broom won't cut it if he wanted to kill me. I have no idea why he's so damn overprotective hat he can't think straight when he sees me in trouble and believes I need to be saved when I'm on a broom even though he KNOWS that I can't fall to my death! But he would be able to think things through if he tried to kill me and not do something useless like that."

Hermione frowns for a moment, "Are you really sure?"

"Positive." Harry says calmly, "It was someone else and we need to find out who before he tries again and possibly with a more effective way then charming my broom. But it wasn't dad."

Hermione sighs, "Fine I try to trust you and look for other options. But I'm still going to keep an eye on him."

Harry smiles, "Whatever. I know that he'd never do it anyway. And if you look for other culprits you might find the right one."

"I still think that he's not to be trusted I mean did you see the way he treats Neville?" Hermione asks and Harry reluctantly has to admit that his dad is hard on the poor boy.

"Neville just isn't very good in his subject and dad has very little patience, especially for that, I admit that much." Harry says, "But he'd still never hurt anyone. Hermione, he loves me and took care of me when I had no one else and I told you, the day I met him I was suicidal. I wanted to die that day. I wasn't going out of my way to kill myself but I certainly wouldn't have gone out of my way to not die. If he had wanted me dead he'd have had a million of opportunities that were much better than that idiotic attempt to kill me while I'm on a broom I told you why that is impossible."

"Maybe he did believe it possible." Hermione questions, "Does he know how fast you can transform or that you'd think about it in that moment?"

"He knows that the first time I did transform was while I was happily jumping to my possible death!" Harry grumbles "And now quit it. He'd never hurt me!"

"You were what?" Hermione asks paling, "I thought, I thought you were exaggerating! I mean what kind of five-year-old is suicidal?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know." Harry sighs, "Just believe me, I was not exaggerating. I wanted to die. I was jumping from a high place hoping to either hurt myself badly for reasons I rather not explain or better yet, to get to my parents. I wanted to die and be with them because I had no one else who cared for me."

"Didn't you have your muggle relatives?" She questions, "I thought they cared for you? Or was it because of whatever made them unable to care for you any longer? Were they hurt or sick and you were worried about being alone?"

"Leave it already." Harry orders, "I don't want to talk about it."

"But you're talking about it to someone, aren't you?" Hermione asks, "If this is making you feel bad enough to die you need to address the problem and work through it."

"Hermione, stop it." Harry grumbles. "Leave it! I'm doing fine! I'm not suicidal anymore! I'm fine because of DAD which is my point! He knows, he's helping me, he's the reason I'm here so quit trying to blame him for harming me! He'd never do it!"

Hermione looks at him thoughtful before asking, "Are you sure?"

Harry just growls, "Hermione, I'm more than sure! Dad cares about me and I hate it when people doubt him. Because of that bloody article in the bloody prophet doubting him I had to see a mind healer just to stay with him! They wanted to take me away from him because of people doubting him so quit saying he wants to kill me because he wouldn't and I much rather not have people believe that bull!"

She watches him leave and sighs wondering if he's got a point but certain that it must have been Snape, after all, she saw him.

Harry returns to his bed draws the curtains and wonders why there wasn't a Phoenix waiting for him already.

He's nearly asleep when he sees the flash and looks up to see that for the first time, it's the first Phoenix that is with him. He doesn't say anything, knowing that she doesn't communicate the same way others do anyway. He just sighs, wishing that she'll teach him something that will help him convince Hermione.

The next day he wonders if her way of communication isn't more effective than using words because he indeed learned something useful which indicates that she understood even his sigh. As soon as Harry sees her he focuses his magic, moves it around himself and partly towards her wishing, willing, and making her mind repeat that day, or rather that moment. Everything she saw, did, thought, and smelled while Harry was fighting for his life, or so it appeared. He's just changing one thing. Her feelings for his dad. He makes those go away completely to let her replay it objectively.

He can see her eyes unfocused on what's in front of her while she seems to remember. It doesn't take as long as the real moment before her eyes refocus and she looks thoughtful. Harry watches her the rest of the day, sad that she still seems to watch his dad a lot. He repeats it a few times the next days, weeks and eventually month, glad that she at least isn't talking badly about his dad anymore.

Harry sighs but keeps doing it while every night he's learning magic from a time where people didn't even know it existed. A time where humans lived in caves and had no other language than pointing and grunting like a troll. A time where wizards didn't have a wand or words to focus their magic which is why there might have been some accidental magic, but never any real controlled magic. Not unless they were as powerful as the first who could move her magic with her wishes and her will alone. Something Harry knew by the end of the year, the other Phoenixes had learned in theory from her but couldn't do themselves. Something he also now knew, he can not only do, but with even less effort then she did. Even though from in her memory of time and history, of humans starting to use words, fire and houses Harry now knows that it is very rare. In all her time watching humans starting to travel with boats and carriages and later cars and planes, never had she seen anyone do what she did. What she now knew, Harry could do too!

Still, that doesn't mean there's never been anyone else. The Phoenixes hadn't found the youngest one of their kind, or rather youngest before Harry was born, until his third life circle. And there had already been three Phoenixes to fly around the planet. But that's his point too, the planet is huge. Even being able to fly for as long as they do or as fast and being able to flash to the other side of the world in less than a second, they still can't be everywhere and see everything which means there might be others that could or currently can. The good thing however is that Fawkes had seen the dark Lord and unless said dark Lord had managed to hide a lot, he wasn't anywhere close to being as powerful as Harry. Even Godric could have defeated him at any time. But they don't interfere unless given ample reason. And it seems, even if the human they stay close to on occasion like Fawkes does with Albus, they don't interfere even for their protection unless asked to do something and no human had ever known the extent of their abilities or understanding.

But as Harry's dad had once reminded him, the dark Lord does have knowledge and experience and even if Harry now has both of those from his Phoenix teachers, he's still younger and promised his dad to be careful. He also remembers that Godric had been defeated in practise duels by Salazar Slytherin who was magically much less powerful.

It's a nice day, right after their last end of year exam when Harry, Ron and Hermione are outside in the sun. Draco is indoor, refusing to let the door harm his taint and writing a letter to his father about the summer and what he wants to do during the summer, including plenty of activities he wants to do with Harry of course. After all, the summer is the only time he won't have to constantly share him with the lions.

"I think Harry, you were right." Hermione replies after a while, "I thought about it a lot recently and I believe, Snape didn't try to kill you."

"Took you long enough to figure that out." Harry grumbles. "Any idea who did?"

"Not certain but right now I believe the most likely suspect would be Silvanus Kettleburn, he was behind, Quirrel who was knocked back from your dad when his robe caught fire. It might have distracted Kettleburn enough." Hermione says, "I can't be sure though, by the time I looked at them most people had noticed that something was wrong with your broom and focusing on you. And after Snape caught fire a lot looked at him."

Harry sighs, "Why him then?"

"Some were looking towards each other while talking about you and your broom troubles." She says "Others were looking at Albus and his Phoenix when Fawkes thrilled, and some were still looking towards you by the time I looked at them again and only then noticed that something else had been going on with Snape and his robe."

"But he's not the only suspects?" Harry asks.

"No, but he seems more likely than most since he's around Hogwarts, unlike the parents that are still in the running, and he doesn't have you in class which makes it less likely that he could give you a detention or have you around otherwise to kill you."

"Makes sense." Harry says, "Who else is still an option?"

"A few, McGonagall too but I doubt it be her since she could get you alone and harm you too easily and I just can't see her try it." Hermione says, "Than there is Pomfray who was there but I doubt a medi witch would do that, Quirrel and Flitwick who both have you in class and two parents from the Gryffindor team but I doubt parents would be helpful to steal something form within the castle and weren't around at the troll incident."

"We should keep them all in mind." Harry says. "I don't like to think that it's a teacher though."

"Neither do I." Hermione replies, "But I agree we do need to keep it in mind."

Harry looks over at Hagrid hut wondering if he might have seen more to find out who did it when he thinks of something and says, "The dragon, how did he…" He stands up and runs towards him the other two following. "Hagrid." He says once there, "What did the man you got the dragon from look like?"

"I don't know." Hagrid said, "He had his face covered by the hood of his robe. I think he was a little worried about the illegal egg."

"And he didn't mind just handing you that egg?" Harry questions

"He didn't just give it." Hagrid says, "I won it in a cards game. But yeah he was still worried. Asked me if I know how to take care of such animals."

"And what did you say?" Harry keeps asking.

"I told him what kind of animals I look after here, was very interested in them too." Hagrid says, "Especially Fluffy, I mean how many three headed dogs do ya see even in my business. But I told him that as long as ya know how to calm a beast, it's easy. Take Fluffy, a bit of music and he's right asleep."

Harry pales and he and his friends look at each other shocked. "Shouldn't have told ya." Hagrid mumbles while all three run towards the castle and McGonagall.

As soon as they find her they tell her that they know that someone wants to steal the Philosophers stone and that they need to talk to Dumbledore only to hear that he's not around and that there is nothing to worry since many protections are in place and the stone will be save before she kicks them out.

"It's more than Fluffy that is protecting it." Hermione muses. "But if it's a teacher, he might know that."

"We need to get help." Harry says and looks around seeing his dad close by, "Dad." He shouts out and runs towards him.

Severus looks worried, during school hours Harry always calls him Professor Snape like his class mates do and only in private calls him dad. He's never shouted it across the hallway like this. "What's wrong?"

"The Stone, the one Fluffy is guarding, whoever did it, he's going to take it tonight. Dumbledore isn't here and he knows how to get past Fluffy." Harry says, "Hagrid let it slip by accident when he got a dragon."

"Hagrid has a dragon?" Snape wonders.

"Had." Harry corrects, "We made him send it to Charlie. But that bite Ron got that he said he got out on the grounds and doesn't remember how and that he had lost consciousness about until Hagrid found him during the night? That was Norbert when we tried to get rid of him. But that's beside the point, we need to get Dumbledore back, he's going to take the stone tonight."

"Harry," Snape says "You'll stay out of this. I'll make sure the stone will be particularly well protected and send word to Dumbledore to come back sooner if possible and what you fear. I'm sure he'll be back soon. I'll protect the stone until then. You will not interfere!"

"Are you sure you'll be fine though?" Harry asks.

"Of course," Snape says, "You just enjoy the rest of the day."

Harry leaves with his friends and they see his worried face, "You're going to go, aren't you?"

"I have to." Harry says. "I have to make sure that he's safe."

"He's a grown man." Hermione says, "I think that he'll be able to take care of himself."

"I still have to make sure." Harry insists. "I'll take the cloak I got for Christmas, if nothing happens no one will have to know."

"We come with you." Ron insists. "Just to make sure."

"I'll be fine." Harry says, "I could flash away if something happens you can't."

"We're still not going to leave you." Hermione says, "What if you get knocked out before you can change? We have to help you."

"Fine," Harry sighs, hoping that he can protect them, "Come along if you must."

Later that night all three sneak under the cover of Harry's invisibility cloak towards the third corridor. One there they see Snape lying in front of the door. Harry leaves from under the cloak to rush to his dad and sees some wounds and a lot of blood around him, he already feels his tears spill by the time he hears Hermione gasp after reaching him. His tears tough the first of many wounds and he makes sure to cover all of them with some. "Harry, what are you doing? We have to get him to Madam Pomfray!"

"They're healing!" Ron gasps. "Look Hermione, they're healing after his tears touch them."

"Phoenix tears," Harry mumbles, "Works even without transforming, I figured it out Halloween when I healed his leg wound with my tears."

Severus is nearly fully healed before Harry uses his magic to put him to sleep and then moves him along the wall next to one of the lights to make sure no one trips over him and covers him with his cloak. "Let's go." Harry says looking at the third corridor. "You can still go back if you want."

"No." Hermione insists, "We're not going to leave you."

Harry nods and goes into the room with them. Fluffy is asleep thanks to a spelled harp and Harry just jumps down the trapdoor since he can change in case the fall is too deep and hears his friends scream a moment later and jump after him. They land softly next to him and Ron just mumbles, "The bloody harp stopped. Hagrid's pet nearly ate us."

"Devils snare." Hermione gasps, "Don't move."

In that moment, Harry feels that something is moving around his wrists and holding on to him, he's worried since he won't be able to flash away when held onto and even if he can get out by turning like he did with the troll, his friends can't!

"You have to relax." Hermione orders, "If you fight it, it's only going to kill you faster!"

A moment later Hermione disappears and Ron screams for her until they hear her, "You have to calm down and relax, trust me!"

Harry tries to focus his thoughts on flying to make himself relax and a moment later feels himself slip through the tangles of the plant and is below it where he sees Hermione. "Harry!" Ron screams.

"He's not relaxing, is he?" Hermione asks worried.

"No, he's not." Harry says, "Think Hermione you're the smartest of us."

A little later Hermione says, "It hates light and fire!"

"Then make one!" Harry orders.

"But how there's no wood." She says.

"Are you a witch or what?" Ron ask but before she can do anything Harry turns and moves with his flaming body towards it making sure to constantly keep some of the flames that appear during flashing around him and the devils snare stays back until Ron drops through. Harry turns again next to him, "No wood?" Ron mumbles looking at their female friend, "Honestly Hermione, for someone as smart as you, that was pretty stupid."

She just blushes while Harry says, "She's smart, not spontaneous. But without her, we'd be dead"

Both boys grin at her before they each move an arm around her and pull her with them through the door into the next room.

The next obstacle, if it could even count as such, was easily past. They entered the room with countless flying keys and while Ron and Hermione looked at the door Harry looked at the keys. "It's an old silver lock, I'd say the key has to be the same. There are brooms. I guess this is your job Harry. Being the youngest seeker and all."

Harry just grins and asks, "Broom? If you think I'm good on that, you should watch a Phoenix hunt." After that he jumps up, changes and dives down again towards the still close floor. Right before touching it with full speed he flashes above a silver old fashioned key with a broken wing and catches it in his claw before he moves his wings to stop his decent. He flashes back to the door, let's go of the key and changes before catching the key again, this time with his hand. He looks at Ron and Hermione both staring at him open-mouth. "What?" He asks, "Where did you think my talent for flying comes from?"

Harry just unlocks the door and walks on hearing them follow him in silence. The next room is a huge chess game and after letting his magic flow across it he knows that it won't be easy to break the spell even with his talent because there are many layers of different spells involved. He remembers Draco's wish not to show them what he can do certain that it has something to do with his possessive side and wish to be the only one to know many things about him. He sighs while Ron assumes that they'll have to play across.

"Guess this is your job." Harry grins "Being the best in chess of us."

Ron starts to order them around like average chess pieces and they move across Harry is the first to notice eventually that Ron is about to let himself be taken, "Ron, wait." He says.

"Don't worry Harry." Ron says, "I've got to do this, you know what to do after this."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asks.

"Ron is about to sacrifice himself." Harry says, "Trust me Hermione, I've got him though."

"What do you mean?" She asks worriedly.

"I can protect him." Harry says, "Just trust me, remember what Draco said when I used that spell so we wouldn't be overheard!"

She nods looking worried and Harry uses the kind of magic the first Phoenix had taught him he focuses it on Ron and when he moves saying, "Check." He moves it around him tighter to protect him and to move him. When the queen is attacking him, Harry moves Ron out of the way to let her only harm the stone figure in shape of a horse and moves Ron of the board with the rubble. "Wicked." Ron says after gently being placed on the ground.

"Just don't tell Draco, he'll be pissed that I let you see what I can do." Harry says, "You know how possessive he is about knowing me better and being my best friend and so on."

Harry makes the move he now knows he must do and says "Check mate." The king drops his sword and the three friends go on."

Next is an already knocked out troll that they pass and all three are happy they don't have to fight it and leave quickly to avoid the smell. Once they entered the next room a fire around the door behind them, and around the door ahead appears. Each in a different colour and there is a table with potions, "I guess this was dad." Harry sighs while Hermione reads the riddle. Ron and Harry read over her shoulder but neither says anything, hoping that she'll figure it out and glad that Harry can flash them out if she can't figure it out.

After a bit of thinking she takes one bottle and says "There is only enough for one left."

Harry takes it and asks, "You know how to get back?" She takes another and Harry says, "Get back and make sure Dumbledore knows what is happening and that they find dad. I doubt anyone but maybe Dumbledore's Phoenix can wake him up but I'll do it when I'm back and don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

They look worried but eventually nod and both take a sip from the potion that will allow them to safely walk through the flames around the door they came from. Harry takes a sip from the other and walks ahead. Once through he sees Quirrell stand in front of the strange mirror he had seen with his friends. He watches him, moving his magic around him and sensing a strange dark magic on the back of his head. A parasitic magic from what the first taught him. "I take it you tried to kill me by hexing my broom?"

He turns and says, "Yeah, and I would have succeeded had Snape not mumbled those counter curses. Like he could have stopped me for long."

Harry just grins at him, "Did you figure out the mirror? I saw it before and I must admit that I am curious about it but have no idea how it works."

"Use the boy!" A voice Harry doesn't know says and he wonders if it has anything to do with the parasite on Quirrell's head.

After the call from Quirrell he does move closer for now and looks into the mirror hoping that he'll find the stone before that man does and sees himself hold a red stone and put it in his pocket and the next moment the stone is in it. He had his magic still flaring around him unnoticed by anyone who can't do what he and the first can and is glad to be sure by now that Quirrell can't since he probably would have felt Quirrell's magic in that case just as easily as he would have felt Harry's. He knows now that the mirror shows someone's deepest desires and right now, that was to find this bloody stone to help protect those he cares about. But he feels something else. The parasite and he himself are connected in more than one way. He doesn't know all of them but one he does. The parasite can't touch him. Not even indirectly through the one he's feeding off. Harry grins a little and says, "Pretty."

"What is Pretty?" Quirrell asks.

"Well clearly not the parasite on the back of your head." Harry says and turns a cheeky grin towards his teacher, "Is that good old Mouldy, or rather, what I've left of him?"

"How?" The older man asks shocked.

"Let me talk to him!" The voice says.

"Master, are you aren't strong enough for that." Quirrell says.

"I agree on that but I'm curious so go on, remove the ugly turban!" Harry says.

"I'm strong enough." The voice orders, "Do it now."

Quirrell removes the turban and turns around letting Harry see a nose less face at the back of his teacher's head, eyes a blood red. "Man, you're even uglier than the turban. Quirrell, I think you should put that back on again and hide ugly here!"

"How dare you, cheeky brat!" Voldemort complains. "Now give me the stone. If you do, we can bring your parents back alive, they could live forever."

Harry looks into the mirror and instead of seeing what Voldemort said, Harry sees his father next to him with a withered Hogwarts behind them. And thinks of a memory of the first Phoenix. One that she had used to shown Harry not how much had changed since she had been born. How many years were it? No one knows. How long would Harry live watching the world change around him while he lived on immortal? He hadn't thought about it even after the hints the Phoenixes had left him. He would survive everyone alive now and everyone still to come. His children and grandchildren if he ever has any. The curse of immortality he assumes is to watch just that. The stone can save him from it. Can keep those he cares about alive. But is that what is supposed to happen?

"There is no good and evil, there is only power and those that are too afraid to take it." Voldemort says and Harry sees something else. Not in the mirror, in a memory of his. Uncle Vernon, powerful and angry looming over him and clearly enjoying the power. He remembers how he had feared that power and how often he had wished to have some power over them. Just enough to stop them. But he also remembers how his father had told him how wrong it was what they've done. How it was wrong to use that power to harm him and how Severus had used it to keep him safe and help him. There clearly was power, but that power could be used in different ways. And being good, was using said power just as much as being evil.

"You are wrong." Harry says looking at him, "And I pity you. If you truly believe what you just said, you must have only seen people use their power for evil. Everyone should have someone that uses it for good. But it seems that no one ever has done it for you! And I truly hope that one day you'll have one person use his or her power to show you the meaning of love, kindness, friendship and forgiveness."

"You little." Voldemort says enraged, "Kill him!"

Quirrell turns around walking towards the little boy that calmly stays there waiting for the other to attack and knowing that should he do that magically, it won't get past his own magic and should the man try physically, he'll die. He lets himself be grabbed and waits to hear the scream, he feels the man move back and sees his hand turn into ash. He feels with his magic how it spreads and that the man is already dying. Not even Harry with his powerful magic can safe him. The man walks closer and before he can hurt Harry, Harry moves his hands up and holds them to his face to speed up the process.

The rest of the man turns into ashes and from those a shadow rises. The soul of Voldemort somehow not moving on but floating away from the room still somehow bound to this world. Harry frowns after it and then sits down on the steps assuming that Dumbledore will come find him soon. He closes his eyes and lies down, tired from the exhausting evening and eventually falls asleep.

He wakes up again in the infirmary and looks around mumbling, "Dad?"

"Ah Harry, awake as I see!" Dumbledore says with a kind smile, "Your dad is in the bed right next to you soundly asleep and well. Miss Granger seems to believe that you can awaken him even though we can't?"

"Don't know why." Harry replies grinning and moves his magic towards his dad removing the spell. He grins cheekily towards Dumbledore. He had felt a bit of magic around his dad and that it was the older wizards. He can't do what the first can, but he can move his magic and sense things with it. "But she might have a point!"

Dumbledore just grins while Severus stirs and looks around "Harry," is the first word coming from him.

"Right here." Harry says, "And perfectly fine, I don't even know why I'm here."

"You were exhausted and your magic pretty drained." Dumbledore replies, "Madam Pomfray said it's still more than normal but I ensured her that your normal is much more and your body feeling the difference."

"I was still fine." Harry grins, "Maybe a bit sleepy but that's it." He looks at his dad, "And don't worry I was safe the whole time, I made sure of that and could have flashed away if something had gone wrong." He leaves out that if Hermione and Ron hadn't been he might have been in some problem especially since breaking the spells around the chess board would have drained even more of his magic that obviously was already much lower than normal after this.

"I'm sure he was fine." Dumbledore still agrees, "And before you ask, the stone is saved and was destroyed to ensure that Voldemort won't try again."

"But won't Nicolas die than?" Harry asks.

"Yes, he will." Dumbledore says with a smile, "But to the well-prepared mind, death is only the next big adventure."

Harry just sighs, now realizing that he won't have the choice to one day take that instead of going on, and on, and on! "Harry." Severus grumbles, "Did you go past Fluffy?"

"Maybe…." Harry grins cheekily. "But I had back up and was well prepared. No one got hurt I just fell asleep because it was getting late!"

Severus glowers before he says, "You're grounded."

"How long?" Harry just asks with a sigh.

"A month." Severus replies grumbling.

"I'm still glad I did it." Harry says, "You were so badly wounded, had I be a few minutes later I'd been an orphan all over. I had to come and save you, just like you would come and save me!"

Authors Note: What will Draco say about Harry being grounded that long that close to the holidays, especially after finding out what he did without telling him anything first? How will the holidays go? Will he get to do lots of things with Harry once he isn't grounded or will he be mat at Harry? Or will Harry do things with Ron or Hermione. And what about the second year? Lucius is on his side or so he claims? Was that a lie or will that diary stay where it is and the Basilisk happily resting in the secret chambers? Will he finally have a peaceful year in at least one of the stories here on fanfiction?