Chapter 13 — First Year End
Several months had passed since the funeral.
The Dark Arts classes were going very well, or at least Harry and his friends found them so. At first, Weasley and the other Gryffindors refused to attend the classes, but over time they found themselves attending. Yet transparently refusing to cast the spells themselves, and only ever learning the core material. It seemed that a passing grade was too important for someone like Hermione.
She also found herself having new friends, after standing up to Ron and some of the others. She gained their respect, and the respect of some of the others, including people in other houses such as Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones.
Harry had also been a little distant lately with the others. Nothing too serious or alarming, but as he found himself under the increasingly watching eye of Dumbledore, he thought that keeping to himself and his head down in the library would be best. Keeping out of trouble, and completing the rituals as often as he could — as Tom commanded him to. Tom compelled him to, under threat of a night of agony.
It was approaching the end of the school year, and exams were around the corner. It was then that he was approached by Professor Quirrell to stay behind late after class, and he was brought into the Professor's private office whilst the others headed for lunch.
"Please, take a seat." He said, as he sat on the chair on the other side of the desk.
It was a cosy office, not a lot of space. Certainly nothing like the grand office that Dumbledore kept. He could see that Professor Quirrell was packing up, as almost all of his items were in trunks.
"Are you going somewhere Professor?" Harry asked, cautiously.
"How observant," he noted. "Yes. Actually, well, sort of. Tonight is to be my last night of Hogwarts, Mr. Potter-Malfoy. I just wanted to let you know that it has been my privilege to teach you, and mentor you. Do continue your… extra studies."
"I will Professor." Harry nodded his head. "But why are you leaving?"
"I am about to attempt to steal something tonight, Harry." He admitted, cautiously. "A very rare and powerful object."
"On the third floor corridor." Harry realised immediately.
"Yes, but you mustn't follow me." He warned. "The way is dangerous, even for someone of your great talent."
"What is it?" Harry enquired.
"I cannot say, but I do believe this will be my last attempt." He sighed. "Severus has grown terribly suspicious of me, and if he has then so has the old fool."
"So I might never see you again?" Harry hung his head.
"Not in this form, no." He Professor laughed to himself. He loved being cryptic. "But suffice to say your allegiances have been noted. I was much surprised to see you sorted into Slytherin. I see so much of myself in you, when I was your age. Your eyes have seen real death and tragedy."
Harry grew cautious. "I known nothing about my genetic parents."
"Not just their death Harry, there is something more." He waited patiently for a moment, but he knew the boy would be too smart to say something. "I love a mystery. I will see you again, at an unknown time and place."
Harry looked at the packaged gift on the table in front of him, and he looked at it curiously before turning his face back to the Professor.
"Ah, you have spotted it. I do have a couple of small gifts for you Harry." He pushed forward the box. "Please, open it."
Harry quickly opened the wrapping paper, without much delicacy. It revealed a couple of items.
The first was a black book, and he could see on the seem it had a small inscription. HPM, obviously Harry Potter-Malfoy. He opened up the notebook, and it was empty. Just blank lines with plenty of space for writing in.
The second item was a simple ring, with a glowing emerald jewel at the front of it. It looked like it had a strange snake inscription on the jewel, something unique that Harry had never seen before. Like it was inside the gem.
Finally, a simple note, which seemed to contain some important information about the school. Including how to find the room of requirement, how to access the kitchens, and secret passages that lead outside of the school.
"For my later school years, Harry, I too kept a diary, and my final year diary became so important to me — for reasons I can not yet explain." He smirked. "But suffice to say, my identical looking book has served me well, and I do hope this serves you well. I will send you one at the end of each school year."
"Secondly, the ring. I have noticed you Harry, how you never seem to look at me in the eye. Dumbledore has probably noticed by now, too. You are ever so clever, but this ring will provide you protection. Not complete protection, not absolute, but for a few moments you can look at someone in the eye." He explain simply. "It will serve you well until you learn the fine art of legilimency."
"Finally, the note of information. It explains itself. If you are anything like myself, you will find yourself with excuses to leave the castle that others might consider unorthodox. For those reasons, we have secret passages that lead us all the way to Hogsmeade, and where we can then use the flu network, or apparate away." He explained thoroughly. "I will let you discover the room of requirement and it's wonders alone, and the kitchen is always valuable."
"And one final gift, but these are parting words. The Chamber of Secrets Harry. If you are what I think you might be, Slytherin's heir, you must look for it. To find the beast below. If you are not Slytherin's heir, then this information will not impact you in the slightest."
Harry waited to make sure the Professor had stopped speaking. "Thank you very much, Professor." He put the ring on, on his right hand ring finger. He felt a wave of clarity and calmness enter his mind, like he could lightly put his guards down. Protection. "How will I be able to speak to you again?"
"You will find me again, in time. Some day." He reminded him. "Now, unfortunately, I must ask that you leave promptly. The plans are set in motion, and I have such little crucial time."
"Yes, Professor." Harry complied immediately, putting the note in the book and holding the book in his hands.
"Do not even think about coming to the third floor tonight, or at any time for the rest of the year." He warned him severely, his tone was almost threatening. "You will promise me that much."
"Yes Professor." Harry nodded. "Thank you… for everything."
The Professor simply nodded his head, before the door swung open for Harry and he took one last look before before marching his way to the dungeons. He was not even tempted to disobey the order, he walked immediately past the third floor corridor on his way down the Grand Staircase on his way for dinner that evening.
It was not until dinner the next day that Professor Quirrell's absence had been acknowledged by staff, but there were already dozens of rumours flying about, and he did not yet know what to believe. There were rumours about something that happened on the third floor, that he got ill, or that he ran away before the Defence Against the Dark Arts curse could upend his life. Another person who was apparently missing was one Hermione Granger.
The great green Slytherin tapestry hung from the ceiling of the Great Hall, proudly displaying that Slytherin had won the house cup. Further, they had won the Quidditch Cup.
"Good evening." Dumbledore spoke, after rising to his feet.
The entire room went silent rather quickly. Harry looked to his right, and he saw Imogen roll her eyes, and then look back to Harry. They both giggled.
"You may notice a couple of empty chairs this evening, and that Slytherin has won the house cup." Dumbledore announced. "Well, I shall be awarding fifty points to Dean Thomas for showing great bravery, Ron Weasley fifty points for one of the greatest games of chess these halls have ever seen, and fifty points to Hermione Granger for showing the power of both wisdom and bravery."
Harry watched as Draco frantically added up the numbers, but he thankfully calculated that they were still forty short of overtaking Slytherin.
"Hermione Granger is going to spending a couple of days of Summer with Madam Pomfrey. So, if you are interested in wishing her well over the holidays, you should do so before you leave on the train tomorrow."
Harry was beginning to think that he should visit Hermione, to find more out about what happened to Professor Quirrell on the third floor corridor. He was sure he would eventually hear about it from someone else, but maybe it was best to get all of the information directly from the source.
"So yes, congratulations Slytherin on winning the House Cup!" Dumbledore announced, but he left absolutely no time for celebrations as he raised his arms and food appeared on the tables. "Let the feast, begin!"
"Granger?" Harry asked, sitting on the chair by her bed in the Hospital Wing.
"Harry…" She groaned as she awoke. "You came?"
"How are you doing?" Harry asked, trying to sound sincere.
"Fine — what are you doing here?" She asked suspiciously, but she was clearly glad to see him.
"I know you appreciate honesty, so I will admit I came for information." Harry began. "Information about what happened last night."
"Harry…" She groaned again. Groaning much louder this time. "Dumbledore said that what specifically happened in that room cannot be repeated. I am sorry."
Harry narrowed his eyebrows. Maybe if he asked more sweetly. "Hermione…"
"No." She spoke before coughing. "All I can say is that Professor Quirrell will definitely not be returning next year."
Harry in a fit of rage slammed the papers from her bedside table and swiped them onto the floor. Madam Pomfrey quickly caught what was happening, and before she could say anything he was marching towards the door hurriedly. He was just glad he did not waste any more time with her, and just got straight to the point. She was a goody-two-shoes, he does not have nearly enough rapport with her to say anything. All he was getting was the cold shoulder.
She did not even bother to call after him as he stormed out of the room in rage.
"Harry, you seem so quiet today." Pansy said, soothingly. "Is everything fine?"
They were sitting in the carriage of the train, he was heading home for the Summer. Back to Malfoy Manor. He was in a little bit of a huff, after Hermione refused to give him the information he required.
He was staring out of the window while everyone talked and ate sweets. Watching the trees fly by them, and feeling the bumps of the track below.
"I want to know what the Granger girl did." Harry looked to Pansy, who was sitting right beside him. "I want to know what happened."
She held his right hand, trying to soothe him. Which is where she felt his ring. "When did you get that?"
Harry quickly snapped back him hand, instinctively. "It is an heirloom." Harry smiled. "I believe it was one of Slytherin's old rings."
"That would be incredibly valuable." Pansy said in awe. "Priceless."
"I think it acts as a sort of protection to the wearer." He admitted, loving the flattery.
"Well, I did hear some things about what happened in the third floor." Pansy admitted, this got Harry's attention. He sprung in his seat upright, he was listening intently. "Just little things from the grapevine. Apparently the Dark Lord asked Quirrell to retrieve something important from the third floor."
"What kind of thing?" Harry asked with great curiosity.
"Some sort of item, she didn't say." Pansy sighed, knowing that his curiosity would be killed. "However, she did say that Dumbledore had outsmarted him. He had trapped him in the room, with no way of getting out. There was some sort of barrier that allowed him to pass through, but he was unable to get back out. I think she said something about a fire?"
"Fascinating." Harry's eyes lit up. "Stupid mudblood would not tell me anything. Thank you Pansy."
Harry put his right arm around Pansy to give her a quick hug, he knew that it would suffice as a thank you.
"You visited her?" She asked, intrigued.
"Yes, but only for information." Harry assured her. "When she wouldn't say anything I trashed the place, and stormed out before Madam Pomfrey could say anything."
"She will learn her place in time, Harry." Pansy appeared reassured. "All of the mudbloods and blood traitors will."
"Results will be out soon, do you think the mudblood will be first in our year?" Nott asked.
"I don't know." Draco said honestly. "But that is not real magic. She struggled in the dark arts, she did not want to learn it. Not to mention the fact that this is just books and revising. This is just the basics, soon they will learn that they are weak compared to us."
"Compared to Crabbe and Goyle though," Harry laughed, noticing they weren't in the carriage with them. They occupied one of the nearby carriage, and were no doubt stuffing their faces.
Everyone laughed with him. Soon after Imogen appeared at the door, and quickly knocked before using a finger motion to beckon Harry out of the carriage. Harry promptly got off his seat, much to the frustration of Pansy, and met her outside.
"Hey—" is all they could hear until Harry closed the door behind him. They hugged.
"I just wanted to wish you luck over the Summer, and if you want to meet up at some stage you should let me know." Imogen smiled to him as they stopped hugging.
"Of course, write to me." Harry said. She handed him a letter.
"Don't open it now." She said, prompting him to put it in his pocket. "It's my address. If you ever find yourself lost or alone, you can always find a safe place. Quick access via flu too!"
"Thank you, Imogen." Harry scratched his hair, embarrassed. "Of course you know where Malfoy Manor is."
"I never got to pick your brain about happened with your surname." Imogen tilted her head slightly. "I preferred just Harry Potter."
"Me too." He weakly smiled, before returning to the carriage.
"What did she want?" Pansy said a little frustrated
"Just wishing me well for the Summer holidays, saying goodbye." Harry smiled.
"Good riddance." Pansy muttered under her breath. She had hoped that no one would hear that, and Harry let it slide.
"Evidence that the old fool really is a fool." Harry said breaking the minutes of silence. "He had an agent of the Dark Lord in his staff for a year, trying to steal from him, and he just allowed him to exist. How stupid." Harry scoffed.
A/N: Just a very quick thing. The ring that Harry was given, no it is not the Gaunt Family ring that Voldemort put a Horcrux in. Completely different ring. I made it up. Just a quick thing to end the year. Excited for year two!