Chapter TWELVE
The Schemes of Others Unfold.
...
Harrison looked around the immaculate looking Ball Room, taking in all the people in attendance at Greengrass Manor. This was the final of the three Balls of the Yule season he was attending before he had a private celebration at home with his dad.
Spotting his two friends over by the beverage table he made his way over and nodded in greeting to a few of the Hogwarts students he recognized before turning to Daphnee in particular. "Would you care to Dance Heiress Greengrass," he asked respectfully, as his heels came together silently, and he bowed offering her his hand.
"I would be honored Heir Potter-Black," His Blond friend smiled back taking his hand -where he proceeded to place her hand in the crook of his elbow- and followed as he led her to the dance floor and pulled her into position before leading her into a traditional waltz.
"How have your holidays been going Daphnee?" Harrison asked as they danced.
"Oh wonderful, Mother and Father took us to visit Grandmother in France last week. In fact, we just got back two days ago, and we leave for Rome day after tomorrow to spend the rest of the holidays in one of our vacation homes before heading back to Hogwarts." She replied speaking quietly, yet excitedly. "How has yours been? Doing anything interesting with your Father this year?"
"Other than attending a few Balls, I've been so busy studying and taking my Muggle exams, that we haven't been able to do anything yet. Dad did say he wants to take me on a small get-away before heading back to school, but he hasn't told me where, says he wants it to be a surprise."
Daphnee nodded, remembering him telling them once that he was still doing his muggle schooling, so he could expand his Grandfathers company into the muggle world when he took over eventually, as they continued to dance -never missing a step- watched on by both their parents and friends.
"How is your Lordship Training coming?" Daphnee asked him after a moment. The two having talked a bit about it over the past couple months as they got to know each other more and more.
"Best it can while in school. Dad says he's going to be upping my training in the new year, apparently, he has a way for us to talk regularly without having to write letters. Something ill be getting as Yule gift, so I guess we will see what it is later."
"Makes sense, you will be twelve this summer, has he brought up a betrothal for you? Its common in the Black family to arrange a betrothal contract for the Heir as early as 10 years."
"No, I told him I intend to follow the old courting traditions, but I wanted to find someone I love to marry, like my Dad did when he married my mom and he agreed."
Daphnee nodded happy for her friend, as the dance came to an end. She herself, was arranged to be Married to a friend of their family stationed in Italy. She was allowed to date casually, until graduation, then after that she was to spend the following two years getting to know her future spouse before their bonding around her 20th birthday.
"Thank you for the dance Heiress Greengrass," Harrison stated quietly had he bent over her hand and kissed the knuckles before escorting her off the dance floor and back over to their friends.
Before he knew it, the Ball was coming to an end, and he was saying his goodbyes before leaving via Floo with his father.
HPSBHP
The rest of the holidays seemed to fly by after that. Harrison and Sirius spent a quiet Yule, very similar to the year previous. Opening gifts, before enjoying a special breakfast served by their houseelves, then spending the day together either inside with their new gifts, or out flying on the pitch. Before Sirius would light the Yule log, and they would offer portions off their plates, then sitting down to enjoy the meal together.
One of Harrison's gifts turned out to be one half of a set of two-way mirrors. The one Sirius had given to him had once belonged to his first dad, and they were going to use them to keep in touch while he was away, so his dad could continue his Lordship training.
Sirius' Surprise get-away turned out to be a trip to one of the Black Properties in America. They spent 5 exciting days in New York City, exploring all the tourist sites, hitting a few shows, and skating in central Park, before attending the celebration at times square to ring in the New Year.
While he was there, he didn't miss any of the news. There were a lot of notable people that resided in the City, one in particular had caught his eye as he was only 5 years older than he-Harrison was, and already he was making waves in the Tech community. Building the first workable AI at just sixteen years old, and well on his way to becoming the youngest CEO in decades. Tony Stark was someone Harrison was going to keep an eye on in the future, he was very interested to see what the Genius could create as technology continued to advance.
Overall, it was a trip that Harrison would remember for the rest of his life. He fell in love with the City while he was there and made a promise to himself that he would come back one day.
HPSBHP
It was now coming into February, and Harrison felt like he was busier than ever. His dad had kept his word and upped their lessons through the mirrors. Making time to sit down with him twice a week, starting the second week of January. Harrison's Muggles schooling, seemed to be piling on, as he got ready take his end of year exams in May, and his Hogwarts schooling having become too easy, following the same path as his muggle one had, he had moved onto 2nd year self-study and set himself a strict weekly study schedule.
Though, he had a full schedule, Harrison made sure to make time for his friends, spending time continuing exploring the castles or outside on the grounds as the weather began to warm up.
It was one of these so-called explorations with Neville, that the boys came across a couple of Gryffindor first years arguing beside a set of armor on the third floor. As they passed them by seemingly un-noticed, Harrison heard the bushy haired muggle-born Granger mention the name Nicolas Flamel, and the Philosopher Stone.
That wasn't the last time, Harrison and his friends heard the two talking in hushed voices. Over the next few months, he became suspicious. How convenient was it that he always seemed to come across them when they were discussing things like the Flamel's, or the Stone, even one time the red head, - one of the Weasleys no doubt- mentioned a three headed dog, guarding a trap door in a room on the forbidden corridor.
Harrison made sure to mention his suspicions to his dad, on one of there talks via the mirrors. He explained all that he heard, and what he suspected. When his dad remembered reading about a break in at Gringotts back in September, but nothing had been taken, as the object had already been removed, their suspicions only grew. Sirius made sure to remind his son, that Dumbledore might try something, to get Harrison back under his control and to be careful. The Weasleys were some of Dumbledore's biggest supporters, and the youngest boy could easily have been swayed to help the old man. As for Hermione Granger, Harrison had noted quickly how much she revered authority and the knowledge- books gave her, never questioning, or digging further, simply taking things at face value. So, he easily agreed to his fathers request to be careful.
HPSBHP
Harrison did as he said he would, he made sure to listen and watch his surroundings as inconspicuously as he could. He never went anywhere alone, always making sure he had at least one person with him, usually one of his friends. If they weren't around, he spent a lot of time with his fellow first year Ravenclaws Setting up study groups, so he always had an excuse to be in someone's company.
However, even with all his precautions, it wasn't enough, and one day in late June, as Harrison sat outside by the lake in early evening with his roommate Kevin having just finished weeks of exams between his Muggle (of which he had taken on weekends with his dad coming to collect him from the school} and Magical education when suddenly his world went black.
When Harrison came too, he was tied up and laying on a cold stone floor, in a room he had never been to before. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he had first lost consciousness, but something was telling him It had been a couple hours at least.
After a bit of a struggle, Harrison managed to sit up and look around, and to his shock what he saw, was his DADA Professor stood in front of tall Beautiful Mirror muttering to himself.
"I see myself with the stone, I'm presenting it to my master, but HOW do I get it!"
"The BOY, use the Boy." A cold voice hissed out of nowhere shocking Harrison.
Quirrell turned around and rushed over to Harrison, removing his binds, and grabbing his arm in a tight grip, and Forcing him in front of the mirror, "You Boy, tell me what you see." He demanded, shaking Harrison slightly.
Harrison stared into the mirror shocked, because he didn't only see his own reflection staring back at him. It was an older version of himself and stood around him were his Parents-All three of them-, proudly smiling at him, reaching out and touching his shoulders or arm in affection.
Directly to his right, with Harrisons arm wrapped around his waist was a man, three or four inches shorter than himself with curly brown hair and striking brown eyes. Harrison couldn't make out the exact details of the person who was obviously his significant other, his features seem to be distorted somehow, leaving only his hair and eye color clearly visible. But Harrison felt a longing deep inside himself manifest. He wanted to find that person one day, the Person, that made his older reflections eyes fill with love, adoration, and protectiveness.
Before he could blink, the older image of himself, changed, shrinking down into his current age and size while the others remained the same. The now 11-year-old Mirror Harrison, smiled at him secretly, as he put his hand inside his pocket and pulled out a gleaming red stone. He winked at him, before putting the stone back and raising a finger to his lips shushing him quietly.
Harrison tried not to react, as he felt inside his left pocket, a heavy weight settle, just after he saw the stone enter his reflections pocket.
"Well, what do you see BOY!" Quirrell demanded of him after a few seconds.
"I see, my parents. All of them, they stand around an older me, proud. I had just graduated with top marks." Harrison stated in hushed voice, not lying exactly, but omitting a lot of what he saw.
Quirrell growled in frustration, getting ready to shove him away when that same cold voice spoke out once more. "He LIES!"
"WHAT DO YOU SEE?" Quirrell yelled.
"Let me speak to him."
"But…but master you aren't strong enough."
"I have strength enough…. for this." Was hissed back causing Quirrell to slowly begin untying his turban and turning his back towards Harrison as it was finally removed.
Harrison gasped shocked, fore staring back at him from the back of his Professors skull was a face, with slits for nostrils and cold red eyes.
"Harrison Potter, do you see what I've become? Do you see what I am resorted to, what you have caused!"
As he spoke Quirrell began walking backwards, causing the face -who Harrison had figured out rather quickly was Lord Voldemort- to move closer and closer to Harrison, who backed up automatically.
"I'm resorted to possession in order to survive, I must live off another, like some parasite. But there is something else that can be done, something that can give me my own body. Something …that conveniently lies inside your pocket!" Voldemort hissed out suddenly.
Harrison reacted on instinct, running towards the stairs and a door, that he had seen out of the corner of his eye while he was slowly backing up.
"STOP HIM!" the man yelled, causing Quirrell to flick his wand, and flames arose in front of Harrison blocking his path.
"Don't be a fool boy, why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?"
"I will never join you!" Harrison snapped out bravely causing the man to laugh back coldly.
"Bravery, your parents had it too. Tell me Harrison, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together we can bring them back you know; all I ask is something in return."
Harrison stood there defiantly, refusing to budge.
"There is no Good and Evil boy, there is only power and those to weak to seek it. Together, we will do extraordinary things if you JUST GIVE ME THE STONE!"
"You lie, I'm not the Stupid child you think I am, and you will never get this stone!" Harrison told him firmly, before turning and running towards the exit once more.
"KILL HIM!"
Quirrell raced towards Harrison reaching him just before he reached the top of the stairs and grabbing onto his bare wrist. Suddenly the room was filled with the mans screams as he felt the flesh on his palm burn. Realizing what was happening, Harrison grabbed onto the man's arm under the sleeve of his robe, holding on as tight as he could, not letting the man go, until he dropped to the floor dead before his eyes. His body entirely covered in severe looking burns.
For a moment Harrison just stood there shocked at what he had done. Unable to believe the last hour or so had actually happened. When suddenly out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark cloud racing towards him with glowing red eyes in the center.
Harrison dived to the side instinctively, when the cloud was about to rush through him, landing on his side, as he stared in shock as it disappeared through one of the stone walls.
Standing on shaky legs, Harrison double checked that the stone was still safe in his pocket, and after noticing the wall of fire had vanished made his way out of the door and through a maze of rooms, all seemingly set up as a different puzzle or obstacle one would have needed to defeat in order to pass.
As he approached the door to the last room, there was a sudden noise that could be heard on the other side. Before Harrison could reach it, the door opened and stood before him were Professors Dumbledore and Snape.
Seeing the bleeding boy, Dumbledore rushed over to him shocked, he had been expecting to find the boy, unconscious, or still in the hands of the DADA Professor and therefor Voldemort, and not making his way out of the chamber.
"Mr. Potter-Black, are you alright? Can you tell me what happened?" The man Demanded.
"Um, I'm fine headmaster. But Professor Quirrell, he's...he's dead sir." Harrison stated back still in shock. "Voldemort was on the back of his head. He was possessing him Professor."
"Severus, go collect Quirrell, and bring him to the infirmary until his remains can be dealt with. I'm going to take Mr. Potter-Black to get checked over." Dumbledore instructed his potions master, before guiding the first year up and out through the trap door and to the Infirmary.
As soon as they arrived Harrison was immediately taken to a bed and checked over by the Medi-witch before he was instructed to rest, as he was experiencing magical exhaustion. By the time he was settled into his bed, his father had arrived along with his friends, and Head of House.
"Pup, are you alright?" Sirius asked his son as soon as he sat down beside him, clasping his hand firmly. "What the hell Happened?" he then turned and demanded of the headmaster, who was still waiting off to the side.
Dumbledore directed Harrison friends to head back to there dorms, telling them Harrison would be released in the morning and they could talk to him then, when the doors had shut after they left, he turned back to the father and child on the bed and began to explain what he knew.
"Mr. Potter-Black and one of his fellow classmates, were knocked unconscious out by the black lake earlier this evening. While Mr. Chang, was left on the grass where he lay, Mr. Potter-Black was taken down to the lower levels, of the third-floor corridor by his DADA Professor who was being possessed by the wraith like creature that is Voldemort."
"How the hell did this happen?" Sirius once more demanded, beyond angry.
"I received a letter early today, demanding my presence at the ministry, and therefor left after lunch. When I returned, Mr. Chang had been found outside, unconscious, and Mr. Potter-Black nowhere to be found. Severus came to inform me immediately the Quirrell was also missing. I began suspect the worst and immediately headed to the forbidden corridor and through the trap door. But when I arrived, Young Mr. Potter-Black was making his way towards the exit, I'm afraid, anything else needing to be told, he will have to provide."
"Harrison?" Sirius asked his son quietly.
"They wanted me to look into this mirror, for the Philosopher Stone. When I looked in in, I saw me. I was older, and mom and dad were there, and you too dad, you were all around me, proud of who I grew up to be, and there was someone else there, but I couldn't make out his face, just got the feeling that he was important to me, someone I loved very much.
I don't know how, but suddenly I had the stone in my pocket, and Quirrell took his turban off and turned around and there was Voldemort. He tried to get me to join him, offered to bring mom and dad back, but I wouldn't, I kept refusing him, so he sent Quirrell to kill me…but when he touched my skin, he began to burn so I grabbed on and didn't let go, until he was lying dead in front of me. I... I killed him." Harrison told them in barely more than a whisper.
The adults around him stood, shocked as his revelations before Flitwick stepped forward, "You did NOT kill him Harrison, not intentionally."
"Professor Flitwick's right, Mr. Potter-Black, when your mother and father died, giving their lives for yours, they left a powerful protection on you. It was that protection that killed Quirrell. Voldemort cannot touch you, so while he was being possessed neither could Quirrell…. you did not kill him; this I can promise you."
Seeing the boy nod slightly, although he still looked to be in shock, Dumbledore asked his next question. "What happened with the stone?"
"I have it sir, and I intend to return it to the Flamel's as soon as I get home."
"Give it here Mr. Potter-Black, Nicolas is a dear friend, and I can return it to him."
"I mean no disrespect sir, but I feel I should be the one to return it, I'll be sending it home with my dad, when he leaves."
Dumbledore nodded once, before leaving in irritation. He had intended to destroy it and tell Nicolas it had been lost in the confrontation.
"All right, that is enough questions. Harrison needs lots of rest, so either let him do so, or you can all leave." Madame Pomfrey stated firmly, eyeing all the adults before heading into her office.
HPSBHP
Before he knew it, Harrison was boarding the train home after the leaving feast three days later. His dad had offered to bring him home early if that's what he wanted, but Harrison had declined, wanting to take the train with his friends. It was tradition after all.
As he sat in his compartment once more accompanied by Neville, Blaise and Daphnee he reflected on his First completed year at Hogwarts. The year had definitely been interesting. The castle, with all its secrets, his classes filled with wonderous things. Even if he became slightly bored after a few months, and began reading into his second-year curriculum, it was still exciting learning all the amazing things one could do with magic.
The ending, while it wasn't what he was expecting or hoping for, had opened his eyes to what would one day come. For they knew now that Voldemort wasn't truly dead, and his dad had confided in him, that he suspected that he would re-gain his body in the future, and the war would return once more.
So, this summer, Harrison and his father would begin training, not only in defensive magic but increasing his lessons in martial arts. They would also be making a trip to the ministry, because when he asked why his family had been attacked all those years ago, his dad had told him, that there was prophecy. While he never heard what it said, it had put Voldemort onto his path that ended with him being there that night so many years earlier.
So, it would be trip to the hall prophecies, where Harrison would finally learn the truth.