"Chapter Seventeen," Gideon read. "The Man With Two Faces."
Harry finds out that Quirrell was the man after the Stone.
"In hindsight, it should be obvious," Sara said. "The first time I read it, it did come across as a bit of a shock."
"Everything pointed to Snape," Nora said. "Almost to the point where it was too obvious."
"Snape made it obvious," Harry agreed. "He gave me no reason to not suspect him. And Quirrell was this nervous wreck of a teacher who stuttered and looked like a strong wind could blow him over."
"Which was the idea," John said.
"Although he overplayed his part a lot at times," Zari said. "In hindsight."
"You're looking at it through adult eyes, though," Kara argued. "It would be less obvious when you're Harry's age."
"And when the bastard teacher that everyone hates is the most obvious villain," Lena concluded.
Quirrell mocks Harry for believing it was Snape, and does his stutter, revealing how much of a put on it was.
"He's enjoying this," Astra said. "He's enjoying how much he's played you."
"Of course he is," Lena said.
"Snape made such an obvious scapegoat," Ron said.
"Yes, Weasley, it was easy to blame me, and I didn't care what a group of students thought," Snape said. "You liking me didn't matter. But, I will say this."
Everyone turned to Snape.
"I warned Dumbledore how shifty Quirrell was acting, before the school year started," Snape said. "I told him, Quirrell was up to something. The fact he studied in a country that the Dark Lord was rumored to have been sighted in, raised a red flag in my mind. And his stutter was phony, and he really played it up in public, almost as if to drum up sympathy. To deflect attention away. His body language indicated he had something to hide."
"Very well, you saw that he was not to be trusted," Sara said.
"Yes, although I wasn't certain of the full extent until after the Gringotts break-in and most certainly that Halloween, when I found Quirrell on the third floor," Snape said. "And he knew I was watching him. The troll was to distract me, because he claimed the troll targeted the Dungeons. When in reality, it was elsewhere, and he wanted to send me on a wild troll hunt. If it wasn't for that damn dog, I might have caught Quirrell in the act that night."
"Dumbledore brushed your warnings off," Harry muttered.
"I told him he was asking for trouble with the Stone being there in the first place," Snape said. "Fake, real, it doesn't matter."
"It was bait," Harry said.
"I know," Snape said.
"For Voldemort, it was bait for him," Astra said.
"And for me," Harry said. "Let's continue."
Quirrell reveals he was cursing Harry and Snape was performing a countercurse.
Things got really awkward and Snape turned his attention to Hermione.
"Ms. Granger," Snape said. "Do you have something to say to me?"
Hermione squirmed for a second. She looked helplessly towards Harry, who waved it off, as if to say she better take your medicine.
"You knew I set you on fire," Hermione said.
"Yes!" Snape snapped. "I knew. And I recommended that Dumbledore expelled you or at least forced you to serve detention for the remainder of the year. Such a wanton act of violence made you a danger to both the staff and the students, Ms. Granger."
"It looked like you were cursing Harry," Hermione protested.
"A little bit of knowledge can be dangerous, and you thought you knew, because you read about something in a book," Snape said. "What if you didn't bump Quirrell?"
"I…I…would you have gotten Harry down safely?" Hermione asked.
"I would have ensured that Potter found a way to the ground before Quirrell hurled him off of the broom," Snape said. "And I'm still not hearing those two words."
Hermione swallowed.
"I'm sorry," Hermione said. "For setting you on fire."
"You should have been expelled," Snape said. "You were a worse menace than Black."
"Keep his name out of your mouth, Snivellus," Harry said curtly.
Snape felt his insides twist in the worst pain he ever felt in his life. Harry let up when he proved his point.
"Oh, you defend Sirius, but you let him rip into me," Hermione said.
"You set the man on fire," Harry said. "You were lucky you were my friend."
Harry let the implication drop that Hermione would have likely been expelled if she was not Harry's friend and Harry was not who he was. Although, Hermione would not be setting a teacher on fire, if she was not Harry's friend.
It was quite the sticky situation.
"Okay, things are getting tense here," Sara said.
"Snape's still an asshole, but he was saving Harry," Astra said.
"Even if it was out of obligation," Harry murmured.
Quirrell ties up Harry and rambles on about how he let the troll in.
"And now he's running his mouth like a Bond villain," Lena said.
"My first bad guy monologue," Harry said wistfully.
"To think, I felt sorry for him," Ron said.
"We all did," Harry said. "He played his part well."
"Too well," Zari said.
Harry realizes Quirrell is in front of the Mirror of Erised.
Several people who remembered the exact effect the mirror had on Harry let in and out a sharp intake of breath.
"And you were still having nightmares then," Kara said.
"They didn't stop until after I left for the holidays," Harry said.
"This is the real trap," Astra said.
"I'm an idiot," Harry grumbled.
"Why?" Sara asked.
"Because, Quirrell would have wasted away in front of the mirror trying to find a way to get the Philosopher's Stone," Harry said.
"You had insufficient information," Ava said. "And Dumbledore dangled enough bread crumbs to make you curious enough to do this."
"Everything leading up to the Mirror was simple stuff," Kara agreed.
"It is kind of ingenious when you think about it," Malfoy said. "As loathe as I am to give Dumbledore credit, he really did put an excellent trap at the end. Given what that mirror does to people."
"I hate to agree, but it's true," John said.
"It's still bait," Harry reminded them.
"Yes, and every student in the school was put in danger," McGonagall said. "And everyone involved was responsible for it."
"Dumbledore convinced us it was for the best," Snape reminded her.
That still did not make McGonagall feel any better.
Harry tries to get Quirrell to keep talking.
"Oh you even figured that one then," Sara said.
"That bad guys like to hear the sound of their own voice and to keep them talking?" Harry asked. "Pretty much."
"Then, now, forever," Lena said.
Quirrell reveals to Harry that Snape hated Harry's father.
"And I had to hear it from the nutcase who tried to steal the Philosopher's Stone," Harry remarked.
"Well, I hope you didn't expect to hear it from me, Potter," Snape said.
"You weren't exactly shy about showing your distaste about my father in later years," Harry said. "You saw what you wanted to see."
"It seems like we had that much in common, then," Snape said.
"I was an eleven year old child," Harry said. "You were a grown-ass man. You were supposed to be the adult in this situation. And you were supposed to be a teacher. I could have enjoyed Potions, if you actually bothered to teach the subject and not used your lessons as a platform to bully because you were insecure."
"How many Gryffindors came to you about Snape's behavior?"Ron asked McGonagall.
"Too many," McGonagall said with a sigh. "I deferred to Dumbledore, and he said he would have a talk with Severus."
"There's only so many times that you can pin your failures on Dumbledore," Ron said "Because, Minerva, it's getting rather old."
"And I've heard Dumbledore's reasons for why Snape acted in the way he did," Harry said. "I don't buy them."
"Harry…"
"No, Hermione, not today!" Harry snapped.
Hermione flinched. Kara gently grabbed Harry, as did Sara.
"Maybe we shouldn't have brought him," Ava said.
"We should have, because now I can say what I truly can say without consequence to him," Harry said.
"You have my soul coin, you have power over me," Snape said.
"Feels horrible, doesn't it, Snape?" Astra asked. "To be belittled by someone and not be able to fight back because they have power over you."
"But, at least I don't do it because of the man my father was, when you were students at Hogwarts," Harry said. "If James Potter would have lived, he would have moved on. You on the other hand, never moved on."
Fred and George eyed Harry in awe.
"It had to be said," George said.
"How long have you been holding that one in Harry?" Fred asked.
"Let's continue," Harry said evasively.
Quirrell reveals to Harry that Voldemort was there wherever he goes.
"Oooh, fuck," Astra said.
"Um, George?" Fred asked.
"Yes, Fred," George said.
"This isn't going where I think it is, is it?" Fred asked.
"I…no, surely not," George said.
"He was there," Sara said quietly. "He was there. In Hogwarts. Right under everyone's noses."
"You know he was," Harry said.
"Yes, but it bares repeating," Sara said. "Dumbledore let the most dangerous dark wizard of the last century, never mind he was a shell of his former self, into a school, for what reason?"
"Again, we'll wait for that one at the end," Harry said.
"I was wrong," Nora said. "Everyone involved shouldn't be fired."
Nora let the other shoe drop.
"They should be put in prison."
Quirrell tried to figure out the Mirror. And Harry tries to figure out how to get the Stone, without alerting Quirrell.
The tension rose a little bit.
"Come on, Harry," Astra murmured.
"This is a primitive version of how Harry generally operates," Sara said. "Bit rough around the edges. But it's all here. He's trying to distract the villain while figuring out how to turn it around him."
"I don't know how he does it," Mick said. "But, he does it."
"Against all odds," Ava said.
"He could have escaped those ropes easily, now," Sara said.
"Of course, he could," Lita said.
A sinister voice hissed "Use the Boy!"
"Oh bloody hell!" John yelled. "Quirrell's worse than dead!"
"He's really is," Snape remarked. "The fool."
No one could argue with Snape on this account
"The unicorn blood cursed him, but what he's done, it's really doomed him," Nora said. "He doesn't realize how disposable he is."
Harry is brought closer. And he smelled a foul smell beneath Quirrell's turban.
"Decay and death," Harry added. "It was completely foul."
"I'd imagine," John said dryly.
"How could you stand something like that up close?" Kara asked.
"Because, I needed to get the Stone before Quirrell did," Harry said. "No matter what the cost."
Fred, George, and Astra all looked various degrees of apprehensive when they viewed the scene. Ron and Hermione's eyes widened.
"This is…it's going to happen?" Hermione asked.
"In a moment," Harry told him.
"I think I might be sick," Hermione said.
"What?" Malfoy asked.
"Well, this won't be pretty, what happens next," Sara said. "Fair warning. If you're squeamish, I suggest you turn away. Because, Harry showed me this before and it's the one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen."
Given this was Sara who said this, they knew it was serious.
"Well, let's get through it then," Ava said.
"Last warning people, because there's no turning back now," Sara said.
Everyone steeled themselves. Harry pulled Astra close to him, and Kara scooted in on the other side. Lena wrapped her arm around Kara, and everyone waited for it to happen.
Harry got the Stone, somehow.
"Great," Astra said. "But, you're still trapped in there with the psycho."
"Mmm," Kara said.
Harry tried to bluff his way out by telling him that he saw himself winning the house cup for Gryffindor.
"All things considered, not the worst lie," Zari said. "Given what happened."
"Quirrell might have bought it," Lena agreed.
"His master, not so much," Snape said. "Given…his abilities."
Harry waited for that moment to happen.
The hideous voice says Harry lies. And then he asks to speak to Harry face to face.
No one said anything at all. Harry viewed this memory play out, seeing the look of abject confusion, mixed with terror on the face of his eleven year old self.
Quirrell's turban unraveled slowly. Harry is so petrified he cannot scream. A disgusting face on the back of Quirrell's head could be shown. Those glowing red eyes and slits for nostrils, and snake like features had been etched onto the back of Quirrell's head. Which slowly rotated on the spot so it could face Harry
"That's worse than the thing in the Forest!" Malfoy yelled finally breaking silence.
"Him," Hermione murmured. "It's him."
"If anything needs to be killed by fire, it's that," John said.
"Astra?" Harry asked.
"Voldemort," Astra breathed. "Quirrell's head. It was there, the entire time."
"Ever since the Gringotts break in," Harry said.
"The back of his head?" George asked. "Hey, Fred, do you realize what this means?"
"Oh, George, I do, but I'll let you say it," Fred said.
"We hit He-Who-Must-Be-Hyphenated in the face with snowballs!"
There was no humor in George's voice when he spoke this fact. The Twins resembled fish out of water for the next couple of minutes.
"Do you think he remembers? "George asked.
"Do you think he would be petty enough to kill us for that?"
"Well, he was very petty," Harry said.
The twins both cringed.
Voldemort comes face to face with Harry and gives his spiel. He tells him how Quirrell drank the Unicorn Blood and plans to return with the Elixir of Life. And he tells Harry to give him the stone in his pocket.
"It was at that point, where I realized I was very fucked," Harry narrated.
"Yeah, I can see that," Sara said.
"It's not human," Astra said while looking at the screen. "Nothing about this is human. What are you?"
"He was once a human," Harry said. "He willingly turned himself into this."
"Potter?" Malfoy asked.
"Yes?"
"I would have passed out by now," Malfoy said.
"So, do you still want to be Harry Potter?" Lita asked rhetorically.
No one answered that question.
Harry prepared to scramble away. Voldemort taunts Harry about his parents and how they died begging for mercy.
"YOU LYING BASTARD!" Astra snapped. "They died fighting you!"
"Yes, they did," Harry soothingly told you. "He's trying to get in my head."
"Did it work?" Sara asked.
"Some," Harry said. "I might have been brave, but I was far from being the Dragon."
"Still can't believe you're…the Dragon," Hermione murmured. "But, seriously, this is the most horrible thing I've ever seen. You really downplayed just how awful it was."
Quirrell goes after Harry. It felt like things were going in slow motion, as the rotting figure got closer.
"And this is like something out of a horror movie," Sara said.
"I don't know how you could have escaped this!" Astra shouted. "He's got you cornered."
"I did it in the most Harry Potter way possible," Harry said.
Quirrell seized him, but Harry burned the man's hands.
"Oh, of course, Lily's charm," John said. "It's diluted, but it still works."
"It works enough," Harry said.
Harry grabs onto Quirrell's face when he realizes his touch hurts the man.
"Partly Mum's gift," Harry said. "With a little help from the Unicorn blood's curse."
"Not to mention, Quirrell having a parasite on the back of his head didn't help matters," Snape said.
"That most certainly didn't hurt," Harry admitted. "And I put two and two together. Not bad for a dunderhead."
Harry clutched on for dear life and kept Quirrell screaming despite Voldemort's screams to kill him.
"He's toast," Kara said.
"Good," Astra said.
Harry fades to black, as Quirrell screams. And someone screaming his name.
"Dumbledore?" Astra asked.
"Dumbledore," Harry said.
"Typical, shows up at the last possible minute," Astra said.
"You didn't see him die?" Lita asked.
"I blacked out before his body decayed," Harry said.
"Movie got that shit wrong then," Mick said.
"We've established that the movies are trash," Ron said. "At least I thought they were. But, I'm biased."
"Yeah, just a little bit," Kara agreed.
Astra gazed upon Harry lying on the ground, and she was not the only one.
"How close were you to dying?" Astra asked.
"Too close," Harry said. "As, you'll see."
The scene shifted around Harry. Harry felt really cold and then extremely warm. And then comfortable. Robes appeared around his body when he stood to his feet.
Harry had been in a park of some sort. Something about it seemed familiar.
"Hello, Harry Potter."
Harry turned and looked towards a pale girl, with dark hair, who looked around his age. She had violet eyes which currently gazed into Harry's.
"Am I dead?" Harry asked her.
"You are in between," she told him. "Have a seat."
The mysterious girl sat Harry down next to her. Harry had no idea what was happen although this place felt relaxing.
"Currently, he works to revive your physical body," she said.
"I'm not dead," Harry said. "So, I have to go back?"
"You will choose to go back," she told him. "Because, you still have much to live for."
"Do I?" Harry asked.
"Some might consider what you did tonight reckless, the act of someone who did not have anything to lose," she told him. "But, tonight, you proved your valor. And you have proven yourself to be worthy."
"Worthy of what?" Harry asked. "Who are you?"
"I am a friend," she said. "And I want to make sure you are safe when you return back. You don't have an easy life ahead of you, Harry. And I'm sorry for that. I wish it didn't have to be this way."
"Then, don't make it this way," Harry told her.
"I'm sorry," she told him. "I did not expect to meet you again this soon. I know you'll be okay. And if you're okay, I'll be okay. And you will deliver the one who runs from death, when you're ready."
She ruffled Harry's hair. The pale skinned girl smiled.
"Lily and James are proud of what you've done tonight," she said. "Stay strong, my champion. And we must say goodbye now."
Harry wanted to say something, but he could feel his body being pulled away from this place.
Sara whistled for a second.
"The first meeting with Death herself," Harry concluded.
"Oh, she's quite lovely, isn't she?" Sara asked.
"She is," Harry said.
"Digging the gothic lolicon look," Lita said.
"I guess she felt that I would be more comfortable with it," Harry said.
"You spoke with Death?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Harry said.
"And you didn't tell us?" Hermione asked.
"I thought it was a weird dream," Harry said. "Speaking to some cryptic goth girl is not the weirdest dream I ever had."
Harry kept a few more things to himself that he told neither Ron nor Hermione.
"Hermione, Harry's entitled to his secrets," Ron said. "And I would have thought I was insane if I had that dream."
Harry did not have the heart to correct Ron and say it was not really a dream.
"And I didn't necessarily know it was Death, for the record," Harry said. "I didn't know what to make of any of that. Until about six years later."
"She's looking out for you, even before you had the Hallows," Astra murmured quietly.
"She knew I would get them," Harry said. "Voldemort ensured that when he attacked me that Halloween Night."
Harry wakes up to see Dumbledore waiting for him in the Hogwarts Hospital wing.
"Would have been the last person I would want to see right now," John said. "But, I suppose you weren't jaded then, so you didn't put the pieces together."
"You were out for a long time," Hermione said.
"A lot of people thought you died," George said. "Speaking of which…can we share a memory with everyone?"
"I don't see why not," Sara said.
"Just place your hand on the third panel from the right and think what you want to recall, Mr. Weasley," Gideon said. "And I will display it for you."
"Right," George said before turning towards Fred. "Unless you want to do the honors."
"No, be my guest," Fred said.
Fred, George, Angelina, Katie, and Alicia all waited for the Quidditch game with Ravenclaw. Oliver Wood had not shown up yet, which caused George to raise an eyebrow.
"Isn't like Wood to be late," George murmured.
"What about the Seeker?" Alicia asked.
"Hope, he's not in trouble again,," Angelina said.
Oliver Wood entered the Dressing Room.
"Not that any of you care, but Harry's currently in the hospital wing."
"What?" George asked. "What happened?"
"And what do you mean we don't care?" Fred asked.
"What was he doing?" Katie asked.
"Harry Potter went to the third floor last night," Wood said. "I found out that Professor Quirrell was after what was up there. And you never believe what Dumbledore had up there."
"You mean other than a gruesome three headed dog?" Fred asked.
"A Philosopher's Stone," Wood said.
"Wait, Dumbledore had one of those in the school?" Angelina asked.
"I thought Nicholas Flamel had the only known Stone," Alicia said. "Are you sure about this?"
"I overheard McGonagall tell Flitwick about that much this morning," Wood said. "Quirrell was off to steal the Stone. And he fought Harry over it. Dumbledore arrived just in time and had to pull Quirrell off of Harry before Quirrell could kill him."
"Damn," Angelina said. "Was Quirrell just greedy?"
"I don't know," Wood said. "Harry wouldn't go after Quirrell without a good reason. Like he wouldn't be caught after hours without a good reason."
The rest of the team looked towards Wood.
"I don't know what exactly happened, but it doesn't look good for Harry," Wood said. "He's clinging onto life. And to think, you lot were shunning him all during practice!"
"Wood, I…"
"No, you listen," Wood said. "He came to be about a month back. He asked to resign from the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
"What?" Katie asked. "But, Harry likes Quidditch."
"He does, and he loves to fly," Wood said. "But, he didn't like you all refusing to speak to him over losing one hundred and fifty points. Especially, you two, you two, would be the last people that I thought would be hung up over this!"
Fred and George all backed off underneath Wood's gaze.
"I was hoping he would change his mind and play, but that's not going to happen," Wood said. "And I'm hoping that he's okay. I really wish I had noticed how you had been acting sooner. I got wrapped up in preparing for Ravenclaw, to notice the rest of my team treated one of team members like shit. Because of something stupid."
"It was stupid," Katie said. "We got caught up in this."
"It was dumb," Alicia agreed.
"Harry's going to be alright?" George asked. "Isn't he?"
"I don't know," Wood said. "And I don't have all of the facts about why he's in the Hospital Wing. Only Quirrell was there and he was trying to steal the Stone and Harry wanted to stop him. Maybe he found out, and wanted to make up for all of those points. I don't know. The point is, he's in really bad shape,Pomfrey won't let anyone see him at all."
"He'll be fine, he has to be," Katie said. "If he isn't…what have we done?"
"We got caught up in the mob mentality," Angelina said. "We didn't ask Harry for his side of the story, with what happened."
"And we didn't trust there would be a good reason," George said.
"Damn, we really buggered this one up," Fred added.
"Today, we have Ravenclaw," Wood said. "I'm so disgusted at you all right now, that I can barely think. And we don't have a seeker today. So…It doesn't matter what we do. Because, I'm not sure if this team has much of a future, if you're going to turn on one of your own like a dime. Let's get out there, I guess."
Wood swept out in a bad mood. George turned to the others.
"Harry must be bad," George said.
"We'll have to make it up to him, later," Fred said.
"If there is a later," George said.
The three chasers nodded and walked out.
"I thought for sure Wood was going to kick us all off the team," George said.
"And we were too demoralized to play well," Fred said.
"So, that's what the story was going around?" Harry asked. "I went after Quirrell."
"Well, later on, a few people talked about how Quirrell was working with someone on the outside, to get them the Stone," George said.
"Little did they know, it was someone on the inside," Fred said.
"Wood's got his head on straight, at least," Astra said.
"Oh, we all felt like shit," Fred said.
"After the game was worse," George said. "After we were crushed by Ravenclaw."
"Why did the final game happen after the exam that year?" Lita asked. "Just curious."
"That's a good question," George admitted. "Not sure about the answer."
"It never did since," Malfoy added somberly. "Weird it did."
With that out of the way, it was time for them to resume this story.
Dumbledore informs Harry that Quirrell does not have the Philosopher's Stone. Harry was in the Hospital Wing right now, surrounded by tokens from friends and admirers. Among them was a large stuffed dragon sent by Charlie's friends that picked up the Dragon. Although Pomfrey confiscated the toilet seat Fred and George sent Harry.
"Damn, we put in some of our best work getting that thing," George said.
"Because, nothing says I'm sorry, like high quality porcelain," Zari said.
"Pretty much our reasoning," Fred said.
"Everyone felt guilty," Sara said. "After how they treated you."
"Pretty much," Harry agreed.
Harry finds out he was in the Hospital Wing for three days.
"I don't think even they knew how close I was to dying," Harry said.
"You saw Death," Sara said. "How much closer could you get?"
"Well, I didn't know who she was or what the hell that dream was for a very long time," Harry reminded her.
"And yes, we were pacing the Common Room, day and night, until we finally got the word you woke up," Ron said.
Dumbledore explains about stopping Quirrell from getting the Stone. And how the owl must have crossed in mid-air.
"We're going to of course assume Dumbledore left Hogwarts in the first place," Sara said.
"Well, he says he did," McGonagall said. "We're going to have to dig up forty year old Ministry visitor records to prove him right or wrong. And while they exist, finding them is a challenge."
"And we never managed to send the owl," Ron said. "I was half groggy, but Dumbledore came bolting down the corridors right as Hermione and I left the room with Fluffy. He asked if you went after the Stone."
"I recall you telling me that," Harry said.
"He knew," Lena said.
"We know, he knew," Astra said
"If Dumbledore lied about such a trivial thing, then you have to look at everything he says and scrutinize it," Lena said.
"How did he let himself get tricked by a fake letter?" Kara asked.
"Well, in all fairness, Fudge would be the type of person to owl Dumbledore because he could not open a jar of pickles," Harry replied.
"It's true," Malfoy agreed, remembering how inept the former Minister was.
Harry and Dumbledore talk more about the Philosopher's Stone. Dumbledore informs Harry that he had the Stone destroyed. Harry asks about Flamel, and Dumbledore chuckles he did the thing properly.
"Did the thing properly, he says?" Astra asked.
"I would like anyone to explain this to me," Sara said. "Because, this sounds like Harry did pretty much everything Dumbledore set him up to do, without Dumbledore admitting it out right. But, you read between the lines."
"It was a test," Ava said.
"And it looks like Harry passed it with flying colors," John said. "Dumbledore likes his little games. And Harry fell straight into line."
"And we're taking Dumbledore's word that the Stone was destroyed," Nora said.
"I saw him do it," McGonagall said. "That I can vouch for."
"Still no proof it's the real Stone," Nora said.
"This entire year has just been a set up," Astra said. "The Stone, real or fake, was a set up. Why?"
"To see if I was the hero who Dumbledore needed to fight Voldemort, despite my upbringing at the Dursleys," Harry said. "Even then Dumbledore knew it would end with the two of us."
"I know he wasn't behind Mum's death," Astra said. "But, damn if it didn't work out well for his plans."
Dumbledore gives a spiel about how death is the next great adventure and how humans choose the worst things for them.
"If you can't wow them with whimsy, baffle them with bullshit," Nora said.
"Dumbledore has a point, we are bad at choosing the things that are best for us," John said. "But, the problem is, is he really one to talk with some of the choices he's made?"
No one answered. Although they all knew.
Harry asks about Voldemort and Dumbledore claims Voldemort would keep trying, but never return to power.
"And we knew he was wrong there," Sara said.
"The fact Dumbledore can look you in the eye and lie to you," Kara said. "Wow."
"I know what he was thinking," Harry said. "He was thinking that he could spare me the worry about what was to come."
"He only kicked the can further down the road," Nora said.
"If only Dumbledore had been open and honest," Harry said.
"If only," Ron agreed.
"He didn't want Harry to deal with this, unless absolutely necessary," Hermione weakly protested.
"And yet, it became necessary the moment we had to go after Quirrell," Harry said. "Keeping vital information from me, never worked out well."
"No, it never did," Hermione admitted.
Harry asks Dumbledore why Voldemort wanted to kill him. And Dumbledore evades the question.
"Yes, you should have told him then!" John yelled.
"The time is right," Astra said. "According to who?"
"According to Dumbledore of course," Kara said.
"Which means about ten minutes after the information would have done any good," John said.
Harry nodded. Boy, was this ever the truth.
Harry asks Dumbledore about why Quirrell could not touch him and also the Invisibility cloak. Dumbledore explains both matters.
"Still don't get why James would have left it in Dumbledore's possession," John said.
"He's giving you bread crumbs," Sara said
"Of course, feed a starved animal bread crumbs, and they'll be loyal for life," Lena said. "Dumbledore understands how to string Harry along."
"For the moment," Harry said.
Later on, Harry questioned Dumbledore more and more. Although now he craved answers more than anything and appreciated anything Dumbledore would give him.
Dumbledore explains to Harry that Snape hated James Potter because James saved his life. And then Snape helped Harry so he could go back to hating his father's memory in peace.
Snape's eye twitched very briefly. Harry slowly turned to Snape and gave him the coldest expression ever.
"There's more to that story," Ava said.
"There is, I know it," Harry said. "Snape didn't help me because he's a good person. He only helps me because of the fact that Dumbledore has leverage over him."
"I almost feel sorry for him," Sara said.
"I don't," Astra said. "He didn't get that little tattoo by selling girl scout cookies, you know."
Snape said nothing. Harry was glad for it.
Dumbledore explained how Harry got the Philosopher's Stone out of the mirror.
"I do admit, it's a good plan," Sara said.
"And if I had just kept my nose out, Quirrell would have wasted away waiting," Harry said.
"That's not what Dumbledore wanted, though," Kara said. "You can't say that Voldemort wouldn't have found another way around it."
"True," Harry agreed. "I suppose we'll never know."
Dumbledore tastes an ear wax flavor bean.
"You almost forget he sent a small child to live in an abusive home," Kara said.
"Twice," Astra said. "After wiping Harry's memories the second time."
"Out of all of the things Dumbledore did, that's the lowest," Malfoy said. "Yes, the memory was traumatic, but memories shape who you are. And that was years of memories he ripped away. And this was done to someone he was supposed to care for."
"Dumbledore cared for Harry," Hermione said. "Even Harry said it was only done so he would not be burdened with the trauma of that awful event."
"But, you can't deny that sending him back there was the wrong move," Lena said.
Hermione could not deny it. She just thought the matter was more complex than everyone was letting on.
Madam Pomfrey let Ron and Hermione in, and they were relieved to see that Harry was okay.
"I had to admit, we thought you were dead," Ron said.
"Close," Sara said. "Too close."
Harry recalls the events to Ron and Hermione. And tells them that Flamel is going to die, and how Dumbledore thinks death is the next great adventure. And Ron says that Dumbledore was off of his rocker.
"I still think that," Ron said. "Although, it's not as fondly now."
Harry explains how Dumbledore wanted to give him a chance to fight Voldemort and not try to stop him.
"And speaking of things that look horrifying through adult eyes," Kara said. "That…right here…what you just said!"
"You were happy that Dumbledore was okay with this," Lena said.
"Less happy now, "Harry admitted. "But, as an ignorant eleven year old, I thought it was cool."
"I can't blame you for that," Sara said. "But, you still understood and was okay with it."
"I was an adrenaline junkie when I was younger," Harry said.
"Oh, he's not kidding," Astra groaned.
"I still am although to a lesser degree," Harry said. "While it was terrifying, it did give a bit of a rush."
"To say you're lucky not to get killed, it would have been an understatement," Ava said.
"I was very lucky," Harry said. "My ability to mess with probability worked both ways. Some for the better, sometimes for the worse."
Everyone who knew Harry well all agreed.
Pomfrey shooed out Ron and Hermione after fifteen minutes.
"I'm surprised you got that long out of her," George said.
"She must really be fond of you," Fred said.
"We really should have been on first name terms for as often as I was in the Hospital Wing," Harry said.
"I thought you healed easily?" Astra asked.
"I do," Harry said.
"Which means he got into stuff so dangerous that he ended up in the hospital wing way too often, " Lita said. "But, to be fair, it's not always Harry's fault."
"That doesn't really make me feel better," Astra said.
Harry asks Madam Pomfrey if he could go to the feast. She reluctantly agrees, because Dumbledore said he could.
"And in Hogwarts if Albus Dumbledore says jump, you ask how high," Sara quipped.
"She didn't want to let Harry attend," McGonagall said. "Albus had to talk her into it."
"Well, Dumbledore wouldn't have been able to pull what he did, if I wasn't there," Harry said.
"That's for sure," Malfoy grumbled.
"What did he do this time?" Astra asked.
"Oh, nothing bad for me," Harry said. "But, it was kind of unfair to the Slytherins."
"I'm thinking Albus found out about Hagrid's dragon and decided to correct the problem," McGonagall said.
"Talk about shutting the henhouse after the wolf has already cleaned things out," John said.
"Dumbledore had to have known," Zari said. "There's no way he didn't know."
"Still your hero, Weasley?" Malfoy asked snidely.
"Oh, I know Dumbledore isn't all he's cracked up to be," Ron said. "Haven't you been paying attention to anything I've said?"
"No more than I had to," Malfoy said.
Hagrid arrives and blubbers about how this was all his fault.
"About time!" Astra shouted.
"Not all Hagrid's fault, but enough of it was," Sara said. "And how long did Hagrid not drinking again last?"
"Actually over a year," Harry said. "A certain someone who didn't follow directions around a magical beast drove him to drink."
Here, Harry shot Malfoy a nasty look. Malfoy sneered.
"We'll get to that third year," Harry said.
Harry tried to cheer Hagrid up with a Chocolate frog.
"You're a good person," Kara said fondly while kissing Harry.
"I would have been angry at him for a long time for that stunt," Zari said.
"He felt bad," Harry said with a shrug. "And I wanted to move on from the entire dragon thing."
It wouldn't be the first time Voldemort used Hagrid to pull off something sinister. While Hagrid was good and loyal, he could be easily tricked. And Voldemort used his love for a dragon well.
"Can't really blame you," Zari agreed.
"I guess I can't either," Astra agreed.
Hagrid gave Harry a photo album with photos of his parents.
"So nice of them to give you pictures," Astra said. "Not nice enough to actually check up on the son of their friends every once and a while."
"Well, I had some pictures," McGonagall said. "So, I contributed to Hagrid's album. And Dumbledore had some as well that he gave to Hagrid."
"I know Natalie had a bunch," John said. "I think the Album is still up in my attic, somewhere. Although I would not highly recommend you going out there without me. Because, trust me, you don't want to deal with some of the shit I've got stored away"
Harry understood what John meant, having dealt with the man's house.
"I can only think of one person who was still alive and able to give pictures," Harry said. "That was friends with my parents."
Lupin was a sore subject for Harry, even after all of these years. He would cross that bridge when necessary.
"You always loved looking at pictures, when you lived with us," Astra said. "And you had that taken away for us."
"It was nice of Hagrid to put that together," Kara said.
"That was his real apology gift from getting me involved in the entire dragon mess," Harry said. "And nearly getting me killed when I went after Quirrell and the Stone."
"At least he gave you something to tie you to your parents," Sara said. "It was a thoughtful gift."
"I just wished I would have asked more questions about these friends of my parents," Harry said.
"Hindsight," Zari said. "Isn't it a bitch?"
Hagrid left, and all Harry had to do was wait for Pomfrey to discharge him.
"So, you're alive?"
Harry came face to face with Daphne Greengrass who entered the hospital wing, with a bowl of ice cream which she was eating. And she had a second bowl which she handed to Harry.
"I'm sure Slytherin is disappointed," Harry said.
"Some are," Daphne said. "Quirrell was working with him. With Voldemort, wasn't he?"
Harry had been taken aback that Daphne said the name, without even blinking.
"I…"
"You don't have to tell me right now," Daphne said. "The look on your face tells me plenty. Tracey was right. I owe her a butterbeer."
Daphne handed Harry a bowl of ice cream and he looked at it.
"I wouldn't poison you," Daphne said. "Please tell me you didn't throw out that ice cream I sent you for Christmas."
"I ate it all," Harry said.
"A boy of excellent taste," Daphne said. "I wouldn't poison you. Especially through ice cream. It would be very bad for business. And my future business prospects."
Harry tasted the ice cream Daphne brought him.
"It would ruin the taste if you put poison in it," Harry said.
"Well, there are many poisons you can't taste," Daphne said. "If you read that book I recommended you would know that you wouldn't know anything is wrong until your lungs start to fill up with fluid and you start choking on your own vomit."
Harry paused for a brief second.
"Not the conversation for someone that's eating, though," Daphne said. "I'm glad you're safe, Potter. After all, it's because of your tireless efforts that Slytherin will be winning the House Cup for the eighth year in a row."
"Seriously?" Harry asked.
Daphne broke out into a fit of giggles.
"It was a joke," Daphne said. "I'm not some frigid ice queen who can't have human emotions. Don't listen to a damn word Parkinson says about me."
"No, you're the ice cream queen," Harry said dryly.
Daphne responded with a big grin.
"And don't you forget it, Potter," Daphne said. "Oh, and don't mention to Granger that I beat her her average by a tenth of a point of all things. I wouldn't want to be responsible for a fatality."
Daphne took Harry's bowl after he finished and left the hospital wing.
"You should have told me she got higher," Hermione said.
"And you would have studied yourself sick," Harry said. "Second isn't bad. And technically, when you round it, you were at the same exact score."
Hermione looked like she disagreed with that fully.
"Oh, don't tell someone with OCD that," Zari said.
"I don't have OCD," Hermione said curtly.
"Fine, you're a perfectionist with narcissistic tendencies," Lena said dryly.
"Wasn't that what Lex got diagnosed as?" Kara asked.
"Wait, you're comparing me to Lex Freaking Luthor?" Hermione asked.
"I think you need another brownie," Zari said in a sing-song voice.
Hermione took one and chewed on it, scowling. And she calmed down a little bit.
"And Lex dropped the person who gave him that diagnosis out of a really high window," Lena said.
"Harley was less kind in her assessment of your brother," Harry said.
"Didn't she call Lex nuttier than squirrel shit?" Sara asked. "Granted, I'm kind of paraphrasing."
"Yes," Harry agreed with a chuckle.
Hermione folded her arms and sighed.
"And for the record, I still think I was right not to tell you," Harry said. "Because quite frankly, it wasn't a big deal."
"Second to Greengrass, though," Hermione murmured.
"By one tenth of a point," Lena reminded her. "Way too close to really care. Fixating on the minor details is not healthy."
Harry walked to the Great Hall but before he could arrive there he had been stopped in the hallway by Katie Bell.
"Hey, Harry," Katie said nervously.
"Katie," Harry said. "I heard about the game with Ravenclaw."
"Oh, yes, I'm sure you did," Katie said. "But, listen, I want to…well I was sorry about how I acted."
"I am too," Alicia said as she rushed up to the hallway to join Harry.
"Me too," Angelina said.
"Oh, we are too," the Weasley Twins said in unison.
"We got hung up on a stupid thing like points," George added. "And at the end of the day, that doesn't matter."
"Sure, people turned on you, but we should know better," Katie said.
"You should," Harry agreed.
"And we realize there's no Quidditch Team without its seeker," Katie agreed.
"Mmm, is that all you see value of me as?" Harry asked. "Did you come to this conclusion because you shit the bed against Ravenclaw?"
Harry coolness towards them chilled the air.
"Oh, no, no, no," Katie said. "Wood gave us an epic arse-chewing before that game. And we didn't know whether you were alive or dead. And Pomfrey wasn't letting anyone in when you were like that."
"We really couldn't focus on the game," Angelina said.
"I told Wood not to say anything," Harry said. "I was just going to quit the team."
"Well, that's your decision, if you do," Angelina said nervously. "But, we really would prefer you stay on the team?"
"Yeah, you are a part of this team," Fred said. "I think we can be the best team at Hogwarts."
'Where is Wood?" Harry asked them.
"Not sure, he hasn't spoken to us since the game," George said. "I think he's mad."
"Are you willing to still play next year?" Katie asked. "Please?"
Harry considered it for a second.
"Fine," Harry said. "I'll stay."
"Oh, thank you!" Angelina cried and she hugged Harry in excitement. "And we're all really sorry."
"We are," Alicia said.
"We'll never doubt you again," Katie said.
"I'll hold you to that," Harry said.
"Ron…he told us what happened," George muttered. "Not everything, but enough."
"Were you down there because you wanted to make up for what you did?" Fred asked. "Because there's nothing to make up for. You made a mistake. And you paid for it."
"And we got to move on," George said.
"I hope we can put this all behind us," Fred said.
"Only time will tell," Harry said.
"So, I'm going to expect to see you play next year?"
Wood appeared next and looked rather haggard, like he had not slept.
"Yes," Harry said. "I'll be there next year. Unless you can find someone better."
Wood snorted and the other members of the team shook their heads.
"Better get down to the feast, before Ron and Hermione sent a search party," George suggested.
"You did a really brave thing for this school, Harry," Katie said. "True Gryffindor spirit."
'Just don't do it again this close to a Quidditch match," Angelina teased him.
"Angelina!" Wood snapped. "Too soon."
"Sorry," Angelina said. "Have a good summer, Harry."
The Gryffindor Quidditch team murmured a few more apologies.
"They were some of the few who apologized to me," Harry said.
"As well we should have," George said. "We should have known better. Still can't believe we were that stupid."
"Live and learn," Fred suggested.
"Better late than never," Kara agreed with a sigh as Harry wrapped his arm around her.
"I wonder if they would have said anything, if Wood hadn't dressed them down," Astra said.
Fred and George honestly hoped they would. Harry's near death experience was the shock some of them needed to get over themselves. Although, some people in Gryffindor would not swallow their pride and actually apologize to Harry. They just acted like nothing happened.
Harry goes to the Great Hall and it is decked out in Slytherin colors for they won the House Cup. Dumbledore gives his spiel and announces the standings for the year with Gryffindor dead last and Slytherin winning. Slytherin celebrates loudly and obnoxiously.
Snape shook his head, and Malfoy gritted his teeth.
"If the hand of Murphy is about to smack you down, you did it to yourself," Kara said.
"All points should be final though," Malfoy said. "Dumbledore made the announcement. We won fair and square."
"Well, you won," Harry said. "Fair and square is pushing things though."
"We earned the house cup," Malfoy argued.
Dumbledore starts giving out last minute points.
"Although, Malfoy does have a bit of a point," Sara said. "Dumbledore should have given the points out before the feast."
"Thank you," Malfoy said.
"Dumbledore does as Dumbledore wishes," Snape said. "I knew what he was going to do but I had to keep my mouth shut. As if there wasn't enough resentment between Gryffindor and Slytherin."
"And how much was your doing?" John asked him.
Snape just scowled.
Ron gets fifty points for the best played game of chess and Percy gushes.
"So Mr. Uptight was happy about you breaking the rules?" Astra asked.
"Bit of a double standard, we've got here," Lena said.
"I guess it was," Ron said. "I never thought Percy would be proud of me for something like that. But, you heard what he said."
Hermione gets fifty points for cool logic in the face of fire.
"Well, I used cool logic after Ron reminded me that I was in fact a witch," Hermone said. "So, I guess about half of those points should have been his, at least."
"I'll take it," Ron said.
Harry is awarded sixty points for sheer nerve and courage.
"Bullshit, Harry should have gotten a lot more than sixty points," Sara piped up.
"Yes, he should have gotten at least a hundred," Kara agreed.
"You two are very biased," Malfoy said. "But, yes, if we have to give out a highly unethical amount of points, Potter should have gotten the most with the shit he had to deal with on Dumbledore's account."
Ron snorted.
"Sorry, Malfoy and ethics, that's not a combination I would have thought I would see," Ron said
"Reminds me of when Kitty Pryde found out Emma Frost was teaching an ethics class," Lita said with a grin.
Neville got ten points, because it takes as much courage to stand up to friends as enemies.
"Should have been at least twice that amount," Harry said.
"Should have been nothing, given that the house cup was already decided," Malfoy said.
"Ah, poor thing," Nora said. "Does that stupid cup really matter that much to you?"
"The look on your face though is priceless," Astra said to Malfoy when she eyed him on the screen.
"Yeah, they really could use it for a Mastercard commercial," Sara said.
"The house cup was already decided," Malfoy argued.
"I do agree, it was," Harry said. "And Dumbledore used it to re-enforce the fact we did the right thing. And encouraged us to do more year after year."
Harry's admittedly cynical take of what Dumbledore did put a damper on the good mood a few members of the viewing party had.
"So, the opposite of what they say the points system is for," Zari said.
"It's a blasted suck-up cup," Mick groaned.
"Eleven year olds have skewed priorities," Nora said.
"To be fair, most people up until their twenties have skewed priorities," Sara said.
"At least into their twenties," Zari said.
"Maybe later," Kara remarked.
Snape grudgingly congratulates McGonagall and Harry realizes Snape hates him.
"The feeling was extremely mutual," Harry said.
"Still is?" Sara asked.
"More now than ever before," Harry said.
"And it's earned," Astra said.
"In ways you can never imagine," Harry said.
"So, I guess you won't be naming any children after him?" Lita asked.
"Not in a million years," Harry said.
Ron leaned over to whisper in Lita's ear.
"Don't mention that to my sister," Ron said. "Whatever you do. Trust me. It's not pretty when you mention that around her."
"I'll remember that," Lita said.
It is a jubilant mood as Gryffindor, like it or hate it, won the House Cup. And everyone passed their exams, even Goyle.
"I was as shocked as you all," Malfoy told them.
"They aren't the smartest of the bunch," Nora said.
"So, Goyle is dumber?" Astra asked.
"Crabbe had his moments of something scarily resembling intelligence," Malfoy said. "About once every couple of years. Goyle on the other hand, is as dumb as mud. And it's a wonder he remembers to breathe."
"Yikes," Zari said.
"But, they're the perfect muscle to throw in front of a problem so you don't have to dirty your robes," Malfoy said. "That's Crabbe and Goyle for you."
Fred and George are disappointed they remembered to give out the notices not to perform magic over the summer.
"Even if they forgot, you wouldn't get off if you broke the law," McGonagall said in a tense voice.
"Did they ever forget?" Lena asked.
"Not as long as I can remember," McGonagall said.
Harry makes his way off the train and back into the Muggle World.
Astra's heaving sigh said it all.
"I feel you," Harry said. "I had the same response."
"Cold hard reality comes back to bite you hard," Sara said.
"Always did every summer," Harry said. "For six bloody years."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione meet Mrs. Weasley, and a very excitable Ginny, who points at Harry.
"She's only ten," Sara reminded the rest of the group.
"She grows out of it, eventually," Ron said. "Hell, Ginny would be mortified to see herself here, right now. If she was here."
Harry thanks Mrs. Weasley for the fudge and the sweater.
"She spent the entire way back gushing about how polite you were," Ron said.
"Really thought we could take some lessons from you," George said.
Harry smiled. A much simpler time then.
"They did come and pick you up," Astra said.
"Sadly, yes," Harry said while squeezing her hand.
Astra rocked back and braced herself. Despite all of the ups and downs, and all of the shit she saw her oldest friend go through, nothing raised her agitation more than Vernon and Petunia Dursley.
All three Dursleys showed up and acted in their usual charming manner.
"Great, really missed these guys," Sara said.
"Like a bad fungus?" Lita asked.
"That much was implied," Ava said.
Some more interactions, with Hermione's shock at anyone being so unpleasant.
"Dumbledore did good though by putting Harry with his oh so loving family, right?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, they're not the nicest," Hermione said. "And the troll I nearly got my head caved in by has better manners than Vernon Dursley. But, where else could Harry go? You know all magical access in and out of the country was restricted."
"Wood? Diggory? Lovegood?" Ron asked. "Lots of nice families who could take in a poor orphan until Harry's godmother could get into the country and properly take him in."
"Or someone like Malfoy or Nott or Zabini could snag him," Hermione said. "Dumbledore blocked that option."
"Well, Potter would be safe with Zabini, until he's old enough to marry her," Malfoy said shrewdly.
"Oh, that's true, she did murder a lot of husbands," Lita said.
"Is that a spoiler?" Astra asked.
"No, more like an allegation," Harry said. "Officially, they were all accidents."
"The one that got trampled at the Walmart might have been an accident," Malfoy said.
"If it was on Black Friday, yes, it was an accident," Harry agreed.
"I'm glad I don't work retail anymore," Sara said.
"You worked retail?" Astra asked.
"It's a long story," Sara said.
"Hey, that's my line," Harry protested.
Sara just smiled and kissed Harry with an impish grin on her face.
Harry finishes off by declaring the Dursleys do not know he cannot perform magic. And that he's going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer.
"Hey, it's spiteful Harry," Sara said. "Was wondering when you'd pop up."
"The rules changed since your mother was in school, then?" Kara asked.
"No, more like Petunia willingly forgot," Harry said.
"Well, at least you have leverage," Astra said.
"For as long as it lasts," Lena said.
"And I thought I was cynical," Astra said.
"That's the end of the first year," Sara said.
Everyone took a second to bask in the end of that story.
"I'm happy that Harry got on the Quidditch team, and that he made friends, although I'm still kind of iffy on both of you," Astra said. "Hermione more so."
Especially considering something happened to cause their friendship to splinter. While they seemed to get along well enough, Astra was still curious.
"The thing is, when you look at this as a fictional book, it's still mostly whimsical," Lita said. "But, when you look at it in the sense there's an actual person named Harry Potter where all of this stuff actually happened to, it's something else entirely."
"And it's just beginning," Sara said.
"Need to use the can," Mick grumbled. "Firewhiskey is doing a number on me."
"We should all break for a bit," Sara said. "In between books."
"Resume after breakfast tomorrow?" Zari suggested.
Everyone was agreeable to that.
"Right, give us a chance to get the guests ready for Book Two," Harry said. "Minerva, talk to you later. Be seeing you in a while."
"Invite me back whenever you need me," McGonagall said. "I daresay I have even more to answer for."
"And Snape?"
"Yes, Potter."
"Back down you go."
Harry sent Snape back down to Hell without any fanfare. Everyone got up to take a break, take a walk, get a snack, or whatever.
"One down," Astra said. "Six to go."
"You're in for the long haul?" Harry asked.
"I wanted to know everything," Astra said. "And maybe I'm wrong, but you're seeing everything differently than you used to as well."
Harry tightened his arm around Astra.
"You deserve the happy ending you got," Astra said.
"My story is still being written."
"And then, we'll write another amazing chapter," Astra said.
Astra leaned in and kissed Harry passionately. She was very lucky to have him here and so were the other women in his life.
She could not help to think this first book only scratched the surface of Harry's journey to the man he became. For now, Astra allowed Harry to lead her off by the hand.
"Well, I wondered how long that would take," Kara murmured to Lena.
Both women grinned approvingly.
To Be Continued.