Trying to live
By Willowcharm
Disclaimer: Me no own Harry. Boo Hoo!
Chapter 8: Quirrel
Harry's friendship with the twins swiftly blossomed. After meeting once more in the broom cupboard Fred and George showed Harry a Secret passageway they had discovered in their first year. Although it had recently caved in, there was room enough there for the three to meet there comfortably and it quickly became their 'headquarters'. Harry didn't need much persuasion to help Fred and George carry out their jokes and consequently the teachers were flummoxed as to who the culprits were as Harry would often execute the plans under cover of his cloak while Fred and George were in full view of a teacher or two.
Christmas was only a week or two away now, and Harry had hoped to be going home for the holiday. His hopes were dashed however when his father wrote to say that his work for Dumbledore would keep him abroad until after new year. After reading this Harry sneaked off to the hideaway to brood. He hadn't been there long when the twins entered.
'Why so sad , little Harrykins?' Harry smiled a little at Fred addressing him like a baby and told the boys his news.
'Well we're stuck here too.' said George. 'Our dear parents are visiting Big Brother Charlie in Romania and can't afford to take us too. And at least you don't have Perfect Prefect Percy ordering you about in your common room. '
'No, I just get the Slimy Slytherin Snakes all the time.'
'Come on, cheer up. How about we plan that super duper prank on Professor Snape to take place over the festive period.'
Fred's words set them all thinking. Ever since the paint incident they had been determined to play a really good joke on Snape, but so far they had been unable to think of anything even with the possibility of using Harry's cloak. After almost half an hour however the perfect plan still eluded them and they parted ways promising that they would all put their minds to it.
Three days before Christmas though, something happened which took all thoughts of jokes from Harry's mind. Fred and George had thought it amusing to bewitch a few snowballs to follow Professor Quirrel around, bouncing off the back of his turban. Harry happened to be beside him when he stumbled after one of the icy objects discarded a lump of ice down the back of his robe . Quirrel grabbed Harry for support but suddenly screamed in agony as his hand touched Harry's wrist.
Harry hardly had time to register what was going on. The teachers turban fell off and Harry was astounded to see an extra face on the back of his head. A face with extremely evil looking red eyes.
'Kill him!' And without hesitating Quirrel grabbed Harry around his neck and started to choke him. But even as he did so he screamed in agony and Harry guessed that for some reason it hurt Quirrel to touch him and brought his own hands up to try and prise away his professor's larger ones. As Harry fought he wondered how someone so evil could have got into Hogwarts as a teacher but he was slowly losing strength and had to give up thinking of anything but surviving. Eventually Quirrel fell back and collapsed and the last thing Harry saw before losing consciousness was a red smoke like haze emerging from the teachers head and disappearing.
When Harry awoke it was to find himself in what he realised must be the hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore was sitting in an extremely large and squishy armchair beside his bed.
'Ah , Harry ! How nice to see that you have rejoined us in the land of the living. I feel I have let you down by allowing a teacher in the school who was possessed by Lord Voldemort. He was of course planning on stealing the Philosopher's Stone which I had brought here for safe keeping. But you needn't worry about that. Its creator Nicholas Flamel Has decided to have it destroyed. He does not want to risk Voldemort gaining immortality from it.'
Harry listened apathetically to what he classed as the headmaster's ramblings. He felt weak and tired, and the only voice he wanted to hear at this time was his father's.
'Where's Dad?'
There was silence. After about fifteen seconds Harry raised his eyes to look at the headmaster and saw that his face looked extremely grave. He asked again , trying to keep his voice from betraying the panic he was starting to feel.
'Where's my dad?'
Dumbledore was still silent but that didn't matter because another voice answered Harry's question.
'Your father, Mr Potter, has gone missing while attempting to carry out his assignment for the headmaster. He has been declared dead by the ministry.'
'No!'
After his one scream of denial Harry jumped out of his bed and pushed past both the headmaster and Snape. Ignoring the protests of Madam Pomfrey the school nurse who tried in vain to stop him he burst through the door and ran blindly through corridors and up stairs, until finally he opened a door at random and found himself in the broom cupboard where he had first made friends with Fred and George. He slammed the door shut and collapsed sobbing to the floor.
Some time after exhaustion overtook him and he fell asleep on the hard floor the door opened softly. Two sober faced boys came into the tiny room and soon Harry was lying with his head on Fred Weasley's lap While George placed his cloak over the boy to keep him warm. They sat there for hours, the twins silent, appalled at the tragedy that had visited there younger friend. Their efforts to keep Harry undisturbed were only thwarted when the voice of the caretaker Filch came through into the room.
'He might be in here. Professor. My cat can certainly sense something.'
Harry stirred and as he started to sit up Fred put an arm around his shoulders.
'Out of my way!'
The three boys barely had time to recognise the voice before the door burst open and Professor Snape strode into the broom cupboard.