Well, I've nearly made it. Just a epilogue to year one and there we go. But I can't do the epilogue until I either get a copy of what Dumbledore says to Harry after the whole shenanigans, or move, unpack and find my copy of the sorcerer's stone.

Chapter 23

"Today we are going to work on transfiguring teacups into saucers." Professor McGonagall gave the class a stern look. "I want no monkeying around. Now pick up your teacup and we'll begin shortly."

Harry didn't notice when the area around him cleared of other students. He was focusing on the theory from last class. He watched closely as McGonagall preformed the example. He was sure this time he could do it. Especially because the words were fairly simple to say.

Harry concentrated hard on the image of a saucer. He slowly fixed the image with his magic and pushed it out of the wand. It took some more time, but he grinned when the teacup was finally wrapped in the web. He whispered the incantation then the grin fell off of his face. The magical web suddenly slipped and deformed before adhering to the cup. The cup started growing and burning bright red. Harry ducked just in time for the loud explosion to rock the classroom. Cries of pain soon followed.

Harry popped his head from under cover to see ceramic shards all over the ceiling. Apparently his teacup managed to hit all the other students and everyone was covered in cuts and bits of ceramic. Luckily they had all been sitting as far away from him as they could and the pieces had time to loose momentum before they struck. No one was critically injured.

"Ehhhh. . . . solly" he apologized as he grabbed his rat-tail.

"HARRY!" McGonagall shouted and seemed to compose herself. "Detention this Saturday"

"But I have one with Professor Flitwick Saturday."

"Fine Sunday."

"Yes Professor."

"Now go and get Madame Pomfrey and be quick about it."

"Yes professor." Harry turned and sped off to the infirmary. He'd long since memorized the path. This time he only got half way before he ran into Madame Pomfrey.

"How bad is it today?" The elderly matron asked with a sigh.

"The teacup blew up." Harry said sheepishly.

"I'm beginning to think I should just come to class with you." Harry looked down. "Never mind that," She said as she opened the door. The woman was an immediate whirlwind healing cuts left and right. It wasn't long before the class was put to rights again.

Harry sat back down and waited for his reprimand. Professor McGonagall walked up and held out her hand. Harry quietly handed over his wand.

"Harry," her voice was stern, "You said that you had this mastered and wouldn't happen again." She motioned to the shards that were still embedded in his work bench. "I am at a loss on how to teach you. Your speech problems will hinder your every spell."

Harry tuned out her speech while staring at the shards on the bench. He idly fixed a new image of a saucer in his mind and poked it into the shards while using his fingers to weave the net. He jumped when the shards melted and formed into a saucer. Professor McGonagall's monologue stopped at that moment. Harry looked up, their eyes met and the professor stuttered for a moment.

"How?" She looked at Harry's wand which was resting in her hand. Harry just shrugged he wasn't sure if he could do it again or how he managed to get it right in the first place.

She handed the wand back.

"Try it again. Turn it back into a cup."

The class collectively shrunk back upon hearing her command to Harry.

Unfortunately that one small success didn't translate to very much success in general. Harry did try it again. This time without the vocalized part. He formed the web, pushed it, Saw the newly made saucer reject it.

"Duck." He told professor McGonagall before following his own advice. There wasn't a loud explosion this time though. Instead, there was a collective sigh of relief. He popped his head back up and saw a pile of dust where the saucer had been. Harry blinked at it for a few moments before looking at Professor McGonagall.

"You're making progress." She looked disappointed but resigned at the same time. Harry grinned sheepishly at her.

The end of the school year was soon upon Harry and he was excited. He'd be going back to Ranma and Genma. He spent the last couple weeks happily going between doing homework, sitting in detention, dodging Neville, having language lessons with Hermione and sparing with Rlocky.

It was the last habit that brought Harry to his current situation. He stood at the door to the third corridor looking at an insensate Rlocky.

"Lrocky?" He gently nudged the three headed dog. It didn't move. Harry started to see red. Someone had hurt his friend. He noticed the trap door that Lrocky had always been guarding was slightly ajar. He growled softly before opening it and jumping in.

The trip down reminded Harry of some of the temples that Genma had Ranma and he raid. He stopped falling after a few seconds and floated down the rest of the way. No point in breaking something. He stopped just before some sort of blockage. It was too dim to see what it was exactly, but he could tell it was plantlike.

Saying a quiet thank you to the kami that he could successfully cast the light charm he held up his wand and soon bright light filled the area. He could see the Devil's snare shrink back from the light. He noticed a burnt patch on the way though and his blood started to boil. Whoever hurt Rlocky would pay.

He trudged though a sloping passageway and soon found himself in a room with a locked door, four brooms and a bunch of flying things. Harry went to the door and pulled his lock-picks out of his rat-tail. A few moments where he had to play with the magic webbing over the door and it clicked open.

This room held a giant chess set, that seemed to have had a game already played. Harry passed through without problem. As he passed through the next doorway he was hit with a putrid smell. It reminded him of the troll at Halloween. He looked around and noticed one unconscious on the floor.

This made him pause. Whoever hurt Rlocky was strong enough to knock out the Troll. He remembered the burnt Devil's Snare and the helpless form of his friend. His anger flared again and determination set in. He walked into the next room only to jump when purple flames sprouted up behind him. In front of him stood a table with seven bottles across it. To the right was a door with black flames sprouting from the bottom.

Harry walked over to the black flames. Their heat was intense, but not abnormally so. Harry quickly brushed a hand across the flames and smiled. Just like a normal fire. If you move fast enough, you won't get burnt. Harry prepared him self and sprung through the wall of flame.

He stopped to find himself in a fairly cavernous chamber. Its sole occupants were Professor Quirrell and that cursed mirror he'd found during the Christmas holidays. Professor Quirrell was looking into the mirror, waving his wand around and chanting softly.

"Professor Quirrell, for what you've done to Rlocky you will pay." Harry growled at the man before coming at him with a flying kick. The professor turned quickly and sent a stunner at Harry. He quickly dodged and connected. Quirrell flew into the mirror with a loud thunk.

"What are you doing boy?" an eery voice demanded and Harry felt a sharp pain in his head.

"You hurt Rlocky." Harry repeated as if it was obvious.

Quirrell quickly got up and started casting more spells which Harry nimbly dodged. Moving in for a good strike every once in a while.

"Who is Rocky?" Quirrell asked while tossing everything he could think of at the elusive boy.

"No Rlocky." Harry corrected him, "and he's my friend." Harry got another jab in to the ribs.

The eery voice spoke again, "Let me talk to the boy."

Quirrell gave the best grunt of assent he could and started to take off his turban while dodging the attacking boy. He wasn't very good at it. As soon as the turban was off he turned his back on Harry.

Harry took the advantage but was stopped by pain in his forehead again. There was a sickly green cloud around Quirrell's head and it seemed to explode when the turban came off. Harry could barely see a wraith like face on the back of the professor's head. Now he knew he was dealing with a ghost as well. Harry smiled and pulled a small charm out of his pocket, wrapped it around his fist, ignored what the wraith was saying and slammed his fist into the back of the professor's head with all his might.

It was at that point all hell broke loose. Harry wasn't sure exactly what happened except for when he connected he felt gut wrenching pain in his head and he heard screaming. He wasn't sure if it was his or the ghost-being's. There was a loud crashing noise, the sound of a falling body and then blackness as the pain became too much.

AN:

I got part of my idea for the beginning of this chapter from Lichan. Thanks Lichan :-)

Thanks Rachel Sedai, Silversacale, Merle Elendil, Sora the Taske, wolf-in-hell, Bobboky, YumiAngel and Lichan for reviewing. You guy's have reminded me at one point or other that I am actually writing a story hehe.

And a reminder note, If you want to have influence on my story and how it goes, I've got a Yahoo group that I post the rough bits to and take any input into consideration.