The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Man with Two Faces

A child laid crumpled at the side of the chess board and Edward tried to rush to their side but was stopped by the giant chess pieces. With a wave of her wand, Minerva deactivated the spell and rushed to the body herself, with Edward and Chen at her heels.

"Ronald Weasley." Minerva supplied, as she kneeled next to the boy. "He appears to have a concussion."

"I feel like I'm repeating myself here, a lot, but what the hell were you people thinking?!" Edward said as he looked over the child himself. He had an unfortunate amount of experience with head injuries, though he had no idea how long the child had been passed out he didn't think it could have been long.

"We were thinking fully trained dark wizards needed to be prevented from making passed these traps. No one imagined one of our students would attempt it." Minerva said stiffly, her concern for Ron making her short tempered with this man.

"Keep going, he is beginning to come around. I will assess his injuries and take him to help." Chen said calmly, interrupting what was likely to become an argument. She knew Edward was being this confrontational because he was worried, and she knew that Minerva was not going to take it well when one of her students was injured. She may know Edward better, but she was good at reading people in general. Plus, she could imagine her own reaction should one of her students were injured.

"It's a riddle." Hermione said as she read over the card again. "Very clever. Most wizards could get passed any number of spells, but riddles are not something they study often."

"Luckily, riddles are my father's favorite lesson." Yuery replied as he read over her shoulder, before both children pointed to the middle bottle at the same time.

"Take the one at the end that will take you back and check on Ron. There is only enough left for one of us." Yuery said with a frown.

"I can't just let you face this alone." Hermione chewed on her lip clearly uncertain what would be the best thing to do.

"Go on Hermione. Head injuries are a serious affair. I should know my Mom and Granny lecture Dad about it all the time." Yuery offered her a smile brighter than he thought he could manage, as he drank the last of the potion. "Besides, you can't follow me now anyway."

Hermione frowned before she picked up the bottle and drank it herself, heading back the way they came. Yuery watched her go before turning to the final door. He stepped into the flames, going against everything his Yeye ever told him, and was not burned. He knew the potion was to thank for it even as he promised himself, he would never tell his family about this step. Especially Yeye.

On the other side he found Quirrell standing in front of the Mirror of Erised muttering to himself. The man seemed to notice his arrival but ignored him for a moment longer, as he attempted to force the Mirror to release the stone. "There must be a trick to it. I can see myself with the stone, handing it over to my master, but not how I gained it."

"It doesn't show you truth, just desire." Yuery said as he moved closer slightly, trying to decide what spell to use to get the man away from the mirror and bound. It was entirely possible that breaking the mirror would release the stone after all.

"Surprised to see me, are you? I did set a rather convincing trail against Severus Snape. I'm surprised you haven't asked any questions." Quirrell taunted.

"I knew you were the problem all year, you reek of dark magic." Yuery shrugged, as he raised his wand. "I haven't confronted you because I am a diplomat first. Always wait for the right moment."

"Use the boy." A voice hissed from under the turban the man was wearing.

"Master?"

"The boy. Use the boy to retrieve the stone."

"No, I wouldn't help you." Yuery said with a frown at the voice, as Quirrell shot out a spell at him, Yuery barely dodging the ropes at they came at him. He countered with a stunning spell that Quirrell deflected.

"I am the one who trained you in defense magic, you cannot defeat me." Quirrell smirked, as he sent a stun spell in Yuery's direction.

Yuery didn't bother to respond as he dived toward a pillar and shot a disarming spell at the older wizard. He missed, which didn't surprise him from this angle, but it was enough to distract Quirrell as Yuery moved again to a thicker pillar.

Yuery then shot off another stun spell, which hit Quirrell's and exploded together, causing loose brick around them to fall. Yuery covered his head, and Quirrell used his momentary distraction to bind the boy. Yuery struggled with the spell even as Quirrell then levitated him toward the mirror. Yuery was placed in front of it, where he tried to look away in an effort not to interact with the magic.

Even as he felt the binding begin to fade his head was forced in the direction of the mirror with a claw like grip digging into his scalp. In the mirror, he saw his own reflection holding the stone, then drop it into his pocket before motioning for Yuery to be quiet with a finger to his lips. Yuery felt a sudden weight in his pocket but did not react, knowing that Quirrell was watching him carefully.

"Well, what do you see?" Quirrell demanded.

"I see myself winning the House Cup. Dumbledore is congratulating me personally." Yuery said.

"Oh, get out of my way." Quirrell said impatiently as he pushed the now freed child aside.

Yuery stood slowly, as he crept closer to the door. With the stone in hand, it was now time to retreat and wait for the adults to arrive. He was nearly to the door again when the voice said. "He lies. Let me speak to him."

"Master? No, you aren't strong enough." Quirrell whined even as he looked into the mirror once more.

"I have strength enough for this." The voice replied, and Quirrell began unwrapping his head. Slowly, it felt like ages and seconds at the same time, a face appeared on the back of the man's head. Yuery gasped at the horror of what he was seeing, even as he continued to back away. "Harry Potter."

"No. I swear if one more wizard calls me that I'm walking away from all you idiots." Yuery said in exasperation before he realized WHO he had said it to and paled slightly before stiffening his shoulders and retrieving his wand from the floor where it had dropped when he had been bound. "So, you're Voldemort then?"

"Give me the stone, Boy." Voldemort said. "Together, once I restore my body, we will return your parents and force the wizarding world to acknowledge our greatness."

"I don't think so." Yuery said as he backed away a bit more, now nearly at the door. "Nothing can return the dead. Not even the Stone. Could it make a Shade of the person you wanted? Possibly. But returning the dead to life is impossible."

"Magic has many secrets not yet revealed to you child." Voldemort replied also moving closer.

"I know enough. I know you killed countless people and you destroyed and distorted your soul in your quest for power. I know you intend to kill Quirrell as soon as you have no use for him. I know you intend to kill me as well." Yuery had about five steps until he reached the door now. "Why would I make that easier? Even if I had the Stone, I wouldn't give it to a monster like you."

Voldemort lunged toward him, but never made it as a loud clap sounded behind him and stone wrapped around Voldemort-Quirrell as his father said, "Stay the hell away from my son."

Voldemort struggled for a moment before breaking free of the cage Dad had wrapped him in even as Dad stood in front of Yuery. Professor McGonagall at his side. "It is over Voldemort; you will not win this day." McGonagall said as she raised her wand and Dad clapped again.

Princess Chen appeared in the doorway, now clear of fire and gestured for Yuery to come to her. Yuery didn't think he could reach the doorway without Voldemort noticing, and who was to say the creature wouldn't just follow him? He may be inside Quirrell now, but he had been a disembodied spirit before that, Yuery had sensed him lurking the first day and he was pretty sure Dad had as well.

He shook his head at the princess as he gathered closer to his father and reached into his chalk pocket. Dad grabbed his hand and shook his head slightly before returning to the fight. He guessed Dad didn't feel this was the time to show their hand then. He trusted his Dad to have a plan. It was Dad. Dad always had a plan.

McGonagall shot a spell Yuery didn't recognize at the possessed professor as Dad once again trapped him in stone, and Princess Chen disappeared from the doorway. Dumbledore and Snape entered at the same moment Voldemort managed to grab Yuery from behind his Dad. Dad reached for him, at the same time Quirrell screamed, his hand burning as he released the boy.

Yuery watched in shock as Voldemort's spirit abandoned his host even as the man crumpled to the ground and Dumbledore cast a spell chasing the spirit from the room. "What?" Yuery asked, as his father demanded an explanation and Quirrell's screams died out.

"Let's get them up to the medical wing." Dumbledore said instead of answering, as he swept from the room expecting to be followed.

Dad grabbed Yuery's arm to examine it, but he was uninjured. Yuery frowned at his arm, having expected to see a burn mark with the way it had felt when the man had come into contact with him. The pain had faded as soon as the man had let go, but it appeared to be enough to injure or possibly kill Quirrell.

"Blood magic. Come, the boy is in shock." Snape said as he ushered Dad and Yuery from the room. "This is not the place, and he doesn't need to see this."

McGonagall stayed behind as the others left, presumably to either treat or finish off Quirrell. Yuery wasn't sure which she would be doing, and he wasn't sure he cared now. "Ron? He was injured did you find him?" Yuery asked as they left the room.

"He has already been sent up to the Medical wing. He will be fine." Snape said, as he leads the way.

Dumbledore was slightly further away waiting on the far side of the room for them to catch up. Yuery didn't miss the glare either his father or Snape were giving the older man. Both clearly blamed him for what had just happened, though Yuery wasn't sure it was his fault. He had been called away after all.

"Dad, I have the stone." Yuery whispered as they slowly made their way through the room with the keys, trusting the ruffling sound would be enough to mask his words.

"I know. Keep it in your pocket for now, I'll take it when we get upstairs." Dad replied softly. "Don't touch it again unless you have to. Is it wrapped in something?"

"I don't know. It appeared in my pocket placed by the Mirror of Erised." Yuery whispered.

"That son of a bitch set this up entirely." Dad muttered with a glare at the headmaster who seemed unaware of Dad's anger.

They arrived in the trapdoor room easily, a staircase taking the place of the Devil's Snare and Fluffy nowhere to be seen which was concerning to Yuery, but Snape seemed to notice his concern immediately. "Fluffy was retrieved by Hagrid as soon as it was apparent, he was no longer needed. I never liked the idea of a Cerberus inside the castle with children to begin with, so I ensured he collected it immediately."

"How did you all get here so fast?" Yuery asked.

"It wasn't fast, or I would have been here yesterday when I arrived in country. However, apparently the train wasn't running until late." Dad said with a glare at the Headmaster, making Yuery think that Dad assumed the Headmaster had stopped the trains. Which, thinking about it was entirely possible.