Chapter 94: The Sorcerer's Stone

As Phoenix stepped through the black flames, two figures turned to look at her. It was Harry and "Professor Quirrell." She stated. She must have interrupted something, seeing Quirrell's annoyed expression. Swallowing, she started walking towards them. "I thought it might have been you."

"Of course," the Professor answered snarling his lips in distaste.

Harry didn't understand. He looked at Phoenix, then back at the Professor. "But Snape tried to kill me!"

Phoenix scoffed, rolling her eyes at him, "wrong Professor Harry. I saw Quirrell muttering before I went to help you."

"She's right Potter. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match."

"She broke your contact."

Quirrell nodded, then continued, "another few seconds, and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a counter curse."

"He was trying to save you."

"Snape was trying to save me?"

"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really…. He needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning and Hufflepuff thought him refereeing you Phoenix, he would go easy on you, he did make himself unpopular…. and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."

Phoenix pushed Harry behind her before Quirrell snapped his fingers. She grabbed hold of Harry's wrist, orbing them quickly out of the way. When the two reappeared, ropes were curled like a snake where they first were. "You okay, Harry?" she asked, moving beside him. He was a little pale and sat on his knees. There was no time for him to be sick. She was about to ask him again when she heard clapping and laughter coming behind Quirrell.

"Love that trick." A man with a brown leather lab apron and brass goggles said, appearing from behind the mirror.

"About time you showed up, demon." Quirrell muttered.

The demon looked at Quirrell in annoyance before looking at Harry and Phoenix. "He doesn't look too well," he tilted his head and smiled, "oh how sweet. Protecting the innocent." He said when Phoenix placed herself in front of Harry. "You witches are so predictable." He looked over at Quirrell, cocking his head and leaning against the mirror, arms crossed in boredom, "have you figured this out yet?"

Phoenix looked at Harry. Color was coming back to his face. "Is that…." She whispered. He nodded. It was the Mirror of Erised Goggles was asking about.

"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. Goggles watched the Professor in boredom. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this…. but he's in London…."

"Good, we'll be far away by the time he gets back…." Goggles looked at the mirror. "hopefully." He commented, winking at both Harry and Phoenix.

"Who exactly are you?" Phoenix asked "Goggles." She added.

Goggles smiled. "Someone you never heard of…. but have run across my work. My experiments are getting stronger thanks to you and your family."

In that moment, three demons shimmered in surrounding her and Harry. She quickly stood up, pulling Harry with her, her feet planted and hands in a ready to freeze or blow position. Harry looked around them. "Phoenix, what are those?" He asked, noticing her stance, wand in her back pocket. "What is going on?"

Quirrell glanced around, hearing Harry's question, then placed his attention back toward the mirror, ignoring the situation.

"She hasn't told you?"

Phoenix swallowed, then looked at Harry, confusion on his face. Watching the two, Goggles pulled himself off the mirror. "Oh, this is too good." He smiled before nodding at the three demons.

When the three advanced, Phoenix flicked her wrists, aiming at the demon in front of her, but instead of blowing an arm off, the demon flinched back like nothing happened. She flicked her wrists again, but the demon slowed, breaking through her freezing. She grabbed Harry in panic and orbed out. When they orbed back in, they were behind a pillar. "Okay, now I have no clue what to do." Saying to herself before looking at Harry, who was again pale and on his knees.

"Phoenix…" he let out between swallows, "are you going to tell me what is going on?"

"Um…" she looked behind the pillar, the demons gone, before looking back at Harry and seeing two demons shimmering behind them. She grabbed Harry and started orbing again, but a demon grabbed her mid orb. She screamed, orbing back in, her wrists burning under the demon's grip.

Goggles laughed, "forgot to tell you, they obtained some new skills since you last saw them… it was the forest, right?"

Phoenix fought to get free. She stepped the demons' foot ramming her elbow in its face. She raised her hands and flicked them again, trying to blow her demon up.

"I would stop if I were you little charmed one." Goggles suggested, nodding towards the second demon.

Phoenix panted, lowering her hands when she saw the second demon holding a fire ball towards Harry. The demon she fought grabbed her, releasing a burning sensation on her wrists again.

"Now, let's play nice, shall we? Every time you act up, that burn you feel will come back, maybe hotter, depending on you." Goggles explained once Phoenix and Harry were back in front of him and Quirrell. He glanced at the Professor, "anything yet?"

Quirrell sighed, stepping back, "I see the Stone… I'm presenting it to my master… but where is it?"

Harry struggled against the demon, but it didn't give. Harry and Phoenix have to keep Quirrell and Goggles attention away from the mirror. "But Snape always seemed to hate me so much."

"Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead."

Phoenix watched Goggles inspect the mirror. She wondered what it was he saw. The mirror was supposed to show desires, right? What would he, a demon, desire?

"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. "I met him when I was…."

"Yes, yes, please don't bore me and these poor humans." Quirrell cursed under his breath. Goggles shook his head, not caring, and continued with the mirror. "I don't understand…. Is the Stone inside the mirror? Should we break it? I don't really want to though, it's a marvelous thing. I would love to study it more and use it for…." He looked at Phoenix. "other means." Then moved his attention back to the mirror.

Phoenix swallowed. She didn't want to know what Goggles meant. She looked at Harry, "we need to make sure they don't get the Stone."

He nodded, then looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Phoenix kept her eyes on Harry, then on the floor. "Tell you what?"

"Help me, master!"

Phoenix, Harry, and Goggles jumped at Quirrell's unexpected shouting. The three looked around when a voice answered.

"Use the boy… use the boy…."

Quirrell rounded on Harry, "yes- Potter, come here."

Goggles shrugged and nodded, leaning back against the mirror again. Phoenix watched Harry being shoved ahead of her and in front of the mirror.

"What do you see?" Quirrell asked. Goggles cocked his head in interest.

Harry glanced back at Phoenix. The two nodded, knowing what he needed to do, before Quirrell moved in their line of vision. Goggles glanced at her, then winked. Phoenix scowled back as he laughed and watched Quirrell and Harry. She followed suit, but all she saw was their reflection, until a subtle movement in Harry's pocket caught her attention. She smiled. He did it! She didn't know how, but he did it. Now they needed to keep it out of both Quirrell and Goggles' hands, and she had an idea.

"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently, "what do you see?"

"Patient, human, we don't know how long this takes."

Phoenix watched Harry gather his courage. "I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he answered nervously. "I-I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."

Goggles snorted, pushing himself off the mirror. "How boring."

"Get out of the way," Quirrell said.

Harry moved aside, making his way towards Phoenix.

"He lies… He lies…" a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.

"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"

"Tsk, tsk, such a temper."

The high voice spoke again.

"Let me speak to him… face-to-face…."

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough… for this…."

Harry and Phoenix watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. Goggles picked at his nails, losing interest in the charade. The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot. Goggles looked up at sudden interest.

Phoenix didn't know what to think. She wasn't sure what she was seeing. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.

"Harry Potter…" it whispered.

Phoenix saw Harry freeze on the spot, "Sorcerer's Stone." She whispered. The Stone orbed out of Harry's pocket and into hers.

"See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor… I have form only when I can share another's body…"

"Creepy." Goggles muttered.

"But there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds…. Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks… you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest… and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own… Now… why don't you give me the Stone in your pocket?"

Phoenix smirked, so they didn't notice. That was good. She shook against the demon, letting out another whimper.

"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me… or you'll meet the same end as your parents…. They died begging me for mercy…"

"LIER!" Harry shouted suddenly.

"Harry, don't listen to him!"

Quirrell was walking backward at Harry, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.

"How touching…" it hissed. "I always value bravery…." It looked at Phoenix, then back at Harry, "Yes, boy, your parents were brave…. I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight… be your mother needn't have died… she was trying to protect you…. Now give me the Stone unless you want her to have died in vain."

"Never!"

Harry sprang toward the flame door. Phoenix took her opportunity, head butting the demon holding her, and orbed out orbing back in next to Harry.

"This should be interesting." Goggles stated, getting his own fire ball ready. He looked at his demons and nodded. "At my command." The two demons ignited their energy balls.

"SEIZE HIM!" and the next second, Phoenix watched Quirrell's hand close on Harry's wrist. At once, Goggles advanced towards her as the demons stayed back.

Phoenix orbed out, then back in behind Goggles, freezing him. She heard Harry yell, but before she could help, she noticed Goggles fighting out of her freeze. Turning invisible, Phoenix ran towards Harry just as Goggles unfroze. She noticed Quirrell hunched in pain, his fingers blistering before his eyes.

"Where are you, little charmed one?" Goggles yelled at the same time Voldemort shrieked, "Seize him! SEIZE HIM!"

Phoenix flicked her wrists, hitting Goggles in the back. He turned and lunged the fire ball in her general direction. "Now, this isn't fair little charmed one."

She turned visible, flinging her wrists again. Goggles fought through her, freezing slowly, dodging her next attack. Phoenix orbed out and back in behind Goggles, throwing another blast.

Goggles giggled, "that tickles. Got anything else, little charmed one?"

Phoenix turned invisible, hearing Quirrell howling in agony. "Master, I cannot hold him-my hands-my hands!"

She looked in Harry's direction and saw Quirrell let go of Harry's neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms. She could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.

"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" Phoenix heard Voldemort screech.

She watched Quirrell roll off Harry, his face blistering, too, and it clicked, Quirrell couldn't touch Harry's bare skin without being in pain.

A searing pain shot through her. Screaming, Phoenix looked at her arm. A fireball hit her. It felt different, stronger than what the demon in the forest had. Phoenix looked behind her. Goggles was shooting fire balls at random, hoping he would hit her. She could dodge most, but one grazed her leg. She let out another scream. Unable to concentrate, she turned visible.

"There you are." He grinned at her and threw another "Now, I was told to bring you back alive…. but they said nothing about the condition." Goggles grabbed her, his hand glowing red.

"Aunt Prue!" Phoenix screamed through her pain. She kicked at Goggles' face, getting him off. She raised her hand and flicked her wrist, but it did little. As Goggles leaned toward her, Phoenix heard Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"

Her eyes were getting heavy with the pain. She didn't know what to do. But then the pain stopped and when she looked up, Goggles was gone, replaced with blue and white orbs, and darkness overcame her.

Hey everyone! Hope you all are having a wonderful new year's. First chapter of the year. We are almost finished with year one! Hope you all enjoy this. Was having blank on how I wanted to do this chapter knowing it was the big climax! Here are a few questions. Any suggestions on Goggles name (if he returns?) also, knowing we have one or two chapters left, I am having a hard time deciding. Would you want book 2 to continue with book one on here, or have its own link? I have seen both ways.