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Chapter 18 First Halloween

Quirinus Quirrell sat on the chair in his office, patiently waiting for his Master to speak. He didn't need words to know that his Lord was angry because he could feel the rage seeping into his mind from the partially possessed spirit attached to the back of his head.

"Quirinus?"

"Yes, Master?"

"Something must be done about the Longbottom boy. He's too powerful for a normal first year. Dumbledore must have taken him as an Apprentice."

"His power is nothing in comparison to yours, my Lord."

"Of course, it's not, you fool. He's just a child. But children grow up, Quirinus. It wouldn't be prudent to let the boy grow into his power."

"Shall I kill him then, Master?"

There was a long pause as Quirrell eagerly waited to hear his orders.

"No, the stone is more important. For now, that is our priority."

"I understand, my Lord. I have used my resources to procure a dragon egg for the half-giant. Within a month, we should have the knowledge to get past the mutt guarding the door."

"Very good, Quirinus, you have pleased me. I have decided that we will steal the stone during the feast on Samhain. The night of my demise shall now mark the night of my rebirth."

"By your will, my Lord, but what will we do about Dumbledore? He will be at the feast with the other Professors, and I'm sure the old coot must have several monitoring Charms placed around the stone."

"You are correct, Quirinus. We will obviously need a diversion for the adults to handle."

"Might I offer a suggestion, Master?"

"Speak."

"I may be able to get us a troll if you can control it until it's safely inside the Castle."

"The troll will not be a problem, but I will have to completely possess your body to do so."

"I am your willing servant, Lord Voldemort. Anything you require is yours for the taking."

"Very well, Quirinus. Have your people procure a troll for us before Samhain."

"As you command, my Lord, so shall it be."

Today was Halloween, and it was time for the feast.

As he stared at the mountain of food spread across the Gryffindor table, Harry found himself finally able to relax. The day had been a strenuous one for him, and he was thankful that everything was different this time around.

Much like his old world, the day began the same way in this one. In Charms class, Su tried to help Ron with the levitation spell, and once again, the useless git insulted her for her efforts. Luckily the confident and happy Su of this world laughed off his insults and walked away without giving him another thought.

Despite her actions, by the time he was confident the brunette Ravenclaw was no longer in danger of wasting her time crying in the girl's bathroom, half the day had gone by, and Harry was tired from having to monitor her in secret. He'd used his Thunder Travel ability to look in on her in between classes, and the constant strain had taken a toll on his young body.

As soon as he concluded that Su would be okay, Harry could finally turn his attention to his godbrother. He was expecting the boy to react to the day the same way he had in his old world, and he was surprised to find that it wasn't true.

While there was no doubt that Neville missed and mourned the loss of his parents, he didn't act as morose as Harry did on the same day. Growing up with his Gran taught his godbrother how to be proud of the sacrifice his parents made to save the

Wizarding World didn't spend his time sulking throughout the day. It was definitely an incredible experience for Harry to see, and a part of him wished there had been someone around who would have done the same thing for him.

Harry looked up to see his girls laughing and enjoying the feast at the Ravenclaw table with their peers. Beside him, Neville was doing the same with Seamus, Ron, and the twins, and that's when Harry realized he was the only one in the Great Hall that wasn't partaking in the feast. He was still acting like he did in his old world, and for the first time in his life, it occurred to him that he didn't need to be afraid of this day anymore.

At that moment, he finally accepted that this day no longer needed to be a painful one for him.

He had parents who loved him and siblings who adored him in his new world. The pain and suffering that once marked this day for him no longer applied to his new life. For the first time since he learned of his parent's death, Harry finally allowed himself to enjoy the celebration of Voldemort's defeat with everyone else.

With a smile on his face and not a care in the world, Harry heartily attacked the meal in front of him. He could see that all the students were present in the hall, and if Quirrelmort released a troll this time around, he would just sit back and let the teachers take care of it. Once he stopped worrying about being the suffering hero from his past, Harry joined in on the fun and banter that surrounded him.

Thomas Marvolo Riddle, or Lord Voldemort as he now liked to be called, walked down the Hogwarts hallway in disgust. After taking over possession of Quirrell's body, he learned his servant's core was more pathetic than he could have imagined. The lack of power was forcing him to draw upon his own magical reserves to control the troll behind him, and it annoyed him to feel the drain this was causing.

It was his intention to release the troll near the Gryffindor common room, and while he used the distraction to steal the stone, he hoped the mindless beast would leave its mark on the foolhardy Lions. Even after all these years, the Slytherin in him detested the House of red and gold, and it would please him to know his actions robbed the lives of McGonagall's precious cubs.

Midway through the hallway, Voldemort stopped when he heard the sound of a snake hissing nearby. He cautiously approached the noise and smiled when he saw the three-headed snake in the portrait in front of him.

The Runespoor was part of a spell he created while in his sixth year at Hogwarts. As a known muggle-born in the Snakepit, he had to constantly be on guard to protect himself from the assaults engineered by his Pureblood Housemates. In need of information to help him avoid the traps they set for him, Voldemort created a spell that added the snake to a portrait he hid on the seventh floor.

The spell not only allowed the snake to travel through all the portraits in the Castle, he made sure it couldn't be seen or heard by anyone but him. The Runespoor, or Custos as he liked to call him, lived up to his name. Latin for a spy, Custos overheard conversations across the Castle and relayed that information to him every night. Never again did Lord Voldemort suffer

through the assaults of those beneath him. The knowledge he learned from Custos allowed him to blackmail or

threaten enough people that he was finally able to lay claim to his rightful place as the Prince of Slytherin.

Since his return to Hogwarts, he once again reconnected with his faithful servant and used him to spy on the Boy-Who-Lived

and gather information from throughout the Castle.

"Massster, it isss you. I have done asss you asssked and sssearched the Cassstle."

"What newsss do you bring for me tonight?"

"Except for three girlsss, the Cassstle is clear, my Lord. The rest are in the large hall with food."

"Who are thessse girlsss Cussstosss? Are they from the Houssse of Ssslytherin?"

"No Massster. They are from the Houssse of feathersss. They are the onesss that are alwaysss with the boy you ask me to follow."

Voldemort felt himself smile at the news. The mudblood and the two blood traitors were even a better target than the pathetic.

Gryffindors he originally planned to attack. The Longbottom boy spent the majority of his time around those three, and nothing would please him more than to cause the brat that defeated him to feel the pain of their loss. If fortune decided to favor him this night, perhaps the Boy-Who-Lived would meet up with them and perish along with his friends.

"Where are they right now, Cussstosss?"

"They are in the girlsss bathroom on the firssst floor, Massster."

"Perfect, my pet. You have done well tonight. Go back to your work and find me if you learn of sssomething important."

"Yesss, Massster."

Now that he no longer had to lead the mountain troll to the Gryffindor Tower on the seventh floor, Voldemort didn't see the

need to continue to waste his magical reserves by possessing Quirrell and controlling the troll.

Voldemort pointed his wand at the troll's head and used parselmouth to hiss one of his favorite spells. "Imperio."

It took a moment for the beast's eyes to glaze over, but when they did, Voldemort gave the troll his orders in its native guttural language. "You will go down to the first-floor bathroom and kill the girls that you find there. Even if it requires your death, you will not stop until the job is done. Do you understand what you have to do?"

When he saw the troll nod his head in answer, Voldemort smiled. Usually, even if it was done in Parselmouth, an Imperio couldn't force a human victim to do something that would kill themselves. Luckily the same couldn't be said for a troll. While a normal Imperio wouldn't work on them, when done in Parselmouth, Voldemort found they would do anything they were commanded to do. Even if it meant dying in the process. He was incredibly pleased when he made this discovery years ago and found it quite helpful for him during the war.

"Good," he replied in the same guttural speech. "Should you live through that mission, I command you to kill and destroy everything in your path for as long as you live. Now go and hurry to the first floor."

As soon as he saw the troll leave the hallway, Voldemort slowly released control of the body back to his servant. He knew he would need to conserve his magical reserves for the traps the old man must have placed around the stone and gladly allowed Quirrell to take back the body and act the fool while informing the Great Hall of the beast's presence. Once the adults were busy running around trying to find the troll, he could finally take the stone and make his return to the world of the living.

Harry was laughing and having fun with his fellow Gryffindors, finally acting like the kid he was supposed to be. He was so engrossed in the conversation he was having about Quidditch that he didn't even care that most of it were with Ronald Weasley. For too long, he'd spent moping around on this day, and now that he was actually celebrating it, he could see why students looked forward to this feast every year. At that moment, the door to Great Hall was flung open, and Quirrell came running in.

"TROLL, THERE'S A TROLL IN THE DUNGEON," he screamed at the gathered students and teachers. "J-j-just thought you should know."

When the DADA teacher fainted in front of the student body, the entire hall fell silent for a fraction of a second. Then the screams suddenly shot up from every table, and the Great Hall erupted into pandemonium. Several students began running towards the exit, and many of them would have made it through if Dumbledore hadn't taken command of the situation.

"SILENCE," Albus roared to bring an end to the chaos. "Everyone will calm down right now. Prefects, take a headcount of the students at your tables and then make your way to your common rooms. Teachers, please come with me to the dungeons."

While the rest of the hall was busy following the headmaster's instructions, Harry was frantically searching for the girls. His frustrations began to build with each passing moment that he couldn't find them, but the chaos in the hall made it difficult to determine where the three Ravenclaws were hiding.

Finally realizing he had another way to look for them, Harry pulled out the Marauders Map from the moleskin bag on his hip and activated it. His eyes quickly scanned through the list of names in the hall, but he still couldn't find any of the girls. It wasn't until he moved the search to other parts of the Castle did he find the trio in the girls' bathroom on the first floor. Unfortunately, from what he could see on the map, the troll was already on the same floor with them.

When his fellow Gryffindors followed Percy and the other Prefects out of the Great Hall, Harry quickly moved to join them. Once he was outside, he broke apart from the group and rushed towards an area where he could see a shadow. Before

he could use his ability to go to the girls; he suddenly felt someone grab him from behind.

"Harry, mate, where are you going?" Neville asked him.

Harry saw the concerned look on his god brother's face and knew he wouldn't let him go without reason. He decided to tell him the truth, not wanting to take the time to come up with a lie.

"It's the girls, Nev," Harry answered in a rush. "They weren't in the Great Hall when Quirrell came running in. I checked the map and found them in the girls' bathroom on the first floor. The trolls already headed towards them, Nev."

"Then I'm coming with you, Harry."

Not wanting to waste time arguing, Harry reluctantly answered, "Fine. But keep your questions to yourself for now. I'll explain things to you later tonight."

Before his godbrother could even think to countermand his order, Harry touched his arm and activated his Thunder Travel ability. The pair instantly disappeared in the current of the thunder that enveloped them, and Neville was stunned when they suddenly reappeared right outside of the girl's bathroom.

Harry didn't bother with any formalities like knocking and immediately rushed through the door. Thankfully when he entered, he saw that Daphne and Alex were talking excitedly behind Su while the brunette Ravenclaw was busy washing her hands at the sink.

"Why the hell did you guys leave the Great Hall?" Harry asked, barely managing to contain his fury at the situation. "You know what, never mind. Don't answer that. Let's just get out here as fast as we can."

The trio of girls just stared at him like he had two heads and was speaking in an animal language. Suddenly Su snapped out of her shock and screamed, "HARRY JAMES POTTER, THIS IS THE GIRL'S LAVATORY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?"

Before answering the question, the troll made its presence known to the group. The door to the bathroom was hit by a powerful strike from the troll's club, and it blew off its hinges and slammed into the sink nearest the door. The impact destroyed the porcelain basin, and suddenly water erupted all around the bent pipe.

At this point, Harry gently pushed the girls further behind him and made his stand with his godbrother at his side. As he watched the humungous mountain troll make its way towards them, he could almost see the beast frothing at the mouth.

Harry wasn't sure how he knew it, but he was optimistic this troll would be far worse than the one from his old world. Harry raced through various options in his mind, and he chose the one that would hopefully mean his friends wouldn't have to get involved in the fight. Turning to his godbrother, he said, "I've got an idea, Nev."

When he saw the hesitant nod come from the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry shifted into Altor and rushed towards the approaching beast. He ducked between the troll's legs and, in a blinding fast maneuver, struck the beast's hamstring with his claws.

Harry was momentarily startled by the cries of pain that erupted from the troll's mouth, and he barely managed to jump away from the club that swung down towards him in retaliation. The floor cracked under the massive club's assault, and while the beast was slightly bent from the strike, Harry flung himself onto its body.

Altor's powerful jaws sunk into the beast's neck, but before Harry could think to rip the troll's throat out, he felt the beast move with a speed he didn't know it was capable of. Suddenly a massive hand grabbed him by the top of his mane, and he found himself flying through the air as the troll hurled him back towards his stunned friends.

Harry felt his body groan from his impact with the bathroom floor, and when he forced himself to his feet, he realized he wouldn't be able to beat the troll in his Animagus form. Once he decided to move on to plan B, Harry shifted back into his average body and moved to stand next to his slightly in awe godbrother. "Hey, Nev?"

"Yeah, Harry?"

"Do you remember the training we've been doing with chain spells?"

"Yeah, I do, Harry. Why?"

"We're going to attack him in a staggered approach, Nev. First me, then you. We'll keep alternating and hitting him with spells until we push him back to the far wall. Then I'll bring the ceiling down on the bastard."

"Sounds like a good plan, mate. Let's do it."

"Nev?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't hold back. If it comes down to us or it, I'd rather we were the ones that came out of this alive."

Once he was confident Neville was ready for the upcoming fight, Harry initiated the attack with his first chain spell.

"Sectumsempra, Lacero, Expulso, Defodio."

Neville saw his godbrother finish his chain and immediately struck with one of his own. "Reducto, Bombarda, Slashio, Confringo."

Harry knew that trolls, especially the mountain variety, had a high resistance to magic. But even they would be hard-pressed to continue attacking with a steady stream of blasting and cutting spells being sent their way. When he saw that their spells were

slowly pushing the massive creature back, Harry poured even more of his power into each spell. "Confringo, Diffindo, Defodio, Bombarda."

Neville immediately continued the assault with another chain of his own. "Stupify, Diffindo, Incendio, Confundo."

The powerful spells managed to push the beast back to the far wall of the bathroom. At this point, Harry released the chain he wanted to use. It was nowhere near as powerful as the spell chains he and Nev had already been throwing at the troll, but it was the perfect chain for the plan he had in mind.

"Impedimenta, Obscuro, Locomotor Mortis, Aguamenti, Glacius Maximus."

The chain he'd been saving did precisely what he wanted him to. The Impedimenta stopped the troll's forward momentum as it tried to push itself off the wall and come towards them. The Obscuro made the beast momentarily blind, while the Locomotor Mortis locked his legs up and caused the troll to fall to its knees. It was at this point that the final two spells came into play.

The Aguamenti spell shot water out of his wand, but since Harry had overpowered it, it was more than enough to drench the troll thoroughly. The Glacius Maximus was a high-level freezing spell that used the effects from the previous spell to partially freeze the monster trying to attack them.

Despite the success of their attack, Harry knew the troll was far from being beaten. Even now, it was fighting against the ice that had formed around its body, and once it broke free, he had no doubt that it would rush them immediately. While he was more than able to continue launching spells at the troll, Harry knew Neville was quickly reaching the limits of his eleven-year-old body.

When he saw the ice begin to crack around the monster's skin, Harry prayed to Merlin he was doing the right thing. He quickly pointed his wand at the ceiling directly over the troll and launched an over-powered Bombarda at it. The blast from the spell was much stronger than Harry imagined, and nearly a quarter of the ceiling came crashing down on the beast, finally knocking him out of the fight.

The two boys panted softly as they both admired their handiwork. At this moment, the teachers came barging into the destroyed bathroom. As soon as Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, McGonagall, and Dumbledore came in, they all looked at the destroyed bathroom and unconscious troll in shock and awe.

"Mr. Potter, what in Merlin's name is going on here?" McGonagall asked her cub.

"My apologies, Professor, but when Professor Quirrell told everyone in the Great Hall that there was a troll loose in the school, Daphne, Alex, and Su were not present. One of their fellow Ravenclaws told me they went to the restroom, so Neville and I rushed here to warn them."

Daphne and Alex looked at each other in surprise when they heard Harry's response. They knew for a fact that no one knew they were supposed to be here because it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Their actual destination had been the library so Daphne could pick up the book she'd left there before the feast started. As they both turned their attention back towards the Professor, they first silently agreed to have a long pleasant conversation with their betrothed. They both suspected he must have found them by the Marauders Map, but it didn't hurt to verify their theory. Besides, after the night's revelations, he had a lot of things to explain to them.

As he watched the two exhausted first years, Albus didn't know whether he should be elated that his weapon survived this disaster or furious that he had the skill to do so. With each passing day, it was becoming harder to find a way to gain control of the Boy-Who-Lived, and this event would only boost the brat's confidence.

"How were the two of you able to accomplish this, Mr. Potter?" Albus asked in his kind grandfather's voice.

Harry had to force himself not to glare at the manipulative head bastard, and in a calm, even voice, he replied with only half of the truth, "We used a staggered approach and kept a steady stream of spells on the troll. Once we managed to push it to the far wall, I used an Aguamenti combined with a Glacius Maximus spell to temporarily freeze the troll. That's when I hit the ceiling with a Bombarda and buried him under the rubble."

Snape stared at his most hated enemy's son and found himself curious at how powerful the boy really was. Not only were the spells he fired supposed to be too advanced for someone his age, but the strategy the boys used also should not have been known to any Hogwarts student, regardless of the year they were in.

"How exactly did you know about the staggered approach with spellfire, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked curiously.

"My father and godfather are two of the finest Aurors in the DMLE, Professor. Short of "Mad-eye" Moody himself, I don't know anyone better in a fight amongst the remaining Aurors at the Ministry. Growing up, I've heard countless stories of the training they received or when they caught a Dark Wizard during work. That strategy was something I heard them mention once, and I thought it fitted for what we needed to do today."

It was at this point that McGonagall had enough. She could see that her cubs were obviously exhausted, and she wasn't about to let the other teachers spend more time interrogating them for no reason. The pair were not responsible for the attack, and she was incredibly proud of the courage and bravery they showed to rescue their friends. It may have defied the orders the headmaster had given in the Great Hall, but she was willing to overlook it in light of the reasons behind said actions.

"Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter," she said in a proud and commanding voice. "By the courage and bravery you have shown here tonight, I award you 50 points apiece for saving the lives of your friends."

When she saw the pair begin to blush furiously at her praise, she was happy their reaction hadn't been one of arrogance. Most students and adults would be bragging about their victory, but her cubs seemed to want to avoid the limelight as much as possible.

"I believe you have all had enough excitement for one night," she said knowingly. "Unless any of you require the services of Madam Pomfrey, I suggest you all head back to your common rooms now."

"Would it be okay for Neville and me to escort the girls to their common room, Professor?" Harry asked hesitantly.

When he saw the stern teacher nod her head in approval, he suddenly felt Daphne and Alex each grab one of his hands with their own and pull him out of the destroyed bathroom. As soon as the couple was far enough away from the teachers, he looked over and saw the furious looks on the faces of both of his fiancé.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Mr. Potter," Daphne whispered into his ear.

Before he could even think to respond, he heard Alex's voice whisper from his other side, "And if you know what's good for you, Mr. Potter, you will answer all of the questions that we have for you."

Harry tried not to worry about the upcoming conversation as he felt himself being dragged towards the Ravenclaw Tower.

After all, he was Harry James Potter. Death's Champion. The Defeater of Voldemort. The Destroyer of Death Eaters. And the Slayer of Basilisks. He would survive whatever the girls had in mind. At least that's what he kept telling himself over and over again.