"I'm not surprised," Rebekah said as she saw Quirrell.
"Oh?"Quirrel didn't twitch, quiver or stutter as he spoke. "I wondered if you would be able to get through. It would be quite difficult for any first year."
Rebekah simply looked at him blankly as her mind processed everything. She suddenly felt a wave of overwhelming anger take over her.
"You tried to kill me!" It was more of a statement than a question, Rebekah had already connected the dots. "Argh! The bruises you caused were so painful."
"And?" He said. "It was sad that Snape tried to save you. Did you know he did try? But you also knew the counter-curse, overpowering my curse on your broom."
She nodded. "Is that why you tried to kill my Familiar? Because you couldn't kill me?"
"I have to admit I was sad that it didn't happen," Quirrel said coldly, snapping his fingers and making thick ropes wrap around Rebekah. "You're much too nosey, Potter. Now stay quiet, I need to examine the mirror."
The mirror in question was the Mirror of Erised, Rebekah could easily see that as she fidgeted to get the rope off of herself. It didn't budge but she still watched Qurriell walk around the mirror, muttering to himself this and that.
How was the mirror the key to finding the stone? He kept mumbling on about it. It was such bad luck for Rebekah, Dumbledore was in London and she didn't know where Snape was. Anyway, she didn't have the means to contact either one.
"Were you the one to set the Troll free?" She asked. "I wondered how it got in."
"I've got a gift with Trolls," He said. "I wanted it to distract everyone while I tried to get here. It worked but Snape stopped me, he just had to stop me."
She wanted to say it was because he looked like one, but she didn't need to be childish. "Really, why?"
"He thought he could prevent me from giving my master the stone. He didn't know I had Lord Voldemort on my side."
"Voldemort?" She said, fully knowing who he was. "Why is that so familiar?"
"He is the greatest Wizard of our age and the next," Quirrell turned around suddenly and advanced on her.
"Was Snape threatening you a few days ago? I remember you were crying," She said, completely remembering the pain she felt.
"Yes," An indistinguishable voice said something near Quirrell but she knew it wasn't his voice. "Good idea, great idea! Potter, come and tell me what you see."
He clapped and the ropes around her dropped, she quickly made her way over to it and looked into it.
She kept thinking. Rebekah wanted to find the Stone, right there and then. She wanted to know how to find it, and more importantly, where it was then and there. Her image in the mirror giggled silently and pulled her hand out from her pouch, flashing the ruby red Stone before stuffing her hand back in.
Her pouch seemed heavier somehow.
"I see my family," She lied, tears welling up. "I see all of my family, alive and well.
She watched as Quirrell undid his turban, her scar pulsed sharply as it unravelled. There sat a clear face on the back of his face, looking nothing like him. Something told her she knew this person, from many, many years ago.
"Look at me," The snake-nosed face said. "I have to share another's body to have a form. Unicorn blood has strengthened me. You saw the faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest, didn't you? I'll have the Elixir of Life soon, then I will have my own body once again. Now, give me the Stone."
"No!" Rebekah scrunched her face up in disgust, taking a good step back.
"Don't be an idiot, girl," The face laughed. "Save your life and join me. You needn't meet the same fate as your parents."
"If-If I join you, you swear to not kill me?" Rebekah said, fully knowing he would go against his words.
"Of course," The face smiled. "Give me the Stone and this will be just a bad dream."
"Okay, okay," She said and opened her pouch. She was about to reach for the Stone, then decided to snap a bit of the golden crown. The largest ruby looked identical to the Stone, but it didn't have the strange symbol carved in. Rebekah held it such a way, it didn't look any different than the actual Stone. "Here."
Both faces cackled loudly, it echoed in the chamber as Quirrell tried to grasp her hand. His body flew back a foot or two, screaming as his skin sizzled from where he touched her.
Her scar flashed and she clutched it, dropping the ruby. Quirrell went to grasp for it, suddenly Rebekah saw his actual face instead of Voldemort's. A thought came to her, would he be hurt if she touched him again? The sadistic though overwhelmed the pain she felt as she lunged forward and buried her blunt nails into Voldemort's face.
Screams echoed in the chamber but Rebekah refused to let go even with the pain. It was almost unbearable but she pushed through, she needed to. She couldn't allow Voldemort to get the Stone. He killed her parents, he deserved to stay dead. Forever!
Her arms vibrated with each micromovement, hurting her more and more until someone pried her hands away from the two-faced man. She wanted to snarl at the person, barely realising it was Snape. She dropped the man easily and stepped away, almost dropping onto her hands.
Snape transfigured the floor to be comfortable and bouncy as she dropped onto her knees, breathing heavily. She didn't know how long it took her but she calmed her racing heart and took the Calming Draught Snape offered. After that was downed, she carefully stood up and finally realised she wasn't alone.
McGonagall was the second person she saw, standing by Quirrell's lifeless body. He no longer had Voldemort's face on the back of his head, looking like it had been forcefully ripped from his body. McGonagall checked him over and deemed him dead.
Something licked her cheek. Rebekah shook herself out of her shock and smiled, scrunching Emperor's fluffy face in her hands. She snuggled into him, not caring for the people around her or the events that had just occurred. He purred as he tried to become bigger, developing her in his fur as he grew to the size of a lion. She sighed happily but she knew she would to actually process what had happened and tell the adults.
"Miss Potter," Snape said, cautiously approaching Rebekah cuddled in Emperor's limbs. "The Headmaster would like to talk to you."
"Hmm?" She said, lifting her head to see Dumbledore standing a few feet away. "Sure. I'll answer whatever I can. But, is he, you know, gone?"
"Voldemort?" Dumbledore said, his eyes glancing to Snape who flinched. "He is not gone, he simply left his vessel. Let us get you to the Infirmary, we need to know if you are alright."
"I'm fine, sir, I think at least," She stood up easily and fidgeted to keep her eyes off of the corpse.
Dumbledore escorted her to his office, only after letting Madam Pomfrey give her a good, medical look over. Rebekah sat in the chair, Emperor draped himself over her shoulders and swatted at a loose piece of her hair. She swatted his paws away but gave up quickly, it was quite entertaining to watch him act like a kitten.
"He's not gone, is he?" Rebekah suddenly asked and sighed. "He's gone for now but he'll come back. Just like last time."
"Yes. most likely, he left Quirrell to find another host or vessel to inhibit until he gets his own body," Dumbledore said, clasping his hands on the old wood desk. "He has the same mercy for his followers as he gives his enemies. You have delayed his return to power, Miss Potter. It will only take another to bring him back, one who truly wishes him back into power and gives themselves up to the cause. But if he is delayed again, and again, and again, in an endless cycle, he may never come truly back."
Did he expect Rebekah to do it again, and again, and again? He couldn't, could he?
"I want the truth, sir, about my family, myself, him," She said firmly, suddenly feeling much older than she actually was. Rebekah needed to know.
"The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing. It should be treated with great caution. I shall answer your question until a time I cannot for good reason,"
"And what reason would it be?" Rebekah almost snapped. "It has to do with me and my family, shouldn't I know the whole truth? As you know, I am the last Potter and there will always be a need to avenge my parents. It doesn't matter if I am young, I am the Head of my House until my death, or if my parents were resurrected. That reminds me," She took her hand and pulled the Stone from her pouch. "I don't want this."
"I am glad you are thinking of this so logically, Miss Potter. Many of your peers would be traumatised by what occurred. It is good that you gave me the Stone," He said, pleased. "You needn't have this temptation."
She shook her head. "There isn't any temptation, sir. My parents are dead and I have accepted that way before I knew of this Stone's uses. As you said, I needn't dwell on the past but rather on the future. But I ask this, why is Voldemort trying to kill me?"
"Good, good," Dumbledore had a far off look but quickly regained focus. "He tried to kill you, I can't say why. It isn't the time."
"When will it be the time?"
"When you are older."
"Fine, alright. Why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"
He began to explain the Magical concept of love. A parent's love for their child was one of the strongest love there was, stronger than the hatred Voldemort had. After a question, he explained how Snape was in her parents' year in school. Snape didn't want to be in her father's debt, he wasn't anymore but still. He explained some other things and she took in everything eagerly.
Rebekah left the office in a daydream state but regained focus when she remembered. The whole school would know what happened by morning.
The Quidditch match ended with Slytherin winning by a long shot. Rebekah fueled her anger, frustration and annoyance into the game and made several goals throughout the short match.
For the next few days, Rebekah didn't eat dinner in the Great Hall. The overwhelming amount of personal questions was a little too much, Rebekah liked the attention but not to that extent. She told Snape when he knocked at her dorm's door.
"You have to be at the Great Hall, Miss Potter," He said, finally escorting her there, after she fed Emperor his bowl. "This is the end-of-year feast, you have to attend. No student is allowed to not be present, it is to give the feel of unification between the students as the year ends."
"Fine," Rebekah said, flicking the top of her strangely pointed hat. "But why do we have to wear the hats?"
"Tradition," He said, fiddling with his own pointed hat. "Even the staff have to wear them. Now get to your seat and this can be over quickly."
She sighed but did as told. She sat at her normal seat, the closest to the second-year students, and said her hellos before the feast began. She grumbled but eventually turned quiet. It would be over soon, she hoped.
"Another year has gone!" Dumbledore said with a good amount of glee. "As I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding. In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."
A roaring storm came from the Slytherins. They all cheered each other and stamped out their happiness and pride at winning another year's House Cup. Rebekah matched Draco's movement of banging the end of their goblets on the table
"Well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."
The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little but Rebekah's self-satisfied smile kept their hopes up.
"I have a few last-minute points to dish out. To Miss Rebekah Potter, for the greatest game of chess in the last few decades, for cool logic in the face of fire, and for pure nerve and courage, I award Slytherin House a cool one hundred points for creating such a well-rounded student."
The bare hangers turned green with Slytherin House's pride. Every Slytherin either gave themselves a round of applause or in the case of Rebekah's friends, tried to tackle Rebekah for a hug. She giggled at her friends' antics but quickly quieted as Snape shook Dumbledore's hand with the broadest smile any of them had seen.
Their exam results were given to them soon enough, and Rebekah was pleased with her marks. Though she knew she could do better, she did well enough. Draco did better but he applied himself more than Rebekah did and she accepted that. The girls did as well as Rebekah, and Blaise was the same. Draco had all the know-it-all jokes aimed at him but he brushed them off, commenting on Rebekah being the youngest Chaser in a century.
Rebekah packed her trunk by Magic, she wanted the practise and this would be the last time she would be able to use it. She sent a fire charm to the notes the professors gave out. She complained to her friends, they could use Magic if they wanted, their parents would take the blame of using Magic but Rebekah had no one who had Magic live with her.
She asked Hagrid what would happen to Haos, Zastiti and Harmoni, or Fluffy as Hagrid called the three-headed dog. Hagrid released him into the Forbidden Forest and said that if she wanted to see him, all she had to do was ask Hagrid and he'd take her to the hound.
The Malfoys greeted the group of first, now second-year Slytherins. Pansy, Daphne and Blaise said their hellos and goodbyes and went their separate ways to their families. The Malfoys escorted Rebekah to the wall, making many of the people in line move away. They had a strong influence on people, Rebekah concluded as she walked calmly into the wall.
Uncle Vernon smiled and chuffed lightly, watching Aunt Petunia greet Rebekah with a calm hug and quickly checking over her. Rebekah could tell that they were scared to let her go to Hogwarts, she assured them that everything was fine. She told tales of what she learnt, what she did, who she met, comparing them to Muggle things to make it easier to understand. She couldn't tell them of Voldemort, not yet. Rebekah hadn't even processed it herself.
It would take a while to get home and Rebekah had some time to kill. So Rebekah skimmed a finger on burgundy volume, opening the clasped and began to read the contents. She curled up with Emperor in the back seat, watching the slightly distressed look on her Aunt and Uncle's faces. She gave them a pleasant smile and they calmed.
This year had been exciting and she couldn't wait for next year to begin.