Chapter 9: Revelations

January 6, 1992

The Christmas holidays were over and the twins were once again in front of the mirror they found Christmas Day. They couldn't seem to take their eyes off the image in the mirror as they stared longingly at their parents. They didn't hear the door behind them open or the footsteps that approached them, "Harry, Buffy, I see the two of you are back here again."

Harry and Buffy jumped up, "Professor?" they said in unison.

Dumbledore motioned as three chairs appeared and they all sat down. "So, the two of you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

Buffy looked at her brother as she had tried to think of where she had heard the name before, then it clicked she had read of the mirror in one of the books in the Library. "Is that what that is? I remember reading about the mirror when I was trying to find information on Glorificus."

Dumbledore simply nodded, "Then you know what it does then."

"Yes Professor," Buffy looked to Harry and knew he was lost. "It shows us what we want, what's deep within our heart. For you and me it shows us our parents as if they were still living and standing beside us because we both desperately want to know them."

"Yes, that is correct, Buffy," Dumbledore said. "It will show you what lies deep within your heart. Now that you have found the mirror, I will need to move it. People have wasted their entire lives in front of the mirror. It would do you two no good to waste away your lives in front of it, I ask though that you do not go looking for it. Now run along back to your dormitories and get some sleep."

"Sir — Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?" Harry asked.

"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."

Harry laughed and nodded, "What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks." Dumbledore stated plainly.

Harry stared.

"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books. Buffy, a moment if you please?"

Buffy nodded as Harry slipped out the door. "Yes, Professor."

"While you have loving parents and a sister," Dumbledore said. "You still see your birth parents. Your heart's wish is not the same as Harry's. He never had a loving family till he met you, Joyce and Dawn. He had never felt love till then. For you it is a desperate desire to know who you are. Are you the loving daughter or the loving niece? Am I correct?"

"Yes, Professor," Buffy said.

January 20, 1992

Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor Tower.

Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the countercurse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling.

"What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Harry and Ron.

"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."

"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"

Neville shook his head. "I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Dawn.

"He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier," added Ron.

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.

Harry felt in the pocket of his robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Hermione had given him for Christmas. He gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."

Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog. "Thanks, Harry… I think I'll go to bed… D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"

As Neville walked away, Harry looked at the Famous Wizard card.

"Dumbledore again," he said, "He was the first one I ever—"

He gasped. He stared at the back of the card. Then he looked up at Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Ron and Hermione.

"I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here—listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"

Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.

"Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Buffy, Willow, Dawn, Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.

"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"Light?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.

At last she found what she was looking for.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.

"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Meanwhile in the Leaky Cauldron

Quirrell stepped into the pub and noticed how quiet and empty the room was. He then noticed the woman he had been looking for. She was hard to miss actually, since she was sitting on a large couch surrounded by some sort of pockmarked demon he didn't recognize.

Quirrell made his way over to her as one of the demons stepped in her way "What do you want with the Magnificent Glorificus?" asked the demon.

Quirrell smiled, "I heard she was looking for the Key. I happen to know where it is."

Glory looked at the man and then motioned for the demon to stand aside, "Let him approach, Jink. So, you know where my Key is then?"

Quirrell nodded and looked at the beautiful woman before him, "Yes, she is being kept at the school in which I teach."

Glory blinked, "She? My Key was pressed in to a human? Jink, why are we just finding this out now?"

Jink gulped, "I am sorry your most, Magnificent Glorificus."

Glory glared at the demon and then motioned him aside, "So Mr.…." Quirrell said his name. "Quirrell, how do we get my Key then?"

"The problem is more how do we get you in. The castle is protected by powerful wards. No one can get in or out unless their invited. Pretty much teachers, students, parents are invited. You would not be as they know about you. Seems one of the students has cognitive abilities. She knows you're coming, and has told others."

Jinx spoke up, "If I may suggest your magnificent Glorificus that Ben could help us with getting in. If they believed him to be someone that escaped after being held prisoner. They might just grant him sanctuary."

Glory smiled and nodded, "That sounds like a magnificent idea. You will arrange it."

Quirrell frowned, "And how would this Ben help you get in?"

Glory laughed, "Come we have much to discuss in preparation."

April 24, 1992

It was the end of the Easter holidays when they finally found information on Glorificus.

Buffy gulped at what she read, "She's a hell god. How are we going to defeat a hell god?"

Harry placed a comforting hand on his sister's arm, "We will find a way." He took the book and read on, "Wait what's this! It says she was cast out of her home dimension by two other hell gods she reigned with. She was imprisoned in a newborn, and that should the person die, so would she."

"So basically, I have to kill her host," said Faith. "The question is who her host is?"

At that moment Hagrid walked in and waved at Buffy and Harry. "Uhm could you guys come to my cottage tonight, I have something I want to show you. You can bring the rest of the group if you want."

Harry and Buffy nodded, "Of course, Hagrid."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Outside a man stumbled up to Faith, who was making a sweep of the grounds. "You have to help me. I just got away from Glorificus. She's coming."

Faith looked at the man, "And you are?"

The man gulped, "Ben. I had to warn the school that she is coming. She's after the Key."

Faith helped the man to the Hospital Wing and then went in search of Wesley and Dumbledore.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

That evening Harry, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Ron and Hermione hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.

"It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.

The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.

They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath. All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table.

It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.

"Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!" said Hagrid.

Buffy looked at the assembled group as a lightbulb flashed in her brain, "Hagrid, who gave you a dragon egg?"

"I never saw his face, but he did seem interested in what pets I had taken care of. I mentioned Fluffy. He said he wanted to make sure I could keep the dragon safe, and I told him I knew how. You see the way to any beasts' heart is to know how to tame them. Take Fluffy for example, the way to tame her is to play a sweet little lullaby and she's out like a light." Hagrid said as color suddenly drained from his face—he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

"What's the matter?" Dawn asked.

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains—it's a kid—he's runnin' back up ter the school."

Harry bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him.

Malfoy had seen the dragon.

The assembled group looked at each other and frowned as they raced towards the school.

The group ran straight into McGonagall in the entrance hall, next to her stood Malfoy. "See Professor just as I told you, out after curfew."

McGonagall nodded, "Yes I see. What were you five doing out this late?"

Buffy stepped forward, "Hagrid, invited us out for tea, we just lost track of time."

McGonagall obviously didn't believe it, "He knows the rules, and he wouldn't have kept you this late. Detention for all six of you, yes you also, Mr. Malfoy. Despite your intentions, you also were out after curfew—and twenty-five points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"Twenty-five?" Dawn gasped.

"Twenty-five points each," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily.

Buffy, Dawn, Harry, Ron, Willow and Hermione looked at each other. A hundred and fifty points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the House Cup.

April 25, 1992

At eleven o'clock the next night, they went down to the entrance hall. Filch was there—and so was Malfoy.

"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me… It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out… hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed… Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

They marched off across the dark grounds. Ahead, they could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut.

Then they heard a distant shout. "Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again—it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece," said Filch.

Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder. "Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Dawn, Willow, Buffy, Ron, Harry, Hermione?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.

Malfoy now turned to Hagrid. "I'm not going in that forest," he said with panic in his voice.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd—"

"—tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"

Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously, but then dropped his gaze.

"Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He led them into the forest. "Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy.

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So, me, Willow, Hermione, Ron, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Harry, Buffy, Dawn, an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now—that's it—an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh—so, be careful—let's go."

So, Harry, Buffy, Dawn set off into the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick.

They could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.

"Look—" Harry murmured.

Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.

It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead.

Buffy had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made her freeze where she stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered… Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.

"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted—so did Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Buffy, Dawn and Harry—unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward them.

Then a pain like Buffy and Harry had never felt before pierced their heads; it was as though their scars were on fire.

"Buffy, Harry," said Dawn in fear as she heard hooves behind her, galloping, and something jumped clean over them, charging at the figure.

The pain in Buffy and Harry's heads was so bad they fell to their knees. It took a minute or two to pass. When they looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over them and Dawn.

"Harry, Buffy," said Dawn as she pulled them both to their feet. "Are you all right?"

Buffy looked at the centaur, "Was that a vampire?"

"No," the centaur answered. He looked carefully at the twins and Dawn, his eyes lingering on Buffy and Harry's scars. "You are the Potters. You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time—especially for the two of you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way."

"Can you take all three of us?" asked Dawn.

"I can, barely," he said. "My name is Firenze." He lowered himself on to his front legs so that Buffy, Dawn and Harry could clamber onto his back.

There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Two centaurs came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.

"Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have humans on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

"Do you realize who they are?" said Firenze. "They are the Potters. The quicker they leave this forest, the better."

"What have you been telling them?" growled Bane. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"

Ronan pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said in his gloomy voice.

Bane kicked his back legs in anger. "For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."

And Firenze whisked around; with Buffy, Dawn and Harry clutching on as best they could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them.

They made their way through the trees in silence. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.

"Isabella Potter, Harry Potter, Dawn Summers do you three know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"No," said Harry. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."

"That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."

"But who'd be that desperate?" Dawn wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"

"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else—something that will bring you back to full strength and power—something that will mean you can never die. Do you three know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"

"Me," said Dawn. "I have something called the Key."

"Besides yourself."

"The Sorcerer's Stone!" Harry said. "Of course—the Elixir of Life!"

"Can you think of anybody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"

"Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol—"

"Harry! Dawn! Buffy! Are you three all right?"

Hermione, Ron and Willow were running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind them.

"We're fine," said Buffy. "The unicorns dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."

"This is where I leave you three," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now."

Buffy, Dawn and Harry slid off his back.

"Good luck, Isabella and Harry Potter, and Dawn Summers," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest.