A/N: This chapter has been beta read. Thank you, Lord Otello.

Chapter 22 - The Philosopher's Stone

Harry opened his eyes. His senses were flooded with diverse feelings, all of them at once. He needed some time to process them. The ground's stone was cold, his body ached at many points, his scar burned unbearably, and someone was screaming. Someone… He knew that voice… Ginny. Harry, suddenly, stoop up, dizzy and aching, but he didn't care. Where was his wand?

The screaming stopped.

'Looking for this, Harry?' A squeaky voice asked.

Harry looked up in the direction of the voice and he couldn't believe his eyes. It was Peter Pettigrew and he was holding his wand. He looked extremely different from the pictures of Harry's parents, but the boy still could recognize the freaking rat. At his feet, a delicate figure was crying quietly, wrapped up in a small ball… Ginny.

Pettigrew pointed his wand at the girl, and, before Harry could do anything, he said, 'Crucio!'

Ginny screamed. The yell was terrible to listen. Harry felt like an iron hand was crushing his heart. Watching Ginny suffering was hurting him so much.

'GINNY!' Harry yelled and his desperate feeling, which he had felt before, was now multiplied by a thousand. 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER? LEAVE HER ALONE!'

He couldn't stand being there any more without doing anything, so he tried to run to help her. However, Pettigrew aimed his wand at Harry. 'You won't touch her. Don't dare to come nearer.'

Harry stopped for a moment. He looked at Ginny, who kept crying. Her whole body was trembling as she was freezing. What did Pettigrew do to her? As if he was reading Harry's thoughts, Pettigrew spoke.

'That is a curse that was very popular at your parents' time. It's called Cruciatus, the Curse of Torture. It causes the victim to suffer an unbearable and terrible pain. Some people even prefer to die instead of feeling it. Others went crazy because of it.'

Harry remembered Neville's parents. He tried to get near them again.

'I've warned you, Harry!' Pettigrew informed. 'Don't try to come nearer.'

The vision of Ginny suffering and crying undefended in the cold ground let him furious. Angrier than he thought he could ever feel. He hated Pettigrew. A feeling that Harry couldn't describe, rose by his spin, brushing his hair. The feeling was spreading over his chest to his fingertips, all over his body. Suddenly, Harry realized he didn't need his wand to detain Pettigrew.

'Try to stop me!' He defied.

Harry wasn't sure of what exactly he did. He let that magical feeling accumulate in his right hand, imagining it like a big ball of energy, and sent it to Pettigrew with all the strength he had. It hit Pettigrew right in the chest, throwing him to the wall of stone behind him. The man fell on the ground like a pile of rags. Harry ran towards the girl he liked so much. She was shaking a lot and her face had tear stains.

'Ginny, what did he do to you?' He asked with a cracking voice. 'Ginny?'

She didn't reply.

'Ginny, talk to me, please.'

Tears were now falling freely. Her look was lost. Harry tried to hold her face so she could see him.

'Please, Ginny.' He tried speaking louder. 'Talk to me!'

That seemed to bring her back.

'Harry…' Her voice was feeble and distressed. 'Don't do… Don't do what he's saying… Don't do what he wants… He'll come back…'

Harry didn't understand well what Ginny meant, she was weak and injured.

'Calm down, Ginny… Everything will be okay.' He tried to tranquilize her. 'Pettigrew can't hurt you. I'll take care of you.'

'It's not Pettigrew…' Her glance diverted to a point behind Harry. 'It's him…'

Harry turned around; Professor Quirrel was calmly standing still behind him, pointing the wand at Harry's chest. He wasn't wearing the turban.

'Hello, Harry.'

There was an orange light and Harry felt magical ropes wrapping around his torso, holding his arms. The ropes burned at the touch, the pain was awful. He fell onto the ground at Ginny's side and his captor turned to face him.

'Don't think your unexpected abilities will save you this time.' The man warned. 'Those ropes are not normal. They're a little trick my master taught me. They restrict and weaken your magical core. Some minutes with them and you won't be able to use magic for a very long time. After some hours, you will never be able to use magic ever again.'

Harry shook, trying to get rid of the ropes, but it was useless. No, he could not lose his magic. He had to protect Ginny.

'Why are you doing this?' Harry asked.

'I have to obey my Master.' The professor answered as it was a foolish question.

'Show me to him.' A ghostly voice spoke. Harry didn't know where it came from.

'Are you sure, Master?' Quirrel asked.

'Yes.'

Quirrel turned his back at Harry, behind his head was another face with ophidian features.

'Hello, Harry. We meet once more.'

It was that voice. 'Voldemort.'

'Yes. You know, Harry, you are a lot more than what I expected.' Voldemort said. 'You're smart, bold and genuinely powerful. For a moment, you surprised me with that little trick with Wormtail, very interesting.

'I'm sorry,' Harry said. 'but you're less than what I expected.'

Voldemort laughed that laugh Harry hated so much.

'As I said, very bold. However, I suggest you not to trespass on your luck. Your life is not the only one at stake here.'

Harry glanced at Ginny. Her eyes were closed, she was very weak. Voldemort's glance followed Harry's.

'A pity watching her like that, isn't it?' Voldemort provoked. 'So powerful, a seventh daughter, the first woman in seven generations, I have known. And she is pureblood. She would be a great addition to my future circle.' He looked at Harry. 'She is a fighter, did you know? I have never seen a child resisting to the Imperious Curse before, so I had no choice, but to let Wormtail torture her. It was the only way to persuade you to do what I want.'

Harry stared at Voldemort with hate. The bastard was torturing Ginny because of him.

'Why didn't you just catch me? Why are you doing that to her?'

Voldemort seemed content for finally reaching that part.

'You can blame our lovely Professor Dumbledore for that part. You see, I need the Philosopher's Stone… Yes, you already know what it is. I can see it in your mind.'

Harry's eyes wide-opened.

'Don't be afraid, Harry, your mind is like an open book to me. An interesting mind it is, for an eleven years old boy. I can see many things, I can see how much you hate me for hurting your little friend, I can see you want to destroy me. But it doesn't have to be like this, you know? We could be partners…'

'Never.'

'It doesn't mind… As I was saying, you will get the stone for me, or else, young Ginevra will die.'

'Why don't you catch it yourself?'

'Because Dumbledore, with his geniality, protected the stone with something impossible to deceive. Do you see that mirror?'

Voldemort pointed to the farthest point inside the huge chamber. In the shadows, there was a big golden mirror with clawed feet.

'It is called the Mirror of Erised, the stone is hidden there. Only someone who doesn't intend to use the stone, specifically someone with pure intents, can reach it. I can persuade a person not to use the stone, but I cannot persuade anybody to have pure intents… Fortunately, Harry, you have a lot of those.'

'It won't work.' Harry defied.

'Yes, it will work. Luck is one my side.'

'What do you mean?' Now Harry was trying to distract him. He needed a plan.

'I could have caught any of your friends; I just needed you to feel a sincere wish to protect someone. A pure intent, do you understand? However, your friends are very well protected in the school. It would call too much attention having more than one child vanishing. So, Wormtail suggested young Ginevra, an easy prey to him, who lived in the house for so many years. Now, Harry, I'm looking into your mind and I know you would turn the whole world into ashes to protect her if you had to. My plan is going to work.'

The ropes, which were bounding Harry, disappeared.

'Now, stand up and go get that stone.'

Harry stood up, staring at his own feet. He suspected Voldemort needed to see his eyes in order to read his mind. He only had one chance. Voldemort never promised he would let them leave after he got the stone and he wasn't going to trust in the man who murdered his parents. Voldemort faced Harry, but Quirrel's body had his back on him. Harry's magic was weak, so he did the only thing he could do. Reuniting all the strength he had, he took balance and knocked down the man with two faces. Neither Voldemort nor Quirrel were expecting that.

Quirrel tried to defend himself by grasping Harry. When he did it, he yelled in agony and took his hands off the boy. The man's hands were burned in raw flesh. Harry, by pure instinct, grabbed the man's face with his hands. Quirrel screamed and tried to extricate himself, but Harry did all he could to keep the grip. The more Quirrel screamed, the biggest was Harry's headache, and he couldn't hold him for much longer. In his mind, Harry was constantly repeating: don't pass out, don't pass out, you have to save Ginny.

Then, Quirrel stopped screaming. Harry breathed with relief for a second until everything went dark once more.

A/N: Hello! I hope you're having good holidays. I also hoped you had a great Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year.

I'm sorry it took me so long to update, since I finished this chapter in November. Anyway, the next chapter is called The Dark Lord and I think I'll post it later today.

See you in the next chapter,

Inês

scrappy8: Thank you! I feel better, but I still have to walk with crutches and I still don't know what exactly is wrong with my knee. I hope you're having good holidays.

Serpent: Thanks.