Chapter 16: Stopping the Trio
With his travel through the forest cut so short, Harry managed to make it to the Ravenclaw common room a few hours after the curfew. Fortunately, during the Easter Holidays, the curfew had been relaxed; nobody would go after him.
Terry smiled and waved from across the room when Harry appeared. The common room had older students hunched over notes and textbooks in every available seat. The sound of scratching quills and turning pages filled the room. Terry sat next to Su Li who focused too intensely on her notes to notice Terry's movement. Harry recalled he had never talked to the girl beyond the group conversation of the first day. Harry tip-toed around the anxious and furiously scribbling older year and made it to the other side where they were.
Terry put his hands to his lips and pointed to Su Li. Harry rolled his eyes and made a thumb gesture towards their dorm. Terry nodded.
"Su," he prodded Su who jerked in surprise, "want to go hang upstairs?" Terry whispered.
Su Li looked up at Harry. "Like, together?"
"Yeah, come on. You can't need to study that badly," Terry insisted.
Su narrowed her eyes angrily at Terry, but looked up at Harry with a cheerful glow. "Mmm, let's go," she grunted.
As they entered the boys dorm Su Li moved her head back and forth around the room. Harry almost summoned some chairs from the desks before Terry grabbed one from his own. Su Li and Terry weren't close enough for him to reveal so much.
"Is Corner still in the hospital room?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Pomfrey made him stay the night. She's a real nightmare…" said Terry.
Harry grabbed the chair at his desk and offered it to Su Li, then plopped down on top of his trunk. "So… what are you actually studying Su?"
Su sat down in the chair Harry had gotten for her in a delicate and proper manner. "I'm preparing—for the exams at the end of the year. You can never study too much." As Su responded she appeared to shrink and become more nervous, her crossed legs folding inwards.
"She's one of the top students Harry," Terry explained with an encouraging smile.
"Below him and Granger…" Su muttered under her breath.
"You're trying to beat me and Granger in grades?" Harry asked, surprised. He didn't care if someone did better than him. But he couldn't let himself do worse than he was capable of, no amount of maneuvering would make him pretend like he did when he was with the Dursleys. Much to the consternation of Hermione and Su apparently, it put him at the top of the class.
"Just Granger. She gets me on short answers with her memory, but overwrites her essays," Su Li's dark eyes shined with fervor, she relaxed her posture. "She's been distracted lately for whatever reason. I think I can do it."
"What were you doing out? You're lucky curfew is relaxed over the hols Harry." Terry changed the subject. "If you don't mind me asking," he added apologetically.
"Bah! Goldstein and Corner are gone, I don't care." Harry threw his hands up and stretched.
Su Li chuckled. "You dislike them? Are they really the only reason you isolate yourself from the rest of Ravenclaw?"
"YEP!" Harry made a single dramatic nod and crossed his legs.
"They're not so- well… okay so…" Terry sputtered. "Yeah…" he finished defeatedly.
Su Li burst out into tinkling laughter. "The girls have been trying to get you hanging out for months. They thought you'd be more comfortable if the guys were there!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "What were you getting up to then?"
"Forbidden Forest. Battled an acromantula and snuck into Centaur territory. Oh, should I get a snack?" Harry stood up and opened his trunk. Rifling through it he grabbed a box of Bertie Botts.
Terry wrinkled his nose, "You like those? Ugh. I got a nasty flavor when I was young, can't touch the stuff."
"You did what?!" Su yelled.
"Oh please, he is messing with us," Terry reassured Su.
Harry clicked his trunk closed and sat back down. "Mmmm… nope. Well, I spared the acromantula's life. Didn't so much battle as fend off it and its young." Harry popped a bean into his mouth. "Mmm, grass?" Terry and Su's mouths fell open. "Simple spider repellant spell."
"Why did you go into the forest at all?" Su Li asked, starry-eyed.
Harry laughed. They didn't have an innate grasp of his sense of humor like Neville and Tracey. "I just did something stupid and impulsive. Nothing to brag about. The detentions were getting me down." He continued to focus on eating and discerning his Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans. The taste of raspberry filled his mouth, cutting away the grassy taste that had been there before.
"What kind of reason is that?!" Terry exclaimed, pounding his fists on his knees.
"You could have died." Su said with a concerned expression, her eyes watering, "What if you were hurt?"
"Then it was my destiny to die-" Harry said, thinking on his accidental exaggerated phrasing. Did he have a special destiny? Firenze had spoken of an anomaly. He would go back to the Forbidden Forest, eventually. When he was stronger and didn't have to concern himself with being caught unawares by a centaur.
"You are heroic, just like the stories!" Su squealed.
"He's a dope!" Terry argued.
"I'm neither." Harry let the tiredness behind his eyes swell. "I'd trade it all away to be an unheroic dope…" His vision began to fade, until he couldn't keep his eyes open. He really was tired-
# # #
Harry woke up fully dressed, glasses on, not fully on his bed. The four-poster curtains filled his vision. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. With some of the enchantments on the glasses, they remained in good shape despite laying on them oddly. His breath tasted noxious in his mouth. He had fallen asleep then. Light barely showed through the windows of the dorm and the thick curtains. He sat upright.
"Tempus." Eleven in the morning.
"When did I become so tired?" Harry asked aloud. The stress of Hogwarts got to him. Quirrell's unnerving detentions, the feeling of being trapped, the return of the nightmares. He felt refreshed—if not unkempt from sleep.
Around the circular room, he checked for any remaining people. Corner had returned and slept soundly in his bed. Everyone else was gone. Harry shrugged and got himself into the dormitory bathroom to wash up for the day.
Harry returned, drying off his hair with a towel on his way through the door. Corner remained deeply asleep, he snored loudly. Did the kid always sleep-in like this? Or was he still recovering from the hospital? Whatever, Corner was an unbearable sod. Harry picked out one of his non-uniform robes and made his way to… lunch. His stomach grumbled; he hadn't missed breakfast in months.
The Great Hall was not nearly as crowded as it normally was. At Gryffindor table, Neville and crew poured over books. Ron could barely be forced to study; they must be on to something with the stone. Looking over at the staff table, Quirrell eyed the trio with a cold gaze, the kind Harry had seen when nobody was looking under the invisibility cloak. He snapped his focus off of Quirrell before the man noticed.
Terry beckoned to him, so he sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table, flanked by Su Li and Padma Patil. Harry knew Neville might ask him about whatever they were searching for, and he didn't want to lie to his friend. It might also draw Quirrell's further suspicion if he thought Harry was involved. Harry strode over to the Ravenclaw table.
"Harry! We finally got you somewhat social," Padma cheered.
"Sorry I fell asleep…" Harry rubbed the back of his head, messing up his hair purposefully.
Terry laughed and gestured for Harry to sit. Harry took a place next to Su Li who stubbornly looked down at her plate.
"It's okay. Did you sleep well?" Su mumbled.
"Mmmphf," Harry grunted through a sandwich in the affirmative.
"We were thinking of hanging around the Quidditch pitch. You want to come?" Terry asked with a crooked smile. Su Li looked up and quickly snapped her head back down.
"Sure."
# # #
The Quidditch pitch was a hangout spot for many of the Hogwarts students as the weather warmed up. The Ravenclaw group had a spot high up on the bleachers that was theirs. From up there, they could watch the older students try their hand at some Quidditch, or even a team practice. Since the field hadn't been booked, multiple groups of students whizzed by on brooms. Racing, throwing around a quaffle, and hitting bludgers back and forth. From their high perch, even beyond the pitch could be seen. Definitely a great view, if not a little windy.
Harry spent the next few days hanging out with Terry, Su, and Padma there. They didn't hit it off quite like his original friend group with Tracey and Neville. Harry's friendship with the Ravenclaws was on a second tier, they all had more central friends, and that was okay. They were fun to hang out with.
On the second day of hanging out around the Quidditch pitch, Harry ran into Lee Jordan on his way to the Ravenclaw bleachers. The kid looked ready to bolt. Eventually, Harry was hesitatingly approached and told he had won his bet of months ago. Lee almost broke down in tears when he told Harry he didn't have the money.
Apparently, Cedric Diggory was not all looks, and in fact a very good seeker. Harry made Lee promise to do him a favor and he'd forget the bet. Gambling could get him in trouble if he tried to collect anyway. When Lee Jordan got on his knees and thanked Harry, he could see his Ravenclaw friends look at him in an odd mixture of concern and esteem.
The first week of break went along. When Harry wasn't sweeping through the Hogwarts library, he hung out with the Ravenclaws. Quite a few times, he ran into the Gryffindor trio making their way through the shelves as well. They were skimming, looking for Flamel no doubt. And just as he predicted, they were looking in all the wrong places. Assuming a live wizard would be in modern history; a good assumption, but for this one case.
On Easter Sunday, Neville cornered him as Harry collected a book on partial transfigurations in the far end of the library.
"Harry, Hermione didn't want to bother you, but I know your memory is amazing and you've read at least as many books as her…" Neville shuffled in place. "Do you know the name Nicholas Flamel?"
Harry knew this was coming. "What's this for then? You've been spending an awfully long time in the books," Harry commented.
"Hagrid said someone was after whatever is in the 3rd-floor corridor, and that Dumbledore was protecting it for Nicholas Flamel. Well… er- it slipped out anyway. Hagrid says you were pestering him months ago about it," Neville said with a determined but nervous demeanor, like he was forcing himself to say it. "You know something, don't you?"
Harry took a deep resigned breath. "Nicholas Flamel is a famous alchemist. He is on one of your chocolate frog cards."
Neville pulled at his blonde hair mock frustration. "This whole time, at least I don't have to tell Hermione or Ron…" Neville grinned. "They're convinced you're after whatever is in the corridor too."
Harry almost fell over in shock. "What?" he whispered sharply, placing a book in his hand on a nearby shelf. "Why? Why would I be after it?"
Neville shrugged. "Maybe it would let you negotiate with Dumbledore? Maybe you just want to embarrass him? Or maybe… you've figured out what the item is and want it for yourself?" he suggested carefully.
"All of those things would be wonderful," Harry admitted, "if I were at all qualified to take the philosopher's stone, and could protect it myself."
Neville gasped and looked around the shelves for any listening ears. "You… You knew! Hermione was right!"
"You don't think I'm really after it, do you?" Harry groaned wearily.
Neville set himself upright. "I'm not sure what to believe Harry. It would be so like you to double-fake and have some master plan involving the stone."
"Neville, do not mess about with this. I am warning you right now, this is adult shit," Harry threatened. His idiot friend was going to get hurt. If they tried to guard the stone from HIM, Quirrell would tear them apart, he felt that to his bones. In addition to a character like Tom Riddle, a guy supposed to be dead would have to kill to keep his secret. Harry clenched his jaw in frustration. They could not be found hanging around the corridor!
"I get it Harry," Neville insisted as he turned his back and walked away into the main area of the library. Harry noticed his tone was off, he wasn't believed!
He calmed himself down, what could they do? He wasn't actually after the stone. Maybe they would follow him around? That could be good. If they tried to block the 3rd floor corridor- He tried to think from Hermione's perspective. She thought he was after the stone, the obvious time to take it would be the end of term, or near the end of term. If he WAS to steal the stone, it would be… when Dumbledore left the castle towards the end of the year. Barring that, the second to last day before going home.
Dumbledore, since he was baiting a trap, was waiting until the end of term to leave. Hermione didn't know this though. If Dumbledore didn't appear at dinner, they would check the corridor, as would anyone testing the defenses. No, they'd go to a teacher first. McGonagall!
# # #
The next day at breakfast Harry sat with the Gryffindor trio. None of them would look him in the eye. Harry ate in frustration, trying not to yell at them. His anger over this situation had gotten him out of his funk. Now he angrily shoved tater-tots into his mouth.
"Woah, hungry Harry?" Ron joked with a fake laugh.
He looked over at Hermione and glared viciously.
"Eep!" she squawked.
Neville's demeanor changed from his usual amiable persona. "Harry… don't look at Hermione like that. I know you're mad at us right now-"
"Isn't this evidence of your plan?" Hermione cut in, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes back. Ron nudged her arm, which she threw off angrily. "I'm not scared of you Potter!"
"Sorry mate, I told them we shouldn't mess with your plan," said Ron trying to bring cheer into the group and prevent a fight.
"I have no plans for the stone," Harry said bringing his mind back to neutral with his mental training.
"Sure Harry, sure," Ron reassured unreassuringly.
Harry clenched his fists for a fraction of a second and relaxed, a spike of frustration lanced through his mind. He took an aggressive bite from a sausage.
"You could be used as hostages and mess with Dumbledore's plan," Harry pointed out, "In fact, if you're so certain I'm after the stone, go to a teacher," he suggested. Ron thought carefully. Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion, as if she was having trouble processing. Harry couldn't see Neville's face as he sat next to him.
# # #
Given his frustration at the Gryffindor gang, Harry once again found himself on the Quidditch bleachers with Terry and company. They found their usual seats on the very top of the bleachers.
The pitch was larger than any field Harry had ever seen in the Muggle world. The three rings for the quaffle stood straight in the spring wind, a tiny pole which had to have been magically enhanced in some way held up three rings on each side. During the matches, whoever opposed each other went to one side or the other. Now with people hanging out, the bleachers were littered with students from all houses. Really though, the pitch was large enough to fill twice over with the whole student body of Hogwarts.
Harry practiced wand movements with a transfigured stone. The dexterity exercises were pretty good, Harry wanted to combine some muggle dexterity techniques when he escaped from his Aunt and Uncle's. With his naturally good reflexes, he could be an amazing dueler. He needed to be better than amazing at this rate.
Padma watched Harry while Terry and Su argued about Potions versus wanded magic. Michael Corner had joined them, until the prospect of going on a broom came up, and then he was off with some older boys on the pitch. Harry saw him fall from his broom a small height in the distance and chuckled to himself.
"MR. POTTER!" McGonagall's commanding voice echoed out as she climbed the bleachers to where he was hanging out. "Waving your wand around like that could hurt someone! Ten points from Ravenclaw!"
"Professor, it's not a real wand!" Padma complained when McGonagall finally got to them.
Harry took out his real wand and waved it, the fake wand turned back into a stone.
Professor McGonagall examined the stone carefully a tint of red on her cheeks. From embarrassment or the climb, Harry was unsure. "I rescind the ten points, Twenty points to Ravenclaw for impressive use of Transfiguration." She handed the stone back to Harry who pocketed it for later. She coughed. "I imagine you know why I am here Mr. Potter?"
Harry nodded. "They're convinced I'm after it." He looked over to his Ravenclaw friends so it was clear he had not told them. "I've told them to stay away at all costs."
"And the accusation?" McGonagall put her hands to her hips and looked at Harry skeptically.
"Absurd. Anyone would want it, but I'm certain I could not break into Gringotts," he replied.
McGonagall stood there silently for a moment. "True," she admitted, "You'll be happy to hear they'll be joining you in one of our detentions when the break ends."
Harry felt relieved, McGonagall's flaw which made her incapable of listening to him in some situations made her reasonable here.
"Someone accused you of something Harry?" Terry asked from further away.
"It is none of your concern young man," McGonagall reproached with her typical stern demeanor. Harry raised an eyebrow. For a person who teaches children and teenagers, she was truly clueless about human nature. Was she incapable of deceit? Expecting children to listen to adults so easily, naïve. She stared him down with her lips in a thin line, as if daring Harry to contradict her.
"Was there anything else?" Harry asked as politely as he could manage. McGonagall saw through the veneer of politeness by her expression which soured more than usual.
She softened slightly. "It is a terrible shame to have a student of your caliber in detention Mr. Potter."
"Yes, it is a terrible waste of my time. Which would have been wholly unnecessary were it not for the headmaster and yourself!" Harry shot back.
"You broke the rules Mr. Potter, do you still not see the error of your ways? Have the many hours of detention not sunk in?" a frustrated McGonagall asked.
Harry wanted to shake the woman. He hated her right now. His pulse quickened; he felt his muscles tense. All the other sounds of joy from the students around him faded. His mental defenses were suddenly very weak, and he felt anger which he struggled to get under control.
"Should I obey rules which hurt me?!" he yelled. Padma, Terry, and Su gasped at his talking back to McGonagall like that.
"They are for your safety Mr. Potter, if a little punishment hurts so much, perhaps you should learn to obey the rules!" McGonagall yelled back.
Harry clenched his left fist in his robes, until they shook. That was exactly what the Dursleys would have said! It was taking over. His emotional control broke, like a floodgate opening. He closed his eyes shut, he couldn't even look at the intolerable, insufferable woman. He wanted to inflict some measure of pain upon her.
"Harry! What are you doing? Harry!" he heard Padma yell.
His eyes snapped open. McGonagall had been raised in the air, her skin reddened as if it had been burned. She couldn't speak, but her eyes widened in fear. Harry panicked and clamped down his emotional control tightly. McGonagall dropped like a ragdoll, Harry used his wand to levitate her before she could fall awkwardly. He let her brace against his shoulder.
"Mr. Potter… get me… to Pomfrey," McGonagall wheezed through pained breathes as she leaned into him.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Harry said repeatedly.
# # #
McGonagall sat on the end of a hospital bed, back to her usual color. Harry slumped in a chair to the side looked down at the floor in shame. Madame Pomfrey's wand glowed a white twinkling light as she ran it up and down the length of Professor McGonagall. The hospital smelled of bitter medicine and antiseptic. It had tiled black floors in large square pattern, with white beds and large curtains allowing for privacy around each bed. Around each bed were a few chairs for visitors. All the curtains remained undrawn, leaving the complete floor of the hospital wing of the school visible.
"I'm sorry! I don't know how I lost control like that!"
McGonagall straightened up as she looked better and better. "Mr. Potter, don't blame yourself, you let your magic get out of control. It happens to the best of wizards. I am disturbed by the extreme nature of the reaction and what it reveals about your feelings towards me..."
"You don't deserve to be hurt," Harry mumbled, "I'm sorry." He put his head in his hands.
Madame Pomfrey, an older and slightly chubby woman in an old-fashioned nursing gown didn't say a word for a long time. The look on her face was grim. "Minerva, late-stage accidental magic like this- Against a fully trained witch?"
"It's not unprecedented Poppy," McGonagall added calmly.
"No, I suppose not," she noted airily, clearly unconvinced. "Dumbledore should be here in a short while." Madame Pomfrey walked off after writing a few notes on a parchment.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Harry apologized. His head felt heavy, his eyes red and weary. McGonagall hopped off her bed and placed a wrinkled hand on Harry's left shoulder.
"No, you did not Mr. Potter, that much is clear. I must insist we move past this animosity. That was quite a display of magic, do you hate me that much?" McGonagall asked. Harry could feel her hesitation, she didn't know what to do.
"I don't- I don't have animosity towards you," Harry barely managed to say. He didn't hate her. He didn't hate Dumbledore either, now that he thought about it. Neville was only convinced he would go after the stone to spite Dumbledore. Had his feelings against the man developed so far from this summer? To the point where he would accidentally hurt a teacher he somewhat liked with the intensity of it? It didn't make sense! He didn't feel that way, at least he didn't think so.
Had he gone too far in his desire to escape? Was it warping his character to this extent? Harry refused to be wracked by guilt over finding his own freedom, but there were actions he could take to prevent it from destroying the people who intended to protect him.
His eyes cleared. "I'm very sorry Professor McGonagall. I've let my emotional control allow my inner feelings to be in disorder. My frustration with my placement this summer- I let it get to me. But I'm not going there, so it doesn't matter."
She looked him up and down, a ghost of a smile flitted across her face. "Have a plan, do you Potter?"
He smiled brightly. "I always think of something Professor. If I don't want to be somewhere, I won't."
"Say this after you finish your detentions," she scolded, Harry could see her thin smile break-through despite her tone. Relief washed through Harry. He didn't want to destroy his relationships. He really did like his teachers, as much as they frustrated him.
"Minerva, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore greeted as he very suddenly appeared from behind Harry, "I take it the situation has resolved itself?"
"Most favorably Albus," McGonagall said, "Mr. Potter here has informed me of his plans to escape his relatives for the summer."
Dumbledore feigned shock, as far as Harry could tell. "Oh really? Why the sudden change of tact?"
"I don't want to leave a mess this summer when I inevitably escape," Harry stated matter-of-factly.
Both educators raised their eyebrows. Dumbledore chuckled. "We always keep each other paranoid, don't we Harry? Plans within plans. In the spirit of honesty, I think you have found yourself at a dead end with your plans. Is this why you've wanted to talk to me all this time?" Dumbledore lowered his spectacles disapprovingly.
Harry sobered, the cheeky grin on his face fading. "No Headmaster. But I may have information that you do not regarding the identity of those after the stone. Does the name Tom Riddle mean anything to you?"
"It is Voldemort's true name Harry. How ever did you come across it?" Dumbledore asked confusedly.
Harry broke out in a cold sweat. The Dark Lord was on Hogwarts grounds! Quirrell had snuck Lord Voldemort into Hogwarts?!
"Someone loaned me an enchanted map. On the night Hagrid won the dragon egg, I saw Quirrell leave the grounds with a Tom Riddle. In my first detention with Quirrell, I discovered the name on a trophy, for services to the school. Quirrell informed me he was supposed to be dead. It felt like- he was amused at my having to polish the trophy."
McGonagall gasped. "MR. POTTER, THIS was the thing you wanted to communicate to Dumbledore?! Have you no sense of proportion at ALL?"
"You must have had a reason to not immediately relay such information to one of the teachers, yes?" Dumbledore said.
"I know the stone is a trap, and I know you are aware of Quirrell's suspicious behavior. One more agent of the Dark Lord was not worthy of concern. I thought there was a small possibility you didn't know of the existence of Tom Riddle."
Dumbledore fiddled with his beard. "I am one of the few who still knows him by that name. This is better than I had hoped…" Dumbledore trailed off.
"ALBUS! How is the appearance of You-Know-Who on Hogwarts grounds outside of your notice better than you thought? This is still a school for children might I remind you!" McGonagall raged.
Dumbledore took a sherbet lemon candy from his pocket, loudly unwrapping it before popping it into his mouth and beginning to talk, "Ah, yes. Well. You see Minerva, I only expected a servant of some kind or another. Hagrid's protection would require a heavy cost. Quirrell might as well have shouted he was involved after the troll incident. The other traps would be maximal time wasters for a competent witch or wizard. Best case, a group of Death Eaters would be winnowed down, with Severus' trap being the largest funnel. I am most proud of my own protection, you see. Not even Tom could undo it in any reasonable time-frame. I would then come to clean up, the Dark Lord could be announced as back, some well-deserved jail-time would finally be received… I must say, I quite overestimated Tom's forces at the current moment. For him to appear himself, in his weakened state-"
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore! This is all well and good, but in your extreme foresight, you have overlooked the students! A group of first-years were ready to put themselves in harm's way for the stone! Could you not have properly warded the 3rd floor corridor against students?!"
"Hagrid was required for the first layer of defense," Dumbledore defended, "Anything more than a simple locked door would not permit him entrance."
"Always an excuse!" McGonagall huffed angrily.
Dumbledore shifted his stance, looking cowed by his headmistress's anger. "This is, perhaps, not a discussion to be had in front of a student. Knowledgeable and important a student though he may be," he pleaded with McGonagall. "We have almost missed dinner with all this kerfuffle. Shall we walk together to the Great Hall? I cannot help but feel we have made progress Harry." Dumbledore smiled a grandfatherly warm smile.
Harry's head snapped up. His face dawning in realization, he felt the cold sweat return and his mouth dry. Both Dumbledore and he had not shown for dinner. From Hermione, Ron, and Neville's perspective, he had just tricked them into telling a teacher and getting in trouble just as Dumbledore was absent. And his absence would also be a signal for Quirrell!
"Neville, Ron, and Hermione might check on the stone with our absence. What if they encounter Quirrell and Voldemort?" asked Harry to heavy silence.
"They might be used as hostages when You-Know-Who encounters your final protection!" McGonagall panicked.
Dumbledore's response was even more panicked. "The final protection, it requires a pure intent for the stone. We must go! Harry, come with me!"