Edited 05/04/2020
Harry's eyes snapped open; a thick mist fell upon Hogwarts grounds obscuring his view. Peels of thunder rang out shaking the sleepy castle. Every boom denied his dominion and every rattling shake scattered his sixth sense. A living feeling of cold crawled over his senses taunting him. The world screamed as lightning flashed blinding and obscuring a presence. Before it vanished without a trace Harry sensed it in full. The cold alien will of the creature left him reeling in shock. It was powerful as anything Harry had ever sensed, he dared not leave the castle.
What this creature wanted was to punish and damn. It hungered and received joy unending from the feeling. Just touching its mind left Harry reeling for warmth.
Hours later, he still waited for the storm to pass him over. As the last of night fled before the dawn broke, Harry began to regain himself. Something happened beyond his senses some dark deal had been struck.
Harry sought the comfort of meditation in the Gryffindor common room before his meeting with Dumbledore. He shivered as thoughts of the presence melted from his mind. What dark deeds enacted would be revealed soon enough. He was in no hurry to overturn a viper while he had problems with a fly.
"Someone has traded their soul for power this night." Nomine said.
"To whom did they trade their soul to and what did they get in return?" Harry demanded.
"See the signs and check the board there are bound to be pieces here. We are on the boarders of a fairy gate." Nomine said
"It was cold, and dark does that remind you of someone?" Harry muttered but Nomine only hissed at him mockingly.
Harry had made his way to the library on instinct. The paintings turned their heads when they saw him, and Mrs. Norris fled at his approach. None dared to stop him as he threw himself into the history section. Quietly, he pulled book after book scanning through them. Soon he had a stack of the books he needed.
Nomine took a seat in vampire form. "What does it matter? Could they match you?" She teased. A challenging smile flashed across her face.
He flipped through pages of ancient tomes and set upon finding reason in the event's mere hours before. The students had remained asleep even as the castle rattled and shook. Darkness and cold had teased his senses with a power unending. Even with his new strength, Harry knew he wasn't the strongest. That was clear by the way his hands shook when he held a book.
Beings of cold dread fit many images of devils, fairys, and even some gods. As fantastical as those beings were, they hadn't acted in this world for hundreds of years. Since the age of reason, they hadn't dared to interfere directly. They quietly took the form of saints and fell into the background. Only the monsters from their pantheons remained active.
Harry turned a page and found something interesting. There was a hag by the name of Cold Nan, halfway down the page he learned she was sealed and dropped in the sea. After he cleared the books on hags, he picked up the single book on demons.
From what he read, blood was always required to summon them. The purer the blood the better. They always demanded souls for their bargains. The soul didn't need to be the users. Any soul would do. The demons of cold and darkness were the punishers of traitors. They are summoned exclusively by traitors. They especially love leaders who betray their followers.
"Harry," he turned to see Hermione. She reached out and grabbed his robe. "I need to warn you about professor Quirrell."
Her grip was stronger than it had been before. She was at the first stage of refinery now.
"Tell me everything." Harry said.
"I believe he's after the philosopher stone. It's in the castle behind the door in the third-floor corridor. It was made by Nicolas Flamel to create gold and life." Her eyes were frantic as only one in the first stage could exhibit.
"I doubt eternal youth will help with his stuttering." Harry said.
"Enough gold could make me forget about his stuttering." Hermione quipped. Her eyes were beyond blood shot and blood began leaking from her nose.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked.
For a moment her mouth moved but no words came out. Then she took a breath. "Bloody no I'm not alright Harry. This is serious."
"So, you're saying Quirrell is some sort of mastermind. He faked his stuttering, released the trolls on purpose, and misdirected the teachers during the attack. Quirrell did it all, so he can case the third corridor learn the weaknesses of the security." He had to say it out loud before he believed it. "Do you take notes with the syllables his stutters included?"
She took her backpack out and showed him several sets of notes. "You're amazing, it's a shame they're worthless as evidence."
"Why are my notes not good enough Harry?" Hermione challenged.
"We need a large sample size with common variables to prove the lack of general pattern." Harry said absently. Technically, that was elvish evidence law stored in his spark. It was still relevant possibly. He wasn't learned at all in wizarding law.
"Fine, I'll talk to the older years. I'll get their notes then we'll turn over the evidence." Hermione said.
"Relax Hermione, your evidence is more than enough for me." Harry said. He watched a smile light up her face.
"I'm going to speak to Dumbledore this morning. Relax, I'll tell him everything." While the fly buzzed about there was no time to deal with a viper. He'd confront the professor after his meeting with Dumbledore.
Harry didn't know when he was supposed to meet the headmaster. He approached the gargoyles and read aloud the password McGonagall had supplied him. A stone statue leapt out of the way and Harry went inside. He moved slowly warry of a trap. Something was going on and he didn't know if the Headmaster was privy to everything.
He entered a room full of spinning, twirling, and noise making silver instruments. Calling them controlled chaos was generous. They were uncomfortable to his sixth sense. Each instrument rubbed him the wrong way and the noises they made sounded like hell's bells ringing in his ears. Each gave off type of light essence different than the other. They drew at his sixth sense tearing at his mind in many directions.
His muscles spasmed from restraint. No excuse seemed too petty to turn his wrath upon the instruments. Then he heard a soft song of battle and promised victory. It swept through his body easing the stress of the instruments.
Harry listened intently and took a seat. His aura while tightly leashed spun with the music. The seemingly infinite patterns of light and fire essence within the music swept him gently away. He let himself rest for the first time in ages and felt himself dream a bright dream. It was filled with endless fire and ash.
"Are you enjoying Fawkes' singing? It's good to see you haven't abandoned the light to survive the dark." Dumbledore said. Harry blinked awake slowly feeling refreshed.
"Is light good professor and what qualifies as good to you?" Harry asked.
"A very personal question Harry. Have you made up your mind yourself? I found myself changing often in my youth. Would you like a lemon drop, they are my favorite?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't believe in good or evil. The dark is too lazy to be as helpful as the light." Harry said.
"I must disagree. There are monsters in this world designed to actively harm. Some spells can do only harm and we have labeled them dark because of it. That as it turns out does not put it in the elemental category of dark." Dumbledore said.
"Designed, so there is a greater mind behind the monsters and spells. I've learned shocking secrets about our world and the history of monsters. Are they dark or designed by someone who wanted to do the most harm?" Harry asked.
"Doing harm to others can also harm yourself. If you've come out of your ordeal only questioning the world then you're no worse for wear. Poppy has already sent a copy of your physical to the ministry." The headmaster said.
"Sir, I never had a physical. I haven't had one since I arrived." Harry said.
"That is by design. The less the ministry knows the better. Do you want Poppy to give you a physical and report her findings to the ministry?" Harry shook his head.
"Then, I'd suggest you find a private physician under binding contract for all your medical needs." Harry felt like he was on his back foot. He'd felt like that since the conversation began.
"What's behind the door in the third-floor corridor?" Harry asked.
"A painful death to any student brave enough to investigate it." Dumbledore replied. "I thought I said as much on your first day. I'm sure Ms. Granger took notes." Dumbledore said. The old man smiled at Harry and popped a lemon drop in his mouth.
"Have there been any more star spawn attacks?" Harry asked. The old man's eyes darkened at that.
"That is no longer your concern Harry. You aren't ready to face the world's dangers let alone dangers beyond the world. Do you have any plans for the summer?" The headmaster asked.
"Yes," Harry said.
"Elaborate dear boy, tell me of the adventures you have planned." Dumbledore ordered jovially.
The headmaster made him feel small and weak like a child. This man wanted to take all the responsibilities from Harry's hands. It was as irritating as it was endearing. If Harry was anyone else, he'd let the old man take over.
"I'm going after the star spawn." Harry stood up from his chair.
"I haven't dismissed you Harry. Why can't you leave this war to your elders?" Dumbledore asked.
"It's my responsibility. Letting you take it off my hands won't help. It must be me." Harry said. He felt it in his bones. Only an immortal could challenge the gods. Any mortal who tried to fight would eventually fall and become like the gods.
"Hermione believes that Quirrell is a dark wizard disguised as a stuttering buffoon. He's after the certain death behind the door on the third-floor corridor." Dumbledore only gave away a twinkle in his eyes.
"Go and take the week off Harry. Walk around the castle an enjoy yourself. I'll inform you of any star spawn news when I receive it." The headmaster said. Harry raised an eyebrow curious if he'd won anything.
He made his way to the old black smith yard and fired the forge. When the fire came to life, he worked the bellows stoking the flame. He used the levitation charm to add coal to the furnace. His aura slowly mixed in with his work as Harry unshackled it. Green light surrounded his body. It acted to his command building as he pulled a slab of soft steel from the forge. It was his aura that shaped the steel even as Harry pounded it into a new form. Harry could see the form it would take. It was there in his mind all Harry needed to do was bring it to life.
The star spawn ceased to matter, neither did the two headed monster, or Quirrell. He beat out a sword bathed in aura. It was to become simple single edged blade two feet long. His hammer sang as the steel rang.
Soon the sun was high in the sky and Hermione came to visit him. The forge was still bathed in his aura. Harry continued to move as if he hadn't noticed her.
"You must do something Harry." The sword shattered against one of his swings. Pieces exploded out littering the ground like silver stars. Harry tossed the remains of the blade in the forge and collected the fragments.
"What must I do Hermione." Harry turned his eyes to her, and she stepped back in fear. His aura poured out as he struggled to control it. Before he'd kept it fully suppressed but now it was out in full.
She shivered in place before regaining her nerve. "Dumbledore is leaving for a wizingnaut meeting. The stone will be defenseless. He's leaving by the end of the week. You must act you're the only one who believes me." Hermione said.
"Let him take the stone what does it matter to us." Harry asked.
She left him at some point as the sun sunk and Harry continued to forge. "What does it matter to us?" Harry said to himself. He struck the steel blade of his first sword. It didn't break. Harry pulled the blade with no handle free of the anvil.
It rang in the air hovering in place. Harry put it in some clamps and hammered the handle into it. With deft hands, he swung the blade marveling at how light it felt in his hand. From the blade Harry felt his aura and essence of sword permeate the air. It was a feather in his cap.
He returned to his hammering and quenched a spear tip when Hermione appeared again. Harry hammered the tip in place and added the weapon to a rack. His aura wasn't escaping as it had been before. Every swing of his hammer had taken on precise control. There was skill to his work like a painter's brush. Every swing was a stroke bringing his art to life.
"Harry Quirrell's stuttering has changed again. It isn't like any of his other patterns. Something is about to happen." Hermione gushed. Harry glanced at her admiring the curls of her hair and the softness of her lips.
"Don't worry Hermione nothing will happen to you." Harry said.
He felt more control over his aura with every swing of his hammer. Soon he'd be safe around others. Hermione didn't dare step beyond the doorway and into the smithy proper. It was the development of her sixth sense. She felt the danger of his power.
"It isn't about me it's about everyone else. Don't you care about them?" Hermione yelled. "The teachers have written me off as mad and no one believes me. Not even the first years want to believe Quirrell is anything but a stuttering fool."
"Your solution is an execution. That's what it would become. Can you live with it sentencing a man to his death?" Harry beat against the steel feeling himself taking control. Hermione left him again.
Days passed and the time was coming. Harry had forgone the smith's hammer to meditate and snatch more control over his aura. It was a thrill to feel his control grow with every moment he touched his power. His qi grew and his aura control grew. The growth had become slow over the week. His control had grown to the point he could open a door without shattering them. From this point he no longer contained his aura.
With his control over his aura came an increase in his sixth sense. He felt it when the headmaster's powerful consciousness left. He felt for Quirrell's consciousness and found him absent. What he sensed was the consciousness of the two headed creature from the woods. How did it get in the castle?
Nomine slithered through his robe and hid. Harry took a short sword, a spear, and clunky war hammer from the rack. He returned to the castle and floated to the third-floor corridor. The door was locked.
Harry swung his Warhammer and shattered the door. He walked into the room letting his sixth sense sweep through it. Not that he needed to, Harry remembered the vision.
The Cerberus woke up from the door's destruction and froze in place. Harry raised his hand pointing it at the nearby wall. From purity spiral a circular light appeared on the wall. The Cerberus gave chase. Harry let the hound of hell chase after the light as he found the trap door. He pointed his hand down and blasted flames down.
With the devil's snare ash, he dropped down the trap door. He moved slowly to the next room and hesitated. Harry had grown in leaps and bounds. He was a realm above his former power, but he'd lost before.
He stood in the eye of a storm of flying keys. The door beyond waited for him locked. If he wanted to, he could destroy the door and move forward. Instead, he plucked a key from the sky and shattered the others upon his barrier. Cracked shattered keys piled up at his feet until only the key in his hand remained.
He opened the door and glided through. On the other side, he met the chess set. Harry left the ground as his aura pushed him up. He never touched the board and flew over the flames of another obstacle.
A troll was in his path like a stone on flat pavement. Harry kicked it into the flames and watched it struggle and burn. He turned his back on the monster and approached the final room.
He opened the final door to see the creature. Its back was against the mirror and its eyes were sightless. Quirrell was long dead only a host.
"Hello Harry Potter, we meet again as we were meant to." The voice was soft and youthful.
"How long has Quirrell been a corpse?" Harry questioned.
"Oh him, a week no more. I was running out of time. Sacrifices must be made. He was willing enough to say yes for me. I promised, I'd bring him back someday." Harry drew his wand slowly along with a spear.
The creature turned to Harry. Its face was youthful and ice crystals formed around it. Harry could sense darkness flowing through this creature. It grew strengthening the monster.
Harry felt his heart beat faster, as this monster vanished from sight. His spear flashed as the ground cracked open and the shards grew into serpents. Hands of stone shot out grabbing for Harry as he dodged stone fangs. After impaling one of the stone cobras, he thrust his wand unleashing sever all.
Orbs of sever all shot around dividing everything into their simple parts. Harry thrust his wand and unleashed a gout of fire. The creature flicked his wand and Harry felt the flames change. They no longer burned his foe.
The monster flicked his wand sending the dust around and Harry's sever all homed on the dust. Soon the room was obscured with dust and green aura. Harry burst through the dust and drove his spear forward. The monster moved quickly dodging the initial attack and flicked his wand.
The mirror's surface had been fogged over. Water from the fog became ice needles, shot towards Harry, and shattered against Harry's shield. Harry saw himself in the mirror and another Harry put a red stone in his pocket.
In that moment of distraction Harry felt magic slide over him and take control of his robe. His robe began strangling him. Harry felt a something smash against his shield and drill. With a roar he tore his robe apart. His consciousness power met the drilling green lights and shattered their deathly will.
Harry felt foreign magic attempt to overturn his own magic. It was a struggle that lasted half a second, but it was long enough for his opponent's plan to succeed. After all Voldemort needed a new body or the power to remake one.
"Do you know who made that rock?" Harry asked.
"Nicolas Flamel, Harry I thought you were smart for a child." The stone sunk into Voldemort's body. Red veins appeared around the dark lord's body.
"No Voldemort, the true maker of that rock is the order of Lucifer. It was an imitation of a dragon lord's spark." Harry said.
"Nicolas Flemal was a part of that order when he made this stone. What does its history matter? I have it now." The darkness solidified and Voldemort morphed. He was becoming himself again.
"Now Harry, I've become a lord of dragons." The darkness erupted growing stronger than ever before. The dark lord's body was hundreds of times stronger than it had been. "Now, I'll finish what I started nearly a decade ago."
"That stone isn't made for a mortal body." Harry whispered. The skin above Voldemort's hand split open and darkness rushes out. The dark lord's muscles bulged and more skin split. "You could never survive it." The wand in the dark lord's hand shattered. He roared and threw himself at Harry.
Harry had waited for this moment when the creature lost control. The various protection spells and dark magics that protected the dark lord's body were still in effect. Various dark forces protected him infusing him with ever more dark essence. There was a flaw in the design. That body didn't belong to Voldemort. The darkness wasn't designed for it. The dragon lord spark magnified that problem. That meant this was Harry's greatest chance to win.
Green light flashed around Harry as his aura erupted. Harry took his fine control he'd developed and used it to unleash more power.
He delivered a terrible blow on his foe's stomach. Organs minced under the pressure as darkness spewed from the dark lord's mouth. Muscles bulged around the monster's abdomen shielding the damaged area. Harry unleashed a barrage of blows faster and faster.
A powerful blow smashed against his head though it wasn't enough to go through his barrier. He threw his hands up increasing his defense as Voldemort delivered his own blows. Each fist had grown bone spikes on the knuckles. They moved faster as the beast grew accustomed to the brawl. Flesh grew back, and Harry realized the dark lord was changing the body faster than expected.
Harry delivered a blow only for the monster to shrug it off. It was adapted faster than before. He pulled his spear from his back and stabbed it through Voldemort's knee. The flesh immediately grew around the spear and snapped the wooden shaft. Harry pulled his Warhammer and smashed the head into Voldemort's sternum.
Black hair began to sprout from the dark lord's head his face was taking on a youthful appearance. Harry pulled his short sword just as the monster pulled the hammer free. The dark lord took the hammer and held it over his head. Two disks of sever all shot out slamming into the dark lord's elbows.
The flesh continued knit back as it was severed. Harry stabbed his sword forward through the dark lord's nose and into his brain. At that moment, he summoned twelve sever all in his palm and directed them at the dark lord's spark. A green beam fired from his hand. It struck the stone and separated the connection.
In that moment a shield enveloped the stone. Harry took hold of his wand and ended the spell protecting Voldemort from fire. Fire was Harry's most familiar weapon.
Harry twisted the sword and the dark lord froze stunned as the damage healed. He stabbed the sword again separating the dark lord's brain stem. He left the sword inside and cupped his hands.
Green flame gathered in his palms. The world warped as the heat gathered and consumed the oxygen in the air. Harry thrust forward and the world warped. Everything melted as if it were his dream under Fawkes' song. Light merged with his flames and he felt his spark thrum and his brain spasm.
It was the aura that protected his mind from melting into mush. It was his spark that kept a record of his memories. As his mind melted under the strain of merging two elements, he watched the world turn to ash. It was as beautiful as Fawkes promised.
He fell into darkness as the molten stone melted around him. Only a rock shielded in darkness remained. It tumbled out of an ash pile and the shadow formed. It had no body only the stone remained.
"You may have beaten me this time my rival, but I'll be back. Next time I won't be unprepared." The dark lord promised. "Rest my foe and grow when next we meet our battle shall fell the heavens and fracture the earth." The wraith said. "Remember my name I am Lord Voldemort."
The wraith flew up through the molten ceiling. Harry felt its presence quickly vanish. This wasn't a victory. The stone glowed brightly in the dark cavern; it was beautiful. He didn't know when he passed out only that he did.
Harry awoke surrounded by hardened rock. His head still throbbed but his brain wasn't leaking from his ears. He flexed his aura and burst from the stone. Dumbledore walked through the cavern with a bubble over his head. Professor Snape and McGonagall had joined him. Harry raised his wand and whispered lumos. His voice came out as a scratchy wisp.
Light flooded the room and the teachers stared at him. McGonagall quickly conjured a robe for him. Harry spat out a mouthful of blood and put the robe on.
"Are you ok Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked.
"Get back this place isn't safe." Professor Snape shouted. Harry watched as the dark-haired professor conjure a wall of lead and blocked off the room.
"You irradiated the room Harry." Dumbledore said. Harry couldn't tell if he was confused or reprimanding. It could have been both.
"Radiation destroys DNA the blueprint of life. Darkness requires stability to have form." Harry defended. He hadn't thought of that beforehand, but it was a good excuse as any.
"There is a reason why we don't use that Harry. We aren't immune to the effects of radiation. You'll need to see Poppy and receive a full physical." Dumbledore said. Currently, Harry was blocking out the radiation with aura. He was more worried about the mortal teachers than himself. His DNA was recorded by his spark and repaired through purity spiral.
Harry let himself fallback against a cool stone wall. This fight had been interesting to say the least.
…
Much later Harry was in the school infirmary. The soft bed was annoying, he'd prefer to be back in his forge hammering away at a new sword.
He barely noticed the spells sweeping over him. Still, it was a struggle not to resist them. They barely grazed his magic and weren't harmful, but Harry was wary of magic. Being chocked and blinded by his own robe had been distracting. It was a problem that must have a solution.
Hermione visited him in the hospital. She meditated next to him as he went through a large tray of potions. Apparently, he was irradiated to some degree but living with it. "How your hair hasn't fallen out yet is a mystery to me Mr. Potter." Madam Pomphrey said. No matter the potion he remained irradiated. It was purity spiral or maybe purity spiral was the reason he lived.
Purity spiral never remained active unless it was healing him. Harry sighed as the school nurse left. "What does it feel like to be powerful?" Hermione asked.
"I've stepped into a world of responsibility. There is a fair amount more at stake than test scores." That was the truest he could be. He had played for a complete spark and lost. Voldemort had walked away absent a body but stronger than ever. As he grew stronger Harry was sure more would be on the table.
A form blurred and Nomine grew from an imperceptibly tiny creature into a raven-haired woman. She'd sought refuge in his body by changing into a microorganism.
"Would you give such responsibility to anyone else?" Nomine asked.
"No never," Harry refuted out of hand. He took hold of responsibility because it belonged to him. Who else had the power to face Voldemort now? Fawkes could surely but power came at a price. Harry was paying for his in a way. Its why he took on responsibility.
"What if I reach your level and don't take on the responsibilities?" Hermione asked. Nomine chuckled softly.
"She has you there. You've opened the way for her. Why should she bind herself as you have?" Nomine asked.
"There are always strings attached. Blinding yourself won't change what is." Harry said.
"What strings are attached to me Harry?" Hermione asked.
"You're a qi expert and a witch. Who are the enemies of qi experts and witches?" Harry asked.
"You're not as blind as you were Harry. I have a gift for you." Nomine said.
She pulled a letter from his nightstand and handed it to him.
Dear Mr. Potter
You will find a fallen star in the land of the rising sun.
V V
Harry thought it was a trap. The letter was short, sweet, and bereft of detail. Japan wasn't the largest country, but it would be difficult to search. A fallen star wasn't necessarily a star spawn. He wouldn't mind traveling.
"Well Nomine, we're going to Japan." Harry said.
"Just like that master." Nomine said.
"How are you going to get there Harry?" Hermione asked.
"I'll fly," Harry said.
"Who still wants to hurt witches?" Nomine rolled her eyes in response.
"Hermione, I'm sure there are plenty of crazy people out there who would burn a witch. God hates sorcery of any kind." He held back that all gods would either use her or have their followers sacrifice her.
The rest of the year passed in a blur. They lost the house cup to Slytherin. Hagrid's hut exploded in a fiery inferno to a young dragon. Harry spent more time at the forge than in a classroom.
He was learning something from the steel. It felt like he was on the cusp of enlightenment only for the knowledge to escape him. As maddening as the end of the year was he enjoyed preparing for his journey to Japan.
Thank you for reading.
Author's note: Hey this first year has taken a while to get out mainly because of my own detour. The next few chapters will be all about the summer. There will be many lockheart chapters after the summer.