A/N: This is it! I hope you enjoyed it. I don't own HP so I will not be collecting any galleons, sickles, or knuts for my efforts.
Harry ran as fast as he could, and as Kellen instructed, didn't look back. He entered the final room, but to his shock, he wasn't alone. There was another man there, waiting for him with a rather smug expression on his face – the kind of smug expression he might have expected to see from Snape, but it wasn't Snape.
No, it was perhaps the last person he would have expected – Quirrell.
"Nice of you to join me, Potter," Quirrell gloated. The normally nervous Quirrell looked rather different – he was much more collected and confident than Harry had ever remembered.
"But – I thought it would have been Snape. I could have sworn he was behind this," Harry said, completely taken aback.
"Fool boy," Quirrell replied simply. "It was me all along. Snape was trying to protect you from my master. And now his failure is about to be complete." He chuckled. "Nobody would have suspected n-nervous old Qu-Quirrell, eh?"
"Your master?" Harry asked. "You mean… Voldemort?"
"None other, young Potter," Quirrell replied. "And the manticore was my idea. A rather devious creature, the manticore is. It did its job…"
Harry gasped in horror. "Kellen…"
Quirrell threw Harry a devilish grin. "Your friend Mister Grimseth is quite dead, I'm afraid."
A tear leaked from Harry's eye as he shook his head in disbelief. "You lie…"
Quirrell, still grinning, took Harry by the shoulder. "Don't believe me? Come see for yourself, boy." He escorted Harry back to the potion room to get a glimpse of Kellen's lifeless body, slumped in the corner.
"Kellen!" Harry screamed. "You can't be dead, you can't be…"
"Harry," Quirrell continued. "He's dead… but I will offer you this. I offer you this one chance to join me. Join Lord Voldemort. If you aid us, with our combined powers we can bring Grimseth back."
Harry heard a faint chuckling noise, but it wasn't from Quirrell.
Quirrell slowly undid his turban, and as the wrappings fell to the floor, Harry caught the horrendous visage of another face on the back of Quirrell's skull!
The face of Lord Voldemort, himself! The face contorted itself and gave Harry an eerie grin. "Yes, Harry, this is how I've kept myself alive all this time… by leeching from another host. Drinking unicorn's blood. Such a cursed life, this is." He chuckled ominously. "Quirrell, take the boy to the mirror."
"Yes, my lord," Quirrell replied immediately. Harry followed them back to the final chamber, where Harry once again stood in front of the Mirror of Erised.
"Stand in front of the mirror, Harry, and tell me what you see," Voldemort said. Harry nervously stepped in front of the mirror, and saw himself putting the Philosopher's Stone in his pocket.
"I see myself, and Kellen. And Ron and Hermione. We're all very happy, we've all aced our end-of-term exams…"
"Heh, heh, heh. A nice sentiment," Quirrell said. "If you want to bring your friend Grimseth back, you will help us recover the stone."
"He's lying," Voldemort hissed. "But I still offer you the opportunity to help us. We can work together to bring Kellen back, Harry Potter. All I ask is one simple item in exchange – the stone. I know you can give it to me."
Harry put his hand in his pocket, just as he saw himself doing in the mirror. Sure enough, he felt the hard, sharp edges of a precious gem in his fingers. He slowly produced it from his pocket.
"Ahh, yes, very good, Harry," replied Voldemort. "Bring it to us. We can use that power of the stone to bring your friend back. I know how badly you want him alive and well again…"
Harry thought long and hard. In his heart of hearts though, something didn't seem right. He took a couple of tentative steps forward, as if offering the stone to Quirrell and Voldemort.
"Yes… that's it," Voldemort hissed in approval. "Bring the stone to us. We can use it to bring your friend back to life. Remember, there is no such thing as good or evil – there exists only power."
Harry ran his fingers over the stone in thought, before making his choice. "It's a trick," he said aloud. "You want the stone only to bring yourself back, you have no intention of bringing Kellen back. And you are wrong – there is good and evil. And Kellen is the epitome of good – he'd never use the stone for any reason!"
Voldemort's grin evaporated into a sneer. "Get him," he snarled. "And more importantly, get me the stone!" Quirrell floated into the air, and launched himself at incredible speeds towards Harry. Harry did his best to dodge Quirrell's attacks, but after a couple of minutes, Quirrell had finally tackled Harry, but Harry threw the stone out of Quirrell's reach.
As Quirrell attempted to strangle Harry, Harry grabbed one of Quirrell's hands. "Aaargh!" Quirrell screamed in agony. Harry's hands were searing Quirrell's hand, and Harry continued to grasp Quirrell's hand until it turned to nothing but ash.
"The stone, the stone!" barked Voldemort. Quirrell made a mad dash to get past Harry and get the stone, but Harry was too quick. Harry then placed both hands on Quirrell's face, causing him to scream in pain. Harry dug his fingertips into Quirrell's cheeks, until his entire body – and Voldemort – evaporated.
Harry grabbed the stone and placed it back in his pocket, but as he placed the stone in his pocket, his vision faded to black, and he collapsed in a heap, unconscious.
When he woke up some time later, he found himself in the infirmary with Professor Dumbledore smiling down on him. "Well done, Harry, well done, indeed," he whispered. "You've protected the stone – we couldn't have done it without your help."
Harry blinked. "The Philosopher's Stone… is it safe?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "It is, my boy. It is… but I have something very special planned for it."
Harry shook his head in disbelief. "What is it?"
Dumbledore smiled sadly. "It was a very difficult decision, but my friend Nicolas and I have agreed that the right thing to do is to destroy the stone."
"Nicolas Flamel?" Harry asked. "But… he'll die without the stone, won't he?"
Dumbledore nodded. "He will in time, yes. But he's got elixir enough to get a few final things sorted out."
"It's for the best then, isn't it?" Harry agreed. Then, he started sobbing. "Kellen… he's… dead, Professor. I can't believe he's gone."
Professor Dumbledore blinked away a tear himself. "He did a very noble thing for you, Harry. He sacrificed himself so you could go on and protect the stone." He then smiled knowingly. "But, you will be relieved to know that Professor McGonagall cast a very, very special enchantment on him just prior to your excursion. It… softened the lethal blow the manticore inflicted on Kellen. He fell into a death-like sleep… he can only be awakened one way." He motioned with his head a few beds over. "He's lying in one of the beds in this infirmary."
"Awakened? How?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused.
"Do you remember reading those Muggle fairy-tales, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
"A few," Harry said.
"So you know what true love's kiss is?"
Harry arched an eyebrow. "You mean… someone that truly loves him has got to kiss him to wake up?"
Dumbledore's eyes sparkled behind his half-moon spectacles. "Exactly, Harry."
Harry gasped. "Hermione! We gotta get her in here! She's smitten with him!"
"Relax, Harry, relax. When the time is right," Dumbledore replied calmly, waving his hands to encourage Harry to lay back down. "You need your rest, and Kellen needs his. I promise both of you will be all right." He chuckled. "Oh, and just so you know, you and Ronald both did quite well on your end-of-term exams. Ninety-plus percent apiece. Hermione got a hundred and twelve percent on hers. And Kellen … a mind-boggling hundred and thirty nine. He's set a new school record, if memory serves."
Harry's jaw dropped. "A hundred and thirty nine? How in the world…"
Dumbledore chuckled again. "He's an amazing young man, isn't he?"
"Well, if it weren't for him, Ron and I probably wouldn't have done nearly as well. His tutoring methods really helped us," Harry admitted.
"He deeply cares for you two, that much is obvious," Dumbledore said. "He knows what makes you and Ronald tick. You are very, very fortunate to have a friend like him. And I am very, very fortunate to have him as a student here. His tremendous deeds throughout the entire term have not gone unnoticed."
"How long have I been out, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Nearly three days, my boy," Dumbledore replied simply. "I'm glad to see you're awake, but I think another day in the bed could do you both some good. Perhaps tomorrow, we can see about having Miss Granger stop by Mister Grimseth's bed and wake him up. I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss that."
Harry smiled broadly. "I wouldn't miss that for anything in the world, sir. Oh, and I have one more question, if I may."
"You may, Harry," Dumbledore replied with a grin.
"The stone… how did that end up in my pocket?" Harry asked.
"Ahh, that's a great question. You see, that was one of my finer moments. I enchanted the mirror in such a way that only a beholder that wanted the stone badly enough, but enough to not actually use it, could actually get it."
Once again, Dumbledore's sapphire eyes sparkled. "Oh, help yourself to the goodies your friends and admirers left behind. Even Mister Malfoy left you a get-well card – I would never have expected that, but I'm glad to see he remembered you just the same. Now, I must take my leave, but I will see you and Kellen tomorrow."
"Perfect, Professor," Harry replied, still grinning. "I can't wait."
The next morning, Professor Dumbledore returned with a couple of extra visitors – Ron and Hermione. Both had rather sullen expressions on their faces after they learned about what happened to Kellen – Hermione's eyes were red and puffy, and her cheeks were stained by dozens of tears.
"Miss Granger, would you kindly follow me please?" Dumbledore said to Hermione. "There is a favor I must ask of you." They headed over to the bed where Kellen lay.
"What's that, Professor?" Hermione gasped in between sobs.
Dumbledore smiled at Hermione. "Before you snuck out the other night, Professor McGonagall placed a very special enchantment on Mister Grimseth. A protection spell, of sorts. You see, he's not truly dead… the enchantment softened the fatal blow he received from the manticore. There is but one way to revive him from his slumber…"
Hermione gave Dumbledore a strange look. "Are you asking me to kiss him?"
Dumbledore shrugged. "You don't have to, Miss Granger... but if you want him to wake up..."
Still sobbing softly, Hermione looked at Kellen's still, seemingly-lifeless body. She whispered to him very softly. "Oh, Kellen… you're the sweetest and the bravest boy I've ever met… I… I… I love you with all my heart. Please, please, wake up…"
She gently placed her lips over Kellen's, and kissed him tenderly, but he still lay perfectly still after a few seconds. Hermione turned to Dumbledore and shook her head in disappointment. "It didn't work, Professor." She buried her head in her hands and wept again. Ron placed an arm over her shoulder. Dumbledore simply smiled. "Give him a moment, my child."
Perhaps thirty seconds later, there was a soft groan from the bed. "Uuuugggh." Hermione turned around and saw Kellen sitting up in his bed, grabbing his stomach with both hands. "My stomach burns," he moaned softly.
"Kellen!" Hermione squeaked with excitement. "You're all right!"
"You're awake, mate!" Ron replied.
Kellen smiled weakly. "Hi, Ron. Hi, Hermione… did you… wake me? I had a horrible dream…"
Hermione looked like she was about to give Kellen a tight hug, but Kellen gestured for her to be gentle. "I'm still sore, so please… small hugs for now."
"You should be back to normal in a few days, Kellen," Dumbledore said. But you and Harry should be both well enough to leave this afternoon. I have something exciting to share with you for our End-of-Term Feast this evening!"
Madam Pomfrey handed Kellen a potion. "Here, you might want this. It doesn't taste the greatest, but if you're going to keep your food down tonight, you'll want to take it. That manticore venom did a number on your innards."
"Thanks Madam Pomfrey," Kellen said. He downed the bitter concoction with a grimace on his face. "Eeeewww," he said. Hermione and Ron laughed at the face he made.
That evening, all of Hogwarts assembled for the End of Term Feast. Professor Dumbledore was about to announce the final standings for the House Cup.
"What a term, what a term! Thank you all for making this year so memorable. And now I'm sure you're all wondering how everyone ended up in the House Cup!"
The Gryffindors had rather glum expressions on their faces, as what would have been a possible first-place finish was erased by a massive two hundred and fifty point loss in March.
"In fourth place, with a hundred and eighty eight points – Gryffindor," Dumbledore continued amid muted applause.
"In third place, with three hundred and seventy one points – Hufflepuff." More muted applause.
"In second place, with four hundred and five points – Ravenclaw… and finally in first place – Slytherin, with five hundred and fifty four points!" The Slytherin table erupted in thunderous cheers – it wasn't just a House Cup victory, it was a total track meet this time.
Professor Dumbledore smiled. "But we're not finished yet. Certain deeds have come to my attention which must be accounted for." His smile broadened. "Mister Ronald Weasley – for playing the most brilliant game of Wizard's Chess Hogwarts has seen in over a generation – I award Gryffindor, fifty points."
Ron's jaw dropped, and all three of his brothers clapped him on the shoulder and shook his hand. Harry, Hermione, and Kellen all hugged Ron. Even Desiree, Pansy, Daphne, and Tracey all offered smiles and thumbs up.
"Mister Harry Potter – who had demonstrated a high degree of courage under duress – I award Gryffindor, sixty points."
Harry grinned broadly, and like Ron, he got plenty of hugs, shoulder-claps, and handshakes.
"Miss Hermione Granger – who had proven that true love's kiss is more than a Muggle fairy tale – I award Gryffindor, one hundred points." Hermione buried her face in her hands, weeping softly.
The Gryffindor table started to get giddy, as they had just racked up two hundred and ten points – how many more points were they going to get, they wondered. Suddenly, the room went quiet, and more than just Harry, Ron, and Hermione had their eyes on Kellen.
"And finally, Mister Robert Grimseth – from beginning to end of this term, has demonstrated the core values of not only what a Gryffindor should be, but set the standard for all Hogwarts students. He unfailingly places his life on the line to protect his friends – regardless of house. He truly embodies the courageous spirit of a Gryffindor, but also the loyalty of a Hufflepuff, and the cleverness of a Ravenclaw, and even the cunning of a Slytherin. His efforts to ease tensions between Slytherin and the other houses have been remarkable - I am ecstatic to see the number of friendships between Slytherin and Gryffindor students formed this term! As far as I'm concerned, he's a hero for all of Hogwarts to be proud of. This young man never ceases to amaze me – he's going to be a tremendous wizard one day. For everything he's done this term, I'm delighted to award Gryffindor – three hundred points."
Kellen's eyes widened, then placed his hand over his mouth in disbelief. Every single house and every faculty member stood up to give Kellen a standing ovation. Unlike Hermione, he didn't even pretend to hide his tears, he let them fall freely down his cheeks. Desiree, Daphne, Pansy, and Tracey all stopped over to the Gryffindor table to congratulate Kellen and the Gryffindors. Even Draco stood up and walked over to shake Kellen's hand. "Good job, mate," he said softly. "You're an all right bloke. I'll, uhh, I'll miss you a bit next year."
"Thanks, Draco," replied Kellen. "I'll miss you a bit next year too. Good luck at Durmstrang." Draco nodded appreciatively.
Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Now, with all these additional points being tallied up, I believe there's going to be a change of décor here." He waved a hand, and the green Slytherin banners turned to Gryffindor red and gold!
And like that, the 1991-1992 academic year had come to a close. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Kellen all said good-bye to each other at Hogsmeade Station, and handed each other their respective addresses to keep in touch during the summer break.
"I know it's too late now, but maybe next summer, you can spend the summer with us, Harry," Kellen offered. "I hope the Dursleys don't annoy you too much."
Harry chuckled. "I'd like that, but I think I'll be good this year. I may not be allowed to practice magic outside of school, but my relatives don't know that…" A devilish smirk crossed his face.
"Maybe we can meet up in Diagon Alley," suggested Hermione. "At least spend a little time together before class starts?"
"That would be awesome," Kellen said. "We have each other's addresses, so we should be able to coordinate something." He then got a small piece of parchment out and scribbled something on it. "This is my phone number, along with the country code," he said as he handed it to Hermione. "I know it might be kind of pricey being an international call, but I'd love to hear your voice at least once. If you'd rather I call you, I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind one short-ish call."
Hermione beamed, and gave Kellen her phone number and country code. "I'd love that," she replied.
"What's a phone number?" Ron asked, completely confused.
"It's something Muggles use to communicate through long distance," replied Kellen. "Harry and Hermione know what I'm talking about." He gestured to Harry. "I'd give you my number, but if your relatives really are as bad as you say they are, I doubt that anything's going to happen prior to meeting up in Diagon Alley."
Harry nodded. "It's just as well, besides, a letter or a postcard is plenty."
"Have fun teasing your cousin," Kellen chuckled. "Just try not to get caught!"