I do not own any right to Harry Potter, or it's character's/plots, etc.
Also, definitely, not making any money by writing this fanfiction (unless personal satisfaction is now a currency).
Beta'd by: Bombadilo Baby.
A Spectral Weekend to You All! (running out of applicable words! :-P )
-G
"It was Professor Quirrell, Draco. He- He was the one who-" Harry couldn't finish the sentence, voice too unsteady. He stood up, shakily.
Draco face froze in shock. He stumbled to his feet after Harry. "But – what? Why would he-?"
Harry was shaking his head, eyes hazy "I don't kn- I saw him overhear-" he grabbed Draco's hand, tugging him along as he hurried after his Dad. "I don't know." Harry said quietly, though he had suspicions flying around his head like snitches. "But I – I think he's doing something bad. He was- he was furious when he realised I'd seen him sneaking around behind Dad and the Minerva's back… He ran off, but I – I think it's something to do with the third floor." Harry admitted, as they raced off towards the Headmistress' office.
Draco had just opened his mouth to reply when they raced headlong into Severus and Minerva descending the stairs.
"Boys!" Minerva exclaimed in surprise.
Severus' eyes widened as he took in the pale faces, shaky limbs and tear streaked faces of the two boys before him.
"What's wrong?" he asked immediately, concern welling. "What happened?"
Chapter 23: Unveiled
Severus knew that there was something horribly wrong at Hogwarts this year. Dumbledore's decision to bring the philosopher's stone into the school was, in and of itself, concerning. It had been perfectly well protected by the Flammel's for decades now on their fidelius protected property, and it was only after Dumbledore insisted on moving it to Gringotts, then Hogwarts (drawing the world's attention to it), that things were stirred up in the Brittain's magical community.
That the old Headmaster had thought it best to house it behind a series of defensive measures, all potentially deadly to any curious child (of which there were numerous because this was a school) but practically harmless to any well-educated adult, to protect it was infuriating. All of this was, they'd later discovered, done without the approval of the Hogwarts Board of Govenor's.
Severus and Minerva had been trying to have it returned to its rightful owner's since Albus had been removed as Headmaster. They'd cautiously raised the security measures so that no Hogwarts student would be able to even to consciously approach the third floor while it was still present in the meantime. It was the least they could do to protect their students whilst it was still contained within the walls of Hogwarts. And the Board of Governor's had reluctantly agreed, given the lack of communication with the two Flammel's. Even adding their own security measures onto of the staff's.
And then his two Godson's and the rest of their Slytherin friends had stumbled upon Hagrid's three headed dog. And they knew with certainty that someone was either trying to actively dismantle the barriers and reach the stone, or (even worse) actively trying to harm their students.
The incident had prompted a dramatic increase in their efforts to get in contact with the Flammel's, trusted officials in the Ministry now volunteering their services to assist. The Stone's owners had disappeared just months before, with no word to any of their close acquaintances, Minerva included. The Headmistress had only received word two days ago that they had been sighted somewhere along the Isles of Man. Which was surprising given they unbroken tradition of travelling to India to attend Diwali, the Festival of Lights, around this time of the year. The international portkey they'd ordered remained at the Ministry, past it's scheduled departure and uncollected.
Thankfully the additional defences implemented by the staff at Hogwarts had protected the first year Slytherin's from further involvement in the unpleasant affair. They'd carefully charmed the rooms on the third floor corridor before the start of term at the suggestion of Madam Bones. Whilst his Slytherin first years would vaguely recall the events, they wouldn't dwell on them. Essentially the charm made them unable to consciously think or speak about the details of the event without becoming distracted. Only a powerful witch or wizard, skilled in the art of Occlumency, could recall what they had discovered in those rooms.
Naturally the children's parents, after being informed of the events, were also required to sign a non-disclosure contract to ensure the safety of the student population at Hogwarts. If word were to get out that the Philosopher's Stone were being housed in the castle they would be flooded with greedy, ambitious thieves and entrepreneur's, desperate to gets their hands on the elixir of life. Already they were in a precarious position.
All parties involved had sent out dozens of owl's with letter's addressed to the Flammel's, each one returned unanswered, the birds having been unable to locate their intended recipients. A squadron of Auror's had been sent out just last week in an attempt to locate them now.
Albus had been in line for questioning regarding the Stone prior to his escape from the Ministry holding rooms, but (much to the disgust of many involved) had disappeared the day before his scheduled trial under Veritaserum. Curtesy of Mundungus Fletcher, who had also somehow managed to slip through the ministry's grasp.
And then had come All Hallow's Eve. And the troll. And the endangerment and injury of yet more of their students. And another alarm triggered on the third floor, this time breaching two defences further than the initial chamber.
And now Harry's revelation.
The Mirror of Erised. Here. In the School. In an unused classroom where anyone could stumble upon it. And Harry hurt, yet again.
He had, naturally, hastened to inform the Headmistress as soon as he'd departed Harry's memories.
But as Severus walked back down the spiralling staircase to the Headmistress' office yet another revelation slammed into him: That classroom was near the third floor. Harry, once again, should never have been able to approach it. Yet, Severus could have sworn Harry's memories had caught glimpses of a figure that his Godson had been following right before stumbling across it.
Severus cursed himself for not paying closer attention!
It was highly probably that whoever Harry had followed after the same person who had been attempting to retrieve the stone.
Three times now Harry had been injured because of the Stone, and whoever was interrupting their protective barriers. Three times he had almost lost his Godson. Not to mention Draco and his other first year Slytherin's.
Severus was suddenly filled with an ice cold dread as he realised that he had left Harry unsupervised, and alone in the Hospital Wing. He had just raised his wand, intending to send a Patronus message to Poppy, when the clatter of footsteps raced towards them.
Severus and Minerva's eyes widened as they took in the pale, shaking forms of Harry and Draco, panting heavily, faces filled with relief, traces with old tear tracks as they saw them.
"Boys!" Minerva exclaimed in surprise.
Severus' icy feeling of dread grew. "What's wrong?" he questioned quickly "What happened?"
Severus watched as Draco's gaze flickered uncertainly to Harry, who drew in an uneven breath, forcing his green eyes to meet his Godfather's as he replied. "Da-Professor Snape," he replied "I was coming to find you." He said earnestly, as though afraid Severus wouldn't believe him. "I mean – I- I forgot to say which room I found the mirror. . . Bu-but" Harry's voice wobbled, as tears cropped up in his eyes whilst he tried to speak. Severus froze in shock. "He heard y-you talking. And th-then he-he saw me" Harry's breath came in short gasps, green eyes wide with remembered panic and fear. Draco leaned closer, arm unconsciously pressing against Harry's shoulder. "He-he used some type of spell. I couldn't m-move, n-not until Draco found m-me." Harry's shoulders curled inward defensively, and Severus vaguely registered Minerva's tense posture, barely restraining herself from cutting off Harry to wrap him up protectively in her arms. Severus was too shocked, swamped by an immense wave of guilt and self-loathing (he'd left Harry alone), to respond. "He sa-id" Harry voice choked. "He said I'd die, an-and no o-one would find m-me." And then, crystal clear, tears slipped down his face. Draco's lip trembled in response, and even his eyes seemed to glaze slightly in remembered panic.
Severus shot forward, encircling them both within his arms protectively. Both boys immediately latched on to him, clinging desperately as they sank into the comfort of his familiar presence.
"Who?" Minerva's voice cracked, but her back was ramrod straight, and her eyes flinty. All three males turned slightly, partially facing her as she cleared her throat. "Do you know who they were, Harry?" she asked, in a voice that could barely be described as calm.
Harry's face paled, and he turned his head onto the side of Severus' shoulder. Severus rubbed soothingly across both boys backs, trying to reassure them. ". . . Professor," Harry whispered quietly
"it was Professor Quirrell."
Severus' hands froze, his magic vibrating angrily through his body as he was filled with an immense wave of fury. Minerva was similarly affected.
Harry voice turned panicked. "He – he heard you talking Da-Godfather. He ran off after-after h-he . . . I think he was headed to the third floo. . . . " Harry frowned, obviously having trouble finishing his sentence, his brow creasing in confusion and (brief) uncertainty the longer he spent trying to tell them.
Minerva and Severus shared a panicked look, not at Harry's unfinished sentence (since they knew what he was trying to tell them) but at the realisation that, even if they hurried now, they could quite possibly arrive too late to stop Professor Quirrell from escaping the third floor.
Severus discretely cast a magic residue identification spell, dark eyes widening in horror as he not only recognised the illegal dark spell, but the magical signature accompanying it.
Minerva, also familiar with the magical signature drew in a sharp shocked breath before snapping into action "I want both of you boys to wait for us in the Headmistress' office up these stairs. Close the door and do not, I repeat, do not, open it for anyone. You will wait there for our return. I will send some of the Hogwarts house elves to stay with you, they should arrive shortly." As she spoke Severus gently pulled away from the boys. Swirling his wand, he draped the boys in dense protective magics, before urging them hurriedly up the stairs. Large warm hands pushing them gentle forward as they hesitated.
Harry and Draco stared with wide uneasy eyes at the two adults (sensing their tension), flicked a scared glance towards each other, before clumsily climbing back up the stairs. Anxiety making their movements awkward. Severus watched as Harry turned, bright green eyes wide with apprehension, as he caught the last glance at himself and Minerva before disappearing round the corner.
Whilst Minerva directed the house elves to evacuate all students (excluding Harry and Draco) to the closest House dorms and stand guard, Severus sent out Patronus messages to both the rest of the staff, the Hogwarts Board, and the Ministry, alerting them to the immediate lock down.
Moments later they were sprinting down the corridor, racing towards the third floor. They were joined by Pomona and Sinistra (having been the closest other teachers to the third floor) along the way, their wands held aloft and tensed to respond. Though the other members of staff with magical capabilities (Filius, Sybil, Poppy, Hagrid, Charity, Rolanda, Pince, and Septima) were also making haste to the third floor.
Their suspicions were further confirmed, Severus having felt the alarms he'd placed go off several minutes ago, when they came across the open doorway to the third floor corridor. Sharing a brief glance, Minerva sent a quick patronus message to inform the others of their whereabouts and intended actions before proceeding.
As the Headmistress finished her message, Pomona was fretting over the various defences they had put in place. "We'll need to disable the Poison Dart Trumpets and Sleeping Bluebells." She muttered anxiously, tapping her wand sharply against her left hand. "The Paralysing Dust Rolanda borrowed is probably coating the keys!" she moaned "Maybe a impervious charm? Applied to the skin? Oh Morgana, Severus has no doubt set up some kind of toxic gas or poison coated lab equipment. And Minnie was telling me just the other day that she'd increased the Chess set to Grand Mast-!"
"What on earth are you babbling about?" Severus snapped in irritation.
"The defences! It will take us far too long to pass through them! By the ti-!"
"Why in Merlin's name would we pass through them? There's a perfectly functional back entrance that we placed under fidelius not even seven feet from us!" he retorted, the stress making him scowl darkly at her idiocy.
Pomona gaped at him in surprise. "Well why in the blazes didn't you say so sooner?!" she demanded.
"Because I assumed that you, being one of the more rational teachers in this institution, would have at least a modicum of-"
"Severus! Enough!" Minerva interrupted angrily. "Hurry up the both of you, or you can both stay here to wait for the others!" she snapped. "Severus, tell us where the entrance is." She instructed irritably.
Severus scowled darkly but replied. "The entrance to the third floor secret passageway is seven feet to your left, beside the painting of the German wizard and Chess Master, Gary Kasparov.***"
All four of them turned towards the door that suddenly materialised. Severus automatically cast a sound containment spell over the group as he warily observed the doorway.
Minerva nodded in thanks. She gestured for the others to draw their wands.
Instinctually moving into a diamond formation, they cast a notice-me-not spell over the group, and stepped forward into the linking chamber room. At the end of the chamber lay another door, which they spelled silently open.
The room before them shimmered, then morphed, revealing it's secrets.
In the centre of the room was a huge towering structure, more closely resembling a frozen waterfall than anything else, but impossibly smooth. If fell like a curtain from the high vaulted ceiling, clear and reflective, it melted down, merging in a shimmering crystal pool on the stone floor.
The small dark form of Professor Quirrell stood before it, his quiet voice trailing through the room as he muttered under breath. And on the back of his head sharp, cold, red eyes opened and burned as they alighted on their group.
The Hogwarts staff tensed in horror.
The red gaze slid over the group, like cold slime down their backs, before returning to the potions master. "Ssseverrrusssss" he hissed, face darkening. "You hhhhavve betrraayed mmeee." His hissed.
Quirrell fell silent, just now noticing his audience.
Severus wasted no time in replying, sending a vicious red shot of magic crackling across the room in response. Quirrell wand rose, and dispelled the spell with an casual flick of his wand. A move that had the entire staff's (non-existent) hackles raising in alarm.
"Nnow, nnow, Ssseverrrusss" Voldemort (Severus easily recognised the pitiful remains of the dark lord) chuckled. "Thhhat'ssss nno wwwaay to trreeat yyoouur massster." He reprimanded in a faux gentle voice, belayed by his hard cold gaze. Voldemorts gaze flickered to Severus' left forearm, and the potions master paled.
Voldemort smiled like a shark and his wand shot forward, pointed straight at Severus, hissing something in parseltongue.
Severus' knee buckled, his vision turning red as he was engulfed in a blinding, soul searing pain.
"Severus!" Minerva and Pomona cried. Sinistra glanced down towards the Potions master with concern, but unlike the others remained with her wand drawn, all focus on the husk of a man that contained the soul fragment of the Dark Lord.
Her stance firmed and her hand whipped forward shooting a brilliant white stream of light which impacted with the waterfall. The moment the wordless bombara maxima charm made contact with the waterfall it shattered explosively, frozen shards hailing down upon the group and the floor.
Voldemort shrieked in fury, whirling around at the moment of the explosion, the momentary reprieve enough for Severus to recover. The dark hared potions master stood shakily, a low incantation coming from his lips as his wand trailed over his left forearm. He winced in momentary pain, clenching his fist, before standing up strongly.
His eyes flickered to Sinistra, and he nodded in appreciation.
"Minerva, the four point containment. Cardinal points. Now." He instructed, already swooping forward into position.
The staff leapt into action behind him, swiftly moving around the room surrounding the Dark Lord. Voldemort's gaze whipped back around furiously.
"Whhherre isss iit?" he snarled, lips curled in contempt as he saw the teachers trying to surround him. Even surrounded his power outmatched them, they would have been better combining their power into a singular offensive spell rather than separating themselves. "Whheeeree isss thhhe sssstoonne?"
Minerva scowled fiercely "Far beyond the reach of the likes of you." She hissed, and it was easy to see where her cat Animagus form came from.
Voldemort's power swelled in Quirrell's body, preparing to release when their last person stepped into place and Severus gave the signal. As one they cast their spell, powerful jets of light merging together perfectly to form one of the strongest diamond containment fields know to wizard kind, an old prison originally used to restrain and purify summoned daemons and malevolent dark magics.
Voldemort howled, Quirrell's body writhing, the skin bubbling, as Voldemort's spirit struggled to remain within the man's body. An instant later the Dark Lords power lashed out, crashing violently against the barriers, like a giant pounding on glass. A last ditch attempt to break free from the prison. The four teachers trembled, sweat sliding down their faces, arms trembled as they struggled to maintain the containment field. If they dropped it before Voldemort's soul was evicted from Quirrell's body they would be left defenceless and exhausted before an angry Dark Lord. Needless to say they wouldn't survive long enough to see the Auror team to arrive.
An ear splitting screech was heard from within the containment field, and yet another wave of magic pounded against their barrier. Pomona cried out weakly, her wand faltering for the briefest moment as a torturous sound was emitted from the form that was Quirrell. None of them saw the wisp of soul slip from the western point, not as the inside of the barrier was encase in brilliant white light, eviscerating all dark magics from within.
Shuddering, all four teachers collapsed to the stone floor. Unconsciousness sweeping over them as their bodies were overtaken by magical exhaustion.
Trivia: This is a real person! Gary Kasparov (from Russia) was in fact a Chess Grandmaster, and former World Chess Champion from 1986 to 2005. Sadly I have no idea if he was a wizard. :-D But he sounded pretty cool when I was distracted researching