Chapter Six: Halloween Horrors
The weeks passed quickly and soon Raiden and his friends had settled into life at Hogwarts. Potions continued to be fun for the Slytherins and hell for the Gryffindors, while the battle for the top two spots in all classes had come down to Raiden and Hermione, the top of the class spot fluctuating between those two every few weeks except in Potions, where Draco was second and Hermione third.
The week before Halloween, Raiden found himself in Snape's office once again, for another interrogation about his mysterious "mentor". Snape had decided to push for more information, now that his most enigmatic student had settled in, and so had summoned him for a weekend meeting.
"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Raiden said politely as he took a seat.
Snape nodded and fixed Raiden with a penetrating stare. "Yes, Mr Potter I did. I'd like more information on your mentor; you have had time to discuss it with him I take it?"
Raiden sighed and nodded, remembering that Voldemort had said that he could trust his head of house. "Yes sir I have. Could you put up privacy wards please, this is information that neither I nor my mentor wants being made public."
Snape raised his eyebrows but did as requested. Once the wards were in place Raiden relaxed, and then stared straight at his Professor. The next words he spoke had Snape struggling to find composure.
"Professor, my mentor is Lord Voldemort."
"H, how, can that be, Mr Potter, he's gone, isn't he?"
Raiden smirked. "He's a ghost of some description, and has been my mentor since I was eight. He's the one that taught me Occlumency, and how to do Legilimency, only he said that I could learn more from you about that if you wanted to teach me. He also taught me wandless and wordless magic, although he has said to learn the spells like they're taught in class and not worry about the wandless/wordless bit until I'm older if I have trouble."
Professor Snape was now staring at Raiden in shock and thinking furiously. 'I have to keep this secret from Dumbledore, oh Merlin, what he would do if he found out that Harry Potter was the personal apprentice of the Dark Lord, oh shit.'
Fixing Raiden with a hard look he asked, "Are you the Dark Lord's apprentice, Mr Potter?"
Raiden met his Head of House's stare with a calm look and said, "Yes."
Silence fell for a few moments before Raiden broke it, asking, "What do you intend to do, Professor?"
Snape sat back and thought for a few minutes before answering. "I intend to keep your secret, Mr Potter, I won't tell the Headmaster about this. One thing I do want to know is, where is your master now?"
Raiden smirked and replied, "He's possessing Professor Quirrell, sir," before fighting back a snort of laughter at the gobsmacked look his teacher was giving him.
Finally Snape whispered, "You mean to tell me that the Dark Lord, a master of the Dark Arts, is essentially teaching Defence against the Dark Arts?" At Raiden's smug look his eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted.
A quick Enervate from Raiden woke him and the first thing out of the Head of Slytherin's mouth was, "Tell anyone about what just happened and I'll turn you into Potions ingredients, Dark Lord or not."
Raiden shrugged and replied, "I had no intention of doing so, Professor. Do you have any further questions for me?"
"No I don't, not at this stage. May I assume you know what is being held in the third floor corridor?"
"Guarded by that three-headed monstrosity called Fluffy? Yes I do. The Philosopher's Stone."
Snape pinned Raiden with a measuring stare before answering, "That is correct. If the Dark Lord is possessing Quirrell then he would also know about the Stone?" Receiving a nod from Raiden he murmured, "Be careful round the Headmaster, he is a skilled Legilimens, as skilled as your master." Straightening up he continued in a normal tone, "You may go Mr Potter, I'm certain you have studying to do."
The wards were taken down and Raiden left, he needed to do some Herbology study, and his Astronomy project needed work as well. He'd also arranged for some Defence tutoring with Quirrell which translated to practicing the current spells wandlessly and wordlessly, despite his master's insistence on learning the spells normally first. After that he was supposed to meet Hermione in the library for some research on their Transfiguration. It was going to be a busy weekend.
A few days later, Raiden was feeling restless so he decided to test out his invisibility skills and go for a night wander. While he was wandering the corridors, he heard whispers from up ahead. Slowing his breathing and casting a spell to silence his footsteps, he slunk further up the corridor, keeping to the wall. He peered round the corner and spotted Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall carrying a large object into a room up ahead. It looked vaguely like some sort of arch. Raiden moved closer and as the door swung closed, he spotted the sheet covering the object slipping down. Quickly enhancing his eyesight with magic he saw that it was some type of mirror.
As Dumbledore and McGonagall left, Raiden noticed that they didn't lock the door. Curious, he moved to the door, after ensuring that the professors were nowhere in sight, or that they hadn't doubled back and become invisible like he was right now. He quickly examined the door, sensing no magic on the door, and no alarms that might give him away. Taking a deep breath he opened the door, and stepped into the room.
He turned round once he was fully inside, checking for hidden attackers. Finding no one, the young Slytherin relaxed. He stepped closer to the mirror, which was standing in a corner of the room. Walking up to it he saw words written on the top arch, words that looked very odd.
Erised straeh ruoy tub ecaf ruoy ton wohs I
Raiden frowned and quickly pulled out a quill and a scrap of parchment. He always kept some with him, for writing down random thoughts and notes if he needed to. He scribbled down the odd words, checking to see that he had the spelling right before pocketing both and leaving the room. He made a note of where the room was and the mirror with the writing on it, before turning himself invisible and heading back to the Slytherin dormitory. He would ask Daphne to help him with it later; the girl was a genius when it came to figuring out hidden codes and clues.
As it turned out he didn't get the chance to discuss the strange mirror with its odd writing with Daphne as the next day was Halloween. Raiden swallowed as he walked into the Great Hall, he couldn't help remembering that Halloween was the anniversary of his parents' deaths, and he was annoyed that no one else seemed to remember that. The staff was giving him slightly worried looks so maybe they did remember. The students though, didn't know, so they were laughing and exclaiming over the decorations. Raiden sat down at the table for dinner and moodily picked at his food, not really wanting to eat. A commotion over at the Gryffindor table drew his attention but only for a few minutes before he returned to his mangled pumpkin pie.
Up at the staff table, Snape and McGonagall were watching the Boy-Who-Lived with worried gazes, although in Snape's case it was well hidden. Finally Minerva turned to her colleague and said, "Severus, do you know what's bothering Mr Potter?"
Snape looked at the Head of Gryffindor and sneered before replying, "Think of the date Minerva, then think of what might be significant to Potter on this date besides Halloween?"
Minerva only took a moment to register the Slytherin's meaning. "Oh Merlin. James and Lily. It's the anniversary of their deaths."
"Precisely, Minerva, I have no doubt that the boy is thinking of that, and is not happy about the fact that everyone else seems to have forgotten. He'll get over it in time; we just need to keep an eye on him."
Snape did keep an eye on Raiden, and just as dessert was about to be served an interruption occurred in the form of Professor Quirrell. The Defence professor came running into the Great Hall screaming. Snape made out the words, "Troll, dungeon, quick" before the Professor collapsed on the floor in a faint. Knowing what he knew about his colleague, thanks to Raiden, he had to admire the man's acting skill.
The hall was in an uproar, as students screamed their heads off. Dumbledore stood up and let off a series of loud bangs from his wand.
"SILENCE!" Professor Dumbledore shouted. "Prefects please escort all students to their common rooms. Teachers, follow me to the dungeon."
Over the loud clattering of chairs being shifted and students' hysterical outbursts, Snape caught a few shouts of protest from the Slytherin table, and he agreed with what they were saying.
"Has he gone mad, has he forgotten that OUR common room is in the dungeons?" Daphne exclaimed furiously to Draco and Raiden. The two boys shrugged, neither having an answer for her. At that point Emma stood up.
"Right everyone, considering the danger is near our common room, we are heading for the library. We'll wait there till the danger is past and then we'll head downstairs." The Slytherins nodded and followed her.
They were two hallways away from safety when there was an awful smell from in front of them. The older students promptly placed themselves in front of the younger ones, wands out and ready to defend their younger housemates at any costs. Slytherins might not have bravery as a defining characteristic, but loyalty to their House was at the top of the list.
Raiden peered round Emma, having been behind her when they'd all stopped. He heard slow footsteps, and then a large form came into view, dragging a huge club. The troll stopped and looked round, its little eyes focusing on the group of students in front of it. Its dim little brain took a few minutes to process the fact that it had a group of enemies to confront, during which time the prefects had been ordering the rest of the House to slowly back up away from the huge beast.
The troll roared and charged, swinging its club and sending the front row of students flying. The seventh year prefects hit the wall with loud thuds, sliding down and lying still. The slight rise and fall of their chests told Raiden that they were alive, only knocked unconscious. The back row of students scattered, flying back the way they'd come, heading for the safety of the Slytherin common room. The rest of Slytherin house seriously considered following them. The only thing blocking that route was the fact that the troll was now between them and their common room.
Emma and the other senior students left, which was about half of the sixth years, as the seventh year Prefects were still unconscious and the rest of the senior students had fled with the younger ones to keep them as calm as possible, clustered round the three junior students left, which were Draco, Raiden and Daphne.
"Stunning spells at the ready," Emma hissed to the seniors, before saying to the three first years, "Try it if you like, incantation is Stupefy. Don't worry if you don't get results, it's a fourth year spell."
The troll had turned round and was lining up for another attack. As the club swung down at them they scattered to either side. It was bad luck that all the sixth years were on one side, while Emma, Draco, Daphne and Raiden were on the other. The sixth years looked at Emma, who hissed, "Go!" at them, as they had a clear path down the hall to safety. The sixth years raised their wands, and yelled "Stupefy!" as the troll stopped, wondering where it's prey had gone. Their spells combined with Emma's and the first year trio, producing a hail of red light. Draco, Daphne and Raiden had weaker spells as they hadn't officially learnt it yet, but they did get a jet of red light. Not that it did much good as the troll looked dazed for a minute before shaking it off.
The sixth years gave apologetic looks to Emma and the trio before dashing off. The four Slytherins left maneuvered carefully round the troll, looking for escape. Raiden cast a look at the still unconscious seventh years and then at the troll.
"Emma, we can't leave them there!" he hissed, indicating the unconscious students. Emma bit her lip in indecision before nodding and levitating one with a flick of her wand before pointing at Daphne. "Levitate Rookwood, and bring him with us. Come on you two!" she snapped, seeing Draco and Raiden staring at the troll. They made their way down the corridor, ahead of the troll who roared in anger and began chasing them. Hampered as they were by having to levitate the seventh years, Emma and Daphne couldn't stop the troll. Just at the entrance to the corridor, they met the staff, with Snape and McGonagall in the lead.
Snape took one look at the troll and then at his students. Raising his wand he snarled out, "Avada Kedavra!" The jet of green light shot at the troll and hit it at the dead centre of its forehead. The troll swayed and Snape threw another Avada Kedavra at it. The spell hit the same spot and this time the creature keeled over, not dead, just unconscious. Walking up to it, Snape looked down at it and then cast a cutting curse at its throat. It took several, full strength curses to do the job but eventually the thick skin was cut and the troll died.
Raiden was staring in shock at his Head of House. He couldn't get the image of the green light out of his mind. It was eerily similar to his dream memory of his parent's deaths. Snape saw his bemused and shocked look and came over to him. In a gentle tone of voice he enquired, "Is everyone alright?" Receiving shaky nods from the four conscious students he nodded back and then took charge of the two unconscious seventh years, floating them briskly to the infirmary. Once he'd delivered them into Madam Pomfrey's capable hands he returned to the Slytherin common room, where he found the students busy tucking into the remainder of the feast, namely dessert, with the exception of Raiden. Raiden was sitting apart from the others, staring sightlessly into the fire, not aware of his surroundings. He started when Snape placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Is there anything you want to talk about Mr Potter?" he enquired.
Raiden looked up at him and then slowly gathered his thoughts. Finally he spoke. "It's just that, well, when you killed that troll, the killing curse, it, it reminded me of my parents' deaths. This being Halloween and everything, well, it just brought everything back."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "I thought you knew about your parents' deaths Mr Potter, given who your master is?" He said this quietly so no other students would overhear. Raiden shot his Head of House an annoyed look.
"Yes I know how they died, but just because my position is what it is, doesn't mean that I'm not affected by it, nor does it mean that the sight of that particular curse doesn't affect me. I'm only eleven, Professor; my master does try to keep things age-appropriate you know." Raiden kept his voice low as well, mindful of the other students as well.
Snape nodded before replying, "Yes, Mr Potter, but try to understand, that curse was the only thing that would have disorientated it enough to get in close enough to kill it. I'm sorry you had to see it, but I was more concerned about saving your life and the life of your Housemates than keeping things age appropriate."
Raiden nodded and then said, "Thank you, Professor, I'm not sure what we would have done if you and the other professors hadn't shown up." Snape smirked and patted his shoulder before steering him over to the food, where Draco promptly shoved a bowl of trifle and chocolate cake at him. As the party swirled round him Raiden resolved to talk about the killing curse with his master later on, he couldn't keep having this reaction to it if he was ever to get his revenge on the Dursleys when he was older. For now though, he relaxed and allowed the stress of the near death experience to bleed away as he focused on being a normal eleven-year-old wizard.
Up in his office, Quirrell was pacing round, wondering how he was supposed to get the Philosopher's Stone when a bloody three-headed dog was guarding the entrance to the trap door that he needed to go down in order to retrieve it.
Dumbledore too, was pacing in his office though his thoughts were turned more to the brush with death that Raiden had experienced. His eyes turned to the invisibility cloak hanging on a peg in his office; he would need to give that to someone soon. He didn't feel happy about it going to Harry, yes the cloak was James' but Harry was a Slytherin.
'I'll decide about it later, right now I'm just happy that Harry's alive' the old wizard thought as he readied himself for bed. As the inhabitants of the castle settled down for sleep, the Mirror of Erised waited down below the castle, the Philosopher's Stone safe within it.