Petunia's Boys
Disclaimer – I own none of it, it belongs to JKR.
Chapter 17
Harry twirled his favorite never-out quill between his fingers while skimming through one of his Herbology books. He had several extra reference books that both Narcissa and Severus had said would give him some extra information for essays that was sure to get him higher marks.
He was having a difficult time caring if Nightshade grown in the wild would make certain poisons more lethal than greenhouse plants. The book he was perusing was being coy with the answer, giving so many maybes and exceptions to the rule that the information was essentially useless. He hated to admit it, but the reference book by Mae Campion was only rarely worth the trouble to read.
Dean and Seamus were discussing an upcoming Quidditch match that should occur during spring break in low tones to avoid annoying Madam Pince. They hoped to arrange to gather a bunch of friends to meet there. Hermione was grilling Draco, who was sitting across from her, on some wizarding customs. Draco was a little flattered that she had decided to truly learn about her new world and that she'd decided he was the best resource.
Lavender and Pavarti were flanking Hermione, shamelessly cheating off her paper. Hermione had protested at first when they had started doing that, but decided that if it meant they treated her as one of them, it was worth it. Draco's pragmatic outlook on things was rubbing off on her, and he'd said that if her roommates wanted to cheat themselves out of a proper education, that was their problem. It was nice to be treated a bit better in the dorms and she had seized that excuse Draco had offered with both hands.
Hermione had given up monitoring everyone else's study habits and now badgered other muggleborns and half-bloods into learning more about the customs and traditions of 'the world they now occupied' instead. Draco wearily listened to more questions about how winter solstice rituals varied from region to region and what did he think the slight differences were important or not? He'd created a monster, he was sure.
A glistening doe patronus galloped through the library, trotting up to Harry with a toss of her head. The first years were awestruck, but started giggling when Professor Snape's voice came out of the very feminine doe's mouth. "Potter, NOW!" rang out in commanding tones and then the patronus evaporated into sparkles.
The entire library turned to look at Harry, including an angry looking Irma Pince.
Harry hesitated and felt his eye twitch just once. He sighed; he'd just known that Lucius' problem was contagious. He was going to owl him about this.
"Um, I think that Professor Snape is telling me I'm late for a detention …" Harry managed a sheepish smile. "… I forgot …" Draco smirked at him, guessing the truth.
Hermione rolled her eyes, but remained silent, as hounding others about their studies, homework and detentions was not her concern and did not teach others to be responsible for themselves according to Draco.
Harry's explanation seemed to satisfy everyone and Harry slunk out of the library, and then ran to the dungeons. Soon there would be justice for his parents. He tossed his bookbag into Severus's office and tossed the invisibility cloak over himself. They had planned everything as closely as they could. Much was still left to chance, but he and Severus had done their best.
Harry entered the lab quietly and then made a faint meowing noise … their signal. Severus appeared to look at the hallway while Albus sweated and frowned. "… a kneazle …it's nothing." Severus said dismissively.
Harry crept forward as Severus pointed to the pickled Prussian porcupine pus pockets and said they must absolutely be pounded until they were liquefied. Albus bent to the work, not seeing the Sorcerer's Stone disappear and another red stone take its place. It looked identical, but would vanish in a few hours.
Harry silently made his way back to Severus' office and said "Dobby" in a strong voice. One of the Malfoy's house elves that had been sent to work in the Dower house that had been given to the Dursley's and Harry, Dobby was quite cheerfully devoted to Harry's every whim. Calling Dobby to Hogwarts was relatively easy.
Harry whispered instructions to Dobby after casting a silencing charm. It was imperative that no one know where the stone went … even Severus and Lucius.
While making this part of the plan Severus had grimaced and lowered his eyes in discomfort. "The Sorcerer's Stone is a great temptation … to anyone. To some it promises great wealth, to others the potions you can make are amazing, and of course everyone would like the elixir of life. Hide the stone and tell no one – not even Lucius or I until this madness is finished and then we will return it to Flamel."
Severus had obviously been unhappy at having to admit that there was any temptation he felt he might not be able to resist. Harry had patted his shoulder and tried to reassure him. "I'm pretty sure that everyone has one or two things that would have a hard time saying no to. It just means that you're human."
Severus had smiled at him ruefully, hearing a mix of Lily's understanding and kindness along with Petunia's realistic outlook on life. The mischievous grin Harry had given him at the end was an echo of James' … but the old anger that would have flared at the sight of that grin in was now conspicuous by its absence.
Now Harry smiled as Dobby popped away and covered back up with the invisibility cloak. Severus had told him to go back to the tower after sending off the stone, but Harry had every intention of not just hearing about the justice to be exacted from Dumbledore and Voldemort, he wanted to see it.
Harry crept down the hall, concentrating on the voices coming from the potions lab where Severus was coaching Dumbledore through the final steps of the potion. He listened intently as the potion was poured into a goblet and waited breathlessly as the Headmaster drank it.
It was done, at last.
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Severus watched tensely as the soft footsteps crept to the Stone and made the switch after alerting him with the 'meow' that Severus had said was a kneazle. Albus was too intent to do more than shrug and continue working.
Severus eyed the vial of Elixir of Life that Albus had made up. It was still mostly full. Albus had only needed a small amount for the potion. This might be useful, he thought. He didn't dare place the Stone within his own reach, but a vial of the Elixir. He might trust himself with that.
While Albus sweated over the final stirring of the cauldron Severus tapped a ring on his finger, alerting Quirrell that "it was time…"
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Quirrell and Voldemort felt the summons and sprang up, eager to claim a new and powerful body for the restless spirit the Dark Lord had become. Quirrell cast a disillusionment charm on himself along with the happily muttering spirit lurking on the back of his head and crept through the hallways carefully. They did not want anything to go wrong at this point.
He was nearly to the lab where Albus and Severus were finishing up the potion when Quirrell heard a slight noise. He froze and Voldemort ceased crowing about their upcoming success. He could see nothing, but he knew he'd heard footsteps ahead of him.
With all the students streaming through the hallways, tracking dirt and the constant dampness in most of the dungeon area made the hallways there muddy. Attempting to keep them clean was a constant battle for house elves and Filch. Quirrell watched carefully and saw footprints appear in areas of dried mud. He kept close watch while listening to Albus congratulate himself on his successful brewing. Both Quirrell and the footprints came closer to the doorway while Albus lifted the steaming goblet in a toast – presumably to himself.
Quirrell and his invisible companion watched as Albus downed the brew, with Severus looking at the Headmaster with the intent look a lion might give an approaching gazelle.
The Headmaster smiled and held up his hand to watch the withering and blackening reverse itself and turn back into healthy tissue and skin. The Headmaster was grinning in triumph for a moment and then paled and sank to his knees, clutching the table in distress.
Quirrell strode forward, dropping the disillusionment and grabbed at the area where he knew someone was hiding, shoving the hidden wizard into the lab and tearing the invisibility cloak off a shocked Harry Potter. Severus stepped forward in alarm, but quickly hid the reaction and just smirked at Harry and quickly distracted Quirrell and Voldemort.
"Quickly, my Lord. The weakness may only last a few moments …"Severus said anxiously.
Quirrell and the Dark Lord immediately focused on the shocked Headmaster. "Severus …?" Dumbledore gasped, stunned that the good soldier that he was so sure was securely tied to his cause and under his thumb was working against him.
A dark vaguely human – shaped cloud emerged from Quirrell and enveloped the protesting Dumbledore and sank into him. There was a struggle as the Headmaster tried to throw the Dark Lord off, but eventually the watching wizards could see Albus' eyes fill with red surrounding the twinkling blue.
To Quirrell's shock, though, it didn't seem to be a clear win.
"Get out, you filthy Dark Wizard …!" "No, I'm evicting you, you old has – been …"
The argument took place in two very different voices. Severus frowned, he wasn't sure this was the way it was supposed to go. Harry watched, fascinated. He was sure that the confusing back and forth conversation between the two wizards occupying Dumbledore's body could give the Weasley twins a lesson in baffling their listeners.
Quirrell watched uncertainly and said, "Master …? Maybe you should take over someone else?"
Severus smirked and answered that question. "Unfortunately the potion binds the two of you together permanently." Severus watched the wizard, who was now a duplex instead of a single unit look even more horrified and struggle to his feet. "… and by the way – the potion also will drain all your magic and shatter your core." Severus looked into eyes of the soon to be magic-less wizard and smirked. "… Sorry." He said in a mockingly apologetic tone.
Quirrell managed to bleat out a "… Master?" Clearly hoping for guidance.
Dumblemort's eyes were on Severus, though. "You're going to fix this, you backstabbing Death Eater!" Albus' voice shrieked.
"No … can't … sorry." Severus sneered out and aimed his wand at him.
Dumblemort's eyes drifted to the still nearly full vial of Elixir of Life and the Philosopher's Stone. Severus grabbed the vial and pretended to be horrified when Dumblemort snatched the Stone.
"You'll never find a cure in time to save your magic." Severus said in warning.
"I was quite good at Potions myself.", Albus' voice sneered.
"And I know where to do the brewing. We can get to the Chamber of Secrets." Voldemort's voice hissed.
"Ha! … I knew you were the guilty one and not Hagrid." Albus' voice said in triumph.
"Focus, you old fool …" Voldemort's voice shot back in exasperation. "I can see the magic leaking out of us even now …"
Dumblemort seemed to be concentrating on something the others couldn't see and then focused on Severus in renewed fury. "You thought our magic would drain quickly, didn't you?" Albus' voice came at him, but with hissing undertones. Severus shifted his feet, this was not going right. "Well, the two of us are the most powerful wizards in quite some time - I can see that our magic is draining, but not all that quickly. I think we have a few days before our combined magic is gone."
Dumblemort's eyes shifted to Harry, who had been inching his way over to Severus. He really wished he'd gone to the tower and settled for watching all this in Severus' pensieve, later. Dumblemort drew Albus' wand and shouted. "Get the boy!" to Quirrell, who sprang into action, visibly relieved to finally be given an order.
Severus flew to Harry's defense, but as the spells flew he knew he was no match for what was essentially a three on one battle, especially when the one wizard had both Voldemort and Dumbledore's combined magic. Luckily Dumblemort was just looking to escape with Harry and the Stone. Harry was dragged away after being disarmed and Severus desperately tried to get past Quirrell to stop them.
Severus finally resorted to an old favorite spell and shouted "Sectumsempra!" at Quirrell, leaving the wizard in a bloody heap as he tried to follow Dumblemort and Harry.
Severus could hear Harry's shouts and followed the voice to a girl's bathroom on the second floor. An opening in the wall was slowly closing as he entered and he desperately cast spells to stop it. It took several tries, but at last it creaked to a halt, leaving an opening about a foot wide.
Severus took a deep breath and muffled a scream of anger. Why had Harry come back to the lab? He could have let Dumblemort run off and slowly leak magic until he was a squib, but now the magic - leaking wizard had Harry. He could trade the boy to the Ministry for a cure, or just kill him in revenge.
He shook his head. Harry was usually so sensible, but he should have guessed the boy would want to watch his parent's killer defeated in person.
But what to do now?
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A/N- I realized this is very short, but I wanted to get something out to you. I had to take a break due to a death in the family, but writing should get quicker if all goes well.