Chapter 13

Together they walked through the fire into the next chamber.

"You!" gasped Harry. Ewan bent down to Harry's ear, "Told you so…"

Quirrell smiled. "Me," he said, "I wondered if I was going to be meeting you here Mr. Potter. I wasn't expecting you though, Mr. Tyler."

Ewan gave the man a look of pure hatred. Harry continued talking.

"But I thought – Snape-"

"Severus? Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-struttering P-Professor Quirrell?"

"Snape tried to kill me!"

"No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidently knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few minutes and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering the counter curse, trying to save you."

"Snape was trying to save me?"

"Of course, why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really… he needed have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought that Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular… and a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."

"Like hell you are!" said Ewan, making his presence known again. Fury pulsed through him. 'No one tries to hurt my brother!' He thought.

"Ah, Mr. Tyler almost forgot you were here. No matter I'll kill you too." Ewan had his wand out a second later just as Professor Quirrell snapped his fingers and ropes sprang out of this air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry and Ewan.

"You too are two nosy to live. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."

"You let the troll in?" asked Harry.

"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls – you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else is running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off – and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even mange to bite Snape's leg off properly. Now wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror."

While, Quirrell was talking Ewan was cutting off the ropes with his wand. He was almost finished. Harry and Quirrell started talking again, he was almost there. 'YES! Finally.' grabbing his wand and pointing to at the back of Quirrell he shouted: "Stupefy" It knocked Quirrell into the mirror, knocking him down. He went over to harry and released his ropes.

"You okay?" Ewan asked quietly.

Harry just nodded his head, "Behind you!"

Quirrell was up again. His turban had fallen off. Harry and Ewan stared at the head growing out of their teachers head.

"Ah, the Potter boy's. We meet again. I should have known. Yes Harry Potter don't you know, your dear older brother is alive and standing right next to you."

Harry and Ewan looked at each other.

"You, you're Voldemort."

"Yes, you see what I've become, see what I must do to survive, live off another, a mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can, something that you can get me."

"Never!" yelled Harry.

"Bravary, your parents had it too. Tell, boys, would you like to see your mother and father again, we can bring them back. All I asked is a little favour. There is no good and evil, there is only power and those to weak to seek it."

"You're a liar!" said Ewan. Voldemort was outraged. "Kill them!" he ordered. Quarrel grabbed Harry, choking him. Ewan pulled Quarrel off and held to Harry, meanwhile, Quarrel turned to dust.

"Oh my god, we killed a teacher." said Ewan. "Are you hurt?"

"No…" Behind them Voldemort spirit arose. The boys turned around just in time to have the spirit fly through Harry, causing Harry to faint.

Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape blasted through the door, wands pointing straight to Ewan. All of them lowered their wands. Professor McGonagall escorted Ewan and a levitated Harry out of the room, out of the trap rooms, and out of the trap door. Fluffy was gone.

For four hours, Ewan sat with Harry in the Hospital Wing while Ron and Hermione explained everything to the Headmaster, Ewan adding only when he was involved. He didn't mention the invisibility cloak at all though.

When Harry awoke, Dumbledore and Ewan explained things to him. About what happened to Voldemort and about Ewan.

"With the stone gone sir, does that mean Voldemort can never come back?" asked Ewan.

"I' am afraid there are ways he can still come back." answered Dumbledore.

"Sir, why is it, down in the dungeon, that Quirrell turned to dust?" asked Harry

"It was because of your mother, she sacrificed herself for you. And that sacrifice leaves a mark."

Harry touched his scar. "Not that mark Harry." said Ewan.

"Then what is it?"

"Love Harry, love." said the Headmaster.

***

The whole school had found out what happened through the trap door, and defense classes were canceled, for Quirrell was now dead. The Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor match was the next day. It was one of the longest games, in all Ewan's three years. Gryffindor lost but only by 10 points. The Cup match was another close won, Gryffindor caught the snitch but Ravenclaw had more points. Ravenclaw won the Quidditch Cup.

The end-of-term feast arrived. The hall was adorned in Slytherin colors. Dumbledore soon entered.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were… you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…. Now as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two"

The Slytherin table was ecstatic. Clapping and stamping. Ewan's teeth were clenched together.

"Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, however, recent events must be taken into account. Ahem, I have a few last minutes points to dish out. Let me see. Yes… first – to Mr. Ronald Weasley…for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor House fifty points."

Ewan could have sworn that the Gryffindor cheers could have been heard from the highest Astronomy tower. The Hall went quiet again, anticipating more points.

"Second – to Miss Hermione Granger…for the use of cool logic in the face of death, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

The Gryffindor's were now hundred points up.

"Third - to Mr. Harry Potter… for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

The hall was overly excited. Gryffindor's were tied with Slytherin.

"Forth- to Mr. Ewan Tyler… for calm leadership and impressive intelligence when faced with deadly odds, I award Ravenclaw house, sixty points."

Ewan was speechless. He wasn't expecting that. Ravenclaw was temporally in first place, because of him… wow. However, Ewan knew they wouldn't win. More points were being rewarded.

Dumbledore raised his hand to quiet the loud Hall. "There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies but it takes a great deal more to stand up to your friends, I therefore awarded fifteen points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

The Great Hall went wild, even Ravenclaw, who lost by only one point. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff alike were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin.

"Which means, we need a little change in decoration."

Suddenly, the Hall was clad in red and gold.

***

Once the train pulled into Platform 9 ¾, Ewan went to find Harry.

"Harry!" he called. Catching up to him, Harry asked "Do I have to go back to the Dursley's?"

"You heard what Dumbledore said, it's safer. But Harry, you can always call on me. You know that."

"Okay."

"Good. Harry, don't tell anyone about me being alive, the wizardry world thinks I'm dead, let's just let them continue thinking that till the time is right, for safety reasons."

"Alright"

Together the brothers passed through the barrier. Ewan introduced Harry to his parents, Jon agreeing to help Harry. Harry and Ewan, and Ewan' family walked over to see the Dursley's.

"Ready, are you?" Uncle Vernon said, looking furious at Harry.

"You must be Harry's family." said Jon, he still had his police uniform on.

"Yes" Uncle Vernon said, his tone changed to that of forced respect, though Ewan can tell he was only pretending.

"My name is Jonathon Tyler. My son here attends Hogwarts as well. Ewan and Harry here formed a friendship, so I expect many letters between the boys, you understand."

"Of course" Uncle Vernon said through his teeth.

"Excellent, well… good day sir."

Ewan's family walked ahead of Ewan.

"Have fun this summer Harry" he said smirking, before turning and walking out of Kings Cross.