Chosen - a Harry Potter fanfic
By Anton B. Ingibjartsson, AKA dragonwrath7
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to JK Rowling. I am not JK Rowling.
This story was partly influenced and inspired by the fanfic In The Words Of Ginevra Molly Potter, by TheJealousOne.
THIS STORY CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS TO ALL THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS! IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THEM AND DON'T WANT THE EXPERIENCE RUINED FOR YOU, REFRAIN FROM READING FURTHER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Chapter Six: Quirrel's Quarry
"Accio!"
The giant club flew off the floor towards him. Harry threw himself to the floor and the club hit the troll straight in the face. It fell backwards and hit the floor with an almighty crash.
For a few seconds, none of them dared to move. Harry even held his breath. Then the enormous relief accompanying their victory washed over them, and Harry slowly began to breathe.
"Is it dead?" asked Hermione timidly, as Ron cautiously made his way around the troll and helped Harry to his feet.
"I don't think-" began Harry, but he was suddenly interrupted.
"What is going on here!?"
Ron and Harry turned around at the sound and found themselves facing Professor McGonagall, accompanied by Professors Sprout and Flitwick. Ron let go of Harry, who cried out in pain from having to stand on his injured foot. Ron immediately grabbed him again.
"Evening, Professors," gasped Harry after mouthing a string of curses.
"Potter! Weasley! Why aren't you in the dormitory? Explain yourselves!"
"Excuse me, Professor-" began Hermione, and McGonagall seemed to notice her for the first time. "It was my fault-"
"No it wasn't!" said Harry. "It was mine. I knew about the troll beforehand and I forgot to warn you, and Hermione and Ron would have been at the feast if I hadn't been such a prat. I put their lives in danger."
Ron and Hermione both looked at him, but neither appeared to know what to say.
"And you decided to fight the troll instead of running?"
"I can't run, Professor, I've twisted my ankle. If Ron and Hermione hadn't been there to carry me away, the troll would probably have killed me."
McGonagall considered him for a moment, then sighed.
"Very well. That's five points from Gryffindor for your foolishness, Mr. Potter. As for you two," she looked at Ron and Hermione in turn, "I'm giving you each five points for saving your friend."
At this moment, Professors Snape and Quirrel came around the corner.
"Professor," said Ron, who seemed to sense danger from the pair, "can I take Harry to the Hospital Wing now?"
"Yes, Mr. Weasly, I think you'd better."
Hermione joined them and Harry found himself carried past the teachers by his two best friends.
"Out of interest, Potter," said Professor Snape with malice in his voice as the trio was passing him, "how did you defeat the troll?"
"Hover Charm," answered Harry, "followed by a Summoning Charm. Why do you ask, Professor?"
"Summoning Charm?" asked Professor Flitwick. "You performed a Summoning Charm, Potter?"
"Yeah, and I've seen Hermione do it too."
"But that's very advanced for your age," piped in Professor Sprout.
"We were under stress. I don't think we'll be able to repeat it in class. Not yet, anyway."
"And how," asked Snape, "did you use a Summoning Charm to defeat a troll?"
"I slid between its legs and stood between it and its club, which I'd ripped from its hand with the Hover Charm, summoned the club towards myself and the troll, and then threw myself to the floor."
"You could have been killed!" said Professor McGonagall.
"I could have," agreed Harry, "but the troll was catching up. If I hadn't acted, we'd all be dead."
"But-" began McGonagall, her nostrils flaring.
"I know, Professor."
Harry sighed and looked back at her.
"My friends come first."
They looked at each other for a few seconds before McGonagall relented.
"Very well, Potter. Off you go."
As the trio moved away, Harry could feel five pairs of eyes following them. One pair in particular; Quirrel had been facing away from them...
Harry no longer spent his time in Defense Against the Dark Arts to plan ahead; instead he focused his attention on Quirrel. There could be no doubt that Quirrel knew exactly how to get past Devil's Snare, he was probably a very good flyer who would have no trouble catching a flying key, he was smart enough to win a game of chess and get past Snape's potion puzzle, not to mention he himself brought the troll and would have no problem getting rid of it. And without Fluffy his way was clear, except for Dumbledore's protection; the Mirror of Erised. Still, if Quirrel had been able to dispose of Fluffy, he might be able to figure out the magic behind the mirror and find his way past it. The only reason Harry hadn't gone to check that the Philosopher's Stone was still there was that he was quite sure Quirrel would not make his move while Dumbledore was still in the school. Still, he wouldn't rest easy until he was sure the stone was well beyond Quirrel's reach.
He spent hours in the library, supposedly reading up on his History of Magic, but in truth pondering how he could best protect the stone. He was only vaguely aware of the text his eyes traveled over, barely registering that the chapter he was reading concerned how each of the school's common rooms were protected. There was something about how the portrait of the Fat Lady had replaced some kind of test of courage, but they had decided to change it on account of various nasty incidents concerning first-year students.
Suddenly, Harry jolted to attention when his eyes reached the bit about Ravenclaw's protection – the door would ask a question that you had to answer if you wanted to get inside.
It took Harry an hour to find what he needed and another two hours to learn the necessary spell, but it was quite a bit simpler than he'd ever imagined.
When he came down to dinner, Ron and Hermione both wanted to know why he was late, but Harry simply told them he'd taken a little detour.
Reassured, Harry was able to be exited over the coming Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Slytherin, just like any normal student. He'd never been a big sports fan, but this was different somehow. Quidditch was, after all, an exceptional sport. On the day of the game, Harry noticed the entire Gryffindor team sitting together at breakfast. They didn't exactly look happy. Harry wondered if it had something to do with their Seeker, Alicia Spinnet. He knew Alicia had been a reserve Chaser in the previous year, but he knew nothing about her Seeking abilities.
It was a disaster. The game only lasted ten minutes, during which Gryffindor scored five goals and Slytherin scored twelve goals. The torment ended when the Slytherin Seeker caught the Snitch before Alicia even noticed it. Final score: Gryffindor 50, Slytherin 270. No wonder the team had looked so sour.
A few days later, Harry was sitting in the library alone, studying up on healing spells. He'd just reached the part about the bone-mending charm when Hermione and Ron came to him, both looking determined.
"What's the matter?" asked Harry, completely bewildered.
"We want you to stop what you're doing," said Ron.
"Err- what?" Harry hadn't the slightest idea what they could possibly have against healing charms.
"Harry," said Hermione, "we know about the Philosopher's Stone."
Harry stared at her in open-mouthed amazement, unable to comprehend how she could possibly have found out about the stone. She looked quite uncomfortable with the look he was giving her. Ron cleared his throat, causing Harry's stare to shift to him instead.
"I overheard Hagrid talking to Professor McGonagall about it."
Harry understood. Hagrid had accidentally mentioned the stone out loud to McGonagall, Ron heard it and told Hermione, who had probably read up about it before talking to McGonagall, who, in turn, had assured her that the stone was perfectly safe and that they'd only get in trouble if they interfered. That's why they wanted him to stop looking for ways to protect the stone.
"Wait. How did you even know I was trying to protect the stone in the first place?"
"Duh, you've been studying like crazy," said Ron. "Hermione noticed that you seemed to be focusing on books concerning dueling and defense stuff."
"We can put two and two together, Harry," added Hermione. "We know you're a Seer and that you've probably seen something to do with the stone... Please stop this, Harry. You could get hurt. McGonagall assured us that the stone is safe!"
"Well," said Harry with a wry smile, "it is now."
"Potter!"
Harry looked at the library entrance and saw Professor McGonagall herself marching towards him.
"Professor McGonagall. What can I do for you?"
"I've just been to the forbidden corridor on the third floor-"
"Ah, yes," said Harry calmly, feeling quite Dumbledore-ish. "I imagine you ran into my little protection."
" 'Little protection'? You cast the Seal of Ravenclaw on the trapdoor!"
"Well, I modified it a bit. We can hardly expect to keep the enemy out with mere logic, he's way too smart for that. I'd say it's safe to call this variation 'the Seal of Harry Potter.'"
Everyone else went quiet. Hermione and Ron were staring at Harry, apparently in awe. McGonagall seemed taken aback.
"The enemy? You know who's after the stone?"
Harry's expression became hard.
"Of course I know, Professor."
"Who is it then, Potter!?"
Harry was surprised. "You don't know?"
McGonagall didn't answer, but her face told him the truth. Dumbledore had not confided in her, perhaps because he was not certain himself. Harry looked into her eyes and his features became hard once again.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle."
Ron didn't catch on, but Hermione and McGonagall froze. Hermione, looking very scared, whispered just loud enough for the other three to hear. Ron froze up when she spoke.
"You-know-who?"
"Who else? Honestly, do you think I'd be putting so much effort into protecting the stone if the person who was after it was just another wizard? No, I wouldn't bother at all if it wasn't him."
After he spoke, they all stood quietly looking at each other. Ron was staring at Harry, his expression a mixture of fear and respect. Hermione's eyes travelled between Harry and McGonagall, who were staring at each other.
"Potter," began Professor McGonagall, "I want you to come with me to the headmaster's-"
"There will be no need for that, Minerva."
They all turned, and Harry quickly shielded his mind with Occlumency, closing off all emotion. Albus Dumbledore stood before them. He stared at Harry with his piercing gaze and smiled.
"You can relax, Harry. I have no intention of reading your mind."
Harry was genuinely surprised.
How did he know?
Dumbledore turned to McGonagall.
"I have no intention of punishing Mr. Potter. I personally tested his spell, and it is every bit as powerful as the Seal of Ravenclaw. The questions he chose were also rather interesting. Mr. Potter certainly understands the world much better than Lord Voldemort-" everyone except Harry and Dumbledore flinched "-and I feel quite confident that our enemy will be unable to break through the Seal of Harry Potter."
He strode away, smiling serenely, apparently unaware that everyone was staring after him. Harry, feigning calmness, returned to his book and finished reading the description of the bone-mending charm. Everyone's gaze shifted to him instead.
"So, Potter," began McGonagall, regaining her posture. "What makes you so sure He Who Must Not Be Named will be unable to answer these questions of yours?"
Harry smiled, but did not look up from the book.
"With all due respect, Professor, were you able to answer the questions?"
After that, Harry hardly ever let his guard down, keeping up with his Occlumency almost unconsciously. Every now and then, Hermione and Ron would bombard him with questions about his future and the nature of the Seal, but Harry was not forthcoming.
Christmas was fast approaching, and Harry's scar would not leave him alone. Voldemort must surely be very furious indeed if he was able to pain Harry like this even when he was protected by Occlumency . Soon the classes were over and most of the students were preparing to leave the castle for Christmas break. This only caused Harry to worry. Fewer people meant less protection for the stone. And indeed, the day the students left, the pain in his scar vanished. Harry couldn't help but think that only one thing could cause his pain to go away so swiftly; Voldemort knew how to get past the Seal.
Ron stayed in the castle with Harry, and they were both surprised to find that Hermione had decided to stay as well. The decision must have been quite sudden; Harry remembered seeing her with the departing students, but he was glad to have her. Ron was okay, but Hermione was his best friend. Harry noticed that Hermione seemed quieter and more reserved than usual, but didn't dwell on it. She was probably just worried about him. Harry, on the other hand, had other things to worry about. His scar should be hurting, he was sure of that.
He woke up on Christmas morning drenched in sweat. He'd had a horrible dream involving a man with horrifying snake-like features. It was how he had always imagined the face of Lord Voldemort. The man had stood and laughed over his dead body. In the aftermath of his nightmare, Harry's confidence in his own Seal was all but gone. He sat up and managed to calm himself somewhat. Ron was still asleep. Harry looked toward the base of his bed and saw a small pile of gifts. He unwrapped the one from Mrs. Weasley and put on his new sweater. He left the other packages alone for now and stepped out of bed. Ron snored quite loudly and was clearly still asleep. Harry looked at the time and decided it was safe to head down for an early breakfast. Surely a healthy meal would help him recover from the night's horrors.
When Harry reached the Great Hall, some of the teachers and a few students were already there. The food appeared just as he sat down at the Gryffindor table, and indeed, the courage that had nearly vanished in the night seemed to return somewhat with every bite he took. When he was quite full, he just sat there for a moment, allowing himself to relax. Ron and Hermione still had not come down to eat, but Harry wasn't too worried about that. Ron was undoubtedly still asleep and Hermione was surely unwrapping presents. Come to think of it, Hermione had been unusually quiet lately and Harry had seen very little of her over the Christmas break. As Harry began to wonder if she was avoiding him, his eyes moved over the room towards the teachers' table, and his gut wrenched. Dumbledore was not there, nor was Quirrel.
Professor McGonagall had evidently finished eating because she stood up and made her way out of the hall. As she passed him, Harry stopped her.
"Professor, may I ask where Professor Dumbledore is?"
"The headmaster is away, Potter."
"Away?"
"Yes, Potter. Away."
Harry didn't wait for an explanation. Panicking, he jumped to his feet and ran all the way back to the Common Room. If Voldemort knew how to get past the Seal, Harry was certain he would go after the stone as soon as Dumbledore left the castle. The fact that Quirrel was also absent was proof to Harry that he was getting ready to go after the stone, if he was not there already.
Hermione was in the Common Room when Harry arrived, but Harry wasted no time explaining his haste. He dashed straight up to his dormitory, where he proceeded directly to his tiny pile of presents. Ignoring Ron's questions, he picked up the Christmas card which was on top of the pile and, without even looking at it, shoved it into his pocket before ripping away the paper concealing Dumbledore's gift; the Invisibility Cloak. He threw the cloak over himself and vanished from sight just as he was leaving the room, causing confused shouts from Ron. He heard Ron chase him down the stairs. When he was halfway towards the Common Room entrance, he heard Hermione's voice.
"Ron? What's all the ruckus about?"
"It's Harry! He turned invisible and ran downstairs."
Harry pushed the portrait open.
"Harry! Wait!"
At Ron's words, he halted.
"Take us with you," said Hermione.
"Take you with me where?"
"You're going after the stone, aren't you?"
"The stone?" asked Ron. "Why would he do that? The stone's safe, isn't it?"
"Dumbledore's left the school," said Hermione, "and you think Lord Voldemort knows how to get past your Seal, don't you?"
"How do you-" began Harry, but Hermione interrupted.
"Please, just take us with you."
"Y-yeah," said a rather scared-looking Ron, "we can help."
Harry was quiet. Then he raised the cloak.
"Fine. Get under here."
The trio, now all under the Invisibility Cloak, made their way to the forbidden corridor. Making sure the coast was clear, Harry pointed his wand at the lock and whispered 'Alohomora'.
"So how does this Seal thing work?" asked Ron quietly as he closed the door behind them.
Harry stepped towards the trapdoor in the floor. Immediately, rainbow-colored lights rose from the floor in front of him, causing a gasp from Ron. The light solidified into a spectral image that greatly resembled Harry, and his voice sounded from somewhere within the light.
"If you wish to pass beyond this point, you will need to answer three questions. Are you ready?"
"I am ready," answered Harry.
"Then let us begin," said the Seal. "What is the greatest power in the world?"
"The greatest power in the world is love."
"What are you talking about, Harry?" asked Ron. "How can love be-"
"Why," asked the Seal again, "did the one-year-old Harry Potter survive the killing curse?"
"Harry Potter survived the killing curse because he was protected by the magic of his mother's love, who died to save him."
"And who is the true Master of Death?"
"The true master of death is whoever accepts that death is inevitable."
"I am convinced," said the Seal. "You are not Lord Voldemort. You may pass."
The light seeped back into the floor. Ron seemed to be speechless.
"Come on," said Harry as he ripped open the trapdoor. "There's a soft landing, but make sure to get out of there as fast as possible."
"Why?" asked Ron, but Harry had already jumped. As expected, he landed on a soft plant which he knew was Devil's Snare. He quickly got up and managed to get away before the vile plant got a firm grip on him. Ron fell down screaming.
"Come on! Get out of there!"
Ron was still struggling with the plant by the time Hermione landed beside him. She rushed to Harry's side quickly, but Ron did not. He could not overpower the Snare. Harry remembered that Devil's Snare hated fire, but the only fire-based spell he could think of was one he had never used. Nevertheless, he raised his wand and pointed it at the plant.
"Incendio!"
A blast of flame, much stronger than Harry had expected, hit the plant, which quickly retreated. Ron ran to Harry's side as the fire diminished. Harry could have sworn he saw a lizard in the flames just before it vanished, but he had no time to think about that just now. They had to move on.
Next they entered the room of flying keys. Harry looked up and his heart sank somewhat. He had no idea which key would fit the door. Even if he knew, there was no way he could catch it. Even Hermione was a better flyer than him, and that was saying something. He was certain the keys were resistant to spells, so he could hardly summon the one he needed. Harry became aware that he was pacing. How could he do this?
"What exactly are we supposed to do now?" asked Ron.
Harry didn't even look up.
"One of those flying keys goes to that door."
"So we need to find the right one and catch it," said Hermione.
"Exactly."
Harry heard Hermione's footsteps as she strode over to the door opposite. She did not try the Alohomora spell. She didn't even touch the door. No doubt she was pondering the problem, same as him.
How can we do this?
"Hermione? What are you doing?" said Ron's voice somewhere behind him.
Harry heard a whooshing sound and looked up to see Hermione fly up on one of the brooms, catch an old silver key, and land in front of them. Harry's mouth fell open.
"Err- Wow! How... When did you... but you're a horrible flyer, like me! When did you get so good?"
"Harry, we really don't have time! Come on, let's hurry!"
Harry looked at Ron, who shared his stunned expression. Hermione hurried to the door, opened it with the key and marched on. Harry and Ron followed.
In the next chamber, the giant chessboard awaited them.
"Ron," said Harry quietly, "this is where I have to put my trust in you."
Ron looked at him, surprised. "M-me?"
"This is a chessboard, Ron. You're the best chess player I've ever known. Which ones should we replace?"
"Replace?"
"We don't have time for this. Look, anyone wishing to move on to the next chamber needs to participate in this chess game by replacing one of the game pieces. Come on, Ron. Pull it together and lead us through this."
Ron swallowed and looked over the chessboard, apparently deep in thought, before deciding that Hermione should be a castle, Harry a bishop, and he himself a knight. They took their places on the board and the game began.
At first, Ron did pretty well, but then the opponent took control and eliminated most of Ron's pieces with apparent ease. Harry looked over at Ron and saw that he still seemed hopeful. These losses didn't seem to faze him at all. Harry tried to pay a little more attention to Ron's strategy and noticed he sometimes placed his pieces where the opponent would surely strike them down. He realized there was more to Ron's plan. He was trying to create an opening for a checkmate, though how he was going to achieve that was beyond Harry. Then, the opponent did something Ron had clearly not expected; it took the other knight. Ron's confidence seemed to shatter. He looked all over the chessboard, apparently seeking a way to fix this, but then the remainder of his hope vanished from his face completely.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I blew it."
"You haven't blown anything, Ronald," said Hermione.
Ron and Harry looked at her.
"There's still one move you can make."
"But- but I can't. Harry will-"
Harry will what? Harry took a closer look at the situation. Yes, they could win. Ron simply refused to make the necessary move, because it required him to sacrifice his last bishop; Harry.
Harry moved.
"Harry! What are you doing!?"
"You need the queen out of the way."
"But Harry! You'll-"
But Harry had already completed his move.
"Check."
The queen moved. She struck. Harry heard a crack and was thrown off the board. He lay among the remains of other defeated chessmen and bit his lip to prevent himself from crying out in pain.
"Harry!"
"Just finish it! Win the game!"
He heard Ron hurry to make the last move.
"Checkmate."
The opposing king's crown made a clang as it hit the board. Harry heard rushing footsteps. Ron was at his side.
"Are you alright?"
Harry wanted to say yes, but the pain in his upper leg was too much. The leg was bent the wrong way. It was clearly broken.
"Help me put my leg right."
"Harry, you need Madam Pomfrey!"
"Just help me."
Ron put the foot in the correct position, with Harry half-crying from the pain.
"Where- Where's Hermione?"
"She... I think she went ahead."
"She WHAT!?"
Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at his thigh.
"Sarciossis!"
A blue jet of light shot from the wand into his leg. Harry could feel the pain vanish as the bone was mended.
Harry got up. Ron looked astonished.
"How did you-"
"Bone-Mending Charm. Pretty simple, really. Come on."
They hurried towards the next chamber. A foul and familiar stench met their nostrils. Harry kept his wand raised, ready to face the waiting troll. When the chamber came into view, however, he almost dropped the wand. The troll was unconscious. Had Hermione done this? Harry looked at Ron, who looked back with a stunned face.
"Blimey," said Ron. "I never knew Hermione could do that."
"Neither did I," replied Harry. Spotting the entrance to the next chamber, he added; "let's just move on."
"She's definitely not mashed under there, right?" said Ron as they moved past the troll. Harry stopped, considering this with a worried expression. He pointed his wand at the troll and uttered a spell. The troll was lifted into the air. Nope, nothing under there. Ron sighed in relief, and they moved on to the next chamber.
Remembering what the next challenge was, Harry said "I hope Hermione's still in here."
"Why? There can't be anything worse than a troll."
"How about poison and fire?"
They entered the next chamber, and immediately flames rose up and blocked both the way forward and the passage back. Hermione wasn't there. Harry saw the potions lined up before them and walked straight towards them. This was why he needed Hermione. He had only realized it after the chess challenge. He couldn't remember which bottle would lead them onwards. He looked at the poem and read it aloud. Ron listened, but could offer no advice. This was an extremely well composed riddle. Harry looked down on the potions, frustrated that his memory had failed him at such a crucial point.
"Ron," said Harry, "I've noticed you don't always bother to put your school things back in your bag. Sometimes you just shove stuff in your pockets."
"Err- Yeah. So?"
"Do you happen to have some ink and a quill?"
Ron checked his pockets. Indeed, among the many small treasures hidden there was an old, ruffled quill and a half-full ink bottle. Harry pulled out the Christmas card he had shoved so hastily in his pocket. Using these together, he was able to write down notes while trying to decipher the riddle. The minutes passed as Harry slowly worked out the riddle. After thinking hard for about ten minutes, he was able to determine the locations of the three poisons. After that, it took him only another minute to be certain of which bottles held the wine.
"Different are those who stand at either end, but if you would move onward, neither is your friend. That means this potion," Harry concluded, pointing at the one to the far right, "will let us go back, and this one," he pointed at the smallest bottle, "will take us forward."
He held up the bottle for Ron to see.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive," answered Harry, wiping sweat from his brow. He could hardly believe he'd actually solved it. As far as he knew, only Hermione and Quirrel had ever solved this riddle. Ron looked quite impressed, but then he took another look at the bottle.
"There's only enough in that tiny thing for one drinker."
"Yeah," said Harry, "I think that's the idea. It's safer to only allow one person in at a time."
"So what do you want me to do?"
Harry was impressed. Ron had accepted without question that Harry should be the one to go on, and Harry hadn't even mentioned anything of the sort.
"You drink this one," said Harry, handing him the right-side potion, "and go back. Head to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore. Tell him the stone's been compromised and that I'm on my way to save it."
"Right. And Harry-"
Harry had hurried towards the black flame, swallowing the necessary potion, but stopped to listen to Ron.
"Good luck."
"You too."
Harry hurried through the flame and stepped into the passage to the final chamber. Out of some strange instinct, his thoughts strayed to his Christmas card. There had not been a coin attached. He remembered that in the books, the Dursleys had sent him a Christmas card with a coin attached, which was supposed to be his present from them. Although he wasn't surprised that they didn't bother sending him anything after the way things had developed in the summer, he pulled the card back out and looked at it. He was about to enter the final chamber and did not bother spending even a second actually reading it, but he did notice two things: First, the writing did not look like Uncle Vernon's handwriting, nor Aunt Petunia's. Second, it was signed 'H'.
Harry did not dwell on the card, however, because at that moment, he entered the chamber. Wand raised, he slowly and quietly made his way inside. Hermione was there, staring into the mirror, but no one else. Had he been wrong? Was he, perhaps, ahead of Quirrel? He lowered the wand and moved toward the mirror.
"So you made it, Harry."
There was something odd in the way Hermione said that, but as soon as Harry took the last step toward the Mirror of Erised, everything else was thrown out of his mind. The image before him was all he cared to see or think about.
He saw himself, not Harry Potter, staring back at him. He saw himself, exactly as he had looked the day before he entered this world. Behind him stood two people who had consumed his thoughts for years, causing him unimaginable pain; his parents. He realized he had not even spared a thought for them since he entered this school. As that thought passed into his mind, his parents smiled and nodded. This was what they wanted. They didn't want him to dwell on them. It was only then that he noticed the girl standing next to him in the mirror. Hermione's reflection had been replaced by Ginny. She looked much older than she was now. In fact, she seemed to be around the same age as he'd been before all this. She took his hand and squeezed it, then leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. The arm of his reflection traveled around the back and held her firmly.
He couldn't stop tears from forming in his eyes.
"This mirror is the key."
Harry and Hermione looked up and Hermione read the text at the top of the mirror.
"Erised strah ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on woshi."
"You're supposed to read it backwards," said Harry. "I show not your face but your heart's desire."
"So how does this mirror help us get the stone?"
"Only the one who wants to find the stone, not use it, will be able to get it."
Harry looked back in the mirror, focusing on his desire to get the stone to safety. His parents had gone, and his reflection had changed to show who he was now; Harry Potter. Ginny was still there. She smiled, took a gleaming red stone from her pocket, and put it in the pocket of Harry's reflection. As she did, Harry could feel something falling into his own pocket. Ginny put her finger to her mouth and made a shushing gesture.
Harry put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the stone. It seemed to glow in the torchlight. Then Harry heard something that sent a terrible chill down his spine. How could he have been so stupid? His thoughts strayed back to the Christmas card, signed 'H'.
"Very good, Potter," said Hermione's voice from behind him. "Now hand me the Philosopher's Stone."
Author's Notes:
This used to be chapter 7, but since I combined the first two chapters into one, I've had to change the number of all the other chapters. This time I also made few minor changes. Nothing big, just grammar and stuff. The part where Harry's looking in the mirror looks a lot better now, as do all mentions of Hermione after she leaves for Christmas break and before Christmas breakfast.
This chapter seems to be around the same length as the previous one. Hi, again. I'm very sorry this took so long, but I've been busy. Also, don't expect the next one to be up anytime soon. My next few weeks will be devoted to schoolwork. I may be able to have the next one up by Christmas, but I can't promise anything. After that, I won't have access to this computer until next year. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Are you bored with the whole thing about beginning each chapter with the previous chapter's ending? I decided a while ago to make it a theme of this story. That way, you can see where you are in the story without checking the previous chapter every time.
Do you think I've made any mistakes regarding the personalities of the characters, such as the teachers? I think they're portrayed correctly, but if you think differently, speak up.
I decided to make Alicia the Gryffindor Chaser. Obviously, she's not very good at it, but since Harry sucks at flying, their choices were pretty limited.
What do you think of the bone-mending charm, Sarciossis? I made it up myself, based on the knowledge that Madam Pomfrey "can mend bones in a heartbeat". That's basically what this charm does. The name is taken from latin. Sarcio means mend or repair, while ossis is a form of the word os, which means bone. In other words, "mend bone(s)".
The Seal of Harry Potter was something that came to me when I was pondering how Harry might try to protect the stone. If you're wondering about its properties, the seal will ask three predetermined questions. If you answer incorrectly, the Seal will prevent you from opening the door (in this case, the trapdoor). So what did you think of the questions I chose?
Some of you are probably pretty confused right about now, but the next chapter will serve to clear a few things up, including Fluffy's death.
Also, I wasn't completely happy with this chapter. It's good overall, but there was a certain point where I wanted to add some more meat to it. I decided, however, to get the chapter done and not spend hours thinking about tiny details. I'm thinking about rewriting this and other chapters, particularly some of the shorter ones. But I probably won't be doing that any time soon. Maybe when I've finished writing about Harry's first year. It's also possible I'll wait until I've finished the entire story. We'll see.
Once again, I offer thanks to my readers and reviewers and remind you that I am open to questions.
Till next time.