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Balance Factor Chapter 6

Year One

The Stone

A/N: Thanks to all that review and/or favorite! It means a lot to me!

AmeliaPond1997 asked if Harry will meet his Father's again. The answer is, yes, he will. Likely not for a few books though.

Some of you requested slash. I'll have to come up with a list of potential pairings. I already have one I know I'll be doing. But Kazuki/Harry I have yet to decide.

Harry removed the cloak when he reached the third floor and slipped it into an extendable pouch he had bought over the summer. He paused as the sound of music playing reached his senses and he stopped right in front of the door.

"Potter," Draco said. Harry looked at the mirror. "You better hurry."

"Excuse me…" Harry said softly to the snoring Cerberus. He shifted the sleeping dog's paw, opening the trapdoor. The dog growled in its sleep, but Harry had already slid into the opening.

Harry looked around when he landed, the plant both slimy and strange against his skin. "I can't see. I think I need some light," he commented, lighting a small fire on the plant. The plant writhed and dropped him through. Harry blinked in surprise.

"Well, that was easy. You'd think that they'd use a plant that was a little more… aggressive," Harry commented. "They are protecting the stone, after all." He paused as he heard Draco snort. "What?"

"Nothing. Just keep going," Draco said. Harry shrugged, moving deeper into the chamber.

Harry stood among the huge amount of flying keys. He looked around, spotting a key that was large, silver, and had a broken wing. "Hm… Draco, when I come back, remind me to quit Quidditch for good, okay?"

"Yes, please do. It'll save us from losing the House Cup," Draco said snorting.

Harry grabbed the broomstick, flying around until he caught the key. Then he landed and threw the broom away, crossing to the door and unlocking it. He strode through, ignoring the barrier he had thrown up in effort to prevent himself from getting pelted to death by key.

Harry groaned when he spotted the huge chess pieces. He walked over to the pawns and then looked up at the White king.

"Sir, I require passage. Please move, as I do not wish to destroy you," Harry said calmly. The King didn't move, but Harry pressed forward. The pawns sprung to life, allowing him passage through the board to the King. Harry bowed to the King, tilted his head towards the Queen and pressed on.

"I'm really glad I didn't have to fight that one," Harry said, passing the troll. Hermione squeaked a little at seeing the size, but it didn't last long. Harry was already to the potions room.

"You've got to be kidding me, Professor Snape," Harry said, looking at the bottles. He held up the instructions when Hermione asked him about it and held the mirror still. "I hate riddles." He lowered the paper and showed her the lineup, waiting for her to solve the riddle. Harry could hear Draco and Hermione talk to each other.

"It's the smallest black bottle," Hermione said.

"It'll get you through to the next stage. We're sending out the owl, okay?" Draco said. Ron looked into the glass.

"Be careful, mate," he said, watching Harry drink the potion and pass through the fire.

Harry came out of the other side, humming softly as he approached the last room. He exited, shaking off the last strings of fire around himself, looking forward. But it was Quirrell that he saw, not Snape. Harry heard Ron inhale sharply.

"Mr. Potter… Welcome," Quirrell said, holding out his hands. Harry gave him a very flat look.

"I'm not feeling welcome," he said bluntly. "Actually, I'm feeling rather unwelcome. If you're here that means the one trying to steal the stone was you, not Professor Snape. But you can't get it, can you?"

Quirrell's face twisted into a nasty look, his eyes blazing with hate. He shot a spell at Harry, which Harry dodged and jumped onto the floor right in front of Quirrell, nearly face-to-face with him.

"Attacking a student? Tsk, tsk, Professor Quirrell," Harry said, gripping his wand hand hard. Quirrell hesitated, but something made him pull away from Harry and look into the mirror.

Harry let his wrist go and glanced at the mirror as well.

Use the boy!

The voice echoed around them. Harry glanced at Quirrell and let Quirrell shove him in front of the mirror. He ignored the roughness and looked at himself in the mirror. Ryuuko was gone, but Shirogane was standing beside him. What did that mean?

"What is it?! What do you see?" Quirrell demanded. Harry shot him a nasty look before speaking.

"I see something I do not understand."

He lies…

"On the contrary, I don't understand it. I don't see the stone, if that's what you're asking," Harry said, shrugging.

Quirrell was about to respond with a furiously nasty retort, but the voice spoke again.

Let me speak to him… face-to-face…

"Master, you are not strong enough," Quirrell stammered a little, his body shaking. Harry raised an eyebrow.

I have strength for this…

Harry remained still as Quirrell removed the turban. He gave a disgusted look as he saw a man's face sticking out from the back of Quirrell's head.

"Ugh, how do you shave your head with that sticking out, Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked, almost affronted. Both the teacher and Voldemort ignored his question.

"Harry Potter… We meet again," Voldemort said. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, this is my first time meeting you consciously. Meeting me as a baby when you tried to kill me doesn't count because I do not remember that," Harry said. "I'd offer to shake your hand, but… you don't have any hands. Possessing a body is low, Voldemort. Really low." He heard Draco gasp and whisper something to Hermione. But he didn't respond to it.

Voldemort's face contorted. "You see what I've become? See what you've done to me, Harry Potter."

"You did that yourself. I was a defenseless baby at the time," Harry protested. "It is not my responsibility, nor did I do any manipulation. What would I have done? Persuaded you with cute?"

Voldemort's lips twitched. His slit like nose widened as he exhaled. "You are different from what I thought you would be, Harry Potter…"

"Everyone says that," Harry said, shaking his head. "I don't have the stone though."

"…We can bring your mother and father back… If you would help me get the stone," Voldemort said, his red eyes on Harry's young frame.

"Nice try," Harry said, "but I don't know how to get the stone. Nor do I have any wish to see my mother and father again. So your argument is null and void."

"What do you want then, Potter?" Voldemort asked. Harry shrugged.

"Nothing you can provide me, I am sure, stone or not," Harry walked over to the entrance. Quirrell snapped his fingers. Fire covered the doorway, preventing him from leaving. Harry turned back to Voldemort. "There is nothing I can give you, but you won't let me leave. There is nothing you can give me, so I wish to leave." He frowned as Voldemort hissed.

"Potter… You can assist me in getting the stone," Voldemort said. Harry sighed.

"That again? I'm telling you, I have no idea how to get the stone. Even if I did, why would I give it to you? That would be a waste of a precious artifact," Harry said. "All you would do is gain back your body, cause more problems for me, and probably try to kill me. Why on earth would I want to do something like that?"

"KILL HIM!" An infuriated Voldemort roared. Harry sighed, watching Quirrell leap at him. His leg shot out, kicking Quirrell in the stomach hard. Quirrell coughed, his eyes wide as he held his abdomen.

"Have you forgotten that I was the one to kick you in the forest, Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked. Quirrell swore and held up his wand, shooting a volley of spells at Harry. Harry dodged them, zig-zagging back and forth to avoid them. He landed right in front of him, his emerald eyes blazing, punching Quirrell in the chest. Harry heard a crack as Quirrell flew back and hit the wall.

"How disappointing. Wizard bodies really are weak. Your magical core means nothing if you can't hit me," Harry said. Quirrell choked on blood, Voldemort screamed and exited his host, flying up and away. Quirrell groaned, shriveling up and curling over, skin crumbling into dust. Quirrell reached out for Harry, his face terrified, but Harry knew there was nothing he could do. He simply watched as Quirrell crumbled.

"I don't think I'll ever manage to get used to that," Draco said. Harry smiled. "I think Dumbledore's back. Ron and Hermione went to meet him and haven't returned."

"Harry?"

Harry looked up, spotting Dumbledore at the entrance. Ron and Hermione were standing next to him, looking relieved. Harry looked back at the dust.

"He's gone. Left his host to die," Harry said, looking at Dumbledore. He glanced at the mirror, wishing, if only for a second, that the mirror had some powerful secret. The stone fell into his pocket. He slipped his hand into his pocket and took out the stone, tossing it over to Dumbledore. "This belongs to you and Flamel, I believe."

"Harry! I thought you didn't have the stone," Hermione said, looking shocked. Harry laughed.

"I just got it," he admitted. "I don't need something like that. Too uncertain. Too unpredictable. Attracts too much attention from the wrong crowd. Flamel was greedy. How is he enjoying his frail immortality, Professor Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore caught the stone, looking at Harry sadly. "I think… He will be pleased you kept it out of the wrong hands."

"Immortality is something that should only be obtained by those who plan on fighting forever," Harry said. "Truthfully, I never desired the stone. But the mirror gave it to me anyway." He walked towards his friends, placing one hand on Hermione's shoulder and the other on Ron's shoulder. "Thank you for your help. I should fetch Draco now. He's still in the Owlry, right?"

"Yes," Hermione said. Harry nodded.

"Mr. Malfoy supported you in this as well?" Dumbledore asked. Harry smiled.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without him," he responded. "By the way, you really do need to screen your teachers more."

-0-

Harry played in the last match of the season, even though Dumbledore had been worried that Harry was too magically exhausted to play. After a quick screen from Madam Pomfrey however, he had agreed that Harry was fit enough. Harry did not mention to Dumbledore that he had not used magic at all. He hadn't even entered his rei form.

Exams came and passed. Harry watched in disgust as McGonagall asked him to turn a mouse into a snuffbox. As he had never bothered to practice this spell, Harry only managed to make it look like a snuffbox. It still squirmed, though it didn't squeak.

The end of term feast was decorated in silver and green. Harry didn't mind, since he had done what he had wanted to do. McGonagall looked disappointed, but Harry simply shrugged. He didn't even care about the points; the good thing was that Voldemort's return was thwarted. That's all that really mattered to him.

He looked up when there was a roar of cheers from his table. The decorations had been changed from silver and green to red and gold. Harry frowned deeply, glancing at Draco, giving him an apologetic smile. Draco merely shook his head. Apparently, he had won points for his house as well, it just wasn't enough.

Harry looked at the train, sighing deeply as he thought about the summer. Perhaps he would get a chance to practice magic. Not this foolish wand-waving, but his personal magic. He also had to finish restoring the balance to this world, as his last alteration was months ago.

"Harry!"

Harry turned, looking at the person who called his name. Hagrid walked up to him, holding a large thick book.

"I… wanted to give this to you… Before you left."

Harry looked up, smiling lightly. "Thank you, my friend." He placed his hand on Hagrid's and took the book. Slowly he opened it, looking at the moving pictures. Pictures of his parents, their friends, their adventures… And baby pictures of himself.

Harry looked at the photos of the people he never knew. He turned to the train doors and stepped into them, waving to Hagrid as they departed from the station.

"Hey Potter," Draco said, poking him in the back. Harry turned to him as Draco held the mirror up. "Keep in touch, won't you?"

"Draco, you are a very good friend," Harry said, smiling. He sat in the compartment Ron and Hermione had saved for them and said, "I will keep in touch."

Harry sat back and smiled, watching Ron and Hermione play Exploding Snap. Blaise entered twenty minutes into the train ride and joined the game. Malfoy laughed when Ron's card exploded in his face. Hedwig clicked her beak and tucked her head under her wing to go to sleep.

The equilibrium was stable right now. Harry could only hope it stayed that way.

-0-

A/N: End of year one! Read and review.