Lost Star: 4th Year Part 3

Things went back to being uneventful from Winter Break. Harry's friends were entertaining enough, for the most part. He much rather preferred them over the rest of Hogwarts. He was honestly toying with the idea of becoming a prankster just to entertain himself. The mere thought of it was disgusting. Imagine that, him following in his dreaded father's footsteps.

He grabbed his bag and headed for History of Magic as the bell rang signaling the end of class. He had Binns with Taylor and the boy was extremely annoying yet mildly entertaining with his endless chatter. It didn't matter if the boy was conscious or unconscious, he never would shut up. Oh well, at least they could finish their homework and he could read his much more interesting History of Magic textbook and actually learn something in that class. Binns way of teaching was just lecturing and boring them beyond measure. It seemed that it was his goal to put whole class to sleep.

Despite how boring Binns' class got, he had still managed to not fall asleep, yet. Truth be told, Hogwarts must've had a very long line of terrible Headmasters/mistresses for Binns' to still be teaching. It was obvious no one actually learned anything in that useless class. He was better off studying History of Magic on his own.

He entered the classroom silently and swiftly made his seat next to Taylor. The duo chatted among them while the rest of the class slowly drifted off to sleep. Taylor fell asleep 15 minutes after class had begun; sleeping soundly under Harry's silencing charm.

Many joined him after another 10 minutes of having to endure Binns' lectures though they did not sleep as soundly as Taylor. Forty-five minutes into class, Harry was the only student still awake reading peacefully as Binns kept lecturing.

After many years of studies and experiments, it was proven that every spell in existence has a counter curse. This still remains a theory to many wizards and witches in the Spells Department because though many spells do have a counter curse, there are spells in existence that are known to have no counter curse. Such spells would be the Unforgivables, the most commonly used examples. Despite this, some wizards and witches in the Spells Department still claim that this theory is true and that the Unforgivables and other spells known have no counter curse(s) don't have one because a counter curse has not yet been discovered.

To many wizards and witches in the magical community, such a theory is most outrageous. Many claim that a counter curse has not yet been discovered because there is no... Harry yawned and turned to another page in the magazine. If a wizard were to someday create a counter curse for an Unforgivable, he would gladly learn it, but as of now, he didn't have time for read about wizards who only argued back and forth, claiming outrageous claims, and yet never actually proving those outrageous claims.

The next page was an advertisement of a silver dagger. The handle of it was carved into a gray eagle. The eagle had its wings spread, as if during flight. The wings were each carefully crafted and very beautiful. The eyes of the eagle were wide open, calculating. The eyes were the only color other than gray and silver on the eagle. They were a beautiful yet dark blue. They seemed to be judging you, already pointing out all your weaknesses and strengths, as if determining if you were worthy. Of what, that remained a mystery for one to decide. The eagle looked free, if it could do that. It looked free from the judgmental eyes of the public, of anyone and everyone. It looked like, to put it simply, it didn't give a shit what you thought or did. As if saying, "Whatever you can do, I can do better."

The price was expensive though, 250 Galleons. The beautiful dagger was definitely worth the money and the Potter vault would soon be 250 Galleons less. Despite the high price, Harry was positive that it wouldn't even leave a dent in the Potter fortune. So, naturally, he began scheming how to hide the dagger from Filch and the other professors.

By the end of Binns' class, Harry had crafted a flawless idea of how to keep the dagger out of Filch's hands and into his hands at all times. It was simple, yet it would do the trick nicely. He would play with the dagger to make it able to transfigure to a blue rubber bracelet with and eagle on his command. People would think of it as a rubber bracelet to show Ravenclaw pride and all the stupid crap. As if he actually was a part of all house prejudice that went around Hogwarts.

After Binns' class, he went to the Owlery to order the dagger and went to the library to spend his free period there after that. He easily slipped into the restricted section without even a disillusionment charm because Madam Pince was so engrossed in her book, she could hardly notice anything going around her. The most interesting and important information was almost always hidden from others. It was as simple as that, if it wasn't important than why would they go through all the trouble of protecting it.

A week and 4 days later, Harry had begun wearing a blue rubber band bracelet that nobody knew to really be a dagger. Harry highly suspected Dumbledore knew because he had been eyeing Harry weirdly the last few days. The 150 year old geezer wasn't doing anything about it though so Harry took only slight caution around him.

The year passed by as a bore to Harry. Every year was like this, extremely and completely boring. It was already May and hardly anything interesting had happened since the Halloween incident. A few days ago, Harry had accidently overheard the Golden Trio talking excessively about what Nick had found in the Forbidden Forest during his detention. Apparently, their thoughts were that Snape had been drinking unicorn blood and killing unicorns in the forest. "As if ", he mentally snorted.

He chose to ignore the idiotic trio and rather dwell on the next Quidditch match. That was clearly far more important than any stupid activities his brother, Weasley, and Beaver were doing. But the downside to that was that he was already overconfident that he would win the cup, stopping him from sneaking out during midnight to train while he couldn't sleep.

So, he decided to dwell who on would be stupid enough to put the Philosopher's Stone in a school full of students. Though stupid, he had to admit it was somewhat brilliant. Despite the fact that any student lost had the possibility of stumbling upon it, no one would think to put such an important artifact in a school full of children. Anyone trying to steel it also would have to consider there were children here who seemed to be too innocent for their own good. Well, most of them anyway.

A week into Hogwarts he had realized that Hogwarts also held the core of a much more powerful being. Of what, he had not known but was able to successfully track it down to the third floor corridor that Dumbledore had forbidden them to go to. There, he was successfully able to pass all the traps the professors had set up to keep him from going through. It was child's play, honestly. It seemed as if it was set up for a skilled first year. Not a second year, nor an average first year. Did Dumbledore want the Stone to be stolen? Flamel certainly wouldn't take kindly to that. The Stone was what was keeping him and his wife alive for the last six centuries.

Whatever Dumbledore's intentions actually were, he did not really care but he knew for certain that he wasn't going to be able to steer off the road to the Stone unscathed. Dumbledore had something planned for the year that revolved around the stone and he had no doubt that he was going to have to get involved. "That", he thought, amused, "would certainly be entertaining." And he drifted off to sleep.

The exams came and passed and Harry was confident he passed with flying colors like he had in the past three years. So here he lay, under a tree near the Black Lake during a summer night. He stared up at the stars as a cool summer breeze passed by. The moon was shining bright as he stared as the bright stars that had decided to come out today. It was a great night for a flight, but he decided to enjoy the night lazing around instead.

After a couple more minutes, he yawned and made his way back into Hogwarts through a secret passage because it was already past curfew. He soon heard running footsteps that he thought must've been Filch and decided to hide behind the door of one of the unused classrooms in Hogwarts. As the footsteps neared, he realized that there were not only two, but six. He peeked his head out of the classroom door to see three first years running, Nick Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley to be precise.

What the Troublesome Trio was doing, running around Hogwarts clearly after curfew, he hid not know but intended to find out. He followed from afar and realized with a start that the trio was heading to the third floor corridor. How the three idiots had managed to find out about the Stone, he didn't care, but what were they going to do now? Steal it?

The marched in and he swiftly followed a few minutes later. When he entered, he found the Cerberus glaring at him with intense hate. Near the Cerberus was a harp that wasn't playing. He wandlessly and silently charmed the harp to start playing. He waited a minute and 39 seconds before the Cerberus had fallen asleep and jumped under the trapdoor, he thoughts racing.

"Nick and Weasley obviously were not able to transfigure something into a harp yet but Granger, maybe. The spell seems to be above her magical level too and the three were most certainly not carrying a harp with them while they were running around the castle," Harry thought as he rushed through the destroyed Devil's Snare to the next challenge. "Then someone else must've put it here. There also remains the question of why they're here. That must be it! The dimwits must think someone is trying to steal the stone. They're trying to play heroes and heroine. By the looks of it, someone is trying to steal the stone, probably Quirrell. They also won't be able to stop him. They probably think he's Snape though."

He saw Granger and Nick huddled around the unconscious body of Weasley which lay in Granger's arms on a gigantic chessboard. "Go Nick," commanded Granger bravely staring at the Boy-Who-Lived in admiration.

"But what about you and Ron?" Nick asked softly.

"We'll be fine," said Granger, "I'll take Ron to the infirmary then owl Professor Dumbledore. You're a great wizard Nick. If anyone can stop Snape, it's you." Granger paused and swallowed audibly. "Just don't . . . don't die."

"Don't worry Hermione, I won't. Besides, you're a great witch, like me," Nick smiled.

Granger snorted, "Me, books and grades, can't possibly be a witch like the Boy-Who-Lived. You have courage and bravery beyond measure Nick, things that truly make you a great wizard."

Harry rolled his eyes at the dramatic yet short exchange between the two from the shadows and followed Nick under a disillusionment charm and a silencing charm. He followed him to a room where, unsurprisingly, Quirrell was staring into the Mirror of the Erised.

Nick tried to sneak up at him and curse him but was flung to the wall but a swish of Quirrell's wand when he finally realized that Nick was here. With another swish and a muttered incantation, ropes wrapped abound Nick's body, binding him to the wall.

"You!" Nick yelled. "But it… it can't be … Snape …."

"Yes Severus dose seem as the kind of person," Quirrell sneered, "next to him who would suspect p-poor, s-stuttering Quirrell."

"But Snape tried to kill me! He cursed my broom to make me fall," Nick tried again.

"I tried to kill you, you silly boy!" Quirrell confessed. "And I would have succeeded if my robe hadn't caught on fire, even with Snape muttering his little counter curse."

"Snape tried to save me," Nick muttered, disbelievingly.

Quirrell ignored him and turned his attention back to the mirror. "I see what I desire most; I see myself handing the stone to my lord, but how do I get it."

A soft, raspy voice that sent shivers down your spine said, "Use the boy."

"POTTER! Get over here," Quirrell commanded releasing him and then levitating Nick to stand right before him. Quirrell's hand shot up from his sides and held onto each of Nick's two shoulder blades tightly. "Look into the mirror, Boy. Tell me what you see."

Nick hesitated for a few seconds before he said, "I… I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup."

"He lies," the raspy voice said again. "Let me speak to him."

"But my lord," Quirrell protested, "you are not strong enough."

"I am strong enough for this," the raspy voice said. Quirrell's hands hesitated before taking his purple turban off. The turban revealed to be hiding a horrifying face underneath.

"You … you're He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. You're evil," Nick claimed, fear coating his words as he walked backwards, trying to get away from Voldemort.

Harry rolled his eyes mentally, "Coward."

"FOOL!" Voldemort yelled in his ever so raspy voice. "There is no good and evil. There's just power, and those too weak to seek it."

Nick somehow managed to tremble backwards and fall to the ground. Quirrell with Voldemort's face on the back of his head started closing in on Nick would was desperately trying to get away by walking on the back of his hands while his butt decided to still stay on the ground. It was really unfortunate when his back hit the wall.

"Turn around," Voldemort's face commanded. Quirrell quickly complied to the Dark Lord's wishes and suddenly Quirrell's back was facing Nick and his face was facing in Harry's direction.

"See what I've been reduced to, what I've become – a mere broken spirit surviving on unicorn blood and my loyal Death Eater's bodies. The Stone will give me a body of my own, immortality, riches, power, and much more. This is what I need the Stone for you- you're not the…," and that was where Harry decided to interrupt the Dark Lord's speech. He wandlessly and silently sent a blood boiling curse on Quirrell's body with Voldemort's face and spirit.

Quirrell (not Voldemort) screamed in pain and spun around so he was facing Nick. He raised his wand about to curse Nick obviously thinking it was him who cast the spell when Harry sent another spell his way causing him to howl in pain.

"Kill the boy," Voldemort's raspy voice commanded.

"Avad- ahh!" Quirell screamed and stepped back.

Nick, taking the circumstances to his advantage, stood up and pushed Quirrell back. Unfortunately for Quirrell, Nick's hands burned his skin like they were made out of lava. Nick, using his hands to his advantage, pushed his hands up to Quirrell's face and this time both Quirrell and Voldemort let out and ear splitting scream and Quirrell's body fell to the ground and a blackish mist erupted from his body. The blackish mist, which must've been Voldemort's broken spirit, continued to scream until it had broken one of the windows on the room. Voldemort's blackish mist spirit vanished then.

Quirrell's body became ash in a matter of milliseconds after Voldemort's blackish mist spirit soul fled Hogwarts. Nick's body collapsed to the ground a few milliseconds after Voldemort broke the window.

All the puzzle pieces fell into place now. The Stone being at Hogwarts was a test. Dumbledore knew that Nick, Weasley, and Granger would be curious and try to figure out the mystery. This would also lure Voldemort into the castle. Voldemort wanted a body and the stone was a very simple way to get it. The Twit Trio would obviously think someone would try to steal the stone and come to play heroes and heroine. As for Nick having lava hands, Dumbledore obviously spiked his drink with phoenix tears. This was also the reason it had been way too easy to defeat the most powerful dark lord of the century. Merlin, as if he would be defeated by a three "dark" spells and lava hands.

Curious, Harry walked towards the mirror. He wondered briefly what he wanted the most. To say what he saw in the mirror shocked him would be an underestimate. He saw himself in the mirror exactly as he was right know. To his right, were his parents with Nick. On his left was nothing, just clear skies and never ending green lands. A few feet away from him was the Stone. Mirror Harry smiled a secretive smile to him and walked away. He picked up the Stone from the ground and dropped it in his pocket. Immediately, Harry felt something drop into his pocket.

Then everything disappeared. Mirror Harry was now alone in what looked like a forest during winter. The trees had no leaves and their branches carried snow. A lake nearby had transformed to hard ice. Cedric, Taylor, and Jake walked in. Mirror Harry took a handful of snow from the ground and aimed it at them. Then an intense snowball fight started.

Harry suddenly heard footsteps coming closer. He took the Stone and put it into Nick's hand before opening a secret passage to the Ravenclaw dormitories. He had a lot to think about, preferably the Mirror of Erised.

OoO

"For the fifth year in a row, Ravenclaw takes the House Cup," Dumbledore said. Immediately, cheers erupted from the Ravenclaw table and groans from most of the students on the other three tables. A few students were actually mature and politely clapped. "However, certain events must be taken into account. Fifty points to Mr. Ronald Weasley for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has ever seen in these many years."

Cheers arose from the Gryffindor table as Harry silently cussed Dumbledore out. Ravenclaw was not going to be taking the House Cup after a few more minutes.

"Fifty points to Ms. Hermione Granger for cool use of intellect during times of danger," Dumbledore said as the Gryffindor table erupted into cheers again as Granger held her head high with a slight blush.

"Ten points to Mr. Longbottom! It takes great courage to stand up to an enemy, but it takes greater courage to stand up to a friend."

Longbottom was shyly looking down as the Gryffindor table erupted into cheers. Harry also noticed a deep blush on his cheeks. Apparently, he didn't enjoy being in the spotlight.

"Sixty points to Mr. Nick Potter for pure nerve and outstanding courage," Dumbledore said. "Now, I believe a change of decoration is in order."

Dumbledore clapped his hands together and instantly, the blue and bronze banners turned into an ugly display of Gryffindor red and gold. Harry scowled openly, trust Dumbledore to ruin their five year streak.

The Hogwarts Express came to a slow stop. Students rushed to get off the train to their parents all the while bidding farewell to their friends and acquaintances. Harry said farewell to his friends, for the first time actually excited for the summer holidays and what they would bring. After all, playing Quidditch for a whole summer couldn't be that bad.