"Well, after that Harry did not go looking for the mirror again." Hermione carried on.
"Good." Sighed Lily.
"The Professor was right, it's unhealthy." Remus said.
"Harry became very busy after that. When we all came back from Christmas Harry had Quidditch a ridiculous amounts of times a week and we were getting plenty of homework."
"Is it too much to hope for that he had a normal rest of the year?" Asked Lily. Hermione smiled and nodded.
"One Quidditch practice Wood told the team that Professor Snape would be refereeing the next match."
"Snape refereeing?" Sirius spat.
"He will be biased." James said indignantly.
"He possibly cursed your son at the last match and you are worried about him being biased?" Sirius asked him incredulously.
"If he wanted to curse Harry again he wouldn't do it by being a referee." Remus pointed out. "He is much less likely to be seen in the stands."
"Well we didn't think of that." Said Hermione. "We thought that Snape wanted to curse Harry. While we were discussing it Neville came hopping into the common room. Malfoy had put the Leg-Locker Curse on him by the Library."
"That foul little git." Sirius said.
"Don't like it when someone else is the bully, Black." Lily glared at him. He said nothing.
"I performed the counter curse and Harry gave him a chocolate frog to cheer him up, telling Neville he was worth twelve of Malfoy." Hermione smiled.
Lily beamed. "That's my boy."
"Good lad." Cheered Remus.
"Anyway, Neville gave Harry the chocolate frog card. Guess who was on the card? Professor Dumbledore. We found Nicholas Flamel. He was mentioned on the card as his partner in alchemy. So I ran off to get a book I had taken out for light reading."
"And was this book a few hundred pages thick?" Sirius asked innocently.
"Maybe." Hermione blushed. "How did you guess?"
"Lily did exactly the same thing." James grinned.
"So we found out that Flamel was 'the only known maker of the Philosopher's stone." Hermione said.
"Oh no." Gasped Remus and Lily. James and Sirius just looked confused and Dumbledore looked both thoughtful and worried.
"So we carried on with school, Harry got more and more worried about the match. Ron and I had been practising the Leg-Locker Curse in case Professor Snape tried anything."
"That's my girl." Sirius roared. The he realised what he had said and blushed, looking away from Hermione. She just giggled. Lily looked both amused and disapproving.
"While we were in the stands, Malfoy came over and starting provoking Ron and Neville. I didn't hear, too focused on Harry. Ron told me that he was taunting him about being poor and Neville for being stupid. So they starting fighting. Neville and Ron were fighting Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Anyway, Harry caught the snitch after five minutes. I think that was a Hogwarts record."
"My son is a total genius." James crowed.
"Prongs, I love your son." Sirius cheered. Lily watched them with an amused expression.
"After the match, Harry saw Snape walking towards the forest so he decided to fly over and follow him."
"Of course he did." Groaned Lily.
"He heard Snape and Quirrell talking. Snape was asking is Quirrell knew how to get past Fluffy, threatening him. So Harry flew back to tell us. I became a bit busy planning for exams and trying to get the boys to revise. Seriously, they are terrible." Hermione groaned, remembering all her efforts when it was their O. .
"I don't envy you there." Lily said, remembering her own efforts to get her friends revising.
"One day we found Hagrid in the library. Ron starting yelling about the Philosopher's stone so Hagrid shut him up, telling us to go down to his hut later. Ron went to find out what Hagrid had been looking at and he had been in the dragons section."
"Dragons!" Exclaimed Lily. Even Dumbledore looked worried.
"Cool." Sirius said.
"It is not cool, Black. My son is probably going to get involved." Lily snapped at him.
"Oh." Sirius looked abashed.
"So we went down later, and lo behold he had a dragon egg in his fireplace. Anyway, we asked about the Philospher's stone and he didn't want to say anything. So I flattered him a little bit and he spilled out a lot." Hermione confessed, blushing.
"Nice one. If that fails get him drunk." James suggested with a grin. Hermione shuddered, remembering where Hagrid being drunk had gotten them that year.
"He told us the teachers that had put protection around the stone but then we got distracted by the dragon's egg. He said it was a Norwegian Ridgeback."
"They are really rare." Remus said, half apprehensive, half eager.
"Yes, so Hagrid told us. We were discussing the dragon the next day but Malfoy overheard us. During break we went back to Hagrid's and the dragon hatched. Hagrid was crazy about it. Named it Norbert. We found out later it was a girl. We took turns going to Hagrid's to convince him to get rid of it. Harry then thought of Ron's brother Charlie who works in Romania with dragons. He suggested we sent Norbert to him."
"Great idea Harry." Remus said, nodding in approval.
"We wrote to Charlie who agreed to take the dragon, but Ron got bitten. He went to Madam Pomfrey. Malfoy went to gloat and told her he wanted to borrow a book. Unfortunately that book had our letter from Charlie so Malfoy knew we were getting rid of the dragon."
"There goes your good luck." James groaned.
"Harry and I decided to carry out the plan. We used to cloak to take the dragon's crate up to the top of the Astronomy tower where we were going to meet Charlie's friends."
"That's a good plan, but I'm betting it doesn't go smoothly." Lily sighed.
"No, of course not. Anyway, as we were going upstairs, we saw Professor McGonagall with Malfoy. He was trying to tell her about us but she put him in detention, not believing him. We were delighted. We got up to the tower and got rid of Norbert. Then came the problem. Harry and I forgot the cloak. Flich caught us."
"Oh no." James and Sirius groaned.
"Flich took us to Professor McGonagall. To make things worse she had caught Neville who, bless him, was trying to warn us about Malfoy. She took fifty points from Gryffindor."
"What!" Yelped James. "She rarely ever took that many from us."
"Fifty each." Hermione said. James, Sirius and Remus gaped at her, open mouthed. Even Dumbledore looks astonished.
"Minnie, how could you." James gasped.
"We also all got detention. Most of Gryffindor hated us for losing so many points. Harry suffered the worst. Well, we had exams coming up so we got stuck into those. Then came our detention. In the forest, at night, with Hagrid."
"The forest?" Asked Dumbledore sharply. Hermione nodded. "I think I need to speak to Minerva about detentions." He frowned.
"Please do." Muttered Hermione. "Anyway we all went down to Hagrid's. Harry, me, Neville and Malfoy. He wanted us to look for a unicorn that had been hurt. Malfoy and Neville took Fang in one directions. Harry, Hagrid and I set off in another. We met a couple of Centaurs and then we saw red sparks sent up by one of the others signalling trouble. Hagrid ran off to find them."
"He left you alone? In the forest with something running around that could harm a unicorn? I need a word with Hagrid." Lily growled.
"Poor Hagrid." Muttered Sirius.
"So," Hermione cut in, seeing the glare from Lily. "He soon came back with the others, Malfoy had jumped Neville, who got scared and sent up sparks. He then sent Harry off with Malfoy and took Neville with me and him. So naturally Harry found the unicorn. He saw something drinking its blood."
"My God." Gasped Remus. Dumbledore looked troubled and Lily, Sirius and James looked positively horrified.
"Harry froze and his scar hurt really badly. Suddenly he was saved by a different centaur. Firenze. He told Harry that is was Voldemort drinking the blood and that he was after the stone. Harry told us this back in the common room, when Ron was out of hospital. We then had to take exams."
"How on earth did you concentrate on exams with that in your head?" James asked.
"I don't know. Harry didn't really. We were lying outside once exams were over when Harry worked something out. He suddenly just ran off towards Hagrid's. He asked about the stranger who had given Hagrid the dragon egg. Hagrid told us he kept buying him drinks."
"Someone who knows Hagrid." Sirius groaned. "Get him drunk and he will tell you anything."
"Yep. He had told the stranger about Fluffy and how to put him to sleep."
"Oh no." Lily and Remus groaned.
"We tried to go to Professor Dumbledore."
"Finally, a sensible idea." LIly smiled.
"Well we ran into Professor McGonagall. She told us Dumbledore had received a letter from the Ministry, requesting his presence. We tried to tell her but she didn't believe us."
"Oh dear." Lily groaned.
"Somebody wanted the Professor out of the school. They sent a false letter." Remus said.
"Harry figured that as well." Hermione smiled at him.
"Prongs, your son is a genius." Remus grinned.
"I know." James gloated.
"Harry decided to try and keep an eye on the third floor corridor but Professor McGonagall caught them. So he decided to go down the trapdoor that night."
"No Harry." Lily cried.
"Ron and I said we would go with him. So that night we tried but Neville was waiting for us in the common room. He tried to get us not to go out."
"Go Neville." Lily cheered.
"I put a fully body bind on him." Hermione admitted, looking ashamed.
"Hermione!" Lily exclaimed. "Those boys are having a bad effect on you."
"Go Mione." Sirius cheered.
"So off we went. On the last flight of stairs we met Peeves."
"Oh crap." James sighed.
"Harry was amazing. He imitated the Bloody Baron and told Peeves to leave." Hermione grinned.
"Wow." James beamed. "I love this kid."
"That is such an awesome idea." Remus said, looking thoughtful.
"We finally made it and Harry tried to convince us to go back. We didn't. Someone had left a harp playing and Fluffy was asleep." Suddenly Sirius burst out laughing.
"What?" James asked him.
"Just picturing Snivellus playing the harp." Sirius chuckled. Everyone burst out laughing as well, even Lily.
"Ron asked if I wanted to go first."
"How chivalrous." Remus said dryly.
"Harry said he would. He was playing the flute that Hagrid had given him for christmas. He gave that to me and jumped down the trapdoor. Ron went next and I jumped last. We landed on a plant which was already roping around the boys. I managed to get free and realised it was Devil's snare. I lit a fire and we escaped."
"Nice one Mione." Sirius smiled.
"Thanks. Although Ron had to remind me I was a witch and could light a fire without wood." Hermione admitted sheepishly. The boys all laughed, but Lily looked at her sympathetically. "So anyway we went to the next chamber. There were loads if birds flying around. The door on the other side was locked and Harry realised they were actually flying keys. There were broomsticks so we had to catch the key."
"Well you have the best seeker ever on your side." James beamed, proudly.
"Yes we did. He organised us and caught the key."
"Woo." Cheered everyone.
"Next was a giant chessboard. Ron is really good at wizard chess so he took charge. We substituted for some of the pieces and had to play our way across the room. The only way to win was for Ron to be taken and Harry to checkmate the king."
"No." Gasped Lily.
"So Ron sacrificed himself and Harry and I went on, after checking he was ok. After that there was a troll, but it had already been knocked out." She hurriedly assured Lily, who looked slightly green at the mention of another troll.
"Thank God you didn't have to fight that." Muttered Remus.
"That's what we thought too." Hermione grinned. "Next was Snape's defence. It wasn't magic, it was logic."
"Of course." Breathed Lily, smiling slightly.
"Seven bottles of potion and a few clues on parchment. I figured it out. There was only enough for one of us to continue ahead. Of course Harry wanted to be the one. So I went back and collected Ron to go and send an owl to Professor Dumbledore. We met him on the way though and he already knew where Harry was so he rushed off to find him. I took Ron to the hospital wing."
"So Dumbledore knew? Did you set this up." Lily had turned to Dumbledore, her eyes sparkling with rage.
"I do not know Mrs Potter. I haven't done it yet." He said calmly.
"He did." Hermione threw in.
"You…" Lily was beyond speaking. Everyone else was now glaring at Dumbledore as well.
"Anyway, while we were doing that, Harry had gone on. It wasn't Snape trying to steal the stone."
"Told you." Lily looked smug.
"It was Quirrell."
"Of course." Remus breathed.
"He explained to Harry how I had knocked him over at the Quidditch match, breaking his eye contact. Snape had been trying to save Harry. At Halloween, he let the troll in and Snape had been trying to head him off but got bitten. Behind Quirrell was the Mirror of Erised. He saw himself presenting the stone to Voldemort. Harry tried to distract him by keeping him talking. He told Harry that he was the one who broke into Gringotts."
"Voldemort must have helped him." James said.
"Suddenly a voice came from Quirrell, but it wasn't Quirrell himself. It told him to use Harry to get the stone. Harry looked in the mirror and saw himself holding the stone. Suddenly he felt it in his pocket in reality."
"Brilliant." Breathed Dumbledore.
"Harry lied about what he saw, Quirrell believed him but the voice said that Harry was lying. Quirrell took off his turban and Voldemort's face was on the back of his head."
"Yuck!" Exclaimed Lily and James.
"That's disgusting." Remus and Sirius said.
"Sharing a body." Dumbledore sighed. "Poor Quirinus."
"Voldemort spoke to Harry, taunted him about your deaths." Hermione looked sadly at Lily and James. The colour ebbed from their faces.
"Please carry on Hermione." James said in a hoarse voice.
"Harry refused to join him and Quirrell jumped at him to try and kill him."
Lily gasped, turning into James' chest. He held her tightly.
"Quirrell was burned by Harry. He could not touch him without burning. Harry realised this and jumped at Quirrell before he could curse him. Keeping hold on Quirrell he just hung on. Finally somebody arrived as he passed out. Ron and I were so worried about him. He was unconscious for a few days."
"My poor, brave boy." Lily sobbed.
"He was ok though Lily." Hermione said. "He woke up in the hospital wing with Dumbledore. The Weasley twins had tried to send him a toilet eat."
James and Sirius burst out laughing. Remus cracked a smile but Lily just shook her head.
"Dumbledore told him the stone had been destroyed." Dumbledore looked sad as he realised what that meant for his friend. "He told Harry that he had delayed Voldemort but that he wasn't gone completely. Harry then asked why Quirrell couldn't touch him. Dumbledore told him that because you died to save him, that left a mark upon Harry. Somebody so evil couldn't bear to touch somebody marked by such pure love." Hermione said softly. Lily was sobbing even harder now.
"Even if you die, you still protect our son." James whispered in amazement. "You truly are incredible Lily Potter."
"Dumbledore then told Harry that Snape had saved him because James saved Snape's life. He was in James' debt and so he saved Harry."
"Even if you die, you still protect our son." Lily gave him a watery smile.
"Well, if I hadn't been such a prat to Severus maybe he wouldn't have been so horrible to Harry in the first place." James said sadly. Sirius and Remus gaped at him.
"Did you just say you shouldn't have hexed Snivellus so much?" Sirius asked in disbelief. James nodded.
"Who are you and what have you done with James Potter?" Remus asked. James ignored them and Lily was beaming at him. She kissed him until Hermione coughed and carried on with the story.
"Anyway, Dumbledore then explained that only someone who wanted to find the stone, but didn't want to use it, could get it out of the mirror. Quirrell wanted to use it for Voldemort so he could only see himself using it. Harry wanted to find it and keep it safe, therefore he could get it."
"Brilliant." Remus exclaimed.
"Thank you Mr Lupin." Dumbledore smiled.
"Once Dumbledore had left, Ron and I came in and Harry told us everything that happened. Harry thought Dumbledore had deliberately sent him after the stone and seemed ok with it. Unfortunately with Harry in hospital he missed the last Quidditch game so we had no seeker. We lost badly."
James and Sirius winced.
"The next day Hagrid came in, sobbing and blaming himself. He swore to never drink again, not that it worked, but Harry calmed him down and said he didn't blame him."
"Our boy is so sweet." Cooed Lily.
"Hagrid then gave Harry a photo album he had made himself. He had owled all your old friends for photos and put together an album of you two for Harry, because he had no pictures of you." Hermione smiled.
"Awww." Lily started crying again.
"I owe Hagrid big time." James said fervently.
"The end of year feast was all decked for Slytherin."
James, Sirius and Remus all booed.
"Until Professor Dumbledore decided to give out some last minute points."
"No." Gasped Lily. "In front of the whole school, that's not nice professor."
"Yes. He gave Ron fifty points for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years. He gave me fifty points for the use of cool logic in the face of fire. And he gave Harry sixty points for pure nerve and outstanding courage."
"That's my boy." Roared James.
"Go Harry." Cheered Sirius and Remus.
"That put us level with Slytherin. Then he gave Neville ten points for standing up to us three on the night we left. Being so brave."
"That's sweet." Lily smiled.
"So Gryffindor won for the first time in seven years." Hermione grinned.
The three boys let out cheers and began a celebratory dance around the front room. It took a few minutes to calm them down enough to carry on the story.
"That was the end of the year. We all passed our exams. Harry's uncle picked him up at the station, really unpleasant man. Harry decided not to tell the Dursley's he couldn't use magic away from school, so Dudley would keep away from him."
"Smart boy." Remus said grimly.
"And that's it. Our first year over." Hermione looked around the room.
"Wow, you guys had more adventures in one year than us in all seven." Sirius said.
"We didn't even want it." Hermione sighed. "I think Potter blood just attracts it."
"I agree." Lily said.
"Hey!" Exclaimed James.
"Well, I'm going to get some food." Lily announced and she went to the kitchen.
"I'm going to check on Harry." James said and Remus left with him. Dumbledore got up and went back to Hogwarts.
"If only that was the worst." Hermione sighed.
"You do stuff like that every year?" Sirius asked. "That already had a dragon, a troll and cerberus and Voldemort."
"It gets worse." Hermione confirmed.
"Wow. Mione?"
"Yes?"
"You didn't come back just to save Lily and James did you?"
"No." She said warily.
"Who else dies?" Sirius asked.
"I can't say yet. It's all part of the story and if I tell it in parts it will get even more confusing. A lot of this is going to be hard to hear." She sighed. She looked so miserable that Sirius came over and put his arm around her shoulders. "I miss them." Hermione said.
"Them?"
"Harry and Ron."
"Oh. Well you came to a whole new time. I'm not surprised that your a little homesick. If I can help at all, tell me yeah?" Sirius said, looking her in the eye.
"I will. Thanks Sirius." Hermione smiled at him.
"What you did, coming back here, it's incredibly brave. The hat made the right choice putting you in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw." Sirius said, Then he looked away, regretting saying anything.
"I'm glad you think so." Hermione said. Sirius looked up, glad she wasn't making fun of him. "I'm also glad to be in Gryffindor."
"What happens when we fix everything?" Sirius asked her.
"What do you mean?"
"Will you have to go back?"
"I don't know. I don't think the time turner will go forward that far in time. I would have no idea what I will go back to anyway. It's possible Harry and Ron wouldn't even know who I was. I might have to just stay here and live my life in this time." Hermione said, looking thoughtful.
"Well I'm sure Dumbledore will be able to help. You could stay with me if you get desperate." Sirius grinned.
"Thanks. I'll remember that I have a last resort." She teased.
Just then James and Remus came back in.
"Hey lovebirds." James said. Hermione and Sirius jumped apart. Sirius returned to his spot on the couch and Hermione went red. Lily saved them from further comment by coming in with food. They all dug in.
"Are we going to start your second year tonight?" Lily asked.
"We should. The sooner I tell the story, the sooner we can right the future." Hermione replied. Everyone nodded and settled down, looking at her attentively.