Chapter 9. The Horrifying Truth
Around lunch time, the feeling of unease hadn't left Harry however and he decided to tell Susan and Hannah about what had happened.
Lily had overheard their conversation as they were heading to the Great Hall to have their meal.
"I'm not surprised." she said. "About Professor Moreau I mean. I used to visit him quite often when I was younger. He often visited my parents, they were helping him control his curse. That personality that came into play is the result of a spell by the dark entity known as Malicious Intent, a dark wizard who sacrificed his own body to become a disembodied spirit. My parents had created the cure for him as he was pleaded with my mother to help him."
"Cure?" Harry asked, before he turned to snap at Lily. "If there was a cure why in all seven hells did he try to kill me?"
"I don't know but it isn't like him to not have the cure on him. I'm certain that's why they hired him in the first place. There would be no way the school board would hire a complete psychopath for the job."
"You don't think Professor Quirrell might have stolen the cure, do you?" Hannah asked nervously, biting her fingernails.
"I have no doubt. Professor Moreau removed a memory charm on my brain. Turns out Snape isn't the enemy like I thought he was." Harry explained. "I've been obliviated."
Susan looked up at the headtable where Quirrell was sitting before they went their separate ways.
"Harry, what drink are we having today?" She asked him with sheer puzzlement.
"Why'd you ask?"
"Don't we usually get served pumpkin juice with lunch?"
At the left side from where he was sitting there was a glass of a black coloured concoction.
"Hey that looks like that potion that Professor Moreau tried to give you."
Just as Harry was about to walk over to the staff table and say something to him, Professor Quirrell took a drink from the glass.
Harry was trying to think how in all the seven seas did Professor Quirrell get his hands on that black drink. Surely Professor Moreau couldn't have done so, Snape had made sure Dumbledore removed him from the rest of the students.
He approached Hermione to tell her about his concerns. Ron was nowhere to be found and pitched no effort to be involved in Harry's life after his betrayal.
Hermione's eyes widened with horror at what Harry had said clutching at her throat.
"Hermione, what's the matter?"
Tears were at the corner of her eyes and she looked to be panicking.
"Hermione calm down. That drink couldn't possibly be poison." Harry said without realizing that if Quirrell was gone that the device attached around her neck might have killed her. Instead he continued on about how he discovered the secret of the mirror and about how he was obliviated.
"I'm thinking of seeing Snape after lunch before heading to class. Do you want to come with me?"
She shook her head.
"Alright."
Just as Harry was about to leave though, Hermione had clutched his shirt.
"Hermione, I thought you didn't want to come."
Hermione nodded but stood on her feet certain to always walk in his vicinity.
HPSS
As they both exited the Great Hall, Harry saw Neville running downstairs. His face was sweaty and he panting harshly.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Just running from a couple of bullies." He said, looking rather flush in the face. "Where are you two going?"
"I'm heading towards the dungeons to talk with Professor Snape."
"Hermione, will you be fine with Neville?"
Hermione shook her head clinging even tighter on Harry's shirt.
"Let go of me, Hermione."
Neville helped him by removing her hands from his shirt.
As he encroached on Snape's office, Harry knocked on his door.
"Enter."
Harry entered as quietly as possible, Snape turned and saw him lingering in the doorway.
"What are you doing here, Mr Potter?"
"Do you remember what happened when I was taken to the hospital wing by Professor Quirrell?"
"What are you talking about?" Snape asked irritably.
"There was a memory block on my mind. I had the memory Quirrell had come from a secret passage on the right side where the mirror was and you attacked me from the back and he stunned you and then took me to the hospital wing. After the block was removed, I found we were both attacked from the back but it's fuzzy because I only have the memory prior to him obliviating me. I was thinking you might know the rest of the details."
The back of Snape's hand made it's way to Harry's forehead.
"Do you have a fever?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course I don't have a fever." Harry replied with frustration/
"There is no chamber leading to a mirror. Quirrell never went through the chamber either because believe me I'd remember something like that."
"What if that memory was removed from your memory? I have evidence that Quirrell had tempered with your memories." Harry retorted furiously.
"Don't waste my time, Potter. If you're just here to exchange pleasantries I don't want to hear it."
Harry huffed leaving his office certain to slam the door upon his exit running into Quirrell on the way.
Neville and Hermione meanwhile were lingering around the dungeons with a sense of unease upon encroaching Slytherin territory.
The fair plump looking boy was sure the girl was anxious beyond worry. He only wished he knew why.
"Ah, there he is."
"Smuckbottom."
They both turned around and Neville saw it was Chelsea and Janet the girls who made it their past time to bully him among other things.
"Crabbe, Goyle, he's down here."
Neville panicked. Hermione had a look of confusion at the fear present in his eyes.
He dragged Hermione away from the entrance of the dungeons hiding in a corridor in the shadows near Snape's office just as Harry had popped out from there.
Both were amazed at seeing Quirrell coming from the right side.
Hermione pushed at Neville's arm until it relinguished it's hold and she approached them giving Quirrell a nasty glare.
Harry turned towards Hermione.
"Hermione, what are you doing down here?"
"Hey Hermione wait up." Neville called out to her. "What's going on, Harry?"
"Professor Quirrell cast a memory charm on Snape."
"I did not." Quirrell replied as if scandalised.
"Yeah? Then explain why I have two separate memories of what happened to that mirror and why only one of them makes sense." Harry said. "You couldn't have known how many traps were in the chamber leading to the mirror of desire unless you were there yourself. Snape has told me he was keeping an eye on you so he would know if you were there at any other time. Therefore concluding you could have only been there one time and that one time was when you implanted the memory of going through that secret corridor that only 'Snape' knew about."
Quirrell snorted.
"Fine, I'll admit it. You caught me."
"Reverse the charm now. If you try any games I'll utilise the spells I have learned from Snape. I have been training from him so I am armed and dangerous." Harry threatened darkly.
Quirrell raised his hands as Harry grabbed the wand from the holster attached to his trousers, pointing the wand at his back.
"Knock on the door." Harry commanded.
The man proceeded to do just that. Snape greeted them unhappily.
"What's he doing here?"
"You wanted evidence. He can reverse the memory charm."
Snape stepped aside as Quirrell stepped in.
"Why do you have him at wand point?" He asked.
"In case he tries something funny." Harry said in reply.
"Potter you are aware that I won't agree to this."
"Confundo."
Snape's eyes immediately glazed over.
With his wand digging in Quirrell's back, Harry uttered dangerously.
"Remove it right now."
Quirrell approached Snape clutching on his shoulders. The man's bright eyes gazing sharply into the depthless black pools.
Then just as suddenly Quirrell clutched at his throat falling to the ground. The poison was kicking in.
Hermione pushed Harry aside in the nick of time as Snape fired a green hex in their direction.
"What the-"
The door slammed open, Professor Moreau greeting them.
Harry fired a hex.
"Expelliarmus."
Snape immediately procurred a shield.
"Bombarda." Moreau said, his wand pointing at the ceiling.
Heaps of rocks fell on Snape incapacitating him.
Moreau turned behind him where Harry could see a man and a woman standing behind him.
The couple approached Quirrell.
"A disembodied spirit is possessing Quirrell." The woman said as if giving Moreau confirmation about something. "I don't think it's Malicious Intent though. Should we still remove it?"
"It would be advisable as I'm sure Ms Granger would love to have her voice back."
"Y-You but how?" Harry asked stammering his words puzzled by Moreau's actions. Was Lily right was the man really a good person at heart?
"Lily has been trying to contact my son after having lost the antidote to the curse that has ailed me since I attended this school. These are her parents who are ghost hunters." Moreau explained.
The woman grumbled.
"Fine, ghost whisperers. They're also acclaimed potion masters having developed a curse for my condition. I was in close contact with them before this as we suspected Malicious Intent was residing at your school. They told me they sensed a disembodied spirit fitting his description and I couldn't miss the chance of engaging him once and for all."
"Malicious Intent?"
"It's a dark Entity. A disembodied magical form that can take on any shape."
"Cornelius, can you help me over here?" The woman uttered once more.
The man approached her as she began making a cut in her arm with a knife. She handed the blood over to Cornelius who did the same thing.
Dipping their fingers in the blood they began drawing runes around Quirrell's body.
Harry gasped.
"Those are runes. I thought those were only used in Transfiguration."
"They can be used in blood rituals as well though those tend to linger a bit towards dark magic. Right now they're doing their purifying technique." Moreau explained as he began walking closer to Snape who was buried under the rocks. His fingers prodded at the man's eyes opening them just a hair his gaze bearing into Snape's unconscious eyes for an instant before he turned away.
"Is he alright?" Harry asked.
"The memory block cast on his mind had another charm attached to it. Breaking through that memory charm caused that spell to come into play and that was Quirrell's plan all along. You should be more cautious, Mr Potter."
"Evanesco." He said clearing the rocks from Snape's person.
Harry saw the ritual going on at the other side of the room. A bright light encompassed Quirrell's body which spasmed out of control.
A disembodied spirit with a bald head and snakelike eyes exited the body within a split second.
It screamed, turned and screeched in Harry's direction.
"We'll meet again, Harry Potter."
"Rennervate." Moreau chanted as his wand pointed at Snape.
Groaning at the pain to his back, Snape got stood on his elbows. His eyes widened with fright at the sight of Professor Moreau.
"It's alright Professor. He just saved my life."
~HPSS ~
Not long after these events transpired Harry and Snape were both escorted to the hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey scolded them both but it was with much elation that Harry found himself very happy to have the company of Severus Snape in the bed next to his.
"With everything that has gone on I'm shocked we haven't died yet. First the troll then the three headed dog and the trap door."
"Speaking of three-headed dog. Where did you hear that melody that you were humming?"
"Why do you want to know?"
Snape snorted. "My mother used to sing that lullaby before I went to sleep every night."
"So you are a mother's boy."
"Quiet Potter." Snape snapped. Harry marveled at the fact the professor turned such a fabulous shade of red at the proclamation. It must have been quite embarrassing to admit something like that.
"Say Professor I'm curious what was that memory that Quirrell erased from before?"
"Potter." Snape warned. "I'm not exactly happy with your methods in extorting my trust. You could have killed me."
"Killed you? According to Moreau, your mind had strong defences in place when Quirrell had removed the memory charm and you were trying to kill me."
This was true. The moment Snape had started relaxing in the hospital wing everything came back and he wasn't too happy at what he had nearly done to the boy.
Snape had completely forgot about the attack on Quirrell and as Dumbledore had told him to remain out of Quirrell's line of suspicion, he had only been keeping an eye on Quirrell at the time as he usually did. He had no idea Quirrell had even attacked them but now he remembered Quirrell had pointed his wand at him and cast the imperius curse on him. He had demanded Snape kill the boy. Snape however had a strong resistance to the imperius curse but the desire to kill was still there at the time.
During various points throughout the year, Snape had visited Dumbledore and all the old man would ask was how the boy was doing.
At one point, the two had been discussing about their plans for the future.
"What do you plan on doing after all of this? A war may last decades but when the Dark Lord returns you may not even survive to dictate the boy." Snape said.
Dumbledore's eyes widened.
"That is why Nicholas Flamel gave me the philosopher's stone. As long as I survive I can keep Harry safe."
Snape was reminded of why he loathed the boy so much. There was a time that Dumbledore had turned a blind eye towards him whenever James Potter and his friends had been up to mischief and it was clear that the old man favoured Harry with a bit of biase.
A nasty bit of jealousy had come up at that point. He had nothing he wanted better to do than to kill the person who had stolen everything from him.
Dumbledore would only hinder his plans the longer he remained alive. He figured on blackmailing Moreau. As his son had a dangerous disease that halved his lifespan, it was granted that he was a frail boy. Snape had told Moreau to give him the philosopher's stone in exchange for his son's life.
He wanted the philosopher's stone so Dumbledore could finally acknowledge him but it seemed now he got his acknowledgements from someone else. Someone completely unexpected.
Snape smiled at the boy.
Snape had grown warm towards the boy and he couldn't harm him.
"You're right." Snape said. "I was trying to kill you. I've been trying to kill you from day 1."
"What are you talking about?"
"When Quirrell cast the imperius curse, who did you think was in control? I have a resistance to the imperius curse, Potter." Snape explained.
"Why were you trying to kill me?" Harry asked with eagerness to understand.
"I wanted something I couldn't have."
"Oh." Harry said looking very surprised. "If you wanted to kill me then how did I wind up in the hospital wing afterwards? There's no way Quirrell would drag me here."
"At the same time, I couldn't kill you." Snape said head behind his arms, facing the ceiling. "I had every intention of stealing that stone to get back at Dumbledore for how he incovenienced me. Letting me watch over you. He's not the good guy he claims to be. If he was he wouldn't have hired Quirrell nor would he have left that stone here in the first place. He could praddle on and on about protecting that stone but the fact of the matter is he wanted it too but he had no one to get to it. Your friend Weasley stopped me just when I was about to kill you. Used a disarming hex if I remember right."
"Why would Dumbledore want the stone?"
"He can't stand living in pain. The old man can't bear the thought of being cold and alone in a deep grave having to live with the thought of experiencing pain before his death. He doesn't even accept the conditions that come with death." Snape scoffed in disgust.
"I can't say I don't particularly blame him. Pain is something reasonable to fear I certainly wouldn't want experience it before I die."
"Don't say that. You aren't going to die unless I kill you and I assure you I will make certain that it's painless." He snapped.
Professor Quirrell came in as they were talking.
"Severus, Mr Potter." He greeted them curtly. "I have removed the contraption on Ms Granger's throat. I'm sincerely sorry for my actions. I did have control over some of my actions and though You know who's presence was partially to blame. I feel that I must take partial responsibility as well."
Harry nodded.
Just then Hermione popped up from behind him.
"Hey Harry. I'm sorry about everything that has happened. I would have helped you but I couldn't speak." She said before embracing him.
Snape coughed getting their attention.
"Ms Granger, I'm hoping you won't disagree to come by and visit Emily during the summer. She's taken a bit of a liking to you."
"Oh it's not a problem, Professor. I'll let my mum know." She said.
HP
End Notes: This is the final part of book 1. Next chapter will be beginning book 2. Again let me know what you'd like to see in book 2 otherwise I cannot guarantee the changes in book 2 will be a development that many will like.
Edit 11/15/13: I've made some changes in Ch 3 and Ch 9 to hopefully clear up several things.