Over the next few nights, as memories plagued my dreams, making me return to the library again and again in my sleep, I had a bad feeling.
There was something happening and I didn't know when it was going to happen.
The night of my last exam, aftering acing it as always, I tried to have a decent night's sleep but something was preventing me. Half asleep, pain woke me up instantly, and then a memory of the trap door reminded me of what was at stake.
I dressed as quickly as I could, jeans and a tank top under my school robes, the Invisability Cloak over my shoulders as I ran up to the third corridor.
Poor Tercet was forced to sleep by the harp playing in his room. I charmed it to stop playing, letting him wake up just as I jumped into the trapdoor.
After going through the whole set of obstacles, it was easy to do it a second time and I think I broke my time from the first now. I broke through the final door, finding the man that was the cause of all my pain this year.
"You," I growled. "You hurt Emperor."
Quirrell just smiled, never twitching, quivering or stuttering as he spoke. "I wondered if you would be able to get through. It would be quite difficult for any first year."
"I thought it would be hard for you," I said. "Considering how stupid you've been in revealing yourself this year. Trying to kill me wasn't a smart move, was it? Especally in front of the whole school."
"And?" He said. "It was sad that Snape tried to save you. Did you know he did try? But you also knew the counter-curse, overpowering my curse on your broom."
"Is that why you tried to kill my Familiar?" I clenched my hands. "Because you couldn't kill me?"
"I have to admit I was sad that it didn't happen," Quirrel said coldly, snapping his fingers and making thick ropes wrap around me instantly. "You're much too nosey, Potter. Now stay quiet, I need to examine the mirror."
They were so unbelievably tight, restricting my movement as he examined the mirror in question. I instantly recognised it as the Mirror of Erised. Fidgeting to get the rope of me, it tightened every more. I still watched Qurriell walk around the mirror, muttering to himself this and that.
How was the mirror the key to finding the stone? He kept mumbling on about it. It was such bad luck for me tonight, Dumbledore was in London and I didn't know where Snape was. Anyway, I didn't have the means to contact either one. I wasn't going to let Emperor into any arm, forcing him to stay in my shadow.
"Were you the one to set the Troll free?" I asked. "I wondered how it got in."
"I've got a gift with Trolls," He said. "I wanted it to distract everyone while I tried to get here. It worked but Snape stopped me, he just had to stop me."
I wanted to say it was because he looked like one, but I didn't need to be childish. "Really, why?"
"He thought he could prevent me from giving my master the stone. He didn't know I had Lord Voldemort on my side."
"Voldemort?" I said, fully knowing who he was. "Why is that so familiar?"
"He is the greatest Wizard of our age and the next," Quirrell turned around suddenly and advanced on me.
"Was Snape threatening you a few days ago? I remember you were crying," I said, completely remembering the pain I had felt.
"Yes," An indistinguishable voice said something near Quirrell but I knew it wasn't his voice. "Good idea, great idea! Potter, come and tell me what you see."
He clapped and the ropes around me dropped, I quickly made my way over to it and looked into it.
I kept thinking. I wanted to find the Stone, right there and then. I wanted to know how to find it, and more importantly, where it was then and there. My image in the mirror giggled silently and pulled her hand out from her pouch, flashing the ruby red Stone before stuffing her hand back in.
My pouch seemed heavier somehow.
"I see my family," I lied, tears welling up. "I see all of my family, alive and well."
I watched as Quirrell undid his turban, my scar pulsed sharply as it unravelled. There sat a clear face on the back of his face, looking nothing like him. Something told me I knew this person, from many, many years ago.
"Look at me," The snake-nosed face said. "I have to share another's body to have a form. Unicorn blood has strengthened me. You saw the faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest, didn't you? I'll have the Elixir of Life soon, then I will have my own body once again. Now, give me the Stone."
"No!" I scrunched my face up in disgust, taking a good step back.
"Don't be an idiot, girl," The face laughed. "Save your life and join me. You needn't meet the same fate as your parents."
"If-If I join you, you swear to not kill me?" I said, fully knowing he would go against his words.
"Of course," The face smiled. "Give me the Stone and this will be just a bad dream."
"Okay, okay," I said and opened my pouch. I wasn't going to give him the stone, deciding to snap a bit of the golden crown. The largest ruby looked identical to the Stone, but it didn't have the strange symbol carved in. I held it such a way, it didn't look any different than the actual Stone. "Here."
Both faces cackled loudly, it echoed in the chamber as Quirrell tried to grasp my hand. His body flew back a foot or two, screaming as his skin sizzled from where he touched me.
My scar flashed and I clutched it, dropping the ruby. Quirrell went to grasp for it, suddenly I saw his actual face instead of Voldemort's. A thought came to me, would he be hurt if I touched him again? The sadistic thought overwhelmed the pain I felt as I lunged forward and buried my blunt nails into Voldemort's face.
Screams echoed in the chamber but I refused to let go even with the pain. It was almost unbearable but I pushed through, I needed to. I couldn't allow Voldemort to get the Stone. He killed my parents, he deserved to stay dead. Forever!
My arms vibrated with each micromovement, hurting me more and more until someone pried my hands away from the two-faced man. I wanted to snarl at the person, barely realising it was Snape. I dropped the man easily and stepped away, almost dropping onto my hands.
Snape transfigured the floor to be comfortable and bouncy as I dropped onto my knees, breathing heavily. I didn't know how long it took me but I calmed my racing heart and took the Calming Draught Snape offered. After that was downed, I carefully stood up and finally realised I wasn't alone.
McGonagall was the second person I saw, standing by Quirrell's lifeless body. He no longer had Voldemort's face on the back of his head, looking like it had been forcefully ripped from his body. McGonagall checked him over and deemed him dead.
Something licked my cheek. I shook myself out of my shock and smiled, scrunching Emperor's fluffy face in my hands. I snuggled into him, not caring for the people around me or the events that had just occurred. He purred as he tried to become bigger, developing me in his fur as he grew to the size of a lion. I sighed happily but I knew I would to actually process what had happened and tell the adults.
"Miss Potter," Snape said, cautiously approaching I cuddled in Emperor's limbs. "The Headmaster would like to talk to you."
"Hmm?" I said, lifting my head to see Dumbledore standing a few feet away. "Sure. I'll answer whatever I can. But, is he, you know, gone?"
"Voldemort?" Dumbledore said, his eyes glancing to Snape who barely flinched. "He is not gone, he simply left his vessel. Let us get you to the Infirmary, we need to know if you are alright."
"I'm fine, sir, I think at least," I stood up easily and fidgeted to keep my eyes off of the corpse.
)(-)(
Dumbledore escorted me to his office, only after letting Madam Pomfrey give me a good, medical look over. I sat in the chair, Emperor draped himself over my shoulders and swatted at a loose piece of my hair. I swatted his paws away but gave up quickly, it was quite entertaining to watch him act like a kitten.
"He's not gone, is he?" I suddenly asked and sighed. "He's gone for now but he'll come back. Just like last time."
"Yes. most likely, he left Quirrell to find another host or vessel to inhibit until he gets his own body," Dumbledore said, clasping his hands on the old wood desk. "He has the same mercy for his followers as he gives his enemies. You have delayed his return to power, Miss Potter. It will only take another to bring him back, one who truly wishes him back into power and gives themselves up to the cause. But if he is delayed again, and again, and again, in an endless cycle, he may never come truly back."
Did he expect me to do it again, and again, and again? He couldn't, could he?
"I want the truth, sir, about my family, myself, him," I said firmly, suddenly feeling much older than I actually was. I needed to know.
"The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing. It should be treated with great caution. I shall answer your question until a time I cannot for good reason,"
"And what reason would it be?" I almost snapped, trying to keep my temper even."It has to do with me and my family, shouldn't I know the whole truth? As you know, I am the last Potter and there will always be a need to avenge my parents. It doesn't matter if I am young, I am the Head of my House until my death, or if my parents were resurrected. That reminds me," I took my hand and pulled the Stone from my pouch. "I don't want this."
"I am glad you are thinking of this so logically, Miss Potter. Many of your peers would be traumatised by what occurred. It is good that you gave me the Stone," He said, pleased. "You needn't have this temptation."
I shook my head. "There isn't any temptation, sir. My parents are dead and I have accepted that way before I knew of this Stone's uses. As you said, I needn't dwell on the past but rather on the future. But I ask this, why is Voldemort trying to kill me?"
"Good, good," Dumbledore had a far off look but quickly regained focus. "He tried to kill you, I can't say why. It isn't the time."
"When will it be the time?"
"When you are older."
"Fine, alright. Why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"
He began to explain the Magical concept of love. A parent's love for their child was one of the strongest love there was, stronger than the hatred Voldemort had. After a question, he explained how Snape was in my parents' year in school. Snape didn't want to be in my father's debt, he wasn't anymore but still. He explained some other things and I took in everything eagerly.
I left the office in a daydream state but regained focus when I remembered what the book had said;
Once you are strong enough,
Once you find the courage to go further,
You'll find the words you need,
For you can't be against murder.
I didn't know anymore. I had killed a man with my bare hands, simply by touching him. Did it mean I was okay with murder now? Was it even murder? I did it in self-defence, not knowing my touch would kill. I didn't even know if I was strong enough, emotionally, mentally or Magically, whatever the book deemed fit to use the last few pages.
I had to go back and check, to see if the last few pages changed.
They didn't and I was almost relieved…. and applauded by my willingness to think murder was okay.
)(-)(
The Quidditch match ended with Slytherin winning by a long shot. I fueled my anger, frustration and annoyance into the game and made several goals throughout the short match.
For the next few days, I didn't eat dinner in the Great Hall. I needed time to myself after what happened with Quirrell and the deformed version of Voldemort. I told Snape when he knocked at my dorm's door.
"You have to be at the Great Hall, Miss Potter," He said, finally escorting me there, after I fed Emperor. "This is the end-of-year feast, you have to attend. No student is allowed to not be present, it is to give the feel of unification between the students as the year ends."
"Fine," I said, flicking the top of my strangely pointed hat. "But why do we have to wear the hats?"
"Tradition," He said, fiddling with his own pointed hat. "Even the staff have to wear them. Now get to your seat and this can be over quickly."
I sighed but did as told. I sat at my normal seat, the closest to the second-year students, and said my hellos before the feast began. I grumbled but eventually turned quiet. It would be over soon, i hoped.
"Another year has gone!" Dumbledore said with a good amount of glee. "As I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding. In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."
A roaring storm came from the Slytherins. We all cheered each other and stamped out our happiness and pride at winning another year's House Cup. I matched Draco's movement of banging the end of our goblets on the table
"Well done, Slytherin," Dumbledore said. He didn't mention anything about the third floor corridor. No one needed to know about that.
The bare hangers turned green with Slytherin House's pride. Every Slytherin either gave themselves a round of applause or in the case of my friends, tried to tackle me for a hug. I giggled at my friends' antics but quickly quieted as Snape shook Dumbledore's hand with the broadest smile any of them had seen.
Our exam results were given to them soon enough, and I was pleased with my marks. Though I knew I could do better, I did well enough. Draco did better but he applied himself more than I did and I accepted that. The girls did as well as me, and Blaise was the same. Draco had all the know-it-all jokes aimed at him but he brushed them off, commenting on me being the youngest Chaser in a century.
I packed my trunk by Magic, I wanted the practice and this would be the last time I would be able to use it. I sent a fire charm to the notes the professors gave out. I complained to my friends, they could use Magic if they wanted, their parents would take the blame of using Magic but I had no one who had Magic live with me.
I asked Hagrid what would happen to Haos, Zastiti and Harmoni, Tercet,or Fluffy as Hagrid called the three-headed dog. Hagrid released him into the Forbidden Forest and said that if I wanted to see him, all I had to do was ask Hagrid and he'd take me to the hound.
The Malfoys greeted the group of first, now second-year Slytherins. Pansy, Daphne and Blaise said their hellos and goodbyes and went their separate ways to their families. The Malfoys escorted me to the wall, making many of the people in line move away. They had a strong influence on people, I concluded as I walked calmly into the wall.
Uncle Vernon smiled and chuffed lightly, watching Aunt Petunia greet me with a calm hug and quickly checking over me. I could tell that they were scared to let me go to Hogwarts, I assured them that everything was fine. I told tales of what I learnt, what I did, who I met, comparing them to Muggle things to make it easier to understand. I couldn't tell them of Voldemort, not yet. I hadn't even processed it myself.
I didn't dare say anything about the room with the blood book as I dubbed it. They didn't need to know about that.
It would take a while to get home and I had some time to kill. So I skimmed a finger on the burgundy volume, opening the clasped and began to read the contents. I curled up with Emperor in the back seat, watching the slightly distressed look on my Aunt and Uncle's faces. I gave them a pleasant smile and they calmed.
This year had been exciting and I couldn't wait for next year to begin.
)(-)(
