Summary of the last chapter:
Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley by Portkey to get all his school supplies and his wand. At Gringotts, Hagrid retrieves something from vault 713 – secret Hogwarts business, as he tells Harry. Harry also buys clothes, a trunk and extra books. They travel back to Scotland by Knight Bus. Harry borrows Hermione's notes to cover the lessons he missed and is looking forward to his first day of classes the next day.
A/N: A little chapter to keep you going - the next one is long again, and my dear beta is working on it.
I regret that I can't answer to some of you who commented without being logged in. One thing I should probably have mentioned right at the beginning was brought to my attention by Ae, who pointed out that the school uniforms were only movie canon. I'm aware. I really liked the movies and I consider them canon, too. Unfortunately, books and movies are not always in harmony, so sometimes, I have to go with one or the other. If I have to pick, I choose what I like better. So expect Snape to protect the kids from the werewolf! :)
Plans
In the headmaster's office, the Potions professor wasn't quite as happy with some events of the day as Harry. After just one day of classes, he was already longing for another holiday. One of the new Gryffindor students showed every sign of being a menace in Potions and had somehow managed the impossible by blowing up a cauldron when brewing a simple boil cure.
One of the Ravenclaws was already grinding on his nerves with her know-it-all attitude, waving her hand in the air frantically at every question, almost jumping out of her seat while doing so. She would certainly be one of those students who turned in essays twice as long as required and took twice as long to correct, cutting a considerable dent in his meagre leisure time.
The Weasley twins had arrived back from the holidays with their trunks full of joke products which they couldn't wait to show to their classmates, and though they knew better than to do so in Severus' classes, he had already had to deal with the consequences of their pranks: Numerous blue-skinned Slytherin third-years had shown up in his office screaming bloody murder.
He was not looking forward to tomorrow.
"Lemon drop?" offered Albus sympathetically, after Severus vented his frustration over students in general and in particular about the fact that Slytherins had been paired with Gryffindors for Potions this year.
"It's the worst possible combination, Albus! You know that there is no love lost between those two houses, and Potions is too dangerous a subject tohave the added danger of students sabotaging each other just to be spiteful. Why didn't we stick with the established combination of Slytherin-Ravenclaw and Gryffindor-Hufflepuff?"
"I thought we might try something new and maybe break up the pattern that created the divide in the first place. If Slytherins notice that Gryffindors are not so bad, that might foster inter-house friendships. I know, for example, that Ron Weasley was very interested in making Harry's acquaintance."
"How so?"
"Well, I mentioned to Molly that he would start Hogwarts this year – you know that I have an almost standing correspondence with her because of the twins – and I asked if Ronald might be willing to help Harry find his way in the wizarding world, as I expected him not to be as familiar with it. I believe the Weasleys as a family would be very welcoming towards Harry, which could help make up for the lack of warmth and nurturing from his own relatives."
Severus frowned. "You have been planning his friendships?"
"Just trying to make some things a little easier for him."
Severus was not convinced. Albus was definitely scheming again. It was one of his favourite pastimes.
"And what was that about the third floor corridor, Albus? Why is it suddenly forbidden?"
"Oh, that. Well, a good friend of mine has a very precious item that is in need of safekeeping. I have offered the safety of Hogwarts for the time being.I thought I'd use the empty rooms in the west wing, as there is ample space to set up protections."
Severus frowned. "Why not keep this precious itemhere in your office? No one can enter without a password."
"Because the person I believeto be interested in the object in question would have access to it."
"A teacher?" Severus asked, aghast. "Surely not! Who do you suspect of being a thief?"
"Quirinius, 's always been interested in valuable magical artefacts, and I fear he might have gotten involved with the wrong crowd during his travels. He's not been the same since he came back."
No, indeed not. He had never worn a ridiculous turban and stuttered before. Now it drove Severus up the wall having to listen to him for a longer period of time, mainly because he had nothing of interest to say and was so irritatingly subservient in his demeanour.
"Why did you hire him back if you think he's involved in something sinister?"
"Because I have no proof. And until I do, I'd like to keep an eye on him." Albus popped a lemon drop into his mouth.
"But you drew the attention of the entire school to that corridor. Surely, if Quirrell knows you're hiding the item here, he now knows where to look for it."
"Oh, he knows, Severus, I made sure of that!"
"What? What do you mean?" Severus had the strong impression that Albus quite enjoyed leading him from one ludicrous statement to the next inan altogether irrational discussion.
"Why do you think I sent Hagrid to Gringotts, and why did I speak to him about it at the breakfast table, where Quirinius was privy to every word?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes. "I surely wouldn't have done so if I had wanted it to remain a secret. As a matter of fact, Quirinius reported in sick right after breakfast, claiming a migraine. I'm pretty sure that he was not resting in bed."
"First, you are suspecting a teacher of being a thief, then you deliberately dangle the very item he desires under his nose?"
"Well, I have a plan. Or perhaps you might call it a trap. If he really goes after what he longs to have, we'll capture him."
"And may I ask what this mysterious item is?"
"The Philosopher's Stone."
Severus felt his chin fall – and he usually had such good control over his features! "It's the only one known in existence! It's priceless. Many would kill for it. Do you really think a school is the best place for safekeeping? It ought to be in one of Gringotts' high security vaults!"
"That's where it used to be – until today," nodded the headmaster. "As I learned from my source at the bank and as the wizarding world will doubtlessly read in tomorrow's paper, an attempt was made to break into it just today."
You think that was Quirrell? But the man is a complete moron and afraid of his own shadow!"
"Only since he came back. Before, he was ambitious, adventurous and brave enough to chase after dark artefacts on his own. I'm very sure that he wasn't the mastermind behind the break-in, and that someone else is pulling his strings."
"Who?"
"Voldemort, of course."
Severus paled. "You can't be serious! Nothing hints at him having returned." He had to suppress the urge to check his arm, just in case.
"He hasn't. But he's left the place all my sources indicated he was hiding in for the last ten years, and that curiously coincided with Quirinius' travels. And ever since he came back, he's been suspiciously interested in my work with Flamel."
"So you suspect what exactly?"
"That he is possessed by the spirit of Voldemort."
"What?" At the speed the headmaster was dropping news that made Severus'jaw drop in shock, he might just as well leave his mouth hanging open. "And you let him teach children in this school?"
"He's not a danger to them. Voldemort doesn't have a body, he has no power and only a fragile hold on Quirinius. His only interest and main focus will be getting the stone as a means for his resurrection. He won't endanger that."
"He might go after Potter and finish what he started!"
"Harry is very well protected. I'm keeping a very close eye on the boy, and you're doing the same. I'm asking you to also keep a very close eye on Quirinius."
"What if he manages to get the stone? The consequences would be dire!"
"He won't be able to get it. I made sure of that."
"What protections did you put up?"
"Oh, quite a few! For starters, I borrowed Fluffy from Hagrid. He's guarding the trapdoor."
"The cerebus? You have a three-headed dog inside a castle full of children? I was concerned enough while he kept it in the Forbidden Forest!" Severus couldn't help but wonder if his employer and mentor was slowly losing his marbles. Eccentricity was one thing, but this …
"It's perfectly safe. He can't even reach the door. Besides, he's been raised not to attack children. He might growl and bark, but he won't bite them. An adult wizard though …"
"An adult wizard would simply Stun or Avada the monster!"
"That's why I chose that particular room," said Albus, clearly pleased by his own ingenuity. "It's guarded against any kind of offensive spell casting. Once inside, you might be able to use 'Lumos' or the Patronus charm, but not much else."
"So there's absolutely no way past it?"
"Not if you don't know that music is a sure way to put Fluffy to sleep."
"Which Hagrid knows, so there's a high chance Quirrell will find out eventually."
"As I said, I'm counting on it is as I suspect, he willtry to go for the stone, but I've made sure that he's unable to reach it. The protections that'll be set up after Fluffy won't keep him, but lure him where he needs to go."
"I don't understand. There are other protections behind the trapdoor that won't impede him? Like what?"
"Oh, I'm having fun with setting those up! So far, I have a Devil's Snare which Pamona kindly gave me to cushion the jump through the trap door. And I want to ask Minerva to charm a huge chess game that needs to be played and won. Which reminds me – I want you to help create an obstacle, too, something with potions, I guess. A riddle one must solve with logic."
"But Albus - any child knows that Devil'sSnare can be fought with a simple Lumos. A lot of children know how to play chess. Ravenclaws have to solve riddlesevery time they enter their common room …"
"I know." The headmaster's eyes twinkled as he reached for another lemon drop.
"Then why would you set up anobstacle course of ridiculous protections if a child can get through them with a bit of luck? You know how Gryffindors are – they might see it as a challenge." Severus narrowed his eyes when he remembered how everyone had expected the Boy-Who-Lived to be sorted into Minerva's house for sure. "Potter! You want Potter to go after the stone himself!"
The headmaster didn't deny it.
"Why, Albus?" Severus had always had the highest respect for the headmaster and order leader, who seemed to know and notice things much earlier than everybody else and was nearly always right with his predictions. His plans were usually clever, many-layered and failproof. But this … this had an air of insanity.
"For a multitude of reasons, Severus," explained Albus, who now looked at him with serious eyes. "I need to see what he's capable of – if he's really so special as the fateful events that Halloween night seem to indicate. He's prophesied to be the only one who can defeat Voldemort. If there's a chance, even the smallest chance that he has the means to do so already, I have to give him the opportunity in a safe environment."
"Safe environment? What's safe about it if you think he'll face the Dark Lord somehow?"
"Because as long as Harry has a home with Petunia, Voldemort literally can't touch him. He can't come to harm. Harry deserves this chance to deliver justice. The way the obstacles are designed, he will need the help of his friends. I want to see if he can work with others, if he manages to findfriends who are willing to stand by him. If it works out, it'll give him a boost of confidence which I think he needs. And last not least, I need to see if Harry can be tempted."
"You fear he might go dark," Severus accused him with bitterness. "Because he was sorted into Slytherin."
"He has been raised under less than favourable conditions, and we don't know what an influence this had on him."
"Conditions you condemned him to yourself!"
"Yes. I take full responsibility for that. But, as I pointed out before, it was necessary. It gave Harry the protection he needs to hopefully defeat Voldemort once and for all."
"What will you tell the other teachers if they ask? They don't know about the prophesy and that Harry is destined to rid us all of the Dark Lord. I suppose you haven't told them about Quirrell possibly being possessed by him either, or there'd be pandemonium."
"Yes, that's what I thought, too. I only told them that I'm setting up a course of challenges for the brave, the adventurous and the rule-breaking among the students, a practical application of what they are taught here, if you will, to teach them the importance of learning, of team-work and of listening to their professors."
"What if Potter doesn't go down there at all? He's been sorted into Slytherin, not Gryffindor."
"Yes, that was indeed surprising. But I've made sure that Harry has an idea of what istruly at stake. Since I've sent Hagrid to retrieve the stone from Gringotts, he knows what is hidden behind the trapdoor. Though I'm not sure if he understands the evil Voldemort is capable of yet. Once he does – if he's cut of the cloth I hope he is – he'll do everything in his power to prevent him from reaching the means to return."
A/N: I've been wondering forever what the other teachers might have thought about the obstacle course Dumbledore had them set up. He must have given them some sort of explanation, and 'I'm hiding a really dangerous artefact that You-Know-Who is after in the school' can't have met with approval. The cerebus behind a door that could easily be unlocked by a first year gave me the worst headache. What an irresponsible thing to do – unless Fluffy was, in truth, totally harmless. I read the original passages in the book again, and indeed: Fluffy showed no signs of wanting to attack the kids at all! So I thought this must be the answer: He's really a softy around kids, but dangerous for adults. If we add the idea that no offensive charms can be cast at him (otherwise, Hagrid would surely not have allowed Dumbledore to use him as guard dog!) in that room, Fluffy becomes a very effective but not too dangerous obstacle for someone who wants the stone.
I hope you agree with me that the whole thing with the stone was a set-up for Harry and for Quirrell. No one will convince me that Dumbledore didn't have his suspicions about Quirrell. I'm also 100% sure that Quirrell was only in Diagon Alley the day Harry and Hagrid went to Gringotts because someone let it slip to him that they would be there 'on important Hogwarts business'. Quirrell probably thought he might have a go at the stone after it was retrieved, but before it arrived in Hogwarts, but realised that he couldn't possibly attack Hagrid in the middle of Diagon Alley.
As to why he went to Gringotts after Hagrid had been there? I think he wanted to check if the stone was really no longer in the vault. I imagine that Quirrell just went to his own vault, and while there, stopped at the Hogwarts vault to take a look inside. Voldemort's spirit form sort of leaned out of Quirrell's body and put his ghostlike head right through the wall of the vault to see what's inside (nothing). This triggered a burglar alarm, as Voldemort has a magical signature. But back safely in Quirrell's body, he was able to leave the bank as one of the shocked customers, with no one being the wiser.
Now I'm really curious to hear what you think about this! Does it make sense to you, or do we still have gaping logic holes?
