Anna stood next to Quirrell and let her eyes roam over the room. It was large, wide, and almost empty. Almost empty as there was a large golden mirror in the center of the room. Reflected on it, she could see the thick stones and the bright fire that surrounded them. The fire had started as soon as they entered, roaring up high in the outer arches of the room.

Anna swallowed. All of a sudden her mouth was terribly dry and her palms started sweating. The mirror, what did it do? This was the last room right? Quirrell had said so. So where was the stone. She couldn't fail, not here.

"Come." Quirrell muttered and grabbed her by the shoulder, dragging her down the steps to the mirror.

They stopped a meter short of it and Anna took the time to study it. It seemed to be an ordinary mirror, huge and made of gold, but still normal. Her eyes trailed to the top of the mirror. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. She could make no sense of that. It wasn't latin, she knew that much, but there were so many other languages used for magic.

"I show not your face but your heart's desire." Quirrell said.

"What?"

"It's the mirror of Erised. A favourite of Dumbledore's, it shows what your heart wants the most... if you stand in front of it correctly." He raised a slender eyebrow at his reflection and Anna turned back to the mirror. She just saw herself, her curls, her clothes, her face. Just her normal self.

"I see myself holding the stone." He said. "I present it to my lord and he returns. He has a body."

Anna looked at him curiously. One of his hands was raised and touching the back of his turban, which wouldn't have called her attention if it weren't for tha fact that she felt her Lord's presence stirring. The magic which she had come to recognise as his had fluctuated slightly, though not enough to influence her. Anna clenched her fists, her palms were sweating.

"Here." Quirrell pulled her to stand where he stood. "What do you see?"

Anna saw herself, physically unchanged, but she was smiling. A real smile, one that contained so much happiness that she wouldn't have believed it possible if she hadn't seen her surroundings. She was in the hall of Lestrange Manor, it was clean and new and around her were her parents. Her mother was stroking her curls, her father had a hand on her shoulder. Draco stood next to her, and Aunt Narcissa and Uncle Lucius behind him. Theo was there too. A spark of warmth she had never felt before appeared in her chest and felt herself smile as her eyes refused to leave the reflection.

"Well?" Quirrell snapped impatiently.

"I see myself, at home, with my family. My whole family." Anna kept smiling until he roughly grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. She met his eyes, which had filled with desperation, and her heart chilled again.

"No stone? Your heart does not desire that? You do not wish with all your might to bring him back? To give him his own body back? You do not wish that?" At that point he was shouting and shaking her. Anna's head flapped backwards and forwards with the force and her arms ached as his fingers dug deep enough to squeeze her bones.

Then he stopped and set her down. "You don't see the stone?" His voice was hoarse and low. Anna could hear the danger in it, but she couldn't say she saw it when she didn't. Her Lord would hear and know it was a lie. She'd rather be punished by Quirrell than by the Dark Lord.

Anna shook her head, looking down at the ground. She heard him curse and the next thing she knew she was thrown to the ground where she hit her head against the mirror. She touched her cheek gently. It was throbbing and she could taste blood in her mouth. Tears stung her eyes but she blinked them away hurriedly and looked up at him. Quirrell wasn't looking at her anymore. He had turned back to the mirror and was pretending she didn't exist. She couldn't leave but she didn't want to be anywhere near him either. Making a decision, Anna crawled behind the mirror and sat with her back against it. She pulled her legs up against her chest and laid her head on her knees, gently cradling her stinging cheek in her hands. She refused to cry.

It wasn't long before she started hearing Quirrell mumble to himself. He paced up and down and his breathing became increasingly agitated. Every now and then he would growl in frustration but she didn't care. He wouldn't hurt her anymore, not with her being who she was, so she had no desire to help him. She couldn't do anything. The mirror showed her her heart's deepest desire and that didn't have the stone. How could she get the stone if she didn't want the stone? She couldn't.

Why didn't she want the stone? She wanted to bring him back, didn't she? She wanted to live, to make her parents proud, to have a home. That was what she wanted, wasn't it? Yes, always, but... the didn't mean that she wanted him to return. That was just a means to an end not the end itself, right? Anna rubbed her cheek absent mindedly. She both agreed and disagreed with her Lord. She didn't want to be his servant but it didn't seem like she had a choice. She would bring him back. For herself. For that she needed the stone, but there was no way for her to get it. That meant that she was stuck.

Her head snapped up as she heard the roaring of the fire die out. Just for a second the flamed retreated to the floor and it was silent. Quirrell had stopped pacing and muttering and they stayed completely still for just a second. And then she heard footsteps. Not heavy, sure footsteps, quiet and nervous ones. Someone was coming, and not someone who seemed to pose a threat. The fire blazed again and Anna had to strain her ears to hear the newcomer. Nervously she covered her mouth so that her nervously heavy breathing wouldn't be heard. No matter who it was, she didn't want to be found out. There would be no explanation and Dumbledore would now and then she'd never see her family again. She Anna kept quiet and listened.

Harry looked out into the room before him. The mirror of Erised was there and... Quirrell?

"Y- You?" He asked, startled. Quirrell turned to him. "No... It can't be. Snape, he was the one-" He stopped when he heard Quirrell's soft chuckles.

"Yes. He does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to me, who would suspect, "p-p- poor st- stuttering Professor Quirrell?"

Harry frowned in confusion. "B- But that day, during the Quidditch match, Snape tried to kill me."

"No, dear boy. I tried to kill you! And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse."

"Snape was trying to... save me?"

"I knew you were a danger right from the off. Especially after Halloween." Quirrell said, clenching his hands in frustration.

Harry's thoat tightened and he swallowed nervously. He couldn't seem to get all this in his head. He shook his head, trying to get himself straight again.

"Th- then you let the troll in." He stated, already fearing the answer.

"Very good, Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon, he went to the third floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone."

At this Quirrell turned back to the mirror and Harry squinted, trying to see anything of what he saw, even if he knew he wouldn't be able to.

"But he doesn't understand." Quirrell continued in a softer, almost sad voice. "I am never alone. Never." He paused before straightening his shoulders. "Now, what does this mirror do? It shows what I desire. I see myself holding the stone. But how do I get it?" He snapped.

"Use the boy." A voice suddenly called out, whispering, raspy. It came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time and Harry thought he heard a whimper echo through the room, but he couldn't tell where it came from.

"Come here, Potter, now!" Quirrell yelled at him and Harry, startled, couldn't help but oblige. He slowly stepped forwards, keeping a wary eye on his DADA professor.

"Tell me, what do you see?"

Harry looked into the mirror. He could faintly see the outlines of his parents behind him, glowing in the light of the fire around him, but his own reflection was smirking at him. Mirror-Harry reached into his pocket and took out a ruby-like stone that rested prettily on his palm. His reflection winked at him and out it back. Harry stared for a second, trying to comprehend what happened before slowly, ever so slowly, moving his hand to his right pocket. There his fingers clenched his pants and he felt something hard and rough under the fabric. The stone. A gasp forced itself from his throat.

"What is it? What do you see?" Quirrell asked roughly.

"I- I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore." He lied desperately. "I've won the house cup."

"He lies." The voice said.

"Tell the truth! What do you see?!" Quirrell's eyes had grown impossible wide at this point and he was about to grab Harry when the voice talked again.

"Let me speak to him."

Quirrell stepped away from Harry and turned his head to the side, as if refusing to look at the boy. "Master, you are not strong enough." He said.

"I have strength enough for this."

Quirrell winced but reached up to his turban and Harry watched in fascination as the long maroon strip of fabric was unwound from the man's head and he turned his back to Harry. The boy felt his heart stop as a face stretched itself on the back of Quirrell's head. The face's eyes opened. They were blood red.

"Harry Potter, we meet again." The voice, now face said.

"Voldemort." Harry heard himself mumble.

"Yes." Voldemort answered in a hoarse voice. "You see what I've become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another, a mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me but it cannot give me a body of my own. Yet, there is something that can. Something that, conveniently enough, lies in your pocket!"

Harry ran, the fire extinguishing itself to let him pass.

"Stop him!" Voldemort shouted.

Quirrell snapped his fingers and the fire returned, blazing twice as high as it had before.

"Don't be a fool!" The parasite said. "Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?"

"Never!" Harry shouted, anger blossoming in his chest.

Voldemort laughed. "Bravery. Your parents had it too. Tell me, Harry, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together, we can bring them back. All I ask is for something in return."

Harry felt doubt and bit his lip, pulling the stone out of his pocket.

"That's it, Harry. There is no good an evil, only power and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the stone!"

Harry snapped himself out of it, shaking his head furiously. "You liar!"

"Kill him!" Vodlemort shouted and Quirrell flew at him.

Anna peeked around the side of the mirror as she saw Quirrell jump at Potter, clutching the boy's throat with his hands and pressing him against the floor. Vodlemort's face was scrunched up in concentration and he didn't see her as her eyes turned to the fallen red stone which had slipped out of Potter's grip when Quirrell started choking him.

Then Potter's hands reached up and started scratching Quirrell's face. To Anna's surprise, smoke emerged from where his hands made contact with skin.

Quirrell's face started smoking and he screamed as he straightened up. He reached a hand up to his face and, at making contact with his face, his hand crumbled to ashes. "What is this magic?" Quirrell screamed.

Anna couldn't take her eyes off the crumbling body.

"Fool! Get the stone!" Voldemort shouted and Anna saw Quirrell concentrate again. The man stumbled forwards, a hand reaching to the shining stone on the floor.

Potter was looking at his hands with a perplexed look on his face. Then, with renewed confidence, he ran at Quirrell, hands reaching up to his already crumbling face. Quirrell let out a horrendous scream as his body fell apart in dust.

Potter looked down at his hands and turned back to the stone but Anna wasn't watching him as she saw a thick grey mist rise up from Quirrell's ashes. It hovered there for a second before taking the form of the Dark Lord. Potter turned to it and it wasted no time in floating through him with a ghostly growl. Anna watched as Potter fell backwards, the stone tumbling from his hands, and landed with a heavy thud on the cold steps.

She stayed where she was, on her knees on the ground behind the mirror, staring at the fallen body of her eleven year old class mate. All she could hear was her heavy breathing and the roaring of the fire around them, which had receded to its normal height. She hesitated, biting her lip in consternation. Then she huffed and got to her feet, walking with slow steps to the boy. She kneeled beside him. His face was pale and dirty, covered in scratched with dark red crusts of blood. Anna reached out and moved his fringe out of the way, softly passing the tip of her fingers over the lightning shaped scar.

She felt something. There was a small tingling in her fingertips from where she touched the scar. Anna raised her fingers to her eyes and studied them. They weren't crumbling. Her eyes trailed from his face to the stone that lay beside him. Hesitatingly, she reached across his body to the stone, almost grabbing it when a thought popped into her head. Her Lord was gone again. She didn't know where to, she didn't know when she would find him again but... wouldn't it be useful to have it, just in case? She bit her lips and reached out for it but, just as her fingers were closing around the stone the fires went out. Anna's heart stopped.

Loud, rushing footsteps reached her ears and she ran behind the mirror again, leaving Potter and the stone where they were. She fell to her knees behind the mirror and clasped her hands over her mouth, barely breathing. Her heart was beating so loudly she was surprised the sound didn't echo around the room and blood pumped through her ears. The scent of lemons filled the air and she chanced a glance at Potter.

Dumbledore was kneeling by the boy, his long hair and beard trailing on the ground as he carefully waved his wand over him. Potter rose in the air and Dumbledore rose with him, stowing the stone away in one of the many pockets in his amethyst robes as he did. Anna hid again before he turned and, seconds later, she heard his retreating footsteps.

She stayed hidden for what seemed an eternity, patiently waiting for her heart to stop trying to escape her chest and her breathing to regulate itself. Her eyes stung with tears as she realised her chance had passed -but maybe also in relief- and she held herself still. Her arms ached where Quirrell had grabbed her and her cheek still throbbed but, with a deep breath, she stood up and hurried away from the third floor tunnels. Nothing stopped her and right before she descended to the Dungeons she saw a few rays of sunlight through a window.

Anna reached up and wiped away a tear from her cheek and let her head hang. Exhaustion pulled at her muscles and she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had failed.

Draco looked at Anna worriedly. She had been very quiet the last few weeks, she had been very sad. Frowning slightly he turned back to the window and watched the landscapes speed by. She would tell him when she felt like it, or maybe it would blow over without her saying anything. Anna sat beside him, reading quietly. Beside her sat Theo, who had taken to spend time with her every so often, and Blaise sat next to Theo. Blaise was chatting with Pansy and Daphne who sat across from him and Theo and Vince and Greg sat across from Anna and himself. The same crowd as always, doing the same they always did, but the atmosphere was less energetic than usual. Most of them were upset about the House Cup, but Anna wasn't. Draco knew she had barely registered it.

"What do you want to do this summer, Anna?"

Anna looked up from her book and stared at him for a second. She hesitated. "I want to go home." She mumbled.

"Are you alright?" Pansy asked, tactless as ever.

Anna turned to the other girl and Draco saw her fingers clench on her skirt, her knuckles turning white. "I'm fine." She whispered.

The others looked at her doubtfully but she just turned back to her book. Draco put a hand on hers and, to his surprise, she grabbed it and he saw her shoulders tense.

"We have to go to Obscurus Books, Draco." She said, slightly louder this time. "They have a few books I want. I didn't understand them before but I think I might now."

Draco nodded. "That's fine. What book is it?"

Anna looked at him, then around her. They were all staring, though Theo had lines of worry etched on his face, much like Draco.

"Secrets of the Darkest Arts." She said and Draco saw her eyes harden as she glanced around her again. "And I'm sure I don't need to say that you aren't to tell anyone about this. I won't be pleased if you do."

A shiver ran up his spine as he heard the raspy quality to her voice, it was cold and frightening. Looking around him he could see that the others were just as startled and scared as he was. Except Theo, Theo looked at her with a sort of... curiosity that Draco couldn't call good or bad, it was indecipherable. His fingers clenched around hers and his cousin turned to him. She smiled and it was the same smile she always used, but her eyes were different. Her eyes were darker, somehow harder and... sadder.