Chapter 4

I was walking around the school aimlessly, trying to distract myself from the neverending despair inside me, when I heard whispering coming from behind a huge wooden door. I came closer, and picked out Granger's voice. I waited next to the door, heard as their voices faded, and opened the door. I was fighting the voice inside me telling me it didn't matter the whole time. I had never thought opening a door could be such a mental battle. Inside, I saw a harp magically playing a tune, and a sleeping three-headed dog. I noticed the trapdoor that they had gone through, opened it, and fell through. I fell down fast, and landed on the hard stone floor. I lay there for a few minutes, not having the energy to sit up. Eventually I sat up and saw that I had fallen through a hole in some sort of massive growth.

I saw a door with loud voices coming from inside, fighting a mental battle the whole way, I opened the door, and found Potter, Weasley, and Granger all on brooms loudly chasing after something in the air. It took a few seconds, but eventually Potter flew down holding a key with wings clutched tightly in his hand. He caught his breath, and noticed me standing in the doorway.

"Woah...Hinata? What...are you doing here?" Potter asked, drawing the attention of Weasley and Granger.

"I followed you guys. Wh-what is this place?" My voice came out sounding stupid, but I couldn't stop it. The curse had ruined me.

I saw as Weasley whispered into Potters ear loudly, and got a faint sense of satisfaction when I saw Potter whisper angrily back and then turn to me with a smile.

"Sorry about Ron. Since you're here you can...come with us...I guess." I had just then thought about how odd it was that they were together again. Perhaps something had happened that I hadn't been privy to.

I nodded, and we walked into the next room. This time I didn't have to fight a mental battle since I didn't have to open the door. The next room stunk, and there was a dead troll in the corner. The next room looked like it had previously contained a giant chessboard, but the pieces had all been blown to bits. The next room had a bunch of potions all lined up, and a piece of paper next to them.

It had a riddle written on it, but I was too tired mentally to comprehend it. I handed it to Granger, and she figured it out quickly. Stupid mudblood. She gave the potion to Potter, and he downed half of it. She then handed it to me. I asked why, and she said that word spread fast in Gryffindor. Apparently news of my knowledge on DADA had spread after I had been part of the small meeting with Mioda. She wanted me to protect Potter in case he got in trouble. I nodded, but I wasn't sure I would be able to protect him with my state of mind. I went through the fire, and found a sight that didn't surprise me one bit. I found Quirrell and Potter, facing off. Quirrell had a look of madness in his eyes, and they swept to me when they noticed I had entered.

"Ah, ssso the Hinata heir decidesss to join ussss." The voice was identical to the one I had overheard so long ago. "I am sssorry that my curse hasss affected you ssso." He waved his wand at me with complicated, jerky movements.

All of a sudden, my mind cleared. The despair was gone. My brain started to work at top speed again, and I whipped out my wand. Face masked and voice steady, I asked him, "So it was you all along. I had my suspicions, I should've-" He cut me off.

"-Acted on them? Oh you poor, ssstupid, boy. I shall forgive your insulting tone, but only thisss once."

I became confused as Quirrell started to remove his turban. He began to turn around, and what was on the back of his head chilled me to the bone. It was a horrifying face, planted straight on the back of Quirrell's head. But there was no mistaking the Dark Lord's face.

"M-My Lord?" My voice stuttered, but there was no stopping it. I couldn't mask the pure shock that filled me. The Dark Lord? Alive? And on the back of someone's head?

"There'sss the proper tone. Now, assist me well, as your mother did." He looked at me with terrifying red eyes. They weren't beautiful like Celestia's they were horrifying and seemed wrong.

I walked to his side nonetheless. I saw Potter's face as he stared at me from under his hood. His eyes were burning with fury and betrayal.

"Hinata...how could you?" His voice was filled with despair and rage.

"Did Weasley not warn you? I am loyal to the Dark Lord and always will be." My voice was like ice, and I loved it. I loved having complete control over myself again. It felt good, but something felt wrong. It felt wrong to be up against someone still affected by the curse. I knew how horrible it's effects were. I was contemplating doing something stupid when the Dark Lord spoke.

"Now, it would be unfortunate if you were unable to obtain the ssstone due to complicationsss with the curse, ssso…" He waved his hands in the same rapid motions, and I saw Potter's head snap up as the curse left him. I saw his eyes grow clear, and then slowly fill with pure anger this time.

The Dark Lord spoke before Potter could even say a word. "Now Hajime Hinata, look into the mirror. What do you see?"

I noticed the mirror for the first time. It was so obvious it was crazy to me that I hadn't noticed it before. I looked into it, and almost gasped when I saw the reflection. I saw myself, my mother, and my father all together. We all wore the Death Eater outfit, and my mother had her arm around my shoulder as my father held my hand. We all stood tall and proud in the middle of a battlefield.

"I see my family. We're all on a battlefield and it looks like we've won."

"Oh isss that ssso? Potter sssaw a sssimilar thing. Interesting. Now, restrain Potter. Your mother hasss taught you well, I hope."

I saw Potter react a second too late, as I was already halfway across the room. I darted around behind him, and paralyzed him. He fell to the ground, so I levitated him and presented him to the Dark Lord. He smiled and grabbed Potter's outstretched hand. He pushed his hand into the mirror, and to my surprise, it went right through the glass as if it was liquid. When Potter's hand was pulled out, it had a small stone in its grasp.

Even a child would know what that was. It was the philosopher's stone. The Dark Lord dropped Potter and held the stone in his hands as if it was the most precious thing he had ever held.

"There isss a high place in my ranksss for you when I make my grand return, Hinata. Be sure you are ready. Now, Obliviate!" He pointed his wand at Potter as he obliviated the boy. "Goodbye for now, Hajime Hinata." He disapparated.

I fell to the ground in sudden exhaustion. I knew I had to get out before the teachers got there, but I was too tired. I fell asleep without even realizing it.

I awoke to a teacher talking and patting my shoulder. I awoke groggily, but got up quickly when I took in my surroundings. I was still in the room with Potter. I scanned the room and saw Potter, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Headmaster Dumbledore.
"Ah, Mr. Hinata, I see that you have awoken." It was Dumbledore who spoke first. "Mr. Potter awoke a bit before you and seems to not remember much of what happened. Do you happen to remember anything?"

I shook my head slowly, hoping that my acting was good enough. I was typically very good, but Dumbledore was rumored to be incredibly smart, even though he seemed insane most of the time.

"Well, I remember coming down here with Potter, Weasley, and Granger. We went through all these rooms and then the last one had Professor Quirrell in it...but after that I'm not sure actually."

"Hm, it seems as though you remember a similar amount to Potter, although he remembers a large detail you seem to have forgotten. He remembers that the Mirror of Erised was in there."

"I'm sorry Headmaster, but what is the Mirror of Erised?" I knew exactly what it was. It was a mirror that showed your deepest desire.

"It is a mirror that shows the deepest, truest desire of your soul, my dear boy. It is said that some men have gone mad staring at what the mirror shows them." I pretended to look intrigued and then slightly disturbed by his last statement, desperately hoping that I was fooling them.

"I saw my mom and dad." Potter's quiet voice came from another corner of the room. I looked over to where he stood on shaky legs after being paralyzed for so long.

He looked shaken up, probably because he had just been obliviated after being paralyzed and didn't remember that either of those events had happened. Professor McGongall was standing next to him, helping him stand. I noticed that no one had helped me stand, but I didn't care. I hadn't been caught, and that alone was a miracle. Potter had been obliviated, which meant there was a good chance that no one else knew what had truly happened in that room. As long as I kept up my act, I would be fine.

The nurse showed up and Potter left for the infirmary, although not willingly. The teachers seemed to decide that I was fine, and I was allowed to go back to my dorm. As I was walking down the hallways, the world seemed strange to me. It occured to me just then that I was the only one who wasn't still affected by the curse. Wait, no. Potter too wasn't affected by the curse. That meant everyone else I knew was still feeling the effects. I started walking faster. I had to find Celestia. I had to perform the countercurse on her.

I changed my route and headed for the library. I found Celestia there, sitting at one of the arm chairs, staring blankly at the wall with a book on her lap. She had the blank stare that I had had only a few hours ago. I walked up to her, and sat down next to her. She looked up blankly, noticing tiredly that it was me.

"H-Hajime…" Her voice had a deep sorrow to it.

"Hi Celestia."

"What...what has happened to you?"

"I will explain, but not here, not now. Listen, there is a countercurse for this curse. We must find it." My voice was urgent and low pitched so no one could listen in.

Her eyes seemed to brighten slightly and the knowledge that there was, in fact, a counter for this horrible curse. I saw her eyes go down to the book she had in her lap. I wouldn't call it a ferver, but she seemed to have a newfound purpose in her face that I hadn't seen in weeks. She started to flip through it again.

"I must go, I need to see how the rest of our house is doing."

"You have used the countercurse." She said matter-of-factly.

"As I said, it is a long story." I knew my words were vague, but anything more would be incriminating if someone could hear what I was saying.

She nodded, and went back to her book. I left quietly, and headed for the dungeons. The main area had a few people in it, most of them bearing the blank stares that had become commonplace. All of my roommates were seated in their beds when I reached my dorm. It was a common scene nowadays. Some sat with blank stares, others slept in a weak attempt to get away from the despair that filled them when they were conscious. As of now, Togami and Zabini were the ones with thousand-yard-stares, while Malfoy and Nagito slept to escape.

I looked at Nagito's face as he slept. It was not a peaceful sleep. As I sat watching him I saw his face contort as he tossed and turned. I wondered if the spell was bringing back bad memories as I saw a single tear quietly run down his face. It hadn't happened to me, but the symptoms did seem to vary from person to person. I watched the people around me for a long time. It was a few hours before anyone stirred, and that person was Nagito. He sat up in bed suddenly, breathing deep breaths as he attempted to calm himself.

I saw the panic in his eyes for a split second before he noticed I was watching him. He returned to his mask, but I noticed sadly that he made no attempts to greet me in that typical irritating way of his. Sure, it annoyed me, but it tore me apart to see the people around me break down piece by piece.

I walked over to Nagito and sat down beside him. He didn't look up. I put my hand on his shoulder, and we stood up silently. We were about to walk down the stairs when I heard a quiet noise of protest from behind me. I looked back to see Malfoy walking over slowly. I paused and let him catch up to us. It was a sad sight, even for Malfoy. He was the most annoying prat I had ever known, but no one deserved the effects of that spell, not even Malfoy.

We went down to the courtyard. We sat by the lake, and the two other boys seated themselves to my left and right. Malfoy sat further away, but he still sat close. Nagito, on the other hand, got really close to me and sat with his knees close to his chest. He was the first to speak.

"You've got the countercurse . Or...whatever it is. I know it, I know it in some deep buried place in my mind by this bloody spell won't let me think. Help me Hajime. You need to help all of us, you're the only one who can." He spoke slowly, as if it were a fight to get the words out.

"Hinata...I don't know how the hell you did it, but you're free. Now you've just got to free the rest of us." Malfoy spoke quietly and slowly.

"Make an alliance with the Hinata family and you will be the first to receive the countercurse." I said the words before I even thought about them. I knew it was cruel and wrong to ask someone that question when they were in that state, but I saw the opportunity and I took it. The Hinatas had been trying to get an alliance with the Malfoys for years, but it had never happened. Now was my chance.

"Anything for the countercurse, please. I accept your offer, the House Malfoy is now an ally of the House Hinata...now please." His voice was stronger but it was still just as slow. I knew every word was a struggle, every sentence a battle. But I was about to win. I smiled, and he gave a weak attempt at one.

"Now, I do not have the countercurse yet, but I know that one exists. And although I am no longer in the clutches of this curse, I am not the one who performed it. Now, I need your help. It is almost winter vacation, and I need to visit both of your manors in a search for the countercurse . I know the name of the curse, but that is the extent of my knowledge. Is that alright with both of you?"

They nodded. I smiled, but neither smiled back. Nagito still had his legs clutched to his chest, and Malfoy still sat silently, unmoving. We went back to the dungeons soon afterwards. I felt a strong satisfaction in my heart, and I knew that soon I would have the countercurse along with an alliance with the Malfoys. I would have Celestia back, and life would return to how it had been before this insane spell.