Chapter Seven is officially here! I know that. Like I promised, I will be updating more often as I can, because I love this story. I know it is so many characters right now, so please PM me if you need a character list or even a nice backstory for a new character. I will tell you all that there will definitely be a sequel and I already know what it will be, but you all will be surprised and love it. Please Read and Review and enjoy Chapter Seven!
Chapter 7
Later that night, the four friends snuck down to the Common Room and unfortunately encountered Neville Longbottom. He did his best and protested them trying to sneak out and potentially getting Gryffindor into trouble. He even stood up to the four, saying he would fight them.
Hermione sighed.
"Neville, I'm really really sorry about this. Petrificus Totalus!" she said, as he waved her wand and pointed it at Neville.
Neville suddenly, froze and fell back like a lone piece of wood.
Selena whistled quietly.
"Nice one." she said.
Ron nodded.
"But scary." he said.
The four walked past Neville, slipped on the Invisibility Cloak and left Gryffindor Tower and made their way to the third floor corridor. Hermione unlocked the door and they made their way into the room, where they saw a harp playing in the corner and Fluffy was fast asleep.
Harry sighed.
"Snape must have already gotten past Fluffy." he said.
They noticed that one of Fluffy's paws were on the trap door, so they carefully moved it and opened the door. However, they noticed how quiet it became, because the harp had stopped. Fluffy had also woken up and the four friends had to jump down to avoid a horrible death. They fell on black vine-like material, thankful that it was there.
Suddenly, the vines began to wrap around the kids and momentarily they began to panic. They didn't know what was happening.
Suddenly, Hermione realized something.
"I know what this is. It's Devil's Snare." she said.
Harry , struggling against it, nodded.
"I thought that that's what it was." he said.
Suddenly, Selena remembered something.
"Guys, remember from Herbology. It hates sunlight." she said.
Suddenly, Hermione, whipped her wand out, muttered an incantation and bluebell flames erupted from her wand and the Devil's Snare made a screeching noise and let all four of the friends fall to the floor below them.
The four got up and followed a passage way. They came to a large room, with a lone broomstick and tons of flying keys. Selena realized that one of the keys went to the other door and managed to see a key, with a damaged wing. Harry, being the best flyer out of the group, mounted the broom and caught the key and they were able to enter the next Chamber.
Ron sighed.
"Blimey, that was intense." he said.
Selena then realized something.
"Wait. Fluffy, Devil's Snare, Flying Keys. That's it. Each of the professors have a defense for the Stone. Hagrid obviously put Fluffy as guard, The Devil's Snare was obviously from Sprout and the keys were charmed to fly by Flitwick!" Selena said.
Hermione nodded.
"Of course. Every teacher knows about it, so they would have to place a protection." she said.
After that, the four moved walked further and all of a sudden, they came across a large Wizard's Chess board. They tried to walk across the board, but the pieces, coming alive, drawing swords and blocking the ways out.
Selena sighed.
"Transfigured chess pieces. This is McGonagall." she said.
Ron nodded.
"Yeah. We are going to have to play the game and win to get through. Listen, I know how we can do this. Follow my lead." he said.
He proceeded to put Harry, Hermione and Selena in position and they actually played a game of Wizard's chess. Everything was going well, until both Ron and Selena were injured during the game. Harry was able to win the game and both he and Hermione rushed over to Ron and Selena, who were both unconscious.
"They seem to be ok. I don't want to leave them here." Harry said.
Hermione sighed.
"We have to keep going, Harry. We will come back for them. We have to stop Snape." she said.
Harry, looking at his unconscious cousin and friend, sighed and he and Hermione continued on. They followed the chamber to a room when suddenly A wall of black flame appeared in front of them and a wall of purple flame appeared in front of them. A table with seven bottles was in front of them and there was a piece of paper on it.
Hermione read the paper.
"Everything we need is here on this paper. There are seven bottles: Three are poison, two are wine, one will get us through the black flame and one will get us through the purple." she said.
Harry looked at the paper and saw:
Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onwards neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."
It didn't take Hermione long to solve the riddle. However, they quickly realized that both safe vials was only enough for one person. They decided that Hermione would go back to Ron and Hermione and send an owl to Dumbledore. Harry drank his potion and he walked through the black flames. As he got closer, he was shocked to see that it was Professor Quirrell. He was no longer stuttering and his presence was menacing.
Suddenly, Quirrell whipped out his wand and bound Harry. He turned his attention to a large ornate mirror in front of him. Harry was reading the writing on the mirror, which made more sense. He recognized it as the Mirror of Erised. He remembered reading about it in the library at Potter Manor.
Quirrell guided Harry to the mirror and he actually saw his reflection, with the Stone and he put it in his pocket. At that moment, he felt a lump appear in his pocket. Quirrell decided to take that moment to reveal what was under his turban. Harry was horrified to see the bane of his nightmares, Lord Voldemort, stuck to the back of Quirrel's head like a disgusting parasite.
"Voldemort." Harry said, voice slightly shaken.
Voldemort, still weak, spoke to Harry, trying to sweet talk him into giving him the Stone in his pocket. Harry was not falling for his lies. This man tried to kill him and his family when he was just a baby. He knew that he would not hesitate to do it again. Voldemort ordered Quirrell to kill Harry and take the Stone by force. When Quirrell, grabbed Harry, he began to scream in pain, as his skin began to burn.
Harry's scar began to burn and he also began to scream. He managed to see Quirrell's flesh burn severely. He saw a ghost-like figure leave Quirrell's body, before his entire world went black around him.
Harry groaned, as he woke up. His vision was very blurred and he realized that he was not wearing his glasses. A tall figure hovered over him. He felt his glasses being placed on his face and when his vision adjusted, he realized that he was face to face with Professor Dumbledore.
Suddenly, Harry began to panic.
"Professor! The Philosopher's Stone! Quirrell tried to steal it! Voldemort!" he said.
Professor Dumbledore held his hand up.
"Calm down, my boy. Don't worry. It is no longer a problem." he said.
"But, sir..."
'Harry, please relax. If you continue to be frantic, Madam Pomfrey will throw me out of here." Dumbledore said.
It was at that moment that Harry became aware of his surroundings. He was lying in a white bed and saw other white beds around the room. He realized that this was the hospital wing.
Professor Dumbledore smiled.
"Now, I will answer your questions, before I summon your family. They have been very worried about you. Madam Pomfrey finally made them go and get a spot of dinner, just ten minutes before you awakened." he said.
Harry felt a horrible pit in his stomach. His parents were here. He knew his mother was going to be furious.
"Sir, how long have I been here? How are Ron and Selena?" he asked.
"You have been here three days, Harry. Your friends, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger and your cousin, Ms. Black, are quite well and have been worried about you." he said.
"But sir, what about the Stone? Quirrell wanted it for You-Know-Who." Harry said.
"Ah, the Stone. Be reassured that neither Professor Quirrell nor Voldemort was able to get the Stone. I was able to see Voldemort's shade fleeing the room. I was too concerned for you. There was nothing that could be done for Professor Quirrell, however. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed." Dumbledore said.
Harry looked at Professor Dumbledore, in surprise.
"But if the Stone has been destroyed, won't Flamel and his wife die?" he asked.
Professor Dumbledore sighed.
'They have assured me that they have enough Elixir of Life to get their affairs in order, but yes. They will die. It is for the best. We came to this agreement, so that no one will ever get ahold of the Stone. Do not worry, Harry. They have had a long and beautiful life together. The love that they have will carry on into their next life together, I assure you. Death is not the end, it is just the beginning of another adventure." he said.
Harry leaned back against his pillow, absorbing what Dumbledore had just said.
"Professor, now that the Stone is gone, does that mean that Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who..."
"Say his name, Harry. Fear of a name only increases the feat of the thing itself." Professor Dumbledore said.
Harry nodded.
"Yes, sir. Without the Stone, will Voldemort ever come back? Is he truly gone this time?" he asked.
Professor Dumbledore shook his head.
"No. Harry. I do not believe he is gone. I believe he is still out there, still trying to find another body. Since he is not truly alive, he can't truly be killed. You have only delayed his return. There are other ways and many followers, that could assist in his return. If he is constantly delayed, he may not return. However, it is still possible." he said.
"Professor, why couldn't Quirrell touch me? His skin started to burn when he grabbed my throat." Harry said.
"Ah, yes. Harry, when Quirrell began drinking unicorn blood, he became just as evil and damaged as Voldemort himself. There's a mark on you granted by your mother, when she stood between you and Voldemort." he said.
Harry put his hand to his scar.
"No, not that scar. It is not a physical mark. It is a mark of love within your very skin. Something as pure and good as love is a powerful thing that Voldemort can't understand and it causes him agony to touch anything marked with it." he said.
Harry smiled at the headmaster's words. He did feel deep love within his family. He never understood Ron or Selena would be annoyed with their siblings. He didn't what he would do if anything happened to his little sister.
"Professor, one more thing. How did I get the Stone out of the Mirror? I've heard about it before. It is supposed to show you your deepest desires." he said.
Dumbledore nodded.
"Ah, yes. You see, my boy, only one who wanted to find the Stone, but not use it will find it. That means that the person is pure of heart and does not seek personal gain. I must say I do pride myself on that idea." he said, with a twinkle in his blue eyes.
Harry smiled.
"It truly is, Professor." he said.
Dumbledore looked towards the doors.
"Now, I believe those who love you are here." he said.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Harry heard his mom yell.
Harry gulped, as he heard the fury in his mother's voice.
After some time, Lily finally calmed down and she listened to her son explain everything. Madam Pomfrey allowed Ron, Hermione and Selena to visit Harry and they helped explain everything as well. Harry' parents told him that they had left Melanie with the Weasleys, but she was informed that he was going to be just fine.
James smiled.
"I am very proud of you, son. You faced a horrible wizard. You will be a talented Auror one day." he said.
Lily sighed, with slight tears in her eyes.
"James, stop. This isn't about his bravery. He lied about why he was researching Nicolas Flamel. That monster was after our son again...Voldemort could have killed him." she said.
Harry looked at his mother, in shock. Lily Potter was never able to say Voldemort's name since the night she was attacked.
"Lily, he had no choice. That bastard attacked us and nearly killed Harry. I say call it payback. I am just disgusted that he is actually still around." James said.
Harry looked at his parent.
"Mum, Dad. I never asked, but why did Voldemort go through all this trouble now and back then, using Peter to get to me. I was just a baby then. Why was he threatened by me?" he asked.
James and Lily looked at each other, carefully. Harry did not miss the concerned looks between them.
James sighed.
"Harry, you have to remember that, despite us being barely out of Hogwarts, we were strong opponents of Voldemort. He was killing any enemies he had. I am from an ancient line of purebloods that oppose the Dark arts and your mother is Muggle-born, so it is natural that our family would be a target . He wanted to kill you to torture us." he said.
Lily nodded.
'Your father is right, sweetheart. Don't concern yourself over the reason he wanted to kill you, because he will never get the opportunity again." she said.
Harry felt like his parents were not telling him everything, but he decided to drop it, since he was still very tired.
Moments later, Madam Pomfrey walked in and said that Harry needed to rest. James and Lily walked Ron, Hermione and Selena to Gryffindor Tower. After making sure the three were settled, they walked to Professor Dumbledore's office and joined him.
As soon as the door closed, James walked furiously up to Dumbledore's desk.
'Headmaster, this was too far of a close call." he said.
Lily grabbed her husband.
"James, please calm down." she said.
"No, Lily. Let me say this. I know what I said to Harry and I know you are upset and worried and you expressed that to Harry. However, the ultimate responsibility lies with the headmaster." he said.
"I am afraid he's right, Lily. Please have a seat." Professor Dumbledore said.
He waved his wand and two arm chairs appeared. James and Lily took a seat.
Lily glared at her former headmaster. Her emerald green eyes blazing with anger.
'Headmaster, what in the name of Merlin were you thinking, hiding the Stone here? That three-headed dog? How could you hide it here in the school?" she asked.
"Lily, James, please try to understand. At the time, we weren't sure who was after the Stone. Since Nicolas is an old friend of mine, Offered to protect it for him. I thought that nobody would think to look for it in a school." he said.
James glared.
'Apparently you didn't count on Quirrell. Lily, do you remember that bloke at all?" he asked.
Lily nodded.
"Barely. He was a first year in our seventh year and I believe he was a Ravenclaw student." she said.
Dumbledore nodded.
"That is correct, Lily. I had no idea that he had turned to the Dark Art, let alone a follower of Voldemort. In asking the fellow Professors for their assistance, I inadvertently revealed the location of the Stone to Quirrell. Thankfully, Harry was able to stop him. " he said.
The three sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Professor..." Lily said.
Professor Dumbledore smiled.
"Please, Lily, you may call me Albus. It has been nearly fifteen years since I was your Professor." he said.
Lily slightly blushed at the informality.
"Albus, Harry asked why Voldemort was trying to kill him when he was a baby ten years ago." she said.
James nodded his head.
"We managed to give vague excuses and he seems to buy them. I think we should just tell him the entire truth." he said.
Lily looked at her husband, in horror.
"James, no!" she said.
"Lily, we can't keep lying to him and avoiding the truth. He has a right to know." James said.
'He's too young." Lily said with a few tears falling from her eyes.
James knelt down and hugged his wife.
"I know you are scared, darling. I am his father and I hate it, just as much as you do. I wish I could carry this burden and spare him from this. He is going to have to face this someday and he will need to be prepared. I want that, so he can live his life." he said.
Dumbledore sighed.
"I understand the concern, James. Voldemort reappearing, we should suspect that what we are talking about will happen sooner than anyone had hoped for. He will have to be prepared. However, I agree with Lily. He is too young and is not ready. We will know when the time is right." he said.
James and Lily agreed to Dumbledore's solution. They didn't want to worry about it right now themselves. They were still trying to decompress from Harry being hurt. They decided to let it go, as they made their way to the rooms near the Hospital Wing, so they could be close to Harry.
The next morning, Madam Pomfrey examined Harry. She was running her wand over him, as he sat perfectly still. His parents were also there, looking concerned and also slightly stoic.
She smiled.
"You are perfectly well, Mr. Potter. You may attend the end-of-year feast tonight." she said.
Harry smiled.
'Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." he said.
Lily smiled and hugged her son.
"Sweetheart, I am so happy that you are feeling much better. Despite what happened, I am very proud of you and I love you so much." she said.
Harry smiled.
"I love you too, Mum. Will you two stay for the feast?" he asked.
James shook his head.
'No, son. We both have to work and we have to get back to your sister. We will meet you at Platform 9 3/4. You enjoy tonight with your friends, ok?" he said.
Harry nodded his head.
"I will, Dad." he said.
Later that day, after saying his goodbyes to his parents, he left the Hospital Wing and was happy to see Ron, Hermione and Selena waiting for him.
"Hey guys. Thanks for coming to get me." he said.
Selena smiled and playfully punched Harry's arm.
"That's alright. We had quite the adventure, eh?" she asked.
Harry and Ron both broke into huge smiles.
'You three!" Hermione cried, indignant, before she broke into a smile of her own.
The four Gryffindors made their way to the Great Hall.
Harry smiled at the other three.
"You all were brilliant the other night. Thank you all." he said.
The four friends linked arms and just smiled even more.
Selena looked at Harry.
"We should ask mum and dad and Uncle James and Aunt Lily if Hermione can visit." she said.
Hermione smiled.
"I would love to. I will be in France for two week, but once I return, I would love to see you all again, before school starts.' she said.
Harry nodded.
"It will be fun. You're our friend and we all want you to know our families." he said.
Hermione nodded.
'I would love to. I should be back by the end of July." she said.
"Just in time for Harry's birthday." Ron said.
The four, by this time had made it to the Great Hall. The entire hall was decorated with Slytherin green and silver, as they had had won the House Cup again for the seventh year in a row. The entire school was shocked, when Professor Dumbledore said that he had some last minute points to award. He awarded fifty points to Ron, for his Chess skills, fifty points to Hermione for her brilliance and calmness in the light of danger, fifty points to Selena for her undying loyalty and unwavering attitude and then sixty points to Harry for his heroic deeds. With these last minute additions, Gryffindor ended up beating Slytherin by fifty points. With a wave of his hand, Professor Dumbledore changed the decorations from green and silver and the serpent to red and gold and the lion and announced that Gryffindor had won the House Cup.
The entire Great Hall erupted in applause, except for the Slytherin table. The four were constantly congratulated by their House mates, which felt good, since not long had passed since they were ostracized because of the little situation with Norbert.
Harry looked at the High Table and saw the Professors reactions. He knew that the next year, Snape would probably hate them even more, but he didn't care at all. He had a feeling that this would be one of the best feasts at Hogwarts and he would never forget it.
The next morning, the grounds of Hogwarts were chaotic, as all the students were preparing to leave for the summer and catch the Hogwarts Express back to London. Harry Managed to get a compartment for him, Ron, Hermione and Selena. Just like in the beginning of the year, Saphira Tonks came to check on them, before she went to her compartment with Oliver Wood, her boyfriend. The twins and Selena's older brother also checked in with them, as they wanted to throw some joke ideas at them.
During the trip, Harry and Ron played a game of Wizard's chess, Selena took a long nap and Hermione mainly read through her spell books. Surprisingly, Neville Longbottom also joined them, since he had nowhere to sit. He smiled, when he saw Selena sleeping, until she woke up and gave him a weird look.
Soon , they arrived at the platform. Harry smiled, when he saw his little sister and they both ran to each other and hugged tightly.
"Harry! I missed you so much." Melanie said.
"I missed you, sis. At least you'll be coming with me next term." he said.
Melanie nodded.
"I know. I am so excited." she said.
James and Lily hugged Harry, welcoming him back. Selena and Ron also found their families and were saying their greetings.
Suddenly, James spotted Neville Longbottom and his grandmother. He had a shocked look. When Mrs. Longbottom saw him, she smiled and nodded her head and they walked away.
"Lily, that's Frank and Alice's boy." he said.
Lily sighed.
"Poor boy." she said.
Harry looked at his mother and father, in confusion.
"Mum, Dad? Is something wrong? How do you know Neville?" he asked.
James shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, son." he said.
Harry nodded.
'Dad, can Hermione visit this summer?" he asked nervously.
James and Lily both nodded.
"Harry, of course. However, you are grounded for two weeks for breaking the rules. We aren't happy about what happened, despite it being a noble deed. Ron and Selena will also be a little preoccupied with their own punishments for their part in your little excursion." Lily said.
Harry was horrified and got a sympathetic look of love from his sister. He looked over at Selena, who was glaring, knowingly upset at her being grounded as well and he saw the look of embarrassment from Ron, as Mrs. Weasley chastised him.
Hermione came over and introduced her parents, who were both muggle dentists. They seemed a bit shy, but after learning that Lily herself was of Muggle ancestry, they seemed to relax and were very talkative. They agreed to let Hermione visit after their trip to France and she could definitely attend Harry's birthday as well.
Jennifer Black came over and hugged her nephew.
'Harry, the things you and Selena get into. How are you, sweetie?" she asked.
Harry smiled.
"I'm alright, Aunt Jenny. I promise." he said.
Soon, Mrs. Weasley came over and enveloped both Harry and Selena in bear hugs.
"You two! Really." she said.
Harry, once he could breath, introduced Hermione to his sister and soon, Melanie and Ginny Weasley were talking to Hermione, as if they had also been friends all year. Harry was excited that his sister would have an older girl, who could relate to her and help her settle into Hogwarts when she arrived.
Finally, after all the introductions, James led his family to the Ministry car, he was allowed to use on occasions. He and Melanie both fell asleep, during the drive, Harry woke up, as they were arriving at Potter Manor. Melanie had fallen asleep on his shoulder and he gently woke her up. The family of four walked into their home and Harry began walking to his room, which would be the only place he was allowed to be for the next two weeks. At least his homework would be done sooner than later.
A/N A promise is a promise! Here is another Chapter. I will try to get more Chapters up at a faster rate. I should be able to get another Chapter up before next week. Again, this story will not be abandoned. I am all for ideas and opinions, so do not hesitate to PM me or leave a Review! Please Read and Review, Favorite , Share etc. Chapter Eight is in the works!