Harry Potter and the Founders Vault
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling's work, just this idea.
Note: I apologize for the long wait for this chapter – my Beta and I are in the middle of our massive event series, so that took priority.
Year 1: Through the Trap Door
Opening the door which Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville had recently gone through, Harry, Harper and Hermione were greeted by loud growling and all three paused.
"Giant… dog…" Hermione squeaked; the three faced with a giant three-headed dog, it was growling at their appearance, obviously annoyed.
"A Cerberus," Harper muttered, just as the giant dog attacked.
"Hey!" Harry yelled, holding the sword he had only just gotten from his task with the Founders' Vault, he ran under one of the Cerberus' head to keep it away from the girls. He didn't want to hurt it though so, the best he could do was scare the beast with the sharp sword. "I like the Cerberuses at mom's reserve better…"
"I assume those aren't guarding a trap door," Hermione pointed out, seeing the open door in the floor.
"Those four must have gone down," Harper added, figuring that was where Neville and the three Gryffindors went. "Okay, what do we know about Cerberus? Three heads…"
"That's obvious," Harry yelled as he continued to keep the three heads away from the girls, dancing between the heads, wondering if the Cerberus was enjoying itself now.
"They are native to Greece," Hermione pointed out.
"Not helpful," Harry said.
"One does appear in Greek mythology several times," Harper added. "As guardian of the underworld. They are good guard dogs."
"Once again, obvious," Harry yelled out.
"Oh, Greek mythology! Orpheus. He used music to calm a Cerberus," Hermione pointed out.
"You're right. Music calms them. Even sometimes puts them to sleep," Harper gasped, remembering her mother telling her that.
"The spell mom taught us. Use it!" Harry shouted as he barely dodged one of the heads.
"Memento Musica," Harper yelled out, throwing up her wand and thinking of the first song that came to her head. The spell worked as music started to play from the wand tip, a voice singing: 'the seaweed is always greener, in somebody else's lake'. As the music played however, the Cerberus slowed down, looking now to where the music was coming from as one of its head fell asleep; Harry had to run, not to get crushed by the heads as the other two started to follow in sleep.
"First a troll, then the Knight, and now a Cerberus. I am starting to feel like the punching bag of this group," Harry complained as he took a couple of deep breaths to gain his strength.
"That's because you are," Harper joked with her brother, giving him a hug and glad he was okay – every time he was in danger, she always worried and this was no different.
"Under the Sea?" Hermione, however asked, recognizing the music still coming from Harper's wand. "You two watch Disney movies?" The siblings gave her a look at this. "Why am I always surprised when you two know Muggle things?" Hermione sighed, shaking her head – American witches and wizards were different from Britain ones.
"Actually, Disney is half and half," Harry said.
"Walt himself was a wizard," Harper added
"And so was Roy," Harry voiced. "The company still runs Florida's Magic School."
"And there are special things in the parks for the magical world," Harper added.
"You're kidding, right?" Hermione asked, shocked by this information.
"We don't joke about Disney," Harper pointed out as Harry now looked down through the open trap door.
"This must be where everyone went," Harry spoke looking down the trap door. "Let's go…" without hesitation, Harry jumped down, through the trap door.
"Harry!" Harper yelled out.
"Maybe wait a minute…" Hermione tried, but Harper rolled her eyes as she followed her brother.
With the music from Harper's wand fading with her, Hermione jumped when the Cerberus growled and snored, realizing she should get out of here before he woke up, so she too jumped down the trap door.
She was thankful when she landed on something soft.
They had not thought about landing on the floor before any of them had jumped, but the trio's relief only lasted for a moment though as the thing they had landed on moved, slithering around them, and started to take hold of their bodies.
"Devil's Snare!" Harry, Harper, and Hermione all said as one; Harry and Harper knew the plant, since they were ahead in Herbology. They all knew what they had to do but Hermione voiced it out loud.
"We've got to remain calm," Hermione stated, taking a breath as she started to move, the plant trying to wrap around her, but not being able to. Harper and Harry followed her, all three able to get to the side and away from the plant as they took a breath.
"How do you know about Devil's Snare?" Harper asked Hermione.
"Professor Sprout mentioned it. Don't panic and keep moving," Hermione stated simple.
"Man, I hate this stuff," Harry mumbled moving his sword.
"Seamus!" Hermione called, running, and making the two siblings follow her. Laying the floor nearby was Seamus; all three going to his side and getting to his knees. "I can't feel a pulse..." she was checking his pulse.
"He's not breathing," Harper said, laying her ear against his mouth momentarily. "Must have not been able to calm down with the Snare – once he fell unconscious it brought him over here."
"I only know basic healing spells," Hermione stated, worried. "Nothing to heal… this."
"Don't look at us," Harry said as Hermione turned to him, but he then turned his head to Harper. "But you took swimming for years! Only gym class you took."
"Um… yeah," Harper said, confused for a moment and then frowned as she realized what her brother meant. "Oh, yeah. I got a CPR tutorial in my third year of swimming. But I have never done it on a real human…"
"It's the only chance he has," Hermione pointed out, and Harper gave a nod as she handed Harry's Invisibility Cloak, which she still had on her person, over to Hermione, trying to remember what her instructor had taught her. She wasn't a Healer and always just wanted to get into the pool, but she had listened. So, she started pushing down on his chest, ignoring when she heard ribs crack, knowing that happened. She then breathed into his mouth a couple of times, jumping between that and the chest compressions, doing this until he finally started breathing on his own.
"He's got a pulse," Hermione said, and Harper sighed in relief as she moved aside. "We should get him to Madam Pomfrey."
"How?" Harry asked, pointing at the Devil's Snare that was still beside them, and the only route out above it. There was no way for them to get through, and even if they could, the Cerberus was likely awake again.
"We can't," Harper completed for her brother. "Normally I would say one of us should stay with him, but we don't know what else we will face. We only got this far by all three of us sticking together."
"We're going to have to leave him," Hermione said with a nod; the boy was still unconscious but at least he was breathing now. Hopefully he would not stop again. "Come on, let's continue."
"You two use Lumos," Harry said, holding up his sword. "I'll be ahead of us. Just in case." The girls didn't argue as they lit up their wand and, with one last look at Seamus, let Harry and his sword take the lead. They nearly jumped when they heard a croak and Harry pointed his sword at the sound, only for them to see Trevor, Neville's toad.
"That stupid toad," Harper moaned, going to grab the amphibian. "You know you get Neville into a lot of trouble? More than you're worth." The toad struggle in her hand but she didn't let go of it, planning on giving it back to its owner.
"Come on," Hermione said, trying not to laugh at the insanity of Harper talking to a toad. Even if she was truthful.
The only way forward was a sloping passage, reminding them of the passage they had recently taken which had led to the Chamber of Gryffindor's key.
"Do you hear that?" Harry asked after a minute.
"Sounds like… fluttering wings," Hermione muttered, and Harper agreed. They had reached a door, and upon opening it they were met with the sight of a large chamber, with what looked like metal birds flying in the sky. There was a door on the other end, but what drew their attention was Neville Longbottom at the other side of the room. He was bleeding and, in his hands, he was holding his wand, which was broken in half.
"Neville!" All three said together, rushing to his side and glad that the flying metal birds didn't rush down at them the moment they set foot in the chamber.
"Harry, Hermione, Harper!" Neville said in disbelief, but he also looked so relieved to see them. "Trevor!" Neville seemed to notice the toad in Harper's hand, so Harper gave the toad back to the boy. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to save you from the three Gryffindor's death wish," Harper stated, and Neville gave a frown.
"We saw them take you," Hermione said.
"It's a long story. What happened to you, though?" Harry asked, curious how Neville ended up alone in this chamber, bleeding and his wand broken.
"Well Ron, Seamus, and Dean insisted Professor Snape was after some Philosopher's Stone thing… They had some harmonica to put Fluffy to sleep," Neville said.
"The Cerberus is called Fluffy?" Harper frowned at this, but Neville didn't have a response to that.
"I think Hagrid is behind that," Harry added to his sister, putting those two puzzle pieces together.
"Go on, Neville," Hermione spoke, knowing the boy was shy and wouldn't continue unless prompted.
"Okay. When we got to the room, Fluffy was already asleep. Ron, Dean and Semus moved the paw and opened the trap door and as we did, the three headed dog woke up and we jumped down before it could eat us." As Neville spoke, he was shaking.
"You landed in the Devil's Snare," Hermione said, to make Neville continue as he seemed to have paused.
"Yes, and Ron, Dean, and Seamus had no idea what it was, but I did!" Neville said, the trio couldn't help but give a smirk at this. "I told them what to do and was the first through the Devil's Snare. Ron and Dean managed to get through but Seamus… he was so scared! I wanted to start a fire, you know, because Devil's Snare is afraid of light, but none of us knew a spell for fire and then Seamus came through and he was… well he…"
"Neville," Harry said quickly, seeing Neville was about to cry. "Seamus is not dead. Harper saved him. His unconscious, has a few broken ribs, but he's breathing and alive."
"Really?" Neville asked.
"Really," Harry nodded. "Now take a deep breath and tell us what happened here."
"Well, we came upon this room and tried opening the door. We tried the unlocking spell, Alohamora, but it just doesn't work," Neville continued. "We realized these are keys," he pointed up and the three looked up; realizing the metal flying birds were in fact keys. "There were three brooms in the room. Ron said he would catch the key to show he should join the Quidditch team as seeker next year." The group looked around but there was only one broom left in the room; Ron and Dean must have taken the other two.
"Let me guess. Spoiler alert he could not get the key?" Harper said.
"Spoiler alert?" Neville frowned.
"It's a saying. Never mind," Hermione said but was holding back another laugh from Harper's comment.
"Well I don't think he should be seeker. He could barely get any of the keys, let alone the key they were looking for. Dean was a bit better. I… can't really fly – I mean, I fell off the broom in my first flying lesson and broke my wrist! But we finally realized that the key had to have been caught once before and found a large key with a bent wing. As we went for the key, the other keys attacked, and I shot out a spell at the keys and they attacked me! Made me fall off the broom and break my wand. Dean used the distraction to catch the key they needed, and he and Ron got through the door. The keys were still attacking me though… but they stopped once Ron and Dean let go of the right key."
"And they left you here?" Harry said angry at this information now – they had forced Neville here and Neville had saved their life not once, but twice, it seemed, and they had abandoned him. "I'd leave them both down here, but I'm not sure how we get back anyway. So, we continue forward. Neville, what key is the right one?"
"Um… I…" Neville looked worried now.
"Don't worry, we won't leave you," Harry said to Neville. "Just point out the key."
Neville looked up at the ceiling and, after a moment, finally pointed at a key that was limping – having been caught twice already. "One broom. One person can go up," Harper said. "Not Neville."
"I agree," Neville said quickly.
"And no offence Hermione, I've heard about your flying class," Harry said, and Hermione gave a nod – flying on a broom wasn't her thing. "That leaves me and you."
"Wait neither of you took flying class," Neville pointed out.
"Not here," Harper said. "But we both passed our Junior School flying test."
Harry and Harper looked at each other. "Not it!" Both called at the same time and then both groaned.
"I hate flying," Harry moaned.
"Actually, you hate Quidditch," Harper corrected.
"Same difference," Harry shrugged.
"Okay. There's only one way to solve this," Harper said.
"Yes, a battle of wills," Harry said dramatically.
"Loser has to catch the keys," Harper said. "Agree to the terms?" Harper held out one hand and put her other hand in a fist.
"Agreed," Harry said, doing the same thing to Harper.
"What's going on?" Neville asked, and Hermione shrugged.
"Rock, paper, scissors says shot," Harry and Harper said at the same time slapping their first against the open palm of their other hand as they spoke. Then Harry held out his fist hand and Harper put out that hand but made it flat.
"Paper covers rock," Harper said as Hermione laughed. Harper putting her hand over Harry's.
"Best two out of three?" Harry asked.
"Why would I agree to that when I just won?" Harper asked and Harry groaned. "Get on the broom, Quidditch Hater."
"Fine, but hold my sword," Harry sighed, handing the sword to Harper as he went to mount the broom. "Get by the door. This way it's easier to open it and run when I get the key."
All three nodded as they went back towards the door, Harry took off, after the key.
"Is it me or are these protections for the Stone a little weird?" Harper asked Hermione. "I mean a Cerberus, Devil's Snare, and flying keys… any smart First Years could figure this out."
"Ron, Seamus, and Dean seem to be having problems," Hermione pointed out.
"I did say smart," Harper chuckled as she looked up.
The keys had attacked Harry as he had approached the right key; Harry trying to dodge them as he went to go catch the object before finally getting it after a few minutes.
"See, now he could play Seeker," Neville pointed out, impressed.
"Do yourself a favor and never say that to him," Harper told Neville as Harry flew to them with the keys now following him. He threw the key to Hermione, who nearly dropped the Invisibility Cloak as she caught the key. Handing the Cloak over to Harper, she turned towards the door.
"Open the door!" Harry yelled as he flew up, the other keys still chasing him.
Hermione fumbling with the key for a moment before she got it in the keyhole and opened the door. Harper and Neville ran through as Hermione held the door open, Harry flying through the open door as Hermione slammed the door shut before the keys could follow.
Harry landing the old broom on the floor and tossing it next to the others that Ron and Dean must have left here. "Don't make me do that again," Harry glared at his sister.
"Can't make promises," Harper smirked as she handed the sword back to him and then patted him on the back.
"What's next?" Neville sighed as he still held on to Trevor.
"It looks like a war was fought here," Harper pointed out – and she was right: there were smashed stones everywhere as they continued to walk over what looked like checkered tiled flooring. Then they noticed someone on the floor ahead of them.
"Dean!" Harry yelled as the four now headed right for him.
"Harry, Hermione, Harper?" Dean asked, confused. "Oh, Neville. I'm glad you're okay. I told Ron we should help you but he said we had to hurry."
Harry could believe Dean's words. Ron seemed like the mastermind behind this whole deadly adventure, after all. "What happened here?" Hermione asked.
"Don't you see?" Dean asked. "It's a chessboard. A giant bloody chessboard! We had to play. Ron and me each took a position as Ron says he a master chess player. I believe him. He did win, but he scarified me to do it."
"He sacrificed you…?" Harry asked, getting angrier now. First, Seamus, then Neville and now Dean. Ron was an idiot.
"How badly are you hurt?" Hermione asked, seeing Dean was holding his stomach and was bleeding badly.
"My stomach hurts a lot," Dean said. "I think my leg and possibly my arm are broken."
"Probably a few ribs as well," Hermione added. "Harry, any chance you're wearing a t-shirt under that?" It being June the weather had warmed up but night in an old castle could still get chilly.
"Um, yeah," Harry said and Hermione gave him a look. Harry sighed as he took off his long sleeve shirt to show his Gryffindor t-shirt underneath as he gave the shirt to Hermione, who used a spell to tear it apart and tying it around where Dean was bleeding.
"Sorry, I have no healing potions on me," Hermione said to Dean. "We need to get you help."
"Wait a second," Harry said, having stood up and looked around, realizing something. "The game hasn't reset yet."
"I see what you mean," Harper said looking around. "Because Dean hasn't left the board yet, maybe?"
"Means we can walk right through to the next chamber," Harry added. "As long as Dean stays where he is..."
"He needs medical attention," Hermione pointed out.
"So, does Seamus but neither are going to get it going that way," Harper said, pointing towards the door beyond.
"Hermione," Dean said before Hermione could open her mouth, "they're right. And no matter what he says, Ron can't handle this – and as much as I would like to punch him for getting us into this, he doesn't deserve to die."
"Someone needs to stay with you, to keep pressure on the wound," Hermione said; she still had her hands on Dean's side, holding down on Harry's shirt.
"I'll stay," Neville said, causing the three to look at him. "I'm bleeding myself anyway." It was true as Neville had cuts all over his body from the flying keys. "Besides, my ankle is killing me, and I don't even have a wand anymore. I broke mine. My gran won't be happy..." Neville had let it be known that his wand was his father's old one, after all. "I can't go on. If someone is going to save Ron's life it's you three. I'll make sure Dean doesn't die. Tell me what I need to do."
"Just hold onto him here as hard as you can," Hermione said, showing Neville where her hand is. "And you need to let go of Trevor."
"Mind taking him?" Neville asked Dean, who took the toad with one of his hands. Hermione let go of the wounds and Neville took it not long later.
"When we've caught up with Ron, we'll figure out how to get out of here and get, you, Dean and Seamus the medical attention you need," Hermione added.
"That's fine," Neville nodded. "Go, I've got Dean."
"Hey Nev, your very brave and very loyal," Harry said with a nod to the boy. "You would have made a better Gryffindor than Ron," Neville smiled at this as Harry, Harper and Hermione stood and walked off the board to the door in the back.
The trio nearly held onto their noses as they entered the next Chamber – the smell was awful, and then they noticed what the smell came from: getting up from the floor was a giant troll. "Not again!" Harper mumbled as the troll seemed confused. Someone, and the three were sure it wasn't Ron, had knocked the creature out already. It must have just woken up.
The troll let out a roar and the three jumped out vision, so they were seen. "Distract it!" Hermione yelled as she ran for the side. Clearly, she had some plan.
"Can't we just…" Harper started but Harry was waving his sword around and yelling at the troll, "…use the Invisibility Cloak?" Harper finished, even though it was too late to do the plan of sneakily walk pass the troll. Harper tossed the Cloak over herself and used it to get to a position where she could send cutting spells at the troll. The spell would do very little to the troll but annoy it.
Sending the spell at it, the troll looked for where the spell was coming from and saw nothing, Harper being invisible, after all, with only her arm and her wand out of the Cloak. Harry used the distraction to cut the troll in the arm with his sword. The troll cried out but couldn't do anything as his own club, which had been on the floor, was lifted up in the air by itself and came crashing down onto its head. The troll was knocked out once more.
"Nice idea, Mione!" Harry said as Hermione gave a smirk, knowing Hermione had used the Levitating spell on the trolls' club.
"Why didn't we do that in the girls' bathroom?" Harper mused, catching her breath as she took off the Cloak
"Cause you decided to blow up the sinks," Hermione pointed out.
"Still, was a good plan," Harper said with a nod.
"Hey, how about we get out of here before the troll wakes up again?" Harry pointed out, and the two girls agreed, heading across the Chamber and to the next door.
When they walked into the Chamber they were shocked to see Ron drinking from a vial. They didn't even have time to react as he fell to the floor and started convulsing; the vial smashing on the floor next to him.
Hermione ran to the Weasley and took out her wand, mumbling a spell at the boy, obviously causing Ron to vomit as he ejected the potion from his mouth.
"What did he drink?" Harry asked; Ron wasn't seizing anymore but he was clearly not good as color was draining from his face. His eyes weren't seeing them, either.
"I think poison," Harper said, having looked at the table with the potions on it.
"What?" Harry asked looking around noticing purple flames were in front of the door they had just come from and black flames in front of the door they had to go through for the next Chamber. They were trapped.
"It's a riddle," Harper said, taking the paper next to the remaining vials and reading:
"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."
"And we thought the riddles in the Vault Book were hard," Harry spoke, the vault book was still on them, and Harry took it from his bag, wondering if the magic of Hogwarts might decide to give them a hint, but no dice. This book was only for the Vault as he found nothing helpful. "Mione?" He noticed Hermione was frowning, thinking.
"Give me a minute," Hermione said, holding up her hand. "This is the spot where Ron took the poison from," she indicated the empty spot the position had been, "meaning nettle wine is in the giant bottle, and since it's a twin to the second from the left that's wine as well. Making this one poison." Hermione pointed at them as she spoke. "The two on either end are different; this one is poison and since the one on the other end will not help you move onward; it must bring you back." Hermione grabbed the last bottle, it big enough for all four to take a sip. "This will let us go through the flames back and help us get out of here."
"What about moving ahead?" Harry asked, making the girl look at him. "Someone came through here before Ron, Dean, Seamus, and Neville, meaning someone is after the Stone, and if that falls into the wrong hands…" Harry paused, and that silence was clear. "We can't let it. I'm moving forward. You girls take Ron, get Dean, Neville, and Seamus, and go back – there are brooms to get you passed the Devil's Snare and back up the trap door. Harper, you can use the music spell to calm Fluffy, after all. Once out, get Professor McGonagall, tell her to get here now. Having House Points being taken away is nothing." No one said anything for a moment. "Hermione, I am drinking one. I need your brain."
"Dwarf bottle," Hermione said, pointing at the smallest bottle. It barely contained a mouthful of potion. Harry wondered if the potions reset after use but didn't have time to consider this as he took the bottle.
"Harry, wait a second," Harper spoke.
"Harp, you're not stopping me," Harry said.
"I'm not trying to," Harper said, making Harry look to her. "Give me the sword for a minute." Harry handed his sword to Harper, who took the Invisibility Cloak she still had and put it around the sword, covering the sword completely. "Hold it in your left hand. Try not to make it obvious." Harry nodded, taking the hilt of the sword with his left hand. "Keep your wand in your right. This way the sword is your wild card. No one will know you have it. If needed, you can easily drop your wand and grab the sword."
"Very sneaky," Harry said with a smirk.
"I am a Slytherin," Harper smiled back and then hugged Harry, kissing his cheek. "Don't you dare die on me."
"I wouldn't dream it," Harry said as Hermione now gave him a hug and kissed his other cheek. As the two parted from, he took a sip from the dwarf vial, replacing it on the table. "I'll see you soon," he added to the girls, stepping into the fire and glad that the potion must have worked as it only tickled him as he proceeded on.
"He'll be fine," Hermione spoke, squeezing Harper's hand and then handing her the potion to go back. They had to get help – and fast. They also knew they'd have to leave Ron here until help did arrive, as he was in no condition to drink the safe potion, let alone step through the flame and fly back to safety.
….
In what Harry hoped was the last Chamber, he noticed there was already someone there – but it wasn't Snape, as Ron had suspected – it was Professor Quirrell.
"You?" Harry asked, confused now as to why the stuttering Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would be here, seeking the Philosopher's – or Sorcerer's, as he knew it – Stone.
"Me," Quirrell stated calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter."
"But… Snape?" Harry question, confused. He knew Ron had thought Professor Snape was after the Stone, but for Quirrell to be here instead? He was just a simpering, scared teacher, what would he need the Sorcerer's Stone for?
"Severus?" Quirrell laughed at Harry's comment, but it wasn't a quivering treble like Harry was used to from his Defense classes, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspected p-p-poor st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"
"But…?" Harry's hand tightened around the sword, unsure how to move forward with this. How did Professor Quirrell add in to all this? Why did he fake cowardice all this time?
"You know, you're just too nosy to live, Potter," with that, Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air, surprising Harry, and wrapping themselves tightly around Harry. He didn't even have time to react to use his sword to break them or a spell to sever them. He was trapped. "You and your so-called sister scurrying around the school at Halloween – for all I knew, you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Strone," Quirrell added.
"You let the troll in?" Harry asked, mentally kicking himself that he hadn't seen this one, all while struggling against his bonds.
"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls – you must have seen what I did to the one in the Chamber back there?" Quirrell mused. "Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off; and not only did my troll fail to beat you and your sister to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly. Now, wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror."
It was only then that Harry realized what was standing behind Quirrell. It was a mirror. Taller than Quirrell, it stood on clawed feet with a gold frame, with the phrase 'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi,' inscribed upon the top. Harry frowned at this strange sight.
"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured now, tapping his wand around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this… but he's not here tonight, I'll be far away by the time he gets back," he moved around the mirror as Harry seemed lost for words. Where was Dumbledore? Why did he even leave the school while something like this was going on? Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it. "I see the Stone, I'm presenting it to my master, but where is it?"
"Your master?" Harry spoke, his mind racing as he gave up struggling against the ropes – the Invisibility Cloak covering the sword meant he couldn't even cut through the ropes, not without damaging the Cloak too. "Voldemort?" Harry tried; it seemed the logical explanation. For the first time in their meeting, Quirrell flinched at the name.
"He is with me wherever I go," Quirrell muttered, confirming Harry's guess; Harry hoping to keep the teacher talking until Harper, Hermione and Professor McGonagall returned. "I met him when I travelled around the world," Quirrell continued. "A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. My master showed me how wrong I was – there is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it. Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me – he does not forgive mistakes easily," he shivered at this. "When I failed to steal the Stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me – decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me…"
Quirrell's voice trailed away at this as Harry realized it was Quirrell who had broken into Vault 713 the same day he, Harper, his dad, and Hagrid had visited the place. It seemed so obvious now. Quirrell was the one Ron should have been looking at, not Professor Snape!
"I don't understand. Is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?" Quirrell now asked aloud. "What does the mirror do? How does it work? Help me, master!"
And then, to Harry's shock, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself: "Use the boy!"
Quirrell rounded on Harry. "Yes, Potter. Come here!" He clapped his hands once and the ropes binding Harry fell off. He didn't know whether to throw caution to the wind and attack Quirrell right now – whether with his wand or his new sword – or play for time, still, and play along with Quirrell. He decided on the latter. "Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look into the mirror and tell me what you see."
Not sure what exactly he expected to see in the mirror though, Harry moved forward, facing the mirror head on. Quirrell moved closed behind him and Harry could smell the strange scent that came from his turban – a mix of garlic and something Harry simply couldn't identify. Looking into the mirror, though, he saw his reflection, but instead of the frown he expected to see looking back at him, his reflection smiled. It pocketed his wand, put its hand in its other pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the stone back into its pocket – and as it did, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow – incredibly – he'd got the Stone! His reflection then put a finger to its lips, telling Harry himself to keep quiet as it grabbed his wand once more.
"Well?" Quirrell asked impatiently. "What do you see?"
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, thinking fast. "It's a mirror. I see myself sending here with you behind me."
"Oh, get out of the way!" Quirrell sighed impatiently. And, as Harry moved aside, he felt the Sorcerer's Stone against his leg. Dare he make a break for it?
But he hadn't walked five paces before that high voice spoke, although Quirrell wasn't moving his lips: "He lies! He lies!"
"Potter! Come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell the truth! What did you see?"
But before Harry could even try to formulate an answer, the high voice spoke again: "Let me speak to him… face to face…"
"Master," Quirrell paused, "you are not strong enough."
"I have strength enough… for this," the voice stated.
Harry felt as if Devil's Snare was rooting him to the spot. He couldn't move a muscle as he watched Quirrell reach up and begin to unwrap his turban. Harry took a breath, as the turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it, but then he turned slowly on the spot.
Harry would have yelled, but he couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face – the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white, with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.
"Harry Potter…" it whispered.
"Lord Voldemort, I assume?" Harry breathed; the sword in his hand was begging to be used. "I always knew you weren't really dead."
"See what I have become?" Voldemort muttered. "Mere shadow and vapor... I only have form when I can share another's body… but there always have been those willing to let me into their hearts and mind…. Unicorn blood has strengthened me these past weeks…"
"You attacked my friend," Harry said, remembering what Neville had said about his detention in the Forest. The feeling suddenly surging back into Harry's legs. He stumbled backwards
"A first year standing up to me… I always valued bravery – just like your parents. Your father stood to fight me, to give your mother time to escape. He didn't even have his wand," Voldemort almost laughed at this. "Your mother's death was unneeded. She died to save you. I can bring them back, back to you."
"And why would you do that?" Harry asked, frowning as his knuckles hurt around the hilt of the sword.
"Join me. I reward those who help me. And with that Stone in your pocket, we can do so much," Voldemort said. "Join me and get them back."
"That's impossible," Harry pointed out. "You can't bring back the dead."
"I have the power to do that, Harry," Voldemort sneered at this.
"I doubt it," Harry's mind was racing now. "As someone wise once wrote down with great power comes great responsibility, and you don't have either. Not as you are now." He had found his voice now; he knew how to stop Voldemort. "Lily and James Potter would have been great parents, but you robbed me of that, but they are dead and what is dead should remain dead. And guess what? Despite that, I have a family anyway, and I would do anything to protect them. I won't betray them or my dead parents. If you want the stone it will be over my dead body."
"That can be arranged. Seize him!" Voldemort yelled out, just as Harry yelled 'Reducto!' Quirrell dodged the curse and charged at him; Harry backing away but tripping. His wand and the sword in his hand fell from his grasp – the Invisibility Cloak was still over the sword, but Harry could feel it as Quirrell grabbed him.
A moment later, Quirrell was backing away in pain. Harry barely took in that his hand was burning as he held out his own hand, the sword appeared into his right hand, somehow knowing Harry wanted it and coming to him. The Invisibility Cloak was still on the floor. Quirrell didn't seem to notice as Voldemort urged Quirrell forward, but Harry lunged as the sword penetrated the teacher's stomach.
For a moment Harry and Quirrell stared at each other, but then Quirrell called out in shock and pain as what seemed to be a cloud of dust was sucked out of the teacher's body. Then, to Harry's shock, the man himself crumbled to dust as the strange cloud circled Harry, who saw red eyes in the mist, and he realized this was Voldemort; whatever was left of the man.
His wand laying too far away, Harry realized his sword was the only defense he had against the spirit of Voldemort, and he hoped it would have some magic imbued within it to protect him from the dark wizard.
He didn't have to worry though as he heard three voices shouting a spell and light came hitting into the spirit – Voldemort was banished from the school – as Harry turned, pointing his sword in the direction of the entrance but lowering it when he saw Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape had come to his rescue. The latter two were as pale as Harry had ever seen the teachers.
"Mr. Potter!" Dumbledore called; the headmaster had somehow summoned Harry's wand and Cloak from the floor. He held them as well as his own wand. "I believe these are yours."
"And I believe," Harry said transferring the sword to his left hand and taking the Stone out of his pocket, the events of this evening not quite sinking in yet, "this would be better protected with you…" Harry held out the Stone, taking in the unusual shape of the Stone, to Dumbledore, who took it as Harry took his wand and Cloak back.
"Come along Harry," Dumbledore said, switching to his first name. "There's nothing more here…" with that, the headmaster put an arm on Harry's back and led him out of the Chamber.
Post Chapter Note: Well then, I hope you liked this twist of the end of the first book and Voldemort facing Harry.
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Karry Master OUT!