Chapter 9: A snake and a stone
Since the arrival of the new company Trinity Inc. and the announcement of their products in the MACUSA news report, they have, without a doubt, made some waves in both the national and international markets. One of the first clients to purchase their items came from the MACUSA Headquarters DMLE, and the Director of the Magical Investigations Department had wanted the watches and immediately put in a request to purchase the items. Once word spread to the ICW's security forces, they also put in a request. On top of that, hundreds of parents and guardians found the watches to be a stroke of genius as there was a better method to contact their children without always having to use owls to send their letters. But that was not all, seeing they were parent-controlled and they could track their charges should anything happen. In addition, the other products were in high demand, especially the hoverboard and hover-scooter, which were being bought left and right. The price for one of them was a little more than the Nimbus 2000.
In short, the Ouroboros Squad's company was thriving, and best of all, there was no worry about their designs being stolen since the people who worked for them had signed a binding magical confidentiality agreement. This was done for security as they did not want someone to copy their ideas, sell cheap knockoffs, or get money for their products. As the six of them agreed, they would each get a sixth of the profits earned. That was fair, so none of them could feel like they were being cheated or getting less than the others.
". . .we're a hit, guys," Jeremy cheered. They were sitting in the lounge of the Residence Hall, working on their homework assignments. "According to our people, the prices are soaring! I wager that we'll see new improvements within two months."
"Easy, Jeremy," Andrew chuckled. "Keep in mind that it's been close to three weeks since they hit the market," he reminded his excited friend. "But you are right, as demands have been increasing, especially with the Ministry of Magic in other countries and ICW branches."
"Do not forget the Prometheus box," chimed Jade, who looked up from her Charms essay. "From what I heard, contracts are being made, and the boxes are being sold everywhere. The Board of Governors and Headmistress Stone were some of the first to buy them."
Natalie added, "once word got out about their usefulness, company owners, store owners, and the Wizengamot's were immediately ready to get their hands on them. The watches and Prometheus Box are our most profitable products. Even among the medi-wizards and witches, they're a hit. Several other Healers want them as well." She remembered how excited her own parents were when they first got their watches.
While they kept talking, Harry was in deep thought. Part of his mind was on his Transfigurations essay; the other was on something that concerned him deeply. For some bizarre reason, he felt like his magic was trying to tell him something, almost like there was danger. He couldn't put his foot on it, but something was wrong. Whatever it was, he felt strangely compelled to resolve the issue. The only questions were: Why was this happening all of a sudden? Where is the issue originating from? And what was calling to him? These questions and more filled his mind.
No matter how much he tried to push those thoughts away, they just returned. Then, remembering his training in the mind arts, he reinforced his occlumency shields, pulled out his Herbology notes, and started studying for the upcoming test. For a half hour, things seemed all right until the odd feeling started trickling its way into his mind. Just before he could process his thoughts, he felt someone tap his shoulder.
"Huh? What?" He looked at the others with a confused expression. His gaze then fell on Jade. "What's going on?"
"You all right, Harry? You look like you were a thousand miles away," said Jade after observing the expression on his face.
"Yeah. Just thinking is all."
"Must be important because you seemed very distracted," Sophie closed her book. "We were trying to get your attention for the last few minutes. What's on your mind?"
Thinking to himself for a minute, he asked. "Remember what we learned about Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone?"
"He's a famous French Alchemist wizard who created the only known substance that can turn any type of metal into gold and produce the Elixir of Life. Since its creation, he and his wife Perenelle have used it to extend their lifespan and are now over six hundred years old," she answered. Then she added, "that is one of the most desired magical objects in the world. However, it is mostly a curse, as the more you consume it, the more you will be dependent on it. Why the sudden interest?"
Rubbing his chin. "I cannot put my finger on it. . .but something about what happened a few months back in the Gringotts bank in the British branch concerns me."
"You mean the break-in," Natalie said. "I cannot imagine the goblins were too happy about someone breaking into one of their vaults. However, nothing was taken. That's peculiar. Why would you break into a secure place like Gringotts and not take anything?"
"Maybe whatever they were after was removed ahead of time," Jeremy suggested. "You think the object the person was after was the stone? I can't see the Flamels parting with such a precious object."
"Especially since it's the only thing keeping them alive," Andrew added.
Harry considered what they said; however, there was that weird feeling again with his magic. It was like it was telling him that something was wrong. "True, but it doesn't explain why I keep getting this weird feeling that something is wrong and that stone is so important."
Jade gave him a look of concern. "How long have you been feeling like that?"
"Two days," he answered. "Whenever I try to push the feeling away, it returns."
"That's odd," Natalie thoughtfully said. "Might want to pay a visit to the infirmary if it continues to be a problem."
"Perhaps after the Herbology exam," resolving himself. The exam is about two days away and should be good enough for him to find out what is going on. "For right now. I'm going to bed. See you guys in the morning," grabbing his stuff, he left to go upstairs to his shared quarters with Andrew and Jeremy.
(0^0)
Sadly, two days later, no answers had arrived about why Harry felt the way he was. He asked the professor if he could see one of the school's healers to get his magic checked out when he finished his exam. The woman gave him a curt nod after writing down some notes on her clipboard and tasking his completed test. Before leaving the classroom, he passed Jade a quick note telling her to let the others know where he was going and the reason why. She, in turn, twitched her left eye at her brother to let him know that something was happening.
Heading into the hospital wing, he walked in, where he was quickly spotted by one of the school's resident healers. "Hello, Mr. Potter. Is there something wrong?" The man asked.
"A good day to you, Mr. Gonzales," he replied. The person before him was in his early forties with short brown hair. "And I am not entirely sure," admitting his thoughts. "My magic has been feeling weird over the last couple of days, and I was wondering if I could get a quick scan."
". . .Hmm," regarding the young man for a minute. "Take a seat in one of the open beds."
Harry followed his instructions and went to lay in a nearby bed next to a window as Mr. Gonzales took out his wand and waved it over his body while muttering an incantation. When no results came up, he tried a few more diagnostic spells, though this time, he found something that greatly perplexed him. The man gave Harry a curious look as he had no idea what was going on—apparently, something was going on with the boy's magic. All he could tell was that something was calling out to him.
"I'll be frank with you, Mr. Potter," he began. "This is not something I have ever seen before. The only thing I can tell is that your magic appears to be resonating with something. Somewhere outside of the state or MACUSA itself is calling out to you," explaining what he thought, then adding. "Any ideas on what it might be?"
Harry had an idea yet banished it from his mind. "Would it be possible for me to contact my grandfather or uncle? They'd probably know what is going on."
"Go ahead," said Mr. Gonzales after a few minutes of think of the young man's request. Harry summoned his wand and erected a privacy ward around him. Next, he turned his watch a few clicks to the right, and when it settled onto his grandfather, he pressed two buttons. A minute later, a life-sized holoprojection of his grandfather appeared before him.
"Hello, grandfather. I'm sorry to call you out of the blue like this, but there's something I need to ask you?"
Noting the boy's grim expression, Charlus arched an eyebrow, knowing the reason behind this sudden call must be important. "What do you need?"
"Is Uncle Arcturus with you?" Charlus nodded in confirmation. Harry then explained what was happening with his magic over the past few days and that something had been using his magic to call him. Know what it was? He didn't know. Only that it would return even stronger whenever he tried to ignore the feeling. "Hence, why I am in the infirmary in the hope that they might be able to tell me something."
"That is troubling," Charlus said, understanding the situation. Then added, "all right, stand by. Arcturus and I are on our way."
Roughly ten minutes later, Lords Potter and Black walked into the infirmary, with the latter walking over to Harry with his wand in his hands. Thanks to the privacy wards being down, Arcturus was able to proceed while Charlus spoke with the healer regarding his grandson's condition.
". . .this is something I have never seen before. I ran an archaic diagnostic spell over his core, but aside from his magic trying to tell him something, he seems perfectly fine."
Accepting the man's words, Charlus gave him a nod, and when the man went to the office to go write his report, he erected a privacy ward around himself, Harry, and Arcturus to give them some privacy. "Have you found anything?" He looked at Arcturus.
"It is like he says," Arcturus answered, then added. "Yet, Harry's magic does seem to be reacting to something." He looked at Harry. "You said this started happening a few days ago, correct?"
"Yes. This might seem farfetched, but I think I have an idea of what's going on," he said in an even voice.
"Go on," Arcturus beckoned.
Sucking in a breath. "Remember when the London branch's Gringotts was broken into in September?" The two nodded. "Well, I think whatever was in the vault must have been the Philosopher's Stone. My magic keeps showing me images of the stone and tells me it's in danger—someone wants it."
The two Lords stiffened and looked at each other with concerned looks. Charlus narrowed his eyes when his gaze returned to Harry. "These images you get, are they exactly the same?"
"Yes, always the same."
"I want to view the memory. Picture the image in your mind," conjuring a flask and pointing his wand at the boy's temple to extract the memory. Getting what he needed, he put it in the flask and then in the pocket of his robe. "I have a bad feeling about this. If these images keep occurring, I want to know about it."
"Yes, grandfather," Harry said. "What do you think the images mean?"
"I can only guess. Though I hope I'm wrong," his voice was laced in a grave tone. Almost like he was afraid. "Go finish up your classes for the day. I need to speak with Arcturus," firmly stated, leaving no room for argument.
For as much as Harry wanted to protest, he knew that when his grandfather was like this, it was best not to argue with him. Dispelling the ward, he left the infirmary. As soon as the boy was out of earshot, Arcturus leaned closer to Charlus' ear. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?" He whispered.
"Not here," Charlus whispered back. Quickly calling one of his house elves, he told him to take them home. The male elf grabbed their hands and apparated them away from the school. When they appeared in the living room of Potter Manor back in Britain, Charlus asked the elf if he could bring down his family's pensieve. When the elf nodded and apparated to the Lord's study, Charlus turned to Arcturus with a knowing, questioning look. "If what I suspect is true, then some shite is about to go down."
"Thank you, Bucky," he said when the house elf returned with the pensieve. Charlus took out the flask that contained the memory and poured it into the device. Arcturus and Charlus dipped their heads inside to view the memory.
Fifteen or twenty minutes later, the two emerged from the pensieve with mixed expressions of anger, confusion, and concern. What was in that memory had left them at a loss of words. The Philosopher's Stone—one of the most powerful and sought out objects in the world was away from its creator—adding insult to injury, the thing was at Hogwarts. As if thinking the same thing. If information about the stone's whereabouts was known or fell into the wrong hands, then all hell would break loose.
"What's Dumbledore playing at? Putting something like that in a school full of children is risky," Charlus surmised.
"I don't know. But knowing that meddling bastard, it cannot be good," Arcturus added. "Yet we have a bigger problem. That mirror. The Mirror of Erised was supposed to have been destroyed. Anyone who looks into that thing for too long will go insane and lose their magic." That damned mirror was branded a highly dark object by the members of the ICW and was supposed to have been destroyed. How did Dumbledore get one?
"Yeah, I know. I was there when it was decided to remove the mirrors from the magical world," commented Charlus, who thought to himself for a few minutes. There were too many questions that needed to be answered. "I'll write to Nicolas and Perenelle and see what they know. Because it is highly unlikely they let something like the stone out of their possession."
Arcturus needed to massage his temples, "this is a mess. I'll get in touch with Snape. He might have an idea about what Dumbledore is thinking."
(0^0)
As the weeks passed, things started to look up as the weird feelings and images were occurring less and less. Yet that didn't alleviate Harry's thoughts regarding the Stone and Mirror of Erised. Another thing also bothered him: Susan was attending her first year at Hogwarts, and he didn't want her to be in the middle of what might occur. Since he left the infirmary, he sent her a message telling her to be careful and watch out for anything considered dangerous.
On the day the students were scheduled to go home for the Yule break, Harry got up like he normally did to look into the burning fire. It wasn't long before he received a call from Susan. Activating his watch, he projected a life-sized holographic image of her. "Morning, Sue. How are things going?"
"Pretty swell. I'm currently on the Hogwarts Express in the cargo hold," she smiled at him and then quipped. "It still surprises me that you are an early riser. That will never be me." The two then laughed.
Harry knew she was not a morning person and would sometimes comment on how he seemed unfazed about it. "Words could never hold more truth," he commented. "How was your first semester of being a Hufflepuff?"
"It was nice except for a few problems and some rumors going around," she elaborated about what had been happening. A troll got into the school on October 31st. Someone cursed the Gryffindor Seeker's broom, Malfoy and his group were being insufferable in trying to assert dominance over everyone, and Ron Weasley and Hermione were almost caught in the trophy room after hours by Filch (sent by Malfoy and Goyle). The two Gryffindors were caught helping the gamekeeper Hagrid smuggle a dragon away from the castle and were punished. Then, finally, there was a rumor about someone killing and drinking the blood of a unicorn. "Other than that, everything has been peaceful."
"Wow. Things are crazy at that school," Harry said. "I mean, who in their right mind would think it would be all right to raise a Norwegian Ridgeback in a hut? Dragons can grow to massive sizes and breathe fire."
"This is Hagrid we are talking about," Susan replied. "Don't get me wrong, he's a nice person, but he often acts like a child." Harry tilted his head to the side as he remembered what Severus, Sirius, Uncle, and Grandfather said about the Hogwarts' current gamekeeper. The man was very loyal to Dumbledore, had the mentality of a child, and was half-giant.
She then went to change the subject. "So you're coming home, right?"
"You know it," giving her an assuring smile. "I'll see you in a few hours. Or if you are feeling up to it, I can pick you up with my animagus form."
Instantly, her brown eyes lit up as she liked that idea. "I vote for the animagus form. Wait, can you even travel that far and onto a moving train?"
"Of course, I can," he confirmed. "All right, I'll pick you up in fifteen or twenty minutes."
"Cool. We have about another two or three hours until we reach the train station. This will also give me the chance to spend some more time and say goodbye to my friends. See you in the storage room." He cut the connection off when his two friends left their rooms.
"Why am I not surprised that you're already up," Andrew yawned while looking at his friend. "Let's head out before the girls show up."
"Roger that," Harry grabbed the envelopes that contained their semester grades and handed them over. "I'm in the mood for some hot chocolate anyway. After we get done with breakfast, I'm gone."
"Heard that," Jeremy was the first to open his envelope as the trio walked out of their quarters and made their way to the cafeteria. Overall, they were satisfied with their grades. Grabbing their trays, they got their food and sat down at one of the open round tables.
A couple of minutes later, the girls came in, though Andrew noted the glare his sister gave him with a simple grunt. "Thanks for waiting on us," sarcasm laced in her voice as she sat down.
"Well, we figured you three would like to have a little girl time," Andrew grinned, though winced when she pinched the side of his face. "Ouch, woman. That hurt," rubbing his cheek when she let go.
"Good," she said, turning away from her brother. "So, how did you guys do for this semester?"
They talked about their end results for the semester and ate. The six of them had improved in some areas, and their advanced studies were going relatively well, all things considered. A handful of the students who walked by them said thanks for creating the watches and some of their other inventions. Some of the older students had relationships with others either out of state or in a different country. So, having the watch enabled them to keep in contact more effectively.
By the end of breakfast, they walked out of the cafeteria. Harry quickly sent Susan a message before changing into his animagus form and water-traveled away. He appeared in the storage room where several trunks were housed and quickly changed back into a human. It wasn't long before the door slid open, and the person he wanted to see entered. The two hugged each other after Susan closed the door behind her.
"You missed me that much, huh?" Harry teased when they pulled away.
"No, not really," Susan had a small smile. "I messaged Aunt Amy and Sirius, telling them you would drop us home."
"Then let's move." Harry turned around and morphed into his animagus form. He watered them away when she grabbed one of his tails. The two appeared in the living room of Black Manor, surprising Sirius, who jumped to his feet.
Sirius placed a hand over his heart when his godson morphed back into human form and stood beside his niece. "I have got to get used to you appearing in places like that."
"Happy to see you too, Sirius," Harry said as he and Susan hugged the man. "Though you must admit that my form is pretty handy."
Sirius could only laugh. "I still say it's unfair that you got to become an animagus before me."
Harry rolled his eyes. Susan then asked. "Where's Ren at?" That was her nickname for Lauren. Almost like she was spoken into existence, the little girl jumped onto the auburn-haired girl's back. "Never mind," Susan said as Lauren hopped off.
"Someone is certainly happy to see us," Harry rubbed Lauren's black hair as she bounced up and down on her feet. "It feels good to be home. Do you know where Aunt Amy or Uncle Arcturus is?"
"Mum's at work, and great-grandfather is at the ICW."
Harry sucked in a breath. "Why don't you and Susan go play outside in the snow? I need to talk to Sirius alone."
Susan heard the slight edge in his voice and figured it must be serious. She flashed Harry a good luck look before taking Lauren outside. Sirius narrowed his eyes a little when his daughter and niece left the room. "Something on your mind?"
"Probably," tapping his chin with his index finger. "Can I borrow the Marauders Map for a minute? There's something I need to verify."
"Sure. You know there's no reason for you to ask," Sirius pulled the map out from his robe pocket and handed it to him.
Flicking his wand out, Harry took the map and pointed his wand at it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," the map soon materialized the Hogwarts castle, showing all the classrooms and everyone that had chosen to remain for the Yule holiday. Looking over the map, his eyes settled on the school's current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The man's name was Quirinus Quirrell, and according to Severus, the man had begun wearing a purple turban and was stuttering like an idiot after his trip to the Albanian forest. Dumbledore said that he must've caught something during his time in the forest, but he doubted whether that was true. Quirrell had been acting weird all of term like he was trying to hide something because no one would stutter as much as him.
But that is not what got Harry's attention, as a name was below Quirrell. Tom Riddle. Who in the world was that? It was a muggle name for sure, yet there was something ominous about his name appearing underneath the school's DADA professor. What also made this strange was that there wasn't separate pair of footsteps. The two seemed joined. Like they were attached to one another.
Raising his head, "Sirius, does the name Tom Riddle ring a bell to you?"
"No," shaking his head. "I never heard that name before? Why?" Harry showed him the name below Quirrell's, and he frowned. Just then, a cold shiver ran down his spine. "Oh, I have a bad feeling about this."
Before Harry could ask anything further, his attention was drawn to the fireplace, which flashed green. Severus appeared a second later, walking into the living room where he spotted the concerned expressions of Harry and Sirius. Something was apparently wrong as Black paled a bit.
"Am I interrupting something?" Carefully asking the two.
"We found something difficult and might need your opinion," Harry answered. "Have you ever heard of the name Tom Riddle?"
At that moment, Severus' heart sank as he went pale. "Where did you hear that name?" He demanded as his black eyes were set ablaze.
Harry showed him the map and pointed to the name underneath Quirrell. Severus became even more pale. "Merlin. . ." he breathlessly said. "This is bad."
"Ok, now I know I don't like where this is going," Sirius began with fear laced in his voice. "Come on, Severus, talk to me here. What's going on?"
Instead of saying anything, Severus flicked his wand out and started using the flagrate spell to write three words: Tom Marvolo Riddle. He then waved his wand and the words for a new name: I am Lord Voldemort.
Sirius was now as pale as a ghost, as his heart sank. Harry, on the other hand, was frozen to stillness. "For a long time, I had wondered what the Dark Lord's name truly was, as no parent would ever name their Voldemort, nor were there any Ancient or Noble Houses that carried it," Severus explained with dread and then added. "I only stumbled upon his birth name in the trophy room a couple months back."
"It would also explain why Dumbledore and I felt a faint trace of the Dark Lord's magical signature on that dead unicorn. Along with the dark yet familiar presence I felt whenever I was around Quirrell."
"You think Voldemort is possessing Quirrell," Harry looked at him with a curious expression after regaining himself. His eyes immediately went wide. "Hold on a minute. . .Quirrell only just started wearing that turban on his head during this summer, right?" Severus nodded his head. "What do you want to bet he ran into that prick while in Albania?"
"In the name of Morgana's saggy tits. I'm gonna need a Dreamless sleep potion tonight and probably a glass of firewhiskey," Sirius let out a breath. He took out his wand and cast his patronus charm, which took the form of a large dog identical to his animagus form, then whispered something before sending it off. Then, he used his watch to send a couple messages.
Not half an hour later, the three of them occupied the room, plus Arcturus, Charlus, Amelia, and Saul. Lauren and Susan had returned from playing outside, taking in the suspense and cold atmosphere. For a while, no one said anything until Saul broke the silence.
"Alright, Sirius. What is so important that you had to summon me while I was in the middle of writing some important documents?" Croaker asked.
"One word: Voldemort," Susan and Lauren shivered at what he said while the other adults narrowed their eyes.
"Start talking," Arcturus ordered in a deadly calm voice.
"Hold on," Amelia interrupted, turning her head to Susan and Lauren before Sirius could reply. "You two upstairs in your rooms."
"But Aunt Amy," Susan was about to protest with Lauren about to follow suit.
"No, buts. This is not something the two of you need to hear," she said in a firm, no-nonsense voice.
"Head to your rooms," Arcturus flashed them a serious look, telling them he meant it. Despite wanting to protest, the two complied and went to their rooms upstairs. "Continue," looking at Sirius.
Sirius explained what he, Harry, and Severus had discussed regarding Voldemort and how they theorized that the wanker was possessing Quirrell. In addition to showing them the map of where Quirrell and Voldemort were, Harry took his wand and did the exact same thing Severus did with writing Voldemort's birth name before showing them that the name he's been using for so long was merely an anagram. "This will explain why Quirrell has been acting so odd lately. Voldemort must be possessing him."
"It could also mean Quirrell was the one who broke into Gringotts to obtain the Philosopher's Stone, and when he discovered that it had been moved into the castle by Dumbledore's orders, it would explain why he ordered the members of the staff to create some enchantments around the third-floor corridor," Severus added.
"And what my magic has been showing me these past few weeks," Harry finished. "Voldemort wants that stone so he can gain a new body and restore his lost powers."
"Well, now that we know where he is. How are we going to deal with him?" Saul enquired. "We cannot just march into the castle and arrest Quirrell for being possessed by the worst Dark wizard in history. Furthermore, if it were to get out that one of the Hogwarts professors is under Voldemort's control, then there would be a panic and bring a lot of unwanted attention," the Head of the DoM explained. "How sure are we that Dumbledore is aware of what's going on?"
"Chances are relatively high," Severus sucked in a breath. "He likely suspects that the Dark Lord is close and is probably controlling Quirrell. Though will not do anything. Now that I think of it, the protective enchantments are rudimentary. I get the feeling this is more of a setup or rather a test."
Arcturus grunted in annoyance. "Why doesn't that surprise me. This is yet another of the manipulative goat's machinations." He couldn't put his foot on it but could tell that Dumbledore was indeed up to something. Pushing that aside, he continued, "this will be a conversation for another time. We need to shift our focus to the current problem of dealing with Voldemort's current host. Far as I'm concerned, Quirrell is already dead.
"Then let's make it official," Harry chimed, bringing the attention to him. "I may know how to deal with both of them at once without raising any suspicions. However, I'm going to need a few things."
Amelia eyed him with a little caution. "Why do I get the feeling that I am not going to like what you are about to suggest?"
"You're not. None of you are," looking at the adults in the room, then took a deep breath. He spent the next twenty-five minutes explaining his plan, much to the adults' astonishment and the obvious frustrations and refusals on their collective faces. "After I get the stone, I can deliver Quirrell's body to the colony of Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest. By the time anyone notices that he is missing, the spiders would have already eaten him."
"That plan is risky," said Amelia. "If you are caught, then there will be nothing I can do to keep you from facing charges. We're talking life in prison," she warned.
"Yes, I know. However, this is worth the risk. Should Voldemort get his hands on the stone, then we will have a real problem," rationalizing the importance of the mission.
"I'll get you the materials you need," Arcturus said a few minutes later. "Move quickly and get the job done fast. And one more thing," giving his nephew a critical look as there was a pause between them. ". . .give that bastard a few hits from us," gesturing to Charlus.
Harry nods his head in determination. They then started making plans to get rid of Voldemort and retrieve the stone.
(0^0)
Two days before Christmas, the group was having a final meeting in the living room of Potter Manor. Harry had been given a black uniform made from the hides of a Hungarian Horntail and Hebridean Black Dragons and a black metal helmet.
Arcturus gave him two vials of potions that will help tonight as Severus explained the current situation in the castle. ". . .Dumbledore is away attending a meeting in Germany, so there are only a handful of professors within the castle. Quirrell is one of them and is starting to grow impatient with his lack of progress with acquiring the stone." Taking a quick look at the map, he gritted his teeth, "he's on the move. Good luck."
Harry took out his wand and put a silencing charm on his feet before transforming into his animagus form, then water-traveled away. He appeared in the chamber where the Mirror of Erised was and transformed back into a human. Quickly taking his wand, he cast the disillusionment charm on himself and hid behind one of the columns after sensing someone fast approaching. Sure enough, the person came. Quirrell had entered the room with his hands folded together.
"I have found the mirror master," Quirrell said.
"Now. . .get me the stone," a cold, rasp voice was heard. Harry had a feeling that the voice came from Voldemort, and his senses told him that there were two people in the man's body.
Before Quirrell could take another step forward, Harry sent two spells. One was a blinding white light, and the other a stunning spell. Quirrell didn't even have a chance as he had to shield his eyes from the bright light and was soon on his back, out cold. Moving toward the fallen man, he took the two vials filled with potion and forced the liquids down Quirrell's mouth. The first would prevent him from using his magic for a time, and the second would stop his heart and shut down all his vital organs. Within four minutes, he would be dead. Which was more than enough time to do what he needed. Harry kicked the soon-to-be-dead man onto his stomach, taking the purple turban off. There, he saw the man who had killed his parents and countless others.
Voldemort had somehow attached himself to the back of Quirrell's head. "You murdering son of bitch," scorn dripped from his voice. He knelt down and started punching the shit out of Voldemort. Anger and rage surged through Harry as he pummeled the man who took his parents from him. Only after delivering the final punch did he conjure a burlap sack over the man's head and add an ear-buzzing charm so the man couldn't hear.
Harry then looked into the mirror, where he saw a reflection of himself. He gave a nod and reached into his pocket, then pulled a red stone out. At that, he felt something in his pocket and did exactly what his reflection did. In his right hand was the Philosopher's Stone. He could feel the magic surrounding the stone, but he returned it to his pocket a moment later. Pointing his wand at the mirror, he used the blasting curse to destroy it. The mirror exploded into several pieces that scattered across the floor. Phase 1 was complete now for Phase 2. He started removing all traces of his magical signature, destroying any evidence of him being here before turning into his animagus form with his talons grabbing onto the dead body of Quirrell.
In a swift motion, he traveled out of the chamber and appeared above the Forbidden Forest, where he scanned for the Acromantula colony. Finding the area he was looking for, he flew over it before dropping the body into a colony of meat-eating spiders. The minute the body fell into the webs, the acromantulas swarmed over it and began devouring the now-dead body of Quirrell. Seeing his job was done, he water-traveled back home, unaware that the ghostly form of Voldemort had emerged from Quirrell's body as it was being eaten. What remained of Voldemort swore violently, vowing vengeance against the person who foiled his plans and retreated back to his safe haven.
(0^0)
Back in Potter Manor, Sirius was pacing back and forth enough to make a hole in the living room floor, and for about the tenth time, he let out an exasperated sigh, much to Arcturus's irritation. "Would you stop doing that? I'm already tense enough as it is," he said, leaning against the wall.
"I'm just worried. Maybe we should have gone with a different plan," several possibilities were running through his mind as he wondered what could be taking so long. Thankfully, Lauren and Susan were at Bones Manor. They didn't need to know anything about what they were planning. Amelia placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.
Turning his head to her, "you have to believe that Harry will be fine. Yes, this was a risky plan. . .but knowing him so well, he will do what needs to be done."
"He is only eleven," Sirius affirmed. "This is a lot to put on someone so young."
Charlus understood his nephew's concern, and while he would have opted for a different strategy, he knew his grandson was ruthless and tenacious. Harry was a Potter and a Black. Since James and Lily's death, he and Arcturus have been working to instill the values and traditions of both their Houses. He may be young, but Harry was inheriting the best of both worlds. He believed in his grandson.
A minute later, a familiar blue-green avian appeared in the living room. One look at the bird's eyes told him everything. The tsunami bird then transformed into the person he'd been thinking about. "Job is done," Harry removed his helmet and pulled the stone from his pocket. Just when he was about to take a step, his legs felt weak; he would have fallen had it not been for Severus. "Thanks, Uncle. Can I have a bucket? I do not feel so good."
Amelia quickly took her wand, conjured a metal bucket, and handed it to him after he tossed the stone over to Arcturus. Once the bucket was in his, Harry began spewing the contents of his stomach. Severus pat Harry on his back as he continued throwing up.
"That's it, Harry. Let it out," trying to ease the boy. The first kill is always the hardest. Reaching for his belt, he detached a vial of Calming Draught. "This should help with your nerves."
The young boy removed his head from the bucket after he finished throwing up, then took the vial and downed its contents. Taking a minute to regain his wits, he informed them about what he saw. "It's like we thought—Quirrell was indeed being possessed by Voldemort—though with a different method. I saw Voldemort's face sticking out from the back of Quirrell's head. The mirror was also destroyed, so I'm going to need to bathe in some special soap."
"Wait, are you sure you saw Voldemort attached to the back of Quirrell's head?" Saul questioned.
"I know what I saw," Harry nodded; pointing his wand at his head, he extracted the memory of what happened and put it in a flask Sirius had conjured. "Everything you want to know is in there."
Leaving the memory with them, Harry walked up the stairs to take a shower to get the after-effects of destroying the cursed mirror off of him. The adults had gone to the Lord's study to watch the memory of the pensieve to what happened in the chamber.
True enough, what Harry said was right on the money. Moreover, they were able to confirm that Voldemort was in a weakened state. The accursed bastard would be dead already if not for his remaining Horcruxes. But at least Harry prevented him from gaining the stone; otherwise, he would been able to regain his body. One thing was for certain, though: the heartless bastard will indeed try something else. They would need to prepare.
"This will only delay his return to power. The Dark Lord will not give up so easily. Chances are that he will try a different method to regain his body," Severus warned.
"That is a guaranteed," replied Arcturus. "However, for now, I had best get this thing back to its rightful owners," pocketing the stone in his pocket when he was done examining it.
What bothered him the most was that Dumbledore was able to convince the Flamels to part with such an artifact and what he intended to do with it. Was it just to lure Voldemort out? Or did he intend to use it for himself? Either way, it did not matter as he would speak with the Flamels when he leaves for France.
A/N: Harry's abilities are growing, and the weird feeling he's been getting from Hogwarts comes from the fact that he is the heir to both the House of Gryffindor and the House of Slytherin. Hogwarts was trying to warn him of an impending threat. Given time, he will learn there is more to come by gaining the lordships of both Houses.
Finally, after all these years, he comes face-to-face with the man who killed his parents and prevented him from retrieving the Philosopher's Stone. Personally, I am glad he destroyed the mirror because that thing always made me feel uncomfortable. It may show you your heart's desires, but I suspect that it takes something in return. Also, I suspect that Dumbledore will be angry once he figures out that the mirror has been destroyed, the stone is gone, and Quirrell is "missing" (if you ask me, I think he knew or suspected that Quirrell was hiding Voldemort all along though wanted Harry to defeat him). I mean, how could he not know Voldemort wasn't close? He spent a lot of time around him and is in charge of the castle's wards. Surely, they alerted him.
Moreover, in the book and movie, the enchantments were a joke. How would they stop an all-powerful dark wizard if three first-years could get past them? It was a setup from the start. Something for both Harry and Voldemort to dance to his tunes. What do all of you think? Was it a setup or not?
Next Chapter: The selection and Tournament part 1