Hogwarts gains +1 ghost king

Chapter 12: Uh, potter. I swear on the styx this isnt what it looks like.

Woo for long titles! This is most likely the last chapter.

"You." I say, facing Quirrell.

"Yes boy! Me! Vinculum!" He pointed his wand at me and suddenly I was bound with ropes. I tried shadow traveling, nope. Attacking him with shadows, nope. Anything magic, demigod or wizard, nope. I started panicking, I was defenceless! He pointed his wand at me again. "Silenco!" I couldn't talk. I struggled and fell to the ground, unmoving and unspeaking. I watch as Quirrell walks to the mirror, and as he starts getting frustrated.

"Why won't it work?" He questions himself harshly.

About a half hour passes before I hear footsteps coming our way. Potter. At the top of the staircase.

"You." He says in shock. Quirrell turns around to face him. "N-no. It can't be. S-Snape. H-he was the one to-"

"Yes." Replies Quirrell. "He does seem the type doesn't he. Next to him, who would suspect P-P-P-P-poor st-t-t-tuttering professor Quirrell?"

This conversation goes on for around a minute before the traitor says something quite confusing and ominous. "But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never."

He questions Harry on how the mirror works, that he sees himself with the stone, but he can't get to it. I see Harry's eyes scanning the room before landing on me. "Nico? What are you doing here? Wait. Were-were you helping him? Were you helping Quirrell?"

I quickly shake my head.

"Why don't you talk? Huh? Keeping his secrets? Oh, you're tied up. And probably silenced. Were you trying to get it yourself? Are you working for Voldemort?"

"No, the boy does not work for my master." Quirrell tells him, eyeing me with disgust. "Pity. We could have used him. He is working not with Dumbledore either. He is working for the stone to be destroyed, it is an insult to his family, the way someone could live forever."

"An insult to his family?" Harry asks, confused.

"Oh, you haven't told them, have you Nico?" Quirrell mocks me as I start to struggle again.

I manage to will the shadows to slap him in the face. He fall but quickly stands back up. A ghastly voice fills the room.

"Use the boy."

Quirrell turns around and shouts at Harry. "Come here!"

Harry stupidly walks towards him and looks in the mirror. At this I zone out from that and start struggling again. The shadows are picking up on my agitation and crawl towards me. I feel dumb. The shadows! I will the shadows to envelope me, twisting though the fibres of the ropes and shredding them, bit by bit. I still can't speak but at least I'm free.

I stand up, silently pulling my sword from the chain and cloaking myself in shadows. I look up at them and try not to gasp. Quirrell had unwrapped his turban and on the back of his head was a horrible face. It was deformed and pale. It was speaking in a hissing, whispery voice.

"Haaaryy pottterrr."

I ran and stood in front of Harry.

Why am I doing this? I ask myself.
Because he's your friend Nico.
But I have no friends.
Do you? You called them your friends.

I grimace. I do consider them my friends. I sigh inwardly. No backing out now.

"What's this?" The face hisses. "A shadow, protecting a hero? How pathetic. What do you have to say for yourself? Dicere." With a flick of his wand my voice is returned.

"Harry is my friend." I growl, not sounding human.

Quirrell charges at Harry. I try to block him but get pushed away by an invisible force. The traitor seems to be... flying? Anyway, when he grabs Harry's throat, he screams and holds his hand which is smouldering. Harry looks at his hands in awe and fear. Seeming to get an idea, he lunges at Quirrell, placing his hand on his face. Quirrell screams as his face is burned away. Harry crab crawls backwards as Quirrell stands. The traitors last actions before crumbling to dust was reaching out and stumbling as if to try and grab him.

And he called me pathetic.

Harry turns to face me where I'm still sitting on the floor after I was knocked down. He is about to speak when we hear a weird whooshing noise. (A/N did I just hear a woosh? Get it? No? Ok.) We look at the crumbled remains of Quirrell and see a whirlwind of dust like a mini tornado. A face comes out of it and screams as it fly though Harry.

"Harry!" I scream as he collapses. "No no no. Don't die, don't die."

I pick him up and start to run. Then I remember. How will I get out? The plant room didn't seem to have a ladder or anything. I sigh, knowing I have no choice. I hold the unconscious boy tightly, and shadow travel to the infirmary.

Ω

I enter the infirmary the next day, concerned. Harry still hasn't woken up. I look up, startled out of my thoughts as I hear two voices. I peek inside. It'd Dumbledore and... Harry! I grin but I quickly hide it as I walk to them. I'm as silent as ever as I walk to them, so they don't notice me until I cleared my throat. I startle them and I'm a bit nervous that Harry will hate me after thinking me to be a traitor. My thoughts are denied as he smiles brightly at me.

"Nico! Professor Dumbledore just told me that you carried me out of the stone room!"

I smile shyly because this is not entirely the truth. No one saw me shadow travel so I told them that I had carried him there.

"Uh, yeah. Are you feeling any better?" I ask just to seem not suspicious.

"Loads! Thanks for bringing me here!"

"No problem Harry. So, you're not... mad at me?"

"No! Why would I be mad at you? You probably saved my life!" He exclaims, shocked.

"Ok, good. It wouldn't be very good if you were mad." I turn to Dumbledore. "What of the stone?"

"It has been destroyed." The professor tells me, still seeming confused as to why I care.

"Good." At this I turn on my heel and leave.

                                                                              Ω

The rest of school passes quickly. The trio and I are still friends, which makes me happy. In fact, they seem to like me even more now. Before we know it we're back on the ruby train headed for London. We spend that time chatting and laughing. I still don't feel much different, but something inside me seems warm. It takes me a moment to understand what is happening. I figure it out. I'm genuinely happy. I haven't felt like this since Bianca died. When we reach London, we pass though the barrier and say our last goodbyes for the summer. I freeze when Hermoine pulls me into a hug, quickly followed by Harry and Ron. I'm standing there wide eyed before hesitantly hugging back. The boys let go quickly but Hermoine keeps hugging me. Right before she lets go she whispers in my ear.

"Remember Nico, you have friends. We're your friends and we care for you." With that she let's go and says, "Until next year." To us three boys.

The three of us say goodbye one last time before leaving. I pull my trunk with Cerberus's cage strapped to the top into an alley. I shadow travel to camp and close my eyes. I breath in, then quickly breath out again.

Home.