𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 // 𝕙. 𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣

chapter 15: the philosopher's stone

harry's pov

as i walk away, i can't help but think about my promise to (y/n). i wish she was here with me.. i always feel more confident with her by my side. i walks down a long staircase to an empty room with pillars around it. The Mirror of Erised is in the middle of the room, and a man is standing before it. It is Quirrell. my scar burns.

"You?" i ask in disbelief.Quirrell turns around."No. It can't be...Snape. He was the one-" Quirrell interrupts me.

"Yes. He does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to me, who would suspect, p-p-poor s-stuttering Professor Quirrell?"

"B-but, that day, during the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me." i say.

"No, dear boy. I tried to kill you! And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse." quirrell snarls. i can't believe it.

"Snape was trying to...save me?" i say.

"I knew you were a danger right from there off. Especially after Halloween."

"Th-then you let the troll in." i say.

"Very good Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon, he went to the 3rd floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone." quirrell says. he turns back to the mirror, and my scar burns again.

"But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never. Now...what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the stone. But how do I get it?" quirrell says.

"use the boy." a raspy voice calls out. who is that..

"Come here, Potter, now!" quirrell shouts. i walks forward shakily.

"Tell me. What do you see?" he asks. i look in the mirror. i see.. myself. my mirror self brings his hand into his pocket and takes out.. a red stone! The mirror self winks and puts the stone back. Very subtly, i reach into my pocket. There is a lump. i gasp.

"What is it?! What do you see?!" quirrell asks furiously.

"I-I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup." i lie.

"He lies." it's that raspy voice again..

"Tell the truth! What do you see?!" quirrell shouts.

"Let me speak to him." the raspy voice says.

"Master, you are not strong enough." quirrell replies. who is he talking to?

"I have strength enough for this." the voice says. Quirrell unwraps his turban and on the side opposite his face, another face is planted. It is Voldemort, who appears kind of like a snake. He stretches out and faces me through the mirror.

"Harry Potter. We meet again." it says to me.

"Voldemort." i say, trying not to show how terrified i am.

"Yes. You see what I have become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another. A mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can. Something, that conveniently enough, lies in your pocket!" voldemort hisses. i turn and run.

"Stop him!" voldemort says. Quirrell snaps his fingers and fire erupts all around the room. oh no. i'm stuck.

"Don't be a fool! Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?!" voldemort says. i shake my head.

"Never!" i shout.

"Haha. Bravery. Your parents had it too. Tell me, Harry, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together, we can bring them back," my parents faces appear in the mirror.
mom.. dad.. "All I ask for is something in return." i slowly take the stone from my pocket.

"That's it, Harry. There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the stone!" voldemort says. my Mother and father vanish.

"You liar!" i yell.

"Kill him!" voldemort says to quirrell. Quirrell soars into the air and smashes into me, one hand on my throat. we fall to the steps. The stone falls out of my reach as Quirrell chokes me. i strain, trying to get free. i put my hand on Quirrell's, trying to get him off. Smoke furls from under his hand.

"Ahh! Ahh!" quirrell screams. he backs up. His hand is crumbling into a mountain of black ash.

"What is this magic?" he shouts as his hand dissipates.

"Fool! Get the stone!" voldemort hisses. Quirrell walks forward, but i put both my hands on his face.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" he screams. he backs up, then his face, which is horrendously burned, crumbles as he walks forward. His whole body is ash. He falls to the floor. i gasp. i look at my own hands and hurry over to the stone. i pick it up and sigh, when i hear something. Turning, i see a dust cloud with voldemort's face.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" i scream, but Voldemort flies away. i fall to the ground, the last thing i see is the stone in my outstretched hand before everything goes black.

~time skip~

i wake up in the hospital wing. i put on my glasses, and sit up. There are cards and candy all over. Dumbledore approaches me. what's going on?

"Good afternoon, Harry. Ah. Tokens from your admirers?" dumbledore says.

"Admirers?" i ask, feeling bewildered.

"What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. Ah, I see your friend Ronald has saved you the trouble of opening your Chocolate Frogs." dumbledore replies.

"Ron was here? Is he all right? What about Hermione and (y/n)?" i ask him.

"Fine. They're all just fine. in fact, ms. (l/n) has been here everyday to sit with you." dumbledore answers. (y/n)...

"But, what happened to the Stone?" i ask him.

"Relax, dear boy. The stone has been destroyed. My friend Nicholas and I had a little chat and agreed it was best all around." dumbledore says.

"But Flamel, he'll die, won't he?" i say. dumbledore sits on the bed.

"He has enough Elixir to set his affairs in order. But yes, he will die." he says.

"How is it I got the Stone, sir? One minute I was staring in the mirror, and the next..." i ask.

"Ah. You see, only a person who wanted to find the Stone, find it, but not use it, would be able to get it. That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me thats saying something." dumbledore smiles.

"Does that mean, with the Stone gone, I mean, that Voldemort can never come back?" i ask, afraid i already know the answer. dumbledore's smile fades.

"Ah, I'm afraid there are ways in which he can return. Harry, do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him? It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you, and that kind of act leaves a mark. No, not like your scar. this kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin." dumbledore tells me.

"What is it?" i say.

"Love, Harry, love," he Pats my head and stands up. "Ah. Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. I was most unfortunate in my youth to come across a vomit flavoured one, and since then I have lost my liking for them. But I think I could be safe with a nice toffee..." he picks us a brown bean and eats it. "Mm. Alas. Earwax."