Chapter 22: The Philosophy of a Deadman

"Daphne? Oh, hell..." Harry muttered. He had his ear pressed to the stone slab that separated him from his friends. The faint tapping he heard was surely from Daphne. If he was honest, he was surprised he made it through. That slide took some guts. "I suppose the whole Gryffindor thing has some truth to it." He listened for a moment more, the faint tapping stopping. He sighed.

"I really hope it wasn't the troll." He said worriedly. He looked around, gathering his bearings. He seemed to be in another corridor, torches lighting the way as far as the eye could see. He gulped. It seemed easy enough. And that worried him. He set off, eyeing the floor and walls. While it all seemed well and in place, he knew the many things that could be hidden by magic.

After a while, he began frowning. The end didn't seem any closer. He looked back and realized he was still by the start of the corridor. This would make things difficult. Was it an illusion? He walked to the slab and touched it, feeling the smooth stone under his fingers.

"Great. This is just great." He said angrily. He took a few steps back from the slab and turned, frowning again. He was certain he took about three or four steps backwards. So why was he about halfway down the hall? He turned back to the slab, realizing what to do. He took a few more steps backwards, not seeing the door receding much. With another turn around, he found himself at the door at the end. He grasped the handle, steeling his nerves. Whoever was ahead of them was just up ahead.

The door swung open to reveal a large, round chamber. Aside from a few feet around the door, the chamber went down in what seemed like round stairs, a fire burning along the top step. In the center of the room stood a large, familiar mirror. But that wasn't what caught his attention. He was focused on the man standing in the center of the room. The familiar turban making him glare, wand drawn.

"Put it away, Potter." Quirrell said, waving his hand lazily, forcing Harry to lower his wand.

"You. I knew it." He said coldly, eyeing the teacher warily. The teacher chuckled.

"I should have known the students who found out about this were your lot. Nosey. Just like your parents." He said, frowning at the mirror.

"Don't talk about them. You know nothing of them." Harry said hotly. He wouldn't allow some man after treasure insult his parents.

"I don't understand." Quirrell said, ignoring the angering boy. "I see myself achieving my victory. I can see myself giving my master the stone. I see that old goat, dead under my foot. I see your remains in a pathetic heap. I see his followers, celebrating my greatness, the traitors at my mercy. But this is where the stone should be. Why can't I find it?"

"Maybe you're not looking in the right place." Harry taunted, trying to seem brave. The older wizard dropped his hand without trying, so he knew better than to think he could best him. But something was off.

"Bring the boy." Said a voice. Harry looked around in surprise. There was no one else here.

"Now, Potter, or are you deaf?" Quirrell demanded, pointing to the spot next to him. Harry walked cautiously, the man forcing him before the mirror.

"What so you see? Tell me." He demanded angrily. Harry glared and looked into the familiar mirror.

Where is it? I need to keep it away, Harry thought desperately. In the mirror, he saw himself slowly smile,reaching into his pocket and pulling the stone out. Harry stared, wide eyed at his reflection winking, putting the stone back in his pocket. He felt the weight there, the stone suddenly in his pocket. He wasn't sure why, but he knew he had to keep it from Quirrell.

"Well? What do you see, dammit?" Asked the angry instructor. His patience had run out.

"I, uh... I see myself. And I'm standing with Daphne. And we're um... getting married." He lied. He made himself stutter and look embarrassed, as though he revealed something personal. It must have worked because Quirrell looked annoyed.

"He lies." The voice said simply. Harry stared.

"Who is that? I am not lying." He said, looking around.

"Give me the stone, boy." The voice said angrily.

"I don't have it!" Harry yelled at the air, not sure where the voice was coming from. "Show yourself, coward."

"Coward?" The voice said icily, making the Ice King shiver. "Quirrell. Let me see him." The voice ordered.

"But Master. Are you sure? Your plan-" the teacher began.

"Now, fool!" The voice interjected, making Quirrell nod slowly.

He reached up and began to undo the turban, slowly revealing a face. Harry gasped. He recognized the face from his worst nightmares.

"You're... You're dead." Harry said, slowly stepping away. The wizard raised his hand, lifting the boy to him.

"No, Potter. Almost, but not quite." Said the cold voice of Lord Voldemort. His red eyes gave the boy a look of loathing and bemusement, dropping him to the floor. He walked past the boy, looking into the mirror. "Your parents were brave. Foolish, but brave. However did you get into Slytherin with your attitude? I've been watching you."

"Then you know exactly why, Voldemort." He replied in an icy tone, feeling his anger outweigh his fear. He knew he wouldn't last in a battle with Voldemort. There's a reason he was a feared wizard. His dead parents were proof of it.

"Your little cold act, of course." He taunted the boy, walking around the mirror. "You think an attitude is all it takes to be a Slytherin? Ahh, of course. These enchantments. Albus, I'd say. The stone is in the mirror."

"Why do you want it?" Harry questioned. "You're alive. You don't need the money either."

"You call this life? Living as a parasite on one of my pawns like this?" Voldemort questioned, motioning at the body of Quirnius, whose face was asleep. At least it seemed so. "The stone will be instrumental in regaining a proper body."

"So you get a body back and what? Wage war again?" Harry deadpanned, standing up. He knew he was facing the most powerful Dark wizard the world had known.

"There's that instinct of self-preservation that makes a Slytherin." Voldemort returned, eyeing the mirror carefully. He knew the boy was stalling. "Ahh, I see. You have the stone on your person, don't you?"

"I-what?" Harry stuttered. He watched the feared man turn to him, and smile. The smile sent a million chills down his spine, filling him with fear.

"Just give me the stone. I'll make your death quick, and relatively painless." Voldemort said coldly.

"I am afraid, Tom, that no one shall be dying tonight." Said a voice from the doorway. Both Harry and Voldemort looked at the door, the Headmaster of Hogwarts standing there, smiling pleasantly.

"Albus." Voldemort said with an angry look. This was a definite flaw in the plan. In Quirrell's body, he was weakened. Parasitic. This would be child's play for Dumbledore, even with his hosts' powers.

"Always very good to see you, Tom. I see you've been using poor Quirnius to hide yourself." The Headmaster said, measuring up the wizard. "Harry, the stone, if you will."

Harry nodded and walked, slowly to the Headmaster, keeping his eyes on the two faced man. He gave the elder wizard the stone, who pocketed it.

"Thank you, Harry. Now please, stand back." He asked politely, stepping forward to the Dark Wizard.

Voldemort glared at the elder wizard with as much hatred as his weakened form could get across. There was no real way out of this. There was especially no way he'd be taken alive. The plan for the stone had failed. But, there were alternatives. He hadn't wanted to use them yet, or at all. But with the stone out play...

The Dark wizard sent an attack. He had to get Dumbledore to kill him. He knew he could do it, he just needed to goad him properly. Very few people didn't know about his victory over Grindelwald. Even fewer knew of his history prior. With an opponent such as Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, you had to study your enemy. You had to learn his past, his mistakes, his victories. This was how you made him tick, lose focus, make them weaker prey. But in this case, he just needed the old fool distracted.

Dumbledore easily swiped away the simple stunning spell, countering with his own stunner that Voldemort barely blocked. A few more hexes and curses were sent, first from Voldemort, who was howling angrily, then from Dumbledore, who seemed to be a smiling mirror of the Dark Lord.

"What, too jealous to let someone else have the credit for ending Dark Lords?" Voldemort spat, throwing a barrier just in time to block a binding curse. Dumbledore smiled.

"Ah, no, my dear Tom. I simply do not wish for young mister Potter to be in harms way." The Headmaster replied, avoiding a cutting curse with surprising agility for someone his age.

"Do you always befriend Dark Lords before taking them down? Perhaps that's the plan with the boy." Voldemort retorted. Dumbledore frowned and sent a blasting hex away from Voldemort. Harry listened curiously from his spot.

"What ever do you mean?" Dumbledore frowned, staring at his former student. Voldemort smiled internally.

"Is it that hard to believe? Gellert was your friend, after all. I was your student. And then there's Potter. You certainly have a thing for the lonely boys, Albus." The younger wizard said coldly. Dumbledore's eyes narrowed.

"You've no idea what you're talking about, Tom."

"Oh don't I? Because I know first hand the outcome of being a lonely, lost boy who has Albus Dumbledore's attention."

This was his chance. Dumbledore seemed thrown just off enough by the comment to fully pay attention. He needed something drastic but predictable.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort shouted, feigning triumph into his voice. He could see the sudden surprise in the old man's eyes.

Dumbledore swung his wand at the coming green light, his own blue light blasting it back at Voldemort. The Headmaster's eyes widened at the sudden realization of what he'd done, not noticing the small smile on Voldemort's face as the spell hit him head on.

"Is he...?" Harry asked, peeking out of his hiding area. Dumbledore smiled sadly.

"It was my mistake, Harry. Come, my boy. We should leave this place." Harry nodded slowly and followed, looking at the body of the man who was both an enemy and educator.

"Sir?" Harry began uncomfortably. Dumbledore watched him with an encouraging nod. "You called him 'Tom'. You know who he is? Er.. Was."

Dumbledore gave Harry a small, sad smile.

"All in due time, my boy. All in due time."

ooooo

"Harry!" Daphne cried, throwing her arms around him and holding him close.

"It's okay, Daph. I'm alright." He smiled, holding her closely. She had let herself into his dormitory, and was soon checking him for open wounds or other damages he could be trying to hide. Harry had shown up long enough to let his friends know he was alive and tired. As for what happened, he would share with Daphne alone.

"Well?" She asked, both expectantly and impatiently.

"Well what?" He said, acting as if he didn't know. Daphne glared and he sighed, retelling what had happened, except for Voldemort's words about him. He hadn't brought it up with the Headmaster either. It bothered him, because he believed it. He couldn't explain it. But he did.

"I'm glad you're well, Harry. I'm not sure what would have happened had the Headmaster not gotten here on time." Daphne said softly. The Headmaster looked deeply perturbed when they ran into him. "I can't believe Voldemort was still alive."

"Me either. I don't understand how, or why. But Dumbledore took care of him." Harry said. Daphne nodded.

"Hopefully for good." She said.

"Hopefully. "

ooooo

Deep within the castle, Quirrell's body lay, lifeless. The fires in the room were out, their ashes cold. Something stirred, in this dark, desolate room.

Slowly, the remains of Quirrell began to crackle and fall apart, as though dried and ancient. His flesh, clothes, all slowly dried and were as dust, before some unseen breeze blew it away.

In the reflection of the mirror, as the torches blazed to life, their magic letting them know someone was in the room, a ghoulish figure rose from the billowing dust that was once Quirnius Quirrell. The reflection figure let out a shriek, as if in anguish as it burst into a black light, blasting across the room, destroying the mirror.

ooooo

A young girl woke up, smiling at her ceiling. Today was the day that students would be returning from Hogwarts. She definitely had to see if she'd get permission to go to King's Cross. She missed Ron, Fred and George. She even missed Percy. She giggled softly to herself and layed back. According to the letters home, Gryffindor came close to besting Slytherin for the House Cup.

Charlie's final year in the Quidditch team paid off. The Quidditch house cup was, as he called it, an easy win. Even Ron surprised the house and managed to win a few of the Year End bonus House points for being the best Wizard's chess player in the castle while still only being a first year.

Much to the annoyance of the teachers, Dumbledore had a tolerance and appreciation for the Twins' pranks. Ten points a piece, and surprisingly, ten to a Tracey in Slytherin for her part to play.

Percy was the only one with unremarkable news. He did really well in his studies, top percentile in the school, but it went to a Ravenclaw. Always Ravenclaw, Percy had said.

In the end, Slytherin won over Gryffindor by less than twenty points, thanks to some unnamed student who Dumbledore claimed showed by example what it meant to be a Slytherin.

It did strike her as odd that everyone had said the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was missing. According to the letter from Charlie, the man was missing in both person and mentioning, as the Headmaster did not bring up his absence nor his name. It seemed that everyone ignored the missing teacher. Oh well, she guessed. She'd heard that Defense teachers never lasted more than the year. Occasionally less.

With a smile, the girl got up and began getting ready. Maybe she'd be able to see this Harry Potter in the sea of people.

"Me and Harry." She said with a small smile. "Like that would happen."

ooooo

Harry and his friends stepped off the train, looking for Cyrus and Victoria. As people walked around, trying to find their loved ones, he saw Draco, glaring at him. Over each shoulder stood his parents, looking oddly grim. His eyes narrowed and Daphne pulled him along. This wasn't the time for anyone to start trouble.

Ah, there you are! " said Cyrus, smiling kindly at his children. Daphne smiled brightly at her father, Harry gave a small grin." Ready to go home? " The children nodded, and they all headed out.

As they were leaving, Harry looked around, feeling someone's eyes trained on him. There was Draco, still glaring as he and his family walked away. They rudely pushed through a familiar looking group of people with bright red hair, heating Draco yelp as he tripped and the Twins looking innocent, trying to hide their wands.

Harry gave a smirk in their direction and noticed a girl, looking surprised. Her eyes were wide and trained on him. He didn't recognize her, sending a small nod at her. She looked around and pointed at herself,wondering if he was nodding at her. Harry smiled and nodded again, walking further away. She looked flustered and hid behind the enormous family.

Harry, come on." Daphne said, looking back at her friend.

I'm coming."Harry said. He gave one last look in the direction of the girl, feeling oddly dismayed that she remained hidden. Maybe she would be at Hogwarts next year.

If only he knew...

oooooo

Author's Note:

Thank you guys so much for the love and support. I know that the time frame on this went way off and it has been... Definitely not my year. I do plan on making stories based on the other books as well and getting progressively longer with both story length and chapter length. Haven't come up with a name for the next set, but I'm already working on the outline for book two. Will we see more of the mystery girl? Also, who do you think she may be?

usual, rate and review. If you have any personal comments or suggestions, I am open to them and my inbox is open to you. Lots of love out to you, the followers and favorites. To those who read it all so far, I hope you've enjoyed and I will be seeing you soon!

-Vaine