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Chapter 12

He could feel himself floating in a dark void. There was no light and yet it did not seem dark. He could see and feel and all his senses seemed to be working yet there was nothing to sense. It was a strange feeling of drifting, although there appeared to be a certain alignment to his drift as he was floating in one direction. He turned around and could see what appeared to be a red gem beckoning to him, he reached out for it but felt himself collide with an barrier, that gave a soft glow before disappearing again. He couldn't help but feel that the stone on the other side held many answers to his questions but would also lead to many more revelations that he would not want to know about. He waved his arms around wondering what he was to do in this strange space. Interestingly enough his head was no longer hurting. There was only a faint ache to show that it was still there but the sheer pain he had been in was gone. He also felt a strange warmth around his chest, not knowing why he absently fingered the talisman, wondering briefly how that could have projected into his dreamlike state when other things like his wand had not. It was a comfortable place and he felt himself rocked and buoyed into a complacent state, losing himself to the rest he so needed.

……

When he woke up, he groaned at the four white walls that greeted him. Madame Pomfrey bustled into his room, running the usual diagnostic spells and chiding him for not taking better care of himself. He just sat quietly nodding every now and then, knowing that it would pass sooner if he was cooperative. No, he had not had similar headaches before and he didn't know why his scar would suddenly start hurting and bleeding although he had felt some tingles before when he came to school but these were usually mild and wouldn't have amounted to a full-blown headache. She fussed all around him and examined his scar more carefully and gasped. He turned his head in askance wondering what it was she had found out.

"This, Mr. Potter is no ordinary scar. It is a curse scar and cannot be removed as it is tainted by dark magic," she said apprehensively.

Harry could feel his head swirling. Dark magic? So his scar was not just from an ordinary fall like his parents had said. He could remember flashes of himself playing with a snitch when he was six and then a blur of green before he was on the ground crying as something had knocked him over. But wait, as he thought more carefully he was sure that there had been something before that, perhaps a flicker of red eyes and black feathers.

His thoughts were broken as the hospital matron continued to say, "I'm sorry that there is not much that I can do. These scars are very tricky business and the only way to get rid of the symptoms would be to remove the cause. From now on please come to me if you are having any problems with it."

She could feel her heart break as she looked at the fragile child before her. She had always had a soft spot for children, reason why she had chosen to work in a school instead of in a larger establishment. She did not know who could have done such a thing to a child but this was serious business indeed and the headmaster would have to be informed. It was a wonder that he had not shown any signs before.

As she left Harry, his friends came in all worried over their friend's problem. It was odd seeing a mixture of Gryffindor and Slytherins' crowding around the single bed. Both sides eager to see how their housemate was doing but not so tolerant of the other house as snide remarks and careless insults were flung.

Harry couldn't help but smile at the reactions of his friends.

"Harry, mate how are you feeling?" Ron asked. "If these guys had anything to do with it just tell us and we'll take care of it for you," he said while glancing suspiciously at the Slytherins' present.

"Shut it, Weasel. Its not like you to know anything. You should have realized that Harry wasn't looking too good for the past week since you're such a good friend," was Draco's snide retort.

The two sides glared at each other heatedly and Harry couldn't help but think that house unity was definitely a distant dream.

"Guys, I'm alright thanks for your concern. Even Madame Pomfrey's not too sure what is wrong with me. Something about this scar that I got when I was a child. It's just been giving me some trouble lately, nothing too serious" he said with a reassuring smile.

…

When the others left, Draco and Blaise lingered behind.

"Harry, I know you don't want us to worry about you but we know that there is definitely something more that you are not telling us."

"And now that the others are gone, you can enlighten us. We promise we won't tell anyone else," Draco said, a determined look covering his features.

Despite all appearances, Draco considered Harry to be a dear friend and he really wanted to help his stubborn friend. He had never met anyone like this brave yet cunningly intelligent boy in front of him. He had not gone around blabbing about Draco's stuffed dragon that first time he saw him and despite his dual sorting and the house prejudices, he had been nothing but open and fair to the Slytherins' which was much more than what most people would do.

"Why would you think that?" Harry asked, biting his lip.

"Because, you haven't been concentrating well. You're not eating and you're not sleeping. You always seem to be lost in thought and you've been researching excessively this past week, as if you know something's going to happen but you don't really know enough. You even included Granger in your research sessions yet you won't tell us whats going on."

"I just haven't been feeling right these last few weeks. Something big is going to happen; I'm not sure what although Hermione and I have an idea."

….

"Yes, master. Tonight we will have it and the old coot will have no idea what hit him. To think that it will be taken from right under his nose," the black robed man said with an evil smile.

Voldemort could feel his loyal follower's anticipation through the mind link they shared. 'Yes, all their hard work would pay off and immortality would be within his grasp. After all, even the strongest of opponents would wear down without time on their side.'

He started the incantation, channeling a portion of his power through his followers mind. In front of a heavy-set oak door at Hogwart's, a man stood chanting over and over 'acerbus caligo intercapedo cursus'. To the unknowing bystander, he appeared nothing more than a senile fool mumbling away incoherently, caught in a nighttime delirium.

….

Harry tossed and turned in his sleep. The darkness seemed more substantial this time and had morphed into filmy wisps of fog, seeping throughout the castle, heading towards the same door, through the corridor on the third floor. There was a purpose and a vessel in the castle somewhere, propagating it, pouring, hissing and slithering like snake. He woke-up with a start; the feeling of urgency clouding his mind. Whatever it was it was tonight.

Quickly he grabbed his wand and tried to make his way out of his room as quietly as possible, choosing to exit via the Slytherin route. The moment he set foot past the threshold of his door, he could feel the subtle shift a silent alarm going off. He cursed, 'they must have put warning wards on my door'. In moments, Blaise and Draco were creeping down from their dorm to join him at the exit to the Slytherin commons. A silent look was all it took to say that they were coming and there was no way he would be able to talk them out of it. Better together than alone.

In a way he was glad, as he wasn't sure what they were going up against except that he just felt inexplicably drawn towards the third floor corridors. Time was of essence. Stealthily, they made their way along the dark corridor under the light of a single 'lumos'. Harry felt his heart beating so hard that he was sure that anyone would hear it from a mile away. He did not even stop to consider the option of informing any of the teachers

It didn't take long to spot the difference as the third floor corridor was covered in a grey shroud. As they approached the same door in his dream, it was slightly ajar revealing a empty room. The three boys slowly crept inside only to stop abruptly at the sight of a huge three headed dog in the middle of the room close to an open trapdoor. They were stunned in fear until they realized that it was not doing anything. The entire room seemed strangely surreal as if it was stopped in time. Cautiously they edged towards the trapdoor and slipped inside. They encountered little resistance as they made their way through various traps obviously set to deter the intruder. The entire place seemed to be halted in a dreamlike state, giving a hazy feeling as if the fog was clouding up their senses. The grey mist had seeped into every part of the rooms stopping everything in its path. They passed a room of floating keys, various potions and a giant chess set in mid play. It was as if everything was temporarily halted and would spring back into motion at any time.

Harry wondered at the strangeness of it all. He had suspected the philosopher's stone was protected by the various enchantments but somehow someone had managed to get by them by stopping the flow of time or movement somehow. Driven by curiosity intermingled with fear and excitement the trio found themselves in a large cavern with a high ceiling and well-lit torches lining the walls. A single mirror stood at the end with a lone figure standing in front of it, a turban wrapped around his head and the fog-like mist coiled around his form like a snake.

Blaise gasped as he realized who the intruder was. The head twisted around to face the boys as a pair of startling red eyes bore into them.

'Such familiar red eyes'

…..

"Who are you?" Harry asked. He felt an annoying itch in his scar but ignored it.

The figure seemed startled at his question. The other two boys wondered what he was on about. It was obviously their cowardly DADA professor although how he had managed so far was a wonder. Or was it not? The unnatural red eyes were startling in their intensity.

"Such potential, in one so young," said the voice in thick low tones, red eyes flicking towards the raven-haired boy. "Do you think you can stop me?"

"We know what you are after. You obviously haven't found it since you are still here."

The man's lips curled in disgust. "Just another trick of the old man, like all the other traps along the way, laughable really. One cannot presume to so easily stop me," he said brandishing his wand and casting a slashing hex in the direction of the boys.

They ducked out of the way, separating into three directions. Harry kept talking as the other two slowly snuck up around the wizard.

"You are not Professor Quirrell," he said as he cast a 'stupefy' in the direction of the man, followed quickly by Draco and Blaise.

The man easily deflected their curses, casting a wider slashing hex behind him catching both Draco and Blaise in the front. Harry watched helplessly as his two friends fell from the curse, the blood seeping through the front of their robes. He knew that they were severely out of their depth. Someone or something powerful was controlling their professor.

"What will you do, boy?" the man said sending a 'crucio' in his direction as he advanced towards him.

Harry ducked missing the curse by a hairs breadth, his breath coming in loud gasps, the annoying itch in his scar progressing to a full-blown headache. His head was throbbing as he struggled to cast an 'impedimenta', 'stupefy' and 'expelliarmus' in rapid succession but to no avail. Another 'crucio' and he was brought down by waves of nerve-wracking pain. He could feel his consciousness slipping and blood trickling down his forehead when he felt a flare of protective magic. Black feathers everywhere, springing a protective cocoon around him as his magic sought release and pushed against the one who sought to harm him. He heard a strangled cry as his power wrapped around the man choking him, drawing the evil out of him. He felt calm again, safe and protected.

Voices were heard as Professor Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick rushed into the room. He turned his eyes back to Quirell as he let out a piercing scream and fell to the ground in a heap.

AN: I know I have been really slack with updating. My muse just seems to have left me. This is what I managed to come up with over this prolonged period. I'm sorry if it's not very consistent. Someone pointed out that Harry had been passing out quite a bit keke, I hadn't really noticed but I tried not to do it this time, don't want him to seem like such a wimp. It just seemed like an easier way to end as I don't have to write what happens next (I know lazy me .. :p). Anyway I'll do what I can to keep the story going. Please tell me if I'm making any mistakes or anything since this is unbetaad.

Thanks for all the kind reviews and also the faithful reviewers that have encouraged me time after time. Nymoue, AceZ-Shadow, Shania Maxwell, Sarah R Potter, Damon Chandler, amethyst sylph, KikiLala (isn't this a kids clothing brand?), Reamar, phoebe turner, DestinyEntwinements, master of random disaster, Bluebear13, I-see-thestrals, Izzima, CatWriter, Madd Girl.