Harry Potter and the Granger Adoption

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Potterverse!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the last chapter. My inspiration for this story is gone. If it ever returns I'll do the second year as a sequel. Thank you to all who read and especially to those who reviewed.

Chapter 11

It was just past the winter break and Neville was having a better year than he expected. He decided it was because of the Potter siblings. Harry made sure he had everything before he left their two man dorm and Hermione made sure he was always included in anything the group did as a whole. He had gotten used to being teased about his weight by children his age but even Malfoy teased him less when his friends were around. It made him feel good. So when Harry wanted to sneak out and see what was on the forbidden third floor he went along. After they reported what they found to the girls.

"We snuck out and went up to the off limits third floor," Neville started. "Harry thinks Snape is trying to steal something, or maybe Quirell is."

"Why would you think that?" Daphne asked.

"How did you not get caught?" Hermione asked.

"Why didn't you invite me?" Susan asked.

"I got a late Christmas present it seems," Harry said grinning. "When we got back to the castle last night I found a package on my bed with an invisibility cloak in and a note saying it used to belong to James Potter and was being given to me in accordance with his wishes."

Neville nodded, "It's great! You can't see anything when one of us wears it. It's better than an illusion spell."

Susan was pouting, "Now I'm even more upset that you didn't come get me. It's because I'm a girl right? You didn't think I'd want to go."

"It's because we can't enter your dorm to get you is all," Harry said.

"Well next time tell me before I go up to bed and I'll meet you here," she said still annoyed.

"I will," Harry said. "I promise."

"So anyway, we saw Snape leaving the third floor with a bad limp and blood on his leg," Neville said. He was trying to steer the conversation away from them not bringing Susan and it worked.

"So you figure he was trying to steal something and got stopped by whatever is up there to protect it?" Hermione said.

Neville nodded, "Yeah and I agree with Harry about what it is too."

"The Philosopher's stone was almost stolen this summer and the headmaster was an apprentice of the man who created it. It's natural that he offered to keep it safe for his old mentor. I'm sure the stone is in the school and at least one professor is trying to steal it!" Harry said to his friends. They had all gathered in his room in the Hufflepuff dorm. "We should go get it ourselves. I'm sure we can defeat any traps set up and then we can be heroes and get our pictures taken and maybe meet Flamel too."

"I'm sure the headmaster has the stone well protected Harry," Hermione said.

Susan looked worried and added, "And if they don't then whoever exposes whatever is really going on probably won't live to see the morning. It would mean there is a huge conspiracy. Dumbledore would have to be involved and he's not just the headmaster at school but the head of a branch of the government of magical Britain as well the chairman of the ICW."

Daphne shrugged, "Let's just stay quiet, observe, and listen. Hopefully the teachers are on top of it but if you're right we'll need to to run fast and far. I hope you're wrong though I'm not fond of the idea of living on the run."

Neville looked determined, "If any of us have to run we'll all run."

Susan nodded, "Yes, but let's hope none of us need to."

Deep down under the school in a hidden chamber accessed only through a trapdoor under a Cerberus at the end of a row of rooms each with a defeated trap stands the possessed Professor Quirell is staring at a mirror that shows him the stone. He tries everything he can think of to get the stone out of the mirror until the wee hours of the morning but nothing works. Eventually the headmaster returns to the school with four aurors. They arrive directly into his office to avoid triggering any alarms or alerting any other staff. They five move through empty halls to quietly stun Quirell and his rider and remove him from the school without causing any panic or generating any negative publicity for the 'safest place in magical Britain'.

In the morning Albus announces, "Professor Quirrell had to leave suddenly for a family

emergency and will not be back this school year. For the remainder of the semester I myself will teach the Defense course."

"See Harry?" Hermione said from her table. "He had it under control the whole time."

Harry sighed, "I still say it would have been a fun adventure, but I guess it's better this way."