Till The End | h.p

the stone

"You?" Sam asks in disbelief.

"No, it can't be. Snape, he was the-" Harry reasons.

"Yes, he does seem the type, doesn't he?" Professor Quirrell jokes. "But next to him, who would suspect poor, stuttering Professor Quirrell?"

Sam hesistes, "But that day, during the Quidditch match, Snape tried to kill Harry."

"Mmm, no, dear girl. I tried to kill him! And trust, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his countercurse."

"Snape was trying to save me?"

"I knew you were a danger to me, especially after Halloween."

"Then- then it was you who let the troll in!" Sam shouts.

"Very good, Jackson, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone ran about, he went to the third floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again."

As Quirrell turns back to face the mirror, Harry gasps quietly and raises his hand to his scar.

Quirrell continues, "He rarely left me alone. 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?"

A menacing voice says, "Use the boy."

Sam and Harry look around the room to find the source, but find no one else accompanying them.

Quirrell turns aggressively, "Come here, Potter! Now!"

Sam stands in front of Harry, in a protective stance.

The voice says again, "Kill her, if she stands in the way."

Her scowl doesn't falter until Harry's voice, laced with panic, exclaims, "No!"

He moves her out of the way and begins to walk down the steps and closer to Quirrell. He steps in front of the mirror and Quirrell asks, "Tell me, what do you see?"

Harry gazes into the mirror and his mouth falls open slightly in surprise. He responds, "I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup."

That same voice breaks through the short silence, "He lies."

Quirrell shouts, "Tell the truth! What do you see?"

Sam begins to walk down the steps until Quirrell turns to her, "Take one more step and you die!"

Harry turns his head to her, fear swims in his eyes as he shakes his head slowly at her. She stops.

"Let me speak to him," the voice calls out.

"Master, you are not strong enough."

"I have strength enough for this."

Quirrell steps back and begins to unwrap the cloth draped around his head. Harry slowly steps back and looks at Sam. As he pulls the cloth off, a face moves from the back of his head.

"Harry Potter, we meet again."

Sam's eyes widen in realization and subtly looks down, in hopes that he doesn't recognize her. He can't know she survived that night, five years ago.

"Voldemort," Harry realizes.

"Yes. You see what I've 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."

Harry turns and runs up the stairs toward Sam, she reaches for his hand.

"Stop him!" Voldemort shouts.

Quirrell snaps his fingers and fire sprouts from the floor and surrounds the room. Harry turns back around to face him.

"Don't be a fool. You would sacrifice your friends over nothing. Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?"

Harry angrily shouts back, "Never!"

Voldemort lets out an airy, disgusting laugh, "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. All I ask is for something in return."

Harry slowly reaches into his pocket and pulls out the Stone.

"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!"

Sam slips her hand into Harry's, he snaps out of Voldemort's vision of his parents. Harry grips tighter onto the Stone, "You liar!"

"Kill him!" Voldemort commands.

Sam jumps in front of Harry as Quirrell launches himself at them. He throws her to the side and her head hits the stairs. Quirrell grabs Harry's throat, but when Harry puts his hand on Quirrell's, the Professor's hand begins to turn to dust. He screams out in pain.

Sam is losing her vision, but fights to stay conscious. Harry looks at his hands and then to Quirrell who cries, "What is this magic?"

Voldemort commands, "Fool, get the Stone!"

Quirrell steps forward once again, but Harry pushes his hands onto Quirrell's face and it starts to turn to dust. Quirrell's body tries to launch forward but crumbles into sand. Harry runs to Sam, who is already unconscious. A ghostly figure emerges from the dust and rushes right through Harry which knocks him flat. The figure flies through the corridor and away from the room. Harry reaches his hand to Sam before he, too, falls into unconsciousness.