~25~ RETURNING HOME

It's been almost half an hour but Quirrell didn't find a way to remove the stone from the mirror. After talking Voldemort he cast his wand and Harry woke up surprised and afraid. When he saw professor he asked "Professor Quirrell, where are we? This isn't my room ... " before he could ask more Quirrell pointed his wand and ordered him to stand up. Realising something was wrong, Harry stood up and waited for answers and the reason for him being abducted in the middle of the night without notice.

"I was trying to take the stone from the mirror. I see myself holding it in my hands but can't take it so I figured out to ask for help thanks to those idiots they told the secret of mirror without suspecting me so here you are. You're going to help me or you'll die in my hands and I'd have to find another student until the right one." He threatened Harry and let him came near the mirror and stood in front of him. When Harry saw the mirror he got surprised but acted as if nothing happened.

"What did you see in the mirror? Where is the stone?" He asked hurriedly.

"I don't know anything about stone. Why mum and dad are here?" Harry turned around and shouted as if it was the first time he saw them or the mirror and knew nothing about it. He knew about it when he first saw his parents during Christmas and headmaster hid it and used as a way to protect philosopher stone. Years of experience with Dursleys and occlumency practices he was able to act around people.

"WHAT! How is that possible?" He murmured himself and then began opening his turban. Hermione could see the ugly face of Voldemort but didn't dare to face him more fearing to be caught. Instead, she focused on Harry worrying about something happening.

Harry felt disgusted when he saw the face behind the professor. He stepped back unconsciously when the face spoke while looking at the mirror. He instructed Quirrell to catch him and take the stone in his pocket. Harry sweated and tried to run but got caught because of the spell and fell.

As things were happening beyond the plot and her control, Hermonie knew that she had to act before it's too late. She pointed her wand towards the Quirrell and cast quickly 'Petrificus Totalus', 'Silencio', 'Reducto', 'Reducto', 'Reducto'.

She didn't want to bet on their safety and killed Quirrell without giving a chance. She was feeling nausea but held herself back, quickly made Harry drink sleeping draught and sleep. After that, she turned around and controlled pulse of Quirrell. He was dead and the parasite of Voldemort couldn't infect her when she cast 'Expecto Patronum'. The dark mist reflected and passed through Harry before dispelling. As Harry fainted she didn't have to show herself when she let him drink the potion.

Hermione found the wand near Quirrell and burned his body with his wand and destroyed his ashes with another Reducto. After destroying the mirror of erised as well she levitated Harry's body and returned to the dorms hidden under the cloak carrying Harry. After reading his mind she found the password and laid him down on his bed. Before leaving she obliviated his memories of tonight and cleaned his body and returned her room.

When everything was done she recalled her murder and vomited till she emptied her stomach. She regretted eating full during the dinner and cleaned the bathroom and herself. She hid the wand in her trunk and tried to sleep but to no avail. When she was able to sleep the sun was rising and she could sleep only for two hours before Padma woke her up. It seems that she missed the breakfast and if Padma didn't realise her absent she'd be late for lessons as well.

Hermione hurriedly put on her uniform and robes and left her room with a sandwich between her teeth. Thankfully Padma prepared for her when she found out about it. She thanked her and they ran through the corridors together before getting late and she finished her sandwich when they arrived at the classroom. It was DADA and she knew Quirrell wouldn't come so she slept until Padma shook her shoulders.

Dumbledore was standing on the platform and talking about the absence of the professor. It seems that he got ill and couldn't leave his bed so they were free for today but if he couldn't get better headmaster himself would teach the class until he was back to his health. During the speech, Dumbledore was looking at their eyes so Hermione didn't look at him directly. The guy was known for his mind-reading skills so she returned her sleep to be truthful she couldn't stay awake and slept during his speech after learning about important points.

Hermione recovered when it was time for their second course. When Padma and girls asked about her unusual behaviour she lied about reading book till late hours 'a lie' and so had a sleepless night and missed her breakfast but thanks to Padma she was alright now and they didn't have to worry about it anymore and she wouldn't try to read a whole night again.

The next week they had exams and Hermione didn't have time to think about Voldemort, stone or Quirrell. She followed Harry for a while but everything was okay and he knew nothing about the night. Then she focused on her studies and prepared for her exams, it was a busy week after all.

For transfiguration exam when it was Hermione's turn, she had to turn a mouse into a box and after doing it she also added little details such as lines, it was beautiful. During charm exam, Flitwick wanted dancing pineapple from them. After charms, they had potion exam. Unlike the previous exams, they were in the class and did potions with the rest of the class. The students were nervous while they tried to make forgetfulness potion and they didn't have formula so all of them had to remember everything about the potion. Neville didn't explode another cauldron instead he made a fine potion.

Hermione was used to basic potions so it was too easy for her. In the history of magic, they had to answer about self-stirring cauldron history and its inventors. Hermione wrote three full paper about it. After the exam, she didn't feel her arm anymore for a while. For DADA Dumbledore prepared it and asked them to perform knockback jinx so most of the class was feeling dejected because Quirrell didn't teach them practical spells instead he taught theory.

When headmaster entered the classroom the next lesson he explained that their DADA teacher was ill and had to leave so he would teach them for a week until the exams but he didn't give details about it. Hogwarts was talking about the curse of DADA teachers and the students speculated that Quirrell would die 'you don't know how right you are' and Hogwarts would host another teacher next year. during herbology exam, the class had to write about wormwoods in details which was also taught in potions and for astronomy they observed the stars and wrote an essay about it. When every exam finished they felt exhausted and tired.

During the end of the term, the feast house cup was declared. The Quidditch cup was won by Gryffindors even so they couldn't win the house cup. The winner of the house cup was Ravenclaw. They deserved it. There was no rule breaker and each one of them were top students loved by all teachers. They earned extra points for the house during the year. Snape couldn't help his snakes too much so all the points went to Ravenclaws.

They won with 8722 points followed by Gryffindors with 7501 points (with Quidditch cup) and thirdly Hufflepuffs with 7123 points and lastly Slytherins with 6295 points (they lost points for bullying other students). They were fuming for being last and losing their throne. Gryffindors didn't win the cup because of Weasley brothers and because of their laziness. Most of the points were lost as most of the Gryffindors were late to classes all the time.

The flags changed to the colours of Ravenclaws, blue and bronze, and they sent up their hats signalling the end of the term.

It was time to return home and students were waiting Hogwarts express for leaving school grounds. Hermione prepared her trunk and left her room after controlling for anything she forgot. She met with Harry, Neville, Padma, Sue, Lisa, Cho and others.

She boarded the train and sat down with the girls as Harry would travel with boys because both of them knew that it would be the last time till the next year. Girls gossiped and chatted until the end. They laughed each other while trying every flavour beans but unfortunately it was time to go home and they got off the train and hugged and cried before saying goodbye to each other. Harry and Hermione got on the car leaving behind the station and Hogwarts.