Chapter Fourteen: The Weasleys, Visiting and Megan, Back to school and a killer, Exams and Below the trapdoor, Trials and the Enemy

Emerald Blade Book One: The New Trainees

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and co. don't belong to me. Assassin's Creed and co. don't belong to me. I'm just taking some credit for the plot and original characters. Fire Lizards belong to the talented Anne McCaffrey. In no way, shape or form am I making money from this.

Main Story Warnings: A.U.-severe-, characters are OOC, canon is only a minor guideline, crossover, swearing, violence, gore, character death, Light Grey!Harry, Assassin!Harry, modern technology, OC's abound, Ron!Molly!Ginny!Bashing, Dumbledore!Bashing

Pairings: James/Lily, Sirius/OFC, Remus/Surprise, Harry/Luna, Neville/Hermione, Dean/Millicent, others to be decided

Author's Note: Hoo-boy! We're here everyone! The final confrontation where everything comes to light! Now, as I mentioned in the last chapter I can only see one more chapter after this one; two if I really stretch it. I am using a lot of the dialogue from the actual book, especially Quirrell's and Voldemort's lines. Obviously things have been changed and I've taken some liberties with a few things but hopefully it's worked! I do hope you all enjoy this and let me know what you think! Also the second short-story for Emerald Blade Extras should be up either later today, after I get some sleep, or tomorrow at the latest!

Challenge: DZ2's Way of the Warrior challenge. For more information look to the first chapter or DZ2's forums.

-Thoughts-

[Parseltongue]

[Telepathic Speech]

Emphasis on words/Spells

Text

Chapter Fourteen: The Weasleys, Visiting and Megan, Back to school and a killer, Exams and Below the trapdoor, Trials and the Enemy

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Molly sighed as she watched her husband leave for work. Things between them have been…strained to put it nicely since Christmas. She had never thought that Harry and his parents would be able to detect the loyalty potion she had put in the mincemeat pies or the compulsion charm she had placed on the sweater. When Arthur had gotten the letter from Lord Othello warning him against it happening again, he had blown up. That was the maddest she had ever seen her normally calm and sweet minded husband get. Arthur had torn through the hotel room and had found the extra vials of potion she had kept and had destroyed them while ranting and raving at her for doing such a thing. She had attempted to placate him, but Arthur hadn't backed down. Instead he made her swear an oath to never make another loyalty or love potion or to lace anything with any kind of emotion or mind altering spell/charm. She had tried to bluster her way through it but she had been shocked and terrified when Arthur explained that the Othellos would charge them with attempted line theft if something like that ever happened again.

Line theft is one of the worst things that a person or family could be charged with. A couple hundred years ago it was common for families to use love potions, loyalty potions and compulsion charms in order to get people to sign betrothal contracts which would allow one party to completely take over the other party's assets and fortune. That family line would then be 'absorbed' into the other family and would be written off as extinct. The Ministry and Gringotts banded together and made laws which prevented such things from happening after the Founders passed away and their family lines were said to be extinct because they had been 'absorbed' into other families. Now certain families claim that they're descended from the Founders though there's a lack of proof unless they had an ancestry test performed at Gringotts which cost a pretty penny. Line theft now sees the accused family fined heavily and the person who instigated the crime thrown into prison for a minimum of ten years.

Arthur also sat Ginny down and explained that, if she wanted to date Harry, she would have to do it the old fashioned way of becoming his friend and winning his heart through interacting with him. He warned her that he will not tolerate any talk of her using love potions on the older boy. Ginny had promised that she wouldn't, though hadn't been made to take an oath since she doesn't own a wand yet. Since then, Arthur has monitored what was stocked in the potions lab down in the basement and removed any recipe for any mind or emotion altering potion. He's also taken away all of her Howler parchment, something she wasn't too happy about. However, the worst insult had been when Arthur sat her down and explained that she now has an allowance instead of having unrestricted access to the family vault. That had hit hard. Since they were married she had never been restricted in what she could buy. Yes, some things needed her's and Arthur's signatures in order to buy but she was never truly restricted from the vault.

It also hurt that Bill and Charlie had been in complete agreement with the new changes that Arthur has implemented. Both of them had been shocked and horrified when they learned of what she had done and had expressed their feelings on the matter. She had also gotten, for the first time in her life, a Howler from the twins expressing their horror and disgust that she had attempted to control one of their friends. Arthur had made it worse by taking her wand away and forcing her to listen to the entire Howler while he and the children waited outside the room with a silencing charm on the door.

Of course Arthur isn't as mad at her as he had been. However, it was painful to see the disappointment in her husband's eyes whenever he thought she wasn't looking. If only he knew of the plans Albus had in store for Harry and what needs to happen before the lad confronts You-Know-Who. Albus had completely backed her idea in having Harry and Ginny betrothed and wed as soon as Ginny turns seventeen. Her daughter won't want for anything and the Potter line will remain strong and powerful. Molly had questioned James' thinking when he had married Lily. After all, the Potters were an ancient Pureblood line that had always produced very strong and intelligent Wizards and Witches. She had learned from her parents that the Potters were rather…unconventional. They had mentioned rumors of Potters who had married Squibs or Halfbloods but she had never put much stock into it. She had been shocked when James had married a Muggleborn, even though Lily was said to be the brightest Witch of her age and rather powerful in her own right.

Now, however, it would be best for Harry to be with a Pureblood or Halfblood. It wouldn't do for him to sire a Squib when he's older; even though they've been given more rights and positions in their society. However, everything that she and Albus have done to try and nudge Harry towards her family has been rebuffed by the Othello family and Harry himself. She had hoped that Ron would be able to get in as Harry's friend first and would be able to keep any potential girlfriends away from the boy. Sadly, that's not going to happen anytime soon. Now, she has to rely on the twins and their friendship with Harry in order to hopefully get Ginny into Harry's circle of friends. Hopefully Ginny will catch Harry's eye and discourage him from seeking romance with anyone else. With Harry marrying a Pureblood he'll regain the respect his father had lost when he had married Lily.

"What's Harry like?"

Molly blinked and watched as Ginny followed her brothers into the kitchen where they all took seats around the island.

"Potter's an arrogant git." Ron snapped, anger in his voice as Ginny looked at him with wide eyes.

"Only because he doesn't put up with you being a prat." Fred said, making his little brother scowl and glare at him something fierce.

"Yeah, ickle Ronnikins is just upset because Harry doesn't let him bully Hermione and his other friends." George said, smirking as his brother's face steadily turned red.

"Not only that but Harry is loyal to his friends and isn't about ready to drop them just because Ronnikins wants him to." Fred added, Ginny listening with rapt attention.

Molly frowned lightly as she listened to all of this while plating the children's breakfast. This just proves that she had been wrong in trying to get Ron to get close to Harry. She knows her youngest son is jealous and hasn't quite yet gotten control of the ever famous Weasley temper. While Ginny is certainly still hot-headed, she isn't nearly as bad as Ron. Not only that, but she knows how to control her temper and is much more subtle than her brother.

"Harrison is rather intelligent. He and his friends are the top students of their year so far. Miss Granger is also helping us older students who have O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s make up study schedules that'll allow us to study and yet not over stress about things." Percy explained, getting up to grab plates and cups for all of them.

"I think Hermione might try and sign up for tutoring next year. She'd be a great teacher." Fred said, his twin and Percy nodding in agreement.

"And what classes will you two be continuing with?" Molly asked, looking shrewdly at her twin boys.

"We're continuing with Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. We really like those classes and we're doing well in them." George answered, Fred nodding in agreement as their mum placed plates of bacon, toast, eggs, hash browns and fresh fruit on the island in front of them.

"And what about Care of Magical Creatures?" Molly asked, frowning lightly as she looked at the pair.

"We've dropped it."

Molly narrowed her eyes at the twins but they quickly explained that they have no intent on picking up the class again. It's their hope to go to college and get degrees in business and finance in order to continue to do what they love. Molly knew better than to try and convince the twins to go into a career in the Ministry. She has no idea why they're still deadest on going into the business of making prank items and jokes. It certainly didn't help that Arthur, Lord Black and Remus Lupin were helping and encouraging them. With their new workroom who knows what they'll get up to in there. What's worse is that the workroom is warded to only allow the twins into the room. She had tried getting inside while the boys were outside playing Quidditch yesterday. She hopes that Ron will do well in school from now on so he can get a good career, hopefully in the Ministry. Of course she's glad that Ron is doing better in school, though she wishes he'd do a little more to bring his grades up. According to Percy he doesn't have too much time in order to keep a watch on Ron though apparently Ron's friends are helping him improve on his study habits.

"Can a few friends come over today?" Fred asked, biting into a piece of bacon as Molly looked at him in surprise.

"Who do you want to come over?" She asked, surprised that her son wanted to have someone over.

"Harry, Hermione and Dean." George said, making Molly's eyes widened while Ginny dropped her fork in shock.

"H-Harry?!" Ginny gasped, shock and awe in her voice as the twins looked at each other.

Molly quickly got over her shock and gladly gave her permission to have the three children over. Ron wasn't too happy at the thought of Hermione and Dean being over so he quickly asked if he could head over to Seamus'. Molly gave her consent and Ron happily hurried through his breakfast before running upstairs to shower and get dressed. Ginny was nearly trembling in excitement at the thought that she'll finally be able to meet the Harry Potter. This might give her an opportunity to get close to him already without her even being in Hogwarts yet! When they all finished breakfast, Ginny quickly found herself helping her mum to clean the dishes and the kitchen while Fred and George called Harry on their communication mirrors in the living room.

"Hey, 'Ry." George said, grinning when Harry picked up.

"Hey, how's break coming?" Harry asked, shifting slightly as the twins looked at each other.

"Good. Easter was great, we had a load of fun decorating eggs and such." Fred said, watching as his brother enlarged the mirror slightly.

"So, we were wondering if you, 'Mione and Dean would like to come over and hang out for a few hours?" George asked, watching as Harry looked at him in surprise.

"Um, let me check with them and our parents. It'd be nice to see your new house though." Harry said, the twins nodding.

Inside the kitchen, Molly and Ginny tried not to appear to be hanging on every word that was said. Ron came back down and explained that he had called Seamus and his friend's parents said that he could go over. Molly reminded him to behave and be back for dinner before her youngest son hurried to the fireplace and went through the floo. A few minutes later Harry confirmed that he, Dean and Hermione can come over. George happily gave their floo address to their friends before ending the connection. It was only a few minutes later when the fireplace in front of them flared and the trio walked out one at a time. Molly and Ginny hurriedly finished the dishes and dried their hands before turning and looking at the twins' friends. Ginny instantly blushed fiercely when she saw Harry. She had expected to see a boy with messy black hair, stunning emerald eyes and a toned body. However, she wasn't expecting this!

Harry is certainly toned; she could practically see the muscles moving underneath his shirt. His skin has a deep, golden tan which told her that her dream boy wasn't a stranger to being outside for hours on end. His hair is shaggy and goes down to his shoulders. It looks silky and is pitch black with a few strands of blonde mixed in. However, his eyes were absolutely mesmerizing. Shockingly bright emerald orbs which have a ring of ice blue around the outer edges. They weren't hindered by any form of glasses and seemed to draw her in as she stared at him. He's a decent height too, nearly matching Ron's height though he has a more toned body than her brother. Beside him, much to her displeasure, is a rather pretty girl with brown, wavy hair and tanned skin. Her cinnamon brown eyes held intelligence and compassion and yet they were slightly guarded as well. On her other side is a rather handsome dark skinned boy. He's taller than Harry by a few inches and his dark chocolate colored skin is stretched over muscles which only proved that what Ron said about them all working out was true. Black hair hung just past the boy's shoulders and warm light brown eyes fairly sparkled with laughter and happiness.

"Harry, Hermione, Dean! It's good to see you." Fred said, clapping Harry and Dean on the shoulder before hugging Hermione.

"Same! This places looks just as great as those pictures." Harry said, looking around with interest.

"I hope you've been keeping out of trouble." Hermione admonished, hugging the twins as they chuckled and grinned.

"Now Mia-"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Guys, this is our mum and our little sister Ginny." George said, stepping back so the trio could see the two female Weasleys.

Molly nearly flinched when Harry, Dean and Hermione looked at her with distrust, though she knows that she's certainly deserved such a look. Ginny, however, was suddenly overwhelmed with an incredible bout of shyness and hid behind her mother. Hermione saw this and instantly came up with the plan of making Ginny comfortable and perhaps making the little redhead understand that Harry isn't hers. Stepping forward, she smiled tightly at Missus Weasley before tilting her head to the side and smiling down at Ginny.

"Hello, Ginny. I'm Hermione Mayweather. Fred and George told us that you're coming to Hogwarts in September." She said, watching as Ginny lifted her head and looked at her.

"I am." She said, her voice soft as Hermione smiled.

"Well, just so you don't worry: we're friends with a lot of students who aren't in our House. Susan and Hannah are in Hufflepuff and Daphne, Millicent, Tracy and Blaise are in Slytherin. We study and hang out together all the time and we switch around during meals. We're allowed to sit at other House's tables during any meal so long as it's not a feast." Hermione explained, smiling as Ginny blinked and looked at her before glancing at Harry.

"T-Thanks." She said, giving a small smile back.

"I'm Harry Potter-Othello." Harry said, stepping up and smiling at Ginny though his eyes are slightly guarded.

"And I'm Dean Thomas-Woods." Dean said, a light grin on his face as Ginny smiled timidly at him as she blushed lightly.

Harry, Dean and Hermione thanked Molly for letting them come over before the twins took them all on a tour around the house and grounds. All of them were impressed with the construction and design of the house and the twins admitted that it's nice not having to fight over the bathroom in the mornings; especially since Ron took a long time in the bathroom and never bothered to be considerate of the others. They proudly showed their friends their rooms and the workroom, to which Hermione eagerly looked around and asked plenty of questions about what they're working on. George was more than happy to answer her questions as he followed her around the workroom which left Fred to talk with the boys.

"Our parent's weren't too keen on letting us come here but they know we're protected by our rings and because we've been taking a Neutralizer Potion since Christmas." Harry said, Fred nodding as he sighed.

"Dad tore into Mum and has removed all recipes that are about love potions or other potions that can be used to alter a person's mind or emotions. He's also put her on an allowance, something that he's never done before. It was a shock to her and she's terrified of what else might happen. Your dad's threat of charging for line theft knocked some sense into her. Though she's just been working on Gin more since she realizes that Ginny will have to 'win' you over the old fashioned way." Fred said, making Harry scoff and shake his head.

"I have no desire to marry someone who loves me for my fame and fortune. I'm so much more than that." He said, Dean and Fred nodding in agreement.

"Which is why Hermione introduced herself first, 'Ry. She sent a message to Ginny that she'll have to get through her in order to get to you. You can bet Jillie, Eli and the others will be the same way." Dean said, grinning as Harry chuckled and nodded.

"Anyway, what should we do?" Harry asked, looking to Fred as George and Hermione rejoined them.

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Harry, Hermione and Dean spent the day at the Burrow hanging out with the twins and even Percy. They ran around outside in the warm weather and even went swimming in the Weasley's new pool thanks to the water being heated. Harry had called on Mira in order to get their swimsuits and also their brooms when they finished swimming. Ginny was constantly nearby, shyly watching Harry and Dean before running away with her cheeks a blazing red whenever they called out for her to join them. They also played a small game of Quidditch, was more like a game of tag on brooms. They had a great time just goofing off and hanging out outside and they even managed to watch a movie in the living room. When lunch time came around, Hermione insisted on helping Missus Weasley make lunch even though the woman protested since Hermione's there as a guest. The others, bar Ginny, knew that Hermione was so persistent because she wanted to ensure that Molly didn't try to slip anything into the food or drinks.

Lunch was casual; a plate of bologna sandwiches, fresh fruit and iced pumpkin juice. After lunch, they headed back outside and managed to convince Ginny to join them back in the pool. Her face was the same shade of her hair when she saw Harry and Dean without their shirts, though she finally managed to get a hold of her blush when the twins wouldn't stop teasing her. Hermione, Harry and Dean laughed when Ginny kicked the twins, which made the two older teens yelp and hurry away from their little sister. Sadly, with Ginny's blush in control, she seemed to become determined to try and get Harry to notice her by doing different dives into the pool or asking him for help with something. Harry didn't want to come off as rude, so any time he helped her he kept his body away from her as much as possible and kept his hands above her waist and any touches as friendly as possible. All of them could see the slight pout on her lips whenever this happened, though Hermione, Dean and the twins kept their silence and tried their best to help Harry as much as possible.

After swimming for a few hours, they headed back inside and showered off before the trio joined the twins in their workroom. There they were shown a hidden passage which led to a set of stairs that led down. Hermione, Harry and Dean were in shock, even more so when they headed down the stairs after the twins and found themselves in a large training area. One wall had been made into a climbing wall with various sections jutting out at odd angles. There are training dummies, a target practice area and a dueling area in the room.

"Dad showed us this room. We're actually inside the basement." Fred said, grinning as the trio looked around.

"He made this so we can continue our training without Mum, Gin, Ron and Percy finding us. He's the only other member of our family who knows of this room." George explained, the trio nodding in understanding and wonder.

"We've been using this room for three hours a day. Masters Severus and Minerva gave us a routine to follow while we're on break and unable to get to the estate." Fred added, walking over to the low wall separating the target practice area and leaning against it.

"Your dad is amazing." Dean said, the twins nodding proudly.

"He's been very accepting of us and the fact that we're Assassins. He's also wondering if Bill might be one as well. Bill's always been more…aware of things. However we don't know if Bill would ever want to go through any training. He's very devoted to his work; which is why Mum is so…frustrated with him. She would like grandchildren and has always hoped that Bill would've settled down by now. The fact that he hasn't has her frustrated with him. Charlie's the same way; very dedicated to his job and not really looking for any relationships right now." George explained, Hermione shaking her head.

"There's nothing wrong with being dedicated to your job. Bill and Charlie are still young; especially when you take into account that Magicals live longer than Muggles." She said, the twins nodding in agreement.

"Mum's always been about family. She loves having such a big family and the fact that Ginny is going to be gone for most of the year starting September is rather hard on her. She and Dad have mentioned the idea of adopting or even fostering children." Fred said, though he watched as the trio gained thoughtful looks.

"You said that your mum is a great cook many times. And, even though some of the things she gave me had been…contaminated, what wasn't, was rather delicious. What if she opened her own bakery? That would keep her busy and she'd be doing something she loved. Not only that but she'd be helping earn money for the family and any of her hobbies." Harry suggested, watching as the twins looked at him before looking at each other with wide eyes.

"T-That's bloody brilliant! It would keep Mum busy and we could buy the store for her!" George gushed, his eyes bright with happiness and eagerness at the idea.

"Bill and Charlie would, without a doubt, give us some to help buy the store and furnish it. It can be a birthday present to her! Ginny and Ron could even help Mum during the holidays if they wanted to earn some extra money. She'd be doing something she loves and Dad would be happy since this will hopefully help her tone down her meddling." Fred added, the trio beaming at them.

"There are hundreds of cookbooks just for pastries, pies, cakes and other desserts. If she had plenty of those books then she'd have a large selection on what she could make for the bakery." Dean said, the twins nodding eagerly.

They headed back upstairs and into the workout and then out to George's room. There, Fred and George wrote letters to their oldest brothers about the idea of a bakery for their mum. After sending the letters off, they called Percy into the room and told him about the idea. Percy was shocked at first, but after thinking about it for a moment agreed that it was a fine idea. Their mum could take a course in the local community college to learn how to properly run and own her own business From what their dad had said their mum had been rather good in school and, even though it's been some time, her school records should still be in the Ministry and, if her grades were good enough, she should be able to even get a scholarship. Percy agreed to help them out and promised to give them a check to help. He's been working in the Ministry as a clerk in various departments since last year so he has a good amount of money saved up in his own vault.

Harry, Dean and Hermione had to leave not long after that and they made sure to thank Missus Weasley for allowing them to come over and hang out with the twins. She smiled and reminded them that they're more than welcome to come over any time before they flooed back home. Back at the estate, Harry hurriedly reassured his parents that he's fine and Missus Weasley hadn't tried anything. Hermione and Dean confirmed this and told them what the twins had told them about Arthur's blowup at his wife over what she had tried to do at Christmas. Lucas and Delilah were glad that Arthur was cracking down on his wife's behavior which forced her to realize that her actions could affect the entire family and not just remain isolated. Lucas and Delilah were rather surprised about the idea of Molly owning her own bakery, though there was no doubt that she'd be good at it and would likely gain a lot of customers. There is only one bakery in Diagon Alley and the food there wasn't too good.

The rest of the day passed by without much incident, though Dean managed to have a talk with his mum privately as his sisters and brother were out at their friend's houses for the night. As was the normal, sadly, the topic was about Megan.

"She…She's just not realizing that her actions have consequences. I've done everything I can think of." Cassie sighed, leaning back in her chair as Dean looked at her.

"Is she still bullying others?" He asked, frowning as his mum sighed and nodded.

"Yes. I've gotten several calls from her headmistress about her actions. Megan has been put into an entirely new class because she kept bullying other girls and hardly paid any attention in class. She's been separated from her friends; they don't even see each other during lunch because they now have different lunch hours. I had to get Megan a tutor because she had fallen so far behind in class." Cassie said, running a hand through her hair tiredly.

"I've already spoken to the headmistress at St. Brigid's. I'm hoping that once she begins her magical schooling she'll calm down."

"Do you know why she's acting out? Megan used to be so helpful." Dean said, frowning as he thought of his oldest sister.

"I don't know…maybe it's because she doesn't have a father figure? Or because you're off at Hogwarts for most of the year? Andie thinks she'll settle down given some time but…I don't know." Cassie said, accepting a cup of tea from a House Elf.

"I'll talk to her. See if I can figure out what's going on with her." Dean said, smiling as his mum kissed his forehead.

"Thanks, hon."

It wasn't until two days before they were to return to school when Dean managed to find Megan alone in her room. Knocking on her door, he leaned in the doorway and watched as she looked up from her desk where she was working on some last minute homework. Blinking, she frowned lightly and pulled off her headphones.

"What?"

"Mind if I come in? Talk for a little?" Dean asked, watching as Megan huffed lightly before nodding.

"Fine, whatever." She muttered, looking back at her homework as Dean walked into her room and closed the door behind him.

Dean mentally sighed and sat down on the edge of his sister's bed, watching as she continued to write.

"Meg, what's up?" He asked, watching as she paused and glanced at him over her shoulder.

"What do you mean?" She asked, frowning as Dean cocked an eyebrow.

"You know exactly what I mean, Meg. Ever since the days leading up to my eleventh birthday you've been standoffish and…well bratty. You're constantly arguing with Mum over everything and then you've been bullying other kids in school." Dean said, making Megan scowl and roll her eyes.

"Megan, what the heck is going on? You were never like this." He said, watching as his sister snorted.

"It's not like you ever noticed." She muttered, making her brother frown.

"What? Of course I noticed!" He said, his eyes widening as Megan spun around and glared at him.

"No you didn't! You're always off with Harry and your 'trainers'! You don't care about me or Sasha or Jessica or Sam! You're just interested in the Brotherhood." Megan spat, venom in her eyes as Dean started at her in shock.

"What?! Megan of course I care about you guys! Why do you-"

"No you don't!" She cried, anger in her voice as the air crackled around her.

"Megan, I have always cared about all of you. Why do you think I sacrificed so much of my time and energy in taking care of all of you? When we were younger I used to make our lunches and help get you all ready for school, or did you forget about that? Even now I'm training to help keep you all and Mum safe. You think this is some game?! It's not! Sasha and Jessica all seem to understand this and you're ignoring this. You're feeling sorry for yourself for some reason and you're taking it out on everyone else around you. You seem to believe that nothing bad will happen even though you're constantly pushing." Dean snapped, Megan's eyes widening as her brother's magic crackled just like hers.

"Mum and I have tried, Megan. We've tried to be there for you and the others. Dad is gone and he's not coming back. I know you miss him but you're not the only one. We all miss him but you need to realize something; you're lucky. You're lucky because you, Sasha, mum and I remember Dad. We remember what it was like having him around; when everything was going well and Mum smiled all the time. Jessica and Sammy don't remember him. All they have are stories and pictures. I don't care if you're pulling some little, childish tantrum but it needs to stop. You're hurting Mum because of your attitude and you're setting a horrible example for Sasha and Jessica. Mum's not even sending you to Hogwarts anymore." Dean snapped, Megan's eyes widening as she gaped at her brother.

"…W-What?"

"Yeah. She's sending you to St. Brigid's. This is because she doesn't trust you enough to go to a boarding school. She thinks you'll abuse the fact that I'm in the same school by continuing to not care about your grades and bullying other students. She believes, and I agree, that you'll expect me to protect you and keep you in line and help you with your grades. This is why you won't be going to Hogwarts. Be glad she's not sending to you Beauxbatons." Dean said, watching as Megan swallowed thickly and fought down her tears.

"But that's-"

"It is fair. She believes you need to be watched over and I agree with her. Unless you clean up your act, I doubt that Mum will let you go out with your friends. I've heard from Sasha that there's a boy you like though I don't think Mum would even let you hang out with him until you improve your attitude and grades." Dean interrupted, watching as Megan looked down.

"J-Just go." She muttered, making her brother raise an eyebrow but he stood none the less.

"If I were you I would seriously think about my past actions and how I can fix this mess. Mum doesn't have much trust in you anymore; especially when she caught you trying to sneak out of the house to go hang out with some of the boys here on the estate." Dean said, walking over to the door and opening it.

"We're worried about you, Meg. We want you to go far in life." He said, glancing back at her before walking out of her room.

Megan sat there at her desk, staring at the open door as her thoughts and emotions swirled around inside of her. With a cry of emotion, her magic released, causing her room to tremble as she got to her feet and slammed her door shut. Breathing heavily, she looked around her room before sweeping her things from her desk top, watching as they scattered around her room with a small sense of satisfaction. However, that slowly bled out of her, leaving her feeling terrible about all of the stress and worry she's been putting her family through. With a soft sob, she slid down her door and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and crying. Ever since Dean began his Assassin training she's felt…so…so abandoned. Their mum has her new job at the clinic and Dean began spending more and more time with Harry and the other trainees. Yes, she has some friends around the estate but it wasn't the same as when it had just been them. Her world had drastically changed and honestly…it scared her.

"How can I make things right?" She whispered, tears falling down her cheeks as she lifted her head.

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The last few days of the Easter holiday passed rather quietly. Dean and Cassie were shocked when Megan approached them and apologized for the way she's been acting. She told her mum and brother about how she's been feeling ever since they learned about Dean being an Assassin and magic. Cassie and Dean were shocked in learning how Megan felt and, after Megan vented everything, they were all crying and hugging. Sasha, Jessica and Sam overheard and came into the room where they all sat down as a family and talked things over. All of them agreed to begin seeing a family counselor once every two weeks in order to rebuild what they had once had before all of this happened. Cassie floo called Minerva and explained what was going on and the formidable woman agreed that Dean can leave the school every other weekend to attend the sessions and spend time with his family. Hermione, Neville and Harry all rallied around their friend and his family, offering them support and encouraging them that this is what needed to be done.

Returning to school saw all their professors begin to really crack down on their studies and emphasize on the fact that exams are the first week of June. Hermione officially began panicking and her friends finally allowed her to devise a study schedule for them. Dean and Harry were steadily getting more and more anxious as the rest April steadily passed. Something was in the air and that something could be either good or bad. However, they and some of the other students could tell that something big was going to happen sooner or later. Severus and Minerva began focusing on dueling in their training, in which all of them were benefiting from the sudden change. Severus and Minerva also began teaching them how to draw in magic from the air around them and how to 'flare' their magic which made them seem even more powerful than they actually are.

They also learned that, even though their exams are taken during the first week of June, they won't be going home until the twentieth. Hermione was shocked in learning this, though it was Percy who told them one evening that it was because the Fifth and Seventh Years don't finish with their exams until the tenth. Then there's the graduation ceremony on the nineteenth for the Seventh Years which had their parents/guardians and relatives coming to school for the ceremony which took place on the grounds. They learned that the top two students of that year got the honor of making a speech in front of everyone.

May arrived sooner than anyone thought and brought trouble for the Gryffindor House. Ron, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati were caught wandering the forbidden corridor and trying to get into the room that has the Cerberus in it. Professor McGonagall was furious at the group and ended up taking away one hundred and fifty points in total. Needless to say, Ron and his friends were very unpopular with the rest of their House, especially since they had been in the clear for winning the House cup this year for the first time in quite some time. Percy, Fred and George were quick to scold their brother, though they also defended him and his friends from a few of their Housemates who wanted revenge for putting them in fourth place. Many of the other House members were struggling to earn enough points to at least place them back into third or even second place. Even the twins were doing their hardest to gain back points during the month. Gryffindor had until the End of the Year feast on the eighth to earn back a hundred and fifty points to put them back into the lead, or at least to tie with Slytherin.

It was on the twenty-sixth of May when something happened that alerted Harry that something, or rather, someone was in the school that posed a great threat to the student body. Harry lounged back in his bed, a book on his lap and his bedside lamp turned on low so he wouldn't disturb the other boys. The curtains around Neville's and Dean's beds are drawn as the pair have already gone to bed though Seamus is still awake and reading a sports magazine while Ron snored loudly on his bed. Harry shifted in bed and glanced at the open window to his right. Mira had gone out for a late night fly; though she had said that some of the Fire Lizards living near the edge of the lake seemed…uneasy about something. They were apparently talking about a dark figure that was often seen prowling through the forest and Hagrid has reported finding more and more injured Unicorns and he had even found a dead Unicorn a few weeks ago. That was certainly something to worry about since Unicorn blood is a very rare and very dangerous thing.

[Harry quickly!]

[Huh? Mira?!] Harry asked, quickly marking his place in his book.

Before he could do anything, Harry found his conscious pulled through the link he shares with his familiar. He soon found himself looking through Mira's eyes, and what he saw shocked and terrified him. A black cloaked figure moved silently across the ground of the Forbidden Forest, stalking a gravely injured Unicorn. What looked like a black tendril of smoke lashed out from the cloaked figure and struck down the Unicorn, causing Harry to gasp as Mira silently flew above. She landed high in a tree branch, using her powers to remain unseen by whatever had attacked the Unicorn. The figure seemed to slither over the ground as it approached the fallen creature before it bent low over the Unicorn's side. Horror slammed through Harry when he realized that this…this thing is drinking the Unicorn's blood. He continued watching in horror as the thing drank from the Unicorn. However, the sound of thundering hooves filled the air and the creature/thing was soon surrounded by several Centaurs. Rowan was in the lead and he reared at the creature/thing, causing it to hiss and hurry away.

The other Centaurs shifted and pawed at the ground nervously, though Rowan looked up at the trees and stared directly at Mira. She and Harry were shocked at the action, though Mira allowed herself to be seen once more and she flew over to the group and landed on a fallen log in front of them.

"You are Harry Potter's familiar, aren't you?" Rowan asked, stepping closer to Mira as she eyed him.

[Yes. Why do you ask?] She asked, opening the connection even more so the Centaurs could hear her speak.

"A darkness is already inside Hogwarts. It seeks to restore life." Rowan said, walking closer to Mira as she stared at him.

[Darkness? You mean Riddle, don't you?] She asked, watching as a few of the other Centaurs shifted and pawed at the ground nervously.

"It lurks among the staff, a parasite, unnatural and wanting to be whole." A female said, her golden hide fairly glowing in the pale moonlight that came through the trees.

[The staff? You mean…one of the staff members is helping Riddle?] Mira asked, watching as two of the Centaurs looked to the sky and observed the stars.

"Mars is bright tonight." One of them said, making the others look to the sky as well.

"Go with the warning to Harry Potter. No doubt he will be able to do something." Rowan said, turning and leading his group back through the trees.

Mira remained sitting on the log for a moment longer before she lifted into flight and headed back towards the castle. She could sense Harry's confusion, shock and anger. He couldn't believe that a member of the staff is apparently helping Riddle by trying to get the stone. Not only that, but the parasite comment worried him. Has Riddle's soul attached itself to one of the professors? He knows that if a person drinks Unicorn blood then they're cursed. Yes, the Unicorn's blood can save them from death but they're forever cursed unless the blood is freely given. They'll need more and more Unicorn blood to survive and it's considered an unthinkable sin to slay such a powerful and pure creature.

[I think you just saw whichever professor is housing Riddle's spirit, Mira] He said, making Mira growl low in her throat.

[I could sense something…unnatural about it. However, I couldn't get close enough to get the person's scent or else I could've told you which Professor it is.] Mira admitted, shame in her voice before Harry sent waves of understanding through their bond.

[It would've been a great risk to you, Mira. I value your life above any kind of information you could've gotten. I'll pass on what we've learned to Masters Severus and Minerva tomorrow morning during our training.] Harry explained, Mira nodding her head as she flew up towards the open window.

[When you and the others go after the Stone, I'm coming with you. You should also have both wands on you just in case something happens. It's better to be over prepared than under prepared.] She said, soaring through the window and landing on the bed beside her bonded human.

Harry dug through his bedside drawer and pulled out a special oil that had been crafted by Severus to sooth any dryness on Fire Lizard's scales. It didn't happen often since the Fire Lizards know how to take care of themselves, but sometimes they need some help in order to take care of their scales and skin. Pulling out a soft cloth, Harry poured some oil onto the cloth and began the meticulous task of gently rubbing Mira down. Happy rumbles left his familiar as she preened and arched into the cloth. She happily extended her wings in order for Harry to gently rub them down and get at the underside of the joint. It was during this time when Harry took note of any scars, damaged scales or any wounds his familiar had gotten. She often fought with some of the other Fire Lizards near the lake, mostly fending off any potential suitors that she didn't want or telling a few of the hatchlings off whenever they got too rowdy.

"What happened?" Harry asked, frowning when he found a closed but mostly new wound on the underside of Mira's front right leg.

[One of the males attempted to court me. He didn't want to take no for an answer. Believe me, he came off worse.] She said, watching as Harry pulled out a special healing balm he had made under Severus' guidance.

Harry carefully cleaned the wound with some water and applied the balm, making Mira rumble slightly as the balm disinfected the wound. She allowed Harry to bandage the wound before Harry put away everything and closed the curtains around his bed. Pulling out his wand, he casted the privacy spells around his bed, sighing happily as the sounds of Ron's snoring instantly stopped. Turning off the light, Harry hunkered down in bed, smiling softly as Mira settled down on his chest; her inner warmth reaching him through the blanket. She watched as Harry closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep, listening as his breathing deepened. It was a nightly ritual of her's: making sure Harry fell asleep before she allowed herself to fully relax. Her bonded had told her that he has a huge destiny ahead of him. Harry had told her about the prophecy that had been told after he had been born and had spoken about the Dark One's Horcruxes.

Such abominations disgusted her and she was glad that her bonded wasn't alone. His family and their people were doing their best in order to help her bonded survive and win his future encounter against the Dark One. They've already destroyed three of the Horcruxes though the others are much harder to find and they haven't been able to find any of the remaining ones just yet. She's determined to help Harry through any hardship he faces. She knows he has many trials ahead of him and she refuses to let him face them alone.

-I won't abandon him like others would.- She thought, lightly nuzzling Harry's chest as she closed her eyes.

The next morning Harry told Professors McGonagall and Snape about what Mira saw and was told by the Centaurs. They were understandably concerned and promised to keep a close eye on the other staff members. However, they also urged Harry to focus on his schooling and training for now until the time is right for him to go after the Stone. It was times like this when Harry really hated being only a trainee Assassin instead of a full-fledged Assassin. Yes, he'll still have to listen to Master Assassins like Minerva and Severus, but he would have more say then. He did listen to them though, and continued to focus on his friends, training and school work. Thankfully, Hermione, Dean, Neville, Eliana, Jillian and himself have done a lot of work in gaining back the hundred and fifty points Ron and his little gang had lost. Hermione did most of the point gathering; especially when she continually offered to further help the various professors, even those who they don't have classes with. The twins really pushed their little brother to do more extra credit work, especially to further bring up his grades in some of his classes. Ron balked, but when Percy got on his case he finally listened.

"I hate this." Ron muttered, scowling as he stared down at his History book.

"What?" Parvati asked, looking up from her own book and parchment and looking at the redhead.

"Who in their right mind likes to do extra work? It's bad enough with the amount of assignments we already get." Ron huffed, glaring at his book and parchment which only has two paragraphs written.

"Well you're the one who falls asleep in History. If you'd just pay attention then you'd realize that it's a really interesting class." Lavender said, putting the finishing touches on her extra credit work for Charms.

"Why do we have to learn about dead Wizards and Witches? That was hundreds of years ago; what's the use?" Ron asked, watching as Seamus walked over with two books in hand.

"Because what we're learning is important to know. It shows how our world has progressed over the years." Parvati explained, making her friend huff and roll his eyes.

"I still find it interesting that Merlin and Morgana weren't enemies like many people say they were." Lavender said, Parvati nodding her head while the boys looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Well, I'm just glad that Katie stopped those Seventh Year girls from destroying our work." Parvati said, shuddering as she thought of the latest attempted revenge against them.

A few hours ago they had been working on their assignments in the common room. They had just finished their first couple assignments and had been letting the ink dry when a few Seventh Years had snatched up their assignments and read them over. The girls had laughed and had just been about to rip up their assignments when Katie Bell and her friends stormed over and summoned the parchments from the Seventh Years. The twins had rallied behind the girls when the Seventh Years had yelled at Katie and her friends. Thankfully the Seventh Years knew better than to go against the twins less they find themselves ruthlessly pranked for the remainder of the year. After the Seventh Years had backed off Katie had given them back their assignments and had given them an encouraging smile before she and the others walked away. It wasn't long after that when they relocated to the library.

"It's not our fault that McGonagall went off the deep end and took so many points from us. We're in her House for Merlin's sake!" Ron exclaimed, wincing when Madame Pince appeared around a row of shelves and glared at him.

"And yet it is our fault. We were told to stay away from that corridor and yet we went back there again. I'm just wondering how Filch knew we were there." Seamus muttered, pulling a book towards him and flipping it open.

"If Potter would stop being such a selfish prat and allowed us to use his bloody invisibility cloak then we wouldn't have gotten caught." Ron grumbled, scowling when he thought of the night he had seen Harry pull out the cloak.

He had been shocked when he saw the invisibility cloak and had practically demanded to know where Harry had gotten something. Of course the prat is rich enough to buy something like that but still. Harry had simply told him that it's an heirloom that has been passed down in his family for years; which of course made Ron extremely jealous that something like that is an heirloom. The most he'll get from his family is a fob watch or something from his brothers. Later, when Potter returned and put his cloak back in his trunk before walking out of the room, he had gone over to the other boy's trunk and had taken a look at it. Most trunks come with an anti-theft charm or a simple lock. He had been shocked to see that Potter had gotten his trunk with a magical signature lock which means that it's even more protected than a standard student's trunk. What's more is that the bloody prat also had a three compartment trunk instead of a standard student trunk. Only his parents had a multi-compartment trunk and that was like…ten years old.

-Bloody Potter.- Ron thought, frowning as he turned his attention back to his assignment while his friends started talking about exams.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-

If you were to ask the student body and the staff of Hogwarts, they would all complain that the month of May pass far too quickly for their liking. As the last week of May came around, students could be found furiously studying in the library and in their common rooms. Many had nervous breakdowns, especially those in their Fifth and Seventh Years. Madame Pomfrey and Healer Briggs were busy dealing with students suffering from lack of sleep, anxiety attacks and those who suffered from nervous breakdowns. Harry and the others worked hard to try and keep Hermione calm as the first day of exams neared. Susan eventually called on Nips, one of the House Elves that serves her family. Nips was very skilled in giving massages and Hermione was soon sequestered away in their Room by herself with Nips as the House Elf worked her magic and got the brunette to calm down and relax the night before the first day of exams.

During breakfast they learned from Headmaster Dumbledore that the Great Hall will be unavailable unless it is for one of the main meals. This is because Fifth and Seventh Years used the Great Hall to take their exams so it'll be on lockdown until those exams were done. They were also given their timetables for their exam days, which were also spread across the full week and into the weekend. Many students complained on how their exams were two hours long, though they were quickly told by older students that those two hours were needed since there are both practical and written portions to their exams. In the end, they had two exams a day mostly to give them time to prepare for the next set of exams and to hopefully reduce the amount of breakdowns. The twins were certainly more subdued and explained that they had learned from Percy that the Ancient Runes and Arithmancy exams are terrifyingly difficult, even for their first year in said classes.

The week seemed to drag by for the students. Groups could be found studying in the library, during meals and in common rooms during free time while some dared to take a moment or two to head outside and attempt to calm themselves down. Harry dragged his friends outside for at least an hour every day and forced them to not study and just have fun. Mira, Ricki and Shade certainly helped out in getting them to have fun and run around like normal kids. This did help to calm their nerves, though Harry, Hermione, Dean, Neville and the twins were also nervous for a different reason. Once their exams end, Minerva and Severus will give them the signal to head off after the stone. Neville is the one who agreed to remain behind as a backup in case something happened. He planned on remaining in an empty classroom on the third floor underneath Harry's invisibility cloak and only enter the trapdoor should he be summoned. They planned on either summoning him for reinforcements or to go and get help.

On the last day of exams, a sense of relief washed over the students…well except for the Fifth and Seventh Years. The other students practically cheered as they exited their last exam and all of them instantly headed outside to enjoy the warm weather. Many hurried to their dorms or the gym and changed into their swim suits before jumping into the lake or the pool. Harry and his group of friends were some of them and they were soon locked in a game of marco/polo with the twins and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They spent a good few hours in the lake and on the shore just sunning themselves and enjoying the freedom of no longer having to worry about classes and tests and exams. Hermione was slightly put out at having nothing to do for the last two weeks, though Fred told her that they'll be getting their exam results next Friday and then two days before they head back home for the summer they'll be getting their summer assignments. This placated her somewhat, though she still didn't care for the amount of time spent doing nothing.

However, that evening during dinner Harry received a message from Professor McGonagall. He glanced up at her and saw her nod slightly at him. Nodding back, he slipped the note into his pocket before nudging Dean, Hermione and Neville. Hermione managed to gain the attention of the twins who nodded slightly when they looked at Harry. After dinner, they managed to split up and they headed up to the Room. Inside, they sat down on a long couch and Harry pulled out the note from Professor McGonagall.

Mister Potter,

Tomorrow evening after dinner is a Wizengamot meeting,. Normally the meetings are held in the morning but the heads of departments are not available until the evening so that is when the meeting shall take place. Albus has been requested to be a part of the meeting in his capacity as Headmaster and as Lord Dumbledore. This is the ideal time to head to the Third Floor. Severus and I shall be in our offices in case you need help. I suggest you be prepared for anything that could possibly happen.

Professor McGonagall.

"So it's official." Hermione said, a note of worry and fear in her voice as Harry and Dean nodded.

"Yeah. They want us to get the Stone tomorrow." Dean said, watching as Harry pulled out his Mokeskin pouch and reached into it.

All of them looked at the black haired boy as he pulled out a dark red stone from the pouch. They know that this is the fake Sorcerer's Stone, the one that needs to be shattered at some point during the recovery mission. It's rather unnerving knowing that they'll be facing challenges that are meant to deter others from progressing, even though said challenges aren't too difficult according to the twins. The group spent a few hours in the Room talking about various plans and what they'll need before heading to the locked room tomorrow night. In the end they spent some time brushing up on healing spells and ensured that they had some Essence of Dittany with them just in case something happened and one of them was seriously injured. Even though it was a rough plan, they all felt better knowing that they had something instead of going in blind. Leaving the Room, they took their time heading back to the common room so no one would get too suspicious as to what they're doing.

The next day the group tried to keep relaxed and at ease. They spent time in the Room just hanging out with their other friends. Some time was also spent in the pool in the gym, to which they managed to fully relax for a few hours as they played games and got to enjoy themselves. However, as dinner arrived, the group of trainees found themselves lacking any real appetite to eat. Of course the others noticed and asked them if something was wrong, to which they smiled and tried to brush off the other's worry. After dinner, they headed back to the common room where Harry pulled out his guitar and attempted to help calm them all down by playing a few songs. The hours passed tensely and they all waited for the rest of the House to eventually drift off to bed. When they were the only ones awake, they headed up to their rooms and created dummies using clothes so none of their dorm mates or friends would become suspicious unless they actually attempted to pull back the blankets.

"Hopefully we'll be back before morning." Dean muttered, Harry and Neville nodding in agreement.

Harry also snagged his invisibility cloak before he, Dean and Neville headed down to the common room where they were soon joined by Hermione and the twins. Fred checked the Marauder's Map and, after seeing the corridor was clear, they snuck out of the common room and set off to the third floor. They had to stop a few times and duck into abandoned classrooms or into a hidden passage when a Prefect or one of the professors came by on their nightly patrols. All of them didn't dare to speak as they made their way to the third floor. Upon reaching the locked door, Hermione quickly reminded Harry what spell to use to animate the harp inside the room to put the Cerberus to sleep. Harry donned his cloak and unlocked the door before slipping inside. Instantly the three headed hound focused on the door as soon as it was opened. However, their growls died down slightly when they didn't see anyone step into the room; though they could certainly smell that someone was inside.

Harry hurriedly whispered the spell and flicked his wand towards the harp in the corner of the room. Instantly the Cerberus began stumbling and its eyes began drooping. Harry waited until the beast stumbled and fell over. He turned and let the others in, in which Hermione and Dean shuddered when they saw the giant three headed dog. Neville locked them in the room before they heard him walk off. Working together, with their true wands, they managed to carefully levitate the Cerberus up and off of the trapdoor before setting him down carefully. The twins headed to the trapdoor and opened it before aiming their wands into the darkness below. The casted a bluebell charm which created light blue and white flames that shot into the darkness. Harry, Hermione and Dean winced when they heard the screeches of the Devil's Snare below. Fred then used a Lumos to see into the chamber below before giving them the all clear. His brother kept up the light charm while he and Harry levitated Dean and then Hermione down into the room below.

Hermione and Dean kept the Devi's Snare at bay while the twins levitated Harry down into the room. Harry then cast a cushioning charm on the floor before they all stepped back. Fred jumped down and landed in a crouch before stepping away and letting his twin drop down, in which they then used a spell to close the trapdoor above them. Silence and darkness enclosed them, broken only by the light coming from Hermione and Neville's wands which were lit with a Lumos. There was a faint sound of water dripping which told them that the room had been specially made to keep the Devil's Snare alive.

"Look, the main plot for the Devil's Snare is over there. You can faintly see it." Hermione said, nodding over to the right of the room.

Sure enough, in the darkness they could faintly see the shrunken vines of the strangling plant and what looks like a garden plot underneath it. Fred and George took the lead, both wands in hand just in case something popped out in front of them. They opened the next door and entered a long hallway which sloped downward, the air becoming cooler and the walls glistening with moisture. It took a few minutes to get to the next door and they could all hear rustling and a clinking sound. However, they all jumped when Mira sudden teleported into the room and glared something fierce at Harry. The boy swallowed thickly and smiled sheepishly at his familiar as she yelled at him through their bond; scolding him for having left while she had been out flying around. In return for leaving her behind, she perched on Hermione's shoulder and kept her back to her bonded human. Reaching the next room, George opened it and they stepped into a rather large room with a high vaulted ceiling.

"Oh my…!" Hermione gasped, her eyes wide as she looked at hundreds of winged keys that flew throughout the room.

"We need to catch the correct key that unlocks the door." Fred said, pointing to a set of two brooms.

"It's an ornate key, silver." George added, watching as Harry headed over to one of the brooms and quickly mounted it.

"Dean, up in the air with me. Mira, we could sure use your help." Harry said, looking at his familiar as she glanced at him.

Dean hurriedly mounted the second broom and kicked off before Mira, letting out a huff, launched into the air and she and the boys began flying among the keys. Dean caught a few keys, though each one wasn't the one they were looking for. The sharp 'teeth' of the keys cut and bit into the boys' hands, creating small cuts and making them try to find the correct key faster. Harry caught sight of it first and it quickly became a rather interesting game of catch. Dean flew below the key, keeping it from diving while Mira flew from above. However, what worried Harry and Dean the most was the fact that the key had a crooked wing, as if someone had already caught it and hurriedly jammed it into the lock. Mira was the one who swooped in and caught the key and she and the boys hurriedly landed and Harry accepted the key from his familiar. Putting it into the lock, they all breathed a sigh of relief when the door unlocked and swung open slightly.

Harry gently held the key and carefully smoothed out its wing as a way of apologizing. Releasing the key, they all stepped through the door and into the next room. The room is massive though it was the sight of the large chess board which worried them the most. Before they continued though, Hermione and George healed the minor cuts Harry and Dean had received while flying in the previous room. Once that was done, they slowly walked further into the room and stepped onto the chess board. Looking around, all of them shuddered when they saw that none of the chess pieces have faces and they looked to be carved from stone.

"The door forward is beyond the white pieces." Dean said, catching sight of the door behind the imposing figures.

"And there's no way past them except for us to play." Harry sighed, looking back at the black pieces.

"We helped to teach Ron chess, so we're pretty good." Fred explained, the others looking at him before Dean smiled.

"I'm pretty good at chess too. If we all work together, we can get through this." He said, Fred and George grinning at him.

Fred took the place of one of the knights and found himself sitting astride one of the large black horses. George took the place of a bishop, Hermione the queen, Harry a rook and Dean took the place of another knight. The white pieces moved first and Dean and the twins looked to each other before nodding. Taking turns, they each directed the giant chess pieces across the board. It was absolutely terrifying the first time a white piece overtook a black piece. Each piece has a weapon and they certainly proved those weapons weren't play things. Hermione shrieked when a white rook overtook one of their pawns, the black stone flying across the board before the rook dragged off the main pieces to the side of the room and off the board. The twins and Dean were the most active on the board and they hurried to ensure that Hermione and Harry were safe; including putting themselves at risk a few times.

All of them cried out when Fred was overtaken by the white queen. He had placed himself in front of Hermione to defend her and the white queen had struck. The queen easily knocked Fred out with hitting him with the butt of her stone sword before destroying the horse he was riding on. George nearly moved from his place at the sight of his unconscious brother being dragged off the board, but he forced himself to remain where he was. Hermione hurriedly took over the white queen, making the piece surrender its crown to her before it walked off the board. Harry Dean hurriedly moved in front of Hermione to defend her just in case a piece tried to overtake her. After what seemed like hours, Harry finally managed to overtake the white king and they were allowed to pass. George practically flew to his brother's side and soon had Fred's head in his lap. Hermione and the others hurried over and Harry soon had the blood cleaned from Fred's face while Dean cleaned the cut on the older teen's forehead. Hermione hurriedly healed the rather nasty cut Fred had gotten, as well as the minor cuts Fred had gained from flying pieces of stone.

"Go on ahead." George said, looking at the younger teens.

"W-What?!" Hermione gasped, shock and fear in her eyes as she looked at the redhead.

"I need to get him out of here. I don't know if he has a concussion and I don't want to leave him alone. He did the right thing by moving in front of you. You still have each other and I'll get Neville to send for Snape and McGonagall. You should reach the Stone by the time they arrive. Fred and I have never gotten past this room before." George explained, the trio looking at each other before swallowing thickly.

"Be careful." Hermione urged, making George smile thinly.

"You too. Now go!" He urged, watching as the three First Years hurried across the room reached the other door.

Opening the door, the trio groaned as a horrid stench filled the air, their eyes watering as they stepped into the room with their wands raised. However, Hermione nearly screamed at the sight of an enormous Mountain Toll. Thankfully, or not, the Troll had been knocked out judging by the fact that it isn't moving and there was blood on its face as well as a huge knot on its forehead. Covering their mouths and noses with their robes, the trio gingerly stepped around the Troll and hurried to the next door. Wrenching it open, they breathed a sigh of relief when they entered the next room. They were surprised that there was only a table in the center of the room which had several different shaped and colored bottles on it along with a piece of parchment. Walking to the middle of the room, they all cried out in surprise when flames erupted in front of both of the doors, their eyes widen.

"Bloody hell." Dean groaned, hanging his head.

-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-

Hermione shifted and moved over to the table containing many different colored and sized vials. Her eyes widened, however, when she saw a piece of parchment in front of the first row of vials. Picking it up, she felt relief wash over her as she glanced at the words on the parchment.

"Look, it's a riddle." Hermione said, making the boys look at her.

"What does it say?" Harry asked, moving beside Hermione and looking at the piece of parchment in her hands.

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,

One among us seven will let you move ahead,

Another will transport the drinker back instead,

Two among our number hold only nettle wine,

Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.

Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,

To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First, however slyly the poison tries t hide

You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand at either end,

But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight

All three of them sighed in relief at the sight of the riddle; glad that something so simple is at hand. Looking over the riddle a few more times, the trio walked the length of the table, pointing to the various bottle and discussing the clues and which bottle is which. Dean and Hermione had a minor argument but it was quickly settled after Harry pointed out a few things. It took them a few minutes before they all finally came to an agreement on which bottle is which. They all agreed that the smallest bottle hold the potion to get them through the black flames that guard the door ahead while the potion in a round bottle would take them back through the purple flames.

"Hermione, go back. Dean and I will share what's in here and go on ahead." Harry said, watching as the brunette looked at him with wide eyes.

"Harry-"

"No, Hermione, Harry's right. Harry and I have had more training than you have and Fred and George will need help. Someone is in the room ahead and we'll need Professors Snape and McGonagall. Send the emergency signal to Neville if he already hasn't been signaled by George." Dean said, watching as tears welled up in Hermione's eyes.

Surprising the boys, she launched herself at them and hugged them tightly. They hugged her back and promised to be careful before they pulled away from the hug. Harry and Dean carefully took a small amount of the potion just as Hermione did with the other one. She shivered as the feeling of ice spread through her, though she hurriedly assured the boys that she's okay. They both swallowed their potion and shuddered as well, instantly knowing what she had meant. Hermione urged them to be careful once more before she hurried through the purple flames and passed through the door leading back. Looking at each other, Harry and Dean nodded before hurrying through the black flames. Mira clung to Harry, growling as the flames heated her scales though she was thankfully unharmed. Their vision turned black for a few seconds before they found themselves standing in front of the door. Reaching out, Dean opened the door and he and Harry stepped through and into the next room.

Hermione had tears in her eyes as she sprinted through the Troll room and back into the chess room. Her eyes widened when she saw George levitating his twin and directing him towards the door leading back into the flying key room.

"George!" She called, making the redhead whirl around and look at her in shock.

"Hermione?! What is it? Did something happen?" He asked, looking her over carefully as she came to a stop in front of him.

"No. Dean and Harry went on ahead. The next room has a knocked out Troll in it and then there's a room with a potions riddle, just like the professors said. Someone is waiting for them in the final room; we need to hurry!" She said, George nodding his head.

"Alright, c'mon." He urged, running through the room with Fred floating ahead of them.

Passing the room with the flying keys, Hermione moved ahead of George and hurriedly cast a sunburst charm as the redhead prompted. The Devil's Snare shrieked and shrunk back once more as the light reached it. Coming to a stop underneath the trapdoor, George lowered his brother to the ground and pulled out his communications mirror. He hurriedly activated it and called Neville's name, waiting tensely for the blonde to answer. Neville soon answered and, upon learning that Fred was injured and knocked out, promised to be there in a few seconds before ending the call. George then recalled his happiest memory before summoning his patronus. Professor McGonagall had worked him and Fred long and hard for them to learn this spell and they had finally learned how to summon a full corporal patronus just last week. She had also taught them how to create a messenger patronus.

A silver colored lemur appeared in front of the redhead. It looked around before turning and looking up at George, its long tail twitching lightly.

"Message to Professor McGonagall: Dean and Harry made it through to the final chamber. Need help. Someone else has beaten them to the chamber. Come quickly." He said, the lemur nodding before it flew up through the ceiling.

It seemed to take forever before the trapdoor opened, revealing Neville looking down at them. George insisted that Hermione be levitated up first so he and Neville worked together to get the brunette up through the trapdoor. Hermione and Neville then, standing on either side of the opening, carefully levitated Fred through the opening and set him down carefully. They then got George up through the hole and had just set him down when the door to the room burst open; revealing Professors McGonagall and Snape. Both looked worried and instantly headed to the teens. Professor Snape looked over Fred before informing them to get the redhead to the hospital wing. The group were surprised to learn that Minerva and Severus had informed Madame Pomfrey and Healer Briggs about what was going on. The two healers had taken an oath not to tell anyone the real reason why any of the teens might be brought into the Hospital wing except for those they approved of. George once again levitated his brother and he and Neville hurried off towards the Hospital wing. Hermione, however, refused to leave her friends and insisted on remaining close by.

"Go wait in the abandoned classroom next door. We'll send you a message when and if we need your help." Minerva said, Hermione nodding before she hurried out of the room.

The pair agilely jumped down through the trap door after sending flames into the darkness below. Running through the room, they barreled on ahead until they came to the flying keys room. There, Severus was the one who leapt onto a broom and quickly had the needed key pinned and caught. Sprinting out of the room, Minerva walked to the middle of the board and Severus watched as the black and white kings and queens moved forward and looked down at her.

"We require passage. Let myself and my colleague pass." She said, watching as the pieces looked at each other.

However, much to her surprise and frustration, they all shook their heads and drew their weapons. Severus walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look at him.

"Let's play then." He said, Minerva sighing but nodding.

The four pieces moved back to their spots and she and Severus looked at the black side of the board. Minerva took the place of one of the bishops while Severus took the place of a rook. Settling into their positions, they looked at each other and nodded.

"Let's play." Minerva said, her eyes narrowing as a white pawn moved first.

Meanwhile, Harry and Dean stood in shock as they stepped into the final chamber. The door of the potions room had led to a long hallway and it had taken a few turns which hindered their advancement since the floor had been slick in some places. However, the final door had let them into a massive, circular chamber with a high, domed ceiling. The room is well lit and, in the center on a raise dais, is the mirror of Desire. However, what really shocked the two boys was who was standing in front of the mirror.

"P-Professor Quirrell?!" Dean breathed, shock in his voice as he looked at the person.

Sure enough, their stuttering, nervous as a mouse in a house full of mouse traps, Defense Professor stood in front of the mirror. Quirrell grinned at their reflections, though there was a mild hint of surprise in his eyes when he saw Dean. As the man turned around, Harry and Dean hurriedly slid their true wands back into their holsters and gripped their Ministry sanctioned wands tightly.

"Yes, it is I. I was wondering if I would be seeing you here, Mister Potter." Quirrell said, looking at Harry almost…hungrily.

"Though your friend being here is a bigger surprise." He mused, looking at Dean with little interest.

Harry and Dean were instantly alarmed. Gone was the ever famous stutter that had caused the entire student body to groan or make fun of the man. Instead, Quirrell's voice is cold and sharp with nary a mispronounced word or pause.

Quirrell snapped his fingers, though Harry and Dean moved faster than the man had thought. Diving out of the way, Harry and Dean began a deadly game of cat and mouse. Both boys fired off jinxes and low level curses; keen on keeping their true power hidden for now. However, Dean cried out when a cutting hex hit his arm, causing him to drop his wand and stumble. This gave Quirrell enough time to trap Dean. He was soon leaning against one of the pillars with ropes binding him in place. Harry rolled behind one of the pillars, panting softly as he tried to gain his bearings once more.

"I always figured you would pose a slight challenge, Potter. Though it's no matter. Soon it'll be too late and Dumbledore will find nothing more than the dead bodies of you and your little friend." Quirrell taunted, smirking when he saw Harry dart from behind a pillar and head towards the next.

He quickly casted several spells and smirked when Harry cried out in shock and pain. A vine sprung up from the ground and lashed at his legs, causing him to trip and fall heavily on the ground. A sickening crack filled the air as his left wrist broke as he landed awkwardly underneath him. Pain flooded his senses, giving Quirrell just enough time to wrap him in thick ropes. With a flick of his hand, Quirrell had Harry tied to one of the pillars beside Dean.

"Now, be silent. I still have to finish investigating this mirror." He snapped, turning his attention back to the mirror in the center of the room.

Harry breathed heavily through the pain that originated from his wrist. Looking over at Dean, he saw the other boy looking at him with worry. This wasn't what either of them had expected; especially considering that Severus and Minerva had never said anything about Quirrell being a possible suspect. Had the man really been that good of an actor that he managed to fool two Master Assassins?! Harry glanced around and blinked when he saw Mira hovering silently above the mirror, his eyes widening as her body shifted and she blended in with her surroundings.

"I have to say, Mister Potter, that your friends are just as meddlesome as you are. Miss Granger fooled my plan on Halloween." Quirrell said, anger in his voice as Dean's eyes widened.

"It was you who let the Troll into the school!" Dean gasped, watching as Quirrell looked at him and smirked.

"Of course it was. I have a way with them, of course. However, because your little friend I wasn't able to get to the third floor like I planned to. By keeping the students inside the Great Hall, she forced the professors to work in teams. I wasn't able to break away from my team, not with Severus watching me so closely. He was always cautious around me; for a good reason of course." He said, the two boys looking at each other in surprise.

-Why didn't he warn us that he suspected Quirrell?- Dean thought, struggling to keep himself from panicking as Quirrell pulled out his wand and tapped it along the frame of the mirror as he circled it.

"I know this mirror is the key to finding the Stone. But…how to make it work? Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this…but he's in London…I'll be far away by the time he gets back…" He muttered, making Harry and Dean think furiously on how to keep the deranged man talking.

"You were the one hurting the Unicorns." Harry said, making Quirrell look at him.

"Such majestic creatures, yes. Admittedly I didn't want to have to kill them but I needed their blood. It was the only thing that could help my Master." Quirrell said, though he suddenly winced as if something hurt him.

"How did no one suspect you?" Dean demanded, making the Wizard chuckle lowly.

"Who said no one did?"

-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-

"I admit, it was surprising, even for me, on how long it took for one of my…colleagues to become suspicious. However, that blasted woman Martha overheard me during a moment of weakness. Sometimes…I find it hard to follow my Master's instructions-he is a great Wizard and I am so weak…" Quirrell said, pain flitting across his face as the two boys looked at him in horror.

"He was with you?" Dean asked, shock and horror in his voice as Quirrell sneered at him.

"He is always with me! But, no matter. I ensured dear Martha wouldn't be able to follow me tonight. She put up a valiant fight, but in the end mine and my Master's power was too much." Quirrell said, a sinister smirk on his face as dread filled the two boys.

[Mira get out of here! Go get someone to check on Professor Winters!] Harry ordered, feeling the worry coming from his familiar.

[No, I won't leave you.]

[Damnit Mira, go! Now's not the time! Severus and Minerva are on their way and we'll be okay. Just go!] Harry ordered, glancing up towards the ceiling and spotting his familiar for a quick second before she teleported away.

"I see myself in the mirror…I'm presenting the Stone to my Master…but where is it?!" Quirrell snapped, his eyes blazing as he looked into the mirror's surface.

Harry glanced at Dean and they both nodded. They needed to keep Quirrell talking; keep him from figuring out the key to get the Stone out of the mirror.

"How is your…Master always with you?" Harry said, watching as Quirrell glanced at him.

"…I suppose I could tell you. It's not like you'll live past tonight." He drawled, a slow smirk spreading across his face.

"You see, I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it…Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me. He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the Stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me…decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me…"

Harry and Dean listened in horror, watching as Quirrell shuddered lightly as he remembered whatever punishment his Master had dealt him. Quirrell was the one who broke into Gringotts?! How?! They had seriously underestimated their Defense professors, especially since he's proven to be a rather…powerful man. Had Professor Dumbledore known about Quirrell? Did he even suspect the man in front of them is a Dark Wizard? Both of them prayed that Professor Winters is okay; the last thing they wanted to hear is that a servant of Voldemort had managed to kill someone innocent.

"I don't understand…is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?" Quirrell asked, narrowing his eyes as he studied the object.

-Come on…come on…let me get in front of it.- Harry thought, lightly wiggling his arms to see if he could get free.

"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!" Quirrell begged, making the two boys frown.

However, their frowns soon turned to looks of absolute horror when a high pitched, menacing voice filled the air; seemingly coming from Quirrell himself.

"Use the boy…Use the boy…"

Harry went stock-still as Quirrell whipped around and looked at him; his eyes blazing with a manic need to obey.

"Yes-Potter-come here." Quirrell hissed, snapping his fingers which caused the ropes to fall away from Harry.

"Come here. Look in the mirror and tell me what you see." Quirrell ordered, narrowing his eyes at Harry who swallowed thickly.

Harry, briefly, thought about trying to engage Quirrell in another duel, but knew it would only end in either him or Dean getting hurt. Not only that, but he needs to give Quirrell the fake Stone. He had placed it in his pocket before he had walked into the room and, frankly, he's grateful for the minor sticking charm he had placed on it. If it wasn't for that sticking charm then it'd likely have fallen out while he had been dodging Quirrell's curses. Shaking himself slightly, he slowly walked towards the insane man, resisting the urge to flinch when Quirrell grabbed his arm and nearly flung him in front of the mirror. Stumbling slightly, Harry straightened and looked at the mirror, watching as Quirrell moved in close behind him. The heady scent of garlic and something filled his nostrils; the scent radiating from his Defense Professor. However, he forced himself to block out the scent and turned his attention back to his own reflection.

His reflection showed that he had gained some injuries from his game of hide-n-seek with Quirrell. The edge of a Cutting curse had snagged his right shoulder; slicing the material open and revealing a shallow cut underneath that had, thankfully, ceased bleeding. There are a few shallow cuts on his face and hands that they hadn't healed during their descent here. He doubts that his clothes will ever be clean once more and he was rather shocked on how much dirt is actually streaked on his face and hands. His wrist, however, was swollen and he could clearly see one of the bones pressing tightly against the skin which made him mentally wince. However, despite all of this his reflection looked surprisingly calm in the face of potential death.

Looking at his reflection, Harry was shocked when his reflection suddenly grinned and opened one of his clenched hands, revealing a blood-red stone with slight blackened edges. His reflection winked before reaching up and pulling out the ever present Mokeskin pouch. Harry watched in fascination as his reflection dropped the Stone into the pouch and tucked it back underneath his shirt. As soon as that happened, Harry nearly gasped when he felt the Mokeskin pouch underneath his shirt suddenly become a little heavier and flashed with warmth underneath his shirt. His reflection nodded slightly before patting his pocket which held the fake Stone. His reflection pulled out the fake Stone and removed the cloth that had been wrapped around it. The cloth had been specially enchanted by Nickolas to suppress the 'aura' that that fake Stone gave off. Apparently the actual Stone gives off an aura and he and his wife had somehow enabled the fake to resonate that same aura. They made the fake as believable as possible. Harry's reflection slipped the fake back into his pocket before stuffing the cloth into the Mokeskin pouch.

"Well? What do you see?" Quirrell demanded, making Harry blink before he frowned at the mirror.

"I-I see my parents…they're smiling at me. I'm older-wearing the Head Boy badge and I'm Quidditch captain too." Harry explained, listening as Quirrell cursed furiously.

"Move!" He spat, pushing Harry out of the way and causing the boy to stumble.

The Mokeskin pouch felt warm and heavy against his chest though the fake Stone seemed to weigh even more in his pocket. He glanced at Quirrell, watching as the man muttered to himself as he stared into the mirror, looking it over closely. Harry Slowly backed away, keeping his footsteps light in hopes that Quirrell wouldn't see or hear him trying to get to Dean to get his friend free. However, his blood froze in his veins when he heard that voice once more.

"He lies…He lies…"

"Potter! Get back here! Tell me the truth! What did you see?!" Quirrell cried, spinning around and glaring murderously at the boy.

"Let me speak to him…face-to-face…" The voice hissed, making Quirrell freeze and look slightly panicked.

"Master, you are not strong enough!" He exclaimed, though he made no move to touch Harry as the boy looked at him in growing horror.

"I have strength enough…for this…"

Harry mentally screamed at himself to turn and free Dean. If what Quirrell had said was true, then he was about to be shown Voldemort. That thought terrified him. Riddle has so much more experience than he and Dean does; knows so much more than two eleven year-old boys could possibly know. However, no matter what he tried to do, he was rooted to the spot. He could vaguely hear Dean's rapid breathing behind him as Quirrell reached up and began unwrapping his turban. The dark purple cloth fell away from the man's head and Harry finally found the strength to move as he took a step back in horror. Yes, Quirrell's head looked rather small without the turban, but his eyes were locked on the reflection in the mirror which showed the back of the man's head.

The back of Quirrell's head had a face; more specifically the very face which has haunted Harry's nightmares for years. Chalk white skin stretched over the face while piercing crimson colored eyes met his gaze in the mirror. A thin, lipless mouth was twisted in a sneer while the face had no nose; rather two slits for nostrils like a snake's. Behind him, Harry heard Dean gasp and the rustling sounds of his friend and brother in all but blood struggling anew to free himself. Harry forced himself to take another step back as Quirrell turned around so he really was face-to-face with this new abomination.

"Harry Potter…See what I have become? Mere shadow and vapor…I have form only when I can share another's body…but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds…Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks…You're familiar saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest…and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own…Now…why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?" Voldemort asked, his voice little more than a whisper as he stared at Harry.

-He could sense Mira?! How?- Harry thought, swallowing thickly as he took another step back.

"Don't be a fool. Better save your own life and join me…or you'll meet the same end as your parents…They died begging me for mercy…" Voldemort taunted, smirking as Harry's eyes blazed.

"You're lying. My dad fought you and my mother defeated you." Harry hissed, glaring at the shade as Quirrell walked backwards so his master was always close to Harry.

"How touching…I always value bravery…Yes, boy, your parents were brave…I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight…but your mother needn't have died…she was trying to protect you…Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain. Join me…Harry Potter…join me and become great…You could have all the power you want at your fingertips…If only you give me the Stone…" Voldemort hissed, watching as Harry seemed to pause.

Harry hesitated and called on all his training in order to not give himself away too soon. Reaching into his pocket, he slowly withdrew the fake Stone. The lights of the chamber caught on its surfaces, causing it to glimmer lightly. Behind him, he heard Dean struggle even more and knew that his friend was going to play his own role.

"No Harry! You can't! Don't listen to him!" Dean cried, making Voldemort sneer at him.

"Silence, boy." He hissed, turning his attention back to Harry.

"I can bring your parents back, Harry. I can teach you so much. You'll be even more powerful than your wildest imagination." Voldemort hissed, his voice silky and holding promise and power.

Harry sensed the exact moment Mira teleported back into the room behind Dean. She mentally told him that she's getting ready to free Dean by cutting the ropes, though it'll be tricky. He looked from the fake Stone and stared at Riddle, wishing that there was something more he could do against the Dark Wizard. However, he has to make Riddle and Dumbledore believe that the Stone had been destroyed. Closing his eyes, he nodded lightly before tossing the Stone towards Voldemort. Quirrell spun and caught the Stone, though Harry reacted quickly and his true wand slid out of his holster and into his hand just as Mira freed Dean from his bindings.

"Reducto!" Harry cried, the red beam flying out of his wand.

"No! No you fool!" Voldemort screamed, the spell hitting the fake Stone.

Dean fired off another spell with his true wand, this one striking the actual mirror just as Harry's Reducto caused the fake Stone to shatter and explode. A brilliant, white light filled the room and the magical backlash of the mirror and the fake Stone shattering threw Harry and Dean off of their feet and into the walls. Mira roared in anger and despair when she saw Harry slam into the wall with a sickening thud while glass shards from the mirror shot through the air like missiles. Quirrell/Voldemort had been so close to the two object that he was exposed to the chaos of wild magic that was released by both objects. With a terrifying scream his magical core detonated and his body seemed to disintegrate in the blinding light. However, as the light faded, a blade mist rose from the ashes that remained of Quirrell's body and, releasing a scream of fury, shot towards Harry's pinned body in rage.

Mira dove down and shot a jet of flames towards the shade, causing it to let out an inhuman screech before it flew through the walls. Mira flew down and landed on the floor next to Dean. The boy had luckily been thrown behind a pillar which had taken a lot of damage thanks to the explosion. Checking him, she let out a rumble before flying over to her bonded human. She let out a worried rumble, her eyes filled with fear when she saw that two large shards of glass had pinned Harry to the wall; one through his shoulder and the other through his left leg. The sound of the door slamming open caused her to spin around in the air, though she released a relieved cry when she saw Severus and Minerva standing there out of breath.

"Sweet Merlin!" Minerva gasped, her eyes wide as she looked at the carnage around her.

"Harry!" Severus exclaimed, rushing over to the pinned boy as he pulled out his wand.

"Minerva, check on Dean." He ordered, the woman nodding as she hurried over to Dean and crouched beside him.

They both soon conjured stretchers and Minerva soon had Dean strapped down to one of them. She hurried over and carefully helped Severus to remove the shards of glass that kept Harry pinned before gently moving him onto the second stretcher. Severus pulled out a small vial of Dittany and began pouring it into the worst of the wounds when the door opened once more and Albus hurried in.

"What happened?" He demanded, looking around the destroyed room in shock.

"We don't know. But Mister Potter-Othello and Mister Thomas-Woods need to get to the hospital wing." Minerva said, making Albus focus on the two boys.

"Very well, let's go." He said, letting the two professors pass.

He took one last look around the room and spotted the pile of ashes near the burned and shattered remains of the mirror. However, what shocked and horrified him the most were the tiny shards of red stone and fine red powder that was scattered across the floor. He hoped that Poppy and Aaron were able to heal the boys soon. He needs to know what happened here as soon as possible.

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