The Calm After the Storm

After everyone was done laughing hysterically, Dumbledore ushered the group of children away from the hallway (and Quirrell's mortal remains) to the nurse's office to have the students checked over and then questioned over the events in the corridor. Extra attention was given to Harry as he informed the teachers what had happened, while Madam Pomfrey checked him and his fellow First Years for injuries.

"…and for some reason, my touch seemed to hurt Professor Quirrell. It caused his flesh to burst into literal flames," Harry said, wrapping up his tale. "So, I used the Levitation Charm to send the mirror flying towards Quirrell. Voldemort. Whoever it was."

Harry then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I think I may have overpowered it like I did the Lumos, and it smacked into Quirrellmort and sent him flying back into me. And then, well, I accidentally touched his skin against mine, and he exploded. Again, literally."

Harry decided not to bring up the fact he had held onto Voldemort's face intentionally in order to inflict as much pain as he could. He wasn't sure he liked what that said about him, and thinking back on it, it scared the young boy.

"Brilliant use of simple spells to control the battlefield, Mister Potter!" Professor Flitwick praised, distracting Harry slightly from his morbid thoughts. "Forty Points to Gryffindor!"

"Thank you, sir," Harry said with a slight nod. "When I did that, a weird skull-shaped ball of smoke flew out of Quirrell's mouth, and then it flew away. That's when you found us."

"Tell 'em about the one liner!" Dean urged from the side, and Harry flushed red with embarrassment.

"Nope," he said, refusing to ever speak of it again.

"It seems you've had something of an adventure tonight," Dumbledore said slowly, eyes twinkling proudly as he looked over the students.

"Yes, we did," Harry said, before narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "I don't like the fact it happened at all, but I suppose something like it was to be expected, what with the Philosopher's Stone being hidden here."

"How do you know about the stone?!" Madam Sprout gasped, and the teachers all tensed up, save Dumbledore, who simply watched the group of children curiously.

"Was it supposed to be a secret? Because it really wasn't, if you knew where to look and who to ask," Harry said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the teachers.

"Nobody but the faculty was told that it was in our possession," Snape said, his oily voice oozing with suspicion.

"Yeah, and Hagrid is faculty. He's a good bloke, but can't keep a secret," Harry explained.

"We saw a newspaper clipping in his cabin that said a vault at Gringotts had been broken into, and then he got all upset and told us it wasn't our business," Ron added. "He then said something about the matter being between the headmaster and Nicholas Flamel."

"We looked up the name, and discovered who he was, and what he was famous for," Hermione piped up.

"By logical deduction, the only thing Fluffy could be guarding related to the famous alchemist would be the legendary Philosopher's Stone," Neville finished.

"Fluffy?" Flitwick asked, confused.

"That's what Hagrid called the three-headed dog guarding the room on the Third Floor," Harry explained. "Who else would?"

The professors all shared uneasy looks with each other as they realized just how easily the secret had been discovered.

"I knew we should have protested this plan of yours harder, Dumbledore," MacGonagall muttered under her breath, though she could help but let a bit of pride seep into her voice.

"Or at the very least made sure a smaller group of people knew of it," Flitwick added. "No offense to Hagrid, of course. He's a kind soul, but, uh, not the best with secrets, apparently."

"Agreed. Fellow can handle an ornery thestral or redcap like no one's business, but he doesn't know when to shut his mouth," an elderly professor with three limbs replaced by prosthetics grumbled. "Also, I'm not happy with your choice of room placement for the Cerberus either, Dumbledore. A dog like that needs space to roam!"

"It was the best place for the guardian of the stone to be," Dumbledore said with an air of finality. The maimed professor looked like he wanted to protest some more, but a hand on his shoulder from the Astronomy teacher caused him to mumbled but leave it be. For now.

"Alright, that's enough, everyone but the children out," Madam Pomfrey declared, ushering the adults away from Harry's bed.

"There are still things that need to be discussed…" Dumbledore protested, but a sharp look from the matron caused him to clam up. You don't mess with an angry medi-witch, and Madam Pomfrey had the look of someone ready to start hexing if she wasn't obeyed.

Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, Dumbledore and the rest of the teachers hastily departed, leaving the healer alone with the children.

She turned a softer gaze to the First-Years, but there was a stern glint in her eyes. "Now, why don't you lot wait here. I have some potions to give you to calm down, if you want. I also have some potions that'll give you a good's night sleep."

Murmured assents from the students rang out, and the nurse walked off to fetch them, leaving the First Years alone for the moment.

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