Chapter 1
"He lies!" The cold hissing voice echoed through the chamber.
Quirrell's face twisted in anger, "Tell me the truth Potter!" He flicked his wrist and Harry felt himself be violently dragged into the air by his shoulders, spun around to face the fallen defense teacher and slammed hard against the glass of the Mirror of Erised, pinned to it like a fly in a web.
"Let me ssspeak to him face to face," the high cold hiss came once again.
Quirrell paled slightly at that, "But master, are you sure you're strong enough?" He asked frightfully to the air, as if expecting to be struck down for his impudence at questioning the voice.
"I have ssstrength enough for thisss."
Harry felt his stomach drop out from beneath him, as Quirrell raised his hands to his purple turban and began to unwind the fabric. 'No.' He begged mentally, 'no! stop it, I don't want to see this!'
But Quirrell paid no heed to Harry's internal screaming as he impassively unraveled his head covering revealing a completely smooth pale scalp. For a moment Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, then the man turned and Harry felt his heart practically seize up in his chest.
Inhuman blood red eyes glared out at him from the back of the defense Professors' skull, eyes that burned with undisguised hatred. Slit snakelike pupils hovered above an almost none existent nose which was itself just a pair of vertical gashes in the skin. It's thin slash of a mouth curled up into a cruel smirk as the obscene mockery of a face drank in Harry's horror.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort said coldly, "we finally meet again."
Eyes wide Harry said nothing, not trusting himself to speak. This was the creature that had sent countless people to their graves with nary a care and had done things so monstrous that Wizards everywhere now feared to even speak his name. That alone would have been enough to make even the bravest person turn and run. Despite his words to Hermione only minutes earlier Harry felt the cold fingers of fear reaching up to clutch at his heart.
Yet... he was also the reason that Harry had been orphaned. This man -no- this monster had murdered his parents in cold blood. Had tried to kill Harry. And even in his failure he had condemned Harry to ten years of a living hell. Gritting his teeth, Harry narrowed his eyes defiantly. No. No matter what he'd never give this monster the satisfaction of seeing his fear.
"Ah, Silence hm?" The creature chuckled to itself. "Are you trying defiance, or is it fear that holds your tongue? It is no matter. Greater wizards than you have attempted that, and all loosened their tongue eventually."
It casually glanced around the chamber with a casual smirk, clearly reveling in the freedom from the confines of the turban. "I must admit it has been a while since I have had a captive audience Harry Potter." Voldemort glanced out of the corner of his eyes at Harry, sneering as he took his appearance in. "
I would so love to indulge myself, but alas we don't have the time. I admire your bravery boy. Your mother was brave even as she tried to protect you, yet she fell before me as all have before her. But she needn't have died, she was only trying to shield you. if it weren't for you, she would still be alive. A foolish woman."
"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK ABOUT MY MUM THAT WAY!" Harry spat breaking his silence. He glared furiously at the monster; How dare he speak about murdering his mother so casually.
Voldemort laughed, it was a high cold ugly sound. "Ah there's the fire I was looking for, you have no idea how much I missed this." He raised one of Quirrell's fingers -ignoring how the man whimpered as it bent the wrong way- and wagged it in mock disappointment. "But I but you didn't let me finish. I would have thought your mother would have taught you better manners Potter."
Whatever Harry would have said vanished from his mind as white hot rage filled him at the creatures words! Red tinged the edge of his vision as he struggled against his bonds. He didn't care if he didn't have a wand! He didn't care if Voldemort was a powerful wizard, he didn't even care that Quirrell was over twice the size of his thin eleven-year-old frame. Right this moment he just wanted to rend the thing in front of him limb from limb, damn the consequences! An inhuman snarl ripped from Harry's throat as he struggled violently against his mystical bonds!
"The Stone you hold is the key to bringing her back." Voldemort said coolly, a thin smile of amusement on his lips as he drank in the complete fury in front of him
Harry froze as if a bucket of icy cold water had been dunked over his head. All of a sudden suddenly highly aware of the heavy feeling in his pockets.
"Yes," the snakelike voice crooned. "That stone is the key to fulfilling both of our greatest wish. Together we can bring your family back. I will give you back everything taken from you, and a place at my side when ascend to my rightful place above the filth of this world! I will give you what you most desire! And all you have to do, is give me the Stone!"
'Desire,' the word rang deeply in Harry's head, and he despite his situation felt a sliver of amusement. 'Erised,' he snorted, realizing something for the first time. 'I'm an idiot,' Harry thought, chuckling at the bitter irony. Erised was desire spelt backwards.
He was pinned to the Mirror of Desire, the very mirror he'd seen his parents in. Professor Dumbledore's warning about the mirror now came back to him sharper than ever. 'This Mirror provider neither knowledge or Truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they've seen. The mirror will be given a new home tomorrow, I trust you will not go looking for it.'
Harry bowed his head in shame, the beginnings of tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. A trap! He had been so stupid; it was a trap; it had been a trap all along. The Mirror would have trapped Voldemort and Quirrell, allowing the strongest wizard to ever live to deal with them at his leisure. Maybe the old wizard hadn't known Voldemort was behind it, but looking back it had been obvious that he'd been aware of the thief.
And hadn't he just bungled it up wonderfully, Harry cursed himself as he wriggled in his invisible bonds. Had he just been a little smarter, a little stronger than he wouldn't have been in this mess. If he hadn't been so weak then the monster in front of him wouldn't have had the opportunity to get the Stone.
'Unless.'
Harry felt the cool glass of the mirror against his back, could the Stone be returned to the mirror? He'd pulled it out somehow hadn't he, could he put it back. Harry had just enough slack in his bonds to slip his hand into the pocket containing the Philosophers Stone. His fingers closed around the smooth red gem; he was dead either way. But if this worked at least Voldemort wouldn't have a chance to get his body back.
"I find myself losing my patience boy!" Voldemort snarled his red eyes gleaming in the chambers dim light. "Perhaps you need a demonstration of my power? CRUCIO!"
Quirrell's arm snapped up in a twisted gesture, and all at once Harry's entire world was pain.
Excruciating agony, ripped through his body like lightning! His muscles burned, and his blood boiled in his veins. His limbs contorting as his body twisted agonizingly in his mystical bonds. Distantly over the rushing sound of blood in his ears Harry thought he heard someone screaming. No not someone, it was him! After what felt like an eternity yet was probably mere moments the pain suddenly ceased. Harry gasped, sucking in air violently through a raw throat. The metallic taste of blood tinged his saliva as he coughed, his invisible bindings unable to even let him slump forward in relief from the pain.
"Now do you understand Potter?" Voldemort sneered. "There is no good and evil here, there is only Power and those with the strength to take it."
Harry didn't reply as he continued to breathe heavily, his fingers curling ever more tightly around the Stone in his pocket.
"Well," Voldemort's high cold voice rang in his ears with a false veneer of calm, "What is your answer!?"
With effort that felt as if he were rolling a boulder up a mountain, Harry lifted his head. Slipping the stone out of his pocket, sweat beaded on his brow as he stared into those red snakelike eyes defiantly. "Come and take it!"
He slammed the Stone against the glass behind him, Harry's heart sank when it didn't slip in like he had hoped. Yet, Instead of the sound of cracking glass a thunderous roar sounded through the chamber as a bolt of red lightning crashed from where the Stone had met the Mirror! It flashed from the mirror towards the body of the possessed defense professor. With surprising swiftness Voldemort flung himself to the side just as the red bolt struck the ground, obliterating the stone tiles where he'd just been standing
The wraith's eyes widened in disbelief at where he'd been standing just a moment ago. His red gaze snapped to Harry's for the first time utterly nonplussed. "What do you think you're doing boy!"
Ignoring his own shock at the unexpected event, Harry glared at him and smashed the stone against the Mirror once more. The mirror cracked again and the sound of thunder rolled through the room as great bolts of red lightning flashed out from where the stone met the breaking glass. Whatever was happening between the two powerful Magical objects it was not something the dark wizard wanted or expected.
Harry smirked and slammed Stone down again.
One of Quirrell's hands lashed out to stop him, a bolt of yellow light flashing from his fingers towards Harry, only to be met by a bolt of scarlet lightning with a loud gong! Quirrell's face paled, "Master?!" He called out fearfully, "What is this magic!?"
"NO QUESTIONS! STOP HIM! STOP HIM YOU FOOL!" Unwillingly Quirrell's body launched itself across the room and seized him by the throat as his other had scrabbled to take the stone from Harry's hands. Pain seared through Harry's scar and for a moment he nearly dropped the stone as he screamed in agony. He wasn't the only one who did.
"AAAGH!" Quirrell reared back, falling to his knees in pain. Harry brought the stone down again, eyes wide as he took in Quirrell's hand. The skin blackened and blistering before his eyes. Even with this insight Harry brought the Stone down again, Harry could feel the cracks in the glass creep up behind his back, the lightning and thunder now joined by the sound of roaring wind. A great pressure was building up behind him, Harry didn't know what was happening but anything was better than Voldemort getting his body back.
"STOP HIM," Voldemort's high voice screeched, "SEIZE HIM!"
"But Master," Quirrell's' agony filled voice was barely audible above the gale. "M-My hands," He cradled the blistered and rapidly blackening limb pitifully.
"THEN KILL HIM! KILL HIM AND BE DONE WITH IT!"
Quirrell rose to his feet his seizing Harry's throat once again, healthy hand raised to cast a deadly curse!
As the familiar agony of his scar ripped through him, Harry brought down the Stone one more time.
All at once the world seemed to stand still. No lightning flashed, or thunder boomed. Time itself seemed to hold its breath.
The Mirror shattered!
Immediately the invisible bindings holding Harry to the glass vanished and he instinctively seized the Mirrors frame.
An explosive roar echoed through the room as a Great Wind blew through the broken Mirror. It filled the room with a great suction centered on the now empty frame of the Mirror of Erised, like water swirling down a plughole.
The wind pulled Harry's lower body into the now empty gap where the glass had been, his fingers gripped against the frame as he held on for dear life. Harry looked down at his feet and swallowed; where he should have seen the back wall of the Chamber there was great expanse of blue. Almost as if he was looking down at the clear sky.
Quirrell was instantly ripped off his feet and sucked through the empty frame. He flew past Harry with a shrill scream as he plummeted, yet at the last possible second, his good hand grabbed a hold of Harry's pant leg. Harry could help but yelp as the sudden weight made his already precarious grip slip even more.
"I WILL NOT BE DENIED POTTER!" Voldemort screamed over the raging wind. "I WILL HAVE MY DESIRE; THIS WILL NOT STOP ME!"
"LET GO OF ME!" Harry screamed back, kicking at the Defense Professors grip.
A further scream of rage filled the wind and a great black shadow erupted from the man's body! It rushed upwards, fighting against the howling wind. Two great red pits bored into Harry's eyes from within the darkness as it tried to escape the Mirrors pull. Another searing pain rocked its way through Harry's skull leaving him seeing white stars behind his eyes. It was all he could do to maintain his death grip on the mirrors outer frame, a single slip up and he would be sent plunging into the void below.
Whatever power the Shadow had on his scar however, it was nothing compared to the inexorable pull the Mirror. Inch by bloody inch it was dragged further and further away into the blue below. "THIS ISN'T THE END POTTER," the Shadow howled the howling gale distorting its billowing form, "THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING! I WILL TAKE EVERYTHING YOU LOVE! I WILL MAKE YOU WATCH EVERYTHING YOU CARE WITHER AND CRUMBLE BEFORE YOUR EYES!!! I WILL TEAR YOUR LOVED ONES APART, LIMB FROM LIMB! AND ONLY THEN WILL YOU DIE! SCREAMING!!" With a final ear-splitting inhuman screech Voldemort's Shadow was swept away into the blue beyond and Harry's sight.
Quirrell looked down at the blue void below them staring after his master, and then back up at Harry his eyes filled with wonder.
Suddenly he laughed, "YOU COULD HAVE HAD IT ALL! IMMORTALITY, WEALTH, POWER! YOU COULD HAVE HAD THE WORLD, BOY! AND YOU JUST THREW IT ALL AWAY!?"
"WHAT DO YOU NEED POWER FOR!?" Harry shouted back, not really thinking as he tried to pull himself up over the edge of the mirror. He felt his heart skip a beat as his grip slipped further in the attempt.
It was no use. The suction was too strong, and with the weight of a full-grown man latched onto his leg it was all he could to keep his fingertips from slipping any further. The faces of his friends, Ron, Hermione, Neville and countless others flashed through his mind. All of them would have been in danger, if Voldemort was allowed to return. Even the Dursley's with the way they treated him didn't deserve what Voldemort would do to them. He had to protect them. All of them!
A ripping noise drew his attention back down. Quirrell's face had gone pale as he watched the fabric of Harry's trouser leg begin to tear. Looking down the formerly possessed man laughed again, the hints of hysteria appearing as he realized his fate. "Why do I need power, indeed?" He murmured, his voice barely audible over the wind.
Suddenly he snapped his gaze back up, locking eyes with the boy he'd only moments ago tried to murder in cold blood. "Harry," he said, his voice calm and eyes clear for the what seemed like the first time. "I… I'm—."
With a final tearing sound, the fabric gave way and Harry watched as the Defense Professor fell into the void, the man's face was oddly peaceful as he went. His body soon became a spot of darkness on the canvass of blue below and in moments both Harry's teacher and the demon possessing him were gone.
Harry breathed out harshly, it was over. He looked out into the chamber one last time; he didn't have much strength left in his fingers. Tears began to well up in his eyes, it wasn't fair. Why did he have to go, why couldn't he hold on to anything good in his life? First his parents, now Hogwarts and his friends. Was he that weak? What good was power if you couldn't save yourself?
Just then a loud shout reached his ears and he watched wide-eyed as a familiar white bearded wizard struggled through the black flames at the chambers entrance. Professor Dumbledore had arrived, and for one brief moment Harry's heart leapt for joy at his incoming rescue.
But even the greatest wizard alive was powerless against the forces Harry had unwittingly unleashed.
Instantly caught up by the wind Professor Dumbledore conjured a large spike which he slammed deep into the stone floor. Bracing his feet against the spike, the old wizard looked around the room with a mixture of horror and wonder. Without an anchor he would have been just as powerless to resist the mirrors hunger as Voldemort had been. Harry caught the headmasters' blue eyes, and immediately knew what would happen. If anyone tried to move any closer, they would be torn from what footing they had and hurled into whatever place the Mirror of Erised had thrown Voldemort.
"HARRY!" Dumbledore shouted, "HOLD ON!" His hair and beard whipped around violently in the wind.
Harry looked from the headmaster to his fingers, they were bone white and his muscles were screaming with the strain. They both knew the truth, Dumbledore wouldn't be able to make it in time, and would probably suffer Professor Quirrell's fate if he tried to move from where he was anchored. He looked back and met the old man's blue care filled, fearful eyes; is this what it was like to see a grandparent for the first time, Harry wondered.
Harry closed his eyes knowing what he had to do, tears gathered at the corner of his eyes.
"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough, sir." He opened his eyes, letting his tears fall into the void below.
"HARRY?" Dumbledore shouted again, fear filling his voice. "HARRY NO!!"
He let go.
And Harry Potter fell into open sky.