Until The End

Until The End

Chapter 17: The Devil Has Awoken

"First, think. Second, dream. Third, believe. And finally, dare."

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V:

The Secret Dueller's Room – Sunday, May 4th, 1992 (7:15 a.m.)

"How's the Conjuration work going?" Xavier asked as he walked over to Ron.

"It's going bloody shit, mate. I've completely lost my practice on Conjuration. I can't even conjure rocks anymore. I'm going to have to come back to it later," Ron replied with a frustrated frown.

"Yeah, I might start on Conjuration and more complex Transfiguration spells next year or so," Xavier supplied, and he withdrew his wand.

"I mean, I can conjure flowers," Xavier stated. "Orchideous."

A bouquet of flowers bloomed from the tip of Xavier's wand, and Ron smirked.

"Same here, mate," Ron said, and he replicated Xavier's action. "I just need to get back on track with conjuring things like rocks and whatnot."

"Yeah, fair enough," Xavier responded, and Ron stretched his arms.

"I'm going to go hit the showers. Breakfast is going to be served in like forty-five minutes," Ron informed. Xavier nodded and Ron exited out of the secret room, via the painting.

"Reparo," Xavier mumbled as he pointed his wand towards the wrecked dummies. Xavier walked back over to the couch and sat down with a sigh. There was a thing that Xavier had been wanting to try dubiously, but he was slightly reluctant at the same time.

Among his many secrets, Xavier had one that he particularly wasn't sure of. And that was that he could understand snakes.

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V: (Flashback)

Wool's Orphanage – The weekend, 1990

"Have you explored the forests before, Xavier?" Vivian asked, flashing Xavier her sweet smile that seemed to be reserved for only him. That smile… Xavier would never forget it…

"No, not really," Xavier answered curtly. "I normally stay in my room."

"Well, you look like you need some fresh air," Vivian tutted, a sly grin forming on her face. "It's the weekend; let us enjoy it and have fun before the weekdays arrive and force us back into our normal routines."

"Us?" Xavier questioned, cocking an eyebrow. Vivian simply blushed and all but dragged Xavier outside into the immensely spacious backyard of the orphanage. Children of all ages were scattered around, chatting to each other, running around, some reading their books peacefully under a tree and some climbing the trees.

"You want to go in there?" Xavier asked reluctantly, pointing over to the woods that didn't seem to end.

"Is that fear I detect?" Vivian asked playfully, and Xavier simply smirked.

"Let's explore, shall we?" Xavier proposed. Vivian smiled brightly and led him towards the forests. As Vivian droned on about her favourite book, A Tale of Two Cities, Xavier simply studied her, taking note of her shining emerald-green eyes, her light brown, flowing hair, and her charismatic aura. Why she decided to befriend him was beyond him, but for the first time, he decided to return the gesture and become friends with her too.

"Ooh, look at these flowers!" Vivian squealed and the two inspected the elegant purple flowers that waved in the light breeze.

"Foxglove flowers?" Xavier said, and she nodded.

"Yes, apparently they-"

Vivan's voice seized immediately, and Xavier followed her frightened gaze. He instantly pulled her behind him; a brown snake slithered through the little creek behind the flowers and fixated its narrowed stare on Xavier and Vivian.

"Oh, it's just a grass snake, Vivian," Xavier replied with a sigh of relief. "It's not venomous to us-"

"Smart boy…" Xavier froze. Did that snake… just talk?

"Xavier, what's wrong?" Vivian asked softly, clinging closely to his arm. Xavier didn't even register her touch.

"Yes, boy, what is wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?" the snake hissed, and Xavier backed away slightly.

"Let's leave the snake alone and go," Xavier muttered, and he turned his back to the snake and left. Vivian followed him closely and Xavier could feel her eyes right on his back.

Xavier shook his head, bringing himself back to the presence. He pushed his oncoming memories of Vivian away and focused solely on his wand. I shouldn't think about her… not anymore anyway…

"Serpensortia," Xavier chanted and when he directed his wand at the floor in front of him, a slim, brown snake shot out and landed on the floor. The snake looked around, studying its surroundings before focusing its reptilian eyes on Xavier.

"Well, well, what do we have here…" the snake hissed, and Xavier's eyes widened in shock. So, I wasn't imagining things that day… I can understand snakes…

"Can you understand me?" Xavier slowly asked, not realizing that he was hissing back. It was the snake's turn to be shocked. The snake then slithered closer to Xavier and if the dark-skinned boy wasn't mistaken, the snake had a curious look.

"You speak my tongue?" the snake asked, and Xavier nodded with uncertainty. "I've never spoken to a human with such an ability… tell me, what is your name, boy?"

"My name is Xavier Desmond. Do… do you have a name?" Xavier questioned. I can't believe what's happening…

"Of course, boy, you can call me Amethyst," the snake hissed back. Xavier suddenly heard the entrance to the secret room open and he looked back to the snake.

"It was nice meeting you, Amethyst. I hope that I can talk to you again," Xavier hissed, and he aimed his wand at the snake.

"Vipera Evanesca," Xavier muttered, and the snake disappeared. Ron then barged into the room with a frown.

"Bloody Blaise had just entered the showers when I got to the Dorm," Ron supplied with an annoyed look. Xavier simply smirked and got up.

"You can keep practicing on Stupefy. I'm going on a walk, so I'll be back," Xavier suggested, and Ron nodded.

"Good idea, mate. See you later," Ron said, and Xavier shot him a parting nod, before leaving through the painting. Xavier had lied of course; he needed to get to the library and educate himself about Parseltongues. I just spoke to a snake… an actual snake… and I understood every single word of it… we even exchanged names!

Xavier entered the library and after five minutes of searching intently, he grabbed a book titled 'Languages of the Magical World' and sat down by a secluded table.

Xavier opened the book and flipped the pages, passing the languages of the Merpeople, Goblins, Veelas, Centaurs, Dragons, and he stopped on the page about Parseltongues. All right, let's see…

Parseltongue is the language of the snakes and serpents, as well as other magical serpentine creatures, such as the Basilisk, the Runespoor, the Horned Serpent, and the Sea Serpent. A witch or wizard who can understand and speak Parseltongue is regarded as a Parselmouth. It is a very uncommon skill, and a witch or wizard may possess this ability through an exclusive hereditary trait. Nearly all Parselmouths in Wizarding Europe are descendants of Salazar Slytherin himself, who was an extremely skilled Parselmouth, even earning the title 'Serpent-Tongue'.

The discovery of the language of Parseltongue was credited by the notable alchemist and medical genius, Paracelsus, though he stated in his works that he believed that the first original Parselmouths came from witches and wizards in Magical South Asia, specifically India.

Snake-charming, a delicate muggle art founded in India, where a man or woman hypnotizes a snake with the use of an instrument called the Pungi, quickly made its way to Indian witches and wizards. The Indians created the Snake Summoning Spell as well as its counter spell, the Snake Vanishing Spell. They began to learn to communicate and understand the snake's language and over time, the Parseltongue language was invented, with the first Parselmouths reigning from India. Paracelsus commented that witnessing such skill performed by Indian witches and wizards simply amazed him.

Xavier put the book down and rubbed his forehead tiredly. So, Parseltongue, which originated from India, is an uncommon skill that may come from an exclusive hereditary trait… Wait… does this mean I'm related to Salazar Slytherin? Is that why I'm in Slytherin? But, if I have it, does that mean one of my parents did? Both of my parents were in Gryffindor… Fuck, this makes no sense…

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

The Great Hall – Friday, June 20th, 1992 (12 p.m.)

The last month had brought a sense of anguish upon not only the Slytherin Prodigy Duo and the Golden Trio, but the whole student body. The fifth years had been prepping anxiously for their O.W.L's, and the seventh years were studying with determination for their N.E.W.T's. The Prefects and the older students, specifically Percy, had become snappish with the younger students as they needed peace and quiet for their study time. Luckily for them, the other year levels were facing their end-of-year exams as well, so a period of studying heavily and revising cautiously fell upon every student of Hogwarts. The professors piled homework on top of homework, and the ghosts of Hogwarts floated around, encouraging the student.

Preparing and going over notes for the upcoming exams wasn't a big deal for either Ron or Xavier. What made them feel stressed was their upcoming mission; destroying the Philosopher's Stone alongside their three Gryffindor friends before the Dark Lord could get a hold of it.

All the while Ron and his friends helped each other study for the exams, the last Quidditch match of the season came with the result of Gryffindor winning, thanks to Harry Potter's spectacular performance. And though it did bring galleons for Ron, Xavier, Theo, and Blaise, Gryffindor was now second on the leader board for House points. Slytherin still dominated in the first place, while Ravenclaw followed Gryffindor's tail closely and Hufflepuff filled the bottom spot. Erik and Selene wouldn't stress enough to the duo that even one House point counted and to not stop earning points from the professors.

The Transfiguration exam consisted of going over four practical lessons and demonstrating it: turning a match into a needle, turning mice into snuffboxes, displaying the Switching Spell and finally, transfiguring a desk into a pig and back.

The Herbology exam consisted of talking about magical properties in a Spiky Bush, Wormwood, and the Devil's Snare. Both Theo and Neville had helped separately, and it definitely paid off.

The Charms exam was, in Ron's opinion, the most interesting. Professor Flitwick beckoned over students in order of names and asked each one to attribute animation to an inanimate object. The task was to simply make a pineapple tap-dance.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts was the easiest examination for Ron as it consisted of demonstrating the Knockback Jinx, the Verdimillious Charm, along with its extended versions, Verdimillious Duo and Verdimillious Tria, the Smokescreen Spell, and writing an essay on Ghosts, Ghouls, and Gytrashes. Both Ron and Xavier had mastered said spells and had revised their notes on these spirits.

The History of Magic had been quite a stressful one as it involved a time-consuming amount of revision. The exam consisted of writing an essay on Emeric the Evil, Uric the Oddball, Elfric the Eager, and discussing the invention of the Self-Stirring Cauldron. Ron was sure that his hand would fall off by midway through the exam.

And last, but not least, the Astronomy exam was pretty much simple in itself. The first-year students had to observe and write down the movements of Jupiter and name its many moons. Blaise had been quite the help when preparing for their Astronomy exam.

The first-years had finished with their Potions exams, which was to successfully brew an Herbicide Potion. It was completed in total silence, while the Potions Master walked between and took down note of each student's methods.

"Ah, next week means no classes," Theo said with a tired but fulfilled expression.

"I'm so glad it's done," Pansy moaned as she pulled food onto her plate.

"I swear Snape was breathing down on our necks every spare second he had," Xavier remarked, and everyone nodded fervently with his statement. Fucking right he did, I almost lost focus when I could feel his hot breath on my neck!

"How did you all think you went?" Ron asked as he cut his steak.

"I almost added five lionfish spines, but I caught myself just in time," Tracey answered with a happy sigh.

"Did you lot see how he acted with the Gryffindors?" Blaise asked, an amused smirk planted on his face. Bloody hell mate, he glared at Neville for three minutes straight! He then tutted when Hermione was working too fast and when she slowed down, he told her to hurry up!

"I kind of felt bad for them," Millie admitted, glancing over to the Gryffindor table. "Professor Snape made it ten times worse for them to even stir their cauldron."

"How did you go, Daph?" Xavier asked as he ate his salad. "Did you get the Herbicide Potion perfectly?"

"I believe so," Daphne responded as she rubbed her forehead. "The end result was for it to look green and that's what my potion looked like."

Ron looked over to the Gryffindor table and when he caught Hermione looking from her lunch, he locked his eyes with her. She gave a nod, and he returned it. The plan is still on…

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V:

Slytherin Common Room – Friday, June 20th, 1992 (10:30 p.m.)

Xavier and Ron waited patiently by the crackling fire in their cold and damp common room, sitting there until the time was right. Their friends had already retired to their respective Dorms, and the common room was quiet and vacant; only the two prodigies occupied it.

"Tempus," Ron muttered, and his wand emitted black sparks that formed into the current time – 10:30 p.m.

"Yeah, it's time, mate," Xavier said, and the two stood up.

"We'll use the Disillusionment Charm on ourselves, while Harry, Nev, and Hermione use the invisibility cloak," Ron reminded, and Xavier nodded.

"Xavier," Ron started, and his best mate faced him. "Whatever happens tonight… um, just know that you're the best mate I could have ever asked for and I will put my life on the line for you, Harry, Nev, and Hermione."

Xavier stared at his best mate for a few seconds, and he nodded strongly. The two understood the severity of the situation; they were going to destroy the artifact that the Dark Lord was after and so their mission was going to be dangerous.

"Same goes for you, brother. I will put my life on the line for you and our Gryffindor friends," Xavier promised, and the two boys shook hands firmly and came in for a man-hug.

"Let's do this," Xavier said, and he took out his wand. "Dissimulato."

Ron followed suit and once the two made sure that they were under the effects of the Disillusionment Charm, they quietly and quickly made their way out of the common room and to the third floor, where they would cross paths with the Golden Trio.

The duo was able to make it to the third floor with no altercations and as they traveled down the forbidden corridor, they heard the voices of their fellow Gryffindor allies.

"Can you see them?" hissed Hermione.

"Maybe they are not here yet-"

"Boo!" Xavier and Ron both simultaneously removed their Disillusionment Charms. They heard a gasp, a sharp intake of breath, and a frightened squeak, which no doubt came from Hermione.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?!" Hermione shrieked as Harry tugged the cloak off him, Neville, and Hermione. That was too funny!

"Did you hear the noises they made?" Ron asked as he laughed his head off.

"Sounded like someone dying!" Xavier exclaimed as he wheezed in laughter.

"Blimey, you two nearly gave me a heart attack," Harry mumbled, his eyes still wide as saucepans. Neville looked as pale as a ghost.

"Never again!" Hermione huffed, looking extremely vexed with the two Slytherins.

"Oh, come on, Mione, that was funny!" Ron said while Neville let out a shaky chuckle.

"Stop laughing, Ronald Weasley, and don't call me that!" Hermione demanded, making Ron laugh even harder. "You too, Xavier Desmond!"

"All right, all right, let's all calm down, shall we?" Xavier agreed, his laughter dying. "We've already made enough noise, so we've got to act fast and do what we came here to do."

"All right, let's go," Harry said with a firm nod. After Ron stopped sniggering and Neville composed himself, the five set off to the door which would lead them to the Cerberus. Before they entered the door, Xavier stopped them and looked at each one of them.

"There's a Harp inside the room. It can put the Cerberus to sleep, and we'll then sneak into the trapdoor, all right?"

His friends all nodded and with that, Xavier opened the door, letting him and his friends enter the room and he shut the door behind him. The Cerberus had been resting until it heard the door close and as it slowly opened its eyes, Xavier quickly began to strum the elegant strings of the golden Harp that was stationed on the side.

The Cerberus' eyes began to drift away, hypnotized into sleep by the angelic sounds of the Harp and once it relaxed, Xavier enchanted the Harp to continuously play.

"Well done!" Hermione complimented, beaming at Xavier.

"Yeah mate, you made it seem like it was natural," Ron added in, and Xavier shrugged. Harry and Nev both patted him on the back.

"Let's go," Xavier suggested quietly and the five made their way over to the trapdoor.

Harry opened it and jumped in, followed by Ron, then Xavier, then Hermione, and finally Neville. They all landed on something spongy, but dense and stiff at the same time and each of them emitted a grunt when landing onto this unknown floor.

"Oww…" Hermione groaned, massaging her arm.

"Where are we?" Harry asked. The particular room was darker and eerie, and so no one had a bloody clue.

"I don't know, mate-" Xavier started but he stopped immediately when he felt something cold and uncomfortable wrap around his legs. WHAT THE FUCK?!

"What the hell!" Ron yelled; the other four had been encountered with the same feeling of mysterious tentacles wrapping around their bodies.

"What do we do?!" Harry shouted. Fuck, are these snakes or something?! I'm not about to die in this place-

"Everyone, calm down!" came Neville's loud voice. "This is Devil's Snare! If you move more, it will wrap around you faster!" Devil's Snare? Shit, it is!

"Help me!" Hermione suddenly shrieked and that was when flames of blue erupted, making the weird tentacles shrink away instantly and it released Xavier, who landed on the ground. Fucking Merlin!

"Lumos Maxima!" Xavier chanted, and his wand created a huge burst of light, emanating the room. Xavier looked up to see his friends dropping to the ground and the Devil's Snare shriveling up speedily.

"Are you guys all right?" Xavier asked as he ran to his friends.

"Yeah," Ron muttered, while Neville helped Harry and Hermione to their feet.

"Mate, you saved us!" Harry beamed happily, and he patted Neville on the back firmly.

"See, Neville, you are talented!" Hermione praised, and Neville blushed.

"Thanks, guys," Neville replied sheepishly, joy written all over his face.

"You used Bluebell Flames, right?" Xavier asked as he helped Ron up. Neville nodded and the Slytherins shot him an equally impressed smile.

"Blimey, mate, that was quick thinking on your part," Ron exclaimed, patting Neville's shoulder.

"Your intelligence of Herbology saved us today, don't ever forget that," Xavier added in, and Neville smiled widely at his two Slytherin friends. To think that Malfoy bullies Nev… Fucking Malfoy would cry and run home to his parents, while Neville faced a whole floor of Devil's Snare… Pfft, Malfoy really ain't shit.

"There's an exit over there," Ron pointed out and they all looked over to the Hallway that spiraled down. Torches were fixated on the stone walls with miniature flames flickering.

"Let's go. Nox," Xavier muttered, effectively turning Lumos Maxima off. The five traveled down the stone stairs of the spiraling passageway and entered another chamber that was lit brightly. The beautiful chamber had enchanted keys that whizzed around, and the five couldn't help but stare in wonder. This castle really is something else… Like, where even are we?

"Hogwarts really is amazing," Ron mumbled.

"I know right," Hermione said, her eyes widened in awe. Xavier gazed around the room and his eyes landed on a padlocked door at the other side. These chambers… there all tests…

"Guys…" Xavier started, and everyone looked at him. "These rooms… there are all testing our knowledge and our quick wit of trying to move onto the next."

"You're right," Hermione agreed. "And only God knows how many more rooms there are left."

"All right, I think I know what we need to do," Harry said firmly. "There's a padlocked door at the other end of the room and there a couple of brooms to our side. We just have to fly around and find the right key."

"And luckily for us, we have a brilliant Seeker," Ron commented, and Harry grinned.

"Guess it's your turn, mate," Xavier said with a smirk. Harry grabbed one of the brooms and hoped on. He then flew into the crowd of various keys that fluttered by with the wings supporting it.

"Accio door-key," Ron tried, but there was no effect.

"There must be a protective charm on the keys," Hermione mused, and Xavier nodded.

"Let's just wait for Harry to find it," Neville spoke up.

After two minutes, Harry's eyes locked onto a particular key that had a damaged wing and once he caught it, he flew back down, gripping the key that was desperately trying to release itself from Harry's tight hold.

Xavier and his friends watched as Harry slid the key into the padlock and when he turned the key to its right once, the padlock came loose and fell to the ground.

"Bravo, mate," Ron commended. Nev and Hermione applauded for Harry, and Xavier shot him a nod.

"Thanks, guys," Harry muttered, the tip of his ears turning red from the praise.

"Onto the next," Xavier declared, and he opened the door. The five marched into another dark room but as soon as Neville shut the door behind him, the chamber lit up, revealing a giant chessboard with pieces that stood taller than any men.

"Bloody hell…" Ron murmured; his eyes widened in shell shock.

"Well, mate, this is your forte," Xavier pointed out, shooting Ron a grin. It's like these rooms were specifically designed for us… music is my specialty, Neville loves plants, Harry is brilliant at flying and Ron is a legend at chess!

"They look so intimidating," Hermione noted, eyeing the large statues. Ron simply laughed and he walked over to the chessboard, examining every inch of it.

"This is bloody wicked!" Ron exclaimed in awe.

"This is probably the test for this chamber. You have to win a game of chess," Harry theorized, almost as awed as Ron.

"Wait, will this be like actual Wizard's Chess?" Neville questioned, his eyes widening from the thought of Ron getting bashed ruthlessly.

"It doesn't matter, Nev. I will play this game and I will win. The Stone needs to be destroyed. I will be fine," Ron reassured, and Nev nodded slowly.

"Be careful," Hermione said worriedly, and Ron flashed her a smile before walking to the side of the board.

"Um, Ron, I think that you need to actually on the board," Xavier informed, and Ron gaped.

"ON the board? Bloody hell…" Ron mumbled, some stress marrying his face.

"Don't worry, mate, we believe in you," Xavier reassured truthfully, while the Gryffindors nodded vigorously. "You can win this easily."

Ron seemed to gain some morale and confidence from Xavier's words, and he faced the chess pieces with a brave expression.

"Let's play some chess," Ron said and once he took the position as a black knight, the game began. Xavier and his friends watched as Ron battled against the other side. Xavier couldn't help but notice the sheer concentration on Ron's face as the red-haired boy conjured up different strategies that would work in his favour. Ron sacrificed many Pawns, but shot back, taking pieces like the Rooks and Bishops from the opposing side.

To everyone's absolute pride and proudness, Ron had won the game, effectively making the white side fold over to him.

"Bloody brilliant, mate!" Xavier exclaimed as Ron walked over to them with a look of relief.

"That was amazing, Ron!" Hermione squealed happily, while Ron shook hands with Harry and Nev.

"That was intense," Ron said as he let out a breath of solace. "Let's go, another door has appeared."

They all looked over to the end of the room and saw another doorway awaiting them. They took no time in quickly entering the door and a table was set in the middle of the room. Seven bottles, all consisting of different colours and sizes were stationed on the table.

"Ugh, another test," Harry groaned, starting to get tired of the multiple tests.

"You don't say, mate," Xavier remarked. Hermione walked over to the table and began to read a piece of parchment that was attached to the table, and she slowly smiled.

"This is brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed. "It's a test of logic. It's a riddle!"

The four wizards left Hermione to her solving of the riddle, all oddly amused about her ecstatic behaviour. Xavier then stared at the door on the other side room that awaited them. There was a black fire that protected the door from anyone who tried to get past it, and it would no doubt disappear when Hermione would solve the riddle. We've got to be close by now…

"I've got it!" Hermione exclaimed after five minutes. Yes, finally…

"All right, what do we have to do?" Neville asked, his brow furrowed. Hermione took the bottle with the purple liquid and held it in the air.

"This bottle will allow us to go onto the next room," Hermione informed, and she then pointed over to the bottle with green liquid. "That one will take you back."

"Nice one, Hermione," Xavier complimented, and Hermione smiled in appreciation.

"All right, who wants to drink it?" Ron asked as he held the bottle with the purple liquid.

"I think you three should take it," Neville suggested, looking between Xavier, Harry, and Ron. "You three are probably the strongest."

"I agree," Hermione backed up in honesty. "Nev and I will hang back, in case someone else comes."

"Are you two sure?" Harry asked slowly, and the two Gryffindors nodded.

"Fair enough, here goes nothing," Ron said, and he drank a portion of the liquid. He passed the bottle over to harry, who copied Ron's action, and then passed it over to Xavier. Xavier drowned the remaining portion and placed the bottle back onto the table. The black fire disappeared, creating a way for the three to enter.

"Good luck!" Hermione said in a hushed tone, while Neville nodded to his three mates. Harry smiled at them, Ron gave a thumbs-up, and Xavier nodded back. Let's get the Stone!

The trio entered the room and closed the door behind them, only to smell a putrid smell, much to their displeasure. What the fuck is that?

"Ugh…" Harry groaned, but his eyes widened like tennis balls when a low growl came from the dark. The trio immediately whipped out their wands and Harry cast a Lumos. The light from the tip of his wand outlined the figure of a Troll that was approaching the trio, whilst gripping its club tightly.

"Here we go again," Xavier muttered, rolling his eyes. Really? A Troll?

"Come to avenge your brothers from last Halloween, have you?" Ron remarked, and the Troll snarled.

"Confringo!"

"Expulso!"

"Flipendo!"

All three of them had shot spells at the foul creature, effectively knocking it out and exploding its body. Remains of the Troll splattered everywhere.

"Great teamwork, lads," Xavier said with an amused expression.

"Fuck, Trolls smell so bad," Ron grimaced.

"Let's hurry guys," Harry said urgently, blatantly trying to avoid eye contact with the blasted part of the Troll, and the three carefully made their way from the destroyed Troll and found themselves standing in front of another door. However, as the three each placed a hand on the door handle, it burned, making the three boys release their hold immediately.

"Bloody hell," Ron swore, frowning at the door.

"Fuck, I think only one of us can go on," Xavier provided, and he looked to Harry.

"It should be you, mate," Xavier stated, and Harry shot him an incredulous look.

"Why me?" Harry inquired, and Xavier placed a hand on the bespectacled boy's shoulder.

"Because, if the Dark Lord is already there, I reckon you should face him, mate. You should face the one who was the reason you grew up with no parents… who is now known as the boy-who-lived…" Xavier answered, staring firmly in Harry's emerald eyes.

"Xavier's right, mate. It only seems right that you go in there, not us. If you get the Stone, then destroy it, and if not, come back to us and we'll all try to destroy it together," Ron added in, and Harry nodded firmly.

"I'll see you two later," Harry promised and with one final nod, he departed, leaving the two Slytherins. Brave lad… good luck, my friend…

Harry Potter's P.O.V:

The Seventh Chamber – Friday, June 20th, 1992 (11:30 p.m.)

Harry anxiously walked down the steps of the seventh chamber, and he knew that the fate of the Stone was now entirely in his hands. I will get this Stone and destroy it!

Harry stopped abruptly when he saw a figure inspecting a familiar mirror. The Mirror of Erised…

"Ah, Potter, just the boy I've been waiting for," greeted the figure and when Harry came closer, he realised that it was Professor Quirrell himself.

"Xavier and Ron were right… you were after the Stone! I thought it was Snape at first-"

"Severus?" Quirrell asked, and he then laughed coldly. A laugh that didn't match him whatsoever. "Yes, Severus definitely seems like the type, doesn't he? Always swooping around like an overgrown bat. Who would s-s-suspect p-poor Quirrell c-compared to S-Snape?"

"Oh, but my friends did," Harry said, a victorious smirk on his face. "Xavier and Ron both saw through you from the start, and they convinced me and my friends that it was you who was trying to steal the Stone."

"Yes, my master warned me about those two," Quirrell muttered to himself. Master? Warned?

"So, it's true then?" Harry started, glaring at Quirrell. "You were behind my broom malfunctioning at that Quidditch game, weren't you?"

Quirrell laughed a cold, aloof laugh again. "Should have seen the panicked look on your face, Potter. And I would have succeeded had Severus not been there to do the Counter-Curse!"

"W-what?" Harry mumbled; he was gaping widely. Were Xavier and Ron right about that as well?

"Oh, you didn't know?" Quirrell asked, an irritated expression planted on his face. "That overgrown bat was trying to save you and we were battling it out until your friend, Miss Granger, set my robes on fire, effectively taking my attention off you."

"Snape was really trying to save me?" Harry murmured. But he hates me! Why would he save me?

"Why else do you think that he refereed for your next game?" Quirrell said coolly. "He clearly didn't want anything to happen, but no matter, Dumbledore was already attending the match. I took that opportunity to steal the Stone-"

"That failed miserably, didn't it?" Harry asked smugly, already knowing the answer. Quirrell glared hatefully at the boy-who-lived.

"I see that your Slytherin friends were behind the reason why that Cerberus bit my leg, weren't they?" Quirrell asked bitterly. Harry simply smirked.

"Slimy snakes," Quirrell spat out. "Always somehow in my business. They saved you and your lapdogs from those Trolls-"

"Why am I not surprised," Harry interjected, rolling his eyes. Ron and Xavier were right on all of their assumptions… Quirrell let those Trolls in… Quirrell jinxed my broom… Quirrell was after the Stone…

"I even jinxed one of the brooms on your first Quidditch lesson… and Mr. Longbottom had to be the one who took that broom," Quirrell said sourly, and Harry just gaped. Quirrell was behind that too?! Neville could have died because of that!

"You almost killed Neville-"

"Enough talk," Quirrell interjected, and he turned around to scrutinize the mirror. "This mirror is the key to finding the Stone."

"I heard you and Snape arguing," Harry blurted out, trying to distract Quirrell.

"Ah, yes," Quirrell replied softly. "Severus too was very suspicious of me… he warned me several times about choosing the 'right side'… none of that matters, I only follow my master who believes in power over the weak-willed."

"So why does Snape despise me then?" Harry bit out, a question that still burned in his mind.

"Well, your father and Severus went to school together. They truly despised each other… maybe that's why Severus hates you so much. But he never wanted you dead." Quirrell answered.

Harry paused to ponder those words. Snape hates me because of my dad? They went to school together and hated each other…

"Voldemort…" Harry suddenly grits out, realising who Quirrell kept talking about. "He's your master, isn't he?"

For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face.

"Yes, he is my Lord and the one who will rule this world," Quirrell started. "I am merely a weak servant. My Lord is a great wizard."

"So, you do have contact with him?" Harry inquired.

"He follows me wherever I go. He and I are one. I met him when I decided to travel the world. A foolish young man I was back then, I had absurd and ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. You see, there is no good nor evil, there is only the powerful and those who too weak to seek it." Quirrell informed quietly and he turned his focus back onto the mirror. Blimey… Voldemort has been with Quirrell everywhere he goes…

Quirrell cursed under his breath. "I don't understand… I see myself handing the Stone to my Lord… but how? I don't have it…"

"Use the boy… use the boy…" came a horrific voice, and Harry froze. It seemed to have come from Quirrell himself, though Quirrell did not speak those words.

"Of course, master," Quirrell said, and he faced Harry. "Potter, come here now."

Harry gulped and slowly approached the purple-robed wizard, knowing that he couldn't just run away. I must lie… I mean, I'll just see my parents, right?

Quirrell put two firm hands on Harry's shoulders and steered him over to the Mirror of Erised.

"Tell us what you see," Quirrell commanded. Us?

Harry then gazed into the mirror and as always, he saw himself and his two parents staring back. His mother was smiling radiantly, and his father wore a proud grin. But to Harry's absolute bewilderment, the Harry that stared back suddenly winked at him and reached into his right pocket and took out a luminous, pink stone. THE STONE!

Harry shifted around slightly and to his shock, something solid really was in his pocket. The Stone was somehow in his pocket and Harry had no time to even begin to dissect how the Stone was in his right pocket the whole time.

"Well?" Quirrell inquired impatiently. "What do you see?"

"I uh…" Harry started, and he gulped slightly. "I see myself… I am the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team… I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore-"

"He lies…" the mysterious voice hissed and Quirrell glared hatefully at Harry.

"SPEAK THE TRUTH!" Quirrell bellowed and Harry winced.

"Quirrell… let me speak with him…" the cold voice ordered.

"Master, you are too weak right now," Quirrell pointed out worriedly.

"No, I have enough strength… let me talk to the boy…" the cold voice commanded.

Quirrell sighed and then turned his back to Harry. He started to unravel his turban, and Harry felt as he was rooted in the spot. He felt as if the Devil Snare's had grasped hold of him…

The turban fell to the ground and what Harry saw turned his blood to ice. Another face stared back, it was chalk white and had two slits for a nose. Two gleaming red eyes stared greedily at Harry. What the hell…

"Harry Potter… the boy who lived…" the face whispered. Harry couldn't even scream; he was simply petrified into a trance of pure shock and fear. It's him… it's really him…

"V-Voldemort…" Harry muttered.

"Indeed…" the face spoke. "I am merely a spirit possessing a servant… faithful Quirrell has been drinking Unicorn blood for me and that has strengthened my form for the last three weeks… and now the Stone… hand it over, Potter."

So, he knew. He knew that the Stone was somehow miraculously in Harry's pocket. Harry took a step back and Quirrell followed.

"Don't be a fool, boy," the Dark Lord snarled. "Better to save your life and join me… a mistake your parents made…"

"LIAR!" Harry suddenly roared. He killed my parents…

Quirrell walked closer to Harry and the boy could see that the ugly face was smiling coldly.

"Bravery… I've always valued that trait… just like you parents… Yes, they were brave, boy… your father put up a courageous fight, no doubt to buy time for you and your mother to get out… Once I destroyed him, I reached your mother… I asked her to step aside, but she resisted… and so, I killed her…" Voldemort whispered venomously, and Harry felt a few tears slide down his cheek. He had to deal with the Dursleys all because of the Dark Lord… He had no loving parents because of the Dark Lord…

"I WILL NEVER GIVE YOU THIS STONE!" Harry bellowed and he wheeled around, bolting for the door at the top of the stairs.

"SEIZE HIM!" Voldemort screamed, and Harry heard Quirrell chasing him, gaining speed. As Quirrell reached out and grabbed onto Harry's wrist, a searing pain erupted from Harry's scar. AGHH, IT HURTS!

Quirrell immediately let go of Harry's wrist, and the pain lessened instantly. Harry looked around wildly to see what happened and to his surprise, Quirrell was kneeling on the floor, staring in horror at his fingers that were burning.

"SEIZE HIM!" Voldemort ordered once again, and Quirrell lunged at Harry. This time, Quirrell's hands landed on Harry's shoulders, but Quirrell screamed in agony as his hands began to slowly burn and disintegrate. WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?!

"Master, I cannot hold him-"

"Then kill him and be done with it!" Voldemort screeched and as Quirrell began to perform a curse, Harry, out of instinct, reached out and grabbed Quirrell's face. The purple-robed professor struggled in Harry's grip and began to scream for mercy.

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"

"Harry! Harry!"

The voices… they all began to combine, and Harry felt as if things were starting to drift away. Quirrell's screams were fading away, Voldemort's high-pitched orders were drifting away and those other voices… they were disappearing too…

Albus Dumbledore's P.O.V:

The Sixth Chamber – Saturday, June 21st, 1992 (12:15 a.m.)

Albus made his way into the sixth chamber, passing Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom who had been talking in hushed tones, and as he entered the seventh chamber of tests, he ignored the rancid smell of the dead Troll. He spotted Xavier Desmond and Ronald Weasley both laying against a wall and the two boys snapped wide awake when they spotted Albus.

"Headmaster!" Ronald exclaimed.

"Are you two boys hurt?" Albus asked, scrutinizing them carefully.

"No, we're fine, professor," Ronald reassured truthfully.

"Harry has gone inside, and it's been a while, Professor Dumbledore," Xavier informed, frowning slightly.

"Thank you for informing me, Mr. Desmond. I suggest you two leave this chamber while you can," Albus advised, patting the boys gently. He then faced the door and with his magic, he disabled the enchantments on the door and entered the chamber.

He traveled down the steps and he quickly shielded an unconscious Harry Potter. The Stone's liquid leaked out of Harry's pocket. The Stone has been destroyed… My dear boy…

He looked over to Quirrell, whose screams were starting to drown out as he crumbled into dust and bones. A spirit arose from the broken body of Quirrell, and it was none other than Voldemort.

"Tom," Albus greeted coldly. "I see that your methods of survival are your top priority. You are still nonchalant of your destruction."

"Foolish old man," Voldemort snarled, his red eyes glaring loathingly. "Even after all these years, you have remorse for the weak-willed…"

"Your destiny has changed its course yet again, Tom," Albus spoke calmly. "The Stone has no doubt been destroyed and you are yet again, a lonely spirit, manifested with hatred."

"DIE, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE!" Tom shrieked and the spirit charged towards Albus. You will not harm another soul, Tom Riddle!

Albus put up a powerful, immense shield, which protected him and Harry from the Dark Lord, and as the golden beams pushed Tom away, he growled dangerously and retreated back to the exit.

Lord Voldemort's P.O.V:

The Seventh Chamber – Saturday, June 21st, 1992 (12:20 a.m.)

Lord Voldemort screamed in pure rage; that insolent stuttering parasite had failed yet again to retrieve the Stone and the old man had turned up with his impeccable timing to protect his golden boy. I SHALL HAVE MY REVENGE!

Lord Voldemort burst into the sixth chamber, and he smiled evilly as two boys both aimed their wands at him. To his pleasure, it was none other than Ronald Weasley and Xavier Desmond. The two brats who were behind the reasons his plans failed countlessly. I shall possess one of them… yes, the Weasley brat...

Lord Voldemort dodged the explosive curses that were thrown by both boys, and he laughed maniacally as he charged towards the redhead brat. To his surprise, the Desmond brat threw himself in the way and Voldemort found himself on the way to now possess the Desmond brat instead of the Weasley brat. Voldemort ignored the screams of agony from the Desmond brat all the while the Weasley brat screamed for help. I must be quick!

Voldemort bypassed Desmond's automatic mind shields with ease and delved closer into his mind. Various memories came rushing forth to Voldemort and the Dark Lord decided to view a few.

In the first memory, Voldemort found himself standing in a familiar place. It can't be… the orphanage…

He was in the very same orphanage that he grew up in his youth. Why am I here?

The Dark Lord then heard a muffled scream come from behind him and he turned around to see a boy in his teens raping a younger girl. The girl was bound by ropes and the boy had covered her mouth with his hand as he took control over her. The girl hopelessly tried to fight against his weight, but there was no point. Silent tears leaked out of the girl's eyes as her face tightened in pain, and the older boy just continued, grunting through the night.

The Dark Lord then watched in surprise as the boy let out a pained grunt and fell to the ground of the woods. The Dark Lord took it upon himself to inspect the scene closer and realised that the boy was hit in the head with a large rock. As the boy's head began to bleed, another boy appeared from the woods, heading towards the roped girl. Though the boy had his face covered by his hood, the Dark Lord instantly recognised that it was the Desmond brat himself.

Desmond quickly untied the girl and sent her away. The girl quickly scurried away, and Desmond looked back to the bleeding older boy. Desmond then pulled out a shiv and dug it into the stomach of the boy. The boy was startled, and he let out an ear-splitting scream, but Desmond quickly silenced him with his hand. The older boy's eyes widened in fear, and Desmond simply removed his hood, revealing his twisted expression. The Dark Lord was… captivated, to say the least. How a younger boy seemed to stab an older boy with not even a single flick of remorse impressed the Dark Lord, much to his own bewilderment.

Desmond then struck again, going for the throat, and then for the heart. The older boy was now losing blood in severe amounts, but nothing could be done. The Desmond brat simply glanced back towards the towering orphanage buildings, and then dragged the crying older boy into the forest, disappearing into the deep trees.

The Dark Lord pulled himself out of that memory and he smirked evilly. The Desmond brat definitely was worthy of interest… not only did he and his partner in crime cause many issues for the Dark lord's plans, but the dark-skinned boy seemed to have a dark past in his early youth… and coincidentally, the boy had grown up in the very same orphanage Lord Voldemort attended when he was a young boy. Interesting indeed…

Another memory came forth and as Lord Voldemort took hold of it, he found himself standing in one of the rooms of the orphanage. The Desmond brat was wandlessly levitating his pencils and he then set them on fire. Voldemort could feel the poisonous rage emanating from Desmond and he smiled a lipless, cold smile. You will make a fine vessel…

Voldemort was about to observe another memory when everything suddenly disappeared. It was as if the boy had shut off and Voldemort stared into an oblivion void of pitch black. What happened?! Where am I?!

"Lord Voldemort… Tom Marvolo Riddle…" a disturbing, inhumane voice spoke, and Voldemort froze.

"WHO IS THIS?!" Voldemort bellowed. Though he would never admit it, a small pit of fear was starting to well up inside of him. What creature in this very universe could adopt such a horrid voice?

"You have escaped the hands of Death for far too long, Heir of Slytherin…" it spoke and its horrific, demonic voice made Voldemort's fear increase erratically. HEIR TO SLYTHERIN? TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE? IT KNOWS WHO I AM!

"You dare oppose the most powerful wizard to ever walk the planet?!" Voldemort screamed, and the demonic voice laughed mirthlessly.

"You are nothing but a mere mortal… driven by the will of a belief that you are immortal… YOU ARE NOTHING! FACE DEATH, TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE!" the voice screamed and suddenly, a ghostly outline of a figure appeared from the shadows in the very mind of the Desmond brat. It took the form of a large, black dog and it snarled horrifyingly. Its own crimson red eyes glared ferociously at Voldemort. I'VE GOT TO LEAVE! NOW!

The dog then leaped at Voldemort, snarling as a scorching pain erupted in Voldemort's spirit. IT'S KILLING ME!

"DIE, LORD VOLDEMORT!" The voice bellowed and Lord Voldemort screamed in anguish. It was like the monster was ripping Voldemort's spirit apart, piece by piece, and slowly, no doubt trying to make Voldemort feel the unbelievable pain.

And in that moment of soul-tearing pain, Voldemort realised that he was right as always. He had sensed something horribly wrong about Desmond's Magic back when Quirrell had run into Desmond and Weasley. Both boys had different signals and magic emanating from their very magical cores, and only now, Lord Voldemort understood that there was some demon sent from the underworld possessing Desmond's very soul.

"NEVER!" Voldemort bellowed and after somehow pushing the beast off him, Lord Voldemort retreated from the Desmond's brat soul and flew off, leaving the boy to collapse to the ground. That monster had torn Voldemort's soul apart and the Dark Lord was living by a mere thread.

Lord Voldemort howled viciously as he glided past another two kids who were crying and huddling each other in a corner. He ignored their shrieks of terror and continued on, screaming from his own endless pain. It was fucking unbearable, and Voldemort knew that he would have died in Desmond's mind to that horrific monster that was possessing the boy. CURSE DUMBLEDORE! CURSE POTTER! CURSE DESMOND! CURSE WEASLEY! CURSE THAT DEMON! CURSE THEM ALL! LORD VOLDEMORT SHALL HAVE HIS REVENGE, I SWEAR IT!

Severus Snape's P.O.V:

Snape's Office – Saturday, June 21st, 1992 (12:17 a.m.)

Severus sat behind his desk, marking the fifth year's O.W.L's and he felt tiredness evade his mind. He rubbed his temples softly but ignored the headache and continued marking the papers. His heart wasn't into marking the papers at the very moment, and he had the urge to relax a little and drink some fire whiskey.

Severus then got a startling shock when Albus' Phoenix, Fawkes, flashed in front of his eyes and squawked once. The magnificent bird released a note into Severus' hands, who quickly snatched it and read it.

Quirrell has gone after the Stone.

A.D

Severus incinerated the note and quickly put on his black robes. He understood every word of the little message by Albus and thus, Severus found himself leaving his office in a hurry and running full-tilt to the secret chambers. Severus made his way to the third corridor, rushed past the sleeping Cerberus, and continued heading to his destination, all the while a million thoughts raced around in his mind.

This was the moment that Albus and Severus had been patiently preparing for. Though Severus was asked to show restraint and only self-defense from the request of Albus, Severus knew that he would kill Quirrell the moment his eyes landed on him. The fate of the Wizarding World rested on the shoulders of the Potions Master and the Greatest wizard since Merlin. The Dark Lord couldn't come back… no, Severus couldn't let that happen… not ever… Severus even decided from the start to throw his own life onto the line just to assure the probability of the Dark Lord returning would never become an actual reality.

As Severus made his way into the chamber with Minerva's giant chessboard, a blood-curdling scream came from the other side of the room. What is that?!

To Severus' absolute horror, it was his old master. The Dark Lord's spectre flew past him, screaming in absolute agony and promising vengeance. Severus couldn't believe what he had just witnessed, and he gripped his left arm as the death-eater mark burner ferociously. What drove him to such measures?

"Professor!" came a cry for help, and Severus whipped around, ignoring the burning pain of his left arm. His eyes landed on his student, Ronald Weasley, running towards him. The red-haired boy looked as if he been sentenced to the Dementor's kiss, and the boy fell into Severus' arms. What in the name of Salazar Slytherin is my student doing here?!

"Explain yourself, Mr. Weasley!" Severus demanded, and the boy looked up to the tall, dark-robed professor with a dreadful expression. The red-haired boy simply pointed a shaking finger to the exit of the chamber.

"Xavier… he needs help…" Ronald coughed out, and he then collapsed in Severus' arms.

"Locomotor," Severus grit out, and Ronald's unconscious body lifted into the air. His headache had increased tenfold, but Severus had to serve his duty. Xavier Desmond… Ronald mentioned that he needed help…

Severus laid Ronald back onto the floor and made his way into his very own chamber. The exit of the fifth chamber was wide open, and as Severus stepped into the sixth chamber, his heart almost stopped. Granger and Longbottom were huddled together, crying over a slumped body. No… it can't be…

Severus shook himself out of his trance and he quickly approached the mangled, unconscious body, ignoring the two crying Gryffindors. It was Xavier Desmond indeed, and the dark-skinned boy was bleeding heavily. Severus recognised an uneven, inconsistent pulse and let out a sigh of relief. He almost believed that a student of his had died. Severus immediately began to mutter blood-cleansing healing spells, and Albus appeared in front of him, carrying Potter's unconscious body.

"Severus, the Stone has been destroyed-"

Severus looked up to Albus' eyes widen in terror and he quickly knelt in front of the unconscious dark-skinned boy's body.

"What has happened, Severus?" Albus demanded, his eyes hardening by the second and his magic becoming more intense.

"I don't know, Albus!" Severus snapped. "Weasley stumbled into my arms and next thing I know, he is telling me to help Desmond and he then faints! I make way into this chamber and find him here on the ground, while Longbottom and Granger are crying over there."

"Come, Severus," Albus ordered firmly, standing up. "We must take these children to the Hospital Wing immediately!"

Severus nodded curtly and he levitated his student's body, while Albus gathered Granger and Longbottom. Severus led the way but stopped when he saw Ronald's body. With ease, Severus levitated the red-haired boy's body and Albus conjured some stretchers, and the two laid the three unconscious boys onto the stretchers. Severus continued to lead the way, while Albus assisted Granger and Longbottom. Merlin help us all… tonight has been a disaster…

Severus and Albus barged into the Infirmary, and the Matron immediately appeared from her office, her hair tucked under a hairnet, and her dressing gown wrapped tightly around her body.

"What is the meaning of this-"

"Poppy, help us," Albus interjected. It only took one look at the five children before Poppy instantly flew into work. Severus laid Ronald in one bed, and then laid Xavier in another bed. Albus laid Potter's body onto another separate bed and then called for Fawkes.

"Please wake up or alert the other professors to make their way to the Infirmary," Albus commanded, and the Phoenix was gone in a flash.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley both are heavily exhausted, and their magical cores need rest, but they will be all right," Poppy informed, and Albus nodded.

"What of Mr. Desmond?" Severus asked, his breathing slowly composing.

"We'll need to work on him immediately," Poppy answered, moving over to Xavier Desmond's body. "Severus, please go fetch any potions that will help."

Severus nodded firmly and turned around, walking past Albus and towards Poppy's office, where she kept her potions. He knew that it was going to be a very long night…

Albus Dumbledore's P.O.V:

The Hospital Wing – Saturday, June 21st, 1992 (6 a.m.)

Albus and the professors worked tirelessly throughout the insane night. Albus, Filius, and Hagrid searched the grounds of Hogwarts for any signs of Voldemort's spirit, while Minerva ensured her duty to watch over the entire castle. Pomona stayed back to watch over Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger, while Poppy and Severus worked on bringing Xavier Desmond's body back into an awoke state.

The Dark Lord had vanished, leaving no trace whatsoever for Albus to pick up, and Hagrid had retired to his cabin, while Albus and Filius returned to the Hospital Wing. Minerva had searched the castle more than five times and she too reverted back to the Hospital Wing after her own inspection ended.

After Poppy and Severus had disrobed Xavier, they had been met with a sense of slow horror as the dark-skinned boy's bones were broken in so many places. There was a scar at the centre of Xavier's chest, and it burned brightly.

"Poppy, how is he?" Albus asked blearily as he entered the Hospital Wing. Albus had gone around, informing the ghosts of the situation; the students would soon be waking up, no doubt.

"He…" Poppy started, but then stopped. "He's slightly stable for now, Albus. Fawkes' tears have replenished his core a bit, along with Severus' potions. Albus… I've done everything I can… if he doesn't wake up, we must seize the opportunity to send him to St. Mungo's."

"I see…" Albus replied softly, sitting down on one of the spare beds. Ronald and Harry were in a heavy sleep at the very end of the Infirmary, Severus and Poppy stood by Xavier's bed, Filius and Minerva paced around, and Pomona stood by Hermione and Neville's sleeping bodies. Good, those two have also gone through a great deal tonight…

"I've administered Draught of Peace potions on them, Albus," Pomona spoke up, noticing Albus' eyes glance at the two Gryffindor students.

"Thank you, Pomona," Albus said with a nod.

"Albus…" Filius started, staring in disbelief. "How could this happen?"

Albus sighed deeply. The memories were still crystal clear in his mind, and Albus cleared his voice, while all the other professors listened intently.

"Voldemort," Albus started, and his colleges, save Severus, flinched. "He was attached to Quirinus' body-"

"How?" Pomona cut in, her eyes widened in shock. Filius simply stared in disbelief, while Minerva inhaled a sharp intake of breath.

"I believe that Quirinus met Voldemort somewhere in Europe, and Voldemort possessed Quirinus' body. Quirinus was able to conceal his master with his turban and has been acting on his master's orders all last year and this year. Quirinius was the one who let the Trolls in on Halloween, he was the one who jinxed Harry's broom, and he already attempted to steal the Stone," Albus explained, and his colleges all shook their heads in utter disbelief, save for Severus, who already knew.

"And what happened to young Desmond?" Pomona piped in, her eyes flickering over to the dark-skinned boy.

"I believe that the Dark Lord tried to possess Xavier Desmond," Albus responded gravely. Pomona gasped in horror and Poppy adorned a frightened look.

"Rowena, help us all…" Filius muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"That monster… all for the Stone…" Minerva muttered, and she then held a piercing look, directed straight at Albus. Her nostrils flared dangerously, and she frowned deeply.

"I warned you, Albus," Minerva started, marching up to Albus. "I warned you that the Stone would put our students in danger, but you ignored me fully!"

"Minerva, I-" Minerva slapped Albus across the face and the noise rang throughout the whole Infirmary. Albus stared back in a shocked daze, all the while the other professors gaped widely.

"You ignored my advice and look where your decision has gotten you!" Minerva scolded angrily, pointing over to Xavier's body. "Your arrogance for the protection of the Stone nearly cost you a student's life tonight! Not to say that four other students could have met the same fate!"

"Minerva, please calm down-"

"No, Filius, I deserved it," Albus said, raising a hand to stop his college. "My belief that Hogwarts could best protect the Stone almost caused me the loss of my own student tonight. Minerva is right; I have been unbelievably foolish, and I apologise sincerely."

"Caesar would be enraged, Albus. And Athena would be heartbroken. Don't forget that." Minerva spat out, and Albus felt great shame fill him. Caesar… Athena… My own stupidity nearly cost the life of your only son… I'm so sorry…

"There's no time for useless outbursts of anger," Severus spoke up coldly, and Minerva shot him a glare. "We must transfer the boy to St Mungo's if he doesn't wake up by this hour."

"Poor boy," Poppy suddenly burst into tears, and Pomona immediately moved to comfort her. "Why did he deserve such torment?"

That was too much for Albus, and the books on the various shelves instantaneously flew onto the floor, while the shelves rattled violently. Everyone stared at Albus with comprehension; it had been a long time since any of them had witnessed Albus lose his temper. Control yourself, Albus… You know that there is no return for Tom… He has dived off into the deep end of the abyss… and he is too late to ever retreat…

Blaise Zabini's P.O.V:

The Boy's Dorm – Saturday, June 21st, 1992 (7 a.m.)

"Good morning, Blaise," Theo said from across the room.

"Good morning, Theo," Blaise replied, and Theo rubbed his eyes.

"Xavier and Ron have gone for their run, I presume?" Theo asked as he slid out of his bed. Blaise nodded and headed over to his trunk.

"Hang on," Theo's voice said, and Blaise turned around. "Why are Xavier's runners still here then?"

"What?" Blaise asked, and he walked over to where Theo was standing. Xavier's runners were indeed there, and that sparked a question in both boy's minds.

"So, if Xavier's runners are here, then what would Xavier be doing?" Blaise asked, and Theo shrugged.

"Beats me, mate. Both his and Ron's bed are untouched," Theo noted, checking through the four-poster beds.

"And I'm pretty sure those two stayed back by the fire while we all went back to our Dorms," Blaise added in.

"Eh, whatever, they probably off in the library or something," Theo reasoned with a shrug, and Blaise slowly nodded. Yeah, probably…

After Theo took his shower and dressed up, the two boys exited their Dorm and found the girls sitting by the couches.

"Hey boys," Pansy waved over to them happily, garnering the other girls' attention.

"How did you sleep?" Tracey asked with a knowing smirk. Pretty good, actually… now that exams are done… I can sleep better…

"Bloody amazing," Theo responded with a wink, imitating Ron's voice. The girls giggled at that, and Blaise simply smirked.

"You lot haven't seen Ron or Xavier, have you?" Blaise questioned as he sat down next to Daphne.

"No, why?" Daphne asked.

"They were not here when we woke up and Xavier's runners were still by his trunk. When they go out to do their runs, they would obviously wear their runners," Theo explained.

"That's weird…" Pansy hummed, though not sounding too interested. She then lunged at Theo's curly hair and the weedy boy immediately recoiled.

"I'm warning you, Parkinson, leave my hair alone," Theo warned, making Tracey snigger uncontrollably.

"Oh, come on, Theo! Just let me feel it," Pansy whined, and Theo shook his head firmly. Millie chuckled at Theo's reaction, while both Blaise and Daphne rolled their eyes.

"Let's go to breakfast early, shall we?" Blaise proposed, and Daphne agreed instantly.

"That's a good idea, Blaise. Let's go guys," Daphne said, and the Slytherins made their way to the Great Hall. Xavier and Ron weren't there, but the Slytherins decided that the two prodigies would show up sooner or later.

Girl's Dorm – Saturday, June 21st, 1992 (11:30 a.m.)

Blaise and his friends were slightly worried now; the two prodigies had never shown up for breakfast, which was almost unbelievable because Ron never skipped out on a meal.

Once breakfast had ended, the six Slytherins lazed around for a bit, before Tracey proposed to go on a 'man-hunt' for Ron and Xavier. Blaise and his friends agreed, and they split up into different directions; Blaise and Theo searched out in the Great Lake and by Hagrid's Hut, Millie 'hunted' through the Courtyard, Daphne explored the Library, Tracey went to the Astronomy Tower, and Pansy looked through the Slytherin Common Room. To their growing concern, the prodigy duo were nowhere to be seen.

"Where could they be?" Daphne asked, pacing around in her Dorm.

"Ron would never skip a meal," Tracey added in, her brow furrowed.

"Their beds were untouched," Theo stated, his hand rubbing his chin.

"I also noticed that Potter and his two best friends were missing," Baise piped in, and his friends all looked at him.

"Ron and Xavier do spend a lot of time with them," Pansy agreed, nodding slowly.

"You reckon that the Golden Trio are with them?" Millie asked, and Blaise nodded.

"Blaise is right. They didn't show up for breakfast either," Theo replied. Where could they be?

"Oh wait!" Tracey suddenly exclaimed. "The Hospital Wing! Should we check there?"

"Good suggestion, Trace," Theo responded, nodding firmly. "Let's go."

The six Slytherins made their way out of the Girl's Dorm and as they all headed towards the entrance of the common room, Blaise saw something in the corner of his eyes. Something odd. Malfoy sat on one of the chairs and he had an extremely panicked look on his face. It was conspicuous and it was almost alarming. How odd…

Blaise decided to ignore his ex-friend's weird behaviour and continued making his way out of the common room with his actual friends.

Daphne led the way to the Hospital Wing and once the six snakes arrived, she knocked on the door. The doors then opened to reveal an exhausted Madam Pomfrey and she blinked at them. Her body blocked any view for the six Slytherins to see inside the Infirmary.

"Good morning, Madam Pomfrey, we were wondering if Ronald or Xavier were in here," Daphne explained, and Madam Pomfrey paled slightly. Blaise and Theo exchanged quick looks.

"I'm sorry dear, but yes, they are here. I'm afraid that they both need their rest," Madam Pomfrey replied softly.

"What happened?" Tracey asked quickly, a perturbed look planted on her face.

"I-" Madam Pomfrey started, but she stopped. It was as if her words had failed to come out.

"It's ok, Madam Pomfrey, we just wanted to know that Ron and Xavier were still somewhere in the castle. We'll get going now," Theo reassured, shooting his friends a meaningful look. The girls sighed, while Blaise nodded.

"Have a good day, Madam Pomfrey," Millie said politely, and the six Slytherins departed, missing Madam Pomfrey's sympathetic looks.

"What was that about, Theo?" Pansy hissed, rounding on Theo.

"She was obviously in distress, Pansy. We know that Ron and Xavier are in the Hospital Wing. All we need to do is find out why and Madam Pomfrey seemed to be too tired or stressed to explain," Theo stated coolly. Daphne and Tracey both nodded in agreement. A question suddenly burned in the back of Blaise's mind, and he scowled deeply.

"Blaise, what's wrong?" Daphne asked softly, noticing Blaise's irritated expression.

"Malfoy," Blaise spat out, and his eyes were ablaze. "I saw him when we were leaving the common room… he had this really scared look on his face."

"And you think that it's got something to do with Ron and Xavier?" Theo asked, quickly catching onto Blaise's thinking. Blaise nodded curtly.

"Are you sure?" Pansy asked wearily; Blaise looked ready to kill. And I will… if he did anything to harm Ron or Xavier, I'm going to finish him…

"Let's go talk to our old friend," Blaise snarled, and he began to walk back to the Dungeons, with Theo and the girl close on his tail. Hadn't Malfoy caused enough mayhem? He and his two gorillas had lost a large number of points and the platinum-haired ponce had been a pain in the arse since Tracey had come into their lives.

"Don't do anything stupid, Blaise," Theo warned from beside him. He had never seen Blaise look properly pissed before and the girls all stared at his back with worried looks. They had a strong feeling that Blaise could be downright terrifying if he lost his temper, which was very seldom.

"Don't worry, we're going to ask him some questions, that's it," Blaise replied, and he composed himself. No time for anger to overtake…

The six entered their common room and spotted Malfoy pacing around the couches. Seriously, what's up with him? Guess we'll find out.

"Malfoy," Blaise called out, and Malfoy stopped his pacing abruptly, looking surprised for a second, before adorning a distant look.

"What is it, Blaise?" Malfoy asked, though his focus was somewhere else. Blaise ignored the fact that Malfoy addressed him by his first name and decided to test him.

"Do you know where Ron and Xavier are?" Blaise asked, while his friends all scrutinized Malfoy closely. Malfoy immediately paled and stared back with a shocked expression.

"So, you don't know where they are either?" Malfoy asked, sweat forming at the brow. What?

"Of course we don't know where they are, that's why we're asking you!" Millie snapped, glaring hatefully at Malfoy. Malfoy didn't seem to notice, but instead, he sat down on one of the armchairs, and he was beginning to shake.

"He took them… and now he is going to come after me…" Malfoy murmured, a horrific look appearing on his face. Blaise exchanged confused looks with his friends. What the hell happened to this guy?

"Please explain, Malfoy," Daphne requested, her eyes narrowing on the platinum-haired boy, and she stood right next to Blaise. Blaise had been right; there was something off with Malfoy and their ex-friend knew something.

"Spit it out!" Tracey exclaimed, feeling her impatience increase by the second.

"He saw us… and now they're gone… and I'm next…" Malfoy muttered once more, and he then stood up quickly. "Get out of my way, I need to go!"

"You're not going anywhere until you explain what's going on," Theo growled, losing his own patience with the Malfoy Heir. Malfoy shot a panicked look at them and then bolted for the common room door. What the fuck?!

"Malfoy!" Blaise grit out, and without a second thought, he ran after him. Theo quickly followed, and the girls joined the chase as well. Other students in the common room watched with interested and amused expressions.

Malfoy quickly exited the common room and ran down the damp hallways, with Blaise and the others hot on his tail. Malfoy turned a corner and ran straight to Professor Snape's office. Why the fuck is he going there?!

Before Blaise or the others could stop him, Malfoy rapidly knocked on the door and it opened to reveal Professor Snape, scowling down at the seven students. Snape seemed to have small bags under his eyes and he too looked exhausted like Madam Pomfrey.

"What is the meaning of this?" Snape snarled, but Malfoy began to sob uncontrollably. Snape immediately wrapped his arms around his crying Godson, while glaring at Blaise and the others.

"Explain yourselves!" Snape demanded, and his death glare made the girls shrink, while Blaise and Theo gulped. He really is the scariest professor, isn't he?

"We did nothing, professor," Daphne quickly replied. "Our friends, Ronald and Xavier, went missing and we went to search for them."

"And Malfoy knows something," Tracey added in, her arms crossed tightly. Snape's death glare disappeared, and he looked back at his students with a calm expression.

"I will explain everything soon. For now, go back to your Dorms and enjoy your Saturday," Snape commanded; he no doubt had to deal with Malfoy first. Blaise sighed inwardly and nodded firmly to his Head of House. Something must have happened…

"Yes, Professor Snape. Let's go you lot," Blaise said, and he turned around. Theo walked next to him, while the girls trailed closely. Tracey and Mille were cursing Malfoy's name, Pansy was still in quiet shock, Daphne and Theo were both lost in their own thoughts, and Blaise led the group back to the common room, keeping his head straight and his posture composed. We'll find out soon enough…

Draco Malfoy's P.O.V:

Snape's Office – Saturday, June 21st, 1992 (Midday)

"Drink this, Draco," Snape said, and he handed a vial that contained a shimmering turquoise liquid. Draco took it unhesitatingly and drank it without a second thought. I feel… better…

"Thank you, godfather," Draco replied, feeling his emotions settle down from the Calming Draught.

"Now, would you like to explain to me why you were crying?" Snape asked, holding an almost gentle tone.

"I…" Draco started, but then he stopped. Do I tell him the truth?

"Draco, you can trust me with whatever you want. I will not tell a single soul, and if that means your parents too, then so be it," Snape promised firmly, and Draco felt his respect for his godfather grow.

"I- ok… I was crying because… I… I was scared," Draco started with a gulp, and he inhaled a deep breath. Come on Draco, tell him…

"When I was serving my detention in the Forbidden Forest with Weasley and Desmond, we… we ran into something…" Draco stated, and he felt familiar chills run down his spine. Snape put a firm hand on Draco's shoulder, gesturing his godson to continue.

"It was some sort of creature… some spirit… and we ran for our lives. I tripped, and so, Weasley and Desmond stayed back for me. We were saved by a Centaur and the creature flew away. After the Centaur took us back… he told us that it was the Dark Lord-"

"What?!" Snape interrupted, his eyes widened slightly. Draco gulped loudly.

"Y-yes… the Dark Lord was feeding on the Unicorns, and he almost killed us…" Draco trailed off. He would never forget that moment of horror… it haunted his worst nightmares, and it was a constant reminder to Draco that he would have died along with Weasley and Desmond if it weren't for that Centaur…

"Foolish boy!" Snape snapped. "Why didn't you come to me earlier?"

"Because father told me not to discuss it with anyone…" Draco whispered, and Snape's angry expression had disappeared immediately. Draco had sent a letter to his father the day after the horrifying encounter, but all his father responded with was to not dare speak a word about Draco's encounter.

"I see…" Snape muttered. Draco sniffed and wiped away some oncoming tears. Everything was fucked… he was now in the debt of a Blood-Traitor, a cold Psychopath, and a Half-Breed. And Draco had believed that the Dark Lord would never touch him… Well, at least that's what his father told him. His father was a loyal follower, so that assured the protection of Draco… but the encounter with the Dark Lord had shown Draco how wrong he was.

"What has happened to Weasley and Desmond?" Draco asked, breaking the moment of silence. His godfather stared at him before sighing.

"A foolish experiment was conducted by Desmond and Weasley. I cannot share any details, but they were both heavily exhausted by the end, and they are resting in the Hospital Wing," Snape responded, and Draco nodded slowly. Draco also noticed the bags under his godfather's eyes, and he cleared his voice.

"Um, godfather… are you all right?" Draco asked, feeling slightly awkward. Snape realised that his godson had taken note of his fatigued expression and he nodded.

"I'm fine, Draco… just a bit tired, that's all. Now, go enjoy the rest of your weekend and try not to think about much," Snape advised, and Draco nodded.

Tracey Davis' P.O.V:

Snape's Office – Saturday, June 21st, 1992 (12:30 p.m.)

Tracey and her friends made their way to the office of their Head of House. A pit of anxiety had started to build in each of their stomachs after Snape had sent them away. He clearly knew what had happened to Xavier and Ron, and now Tracey and her friends had been summoned to no doubt hear the explanation.

"I hope nothing seriously bad happened to Ron or Xavier," Pansy said worriedly, and Tracey held her hand.

"Let's just all think positively, all right guys?" Tracey proposed, and her friends nodded.

They reached Snape's office and Theo knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Professor Snape and he gestured them to all come in and sit down. There was one chair and so, Snape wandlessly conjured five more. Cool!

Once they had all sat down, Snape closed the door behind him and stood in front of them.

"Sir, can you please tell us what happened?" Daphne asked, starting the conversation. Professor Snape stared at them all before nodding.

"As you six are both Mr. Weasley's and Mr. Desmond's closest friends, I entrust you with this knowledge and I'm sure that they both do too. Whatever I tell you shall not be forwarded to anyone else, am I clear?" Snape questioned firmly, eyeing each one of them with an intense look. The six snakes nodded strongly, and Tracey felt her pit of anxiety expand. This must be very serious…

"Last night, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Desmond came face-to-face with the Dark Lord-"

"WHAT?!" Tracey interjected, sounding and feeling more shocked she had ever felt in her entire life. HE HAS GOT TO BE JOKING!

"Do not interrupt me like that ever again, Miss Davis," Snape replied coldly, frowning at the brunette.

"Sorry, sir…" Tracey apologised softly, feeling embarrassed. She glanced at her friends, and they shared her earlier sentiment.

"As I was saying before Miss Davis interrupted me, your two friends came face to face with the Dark Lord last night. Now, I know that all of you, just like countless others of the Wizarding World, believed that the Dark Lord was well and truly dead. That is not the case, I'm afraid," Snape explained. Tracey felt a sinking feeling in her gut, and she simply stared in shell shock. How could this be? The Dark Lord… they met him… they faced him… he… he's alive…

"How?" Theo asked weakly, and Tracey had never Theo sound so vulnerable before. Blaise shared Theo's sentiment, while Millie and Daphne were horrified beyond words. Pansy was already tearing up.

"I have do not have the answers, Mr. Nott, but I assure you, the Dark Lord is an extremely powerful and capable wizard. It would be almost foolish to have believed that he truly died to the hands of an infant," Snape answered.

"What happened next?" Blaise questioned quietly.

"Your friends, alongside Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom, and Miss. Granger, all tried to protect a powerful artifact hidden in this school. How any of them had gotten a hold of this secret information is still unknown, but they set after it last night. The Dark Lord was after this artifact as well, but his mission was unsuccessful as the artifact was destroyed. Your two friends had run into him, and the Dark Lord had tried to possess Mr. Desmond," Snape provided without a flicker of emotion in his tone. Tracey felt winded. Absolutely winded. The Dark Lord had tried to possess her friend…

"No… no, no, no, no, no…" Daphne mumbled, her eyes starting to tear up.

"Is he… is Xavier all right?" Theo asked, looking extremely pale.

"Madam Pomfrey and I did our best to mend his body. He has been transferred to St. Mungo's now, while Mr. Weasley and the three Gryffindors have been resting in the Infirmary," Snape replied truthfully. Tracey just felt his voice blur; a million thoughts raced around in her mind. The Dark Lord is alive… Xavier and Ron had run into him… Xavier was almost possessed by him…

"Sir, can we please go see Ron?" Blaise asked, and Snape sighed. He then nodded and the six Slytherins instantaneously got off their chairs and began to make their way to the door of Snape's office.

"Remember, do not pass this information on to anyone else. The headmaster has specifically told me to only tell each of you. This sort of information can cause a riot and an outburst of fear and worry throughout the Wizarding World." Snape reminded, and the six snakes nodded shakily.

Daphne Greengrass' P.O.V:

The Infirmary – Saturday, June 21st, 1992 (1 p.m.)

Daphne and her friends rushed to the Hospital Wing, and as they did, Daphne wiped her oncoming tears. A mixture of emotions ran through her, and she couldn't even start to explain how she felt. Her two friends could have been killed last night… and she had no clue at all…

Blaise and Theo both looked thoroughly shaken, Tracey was in a state of disbelief, Pansy had already begun to cry, and Millie was more horrified than she had ever been. None of it made sense at all… How the Dark Lord was alive…

Blaise opened the doors to the Hospital Wing, and they were met with Madam Pomfrey. Please don't reject us!

"Madam Pomfrey, my friends and I would like to visit Ron. We missed him and we just wanted to see if he was all right," Theo smoothly informed, making Madam Pomfrey smile sadly at them all. She looked back to the far end of the Infirmary and looked back.

"Oh, all right then, go on," Madam Pomfrey consented. Daphne and her friends made their way past her and once they spotted a bed at the very end of the Infirmary that had flaming, red hair poking out of the covers, they quickly approached it.

Tracey pulled the covers a bit, and they found Ron sleeping. Daphne couldn't help but smile. He looked very peaceful when he slept.

"Ron…" Tracey said, rubbing Ron's arm tenderly. Ron's eyes began to slowly open and as his sky-blue eyes stared back, he propped himself with his pillows and rubbed his face harshly.

"What time is it?" Ron asked, and Daphne felt some tension leave off her shoulders. Ron seemed all right. Tracey laughed and hugged Ron tightly, much to his confusion. Blaise and Theo seemed a bit more lively that he was all right. Pansy and Millie both sighed in relief simultaneously.

"Ron… what happened last night?" Daphne started, and Ron instantly shuddered. A look of terror was planted on his face, and he looked like he was recollecting memories.

"Do you… do you guys know?" Ron asked slowly, his eyes looking anywhere but his friends.

"Well, we know that you and Xavier had a run in with… the Dark Lord…" Theo started, gulping at the mere words. It felt so foreign to him and the others when trying to believe that the Dark Lord was alive.

"And that the Dark Lord… tried to possess Xavier," Pansy mumbled, a truly frightening look etched on her pale face. Ron shivered quite strongly.

"So, that was the Dark Lord…" Ron muttered, whilst rubbing his forehead. "All I remember is that me, Xavier, Harry, Neville, and Hermione went after the Sto- I mean, we went after something-"

"A powerful artifact?" Blaise recalled, cocking his eyebrow, and Ron nodded.

"Yes, we went after a powerful artifact. The Dark Lord was going after it as well and we tried to reach it before he did. Xavier and I had a plan to destroy it, and the Golden Trio agreed with us. Harry went to retrieve the special object, and Xavier and I waited for him. Dumbledore came and went after Harry. The next thing we know, some fucking scary spirit-like thing is staring at us. We tried to destroy it but it… he…. Somehow got to Xavier…" Ron trailed off, and if Daphne weren't mistaken, she could see tears start to well up in his blue eyes.

"Merlin…" Millie whispered in fright.

"Why… why didn't you tell any of us?" Theo suddenly asked, his voice coming off as hurt and slightly angry. Ron simply sighed and looked forward.

"Xavier and I didn't want any of you to get into trouble or any danger," Ron answered softly. There was a moment of silence as the six Slytherins took in Ron's words. Daphne stared at one of the beds. Ron's all right… that's very good… but Xavier… he's been sent somewhere else… and the Dark Lord… he's alive…

"Where's Xavier, by the way?" Ron asked, looking around the Infirmary. Daphne and her friends exchanged anxious looks. Xavier… he's in St. Mungo's…

"He's… Ron, he's been transferred to St. Mungo's," Tracey replied quietly, her voice coming out hoarse.

"W-what?" Ron asked, his eyes widening. Blaise and Theo both looked at each other before placing firm hands on Ron's shoulder.

"Mate, he's been sent to St. Mungo's. I reckon that the Healers there will take proper care of him as he was… you know… almost possessed…" Blaise responded honestly. Ron just stared at them before his face dropped.

"This is all my fault… he was screaming in agony… and I just stood there like a bloody idiot! I did nothing to help him! All I did was scream like a lunatic!" Ron suddenly exclaimed, and he clenched his fists tightly. Daphne couldn't take it anymore and reached forward to hug Ron tightly. The red-head immediately stiffened, but Daphne tightened her hold. Just imagining the thought of Xavier screaming in pain while Ron was screaming in fear was ready to make Daphne blanch severely.

"Don't you dare blame yourself, Ronald Weasley! There was nothing you could have done in that moment… and Xavier… he isn't dead…" Daphne reasoned, and she felt tears cascade down her cheeks. What if he did die? What if Daphne, Ron, and their friends never got to speak to him ever again? What if Xavier would never live to make Daphne feel a certain way towards him?

She then felt the arms of her friends wrap around her and Ron. Everyone seemed to have been contemplating the same thoughts as she did. No, Daphne Greengrass, stay strong… Xavier will not die!

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

The Great Hall – Friday, June 27th, 1992 (6 p.m.)

The End-of-Feast was upon them. Ron and his friends all sat by the end of the Slytherin table, not even uttering a single word to each other. And that was how it had been for most of the last week of their first year in Hogwarts.

Right after Daphne and the others had been kicked out to let Ron rest some more, he was bombarded by his family and siblings. His mother and Pandora constantly fretted over him, while his father seemed worried beyond words for his son. Ginny and Luna had stuck to Ron like glue, while Percy and the twins watched over him. Percy did his best to talk about things Ron was interested in, while the twins constantly made jokes to lighten the mood and brought sweets, much to Madam Pomfrey's annoyance. Ron welcomed it, but it was hard to keep his mind off that night.

After his father asked for an explanation from Dumbledore, the headmaster told them the truth. Even Ginny and Luna heard it, and Ron dearly wished they hadn't. As soon as Dumbledore mentioned the Dark Lord, a frenzy occurred between Ron's family and loved ones. His mother and Pandora increased their fretting, now knowing that Ron had faced the Dark Lord. His father had paled severely, and Percy and the twins were horrified beyond words. Fred had then burst out in anger, insulting the headmaster for not protecting his younger brother and his friends. George had tried to hold him back, but even he, the more level-headed twin, had lost his temper with the old man. Dumbledore had taken their obscenities with a sad expression because he knew that they were right. Dumbledore blamed himself for this whole Stone business and Ron knew it too.

Ron was visited by a handful of other students, including Sydney Moore, the Gryffindor Prefect who had helped Ron, Xavier, Harry, and Nev last Halloween to get Hermione out from the loo.

Ron's family was heavily eased to know that Ron and the Golden Trio would be fine, but deep down, they all, just like Ron and his friends, had the same sinking feeling whenever the thought about Xavier popped up.

Ron and his friends had expected Xavier to recover quickly and possibly send them a letter, but it never came. Worry engulfed them all and it came to Ron as a hefty shock when Hermione delivered very bad news.

Ron had set off to visit Harry, Nev, Hermione in the Library on the morning of Tuesday. He had skipped breakfast, just like he skipped a lot of his meals as his appetite was no longer there. The trio and Ron spent time together after the Stone business, helping each other overcome the never-ending nightmares of that night, but they too had their anxieties over Xavier's comatose. A sobbing Hermione then showed Ron an article written by Rita Skeeter and his world had fallen apart.

The reporter had somehow gained access into Xavier's ward in St. Mungo's and had overheard the Healers conversing about Xavier's 'impending death'. Once she had written her article and sent it out to the Wizarding World, a spark of horror had awoken. Why was the son of Caesarius and Athena Demond dying? What truly happened? Was Dumbledore to Blame?

Many questions circulated in the student body of Hogwarts, and it took Ron all of his might to not snap and tell the truth. The truth of how Xavier bravely went on the mission to destroy the Stone alongside Ron, Harry, Neville, and Hermione and how Xavier was almost possessed by the malevolent spirit of Voldemort.

This news had especially caused heartbreak between the seven Slytherins. Theo and Blaise disappeared on end for many hours, Millie adopted a quiet and distant attitude, Pansy and Daphne cried their eyes out each day, Tracey struggled to keep the group together, and Ron… Ron resided in the Secret Duelling Room that Xavier and he had discovered. Ron spent his time, throwing spell after spell at the dummies as his way to vent his pounding emotions of shame, sadness, hatred, and rage. Was Xavier going to die because of Ron? Was Ron going to lose his best mate due to his foolish actions of just screaming for help? Xavier had thrown himself in front of Ron... and now he was probably going to face death...

That was a thing that filled Ron with great shame and it was a thought that Ron never admitted to anyone else. The Dark Lord was heading towards him, but Xavier had thrown himself in the way to shield Ron... It should have been Ron... and knowing this, the burning feelings of ire generated throughout Ron.

Harry kept blaming himself as well for everything that went down that night, Neville tried his best to keep the Golden Trio together, but failed miserably, and Hermione… Hermione was just a ghost of herself… she barely ate, slept, or talked. Ron would constantly see her on the verge of tears and bags under her eyes had become very visible.

Many students had come forth to share their sincerities and apologies with the seven Slytherins, and though it was kind and generous at the start, it became irritating after a while.

The only good thing that happened was that Ron had passed with flying colours on his first-year exams. His friends had done extremely well too, and Millie kept profusely thanking Ron for his help as she passed many subjects too.

The buzzing chatter around Ron came to an end when the headmaster stood up and beamed at them all.

"Another year has gone by, and I cannot help but feel that time truly flies by quickly," Professor Dumbledore started, and Ron wondered how the headmaster was keeping a bright smile even after the events of the Stone.

"Now, I will stop myself from going into a talk as I know that each one of you would rather eat the delicious food prepared by our House-Elves than listen to an old man rambling on about time. As you might observe around you, Slytherin is currently in the lead of the House points," Dumbledore stated, and many Slytherins grinned and clapped each other on the back. The other Houses didn't bother hiding their displeasure at the Slytherins and the green decorations.

"But I have a few last-minute awards to hand out, so please, bear with me," Dumbledore informed, and the student-body all exchanged looks with each other. "To Miss. Hermione Granger, for her smart intellect and use of logic, I award fifty points."

The Gryffindors all burst out in cheers, and Ron smiled softly when he saw Hermione bury her head. She was no doubt blushing immensely and tearing up.

"To Mr. Neville Longbottom," Dumbledore continued, and the student became silent. "For the quick actions he used due to his intelligence on Herbology, I award another fifty points."

The Gryffindors cheered even louder, and Neville's face resembled that of a tomato as his fellow Gryffindors clapped him on the back. Slytherin and Gryffindor were now neck-to-neck, something that made the Slytherins all extremely furious.

"And last but not least… to Mr. Harry Potter, for his spectacular Quidditch moves, I grant another fifty points," Dumbledore said with a smile, and Gryffindor broke into screams and yells of joy. Gryffindor had won… Ron didn't know how he felt about it. He could see the twins cheering away happily, and he could see Professor McGonagall smiling softly, while Professor Snape was sneering heavily. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw nodded to the Gryffindor House, and the Slytherins all stared in shock. Theo and Blaise scowled deeply, Daphne huffed, Tracey frowned widely, Pansy and Millie ignored Gryffindor's cheering, and Ron simply put his head down. He couldn't care less anymore…

"Yes, yes, Gryffindor is now in the lead, but I have not finished yet," Dumbledore cut in, and everyone froze instantly. Wait, what?

"To Mr. Ronald Weasley, for his intelligent strategies in chess and the best game that has ever occurred in Hogwarts, I award fifty points," Dumbledore stated, beaming at Ron. Ron felt astonished. Slytherin immediately regained their hopes and sent grins, smiles, and looks of pride towards Ron. His friends all simply smiled at him and Snape nodded curtly to him. Slytherin and Gryffindor were now head-to-head once more.

"And finally, to Mr. Xavier Desmond," Dumbledore said, and silence ran through the Great Hall. "For the smart technique of using music to his ability, I award fifty points. I, therefore, declare Slytherin as the winners of the Hogwarts House Cup!"

Ron's ears almost exploded. The Slytherins all banged their goblets as they cheered continuously. Some of the older students began to chant Ron and Xavier's names, and for the first time in the whole week, Ron felt pure joy.

Ron stared with a wide grin as his friends all stared back in shell shock. Ron saw Snape and McGonagall exchange handshakes, while Dumbledore smiled happily at the Slytherin table. Erik and Selene sent firm nods and smiles towards Ron and his friends. Ron also turned to peek at his Gryffindor friends and to his surprise, he saw Harry, Nev, and Hermione smiling faintly at him. It was as if everything was all right in the world…

Slytherin Common Room – Friday, June 27th, 1992 (9 p.m.)

After the Slytherin decorations were set and the scrumptious End-of-Feast food had filled them all, the older Slytherins declared a party in the common room, and everyone excitedly agreed. For the first time in what seemed like ever, Ron was having so much fun and so were his friends.

Many Slytherins came over to congratulate him and Ron felt his great mood ascend. Theo and Blaise had happily shown Ron the drinks, and much to their amusement, Ron had nonchalantly chugged a whole punch without breaking a sweat. Tracey had pulled Ron over to her and Daphne to dance, and at first, Ron declined, but Tracey wasn't taking a no for an answer. Ron had ended up dancing and to his shock, it was one of the most fun things he had ever done. Pansy and Millie happily drank and ate food with Theo and Blaise, and they all laughed endlessly at Ron and Theo's banter.

"Ronald!" came a voice to Ron's right and he turned to see Selene and Erik approaching him. The music was blaring loudly, and many of the girls were dancing joyously, often pulling boys to join them. Everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves. Ron even spotted Malfoy and his gorillas having fun by the drinks.

"Hey, guys!" Ron exclaimed. Erik chuckled and Selene smiled at Ron's enthusiastic behaviour.

"We just wanted to say how proud and glad we are of you and Xavier, lad. You two really did keep up your end of the deal to the very end," Erik informed conceitedly as he clapped Ron on the back.

"Erik's right, Ronald. The older students positively love you now," Selene added in, and Ron looked over to some of the older students smiling and nodding at him. He returned the gesture. I've done it… no, Xavier and I have done it… the older students won't care if I'm a blood-traitor anymore…

"Thanks, guys," Ron replied with an honest smile.

"Enjoy the party, we'll talk soon," Erik said firmly, and he left. Selene patted Ron's cheek and went after Erik. Ron simply grinned; he and Xavier had won the House Cup.

"There you are," came a voice to Ron's left and the red-head boy turned to see Daphne walking over to him.

"Had enough of dancing, have you?" Ron remarked, and Daphne smiled mischievously at him.

"Not really, I'm just giving my feet a rest. But once I'm all rested, I'll definitely go back and join Tracey once more," Daphne responded, and Ron chuckled. Ron handed Daphne a drink and she took it with an appreciative smile. The two watched at the active common room and smiled simultaneously as they drank their punch.

"If only Xavier could be here," Daphne mumbled sadly, but Ron heard her properly and sighed. I wish he was here…

"Let's just hope for the best, Daph… Xavier wouldn't want us to worry over him, you know," Ron said, trying to feel positive and trying to ignore the feeling of dread got his best mate possibly dying. Daphne looked to Ron and entangled his arm with hers.

"I will, Ron, I promise," Daphne replied softly, and she kissed Ron's cheek. Ron felt his whole face go red, and Daphne giggled at that. If only everyone else could see her like this… not just some Ice Queen…

"Come on, Ron. My feet are all better now, so dance with me," Daphne suggested, and Ron shook his head.

"I think I'm all right-"

"It is rude to deny a lady a dance," Daphne interjected, smirking at him.

"You're a lady?" Ron asked, grinning back and Daphne immediately smacked him.

"OK, OK, I'LL DANCE WITH YOU!"