Wai~! Another chapter!

Chapter 17 – Harry

It’s been two days. We’re still on Christmas break… yet; I can’t stop thinking about that mirror. Yuki said that it was going to suck me inside, but I don’t know why… why would the mirror have any reason to do that?

I’m going back for another look tonight. I have to be extra-careful; otherwise he’ll stop me from going. But I want to see my parents again.

I wonder what he saw? I never asked.

Yuki and Ron are playing wizard’s chess. I don’t think they want me to interrupt though. I can ask him tomorrow.

It’s dark here.

Its kind of empty, too, the castle, with most of the students gone home for Christmas. Still, Malfoy and his minions won’t be here, thank goodness.

Small miracles are useful. It’s getting late. I’m off to go to bed… and so I fall asleep, and when I wake up again it’s 3 A.M. and everyone else is asleep, so I sneak out into the room with the Mirror of Erised.

My family is all there…

I wish I could join them. But scarcely have I thought that thought when the mirror begins to draw me in, this time I see what’s happening and run, but my fingers hurt so much! Was this what he was talking about? I’d better stand against the wall and look, or else something worse could happen…

Why would a mirror do something like this?

I thought I was alone, but that was before I saw Dumbledore. How did he get in, and why didn’t I notice?

“Harry.”

I’m not quite sure what I said in response, but he’s warning me to stay away from the mirror. I suppose it’s for my own good, but it seems so unfair. Why can’t I see my parents? Why did they have to die?

It’s very unfair. Well, what can I do? I suppose now I’d better head back to the common room. Dumbledore didn’t tell Filch I was here at least.

And Dumbledore wants socks for Christmas. If I ever buy him a present, that will be it. Too bad I can’t show this to Ron…

What?! Snape is refereeing the next Quidditch match? Oh, I’m angry… so what if we beat Slytherin earlier this year? It’s not our fault we won!

They should have tried harder. Besides, I don’t feel safe with him around me. True, when we took on Slytherin, I kept feeling someone’s eyes on me and I think it was Snape, but I didn’t fail the match or fall off my broom so it wasn’t anything special, just a feeling… a foreboding feeling.

Still, I hope he doesn’t play dirty this time.

I feel worried, very worried. What am I going to do? But panicking isn’t going to do me any good.

I have to concentrate. If I catch the Snitch before the game goes on for very long, I can figure out what’s going on here…

But first, I need to finish this essay for Charms.

There’s a flash of white in my vision, odd... I look out the window… what’s that out there? Some giant bird?

I see… Yuki?

“Yuki! You’re actually using a broom?” Will wonders never cease? I know the grounds covered with snow, but he looks… well, scared. He can’t possibly hear me from that distance away though.

He’s hanging onto his broom for dear life. I don’t know why, because it’s not windy at all, but I’d better do something!

I sprint out of the castle to the shed and grab my Nimbus two thousand, and then swoop upwards to try and catch him. He looks like he’s turning green. How long has he been up there?

“Yuki, here, follow me! Do what I do!”

We dive back down to the ground, slowly. Yuki looks better, but still sick. “What were you doing on a broom anyway?”

“I figured if I were a wizard I should be able to fly.” He croaks out. He looks rather ill. “I’m not trying that again.”

“Maybe it’s just a talent thing. I’m normally talented at this, and you aren’t, but you’re pretty good in potions.”

He smiles weakly and nods. “Thanks for saving me.”

“No problem.”

I help get him back up to the Tower. Ron can’t help laughing when we tell him what happened. I’m glad Hermione Granger’s not here though; she’d probably try to give him some tips.

“You can’t fly?”

“Don’t think so.” Yuki sighs. “But I’m not going to be playing Quidditch anyway, so it should not matter, right?” He takes a sip of pumpkin juice from his thermos and then a few deep breaths.

Christmas is almost over, it’s sad… soon school will start again. I wonder what else will happen?

I do wish I knew what Dumbledore was hiding here…

However, nothing really interesting happens for a few weeks. It’s kind of quiet… no, that’s not it, and I feel kind of weird, like almost like something is missing. But then there’s the match against Slytherin.

Ron was trying to talk me out of playing, but as it were, the game only lasted five minutes so I caught the Snitch before anything bad happened.

Thank goodness Dumbledore was there!

Snape was glaring at me though, I just know it! Well, at least Snape hasn’t tried anything. It doesn’t stop him from failing me in potions though.

Yuki looks tired today. I wonder why? It’s a new moon; surely he can’t be a werewolf? How many of those old legends are true in the magic world? We’ve never actually studied dark creatures, just ways to treat their attacks…maybe Professor Quirrell really is a bad teacher.

Well, he is pathetic.

Wait… someone’s heading for the Forbidden forest? What is Snape doing there? I’d recognize that stalk anywhere.

This is not good!

I’d better follow him… ow! Nearly crashed into that tree there. I have to be quiet. Who’s he meeting? Could it be Voldemort?

No, looks like Quirrell!

This is probably important. Getting closer as quietly as possible… what are they saying? I can’t hear.

“D-don’t know why you wanted to m-m-meet me out here S-Severus…”

This sounds interesting. What’s so important that they can’t talk about it in the school? Maybe…

“Oh, I thought we’d keep this private. Students aren’t supposed to know about the Sorcerer’s Stone after all…”

The sorcerer’s stone is? What in the world is that?

Well, I suppose that’s what they’re hiding in that third floor corridor. Now if only I knew what it was! It must be quite important…

‘… Little bit of hocus-pocus.” Shoot! I was too busy thinking about the stone that I missed the rest of the conversation!

Well, I’d better get back to the castle fast to be safe.

Maybe Ron or Yuki will know?

“Hey Harry, where were you?” Ron asks between bites of a cream cake. “Listen, we won! It’s great! And Snape- he couldn’t even curse you!”

I’m trying to get him to shut up. This isn’t something I want made known. I only told Ron that Snape might have been cursing me during the last match, but Ron’s totally convinced he was.

So I nearly fell off my broom, but that was just a strong wind…

“We need some privacy. I’ve found out what it is.”

Yuki looks up from his History of magic book and quickly follows Ron and I out of the Common room.

‘What is it?”

“They’re hiding the Sorcerer’s stone here at Hogwarts.”

“The… what?”

“You don’t know either?”

Both Yuki and Ron look totally befuddled.

“Well, we’ll hit the library tomorrow and find out.”

“Sounds good to me…”

“It’s a plan.” Ron agrees, and at least now we know what we’re up against…

First, there’s the dog. The three headed dog. However, if we can put it to sleep or something it won’t be a problem.

But there’s probably a bunch of magic spells around the stone too. I wonder which teachers put up spells?

Dumbledore probably did… and maybe Quirrell, considering that Snape wanted help. Would Snape have something there too, just to throw off suspicion?

“You okay, Yuki?”

“Just tired.” He says, between bites of chocolate.

“Get some rest, then.”

“I’m worried though… does this mean the stone is only safe for so long as Quirrell doesn’t help Snape?”

That’s actually a very disturbing feeling.

Quirrell’s such a trembling, stuttering, well, okay, he’s a weak wizard, so maybe… maybe snape will force Quirrell to help!

We’ll have to get the stone before Snape steals it then! That’s the only plan!

End chapter

Completed 1/27/05

Yes, I have read Harry Potter! I know my fanfic has some deviations! Actually, quite a few deviations! That’s why it’s an AU crossover! I don’t want to directly plagiarize J.K. Rowling like a few YGO authoresses do…