IN WHICH the story ends, for now

"You mean that you lost Gryffindor 150 points?!?" Aubery hisses.

"It wasn't our fault! It was Malfoy's" Ron reasons.

"Everyone's going to hate you now." Aubery sighs. "It's just social dynamics."

"Yo! Who lost Gryffindor 150 points?" Oliver Wood asks.

"I don't know!" Aubery yells.

"Why are you covering for us?" Hermione asks.

"I don't know?" Aubery adds.

"Thanks anyways Aubs," Harry says.

"Don't think I'm still not pissed off. Let's go to class." Aubery stalks off.

That night, the trio leaves the room, as Aubery stays behind. Seamus walks up to her.

"Hey, Aubery." Seamus smiles. 

"Hey, hotshot." Aubery replies.

"Do you know the answer to the body-bind curse question?" He asks.

"Yeah. Petrificus Totalus" Aubery replies. 

"Thanks!" Seamus smiles.

Soon, most Gryffindors had left the room, when Eliza rushes in, giggling and red.

"Lizzie... whaddya doing?" Aubery asks.

"Just another study group... with Arwin!" Eliza says, her voice climbing an octave higher.

"Oh, cool." Aubery yawned, and Eliza furrowed her eyebrows in concern.

"You should get to sleep Aubery. You're over working yourself." Eliza says.

"'m fine. 'izzie you 'eally don't 'eed to." Aubery slurs.

"Just, take a nap, if you don't want to go up." Eliza shook her head, grabbing a blanket and draping it over the young girl.

"'hanks Lizzie." Aubery mumbles.

"Go to sleep." Eliza walks to the dorms, bumping into Seamus. "Dude. The heck? I know you have a crush on her, but seriously!" 

Seamus blushes. "I was getting my book." He quietly tip-toes across the room, and grabs his book, before walking back up. "And I thought I only told Dean." 

"Dean told me, but I kept my lips sealed. He wanted some information about Aubery." Eliza shook her head. "Go to sleep." 

"Night." Seamus walks up. 

Not soon after, Hermione, Ron, and Harry runs in the room.

"Aubery!" Harry shakes her, making her shoot up. 

"What?" Aubery asks. 

"Voldemort's in the forest!" Harry whispers. 

"You mean You-Know-Who's out there, right now, in the forest?" Hermione says.

"But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong! Snape doesn't want the Stone for himself; he wants the Stone for Voldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll... he'll come back." Harry says.

"But, if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to... kill you, do you?" Aubery asks. 

"I think if he'd had the chance, he might've tried to kill me tonight." Harry says, and Aubery quickly grabs Harry hand.

"And to think I've been worrying about my Potions final." Ron gulps.

"Hang on a minute." Harry, Aubery, and Ron both glance at Hermione. "We're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared? Dumbledore. As long as Dumbledore's around, Harry, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched." Hermione gives him a reassuring smile; he nods

The next day, the 4 are walking in the courtyard, amibly chatting after their exams.

"I've always heard Hogwarts' end of the year exams were frightful, but I found that rather enjoyable." Hermione smiles. 

"Speak for yourself. All right there, Harry?" Ron asks.

"My scar. It keeps burning." Harry groans.

"It's happened before, right?" Aubery questions.

"Not like this." Harry says.

"Perhaps you should see the nurse." Ron replies. 

"I think it's a warning. It means dangers coming. Uhh!" Harry rubs his scar and then sees Hagrid across the field, at his hut. "Oh. Of course!" He starts running for the hut.

"What is it?" Hermione asks. 

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one?" They approach Hagrid, who is playing a song  on his flute. "I mean, how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before? Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg?" Hagrid stops playing. "What did he look like?"

"I don't know. I never saw his face. He kept his hood up." Hagrid replies. 

"The stranger, though, you and he must have talked." Harry presses. 

"Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him. I said, 'After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem.'" Hagrid says. 

"And did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asks. 

"Well, of course, he was interested in Fluffy! How often do you come across a three-headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him. I said, 'The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him. Take Fluffy, for example, just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep.'" Hagrid says and the four gape.

"I shouldn't have told you that." Hagrid gulps, but the four take off. "Where you going?! Wait!"

The four come tearing in Professor McGonagall's classroom and run up the aisles between desks. They pass a ghost and stop at the desk.

"We have to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately!" Harry pants. 

"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London." McGonagall answers.

"He's gone?! Now? But this is important! It's about...the Sorcerers's Stone." Harry voice drops to a whisper.

"How do you know?" McGonagall asks, shocked. 

"Someone's going to try and steal it." Harry says.

"I don't know how you four found out about the stone, but I can assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly." McGongall says, and they leave.

After leaving McGonagall's class, they walk down the hallway.

"That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy." Harry says.

"And with Dumbledore gone-" Hermione starts, but Snape suddenly appears behind them

"Good afternoon. Now, what would four young Gryffindors such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?" Snape asks, his face curling into a smirk.

"Uh...we were just..." Hermione starts.

"You want to be careful. People will think you're." Harry glares madly at Snape, who looks shocked. "Up to something." Snape exits.

"Now what do we do?" Aubery asks. 

"We go down the trapdoor. Tonight." Harry says. 

It is nighttime in the Gryffindor Common Room. The four friends come down the stairs and begin to walk across the floor. They stop when they hear soft croaking.

"Trevor!" Aubery gasps. 

"Trevor shh! Go, you shouldn't be here!" Ron hisses. 

Neville appears behind a chair. "Neither should you. You're sneaking out again, arent you?"

"Now, Neville, listen. We were-" Harry starts.

"No! I won't let you!" Neville stands. "You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again! I-I'll fight you." He holds out his fists. 

"Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this..." Hermione takes out her wand. "Petrificus Totalus." Neville is frozen and falls backwards onto the ground. Hermione puts her wand back in her pocket.

"You're a little scary sometimes...you know that? Brilliant, but scary." Ron gulps. 

"Let's go." Harry walks by Neville. "Sorry."

"Sorry." Hermione whispers.

"It's for your own good, you know." Ron adds.

"We'll let you out as soon as possible!" Aubery promises. 

The four are under the Invisibility cloak, sneaking along the corridor.

"Ow! You stood on my foot!" Hermione hisses.

"Sorry." Ron whispers. A flame lights up.  

"Alohomora." Aubery whispers. The door opens and they go in.

"Wait a minute...he's...." Ron starts, and a blow of air, and the cape flutters off them. "Sleeping."

"Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the harp." Harry says, as they approach the sleeping dog.

"Uh. It's got horrible breath!" Ron groans. 

"We have to move its paw." Harry whispers.

"What?!" Ron gapes.

"Come on!" Harry grabs the paw, which is blocking the door. "Okay. Push!" They strain and move it. They open the door. "I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign." 

Fluffy's eyes open. "If something bad happens, get yourselves out." Harry continues.

"Does it seem a bit...quiet?" Aubery asks.

"The harp. It stopped playing." Hermione gasps. Drool from one head comes down on Ron's shoulder.

"Ew! Yuck! Ugh." Ron groans. All four kids look up and see Fluffy standing there. Fluffy barks and growls, thrashing around. It breaks the harp and dives at the four.

"Jump! Go!" Harry yells, and they all jump through the trapdoor.

"Ahh!" Ron gasps as he lands on some mushy black ropelike vines. "Whoa. Lucky this plant-thing is here, really."

"Whoa!" Harry screams, as the plant begins to move towards them. "Oh. Ahh!" The plant ties them up. Harry, Ron, and Aubery start squirming around, making the vines squeeze them harder.

"Stop moving, all of you. This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster." Hermione scolds.

"Kill us faster?! Oh, now I can relax!" Ron snaps. Hermione manages a smile as she is sucked down below.

"Hermione!!" Harry, Ron, and Aubery scream.

"Now what are we gonna do?!" Ron yells.

"Just relax!" Hermione yells from below. 

"I swear Hermione, if this is a trap!" Aubery yells, as she relaxs, and is sucked though.

"Aubery! Hermione! Where are you?!" Harry asks.

"Do what I say! Trust me." Hermione yells, and Harry relaxes and is also sucked through.

"Ahh! Harry!" Ron screams. Harry falls through and lands on the hard ground. Hermione and Aubery go over to him and he stands up.

"Harry!" Ron shrieks.

"Are you okay?" Aubery asks.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Harry replies.

"Help!" Ron screams.  

"He's not relaxing, is he?" Hermione sighs.

"Apparently not." Harry sighs.

"Help! Help me!" Ron pleads.

"We've got to do something!" Aubery says.

"What?" Harry asks.

"Uh! I remember reading something in Herbology." Hermione starts.

"Help!" Ron yells. 

"Um Devil's Snare, Devil's Scare, it's deadly fun...but will sulk in the sun! That's it! Devil's Snare hates sunlight!" Hermione says.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Aubery asks.

"We haven't got any wood!" Hermione yells. 

"For Merlin's sakes! Are you a witch or not 'Mione!" Aubery snaps. 

"Oh yeah." Hermione takes out her wand and points upwards. "Lumus Solem!" A beam of light shoots out. The Snare shrieks and recoils. Ron falls below.

"Ahhh!" Ron screams.

"Ron, are you okay?" Harry asks.

"Yeah." Ron nods.

"Okay." Harry says.

Ron stands up. "Whew. Lucky we didn't panic!"

"Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology," Harry replies. A loud flattering sound interups them however.

"What is that?" Hermione asks.

"I don't know. Sounds like wings." Harry says. 

They enter into a room filled with golden birds-like creatures

"Curious. I've never seen birds like these." Hermione says.

"They're not birds, they're keys. And I'll bet one of them fits that door." Harry says. They come upon a broomstick, suspended in the air.

"What's this all about?" Aubery asks.

"I don't know. Strange." Harry comments. Ron creeps over to the door and takes out his wand.

Ron rattles the lock. "Alohomora!" He shrugs. "Well, it was worth a try."

"Ugh! What're we going to do? There must be 1000 keys up there!" Hermione groans.

"We're looking for a big old fashioned one. Probably rusty like the handle." Ron informs.

"There! I see it! The one with the broken wing!" Harry looks at the broom.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asks. 

"It's too simple." Harry shakes his head.

"Oh, go on, Harry! If Snape can catch it on that old broomstick, you can! You're the youngest seeker in a century!" Aubery beckons. Harry nods and grabs the broom. All the keys suddenly go one direction, right at Harry. He climbs on, swiping at them.

"This complicates things a bit!" Ron yells. 

Harry pushes off into the air. He flies off, after the rusted key. The others quickly follow him. Harry grabs the key.

"Catch the key!" Harry zooms by and throws the key to Aubery, who catches it and heads for the lock while Harry distracts the other keys. Aubery puts it in the lock.

"Hurry up!" Ron yells. The door opens, and Hermione and Ron rush through, followed by Harry. They shut the door just as the keys slam up against it.

They then enter a bright room, with something like a fairy village, where fairies are flitting around. They immediately turn to the 4, staring at them.

"Can you help us? A hooded person destroyed our village when we asked them if they wanted a makeover." A Fairy asks.

"What did he look like?" Harry asks.

"He had a hood on. He blasted our entire village! We spent hours working on it!" Another Fairy sniffles, as all the fairys start wailing loudly, sounding like church bells ringing.

"Great, what are we supposed to do now?" Ron groans, as the 4 cover their ears.

"I'm not sure. Maybe this is the test? Fixing their village?" Hermione adds

"We don't have the time to fix their village up Hermione! Snape's on the loose!" Harry says.

"I'll help you!" Aubery says, as she gets out her wand.

"Oh joy! Thank you young lady!" The Fairy exclaims, as the others stop crying.

"Aubs, are you sure?" Harry asks.

"Harry, they spent hours working on it! You can go ahead, but I'm staying to help." Aubery shook her head.

"Alright then. Stay safe." Harry says, and the three leave.

"This was our original design." A image of a fairy village pops up.

"Alright!" Aubery mutters a spell, and the Fairys scream in delight, laughing, and flying around. Their laughter sounds like little bells ringing, much more preferable than the church bells. 

"Oh that was wonderful!" A Fairy screams.

Another Fairy appears in the room, shining like fairy dust.

"What the-" Aubery gasps. 

"Thank you for helping us! You have passed this test, set by a friend, Professor Kettleburn. For your kindness, here is a necklace, that will signify your friendship with the fairies. You will also be able to understand them, after you leave this room. The dust can turn you into a Fairy, and it is very rare, although it will not run out, it will only work on the owner. Keep being kind young one, because not many will be during these troubled times. " The Head of Fairies disappears in a pile of fairy dust

Necklace:

"Now you can enjoy some tea with us!" The Fairy exclaims.

The 3 enter a dark room, with broken pieces all around it.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all." Hermione mumbles.

"Where are we? A graveyard?" Harry asks.

"This is no graveyard. It's a chessboard." Ron walks out onto the marble board and flames light, illuminating the board and giant players. Harry and Hermione come up with him.

"There's the door." Harry says, and yhey walk across the board, towards the door. Suddenly, as they reach a line of pawns, the pawns bring up their swords. The three jump and back up.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione asks.

"It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room. All right. Harry, you take the Bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the Queen's side castle. As for me, I'll be a knight." Ron commands, and they all take their places. 

"What happens now?" Hermione asks.

Ron is aboard a horse. "Well, white moves first, and then...we play." A pawn on the other side moves forward as Ron starts studying the game.

"Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like...real wizard's chess, do you?" Hermione asks.

"You there! D-5!" Ron orders, and a black pawn moves forward, diagonal to the white pawn. The white pawn raises its swords and smashes the black one. The three jump. "Yes, Hermione, I think this is going to be exactly like wizard's chess!" The game continues. Pieces smash each other, making a loud sound, just like a cannon

"Castle to E-4!" Smash. "Pawn to C-3!" Smash. The Queen turns, and smashes another piece. Harry, Ron and Hermione wince. The Queen turns again. Both Ron and Harry study the game.

"Wait a minute." Harry starts.

"You understand right, Harry. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me...then you'll be free to check the King." Ron starts.

"No, Ron! No!" Harry yells.

"What is it?" Hermione asks, from the other side of the chesboard.

"He's going to sacrifice himself!" Harry gasps.

"No, Ron, you can't!" Hermione yells, as Ron closes his eyes. "There must be another way!"

Ron turns to face Hermione. "Do you want to stop Snape or not? Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Hermione, you." Harry nods. "Knight...to H-3." Ron's horse moves forward, slides and stops. "Check."

The Queen turns and advances. Ron breathes faster, clutching the steel reins. The Queen stops. A loud smash is heard, and Ron goes flying off the horse and lands on the floor, unconscious.

"Ron!" Harry yells, and Hermione starts walking to him. "No! Don't move! Dont forget, we're still playing." Hermione moves back. Harry walks the diagonal in front of the King. "Checkmate." The Kings sword falls onto the ground victory. Harry breathes out and then the two go to the other room, not before checking to make sure Ron was okay.

Harry pushed the door open.

A disgusting smell filled their nose, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a lump on its head.

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispers as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe." He pulls open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing in there, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.

"Snape's," said Harry.

"What do we have to do?" Hermione asks. 

They stepped in the room, and immediately a purple fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.

"Look!" Hermione grabs a roll of paper lying next to the bottles.

Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind, Two of us will help you, which ever you would find, One among us seven will let you move ahead, Another will transport the drinker back instead, Two among our number hold only nettle wine, Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.

Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore, To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First, however slyly the poison tries to hide You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand at either end, But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size, Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing. 

"Brilliant," Hermione says. "This isn't magic- it's logic! A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."

"But so will we, won't we?" Harry asks.

"Of course not," Hermione laughs. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."

"But how do we know which to drink?" Harry asks.

"Give me a minute." Hermione read the paper several times.

Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them.

At last, she claps her hands. "Got it," .

"The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire- toward the Stone." Harry looks at the tiny bottle.

"There's only enough there for one of us," Harry spoke. "That's hardly one swallow." They look at each other. "Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"Hermione points at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.

"You drink that," Harry starts. "No, listen, get back and get Ron and Aubery. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."

"But Harry- what if You-Know-Who's with him?"

"Well- I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."

Hermione's lip trembles, before embracing him. "You'll be okay, Harry. You're a great wizard, you really are." 

"Not as good as you." Harry shook his head.

"Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Friendship, and bravery. And Harry, just be careful." Hermione smiles.

Harry nods and stands, walking away. He walks down a long staircase to an empty room with pillars around it. The Mirror of Erised is in the middle of the room, and a man is standing before it. It's Professor Quirrell. Harry yelps and grabs his scar.

"You?" Harry gasps, and Quirrell turns around. "No. It can't be...Snape. He was the one"

"Yes. He does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to me, who would suspect, 'p-p-poor s-stuttering Professor Quirrell?'" He asks. 

"B-but, that day, during the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me." Harry starts.

"No, dear boy. I tried to kill you! And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse." Quirrell snaps. 

"Snape was trying to...save me?" Harry gasps. 

"I knew you were a danger right from the off. Especially after Halloween." Quirell snarls.

"Th-then you let the troll in." Harry deducts.

"Very good Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon, he went to the 3rd floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone." Quirrell turns back to the mirror, and Harry clutches his scar in pain. "But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never. Now...what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the stone. But how do I get it?"

A raspy voice calls out. "Use the boy."

"Come here, Potter, now!" Quirell commands. Harry walks forward shakily. "Tell me. What do you see?" 

Harry looks in the mirror. He sees himself. His mirror self brings his hand into his pocket and takes out a red stone. His mirror self winks and puts the stone back. Very subtly, Harry reaches to his pocket. There is a small lump there. He gasps.

"What is it?! What do you see?!" Quirrell asks. 

"I-I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup." Harry lies.

"He lies." The voice rasps.

"Tell the truth! What do you see?!" Quirrell snaps.

"Let me speak to him." The voice commands.

"Master, you are not strong enough!" Quirrell protests.

"I have strength enough for this." Quirrell unwraps his turban and on the side opposite his face, another face is planted. It is Voldemort who appears kind of like a snake. He stretches out and faces Harry via the mirror. "Harry Potter. We meet again."

"Voldemort." Harry spat.

"Yes. You see what I have become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another. A mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can. Something, that conveniently enough, lies in your pocket!" Voldemort hisses and Harry turns and runs.

"Stop him!" Quirrell snaps his fingers and fire erupts all around the room. "Don't be a fool! Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?!"

Harry shakes his head. "Never!"

"Haha. Bravery. Your parents had it too. Tell me, Harry, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together, we can bring them back." In the mirror, Harrys parents faces appear. "All I ask for is something in return." Harry takes the stone from his pocket. "That's it, Harry. There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the stone!" Harry's mother and father vanish.

"You liar!" Harry roars.

"Kill him!" Voldemort cries, and Quirrell soars into the air and smashes into Harry, one hand on Harrys throat. They fall to the steps and the stone falls out of Harry's reach as Quirrell chokes him. Harry strains and squeaks. Suddenly, Harry puts his hand on Quirrell's, trying to get him off. Smoke furls from under his hand.

"Ahh! Ahh!" Quirrell backs up see his hand is crumbling into a mountain of black ash. "What is this magic?" His hand dissipates.

"Fool! Get the stone!" Voldemort hisses.

Quirrell walks forward, but Harry puts both hands on his face. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" He backs up, then his face, which is horrendously burned, crumbles as he walks forward. His whole body slowly turns to ash as he falls to the floor. Harry gasps, as he looks at his own hands and hurries over to the stone. He picks it up and sighs, when he hears something. Turning, Harry sees a dust clouds with Voldemort's face. The cloud rushes forward, right through Harry.

"Arrrhhhhhh!"

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Harry screams, as Voldemort flies away. Harry falls to the ground, unconscious. He holds the stone in an outstretched hand.

In the hospital wing the next day, Harry is lying in bed with his arm bandaged. He awakens, puts on his glasses, and sits up. There are cards and candy all over. Dumbledore approaches him.

"Good afternoon, Harry. Ah. Tokens from your admirers?" Dumbledore smiles.

"Admirers?" Harry asks.

"What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows." Dumbledore states, and they both smile. "Ah, I see your friend Ronald has saved you the trouble of opening your Chocolate Frogs."

"Ron was here? Is he all right? What about Hermione? Aubery?" Harry asks. 

"Fine. They're all just fine." Dumbledore smiles.

"But, what happened to the Stone?" Harry asks.

"Relax, dear boy. The stone has been destroyed. My friend Nicholas and I had a little chat and agreed it was best all around." Dumbledore says.

"But Flamel, he'll die, won't he?" Harry questions.

Dumbledore sits on the bed. "He has enough Elixir to set his affairs in order. But yes, he will die."

"How is it I got the Stone, sir? One minute I was staring in the mirror, and the next..." Harry starts.

"Ah. You see, only a person who wanted to find the Stone, find it, but not use it, would be able to get it. That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me that's saying something." Dumbledore exclaims. 

"Does that mean, with the Stone gone, I mean, that Voldemort can never come back?" Harry questions.

"Ah, I'm afraid there are ways in which he can return. Harry, do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him?" Dumbledore asks, and Harry shakes his head. "It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you, and that kind of act leaves a mark." Harry touches his scar. "No, no, this kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin."

"What is it?" Harry asks.

"Love, Harry, love." Dumbledore pats Harry's head gently and stands up. "Ah. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. I was most unfortunate in my youth to come across a vomit flavored one, and since then I have lost my liking for them. But I think I could be safe with a nice toffee..." He takes brown bean and eats it. "Mm. Alas. Earwax."

Harry with his arm still bandaged enters a corridor where up on a stairwell balcony, Hermione, Ron, and Aubery are talking. They stop when they see Harry and lean over the railing.

"All right there, Ron?" Harry asks.

"All right? You?" Ron grins.

Harry shrugs. "All right. Hermione? Aubs?"

Hermione smiles. "Never better."

"Amazing." Aubery grins. 

The squad enters the Great Hall, full of students eating and talking with each other, as the sit down at their table. There are green and silver banners with the Slytherin symbol above their heads, already indicating the house with the most points. Dumbledore gives a slight nod to Professor McGonagall, who then clinks her spoon to her glass, to ask attention from the students. The crowd falls silent. Dumbledore stands up and speaks with his magically magnified voice.

"Another year, gone! And now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarded and the points stand thus. In fourth place: Gryffindor, with 262 points!" Dumbledore announces. There is a medium applause from the crowd. 

"In third place: Hufflepuff, with 306 points!" The applause for Hufflepuff is slightly louder than the clapping for Gryffindor. 

"Second: Ravenclaw, with 399 points!" Applause again, this time with a slight cheer from some students. 

"And in first place, with 472 points: Slytherin house!" A loud roar rises from the Slytherin table, as students stand up and clap for themselves. Malfoy gives a mean look to the Gryffindor table, where Harry, Ron and Hermione look slightly depressed, as Aubery gives them a wry smile.

"Yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account and I have a few last minute points to award." Some faces at the Gryffindor table rise hopefully. "First, to Miss Hermione Granger, for the cool use of intellect while others were in grave peril: fifty points!" 

Hermione looks surprised, while the other Gryffindor students applaud her. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle don't like what's happening, as Hermione looks at Hagrid, who looks back to her with a proud smile. "Second, to Mr Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years: fifty points!" Ron looks even more surprised than Hermione did and the Gryffindor table is applauding even louder. 

"Third, to miss Aubery Lupin, who stopped to show lesser creatures kindness, even though she had a mission to accomplish, while many others would not." Aubery blushes, admist the loud cheers, looking down at her necklace. 

"And, fourth to mister Harry Potter, for pure love and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house: sixty points!"

The Gryffindors cheer again, this time even louder than before. Malfoy has a cringing look on his face, while Harry sees a proud, smiling Professor McGonagall at the teacher's table.

Hermione, who has done some quick math, whispers to her fellow students. "We're tied with Slytherin!" Now, the Gryffindors look really hopeful, as Dumbledore hasn't finished talking yet.

"And finally: it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award ten points to Neville Longbottom!" Dumbledore finishes. Neville can't believe what he just heard and the Gryffindors that heard Hermione's whisper are cheering the loudest. Draco looks quite uncertain now. 

"Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of decoration is in order!" He motions his hands towards the Slytherin banners, where they flap heavily, until the banners have changed completely to red and gold with the Gryffindor symbol. "Gryffindor wins the House Cup!"

The Great Hall explods with roars and applause, not only from the Gryffindors, but also from the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs, because they are glad that, for the first time in seven years, someone else than Slytherin has won the House Cup. Hagrid can't help himself to also cheer, and all students except the Slytherins throw their hats in the air, while Malfoy angrily throws his on the table in defeat. The Gryffindors around Harry are all congratulating him and Harry smiles to Hagrid, who smiles back.

The next day, students are boarding the train, leaving back to their homes.

"Come on now, hurry up. You'll be late. Train's leaving. Go on. Go on. Come on. Hurry up." Hagrid beckons.

Harry hands Hedwig to a train man, and walks to an open door of the train with Hermione and Aubery. Hermione and Aubery waves to Hagrid, who waves back. 

"Come on, Harry." Hermione beckons. "Ron's saved us a seat."

"One minute." Harry walks over to Hagrid.

"Thought yer were leaving without saying good-bye, didja?" Hagrid takes a red album out of his coat pocket and hands it to Harry. "This is for yer."

Harry opens the album and sees a picture, moving, of him as a baby with his parents. They are all smiling and waving. Harry smiles.

"Thanks, Hagrid." Harry shakes Hagrid's hand, then hugs him tightly.

"Oh. Go on...on with you." Hagrid smiles, and Harry lets go. "Oh, listen, Harry, if that dolt of a cousin of yours, Dudley, gives you any grief, you could always, um, threaten him with a nice pair of ears to go with that tail of his."

"But Hagrid, we're not allowed to do magic away from Hogwarts. You know that." Harry says.

"I do. But your cousin don't, do he? Eh?" Hagrid chuckles. "Off you go."

Harry walks away, back to the train door where Hermione, Aubery, and Ron are waiting.

"Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?" Hermione says.

"I'm not going home. Not really." Harry smiles. 

Okay, so here was the parts where the 4 trio shone.

Harry- With his ability on a broomstick

Aubery- With her kindness

Ron- With his chess skills/bravery

Hermione- With her brains

Chamber of Secrets starting in the next 2 chapters!

5.7K WORDS PEOPLE T-T 

I worked my butt off for this ending chapter.

Also, if y'all like this, can you maybe recommend it to a few Potterheads out there that you know? It would mean a lot to me, but you don't have to :)