Arch Mage, the Path of Magic Chapter 10 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is here with another chapter of Arch Mage, the Path of Magic! The end of the year is at hand. Harry and Hermione may just have a new friend too. Will Harry and Voldemort even meet?

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 10 – End of the Year

In the dark of night, a silent and invisible figure moved through Hogwarts Castle. Through the corridors, down the stairs, and eventually into the immense library. With no one the wiser, the person moved to the Restricted Section. Stopping at the gate that separated the rest of the library from the smaller section, the silent and invisible person examined the metal closely with slightly glowing eyes.

‘Hmm, no Alarm Charms, that’s an Unbreakable Charm, and…that’s it?’ Harry wanted to gape at the lack of security for the Restricted Section. ‘There’s not even a Colloportus Charm on the gate!’ He reached out and slid the latch to the side, letting the gate swing inward slightly. ‘All of the most Advanced and Dark Magics in the library…yet they can’t be arsed to even lock the gate?’ He cast his Detect spell and nearly facepalmed when it showed him no charms, jinxes, or hexes on the floor or shelves just beyond the gate either. The stunning lack of protection was just too much for the young Spellcrafter. He just shook his head and made sure to quietly close the gate behind him.

Harry moved through the rows of shelves, looking for any book title that had the word ‘malediction’ in it. Barring that, he made note of some tomes that had the word ‘Darkest’ in their titles as potential resources to check for information. Daphne had given him a term to look up and the ever-curious Harry wouldn’t let a chance to learn pass him by. Dark, Light, Gray…what silly distinctions, it was all Magic. Horrible acts could certainly be committed, but Magic had no allegiance to any moral code. It was merely a fundamental force of existence, albeit one that operated on seemingly random and arbitrary rules. All of which could be bent, if one knew how.

‘Let’s start with this one.’ Harry thought as he looked at a large, thick tome on the shelf. A quick cast of Detect revealed the Magic that was incorporated into the book. ‘A book that screams when you open it? Why?’ He shook his head, cast a Silencing Charm on the book and then pulled it from the shelf. Opening it up activated the Magic, but it had already been silenced, so not a sound was heard as Harry began to flip through the old tome.

-Hours Later-

‘Maybe this one?’ Harry sighed as he placed his current book back on the shelf and moved on to the next one that he’d made a mental note of earlier. ‘If a book entitled ‘Generations of Revenge’ doesn’t have any information, then I’m going to have to broaden my search more than I thought.’ He cast Detect and found no interwoven spells on the book. Opening it up, he began to flip through the old, worn pages to try and find the term he was looking for. ‘A Curse of Withering Fertility…Curse of Malformation…A Curse that makes it harder for successive generations to form emotional attachments…that’s one way to drag out the death of a bloodline, I suppose.’ Harry was about halfway through the old book when he finally spotted the word ‘malediction’ at the top of a page. ‘Finally.’ He quickly began to read up on just what this type of lingering curse was.

Malediction is the laying of a Curse upon someone or something through words. This type of curse can have long-lasting effects, depending on how the caster phrases the spell when they place it. As no wand or focus of any kind is necessary, most common forms of removal are ineffective. Most malediction curses are meant to bring harm or misfortune to the cursed object or person. To lay a malediction upon an object will see it pass on the effect of the curse to whoever holds it. While most maledictions upon items are broken upon the item’s destruction, to cast a malediction on a person may not end it upon their death.

‘Here we go.’ Harry knew he was getting to the part that he needed now. Daphne’s words alone had clued him in on the fact that someone in her family, or perhaps her family itself, had a malediction laid upon them.

Blood Malediction is to lay a powerful curse upon another person’s very bloodline. Any child born from the cursed individual will carry the malediction within them from birth. The effect of the malediction is created and set by the caster and can be anything from slowly weakening the successive generations’ Magic, to outright killing every child born after a certain number of generations. Once a Blood Malediction has taken hold in a bloodline, by a child being born with the malediction, it is impossible to remove. It is a part of the very blood and Magic of all the people of that bloodline. However, Blood Malediction loses potency when spread too thinly. To ensure it lasts with its full power, specifying a specific Family Line is helpful. So long as that bloodline exists the malediction will continue to be passed down. If a person of the specific family marries into a different family and takes their name, the malediction can lay dormant in any child they birth. If in successive generations a dormant Blood Malediction rejoins the original Family Line, it will reactivate and curse the children born from the union. At least one child of said union will suffer twice the effects of the original malediction should this situation occur.

‘That is some very morally-deficient Magic.’ Harry was fairly certain he’d discovered what Daphne had been unable to tell him directly. The Greengrass Family had a Blood Malediction upon them and she was probably in danger of being cursed twice over with whatever the effect of the malediction was. ‘Now…let’s learn everything about this type of curse.’ The Spellcrafter grinned as he began to read the rest of the section on malediction. This was new information on a type of Magic that he’d never had access to before. He’d make sure to visit the Restricted Section more often while he was here at Hogwarts.

-Saturday, May 2nd ~ Ravenclaw Common Room-

“Harry…what are you doing?” Hermione looked up at the floating Harry with a sigh. These were the things he got up to when she went to the library by herself.

“Thinking.” Harry replied, uncaring of the multitudes of eyes focused on him.

“Can I ask what you’re thinking about?” Hermione sat in one of the armchairs near where Harry was currently floating lazily through the air.

“You can.” Harry grinned down at his brunette friend.

Hermione made sure that he could see when she rolled her eyes at him. “What are you thinking about, Harry.”

“Curse Breaking.” Harry answered with a chuckle.

“The career?” Hermione had of course already looked into various careers in the Magical World. How could she plan her future if she didn’t know what careers were available to a Hogwarts graduate?

“No, not that.” Harry shook his head before lightly pushing off the nearby wall. “Even though that might be interesting to dabble in later.”

“Dabble in, right.” Hermione grinned up at him. “What curse are you trying to break?”

“A long-lasting one.” Harry was vague, but that information did vastly narrow down the list of applicable curses.

“Isn’t standard procedure for cursed items to destroy them?” Hermione questioned her floating friend.

“It is.” Padma Patil spoke up, looking away from her essay to nod to Hermione.

“Ah, but I can’t destroy this, that’s why I have to break the curse instead.” Harry informed as he performed a slow roll in midair.

“Aren’t most counter-curses just applying the opposite effect to cancel out the curse itself?” Anthony Goldstein asked aloud, having been following the conversation for a bit.

“Yes, but I don’t know the full effects of the curse I’m trying to break.” Harry lazily waved and pushed off the incoming wall, sending himself floating in the opposite direction.

“If you don’t know the full effects, then you’re better off not messing with the curse, Harry.” Penelope Clearwater, the fifth year Prefect, mentioned as she pointed her wand at the floating boy and gently guided him to the floor. “Stop floating around just because you’re bored. You could hit someone.”

“Yes, Mama Penny.” Harry had an unrepentant grin on his face as he used the nickname that the Prefect had been given by her housemates.

“Ugh…I swear, I’m gonna find out who started that nickname.” Penny grumbled as she purposefully messed up Harry’s naturally messy hair until it looked wild and untamed.

“If you don’t know the full effects of a curse, shouldn’t you ask someone that does know?” Lisa Turpin cocked her head slightly from her place on the large couch next to Mandy Brocklehurst.

“That’s probably the easiest way.” Harry admitted with a shrug. He headed for the door to the common room with a wave over his shoulder.

“You need any help, Harry?” Terry Boot questioned as Harry walked past him.

“Thank you, Terry, but no, I just need to talk to someone.” Harry gave the other boy a nod of appreciation just before he exited and the door closed behind him.

“Can never figure that guy out.” Michael Corner shook his head.

“Ask Hermione.” Mandy pointed at the bushy-haired girl.

“Don’t look at me.” Hermione denied with a giggle. “Best friends we may be, but even I don’t know how Harry’s mind works.”

Out in the corridor, Harry walked at a normal pace, seemingly with a destination in mind. “Find, Daphne Greengrass.” He whispered under his breath and a grin appeared on his face a second later. To his perception, a small ball of soft light was floating in front of him. No one else would be able to see it, but Harry followed it as it led him through the castle. His own version of a Locator Charm far outstripped the various other spells meant to find or locate people, places, or things. He wasn’t biased or anything, of course.

-Dungeons ~ Outside the Slytherin Common Room-

“So, this is where the Slytherin House stays.” Harry remarked, looking around the dungeon corridor. The blank wall was unassuming and most people would probably walk right past it. “Probably sealed with a password.” He thought as he activated his Mage Sight to look at the Magic at work. ‘Interesting…protections upon protections. Definitely a password to open it…normally.’ The young Spellcrafter grinned as he reached out with his Magic to perform Magic Manipulation. ‘So, if the password is already set, then I should just need to blank this section and give it a new password.’ He removed the part of the protection that had a vocal component. Seeing the Charm was unfinished now, Harry pondered on what to replace it with. “Open Sesame.” Harry snickered as the new password was accepted. He’d have to tell Sirius and Uncle Ted about this one, he was sure they’d both get a kick out of it.

The blank wall became a short corridor, from which various voices could be heard. Harry walked through with an easy smile and emerged into a large common room filled with black leather couches and armchairs. There was a large fireplace with a long mantle across it and multiple windows that looked out into the waters of the Black Lake. Harry was able to count to five in his head before anyone noticed him standing at the entrance.

“Potter?!” One of the older Slytherins, Pucey if Harry remembered correctly, shouted and scrambled to stand up from his chair. At the older teen’s shout, all other sounds in the Slytherin common room stopped. Every single student had whipped around to stare at the Ravenclaw in their midst.

“Afternoon, all.” Harry waved to the Slytherins without a care. “Would Miss Greengrass be available for a quick chat?”

“Potter!” Pucey had taken a few steps forward. “How did you get in here?”

“I said the password.” Harry replied simply.

“Who gave you the password?” An older Slytherin, Warrington if Cho Chang and the other Ravenclaw Quidditch Team member’s complaints were to be believed, demanded of the first year.

“I did.” Harry’s second answer was as plain and simple as the first.

“Why are you in the Slytherin common room, Potter?” Daphne was pinching the bridge of her nose even as she stood up from the couch where she’d been chatting with Tracy Davis and Pansy Parkinson.

“Ah, Daphne, nice to see you again.” Harry smiled at the ravenette.

“Answer the question.” Daphne looked him directly in the eye as she approached.

“Well, I wasn’t sure anyone would hear me if I knocked on the wall, you see.” Harry was fighting to not grin, but the corners of his lips turned upwards a little.

“Uh huh…” Daphne clearly didn’t believe him. “So, how did you get the password?”

“I just told everyone. I gave it to myself.” Harry was having far too much fun with this.

“You’re not gonna answer clearly, are you?” Daphne’s flat tone broke Harry’s control and he grinned at her.

“I didn’t know the password, so I changed it.” Harry answered honestly.

“Only Snape or Dumbledore can change the password, Potter.” Draco spoke up from the couch he was standing in front of. Harry wasn’t sure why the blonde felt he needed to stand up like he was about to confront him.

“Normally, you’d probably be right.” Harry shrugged without a care. “So, Miss Greengrass, about that chat?”

“What do you want to talk about?” Daphne wasn’t going to just leave with Harry Potter of all people. The fact that he’d broken into the Slytherin Common Room to try and speak with her was already going to be making its way into the Hogwarts Rumor Mill at lightning speed.

“I’d like to ask a few random questions about the topic you brought up the last time our paths crossed.” Harry answered promptly and saw the slight widening of Daphne’s blue eyes.

“Fine.” Daphne practically shooed him out down the short corridor out of the common room. “Tell them the new password before you leave.”

“Ah, right, my bad.” Harry chuckled before calling over his shoulder. “The new password is ‘Open Sesame’ in case you need it.” A few moments later and the duo were walking down the main corridor to find an out of the way place to have their discussion.

“What was that about?”

“He couldn’t have actually changed the password, could he?”

“Why did Potter want to speak with Greengrass?”

Multiple questions continued to spill forth, Tracy and Pansy were already having their own conversation.

“You think Potter likes Daphne?” Pansy cocked an eyebrow.

“Maybe?” Tracy looked thoughtful for a moment. “I didn’t even know they’d ever met before though.” As Daphne’s closest friend, she would know if they’d met outside of class, right?

-Harry and Daphne-

“Why’re we leaving the Dungeons?” Daphne questioned after they’d walked up the stairs and onto the ground floor.

“To escape any pursuers, of course.” Harry snickered and Daphne couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the boy.

“So, where are we going?” Daphne questioned lightly. She wasn’t expecting Harry to open the door to a broom cupboard and motion her inside. “You can’t be serious.”

“Sirius is my dad.” Harry’s grin was almost ear-to-ear at getting to crack one of the often heard jokes in his home.

“I’m not getting into a broom cupboard with you, Potter.” Daphne stated firmly. “Who knows what rumors are going to spread from you breaking into the Slytherin common room to see me. Now you want me to go into a broom cupboard with you? You do know what that looks like, right? Are you even mature enough to understand the implications?” The Slytherin girl looked at him while crossing her arms.

“In order?” Harry raised an eyebrow at Daphne. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Now in you go.” He pulled on her robes with a Summoning Charm making the blue-eyed girl squawk. He smiled as she almost stumbled into the cupboard before following after her, closing the door behind them.

“Potter!” Daphne pulled her wand, about to curse him for this, before Harry instantly opened the door again. The curse she was about to cast didn’t even form as she noticed the difference in the amount of light in the corridor.

“Seventh Floor, watch your step.” Harry laughed as he stepped out of the cupboard.

“How? When?” Daphne blinked as she left the cupboard and realized they were indeed on the Seventh Floor, not too far from the Divination Corridor if she remembered correctly.

“Hogwarts.” Harry answered and Daphne couldn’t begrudge him for it. The ancient Magical Castle was filled with such secrets and shenanigans.

“Fine…” Daphne exhaled slowly and put her wand away. “Want did you want to ask?”

“A few random questions, that way you don’t break your secret.” Harry replied, his tone and demeanor much calmer and more serious.

“Go ahead.” Daphne prompted, hiding even the faint glimmer of hope that had appeared in her chest.

“Married back into the Family Line after several generations?” Harry asked what would be a completely random question to anyone that might’ve walked by. But this corridor would be empty pretty much all the time on the weekends.

“Yes.” Daphne gave a one word answer.

“Are you the victim?” Harry’s next question was asked in a quieter tone.

“No, my younger sister.” Daphne informed without speaking about the malediction directly.

“What’s the time limit?” Harry wanted to know how long the curse normally took for its effect to culminate.

“Maybe thirty or so, but it won’t be pleasant.” Daphne grimaced at the thought of the suffering her little sister, Astoria, would have to go through.

“Effects?” Harry wanted to keep this short to try and avoid speaking about the malediction directly. If the Greengrass Family didn’t tell anyone, it could very well be enforced by Magic.

“Physical weakness, Magic starts to get harder to use the closer you get to the end, random intense pain a few times a year, but that increases the older you get, there’s also the lowered immunity which makes it incredibly easy to get sick.” Daphne answered as directly as she could.

“Are you speaking from experience?” Harry questioned, looking at Daphne with some concern.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve only got the normal amount.” Daphne brushed off her own situation. Sure, it hurt and she hated being sick, but at least she’d live a decent amount of time for a Witch. Her sister wouldn’t have that extra time.

“I see,” Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. “Can I check something?”

“Like what?” Daphne wondered what he could possibly want to check.

“Hold still for a moment, please.” Harry requested and activated his in-progress Mage Sight. He focused on Daphne, slowly adjusting the spell’s intensity, until he was able to see her Magic directly.

“What’s wrong with your eyes?” Daphne saw the slight glow and would admit to being curious.

“Just a spell.” Harry answered absently as he focused and looked a bit deeper.

Dark red, a nearly pulsating maroon colored Magic was intertwined throughout Daphne’s body and Magic. Off shoots spread from her veins and arteries like the tangling roots of a plant to infest her Magic. Harry nearly grimaced at seeing the Blood Malediction through his Mage Sight spell. It was like a parasite that was latched on to her Magic and body alike. To think that her little sister probably had twice as much of the root-like entanglement was unsettling. He wouldn’t be shocked if the younger girl didn’t even make it through Hogwarts with how badly this curse would affect her Magic over the years.

“Can you stop staring at me like that? It’s unsettling.” Daphne once more crossed her arms over her chest.

“Sorry, I just needed to check what it looked like to try and come up with a way to break it.” Harry ended the Mage Sight spell and thought about what he’d seen. This Blood Malediction was a nasty curse, one made to cause long term suffering and eventually wipe out an entire family. He should’ve guessed that it would look equally horrible.

“What it looked like?” Daphne blinked at his words. “Potter…can you see Magic?”

“Not like I want.” Harry waved off the incredulous question.

“Not like…Potter, do you not understand?” Daphne really was gaping now. “Mage Sight hasn’t been confirmed to even exist! There’s only tales of it from the past. You could prove it exists.”

“But I don’t have Mage Sight.” Harry shook his head.

“Don’t have…you just said you could see Magic!” Daphne was starting to think the prodigy was messing with her.

“Just because I can see it, doesn’t mean I have some mythical ability.” Harry remarked, only half paying attention as he made some rudimentary hypotheses about how to break the Blood Malediction.

“Wait, wait…you said it was a spell.” Daphne recalled what Harry had said when she asked about his eyes. “But that’s still incredible…you made a spell that lets you see Magic?”

“Don’t spread it around, it’s not up to the level that I want it at yet.” Harry requested of the Slytherin girl, still not fully focused on the conversation.

“Sure, I guess.” Daphne couldn’t understand why Harry wasn’t shouting his accomplishment from the rooftops. Powerful spells were one thing, but he’d made an ability from tales of old into an actual spell! She’d be trying to get at least some recognition for herself if she’d accomplished such a feat.

“I have a few initial thoughts, but I’ll need more time to figure this out, sorry about that.” Harry apologized to Daphne with a lopsided smile.

“It’s fine, we have time.” Daphne shrugged, but felt some hope about her sister’s situation. Potter kept proving that he was far and away one of the best Wizards she’d ever heard of. With his help, maybe the unbreakable curse of the Blood Malediction could actually be removed.

“I’ll do my best, Miss Greengrass.” Harry nodded to the girl. “That invite to study with Hermione and I is still open, by the way.”

“I’ll think about it.” Daphne shrugged and walked back into the broom cupboard. “See you later, Potter.” She shut the door behind her.

‘Three, two, one…’ Harry counted down in his head.

“There better not be anyone saying anythi-” Daphne stopped dead as she opened the door to see Harry standing there and that she was still on the Seventh Floor.

“Hi.” Harry waved with barely suppressed laughter.

“Hah…” Daphne sighed before speaking. “It’s one way, isn’t it?”

“Yep.” Harry chuckled.

“You suck.” Daphne hmphed as she looked away. Tracy’s language was starting to rub off on her it seemed.

“Go down the stairs near Professor Flitwick’s office, move the tapestry on the right hand side that shows the Hogwarts Sigil, there’s a spiral staircase behind it, walk the thirty-ish steps to the bottom and open the door, you’ll be back on the ground floor near the History of Magic classroom.” Harry gave her the hidden shortcut with a grin. “The door is actually a portrait, but it only opens from the First Floor side if you can convince the Witch in the portrait to do so.”

“You’re slightly better.” Daphne remarked, a slight grin pulling at her lips as she walked away.

“See you at the next study session in the library, Miss Greengrass.” Harry called out with a snicker.

“I said I’ll think about it, you prat.” Daphne waved over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

-Monday, After Classes ~ Library-

Harry and Hermione were hard at work writing their short essays for Transfiguration. Once they got them done, that would free up some time for the next two days. They could finish other homework then or look into their own interests. Hermione enjoyed having a friend that took their studies as seriously as she did. But Harry always stopped her from going over the required assignment length. She could occasionally get a little extra on an assignment, but Harry told her it wasn’t worth doing more if all she was going to write down was stiff directly from their textbooks.

“Harry, what did you say about the process of converting shape but not material?” Hermione wanted to make sure her own thoughts weren’t too similar to Harry’s. McGonagall make think she’d copied from Harry if it was too close and that would be horrible. She’d never copy someone else’s work. Just the thought of being accused of such made her flustered.

“That doing it in steps is a pointless waste of time.” Harry replied as he finished up the sentence he was writing.

“Harry, you can’t write that on your assignment.” Hermione nearly dropped her head onto the table. “You’re going to get in trouble, or worse, your grade will be lowered.”

“Hermione…run what you just said back through your head.” Harry looked into her brown eyes with a grin.

Hermione thought back to what she’d just said before her cheeks went a little pink. “Shush!” She looked away from him with a pout. She was getting better about her unhealthy study habits. But sometimes things like that slipped through.

“May we join you?” Daphne spoke up from behind Harry. Beside the ravenette was the dark-brunette Tracy Davis. Both girls had books in their arms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, from the looks of it.

“Miss Greengrass, Miss Davis, how nice to see you.” Harry smiled at the two Slytherin girls.

“I’m so sorry about him.” Hermione apologized to the two girls. “Breaking into your common room like that was too far.”

“It’s fine, most of us girls think it was a romantic gesture.” Tracy side-eyed Daphne with a teasing grin.

“For the last time, no it wasn’t.” Daphne shot a look at Tracy, making the other girl giggle.

“Sure, sure…” Tracy looked at Harry with a wide smile.

“What can I say, Daphne is a lovely girl.” Harry’s grin matched Tracy’s.

“I will hex you both.” Daphne glared at her friend and Harry in equal measure.

“Harry, don’t tease her.” Hermione sighed at the prankster side that Harry let out sometimes. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced, Hermione Granger, pleased to meet you.”

“Tracy Davis, a pleasure, let’s be friends.” Tracy was clearly the social one between her and Daphne.

“Daphne Greengrass, nice to make your acquaintance, Granger.” Daphne’s greeting was a bit more formal.

“Sit, sit, what’re you two working on?” Harry waved them to sit down at the table.

“Quirrel’s report on Dark Charms and their levels.” Tracy made a face as she got out a blank parchment, her inkpot, and her quill.

“It’s not as bad as it could be.” Daphne shrugged as she set up her stuff. “We only have to describe each level and give an example. It doesn’t even have to be one from class.”

“Says, Miss I-get-O’s-on-every-paper…” Tracy playfully rolled her eyes at her friend.

“Try harder then.” Daphne sniffed with a faux pompous look on her cute features.

“Nah, I’ll just settle for EE’s and the occasional O.” Tracy denied with a laugh. “I’m certainly not missing a Quidditch match in favor of studying.”

“Of course not.” Daphne was the one rolling her eyes now.

“Is this what we look like from the outside?” Hermione wondered curiously.

“Maybe a little.” Harry snickered at the back and forth between Daphne and Tracy.

-Mid-May-

“Yes!” Harry exclaimed with a beaming smile after reading the letter that Hedwig had brought during breakfast.

“What has you so excited, Harry?” Hermione questioned after swallowing her bite of food.

“Sirius was able to get me a spot to take a Mastery Exam later this summer.” Harry was grinning brightly at the letter. “It took forever to convince the Wizarding Examination Authority, but they’ve finally agreed to give me a spot in August since my grades from First Year will be on record by then.”

“A Mastery Exam?” Hermione blinked at the fact that Harry was going through with it. She’d honestly thought he was joking, but perhaps she shouldn’t have, especially not after what she’d seen him accomplish with Magic.

“Yep, I’m going to get Charms out of the way.” Harry smiled at his best friend. “Next summer I’ll probably get either Transfiguration or Defense Against the Dark Arts done.”

“Can you even be a student if you have a Mastery?” Hermione worried her lip cutely. “I don’t want to lose my best friend, Harry.”

“There’s no law that says I can’t be a student with a Mastery, I checked.” Harry assuaged her fears. “Of course, that might be because no student has ever earned a Mastery before.”

“Only you, Harry, only you.” Hermione shook her head, sighing in relief that Harry would still be at Hogwarts with her.

“Oh, you’re not getting rid of me that easily, Hermione.” Harry laughed and threw his arm over her shoulder.

“Harry!” Hermione’s cheeks were red as she let him pull her into a side hug.

It was a good day for the duo, and wouldn’t Tracy and Daphne be surprised!

-June 4th, 1992 ~ Mirror Chamber of the Third Floor Corridor-

“What is this blasted mirror?!” Quirrel raged at the tall mirror before him. “I see myself holding the Stone and presenting it to you Master, but I can’t figure out how to get it!”

“Silence, you fool!” Voldemort snapped and Quirrel’s body jerked as if he’d been struck. “I need a few moments to figure this out.”

“Hello, Tom.” Dumbledore spoke up from behind the possessed Quirrel. “It has been a long time.” His wand, with the knots along its length, was in his hand already.

“Dumbledore!” Voldemort hissed in rage and Quirrel’s body convulsed as the purple turban on his head rapidly unwound itself without anyone touching it. The horrific sight of another man’s face sticking out the back of Quirrel’s head was sickening. “I suppose this was your plan all along?”

“What have you done to yourself, Tom.” Dumbledore questioned the Dark Lord, disappointment and wariness in his eyes.

“I have done what so many before me were too weak and fearful to do!” Voldemort replied with a hissing lisp. “I’ve become immortal! You think you can finish me here, while I’m in this weakened form. You are a fool. Lord Voldemort cannot die.”

“You’ve mutilated yourself; can’t you see that?” Dumbledore admonished his former student. “I won’t let you do as you please, you will not cause the pain and fear you did back in the Seventies.” He raised his wand and leveled it at the Dark Lord.

“I’m not one of you pitiful students, Dumbledore!” Voldemort spat and Quirrel’s limbs made sickening cracks as they rotated to allow them to be used by the spirit possessing him. “I have no need of your disappointment or recriminations! All I need from you is the information on how to retrieve the Philosopher’s Stone! Give it to me!”

“You will not be getting it, Tom. It is time for you to leave this world.” Dumbledore jabbed his wand forward, a visible wave of Magic tearing through the chamber.

“Then die!” Voldemort cried out as Fiendfyre billowed out of his mouth in a torrent. He couldn’t form it into his favored serpent with how weak he was right now, but Dumbledore would have to wrest control over it, lest the cursed fires burn down the whole of Hogwarts!

“How did you survive in this form, Tom?” Dumbledore was already smothering the wave of Fiendfyre. “What Dark Arts did you delve into in your fearful fleeing from death?”

“Lord Voldemort fears NOTHING!!!” Voldemort whipped Quirrel’s wand around, sending a barrage of curses at the Headmaster. Every single spell from his wand was lethal. Organ Liquefier, Skin Flayer, Reducto, Bombarda, Entrail Expelling, every wave, point, and movement of the wand unleashed nothing but pain and death.

“Let go of this world, you’ve done too much harm to ever be forgiven.” Dumbledore stated as his Protego Maxima blocked the wave of varied curses. A point of his wand and the floor where Voldemort stood erupted into shrapnel, sending the possessed body of Quirrel rag dolling through the air.

-Ravenclaw First Year Dorms ~ Harry’s Room-

“Huh?!” Harry shot straight up in bed, sweat on his face. He had the strangest feeling, like something was happening…or had happened…maybe? It was already fading…perhaps a nightmare? “What in the world?” He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. “What time is it?” He wandlessly cast the Tempus Charm to see that it was just after midnight. “Ugh, I hope this isn’t an all night thing.” He rolled over and closed his eyes. He was asleep again in just a minute or so.

If Harry hadn’t been pulled from sleep, he might’ve realized that the feeling that had awoken him was eerily similar to the feeling that had led him to check out the Forbidden Forest earlier in the school year.

But for now, the prodigious Spellcrafter slept.

-End Chapter-

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Well, Harry has started to delve into some Dark Magics to help out Daphne. It was only a matter of time before his curiosity led him to investigate other Branches of Magic like this. Can Harry find a way to break the unbreakable?

More friends are always nice too! Tracy is a bit of a social butterfly, something that Hermione, Harry, and Daphne could all use a little help with.

Harry gets his approval to attempt a Mastery Exam! Woohoo! Let’s see about earning that Sorcerer Title this summer! Not to mention the Under 17 Dueling Circuit. The Junior Dueling League has no idea what they’re in for!

Without a group of meddling First Years, Dumbledore’s trap works out and he confronts the weakened Voldemort. Did he learn anything of Voldemort’s immortality, or was there no time?

Harry still reacts to what happens down in the third floor corridor. Why? You don’t need a piece of a person’s soul stuck in you to react to them, when you’re both bound by Prophecy!

Will Harry ever realize what happened?

Keep reading to find out!

Until I get your reviews, later!