Et Serpens album

Part 23

Neville had to squint he could not believe it. It was Quirrell.

"You!" gasped  Neville he couldn't believe he was bamboozled by Quirrell of all people.

Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.

"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter. "

"But I wasn't it Snape that wants me dead"

"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"

 Neville had to admit he was right.

"But Snape tried to kill me!" Neville said "Twice,"

"The first time was you being incompetent, the second was unfortunately sabotaged by Granger,"

 Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Neville.

"You're too nosy to live, Longbottom. "

"I wanted to not die," Neville said.

  He tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around his ankles were too tight: he tripped and fell over. Quirrell ignored him. He was still talking to himself.

"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

And to Neville's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself. Neville stepped back confused.

"Use the boy.Use the boy."

Quirrell rounded on Neville.

"Yes , Longbottom, come here. "

 He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Neville fell but get up hesitant .

"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see. "

Neville not wanting to die walked up to the glass,

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


"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he invented. "I -- I've won the house cup for Gryffindor. " Like a liar.

Quirrell cursed again.

 "Get out of the way," he said. As Neville moved aside, he felt the Sorcerer's Stone against his leg. Dare he make a break for it?

But he hadn't walked five paces before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.

"He lies. He lies. "

" Longbottom, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"

The high voice spoke again.

"Let me speak to him. . . face-to-face. . . "

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough.for this."

Longbottom kept running he did not want to die but curiosity got the better of him he looked backi. Petrified, he watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.

 Neville made no sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Nevillle had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.

"Neville Longbottom. . . " it whispered.

 Neville tried to take a step backward but his legs wouldn't move.

 "See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapour I have form only when I can share another's body but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds. Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own. Now why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

"No," Longbottom said, he was gonna die either way, die with his dignity.

 "You are a fool boy," It hissed with a savage glint in its eye's. Neville swallowed the eye's remind him of Vivienne's. "I will not ask again give me the stone if you want to see another day,"