The Cunning and Ambitious

Chapter Fourteen

Back to Hogwarts. After a while I missed it. You could only have so many days without wanting to see the glamorous castle again. I was still sad to leave my parents again. I had such a good time.

And of course almost as soon as school had ended, it had began. And rougher than before. You'd think that being gone from the magical world for two weeks would a reasonable excuse to lower the amount of homework slightly, but the work increased and I soon found myself immersed in a pile of Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Potions, Herbology, you name it. My weekly practices with Dumbledore of course continued, but it also takes away time for homework and afterward I'm so exhausted that I go straight to bed. Of course I tried my hardest to finish it all, but I couldn't do anything but work. I miss one assignment and the world goes to chaos. So I do it all, and lose any contact with the real world in the process.

Sure, I also conveniently left out the parts where I got lost in thought for a couple hours. Here I go again, lost in my enormous mind, filled with thoughts and ideas, memories and regrets, dreams and ni-

What is Malfoy doing? I catch him in the corner of eye actually going to a Library. That, like, never happens. Then I find out the real purpose for his visit here. Neville. Okay, who cares, it's just some fat Gryffindor kid no one really cares about. But still, I can't handle the fact that my own house is bullying people. Sure it's not unknown, I can thank my mum for that bit of info, but it's weird watching someone you know torment some kid. I get up and head on over.

"Hey, what the hell?" I tell him.

"Hall, you're really standing up for this kid?" Malfoy sneers.

"I'm not standing up for him, I frankly couldn't care less, but I'm at least trying to make Slytherin not the evil house."

"You actually care about that?"

"Uh, yeah. There's at least someone of us who are cold hearted jackasses. Now please, I need to go study." I smirk and leave.

                                                                                           ∼⛦∼

The next day I met up with Ron, Hermione, and Harry, whom told me that they found Nick Flamel. Apparently he was the only known creator of the Philosopher's Stone, which he wanted Dumbledore to keep it safe for him. They were about to tell me what the stone did, but Snape interrupted, reminding Harry that he was referring the next Quidditch match. I don't have much interest, it's Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff. Not that I hate Hufflepuff, but I'm not going to cheer for them or Gryffindor.

Instead I'm sitting at the tree I usually chill by, instead of being at the game, I'm actually reading a book that isn't school work. The book was given to me by my dad, and it's all about the history of Slytherin and such like that. So far it's really interesting, I had no idea that possibly the most famous wizard in history, Merlin, was a Slytherin.

I hear the game begin and immediately I regret my choice to be outside. I start packing up so I can leave and read in the common room. I begin leaving and hear an enormous cheer from the stands, I look back and the game has ended. Already? What the heck just happened? I decide to stay behind then, knowing the Slytherin kids who did go would go back to the room soon. I hide behind my tree and get my book back out, it's not much longer until everyone leaves. I finish my chapter and get up and start leaving again. Before I leave the hill, though, I hear a swoosh and turn around.

Harry has just now gotten here, looking as if he just got off his broom, he races back to the Quidditch field to change. I sprint after him, interested on why he's stayed so long. I meet up with him soon enough, right at the Gryffindor locker room.

"What's up?" I ask, "The game ended like two minutes ago. Why are you still here."

"Okay," he seems a bit rushed, "Look, we were right, it is the philosopher's stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy- and he said something about Quirrell's 'Hocuspocus'- I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-dark arts spell which Snape needs to break through-"

"So, you're still going on about Snape being evil." I interrupt

"He is!"
"I don't think so. I agree with you that the stone is in danger, but I simply can't believe that Snape is trying to get it."

"So what? Quirrell's trying to get it"

"I don't know, maybe?"

"That's just crazy!"

"Well, sure." I shrug my bag back on, "But either way, we need to make sure that stone remains safe." Then I leave.