The New Trio and the Philosopher's Stone

Chapter 17: The Man With Two Faces

Notes: Well, here it is, the last chapter of this fic. I do hope you enjoy it.

The first chapter of book two should be up on February 2nd.

__________

"Quirrell!" exclaimed Harry hotly.

Snape swung around from where he'd been facing off against the purple turban-wearing professor. "You fool of a boy!"

This was the distraction Quirrell needed. He snapped his fingers, and ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves around Snape.

"Sev!" shouted Draco. Quirrell snapped his fingers again, and now all three boys were also tied up.

"I had expected perhaps Mr Potter-Black to be down here," Quirrell said, without a trace of his usual stutter, "and perhaps one or two of his little friends, but not you, Severus."

Snape growled. "After all," he continued, "Everything I did, I made it look like you were the one to blame. The troll being in the dungeons, your leg bitten by that mangy mutt, and then there was your whole... personality."

Snape struggled in his bonds, but didn't get anywhere.

Quirrell turned his attention to Harry. "You're too nosy to live, Potter-Black. Scurrying around the school, getting older boys to do all your work for you. Ah, that reminds me; how was that dragon? Haven't heard anything about it."

Stay calm, he thought. "He moved country. Too cold here, see."

Draco snorted at Harry's snark, and Neville let out a quiet guffaw. Annoyed, Quirrell snapped his fingers yet again, and gags sprang into place on Neville and Draco's mouths.

"Now, wait quietly, you four, while I examine this interesting mirror."

It was only then that Harry realised that Quirrell was standing in front of the Mirror of Erised. He gave Draco and Neville a look, then motioned his head towards the Mirror. Both of their eyes widened in understanding. Snape only looked confused.

"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell muttered. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this."

He stared hungrily into it. "I see the stone... I'm presenting it to my Master... but where is it? Should I break it?"

"Not if you want the Stone to be lost forever," said Snape in a deadpan. "I assume you don't want that? What would your Master do, I wonder, once you told him?"

A spasm of fear flitted over Quirrell's face. "I-I would not need to tell him. He is with me wherever I go," he said quietly. "I met him as I travelled around the world. My Lord and Master showed me that my foolish ideas of good and evil were just that; and that there was only power, and those too weak to seek it. I have served him faithfully since then, although I have failed him many times." He shivered suddenly. "He has had to be very hard on me, and he does not forgive mistakes easily."

Quirrell cursed under his breath. "How does this infernal mirror work? Master, I beg you to help me!"

To Harry's (and the others') horror, a voice answered him.

"Use one of them... Use one of them..."

Quirrell rounded on them. "Hmm. Which one shall I choose. If it doesn't work, I can always kill you and move on to the next then. Longbottom," he drawled, "come here."

He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Neville fell off. Neville got to his feet, and walked slowly over to the Mirror.

*Neville's POV*