The Stone

Chapter Thirty-Five

So the last chapter was meant to be the final chapter but I changed my mind.

Also, that moment when you want to throw your tablet because it won't charge unless it's in a certain position. Argh! 

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Harry grabbed Bella and the sprang towards the flame door, but Voldemort screamed, "SEIZE THEM!, and, next second, Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, both he and Bella felt a needle-sharp pain across their foreheads, both of them feeling as though it was about to split into two; Bella yelled and attempted to pull Harry away from Quirrell and to their surprise, he let go of him. The pain in their heads lessened - they both looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers - they were blistering before their eyes. 

"No! This cannot be! SEIZE THEM!" shrieked Voldemort again and Qurriell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet, landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck. Even though her forehead was causing her major pain, Bella closed her eyes and focused herself on Harry, giving him the strength he needed to defeat Qurriell. She didn't know what she was doing, she acted on instinct, but she knew it was working before Quirrell was howling in agony.

"Master, I cannot hold him - my hands - my hands"

And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, lets go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms.

"It's the girl you fool! She's protecting him! Kill them both and be done!" screeched Voldemort

"Like hell, you're killing us!" Bella snarled, glaring at Quirrell.

Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, gaining some of the strength and protection Bella was sending him, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face, feeling the energy radiating off Bella's body and going to his. 

"AAAARGH!"

Qurriell rolled off him, his face blistering too, and then both Harry and Bella knew: Quirrell couldn't touch Harry's bare skin without suffering terrible pain. - they shared a look and nodded. Bella knew she had to keep on sending Harry the strength and protection and Harry had to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him doing a curse.

Harry jumped to his feet, and under the watchful eye of Bella, caught Quirrell by the arm and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off- the pain in Bella's and Harry's head was building - they couldn't see - they could only hear Qurriell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of 'KILL THEM! KILL THEM' and Harry could hear other voices, maybe in his head, crying, 'I can't hold on much longer! Harry! Do something!

Bella, feeling weak, fell backwards and Harry felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from his grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness like Bella, down...down...down...

*

Something gold was glinting above her. The Snitch! She tried to catch it, but her arms were too heavy. 

She blinked. It wasn't the Snitch at all. It was a pair of glasses. 
How strange.

She blinked again. The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view above her.

"Good afternoon, Bella" Dumbledore smiled. "Glad to see you are awake"

Bella groaned and looked around. "Where's Harry?"

"Right here," Harry waved his hand from the bed next to her. 

Bella suddenly remembered