United Against All Odds | Harry Potter AU

Chapter 8

Severus tried to sneak back to his quarters, however was cornered by the three other heads of houses, as well as a bound up quirrell, being held upright by professor sprout.
"What do you want?" He asked them, his voice drawling like usual.
"You should know why we're here, Severus. We all saw you doing the same thing quirinus was doing to Mr. Potter's broom. However, nobody else did. We are taking you to Albus." Minerva said. She took out her wand and held it by his neck. While he was going to agree to come anyway - albus knowing that he was protecting Potter - he knew he should not move nor speak as the Gryffindor head would not hesitate to hex or jinx him. They walked in silence - Severus still at wand point and Pomona holding quirrell steady - till they reached albus' office where filius said the password and lead the four teachers into the office.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Dumbledore asked the five professors in front of him, eye twinkling as always.
"I am sure you know what happened at the quidditch match," Dumbledore nodded once.
"Then I am sure you know Mr. Potter saw quirrell here cursing his broom. However, the three of us also saw Severus doing the same thing. We have no idea who was cursing and who was trying to break the curse so we brought them both to you." Albus nodded, first sending out the four heads of house and questioning his DADA professor.
"Now please, quirinus, tell me what actually happened at the Gryffindor versus Slytherin quidditch match."
"W-well I-I was w-watching the game, th-then I s-saw Severus c-cursing Potter. I-I counter-cursed t-to prevent h-him from f-falling." Albus nodded, thanking quirrell for telling him before sending him out to get Severus. The male walked in and sat down.
"What happened, Severus, at the quidditch match between your house and Minerva's?"
"I was watching my snakes winning, when I saw quirrell, staring at Potter's broom, without blinking an muttering. I immediately started performing the counter curse." Albus nodded, knowing he had heard two of the same stories with the people switched. He called them back in.
"I have heard two similar stories today, yet only one can actually be right. However, I shall give you both the benefit of the doubt. Quirinus if you would leave us I have something to discuss with the heads of house." Quirrell nodded his head, his turban nearly falling off.  Albus thought he saw a glimpse of red but dismissed it as his imagination.
"Severus here was not the one to curse Harry, rather protect Harry using the counter curse." Minerva shot a look at Severus who nodded once, conveying that he was telling the truth.
"Quirinus is after the Stone." The three other heads of houses gasped at the thought of someone they considered their colleague and friend trying to do that.
"There is no way we can get rid of him, he would become too dangerous. He would try at anything to get the stone, including harming the students. Voldemort is a vicious man, especially when trying to get his body back." The four heads flinched minutely at the name of he who must not be named, but Dumbledore did not dwell on this. He was deep in thought.
"Please feel free to leave, unless you have any questions." The four head looked at each other, before standing up and leaving. Severus was the last one left in the office.
"Thank you, albus, for telling them the truth. I did not want to have them angry at me." Albus nodded his head once at his Slytherin head, before the Potion master turned around with a floosh of his cape and left.

That evening Harry heard Ron, Seamus and dean talking throughout the castle. His interest peaked when he heard about the trapdoor.
"I can't believe hagrid told us what was on the trap door that easily." Dean laughed, the noise echoing in the near empty corridor.
"And I can't believe he named that giant three headed dog fluffy." Ron laughed at the game keepers choice of names.
"And the thing on the trapdoor belongs to Nicholas Flamel. I've heard the name but I can't remember where..." Seamus Said, changing the mood from jokey to serious (you don't know how much I wanted to put Sirius there - I even started typing Sirius).
"I'll ask Hermione. I'm sure she'll tell me - I can't be bothered to look in the library." Ron said, smirking.
"And then we'll stop Snape." The three boys laughed and shrugged their shoulders, walking back towards the Gryffindor common room. Harry turned back, going towards his own common room.

"How is Weasley such an idiot?" Daphne rolled her eyes after harry had told his four closest friends what he had heard. Harry was about to ask why when Blaise cut through.
"Flamel is the most famous alchemist in the wizarding world."
"He is known for bother his work with Dumbledore and especially his discovery of the philosophers stone." Theo continued.
"The philosophers stone can turn any metal it touches into gold and, if the elixir of life inside is drunk can make the drinker immortal." Harry gasped as Tracey finished the explanation. He did not think it was possible to become immortal - in the muggle world it certainly wasn't. Suddenly his brain was moving as quick as it could go.
"So the stone is under the trapdoor guarded by fluffy, the three headed dog, and the boys think that Snape wants it. However judging by evidence that we have seen, quirrell is actually the one who wants the stone, for probably obvious reasons." The four others nodded, having figured out for themselves, the same as Harry had.
"I think we should tell Professor Snape." Tracey Said. The others looked at each other and nodded, knowing that the professor was more likely to believe them if something came up, if they did tell them rather than if they didn't. The walk to his office was a short one, but one which was filled with talking about the quidditch match. They took a breath together, and Harry knocked once on the large black door.

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A/N - Happy Birthday Neville! It's the shy Gryffindor's birthday today and I'm sure he will spend it well with his friends, and his family.
Hope you enjoy the chapter for the birthday boy (even if he wasn't mentioned).