Percy Jackson and the Mirror of Erised [Book 1]

50) The Fight

Very sorry for unpublishing early, I was reading over it and clicked the publish button out of habit. I took it down and will be publishing when planned.

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

"I see my mother. We're eating blue cookies," I said, looking at the mirror but only seeing myself now. I have the Stone. I have it.

Quirrell shoved me out of the way and I fell. I hissed through my teeth when I landed on my burnt hand. I went to go stand, and I saw Harry furiously working to get the sword open and cut the ropes.

Quirrell stood in front of the mirror but the voice from before spoke again, "He lies... he lies..."

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

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

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have enough strength.... for this...."

Terror filled me as Quirrell began to unwrap the turban from his head. Harry looked at me with wide-eyes, and the ropes finally came lose. He didn't move. He seemed to have made the connection to.

If I could have, I would have screamed. But there was no air in my lungs. I looked at the white chalk face. The red eyes. The slits that replaced its nose, like a snake. The face that had been haunting my dreams since before I even knew what Hogwarts was.

And then the face addressed Harry, "Harry Potter..."

It seemed to be more focused on the other boy now. Quirrell grabbed me, thankfully blocking my view from that terrible face, but he was squeezing my arms. It hurt.

He told made me face the mirror, and I just looked back at my own petrified face. I could see a terrified Harry behind me in the reflection.

"See what I have become?" I could hear the voice, but thankfully I couldn't see the face anymore. "Mere shadow and vapor.... 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 Quirrelll 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?"

Crap.

He knew.

I'd had an idea while looking in the mirror. Harry glanced at me and I knew he was thinking the same thing. Suddenly, Harry's reflection had walked up to mine and taken the Stone from my pocket, slipping it into his own. He'd walked back and taken Harry's place.

The Stone wasn't in my pocket anymore.

But something else had appeared in my pocket. I could feel Riptide against my leg. If only I could get out of Quirrell's grasp.

Harry stumbled backwards for a moment. Quirrell looked down at me with angry eyes. He squeezed my arms tighter, and I knew there would be some nasty bruises.

"Don't be a fool," the voice snarled. "Better save your own life and join me... or you'll meet the same end as your parents... they died begging me for mercy...."

"LIAR!" Harry shouted.

Quirrell started walking backwards, dragging me with him. I could almost imagine the smile on the face's face as he looked at Harry. I could feel it.

"How touching..." the voice hissed. "I always value bravery... Yes, boy, your parents were brave.... I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight.... but your mother needn't have died.... she was trying to protect you... now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."