With a groan, Harry woke up in a sparsely lit room, the light coming from some torches placed on the walls. As he tried to stand up, he noticed that he could not move his arms, as they were bound with ropes behind his back, but he could at least roll around and get his knees under his body. Ba the sound of him moving, someone out of his line of sight came over to him, gripping his collar of his robes and pulling him up harshly. Harry was then turned towards a mirror, as a coarse voice began to talk with him.
"Tell me what you see, Potter. Tell me, and I will let you live," A hand was placed under his chin, so that he had no other choice then to look at his reflection. Harry tried to free himself, but he could not reach his dagger or his wand while he struggled. As he saw himself, his lost his breath for a moment as he saw his parents beside him, while Quirrell held him in place. Next to his parents he saw Geralt and Yen and everyone else he knew from Kear Mohen. But he wondered why they did not help him as he fought with his tears.
"Tell me boy, what do you see?" The voice asked him again, letting him change his attention to why the other man could not see what he saw. He concluded that this mirror had to be magical and show something different for all who looked at it. He then was successful on turning his head and could look behind him, where the room was still empty. Harry decided to humor the man, as he was sure that someone had to be on his way as Callie surely told Cortana what happened in the Quirrell's office.
"Well, do you want to know something specific, you bodiless voice? As all I see are my friends for whatever reason. If they would be in this room, I think your friend who holds me would be dead right about now. So how about you show yourself and tell me what I should see?" Harry's eyes were now looking for any other person inside this room, as Callie finally came back online on his glasses looking worried.
"Harry, John is on his way, but he needed to get Dumbledore first. Just hold out for five more minutes, he will be here by then." Harry thanked her with his thoughts, as the coarse voice once more talked to him.
"Ah yes, how inconsiderate of me. This mirror shows what you want the most, but the only thing my host sees when he looks into it, is when he gives me the philosopher's stone. But it seems that he never finds out where it is hidden. Now, is it really all you see your friends? How pitiful. Because they will betray you one day, and there is nothing you can do against it, Potter." The voice was still talking, as Harry began to laugh.
"If friends would betray anyone, then why do you think that Quirrell will give you the stone? He could use it for himself, as he could use all the gold he wants for his robes. His wardrobe could use an update. And for my friends, I know that they would fight for me just like I would fight for them." Harry began to play for time, as he looked over to the mirror thinking how he could protect the stone from Quirrell and whoever was in here too. He then saw his mirror-self grinning and putting his hand in his pocket, while he pointed to John and upwards after that. Harry had to think about it, but Callie called out that the stone had to be on a ship in space. Then he felt something in his pocket, as his mirror-self pulled out the stone in the mirror and placed it back. Harry knew, that he had the stone now in his pocket, so how could it be in space, except….his eyes shot open as he concluded that the one in his pocket had to be a fake, so even if Quirrell would get it he could not use it.
"Ah Harry, you think you are so smart. I would have offered you a place at my side, but I would just take your life instead now. But first, let me introduce myself so you know who ordered your death. Quirrell, turn around so I can look at him." Quirrell quivered a bit, as he lifted his hands to his turban and took it off, revealing another face on the back of his head.
Harry had to suppress a gag as the face wrinkled his mouth to a smile while his red eyes were almost glowing with menace. Meanwhile, Callie updated Harry about the position of John and Dumbledore, they were seemingly just in the other room and coming soon as the face began to talk once more.
"Yes, Harry, what you see is what is left of the mighty Lord Voldemort after what happened on that Halloween 11 years ago. But soon, I will rise again after we take the stone from your pocket as well see what the contraption is you are carrying."
Harry was shocked, it seemed that Voldemort could read his mind, as he finally loosened the rope and could get his hand out and grabbed his dagger. He would need Callie to scan his brainwaves if anything strange had happened. But before that, he would need to survive.
"Now Harry, you will die., Quirrell, go kill him."
"FREEZE"
Harry turned around, as his back was towards the voice who was now booming the order through the room. He saw John, in his armor and his rifle raised towards Quirrell's back as he was still turned around so Voldemort could talk to Harry. Beside him was Dumbledore, his wand pointed towards Quirrell's back.
Harry still had the dagger in his hand as Quirrell turned back around, his wand drawn and a spell flying towards Harry, who evaded and rolled back up. But that was the signal to which the barking of the assault rifle beginning its duty as John pulled the trigger sounded through the chamber, while Dumbledore stood between Harry and Quirrell to protect him from spells that were coming towards him. As John moved to the place between them, Dumbledore talked with Quirrell/Voldemort.
"Hello Tom. I thought that you would still be alive, but the state you are in is quite pitiful. And that you had to take possession of poor Quirinus just shows how far you have fallen. Now, I would suggest that you come with us quietly, but I know that you will not do that." Dumbledore then turned towards John, telling him to finish it.
But before John could open fire once more after he had to reload, something poured from Quirrell that resulted in a dark mist above the ground, from where came out an unearthly scream as it moved towards them. It flew over them and escaped through the wall as it behaved like a ghost. Meanwhile, Quirrell fell face first on the ground and stopped moving.
After John has checked if the mist was still around, he walked over to the body on the ground, checking it for vital signs with the help of his armor's sensors and Cortana, but Quirrell was already death as he even turned into dust soon after. With a shaking head he turned back around and sees Harry pressing a hand on his scar, while Dumbledore tried to help him breathe. John wasted no time as Cortana told him that Harry's vital signs, as far she could tell, were erratic and she would call Doctor Halsey and Triss for help. He grabbed the Harry and lifted him onto his arms and began to run up to the hospital wing, away from the mirror and away from the small stone one the floor.
"I never would have thought that Voldemort himself would be in the castle. I really must tighten up the security. And I think we need another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I will ask Captain Lasky if their Intelligence network could help me screen the next candidate." Dumbledore mused, as he picked the fake philosopher's stone up and catches himself looking in the mirror. His mood saddened as he saw his sister alive, while she used magic to heal someone. "If only…" Dumbledore sighed and shook his head and.
He gathered himself and left the room with the fake stone in his pocket, walking up to his office as John would carry Harry safely to the Hospital wing. Dumbledore would need to fill out some paperwork as why a teacher had died and putting up another add for the post that was once again vacant. He would also write to Nicholas, telling him what happened. Maybe it was time for the real stone to be destroyed.
John opened the doors to the hospital wing with his shoulders, slamming them open almost so hard that they would have been blown of their hinges. Madam Pomfrey was surprised at the giant man, but when she heard Harry screaming his lungs out, she pointed to a free bed and began with her scans. Almost at the same time, a portal opened beside John and three women came through it, the oldest one almost running to the bed Harry was in.
"Ah, Doctor Halsey, nice of you to join me. Now I do not dare to hope you have something to calm him down? I will have to look if I still have some calming draughts in the back." Of course, Madam Pomfrey knew Doctor Halsey already, as she was a frequent guest here since John was appointed to this castle as security right until they fixed their communication. She was not against the older woman helping her, but if she was in the way she would tell her.
Catherine took a small syringe out of her carrying case and prepared the injection as she told Triss to hold Harry still for a moment and asked Madam Pomfrey if she could find him some sleepwear. After she administrated the serum, Harry stopped his screams and breathed normal again, falling asleep. Catherine then took his glasses of and placed them on, asking Callie on what the hell happened. As Callie began her report, Yen and Triss used their magic to help Harry heal from whatever happened to him, but as far they could tell it was at least not life threatening. But Yen was bothered, as she looked at the scar on Harry's forehead. She and Triss felt that whatever was in there, it had changed a bit and became stronger. They had to remove it, sooner rather than later but she could not isolate the Horcrux well enough to take it out with her magic without hurting Harry, so she decided to tell Borch that they had to accelerate the plan with his blood and the Witcher mutation. She just hoped that Geralt would agree to that move as the only logical way to help Harry.
Catherine soon joined them, sighing and removing Harry's glasses as Madam Pomfrey came with the sleepwear for Harry. "So, I guess I will not have to treat Harry as a patient alone? You know, Doctor Halsey, your help is always appreciated even if my methods are faster on healing the patient itself. But I could get used on the help here, as it lessens the burden for all these students. Or maybe one of your friends is willing to stay tonight and help me?" Madam Pomfrey looked at Yen and Triss, who both nodded and kept their magic field up. Madam Pomfrey meanwhile used her wand and spells to scan Harry once more and was happy to report that he will wake up as soon the sedative from Doctor Halsey would lose its effect. Yen sat down on a chair next to Harry's bed and looked at Catherine.
"So, what really happened down there? It had to be bad, when Harry even could not use the pendant I gave him last month." Triss also stopped her magic, now looking to Catherine too. Her eyes also caught John, who still stood in the door and watching his surroundings. She had to suppress a shudder as his serious aura that he was emanating made her feel afraid for whatever caused him to be this way. She even saw that one hand was resting on the grip of his pistol he carried on his hip.
Catherine also was serious, showing the other woman for the first time how they survived the war back in their dimension.
"According to Callie and Cortana, Harry had some kind of seizure as Voldemort left the room and the castle, as if he would still be here, he would have attacked a long time ago. As for what caused it, Callie recorded some unusual brainwaves from Harry before it happened, maybe whatever is in this scar tried to reconnect with Voldemort but was not successful. That put too much stress on young Harry here and his vital signs began to drop. If John would not have been down there with him…" Catherine did not want to end this sentence, but Yen and Triss could think what would have happened.
"Ah, Doctor Halsey, Miss Yennefer and Miss Merigold, I see that you did not waste any time to help Harry here. I am glad that we decided all those years ago to give him in your care. How is he?" Dumbledore came into the hospital wing, looking at all the faces and walked over to the bed, under the watchful eye from John who relaxed only slightly. The old man strokes his beard, hearing from Pomfrey that he would make a full recovery sooner than later, thanks to Doctor Halsey and her medicine. Dumbledore thanked her and told John that Voldemort indeed had left the castle and was no longer a threat. "For a while at least." He ended. He then looked at the black-haired sorceress and had an idea.
"Miss Yennefer, seeing that we are now a staff member short because of the tragic death of Professor Quirrell, I wanted to ask you if you would know someone who could fill this position? But to be honest, I would like to have you or Miss Merigold for this job, as I am sure that both of you are capable and more importantly, surely not in league with Voldemort." He had just a small laugh at the expression those two gave him, but with this solution he would solve many problems at once. Firstly of course would the post be filled rather quickly, but also the question of stronger security would be answered as those two sorceresses where stronger than most other magical beings in this castle. And thanks to their Portal magic, of which was not affected by the wards of Hogwarts, they could respond to any emergency inside the castle immediately. Of course, he would have to convince the school board, but except maybe Lucius he saw no problem in doing just that. As soon they would hear how beautiful and magically gifted those women were, he would have the board signing the contract for them yesterday.
"I'm honored Albus, but for my part I must decline. We have enough to do in Kear Mohen, so I can't leave it for such a long time. What about you Triss?" Yen turned to her friend as the redhead crossed her arms and began to think about it.
If she would agree, she could be in the same place as John and looking over Harry, but his schoolmates could accuse her on favoritism him. Dumbledore also suggested that she could think about it until the end of July, as he had to verify the staff with the board by then at the latest. Triss nodded, saying that she would send their owl with her answer before then. Dumbledore thanked her and then left the hospital wing as Pomfrey walked over to them and asked the women if they wanted to sleep in the beds next to Harry. As Catherine placed Harry's glasses on the nightstands, she looked once more over Harry's sleeping body and smiled happily that her knowledge could finally be used for something better then creating soldiers for a war.
"Yen, Triss, I would suggest that we stay for today and keep watch over Harry. I still need to make sure that he will make a recovery. I am sorry Poppy, but I want to make sure for myself. John, could you please gather some supplies from your office and afterwards please contact Captain Lasky and request permission to use our special program. I think it is time to give Harry whatever help we can, so he can survive on his own." John nodded and left the infirmary. Yen and Triss looked with concern at Catherine, knowing full well what she meant with the "special program".
"Don't you think it is too early? And maybe we should first do something about the Horcrux in his scar, so the mutation would make more sense, right?" Triss still had her arms crossed over her chest, watching Catherine with her eyes walking up and down.
"Yes, you may be right, but we could almost wait two years for the permission to use it here. Even with my normal behavior for ignoring orders, we do not have any machines we would need for the augmentations, so I think we do have enough time for the Mutation to make Harry a Witcher. That is, if he wants it." Catherine stopped in her pacing, noticing that Pomfrey came back from her office to which she left before looking for some potion that she would use when Harry did wake up. Both sorceresses and the scientist in the room walked over to a bed as Yen and Triss tried to catch some sleep, while Catherine waited for John to come back with the medical supplies' she could use to examine Harry in her own way. Soon after, John walked back into the infirmary with a box he gave to Doctor Halsey. She thanked him and began her work examining Harry. John walked back to the door and took a sentry position for the security of the inhabitants of the room.
What happened down in the chamber caused John to fall back on his training as a soldier and did not talk with the others until the danger was over, to which he had to confirm for himself. So, he told Cortana to scan with every sensor viable to find out if Voldemort really left the place. She just nodded in his helmet's display and began her work, even calling the other AI for help.
Some hours later, Harry began to wake up from his slumber and was not feeling great. It was like every joint in his body was on fire with every move he tried. But like she was summoned, Madame Pomfrey was on his bedside holding up a cup with a pepper up potion inside for him to drink. As he gladly consumed it, he noticed that Yen, Triss and Doctor Halsey were also in the room, making him wonder how badly his health was for all three to come. He spotted his glasses on the nightstand and grabbed them, just as the others came to his bed with some happy looks. He placed the glasses back on, glad that Callie was also smiling at him. Just as he wanted to ask what happened, the door was slammed open as a bushy haired missile flew in and pushed him back into the bed from the force.
"Ow, Hermione let me breathe." Harry tried to free himself form the entanglement of arms and hair around his torso as the only thing he was succeeding was to make her tighten her grip. The other women had to blink a few times to understand what just happened.
"Do you know how much I was worried when you did not return from your talk with Professor Quirrell? The others did not see you come back into the common room either. So, I asked Luke in my room if he could contact you, and he told me that you were out of range or in a place what was shielded from any sensors. Only when you were admitted into the hospital wing, he could establish contact to Callie and told me that you would need to rest, and I should wait until morning before rushing to you. Believe me, I did not sleep the whole night. So, you better tell me what really happened." Hermione was now starring at Harry with a seriousness that rivaled Doctor Halsey when she was asking something she needed to know.
Harry gulped and looked at the small window in his glasses that showed him Callie, seeing her nodding at his question if she could fill her in.
As he took them of, Hermione once more could see his green eyes without any interference of his glasses and had to suppress another blush as she took his glasses and turned around so he could not see it.
Catherine was laughing at the antics of the young witch as it reminded her when she was young. Well, if you subtracted the blushing part at least.
Yen and Triss were now standing on the side as Pomfrey took her place on the side of Harry, checking him over once more before she told him that he was free to leave. Harry thanked her and took his clothes before he walked over to the changing room to get the hospital gown off.
Callie meanwhile was explaining everything that happened down in the chamber with Professor Quirrell to Hermione, as she was listening with bathed breath what Quirrell tried and what was in that chamber. She almost cried as Callie showed her the picture on what Harry saw in the mirror of *Erised* and she saw that he saw her as well as Daphne, Lavender, Parvati, even Ron and Neville were in the Picture with all the people from Kear Mohen. Thanks to Callie she understood almost immediately that the mirror showed the deepest wish the one who was looking into it had. She wondered a bit what she would see if the mirror was still inside the school.
While this was happening, the door opened once more, and Parvati came in with Lavender and Daphne carrying some little packets in their arms.
"Hey Harry, we heard what happened. And it seems we are already too late, as it seems you are ready to leave. So how about we go outside and just eat what we got here?" Lavender was grinning wildly when she noticed Hermione once more just sitting there and absorbing information as Harry's glasses were still on her face. Harry gave the nightgown back to madame Pomfrey and nodded to her, while walking to Hermione and waved his hands in front of her eyes.
Hermione blinked a few times, looking up into Harry's eyes once more with a slight blush and gave him his glasses back, standing up from her chair ready to go outside. After they said their goodbye to Yen and Triss, they walked outside after Lavender and Parvati were promised that they could visit over the summer break if they wanted.
As they arrived by a tree next to the greenhouses for herbology, they sat down, and Harry explained the others what happened down in the chamber as it was too dangerous for Callie to project herself in the open. Of course, she was ready to help him like he did with the troll incident back last year.
While they sat there, Malfoy was still waltzing out with his two bodyguards in tow like he owned the place. His father did good on his position on the school board to reprimand the headmaster that his punishment was too big for what he did and so he only had to do one detention right before the break. Of course, he knew that his father had to pull some favors from the other board members and even the ministry to make this happen, but Lucious Malfoy was not a man who would do something like that if it would hurt him in the long run. They had already worked out some planes to secure his place on the Slytherin Quidditch team next schoolyear as well that they would have the best equipment. That will show Potter that he was not the best wizard in this school when he would defeat him in a game.
Harry and his friends did not notice Malfoy until they heard him making a snide remark to another first-year student about his robes apparently. Daphne scoffed, being disappointed that he seemed unwilling to learn from his mistakes he did few weeks ago. She just hopped that he would not try again to agitate them as her father was looking into the rules of the school further, as it was thanks to him that Parkinson was placed in another room in their dorm and Malfoy got a warning that if he would do something like that again, he would be suspended for a while and that could be bad for his future. Her friends were of course informed what happened in the Slytherin common room, as John was almost a constant guest inside to make sure that they the students were secure for any repercussion.
Harry just decided to ignore Malfoy and asked his friends what they were expecting for grades in their end of year exam. Hermione of course wanted to be the best, while Lavender and Parvati hoped to pass at least decently enough to be proud of themselves. But they would know soon enough as the summer-break was right around the corner. Suddenly, something brown/gray and feathery fell beside Harry on the ground and laid still. Harry was afraid that the bird was dead, but only until Callie told him that she still registered the old owl breathing. It soon stood back up and looked tired at Harry, holding his leg out to him. Harry took the letter that was fastened on its leg as he also held his arm out to it and asking if it would like to rest a while before it would fly back to its masters. As it hooted tiredly a thanks, Harry stood up and carried to the owlery as there were food and water for all the post owl's that came to Hogwarts. While he walked with the girls accompanying him, he looked at the envelope if there was a sender on it, as he read *Arthur Weasley, Head of House Weasley*