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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 11, 2011 11:13:36 GMT -5
The fear that had vanished in the lull of their conversation came back in a hurry when he heard the word "always" come from Quirrell's mouth which meant that Voldemort was here...in the room...now the constant prickling of his scar made sense. His heart pumping must faster than was probably healthy, he strained his neck to try and see into the corners of the gloomy room but no figure appeared with a wand raised to finish him off.
And then Harry remembered what Hagrid had said about the night Voldemort had tried to kill him ten years ago. The assumption was that Voldemort had been "broken" so now Harry was even more confused as to how Voldemort could be here. Maybe Quirrell had just been being symbolic when he said his master was with him always.
No sooner had Harry convinced himself of this and was starting to breath easier again when a nasty, cold, hissing voice seemed to echo from the back of Quirrell's head. Harry's mouth went dry and even when the ropes had fallen away, he found it hard to stand on his own.
Taking a deep breath he walked slowly towards the mirror, trying to ignore the increased pain in his scar. He peered closely but all he saw was himself. Granted, he was pretty banged up, but it was definitely still just plain old Harry. Dissapointed, he started to look away, but all of a sudden, plain old Harry' gave him a smile that most certainly was not a reflection of Harry's own face, which merely showed a sort of grim shock.
Next, the reflection reached into its pocket and pulled out a blood red stone, then winked and casually put it back where it had come from. The only difference was that now actual Harry felt a sizable lump in his own pocket. Harry, as subtly as possible, move his good hand down to his pocket and felt the outline of what was absolutely stone shaped. He gasped and looked back into the miror, his heart skipping a beat.
After being questioned by Quirrell, he tried to keep his voice calm as he backed up a few paces. "I...I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore...I've won the house cup."
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Post by shava4 on Feb 11, 2011 11:54:01 GMT -5
Quirrel cursed at Harry's answer and started to move to shove him away from the mirror when he heard the voice again from the back of Quirrel's head. "...he...lies..." The response was immediate. "Potter!! Tell the truth!" "let me speak...with him." The concern on Quirrel's face actually was more alarming then anything else. "Master! you are not strong enough!" The voice spoke again with more certainty, maybe more strength. "...I am strong enough....for this..." Quirrel began to unwrap his turban rapidly and when it was gone he turned around. There was a chalky white face on the back of his head, red eyes and snake like nose, a truly terrifying and horrifying thing to see. "Harry Potter...See what I have become? A mere shadow and vapor....I have form...only with another. There have always....been those who would accept me in...the Unicorn blood you saw has strengthened me and once I have the stone...I can have a body again...Give me that stone in your pocket..."
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 11, 2011 12:11:03 GMT -5
Harry was quite ok with being forgotten again, as Quirrell appeared to be about to return his focus to the mirror but then that voice spoke up again. The words it spoke chilled Harry more than its actual bodiless existence. He began backing up quickly and in earnest this time, but still trying to remain subtle about it, feeling certain that if Quirrell figured out he was making a bid for the exit, he would be dead in seconds.
But then Quirrell unwrapped that mysterious turban and Harry lost his footing again, stumbling backwards in an effort to get away from the horrific sight before him. "Voldemort" he breathed, scrambling to his feet again, relieved to feel that the stone was still secure in his pocket even after the tumble he had taken.
When Voldemort demanded the stone, Harry had no idea how the bodiless face of terror had actually known where the stone was, but at any rate he was not planning on relinquishing it and continued to back up, slower this time, doing his best to regulate his breathing and appear unafraid.
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Post by shava4 on Feb 11, 2011 12:21:53 GMT -5
The eyes followed his face, drinking in the panic coming off Potter and reveling in it. "Come now boy, don't be stupid like your parents..." Quirrel walked backwards getting closer to Harry as he tried to get away. Voldemort seemed to know just what Harry was thinking and feeling. "better join me and save your life....your parents died begging for mercy...." The voice gloated, taunting him with their end "You'll soon meet their end..."
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 11, 2011 12:29:28 GMT -5
One hand entered his pocket and clutched the stone for dear life as his panic and fear of the advancing Quirrel-mort had rooted him to the spot for the moment. When Voldemort mocked his parents' death, Harry felt as though he had been punched. "You liar!" The scream could have been a bit more foreful but his throat was dry and his heart was pumping enough to keep two people alive on all the blood flowing through it.
Of course, Harry had no idea what had happened on that blustery halloween night ten years ago and perhaps his parents really did die the way Voldemort said but something internal, instinct most likely, said that it was wrong. He stood there, his spine stiff, his feet ready to run whenever his brain got around to ordering them to, and glared at Voldemort's slitted red eyes.
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Post by shava4 on Feb 11, 2011 19:39:06 GMT -5
The skull-face grinned evilly as it whispered "I value...loyalty boy....How touching how...brave." Quirrel moved closer, walking backwards awkwardly to allow his Master to face the boy directly. "Yes boy...your parents tried to be brave." The face took on a slight sneer-like quality as he watched Potters every move, seeing him check the stone in reaction. "I killed your father first as he tried to save you both....the fool without a wand....but your mother...." Now Quirrel loomed over Harry, bending slightly for his Master to ler down over him threateningly. "...there was no reason for her to die....she died protecting you...so brave.... Hand over the stone unless you want her....sacrifice to be in vain..."
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 12, 2011 3:40:39 GMT -5
Harry stood there, almost transfixed by the story he was being told. Whether or not it was true was irrelevant at this point. It was still a story about his parents, whom he had heard so little about since everyone had seemed to avoid the subject like the plague around him. His hand still clutching the stone, he leaned backwards to get qway from the backbending Quirrell, that snake like face getting closer to his own menacingly.
Hand over the stone...it was a simple enough request and maybe Voldemort would be satisfied and leave Harry alone after that. The larger, much more rational part of his brain shook that idea free fast. If he handed over the stone, he would be dead in seconds. Abandoning all pretenses now, he took off for the exit. "NEVER!"
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Post by shava4 on Feb 12, 2011 11:46:10 GMT -5
As Potter yelled defiance and turned to run, the voice yelled "SEIZE HIM!!" Quirrel on instinct at the command turned and leaped for Potter, grabbing him around the wrist. Instantly there was a huge burning and stinging sensation in his hands and it felt like a thousand needles were plunged into his fingers. When the boy resisted trying to get free he broke loose easily as Quirrel leaned over, grasping his hands in pain. His hands were blistering up before his eyes! "SEIZE HIM!! SEIZE HIM!!!" Again Quirrel jumped for Potter, getting his knees on Potter's legs to keep him from getting away and encircling Harry's throat with his hand to throttle him. Again the extreme pain and he was forced to let go even before the boy struggled, his hands red and raw and blistering twice as bad. "Master! I can not hold him!" Quirrel exclaimed, leaning over Potter still who was pinned down. "Then Kill Him!" Quirrel's face broke into a grin despite the pain. Finally! He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Potter's forehead...
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 14, 2011 4:58:05 GMT -5
Harry hadn't gone more than five steps when Quirrell had grabbed his wrist painfully. He struggled to release himself, still trying to get to the exit, and to his surprise Quirrell let go easily. Not stopping to think about why, he started another sprint for freedom that was again thwarted when Quirrell basically collapsed on top of him, pinning him down beneath his own body weight, giving Harry no chance of squirming free.
And then Quirrell was choking him...for about two seconds. Harry had only barely begun to try and pry his fingers away from his neck when Quirrell was howling in pain and drawing back on his own. Harry looked at his hands in awe. It was like they possessed some kind of special power. Seeing Quirrell's wand emerging he did the first thing that popped into his head and reached up to grab Quirrell's face with his hands.
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Post by shava4 on Feb 14, 2011 9:57:15 GMT -5
As he got ready to say the word, Potter did something unspeakable and grabbed Quirrel's face. Instant agony and pain flooded his senses, sealing off his eyes and blocking up his nose as he dropped his wand screaming, flailing away at the boy in a blind panic hitting him multiple times and trying to get his hands free. He could hear his Master yelling something, but instincts had taken over and he could not think straight at all. Finally he blindly knocked Potter's hand away just in time to receive a yank on his arm throwing him off Potter even as unconsciousness prevailed, a welcome relief after all the horrible crushing pain.... Dumbledore watched as the cloud of black smoke rose and darted out of the building not daring to come near to him or the others.
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 14, 2011 10:07:36 GMT -5
Harry was barely holding on to Quirrell who was hitting at him violently, but he managed to keep hold until an unseen third person was pulling Quirrell off of Harry. Thankfull for this savior, Harry only had strength enough to glance their way before falling unconsious. He saw a pair of sparkling, yet worried, blue eyes and that was all.*** "You stay here and try to shift the rocks so we can get through" Harry called, Ron's panic somehow clearing his head and making it easier to think. Dusting off his robes to the best of his ability, he drew his wand and raised it to eye level before continuing onwards. The passage way became narrower and he had to stoop several times to avoid scraping his head on the rounded holes he had to climb through. And then suddenly, after speaking in parsletongue twice more by instinct, he was walking down a long hallway that was surrounded by water and a rocky barrier. And lying at the end of it in a puddle with her arm clutching a ratty diary was Ginny.
No. Harry took off, his shoes splashing up the little pools of water that they hit forcefully on his run down the walkway. He dropped to his knees, his wand falling a few feet away on the cold stone floor. He felt for a pulse in Ginny's stone cold wrist, his panic rising. "No, come on Ginny, please don't be dead. Wake up Ginny, wake up!"
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Post by shava4 on Feb 14, 2011 10:57:23 GMT -5
The horcrux felt it's own abilities growing stronger as the girl slowly died, long and slow in fact. It wouldn't be too much longer before it would have a body and gain mobility, something it had been waiting for. As the Potter boy entered the chamber at the far end it was not aware of him since he was out of it's general range not having real eyes yet at this point and it wasn't until the boy flopped down beside her it became aware. It created it's owner's image and watched through the images' eyes as the boy panicked over her. "She won't wake." Amusement filled it's thoughts as Potter stared at him startled and shocked. The horcrux lay open a few feet away from Ginny, but safely secure from the young boy whose end would be soon.
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 14, 2011 11:10:09 GMT -5
Harry looked up, startled, as someone else spoke from the shadows as they approached him. The other boy looked far too calm for the serious danger they were all in what with the basilisk that could appear at any second. Apart from being calm, the boy looked very familiar...too familiar...
"Are you...are you Tom Riddle?" He looked from him to Ginny and then back to him, feeling dread rise up inside of him. "What do you mean she won't wake? She's not..." He couldn't bring himself to say the word 'dead' out loud as it might make this whole thing much more real than it seemed, because right now he felt more like he was in a dream and wished more than anything that he could wake up.
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Post by shava4 on Feb 14, 2011 11:24:01 GMT -5
The image nodded, a slim smile on it's face it's eyes never leaving Harry's face. A type of grim satisfaction filed it, knowing the enemy was here and disabled, unaware of the danger, and nearly defenseless. The boy's wand had fallen as he dropped to Ginny's side and the horcrux was aware of it but did not move yet, not wanting Potter aware of his danger approaching. The trap must be sure first. "She's still alive." it said watching him for his reaction, learning from his body language. "But only just." it had shown him the memory; did the boy consider him harmless? Was he that foolish, that stupid as to trust a book to only be a book? How, with this incapacity to think, had he defeated Lord Voldemort?
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Post by Harry Potter on Feb 14, 2011 11:32:01 GMT -5
Harry's panic level increased even more which might sound odd because he had just learned that she wasn't dead but the way Harry looked at it, if she was already dead, it wasn't his fault, he was too late. But now that he had a chance to save her, he wasn't going to fail. Still oblivious to the smirk on Tom's face, still believing him to be on the good guys' side, he began trying to lift Ginny. "You've got to help me Tom; we have to get her out of here, there's a basilisk..."
He struggled with Ginny for another minute before deciding that he couldn't do it alone and looked desperately back to Tom. "We have to go, now! The basilisk" he repeated.
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