Chapter 6

Harry Potter was lounging in the Ravenclaw common room. The girls were nowhere to be found. He grew weary of strolling aimlessly in the castle, searching for them and so, he elected to take a break in the common room. He used the sensing technique to try and hunt them down, but once he reached his destination of where they were, they ebbed away. He deduced it had side effects from exploiting it too much, or the more logical reason is that they were purposely avoiding him.

He gazed blandly at the blue stars on the ceiling, ignoring the nearby people. Now, sprawling around lazily on one of the sofas in the common room had become something of monotony. He discounted the usual blatant stares he received from girls and fumbled his brain for where his friends could be. His eyes fastened to Clearwater and Li as they descended down the stairs. He hopped to his feet and casually paced towards them. Both girls halted in their tracks, cheeks tainted slightly pink by his mere presence.

"W-what do you want, Potter!" In spite of hissing callously, her eyes betrayed her true emotions. It revealed her admiration for him.

"Don't worry, I won't bother you two." Harry smiled appealingly. "I just wanted to ask if any of you have seen Callista."

"U-m, she said she's going to the library with her girlfriends." Penelope's face was red all over.

"Thank you, you both have been very helpful...Well, I'm going now. Have a good day, both of you." He hid a grin at either of their faces visibly fell. "On second thought, how about the three of us spend nice quality time together, hmm? I know a place where we can be far away from prying eyes... What do you say?" There were gasps from the girls in the common room. Blushes deepening further, they shuttered their words out, ignorant to the girls that were glaring daggers at them. "But... as time is not on our side, I have to leave. Enjoy your day, ladies, I'll see you two around."

He hurled one last wink at them and he carried himself out of the common room, heading to the library straight away. Paying no attention to his surroundings, he nonchalantly sauntered towards the library. In the library, he spotted them instantaneously with all the color of their hair. Ducking his head, he crept up on them, hoping to not let them know of his presence. They were whispering about something, and he was certain they were concealing something from him.

"...cannot allow Harry to know what we are doing, he'll be furious..." was the last whisper from Callista.

Permitting his presence to be known, he procured a seat. "What are you doing?" The girls repressed their shrieks of surprise.

"Potter, are you trying to kill us?" Daphne hissed viciously.

"Don't do that, Harry! You're going to give us heart attacks!" Sheila said. "I'm too young to have a heart attack!"

"You mean die? I wouldn't mind if it was you, you would be doing the world a favor…" Daphne inserted. Sheila chucked a contempt look at her.

"Uh huh, that trick isn't going to work on me. Don't change the topic, now. I want to know what you girls have been up to lately." Harry's eyes narrowed. "Alright, spit it out."

"N-nothing!" Harry arched an eyebrow at Regine's slight stammer and obvious lie.

"Alright..." Callista confessed, sighing.

"Callista?" Daphne asked hesitantly. "You sure?"

"Oh, he's going to be angry now," Sheila muttered.

"I'll be the judge of that," Harry grumbled, annoyed. "It's my emotions, not yours."

"We have known you for three years Harry..." Regine murmured quietly. "You're going to be mad."

Harry exhaled his breath noisily, irritation swelling.

"Very well, Harry, we are going to tell you..." Callista comforted, knowing he was on the edge of explosion. She cast a silencing charm around them, followed by a calming charm on Harry. "It's on the relation of Nicholas Flamel and the forbidden corridor. We have been conferring about them for quite a while now, and it clicked to us instantly that the headmaster must be hiding the stone here in Hogwarts."

"Not just any stone. The Philosopher's Stone created by Nicholas Flamel," Daphne rectified Callista's mistake.

They all carefully observed him, gauging his reaction.

"You're not mad at us?" Sheila squeaked.

"Have you four gone to that corridor?"

"Well..." Sheila again started. They strangely reacted similarly, shuffling nervously in their seats.

"There is only one room there," Callista said hastily, eluding her gaze from his piercing eyes. "And we entered it with Alohomora."

"To my delight, Fluffy was also there. I played with him, nothing other than that," Regine said in a hurried tone, eyes affixed on the untouched books.

"There was a trapdoor and Fluffy was assigned to guard it…" Sheila looked away.

"Yes and we verified there are traps underneath it. Fluffy was just the first obstacle." Daphne clenched and unclenched her hands anxiously.

"We also figure out how the trap goes." This time, it was from Regine.

"A few of the professors that have Dumbledore's complete trust have set up their own traps. We suspect Professor Spout, Flitwick, McGonagall, Quirrell, Snape and Dumbledore placed the traps according to their most skillful area," Daphne stated.

"And that's it, that's all we know." Callista concluded their charade a little too abrupt.

"I have two questions," Harry said. "First, how did you know about the traps?"

"Hagrid," they chorused simultaneously.

"I still feel guilty about tricking him though. He thought we were asking to quench our curiosity and he was happy to tell us all he knew," Regine appended. "Poor fella..."

Harry's eyes twitched, only they would be capable of sapping every bit of information from the groundkeeper without Hagrid being conscious that he was actually being interrogated by the girls. How they accomplished it, mystified Harry to the very end. That was the sign and they all braced themselves for the inescapable wrath of Harry Potter.

"One more question." The girls were bewildered. "Callista, is the silencing charm still on?"

"Yes..." Callista nodded, understandingly confused.

"I see..." He shut his eyes, nodding his head. The girls were beyond relieved. That was before he snapped his eyes back open. His emerald eyes were blazing in fury. "Are you four out of your mind, touched in the head, perhaps? You could've gotten yourselves injured! Or worst, killed! What if someone finds out! How would you clarify that to them! That, you all are trying to satiate your curiosity? Have you seen how miserable the brats were because they were too nosy about something that doesn't concern them? That's the most foolish thing you four have ever done! And, you pulled that stunt without me by your side!" Harry closed his eyes, reverting to his cool composure. Kneading his temples, he sighed out of exhaustion. "Look, sorry about shouting like that. I'm just expressing my concern, that's all."

"Okay..." Sheila shakily replied.

"If it helps you calm down, we came up with our own theory in relation as to why the stone is in Hogwarts." Harry's ears perked up in interest at that revelation, his scowl not lessening one bit. He nodded his head, wordlessly imploring Callista to go on. "Yes, well, we think the stone is here for protection. Most people would kill to get their hands on the stone. It can produce an elixir to expand a person's life and convert any metal into gold. There's only one stone that's currently in existence and it belongs to none other than, Nicholas Flamel. We assumed the Flamels want their stone to be protected and requested Dumbledore, given how he's a powerful wizard."

"But..." Harry pressed on.

"It doesn't make sense if the Flamels came to Dumbledore just for protection," Regine butted in, her face pensive. "They must know that Hogwarts is full of kids and their stone will just jeopardize us in the procedure of guarding it. Even under the eye of Dumbledore, it's simply unfeasible for a person to succeed with so many people around. So, we thought it's something else."

"Why? I mean yeah, it's endangering the students… Still, that doesn't mean anything. We don't know the Flamels at all. Maybe they don't care what happens to us. They might be selfish, you know."

"Here, read this news, it's outdated, but you'll see what we mean." Sheila slid the newspaper to Harry, and he snatched it. His eyes gradually broadened as his eyes followed each words. Someone broke into Gringotts? Lowering the newspaper, his eyes glazed, a memory sprung to his mind. So that's what Hagrid fetched inside Gringotts. "Think about it, Harry. If the Flamels really want Dumbledore to protect their stone, then it would be adverse with the first explanation because it was first situated in Gringotts and not in Hogwarts. That person tried to steal the stone, the same day it wasn't there. Now, at the beginning of the school year, all of the sudden it's in Hogwarts. That's not just a coincidence."

"Wait, how do you girls know that the person is stealing the stone and at the same day, it isn't in there? How would you know the stone is in Gringotts in the first place?"

"Hagrid," they concurrently chipped in.

Harry was not amused. "What's the other theory?"

"We're getting to it," Daphne cut in. "Come on Potter, use your brain. If the stone isn't here for protection, then why is it here? What is its true purpose? Our guess is to lure someone or something to Hogwarts. That person or whatever it is, knows of the stone. Remember in the newspaper, someone broke in to steal the stone. That person might be related to all of this. There isn't any single person who would be foolish enough to rob Gringotts. So as to confront the person, Dumbledore resolved putting the stone near him. That way, he could try and catch the person in the act."

"Who do you think wants the stone?"

They faltered, unsure if they should tell him. "We suspect it's You-Know-Who. He is the only one that comes to mind," Callista murmured, no less their conversation won't be heard.

"Most people think he's dead," Sheila breathed her words, her gaze hardening. "None of us believe that… Some claim he's not dead yet."

"Others say his soul remained in this world and roams in search of a body," Regine filled in, her body was quivering. "It's a possibility."

"There's one thing the Philosopher's Stone can provide that isn't mentioned and that is granting the person a new body. I read it somewhere in the family library. It just points the theory more towards the truth." Daphne bit her bottom lip. "You know what that means, Potter? He's still out there, closer than we might think he is."

"So that's the end of discussion and your story. It's just a theory. This time, I want you four to promise that you won't be going anywhere near the corridor." They protested at this, however, one irritated look from Harry compelled them to murmur their promise.

"So... can we still visit Fluffy?" Regine fluttered her eyelashes in a purely innocent way.

"Hell no!" three girls cried out in horror, their mind swirling at the prospect of 'playing' with the beast. Regine sulked at that and Harry smothered the chuckles from his throat. That will teach them not to be so secretive about anything from him and sticking their cute arses where they shouldn't be.

4 Jun 1992.

The normal clatters were bustling in the Great Hall. Students were experiencing their customary routines, chatting among themselves and eating their lunch. The last of the exams had finished just this morning. The trio of Gryffindor were isolating themselves from their housemates, securing the seat near the grand door.

"Ron! Would you please stop sending them those looks!" Hermione snapped from her sitting position beside Daniel.

Ron's glare shifted to Hermione, now facing his front. "Did you forget something? They're the ones who made everyone turn on us." Looking over his shoulder, he glowered at Harry, who was conversing with Callista and Regine. They were soon joined by a grinning Sheila. She skidded to a stop at the Ravenclaw table and flopped herself next to Callista.

"Just let it go, Ron. That's my brother you're talking." Daniel scooped some pudding to his plate.

"I know that! But, if it wasn't for him reporting us to McGonagall-"

"Give it a rest, Ron. It's been a month already! Just forget about it! We can't do anything about it, can we?" Daniel retorted. "Whose fault is it for starting the whole mess?"

"What?" Ron was in incredulity. "You mean, it's mine?"

"Daniel is right, Ron. If you didn't provoke them, they might have left us peacefully. At the beginning of the term, we were given specific warnings by the prefects and it's your fault for taking them lightly," Hermione reproached, looking up to hit upon a gorgeous blond girl gracefully acquiring a seat across them. Hermione's eyes gleamed in envy at her flawless appearance. How could anyone be so beautiful? It had to be a crime, right?

"Our mistake to take them lightly, Hermione…" Daniel amended. "You and I made the same mistake as Ron, and don't you deny it, Hermione… After that wake up call, the first years were wary around them."

Hermione puckered her lips in dissatisfaction, inclined to argue with him. Nonetheless, she realized he was right and she loathed it. They had taken the warning far too flippantly. Oh, how terribly wrong they were. Not only had they employed some lethal spells that she was unable to differentiate, they deceived Professor McGonagall into punishing the trio scathingly. How could anyone be cruel enough into manipulating an authority figure?

"Are they normal?" Ron hissed. "Blimey, how can anyone cope with them? It's wrong for a house to socialize with other houses!"

He growled as he saw them teasing each other, chortling jubilantly without a care in the world. Ron unleashed his anger on the food that was served for the students, stuffing everything until his mouth couldn't handle the amount of food.

"How is that wrong?" Hermione puzzled, noting there was nothing iniquitous about befriending with other houses.

"Never has there been a group of friends representing each house, especially a Slytherin and a Gryffindor. It is normal to have friends from one or two houses, but never Slytherin. Its part of Hogwart's status quo," Daniel elucidated after carefully swallowing his food.

"I see…" Hermione was not so convinced. "But, that's just… stupid and ridiculous."

"That's how it is, Hermione." Daniel shrugged his shoulders carelessly, adjusting his glasses. "What Ron meant is why hasn't anyone said anything to them? Look-" Daniel gestured his head to them. "-they all sit together, talking casually and enjoying the company of each other. Not to mention, one of our housemates is laughing with a Slytherin. People aren't even objecting. Usually, if this happens, an upper year or a prefect will sort things out. Professors are out of the question, they don't mind what goes on with the students. In fact, they were thrilled that they're displaying house unity. Does a Professor go by the name McGonagall ring any bell? Yeah…She awarded them points for it."

"But, why won't people do anything if they think it was wrong?"

"That's what amazes me. People are actually afraid to say a word to them. Maybe they did, before we turned up in Hogwarts and my brother's group settled that mess. Remember one of the rumors concerning my brother in his first year?"

"Yeah…" Hermione nodded her head dubiously. "I find that hard to believe… Come on, a first year defending his friends from much larger upper years? How is that possible? It's ridiculous."

"What if it is true? Hagrid said that if anything is possible, it's them. He emphasized my brother's name, signifying my brother is capable of doing the impossible much more than the four girls." Hermione gulped her swollen throat audibly. The more reasons why they should not cross their path in the near future.

"Now that we're discussing about him… I feel something strange and suspicious about your brother, Daniel." Hermione was in her element.

"What about him? I admit he's pretty talented at a lot of stuff."

"Oh, not that!" Hermione snapped, irked on how every professor measured her up with Daniel's brother, or that Ravenclaw girl, Callista Campbell. "Remember the night Norbert hatched?"

"Yeah, what of it?" Daniel munched on his meal, uninterested.

"Well, it's just…something about how he knew Malfoy was there and where he's going. You recall what he said? 'As for Malfoy, we'll be facing him shortly with professor McGonagall'. It's as if he knew that from the very beginning what Malfoy would do…Highly suspicious, I say..."

"He was assuming, Hermione, nothing more, nothing less…" Daniel said, not truly listening.

"Not really," Hermione squabbled. "He closed his eyes first before confirming where Malfoy was… Why did he do that?"

"You mean like sensing other people's magic? Is that where you're getting at, Hermione?" Her eyes lit up, igniting another round of sigh from her companion. "Look Hermione, as talented as my brother is, that's absurb. How could anyone sense someone else's magic just by closing their eyes, hmmm? I never heard of that kind of magic. Not from the headmaster, my parents or my uncles. Our magic revolves around our wands, Hermione. It's merely a coincidence, nothing more. Even for him, it's just not possible."

"But, you're the one who said that if anyone can do the impossible, it's your brother." Hermione was feeling smug that she got him back at him.

"Well…" Daniel pondered a bit. "You do have a point there. But- But, it's just not possible for anyone! You're the one with the brains, Hermione, try thinking logically."

"I guess you're right…"

Daniel eyed his best friend up and down, suspicious. "Are you sure you're not saying all this because you fancy him?"

Hermione chocked back her food, coughing violently. "W-What are you saying, Daniel!" Her face was beet red.

"Oh, please, it's never a secret that every girl is crazy about him, even the younger Professors, Sinistra and Vector." Daniel rolled his eyes.

"W-Well… I do admire him a bit…" Daniel gave her a deadpan look. "Okay, fine! I mean, who can help it? He's handsome, talented, intelligent, cool and just well…um…delicious…." Hermione said in a small voice, her face was scarlet. "…The real reason is that he confronted me two weeks ago… He uh… apologized to me and threatened some people who were mean to me. After that, nobody bothered me… He's a kind-hearted person if you don't get on his bad side… I'm interested to know what kind of person he is..."

"What!" Ron hissed, bits of food spitting out of his stuffed mouth.

Hermione didn't hassle in masking her disgust. Daniel fared no better, barely concealing his expression, even though he had gotten used to it.

"Ron! Swallow first before you talk!" Hermione reprimanded.

"You-talk-to-him!" He disregarded her last statement, a hint of betrayal in his tone. "Why? He's a bloody scumbag!"

Hermione's eyes locked up above. Daniel followed her line of sight, what he saw caused his eyes to widen. A shadow loomed over Ron, freezing his body solid. His mouth dried up in fear. A hand laid on one of his shoulders, jolting him a little. "My, my, Weasley. It would seem, you're not the type of person to learn from your past mistakes. Do you need another lesson? I don't mind doing it right here, right now. In fact, I'm happy to oblige. Don't think for one second that I wasn't aware of the glares you kept sending at me."

Ron felt a shiver run down his spine in fear. He squeaked in pain when the hand began gripping his shoulder strongly. Smirking at the Weasley boy, Harry looked up to perceive his brother and Hermione were awestruck of him. Neither was aware of him sneaking up to their table. "There's something I would like to talk with you. Since exams ended this morning, I think we should have a little chat. Hermione and the Weasley will be staying here. I mean now, brat." Liberating his grasp from the Weasley, Harry strode out of the Great Hall.

Ron clutched his shoulder painfully, moaning pitifully. "I think it's broken, I heard a crack just now. Oh, dear Merlin…"

"That's your fault for insulting him! Don't say I didn't warn you!" Hermione scolded. Budging her head to Daniel, her expression softened and she bumped her shoulder with his. "You should go. Your brother doesn't look the type to patiently wait for people."

"You should go to the infirmary and have Madam Pomfrey check up on you. I'll see you later, Ron. You too, Hermione."

"Wait, y-yyou're going? B-b-but- but…"

"Ron, no matter what he's done to me, he's still my brother…by blood, that is…" Giving pitying looks, Daniel was on his feet and he rushed outside the Great Hall, abandoning his two friends behind.

Harry steered his brother to a special spot he frequently hung around with the girls, or by himself. The fierce wind grazed them and their attire. The sun shone over them and clouds bundled together up above. Harry leaned his body against the large Oak tree, facing the lake. Closing his eyes, he whistled a familiar soft tune. Daniel seated himself on the soft grass, unsure of what to say. His brother didn't appear to mind of the awkwardness.

"I reckon you have learned your lesson about sticking your nose in what does not relevant to you?"

"Y-yeah…" Daniel unsteadily answered.

Dumping his body unceremoniously on the greenish grass, he gazed the sky with mixed emotions. Harry was desperate to find the information about the Flamels and after some time, his impatience coerced him to seek for the old man's advice. If anything goes on in this world, Merlin would know about it. He did reply, but it rolled up in a form of a question.

If you obtained a prize possession of your own, how valuable would it be to you after several centuries?

Harry interpreted the cryptic message. If there was one, there's no way in hell Harry would let it go. Death is the only method to keep him apart from it and so, the conclusion to all of it is that the Flamels are truly dead. Just like Merlin affirmed it to him last summer, immortality does not assure a perfect life. Subsequent to living for so long, it simply drives you to death's embrace more, exploring the best way to terminate your life. The Flamels picked an appropriate death for them, alright - old age.

"You're an idiot…" Daniel didn't dare to retort. "Tell me everything you know about the stone and I won't make you miserable more than you do right now. Keep your pet on a tight lease and I won't have any reason to trouble you." Daniel flinched at who Harry was indicating to. "Yes, the Weasley boy. He's a nuisance. I can't believe you are friends with such idiotic person. Just ditch that fool, you'll have more problems with him around. Either way, it's your choice, as long as you curb his idiocy, then I don't care." Harry scanned for any reaction from his brother. "That, and I'll tell you how to regain the points you loss."

"Why are you doing this?" Daniel inquired. "Isn't your role as an older brother to care for your younger siblings?"

Sitting upright, Harry's bored expression was swamped to coldness. "Don't make me reiterate myself, brat. Rosaline Potter is my only sibling."

Eluding his fierce eyes, Daniel dropped his gaze. "Why? We're brothers, aren't we? There's nothing to contradict on that. How long are you going to be in denial?"

In the blink of an eye, a hand clenched Daniel's shirt, and he was on his toes. He was met with icy emerald eyes. "Denial, you say? Listen brat, between you and me, we are not alike. True, we share blood and parents, but one thing for certain is that I'm more distinct than you. I don't follow someone blindly, fooling around with some pranks, becoming a pompous little man, wasting my time in foolish things, easily influenced by other people and definitely not friends with the Weasleys, the narrow minded family." Roughly, he propelled Daniel away and the small boy tumbled to the ground, wincing in pain.

Daniel struggled to stand on his feet, glowering at his brother. "I don't care if you want to insult me or make fun of me but don't- I repeat, don't ever insult the Weasleys. They are more of a family to me than you ever were."

"Is that a threat?" Harry arched an eyebrow at his tone. Burying his hands in his trouser's pockets, he continued. "What are you going to do? The flabby woman that smothers you is just a woman who likes to control people. I get that, if I know them more personally, that they are good people, but their flaws are too great not to miss."

That was the last straw. Roaring angrily, Daniel whipped his wand out. Somewhat taken aback that his brother hadn't extract his wand out, Daniel discarded it. He cried out the spell and cast it directly to his older brother. Sidestepping it, Harry dashed at an unimaginable speed. Daniel was too sluggish to react and his wand was slapped away by Harry. He grabbed Daniel's shirt for the second time and lifted him up. Flipping him upside down, Harry pitched his small body to the ground. There was a thud and Daniel groaned painfully, lying flat on the ground. Bloody hell, now Daniel knew why his brother didn't bother bringing out his wand. He was still deadly as ever, even without a wand in hand.

"Idiot, you don't have to shout out the spell, saying it is more than enough. Screaming doesn't affect the spell's power. It depends on how many times you perfecting the spell and how much magic you pour into it. Honestly, giving away what spell you cast to your enemy, what an amateur." Dusting his attire offhandedly, Harry smoothened his robe. "If this was a real duel, you would be dead in a matter of seconds, brat. Dueling isn't about your temper or how fast you reach for your wand, it's about finesse, stamina and instinct. There are other ways to claim victory other than applying deadly magic to your enemies. Now, are you going to listen to me or am I going to have to beat you to submission?"

"No, let's talk..." Daniel croaked, little by little, proceeding into a sitting position. "Where to start?"

Inspecting the wand first, Harry tossed it to his brother. "From the very beginning…"

"So you three believe Snape is aiming to steal the stone and kill you?" Harry was propping his back against the large Oak tree.

"Yeah, that's what we'd like to think." Daniel cringed every once in a while at the pain his brother inflicted on him earlier.

Harry's eyes shimmered in amusement. "Does the Weasley boy even use his brain?"

Daniel shot him a disdain look before sighing. He had no reply for that statement. It was rather rare for Ron to utilize his brain, now that Daniel thought of it. "The point is, we think Snape wanted to steal the stone for You-Know-Who."

"You destroyed him when you were one, yet you can't bloody say his name? So much for the great Boy-Who-Lived then," Harry countered mordantly, furrowing his eyebrows.

"What is with you? Are you insane! You can't just say his name like he's someone close to you! People are still afraid of him for what he did!"

"Voldemort."

Daniel shivered. "Harry, wh-"

"Voldemort."

"Stop it!" Daniel hissed.

"Voldemort."

"Shut up!" Daniel cried out.

Harry glared at his brother. "That's the problem here. The more you fear the name, the more you fear of the man. Tell me, if you're afraid to even say his name, then how the hell are you going to stand up to him again without trembling in fear? He'll mock you and laugh at you. That's for certain. He just says his own name and you cower before him. Easy victory. To think you Gryffindors are proud of your house's bravery and yet none of you can even bloody say the man's name. How pathetic. It's probably not even his name to begin with."

Daniel wheeled his head away. "You're right… V-V-Oh for Merlin sake! Voldemort!"

At that, he got himself a strong whack at the back of his head. Daniel clutched his head with both of his hands, moaning. "You don't have to shout, brat. It's just a bloody name, a silly name I might add. People these days are bloody idiots if you ask me," Harry declared indifferently, shuffling over to his previous spot.

"Anyway..." Daniel rubbed his sore head. "How are you going to help us recover the points back?"

"No, that's not important right now. Did you say the unicorns are dead and someone has been drinking its blood?"

"Yeah, the night we got detention in the forbidden forest."

"Do you know what the Unicorn's blood is used for?"

"Yes, I know. Firenze explained it to me-"

"Firenze?" Harry interjected in mild shock. "That explains it. So you met him, huh? Bet you met Bane too, that prick of a horse. The next time I see him, I'll kick that horse butt of his, I'll doubly sure of it."

"Wait, you know the centaurs in the forest?"

"Yeah, me and the girls venture to the forest in our first year. We were reckless back then. Regine was adamant to encounter with some new creatures, and all of us chose to follow her. We thought we were doing her a favor, instead she saved our skin in the end. Of course, we bumped with the centaurs in the middle of our exploration. Bane was tolerable enough in Regine's presence, it's us he gruff at. That moron. He insulted us with no shame at all... The others were alright, some didn't like us because we're human. They didn't mind Regine though."

"What is she?" Daniel blurted. The temperature turned cold regardless of the blaring sun.

"You said it as if she's not human at all," Harry said in a stony low voice, looking dangerous.

"No! I didn't mean like that, it's just fascinating how magical creatures treat her, j-just like how she nursed the baby dragon, Norbert! I'm curious, that's all," Daniel objected in an instant, cursing silently for his impulsiveness.

"I'll let it slide for now." Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. "If you really want to know her, then do it yourself. It's nothing wrong for you to have a conversation with her. She won't mind answering those questions. Unless you offend her with your manners, I'll do far worse than what I did to you before, you got that?" Daniel nodded his head fervently, knowing what's best for him. "All four of them, so you better keep the Weasley boy's mouth shut."

Harry rose to his feet, stretching his arms lazily. He spun around and stalked back to the castle.

"Wait!" Daniel grabbed his brother's arm in a frantic motion. Harry jerked his arm away, prompting Daniel to stagger back. "What about the deal? How do I regain those points back?"

"Eager to put your fame on top again, aren't you?"

"N-no, that's not it!"

"Yeah, yeah." Harry snubbed the protest away, waving his hand lazily. "If you aren't aware the real situations right now, then I tell you. The headmaster isn't here at the moment. He left a moment ago when the Ministry of Magic owled him for urgent matters. Professor McGonagall was kind enough to inform me that he flew off to London straight away, or apparated to the Ministry."

"W-what!" Daniel was stunned. "There's no one to guard the stone now! What do we do? Snape will- it's tonight..." He looked up at Harry, eyes shone in determination. "The professors won't be much of help... Harry, we need-"

"Forget it," Harry disrupted him brusquely. "Look brat, I'm not some hero wannabe that is destined to save the British Wizarding World from perish. If it must perish, then so be it. I'll go someplace else to live, end of story. British isn't the only country with the Wizarding World, almost all of the country have magical governments."

"So that's it!" Daniel was enraged, his chestnut brown eyes flared. "You're just going to walk away, act as if it's nothing out of the ordinary and choose the coward's path?"

"You've got some guts telling me that. If you're going to rescue the stone by plunging through those traps, then by all means, go ahead and be my guest. You're doing someone a favor while you're at it. You Gryffindors always brash into things without thinking it through. What is wrong with you Gryffindors? Don't you have brains to begin with? Try to reflect on the situation first. Thank god, Sheila isn't like that anymore."

"What's there to think about? If we could just go in there and defend the stone from-"

"Say you miraculously manage to pass the traps without any harm, then what? What are you going to do when you confront an adult who knows hundred of spells and dueling experience in his or her side, while you- you only have a few of spells in your arsenal? Worst, it's Voldemort we're talking about, then what are you going to do? Stand there, and pray to Merlin or whoever watching you from above? You can't even defeat me in one on one combat, let alone tackling the real thing."

"I-I don't know, okay! I'll think of something! That isn't the problem right now! We need to get the stone to safety!"

"Safety, you say? Stubborn, aren't you? You know what I think? I think I'll stake my life on the traps, instead of letting the stone's safety on some few naive first years," Harry spat. "Just leave it be, brat. It doesn't concern you or any students. It's the headmaster responsibility, he's the one who asked us to stay away from it. If something happens, the headmaster will do something. Tell me, did you lose faith on him?"

"No, of course not, but Dumbledore isn't here, so it's our responsibility to safeguard the stone since we know it's in danger!" Daniel raised his voice, glaring his brother in the eyes. "Listen Harry, I know we don't act like brothers. Heck, people would be safe to say we're strangers, but this is something we can't allow V-Voldemort to get his hands on. Innocent people will die and another war will break out if it is in his possession. Do you want that?"

"I told you for the last time, it ain't my problem. Go ahead, and do whatever the hell you want, brat." With those words he left hanging in the air, Harry returned to the castle, not sparing any single glances to his brother.

Harry motionlessly stood some distance from his brother and Quirrell. He smirked in delight as neither noticed his presence. He could never get bored with this ancient spell stuff. While they were having their lousy conversation, Harry eyed the mirror, studying it from afar. His heart was beating violently and he involuntarily backed away from it. That mirror, Callista once mentioned it to him. One time, she researched it in the library out of interest. It was the Mirror of Erised. It showed not your reflection but your deepest desire. Inside Harry, it turned ice at hearing the mirror from Callista for the first time.

After that, he wondered what his heart desire most in this world. Of course, Harry knows what he desired the most, power, and for the girls to not abandon him so that he won't have to suffer the loneliness he endured during his childhood. He was confident in what he wished for. Still, the sinking feeling he underwent, told him otherwise and that he was lying to himself. When in truth, Harry was afraid to cast the slightest peek into the mirror. His palms were buried in sweat as they balled into a tight fist. Why? If he was so certain of himself, why is it he has to fear that piece of junk? He shouldn't fret over trivial matters since someone's life is on the line.

Forcefully driving those thoughts to the back of his mind, he was now aware that Quirrell was desperate to acquire the stone.

A cold chill swept to his body at the sound of another voice that didn't belong to any of them. The voice seemed to come from behind Quirrell. It was cold as ice, hissing in an inhumanly tone. Harry scowled, it sent shivers through his body. He watched the events unfold as Quirrell used his brother to lure the stone out. Harry was incredibly impressed, discerning the huge bulge in one of Daniel's pocket. That was a neat trick. Only Dumbledore would come up with something so odd. The headmaster does live up to his reputation of being barmy.

The brat got some guts, Harry had to admit. His lying even duped Harry for a second there, though, it didn't fool the only non-human in the room. When the voice rang the second time, Harry was getting annoyed. Should he just burn Quirrell to the ground now, or what? Harry was actually waiting for the perfect opportunity. He didn't feel like getting involved in the conflict. He preferred if the attention was diverted to his little brother. There are some things best remain secret. In this case, the ancient world and the terrifying knowledge Harry possessed that both once existed.

"The boy lies...he lies..." the voice echoed.

Harry rerouted his concentration to Quirrell, his smelly turban to be precise. There's no mistaken, the voice was coming from the disgusting turban.

"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted and he got a hold of Daniel, grounding his body to still. "Tell me the truth! Do not lie! Where is the stone?"

"The mirror tells what your heart desires most and I did tell you what I saw! The stone isn't with me." Harry's lips twitched a little, almost smiling at his brother's confident tone.

"Lies! He lies again!" There's the high voice again. "Let me speak to him..."

"B-but, Master!-"

"Silence Quirrell! You dare question me!"

"N-no, Master..."

Quirrell slackened his grip from Daniel. Shuffling a few steps back, he reached up for his turban and started to unwrap it. Unconsciously, Harry moved closer to them. As the turban fell away, Harry watched as the man turned slowly, his back facing them. Harry's mouth parted slightly, staggered to discover another face planted on the back of Quirrell's head. He felt nausea rising up from his stomach, nearly puking from witnessing such face. He took his words back, the face was much more disgusting than Quirrell's turban. Harry was beginning to comprehend at what had occurred to Quirrell. The man was no death eater, he was possessed by Voldemort! The girls were right, his spirit was roaming around in search of a body.

Harry cursed at his current situation. It's just getting worst and worst. If Voldemort is possessing Quirrell's body, then the man is no longer alive. His mind is controlled by Voldemort and there's no reason for Harry to rescue Quirrell. It would be the same as facing Voldemort himself. Just what Harry needed, a maniac rising from his death. But, if Voldemort is in spirit form, then there is a chance to drive the bastard away and the only method is by ways of exorcising. This wouldn't affect Quirrell much considering the spell was more or less intended for spirits.

"Daniel Potter..." it whispered. "How intriguing you have become..."

Discarding their interactions, Harry was swiftly in a defensive stance. He had never tried this spell before, it was a holy based spell. It's specifically for banishing spirits the user wish to rid of. He clasped his hands together, looking as if he was praying. He closed his eyes, bringing his mind to serenity, taking a few moments to accomplish it. He, then, whispered a few words in an undistinguishable language. He chanted the words over and over again. Feeling his magic bubbling, he chanted the words more loudly. The occupants in the room couldn't hear it, since Harry was still under his silencing spell.

"Do you see what I had become, boy?" it hissed. Daniel was wide-eye struck, his body wasn't responding to him. He couldn't move a single muscle. "A shadow and vapor... mere spirit with no body to walk in...you did this to me, Daniel Potter...The only thing that strengthened me these past few weeks is the unicorn blood... I have to use Quirrell's body to drink it... Never mind, once I have the stone in my palm, I no longer require the unicorn blood... Now...why don't you give me that stone in your pocket?" Daniel stiffened, stumbling back. "Boy, hand me the stone now!" the face snarled angrily. "Or you shall suffer the dire consequence-"

It abruptly cut short as the face screamed, feeling the fire burning and steam emerged from his face.

"Master! Master, what's wrong?" Voldemort's answer was screeching more and more. "You! What have you done to my master!"

"I-I..."

"Forget the boy and seize the stone from him! The stone, you fool!"

Opening his eyes, he ditched his stance. Harry was annoyed for underestimating Voldemort. He was certain he would abandon Quirrell's body rather than bear the agony. If Harry can't repulse his spirit away from Hogwarts, then the alternate option would be to kill his host. Daniel sprang towards the flame door, but was detained by Quirrell who froze his body to the ground. Harry stealthily danced his way to Daniel's side. Quirrell was on top of Daniel, pinning him down. Looking down, Harry saw his brother closing his eyes, seemingly in anguish. Daniel's scar was dripping in blood. He smirked at the position they're in. If it were not for such a grave situation, he would be laughing at their compromising situation.

Disposing his own amusement, Harry arranged his hands inches near Quirrell. "Distraho ut cinis cineris."

Much to Daniel's astonishment, he didn't sense Quirrell's hands on his wrist anymore. He opened his eyes, in time to see Quirrell hunched up in pain. Both of his hands were gone, melting right before his eyes. Quirrell was wailing at the loss of his hands. Daniel stood up, his eyes never leaving Quirrell's form. Harry narrowed his eyes, one hand thoughtfully rubbing his chin. He was fascinated by the effect of the spell. Wandlessly, Harry controlled Daniel's body and had him jump onto Quirrell like a predator assailing its victim. Harry flicked his finger, hoisting both Daniel's hands and allowing it to have contact with Quirrell's face.

Harry cast the earlier spell on Quirrell again, pouring more magic into it. Consequently, Quirrell's didn't get the opportunity to scream as his face melted. His body followed suited and Quirrell was completely obliterated, leaving his clothes and a pile of ashes. Both brothers peered at what's left of Quirrell. As they did, they sighed concurrently, both thinking it was over. Out of nowhere, a shrouded shade materialized itself from Quirrell. Daniel whimpered, clutching his forehead where his scar lay. The shade let out a loud growl and it lunged at Daniel. It soared through Daniel's body causing the boy to collapse to the ground, instantly losing consciousness.

Harry cursed himself for dropping his guard as he hastened towards his brother. Harry checked Daniel's pulse and then his breathing, endeavoring to identify his brother's state. Grumbling, Harry didn't know whether to be pleased or upset that his brother was still alive. Harry lifted his head up to look for the shade. Harry froze. It was lingering there, staring fiercely right in his direction, not Daniel's, straight at him. Did Voldemort know he was here the whole time? That's impossible. He was in ancient spell, and no modern wizard could detect him, no matter how powerful they were. If Voldemort did sense him, why didn't he announce Harry's presence? Nothing makes sense at all.

Blinking his eyes, the shade had now vanished like it was never there in the first place. It appeared to have gone while he was lost in his thoughts. Accidently, Harry gazed towards the Mirror of Erised. His face drained of all colors at the sight. His breath hitched, mouth parted in shock and his heart beat seemed to stop for a second. Erratically, he wobbled his way to the mirror, his wide eyes stuck on it. His entire body was trembling. Harry couldn't believe what he saw in the mirror. Reaching out to the mirror with a shaky hand, he touched it. Hands pressed flatly against the glass in disbelief.

In the reflection, he was greeted by a miniature version of him, grinning brightly. A beautiful woman with red blazing hair and bright emerald eyes, was embracing his miniature self and was smiling widely. They were joined by a tall, extremely handsome man. The man wore round glasses and his dark tuft hair was unruly. The man was grinning proudly at Harry's miniature self. Out of the blue, a fist flew towards the mirror, the sheer force breaking the mirror. The cracks were evident where the fist struck.

Harry extracted his right hand from the mirror, apparently not noticing the several tiny pieces of glass embedded in his fist. His right hand was a mixture of purple and blue, throbbing painfully. Thick blood trickled out of his right hand. Even so, Harry was oblivious to all of it. His jaws were tightened, tears blurring his vision and his teeth furiously gnashed together. He didn't know what came over him. The anger, fury, sadness and all negative emotions dominated him. His punch was aided by a subconscious use of magic and it had a deadly impact on the mirror.

For a while, he sat alone along with his unconscious pitiful brother in the chamber. There was a furious scowl on his face. His eyes flicked to the bulge inside one of Daniel's pockets. Crawling over to Daniel, he fumbled inside Daniel's pocket and grasped the object. Yanking it out, Harry held it high. The famous Philosopher's Stone was an unusual shaped stone and it was blood red in color. He contemplated at the stone for a few minutes, the scowl on his face gradually lessened at each passing seconds.

"Immortality, huh?" Harry said to no one in particular.

The choices you make will lead you on many different paths. Disastrous consequences are around every corner so do what you feel is right and treat it with vigilance. Those words echoed in his mind. It was now Harry understood what Merlin insinuated. Glancing at the mirror for the second time, Harry was on his two feet, astounded at the changes of the reflection in the mirror. He smiled, no anger blinding his sight. "You underestimate me old man… I don't need immortality. I already have everything… Nothing is perfect in this world, not even you..."

Far away, in a large mansion, a lone man smiled.

Unfaltered, Harry threw the stone up in the air. "Reducto maxima!" He poured a large amount of magic into the spell. The stone exploded into a million pieces. No one would be able to use the stone ever again. He did what the Flamels failed to do.

Harry exhaled his breath noisily, feeling the burden on his shoulders lifted. There were footsteps coming. Harry gazed down at his brother. From now on, he would only trouble Harry more and more. Circling around, Harry was about to leave the chamber. He glanced one more time at the mirror and smiled vibrantly at the four familiar faces. They waved at him and returned his smile. Last but not least, there was a man with long raven hair and twinkle blue eyes. To his mild surprise, there was his cute baby sister sitting in front of the group, laughing and clapping cheerfully at him.

Part of his heart, perhaps, yearned for his parent's attention. Perhaps, the reason why he wanted to be powerful and establish a name for himself was seeking for his parent's attention. However, that part of his heart was no longer important to him. That desire was long forgotten, nothing more than the past. He had given up such desires because right now, there are other people who cared for him. Sparing one last longing look, Harry disappeared through the flame door as the professors burst in, rushing towards Daniel's fallen form.

5 Jun 1992.

Daniel blinked his eyes, trying to clear his blur vision. He blinked his eyes for a second time. He squeaked when a fist flew straight towards his face. Promptly, he sat upright, completely forgetting his burning ache muscles. He backed away frantically as the fist drew nearer and nearer. All of a sudden, it halted and withdrew. It drew a sigh of relief from the boy. As the fist no longer blocked his sight, the smirking face of Harry swam into view.

"What was that for?" he snarled. "I thought for sure it was going to hit me."

"Nothing, just testing your reflexes," Harry nonchalantly remarked. "It pains me to say, but they were impressive."

Daniel was mystified, "Huh?" It was rare for his brother to compliment him.

"For a weakling, of course..." Daniel pursed his lips, he should have known better. "Anyway, do you know where you are?"

Daniel stared at him blankly, before exclaiming, "The stone! It was Quirrell! He's-"

"-dead," Harry said firmly. Daniel's eyes grew wide and he brooded, burying his face deeper into the pillow. "As to where you are? You're in the infirmary. You've been unconscious for a day now. Madam Pomfrey did say you'll be in unconscious state for three days."

"Then how was I-"

"Oh that?" Whipping his wand out, he conjured a beautiful chair. Daniel sweat-dropped, the chair was a bit exaggerating from normal chairs. "I forced you to wake up. I sneaked out after everyone went to bed."

"Is that possible?"

"It's not a matter of possible or not. I do as I please," Harry stated, as if it was the obvious. "This, however, isn't what I came here for. I woke you up because we both need to have a talk." Daniel bobbed his head. "After that, you won't have to worry a thing. I'll knock you back out. That way, no one will be suspicious."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Oh? Are you stupid? I'm going to punch you until you faint, brat." Daniel regretted asking. "So brat, how does it feel?"

"How does what feel?"

"Being the boy-who-lived, of course. You can't bask in your glory anymore without thinking someone is out there hunting for you." Daniel faced away from his brother. "Not so fun anymore, is it? All your glory that you're so proud of has made your life that much more dangerous. Fame has its price, you know, and in your case the price is your life."

"Look, if all you wanted to do was hurt me, congratulations, you're doing a good job."

"Hmph, pathetic. Crying over nothing," Harry grumbled. "I'm not here to make you cry. I'm here to advise you to not trust everyone you meet."

"Huh?" Daniel wheeled his head to his brother. "Why are you giving me advice?"

"Because you're my brother, that's why…" Daniel looked up at his brother, his eyes sparkled with curiosity and hope. "The truth can be a beautiful thing, but it can also easily flip your life upside down and not in a good way either. You're still young so I don't expect you to take my words to heart anytime soon."

"Is that all you want to say?"

"Do you find it weird that three first years were able to pass the traps?"

"I don't think so. We-"

"When are you going to stop being arrogant!" Harry snapped, irritated. Daniel was taken aback at his tone. "What you did back there was pure luck. You're lucky you're alive right now especially after not taking my warning seriously. How dumb have you become?" Harry inhaled a deep breath, sighing tiredly. "Listen, brat. Professor Dumbledore means well and he truly does. His heart is in the right place but you have to know this. It's his methods that are terribly wrong in so... many ways. He's manipulating you, can't you see it? He's planning to sacrifice you in the near future. Not now, perhaps in many years to come. Who knows what he's planning. He's visualizing a bigger picture and for that reason, he won't hesitate to sacrifice someone. He thinks there's no other way except sacrificing a few people."

"You're saying as if he's the bad guy, Harry…"

"No, that's ridiculous…" Harry said firmly. "I didn't mean it to be like that. He's a good guy, just...a manipulative person... He's more into the whole forest thing, than caring the trees…" Shaking his head, Harry heaved a sigh at the silence from his brother. "You should know better in carving your own path and not follow someone blindly." Harry rose up, doing so the chair banished itself.

"What did you just do?" Daniel demanded, his eyes fixed on the spot the chair previously occupied. He didn't see his brother use a wand.

"What? Never seen a wandless magic?" Harry's lips twitched. "Someone taught me how to do it. Though, it isn't perfect as I'm restricted to my hands, whereas my mentor can do with a mere thought. Amazing, isn't it? Of course, it is." Harry yawned audibly, his eyelids felt heavy. "Well, this is where we split. Now, hold still, this isn't going to hurt a bit." Hands holding on each side of Daniel's face, Harry forced him to stare into his emerald eyes. "Meus existence in vestri mens quod monumentum mos signu..." There was a bright white light in the infirmary.

Liberating Daniel's head from his grasp, Daniel looked around him wildly. "What did you just do? What kind of spell is that?"

"That, you stupid little man, is a spell I learnt a while back. I sealed your memories of this encounter. Don't worry, I didn't wreck your mind even though it was tempting." Daniel looked as if he had swollen a toilet brush. "It's nothing too dangerous, but it's a powerful spell. Let's just say, when someone reads your mind or uses veritaserum on you, you won't spill anything about me. Any memories you had about me will be hidden somewhere in your thick head. If you try to talk about our discussion, your mind will go blank. You can only talk about me to those I approve. Any questions?"

"Why did you do that?"

"That's a stupid question. What we discussed is important. Do you really expect me to let you run off and tell everyone? And for your information, I won't allow you to just walk away after what you had just witnessed. I don't want my abilities to be known… Can you imagine the repercussion of it?" Daniel opened his mouth, but Harry beat him to it. "Do you have to ask? Seriously, are we really related to each other? I must have taken up all the intelligence genes..." Daniel appeared to be genuinely affronted. "I don't have any desire to attract unwanted attention."

"Attention from who?"

Harry's eyes twitched. Was he really related to the brat? He must surely be adopted.

"Forget it, and now..." Harry waved his hand casually at Daniel. "Somnus."

As Harry murmured the words softly, Daniel drifted into a peaceful slumber, his eyes succumbing to darkness instantly. Another wave of his hand, the silence ward surrounding them dropped. Murmuring some incantations, his body slowly became invisible. Whistling in a low tone, he walked away from the infirmary towards the Ravenclaw common room. Now, he could get his beauty sleep after a long exhausting day.