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Chapter 105 The Truth Part 2 TOM

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RIDDLE The

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words seemed to echo inside

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Harry's head, sparking resonances

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that as quickly died away.

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Broken patterns, trying

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to complete themselves and failing.

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Tom Riddle is

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a... Tom

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Riddle was the...

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Riddle. There

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were other priorities occupying

0:38

Harry's attention. Professor

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Quirrell was pointing a gun

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at him, and for some

0:46

reason Lord Voldemort

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hadn't fired it yet. Harry's

0:52

voice came out in more of a croak.

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What is it that

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you want from me? Your

1:04

death, said Professor

1:06

Quirrell, is clearly

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not what I am about to

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say, since I have

1:13

had plenty of time to kill

1:16

you if I wished.

1:18

The fateful battle between Lord

1:20

Voldemort and the boy

1:23

who lived is a figment

1:26

of Dumbledore's imagination.

1:30

I know where to find

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your family's house in Oxford, and

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I am familiar with the concept

1:40

of sniper rifles.

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You would have died before

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you ever touched a wand. I

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hope this is clear

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to you, Tom. Crystal,

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Harry whispered. His

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body was still shaking, running

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programs more suited to fleeing

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a tiger than casting delicate

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spells or thinking.

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But Harry could think of

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one thing the person pointing a gun

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at him obviously wanted him to

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do, a question that

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person was waiting for him

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to ask,

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and Harry did so.

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Why are you calling

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me Tom? Professor

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Quirrell regarded him steadily.

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Why am I calling you

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Tom? Answer!

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Your intellect is not

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everything I hoped for, but

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it should suffice for

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this.

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Harry's mouth seemed to know

2:52

the answer before his brain could

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manage to focus on the question.

2:59

Tom Riddle

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is your name. Our

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name. That's

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who Lord Voldemort is,

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or was,

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or something.

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Professor Quirrell nodded. Murder!

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You have already vanquished

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the Dark Lord, the one

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and only time that you will

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ever do so.

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I have already destroyed

3:32

all but a remnant of Harry

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Potter, eliminating

3:37

the difference between our spirits and

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enabling us to reside

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in the same world. Now

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that it is clear to you that the battle

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between us is a lie,

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you might act sensibly

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to advance your own

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interests,

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or you might not. not."

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The gun jabbed slightly forward, causing

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prickles of sweat to appear on Harry's forehead.

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"'Drop your

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wand, now!'

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Harry dropped it.

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"'Step away from

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the wand,' said

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Professor Quirrell. Harry

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obeyed. "'Reach

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toward your neck,' said

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Professor Quirrell, "'and

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remove your time turner,

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touching it by the chain only. "'Place

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the time turner on the ground,

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then step away from it as well.'"

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This also Harry did.

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Even in his state of shock, his

4:53

mind still looked for a way to spin

4:56

the time turner in the process, a

4:59

sudden move that would win. But

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Harry knew that Professor Quirrell

5:04

would already be imagining himself

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in Harry's position, looking for

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the same possible opportunities.

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"'Remove

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your pouch and

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place it also on the ground,

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then step away.'" Harry did

5:22

this. "'Very

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good,' said the

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defense professor.

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"'Now, it is time

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for me to obtain the Philosopher's

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Stone. I mean

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to bring along these four first

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years here, suitably obliviated

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of their most recent memories, so

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that they still recall their

5:48

original purpose.'

5:50

"'Snape, I shall

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control and set to guard

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this door. After

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this day's work is done,

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I intend to kill

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Snape for the betrayals he has

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offered my other identity.

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The three heir children

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I shall take with me

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afterwards to shape their

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future loyalties.

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And know this, I have taken

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hostages. I

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have already set in motion

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a spell that will kill

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hundreds of Hogwarts students, including

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many you call

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friends. I

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can stop that spell using

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the stone if I obtain

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it successfully.

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If I am interrupted

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before then, or if

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I choose not to stop

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the spell, hundreds

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of students will die.

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Professor Quirrell's voice was still

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mild.

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Do you yet perceive any

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interests you have at Stig Boy?

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I would smile

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to hear you say no,

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but that is too

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much to hope. I'd

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like, Harry managed

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to say through the horror and

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the heartbreak, and the

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knives slicing away at an emotional

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connection that hurt like living

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flesh as it was cut.

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For you not to

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do those things, Professor. Why,

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Professor Quirrell, why? Why

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did it have to turn out like this?

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I don't. I

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don't. I don't want

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this to be happening. Very

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well, Professor Quirrell

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said. I grant

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you permission to offer me

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something I... I want."

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The gun gestured invitingly.

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That is a rare privileged

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child. Lord Voldemort

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does not usually negotiate

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for what he wants.

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Some part of Harry's mind scrabbled

8:19

frantically, looking for something,

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anything that might be of more valuable

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to Lord Voldemort or Professor

8:28

Quirrell than child hostages

8:30

or Severus' death.

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Another part of him, the part

8:36

that had never stopped thinking, already

8:39

knew his answer. "'You

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already have

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an idea for what you

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want from me,' Harry

8:49

said through the sickness and

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the bleeding wounds in his soul. What

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is it? Your

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help in obtaining

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the Philosopher's Stone?" Harry

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swallowed. He couldn't

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stop his eyes from going to the gun,

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then back up at Professor

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Quirrell's face.

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He was aware that the hero in

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a storybook was supposed to say, no,

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but now that he was actually in

9:23

a situation like this, saying

9:26

no didn't seem to make

9:28

sense.

9:30

"'I am disappointed

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that you need to think about

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this,' said Professor Quirrell.

9:38

It is straightforward that

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you should obey

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me for now, since I

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hold every advantage over

9:47

you.

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I have taught you better

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than this. In this

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situation, you should

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certainly pretend to

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lose.'"

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You can expect to gain nothing

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by resisting, except pain.

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You should have calculated that it was

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better to answer sooner, and

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not earn my distrust."

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Professor Quirrell's eyes studied

10:17

him curiously. Perhaps

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Dumbledore has filled your

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ears with nonsense about noble

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defiance.

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I find such morals

10:31

amusing, since they are

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so easy to manipulate.

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I assure you I can

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make defiance seem morally

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worse, and you would

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be well advised to submit before

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I demonstrate how.

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The gun stayed pointed at Harry,

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but with a wave of Professor Quirrell's

10:55

other hand, Tracey Davis

10:58

rose up into the air, spun

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lazily, her limbs stretched

11:03

out, spread eagle.

11:06

Then, even as

11:09

new adrenaline hammered at Harry's

11:11

heart, Tracey floated

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back down again. Choose,

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said Professor Quirrell. This

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begins to try my patience.

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I should have spoken just then, before he might

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have ripped off Tracey's legs. No, I shouldn't have. The headmaster said

11:32

I mustn't show Lord Voldemort

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that I'll do things if he

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threatens my friends, because that will just make him

11:39

threaten more of them. Only,

11:46

what he said before isn't a threat.

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It's just the sort of thing Lord Voldemort

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does. Harry

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took a deep breath, several of them. Whatever

11:57

part of him can be, whatever part

11:59

of him can be. kept on running on full

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automatic was screaming at the remainder

12:04

of his mind that it could not afford

12:07

to stay in shock.

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Shocks were of finite duration.

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Neurons kept firing regardless.

12:16

The only reason Harry's mind would shut

12:18

down while his brain kept running was

12:21

if Harry's self-model believed

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his mind would shut down.

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I don't mean to try your patience, Harry

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said, his voice cracking. That

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was good. Sounding like he

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was still in shock meant that Lord Voldemort

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might give him more time.

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But if Lord Voldemort had a reputation

12:43

for keeping his bargains, I

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don't know about it. An

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obvious concern, Professor

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Quirrell said. There

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is a simple answer, and

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I would have enforced it upon

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you in any case.

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Snakes can't

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lie.

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And since I have a

13:11

tremendous distaste for

13:14

stupidity, I suggest

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you do not say anything

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like, what do you

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mean?

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You are smarter than that, and

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I do not have time for such conversations

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as ordinary people inflict

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on one another.

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Harry swallowed. Snakes

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can't lie. Two

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plus two equals

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four. Harry

13:46

had tried to say that two plus

13:48

two equalled three, and the word

13:50

four had slipped out instead.

13:54

Good. When

13:57

Salazar Slytherin invoked

13:59

the bus.

13:59

mouth curse upon himself and

14:03

all his children, his

14:05

true plan was to ensure

14:07

his descendants could trust one

14:09

another's words. Whatever

14:12

plots they wove against

14:14

outsiders.

14:16

Professor Quirrell had adopted his lecturing

14:19

pose from battle magic, like

14:21

someone putting on a well-worn

14:24

mask.

14:25

But the gun remained pointed

14:28

in his hand.

14:30

Occlumency cannot fool

14:32

the parcel mouth curse as it can

14:35

fool Veritasarum, and

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you may put that to the trial

14:40

also.

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Now listen well.

14:45

Come with me. Promise

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your best aid in

14:51

getting stone, and

14:54

I shall leave these children

14:57

behind unharmed.

15:00

Hostages are real.

15:03

Hundreds of students

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die tonight unless

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I stop events already

15:12

set in motion. Will

15:15

spare hostages if

15:17

I obtain stone

15:21

successfully.

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And mark also

15:26

this.

15:27

Mark it well. I cannot

15:30

be truly slain by any means known to me, and

15:38

loosing stone will

15:40

not stop me from returning,

15:43

nor spare you or yours,

15:45

my wrath. Any

15:49

impetuous act

15:52

you are contemplating cannot

15:54

win the game for you,

15:57

boy. I do.

15:58

credit your ability

16:01

to annoy me and suggest

16:04

you avoid doing so." Harry

16:09

said. You said, Harry's

16:11

voice was strange in his own ears,

16:15

that the Philosopher's Stone had

16:18

different powers from what legend

16:20

said. You said that

16:22

to me in Parseltongue. Tell

16:25

me what the Stone really

16:27

does before I agree to help

16:29

you get it. If it was

16:32

something along the lines of gaining

16:34

total power over the universe, then

16:37

nothing was worth an incrementally

16:39

greater chance of Lord Voldemort

16:41

getting the Stone.

16:44

Ah, said

16:46

Professor Quirrell and smiled.

16:49

You are thinking that

16:53

is better, and as a reward

16:56

I shall offer you a further

16:59

incentive for cooperation.

17:02

Eternal life and

17:05

youth, the creation

17:07

of gold and silver.

17:10

Suppose these are true

17:12

benefits of holding the Stone. Tell

17:16

me, boy, what

17:18

is the Stone's power?

17:22

It might have been the adrenaline still

17:24

in him, being actually useful

17:27

for his brain for once.

17:29

It might have been the power of being told

17:32

that an answer existed, and

17:34

that the evidence wasn't a lie.

17:38

It can make transfigurations

17:42

permanent. Then

17:45

Harry stopped as he heard what

17:47

his own mouth had just said. Correct,

17:52

said Professor Quirrell. Thus,

17:55

whoever holds the Philosopher's

17:57

Stone is able to... perform

18:01

human transfiguration."

18:05

Harry's torn mind was

18:07

knocked about yet again, as

18:10

he realized what further incentive

18:12

would be offered him.

18:15

"'You stole Miss Granger's

18:17

remains and transfigured them

18:19

into some innocuous appearing

18:22

target,'

18:23

said Professor Quirrell.

18:25

A transfigured target that you

18:28

must keep somewhere about your

18:30

own person in order to

18:32

sustain transfiguration.

18:36

Ah, I see

18:38

your eyes going to that ring

18:41

upon your hand.

18:43

But of course, Miss Granger

18:45

would not be the little jewel

18:48

set into the ring, would it? That

18:51

would be too obvious."

18:54

"'No. I expect

18:57

you transfigured Granger's remains

18:59

into the ring itself,

19:02

letting the order of the transfigured

19:05

jewel mask the magic

19:07

in the transfigured ring.'

19:10

"'Yes,' Harry said,

19:13

forcing out the word. It

19:16

was a lie for once,

19:19

and Harry's glance had been deliberate.

19:22

Harry had expected someone to challenge

19:25

him on the steel ring. He'd tried

19:27

to provoke that challenge so he could prove

19:29

to be innocent yet again, though nobody

19:32

had taken him up on it.

19:34

Maybe Dumbledore had just sensed

19:37

that the steel by itself wasn't

19:39

magical. "'Fine

19:42

and good,' said

19:45

Professor Quirrell.

19:47

"'Now, come with me. Help

19:50

me to obtain the stone,

19:52

and I will resurrect

19:55

Hermione Granger on your

19:57

behalf.

19:59

A death?' has had unfortunate

20:02

effects on you, and I

20:04

would not mind undoing

20:06

them.

20:08

That, as I understand

20:10

you, is your greatest desire.

20:15

I have done you many kindnesses,

20:18

and I would not mind doing

20:21

you this one more."

20:24

A blank-eyed Professor Sprout

20:27

had now risen from the ground and was

20:29

pointing her own wand at Harry.

20:32

Help me obtain

20:35

stone of transfiguration,

20:38

and I shall try

20:40

my hardest to resurrect

20:43

your girl-child friend

20:46

to true and lasting

20:49

life.

20:50

That said,

20:52

boy, I am swiftly

20:55

running out of patience

20:58

with you, and you

21:00

shall not like what

21:03

comes next."

21:06

This last line was hissed out

21:08

in a voice that conveyed the impression of

21:10

a snake rearing its head to

21:12

strike.

21:16

Even then, even

21:20

then, with all the

21:22

world upturned, with

21:24

shock after shock, even

21:28

then, Harry's brain did

21:30

not stop being a brain

21:33

or completing the patterns its

21:35

circuits had been wired to complete.

21:39

Harry knew that this was too

21:41

good of an offer to make to someone at

21:43

whom you were pointing a gun.

21:47

Unless you desperately

21:50

needed their help to get the Philosopher's

21:52

Stone out of the magic mirror.

21:55

And there wasn't any

21:58

time left to plan. the

22:00

thought that

22:01

if Professor Quirrell really

22:03

was going this far to get his

22:05

help,

22:07

what Harry wanted was

22:09

to demand Professor Quirrell promise

22:12

not to kill anyone in the future in

22:14

exchange for his help now.

22:17

But Harry had a strong

22:19

sense that Professor Quirrell would reply,

22:21

don't be

22:23

ridiculous, and

22:26

there wasn't time for ordinary conversation.

22:29

Harry had to guess the

22:31

highest safe request in advance.

22:36

Professor Quirrell's eyes narrowed,

22:38

his lips parted. If

22:42

I help you, Harry's mouth

22:44

said, I want

22:46

your promise that you aren't

22:49

planning to turn on me when this is over.

22:52

I want you to not kill Professor

22:55

Snape or anyone else

22:57

in Hogwarts for at

22:58

least a week. And I

23:01

want answers, the truth about

23:03

everything that's been going on this whole time,

23:06

everything you know about my

23:09

nature.

23:11

The pale blue eyes regarded

23:13

him dispassionately.

23:16

I really think we

23:18

could have thought of something better

23:21

to ask than that, said

23:23

Harry Slytherin side. But

23:27

I suppose we were legitimately

23:29

out of time, and whatever

23:32

we need to do next, answers

23:35

will help. Harry

23:38

wasn't listening to that voice right now.

23:41

Cold chills were still going

23:44

down his spine from hearing the words

23:46

that had just come out of his lips, addressed

23:49

to the man with the gun.

23:52

That is your

23:55

condition for helping me to

23:57

obtain the stone.

23:59

Professor Quirrell. Harry

24:02

nodded, unable to form words.

24:07

Agreed, hissed

24:09

Professor Quirrell.

24:11

Help me and you shall

24:14

have answers to your

24:16

questions, so

24:19

long as they are about

24:22

past events and

24:24

not my plans for

24:27

the future. I

24:29

do not intend to raise

24:32

my hand or magic

24:34

against you in future,

24:38

so long as you

24:40

do not raise

24:41

your hand or

24:43

magic against me.

24:46

Shall kill none within

24:49

school grounds for

24:51

a week unless I

24:54

must. Now

24:57

promise that you will not

24:59

attempt to warn against

25:02

me or escape. Promise

25:05

to put forth your own best

25:08

efforts toward helping me to

25:11

obtain the stone

25:13

and your girl child

25:16

friend shall be revived

25:18

by me to true

25:21

life and health.

25:23

Nor shall me or

25:25

mine ever seek to

25:28

harm her.

25:30

A twisted smile.

25:33

Promise, boy, and

25:36

the bargain will be struck.

25:40

I promise, whispered Harry.

25:44

What? screamed

25:47

other parts of his mind. Um,

25:50

he's still pointing a

25:53

gun at us, pointed out

25:55

Slytherin. We don't

25:57

actually have a choice.

25:59

We're just getting as much mileage

26:02

out of this as possible." "'You

26:06

bastard,' said Hufflepuff. "'Do

26:09

you think this is what Hermione

26:12

would have wanted? This

26:14

is Lord Voldemort we're talking

26:16

about. Do we even know

26:19

how many people he's killed and

26:22

will kill?'

26:23

"'I deny that we are

26:26

compromising with Lord Voldemort

26:28

for Hermione's sake,' said

26:30

Slytherin, "'since there is,

26:33

in fact, a gun and

26:36

we can't otherwise stop him.

26:39

Also, Mum and Dad would want

26:41

us to just go along and stay safe.'

26:45

Professor Quirrell regarded him steadily.

26:49

"'Repeat the full promise

26:51

in Pastel Dung, boy.'

26:55

"'I shall help you obtain

26:58

the stone. I

27:00

cannot promise I will use

27:03

my

27:03

best efforts. My

27:06

heart will not be in it, I

27:08

fear. I intend

27:10

to try.

27:12

Shall not do anything

27:15

I think will annoy you to

27:17

no good end. Shall

27:20

call no help if I

27:22

expect them to be killed

27:24

by you or for hostages

27:27

to die.

27:28

I'm sorry, teacher, but

27:31

it is best I can

27:34

do.' Harry's

27:36

mind was settling, composing

27:39

itself as the decision was

27:41

made.

27:43

He would stay with

27:45

Professor Quirrell, go with

27:47

him to get the stone, save

27:50

the student hostages, and... and...

27:58

And Harry didn't know, except... that

28:00

he'd go on thinking. You

28:04

actually are sorry

28:07

about that. Professor Quirrell

28:09

looked amused. I

28:12

suppose it shall have to

28:14

do. Then keep

28:17

two other things in mind.

28:21

I have plan

28:23

to stop even schoolmaster

28:27

if he appears before us.

28:30

And also this.

28:33

I will occasionally

28:36

ask you to say in Parseltongue whether

28:39

you have betrayed

28:41

me.

28:43

The bargain is struck.

28:49

After that, Professor Sprout

28:51

picked up Harry's wand and wrapped

28:54

it in shimmering cloth.

28:56

Then she placed it on the floor and

28:59

again pointed her wand at

29:01

Harry.

29:02

Only then did Professor Quirrell

29:05

lower his gun, which seemed to

29:07

disappear into his hand and

29:09

pick up Harry's wrapped wand, tucking

29:12

it into his robes.

29:15

The true cloak of invisibility

29:17

was removed from the sleeping form

29:20

of Lissarth Lestrange and

29:22

Professor Quirrell took the cloak,

29:24

as well as Harry's pouch and

29:27

time turner.

29:29

Then, Professor Quirrell cast

29:31

a mass obliviation followed

29:34

by the mass version of the false memory

29:36

charm, the one that just had

29:38

the subject fill in the blanks using their

29:41

own suggestibility on all

29:43

the students present. Afterwards,

29:47

Professor Sprout floated away the sleeping

29:49

children, now wearing an expression

29:51

that seemed annoyed and preoccupied,

29:55

as if they'd been in some herbology

29:57

accident.

29:59

Professor Quirrell.

29:59

then turned back to where the

30:02

potions master lay sprawled, bent

30:05

over and placed his wand on

30:07

Professor Snape's forehead.

30:09

Alle in a snare wasmobiliilignum!

30:14

The defence professor stepped back and

30:16

began to move his left fingers in

30:18

the air as though manipulating a puppet

30:21

on strings.

30:23

Professor Snape pushed himself up

30:25

from the ground by smooth motions

30:28

and stood once more before the

30:31

corridor door.

30:33

Alo, amora!

30:36

Professor Quirrell said, pointing his

30:38

wand at the forbidden door. The

30:42

defence professor looked rather

30:44

amused. Would

30:47

you do the honours, boy?

30:51

Harry swallowed.

30:53

Harry was once again having second thoughts.

30:56

And third thoughts. It

30:59

was strange how you could do something

31:01

even while knowing it was the wrong

31:04

thing. Not the selfish

31:06

thing, but

31:07

the wrong thing to do,

31:10

on some deeper level. But

31:14

the man behind him was holding

31:16

a gun. It had

31:19

once more appeared in his hand at

31:21

Harry's hesitation. Harry

31:24

laid his hand on the door knocker

31:27

and took several deep breaths, again

31:30

composing his mind as best he could.

31:34

Go through with it.

31:35

Don't get shot.

31:37

Don't let the hostages die.

31:40

Be there to optimise events. Be

31:43

there to watch for opportunities and

31:46

stay capable of taking them. It

31:49

wasn't a good choice, but

31:52

all the other ones seemed worse.

31:56

Harry pushed open the

31:58

forbidden door. and

32:00

stepped through.