AN: I corrected where I confused the names Owen and Orion. Thanks for pointing this out! Merry Christmas!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter! I just write for fun and I do not make any money with it (sigh).

21. The school year ends

Ron Weasleys face was burning with humiliation, rage and shame when he stomped back to Gryffindor Tower. His parents hadn't been happy with Ron's conduct in his classes. His fathers' calm anger and his disappointment about the possibility of his youngest son failing his first year at Hogwarts had been worse than the explosive rage that was his mother. His parents hadn't wanted to hear anything about whatever was hidden beneath the trapdoor in the forbidden corridor. They had made it very clear that whatever was hidden there was none of his business. Professor Dumbledore would have made sure that it, whatever it was, would be well protected.

He would spend two hours each Monday to Friday after dinner either with MacGonagall or Flitwick to work with them on what he had missed. What was worse, his parents had put Percy and the twins in charge of bringing him up to speed with his classmates in all his other subjects, extracting promises from Fred and George not to prank their brother. Now Percy would tutor Ron in History and Astronomy while the twins would do the same for Defence and Potions. His parents expected him to pass all his he failed only one subject there would be no Quidditch, no magazines, no fooling around and no chess for the whole summer. He would study and than retake the tests at the Ministry together with those, that where homeschooled at the middle of August, his father had made this unmistakeable clear.

Ron kicked the wall in rage. Stupid MacGonagall!

-NLALNL-

True to Elroy's prediction Dumbledore got away with the loss of his position as Head of the Wizengamont and a hearing. What really irked many Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins was that he was still Headmaster of Hogwarts even though his influence on the Potter parents had caused them to abandon their child and, ast least as far as the wizarding world was aware, resulted in said child's death.

Many Gryffindors' though openly supported the Headmaster stating that Harrison Potter had shown his dark tendencies with his ability to speak Parseltongue and would probably have been the next Dark Lord. Especially Ron Weasley went on and on how he had always known Harrison was evil. Owen warned him once to shut up about Harry but his former best friend didn't listen. After that Owen beat Weasley up badly and had to be pulled off the taller boy. For two broken teeth, a broken nose, one black eye and several bruises Owen was punished with the loss of fifty points and two weeks worth of detention and a severe dressing down from the deputy headmistress. According to Owen it was worth the punishment. No one would ever call his brother evil without consequences.

Much to the Ravens consternation Ron Weasley wasn't punished at all and soon the youngest Weasley found himself of the receiving ends of pranks like shrinking clothes, his hair changing colours, his homework written with pink ink and so on. One memorable prank was that Ron Weasley was unable to eat anything on his plate unless he used his cutlery in an appropriate manner. It took Ron the better part of dinner to figure that out, which made those sitting near him very greatful. After one week the pranks on the Gryffindor stopped and Fred and George Weasley, who had sworn up and down to the headmaster and their head of house that they were not responsible, were more eager than ever to find out, who was behind their competition.

-NLALNL-

Quirinus Quirrell came back from the Hogs Head in a brilliant mood. Finally he was getting somewhere. A few rounds of cards and a stolen dragon egg as a bait and now he knew how to get past the three headed beast. Even his master was pleased and Quirinius shivered in anticipation. It wouldn't be long now before he could make his move and get the Stone for his master. If only he could find a way for Dumbledore to leave the castle.

-NLALNL-

January turned to February. The Gryffindor Quidditch team was trashed in their play against Hufflepuff with 120 points against 480 points for the badgers. It was one of the worst losses for the lions for years and roumor had it that Gryffindor Captain Oliver Wood had tried to drown himself in the showers after the game.

Easter soon rolled around and the teachers began to pile more and more homework on them. The end of the year was approaching and the teachers seemed to have suddenly realized how much the students still needed to learn in the current school year Exams were less than ten weeks away and the Ravenclaw first years put together reviewing schedules that left everyone enough free time and covered everything they had learned so far. Thankfully the members of their learning group easily covered all subjects so that they could help each other out.

Much to Ron Weasley's chagrin Percy and the twins worked well together in getting their younger brother back on track with his year mates. They had been relentless in hounding their brother down between their own studies and Quidditch practice. Tizia, who was in the same year as Fred and George told them that rumour had it, that the three regularly locked themselves and their brother in an unused classroom with Professor McGonagall's and their parents' permission to get their point across. That Ron Weasley was seen floating through the corridors at one of his brothers wands on a regular basis paid to this rumour.

-NLALNL-

It was at the end of one of their study sessions in the library when they ran into Hagrid. The groundskeeper was usually not found in the library and looked very much out of place between all the books.

'Hey Hagrid!' Owen greeted their big friend from their table. The others greeted the groundskeeper too.

'Hey you lot! What're you up to?' Hagrid asked while hiding something behind his back.

'Homework.' Alan sighed. He liked to learn, really. But the amount of homework they were getting at the time was getting too much. 'What are you doing in the library?' The question caused the big man to shift awkwardly.

'Jus' looking,' he said. 'An' now I've got work ta do. See ya lot later!' With puzzled goodbyes from the first years Hagrid hurried out of the library. Finding their friends behaviour suspicious Owen and Nathan slipped in the section Hagrid had just left. They stared at the titles on the shelves in shock. Dragons! Hagrid had looked up Dragons.

-NLALNL-

The revelation that Hagrid had been looking up dragons had the Ravenclaw first years trooping down to the groundskeepers hut as soon as they had finished their homework. Their visit confirmed their suspicions. Hagrid was trying to hatch a dragon. In his hut! Which was build out of wood! Since none of their arguments made any impression on the big man the group finally went to their head of house. They didn't want Hagrid getting into trouble but a dragon was dangerous and this was a school! In the end Hagrid got a bollocking from MacGonagall for trying to breed a class five magical beast. The egg was confiscated and given to a dragon reserve in Romania where, according to Owen, one of the elder Weasley brothers worked as a dragon handler.

Hagrid's sadness over having to give up on his dragon however was nothing over the horror of the centaurs finding a slayed unicorn in the Forbidden Forest a week before the exams. Hagrid had brought the information to Dumbledore and there were whispers all over the castle. Killing a creature as pure as a unicorn was considered a crime against magic itself and anyone who had the unicorns' blood on his or her hands would live a cursed life. No one wanted to imagine what kind of creature had killed the unicorn.

-NLALNL-

The exams came with sweltering hot summer weather that would've many a student rather spend time on the grounds. Instead they wrote their exams with special quills that where charmed against cheating. After that they were called in one after the other for their practical tests in their wanded subjects and Potions.

For the first years the exams ended with a written exam in History of Magic. Finally free they trooped onto the grounds feeling confident about their tests.

-NLALNL-

Quirinus Quirrell waited with nervous energy. Dumbledore had left the castle that evening after dinner for a meeting with the Minister of Magic. The way to the stone was finally free and Quirinus only had to wait for curfew to start in just an hour before he made his way to the third corridor. Soon, very soon his master would be able to gain a new body.

Time crept by agonizingly slow while Quirinius checked if he had everything he would need. From time to time a shiver would run through his body. Ever since he had killed the unicorn to keep his failing body alive just a bit longer an icy cold had gripped him. No amount of warming charms or being outside in the sweltering heat helped against the ice that seemed to run through his veins. For the umpteenth time Quirinius shook off the fear of his impending death. It was time to get the stone. Both he and his master would prevail.

-NLALNL-

'Did you hear?' Tizia asked the first years the next morning at breakfast. 'Ron Weasley was caught in the forbidden corridor after curfew last night. He lost Gryffindor fifty points and will start next year with detention for two weeks.' The first year Ravenclaws turned to look at the Gryffindor hour glass. There was a visible loss of points there, putting the house of lions in the last place for the house cup this year. At the Gryffindor table nearly everyone was glaring at Ron who was lectured by his brother Percy while the twins looks promised Ron to be their pranking victim for quite some time.

'As if he hasn't enough problems already.' Terry huffed. Nathan looked at the staff table where MacGonagall was watching the youngest Weasley with disapproval.

'Quirrell isn't there.'

'Nor is Dumbledore.'

-NLALNL-

The Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher was still missing at the start of the leaving feast the evening later. Due to the prank war between Gryffindor and Slytherin as well as the massive point loss for the lions the two days before Hufflepuff had won the House Cup for the first time in ten years. Professor Sprout was beaming all through the feast with pride at her badgers. She still hadn't lost the wide smile when the exam result were handed out the next morning at breakfast. The triplets had done well as had the rest of their group. Their parents would be happy.

While the Hogwarts Express headed towards London a man was sitting in front of a mirror entranced. He could see himself handing the stone towards his master, helping him to gain a new body. But how to get the stone out of that accursed mirror?