Eccentric Wizard Chapter 17: Headmaster

Beta read.

Already started working on Snafu, won't be done today but either tomorrow or on Wednesday.

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-7th trial-

I finally arrived in the last room in this entire labyrinth. The final destination of the one who cannot be named for his desire to return to life and with Professor Quirrell acting as his vessel.

The moment I entered the place, I was met with a quiet atmosphere with barely any light or noise. Nothing to see around me but columns and blank walls all around me with a few torches that lit up when my feet touched the floor. I looked around me, careful to not move, and accidentally triggered another trap that I wasn't aware of from the movies. My wand held firmly in my hand, I moved cautiously to the center of the room.

"..."

There, I came to face a large piece of cloth covering an object with the obvious frame of a mirror. I stared at it, for some reason feeling like I had forgotten something this entire time. A nagging sensation at the back of my head of which I couldn't discern, almost as if I had missed something. Not wanting to get caught off guard or possibly die by some curse or creature hidden in the room. From what I remembered, Quirrell got her first in the movie before Harry, so who knows what he could have disposed of outside the scene.

I grabbed a random item in my pockets, a single piece of candy, and threw it forward. The sugary treat bounced off the covered mirror before falling to the ground without anything happening to it.

"Right, here goes nothing…" I grabbed the cloth and slowly removed it to showcase a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top; Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. Having absolutely zero ideas what that meant aside, Erised, being the name of the mirror. This thing… was somehow holding the philosopher's stone inside it and the only way of getting it was due to his lack of greed for the item. "Wonder if I'll get it then…"

Would my desire to acquire the stone in order to further safeguard it from Voldemort count as greedy? Given, this decision to go through all of these different trials with Draco, all of this to take matters into my own hand and not trust the future with the changes my existence brought and the other difference in this reality. It was wholly possible that I was overthinking all of this and Quirrell wouldn't have gotten the stone thus dying in Harry's hands.

But what guaranteed that event to happen? Nothing but my spotty memories from a movie about a book. Forgetting that this was real life and even the slightest change could completely change the course of history or if Harry were to get unlucky then the stone would belong to Voldemort… and the last thing I wanted was for the guy to come back. I heard enough stories from Lucius and have seen what kind of person Bellatrix Lestrange was. And to imagine an entire group of people like her gathered around a table to possibly plan another world domination plan was a huge nope in my book.

It was certain that Draco and I would get involved one way or another. If such a change were to occur, then I would be blind to any and all outcomes — which was less than ideal. One thing was for sure, a war would erupt between the factions, and nothing but death and destruction for anyone involved. I grew confident in my abilities as a wizard, but that did not make me safe in the least, there were hundreds and thousands of people who could crush the current me like a bug.

Was I truly willing to let this entire future be avoided by the actions of an eleven-year-old boy? Of course, not. 'Harry is a nice kid, but I wouldn't trust him with my life and my family's just from the knowledge of a movie of all things.' Knowledge that could easily end up as a double-edged sword and hurt me in the end.

It was a complicated case for me, I couldn't be sure of the slightest thing without hundreds of 'what ifs' popping in every second. That was why I understood that in order to assure a peaceful life, I would need to take some action despite my reluctance, to get my hands dirty if needed and just hope for the best.

Not the best kind of plan, but better than just waiting in the background and hoping for the main character to play his role as intended.

"So, how do I like… get it?" I looked in the mirror, expecting some sort of hallucination to come or whatever to taunt me. Funny thing was, I didn't know what it would show me in the first place. Despite my origins, my current parents were alive and well, I lived in luxury in a world of magic and even had friends with Theodore, Blaize, Hermione, and the rest. If the mirror showed me a wonderful view of a mystical forest to symbolize my desire to travel and explore the world, then it wouldn't really count as greedy over something I couldn't have. I knew I was going to do it at one point in the future, there was no doubt about that.

Maybe my old family? Show me the faces of my father and brother from my past life by my side to tempt me over how I wouldn't ever see them again? Possibly, but I made peace with that and my death a long… long time ago.

I stood there, waiting to see what would happen. Seconds turned into minutes and I was more than confused by the absence of… anything going on in my reflection that didn't change once. Not anyone standing behind me or even a mountain of gold at the very least.

Still, nothing.

"What… how?" I was confused, even if I was not worthy of the stone, it should have at least showed me something. As I stood there, I knew that I held no desire or greed to use the stone for less than good reasons. So why… Why didn't it show anything? "Is it broken?" That was all I could ask, having no answer aside from the silence around me.

So I sat down, my legs crossed while my back rested against the column. My fingers tapped against my knee as I tried to come up with any possible scenario for this weird case. Perhaps I needed the main protagonist's halo on me for it to work? Possibly, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. But then again, this wasn't the movies and actually the real world where this concept didn't really hold up.

Like, the first time Harry faced the mirror, he saw his fami—

"His family…" At that moment, it clicked, every moment of the movie from the beginning to the end replayed in my mind in a split second. The troll, Halloween, Christmas, and the cloak! My eyes widened, as never before had I felt such an intense urge to slap myself so hard!

It was so obvious!

"Found something interesting, Jarius?"

"—!?" I felt as though my insides had turned to ice, goosebumps spreading across my body as I held my breath. I didn't look behind me, too afraid to face the man I mostly avoided this entire time. The soles of his shoes tapped against the floor before stopping near me.

"Strange how the last person I expected to see here was you, young man. A young child having gone through the trials my colleagues and I have put together with painstaking effort, hard work, and resources were defeated in a matter of minutes. Do you think that I'm losing my touch?" He said with a trace of mirth in his voice, the man wasn't furious by any means, talking calmly while I continued to sit there with my hands sweating as well as my head.

"Hagrid's pup, Fluffy, a furious beast to many but a harmless pug to the rest of us." Harmless pug? I almost laughed if it wasn't for the stress I was feeling.

"The Devil's Snare, a rather out-of-the-box thinking by Professor Sprout. I always admired her ingenuity and her talent for such plants. Professor Flitwick with his use of flying keys which I find to be the most entertaining one of the bunch." Yeah, like that was normal…"The Wizard Chess by Professor McGonagall, but that one wasn't fully calibrated yet, so it must have been an easy match for you."

"..."

"I am a bit disappointed by the barbaric nature of the Troll, always looked a bit too violent and cruel in my opinion. Then the potion trial by Professor Snape, I'm glad to see you've used the skills learned from Severus to clear that trial, that made my heart sing with joy indeed."

Of course, he somehow knew about that, and most likely saw Draco.

"Finally, here you are in the final room and faced with this particular trial."

"A fake trial acting as a diversion or trap." I said right after, realizing how I missed a crucial detail. In the movies, after the Halloween season came Christmas when he received an invisibility cloak as a gift which he used to sneak around and end up in a room where the mirror was located. That room certainly wasn't this one, and Christmas hadn't arrived yet — which meant that this mirror in front of me was nothing but a fake.

"A fake you say?" I looked at the man next to me, wearing the same clothes I saw not that long ago during dinner, and that iconic beard of his coming into view. It was none other than Albus Dumbledore. I must have walked straight past him, no, I made sure to check my surroundings… so he either arrived a few seconds ago or used magic to hide this entire time. The last point in itself was a bit jarring to think about and showed how I still had lots to learn.

"The mirror of Erised, from what I've read, is supposed to show whoever stands in front of it their deepest desire." I was a bit suspicious why he wasn't asking me what I was doing here and my motives. Maybe he was trying to read my mind, I really hoped not, I wasn't confident nor arrogant enough to believe the defense I'd built so far would withstand the likes of Albus. From how Lucius treated me this entire time, I don't believe he used legilimency on me any time in the past.

"I've been here for the last few minutes, yet see nothing but my reflection. This is not rocket science, the answer is quite clear to me." I said, waiting for the old man to speak further.

"You know, before you attended Hogwarts, I heard a lot about you and Draco Malfoy from the few conversations I've had with your father and mother." I wasn't surprised about that, it was obvious that either of my parents would have talked with him at one point or two. "Narcissa described both of you as geniuses and wizards with great potential with magic. It was quite clear to me and anyone else how highly she thought of both of you."

"She is our mother, after all, she would say such things. Very few wouldn't describe their children in such a manner."

He nodded, "True, true. I cannot argue with that. But did you know what your father said?"

'What did Lucius say?' That was a bit of a hard question to answer given how he tended to paint a different image of us to the outside world. Any kind of negative aspect would get hidden and changed so that we would fit the stereotypical picture of the ideal children in a family who believed highly in the idea of pure bloods.

"Probably how Draco and I would lead the Slytherin house to a new height while showing those from Muggle families or those from other backgrounds how we are superior to them in every aspect," I said dryly, knowing how that man was with such things.

Dumbledore, to my surprise, actually chuckled. "Hahahaha, you would think so, I did also share your expectation when he was in my office. Though that actually didn't happen, he looked me in the eyes before saying; Now it's your turn to deal with that boy, good luck."

"..." I was speechless, a bit stunned that Lucius of all people actually said 'good luck' to Dumbledore. Though the part before that I could understand, the state of my room and the things inside did nearly give him a heart attack on more than a few occasions. And the many times I accidentally broke his stuff whenever practicing my magic.

"You're not curious why I came here?" Not wanting to continue this pointless conversation, I asked him directly.

"To get the stone I presume." He stated, to which I nodded. "Would you entertain this old man and tell me why you would require something of such sort? And also how you came to uncover so much about its location."

With a wave of his hand, a chair appeared out of nowhere and he proceeded to sit.

"I just wanted to safeguard it. I heard the news lately, about what happened in Gringotts, and after a few investigations from different sources — I came to the conclusion that the stone wasn't safe here. The fact the troll which was supposed to be part of the trial yet somehow managed to escape just further proves my point." I wasn't lying, my desire to keep the item out of the hands of Voldemort did count as me wanting to protect it. "As for how I uncovered this place, it wasn't that hard to find out after a bit of investigation."

The headmaster sighed. "A lapse in our judgment, the fact that this creature almost harmed our students is unacceptable. And unfortunately, the troll managed to even injure one of the Professors, which is a major issue."

I knew nothing too bad would happen to Quirrell when facing the troll. He wouldn't have died as Snape was there to help him out along with the other Professors. I just wanted to gain more time with them focused on him and not the rooms.

This entire time, something was bugging me about these traps.

"Can I ask you a question, Headmaster?"

"You may."

"Are you really trying to protect the stone?" Now that I thought about it, the only real defense was Fluffy and nothing else. They could be regarded as dangerous for young children but rather trivial for experienced wizards and most certainly laughable to people like Quirrell. The troll that came after the chess match was dumb and could be skipped given there wasn't any key to acquire from me to open the next door. The chess match was more of a simple puzzle game than a defensive measure against powerful wizards and the potion part required basic knowledge and logic.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." He said, I didn't believe him for a second. The man was crafty and cunning, he had a certain motive in mind for sure.

"I don't consider myself as a genius, maybe hard-working and studious at best. And if a student like me could enter this place so easily, why can't some criminal who managed to get inside Gringotts of all places?" My brain was going through any possible answer and theory I could come up with. From the simplest one to the most outlandish of possibilities. "You are Albus Dumbledore, a man known for his talent in magic and strategic thinking during the previous wars — I refuse to believe you of all people couldn't see the flaws in these so-called traps."

The old man smiled, "You are far smarter than I expected, I believe I'm beginning to understand the words of your father." He gazed at the mirror, going silent for a few seconds while I continued to sit on the floor cross-legged. The man could've at least summoned a chair or a cushion for me…

"This matter is not as easy as you might expect it to be, Jarius. There are forces at work that need to be taken care of as soon as possible and there are people destined for great things that require trudging through a dangerous path to grow stronger. The trials were not a mistake, but rather a necessity, the stone is not in any danger that you suspect but is being used for a purpose."

My eyes widened as I understood his words. "A bait…" I whispered, once again reminded how frightening this man was and how deeply he was involved in all of this. "You intended for the stone to be found and never planned to hide it to begin with."

I snapped my head at him, no longer caring to keep secrets anymore, and said loudly, "You know about Quirrell!" It was a statement more than a question. If his webs of manipulation traveled so deeply, then only a fool would believe that this man didn't know about Quirrell's true identity.

"A very astute observation, Jarius. To answer your question, yes, I am aware of his desire to steal the stone for himself." He did not say anything about Voldemort, so he probably thought I had no clue about that part. "I believe you've talked to the Professor in the past privately."

"I did," there was no point in denying that, he would just think that I was lying if I tried. "I could already tell something was off with him, his entire persona looks so forced and intentional. Doesn't help that I saw him in the corridor outside given he clearly passed out in the middle of the grand hall." This explanation was better than saying that I knew about Quirrell from seeing a movie.

"Then you are aware why this entire trap was designed in the first place."

"Why don't you just… you know, apprehend him immediately? Not like people won't believe you, heck, the goblins will be quite happy that you caught the criminal who broke into their vaults." I asked curiously.

"Unfortunately, it is not that easy. There is a possibility for him to slip through our fingers with such a move. Not to mention, the chaos this would cause will affect the school as much as the students."

I nearly scoffed, right, the man was most likely afraid Voldemort would change host and wanted to ensure him to be defeated with Harry's touch. So maybe all of this easy to pass traps were not only designed for Quirrell, but Harry and his group as well. He wanted to have the man and the boy in a single room so that the latter would defeat his foe with some sort of face-melting magic. Or protection charm most likely, I read enough of Lucius's library to know that such sacrificial spells existed and it would explain how Harry survived as a baby. Most likely the same spell from his parent's sacrifice protected him and Dumbledore wanted for Voldemort to appear in front of the kid and for the latter to touch him.

This wasn't just a bait for Quirrell, but Harry as well.

I sighed, feeling exhaustion wash over my body as my headache grew stronger.

"So what now?"

Dumbledore gave me a look, one of his hands going to stroke his beard. "Are you willing to help us catch this man for his?"

"You're asking an eleven-year-old to help you get a criminal who could easily kill me?" My dry response only made the man chuckle again.

"Not the sort of you're expecting, I just want you to keep an eye on him and your fellow students and report any suspicious behavior that could put the student's life in danger. And if possible, I want you to take the role of their protector." So he wanted me to become Harry Potter's bodyguard and keep the boy safe enough until he made it through the traps and basically do the exact same thing as in the movies?

This whole scenario was truly nothing but a giant chessboard and he wanted to use me as a pawn to keep the Queen, Harry, safe while the King watched from the shadows.

Like hell I would accept to become someone else's pawn. I was my own person and wouldn't be used as a stepping stone for someone else. But, saying no now would only bring me more trouble, and this man wouldn't let me go so easily. So… why not just pretend for now?

"If this means that I can keep my friends and brother safe and keep them out of trouble, then I'll gladly help you." Was that believable enough? I would keep an eye on Quirrell, that was always my intention, but I would have my own plans for him.

"You are a brave boy, Jarius. Many will be grateful to realize they always had a guardian angel watching their backs." He got up from his chair, walked in front of the mirror, and grabbed the candy I threw earlier. "You want this back?"

"... You can have it."

My eyes twitched when the old man unwrapped the candy and ate it. His face lit up like that of a child as he gave me an approving look while nodding.

"Lemon heads, you have excellent taste, young man."

That was probably a month old with how rarely I emptied my pockets. If he had some sort of stomach ache then good, the man deserved it.

"I believe you have classes tomorrow morning, it would be better for you to return to your dorm and get some much-needed rest. The exit door is right there." He pointed to a wall where out of nowhere a door frame appeared. "It will lead you near the dungeons near the Slytherin dorm."

"Am I not in trouble?"

"Though your intentions were pure, you still broke the rules. For that, minus fifty points for Slytherin." Ouch, even I felt that. "But, for how you managed to pass through the trials proved your capabilities as a wizard. You've impressed me more than I expected from you, so five points are given with each trial you've passed."

"Oh, so my house only loses twenty in the end… guess it isn't that bad."

"No child, I mean all trial, so your house only loses fifteen points." He said with a smile on his face and with twinkling eyes.

"Eh? But this trial was…" I stopped talking, even if this trial was fake I still got five points for free so denying it would be stupid. So I kept my lips shut afterward and quickly left the room — leaving Dumbledore alone in the room.

The door closed behind me with a large noise, I walked through a dark corridor of some kind before I appeared in a familiar place with the Slytherin dorm room portrait right next to me.

"Well… today sure was an interesting night."

{Break}

Dumbledore watched Jarius leave the room.

He was far more interesting than he had expected. Possessing a level of intelligence and analytical mind expected from a Slytherin. He got word from Hagrid saying how the boy could see a Thestral, which was both worrying and saddening in the headmaster's opinion.

Ever since he heard this piece of news from the groundskeeper, he made sure to keep an eye on the boy and sure proved himself to be someone with great potential. Even Severus praised Jarius in his own way without realizing it, commenting how the boy was a stubborn piece of work who would waste his time with trivial questions and guidance for potion making. Dumbledore could see that despite saying that, Snape enjoyed having to teach the boy.

"Lucius indeed did not lie about Jarius." He said while turning his attention to the mirror.

Where he saw not just himself, but an entire group of people surrounding him. Familiar faces of friends, and families who had passed away long ago. His attention focused specifically on a small blonde girl sitting on the chair near him. Smiling with so much joy and happiness that it made him smile as well. Yet seeing her, a large wave of sadness and regret spread inside his heart, having a single tear streamed down his face which was quickly wiped away.

"The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is…" he whispered to himself remembering when the young boy described what he saw in the mirror. Yet this same boy could perceive creatures linked to death. Something only possible if he himself came close to it in the first place.

"How interesting indeed."

Perhaps, he could spare a few more minutes.

For the next hour, Dumbledore remained in the room, watching his reflection surrounded by the people he loved. People he knew would never come back, yet their smiles made the loneliness inside him more bearable. With a sigh, he gazed at his pocket watch, before waving his hand and making both the chair and now covered mirror disappear — transporting them to another room.

The torches all died down the moment everyone left.