Narrator's POV

A day before the last of the school year, Harry and his friends finished all their classes for the day and couldn't help but notice Quirrell acting weirdly and Dumbledore had been suddenly called to the Ministry.

***

Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, and Dean Thomas made there way into the path they believed protected the Philosopher's Stone that they thought Snape was going to steal.

After Seamus stayed behind in the Wizard Chess game, Dean figured out which potion was the right one, Ron found himself in a room with Qurriell and the Mirror of Erised.

He looked in the mirror and saw the Stone in his pocket and Qurriell attacked, but Ron's touch destroyed him.

***

Lord Voldemort wondered what had gone wrong as his phantom-like self wandered through the Forbidden Forest to find a body to inhabit.

How had that Gryffindor idiot manage to get past all the chambers and find the Stone?

As he contemplated what happened to make his plan fail, his mind wandered back to his beautiful soulmate.

His mind flashed images of Harry: the first time they met in the dreamscape; their first conversation in the dreamscape; their first time meeting in real life while he'd been possessing Qurriell at Diagon Alley that day; Harry's laugh at the Yule Ball.

He thought of those stunning Killing Curse green eyes, black hair, and feminine figure that was his Harry.

Tom thought of that strive to learn and passion to win that was his darling.

"No," Tom thought to himself, "I need to figure out what went wrong, I will talk to Harry later once I find a snake or bird or something to inhabit."

***

The next night Great Hall was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row.

A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.

When Harry walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once.

He slipped into a seat between Draco and Neville at the Slytherin Table and tried to ignore the other house's glaring at them.

Dumbledore arrived moments later and the babble died away.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were and you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts. Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with two hundred and seventy points; in third, Hufflepuff, with five hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has six hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, seven hundred and seventy-two."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin." Dumbledore said "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still, and the Slytherins' smiles faded a little.

"Ahem," Dumbledore said "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes, first to Mr. Seamus Finnegan for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house a hundred and fifty points."

Seamus' face turned as red as his robes.

"Second to Mr. Dean Thomas for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house a hundred and fifty points."

Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves: they were three hundred points up.

"Third to Mr. Ronald Weasley," Dumbledore said, "for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house two hundred points points."

Those who could add up knew that Gryffindor now had seven hundred and seventy points —just two less than Slytherin.

Dumbledore raised his hand and the room fell silent.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Miss Lavender Brown."

The Gryffindors erupted in cheers, they had beat Slytherin by eight points.

"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."

He clapped his hands and in a instant, the green banners became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place.

Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile.

The Slytherins glared at Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Weasley and his gang.

The Slytherins scowled: the Gryffindors only won because Dumbledore didn't want his precious Boy-Who-Lived to lose.

Well, there was always next year...