Pinkie Pie goes to Hogwarts

by WoomyWobble

Chapter 19: A Quarrel with Quirrel

Unicorn blood was losing it’s potency. It had to be tonight. Tomorrow he would be to weak. Slowly he crawled his way through the muck. The forbidden forest had lost it’s charm a long time ago.

One more unicorn then. Just one more. After that he would win and have it all, or he would be dead.

“I’m growing impatient with your whimpering, Quirrel.”

“...Yes master. We will have the stone tonight.”

xxx

Millicent was rampaging through the school like an angry bear. Scowling at anything and everything that came too close. Sometimes she kicked a random unsuspecting inanimate object.

Even the upper years learned to stay well enough away.

The replies she got from her letters weren't exactly heart warming. Some of them used flowery words, but what the messages boiled down to was, she was behaving like a spoiled brat, and she should really grow up.

Millicent's only real comfort was that, Owlicious gave them a good pecking.

Her sister's message was the most confusing. Millicent never asked her to get married. So why would she say she did it for her? It just wasn't fair!

“Graah!” Millicent kicked a suit of armour.

xxx

This required the big guns. At least three stories with different flavours each.

Pinkie was stumped. All regular cheering up techniques didn't have much effect. Millicent stayed grumpy.

It was understandable... It must feel like she was losing a loved one, and even worse, that she was powerless to stop it.

But it didn't excuse snapping at your friends.

Luckily, her friends understood. And because they understood, they collectively decided to do something about it.

They couldn't stop the marriage, that wasn't up to them, but they could give Millicent something to take her mind of things.

That was what this gathering was gonna be all about. It would have all of Milly's favourite stuff.

They were organizing when Blaise had gotten a good idea. They knew that she needed to vent. That's just how Millicent worked. So Blaise filled a bag with a bunch of hay that he got from Hagrid, and doodled Draco's face on it.

If nothing else, they knew Millicent would find it funny.

xxx

His disillusionment charm was second to none. Probably because he was so easily overlooked. Not after tonight though. After tonight, people will learn to fear the name Quirrines Quirrel.

He had found his way inside, that half-giant, half halfwit, was good for something at least. Slowly, and above all quietly, he made his way to the third floor. The Cerberus would be the first challenge, but he had now idea about what would follow.

Dumbledore wouldn’t be foolish enough to just let an artefact like the Philosopher’s stone be easily taken...

xxx

They had to find a way to lure Millicent into the music room. It was right after dinner, so she was probably somewhere quiet.

Daphne found her near the black lake, throwing pebbles.

“Good evening, Millicent. Would you like to play some music with me?”

Already slightly irate, and confused why Daphne of all people would ask such a thing, Millicent threw another pebble and sighed. “No thanks Daphne, I'm not in the mood.”

‘Well bugger.’ Daphne thought. ‘That’s that plan out the window.’

“You know...” She said as she sat down next to Millicent. “I’ve always...rather admired you.”

Millicent raised a sceptical eyebrow. She remembered the taunts when they were younger. The snide comments about her weight. The loneliness.

“Okay, maybe admired is too strong a word. I respected how difficult you made teasing you.”

“Great pep-talk.” Millicent threw another pebble in the lake.

Not her best work, Daphne had to admit. She threw a pebble as well.

This whole friendship thing was proving more difficult then previously anticipated. Especially now that she genuinely wanted to help Millicent. Sadly her pureblood educated mind drew a complete blank. She decided to just...talk

“Look.” She said. “These past few month with you and Pinkie were the best of my life.” Surprise filled her when Daphne realized the truth of those words.

Millicent couldn't suppress a cheeky grin despite her sullen mood.

“Yes, yes, pathetic I know.” Daphne said, trying to wave Millicent's grin away. ”So the least I could do, is try to get you out of this... funk.”

Intrigue filled Millicent's face. This must be unfamiliar ground for Daphne. She was curious where she would go with it.

Daphne continued undisturbed. “Now, me and the rest of our... misfit group, have arranged a 'surprise' party for you. Since I've obviously failed into luring you to the music room, would you be a dear and come with me anyway?”

Resigned, Millicent stood up.

“Do try to act surprised.” Daphne pleaded. “Who knows what Pinkie would do, if she knew that I told you.”

xxx

Millicent was greeted with a wall of noise and confetti.

“Surprise!” Pinkie shouted. “We've organized a party because we wanted to make you feel better.”

Marvelling at the decorations was unavoidable. There was just so much! Millicent was gawking at the shear amount of confetti that came falling from the ceiling. The amount of effort to do all this must've been staggering.

There was a big multi-storied cake sitting on the floor in the middle. It had four seats surrounding it, three of which had a musical instrument. The drum set was obviously meant to be Millicent's seat.

Idly, Millicent hit a cymbal when she noticed the punching bag. Although she was still feeling down, the sight of it made her smile regardless, and thankful for her friends.

She gave the bag an experimental hit. The bag bounced against the wall so Millicent could punch it again making the bag go faster and faster.

It was a pleasant zen-like experience, emptying her mind for a while.

“Wow Blaise, I guess your punching bag is a big hit!” Pinkie quipped with grin.

Blaise groaned and put his hand to his face. “That was terrible, Pinkie.”

Pinkie giggled.

Daphne meanwhile, was eyeing the towering cake hungrily. “Guys?” She pointed at the cake. “Shall we?”

Feeling no objections coming up, Millicent was eager herself for some of that cake.

Still… As Pinkie and Daphne were goofing around, trying to cheer her up, reality set in once more. With a deep sigh, Millicent wished there was just something she could do! But there just wasn’t.

She took a big bite out of her cake with a scowl… Stupid tasty cake.

Blaise looked at her with pity, which Millicent hated.

“What ’re you lookin’ at?”

“Someone miserable, I think.” He scooted his chair over and gave her a side hug. Daphne and Pinkie joined up as well.

“Wanna wreck some drums and get it out of your system?” Pinkie said. “Daphne and I have written a song!”

Millicent was a little mulish but acquiesced. She sat herself down behind the drums and the other girls took their designated seats as well. Pinkie used a glockenspiel, and Daphne had a guitar to play around with.

When she looked at Blaise however, he didn’t seem to have anything. “I’m just here to be a groupie and moral support.”

Two drum-sticks smacked together in a lackadaisical beat and then they started.

“Get up sit down-”

They burst into giggles. The beat didn’t match up, they completely mistimed their intro.

“Okay, let’s try that again!” Millicent started a fast, hard hitting solo. She just kept at it in an incredible tempo to really work up a sweat.

Pinkie and Daphne just let her do her thing.

After a while, Millicent slowed it down... down... down... until she came to a stop.

Daphne started plucking her guitar to show Millicent the rhythm they were going for.

Then Pinkie and Milly joined back in, and Daphne and Pinkie started singing.

Get up, sit down, move around like a king without a crown.
Losing your cool with some chums, doing long nights in the school.

No happy ending is near, so it's time to face the fear.
It's time to move, move along and make music on our own.

Ah – ah – ah - aah- ah
All on our own
Ah – ah – ah - aah- ah

Blaise started to clap along with a smile on his face. They were really good!

She's a simple hothead, with some issues she's been bred.
You wish the choice that was made is connected with some thread.

But what is done and is not is a very different game.
You have to sit down and try to stay sane and leave the blame.

Let's put this marriage to a tune.
To cheer you up is our aim.
Will you please accept this boon?

Ah – ah – ah - aah- ah
accept this boon.
Ah – ah – ah - aah- ah
Come sing along.
Ah – ah – ah - aah- ah

As Millicent was drumming, she realized that the song was really about her and her sister stuff. It was heart warming.

It's time to sing, sing along, time to make another song.
Bet you'd rather have your sister to come right every wrong.

Now we're left here with chords and piano on our own.
You have to sit down, don't cook your brain and go insane.

Let's put this marriage to a tune.
To cheer you up is our aim.
Will you please accept this boo-oo-oo-oon?

After that riveting buildup, Pinkie started on her patter solo.

It is really quite sad, that it hit you this bad.
I wish fate was more nice, not demanded such a price.
Would it be cool. If I feel sorry for you?
The earth turns around and round, to you it isn't bound.

You need a moment of insight.

And I hope this is it. We are tightly knit.
You're part of this skit. I know you have the grit.

Let's put this marriage to a tune.
To cheer you up is my aim.
Will you please accept this boon?

The song ended. Millicent sat staring at the cake with tears in her eyes.

“I'm sorry, you guys. I know I've been ...bitchy.”

That was the cue they needed for another group hug.

“I really love you guys a lot.”

“It's okay Milly.” Pinkie said. “We love you a lot too.”

Meanwhile Blaise was still sitting there, a bit stunned about what just happened.

xxx

It was late and Harry couldn’t sleep. He knew that the school year was coming to an end and that meant going back to the Dursleys. The prospect had hem feeling bleak.

This past year had Hogwarts has been absolutely amazing and he didn’t want it to end.

It was easy to forget his home-life when returning to hit seemed so far away. Now… Well, it wasn’t so distant.
Aimlessly he wandered the halls underneath his invisibility cloak, trying to find solutions to his problem.

Maybe he could stay at Hogwarts if he asked the headmaster. Or maybe he could stay with Hermione or Ron, although he didn’t want to be a burden.

Silently he trudged his way into an abandoned classroom, hoping to find a nice view of the grounds and maybe some peace of mind in one way or another...

xxx

‘Where is it?!’

The sun at long set over Hogwarts’ many spires.

‘Did he keep it in his office?’ His contact at Gringotts had been adamant that the stone hadn’t been returned to them.

Getting up into the office would be difficult. He couldn’t use the stairwell because of the gargoyle blocking the way. He could destroy it but that would be noisy.

No, better to find a way around. The outside window would be best. He could fly out using the to-

Someone moved passed him! Someone else was sneaking about invisible.

Perhaps he wasn’t the only one looking for the stone? Quirrel cast a spell to keep track of this invisible interloper, only for the spell to glance off.

At first it was a minor curiosity, but now it was interesting.

He cast another spell, on himself this time, to enhance his senses and set to follow this mysterious stranger.

It was easy, though he could tell that the person he was following was very good at sneaking. He was using a silencing spell on himself. It did nothing for his sense of smell however.

Very young and male.

Interesting.

Quirrel followed him in to an abandoned classroom.

xxx

Harry removed his cloak and stood in front of the window. The view outside was stunning, as it always was. The moon was very bright this night, making the black lake shimmer.

“Well, well, well, mister Potter... This must be divine providence.”

Turning around, Harry came face to face with professor Quirrel. Although he looked considerably worse for wear. He appeared to be... pealing for lack of a better word.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked instantly on guard. His old defense teacher did not inspire confidence in his current state.

Quirrel flicked his wrist and with a silent disarming spell removed Harry's wand from his person.

Momentarily stunned by the professor's quick movement, more because he always thought Quirrel was a bit of a dunce then anything else, Harry demanded his wand back.

“No, no, no, I think not mister Potter.” He said inching closer with his wand trained on Harry. “We're going to have ourselves a little chin-wag.”

He stood creepily close to Harry now.

“How was it done?”

“What?”

“Don't play games! You know what!”

Harry had no idea what the man was on about. He figured he might as well start talking to give himself time to think.

“So, there I was on my broom, when I saw the snitch right? And then the-”

“Crucio!”

It was a strange sense of slow-motion that caused him to dodge the spell that emerged from Quirrel's wand. Harry flew behind a desk. The spell missed Harry by inches and caused a nearby cabinet to explode.

Quirrel laughed. “Well done Harry, I knew there was more to you.”

His smile immediately disappeared “Imperio!”

Before the spell could reach Harry, he flipped the small desk he was hiding behind and used it as a makeshift shield.

The spell was less violent then the previous one, but it still caused the desk to shatter in a thousand pieces, showering Harry in debris.

Whatever it was that Quirrel wanted, Harry wasn't much inclined to give it him after that.

“Do you see now Harry? The extent of your weakness in front of me?”

With a flick of his wand Quirrel cleared the room. There was nothing standing between them now.

“So... Harry. How did yo-”

“Let me speak to the boy...” A raspy voice echoed through the room.

That was when things got weird. Quirrel removed his turban and turned around only for the back of his head to start speaking.

Harry couldn't keep his fascinated horror from his face.

“Yes Harry, do you see what I've become?”

“It's like staring at a particularly talkative boil.”

“Such insolence...”

“You asked.”

The head smiled indulgently “Yes... bravery. Your parents were brave as well, but they died all the same.”

Harry swallowed loudly and gritted his teeth.

“All those years ago. The greatest wizard of all time attacked the house of your progenitors, to remove the last resistance to his rule.”

With awkward, backward steps forward, Quirrel closed in on Harry.

“He was stopped and his body was destroyed. So what was it about you that caused it?”

The face on the back of Quirrel's head studied Harry intently.

“Hmm no, I don't think there is anything special about you at all...”

Realization dawned on the face. “Ah... It was your mother. She tricked me using herself as a sacrifice. Something I should have foreseen...”

“Kill the boy. He knows nothing of use.”

Professor Quirrel spun around and pointed his wand right between Harry's eyes.

“Avada ka-”

“Surprise!”

xxx

It was late and Pinkie was sneaking back to the Slytherin common room. The party lasted for a while yet after the song, but even then they couldn't finish all that cake.

Maybe three stories was a bit much.

Pinkie had shooed the three other Slytherins ahead. She had planned to retrieve some of her party paraphernalia and then place the cake in the common room.

No doubt that cake would be gone before breakfast, the following morning.

As she was sidling along the wall, cake in hand, like a cool ninja warrior. She heard raised voices, and really quite a clamor.

'Oh,' she thought. 'Maybe there's another party? I'm sure they would like some cake as well.'

Giggling at the fun she was about to create, she kicked down the door.

“Surprise!”

Startled out of his mind, Quirrel threw his wand in the air mid-cast. A green flash of light fizzled it's way towards Pinkie.

She dodged the spell on instinct with a yelp, but couldn't keep the cake from tumbling through the air.

It landed right on top of Quirrel.

Almost immediately, smoke started rising up from his body and sizzling noises could be heard.

Quirrel started screaming. It was a frightening sound with two different voices.

“I'm sorry professor! I didn't-”

Harry meanwhile, wasn't very sorry at all. Instead he was really quite livid and took this opportunity to run up to Quirrel and punch him.

He expected to feel resistance when he connected, but instead his hand went right through. As if the man was made out of sand.

Quirrel collapsed and Pinkie screamed as the man's body disintegrated.

“No! Bad cake. Bad cake!”

Harry was about to say something reassuring when a black foulness emerged from Quirrels corpse, flew right through Harry, and right out the window.

He lost consciousness before he hit the ground.

Pinkie grabbed him and tried to look for vital signs, even though she had no idea what she was doing.

“Medic!” She shouted. “MEDIC!”

She could be heard all the way down in Hogsmeade.

xxx

Harry awoke in the hospital wing. He was feeling incredibly drained and had half a mind to just turn around and go right back to sleep.

If only the hospital wing wasn't so busy.

Now, Harry knew that madam Pomfrey ran a tight ship. So what was all this racket?

Groggily, he tried to find his glasses when a pair of big calloused hands placed them on his head.

Hagrid was smiling at him. “Hello Harry! It is good to see you in one piece!”

Harry was a bit startled at Hagrid's volume. His head was aching and didn't much appreciate it. “Why are you shouting?”

“What?!” Hagrid shouted.

Upon closer inspection, Harry couldn't help but notice that Hagrid's ears were bleeding. Harry gestured to his ears.

“Oh right! Apparently there was some sort of magical mishap! Dumbledore said I should be here in case you woke up!”

A bored looking healer made his way towards Hagrid and put two ear drops in his ears.

“Ah, thank you. That's much better.” Hagrid said in a much more sensible volume.

Harry followed the healer with his eyes to notice a long line of students who also had bleeding ears.

Extra healers were imported from St Mungo's, Hagrid explained, to deal with the workload.

As Hagrid was about to ask how Harry was feeling, Dumbledore entered the hospital wing. Initially to talk with madam Pomfrey but when he noticed that Harry was awake he made his way to him.

“Ah Harry, it is good to see you back among the living.”

Hagrid stood up from his seat. “I better make sure all the critters are alright.”

“Thank you, Hagrid.” Dumbledore said.

“Bye Hagrid.” Harry waved him off.

Hagrid left the hospital wing with a wave of his own.

“So, another nighttime wandering?” Dumbledore said as he sat down with a gentle air. “Should we add insomnia to your list of symptoms?”

“No sir, I was just... exploring again I guess.”

“Indeed? Any particular reason?”

This was the moment. He could ask Dumbledore if he could stay here for the summer. He would want to know why of course.

Suddenly Harry's throat closed up.

“...No particular reason sir.”

Seconds ticked by as Dumbledore looked at Harry sadly. It appeared he was about to say something but then changed his mind.

“Pinkie told me you've had a run in with mister Quirrel?”

Harry explained what happened from his point of view.

“And you are absolutely certain that he started smoking before you ah,'popped him one?'”

“Yes, I really didn't do much. If Pinkie hadn't come in when she did, I would've been dead for sure.”

Dumbledore shook his head and stroked his beard some more. “I wouldn't sell yourself short Harry. Few have been in that situation and lived...Still this is interesting... Does she love baking that much?...”

“Professor?”

“Sorry, I was lost in thought there for a second.”

Dumbledore explained what he believed caused Quirrel to disintegrate like that when Harry punched him. That it was love that Quirrel couldn't bare, that resided in Harry's very skin.

After a moment of silence as Harry mulled things over, he suddenly shot out of the bed. “Wait, what about Pinkie?! How is she doing?”

With a bit of a resigned grumble, Dumbledore moved the curtain from the bed beside Harry's.

“Harry!” Pinkie exclaimed. “You're not dead!” She flopped over the bed and tried to poke his cheek while giggling.

Harry tried to bare the assault with all the dignity he could muster. “Uhm, what's wrong with her?”

Pinching the bridge above his nose, Dumbledore was starting to wish this night would just end. “I believe the youth today calls it 'being as high as a kite.'”

Pinkie giggled. “They gave me more tadpole juice!”

“It seems we still haven't found a calming draught that works as intended on miss Pie.”

Gently, Dumbledore tried to coax Pinkie back towards her own bed. When her head hit the pillow she started making theatrically loud snoring noises. The place became a lot quieter when he closed the curtains.

“Will she be alright?”

“Oh yes, just some mild embarrassment later on I would wager.”

Surprising himself with the action, Dumbledore tucked Harry back into his hospital bed as well.

“Try to sleep Harry. Everything is going to be okay, and you are still looking a little peaky.”

“...Okay.”

Gratitude filled Harry as he slowly closed his eyes. He was feeling pretty tired. Dumbledore closed the curtains and the general sound of the outside world faded away.

Harry slept for two days straight.

Author's Note:

Comments

[Venerable Ro]

Poor Vol-au-vent, he cannot enjoy the cake

[Fetch]

Yes Dumbledore, Pinkie DOES love baking that much.

[Da Fennec]

10924981 Was the cake a cake or was it the equivalent of PURE love

[Greenhorn]

Meanwhile Blaise was still sitting there, a bit stunned about what just happened.

Pinkie happened. I wonder how long this phase is going to be a custom in Hogwarts.

[notme]

"the secret ingredient ... is love"

[DovahkiinMaster]

Ah, one of my favorite tropes surrounding the Pinkster: loving baking so much that her desserts become infused with love.

[Clopian26]

Pinching the bridge above his nose, Dumbledore was starting to wish this night would just end. “I believe the youth today calls it 'being as high as a kite.'”

https://youtu.be/_n5E7feJHw0

[Snowdrifter]

Harry slept for two days strait.

I think you mean straight.