The Book Of Jude

Chapter Twelve: Eye of the Beholder

`It´s bitter

Tastes a lot like winter

And will it release me

So heavy

How much more to bring down the levy

And kill me´

Sister Hazel, Fortress

"Imperio!" His lips twisted into a cruel smile.

Hands falling limply at her side, a blank expression replaced the total shock that had only moments before marked the features of Jude´s face. She stood rooted to the spot, eyes on Quirrell and lazily blinking, awaiting his command.

"We can use her." She heard the soft hiss from the back of Quirrell´s head. "We must strike now," the voice spat impatiently. Quirrell quickly replaced the turban and resumed his familiar, twitchy expression.

"We are going to the Third Floor Corridor. Do not speak to anyone along the way," Quirrell demanded in a self-important tone. Jude blinked once and slowly nodded her head in compliance, then turned to follow him out the door and into the hallway.

The corridors were empty--it was well into the night by this time. Moonlight glittered down onto the cold, flagstone floors from the high windows. As they walked stealthily through the sleeping school to the third floor, they met with no one--not even Peeves. Jude´s eyes darted around the dark passages, seeking someone, anyone, out. She wasn´t confident that she could handle this on her own, but she would try if she had to.

Just a few short moments ago in the staff room, Jude was sure that Quirrell would try to kill her. She was too shocked to be prepared for the encounter and was not quick enough to block the curse thrown at her--which, to her surprise, had not been the Killing Curse, or even a Stunning Charm, that she would have expected. No, Quirrell decided to use the Imperius Curse instead, no doubt under his Master´s influence. But his Master, Voldemort, would surely know whom He was dealing with. Why would He have used the Imperius Curse on His former student, knowing that it would be ineffective--she´d taught herself how to ward off their effects almost immediately after joining His legion. The only explanation she could come up with is that Voldemort did not know it was her--after all, He´d only had a short glance at her through a slight opening in a door.

None of that mattered now, however. She had decided to pretend that the curse had been effective--it was not hard to mimic, as she´d seen many people act under its effects. The only way she saw out of this mess was to play along, gaining entrance to the Stone along with Quirrell, and keep the Stone safe from Voldemort--or die trying.

She stood before the locked door on the third floor. Trying to maintain her blank expression while tension was building up inside her was maddening. She watched complacently as Quirrell stopped by a tapestry and retrieved something--a harp. Jude tried not to let the confusion show on her face as he bent over the object and muttered a few words. The harp began to play without the aid of human hands.

"When that monster hears the music, he will fall fast asleep," Quirrell explained to a seemingly disinterested Jude. "When it is out cold, we´ll go through the trap door. Under that door is Professor Sprout´s enchantment--a plant," he said dispassionately, as if he was disappointed in the caliber of magic involved in this defense. "It is Devil´s Snare. When you land, you have to get away from it as quickly as possible. You will go through the trap door first and wait for me on the other side of the pathetic little shrub. Got that?" Jude nodded, fighting the indignant remarks that strained to get out. He was speaking to her like a daft three year old.

He opened the door and vicious snarls and growls times three spilled out into the quiet hall. However, the noise died as the music calmed the beast, eventually lulling it to sleep. Jude crossed the room and pulled the large, brass ring that was the handle to the trap door. It was heavy and took every ounce of strength Jude could muster to lift it six inches. She strained against the wood, finally raising it enough to pass through. She let the door fall back on one of the immense paws of the sleeping dog.

Darkness surrounded her as she fell into a cavern, far beneath the school. Jude scrambled for the side of the room as soon as she felt herself land on a squashy mass of what felt like tentacles. Looking up, she saw that the trapdoor had now become a square of light no bigger than a postage stamp. When the light disappeared, Jude knew that Quirrell had finally jumped--proved undeniably true in a few short seconds when she heard the thud of someone landing in the midst of the squirmy plant, then scream like a frightened little girl as they ran for the side. She allowed herself a small smirk in the darkness.

"Come!" She heard Quirrell´s voice in the darkness at her side command her to follow him into a narrow corridor. There was a light at the end, she could see, and a strange noise that she couldn´t quite identify. It sounded like hoards of insects beating their wings. As they walked through a door, she realized she was right--sort of. The noise was coming from hundreds of pairs of wings. However, they were not attached to insects, but dozens of shiny keys!

She looked over at the door--locked, she assumed. This must be Professor Flitwick´s enchantment, Jude thought as she looked up into the scores of flying keys. The one they were to capture, she supposed, would be different from the others. She walked over to the door and examined the lock. The key would have to be a large, silver one. She looked up again and saw the key she was looking for gliding lazily between several smaller, golden keys. She noticed some broomsticks in another corner--so that was how one was supposed to go about catching it. There must be a catch, however--Flitwick would never make it that easy.

Jude hadn´t noticed that she was being watched the entire time by Quirrell. As she walked around admiring Professor Flitwick´s handiwork, he´d been allowing her to figure out the enchantment for him.

"Find a way through that door," he commanded Jude. So, he didn´t know how to get past this one. She simply turned and stared at him.

"I don´t fly," she replied in a dull, hollow voice. The expression on her face had not altered from the mask of disassociated blankness. "Now!" He lifted his wand and pointed it at her. He would find a way through with or without her, she understood. There may still be a chance that she could stop him from getting the Stone, but she would never find out if he killed her right here. She narrowed her eyes at the professor.

"Accio silver key!" she demanded, holding her left hand up to where the key was floating aimlessly around the room. It zoomed into her hand with lightning speed. She closed her hand around it, feeling a crunch. She turned and walked to the door, slipped the key into the keyhole and turned it, hearing a satisfying click. The door swung open. She released the key back into the air, noting that she´d accidentally crushed one of its wings. Quirrell stood amazed. Well, if she had to find a way through, she might as well show off.

Quirrell brushed past her and into the room through the door she´d just unlocked. Jude followed him into the dark room. Suddenly, however, the darkness was chased away by a flood of light, revealing a large, life-size chessboard. She ran through the list of those who´d created defenses for the Stone, trying to guess each of the teacher´s contributions. This one must be Professor McGonagall´s, Jude reasoned.

Quirrell stepped onto the polished board and walked across to the row of opposing pawns. Each pawn fiercely drew their swords and barred the way for the intruder. The Deputy Headmistress had Transfigured the chessmen to be alive. Quirrell turned to face Jude. "Do you play chess?"

She said nothing. The truth was that she was an excellent chess player. Dumbledore had taught her when she´d first come to Hogwarts, and, although she was fair competition for the Headmaster, she´d never beaten him.

"Find a way across!" Quirrell raised his wand at Jude and barked the order. She fought the urge to roll her eyes and shake her head. His behavior was becoming tiresome and repetitive. She stepped onto the gleaming surface of the board.

She paused a moment and looked around. She didn´t feel much like taking a chance against McGonagall´s live chessmen. There had to be another way, there always was. A simple solution would present itself if she just thought about the problem hard enough. McGonagall turned the stone chessmen into live beings. Live! If they were alive, then they could be subject to similar charms and curses as living things.

She raised her left hand from her side. "Stupify!" she shouted at the legion of white pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, king and queen in front of her. They did not move. Had it worked? There was only one way to find out for sure. She took a step forward, then another. She was now standing in front of the pawns that were still brandishing their weapons. She ducked under the crossed blades of two pawns.

Nothing.

She glanced back at Quirrell before advancing to the next door. When he´d finally caught up to her, Quirrell pulled open the next door. A disgusting smell filled the air. Jude grimaced. "What´s in there?" She choked out the words.

"My troll." He sounded like a boy showing off his new puppy to the neighborhood kids. Jude stepped through the large door behind Quirrell, who stood just beyond the opening, proudly beholding his magnificent troll.

The troll noticed the intruder and bellowed, advancing on them with great, thundering footsteps. He hefted a large, knotted club in one of his giant hands. As it swung at the two trespassers, Jude dove to the side, just avoiding being pulverized like a beetle in a mortar and pestle. As she lay crumpled against a wall, shielding her head with her hands as the troll slammed his club into anything in close proximity like a member of a rock band trashing a hotel room, she hear Quirrell speaking to the troll in a calm and placating tone.

"Now, now, Tom. You don´t want me to get nasty, now do you?" He sounded like an over-indulgent mother half-heartedly scolding a beloved child. The troll just missed Quirrell by a matter of inches. Still, he tried to sooth his troll with words. Jude was happy enough to let the troll finish off Professor Quirrell.

However, without warning and without her doing anything to attract the troll´s attention, it turned on her. She backed against the wall, unsure of how one goes about defeating a troll--she´d never even seen one until Halloween. The only knowledge she had on the creatures was what she´d gleaned from books she´d read. "Trolls are stupid," was the only, unhelpful, bit of information that came to mind. She ducked, the club just missing her then she leaped sideways as the troll brought the club crashing down on the spot where she´d stood only moments before.

She got to her feet just in time to see Quirrell dart through the next door. "Don´t hurt my troll too much, if you don´t mind," she heard him call to her as he disappeared. Panting, she backed away from the troll that was advancing once again on her, dragging its mangled club behind him. She took another step back and felt the cool stone of the wall press against her back.

"Shit!" She was trapped. The troll lifted its club over its head, preparing to bring down the last crushing blow. Pushing off of the wall, she dove forward at the troll´s feet and rolled between its legs, coming to a stop just behind it. Before the troll figured out where its prey had gone, Jude raised her hand and shouted "Imperio!" Surely this curse would work on such a feeble mind, even though it was less than human.

The troll stopped dead in its tracks and slowly turned to face the person who´d just spoken. "God, I hope this works," Jude pleaded. The troll just stood there. "Drop your club!" Jude commanded and the troll obeyed, the gnarled club landing with a large crash at its feet. It worked.

"Quirrell doesn´t want me to rough up his helpless troll?" Jude spat contemptuously. "This is going to be fun." She smirked, narrowing her eyes at the troll and raising her hand once again. "I want you to run as fast as you can at that wall, do you understand?" The troll nodded and grunted. "And when your almost there, I want to lower your head like this and keep running." She bent down, making a motion like a line backer on an American football team. The troll nodded. "Ready? I´ll count to three." The troll readied himself excitedly for his task. "One, two, three!" Jude shouted and the troll barreled at the wall, colliding head-on with the solid stone structure. A loud crunch sounded on impact and Jude saw a large crack streak up the wall. The troll landed with a thundering crash. The bleeding lump on the creature´s head announced that in was down for the count.

Jude hurried through the other door. Quirrell would have to work a bit harder to take her out of the picture. She hoped she could catch up to him before it was too late, however.

Stepping through the next door, Jude was surprised to find Quirrell at a table lined with bottles of all shapes and sizes. He was bent over a piece of parchment. Flames erupted in the doorway behind her as well as in front of the door leading onward. Jude smiled. So, the professor was not able to get very far without her help.

Noticing that he was no longer alone, he looked up at Jude and waived her over to examine the parchment. "Come here, I need your help."

She stood where she was and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. She raised her eyebrows incredulously. "You left me to be slaughtered by that troll." Her voice was icy. There was no reason to keep up the charade of mindless servitude any longer. "You would never have made it this far if it hadn´t been for me. Admit it!"

"Oh, come off it, Jude. I thought you were in with Snape and Dumbledore--those trying to stop me." He looked up from the puzzling parchment and smiled. "And since you´ve come forward instead of going back, I´ll assume you want to help."

"Help?" She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Can he truly believe that she wanted to be in on this? She could certainly pretend to be until she´d found out that the Stone and was sure that no one could get to it. Her cover was not really blown yet. "I´m just here to make sure you don´t fuck things up too badly! Honestly, you´re the best Lord Voldemort could find?" She walked over to the table and snatched the parchment from his hands. Quirrell was silently seething from her last words, but let her work. She read through the list of clues. It was brilliant, really. She´d have to remember to congratulate Professor Snape on his best logic test yet. He´d put together some other pretty impressive puzzles that tested shrewd thinking skills before, but this one was magnificent. She read through the list several times, pointing at various bottles and muttering to herself. She only had to warn Quirrell to be quiet once before she´d reached her conclusion.

"The smallest bottle--this one here--will get us through the door to the Stone," Jude announced proudly.

"And which will take us back?" Quirrell asked sardonically. Jude narrowed her eyes menacingly and pointed impatiently to a round bottle on the right end of the line. "Fine, you drink that one and go back the way you came and I..."

"No way!" She cut him off. "There´s no way I´m going to let you waltz in there, grab the Stone, and let you take the credit for getting through Hell´s Funhouse. I´m going, too!" She balled her fists at her sides. She wouldn´t take no for an answer, Quirrell realized.

"Ladies first, then," he said. She reached for the bottle and took a drink. It tasted like extremely cold and dry Vermouth. He watched as she set the bottle back on the table. Jude didn´t drop dead in the few moments he let pass, so he decided it was not poison and drank from the bottle as well.

Walking through the flames, she noticed that the doorway led into a grand rotunda with elegant columns encircling a space lit by a soft, white light from some unseen source. In the center of the room was the gilded and beautiful mirror standing alone. Jude took a few steps forward to examine the curious object, not wanting to believe it was what she knew it must be.

The Mirror of Erised.

She let her hand slide over the frame as she read the familiar words that wrapped around it. It was the mirror that she hadn´t seen in ten years--the same mirror that she´d tried to destroy in a fit of rage. Reluctantly she let her eyes wander downward and settle on the reflecting surface. She pulled her hand away as if it had been burned. There, reflected in the mirror, she no longer saw herself standing with her long-desired family, but alone, with...

Nothing.

She felt a hand shove her roughly aside. "I see myself holding the Stone--I am presenting it to my master!" He was staring hungrily at the mirror. "But where is it?" Jude was astounded. Dumbledore. This was his bit of magic. Quirrell could not get at the Stone--there was undoubtedly some trick to it that he would never find out. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Come here, girl!" Quirrell grabbed her roughly by the arm and pulled her in front of the mirror. "You know how it works, don´t you! Do one of your tricks! Anything!" He was yelling frantically at her. She looked into the mirror and still saw nothing. She did not desire the Stone--she wanted with everything she possessed to keep it safe and from the hands of Voldemort. And the safest place for it was in this enchanted mirror.

"I don´t know how."

"You lie!" He spun her around roughly and struck her hard across the face. She hit the cool floor of the room. Looking up, she saw Quirrell, with a crazed, slightly deranged light in his eye, place both hands on the mirror. "Maybe I have to break it!"

"No! You fool! If you break this mirror, you´ll die! It´s cursed!" Jude warned the professor frantically. She wondered why she was telling him any of this at all. The truth was that she didn´t want to see him die--a helpless pawn being manipulated by a power stronger than he could really grasp. She got to her feet and placed a restraining arm on the professor. "This is the mirror of Erised, I´ve seen it before. It will kill you if you break it."

"The girl. Make her look again. She is hiding something." Jude could hear the hissing voice from the turban entreat his servant.

Quirrell placed a hand on each of her shoulders and turned her forcefully to face the mirror. "I see nothing," she admitted truthfully.

"My dear girl, my former student. You have betrayed me once. That might be forgiven. You helped my servant through the spells and enchantments that would have kept the Stone from my grasp. You could have everything back, my dear--power, legions of loyal servants. I will forgive you if you give me the Stone!" His voice chilled her to the bone and she had to fight not to tremble. He recognized her.

"I see nothing." She repeated, her voice hard and impassable.

"Traitor!" the voice spat angrily. "My servant will teach you the loyalty you should have learned years ago". Quirrell turned to her and, in one swift movement, threw her into the pillar behind her. She hit the marble support hard and slumped to the floor. The professor turned back to the mirror, to examine it further. She silently regained her feet and raised her left hand. She would never allow herself to kill another person--it was a promise she´d made to herself after seeing a man die by her own hand. But at least she could knock him out long enough to go for help.

Just as she was about to shout the curse that would hopefully bring Quirrell down, a familiar voice spoke from the entrance of the chamber from which they´d come only a few minutes before. They both turned quickly to see who had followed them. Jude didn´t notice Quirrell´s lips twist into a cruel smile--her eyes were locked on the person in the doorway.

"Harry!" Jude´s gasp was barely audible.