"Rock!"
Harry hit the ground and spun around. Relief flooded his face when he saw who had saved him.
Rock gave a short nod, eyes never leaving Voldemort.
"Oh?" Voldemort's narrow gaze locked onto him. A rasping laugh scraped out. "You actually came back."
"Of course," Rock said calmly. He flipped the blood-red Stone in his hand. "Otherwise you wouldn't get to see what you want most."
Voldemort's red-tinged eyes flared. "The Philosopher's Stone!"
Harry stared at the Stone in Rock's palm, stunned. All year they had been hunting it… and it had been with Rock the entire time?
"Rock, run!" Harry shouted without thinking.
Rock lifted a hand to quiet him and kept his focus on Voldemort. "You want it that badly?"
"Name your price," Voldemort said at once. "Whatever you desire—honor, power, the deepest secrets of the Dark Arts—I can give it to you."
Rock looked at the Stone, then raised his wand. His irises shifted into slow-turning silver-gray nebulae.
"Cantus Purificus."
Blinding white light exploded from his wand in a smooth, powerful arc. It swallowed Voldemort completely.
A hideous, layered scream tore through the room—Voldemort's voice mixed with Quirrell's broken cries.
Harry froze. He had never seen a spell like this.
Inside the searing light, Quirrell clawed at his ears while faint whispers seemed to sink straight into his soul.
"So that's how it is…" Voldemort muttered, half-mad, half-enlightened. Black mist began rising from Quirrell's body.
Rock's expression tightened. "Dobby. Take Harry. When I give the signal, do exactly what I told you earlier."
"Understood, little master!"
Dobby grabbed Harry's hand and they vanished with a crack.
Rock kept the purification spell flowing. "Professor Quirrell—fight back."
The command echoed. Voldemort felt Quirrell's remaining soul suddenly push against him.
"Foolish," Voldemort snarled. If he left Quirrell's body now, the white light would burn him away instantly. This wasn't ordinary magic. It felt like alchemy.
He tried to speak again but found his voice gone.
"Rock…" Quirrell's weak voice broke through. "Stop… I have no chance left…"
Rock didn't answer. He lowered his wand, glanced at the Stone, then hurled it high into the air.
"Voldemort. You want the Stone? Come and take it."
"Dobby!"
Dobby reappeared behind Quirrell with Harry. He shoved Harry's hands against the back of Quirrell's skull.
Quirrell screamed. Black smoke poured from the point of contact and began to char and flake.
Voldemort's attention snapped to the falling Stone. With a furious roar the black mist tore free of Quirrell's body and lunged for it.
A glowing white shield flared around the Stone the instant the mist touched it.
"Again!" Voldemort howled.
The Stone dropped. Dobby flashed forward, caught the unconscious Quirrell with one hand and Harry with the other. Harry snatched the Stone out of the air. Then Dobby grabbed Rock and they all disappeared.
The empty room rang with Voldemort's rage.
"Rock Scamander! I will crush you to dust and scatter your ashes!"
A calm, elderly voice cut through the fury. "Looks like I arrived a little late."
The swirling black mist snapped toward the new arrival.
Dumbledore stood there, wand ready.
"Professor Dumbledore," Voldemort rasped. "You found yourself quite the useful little helper."
He still believed everything Rock had done was on Dumbledore's orders.
Dumbledore glanced around the ruined chamber, then met Voldemort's gaze with quiet gravity. "All your plans have failed."
Voldemort's laugh was wild and broken. "This round goes to you. But before I leave, I think I'll collect a little interest."
"Avada Kedavra!"
Green light burst from the mist. Dumbledore flicked his wand; several massive stones ripped from the walls and shattered the Killing Curse. Chunks of rock exploded outward.
Voldemort's mist shot toward the exit.
"Hahahaha! You still don't understand, Dumbledore. I have achieved true immortality!"
"When I return, Hogwarts will burn. It will become hell itself!"
The mad laughter faded down the corridor.
Dumbledore's brow furrowed. True immortality… He had missed something important.
"Headmaster? You didn't finish him?"
Rock's voice came from behind him, faintly annoyed.
Dumbledore turned. Rock stood there holding Dobby's hand.
"This isn't the place for conversation, little Rock. Come with me."
Dumbledore tapped his wand. A phoenix's cry rang out. In a burst of flame, he and Rock vanished.
Dobby looked around, lost, until a single phoenix tail feather drifted down into his palm. Golden words shimmered across it.
"Thank you, Dobby. You may return home now."